Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of ionic liquids on kinetic parameters of dicyanate ester polycyclotrimerization and on thermal and viscoelastic properties of resulting cyanate ester resins

A strong catalytic effect of 1.0 wt% ionic liquids (ILs) on kinetic parameters of dicyanate ester of bisphenol E (DCBE) polycyclotrimerization was evidenced, and structure-property relationships of resulting densely cross-linked cyanate ester resins (CERs) were investigated. Three different ILs with contrasted reactivity were employed as a catalysts: an aprotic IL, i.e . 1-octyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([OMIm][BF 4 ]), a protic IL, i.e . 2-(hydroxyethylamino) imidazolinium chloride ([HEAIm][Cl]), and a protic polymeric IL, i.e . poly(hexamethylene guanidine) toluene sulfonate ([PHMG][TS]). Both [HEAIm][Cl] and [PHMG][TS] were reactive towards DCBE monomer, whereas [OMIm][BF 4 ] was chemically inert, as confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Noticeably, the conversion (α c ) of cyanate groups in the presence of ILs dramatically increased, and a significant dependence of α c values on IL chemical structure was found. The corresponding mechanisms of DCBE polycyclotrimerization in the presence of different ILs were proposed. All the CER/IL networks exhibited a high thermal stability inherent to neat CER, as shown by TGA, whereas unexpected significant changes of the viscoelastic characteristics for CER/IL networks compared to pure CER analogue were observed using DMTA.
INFLUENCE OF MOLYBDENUM DISULFIDE PARTICLE SIZE ON FRICTION AND WEAR CHARACTERISTICS OF NON-ASBESTOS-BASED COPPER-FREE BRAKE FRICTION COMPOSITES

Molybdenum disulfide is a successful solid lubricant because of its cleavage of the basal plane at the time of sliding, which helps to retain the lubrication nature in order to reduce wear and to maintain frictional stability. Thus the present study deals with the development of copper-free brake pads using molybdenum disulfide that possesses different grades based on the particle size, namely, technical (coarse), fine and superfine. The brake pads were developed using conventional manufacturing processes and characterized for its physical, chemical, thermal and mechanical properties as per industrial standards. Thermal stability was measured for the varying ingredients and the developed composites using thermogravimetric analyzer instrument. The tribological studies were done using Chase testing following IS2742 Part-4 standards. The results showed that coarse-sized (technical grade) molybdenum disulfide-based brake pads possess better thermal stability with good fade and recovery characteristics in turn leading to less wear when compared with the other two composites. This is because of its better heat dissipation and superior lubricating nature. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis were helpful in studying the wear behavior of the Chase-tested brake friction composite samples.
Knoevenagel/Tandem Knoevenagel and Michael Adducts of Cyclohexane-1,3-dione and Aryl Aldehydes: Synthesis, DFT Studies, Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Potential, and Molecular Modeling

Xanthine oxidase (XO) plays a crucial role in the formation of uric acid by oxidative hydroxylation of purines. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of Knoevenagel/tandem Knoevenagel and Michael adducts of cyclohexane-1,3-dione and aryl aldehydes as nonpurine XO inhibitors derived from naturally occurring scaffolds. Density functional theory calculations highlighted the reaction pathways and reasoned the formation of tandem Knoevenagel and Michael adducts. The synthetics were assessed for their XO inhibitory potential, and among them, four compounds (1b, 1g, 2b, and 3a) were found to possess best IC50 values in the range of 3.66–4.98 μM. Interestingly, Knoevenagel adducts exhibited a competitive-type inhibition, whereas tandem Knoevenagel and Michael adducts produced a noncompetitive mode of inhibition. The compounds were capable of reducing the H2O2 levels induced by XO, both in normal and cancer cells with no significant cytotoxicity. Molecular modeling studies highlighted the role of interactions.
Multivariate analyses of the physicochemical properties of turnip (Brassica rapa L.) chips dried using different methods

Abstract The turnip is a traditional “medicine food homology” vegetable in China, but the processing of it remains traditional and limited. To increase and diversify the consumption of turnips, freeze drying (FD), explosion puff drying (EPD), infrared drying (ID), and hot air drying (AD) were used to produce turnip chips. FD chips maintained most of the starch, total sugar, vitamin C, and volume ratio, followed by EPD chips, which exhibited better crisp values and rehydration rate. These results suggest EPD as a favorable method for turnip chip production. The physicochemical properties of turnip chips dried using different methods differed greatly from each other. Principal component analysis revealed that FD produced the best chips, followed by EPD. Hierarchical cluster analysis and orthogonal projection on latent structure-discriminant analysis identified the volume ratio as the characteristic property of FD chips and the contents of soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber as the characteristic properties of ID chips, which indicated that multivariate analyses may be used to classify dried products and identify their characteristic properties.
Preparation, Characterization, and Catalytic Activity of Tin (Antimony) Substituted and Lacunar Dawson Phosphotungstomolybdates for Synthesis of Adipic Acid

Tin (antimony) substituted and lacunar Dawson phosphotungstomolybdates (a1-K10P2W12Mo5ÿO61, a1-K8P2W12Mo5SnO61 and a-Cs4SnP2W12Mo6O62,and a-Cs3SbP2W12Mo6O62) were synthesized and characterized by Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR), Visible Ultra Violet (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Their catalytic properties were examined in the oxidation reaction of cyclohexanone at 90 °C and that of cyclohexene at 70 °C to adipic acid (AA), in presence of hydrogen peroxide and in free solvent. The effects of catalyst/substrate molar ratios, hydrogene peroxide flow rate, heteropolysalt composition, and cyclohexanol addition on AA yields were studied. The Cs4SnP2W12Mo6O62 (the most efficient) led to 61 % of AA yield from the cyclohexanone oxidation using a catalyst/substrate molar ratio of 13.3×10-4, H2O2 flow rate of 0.5 mL/h, and a reaction time of 20 h. Copyright © 2019 BCREC Group. All rights reserved
Biofloc application in larviculture of Pterophyllum scalare at different stocking densities.

The current study aimed to evaluate the productive performance of Pterophyllum scalare post-larvae grown in bioflocs at different stocking densities. We used 630 angelfish post-larvae of 1.76±0.29 mg of weight and 5.97±0.25 mm of total length, which were acclimated with biofloc water for five hours before stocking. The experiment was performed in a completely randomized design, with two treatments: 25 post-larvae L (T25) and 50 post-larvae L (T50), and three replicates per treatment. The experimental units consisted of six circular floating containers of 2.8 L useful, arranged directly inside a 7 m tank with biofloc (macrocosm), previously established at a C/N ratio of 10/1. During 40 days, water quality parameters were within the appropriate ranges for both angelfish and biofloc. The T50 was statistically better in terms of weight, length and specific growth rate (131.81 mg, 17.97 mm and 10.97% day respectively), however, the highest survival and highest final density were found in T25 (59.05% and 14.76 fingerlings L). The biofloc application at a density of 25 post-larvae L can be recommended to increase productivity (survival) and profitability in the larval stage of angelfish.
The role of biaxial strain and pressure on the thermoelectric performance of SnSe2: a first principles study

Controlled variation of the electronic properties of materials by applying strain and pressure has developed as a promising approach for designing materials for tailored applications. The electronic structure and thermoelectric (TE) properties of SnSe2 are analysed using first principles calculations and semi classical Boltzmann theory at 300 K and 800 K under biaxial tensile (BT) strain of 1% and 2%, biaxial compressive strain of 1% and 2% and hydrostatic pressure of 10 GPa and 20 GPa. The electronic structure suggests that there is a reduction in band gap under all strains and applied pressures. The band structure exhibits a change which is evident from the change in the effective mass in different symmetry directions. The thermopower shows a decrease under all strain and pressure conditions for both the temperatures studied. The electrical conductivity is enhanced under all conditions of strain and pressure at both temperatures. The maximum value of power factor (PF) shows a minor increase for 1% BT strain at 800 K and decreases for all other strains and temperatures. Under hydrostatic pressure of 10 GPa, PF decreases by 13% and 1% at 300 K and 800 K respectively. At 20 GPa an enhancement of 8% and 16% is exhibited at 300 K and 800 K respectively. The figure of merit is increased in out of plane direction at both temperatures. An appreciable enhancement of TE performance in out of plane direction is observed at both temperatures under the influence of BT strain and pressure.
Computational studies on heterogenization of homogeneous catalyst of iron(III), nickel(II) and copper(II) N,N′-disalicylidene-1,2-phenylenediamine complex

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out on iron(III), nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of N,N′-ethylenebis(salicylimine) both at molecular level (isolated complexes) and encapsulated in a zeolite framework to investigate changes that occur in their geometrical and electronic parameters as well as in their reactivity and stability. The computational results showed that the zeolite encapsulated metal complexes have higher reactivity and less stability as compared to the isolated metal complexes. KEY WORDS : Density functional theory, N,N′-ethylenebis(salicylimine), Computational studies, Heterogenization, Electronic parameters Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2019 , 33(1), 91-102 DOI: https://dx.doi. org/10.4314/bcse.v33i1. 9
Optimized Activation of Bentonite for Adsorption of Magnesium and Cadmium from Phosphoric Acid

The adsorption of magnesium (II) and cadmium (II) from industrial phosphoric acid onto 4 samples of clays: crude (a), purified (b), activated (c) and purified-activated (d) bentonite have been studied using a batch adsorber. The parameters that affect the magnesium (II) and cadmium (II) adsorption, such as bentonite amount, temperature, contact time and solution pH have been investigated and optimized conditions determined (bentonite amount 12g/ 100mL of industrial phosphoric acid; temperature 293.15 K; contact time 15 min; pH 1.78±0.1). The loading capacity values were found respectively to be 51.21%and 56.25% for magnesium and cadmium using the purified-activated bentonite.
Effects of in- vivo Application of Cold Atmospheric Plasma on the Leukocyte of Balb/c Mice

| The current study included the direct effect of CAP on a number of leukocytes in the laboratory mouse by exposing the skin to CAP using the floating electrode dielectric barrier discharge (FE-DBD). The study was conducted on mice which were (2-3) months of age with the average weight of 38g. 250 mice were divided into two groups. Group I is exposed to a single dose of CAP and group II is exposed to multidose of CAP. Every group was divided depending on the exposure time and time after exposure into 5 subgroups. Exposure process has by using Floating Electrode -Dielectric Barrier Discharge for (15,30,60,120) sec and a sub-group is left as a control group. Blood samples are taken after (1, 2, 3, 7, and 14) days from exposure. Leukocytes were measured by using count blood cells device. The results revealed that CAP causes a significant decrease in number of leuckocyte after1day from exposure, then recovery was proportional with a dose of CAP and with sampling time as well. This may indicate stimulation of bonemarrow to produce more leuckocyte and eventually indicates that CAP effect was transported far from the site of exposure.
Synthesis and Characterization of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles for Application in Enhanced Oil Recovery

In this study, titanium dioxide nanoparticles were synthesized for possible application in enhanced oil recovery. Sol-gel method was employed with titanium (IV) isopropoxide as the precursor. The prepared materials were characterized using Powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), High-Resolution Transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) techniques. Reaction parameter such as calcination temperature was varied during the preparation to obtain the uniform TiO2 nanoparticles with the smallest particle size and high surface area. The results of study revealed that 400 °C is the optimum calcination temperature in preparing TiO2 nanoparticles producing the smallest crystallite and particle sizes. XRD results indicated that the nanoparticles have formed anatase phase at 400 °C and achieved low crystallite size of 7.27 nm with the smallest average particle size of 19.53 nm through FESEM and HRTEM observations. BET analysis had achieved the highest surface area 103.64 m2/g.
Evaluation of optimum concentration of naphthalene acetic acid on in vitro rooting and acclimatization of tissue culture date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) plantlets

A major limitation in large scale application of micropropagation technology is high mortality experienced by in vitro raised plants during laboratory to land transfer. This study was aimed at investigating the best concentration of Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on in vitro rooting and also develop protocol for successful plant acclimatization with high survival rate. Date palm plantlets were rooted on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium with different NAA concentrations (0.0, 0.1, 0.5 1.0, 1.5 and 2 mg/l) without activated charcoal. Result showed that all the NAA concentrations supported root formation. The optimal initiation and growth of roots of the plantlets were observed at NAA concentration of 1.0 mg/l (87 %) and least with Basal MS without NAA (47 %). Results also showed that root number and lengths increased with increasing NAA concentrations up to 1.0 mg/l and decreased thereafter. The culture mixture of peat moss + soil (2:1) gave the highest survival percentage of 80 % for plant acclimatization. This investigation had shown that accurate assessments of responses to medium at various stages should be considered as specific requirement for successful plant acclimatization. Keywords: date palm, in vitro , plantlets, acclimatization
Effect of Zinc, Selenium and their Combination on Cadmium- Induced Oxidative Stress in Rat Kidney-A Molecular Study

Cadmium (Cd) is considered as a very toxic heavy metal which transfers to the body through many routes as food, water and air. Zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) have a great role in alleviation of Cd toxicity in kidneys. This study aimed to look into the interaction between Cd, Zn, Se and their effects on gene expression of the antioxidant enzymes in the kidneys of rats. Fifty male adult albino rats were divided into five groups (n=10) that received orally the following doses daily for one month: Group I: control group received normal saline, Group II: received 2mg/kg BW CdCl2, Group ΠI: was administered 2mg/kg CdCl2 and 2mg/kg ZnCl2, Group IV: received 2 mg/kg CdCl2 and 0.23 mg/kg Na2Seo3, and Group V: received 2 mg/kg CdCl2, 2 mg/kg ZnCl2 and 0.23 mg/kg Na2Seo3). The gene expression levels of SOD1, CAT, GPx, HSP70 and MT1 were assessed in the kidneys; treatment with Cd lowered the expression of antioxidant enzymes (SOD1, CAT, and GPx) and increased the expression level of HSP70 and MT1. Only partial ameliorative effects on the oxidative stress caused by Cd in the kidney have been observed with Se or Zn supplementation during exposure to Cd, while the co-treated with Se and Zn revealed better protection against the observed oxidative stress in kidney.
Towards the integration of neural mechanisms and cognition in biologically inspired robots

Come l'intelligenza emerge dal cervello umano e ancora un problema aperto per la comunita scientifica. Comprendere come i meccanismi neurali del cervello permettano il sorgere degli aspetti cognitivi e uno dei piu interessanti e dibattuti argomenti nel campo delle neuroscienze. I comportamenti intelligenti potrebbero emergere come giusto bilanciamento tra diversi fattori, quali: il cervello, il corpo, i sensori, i meccanismi di attuazione, e l'ambiente in cui e immerso il soggetto. Nonostante non ci siamo prove conclusive che l'interazione tra le sopracitate componenti sia condizione necessaria e sufficiente per l'emergere dell'intelligenza, la teoria proposta e promettente. Al di la della grande rilevanza scientifica di questo argomento, la naturale applicazione di questi studi e la robotica. Negli ultimi decenni sono stati portati avanti numerosi progetti di ricerca il cui obiettivo era di sviluppare macchine intelligenti, inspirate da studi neuroscientifici. Ne segue che la progettazione puo riguardare sia la parte meccanica del robot, sia la parte di elaborazione delle informazioni. Se la progettazione di parti meccaniche ispirate dalla natura e ancora un compito ragionevolemente risolvibile, questo diventa piu complitato nel momento in cui si voglia modellare il cervello sia per il controllo del robot che per l'emergere di aspetti cognitivi. Il campo della robotica bioinspirata e un campo di ricerca molto attivo, e diverse soluzioni sono state proposte, dall' evolutionary robotics alla developmental robotics. Tuttavia, una soluzione, che incorpori nello stesso modello neurale sia gli aspetti cognitivi che gli aspetti di basso livello per il controllo del corpo, e ancora mancante. In questa tesi viene proposto uno studio comprensivo di diversi meccanismi neurali, elicitandone punti di forza e di debolezza. Primo, ho proposto diverse architetture neurali che modellano aree corticali afferenti al percorso visivo dorsale, il cui compito principale e risolvere il problema del raggiungimento degli oggetti percepiti attraverso il sistema visivo. Secondo, ho confrontato i modelli sopracitati per proporre un framework computazionale comune che incorpori quei principi computazionali diffusi in tutte le aree del cervello. Un esempio di questi principi computazionali e il cosidetto population coding. Terzo, ho sviluppato una architettura cognitiva biologicamente inspirata. L'architettura sviluppa un livello cognitivo intermedio, facendo da ponte tra i meccanismi computazionali di basso livello e il ragionamento simbolico. Questa architettura e in grado di apprendere nuovi obiettivi e comportamenti basandosi sull'interazione di alcune aree cerebrali, quali: il talamo, la corteccia, e l'amigdala. Infine, viene proposta una roadmap per lo sviluppo di una architettura biologicamente inspirata che tenga conto sia degli aspetti computazionali di basso livello che degli aspetti cognitivi.
Functional Interaction of HIF-1 and NF-kB Increasing the Transcriptional Activation of TNF-a Gene in Monocytes

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. CopyrightC2013 The Korean Society of Blood Transfusion 단핵구에서 TNF-α Gene의 전사 활성을 증가시키는 HIF-1과 NF-κB의 기능적 상호작용
Entomopathogenic fungi isolated from thaumetopoea pityocampa and their efficacies against its larvae

Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Den. and Schiff.) (Lepidoptera: Thaumetopoeidae) is an important pest of pine trees in central and southern Europe, including Turkey. This study was conducted in Sam-sun Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey to identify potential biological control agents of T. pityocampa. Four fungi, Isaria farinosa, Beauveria bassiana, Fusarium sambucinum and Aspergillus terreus, were isolated from T. pityocampa larvae collected from pine forests. To determine their efficacy against T. pityocampa larvae, an experiment was conducted against fourth instar larvae under laboratory conditions. Three application methods, spraying, dipping and residue were used, with suspensions of 108 spores/ml. There were differences among the efficacies of the fungi. The I. farinosa isolate had the highest efficacy, with 55% and 51% for the dipping and residue methods, respectively, followed by the B. bassiana isolate (31% and 15%). The efficacies of the F. sambucinum (24% and 8%) and A. terreus isolates (5% and 1%) were low. The isolates of I. farinosa and B. bassiana were determined to be potential biological control agents of T. pityocampa.
Bad (good) news and delay (anticipation) of financial statements’ disclosure

Managers have discretion over the timing of accounting information disclosure; existing literature has investigated the potential determinants regarding this choice. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate whether the type of accounting information is a factor that influences the anticipation of its disclosure to external users. The dataset comprises information provided by Brazilian companies listed on the Brasil Bolsa Balcão (B3) between 2010 and 2016. The research employed linear regression and the logistic regression model to evaluate whether type of news is a determinant for the timing of financial disclosures. Empirical evidence indicates that the nature of information (i.e., good or bad news) is related to the time taken (i.e., postponement or anticipation) in disclosing quarterly accounting figures of companies. Overall, our results contribute to the disclosure literature in Brazil and indicate that postponements are associated with the disclosure of negative news.
DNA topological stress during DNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DNA topological stress impedes normal DNA replication. If topological stress is allowed to build up in front of the replication fork, the fork rotates to overcome the stress, leading to formation of DNA pre-catenanes. The formation of DNA pre-catenanes is therefore a marker of DNA topological stress. In this study, I have examined how transcription linked DNA topological stress impacts on fork rotation and on endogenous DNA damage. Transcription, similar to replication, affects the topology of the DNA; and collision between the two machineries is likely to lead to high levels of DNA topological stress. I found that the frequency of fork rotation during DNA replication, increases with the number of genes present on a plasmid. Interestingly, I also found that this increase in pre-catenation is dependent on the cohesin complex. Cohesin and transcription are known to be linked, as transcription leads to the translocation of cohesin along budding yeast DNA away from its loading sites. Cohesin plays a major role in establishing chromosomal structure, influencing gene expression and genetic inheritance. In this work, I have analysed the relationship between cohesin and the generation of topological stress and found that topological stress associated with cohesin can lead to DNA replication stress and DNA damage.
Addition of the papain enzyme to commercial feed against protein retention and feed efficiency in eels (Anguilla bicolor)

This study had the benefit of providing information about the influence of the papain enzyme on the retention of protein commercial feed and feed efficiency in eels (Anguilla bicolor). The method used in this study was an experimental method. The study design used was completely randomized (CRD). These results indicate that the addition of the papain enzyme to commercial feed showed there to be a highly significant difference (P <0.01) in the retention of protein and feed efficiency of the eels. The highest protein retention was achieved in treatment C (25.68%) and the highest feed efficiency was achieved in treatment C (44.02).