Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Causes and consequences of variation in blue tit nest construction

Species across taxa and the vast majority of birds build nests for reproduction. The bird nest functions as a receptacle for the eggs and young and as such determines successful reproduction. Through nest construction birds are able to extend control over the environment and to create a suitable microclimate for incubation and nestling development. Nests of the order Passeriformes are the most varied out of any group of birds. Intriguingly, variation in size and components can be observed both between and within species nest design. In the present thesis, I investigated the causes and consequences of the variation in nest size and components in a population of blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, in Southern Finland. In chapter I, I studied the effects of an experimental manipulation of nest size (height of the nest material within the nest box) on different breeding parameters related to nestling growth and female somatic condition. Variation in nest size is hypothesised to relate to varying requirements for insulation due to differences in latitude or ambient temperature. In line with the hypothesis, I expected the increased insulatory capacity of the experimentally enlarged nests to be reflected in nestling development and/ or in improved female somatic condition due to a reduced requirement for nest attendance. Blue tit chicks are ectothermic until they reach 7-8 days of age and rely mainly on the female’s body heat until then to maintain their body temperature. I found little support for the thermoregulation hypothesis as only the nestling tail length increased significantly in experimentally enlarged nests. Other studies have found that instead of an increase in nest height, which is mostly contributed to by the base layer of moss and grass, more important to insulation are the mass and material components of the nest cup lining. In chapters II-IV, my objective was to determine the evolutionary potential of variation in nest construction. In chapter II, I regarded the nest size and material components as potential invididual traits, whereby I studied the between-individual consistency (repeatability) and heritability in these nest characteristics by means of quantitative genetics. Because repeatability sets the upper limit for heritability, it provides a reasonable stepping-stone for further analysis of heritability. I found that both nest size and the proportion of feathers were repeatable female traits, and by further analysis, discovered that the latter was also a modestly heritable (albeit not statistically significant) trait limited to females in blue tits.
Fabrication of water‐stable electrospun polyacrylic acid‐based nanofibrous mats for removal of copper (II) ions in aqueous solution

Polyacrylic acid (PAA) is an important polymer material for metal ion complexation and for nanocomposite materials syntheses. Generating ultrafine, uniform, and stable PAA nanofibers is of great scientific and technological interest for various applications. In this study, we systematically investigated the influence of processing parameters on the morphology and stability of the electrospun ultrafine PAA nanofibers. We show that a higher concentration (up to 25 wt %) favored the formation of uniform PAA nanofibers, whereas at the concentration of 10 wt %, only bead structures were produced. Increasing the applied voltage (up to 22.5 kV) resulted in more uniform PAA nanofibers. In addition, longer collection distance (20 cm) was beneficial for the evaporation of solvent and for decreasing the adhesion between nanofibers, thus leading to the nanofibrous mats with high porosity. Finally, the PAA nanofibers could be rendered water insoluble by heating the electrospun composite PAA/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers at 145°C for 30 min. The resulting nanofibrous mats exhibited excellent performance to remove Cu(II) ions in aqueous solution. The formed nanofibers may find various applications in ultrafiltration, separation, and environmental sciences. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
A cyclic voltammetric study of some 4-substituted Benzene-1,2-diols

A voltammetric study of several 4-substituted benzene-1,2-diols in aqueous solutions as a function of pH has been carried out. From slow linear sweep voltammetry at a rotating disc electrode, diffusion coefficients were obtained which could be correlated, in the main, with molecular size. From cyclic voltammetry at a stationary electrode, it was established that the rate of the redox reaction decreases with increasing pH. The cyclic voltammetric measurements were also used to estimate E1/2 as a function of pH. All systems studied showed regions in which plots of E1/2 against pH were linear with a slope of close to -59 mV per pH unit. Such plots were used to estimate values of E1/2 at pH 0, which were then correlated with the Hammett function. The cyclic voltammetry also showed that the reactivity of the quinone formed by oxidation of the benzene-1,2 diols increased with pH. With the most reactive quinones (e.g. that formed from 3,4-dihydroxyacetophenone), a second pair of cyclic voltammetric peaks could be observed, which were ascribed to the oxidation and reduction of a dimer formed by quinone coupling.
The effects of pressure, temperature and composition on the crystal structures of α-quartz homeotypes

Abstract α-Quartz and its homeotypes are of great importance for both materials and Earth sciences. The properties of these materials depend strongly on their crystal structures and particularly the intertetrahedral bridging angle and the tetrahedral tilt angle. These angles are highly dependent on composition and the external parameters pressure and temperature. The behavior of the eleven known α-quartz homeotypes, along with examples of α-quartz-type solid solutions, are compared. The distortion in α-quartz-type structures decreases as a function of temperature and increases as a function of pressure. Thermal stability depends on initial structural distortion and on the electronic configuration of the cation. Pressure stability also depends on the former and on cation size. Transitions to new crystalline and/or amorphous forms, often with increased cation coordination number, are commonly observed at high-pressure. The combined use of high-pressure and high-temperature can be used to synthesize novel α-quartz homeotypes in compounds with small cations.
Pilot Plant Studies of the CO2 Capture Performance of Aqueous MEA and Mixed MEA/MDEA Solvents at the University of Regina CO2 Capture Technology Development Plant and the Boundary Dam CO2 Capture Demonstration Plant

Evaluations of the benefits of using a mixed MEA/MDEA solvent for CO2 capture in terms of the heat requirement for solvent regeneration, lean and rich loadings, CO2 production, and solvent stability were performed by comparing the performance of aqueous 5 kmol/m3 MEA with that of an aqueous 4:1 molar ratio MEA/MDEA blend of 5 kmol/m3 total amine concentration as a function of the operating time. The tests were performed using two pilot CO2 capture plants of the International Test Centre for CO2 Capture (ITC), which provided two different sources and compositions of flue gas. The University of Regina CO2 plant (UR unit) processes flue gas from the combustion of natural gas while the Boundary Dam CO2 plant (BD unit) processes flue gas from a coal-fired electric power station. The results show that a huge heat-duty reduction can be achieved by using a mixed MEA/MDEA solution instead of a single MEA solution in an industrial environment of a CO2 capture plant. However, this benefit is dependent on whether the.
On the Glass in Coal Fly Ashes: Recent Advances

Recent advances in the characterization of the glassy aluminosilicate phases in coal fly ashes are reviewed and discussed in terms of the development of new models describing their mechanism of formation, composition, structural relationships and chemical reactivity. Characterization techniques such as electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance and Mossbauer spectroscopies, thermal analysis, acid dissolution, silanation, and density fractionation have been used as experimental probes, and reveal a range of information relating to the glass phases from the macro, through the micro, to the nano-structural levels. Complex inter- and intra-particle heterogeneity in ash is observable not only in bulk chemical and mineralogical analyses but also at the molecular level in the constituent glasses. Remarkable relationships between ash particle size, density and glass composition have been observed and lead to a new proposed mechanism for ash morphogenesis based on temperature-viscosity effects in the mineral precursor melts in the boiler flame. A glass-ceramic model for fly ash particle structure is proposed and discussed in terms of phase relations in the CaO–SiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 and FeO–Fe 2 O 3 –A1 2 O 3 –SiO 2 systems, modification of the aluminosilicate glasses by alkali and alkaline earth metal cations, and microheterogeneity involving glass devitrification and phase separation.
Sintering Reactions of Zinc Oxide

The sintering of zinc oxide spheres has been studied in the temperature range 700 to 900°C in air, oxygen, helium, and hydrogen. Fresh zinc oxide sinters rapidly in air and oxygen, but it does not sinter appreciably in helium in the same temperature range. Zinc oxide spheres annealed separately in air may not be sintered in air at temperatures as high as 1100°C. On the other end, fresh spheres, separately air annealed and subsequently treated in an hydrogen atmosphere, do sinter in the temperature range 700 to 900°C. These facts are explained on the basis of a mechanism involving the diffusional transfer of stoichiometric excess of zinc ions. The diffusion equation for zinc ions is derived, and the experimental points fit the equation satisfactorily. The treatment shows that the relationship between the width of bridges connecting sintering spheres and time varies with extent of sintering. This fact invalidates the use of this relationship as a unequivocal diagnostic criterium for the sintering mechanism .
Seasonal and pluri-annual variability of sediment accumulation and organic matter fluxes in the Northwestern Adriatic shelf and its relationship with the frontal system

Twenty eight short sediment cores, collected along six transects in two areas influenced by the frontal system formed by the Po River, were analysed for Th and Cs in order to improve our knowledge on short time scale sediment deposition, accumulation and mixing. Sedimentological and mineralogical parameters were also analysed. _ The decreasing Cs activities and C/N values in surface sediments indicate a decreasing input of terrestrial material during the study period. Furthermore, low excess thorium activities and inventories at some sites, together with low sedimentary organic matter concentrations in the southern area, suggest that the productivity in summer 1997 was lower than in 1996. Temporal and spatial shifts of the front exert a strong influence on short time scale deposition of particulate matter in the northern area, while the front position is more stable in the southern area, influencing both seasonal and interannual deposition. _ The comparison between apparent seasonal and pluri-annual accumulation rates suggests, for the northern area, a sedimentation pattern characterized by temporal deposition of material on to the sea floor, with periodical resuspension. The net apparent accumulation is 0.1-0.4 r g r cm r yr. The same occurs for the southern area, where values are higher, probably due to the longer persistence of the frontal system in the same area over the years. Here, both seasonal and pluri-annual deposition showed the same pattern, but seasonal values were two to three times higher with a net apparent accumulation rate of 0.3-0.8 r g r cm r yr. Organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations are generally less than 1.3 and 0.2% d.w. , with lower values in the southern area. By contrast, mass fluxes showed higher values in the southern area, while the rate of removal over a pluri-annual time scale is generally high.
Reactions of HMDS, TiCl4, ZrCl4, and AlCl3 with Silica As Interpreted from Low-Frequency Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Spectra

Low-frequency diffuse reflectance infrared spectra are presented for silica samples reacted with hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), TiCl4, ZrCl4, and AlCl3 vapors under different process conditions. Si−O−M bonds were observed in Ti, Zr, and Al systems at 910−930, 950, and 920−900 cm-1, respectively, in the spectral window formed between the strongly absorbing SiO2 bulk modes. Depending on the reaction temperature, at least in the case of the Ti and Zr systems the new bands were due to isolated species of type Si−O−M−Clx formed in reactions with OH groups or due to Si−O−M bonds between silica and crystalline metal oxide particles formed in agglomeration reactions. Thus, the appearance of Si−O−M bonds in an IR spectrum does not unambiguously reveal the interaction mechanism between metal chlorides with silica, since two types of reaction are possible. In addition to allowing the identification of adsorbed species, the low-frequency region of HMDS and AlCl3 spectra provided information about the bonding sites: th.
Controlled Release of Pesticides into Soils from Clay−Polymer Formulations

Alachlor was released from a controlled-release formulation (CRF) when applied to a sandy loam soil under conditions of constant temperature and moisture and achieved concentrations of 0.1−0.2 mg/kg after 1 week. Soil concentrations of 0.2−0.8 mg/kg were maintained for at least an additional 8 weeks. A large portion (35−70%) of the active ingredient was still present in the CRFs at the conclusion of the experiment. Application of alachlor as the commercial formulation resulted in 50% dissipation after only 3−4 days. Alachlor released from CRFs with a smaller diameter resulted in higher soil concentrations (1.2 mg/kg) after 18 days. In column leaching studies the leaching of alachlor, atrazine, and trifluralin from CRFs was considerably reduced with respect to leaching of the same compounds from commercial formulations. The release of alachlor from an Al-pillared clay CRF and its subsequent transport in soil columns showed that pillared clays can be used for controlled release of herbicides, but more work .
Effect of chlorate on nitrification in longan plantation soil

Abstract Potassium chlorate is widely used as an active substance for flower induction in longan plantation fields for the off-season production of fruits in northern Thailand. The effects of the application of chlorate on the mineralization of organic matter in soil, nitrification in soil and the number of culturable soil bacteria were examined. No effect or a very small effect of chlorate on the mineralization of organic matter and soil bacterial number was observed, whereas nitrification was significantly suppressed. Suppression of nitrification should be taken into consideration as a possible side-effect of potassium chlorate in longan plantation soil.
Determination of Prostate-Specific Antigen in Serum and a Reference Material by On-Chip Immunoaffinity Chromatography

Glycoprotein tumor markers are striking examples of heterogeneous analytes. The complexity of their structural forms in biological fluids is generally not reflected in reference materials. Therefore, they are not specified to consist of a distinct form, but rather to contain a mixture of molecular species. In this study, the question of the heterogeneity of free prostate-specific antigen (free PSA) is addressed in reference materials to define the immunoreactive molecular species and compare them to those in clinical serum. The reference material for free PSA and serum samples of subjects with benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer was examined for immunoreactivity to epitope I-specific anti-free PSA antibody using on-chip immunoaffinity chromatography in combination with mass spectrometry for the determination of bound forms. The mass spectra of the reference material for free PSA and clinical serum, obtained by on-chip immunoaffinity chromatography, were similar. The cluster of major free PSA-immunoreactive peaks at 28–29 kDa corresponding to the mature glycosylated PSA molecule overlapped in both analytes. However, the reference material displayed a more restricted pattern of low molecular mass species corresponding to nicked PSA fragments or PSA degradation products. The PSA concentration in clinical serum seems to consist of more species than equivalent concentrations of reference material. Regarding analysis of heterogeneous proteins, immunoaffinity capture combined with mass-specific detection represents a rapid means for selective detection of distinct molecular species, exceeding the analytical performance of current formats of immunoassays.
Determination of donor and acceptor densities in high‐purity GaAs from photoluminescence analysis

We report a new analysis technique to determine the acceptor density NA and the donor density ND in high‐purity GaAs from 10 K photoluminescence (PL) measurements. For both n‐type and p‐type samples, we find that NA/ND is related to the excitonic intensity ratio rx=I(A0,X)/I(D0,X) by NA/ND=0.89rx−0.06. In addition, NA can be determined from NA=1014IA, where IA is the emission intensity of the donor‐acceptor pair transition normalized to the intensity of the unresolved exciton peak. Therefore, for n‐type and p‐type material with an impurity density 1013–1016 cm−3, NA and ND can be determined solely from a 10 K PL measurement. The advantage of this technique lies in its nondestructive nature and its applicability to situations where Hall measurements are not possible or suitable.
Preparation of Silver Nanocolloids Using Silver Alkylcarbamate Complex in Organic Medium with PVP Stabilizer

We present a method for chemically reducing silver alkylcarbamate complex with hydrazine to synthesize silver nanocolloids in an organic solvent using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the stabilizer. To determine the optimal conditions for preparing stable silver colloids of controlled size and shape, the silver 2-ethylhexylcarbamate (Ag-EHCB) complex, PVP, hydrazine, and 2-propanol solvent concentrations in the reaction mixture were varied. The initial colloid has a mean particle diameter of 5-80 nm, and it exhibits an absorption band with various shapes in the UV region with a maximum near 420 nm. UV-vis spectroscopy, TEM, and X-ray diffraction techniques were used to investigate the formation and growth process of the metallic silver nanocolloids.
A description of the liquid-crystalline phase of rodlike polymers at high shear rates

Analyse du comportement non-lineaire de la phase nematique de polymere en ecoulement cisaille en reduisant le probleme a son equivalent bidimensionnel. On obtient des solutions pour la fonction de distribution d'orientation lorsqu'il existe une solution stationnaire. Les contraintes correspondantes sont calculees. Pour un domaine de vitesse de cisaillement, la difference de contrainte normale est negative
Uranium(VI) complexation by humic acid under neutral pH conditions studied by laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy

The complexation of U(VI) with Aldrich humic acid (HA) was studied at pH 7 under exclusion of CO2. Using two independent laser-induced spectroscopic methods, time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) and TRLFS with ultrafast pulses (fs-TRLFS), the formation of the ternary U(VI) mono hydroxo humate complex UO2(OH)HA(I) by reaction of UO2OH+ with HA was studied. Assuming that all proton exchanging functional groups of the HA are able to contribute to the complex formation, a mean stability constant of 6.58 ± 0.24 was derived for UO2(OH)HA(I). Alternatively, the analytical data were evaluated based on the metal ion charge neutralization model resulting in a complexation constant of 6.95 ± 0.10 and a loading capacity of 0.76 ± 0.28. An overall complexation constant of logβ0. 1M = 14.89 ± 0.54 was calculated for the total reaction of U(VI) with HA starting from the non-hydrolyzed UO22+ ion. This value agrees very well with literature data. Taking into account the UO2(OH)HA(I) complex, the speciation of U(VI) in presence of HA was recalculated. It was found, that the formation of UO2(OH)HA(I) can significantly influence the U(VI) distribution in the environmentally relevant pH region. As a consequence, the mobility of U(VI) in natural aquifer systems could be enhanced.
Highly sensitive colorimetric sensing for heavy metal ions by strong polyelectrolyte photonic hydrogels

Taking Cu2+, Pb2+ and Ag+ as examples of target cations, we describe a general strategy for constructing photonic metal ion sensing hydrogels that allow highly sensitive and selective detection via visual color changes. The sensors consist of heavy metal ion sensitive hydrogels with inverse opal structure. The presence of target cations causes shrinkage of the hydrogels and blue shift of the refraction peak wavelength with a detection limit lower than 1 nM. The interconnected macropores and the preorganized ligands makes these sensors sensitive and selective to the target ions without significant interference from pH, while the response mechanism based on the release of water of hydration after coordination prevents interference from ionic strength and anions. With this sensory system, direct, sensitive, rapid and selective detection of heavy metal ions with a broad dynamic range is achieved without expensive instruments, providing general methods for designing colorimetric metal ion sensing materials.
Guest Adsorption in the Nanoporous Metal–Organic Framework Cu3(1,3,5-Benzenetricarboxylate)2: Combined In Situ X-ray Diffraction and Vapor Sorption

The structure of the nanoporous metal–organic framework Cu3(BTC)2 (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate) with a variety of molecular guests was studied in situ using single crystal X-ray diffraction. By collecting crystal structure data for a series of guests within the same host crystal, insights into the molecular interactions underpinning guest adsorption processes have been gained. Adsorption behaviors are influenced strongly by both enthalpic and entropic thermodynamic, as well as interpore steric (size-exclusion) effects, and we note correlations between guest attributes and these effects. Vapor adsorption measurements revealed a guest uptake capacity inversely proportional to guest size. Correspondingly, structural results show that guests reside in the smallest pores accessible to them. Interpore steric effects for larger guests cause these to be excluded from the smallest pores, and this corresponds to lower total uptake. Both hydrophilic and lipophilic small guests adsorb favorably into the 5 A dia.
Ab initio polarizability derivatives for methane: an application to Raman intensities of overtone and combination bands

The polarizability and its first and second derivatives have been calculated for methane at the following levels of approximation: ab initio SCF, singles and doubles CI and averaged coupled pair functional method; correlation and basis set effects have been investigated. The calculated polarizability surface predicts to experimental accuracy several observables related to the refractive index. The correlated first derivatives provide improved predictions of Raman scattering cross sections for the fundamentals. First and second derivatives are used to calculate scattering cross sections for selected overtone and combination bands including all totally symmetric bands in the pentad region. A comparison is made between cross sections based on perturbation expressions and on variational vibrational state functions. Deficiencies in the vibrational potential derived from rovibrational spectra are pointed out.