Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nonaqueous-Phase Liquid Retention of Mineral Mixture Series Containing Different Clay Minerals

The pollution of soils with nonaqueous-phase liquids (NAPL) may endanger the quality of soils, their utilization, and the groundwater reservoir. To develop NAPL transport models, the most important soil parameters are the hydrophysical properties of the solid phase such as the retention capacity. Because the measurement of these soil properties is time-consuming and costly, in most cases they are estimated. However, the commonly used estimation methods are mostly validated with laboratory measurements using soil columns made from sand, quartz, or glass-bead samples, with negligible contents of clay and organic matter. These estimation methods consider the soil as ideal porous media and thus may not provide appropriate results for soils with variably physical and chemical properties. In the 1990s a research program commenced at this university to create an appropriate estimation method for predicting the NAPL retention capacity of soils. Two estimation methods, the Leverett equation and the prediction with pedotransfer functions (PTF), were compared. We assumed that the oil retention of soil is sufficiently predictable from basic soil properties, but we later discovered that these models needed to be refined further because NAPL retention in soils may be influenced by different properties at a higher pressure level than at lower pressure. Moreover, the quantity and the quality of clay minerals in soils may also influence the retention capacity of soils. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different investigated soil parameters on NAPL retention measured at different pressure values. A series of mineral mixtures containing different clay minerals were used, the PTFs were established, and the role of the main soil properties in NAPL retention was investigated with statistical analysis.
Bulk polymerization of methyl methacrylate

This manuscript reports on an experimental investigation of the chemical-initiated (AIBN) bulk polymerization of methyl methacrylate to limiting conversion at temperatures of 50°C, 70°, and 90°C. The change in the cumulative differential molecular weight distribution (CDMWD) with respect to conversion was measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). These CDMWD's were differentiated to determine the instantaneous differential molecular weight distribution (instantaneous DMWD) over the range of conversions investigated. These experimental instantaneous DMWD's were found to agree with theoretical distributions predicted by classical free-radical kinetics over the entire conversion range and where diffusion control of the termination reactions is dramatic. A correlation of the dimensionless group α (where α = ktdRp/kp2M2) with free volume is proposed. This correlation appears to adequately account for diffusion control of the termination reaction. A kinetic model for the bulk polymerization of methyl methacrylate has been developed. This model should find use in the design, simulation, and optimization of PMMA reactors.
Ranking of Sustainable Medical Tourism Destinations in Iran: An Integrated Approach Using Fuzzy SWARA-PROMETHEE

Today, medical tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry around the world. Medical tourism can contribute to the sustainable development and economic dynamism of countries. Therefore, in this study, we prioritize the world’s leading countries in medical tourism for Iranians. First, five main criteria and 20 sub-criteria were selected, which are the reasons for choosing a country as a medical tourism destination. In this paper a combined fuzzy SWARA-PROMETHEE approach was used to prioritize tourism destinations. The acronym PROMETHEE stands for Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation method and represents an useful MCDA (Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis) tool. On the other hand, SWARA acronym means Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis. The criteria were weighted using the fuzzy SWARA approach. In the following, using the PROMETHEE approach, we prioritized eight countries as tourism destinations, then we identified criteria related to sustainability of medical tourism destinations and prioritized medical tourism destinations using these criteria as the contributions of this paper. The weights obtained for criteria “Abilities of skilled staff,” “Applied medical equipment,” “Marketing capability,” “Type of service provided,” and “Application of information and communications technology” were 0.176, 0.232, 0.108, 0.395, and 0.089, respectively. The results show that medical tourism destination priorities for Iranians are India (Phi = 0.1396), Malaysia (Phi = 0.1128), Panama (Phi = 0.0976), Mexico (Phi = 0.0790), Singapore (Phi = 0.0096), Taiwan (Phi = −0.0442), Brazil (Phi = −0.1747), and Costa Rica (Phi = −0.2196), respectively. Negative Phi values indicate below average performance of those countries and positive Phi values indicate above average performance of those criteria. The results indicate that countries with negative Phi values should be strengthened relative to the improvement of some criteria.
Structure and Bulk Modulus of High-Strength Boron Compounds☆

Abstract The structures and homogeneity ranges of B6O1−xand B12S2−xwere studied using Rietveld analysis of powder X ray patterns. The oxygen content of boron suboxide decreases with temperature in the range 1250–1450°C. Stoichiometric boron suboxide cannot be prepared from amorphous orα-rh boron and B2O3at ambient pressure. Significantly higher pressures are required. The boron subsulfide was found to be stable from B12S
Phenolic compounds and physiochemical analysis of Physalis ixocarpa genotypes

The genotypic variations on physico-chemical characteristics of purple tomatillo genotypes were evaluated. The result showed that the total phenolic contents were 9.65 ± 0.12, 7.75 ± 0.14 and 8.24 ± 0.14 mg GAE/g fresh weight in 8 to 10 ICTS-UDG, 11 to 40 ICTS-UDG and 14 to 130 ICTS-UDG genotypes, respectively. The anthocyanins content was highest in the genotypes 14 to 130 ICTS-UDG and 17 to 197 ICTS-UDG (6.65 ± 0.33 and 6.01 ± 0.23 mg of pelargonidin 3-glucoside equivalents/g of fresh weight, respectively). In contrast genotypes of 8 to 10, 11 to 40, 12 to 48 and 13 to 52 ICTS-UDG showed the lowest values of anthocyanins content. The antioxidant activity of purple tomatillo genotypes were found between 16 and 90%. Results showed a non linear correlation between bioactive compounds (total phenolic or antocyanins content) and antioxidant capacity in the evaluated genotypes. Finally, from the results it was show that tomatillo can be considered an excellent source of antioxidants compounds that can be incorporated on fresh foods. Key words: Purple tomatillos, bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity, antocyanins.
Aerosol chemistry and climate: Laboratory studies of the carbonate component of mineral dust and its reaction products

The hygroscopicity, cloud condensation nucleation (CCN) activity and infrared optical extinction of CaCO3, a reactive component of mineral dust aerosol, and Ca(NO3)2, a product of atmospherically‐aged CaCO3 through reaction with nitrogen oxides, have been measured. The hygroscopic growth and CCN activity of Ca(NO3)2 are orders of magnitude greater than CaCO3 and more similar to ammonium sulfate. Ca(NO3)2 particles also reflect a greater amount of near infrared radiation at higher relative humidity. These measurements provide the first quantitative assessment of the important changes in climate forcing that can occur as mineral dust aerosol is transported, reacted and aged in the atmosphere.
Synthesis of a novel water-soluble conjugated polyelectrolyte based on polycyclopentadithiophene backbone and its application for heparin detection

The novel water-soluble conjugated polyelectrolyte containing a new kind of backbone poly[(4,4-bis(3ʹ-N,N,N-trimethylammonium) propyl) cyclopentadithiophene dichloride] (PBTPC-Cl) is synthesized and characterized. The PBTPC-Cl is readily soluble in polar solvents and is applied as a sensitive and selective fluorescent probe for heparin detection in aqueous solution. Upon adding heparin into the aqueous solution of polymer, PBTPC-Cl could bind heparin via electrostatic interactions and results in the quenching of emission peaks. Quantitative analysis of heparin shows high selectivity and good linear relationship with a detection limit to 0.05 μM in HEPES aqueous buffer.
Optical Sensing Membrane Based on Tetrabromophenolphthalein Ethyl Ester for the Determination of Cationic Surfactants

Abstract An optical sensing membrane for detection of cationic surfactants was developed. The optical sensing membrane is 2‐nitrophenyl octyl ether‐plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membrane incorporating tetrabromophenolphthalein ethyl ester (TBPE). The response of the optical membrane to cationic surfactants was a result of extraction of cationic surfactant into the PVC membrane. The protonated TBPE deprotonates forming an ion associate with the extracted cationic surfactant; simultaneously, the deprotonation of the TBPE is accompanied by a spectral change. Namely, the extracted cationic surfactant changes color of the membrane from yellowish green to blue (absorption maximum: 622 nm). The optical membrane responds to cationic surfactants such as Zephiramine and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in the concentration range from 1 µM to 100 µM.
On the atomic kinetic energy functionals with full Weizsacker correction

The functional proposed by Acharya, Bartolotti, Sears, and Parr for representing the kinetic energy of the ground state of an N electron atom or ion in terms of its electron density, namely T[ρ] = Tw[ρ] +γ(N, Z) TTF[ρ] [TW is the Weizsacker term, TTF is the Thomas–Fermi term and γ(N, Z) = 1−C0/N1/3] is derived by: (1) considering explicitly the variation of the charge density in an atom, and (2) approximating the pair correlation function for parallel spin electrons by that of a uniform free‐electron gas, but including the corrections to the momentum at the Fermi level and the appropriate boundary conditions that result from taking into account that the number of electrons in an atom is finite. The first consideration leads in a natural way to the full Weizsacker correction, while the second consideration yields γ(N, Z) = (1−2/N)(1−C0/N1/3−C1/N1/3) times the Thomas–Fermi term. Thus, the functional obtained is exact for one‐electron atoms and two‐electron Hartree–Fock atoms, yields an adequate functional d.
TiO2‐Based Composite Nanotube Arrays Prepared via Layer‐by‐Layer Assembly

A simple and versatile technique has been developed to prepare TiO2 and TiO2‐based composite (TiO2–CdS and TiO2–Au) nanotube arrays. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX) analysis, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV‐vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy are used to characterize their morphology, structure, composition, and properties. The TiO2–CdS nanotubes contained many TiO2 and CdS quantum dots and exhibited a novel PL band in the blue‐wavelength range. The reported strategy will be useful for fabricating nanoparticle–nanoparticle composite nanostructure arrays, which are suitable for applications in catalysis, chemical sensors, nanoelectrodes, and nanodevices.
Nigrescigenin, Identifizierung mit Sarmentosigenin A Glykoside und Aglykone, 281. Mitteilung†

“Sarmentosigenin A” has been identified with nigrescigenin. The latter is the older and thus valid name for this 3β, 5β, 11α, 14β-tetrahydroxy-19-oxo-card-20:22-enolide.
Impact of wave-vortical interactions on oceanic submesoscale lateral dispersion

Submesoscale lateral transport of Lagrangian particles in pycnocline conditions is investigated by means of idealized numerical simulations with reduced-interaction models. Using a projection technique, the models are formulated in terms of wave-mode and vortical-mode nonlinear interactions, and they range in complexity from full Boussinesq to waves-only and vortical-modes-only (QG) models. We find that, on these scales, most of the dispersion is done by vortical motions, but waves cannot be discounted because they play an important, albeit indirect, role. In particular, we show that waves are instrumental in filling out the spectra of vortical-mode energy at smaller scales through non-resonant vortex-wave-wave triad interactions. We demonstrate that a richer spectrum of vortical modes in the presence of waves enhances the effective lateral diffusivity, compared to QG. Waves also transfer energy upscale to vertically sheared horizontal flows which are a key ingredient for internal-wave shear dispersion. In the waves-only model, the dispersion rate is an order of magnitude smaller and is attributed entirely to internal-wave shear dispersion.
Evaluation of Single-Crystal X-ray Diffraction Data from a Position-Sensitive Detector

A Fortran program has been developed for the reduction of single-crystal diffraction data from a sequence of adjacent rotation pictures recorded at a fixed X-ray wavelength by an electronic area detector. The electronic pictures (data frames) covering the first 5° of crystal rotation are used to locate strong diffraction spots and to estimate the background. The orientation of the crystal is derived automatically from the list of observed spots and all parameters describing the diffraction pattern are refined. The only input required from the user is the specification of the space group, approximate cell dimensions and detector setting. When the initialization step is finished the program goes back to the first picture and evaluates all data frames in the order they arrive from the measurement. Each element of an electronic picture (pixel) is labelled by the indices of the nearest reflection using the current refined parameters describing the diffraction geometry. If the pixels close to its nearest reflection the counts contribute to the three-dimensional profile; otherwise the counts are used to update the background. Each profile is represented as if the reflection had followed the shortest path through the Ewald sphere and had been recorded on the surface of the sphere. Reflections close to the Ewald sphere are kept in a hash table to allow rapid access for updating the profiles. Reflections which have completely passed through the Ewald sphere are removed from the table and saved for further processing. Intensities are estimated by fitting their profiles to an average shape learned from strong neighbouring reflections. Smoothly varying scaling factors are applied to the Lp-corrected intensities which minimize discrepancies between symmetry-related reflections and fit to a reference data set if available.
Carbon Nanomaterial Shows Drug Delivery Promise: Part 1—Selection of Carbon Nanomaterial and Drug Loading

Carbon Nanofiber synthesized by Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition (CCVD) Method and purified with acid treatment was used as a drug‐loading vehicle. The surface area of these Carbon Nanofiber (CNF) was measured by a methylene blue method. Ball milling of purified CNF showed increased surface area. CNF was successfully loaded with four different molecules (aspirin, phenolphthalein, copper sulphate and an anticancer drug, doxorubicin hydrochloride). The work presented is a prelude to the direction of using carbon Nanomaterial as a vehicle of drug delivery to the desired sites. Analysis of loaded CNF by TEM, SEM, EDAX, IR and HPTLC confirmed the loading of drug and other tested molecules.
Novel technique using response characteristics to identify volatile organic compounds

A novel technique using response characteristic curves from sensors to identify volatile organic compounds is proposed. The data obtained from rise-time, peak-time and recovery-time are used as representatives for the characteristics of the response curves. The measuring system consists of 3 semiconductor gas sensors. Then, 9 data points are obtained for each measurement. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as ethyl alcohol, acetone, ammonia, acetaldehyde are used as samples to be identified. It is found that the VOCs are effectively identified with this technique.
Abiotic Stress Elicitation on Secondary Metabolites of Red Betel (Piper crocatum Ruiz and Pav.) Leaves as Potential Repellent for Rice Bug (Leptocorisa oratorius (F.)

Rice bug, Leptocorisa oratorius (F.), is the main pest of rice plants which can reduce rice productivity significantly. Natural insecticide from plant extract compounds, such as Red Betel (Piper crocatum Ruiz and Pav.), is an alternative to reduce the attack of these pests and environmental friendly. This research aimed to study the effect of abiotic stress on plant growth and secondary metabolites profiles of P. crocatum leaves that have potential compounds as an insecticide. The research design used a split-split plot design with three factors, namely drought stress 100, 50 and 25% Field Capacity (FC) light treatment (without shade, shade net 65% and shade net 75%) and fertilizer application (guano and NPK). Data analysis used ANOVA and Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) for growth data, also GC-MS test for profile metabolites analysis. The research showed that the combination of 100% FC, guano and without shade (W1F1L1) treatment produced the best plant growth. The combination of 50% FC, NPK and without shade (W2F2L1) had the highest potential to increase the type of insecticide compounds, while the treatment of 100% FC, NPK and shade net 75% (W1F2L3) produced the highest insecticide total compounds. There were 32 types of compounds potentially acted as an insecticide in the red betel leaf chloroform extracts. The compound groups covered terpene, monoterpene, sesquiterpene, diterpene and others. The combination of abiotic stress in the form of drought stress, light treatment and fertilizer application affected the growth of P. crocatum in terms of plant morphology and biomass. It also could increased the type and content of bioactive compounds in leaves of P. crocatum. The W2F2L1 was the best treatment to increase the type of insecticide compounds and the growths of red betel.
Efficient H2 generation from formic acid using azole complexes in water

Iridium azole-containing complexes are demonstrated to catalyze the dehydrogenation of formic acid into H2–CO2 (1/1) mixtures in aqueous solution in the absence of organic additives, and with a maximum turnover frequency (TOF) of 34000 h−1 at 80 °C.
Nutritional value and the kaempferol and quercetin contents of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) from different regions

This study compared the nutritional value of quinoa cultivated in different regions, i.e., Peru (PQ), United States (UQ), and Korea (KQ), focusing on their proximate and nutrient compositions and functional components. Moisture, protein, lipid, and ash contents were highest in KQ, and the carbohydrate content was the highest in UQ. KQ had the highest amount of total amino acids, especially lysine. KQ had the lowest levels of Na but the highest levels of K, P, Fe, Mg, Zn, and Mn. The antioxidant compounds, quercetin and kaempferol were not detected in KQ, which consequently had the lowest total phenolic and total flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC, respectively). These values were comparatively higher in UQ. Meanwhile, PQ had the highest TPC and TFC values as well as kaempferol content, but lacking quercetin. These results demonstrate that the nutritional value of quinoa varies according to the region in which it is cultivated.
Comparative study of nitrogen dynamics of three wetlands in the Higashi-Hiroshima Area, Western Japan.

In a watershed, wetlands may function either as a nutrient sink or as a source and net transformer of nutrients. One of the most widely recognized functions of wetlands is the ability to reduce or remove nutrients from surface water passing through the wetland. In order to compare nitrogen retention capacity, we investigated the ability of three wetlands to reduce or remove dissolved nitrogen from the surface water that passed through them. Although the three wetlands were located within one watershed, their surrounding land uses were significantly different. In this study, the surface water of each of the three wetlands was sampled from five points (the main inlet, outlet and three points inside the wetland) during the second week of every month, from December 2005 to December 2006, in order to measure dissolved nitrogen concentrations and their components (nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, and dissolved organic nitrogen). During the growing season (June-July), a vegetation census was conducted in each wetland that included an estimation of the percent of coverage and a survey of the diversity of vegetation. Investigation into the seasonality of the source or sink function indicated that wetland A had a source-role in three seasons (winter, spring, and summer) and a sink role during the autumn season. Wetland B had a sink-role during two seasons (winter and summer), a source-role in the spring, and a neutral role in autumn. Wetland C had a sink-role for dissolved nitrogen in surface water during all seasons of the study period. Results from the vegetation census indicated that Typha latifolia was the dominant species for wetland A, Potamogeton cristatus was dominant for wetland B, and Ischene globosa was dominant for wetland C. The percentage of vegetation cover was estimated as 83%, 35%, and 53% in wetlands A, B, and C, respectively. The results of this study indicated that the surrounding land use and human alterations to the environment had played a significant role in determining the function of each wetland as a sink, source or transformer for dissolved nitrogen in surface water passing through the wetlands. It emerges from this study that the seasonal changes in the function of the wetland for dissolved nitrogen as well as variations in vegetation cover (%) and dominant plant species, were affected by the composition of the surrounding lands. This study revealed not only that the role (as source, sink or transformer) that the wetland plays for dissolved nitrogen might change because of the above-mentioned factors, but also that this role could either be stable, or that it could change seasonally. Finally, an investigation of the components of total dissolved
Using Response Surface Methodology to Optimize Countercurrent Chromatographic Separation of Polyphenol Compounds from Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Seeds

In this study, we used high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) to separate two bioactive polyphenols, rhaponticin and isovitexin, present in fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seeds. The HSCCC process employed a two-phase solvent system composed of chloroform, methanol, water, and n-butanol in a 4:3:2:1.5 ratio (v:v:v:v). The HSCCC separation conditions were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal separation conditions were as follows: separation temperature, 26°C; revolution speed, 874 rpm; flow rate, 1.3 mL/min. Under these conditions, 21.6 mg of rhaponticin and 12.8 mg of isovitexin (>96.0% purity) were obtained from 100 mg of the crude fenugreek seed extract. The purities and structures of the separated compounds were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and both proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR and 13C NMR, respectively). The results demonstrate that (i) HSCCC is an efficient technique for separating polyphenol compounds from seed extracts of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) and (ii) RSM is an effective approach for optimizing HSCCC separation conditions.