Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protection effects of hydrophile-grafted silicone copolymers on the formation of colloidal silver nanoparticles

Silicone copolymers with varying weight percents of hydrophilic groups with or without charge were used as protectors to stabilize the silver nanoparticles prepared by chemical reduction of Ag + ion with sodium borohydride NaBH4, and the effects of hydrophobic moiety and hydrophile on protection were investigated. UV-vis spectroscopy was employed to characterize the silver colloids, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to determine the metal particle sizes and morphologies. The silicone copolymer can effectively protect the formation of silver nanoparticle with sufficiently high concentration of polymer. It was found the high hydrophobic content rather than hydrophilic content results in better protection to nanoparticles. The results strongly suggest that the silicone copolymer of SHE cannot effectively protect the silver nanoparticle if its hydrophile cannot interact with metal ion or nanoparticles as it is positive-charged.
Determination of Free L-T4 and Free L-T3 from Blood Using the Immunosensors/Sequential Injection Analysis System

An immunosensors/sequential injection analysis system is proposed for the assay of thyroid hormones free L-T4 and free L-T3 in blood samples. The working concentration ranges for free L-T4 and free L-T3, are between 2.0 and 720.0 pmol/L and between 2.0 and 340.0 pmol/L, respectively, with detection limits of 1.0 and 1.7 pmol/L, respectively. The selectivity of the immunosensors, as well as the recovery tests done for free L-T4 and free L-T3 (99.90 ± 0.01% (n = 10) and 99.94 ± 0.02% (n = 10)), made the immunosensors/sequential injection analysis system suitable for the direct assay of thyroid hormones in blood samples.
Some calculations for powder patterns

The elements of the unit cell are expressed in the coefficients A⋯F of the quadratic form 1/d2 = Q(h,k,l), and a table of derivatives δa/δA⋯δ cos γ/δF is given. The elements of Delaunay's foursider are calculated in a simple way from A⋯F.
Compost Changed Soil Organic Matter Molecular Composition: A Py-GC/MS and Py-FIMS Study

Changes in the molecular composition of soil organic matter (SOM) resulting from compost application are not sufficiently known at the molecular scale even though this is a major issue for soil fertility and soil carbon sequestration. Therefore, the present study investigated effects of long-term compost application in comparison to mineral fertilizer on the molecular composition of SOM in a 34-year-old experiment. Soil samples were taken after 19 and 34 years of constant management and analyzed by Curie point Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Cp Py-GC/MS) and Pyrolysis-Field Ionization Mass Spectrometry (Py-FIMS). In general, compost application increased the organic carbon (C) content. The Cp PyGC/MS revealed larger relative intensities of alkylphenols/lignin monomers at the expense of carbohydrates in the compost treatments. Py-FIMS indicated higher proportions of labile n-fatty acids, lipids and sterols in the compost than in the mineral fertilizer treatment. Permanent cropping of grass between years 19 and 34 revealed similar signal patterns, which is also maintained after conversion of soil from permanent grass to arable use. Thermograms of volatilization indicated enrichments of stable (compounds volatilized in between 370°C and 570°C) phenols/lignin monomers, lipids and alkylaromatics between years 19 and 34 in compost fertilized soils. This was a result of enhanced losses of compounds that are considered easily metabolized by microorganisms (e.g. carbohydrates) after compost addition as derived from Py-GC/MS and Py-FIMS. In summary, long-term application of mature compost was shown to have a positive, long lasting effect on the organic carbon sequestration in agricultural soils.
Precise Design of Surface Nano-texture and Surface Chemistry of Polymeric Solids

Surface properties of polymeric materials were controlled by fabrication of nano-structure and submicronorder structure of poly(fluoroalkyl acrylate) using the chemical and physical surface modification techniques. The relationship between the ordered structure of fluoroalkyl (R f) groups and water repellency mechanism was precisely investigated by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction, water contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was revealed that poly{2-(perfluorooctyl)ethyl acrylate} (PFA-C8) was crystallized and formed ordered structure to result in high water repellency. Surface nano-texturing onto PFA-C8 film surface was carried out using an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane as a mold. The nano-texture of AAO mold with a pore diameter of 200 nm was transformed onto the PFA-C8 film surface to fabricate nano-structure, which revealed high water and oil repellency. On the other hand, various types of monomers were grafted on the solid surface through surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization to result in high-density polymer brushes. Hydrophobic PFA-C8brush surface revealed a low friction coefficient and a good wear resistance. Water lubrication and low friction were observed on the hydrophilic polymer brush. These polymer brushes were successfully introduced on the commercial fluoropolymer, which has inherent radical initiator functional groups. These results indicated that nano-layer immobilization through surface-initiated polymerization and surface texturing are promising methods to control the surface chemistry and surface structure at dimensions in the nano-meter range.
Micronutrient Supplements to Enhance Biological Wastewater Treatment of Phosphorus-Limited Industrial Effluent

The chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and respiration rates of several samples of activated sludge which were dosed with micronutrient supplements have been compared in this study. Six trace metals and three vitamins were used as chemical additives dosed into the mixed liquor. It was confirmed experimentally that a wastewater stream from a chemicals manufacturing plant did not contain a sufficient supply of macro- or micronutrients for efficient biological treatment. Some of the supplements increased the metabolic rate of the sludge while some decreased it, indicating a range of stimulatory and toxic effects; all of the supplements resulted in increased COD removal rates. Complex interactions between micronutrients that were dosed simultaneously were evident. Control sludge batches (receiving no micronutrient supplements) attained an average COD removal rate of 1.335 kg COD.kg MLSS –1 d –1 . Dosing micronutrients into the mixed liquor produced COD removal rates of up to 4.239 kg COD.kg MLSS –1 d –1 . It was concluded that micronutrient supplements have the potential to optimize biological treatment of industrial wastewaters which are nutrient limited or changeable.
A phosphate availability index ("F") for optimizing a soil phosphate requirement rating

Abstract A phosphate (P) availability index “F”; (F) is proposed as a parameter to evaluate the fraction of P added to soil which remains actually available after a given time. A quick test to measure the F is also discussed. Twenty soils from the typical Mediterranean pedoclimatic environments, with contrasting chemical and physical properties, were utilized in this investigation. Three different soil+P incubation periods, i.e., 16 and 48 hours and 60 days were considered. After equilibrium, the available P was extracted by both Olsen (Olsen‐P) and M3 (M3‐P) reactants. The F were given by the values of the b slopes of the respective linear regressions: extracted‐P = a + b added‐P, obtained by the various soil+P equilibrium procedures and the two P extraction methods. The F were compared among them as well as with the classical Sorption Index (SI) parameter. The F obtained after 16 and 48 hours or 60 days by Olsen‐P measurements (F‐Olsen) ranged from 0.25 to 0.75, 0.19 to 0.56, and 0.17 to 0.56, with mean.
Evidence for Quantum Critical Behavior in the Optimally Doped Cuprate Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ

The photoemission line shapes of the optimally doped cuprate Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ were studied in the direction of a node in the superconducting order parameter by means of very high resolution photoemission spectroscopy. The peak width or inverse lifetime of the excitation displays a linear temperature dependence, independent of binding energy, for small energies, and a linear energy dependence, independent of temperature, for large binding energies. This behavior is unaffected by the superconducting transition, which is an indication that the nodal states play no role in the superconductivity. Temperature-dependent scaling suggests that the system displays quantum critical behavior.
Research on Women Entrepreneurs: Challenges to (and from) the Broader Entrepreneurship Literature?

This paper has three overarching objectives. The first is to document the development of the body of work known as women's entrepreneurship research. The second is to assess the contributions of this work, specifically vis-a-vis the broader entrepreneurship literature. The third is to discuss how this broader literature poses challenges (both difficulties as well as opportunities) for scholarship on female entrepreneurs. We approach these objectives from the standpoint of informed pluralism, seeking to explore whether and how women's entrepreneurship research offers extensions to—and can be extended by—general research on entrepreneurs and their ventures.
Twin-Tapered Molecules Containing Bi-dihydrazine Units: Self-Assembly through Intermolecular Quadruple Hydrogen Bonding and Liquid Crystalline Behavior

We report on the synthesis and self-assembly of a new series of twin-tapered dihydrazide derivatives, oxalyl acid N‘,N‘-di(3,4,5-trialkoxybenzoyl)-hydrazide (FH-Tn). Results from 1H NMR diluting experiments in chloroform and temperature-dependent 1H NMR spectroscopy revealed that molecules exhibited a conformational change at concentrations lower than 255 μM, e.g., from intramolecularly H-bonded six-membered rings to five-membered rings in the monomer state upon concentrating. Measurements of 1H NMR diluting experiment, FTIR spectroscopy, and mass spectroscopy revealed that the FH-Tn self-assembled into supramolecular chains either in chloroform at concentrations greater than 255 μM or in bulk through intermolecular quadruple H-bonding. On the basis of the results of DSC, polarized optical microscopy, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), we assigned enantiotropic hexagonal and unknown columnar phases to FH-Tn (n = 6, 7, 8, 10).
Toroidal Coil Countercurrent Chromatography in the Affinity Partitioning of Nicotinic Cholinergic Receptor Enriched Membranes

Abstract A variation on the aqueous polymer phase partition method, affinity partitioning, has proved suitable for the preparative scale purification of binding site enriched membrane fragments. The full resolving potential of the affinity partitioning technique often requires the utilization of multiple extraction procedures such as countercurrent distribution. In this report, we evaluate the combination of a newly developed countercurrent purification technique, toroidal coil chromatography, with affinity partitioning. This approach provides an efficient method for purification and characterization of membrane bound nicotinic cholinergic receptors. The relative merits of the toroidal coil chromatography technology and the more conventional thin-layer countercurrent distribution techniques are compared.
Development of a Practical Multikilogram Production of (R)-Seudenol by Enzymatic Resolution

Different enzymatic routes for the production of (R)-seudenol were investigated. The Novozym 435-catalyzed reaction of racemic seudenol with vinyl butyrate proved to be the most promising route. By using vinyl laurate as an acyl donor, (R)-seudenol laurate could be separated from (S)-seudenol by an extractive work-up procedure. A nonaqueous hydrolysis allowed the isolation of pure (R)-seudenol. Scaling up to 7 kg resulted in a robust reproducible process.
Optimum Design of Waste Water Treatment Network

Various environmental regulations imply that it is important to minimize the cost associated with treatment of different industrial wastes prior to its discharge to the environment. In this paper, an algebraic methodology, based on the principles of process integration, is proposed to target the minimum waste treatment flow rate to satisfy an environmentally acceptable discharge limit. In the proposed methodology, treatment units with fixed outlet concentrations are considered. It is observed that it is not necessary to maximize the usage of the treatment unit with the minimum specific cost. Hence, a prioritized cost for each treatment unit is devised to select appropriate treatment units that minimize the overall operating cost. Applicability of the proposed methodology is demonstrated through examples.
Determination of β1,4-Galactosyltransferase Enzymatic Activity by Capillary Electrophoresis and Laser-Induced Fluorescence Detection

Abstract We have developed a nonradioactive method to assay UDP-Gal:β- d -GlcNAcβ1,4-galactosyltransferase (β4GalT-I) enzymatic activity. Capillary electrophoresis combined with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF) was employed to provide a baseline separation of FITC-conjugated O -GlcNAc-containing substrate peptides and galactose-capped product peptides, while at the same time allowing a level of detection in the low attomole range (10 −18 ). The addition of 2 mM hexamethylene diamine to the borate-based capillary electrophoretic buffer modulated the electroosmotic flow, resulting in optimum separation of the glycopeptide product from reactant. β4GalT-I activity was dependent upon the addition of both manganese and UDP-galactose. Using this assay, we show that two β4GalT-I constructs, predicted to localize to different intracellular compartments, are enzymatically active when expressed in vitro using a rabbit reticulocyte transcription–translation system. The high sensitivity of product detection by CE-LIF in combination with in vitro transcription–translation is applicable to the facile determination of the enzymatic activity of other newly cloned glycosyltransferases.
Immobilised Burkholderia cepacia lipase in dry organic solvents and ionic liquids: A comparison

Lipase PS from Burkholderia cepacia in its free, commercial form (BCL-PS), immobilised in a sol–gel (BCLxero) and as a CLEA (BCL-CLEA) was tested in dry organic solvents, ionic liquids and their mixtures. Utilising the acylations of secondary alcohols 1–3 the influence of the enzyme preparation on its activity and enantioselectivity was studied. BCL-CLEA displays higher activity (initial rates) than BCLxero for all substrates in the ILs but loses its activity rapidly. Thus, BCLxero is suitable for kinetic resolution in ILs and in their mixtures with organic solvents. It is not possible to label one IL better than the other without taking the nature of the substrate into account. In neat solvents, the nature of the solvent affects enantioselectivity (E) only when furyl-substituted alcohol 2 serves as a substrate while variation in E is more evident for reactions in solvent mixtures.
PURIFICATION OF RUMEN MICROBIAL XYLANASE WITH IMMOBILIZED SEPHAROSE-CIBACRON BLUE F3GA IN COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY

Sepharose-Cibacron blue (CB) F3GA for pseudo-affinity adsorption of bioproducts was synthesized and was subjected to rumen microbial enzyme evaluation through batch binding and column chromatography of xylanase. Based on equilibrium adsorption data, the best temperature, contact time, and elution agent were 30°C, 15 min, and 0.5 M NaCl (pH 6), respectively. The results show that homogenizing method had better performance in the liberation of enzyme, so that the amount of enzyme in rumen liquor approximately doubled. In pre-concentration methods, it was shown that freeze drying and precipitation of enzyme using ammonium sulfate were the best. Microbial xylanase was purified from rumen liquor to 1.85- and 11.80-fold by ammonium sulfate fractionation and Sepharose-CB column chromatography, respectively.
Anisotropic Diffusion and Morphology in Perfluorosulfonate Ionomers Investigated by NMR

Anisotropy in ionomer membranes represents a powerful interaction for modulating properties such as mechanical moduli, thermal expansions, and small molecule transport, all tunable via controlled processing. We observe uniform hydrophilic channel alignment in three perfluorosulfonate ionomer membrane types, quantified by 2H NMR spectroscopy of absorbed D2O molecules. Our measurements show biaxial or uniaxial in-plane alignment for extruded membranes, but uniaxial through-plane alignment for dispersion-cast membranes, and further demonstrate affine swelling with both water uptake and thermal expansion. In order to correlate alignment data with a quantity relevant to proton transport, we measure the anisotropy of water self-diffusion using pulsed-field-gradient NMR along different membrane directions. Extruded membranes with stronger alignment exhibit 18% faster in-plane diffusion than through-plane diffusion, while diffusion anisotropy is minimal for weakly aligned membranes. These results should lead to a.
Novel Silafluorene-Based Conjugated Polymers with Pendant Acceptor Groups for High Performance Solar Cells

Two low-band-gap conjugated polymers, PSiFDCN and PSiFDTA, which consist of alternating silafluorene and triphenylamine backbone and different pendant acceptor groups (malononitrile and 1,3-diethyl-2-thiobarbituric acid) with styrylthiophene as π-bridge, were synthesized and characterized. By changing the acceptor groups in side chain, the energy levels, absorption spectra, and band gaps of the resulted polymers were effectively tuned. As the strength of the acceptors increases, the band gap reduces from 1.83 eV for PSiFDCN to 1.74 eV for PSiFDTA. Bulk heterojunction solar cells with these polymers as electron donor and (6,6)-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) as electron acceptor exhibit high Voc (>0.85 V) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.50% and 3.15% for PSiFDCN and PSiFDTA, respectively.
Écoulements et transferts de chaleur dans les Échangeurs à plaques traitant des produits visqueux newtoniens et pseudoplastiques 1. Modélisation des variations du diamètre hydraulique

Les performances d'un echangeur de chaleur a plaques sont souvent traduites par des correlations qui contiennent le diametre hydraulique, generalement calcule comme valant deux fois la distance entre-plaques. Nous avons observe experimentalement que cette valeur de la distance entre-plaques n'etait pas constante, mais dependait des parametres tels que le serrage des plaques entre elles et/ou la pression des fluides au sein des canaux. Les variations de cette distance entre-plaques avec les conditions operatoires ont ete etudiees a travers des mesures de chute de pression pour l'ecoulement isotherme de fluides Newtoniens. Deux types de plaques ont ete testes: des plaques a cannelures droites et des plaques de type chevrons. Pour les plaques a cannelures droites experimentees, la valeur de la distance entre-plaques est independante de la pression des fluides dans les canaux. En revanche, elle peut ětre multipliee par 1.18 quand on passe d'un serrage ou toutes les plaques sont bien en contact a un serrage proche de la fuite. Pour les plaques de type chevrons, la valeur de la distance entre-plaques depend a la fois du serrage de l'appareil et de la pression des fluides, et a varie au maximum dans un rapport 1.52. Les variations de cette distance entre-plaques ont ete modelisees a l'aide de relations simples qui ont permis d'obtenir, pour les deux echangeurs et pour l'ensemble des regimes d'ecoulement, une courbe de frottement independante du serrage des plaques et de la pression des fluides.
The use of oxygen microprobes to measure bacterial respiration for determining bacterioplankton growth efficiency

Heterotrophic bacterial growth efficiency (BGE), the ratio between the carbon consumed and the bacterial biomass produced, is a key factor in understanding flows of organic matter in aquatic ecosystems. Methods generally used to estimate bacterial respiration require long incubations (24 to 36 h) to measure significant rates during which nonlinear patterns of oxygen decrease may bias BGE computation. These respiration estimates are generally compared to bacterial production rates determined from radiotracer incorporation from much shorter incubations. The aim of this study was to improve the determination of bacterial respiration to better estimate BGE. For this purpose, we employed oxygen microprobes in predator free (0.6 µm filtered) seawater samples and determined in parallel bacterial abundance. The use of oxygen microprobes allowed us to continuously monitor oxygen concentration during the incubation. Hence, the length of incubation can be adjusted as soon as a significant decrease of oxygen is observed. At the most productive sites, respiration was measurable from the beginning of the incubation and varied with time. In contrast, at the oligotrophic sites, respiration was often detectable only after a lag‐phase of 5 to 10 h and remained constant thereafter. BGE was computed from the changes in bacterial abundance observed during the respiration measurements. This way, both processes were determined in similar incubation conditions. In comparison, the use of radiotracer derived bacterial production systematically resulted in an underestimation of BGE.
The relevance of livestock husbandry in the context of food security: a bibliometric outlook of research studies from 1938 to 2020

The present study aimed to report knowledge-based outcomes on global studies of livestock farming as a tool to address food security, while considering the recurring problems caused by malnutrition and hunger among vulnerable persons, especially in developing countries. A total of 2,012 scientific peer-reviewed studies were retrieved in BibTeX design for analysis using bibliometric collections in R studio software. The results obtained from the software included among others, authors, keywords plus, citations, collaborations, affiliations, journals, countries impact and key words. Published peer-reviewed discoveries on livestock husbandry as related to food security gathered from Scopus and the Web of Science (WOS) databanks were used, with a yearly rise in knowledge-based research of 15.04% during the timespan of the investigation. The results of the investigation revealed that the United States was ranked first with an aggregate of 236 publications [including Single Country Publications (SCP) = 225 and Multiple Country Publications (MCP) = 11] and had a huge international scientific effect with the highest article citations (n = 9,138). The most frequently used authors’ keywords in the present research niche area were food security (n = 475), livestock (n = 123), agriculture (n = 100), climate change (n = 99), sustainability (n = 55), cattle (n = 40), and nutrition (n = 37), which gave a clear direction for the related research studies regarding how livestock production can be used to enhance food security. The study in consideration presented an international picture that addresses the pool of knowledge-based, peer-reviewed findings of livestock production research and its significance to food security, while providing a clue regarding further investigations in this research niche area. It is of high essence to emphasise that the current findings solely focused on prime areas of livestock production as related to food security research; thus, it is anticipated that novel empirical research work and potential scientific findings will provide novel understanding and precision to livestock husbandry as a possible instrument to tackle the challenges of food security as new discoveries emerges.