Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolite-albumin interactions in human biofluids studied by NMR

This thesis focuses on the study of molecular interactions of metabolites in biofluids by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). NMR is uniquely suited for measurement of complex mixtures as biofluids as it provides qualitative and quantitative information in a non-destructive manner at molecular/atomic detail. In Chapter 1 is discussed the role of biofluids and show how NMR is useful to study molecular interactions in whole crude biofluids. We also discuss the biological role of human serum albumin (HSA), the most abundant protein and present in almost all human's biofluids. Moreover, an introduction to the NMR is presented with a specific focus on chemical shift and bulk magnetic susceptibility (BMS). Chapter 2 give theoretical explanation and demonstrate experimental use of signal frequency shift caused by protein-induced BMS to determine total protein content in blood plasma. The BMS method has an error estimated to be = 5 %, which is comparable to the ~4 % error of the standard clinical colorimetric method. Chapter 3 is about the impact of fatty acids (FAs) on metabolites-HSA interactions in blood plasma. Also, ultrafiltration, the method employed for separation of metabolites from blood-plasma proteins, was evaluated. And chemical shift change due to sample dilution was used to identify metabolites interacting in fast exchange rate and their respective dissociation constant. In Chapter 4 specific FAs - myristic acid and stearic acid - were used and the metabolite lactate was strongly release from HSA. Due to poor FA solubility, effect of dilution on free metabolite concentration was also followed upon increasing FA-HSA ratio. Chapter 5 deals with the formation of complexes between metabolites, metal ions and HSA. This chapter focuses on composition of the prostatic fluid that is affected as part of malignant growth and transformation. Here chemical shift and transverse relaxation were measured and calculated for different composition.
Cell structure and stability of detonations with a pressure-dependent chain-branching reaction rate model

We examine detonation waves with a four-step chain-branching reaction model that exhibits explosion limits close to the two lower limits of hydrogen–oxygen chemistry. The reaction model consists of a chain-initiation step and a chain-branching step, both temperature-dependent with Arrhenius kinetics, followed by two pressure-dependent termination steps. Increasing the chain-branching activation energy or the overdrive shortens the reaction length in the ZND wavelength and leads to more unstable detonations, according to multi-dimensional linear stability analysis. Corresponding numerical simulations show that detonations with weak chain-branching reactions have a wave structure similar to those with a single-step reaction; strong chain-branching detonations show distinct keystone features. Keystone regions are bounded by a discontinuity in reactivity across the shear layers emanating from the triple points at the intersection of the transverse waves and the main front. Especially in the strong case, chain-branching occurs within a thin front at the back side of the keystone figure, or immediately behind Mach stems.
Optimized routine flow cytometric enumeration of heterotrophic flagellates using SYBR Green I

Heterotrophic flagellates (HF) are the major consumers of bacteria in aquatic ecosystems and dominate heterotrophic nanoplankton in numbers and in biomass. A DNA‐staining based flow cytometry (FC) protocol to enumerate HF was described by Zubkov et al. (2007), but has not yet been widely adopted. We tested extensively the method and its limitations using a wide range of sample types and trying several fixation and conservation alternatives. We evaluated simplification of some steps of the method, seeking the best compromise between precision and the quality of distinction of HF from bacteria and phytoplankton in the cytograms. We found that a flow rate of 120–220 µL min−1 without using a syringe‐pump enhanced machine modification, and running times of 8–10 min allowed enumeration of HF even at values below 102 cells mL−1. SYBR Green I, at final concentrations of 1:10000 and a minimum staining time of 10 min at room temperature in the dark, was adequate for staining and detecting HF. No significant differences were found between cell numbers obtained from freshly analyzed samples and those previously frozen in liquid‐N. FC and epifluorescence microscopy (EpiM) were in good agreement and FC yielded lower variability between replicate samples than EpiM. One limitation we encountered was that, in the presence of large bacteria and/or bacterial aggregates, enumeration was difficult. However, in absence of bacterial aggregates samples with Bact/HF ratios > 1000, HF could be well‐enumerated.
A study of the micro-baking of sponges and cakes using cine and television microscopy

Summary The micro-baking of sponges, madeira and high-ratio cakes has been investigated by cine and television microscopy. The temperatures of significant events in baking have been estimated and gas bubble diameters have been measured as a function of time and temperature during baking. The implications of the results for cake baking have been discussed.
Adsorption/Desorption and Fate of Mercury (II) by Typical Black Soil and Red Soil in China

Rapid industrial development in the old northeastern industrial region of China resulted in Hg pollution. A series of batch experiments were conducted to assess the adsorption/ desorption and transfer of Hg (II) within typical black soil in this region and typical red soil in south China as a comparison: both are typical soils in China. It was found that both soils had high affinity for Hg (II) and the absorbed amount was more than 95% of the added. Hg (II) adsorption isotherms were well fitted with the Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The affinity of Hg (II) for black soil was three times higher than that of red soil. Results demonstrated that soil organic matter had an important role in Hg (II) adsorption. Fifty-three and twenty-eight percent of the maximum sorption amount for Hg (II) was contributed by organic matter for black soil and red soil, respectively. Kinetic studies showed that Hg adsorption on both soils was characterized by a biphasic pattern, with a fast step followed by a slow step. Black soil completed 90% of total Hg (II) adsorption in 34 min and reached equilibrium in 321 min, compared to 91 min and 630 min on red soil, respectively.
Effect of Ca Deficiency on Growth and Leaf Acid Soluble Proteins of Tomato

ABSTRACT The effects of temporary Ca (Ca) deficiency lasting 2, 3, 4, or 5 days were investigated on tomato plants at the 6-leaf stage, grown hydroponically under controlled conditions. With 2, 3, or 4 days of Ca deficiency, the dry weight of the tomato leaves, shoots, or roots was not different from control. A significant decrease in tomato growth, of up to 70%, appeared on the fifth day. Some visual symptoms were observed on the tomato leaves. The phenomenon of concern was an irreversible mechanism that led to plant death after 12 days, even when Ca was added to the root medium after 2, 3, 4, or 5 days. This is the first report of such a rapid and drastic effect of an essential macronutrient. Moreover, Ca content in leaves during root deprivation showed a decrease in all plants, related to a remobilization toward the apex. Ca could also be considered as a partly mobile element: the observation of the youngest leaf limbs by transmission electronic microscopy after 4 d of treatment showed disorganized tissues in a necrotic zone, due to wall impairment related to Ca deficiency. During temporary Ca deficiency, acid soluble proteins were analyzed in leaves (SDS PAGE electrophoresis/Maldi-TOF). After 4 d of Ca deficiency, protein induction in young leaves was revealed. Three proteins were identified as pathogenesis related proteins (PR-1, PR-3, and PR-7) and a threonine deaminase precursor was also found. It was also the first time that pathogenesis related (PR) protein appearance has been shown to be related to Ca deficiency. The PR proteins are generally elicited by pathogen attack. This phenomenon seems to be Ca dependent because other mineral stresses, such as potassium (K) deficiency or sodium (Na) excess, did not reveal acid soluble protein changes. The retranslocation of Ca to young tissue could entail eliciting effects via wall fragments leading to a plant response similar to the response to pathogen attack. Consequently, activation by Ca deficiency of gene transcription coding for defense proteins could be hypothesized.
Analysis of intensity correlation spectra of mixtures of polystyrene latex spheres: A comparison of direct least squares fitting with the method of cumulants

This paper presents a comparison of direct least squares fitting with the method of cumulants for the analysis of intensity correlation spectra of a mixture of two sizes of polystyrene latex spheres of diameter ratio 1:2. It is demonstrated that both methods lead to mean values of the particle diameters and scattering amplitude ratio which agree with each other within about 5% or less. However, the cumulant analysis depends critically on the choice of the coincidental background for its success. It is observed that for the type of correlation function involved in this study, the formulas necessary to calculate the parameters mentioned above from the cumulants can result in substantial error propagation. Therefore, the cumulants must be known with high precision in order to avoid large uncertainties in the results.
Deposition and Crystallization of a‐Si Low Pressure Chemically Vapor Deposited Films Obtained by Low‐Temperature Pyrolysis of Disilane

In this work we have studied the deposition and crystallization of silicon films initially deposited in the amorphous phase by thermal decomposition of disilane and subsequently crystallized upon a low temperature thermal anneal. Experiments were performed over a wide range of deposition conditions. The grain size of the crystallized films was found to depend upon the deposition conditions; particularly it was found to increase monotonically with increasing deposition rate, while a nonmonotonic behavior was observed with respect to the deposition temperature. For films deposited with similar deposition rates, in the temperature range of 450 to 550 o C, a maximum in the grain size was observed at 470 o C
Validation and modification of the phosphorus loss index as applied to a small catchment

Environmental legislation in many countries requires the development of phosphorus indices to determine the risk of P loss from soils to water. The concentrations of total phosphorus (TP), molybdate‐reactive phosphorus (MRP) and particulate phosphorus (PP) and the movement of these P forms were determined in a small catchment in Galicia (north–west Spain) with the aim of establishing an index of P loss. The discharges and concentrations of the different P forms were measured at different points in the river basin. The information was used to estimate the accuracy of a P index derived from the model described by Gburek et al. (2000) . The amount of P lost over the 5‐month period of study was ca. 60 g/ha; in essence, the overall loss was low. The P losses differed throughout the study period and between sampling points, and some areas of the catchment acted as P sinks. This was probably associated with the transport of deposited material by the rivers. Of the two components included in the index, the source factor was consistent with the source areas in the catchment as identified by water analysis. However, the transport factor was not very consistent with the field data and must be reconsidered.
Organo-metal perovskite based solar cells: sensitized versus planar architecture

Organo-metal halide perovskites are composed of an ABX3 structure in which A represents a cation, B a divalent metal cation and X a halide. The organo-metal perovskite shows very good potential to be used as a light harvester in solar cells due to its direct band gap, large absorption coefficient, high carrier mobility and good stability. However, there is an important question in the photovoltaic field regarding the most advantageous architecture for perovskite based solar cells. Several studies showed sensitized perovskite solar cells achieving high performance, while high efficiency was also observed with the planar architecture. Consequently, it is still an open question regarding which operation mechanism and which architecture offers better results. This review describes both architectures, based on studies in the field. In the case of the sensitized structure, there are more difficulties in pore filling, naturally more recombination, and the possibility to use thicker metal oxide films. In the planar structure, thin metal oxide films are used, less recombination was observed and there are no infiltration problems. Both architectures exhibit long-range diffusion length and meet the demand for excellent coverage of the perovskite film.
Identification and characterization of bacteria causing flacherie in mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

Flacherie in silkworms is defined as a state of larval health typified by flaccid condition of the affected larvae and caused by non-occluded viruses and bacteria individually and in combination. Among the silkworm diseases, flacherie is one of the major contributing factors to cocoon crop loss in India. The present work aims to isolate pathogens responsible for inflicting bacterial infection in Bombyx mori and characterize the associated bacteria. Mid gut contents were dissected from the larvae exhibiting typical symptoms of flacherie. The same were subjected to serial dilution and plated onto nutrient agar plates. Five bacterial cultures were isolated in axenic form and identity of the same was affirmed by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. EZ Taxon BLAST analysis revealed that they were exhibiting highest sequence similarity to Staphylococcus argenteus, Paracoccus niistensis, Bacillus carboniphilus, Enterococcus cecorum and Enterobacter asburiae. Staphylococcus argenteus and Bacillus carboniphilus were found to be pathogenic to silkworm and inflicted mortality up to a tune of 50%.
Improvement of Worldwide Version of System for Prediction of Environmental Emergency Dose Information (WSPEEDI), (II)

The prediction performance of WSPEEDI (Worldwide version of System for Prediction of Environmental Emergency Dose Information), which consists of the atmospheric dynamic model MM5 and the Lagrangian particle dispersion model GEARN-new, is evaluated by measurements of precipitation and surface deposition of 137Cs over Europe during the Chernobyl accident. It is concluded that MM5/GEARN-new can predict 137Cs deposition distribution with good accuracy when accurate precipitation is predicted by using an explicit scheme on cloud microphysics with ice phase processes. High-resolution calculation is also conducted for the area surrounding Chernobyl by a nesting method. MM5/GEARN-new can quite realistically predict the distribution of 137Cs deposition around Chernobyl which cannot be calculated by the previous version.
Some new species of the subfamily ‘Leptoceratoidinae’ (Ancyloceratina, Ammonoidea) in uppermost Hauterivian and lower Barremian deposits from Rumania

The Berriasian — lower Valanginian genus Leptoceras reappears in the lower Barremian sequences of Rumania, where it is represented by at least two species: L. brunneriforme sp. nov. and L. svinitense sp. nov. This record has led to a revision of the so far accepted taxonomic interpretation of the criomorph Barremian Leptoceratoidinae and of their relationship with the Berriasian-Valanginian Protancyloceratinae. In addition, a new species of the genus Hamulinites (H. nicklesi, from the uppermost Hauterivian) provides evidence that the genus Eoleptoceras Manolov should be considered valid.
The Influence of Acid Treatment on the Nanostructure and Textural Properties of Bentonite Clays

The nanostructure and textural properties of acid-activated bentonite clays from the Bogovina coalmine were investigated. The acid activation was performed with HCl in the concentration range 1.5-7.5 M. The atomic force microscopy followed by image analysis was used in order to establish the influence of the acid treatment on the size of bentonite particles. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms at -196 °C were used to estimate the specific surface area, pore volume and pore size distribution. The acid treatment reduces the size of bentonite particles and increases the specific surface area and pore volume of the investigated bentonites. These effects are improved by increasing the acid concentration up to 4.5 M HCl. Further increase in acid concentration does not result in development of new porous structure.
Biosorptive removal of chromium by husk of Lathyrus sativus: Evaluation of the binding mechanism, kinetic and equilibrium study

The adsorption of tri‐ and hexavalent chromium by the husk of Lathyrus sativus (HLS), which is an agro‐waste has been investigated to find a potential solution to environmental pollution. The pH‐dependent adsorption process finds the optimum values for trivalent and hexavalent chromium ions at about pH 5.0 and pH 2.0, respectively. The process is very fast initially and attains an equilibrium within 90 min following pseudo second‐order rate kinetics. Equilibrium adsorption data can best elucidated by the Langmuir–Freundlich dual model (r2 = 0.998) in comparison with other isotherm models examined indicating that both physi‐ and chemisorption are components of the binding mechanism of chromium ions on HLS. The results show that one gram of HLS can adsorb 24.6 mg Cr3+ and 44.5 mg Cr6+. Fourier transform infrared data and functional group modification experiments indicate that –NH2, ‐COOH, ‐OH, ‐PO43− groups of the biomass interact chemically with the chromium ions. SEM‐energy dispersive X‐ray analysis and X‐ray diffraction spectrum analysis were used to further assess the morphological changes and the mechanisms of chromium ion interaction with HLS. The analysis signified that the biosorption process involved surface morphological changes, complexation and an ion exchange mechanism. The amorphous nature of HLS facilitating metal biosorption was indicated by the X‐ray diffraction analysis.
Design of conduction band structure of TiO2 electrode using Nb doping for highly efficient dye‐sensitized solar cells

A barrier layer of undoped TiO2 was deposited on the Nb‐doped TiO2 electrode to suppress the recombination at the Nb‐doped TiO2/dye–electrolyte interface for highly efficient dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The Nb content in TiO2 was varied in a range of 0.7–3.5 mol% to modify the TiO2 energy‐band structure. Nb‐doped TiO2/dye interfaces were characterized by a combination of ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy and optical absorption spectroscopy measurements, allowing the determination of the conduction band minimum (CBM) of the TiO2 electrode and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the N719 dye. The lowering of TiO2 CBM by Nb doping induced the increase in short‐circuit current of DSCs. However, open‐circuit voltage and fill factor are decreased, and this result was ascribed to the enhanced recombination at the Nb‐doped TiO2/dye–electrolyte interface. The effect of doping on charge transport in DSCs was analyzed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. We have shown that by introducing of TiO2 barrier layer, the Nb doping content, which results in DSC highest efficiency, can be increased because of the suppression of the dopant‐induced recombination. The energy conversion efficiency of the solar cells increased from 7.8% to 9.0% when undoped TiO2 electrode is replaced with electrode doped with 2.7 mol% of Nb because of the improvement of the electron injection and collection efficiencies. The correlation between the electronic structure of the TiO2 electrode, charge transfer characteristics, and photovoltaic parameters of DSCs is discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
FT-Raman Investigations of Forest Products

FT-Raman spectroscopy has been used to analyze several forest product materials. Spectra of balsa, oak, pine, and redwood have been obtained. These data can be used to differentiate between hard and soft woods by examination of the ratio of the intensities of those bands attributable to cellulose and lignin as well as by the presence (or absence) of a band near the 1269-cm−1 Raman shift that can be assigned to rosin. Analysis of coatings on paper via FT-Raman methods has also been accomplished. Results from measurements of red ink deposited upon filter paper and from a commercial paper sample are presented. The significance of these findings will be discussed.
Column solid-phase extraction of sunset yellow and spectrophotometric determination of its use in powdered beverage and confectionery products

Summary A new and simple solid-phase extraction method for the determination of trace levels of sunset yellow has been developed on Diaion HP 2MG column system. The adsorbed sunset yellow on the resin was eluted with 3 mL of methanol and determined by UV–Vis spectrophotometry at 484 nm. Various experimental parameters such as pH, amount of sunset yellow, flow rates of sample and eluent solutions, resin amount, sample volumes, etc. were investigated. The influences of some alkali, alkali earth and transition metals on the recoveries of sunset yellow were investigated. The recovery values for sunset yellow were higher than 95%. Preconcentration factor was found as 150. The detection limit (three sigma) of the reagent blank for sunset yellow was 5.2 μg L−1. The relative standard deviations (RSD) of the procedure were found as 3.9%. The validation of the presented procedure was performed by the method of standard addition. The procedure was successfully applied to the determination of trace levels of sunset yellow in powdered beverage and confectionery products.
Tissue imprint imaging by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Cross-sections of Myristica malabarica (Lam) seed and mouse brain tissue were imprinted on such ordinary surfaces as printer paper and TLC plates, and successfully imaged by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) at 250 μm resolution. Chemical images representing the distribution of the alkaloid malabaricone C in the seed substructures and individual lipids in the substructures of the brain were obtained. Practical implications include analysis of irregular or soft materials, easy recording, transportation and storage of the latent image, and posterior analysis of the samples by different techniques without the requirement of addition of matrices or use of specific types of surfaces.