Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Magnetic Nanocomposite Based on Montmorillonite, Fe Oxides, and Hydrothermal Carbon: Synthesis, Characterization and Pollutants Adsorption Tests

Abstract This work presents the synthesis and characterization of montmorillonite-Fe oxides (Mt-Mag) and Mt-Fe oxides-carbon (Mt-Mag-C) systems as adsorbent materials, prepared by efficient and low-cost procedures. Fe oxides were synthesized by alkaline oxidation in the presence of nitrates while carbonization was hydrothermally synthesized. The adsorption capacity of the synthesized materials was tested against different pollutants (norfloxacin, thiabendazole, thiophanate-methyl, oxytetracycline, P4R and Cr(VI)). Fe particles and carbon were not homogeneously distributed while Mt-Mag-C sample presented a lower specific surface area and porosity than Mt-Mag, related to carbon presence, while magnetic nanoparticles seem not to block Mt external pores. Both materials revealed negative surface charge, indicating that is dominated by montmorillonite. Besides, Mt structure seems to be modified by both Fe oxides and carbon synthesis. The magnetic response was higher in Mt-Mag-C than in Mt-Mag, indicating Fe phases modifications during carbonization. The principal identified Fe oxide was magnetite, with minor contributions of paramagnetic Fe3+, goethite, and paramagnetic relaxation, with a significantly increased of the spectral area of the latter in Mt-Mag-C. Fe concentration determined by Mossbauer spectroscopy resulted higher on Mt-Mag-C than Mt-Mag, indicating that Fe atoms located at the interlayer space of montmorillonite, that give not Mossbauer signal, are exposed by sonication and carbon synthesis, and new magnetite particles are formed through the reduction of Fe3+ atoms in dextrose aqueous solution. The paramagnetic relaxation increase is related to new magnetite particles, that, because of carbon presence, cannot be magnetically coupled. A significant sorption capacity was found for cationic and zwitterionic compounds, revealing the relevance of electrostatic interaction. The magnetic response of Mt-Mag-C and the results of sorption tests for cationic and zwitterionic compounds, claims Mt-Mag-C as a promising sorbent material.
Effective Collaboration of Entrepreneurial Teams—Implications for Entrepreneurial Education

In the situation of a permanent change and increased competition, business ventures are more and more often undertaken not by individuals but by entrepreneurial teams. The main aim of this paper is to examine the team principles implemented by effective entrepreneurial teams and how they differ in nascent and established teams. We also focused on the relationship between the implementation of these rules by entrepreneurial team members and their evaluation of venture performance and personal satisfaction. The quantitative method was used: a list of nine items describing the principles important for the entrepreneurial teams’ collaboration was included in a questionnaire conducted in a group of 106 Polish entrepreneurs who run their businesses as members of entrepreneurial teams. The results of the research showed that all the collaboration principles included in the prepared scale are implemented by the tested entrepreneurial teams; in the case of two particular items, the obtained scores were higher in nascent teams. The correlation between principle implementation and venture performance as well as the correlation between principle implementation and entrepreneurs’ professional satisfaction was confirmed. In addition, the goal was to emphasize the importance of the entrepreneurial team’s collaboration due to its effectiveness, and propose the prepared scale as a tool for entrepreneurial reflective learning. Finally, statements by members of two entrepreneurial teams concerning team collaboration are presented to deliver case studies that can be used during entrepreneurship courses.
Extra-pulmonary vein driver mapping and ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation in obese patients.

AIMS The aim of this study was to determine whether driver ablation effectively treats persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) in obese patients. METHODS AND RESULTS We randomly assigned 124 persistent AF obese patients to two groups, one undergoing conventional ablation (n = 62) and the other undergoing driver ablation (n = 62). Sixty-two non-obese patients with persistent AF undergoing driver ablation served as matched controls. Bipolar electrogram dispersion was analysed for driver mapping. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume was measured using cardiac computed tomography. Obese patients had a higher proportion of driver regions in the posterior wall (56.5% vs. 32.3%, P = 0.007). Driver complexity, measured as the average number and area of driver regions, was higher in the obese group than in the non-obese group (3.5 ± 1.0 vs. 2.9 ± 0.9, P < 0.001; 15.5% ± 4.2% vs. 9.8 ± 2.6%, P < 0.001, respectively). Left atrial EAT volume correlated better with the proportion of area of driver regions than did body mass index (BMI) and total EAT (BMI: r2 = 0.250, P < 0.001; total EAT: r2 = 0.379, P < 0.001; and left atrial EAT: r2 = 0.439, P < 0.001). The rate of AF termination was significantly higher in the driver ablation group than in the conventional ablation group (82.9% vs. 22.8%, P < 0.001). During the follow-up period of 16.9 ± 6.5 months, patients in the driver ablation group had significantly better AF-free survival (91.91% vs. 79.0%, log rank test, P = 0.026) and AF/atrial tachycardia-free survival (83.9% vs. 64.5%, log rank test, P = 0.011) than did patients in the conventional ablation group. CONCLUSION Obesity is associated with increased driver complexity. Driver ablation improves long-term outcomes in obese patients with persistent AF.
Seasonal Variations in Dissolved Carbon Inventory and Fluxes in a Mangrove‐Dominated Estuary

Two experiments were performed during the wet and dry seasons to quantify dissolved carbon dynamics and fluxes in the Shark River, a tidal estuary flowing through the largest contiguous mangrove forest in North America (Everglades National Park, Florida, USA). During these experiments, between 80% and 87% of the total dissolved carbon pool consisted of inorganic carbon (DIC). Carbon inputs from mangroves to the estuary were slightly higher during the wet season, whereas alkalinity inputs were comparable during the two experiments. Longitudinal dissolved carbon fluxes to the coastal ocean were slightly higher during the wet season (13.53 ± 0.76 × 105 mol day−1 during the wet and 11.70 ± 0.32 × 105 mol day−1 during the dry), whereas longitudinal alkalinity flux was comparable during both experiments (10.64 ± 0.74 in the wet vs. 9.88 ± 0.30 × 105 mol day−1 during the dry season). Overall, DIC production in surface water, porewater, and groundwater was dominated by oxic mineralization of mangrove‐derived organic matter and carbonate dissolution. Carbonate dissolution was the most important alkalinity production process in the system. The experiments show that regardless of the season and hydro‐climatic conditions, Shark River receives large inputs of dissolved carbon from the upstream marsh, mangroves, and carbonate dissolution, and that per area, it exports a greater amount of dissolved carbon than many other mangrove‐dominated estuaries in the world.
Incidences and Bio-Detoxification of Aflatoxins
in Rice and Cattle Feed Crops under Different
Agro-Ecological Zones

This research was carried out to monitor the occurrence of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) in unpacked rice (50 samples) and cattle feed (60 samples). These samples were analyzed using TLC & ELISA techniques. 30% rice samples showed aflatoxins (AFTs) in the range of 1-20 ppb while 10% samples showed AFTs above 20 ppb. For cattle feed, AFTs detected in the range of 1.9-20.4 ppb in maize, 9.6-28.5 ppb in corn, 9.8-27.3 ppb in barely, 5.4-21.3 ppb in hay samples and 6.7-28.5 ppb in silage samples. The contaminated samples were treated for detoxification. The detoxification promised by specific natural compounds like sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, Allium sativum and black seed oil were from 63-100%. The foods contaminated with AFTs are toxic for human health. High doses of AFTs can be the major cause of liver diseases like cirrhosis, liver cancer and death in humans and
Oblique Deposition of Ti/Pt/Au Electrode on Photonic Crystal for Vertical Current Injection

We describe a device for inter-chip or intra-chip optical communications that contains the Circular Defect in photonic crystal (CirD) lasers array driven by vertical current injection. In order to improve the conductivity of the structure while also preventing current leakage, we introduce the oblique deposition of electrodes on a photonic crystal pattern by using an electron beam evaporation apparatus. The performance of an electrode is investigated by a transmission line method, and the CirD structure is fabricated with the electrode. We analyze the voltage-current relationship and confirm the CirD structure’s low resistance of under 1 kΩ.
Mode Shift Behavior Study with Respect to Introduction of Metro Rail System in Indore City

— With growing number of Vehicles and more importantly private vehicles at an alarming rate in almost all major and medium cities in India. No one can argue that the viable solution in present context can only be Rapid Transit system of public transport in the form of Metro, Bus transit System, Mono rails, Metro etc. It is targeted towards contributing significantly in sustainable mobility by shifting a large number of commuters from their current transport mode of choice – in most cases private cars. The travel behavior of a commuter is necessary to be analyzed before planning and operation of any such transit system. Before planning and implementation out of various types of model, the discrete choice model analysis of mode shift is necessary to formulated and studied. Which mode to choose from number of available modes and on what parameters under a given set of circumstances is studied through the mode shift behavior analysis. This study is aimed at developed a binomial logistic regression model based on the stated preference questionnaire response with regards to mode shift choice of commuters of Line 3 of Indore (M.P, India) metro which is under construction. Charts & Graphs related to reason of shift; current mode share etc. are also prepared. The equation is formulated which establishes the relation between the probability of shift and the independent variables.
The Earth Mover’s Distance as a Metric for the Space of Inorganic Compositions

It is a core problem in any field to reliably tell how close two objects are to being the same, and once this relation has been established we can use this information to precisely quantify potential relationships, both analytically and with machine learning (ML). For inorganic solids, the chemical composition is a fundamental descriptor, which can be represented by assigning the ratio of each element in the material to a vector. These vectors are a convenient mathematical data structure for measuring similarity, but unfortunately, the standard metric (the Euclidean distance) gives little to no variance in the resultant distances between chemically dissimilar compositions. We present the Earth Mover’s Distance (EMD) for inorganic compositions, a well-defined metric which enables the measure of chemical similarity in an explainable fashion. We compute the EMD between two compositions from the ratio of each of the elements and the absolute distance between the elements on the modified Pettifor scale. This simple metric shows clear strength at distinguishing compounds and is efficient to compute in practice. The resultant distances have greater alignment with chemical understanding than the Euclidean distance, which is demonstrated on the binary compositions of the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD). The EMD is a reliable numeric measure of chemical similarity that can be incorporated into automated workflows for a range of ML techniques. We have found that with no supervision the use of this metric gives a distinct partitioning of binary compounds into clear trends and families of chemical property, with future applications for nearest neighbor search queries in chemical database retrieval systems and supervised ML techniques.
Stomatal closure by ultraviolet radiation

The effect of ultraviolet radiation (UV) (255-325 nm) on stomatal closure was investigated on tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc) Trotter) in the presence of white light (ca 50 .mu.mol m-2 s-1). The action spectrum showed that UV (ca 2 .mu.mol m-2 s-1, half band width about 10 nm) of 285 nm or shorter wavelengths was very efficient in causing stomatal closure. The effectiveness decreased sharply towards longer wavelengths. Radiation of 313 nm or longer wavelengths was practically without effect. Increasing UV intensity increased stomatal resistance. When stronger white light (5 to 9 times stronger than the one used during irradiation) was administered stomates re-opened rapidly irrespective of whether the UV was on or off, although a subsequent gradual closing tendency was observed when the UV was on. (Less)
Photo-electrochemical CO2 reduction at CuInS2 thin-film cathodes modified with CuIn alloy particles derived from Cu2O particles

ABSTRACT In order to reduce CO2 to ethanol, the CuIn alloy-particle modified CuInS2 (CuIn AP/CIS) composite thin-film electrodes have been suggested and their catalytic activity and selectivity have been examined. The CuIn AP/CIS composite thin films have been fabricated via by two-step electrodeposition route – electrodepositing the Cu2O particles on the CuInS2 thin films, followed by electrodeposition of metallic indium on the Cu2O/CuInS2 thin films. Compared to the Cu2O/CuInS2 composite thin-film electrode, the CuIn AP/CIS composite thin-film electrode exhibits high catalytic activity and selectivity for ethanol formation. At the CuIn AP/CIS composite thin-film electrode with electrodeposition of In for 30 s, ethanol concentration reaches 0.046 mM at 1.5 h. The results of the electrochemical impedance spectra show that the interface charge-transfer is the rate-determining step in the CO2 reduction process, and the CuIn AP/CIS composite thin-film electrode with electrodeposition of In for 30 s exhibits the smallest resistant of the interface charge-transfer. The study on the adsorbed intermediates shows that the surface modification of CuIn AP increases *CO coverage and decreases *H coverage significantly, thus promoting coupling of *CO. Therefore, the selectivity for ethanol formation is improved.
Coordination Contracts of Dual-Channel Supply Chain Considering Advertising Cooperation

To study the impact of advertising cooperation on the decisions of dual-channel supply chain, a dual-channel supply chain system consisting of a single manufacturer and a single retailer is considered. The manufacturer can sell products to customers either through a direct marketing channel or through a traditional retail channel. This paper analyses the level of advertising investment and supply chain profits of centralized and decentralized dual-channel supply chains based on a Stackelberg game. Then, the decision models of dual-channel supply chain under different contracts are constructed, and how manufacturers can optimize the profits of both sides through an effective coordination mechanism is analyzed. The research results show that the improved advertising costs and revenue sharing contract can perfectly coordinate the dual-channel supply chain system. Numerical experiments illustrate the impacts of parameters on the optimal decision results.
Simulation of amphiphilic mesophases using dissipative particle dynamics

We study a dense solution of an amphiphilic species using the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) algorithm, focussing on the smectic mesophase. Since DPD is locally momentum-conserving, it gives at large length scales a faithful representation of the isothermal hydrodynamics of the system. Results are presented for the phase diagram of a minimal amphiphile model, consisting of rigid AB dimers in a solution of C monomers, for the coarsening dynamics of a polydomain smectic phase, and for the formation of a monodomain smectic when shear is applied.
Redox properties of LDH microcrystals coated with a catechol-bearing phosphonate derived from dopamine

The surface of Zn–Al-chloride LDH microcrystals (LDH = Layered Double Hydroxides) was activated by grafting a redox active catechol bearing bis-phosphonate obtained by dopamine derivatization. The obtained phosphonate uniformly coats the LDH crystals surface and the catechol groups are exposed. The redox activity of the catechol was employed for the quick and easy synthesis of Gold NPs, which are supported onto the LDH microcrystal surface. The synthetic procedures and the complete characterization of the hybrid system are reported.
Trasmittance Self-Oscillating Behavior of a Non-Thermoresponsive Polymer Chain Induced by the Belouzov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) Reaction

In this study, the influence of the temperature on the transmittance self-oscillation of a non-thermoresponsive polymer chain was investigated. The polymer chain was composed of a biocompatible and non-thermoresponsive poly-vinylpyrrolidone (PVP) main-chain covalently-bonded to the 10 wt% ruthenium catalyst moiety (Ru(bpy)3) of the BZ reaction. As a result, the amplitude of the transmittance self-oscillation slightly decreased with the increase in the temperature. The period of the transmittance self-oscillation decreased with increasing the temperature in accordance with the Arrenius equation. Therefore, the period of the self-oscillation can be controlled by the selection of the temperature.
COVID-19: the challenges of transitioning a hands-on and interactive Honors Reproduction course to an online format

© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Transl. Anim. Sci. 2020.5:1-3 doi: 10.1093/tas/txaa221 The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly affected education systems through the closure of schools and universities. Like many universities, Texas A&M University also opted to transition to an online format, a task which is challenging for any institution. With the number of courses that were taught online pre-COVID, this varied not only by institution, but also by curriculum. For example, in the Fall 2019 semester pre-COVID, the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University offered approximately 94% of its undergraduate courses and 100% of its graduate courses in the traditional face-to-face format (this is excluding nontraditional courses; i.e., internships, research, etc.). Similar to other Animal Science departments, core curriculum courses include Animal Nutrition, Genetics, and Reproduction. One unique feature of Texas A&M’s Animal Science curriculum is that there is a separate Reproduction in Farm Animals (ANSC 333) course available only to eligible students in the Honors Program. This course is offered in the spring and fall semesters to undergraduate Animal Science Honors students and is designed to cover the physiological principles of reproductive processes in farm species. Traditionally, the classes are given in a face-to-face lecture format, in which twice a week the students are presented with fundamental concepts about the physiology and endocrinology of reproduction in farm animals. In addition, the students participate in a laboratory session once a week where they can review the learned content through practical and hands-on activities. Given that this course was traditionally taught face-to-face, as was the overwhelming majority of the undergraduate Animal Science curriculum, the aim of this paper was to share our experiences in transitioning this interactive Honors course to an online format.
Amelioration of salt stress tolerance in rapeseed (Brassica napus) cultivars by seed inoculation with Arthrobacter globiformis

Abstract Salt stress represents one of the most problematic abiotic stress affecting plants worldwide. In saline soils, plants try to counteract the consequences of salt stress by physiological changes, leading to the decreasing of both osmotic and oxidative stresses. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) can ameliorate plant stress response by several mechanisms. In this work, we focused on the effects of halotolerant strain Arthrobacter globiformis on salt stress response in Brassica napus. The strain was inoculated on seeds of three rapeseed cultivars with different levels of salt tolerance; seed germination and following first phases of development were examined in plants exposed to high salinity. Compared to not inoculated plants under the same saline conditions, the inoculated showed a better stress response in the seedling phase. Moreover, a significant increase in phenolic compounds, as well as in Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymatic activities were observed in inoculated plants; the concentration of the osmolyte proline was also significantly enhanced in comparison to the not inoculated ones. A. globiformis was proved to be a promising PGPB strain and it can be a tool to counteract salt stress in quite an effective manner, even at high saline conditions.
Quantum yields for the production of O(1D) from photodissociation of O2 at 1160–1770 Å

The quantum yield for the production of O(1D) by photodissociation of O2 was measured in the 1160–1770 A wavelength region. For wavelengths longer than 1390 A, the quantum yields are unity and constant, with a sharp cutoff at about 1750 A. For wavelengths shorter than 1390 A, the O(1D) quantum yields depend strongly on wavelength. The positions of many of the structures correspond to Rydberg states identified by various authors, and the data show by which of the two principal dissociative channels, O(3P)+O(3P) or O(1D)+O(3P), the excited molecules predissociate. The total oxygen atom yields were also measured and clearly show that all photon absorption leads to dissociation in the spectral region studied. Possible identification of absorption to the 3Πu valence state has been made, with a peak at 1356 A (9.14 eV).
Use of chitosan for removal of bisphenol a from aqueous solutions through quinone oxidation by polyphenol oxidase

In this study, a combined use of biopolymer chitosan and oxidoreductase polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was applied to the removal of bisphenol A (BPA) as an endocrine disrupting chemical from aqueous solutions. The optimum conditions for the enzymatic quinone oxidation of BPA were determined to be pH 7.0 and 40°C. Quinone derivatives generated were chemisorbed on chitosan beads, and BPA was completely removed at 4–7 h. The removal time was shortened with an increase in the amount of dispersed chitosan beads or the PPO concentration. In addition, the initial velocity of quinone oxidation increased with an increase in the amount of chitosan beads. The use of chitosan in the form of porous beads was more effective than the use of chitosan in the form of solutions or powder. It was found that an important factor for this procedure was a high-specific surface area of chitosan beads and heterogeneous reaction of quinone derivatives enzymatically generated with chitosan. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012