Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-Resolution Vibrational Electron-Energy-Loss Spectroscopy of Gaseous and Solid Glycine

The vibrational spectra of thin solid films of glycine deposited at temperatures between 12 and 130 K, as well as gaseous glycine, have been measured by high-resolution electron-energy-loss (HREEL) spectroscopy. The spectra are dominated by hydrogen-bonded glycine dimers when the films are deposited at low temperatures. The HREEL spectra of films deposited at higher temperature (130 K) have a different habitus that can be explained on the basis of a proton transfer reaction leading to the formation of zwitterionic glycine. Gas-phase HREEL spectra show bands characteristic of the neutral monomer of glycine. The results are discussed in relation to a previous study aiming at glycine synthesis in mixed ices under the effect of low-energy electrons.
Heat treatment of ZnO nanoparticles: new methods to achieve high-purity nanoparticles for high-voltage applications

Novel methods based on orienting and coating of ZnO nanoparticles were studied in order to obtain uniform, nano-sized and ultra-pure ZnO grains/particles after heat treatment. A 1 nm zinc-hydroxy-salt complex layer on the nanoparticle surfaces was revealed by thermogravimetry and infrared spectroscopy. This ‘phase’ gradually decomposed into ZnO during the heat treatment while sintering occurred above 600 °C, as revealed by scanning- and transmission-electron microscopy. The c-axis alignment of the nanoparticles provided smaller pores than those associated with non-oriented nanoparticles, presenting the means to obtain high-density ceramics. The orientation resulted in a smaller grain size after heat treatment than that of the nonaligned nanoparticles. Another method that involved three steps – silane coating, heat treatment and silica layer etching – was used to remove the ionic species from the nanoparticle surface while preserving its hydroxylated surface. These ultra-pure nanoparticles are expected to be key components in the development of HVDC insulation polyethylene nanocomposites.
Anti-degradation gelatin films crosslinked by active ester based on cellulose

Functionalization of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) with EDTA dianhydride (EDTAD) was first achieved using an esterification reaction. N-Hydroxysuccinimide-activated MCC-EDTAD ester (MEN), a novel macromolecule crosslinker based on MCC, was synthesized for the modification of gelatin films. The reaction between gelatin and MEN was verified by the residual free amino test, FTIR and XRD spectra. The introduction of MEN into gelatin decreased the film degradation ratio and increased its thermal stability, flexibility, hydrophobicity, light barrier performance and water uptake ability. Additionally, SEM images proved the successful surface grafting reaction and degradation phenomenon. This unique gelatin film material with advanced properties broke the limitation of the blending method for modification of gelatin with macromolecules and broadened its application as a novel sustained-release material.
Processing and characterization of LDPE/starch products

Low-density polyethylene/plastisized starch blends varying in starch content were processed by conventional extrusion, injection-molding, and film-blowing techniques. Polyethylene-g-maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA) was used as a compatibilizer. X-ray diffraction was used to investigate starch destructurization during extrusion and on subsequent processing. The effect of starch content on the blends was evaluated by mechanical property measurement and scanning electron microscopy. Starch, except for being a biodegradable material, can also act as a reinforcing agent. The reinforcing effect of starch was only realized in injection-molded materials. Processing–structure–property relationships could explain this behavior. The present study also brought out the effect that the degree of molecular orientation existing in a polymeric matrix may have on the coupling performance of an adhesion promoter. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 2548–2557, 2001
Oxygen Absorption in Streams

Information on the rate of absorption of oxygen in sewers is needed for calculations of biological oxidation in sewers and for an understanding of sulfide buildup in sewers. Published equations for stream aeration are at variance with one another, and in any case do not provide a basis for needed predictions of reaeration rates in sewers. Measurements of oxygen uptake were made in twelve functioning sewers. By viewing all of the data and prior mathematical treatments synoptically, a general predictive equation was devised. Reaeration rates for sewage streams can now be predicted with an expected standard error of ±10%. The general equation coefficient for predicting reaeration in streams of pure water is not yet known with similar accuracy, but could be determined by precision experiments. The rates in sewage streams are apparently about a third as great as in pure water.
Laboratory Investigation of Ammonium and Nitrate Removal in Vertical-Flow Regimes in Planted and Unplanted Wetland Columns

AbstractVertical-flow constructed wetlands were investigated for ammonium and nitrate removal from synthetic wastewater in bench-scale wetland columns. Total ammonia and nitrate were measured as wastewater and fed through planted and unplanted columns over three 4-week phases: downflow, upflow, and downflow-upflow in series. Mass balance results showed that downflow columns removed >90% of influent ammonium, regardless of vegetation. Unplanted downflow columns removed 15% of nitrate and 14% of total nitrogen. Planted downflow columns removed only 1% of nitrate and total nitrogen. Unplanted upflow columns removed 55% of ammonium, 50% nitrate, and 31% of total nitrogen, whereas planted upflow columns removed 59, 60, and 40% of nitrogen species, respectively. For downflow-upflow columns in series, unplanted columns removed 79% of the ammonium, 1% of nitrate, and 4% of total nitrogen. In-series planted columns removed 93, 62, and 59%, respectively. These results suggest that downflow wetlands may be more appr.
Groundwater Valuation and Quality Preservation in Iran: The Case of Yazd

Groundwater can be used directly or indirectly and any decline in its quality or quantity maynegatively impact the environment. Through groundwater valuation, people are made aware of the fact thatgroundwater is not free of charge and therefore the significance of groundwater preservation is established. In this study, groundwater quality preservation value has been estimated for the city of Yazd based on thecontingent valuation method (CVM). The methodology used consisted of field study and library research.After determining the sample size using Cochran’s formula, the distributed questionnaires were filled by theinhabitants of the city of Yazd. Thereafter, the results were analysed using Excel and EViews. Finally, people’s willingness to pay for the preservation of Yazd groundwater quality was estimated to be US$18.5 annually per capita, which is a remarkable value. Hence, it was determined that groundwater quality preservation was of great value to the inhabitants of Yazd.
Nitrogen solution in molten Fe1−y M y (M≡Al Mn) analysed using statistical thermodynamics

Abstract The behaviour of N in solution in molten Fe1−y M y (M≡Al, Mn) was analysed using statistical thermodynamics. According to available experimental evidence, N solubility tends to be enhanced with increasing Mn content in molten Fe1−y Mn y N x , but tends to be suppressed with increasing Al content in molten Fe1−y Al y N x in the regime where Sieverts' rule is obeyed and no MnN or AlN precipitation takes place. Enhanced N solubility in molten Fe1−y Mn y N x with increasing Mn content was concluded to be attributable to the formation of Mn–N dipoles. On the other hand, the observed suppression of N solubility with increasing Al content in molten Fe1−y Al y N x was ascribed to lattice strain in the Fe1−y Al y sublattice induced by alloying with Al. In contrast to direct pairing between Mn and N atoms in molten Fe1−y Mn y N x , no direct chemical (electronic) interaction between Al and N appeared to occur in molten Fe1−y Al y N x . MST/1257
Direct Correlation between Interfacial Width and Adhesion in Glassy Polymers

The correlation between interfacial width and adhesion, as expressed by the fracture toughness of the interface, in glassy polymers is investigated. The interfacial width is measured accurately by neutron reflectivity, and the fracture toughness of the interfaces is determined from a double cantilever beam test. Two experimental situations are considered: the case of an interface between two immiscible polymers, polystyrene (PS) and poly(p-methylstyrene) (PpMS), and the case of a PS−PS interface, where the interfacial width and the fracture toughness are measured for different interdiffusion times. In both cases, a direct correlation between the fracture toughness and the interfacial width is found. After an initial rapid increase in toughness due presumably to chain-end diffusion, most of the subsequent increase in toughness occurs over a relatively narrow range of interfacial widths between 9 and 12 nm. The fracture toughness stays constant with further interdiffusion. The results are consistent with r.
APPLICATION OF DOPPLER OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IN RHEOLOGICAL STUDIES: BLOOD FLOW AND VESSELS MECHANICAL PROPERTIES EVALUATION

Doppler Optical Coherence Tomography (DOCT) is a noninvasive optical diagnostic technique, which is well suited for the quantitative mapping of microflow velocity profiles and the analysis of flow-vessel interactions. The noninvasive imaging and quantitative analysis of blood flow in the complex-structured vascular bed is required in many biomedical applications, including those where the determination of mechanical properties of vessels or the knowledge of the mechanic interactions between the flow and the housing medium plays a key role. The change of microvessel wall elasticity could be a potential indicator of cardiovascular disease at the very early stage, whilst monitoring the blood flow dynamics and associated temporal and spatial variations in vessel's wall shear stress could help predicting the possible rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. The results of feasibility studies of application of DOCT for the evaluation of mechanical properties of elastic vessel model are presented. The technique has also been applied for imaging of sub-cranial rat blood flow in vivo.
Ion irradiation and biomolecular radiation damage II. Indirect effect

It has been reported that damage of genome in a living cell by ionizing radiation is about one-third direct and two-thirds indirect. The former which has been introduced in our last paper, concerns direct energy deposition and ionizing reactions in the biomolecules; the latter results from radiation induced reactive species (mainly radicals) in the medium (mainly water) surrounding the biomolecules. In this review, a short description of ion implantation induced radical formation in water is presented. Then we summarize the aqueous radical reaction chemistry of DNA, protein and their components, followed by a brief introduction of biomolecular damage induced by secondary particles (ions and electron). Some downstream biological effects are also discussed.
Interannual and decadal variability of the oceanic carbon sink in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre

The evaluation of interannual and decadal variations of air-sea CO2 fluxes represents important step for understanding the changes in the global carbon cycle. In this study we analyse the variations of sea surface dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TA) in the North Atlantic over the period 1993.2003 (SURATLANT Program). The analysis focuses on the subpolar gyre (53°.N-62°.N/45.W-20°.W). Large interannual variability of DIC and air-sea CO2 fluxes is observed mostly during summer. In the extreme case, this region was a CO2 source in 2003 explained by a dramatic warming and the absence of late-summer bloom. At the decadal scale, DIC and TA concentrations appeared stable indicating a complex balance between primary production, vertical mixing, horizontal transport and anthropogenic CO2.We also found that winter fCO2 has increased at a rate of +2.8 μatm yr-1 between 1993 and 2003, due to strong surface warming (1.5.°C over 10 yr) particularly since winter 1995 when the North Atlantic Oscillation index moved into a negative phase. This resulted in a decrease of carbon uptake in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre, a trend also suggested for the period 1972.1989 but not captured by current class atmospheric inverse models.
High Precision Al-Mg Isotope Studies of Condensate CAIs

lock, P. E. Janney, A. M. Davis, M. Wadhwa, and A. N. Krot, Department of Mineral Sciences, Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560 USA macphers@si.edu. School of Earth & Space Exploration & Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287. Department of the Geophysical Sciences & Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637. Hawai’i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822.
Metals Accumulation in Marine Bivalves and Seawater from the Lagoon of Boughrara in Tunisia (North Africa)

Since 1994 the lagoon of Boughrara located in the south western coast of Tunisia was a seat of repeated episodes of harmful algal proliferation. Due to intoxications by shellfish harvested in this region the area was banned. In order to estimate the metal contribution to this phenomenon, seawater and bivalves collected from Boughrara during the algal bloom period were analysed for Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Cu and Al content using the atomic absorption spectrometry.The average of the metals and heavy metals concentrations in clams flesh and shells were lower or in the range of the European Union regularity limits and exhibited the following decreasing order: Al>Cu>Cd>Cr>Pb>Hg. Levels were ranging between 11.541 mg/kg and 0.025 mg/kg wet weights. For seawater and inter-shell water the order was approximately the same. The lagoon of Boughrara might be considered relatively unpolluted with metals and repeated toxic algal proliferations remained unexplained.
Volatile Compounds of Traditional Turkish Dry Fermented Sausage (Sucuk)

The profile of volatile compounds of a typical Turkish dry fermented sausage (sucuk) were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using a solid phase microextraction (SPME). The significant differences were found in the volatile profiles obtained in the five commercial brands analyzed. A total 92 compounds were identified. The volatile compounds were consisted of 5 acids, 7 esters, 10 aliphatic hydrocarbons, 7 alcohols, 5 aldehydes, 11 sulphur compounds, 2 ketones, 7 aromatic hydrocarbons, 27 terpenes, 2 nitrogen compounds, 3 phenols, and 6 compounds BCH. Terpenes were the chemical family with the highest proportion in four brands, ranged 56–76% of the total area of volatiles. Acids were major compounds (32%) in only one brand.
Physico-chemical and Phytochemical Standardization of Chitrak Haritaki avaleha

Background: Chitrak Haritaki avaleha is an important Ayurvedic formulation, mentioned in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI), Part I. It is commonly used in Pratishyaya (chronic rhinitis), Kasa (cough), Swasa (dyspnoea), Agnimadhya (digestive weakness) and Krimi (helminthiasis). ObjectivePresent study deals preparation of Chitrak Haritaki Avaleha and its physico chemical and phytochemical standardization to ensure quality. Materials and methods: In the present study, a laboratory sample of Chitrak Haritaki avaleha (SL) was prepared by traditional method as per AFI and two marketed sample of Chitrak Haritaki avaleha (MK-1 and MK-2) were procured from reputed brands. All the three samples were evaluated for various qualitative screening, physico-chemical and phytoconstituents(percentage reducing sugar, tannic acid, gallic acid, piperine, vitamin C and total polyphenols contents). Results:Results of the physico-chemical, qualitative parameters revealed that all the findings were found within the limit as prescribed in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API). But quantitative estimation like percentage reducing sugar, tannic acid, gallic acid, piperine, vitamin C and total polyphenols contents in all the three samples revealed the remarkable variation in the quality of laboratory sample and marketed products. Phytoconstituent were quantified in per gram sample so to meet global standard and to ensure reproducibility. Heavy metal analysis and microbial content were found within limit as per protocol. This study will be helpful in addition to revalidation of the monograph given in the API.Conclusion- Present study reflect standardization and phytochemical validation, and open a new concept to standardize the product on phytoconstituent basis.
Estimation of a photon budget for the upper ocean in the Sargasso Sea

A photon budget based on the quanta absorbed and subsequent biological utilization is computed for a site in the northwestern Sargasso Sea in spring. The budget includes sources, transitions, and sinks for photosynthetically available radiation (PAR). The attentuation of PAR is partitioned into separate components and the loss caused by each component is estimated as a function of depth in the upper 100 m. The major sources of attenuation to PAR include seawater (35–76%), total particulate material (20–65%), and dissolved organic material (0–13%). The total particulate material attentuation could be partitioned into attenuation of phytoplankton (12–39%) and of detrital material (8–27%). Although the greatest fraction of photons is absorbed by water, all the variability within the budget is caused by biological processes. Source terms include bioluminescence and chlorophyll a fluorescence, which are orders of magnitude less than radiant energy attenuation, but they are detectable and biologically significant. This photon budget is an estimate, on a quantum basis, of how radiant energy is absorbed and how various fractions are converted to chemical energy or lost to nonphotosynthetic processes. The budget serves to focus on sources, transitions, and sinks of photons and elucidate the mechanisms linking biological processes and ocean optical properties; to identify the major absorbers in the ocean and quantify their relative influence; to demonstrate an accounting with respect to the penetration of radiant energy into natural waters and point to major assumptions and uncertainties in our current estimate; and to establish a perspective that can serve as a basis for the predictive linkage of optical variability and bioluminescence.
Viscoelasticity and diffusional properties of colloidal model dispersions

We examine linear viscoelastic, and translational and rotational diffusion properties of colloidal model dispersions. Theoretical results are discussed, in comparison with experiments, for monodisperse suspensions of charged and neutral colloidal spheres, and for binary dispersions of differently sized tracer and host particles. The theoretical methods employed comprise a mode-coupling scheme for Brownian particles, and a rooted cluster expansion scheme of tracer diffusion with two- and three-body hydrodynamic interactions included. We analyse in particular the validity of various empirical generalized Stokes–Einstein–Debye (SED) relations between the (dynamic) shear viscosity and translational/rotational diffusion coefficients. Some of these generalized SED relations are basic to microrheological measurements aimed at characterizing the viscoelasticity of complex fluids on the basis of the diffusional properties of immersed tracer particles.
Self‐Limited Switching in Ta2O5/TaOx Memristors Exhibiting Uniform Multilevel Changes in Resistance

To facilitate the development of memristive devices, it is essential to resolve the problem of non‐uniformity in switching, which is caused by the random nature of the filamentary switching mechanism in many resistance switching memories based on transition metal oxide. In addition, device parameters such as low‐ and high‐state resistance should be regulated as desired. These issues can be overcome if memristive devices have switching limits for both the low‐ and high‐resistance states and if their resistance values are highly controllable. In this study, a method termed self‐limited switching for uniformly regulating the values of both the low‐ and high‐resistance states is suggested, and the circuit configuration required for the self‐limited switching is established in a Ta2O5/TaOx memristive structure. A method of improving the uniformity of multi‐level resistance states in this memristive system is also proposed.
Microbiology of Fresh Apple and Potato Plugs Preserved by Gas Exchange

SUMMARY: Gas exchange as a means of preservation of fresh disk-shaped plugs of apples and potatoes at ambient temperatures was studied. Death kinetics of the microorganisms E. coli, St. aureus and CL botolinum were determined. The concurrent effects of the gas on the browning enzyme systems of the products was followed. Gram negative rods in the environment of the test materials were rapidly killed when exposed either to a mixture of ethylene oxide (10%) and carbon dioxide (90%) or to pure sulfur dioxide and sulfur dioxide (50%) air mixtures. Gram positive cocci and the spores of the anaerobes showed somewhat slower rates of destruction under the same conditions. Treatment with pure carbon monoxide, nitrogen or packaging in vacuum achieved considerable freedom from color changes but had no appreciable effect on microorganisms.
Experimental and Modeling Studies on High-Temperature Capture of CO2 Using Lithium Zirconate Based Sorbents

Lithium zirconate (Li2ZrO3) is one of the most promising materials for CO2 separation from flue gas at high temperature. This material is known to be able to adsorb a large amount of CO2 around 500−600 °C. It was also reported that the addition of lithium/potassium carbonate to Li2ZrO3 increased the CO2 sorption rate when compared to pure Li2ZrO3. In this study, we examine the CO2 sorption mechanism on Li2ZrO3 by analyzing phase and microstructure changes of Li2ZrO3 during the CO2 sorption process with the help of thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses. We report on CO2 sorption experiments for different Li2ZrO3 based sorbents at different operating conditions in order to identify the most appropriate sorbent and experimental conditions. We also propose a kinetic model that is a variant of a double-shell model proposed in the literature by introducing additional dynamics to obtain a consistent response of the CO2 uptake curve during the initial part of the.