Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chlorophyll d as the major photopigment in Acaryochloris marina

Chlorophyll (Chl) d is the major pigment in the photosystems (PS) and light-harvesting complex(es) of Acaryochloris marina. Chl a is present in small and variable amounts in PSII and in the light-harvesting complex(es). Isolated PSII complex showed a major fluorescence emission peak at 725 nm and a smaller emission peak due to Chl d at 701 nm, while the PSI complex showed two pools of Chl d, one with emission at 730 nm and the other at 709 nm at 77 K. In PSI and PSII of classical cyanobacteria and of higher plants, where Chl a is the predominant pigment rather than Chl d, these differences are not as pronounced. Light energy absorbed by phycobiliproteins was also active in these Chl d emissions. The major light-harvesting pigment protein is similar to the prochlorophyte Chl-binding protein (pcb) and had a major emission peak at 711 nm. In Cyanobacteria an iron-stress induced Chl-binding protein (isiA) forms a polymeric ring around PSI, and so the effect(s) of iron stress on A. marina where investigated. No clear evidence could be deduced for the formation of an isiA protein under iron stress and no clear changes in the proportion of Chl d :Chl a could be discerned although phycobilins showed a decreased under iron-stress conditions. That Chl d replaces Chl a in all its functions in A. marina is clear; the advantage of this evolutionary development appears to be to enable A. marina to absorb far-red light which occurs in environments where red light is filtered out by other photosynthetic organisms.
Surfactant-modified chemically reduced graphene oxide for electrochemical supercapacitors

An easy method to synthesize surfactant-modified graphene for a supercapacitor is demonstrated through the intercalation of graphene oxide (GO) with a triblock copolymer Pluronic F127 (F127). A rationalized, reduced GO-F127 is obtained by hydrothermal and thermal annealing-driven structural reconstruction. The F127 successfully intercalates into the GO layers and facilitates the stabilization of the single-layer or few-layer structure of graphene sheets during the reduction process. An increased surface area of 696 m2 g−1 is achieved in the surfactant-modified graphene, which is about three times higher than that of pristine graphene (200 m2 g−1). The electrocapacitive behaviors of the resultant composites are systematically investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge techniques. The rGO-F127 sample thermal-treated at 400 °C delivers a maximum specific capacitance of 210 F g−1 at a scanning rate of 1 mV s−1 in 6 M KOH electrolyte and has an excellent cycling stability, retaining over 95.6% of the initial capacity after 1000 cycles.
Kinetics and mechanism of diazo coupling. XXIV. Coupling kinetics of benzenediazonium ions with resorcinol and its O-methyl derivatives

Undissociated resorcinol reacts with substituted benzenediazonium ions in water more slowly than resorcinol monoanion by about 7·5 orders of magnitude, whereas the respective dianion is more reactive by about 4·5 orders of magnitude. Although the anion of 3-methoxyphenol reacts practically at the same rate as the resorcinol monoanion, 3-methoxyphenol reacts with substituted benzene diazonium ions about 2-3 times more slowly than 1,3-dimethoxybenzene and about 20 limes more slowly than resorcinol. The differences found have been explained, on the one hand by different influence of the activating groups, and on the other hand, by the so called " levelling effect" of 0 - groups mainly. The rate constants of the reaction of substituted benzenediazonium ions wit h resorcinol, 3-methoxyphenol, and their anions have been correlated with the Hammett equat ion.
Thermoelectric composites of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and carbon nanotubes with a large power factor

Composite films of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and single- as well as multi-walled carbon nanotubes are demonstrated to offer a competitive thermoelectric performance. The power factor significantly exceeds values obtained with either constituent alone provided that the conjugated polymer is sufficiently p-doped. The use of single-walled carbon nanotubes consistently results in a higher electrical conductivity with a maximum value above 103 S cm−1 and thus gives rise to a power factor of 25 ± 6 μW m−1 K−2 for a filler content of only 8 wt% and a maximum 95 ± 12 μW m−1 K−2 for 42–81 wt%. Moreover, a carbon nanotube content of 8–10 wt% does not compromise the low bulk thermal conductivity of the polymer matrix, which promises a high figure of merit of at least ZT > 10−2 at room-temperature. All samples are cast on plastic substrates, emphasising their suitability for large-area, flexible thermoelectric applications.
A Bird's‐Beak‐Free Sealed‐Interface Local Oxidation Technology for Submicron Ultra‐Large‐Scale Integrated Circuits

For submicron ultra large scale integrated circuits (ULSI), an isolation technology has been investigated. Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition processes have been employed for the formation of composite structure of Si 3 N 4 /SiO 2 /Si 3 N 4 . This masking structure is highly effective for sealing the oxidants vertically as well as through the edge of sandwich mask during selective oxidation of silicon. Fully recessed and semirecessed field oxides are grown in order to form completely planarized topography during chip fabrication
Intervertebral Spinal Fusion Using a RP-based PLGA/TCP/bBMP Biomimetic Grafting Material

Three-dimensional highly porous poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid)/tricalcium phosphate (PLGA/TCP) scaffolds were synthesized via a rapid prototyping (RP) technique. Bovine bone morphogenetic protein (bBMP) was loaded into the biopolymer scaffolds (PLGA/TCP/bBMP). Both the PLGA/TCP scaffolds and the PLGA/TCP/bBMP composites were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Lumbar intervertebral body fusion at L2~3 and L4~5 levels were performed on 15 goats using one of the following graft materials: RP synthesized PLGA/TCP scaffolds (group A), PLGA/TCP/bBMP composites (group B), and autogenous iliac bone graft (group C). All animals were sacrificed 24 weeks after surgery and the spine fusions evaluated by manual palpation tests, histological analyses, and radiography. In group A, the histological analyses showed that the PLGA/TCP scaffolds were biocompatible and biodegradable; however, no new bone was found. In group B, highly cellular bone marrow between the new trabecular bone was present in the fusion mass. In group C, there was a lesser amount of new bone. Twenty-four weeks after surgery, the fusion rate of lumbar intervertebral body fusion in group A, B, and C was 10% (1/10), 80% (8/10), and 50% (5/10), respectively. The fusion rate was significantly higher in group B compared with groups of A and C (p<0.01). Based on these results, extracted bBMP can be loaded in vitro into RP-based highly porous structural PLGA/TCP scaffolds to fabricate new graft composites that appear to be more effective for intervertebral spinal fusions. This biomimetic artificial grafting material holds promise as a tool for spine surgery.
UV photodissociation of oxalyl chloride yields four fragments from one photon absorption

The photodissociation of oxalyl chloride, (ClCO)2, has been studied near 235 nm using the photofragment imaging technique. Observed products include both ground state Cl (2P3/2) and spin-orbit excited Cl*(2P1/2) chlorine atoms and ground electronic state CO molecules. The rotational distribution obtained for the CO v=0 product is peaked at about J=30 and extends beyond J=50. Photofragment images were recorded for both chlorine atom fine structure components as well as many rotational levels of the CO v=0, yielding state-resolved angular and translational energy distributions. The recoil speed distribution for the Cl* exhibits a dominant fast component, with a translational energy distribution peaking at about 48 kJ/mol. The ground state chlorine atom showed two components in its speed distribution, with the slow component dominant. The corresponding translational energy distribution peaked at 10 kJ/mol but extended to 80 kJ/mol. The total average translational energy release into the Cl product is 34 kJ/m.
Characterization of Hafnium Oxide Thin Films by Source Gas Pulse Introduced Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition Using Amino-Family Hf Precursors

We have characterized hafnium oxide thin films grown on SiO2/p-Si(001) by source gas pulse introduced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using tetrakis-diethylamido-hafnium (Hf[N(C2H5)2]4) and tetrakis-dimethylamido-hafnium (Hf[N(CH3)2]4). O2 or H2O is used as oxidant gas. It is demonstrated that the use of H2O can reduce the residual impurity concentrations of hafnium oxide films when the deposition temperature is as low as 280°C. In addition, we have found that the residual impurity concentration of hafnium oxide films grown with Hf[N(C2H5)2]4 is lower than that grown with Hf[N(CH3)2]4. This tendency agrees with the leakage current density. An equivalent SiO2 thickness (EOT) of 1.4 nm with 4.7×10-6 A/cm2 @-1 V have been obtained for the hafnium oxide films grown with Hf[N(C2H5)2]4 at 280°C.
Carriage Dynamics of Pneumococcal Serotypes in Naturally Colonized Infants in a Rural African Setting During the First Year of Life

Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) carriage precedes invasive disease and influences population-wide strain dynamics, but limited data exist on temporal carriage patterns of serotypes due to the prohibitive costs of longitudinal studies. Here, we report carriage prevalence, clearance and acquisition rates of pneumococcal serotypes sampled from newborn infants bi-weekly from weeks 1 to 27, and then bi-monthly from weeks 35 to 52 in the Gambia. We used sweep latex agglutination and whole genome sequencing to serotype the isolates. We show rapid pneumococcal acquisition with nearly 31% of the infants colonized by the end of first week after birth and quickly exceeding 95% after 2 months. Co-colonization with multiple serotypes was consistently observed in over 40% of the infants at each sampling point during the first year of life. Overall, the mean acquisition time and carriage duration regardless of serotype was 38 and 24 days, respectively, but varied considerably between serotypes comparable to observations from other regions. Our data will inform disease prevention and control measures including providing baseline data for parameterising infectious disease mathematical models including those assessing the impact of clinical interventions such as pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.
Fractionation of soil humic acids by preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of concentrated urea

Abstract To separate soil humic acids (HAs) into their constituents and characterize them, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was carried out in the presence of 7 M urea using a preparative electrophoresis system. Two types of soil HAs were fractionated into nine fractions by PAGE. The dark-colored constituents were recovered from the electrophoretic fractions by precipitation on acidification, and the brown-colored constituents dissolved in the acidic solution of fast-moving fractions were recovered by adsorption onto DAX-8 resin. High-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) confirmed that the constituents of the HAs were separated based on their molecular size by PAGE. The dark-colored constituents exhibited higher degrees of humification than did the corresponding unfractionated HAs, except for the constituents remaining in the electrophoretic gels at the end of electrophoresis. Diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy revealed that the chemical properties of the dark-colored constituents changed regularly: the content of carboxyl groups decreased and the proportions of proteinous, aliphatic and polysaccharide moieties increased with increasing molecular size. The humification degrees of the constituents adsorbed onto DAX-8 resin were considerably lower than those of the corresponding unfractionated HAs. The chemical properties of the DAX-8-adsorbed constituents were different from those of the dark-colored constituents. Observation of electrophoretic fractions under blue light (470 nm) and HPSEC with fluorescence detection at an excitation wavelength of 460 nm and an emission wavelength of 520 nm showed that green fluorescent substances were largely concentrated in the smallest molecular size fractions and were partitioned into both the dark-colored precipitates and DAX-8-adsorbed fractions. The proportion of organic carbon recovered by precipitation and adsorption onto DAX-8 resin was 45–63%, indicating that substantial parts of the HA constituents were missing. The unrecovered constituents were considered to be acid-soluble, nearly colorless substances. The dissociation of the acid-soluble constituents from the acid-insoluble dark-colored constituents during the preparative PAGE of soil HAs was ascribed to disruption of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions caused by concentrated urea.
A tunneling model for the decay of luminescence in inorganic phosphors: The case of Zn2SiO4:Mn

We have investigated phosphorescence, thermoluminescence, and photostimulated luminescence in manganese activated zinc silicate phosphors, both with and without arsenic doping. Both phosphorescence and photostimulated luminescence intensities are found to decay as the reciprocal of the time, a result which requires a different interpretation from that given by the usual model of electron release from a distribution of trap levels. To account for these results we propose a new model based on the radiative recombination of electrons and holes through tunneling from shallow traps or from excited states of the deeper traps. A simple expression is derived which describes the decay of both types of luminescence in phosphors under very general conditions for which tunneling is the dominant recombination mechanism. Excellent agreement between theory and experiment is found.
A Review of Studies of Geomagnetic Storms and Auroral/Magnetospheric Substorms Based on the Electric Current Approach

The progress of space physics is reviewed from my personal point of view, particularly how I have reached my present understanding of auroral substorms and geomagnetic storms from the time of the earliest days of space physics. This review is somewhat unique in two ways. First of all, instead of taking the magnetic field line approach (including magnetic reconnection), I have taken the electric current approach; it consists of power supply (dynamo), transmission (currents/circuits), and dissipation (auroral/magnetospheric substorms). This is the basic way to study electromagnetic phenomena and it is much more instructive in understanding the physics involved in the chain processes. Secondly, this is not a textbook-like review, but it is hoped that my humble experience may be useful to see how a new science of space physics has evolved with a number of controversies. On the other hand, it can be seen that the electric current approach is still in a very rudiment stage. Thus, new generations of researchers are most welcome in taking this new way of studying auroral/magnetospheric substorms and geomagnetic storms.
Wine Terroir and the Soil Bacteria: An Amplicon Sequencing–Based Assessment of the Barossa Valley and Its Sub-Regions

A wines’ terroir, represented as wine traits with regional distinctiveness, is a reflection of both the biophysical and human-driven conditions in which the grapes were grown and wine made. Soil is an important factor contributing to the uniqueness of a wine produced by vines grown in specific conditions. Here, we evaluated the impact of environmental variables on the soil bacteria of 22 Barossa Valley vineyard sites based on the 16S rRNA gene hypervariable region 4. In this study, we report that both dispersal isolation by geographic distance and environmental heterogeneity (soil plant-available P content, elevation, rainfall, temperature, spacing between row and spacing between vine) contribute to microbial community dissimilarity between vineyards. Vineyards located in cooler and wetter regions showed lower beta diversity and a higher ratio of dominant taxa. Differences in soil bacterial community composition were significantly associated with differences in fruit and wine composition. Our results suggest that environmental factors affecting wine terroir, may be mediated by changes in microbial structure, thus providing a basic understanding of how growing conditions affect interactions between plants and their soil bacteria.
Association of nonionic polymers with micelles, bilayers, and microemulsions

A unified thermodynamic theory is developed here to explore the nature of association of nonionic polymer molecules with surfactant aggregates such as globular micelles, rod‐like micelles, bilayers, oil in water microemulsions, and water in oil microemulsions. The association complex is visualized as consisting of the polymer molecule wrapped around the aggregate at its interface with water. The association with polymer provides enhanced shielding of the hydrophobic aggregate surface from water, increases the steric repulsions at the aggregate surface and gives rise to hydrophobic interactions between the polymer and the aggregate surface. Simple free energy models are formulated to account for these polymer‐induced effects. Illustrative calculations have been carried out to examine the behavior of monoalkyl and dialkyl surfactants with nonionic, anionic, and zwitterionic polar head groups. The results show that polymer–aggregate association is almost always preferred in the case of anionic or zwitterioni.
Non-native Species Surrounding Protected Areas Influence the Community of Non-native Species Within Them

Protected areas (PAs) are a key element of global conservation strategies aiming to protect habitats and species from various threats such as non-natives species (NNS) with negative ecological impacts. Yet little is known about the mechanisms by which PAs are colonized by NNS, and more specifically the role of colonizing events from surrounding areas. Here, we compared terrestrial and freshwater non-native plants and animals recorded in Norwegian PAs and in 5-km belts around them, using the database of the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre Species Map Service. Our analysis included 1,602 NNS and 671 PAs. We found that NNS were recorded in only 23% of the PAs, despite the fact that 90% of the 5-km belts were colonized by at least one NNS. A Zero-inflated negative binomial regression model showed that the number of NNS in the 5-km belts was a strong explanatory variable of the NNS richness inside PAs. Other significant variables included the surface area of the PA, mean human population density in the PA, main type of habitat and accessibility of PAs. We also observed similarity in the species in and around the PAs, with, on average, two thirds of the NNS present in a specific PA also present in its 5-km belt. Furthermore, NNS were recorded in PAs on average 4.5 years after being recorded in the 0–5 km belts, suggesting a dynamic of rapid colonization from the belts to the PAs. Invasive NNS represented 12% of NNS in the belts but 40% in the PAs. This difference was related to the higher abundance of invasive NNS in the belts. Our results highlight the necessity of expanding the focus of NNS management in PAs beyond their boundaries, in particular to prevent incursions of NNS with high negative ecological impact.
A Rapid and Highly Predictive in vitro Screening Platform for Osteogenic Natural Compounds Using Human Runx2 Transcriptional Activity in Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The rapid aging of worldwide populations had led to epidemic increases in the incidence of osteoporosis (OP), but while treatments are available, high cost, adverse effects, and poor compliance continue to be significant problems. Naturally occurring plant-based compounds including phytoestrogens can be good and safe candidates to treat OP, but screening for osteogenic capacity has been difficult to achieve, largely due to the requirement of using primary osteoblasts or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the progenitors of osteoblasts, to conduct time-consuming in vitro and in vivo osteogenic assay. Taking advantage of MSC osteogenic capacity and utilizing a promoter reporter assay for Runx2, the master osteogenesis transcription factor, we developed a rapid in vitro screening platform to screen osteogenic small molecules including natural plant-based compounds. We screened eight plant-derived compounds from different families including flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds, alkaloids, and isothiocyanates for osteogenic capacity using the human RUNX2-promoter luciferase reporter (hRUNX2-luc) transduced into the mouse MSC line, C3H10T1/2, with daidzein—a well-studied osteogenic phytoestrogen—as a positive control. Classical in vitro and in vivo osteogenesis assays were performed using primary murine and human bone marrow MSCs (BMMSCs) to validate the accuracy of this rapid screening platform. Using the MSC/hRUNX2-luc screening platform, we were able not only to shorten the selection process for osteogenic compounds from 3∼4 weeks to just a few days but also simultaneously perform comparisons between multiple compounds to assess relative osteogenic potency. Predictive analyses revealed nearly absolute correlation of the MSC/hRUNX2-luc reporter platform to the in vitro classical functional assay of mineralization using murine BMMSCs. Validation using human BMMSCs with in vitro mineralization and in vivo osteogenesis assays also demonstrated nearly absolute correlation to the MSC/hRUNX2-luc reporter results. Our findings therefore demonstrate that the MSC/hRUNX2 reporter platform can accurately, rapidly, and robustly screen for candidate osteogenic compounds and thus be relevant for therapeutic application in OP.
Identification of Iron Metabolism-Related Gene Signatures for Predicting the Prognosis of Patients With Sarcomas

Iron is one of the essential trace elements in the human body. An increasing amount of evidence indicates that the imbalance of iron metabolism is related to the occurrence and development of cancer. Here, we obtained the gene expression and clinical data of sarcoma patients from TCGA and the GEO database. The prognostic value of iron metabolism-related genes (IMRGs) in patients with sarcoma and the relationship between these genes and the immune microenvironment were studied by comprehensive bioinformatics analyses. Two signatures based on IMRGs were generated for the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of sarcoma patients. At 3, 5, and 7 years, the areas under the curve (AUCs) of the OS signature were 0.708, 0.713, and 0.688, respectively. The AUCs of the DFS signature at 3, 5, and 7 years were 0.717, 0.689, and 0.702, respectively. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis indicated that the prognosis of high-risk patients was worse than that of low-risk patients. In addition, immunological analysis showed that there were different patterns of immune cell infiltration among patients in different clusters. Finally, we constructed two nomograms that can be used to predict the OS and DFS of sarcoma patients. The C-index was 0.766 (95% CI: 0.697–0.835) and 0.763 (95% CI: 0.706–0.820) for the OS and DFS nomograms, respectively. Both the ROC curves and the calibration plots showed that the two nomograms have good predictive performance. In summary, we constructed two IMRG-based prognostic models that can effectively predict the OS and DFS of sarcoma patients.