Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Melting, crystallization behaviors, and nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of PET/PTT/PBT ternary blends

The melting, crystallization behaviors, and nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of the ternary blends composed of poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) and poly(buthylene terephthalate) (PBT) were studied with differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). PBT content in all ternary blends was settled invariably to be one-third, which improved the melt-crystallization temperature of the ternary blends. All of the blend compositions in amorphous state were miscible as evidenced by a single, composition-dependent glass transition temperature (Tg) observed in DSC curves. DSC melting thermograms of different blends showed different multiple melting and crystallization peaks because of their various polymer contents. During melt-crystallization process, three components in blends crystallized simultaneously to form mixed crystals or separated crystals depending upon their content ratio. The Avrami equation modified by Jeziorny and the Ozawa theory were employed to describe the nonisothermal crystallization process of two selected ternary blends. The results spoke that the Avrami equation was successful in describing the nonisothermal crystallization process of the ternary blends. The values of the t1/2 and the parameters Zc showed that the crystallization rate of the ternary blends with more poly(ethylene terephthalate) content was faster than that with the lesser one at a given cooling rate. The crystal morphology of the five ternary blends investigated by polarized optical microscopy (POM) showed different size and distortional Maltese crosses or light spots when the PTT or poly(ethylene terephthalate) component varied, suggesting that the more the PTT content, the larger crystallites formed in ternary blends. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007
Facile synthesis of Au–Pt bimetallic nanocomplexes for direct oxidation of methanol and formic acid

Au–Pt bimetallic nanocomplexes were synthesized and the composition and morphology of the nanocomplexes could be easily controlled by a facile synthesis method. The eletrochemical activity and stability of the nanocomplexes can be optimized by tuning their Au-to-Pt molar ratio. The efficient electrocatalytic performance is confirmed by direct oxidation of methanol and formic acid.
IMPACT OF LACTATION STAGE AND MILK PRODUCTION ON MILK FAT FATTY ACIDS RATIO

Milk fat is, from a nutritional point of view, of the negative value because of the prevalent content of saturated fatty acids with high atherogenic index. intake of milk fat in the diet is important because of the content of monounsaturated fatty acids, acting favorably against cardiovascular diseases and especially of essential fatty acids: linoleic, alpha-linolenic and conjugated linoleic acid (clA), which is found only in meat and milk of ruminants. the analysis of relations of fatty acids in milk fat to qualitative-production parameters of milk shows that the correlations of fatty acids with lactation stage and qualitative-production parameters of milk are quite weak in dairy cows with stable type of nutrition in form of whole-the-year feeding mixed feed ration in lowland agricultural area. Coefficients r>0.3 for the values of lactation sum were observed at monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAsc), r = 0.467 for days, 0.307 for milk, 0.353 for fat, and 0.340 for protein total production. the most important fatty acids, as far as their content is concerned, c12:0, c14:0, c16:0, c18:0, c18:1n9, the ratio of which is higher than 5 % in milk fat and they represent together about 75 % of milk fat, show no significant relations either to sum or to daily production parameters or to the content of basic components in milk. With the exception of
“GOOD GOVERNANCE” AND THE EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

This article critically examines the challenges that come with implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)—a policy mechanism marketed by donors and Western governments as a key to facilitating economic improvement in resource-rich developing countries—in sub-Saharan Africa. The forces behind the EITI contest that impoverished institutions, the embezzlement of petroleum and/or mineral revenues, and a lack of transparency are the chief reasons why resource-rich sub-Saharan Africa is underperforming economically, and that implementation of the EITI, with its foundation of “good governance,” will help address these problems. The position here, however, is that the task is by no means straightforward: that the EITI is not necessarily a blueprint for facilitating good governance in the region's resource-rich countries. It is concluded that the EITI is a policy mechanism that could prove to be effective with significant institutional change in host African countries but, on its own, it is incapable of reducing corruption and mobilizing citizens to hold government officials accountable for hoarding profits from extractive industry operations.
Inhibition of the Oxidation of Acetophenone by Aqueous Extracts of Edible Fruits and Vegetables

A body of research has identified some fruits and vegetables to have anti-oxidant potential in biological systems. However limited literature reports exist for the inhibition of chemical oxidation reactions by fruits and vegetables. The research reported here examined the effect of plants, fruits, and vegetables on the oxidation reaction of acetophenone by bleach and if the bleach oxidation reaction of acetophenone is chlorine-induced. To examine the ability of plants to inhibit the oxidation of acetophenone, the reactions were carried out in the presence and absence (control) of plant materials and Vitamin E. Results suggest that the reactions without the plant materials or Vitamin E produce 1.53 g of benzoic acid, an oxidative product, while reactions in the presence of plant materials or Vitamin E were inhibited and produced a varying amount of oxidative product ranging from 0-0.9 g. Similar reactions of acetophenone with chlorine free bleach in the absence of plant materials did not produce any oxidative product. The order of inhibition of oxidation by fruit and vegetable extracts which is inversely related to the amount of oxidative product formed is carrot~ tomatoes~ spinach~ bitter leaf (0.0 g) > yellow bell pepper (0.008 g) > mustard green (0.01 g) > turnip green (0.03 g) > broccoli (0.27 g) > red bell pepper (0.17 g) > green bell pepper (0.31 g) > cucumber (0.59 g) > red lettuce (0.68 g) > rosemary (0.76 g) > green onions (0.82 g) > green lettuce (0.84 g) > romaine lettuce (0.91 g). These results suggest that (i) fruits and vegetables have varying degrees of antioxidant ability and (ii) the bleach oxidation of acetophenone to benzoic acid is chlorine induced.
Phosphorus solubility in biosolids-amended farm soils in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA.

There have been increased environmental concerns about agricultural P management, including land application of biosolids (municipal sewage sludge). This study investigated the influence of current N-based land application practices for biosolids on soil P. We collected soil samples from 11 biosolids application sites and from adjacent setback areas that had never received biosolids. These samples were analyzed for oxalate-extractable phosphorus (P ox ), aluminum (Al ox ), and iron (Fe ox ); degree of phosphorus saturation (DPS = (P ox / 0.61[Al ox + Fe ox ]) × 100), Mehlich-1 P; iron-oxide strip extractable phosphorus (FeO-P); and water-soluble phosphorus (WSP). In many cases Mehlich-1 P was excessive (>50 mg kg -1 ), but this occurred in both application sites and setback areas. Biosolids application sites had significantly greater P ox in the topsoils (0 to 20 cm) when averaged for all sites, with means of 589 and 296 mg kg -1 in the application sites and setback areas, respectively. However, biosolids applications also increased [Fe ox + Al ox ], which meant that the DPS was not always increased. There was a trend for higher P ox and FeO-P in the biosolids-amended soil profiles (60-cm depth) and highest P concentrations were consistently found at the 0- to 5-cm depth. The net effect of biosolids applications on P ox , relative to [Fe ox + Al ox ], was related to FeO-P. Our data suggest that adding biosolids according to current N-based guidelines will lead to an accumulation of P in soils, but the release of this P may be mitigated by the associated increases in soil [Fe ox + Al ox ].
Reagent-free analytical flow methods for the soft drink industry: Efforts for environmentally friendly chemical analysis

The evolution of an entirely green analytical system for industrial quality control of carbonated drinks is described. The developed flow system is capable of providing analytical data of the dissolved CO2, sucrose, and color of a sample consecutively in real-time. The system has been carefully designed on the basis of “reagent-free”, meaning that no added chemicals are required for the analysis. The system first vaporizes CO2 from the soft drink in a gas–liquid separation chamber, with a channel for a flow of pure water as the CO2 acceptor. The dissolved CO2 alters the conductivity of the water stream, which is directly related to the concentration of CO2 in the soft drink. The sucrose content is measured based on the “schlieren effect”, the sample plug flows out of the vaporization chamber into a colorimeter with a near-infrared/light-emitting diode (NIR/LED) as light source. The schlieren effect arises at the boundary of pure water and soft drink with refraction of light in proportion to the sugar concentration. The system also measures the absorbance of the sample using an RGB-LED. The related principles and preliminary experiments as proof of concept are described as well as the construction of the flow system for this completely reagent-free analyzer. A simple flow injection system using the schlieren effect was also developed for rapid quantitative analysis of sugar in noncarbonated soft drinks.
Surface temperature excess in heterogeneous catalysis

In this dissertation we study the surface temperature excess in heterogeneous catalysis. For heterogeneous reactions, such as gas-solid catalytic reactions, the reactions take place at the interfaces between the two phases: the gas and the solid catalyst. Large amount of reaction heats are released at the interface for strong exothermic reactions, which makes it possible that the catalyst surface temperatures are higher than those in the gas phases due to poor thermal conductivities of gases. These are very often the case for transport limited reactions based on the literature and the temperature differences can be a few hundred degrees. It is often found in kinetic studies that Arrhenius plots are gradually curved when measured catalyst temperatures or gas temperatures are applied. It seems that the activation energy changes gradually with increasing temperature. However, according to Arrhenius, the activation energies should be constant. Therefore, there is a possibility that the real reaction temperature in a 2-D reacting surface differs from the measured catalyst temperature or gas temperature and that the real reaction temperature Tr should be used in the Arrhenius plot. Using irreversible thermodynamics three distinct temperatures, gas temperature, solid catalyst surface temperature and reaction temperature in a 2-dimensional Gibbs surface, are modelled for two oxidation reactions. They are one transport limited reaction: hydrogen oxidation, and one kinetically controlled reactions: CO oxidation, respectively
Hybrid conjugated polymer-Ag@PNIPAM fluorescent nanoparticles with metal-enhanced fluorescence

Hybrid nanoparticles with core–shell structures have shown brilliant potential application in many research fields. In this paper, a novel core–shell Ag@PNIPAM nanocomposite particle which combines the thermoresponsive property of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and the metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) effect of Ag colloids is demonstrated. The cationic conjugated polymer poly[9,9′-bis(6′′-(N,N,N-trimethylammonium)-hexyl)fluorene-2,7-ylenevinylene-co-alt-1,4-phenylene dibromide] (PFV) is then assembled onto the surface of these core–shell nanoparticles by the self-assembly technique. The fluorescence intensity of the prepared PFV/Ag@PNIPAM nanoparticles shows excellent thermostability in the temperature region from 20 °C to 50 °C, and the thermoquenching of PFV is greatly inhibited due to the MEF effects of Ag nanoparticles. Compared with the PFV solution without adding Ag@PNIPAM nanoparticles, a 1.6-fold and 3.1-fold enhancement can be observed when the temperature of the PFV/Ag@PNIPAM dispersion was 20 °C and 50 °C, respectively. In addition, the PFV/Ag@PNIPAM nanoparticles can exhibit excellent cytocompatibility, as well as strong and stable fluorescence when co-cultured with A549 lung cancer cells. These unique properties make these PFV/Ag@PNIPAM core–shell nanoparticles a desirable material especially in the field of efficient cellular imaging and biosensing.
Scaling Up Cartesian Genetic Programming through Preferential Selection of Larger Solutions

We demonstrate how efficiency of Cartesian Genetic Programming method can be scaled up through the preferential selection of phenotypically larger solutions, i.e. through the preferential selection of larger solutions among equally good solutions. The advantage of the preferential selection of larger solutions is validated on the six, seven and eight-bit parity problems, on a dynamically varying problem involving the classification of binary patterns, and on the Paige regression problem. In all cases, the preferential selection of larger solutions provides an advantage in term of the performance of the evolved solutions and in term of speed, the number of evaluations required to evolve optimal or high-quality solutions. The advantage provided by the preferential selection of larger solutions can be further extended by self-adapting the mutation rate through the one-fifth success rule. Finally, for problems like the Paige regression in which neutrality plays a minor role, the advantage of the preferential selection of larger solutions can be extended by preferring larger solutions also among quasi-neutral alternative candidate solutions, i.e. solutions achieving slightly different performance.
Investigation of the Composition and Origin of Particulate Organic Matter in a Forested River

To generate information for better understanding of the occurrence and transportation of particulate organic matter (POM) in forested rivers, POM in both water and riverbed sediment phases of a forested river was collected from Oct. 2010 to Oct. 2011, and the composition and origin of POM were investigated. In addition, based on the concentration of POM and the discharge, the flux of the water phase POM was also computed. Particulate organic matter in both water and sediment phases was classified into three size fractions: large POM (> 16 mm), coarse POM (1 – 16 mm) and fine POM (1 μ m – 1 mm). The composition of these three fractions was further classified into allochthonous (leaves, twigs, herbs and soil organic matter) and autochthonous (green algae and biofilm). For the fine POM fraction that was too small to be classified by the eyes, analysis with a multi-source model enabled the clarification of its origin based on measurement of the carbon isotope ratio for both samples and end members. The obtained results revealed spatial and time variances in the concentration and the composition of all three POM fractions, with the fine POM being found to be the dominant constituent of the water phase POM. Less significant concentration differences among all three POM fractions in the sediment phase than in the water phase were also revealed. Large and coarse POM was found mainly consisted of such allochthonous species as fallen leaves and branches. For many fine POM samples, however, the percentages of the autochthonous species of green algae and biofilm were relatively larger.
Rational design of graphene/porous carbon aerogels for high-performance flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors

Lightweight flexible energy storage devices have aroused great attention due to the remarkably increasing demand for ultrathin and portable electronic devices. As typical new two-dimensional carbon materials, graphene-based porous structures with ultra-light weight and exclusive electrochemical properties have demonstrated outstanding capacitive ability in supercapacitors. Thus far, the performance of all-solid-state supercapacitors achieved from graphene-based materials is still unsatisfactory. In this work, we have rationally designed graphene/porous carbon (GN/PC) aerogels via a simple green strategy to achieve flexible porous electrode materials. The ordered porous carbon (PC) with high specific surface area and good capacitance was introduced as a spacer to efficiently inhibit the restacking of graphene (GN) sheets, which significantly enhanced the specific surface area and facilitated the transport and diffusion of ions and electrons in the as-synthesized porous hybrid structure. The all-solid-state electrodes fabricated by the as-prepared GN/PC aerogels presented excellent flexibility, high specific capacitance and good rate performance in a polyvinyl alcohol/KOH gel electrolyte. Implication of the specific capacitances of ∼187 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and 140 F g−1 at 10 A g−1 suggests that the GN/PC aerogels promise great potentials in the development of lightweight high-performance flexible energy storage devices.
Volatile constituents of salak (Salacca edulis Reinw.) fruit

The volatile constituents of the salak fruit were analysed by capillary GC, GC–MS and 1H NMR following isolation by simultaneous steam distillation–extraction. Forty-six compounds were identified, among which methyl esters of branched-chain alkenoic and β-hydroxy acids predominated and terpenoids were completely absent. The most abundant components were methyl 3-hydroxy-3-methylpentanoate (25.0%) and methyl (E)-3-methylpent-2-enoate (23.4%).
Facile Synthesis of N-Vinylimidazole-Based Hydrogels via Frontal Polymerization and Investigation of Their Performance on Adsorption of Copper Ions

We report a new facile strategy for quickly synthesizing pH sensitive poly(VI-co-HEA) hydrogels (VI = N-vinylimidazole; HEA = 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) by frontal polymerization. The appropriate amounts of VI, HEA, and ammonium persulfate (APS)/N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) couple redox initiator were mixed together at ambient temperature in the presence of glycerol as the solvent medium. Frontal polymerization (FP) was initiated by heating the upper side of the mixture with a soldering iron. Once initiated, no further energy was required for the polymerization to occur. The dependence of the front velocity and front temperature on the VI/HEA weight ratios were investigated. The pH sensitive behavior, morphology, and heavy metal removal study of poly(VI-co-HEA) hydrogels prepared via FP were comparatively investigated on the basis of swelling measurements, scanning electron microscopy, and inductively coupling plasma spectrometer. Results show that the poly(VI-co-HEA) hydrogels prepared via FP exhibit good pH sensitivity and adsorption capacity. The FP can be exploited as an alternative means for synthesis of pH sensitive hydrogels in a fast and efficient way. The as-prepared hydrogels can be applied to remove heavy metals. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 4005–4012, 2010
Axiomatic Treatment of Chemical Reaction Systems

To represent a chemical system, a kinetic model must possess certain qualitative characteristics (such as convergence to an equilibrium point, decrease of entropy, etc.). The nature and interdependence of these characteristics are examined. An axiomatic system is presented in which some of these characteristics appear as axioms and others as derived theorems. The convergence to equilibrium points leads to a discussion of Liapounov functions. The relation of these functions to the thermodynamic functions entropy and Gibbs free energy are discussed.
Cadmium and zinc in saline soil solutions and their concentrations in wheat

Soil salinity and plant genotype may affect bioavailability of Cd and Zn to wheat. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between concentrations of Zn and Cd in saline soil solutions and in different wheat genotypes. A greenhouse experiment with four bread wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Rushan, Kavir, Cross, and Falat), and a durum wheat (Triticum durum L. cv. Durum), at four salinity levels of irrigation water (0, 60, 120, and 180 mM NaCl) in triplicate was conducted. After 45 d of growth, the shoots were harvested, and Zn and Cd concentrations were determined in the shoots. Speciation of Cd and Zn in saturation paste extract was modeled using MINTEQA2. A significant (P <0.05) correlation was observed between model results and Cd and Zn species measured using Amberlite resin. Cadmium and Zn speciation in MINTEQA2-calculated soil solution was affected by salinity but not by wheat genotype. The major Cd species present in MINTEQA2-calculated soil solution were free Cd2+, CdCl+, and CdSO40, that increased with increasing salinity. Free Zn2+ was the dominant Zn-species for all salinities and decreased with increasing salinity. Increasing salinity resulted in significant increases and decreases in shoot Cd and Zn concentrations, respectively, of the Zn-inefficient genotypes. Cadmium concentrations in shoots of Durum and Kavir genotypes were best predicted by CdCl+ concentrations in solution. In contrast, free Zn+ ion concentrations in MINTEQA2 calculated soil solution were best related to shoot Zn concentrations in Zn-efficient genotypes. Under saline conditions, Zn and Cd speciation effects on bioavailability thus depend on both plant genotype and the metal of interest.
Influence of roasting temperature on physicochemical properties of different coffees

Arabica and robusta coffees from different origins were characterized before and after roasting at different temperatures (between 220 and 295°C). Samples were roasted (dark roast) until they attained the same colour. Colour development of the ground samples was measured throughout using CIE L*a*b* co-ordinates. The roasting temperature did not affect final weight loss and moisture content of the different coffees significantly, but slight differences were detected in the mean weight losses for the different coffees. Roasting temperature affected bulk and bean densities, grain volume increase, and soluble solids and acidity of coffee extracts. Robusta coffees were less sensitive to the bean volume increase, but showed a stronger temperature effect on the content of soluble solids and in the acidity of the aqueous extract, which can benefit its quality parameters.
Zur Chemie des Ecdysons, VI: Reaktionen des Ecdysonmoleküls

Im Ecdyson last sich die α. β-ungesattigte Ketongruppierung nicht katalytisch hydrieren. Durch Perjodat-Oxydation wird eine Glykolgruppierung nachgewiesen. Salzsaure spaltet aus dem Ecdysonmolekul unter milden Bedingungen zwei Molekule Wasser ab; dabei entsteht ein Δ7. 14-6-Keton, das sich in ein Δ8(9). 14-6-Keton umlagert. Aus den Versuchen wird geschlossen, das das Ecdyson ein Δ7-6-Keton der 5α- oder 5β-Cholestan-Reihe mit Hydroxylgruppen in 14 und 25 ist. Das Massenspektrum macht eine Hydroxylfunktion in 22 wahrscheinlich. Aus Analogiegrunden wird eine Hydroxylgruppe in Stellung 3 angenommen; die letzte Hydroxylgruppe mus dann in 2 oder 4 lokalisiert sein.