Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Defect emissions in ZnO nanostructures

Defects in three different types of ZnO nanostructures before and after annealing under different conditions were studied. The annealing atmosphere and temperature were found to strongly affect the yellow and orange-red defect emissions, while green emission was not significantly affected by annealing. The defect emissions exhibited a strong dependence on the temperature and excitation wavelength, with some defect emissions observable only at low temperatures and for certain excitation wavelengths. The yellow emission in samples prepared by a hydrothermal method is likely due to the presence of OH groups, instead of the commonly assumed interstitial oxygen defect. The green and orange-red emissions are likely due to donor acceptor transitions involving defect complexes, which likely include zinc vacancy complexes in the case of orange-red emissions.
Influences of Electric Potential and Electrolyte on Electrochemical Chloride Removal in Reinforced Concrete

AbstractThe first purpose of this paper was to find appropriate parameters for the electrochemical chloride removal method; that is, type of electrolyte solution, electric potential and charging duration. The second was to determine the efficiency of the chloride removal at remote areas from the position of installation. The 30×30×10 cm3 and 70×70×7.5 cm3 concrete specimens were prepared for the first and second purposes respectively. The chloride removal process was performed by applying electric potential between the reinforcement bars embedded in concrete and an external electrode installed on the concrete surface submersed in external electrolyte. With 28 days charging, this method could remove up to 76% of chloride by using the Ca(OH)2 solution as electrolyte with 15 V DC electric potential. The efficiency of chloride removal decreased as the distance from the position of installation increased. This was consistent with the equation of Nernst Planck which described the movement of chloride ions mob.
Polarization-independent intersubband based GaInAsN quantum-well photodetector with dominant detection at 1.42 μm

We report on a room temperature polarization-independent intersubband photocurrent (PC) in quantum-well infrared photodetector based on a GaInAsN/GaAs standard multiple-quantum-well structure. The dominant room temperature PC is peaked at 1.42 μm with peak responsivity of 2 A/W and exhibits similar intensities in TM and TE polarizations. The structure’s energy levels were analyzed using a ten band k⋅p model. As a result of this analysis the 1.42 μm dominant PC transition is attributed to a transition from the fundamental E1− electron level into the localized quasicontinuum state formed by the unconfined E2+ electron energy level.
X-ray Image Denoising Agorithm Using Bilateral Weight

X-ray image is a widely used to medical examination, airport security and cargo inspection. However, X-ray images contain many visual noise, which interrupt image analysis. Consequently, it is primary importance to reduce noises of X-ray image. In this paper, we present a improved denoise technique for x-ray image using pixel value and range weights. First, we denoise a x-ray image using bilateral filter. Next, we detect a edge region of the original x-ray image. If a denoised pixel belongs to the edge region, we calculate weighting values of original x-ray image and denoised x-ray image in 3×3 neighboring pixels and compute the cost value to determine the boundary pixel value. Finally, the pixel value having minimum cost is determined as the pixel value of the denoised x-ray image. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm achieves good performance in terns of PSNR comparison and subjective visual quality.
Isolation and Determination of Iridoid Glycosides from the Seeds of Osmanthus fragrans by HPLC

Osmanthus fragrans is a traditional economic and ornamental plant in China. Iridoid glycosides are one of the main active ingredients of this plant. The ethanol extract of O. fragrans’ seeds was analyzed by an HPLC method. The HPLC profile allowed the isolation of nuzhenide and GI-3 from O. fragrans’ seeds for the first time. A C18 column was used with a mixture of methanol and water as the mobile phase using a gradient elution technique. Nuzhenide and GI-3 as the major components were used successfully as chemical markers to determine the optimal time of O. fragrans’ seeds for collection. Experimental results show nuzhenide and GI-3 reached the highest level in the last ten days of April, with contents of 6.04 mg (g of dw)−1 and 13.24 mg (g of dw)−1, higher than that of olive seeds. The study showed that O. fragrans’ seeds can serve as a source of iridoid glycosides.
Clarifying the Mechanism of the Denisov Cycle: How do Hindered Amine Light Stabilizers Protect Polymer Coatings from Photo-oxidative Degradation?

Hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) protect polymer coatings against photo-oxidative damage through the formation of nitroxide radicals, which subsequently consume damaging radical species in a process called the Denisov cycle. However, the exact mechanism for this process has been disputed, with a dozen different reaction pathways and over 30 individual reactions previously proposed in the literature. In this work, the full mechanism of the Denisov cycle is elucidated using high-level computational techniques for two different polymer systems. New intermediate species in the cycle have been postulated, and the final products determined. The nitroxide TEMPO can react either with the polymeric radical •R to form an alkoxyamine species >N−OR, with any available alkoxyl radicals •OR to form the oxyaminoether species >N+(O−)−OR, or (more slowly) with the peroxyl radical •OOR to form the trioxide species >N−O−O−O−R. The alkoxyamine goes on to react with the peroxyl radical reforming the nitroxide along wit.
Mercaptoacetic Acid-Capped Silver Nanoparticles Colloid: Formation, Morphology, and SERS Activity

Mercaptoacetic acid-capped spherical silver nanoparticles with a diameter of about 17 nm were prepared by a simple chemical reaction. The formation process of the silver nanoparticles was investigated by UV−visible (UV−vis) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the spherical and rodlike particles were formed at the beginning of the reaction, and then the rodlike particles were gradually converted into spherical particles with the reaction continuing. Finally, the content of the rodlike particles was less than 3% in the silver colloid. Thus, the final obtained silver nanoparticles were uniform in their shapes and showed little variation in their sizes. This silver colloid can remain stable for several weeks, which makes it convenient for use in practice. We also investigated the effect of Cl- on the rate of changes in the optical properties of the silver colloid by UV−vis absorption. The results indicate that Cl- accelerates the aggregation of the colloidal particles by e.
Cytotoxicity and slow release of the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin from ZIF-8

Metal–organic frameworks are emerging as a powerful platform for the delivery and controlled release of several drug molecules. Herein, we report the incorporation of the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin into the zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) with high-load and progressive release. Adsorption measurements show that doxorubicin is incorporated into ZIF-8 with a load of 0.049 g doxorubicin g−1 dehydrated ZIF-8. Doxorubicin is released in a highly controlled and progressive fashion with 66% of the drug released after 30 days. We also characterize the antitumoral potential and cytotoxicity of the doxorubicin-ZIF-8 (DOXO-ZIF-8) complex towards the mucoepidermoid carcinoma of human lung (NCI-H292), human colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29), and human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cell lines. It is shown that the complex doxorubicin-ZIF-8 exhibits lower cytotoxicity than pure doxorubicin for the tested cells, possibly due to the slower release of the incorporated drug. Furthermore, host–guest interactions have been addressed from a microscopic perspective through molecular docking simulations. In conjunction with our experimental characterization, the calculations suggest that doxorubicin binds preferentially to the surface rather than into the pores of ZIF-8, whose entry diameter is at least half the size of the shortest axis of the drug. These findings are also consistent with high-resolution X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy studies of ZIF-8 which shows that this framework is very rigid under constant pressure in contrast to previous experimental and theoretical studies of ZIF-8 under gas pressure.
Surfactant-free fabrication of CaTiO3 butterfly-like dendrite via a simple one-step hydrothermal route

Single-crystalline calcium titanate (CaTiO3) with novel butterfly-like dendrites, flower-like microsphere and prism-like morphologies were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. No surfactants or templates were involved in the shaping process. The individual CaTiO3 dendrite consists of a long central trunk with symmetry aligned branches, which preferentially grow along the directions. A series of morphology evolutions of CaTiO3 have been observed based on SEM observations. The growth mechanism for the CaTiO3 dendrite is proposed to be a three-step growth model: initial nucleation and ripening, an oriented self-assembly accompanied by Ostwald ripening, and subsequent diffusion-controlled process of “dissolution”. The NaOH concentration and water/ethanol mixture solvent are crucial for the formation of the dendrite structure.
Local Gender Norms: Persistence or Change? Reply to “A Gendered Resource Curse? Mineral Ownership, Female Unemployment and Domestic Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa” by Mario Krauser, TimWegenast,

In their recent article “A Gendered Resource Curse? Mineral Ownership, Female Unemployment and Domestic Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Mario Krauser, Tim Wegenast, Gerald Schneider, and Ingeborg Elgersmar argue that international mine ownership alters employment possibilities for women in comparison to domestically-owned mines. They make the case that this also alters gender norms and find that foreign ownership decreases domestic violence reporting from women. In this reply, I take a closer look at the proposed mechanisms that local gender norms change around international mines and will review literature that finds persisting effects of gender norms on gender equality. Finally, I will assess the circumstance under which norms may change in response to outside interventions and suggest avenues for future research.
Novel mixing nozzles for supersonic chemical oxygen-iodine laser

Mixing enhancement technique of supersonic chemical oxygen-iodine laser (COIL) is studied. The difficulty of supersonic mixing due to the compressibility of the fluid has been overcome by the introduction of streamwise vortex into the flow. The developed nozzle is a staggered array of wedges, looks like “X” letter from the side of the flow duct. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is employed for the design optimization of the proposed mixing nozzle. A remarkable mixing condition is found when iodine injector is located at the exit plane of the mixing nozzle. Experiments are conducted and good agreement with calculation is obtained in terms of iodine molecule distribution. A 266W of output power with chemical efficiency of 14.6% is obtained and good mixing capability of the proposed nozzle design is confirmed.
An Efficient Procedure for Solid-Phase Synthesis of Phosphopeptides by the Fmoc Strategy

The Fmoc-mode solid-phase method was successfully applied to establish a practical procedure for the synthesis of phosphopeptides. Both Fmoc-phosphoserine with free phosphoric moiety and its monobenzyl phosphate derivative were examined as one of starting materials for the synthesis of peptides. The employment of the latter gave better result in respects of the yield and purity of the product than that obtained with the former.
Productivity and Chemical Composition of Tomato and Cucumber Plants Growing in Nickel‐Polluted Soils Fertilized with Biona‐312

Abstract: The effect of ion‐exchange substrate Biona‐312 additions to nickel (Ni)–polluted soil on yield and mineral composition of cherry tomato and cucumber was evaluated. The plants were grown on the following media: untreated soil (the control series) and soil with added Ni (40 and 100 mg of Ni kg−1, respectively) as well as Biona‐312 (2 and 5% mass additions, respectively). In the presence of 40 mg of Ni kg−1 of soil, the plant yield did not change significantly, whereas in conditions of 100 of mg Ni kg−1, it decreased significantly. Biona‐312 application on Ni‐polluted soil increased the productivity of both species. The content of macronutrients in the plant biomass varied depending on the growth stage, Ni level, and Biona‐312 dose. For both species, higher Ni content was observed in the aboveground organs than in roots, but tomato contained more Ni than cucumber. Biona application reduced the Ni content in plant biomass of both species after being introduced into soil with a higher Ni level.
The crystal structure of synthetic mica, KMg2.75Si3.5Al0.5O10F2

Crystals of KMg2.75Si3. 5Al0.5O10F2 were synthesized from a mixture of KF, MgF2, MgO, Al2O3 and SiO2. They have a structure of the 1M type mica with cell dimensions of a=5.292(1), b=9.164(5), c=10.143(1)A and β=100.07(2)°. The structure was refined with the full-matrix least-squares procedure to the final R value of 0.029 for 1228 observed reflections. The observed distortion of the (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedron is in good agreement with that predicted from the chemical formula of the crystal. The ditrigonal distortion of the tetrahedral sheet is intermediate between those of KMg2.5Si4O10F2 and KMg3Si3AlO10F2, having the tetrahedral rotation angle of 3.63°.
Patient Health Monitoring System Using Arduino Mega 2560 And Thingsboard Server

: A number of patients die every year due to delay in timely diagnosis of diseases and diagnosis of patient’s health condition while shifting the patient to a hospital in case of any emergency. Especially the elderly and ill patients need continuous monitoring of physiological parameters. Such patients cannot visit the hospital on a daily basis. A web based patient health monitoring system can be used to avoid such difficulties. In this paper, a patient health monitoring system based on Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller board and ThingsBoard web server is implemented to monitor various physiological parameters including heart beat, oxygen saturation (SpO2), blood pressure, and electrocardiogram (ECG). The health parameters along with room temperature, humidity, air quality and patient’s movement parameters (roll and pitch) are uploaded to monitor any event of patients fall. The health status of the patient obtained from various sensors is uploaded on to the ThingsBoard server on regular basis, which can be observed by the doctor or caretaker. With this system, doctors can monitor the patient’s health status remotely by accessing the web server.
Control of Product Quality in Batch Crystallization of Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals. Part 2: External Control

We use the term “external control” to refer to two process control configurations: First, the “direct or inferential feedback control” of a given product quality index such as the crystal size distribution. Second, the “optimal control” of a process variable such as the control of the cooling policy (temperature) or the reactants addition rate to optimize an objective function defined in terms of the product quality. The intent of this two-part contribution is to discuss the various approaches used for the control of crystal quality. In Part 1, the design of the crystallization process and the selection of the process variables affecting the product quality were presented. In this part the implementation of an “external controller” will be presented. Initially, state-of-the-art instrumentation in crystallization research and technology is discussed. Mathematical models involving the population density and moments equation are presented and evaluated. Feedback control of crystal size distribution and supe.
The analysis of the contribution of ETS to Indoor air

Abstract Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) is a dynamic mixture of substances present in ambient air as a specific result of tobacco smoking. This paper reviews the state‐of‐the‐art in the analysis of ETS and describes the need to separate the contribution due to ETS from the contribution of sources other than tobacco smoke.
Comparative toxicology of mirex, photomirex and chlordecone after oral administration to the mouse

The toxicities of chlordecone (CD), mirex (M) and photomirex (PM) were compared in the male mouse after daily oral administration of 10 mg/kg in corn oil vehicle (10 ml/kg). Mortality occurred starting day 10 with M, and day 16 with PM and CD, and LT50 values were 132, 265 and 254 mg/kg, respectively. However the LT50 values of M, PM or CD were not different (range, 100–125 mg/kg) when animals were intubated with the compounds daily at 25 or 50 mg/kg. Food and water consumption and body weight were decreased after M, but PM and CD increased these parameters. Other symptoms of toxicity included severe diarrhea with M, whereas a moderate diarrhea occurred with PM and little or no diarrhea with CD. The effects of M, PM or CD on the hepatic microsomal mixed function oxidase system were compared 4 d after the administration of 10 mg/kg/d of these compounds. M and PM were equipotent, whereas CD was found to be approximately half as effective in inducing cytochrome P-450 and associated enzyme activities. CD and M caused a decrease in blood glucose levels due to enhanced oxidation, since liver glycogen levels were also reduced. CD-induced tremors could not be prevented by restoring the blood glucose level. CD levels in liver, muscle, whole brain and plasma were several-fold higher than for either M or PM. These results suggest that although structurally similar, these three analogs differ significantly in their biological effects.
The rise and fall of spatial inaqualities in France : a long-run perspective

This paper uses a unique database that provides value-added, employment, and population levels for the entire set of French departments for the years 1860, 1930, and 2000. These data cover three sectors: agriculture, manufacturing, and services. This allows us to study the evolution of spatial inequalities within France and to test the empirical relevance of economic geography predictions over the long run. The evidence conﬁrms the existence of a bell-shaped evolution of the spatial concentration of manufacturing and services. In contrast, labor productivity has been converging across departments. Last, our study also conﬁrms the presence of strong agglomeration economies during the full time-period. Market potential during the ﬁrst sub-period (1860-1930), and higher education during the second (1930-2000), together with sectoral diversity, account for the spatial distribution of these gains.
Functionalized Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes Prepared by In Situ Polycondensation of Polyurethane

Treating MWCNTs with an acidic solution (concentrated H 2 SO 4 /HNO 3 ; 3:1) and subsequently with succinic acid peroxide leads to MWCNTs functionalized with carboxyl groups on their sidewalls (or surfaces). These MWCNT-COOH were converted to MWCNT-COCl and further to MWCNi-NH 2 . The PU was covalently coated onto the sidewalls (or surfaces) of the MWCNT by in situ polymerization of TDI under ultrasound in the presence of MWCNT-NH 2 . The results show that PU is chemically tethered to the MWCNT sidewalls (or surfaces) via the ∼HN-CO-NH∼ linkage, with a thickness in the range of approximately 2 to 5 nm, and the amount of grafted PU is about 34 wt. -%.
Components of the Volatile Concentrate of Agarwood

ABSTRACT The solvent extracts obtained from four kinds of agarwood (Kanankoh and Jinkoh), all of which were collected in Vietnam and imported via Hong Kong, were analyzed using fused silica capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometric techniques. The difference between Kanankoh (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) and other agarwood (Jinkoh—tentatively identified as A. sinensis (Lour.) Gilg. ) was studied by comparing the compositions of their extracts. Kanankoh contained large amount of chromone derivatives as previously reported. Moreover, it was found that two types of Kanankoh existed. One of them was rich in oxygenated guaiane and eudesmane derivatives, while the other contained oxo-agarospirol as a major sesquiterpene component. The biosynthesis of the sesquiterpenes in Kanankoh is also discussed.
Effect of oxygenates blending with gasoline to improve fuel properties

The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of oxygenate additives into gasoline for the improvement of physicochemical properties of blends. Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE), Methanol, Tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA), and Tertiary amyl alcohol (TAA) blend into unleaded gasoline with various blended rates of 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. Physicochemical properties of blends are analyzed by the standard American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) methods. Methanol, TBA, and TAA increase density of the mixtures, but MTBE decreases density. The addition of oxygenates lead to a distortion of the base gasoline’s distillation curves. The Reid vapor pressure (RVP) of gasoline is found to increase with the addition of the oxygenated compounds. All oxygenates improve both motor and research octane numbers. Among these four additives, TBA shows the best fuel properties.
Of numbers and movement – understanding transcription factor pathogenesis by advanced microscopy

ABSTRACT Transcription factors (TFs) are life-sustaining and, therefore, the subject of intensive research. By regulating gene expression, TFs control a plethora of developmental and physiological processes, and their abnormal function commonly leads to various developmental defects and diseases in humans. Normal TF function often depends on gene dosage, which can be altered by copy-number variation or loss-of-function mutations. This explains why TF haploinsufficiency (HI) can lead to disease. Since aberrant TF numbers frequently result in pathogenic abnormalities of gene expression, quantitative analyses of TFs are a priority in the field. In vitro single-molecule methodologies have significantly aided the identification of links between TF gene dosage and transcriptional outcomes. Additionally, advances in quantitative microscopy have contributed mechanistic insights into normal and aberrant TF function. However, to understand TF biology, TF-chromatin interactions must be characterised in vivo, in a tissue-specific manner and in the context of both normal and altered TF numbers. Here, we summarise the advanced microscopy methodologies most frequently used to link TF abundance to function and dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying TF HIs. Increased application of advanced single-molecule and super-resolution microscopy modalities will improve our understanding of how TF HIs drive disease. Summary: Abundance and chromatin interactions determine transcription factor function; their disruption can impair development and cause disease. We survey advanced microscopy methodologies that measure these properties and discuss molecular mechanisms that underlie transcription factor haploinsufficiency.