Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamics of Aqueous Atmospheric Aerosols

A novel application of classical thermodynamics is presented to understand the distribution of aerosol forming material between the gas and aerosol phases in the polluted troposphere. The particular system studied involves NH4NO3 and its interactions with the environmental variables, temperature, relative humidity, droplet pH and aqueous (NH4)2SO4 concentration. In Chapter 1, the theoretical temperature dependence of the solid NH4NO3 dissociation constant is compared to ambient ammonia-nitric acid partial pressure products and general agreement is shown. Also, temperature is demonstrated to be a determining factor for ambient aerosol nitrate formation. Chapter 2 discusses how an urban aerosol can be chemically characterized and that the aqueous electrolytic aerosol solutions are very concentrated (> 8 molal). Thus, any attempt to model ion interactions in aerosol solutions must be able to represent the concentrated solution regime. The ammonia-nitric acid partial pressure product for concentrated NH4NO3-HNO3-H2O solutions is shown to be sensitive to relative humidity but not to pH (1-7) in Chapter 3. Since the ammonia-nitric acid partial pressure product is insensitive to pH, the NH4NO3 dissociation constant over NH4NO3-H2O solutions should typify the ammonia-nitric acid partial pressure product above slightly acidic solutions. The NH4NO3 dissociation constant temperature and relative humidity dependence is evaluated and compared to ambient data in Chapter 4. General agreement between the predictions and the data exists but the possible effect of additional solutes in aerosol droplets is evident. Since NH4NO3 and (NH4)2SO4 are present in atmospheric particles of similar size, it is appropriate to calculate the effect of (NH4)2SO4 on the relative humidity dependence of the NH4NO3 dissociation constant. Chapter 5 shows the presence of (NH4)2SO4 reduces the amount of ammonia and nitric acid in the gas phase and that the NH4NO3 dissociation constant is only 40% less for a 0.5 (NH4)2SO4 ionic strength fraction in aqueous solution. Also, methods for predicting the particle growth, the solution density and the refractive index of NH4NO3-(NH4)2SO4-H2O solutions are outlined in Chapter 5. Good accordance between experimental data and predictions is demonstrated indicating the possible applicability of these techniques to more complex multicomponent solutions. In the Appendices, a density prediction technique for (NH4)2SO4-H2SO4-H2O solutions is presented since this aspect of ambient aerosols is not contained in the major thrust of this work.
Effect of the Dietary By-Product Camelina Meal on Performances and Carcass Quality of TOPIGS Pigs

Camelina meal (CM) is a new and valuable by-product for finishing pigs . The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of repl acing sunflower meal (SM) with a C18:3-n3-rich by- product, CM on the performances (body weight, BW; feed intake, FI; average daily gain, ADG, feed efficiency, FE), carcass quality (fat thickness, FT ; eye muscle area, EMA; lean meat proportion in carcass (LMP, on live and slaughter animals) and cl asses of quality (CC) in fattening TOPIGS pigs. The fattening TOPIGS pigs (N=22; 68.45 kg ± 3.83, average weight) were assigned into 2 groups (C and E1). Group C received a compound feed with 12% sunflower meal, group E1 received the same compound feed but the sunflower meal was replaced by 12% CM, during 33 days. Fat thickness, EMA and LMP were assess on live animals using ultrasoni c equipment PIGLOG 105. Animal performances such as: final average body weight (C-98.00 kg; E1- 95.10 kg), FI (C-3.31 kg/day; E1-3.03 kg/day), ADG (C-0.866 kg/day; E1-0.836 kg/day) and FE (C-3.82 kg/kg; E1-3.62 kg/kg) weren't significantly affected (P>0.05) by CM. Fat thickness decreased (- 23%, P 0.05; + 6%, P<0.05) in the E1 group comparing to C group. Both trial groups were included in E classes according to EUROP system. In the pres ent research work, we demonstrated that feeding finishing pigs with CM improved their quality carca ss with possible benefits for human nutrition. To obtain more favorable results concerning bio-produc tive performances lower levels of CM inclusion are recommended.
Vertically Aligned Carbon Film Synthesized from Magnetically Oriented Polyacetylene using Morphology Retaining Carbonization

Polyacetylene (PA) films with vertically aligned fibril morphology were synthesized in homeotropic nematic liquid crystal (N-LC) solvent by using a magnetic field of 5 Tesla as an external perturbation. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs indicated that the lengths of fibrils from the substrate were 5−35 µm, depending on polymerization time. Carbonization was carried out using iodine-doped PA film and a morphology-retaining car - bonization method. From the SEM results, we confirmed that the vertical morphology of the PA remains unchanged even after carbonization at 800 o C. The weight loss of the films due to carbonization at 800 o C is about 20% of the weight of the film before iodine doping. It is ex - pected that vertically aligned carbon might be a precursor for preparing vertical graphite ma- terials, which materials could be useful for electrochemical energy storage and cell electrodes.
Iodide-mediated room temperature reduction of graphene oxide: a rapid chemical route for the synthesis of a bifunctional electrocatalyst

Synthesis of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) from graphite oxide (GO) usually involves the use of some harmful reducing agents. Here, we report a simple approach for the reduction of GO at room temperature using a mixture of potassium iodide and hydrochloric acid. The reduction of GO involves (a) iodide mediated epoxide ring-opening, resulting in hydroxyl groups and dehydration to the corresponding olefins, (b) hydroxyl group substitution by iodide ions, and (c) elimination of iodide ions on the surface. The as-synthesized RGO has an electrical conductivity of 1251 S m−1 and an excellent electrocatalytic activity. The electrocatalytic activity of RGO towards the electrochemical reduction of oxygen and the oxidation of hydrazine was investigated. The RGO-based electrode showed pronounced electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of oxygen and the oxidation of hydrazine in 0.1 M KOH. At alkaline pH, the reduction of oxygen and oxidation of hydrazine were observed at −0.35 and 0.5 V, respectively. In comparison with the bare glassy carbon (GC) electrode, a spectacular decrease in the overpotential and considerable increase in the oxidation peak current for hydrazine were observed on the RGO-based electrode without using any redox mediator. The RGO-based platform is highly sensitive towards the electrochemical oxidation of hydrazine and reproducible results were obtained. Moreover, the RGO-based electrode showed excellent operational and long time storage stabilities. The sensitivity of the electrode was calculated to be 0.137 ± 0.02 μA mM−1.
DESORPTION AND PLANT AVAILABILITY OF MYO-INOSITOL HEXAPHOSPHATE ADSORBED ON GOETHITE

The specific adsorption and high affinity of inorganic phosphate for Fe oxides limit its desorption and, hence, its availability to plants. Organic P compounds such as inositol phosphate show even greater affinity for soil oxides. This may result in low desorption and, hence, poor bioavailabilty, explaining the accumulation of these compounds in soils, although inositol phosphate desorption from Fe oxides has never been quantified. Desorption is controlled by several parameters such as soil pH, percentage of P saturation, ligand competition, and the characteristics of the P-containing compounds. In this work the desorption of myo-inositol hexaphosphate (IHP) and inorganic phosphate (Pi) from goethite (Gt) was studied while assessing the effect of pH, citrate and bicarbonate extractability and the number of desorption cycles. P availability to Lolium perenne L. was also studied in the presence of IHP or Pi added in solution or sorbed on goethite. The amount of desorbed P, as IHP, increased with pH and the number of desorption cycles, but in all cases it did not exceed one-fifth of the desorbed Pi, suggesting a limited availability of IHP when adsorbed on goethite, especially at low pH. Citrate and bicarbonate solutions extracted a small amount of IHP with respect to Pi, probably the result of the inability of their mechanisms to detach the four P groups involved in the IHP bonding with the goethite surface and of the high negative charge of the IHP-Gt complex that hampers the approach of ligands to the surface. The ryegrass that received P as IHP showed limited growth, signs of P deficiency, and a low shoot/root ratio as a consequence of the poor nutrient availability, particularly when IHP was supplied in solution and Gt was present in the pots. In contrast, significantly larger biomass productions were always obtained when P was supplied in inorganic form, and no significant differences among the tests were observed.
Seasonal Variation in DPPH Scavenging Activity of Mentha piperita

Peppermint, the sterile tetraploid hybrid of Mentha aquatica and Mentha spicata, is commonly cultivated for commercial production of the essential oil, the drug Menthae piperitae folium, and the fresh herb. In this study, methanol extracts of Mentha  piperita leaves were screened for its antioxidant properties. Samples of leaves were collected in 2010 and 2011 from field cultivated plants in different development stages. Radical scavenging activity was determined spectrophotometrically by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and expressed as SC50 values. The highest antioxidant activity (SC50 = 10.11 - 57.35 g/ml) exhibited leaves collected at the stage of flowering i.e. June – August.
Optimizing the CO2 observing network for constraining sources and sinks

This paper presents a combination of synthesis inversion and simulated annealing as a method for suggesting optimal networks for constraining the global carbon budget. Synthesis inversion uses an atmospheric tracer transport model and, in our applications, prior estimates of sources to return estimates of sources' strengths along with their uncertainties. Simulated annealing is a commonly used technique for optimizing multi-variate functionals. By treating the predicted uncertainty for a source as this functional and station locations as parameters, we are able to suggest improved observing networks. The results suggest that considerable improvement is possible with current station densities. Further, they suggest surprising constraints are possible because of the combination of apparently disparate data by the inversion technique. For example, the best improvement available in estimates of total ocean uptake from one extra station is obtained when that station is sited over tropical South America. This follows from the global balances of the CO 2 budget. Finally, considerable specificity is required in defining the objectives for such an optimization, since apparently similar quantities might require very different strategies. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1996. t01-3-00003.x
Microfiltration of Red Beet Juice Using Mixed Cellulose Ester Membrane

Red beet juice was clarified with microfiltration and the effects of operating parameters on clarification efficiency were evaluated. The red beet juice was clarified at transmembrane pressures of 0.1, 0.5 and 1 bar at two different flow rates (4.4 and 6 mL/s). Different mechanisms of membrane fouling were evaluated during the clarification process. The results showed that the best efficiency of membrane processing was at high transmembrane pressure and feed flow rate. The most dominant fouling mechanism at the process under high transmembrane pressure was the standard blocking; however, at high flow rate, the cake resistance was the main mechanism. Evaluation of physicochemical properties of red beet juice showed that the microfiltration process decreased turbidity, as well as total phenolic contents, total soluble solid and juice color. Also, evaluation of nutritional value of red beet juice showed that the antioxidant value of the juice and betacyanin and betaxanthin contents reduced. Practical Applications Concentrate of red beet extract can be used as a natural colorant in food industry. Large particles can be adhered on the walls of evaporators during concentration process and cause off flavor. Current study showed that microfiltration can remove large particles; hence, the above-mentioned problems reduced. Efficiency of membrane processing was limited by fouling mechanism. Experiments showed that the cake formation is the main fouling mechanism, so membrane washing at high velocity can be useful to repair membrane efficiency.
PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF THERMOSENSITIVE LIPOSOMES ENCAPSULATING FLUORESCEIN DIPHOSPHATE

Fluorescein d iphosphate (FDP) is a fluorogenic alkaline phosphatase substrate that has recently been isolated in pu re form and made commercially available. FDP is colorless and nonfluorescent. Sequential alkaline phosphatase-mediated hydrolysis of the two phosphate substituents yields weakly fluorescent fluorescein monophosphate followed b y strongly fluorescent fluorescein (excitation/emission ~ 490/514 n m). The long-term m otivation b ehind this work was to develop methods in which chemical reactions can b e initiated and followed in complex liposomes synthesized using combinatorial schemes so that rates and mechanisms of chemical reactions can be studied in environments that approximate true cellular environments. In this work negatively charged fluorescein diphosphate was encapsulated in thermosensitive liposomes composed of Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), Hydrogenated Soy phosphatidylcholine (HSPC), Cholesterol (Chol) at a molar ratio of (1:1:1). The release of FDP in response to 42 oC heating was followed in a medium containing 10% serum and alkaline phosphatase enzyme. More that 60% of the encapsulated FDP was released in the outer medium in response to h eating, once released, It emits strong fluorescent li ght at a wavelength o f 514 n m indicating complete hydrolysis to FDP, yielding fluorescein monophosphate which emits fluorescent light upon excitation at a wavelength of 490 nm. The phase transition temperature of the liposomes was followed u sing a differentiated fluorescence scan. Right angle light scattering intensity at 436 nm per unit lipid concentration was measured. The optical parameters were explained b y the Rayleigh - Gans - Debye theory in which the liposomes were modeled as homogenous s pheres with mean refractive indices determined by the volume fractions of the lipids in vesicles.
Mobile Particle and NO_x Emission Characterization at Helsinki Downtown: Comparison of Different Traffic Flow Areas

A two weeks measurement campaign by a mobile laboratory van was performed at downtown Helsinki, Finland, in winter 2010. The characteristics of air pollutants such as fine particles in the size ranges of 7-40 nm (N_(p40)) and 40-1000 nm (N_(p1000)), black carbon (BC), fine particle mass (PM_(2.5)), as well as gaseous compounds NO, NO_2, NO_x, CO and CO_2 were studied. The statistical analysis showed that the air pollution conditions strongly depended on the traffic flow area; therefore, the street sections were classified as high traffic flow areas (HTF1-HTF4), low traffic flow areas (LTF1-LTF5), and urban background areas (BG1-BG3). Large variation of particle emissions was observed, and the momentary peak particle concentrations were 8 × 10^5 cm^(-3). At the HTF areas exhaust emissions followed clearly daily average heavy duty vehicle counts rather than the average daily vehicle counts. Higher correlation coefficients were found between CO_2 and NO than between CO_2 and N_(tot). The dispersion studies indicated that the air pollution conditions strongly improved from high traffic flow areas to low traffic flow areas. Therefore, proper city planning and locating, for example, cycle tracks, schools and hospitals farther from busy city streets might significantly reduce exposure risk for humans.
Models of finely dispersed MgO and V2O5 on silica. Theoretical analysis of optical properties using TDDFT

The results of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations on optical properties of vanadium complexes VOCl3, VOCl4-, VOCl52-, as well as the VO43- ion, are presented. The spectra of excited states in the range 25000-60000 cm-1 have been analyzed using the time-dependent DFT method (TDDFT). Spectroscopic features of structural defects (low-coordinated (LC) oxygen ions), as well as surface point defects (F+ and F sites) in MgO, have been studied within the cluster approach. The charge-transfer spectra and frequencies of normal vibrations for a number of active site models of finely dispersed oxides MgO and V2O5 on silica have been calculated. Comparison of the obtained results with experimental electronic diffuse reflectance spectra and fundamental frequencies confirms a hypothesis about the structure of active centers of finely dispersed oxide V2O5 on silica as monomeric forms, (O=V-On).
A New Hypothesis Regarding the Surface Acidity of Binary Metal Oxides

We have proposed a new hypothesis that the acid sites on binary metal oxides are formed by an excess of a negative or positive charge in the mixed oxides and that whether the charge is excess or not, and whether it is positive or negative, are determined by the coordination numbers and valences of the positive and negative elements in the model structures pictured according to two postulates. The validity of the hypothesis is, in fact, 90% for the 31 kinds of binary oxides tested, much higher than the validity (48%) of Thomas’ hypothesis. The hypothesis explains well the mechanism of the acidity generation of binary oxides and predicts whether the acid sites will be of the Bronsted or the Lewis type.
PICOSECOND FLUORESCENCE KINETICS and ENERGY TRANSFER IN THE ANTENNA CHLOROPHYLLS OF GREEN ALGAE *

Single‐photon timing measurements on flowing samples of Chlorella vulgaris and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii at low excitation intensities at room temperature indicate two main kinetic components of the fluorescence at open reaction centers (F0) of photosystem II with lifetimes of approx. 130 and 500 ps and relative yields of about 30 and 70%. Closing the reaction centers progressively by preincubation of the algae with increasing concentrations of 3‐(3′,4′‐dichlorophenyl)‐l,l‐dimethylurea (DCMU) and hydroxylamine gave rise to a slow component with a lifetime increasing from 1.4 to 2.2 ns (Fmax) The yield of the slow component increased to 65‐68% of the total fluorescence yield in parallel to a decrease in the yield of the fast component to a value close to zero at the fmax‐level. The 130 ps lifetime of the fast component remained unchanged. The middle component showed an increase of its lifetime from 500 to 1100 ps and of its yield by a factor of 1.5. Spacing of the ps laser pulses by 12 μs allowed us to resolve a new long‐lived fluorescence component of very small amplitude which is ascribed to a small amount of chlorophyll not connected to functional antennae.
A transport study of high density helicon plasma discharges in the Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment

The Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is instrumental in demonstrating the plasma source capability for the steady-state MPEX facility to study plasma-material interactions (PMIs). Proto-MPEX has justi ed MPEX by examining the e ciency of the helicon source, and auxiliary electron Bernstein wave (EBW) heating and ion cyclotron heating (ICH). This thesis aims to address the particle transport from the source toward the target in Proto-MPEX. The governing transport phenomenon in ProtoMPEX is identi ed using the electron temperature and density, Mach number, and other derived quantities. Extensive diagnostics coverage along the axial length of the device provided various plasma parameters. The upgraded Thomson scattering system and Mach-Double Langmuir probe were used for the study. A small variation in the axial temperature for both helicon-only and helicon with an auxiliary heating system indicates that Proto-MPEX operates in the sheath-limited regime. The presence of strong parallel convective heat along the axis, except near the source, was experimentally measured and predicted using a data-constrained B2.5 Eirene model. With EBW, the conductive heat ux increased around the launcher but was not found to be signi cant in comparison. With a small temperature gradient and highly conductive ux, Proto-MPEX plasma transport is suggested to be sheath-limited. Increasing collisionality and density at the target can induce conduction-limited regime in Proto-MPEX. During the e ciency study of the transport with EBW heating, a at or downhill magnetic eld from the heating location to the target was found to be preferential to deposit higher heat ux on to the target. The presence of various plasma sources creates a complex magnetic eld geometry in ProtoMPEX. Such eld variations create magnetic mirrors, which manifests Gas-dynamic trap for low energy and adiabatic-kinetic trapping for high energy plasmas. Experimentally, a linear increase in trapped density was observed with the mirror ratio for the low temperature population. Temporal pro les from ow measurement with ICH show plasma slow-down and the possibility of ow reversal upstream of the ICH resonance location. Discussions on some of the implication for the MPEX user facility is also presented.
The thermal accommodation coefficients of gases. I. An investigation of the effect of flashing

Modifications to the hot-wire method of Knudsen (1911) for determining accommodation coefficients have been introduced by various workers in recent years. These methods have in common the flashing of the wire in the gas (Roberts 1930; Mann 1934) or in vacuo (Mann & Newell 1937) immediately before heat-loss measurements are begun. This treatment was originally suggested by Roberts (1930) and was assumed to give a ‘clean’ surface by removing adsorbed gas films. The heat loss from the wire was reduced by flashing, and this was ascribed to a reduction in the accommodation coefficient. The fall in heat loss after flashing has been confirmed, but it is accounted for, not by a reduction in the accommodation coefficient, but by the persistence of the thermal effects of flashing. Thus the effect of flashing is accentuated by working with silvered and platinized vessels; it is reproduced by flashing an adjacent wire and is particularly evident when working in vacuo. Abnormal temperature rises can also be observed when pipette methods are used to introduce the gas to an evacuated vessel (Mann & Newell 1937; Raines 1939; Rolf 1944). The results obtained in similar experiments were shown to be due mainly to the slowness of the diffusion process.