Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CO2 uptake and fluorescence responses for a shade-tolerant cactus Hylocereus undatus under current and doubled CO2 concentrations

Hylocereus undatus (Haworth) Britton and Rose growing in controlled environment chambers at 370 and 740 μmol CO 2 mol −1 air showed a Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) pattern of CO 2 uptake, with 34% more total daily CO 2 uptake under the doubled CO 2 concentration and most of the increase occurring in the late afternoon. For both CO 2 concentrations, 90% of the maximal daily CO 2 uptake occurred at a total daily photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of only 10 mol m −2 day −1 and the best day/night air temperatures were 25/15°C. Enhancement of the daily net CO 2 uptake by doubling the CO 2 concentration was greater under the highest PPFD (30 mol m −2 day −1 ) and extreme day/night air temperatures (15/5 and 45/35°C). After 24 days of drought, daily CO 2 uptake under 370 μmol CO 2 mol −1 was 25% of that under 740 μmol CO 2 mol −1 . The ratio of variable to maximal chlorophyll fluorescence (F v /F m ) decreased as the PPFD was raised above 5 mol m −2 day −1 , at extreme day/night temperatures and during drought, suggesting that stress occurred under these conditions. F v /F m was higher under the doubled CO 2 concentration, indicating that the current CO 2 concentration was apparently limiting for photosynthesis. Thus net CO 2 uptake by the shade-tolerant H. undatus, the photosynthetic efficiency of which was greatest at low PPFDs, showed a positive response to doubling the CO 2 concentration, especially under stressful environmental conditions
Platinum-Iridium Alloys as Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Platinum-iridium (Pt-Ir) alloy electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) cathodes were prepared, and their physical and electrochemical properties were examined. A variety of unsupported Pt-Ir alloy catalysts was prepared in hot KOH solution, and the obtained Pt-Ir alloy catalysts were aggregates of fine particles < 100 nm; the structure of the alloy was a uniform solid solution phase between Pt and Ir. Evaluation of the activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was performed by both the rotating disk electrode (RDE) method in 0.1 M HClO 4 solution and determination of the specific activity during PEFC single-cell operations. The ORR kinetic analysis by the RDE showed that alloying Pt with Ir, especially with 5-20 wt % Ir, enhanced the catalytic activity for the ORR by a factor of more than 1.5 at 0.8 V vs RHE. The relationship between the specific current density and Ir content under PEFC operating conditions also showed enhanced ORR activity at 5-20 wt % Ir, which was consistent with the RDE results.
Soil CO2 evolution rates in the field – a comparison of three methods

In this field study, three methods for determining soil CO2 evolution rates were compared: (1) a static chamber method and (2) a dynamic chamber method, both with gas chromatographic (GC) analysis of air samples, and (3) a dynamic chamber system using a portable infrared gas analyzer (CIRAS). The mean CO2 evolution rate in the field increased in the order static chamber-GC < dynamic chamber-GC < dynamic chamber-CIRAS by 40%. The CO2 evolution rates obtained using the three methods were significantly correlated. None of the three methods was significantly affected by soil moisture or soil temperature. This has been repeatedly observed by others, but is still not fully understood. The difference between air and soil temperature had strong negative effects on both GC methods, but not on the CIRAS system.
Radio frequency electrical pulse characterization of defect states in a GaAs/AlGaAs narrow channel field effect transistor

We report electrical pulse-and-probe characterization of trap states in a GaAs/AlGaAs narrow channel field effect transistor (NCFET) up to the frequency (f) of 3 GHz. From our measured data and quantitative modeling of trap dynamics, we successfully obtain the characteristic frequency of surface traps (∼1.4 and ∼100 kHz) and that of bulk deep levels (∼10 MHz). We find that these frequencies are consistent with the results of earlier studies on larger devices. The measured data also shows the intrinsic cutoff frequency of the device (∼500 MHz), which is consistent with the transconductance and the gate capacitance of the device. Our technique can be applied to other 1D material whose capacitance is small and conventional probing technique is not efficient.
Potential mineralization and nitrification in volcanic grassland soils in Chile

Abstract A proportion of the nitrogen (N) applied to grasslands as organic or inorganic fertilizers can be lost to water courses as nitrate and to the atmosphere as nitrous and nitric oxides. Volcanic soils from Chile are not generally prone to leaching, possibly due to net immobilization of nitrate and/or ammonium, and/or due to inhibition of nitrification by either chemical or physical processes. In laboratory studies we found large mineralization potentials in soils from three different Chilean soils after 17 weeks of incubation, totalling 215 and 254 mg kg−1 dry soil for two Andisols and 127 mg kg−1 dry soil in an Ultisol. Nitrification occurred after a short period, and was lowest in the Ultisol. In addition, microbial analysis showed nitrifiers to be present in all three soils. Adsorption of ammonium was two-fold stronger than for nitrate, ranging from 29 to 180 kg N ha−1. The highest potential for N adsorption in the 0–60 cm soil profile was with the Ultisol (398 kg N ha−1), but was similar in both Andisols (193 and 172 kg N ha−1, respectively). The combination of ammonium retention together with delayed nitrification could account for the low leaching rates in these soils.
Ligand Dynamics in Spin-Labeled Au Nanoparticles

Variable temperature electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of spin-labeled Au nanoparticles in toluene solution were recorded at X-, Q- and W-bands. The chain length of the nitroxide-based spin-labeled ligand and the surrounding alkanethiol ligands was systematically varied. The spectra were analyzed using the NLSL program (Budil, D. E.; Lee, S.; Saxena, S.; Freed, J. H. J. Magn. Reson., Ser. A 1996, 120, 155) which simulates slow motion spectra using the stochastic Liouville approach. The simulation results show that the rotational diffusion parameters for particles (∼2.6 nm Au core diameter) are dominated by the local motion of the ligand. The length of the spin label has the biggest effect on the nitroxide dynamics followed by the chain length of the surrounding ligands. The results are consistent with the loose packing of ligands on the nanoparticle surface. The packing density of ligands further decreases with the increasing distance from the Au surface. The Arrhenius analysis of the dynamic .
Volatiles Production and Lipoxygenase Gene Expression in Kiwifruit Peel and Flesh During Fruit Ripening

The relationship between lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway-derived volatiles and LOX gene expression was evaluated in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson var. deliciosa cv. Bruno) during postharvest ripening at 20 8C. The C6 aldehydes n-hexanal and (E)-2-hexenal were abundant in peel compared with flesh tissue and declined as kiwifruit ripened. Esters such as ethyl butanoate and methyl butanoate were lower in the peel than flesh and accumulated when the fruit underwent a climacteric rise in ethylene production. Total LOX activity was higher in the peel than in the flesh and increased as kiwifruit ripened. Expression of AdLox2, AdLox3, AdLox4 and AdLox6 was high in the peel, whereas AdLox1 and AdLox5 showed similar levels in the peel and flesh at the ethylene climacteric. AdLox1 and AdLox5 transcript levels increased and AdLox2, AdLox3, AdLox4 and AdLox6 levels decreased during postharvest fruit ripening. Principal component analysis showed that n-hexanal and (E)-2- hexenal were grouped with LOXgenes that were downregulated askiwifruit ripened. The possibleroles of LOXgenes in relation to kiwifruit volatile formation during fruit ripening are discussed.
The liquid-phase oxidation of isomeric methoxy-(1-methylethyl)benzenes with oxygen to the hydroperoxides

The kinetics of liquid-phase oxidation of 1-methoxy-2-(1-methylethyl)benzene (1a), 1-methoxy-3-(1-methylethyl)benzene (1b), and 1-methoxy-4-(1-methylethyl)benzene (1c) with oxygen as oxidant to yield the corresponding 1-methyl-1-(2-methoxyphenyl)ethyl (2a), 1-methyl-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)ethyl (2b), and 1-methyl-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethyl (2c) hydroperoxides was studied. The oxidizabilities of 1a, 1b, and 1c were established over the temperature range 50–120°C. The overall activation energies of oxidation were determined for 1b and 1c over the temperature range 50–120°C. Thermal stability of 2a and 2b and the initiating properties of hydroperoxides 2a, 2b, and 2c were studied. Long-term noncatalytic oxidations of 1b and 1c to respective hydroperoxides were carried out. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 10–16, 2005
Potential of Bioaugmentation and Biostimulation for Enhancing Intrinsic Biodegradation in Oil Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soil

ABSTRACT Studies were conducted using a 10-chamber Micro-Oxymax (Columbus, OH, USA) respirometer to determine the effect of bioaugmentation and biostimulation (by diverse ways of O2 supply) on enhancing biodegradation of oil hydrocarbons to reduce risk at a former military airport in Kluczewo, Poland. Indigenous or exogenous bacteria bioaugmentation was used to degrade hydrocarbons. Aerated water and/or aqueous solutions of H2O2 or KMnO4 were used to supply O2. The intrinsic and enhanced biodegradation was evaluated by the O2 uptake and CO2 production rates obtained using a linear regression of the cumulative O2 uptake and CO2 production curves. Generally, in all cases biodegradation rates enhanced by bioaugmentation were two to four times higher than the rates of intrinsic biodegradation. Moreover, application of indigenous bacteria was more efficient in comparison to the exogenous consortia. The highest CO2 production rates were achieved when aqueous solution of KMnO4 was applied, as the increase of CO2 production rates were about 71% to 97% higher compared to a control. The aqueous solution of H2O2 did not cause any significant improvement of the biodegradation rates. Compared to a control, the addition of aerated water resulted in a decrease of CO2 production rates. Most probably the excessive soil moisture could reduce the air-filled porosity and, consequently, the oxygen contents in soil.
Use of Ultrasound Pretreatment in Drying of Fruits: Drying Rates, Quality Attributes, and Shelf Life Extension

Evolving advanced pretreatment techniques such as application of ultrasound prior to fruit drying have attracted significant research and development efforts due to the rising demand for high-quality dried fruits at reduced operating costs. Drying processes can be destructive to the quality of fruits due to long drying times and high temperatures in some cases. The effects of ultrasound pretreatment on quality aspects of dried fruits and on drying kinetics are reviewed. Ultrasound is known for its varying effects on different fruits; however, it has been proved to greatly increase drying rates and hence reduce the overall processing time. Ultrasound pretreatment in distilled water as the media is an interesting concept when low-calorie dried fruits are required.
Flame and Smoke Retardants in Vinyl Chloride Polymers – Commercial Usage and Current Developments

The flame and smoke retardance of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is reviewed with emphasis on the chemical additives used to achieve acceptable fire properties in the principal application areas. Particular attention is given to the current ‘state-of-the-art’ of vinyl compounding in regard to the chemicals used. Representative formulations are shown for several of the main applica- tions of PVC.
Templating of Perovskite-Related Films Using Layer-by-Layer Assemblies and Nanoparticle Building Blocks

Thin perovskite-related films have been obtained using a templating approach. First, nanoparticles of preformed hydroxide materials are synthesized by precipitation from the corresponding metal nitrates with ammonia solution. The resulting particles are then deposited layer-by-layer on glass substrate in alternation with oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. Two different techniques were used to realize the adsorption from nanoparticle suspension and polyelectrolyte solution: spraying and dipping. After removal of the polyelectrolyte template and formation of a perovskite-related layer by calcination, SEM characterization reveals thin flat films with morphology depending on the number of nanoparticle layers deposited. Homogeneous films are observed for one to three layers while they become inhomogeneous and contain big aggregates for thicknesses above five layers as a result of coarsening of smaller particles. The addition of adsorbed layers (from 1 to 15) results in an increase of the thickness (from 10 t.
Phytochemical Investigation on Wrightia tinctoria Fruit

Plant extracts appears to be one of the better alternatives as they are known to have minimal environmental impact and danger to consumers in contrast to synthetic pesticides. The present study focuses on the phytochemical analysis of fruit of Wrightia tinctoria. The phytochemical screening of both Ethanolic and aqueous fruit extracts revealed the presence of various secondary metabolites such as carbohydrates, alkaloids, phytosterols, phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids, cumarine, amino acids, terpenoids and saponins. Present work also calculates total chlorophyll content of fruit containing peel and cellulose which shows strong chlorophyll content in peel . The FTIR analysis of the crude extract of peel gives information about the distribution of functional groups and provides a basis for comparison of compositional differences between isolates and among samples.
Detailed Kinetic Modelling of Chemistry and Temperature Effects on Ammonia Oxidation

Abstract An extensive set offlat laminar premixedNH3/H2/O2,NH3,/NO/H2/O2 and NH3O2 flames have been investigated by detailed chemical kinetic modelling to facilitate the construction of a reaction mechanism capable of satisfactory predictions for a wide range of flames. Available information for the rate coefficients of all the reactions in the detailed mechanism has been reviewed. An extensive sensitivity analysis has been performed to distinguish the reactions of greatest importance to the formation and destruction of nitric oxide. The relative significance of the different NO formation channels is found to depend entirely on the flame conditions: (i) for all flames the reaction of NH2 with the O radical is found to be significant; (ii) in pure ammonia flames the reaction of the NH radical with OH becomes important; (iii) in hydrogen flames with ammonia and ammonia with nitric oxide dopants the Zel'dovich mechanism becomes increasingly significant with increasing fuel concentrations. The conversion of N.
Helicon wave plasma reactor employing single‐loop antenna

Helicon wave plasma excited by a single‐loop antenna and etching characteristic of Si and SiO2 is studied on a basis of plasma parameters and wave patterns measurements. A wide variety of wavelength with space is observed in the single‐loop antenna, and because of no external boundary for the wavelength, the best match of the rf source with plasma is possible. This fact is ascribable to the density enhancement rather than in the conventional double‐loop antenna. A condition that the magnetic field is lowered in the antenna portion is also effective on the density enhancement. This is explained by a longer time in resonance of the electron. The etching uniformity is also improved by using a larger diameter one‐loop antenna, with a great usefulness.
HEXAMETHYLDISILAZANE-MEDIATED CONTROLLED POLYMERIZATION OF α-AMINO ACID N- CARBOXYANHYDRIDES

Ring-opening polymerizations of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) initiated with amines typically form polypeptides with uncontrolled molecular weights and broad molecular weight distributions. However, we found that hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS)-mediated controlled NCA polymerizations gave polypeptides with predictable molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions. Using MS, NMR, and FT-IR, we demonstrated that the initiation step involved the cleavage of the N−Si bond of HMDS and the formation of a trimethylsilyl carbamate (TMS-CBM) terminal group. Polypeptide chains were propagated through the migration of TMS of the TMS-CBM end group to the incoming monomer and formed a new TMS-CBM terminal group. This organosilicon reagent mediated NCA polymerization offers a metal-free strategy for the convenient synthesis of homo- or block polypeptides with predictable molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions.
Fragile-to-strong crossover and polyamorphism in liquid silica: changes in liquid structure

Previous numerical investigations of model silica have shown evidence favouring liquid–liquid phase separation in the deeply supercooled liquid. This thermodynamic instability is argued to be responsible for the polyamorphic behaviour in the glass. In these previous investigations, a method for discerning local density was developed by writing the radial distribution function as a sum of contributions from neighbours of a given atom, sorted in order of their distance from the given atom. Quite separately, along isochores of densities comparable with that of silica at ambient pressure, simulations have also shown that the Arrhenius dependence of diffusivity on temperature T so characteristic of liquid silica breaks down at higher temperatures. Indeed, evidence indicates that silica approaches Arrhenius (strong) behaviour upon cooling from higher temperatures where it exhibits super-Arrhenius (fragile) behaviour. We now revisit this fragile-to-strong crossover using the technique of discerning density differences developed in the polyamorphism study. We show that the technique is useful in illustrating the structural change taking place through the crossover. We also see that the structures present in the high-temperature liquid reappear upon increasing density, supporting the observation that fragility increases upon compression of the liquid. Furthermore, we see that these same structures are typical of those which presage the liquid–liquid phase separation at lower temperatures.
Studies of Optimum Conditions for Cross-Linking Immobilization of Alkaline Protease on Graphene Oxide

Graphene oxide was used as substrate for immobilizing alkaline protease. The immobilizing conditions were optimized though single-factor test and orthogonal design. Then the activity recovery was raised to 92.0% and 70.1% in the optimum conditions of immobilization. The test indicated that the optimum technics were as follows: the enzyme amount to 1 mg carriers was 500µl, the concentration glutaraldehyde is 1%, pH was 8.0, temperature was 25°C, crosslinking time and absorption were 4 hours and 1 hour, respectively, the recycling rate of activity (RRA) reached 70.1%.
Translocation and distribution of 13 C-photosynthates in 'Fuyu' persimmon (Diospyros kaki) grafted onto different rootstocks

The effects of rootstock on translocation of photosynthates was determined at matured leaf stage in 2-year-old ‘Fuyu’(Diospyros kaki) persimmon trees grafted onto D. kaki and D. lotus rootstocks by using 13 C tracer method. The number of leaves and branches, growth of shoot, trunk and tree, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate were significantly higher in D. kaki than in D. lotus. Similarly, the total amount of 13 C was higher in D. kaki than in D. lotus. The partitioning of 13 C-photosynthates in leaves and branches decreased with time but it increased in trunk shoot, graft union, tap root, roots of more than 2 mm in thickness (roots ≥2 mm) and roots of less than 2 mm in thickness (roots <2 mm) in both the combinations. The roots <2 mm and the entire parts below the graft union of ‘Fuyu’/D. lotus combination accumulated significantly lower amounts of 13 C as compared to ‘Fuyu’/D. kaki combination. It is possible that the graft union between ‘Fuyu’ and D. lotus could be a physical barrier that impairs the translocation of photosynthates. When treated by girdling at the upper trunk with nearby leaves fed on the 13 CO 2 , 13 C allocation in the middle part of leaves and branches just above fed leaves was significantly higher in D. kaki than in D. lotus. These results imply that upward partitioning of photosynthates was affected by rootstock and that ‘Fuyu’/D. kaki is more compatible as compared to the ‘Fuyu’/D. lotus combination. 13 C translocation.
Ab initio electron energy-loss spectra and depolarization effects: Application to carbon nanotubes

We perform ab initio calculations of the optical absorption and electron energy-loss spectra of (m, 0) single-walled carbon nanotubes (with m ≠ 3n for m = 7-25) in the framework of a "sum over states" (SOS) treatment of the Kohn-Sham (KS) single-particle orbitals and energies (CRYSTAL program). This approach tested on hexagonal boron nitride enables to fully assign the interband transitions in the imaginary part of the dielectric constant, in terms of atomic orbitals. As these calculations could not take into account the local field effects (depolarization effects), which take place for perpendicular polarizations in 2D and 1D periodic systems, we apply a simple method based on the Clausius-Mossotti formula, relating the SOS and coupled-perturbed KS polarizability values. This approach reproduces the main features of the spectra of boron nitride (001) surface and carbon nanotubes.
Room temperature synthesis of nanocrystalline anatase sols and preparation of uniform nanostructured TiO2 thin films: optical and structural properties

Transparent TiO2 thin films were deposited on soda-lime glass substrates via the sol–gel method using a nanocrystalline TiO2 sol solution prepared at room temperature employing the dip-coating method. The effects of pH on crystallinity, particle size and stability of the synthesized TiO2 sols were investigated, systematically. TiO2 thin films were thickened by means of a sequential dip-coating process. The TiO2 films were transparent and exhibited proper adherence. The effects of thickness and annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties of the thin films were evaluated. The prepared powder was crystalline without any thermal treatment. The crystallite size of the particles (anatase) was in the range 4.2–12.1 nm depending on the initial pH value. Although only the anatase phase was observed at room temperature and 400 °C, a further increase in annealing temperature up to 700 °C resulted in the formation of the rutile phase. Even at high annealing temperatures, fairly smooth and homogeneous surfaces with no cracks and pores were observed. It was demonstrated that the films were transparent in the visible region with characteristic absorption in the UV region. Band gap of the as-deposited film was estimated to be 3.34 eV and was found to decrease with increasing annealing temperature.