Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Devolved Governance on Zero Hunger Sustainable Development Goal in Pokot North Sub- County, Kenya

v LIST OF TABLES . ix ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS . x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background to the study . 1 1.1.1 Concept of devolved governance . 2 1.1.2 The construct of zero hunger . 2 1.1.3. Devolved governance and zero hunger SDG in Kenya . 3 1.1.4. Devolved governance and zero hunger SDG in West Pokot county . 5 1.2 Research problem.6 1.3 Research objective . 7 1.4 Value of the study . 8 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW . 9 2.
Carbon Nitride Films Prepared by PECVD in CH4-NH3 Precursor

Carbon nitride (CNx) films were fabricated by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technology in methane-ammonia system, in which the plasma was excited by the hollow cathode glow discharge. The composition，microstructure and hardness of the deposited films were investigated by measurements employing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nano-indentation experiment. The results indicate that the nitrogen content in the film varies from 4.2 to 8.6 at. % and the nitrogen atoms are bonded to carbon atoms through C-N, C=N and C≡N bonds. Furthmore, higher nitrogen content is in favor of the formation of C-N bond, which may enhance the film hardness.
Forage production and diversification for climate-smart tropical and temperate silvopastures

Globally, the human population is exploding and is expected to reach 9.1 billion by 2050, resulting in a rapidly growing demand for animal products and continued natural resource degradation, all of which have profound effects on food security. This chapter draws on examples from across the globe to highlight the many contributions of silvopasture – the intensively managed integration of trees, forages, and livestock – to achieving food security. We focus on the production of forage, meat, and milk in silvopastoral systems as direct indicators of food supply as well as indirect indicators such as thermal stress in livestock, animal health, and habitat provisioning for pollinators. We address the problems of modern animal agriculture and how silvopasture may play a critical role in the sustainable intensification of livestock production systems. We then point out some important research needs and provide a rationale and brief outline for the major objectives of the three studies presented in this dissertation.
Fate and Transport of Surface Water Pathogens in Watersheds

Pathogens present in animal fecal deposits excreted to land undergo a poorly defined process of dispersion, transport or attenuation, and inactivation. The transport of pathogens overland in surface runoff is clearly responsible for event-related increases in the concentrations of in-stream waterborne pathogens in many watersheds. However, there are significant knowledge gaps concerning the precise mechanisms of pathogen transport. This article reviews the fate and transport of pathogens in watersheds supplying drinking water, from their deposition in feces and septic seepages on land to their dispersion in major tributaries. Pathogens considered representative of those associated with waterborne disease included enteric viruses derived from human fecal contamination, bacterial pathogens represented by Escherichia coli O157:H7, and the protozoan pathogens Cryptosporidium and Giardia. References to suitable model and index organisms for these pathogens are described. The key processes determining the fate and transport of pathogens within watersheds are discussed in the context of changing agricultural practices, climate, and scale factors. A generic conceptual model for watershed processes is described in light of the knowledge gaps identified from this review. Future areas for fundamental research were identified and included: (1) inactivation kinetics of pathogens in soil and fecal matrices; (2) characterization of the particle sizes with which pathogens are transported; (3) characterization of pathogen properties and watershed-specific features that affect terrestrial transport and attenuation; and (4) the inactivation and sedimentation of pathogens during their initial introduction to the aquatic environment. Such information is critical to advance the assessment of pathogen total maximum daily loads (TMDL), determining management priorities and appropriate control points, as well as integrating pathogens within the broader watershed hydrologic models.
The Molten State of Graphite. An Experimental Study.

A subsecond laser heating technique has been successfully applied for graphite melting under controlled isobaric conditions. During the applied pulses, relatively large amounts of graphite were melted and subsequently solidified under good stability conditions of the liquid mass. The solid–liquid-vapor triple point was determined. From metallographic analysis of the quenched liquid, the expansion upon melting could be estimated. A mathematical model was then applied to analyze the measured thermograms and the thermal conductivity of liquid carbon was deduced. Both experimental observations and calculation results indicate a nonmetallic nature of liquid carbon in the pressure range of 110–2500 bar. Finally, an analysis of the melting line Tm(p) based on Simon’s empirical equation of state confirms the self-consistency of all results obtained.
Energy landscapes of model polyalanines

A parallel searching algorithm based on eigenvector-following is used to generate databases of minima and transition states for all-atom models of Ac(ala)12NHMe and Ac(ala)16NHMe. The AMBER95 force field of Cornell et al. [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 117, 5179 (1995)] is employed both with and without a simple implicit solvent. We use a master equation approach to analyze the dynamics of both systems, and relate the results to the potential energy landscapes using disconnectivity graphs. The low-lying regions of both energy landscapes are compared and found to be remarkably similar. α-helix formation occurs via an ensemble of pathways involving both the N- and C-termini. The global minima of the two systems are also located using the CHARMM22 force field of Mackerell et al. [J. Phys. Chem. B 102, 3586 (1998)], for comparison with AMBER95.
Stochastic Analysis of Coded Multicasting for Shared Caches Networks

The work establishes the exact fundamental limits of stochastic coded caching when users share a bounded number of cache states, and when the association between users and caches, is random. This association can greatly affect performance, which improves when the association is more balanced across the caches, and which deteriorates when this association becomes less uniform. Our work provides a statistical analysis of the average performance of such networks, quantifying the effect of randomness by identifying in closed-form, the exact optimal average delivery time. To insightfully capture this delay, we derive the exact scaling laws of the optimal average delivery time. In the scenario where delivery involves $K$ users, we conclude that the multiplicative performance deterioration due to randomness - as compared to the well-known deterministic uniform case - can be unbounded and can scale as $\Theta\left(\frac{\log\Lambda}{\log\log\Lambda}\right)$ at $K=\Theta(\Lambda)$, and that as $K$ increases, this deterioration gradually reduces, and ceases to scale when $K=\Omega(\Lambda\log\Lambda)$. The above analysis is validated numerically.
Moessbauer spectroscopy and magnetization studies of .alpha.- and .beta.-ruthenium trichloride

99 Ru Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetization studies were performed on anhydrous ruthenium trichlorides, black α-RuCl 3 and shown β-RuCl 3 . Measurements on the β-form were made on samples prepared by a new method. The isomers were found to have quite distinct magnetic properties. The 99 Ru Mosbauer spectrum of α-RuCl 3 exhibits large hyperfine magnetic splitting at 5 K with the magnitude of the hyperfine magnetic field being 209 kOe
Nuclear spin order and excitation of inner-shell electrons in macromolecular structure research. An application to the large subunit of the E. coli ribosome

Contrast variation is a commonly employed method of structure analysis by small-angle scattering. Thermal neutrons and X-ray synchrotron radiation have led to a renaissance of non-destructive labelling methods like anomalous scattering and spin-contrast variation for the study of the in situ structure of macromolecular components. Anomalous scattering from sulfur and phosphorus has been used to identify ribosomal proteins and rRNA of the large subunit of the E. coli ribosome. For polarized neutron scattering from dynamic polarized targets, rRNA and the ribosomal proteins were deuterated separately and studied in deuterated and in undeuterated solvents. The structural parameters of rRNA and the whole of the ribosomal proteins obtained by these methods are in good agreement with earlier results obtained from neutron scattering in H2O/D2O mixtures.
Oxidchloride unter reduzierenden Bedingungen: Einkristalle von NdOCl und GdOCl [1]

Bei der metallothermischen Reduktion von NdCl3 bzw. GdCl3 mit Natrium werden, durch kaum vermeidbare oxydische Verunreinigungen bedingt, Einkristalle von NdOCl bzw. GdOCl durch Kristallisation aus der Schmelze erhalten. Die Kristallstrukturen (PbFCl-Typ, P4/nmm, Z = 2) wurden verfeinert. Es ist: a = 402,49(2); c = 678,37(5) pm (NdOCl) und a = 394,95(3); c = 667,08(7) pm (GdOCl). Oxychlorides under Reducing Conditions: Single Crystals of NdOCl and GdOCl Single crystals of NdOCl and GdOCl are obtained in metallothermic reduction reactions of NdCl3 and GdCl3, respectively, with sodium due to ubiquitous oxidic impurities by crystallization from the melt. The crystal structures of NdOCl [a = 402.49(2), c = 678.37(5) pm] and GdOCl [a = 394.95(3), c = 667.08(7) pm], both PbFCl structure type (P4/nmm, Z = 2) were refined.
Effect of Temperature and Water on Gaseous Emissions from Soils Treated with Animal Slurry

Microbial respiration and denitrification are greatly affected by abiotic factors, but they are difficult to assess in natural environments. Under controlled conditions the interactions between temperature and soil water content on microbial respiration, N{sub 2}O production, and denitrification in soil amended with animal slurries were studied. The effects of the abiotic factors on the biological processes were monitored for 8 wk in repacked soil cores amended with pig or cattle slurry. The soil cores were incubated at 43, 57, and 72% water-filled pore space (WFPS) and at 10, 15, and 20 C with or without addition of 10% acetylene. The amount of N{sub 2}O lost at 72% WFPS corresponded to 8 to 22% of the slurry's NH{sub 4}{sup +} content, but for only 0.01 to 1.2% at 43 to 57% WFPS. The amount of available C accounted for by denitrification was 8 to 16% of total respiration at 72% WFPS, but only 0.03 to 0.4% at 43 to 57% WFPS. Both N{sub 2}O production and denitrification peaked earlier in the cattle-slurry treated soil than in the pig-slurry treated soil, whereas the total N loss was greatest from the latter. Neither amendments nor soil water contents seemed to affect the Q{submore » 10}-values for the CO{sub 2} production, resulting in values between 1.6 and 2.6. At 72% WFPS, N{sub 2}O production and denitrification had Q{sub 10}-values ranging between 3.3 and 5.4. High temperatures enhanced both aerobic respiration and denitrification, and aerobic respiration further enhanced denitrification by consuming oxygen, resulting in strong sensitivity of denitrification to temperature. « less
Improving efficiency of high‐concentrator photovoltaics by cooling with two‐phase forced convection

The potential of increasing high‐concentrator photovoltaic cell efficiency by cooling with two‐phase flow is analyzed. The governing energy equations were used to predict cell temperature distributions and cell efficiencies for a photovoltaic cell under 100 suns' concentration. Several design conditions were taken into consideration in the analysis, including cooling channel height, working fluid type (between water and R134a), working fluid inlet temperature, pressure, and mass flow rate. It was observed that the dominant parameter for increasing cell efficiency was the working fluid saturation temperature, which itself is affected by a number of the aforementioned design parameters. The results show R134a at low inlet pressures to be highly effective in this two‐phase cooling design. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
INTERACTIONS INVOLVING COPPER TOXICITY AND PHOSPHORUS DEFICIENCY IN BUSH BEAN PLANTS GROWN IN SOLUTIONS OF LOW AND HIGH pH

Bush bean plants were grown in nutrient solution with treatments to result in stresses of CaCO3 (Cu deficiency), excess Cu, and P deficiency. When moderate P deficiency and high Cu toxicity were both simultaneously imposed, the interaction resulting in poor growth was synergistic when the solution pH was about 4. When the solution pH was about 8, the interaction was less synergistic. The high pH considerably suppressed the uptake of the Cu. The results are further evidence that liming can decrease much of the interactive synergistic effects of toxic concentrations of multiple trace metals. Low P resulted in increased Cu in roots at the low pH. The P deficiency was more conductive to Fe deficiency induced by high Cu than was adequate P.
Determination of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons in air and water with solid-phase microextraction

A method for sampling volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons in either gaseous or aqueous samples using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is presented. In the liquid phase, method limits of detection of 1–130 ng l–1 can be achieved with an electron-capture detector. The method is linear over at least 2–4 orders of magnitude and has a relative standard deviation of 1–5%. In the gaseous phase, the method has limits of detection in the parts per trillion (v/v) range when used with an electron-capture detector. The linear range is at least two orders of magnitude and the relative standard deviation is 1–7%. Sample preparation times range from 10 min for gaseous samples to 20 min for liquid samples. The method is comparable to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methods 502.2 and TO-14. The precision of the technique is relatively independent of the number of injections made per container. Samples can be stored for up to 20 min on the fibre if they are capped and refrigerated. The amount absorbed by the fibre decreases with increasing temperature and increasing humidity.
The Effect of a Laminar Moving Flame Front on Thermoacoustic Oscillations of an Anchored Ducted V-Flame

When investigating combustion instabilities using analytical models, it has previously been assumed that the compact flame assumption implied that the flame-front movement did not need to be taken into account to solve the acoustics. This article shows that this is not necessarily the case. This article presents a generalization of such models of anchored V-flames to allow the flame “source” of acoustic waves to vary its position in time so as to track the flame-front location. A method for solving this problem is then presented. It is found that accounting for the flame front movement can alter both the linear stability of the combustor, and (for cases that remain unstable) the limit cycle amplitude. Significant changes in limit cycle amplitude are observed across a large range of operating conditions. The flame front movement has so far only been seen to provide a stabilizing effect, reducing the Rayleigh source term. Self-tuning regulator adaptive control methods appear to be unaffected by accounting for the moving flame front.
Giant Chromatic Lipid/Polydiacetylene Vesicles for Detection and Visualization of Membrane Interactions

We present the construction of microscopic vesicular particles comprising phospholipids and polydiacetylene (PDA), a polymer with unique color and fluorescence properties. We show that the vesicle‐embedded PDA domains function as chromatic reporters of membrane events, undergoing dramatic colorimetric and fluorescence transformations induced by interactions with membrane‐active species. In particular, the micrometer sizes of the giant vesicles facilitate their utilization for visual inspection of membrane events by conventional microscopy techniques. The morphology, size, and chromatic properties of the vesicular aggregates depend upon the type of phospholipids and the molecular ratio between the phospholipids and diacetylene, indicating that the lipids and polymer form interdependent domains within the vesicles. The giant chromatic aggregates have been employed for detection and microscopic visualization of varied membrane processes, including lipid interactions of lipophilic drugs, binding of antimicrobial peptides, and membrane attachment by virus particles.
Some studies of benzenoid-quinonoid resonance. Part 2.—The effect of solvent polarity on the structure and properties of merocyanine dyes

The SCF π-electron theory with bond length optimization, described in part 1, has been used to calculate the effects of solvent polarity on the structure and spectroscopic properties of a simple merocyanine dye. The calculations predict a minimum in energy and oscillator strength of the first absorption band over the range of solvent parameters used, but these extrema should not occur at the same solvent compositions. The measured u. -v. spectra can be interpreted from these results, and the n.m. r. chemical shifts, which change with solvent, can be correlated with calculated net atom charges.
Ion-Triggered Exfoliation of Layer-by-Layer Assembled Poly(acrylic acid)/Poly(allylamine hydrochloride) Films from Substrates: A Facile Way To Prepare Free-Standing Multilayer Films

A facile way to prepare sheet- and tubelike free-standing films of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) was developed by exfoliating PAA/PAH multilayer films from substrates in acid aqueous solution containing copper ions. The exfoliation of the PAA/PAH film from the substrate was achieved by breaking the electrostatic interaction of the PAA layer with the underlying substrate while keeping the integrity of the resultant films. Further study shows that thermally cross-linked free-standing PAA/PAH film can be prepared by treating the film in acid aqueous solution with a pH of 2.0. The ion-triggered exfoliation of PAA/PAH multilayer film provides a simple and flexible way to prepare layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled free-standing multilayer films.
Determination of the free energy of adsorption on carbon blacks of a nonionic surfactant from aqueous solutions

The adsorption of a nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100) from aqueous solutions has been studied on six carbon blacks with very different specific surface areas. The surface area occupied per surfactant molecule on the carbon black surface and the free energy of adsorption have been evaluated from the adsorption isotherms. Also, the free energy of adsorption has been determined from the free energy of interaction between adsorbent and adsorbate through water. The results obtained from both methods are in good agreement. They indicate that adsorption progresses following two different processes: the first one deals with the direct interaction between carbon black surface and adsorbate molecules, and the second one mainly due to the interaction between surfactant molecules at the adsorbent−solution interphase.
Flow-through TiO2 nanotube arrays: a modified support with homogeneous distribution of Ag nanoparticles and their photocatalytic activities

Silver decorated TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTAs) show great potential applications for photocatalysis and gas sensors. In this work, we report an improved strategy to modify the morphology of flow-through TiO2 nanotube arrays (f-TNTAs) for homogeneous Ag nanoparticle loading, and their photocatalytic activities are also investigated. Firstly, TNTAs were fabricated by potentiostatic anodization in fluoride-containing electrolytes. Subsequently, a high voltage was immediately exerted, and then a low potential was applied at the end of anodization process. The as-prepared f-TNTAs with improved bottom morphologies were finally obtained. This new kind of support was immersed in AgNO3 solution, and then the absorbed silver ions were reduced to metallic Ag0 by UV light. Compared with conventional TiO2 nanotube arrays (c-TNTAs), the modified f-TNTAs show a better ability for the dispersion of Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in different regions (upper, central and bottom region) of the nanotubes. A series of testing measures (XPS, EDX, SEM and XRD) were adopted to confirm this facile process. Ag decorated f-TNTAs were used as photocatalysts for the degradation of Methyl Orange (MO) under UV light. The degradation rate could reach 54% in 10 min, and the complete degradation of MO was observed after 30 min. These results were much better than that of Ag decorated c-TNTAs. The modified f-TNTAs via our method can also be used to couple with other noble metals or compound semiconductors. These composite structures are expected to find potential applications in photoelectric devices, gas sensors, and photocatalysis.
Adsorption of Aqueous Selenite [Se(IV)] Species on Synthetic Layered Double Hydroxide Materials

Layered double hydroxide materials (Zn/Al, Mg/Al, Zn/Fe) with varying composition (M 2+ :M 3+ molar ratio, x = 3, 2, 1, and 0.33) were synthesized and evaluated for their selenium adsorption characteristics in aqueous medium. Zn/Al and Mg/Al LDHs with x = 3 and 2, exhibited very high selenite adsorption capacity. XRD patterns of the pristine LDHs, LDH after selenite adsorption, and chloride ion leaching studies revealed that adsorption of selenium on the LDHs occurred through both surface adsorption and ion-exchange mechanism. The adsorption data was fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. A pseudo second-order kinetic model was used to describe the adsorption kinetics of selenite on LDH materials. Desorption of selenite ions in water from the LDH-Se matrix was studied up to 5 h.
TIME OF NITROGEN APPLICATION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON ‘GOLDEN DELICIOUS’ APPLE YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY

Nitrogen (N) fertilization influences apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) yield and quality, but less is known about the effect of rate and timing of fertilization on fruit quality. Rate and time of N fertilization (114 g/tree in Nov.+68 g/tree in May, 227 g/tree in Aug., 45 g/tree for 4 weeks starting in Aug., 136 g/tree in Aug., and 68 g/tree Aug. and May) affected N concentrations in flowers, bourse leaves, and in mid-terminal leaves of current season's growth. Return bloom and yield were highest for trees with the highest rate of N applied in August and they were lowest for trees with the lowest rate of N applied in a split application in May and August. Fruit size, color, firmness, soluble solids, and titratable acids, either at harvest or after 90 days in regular atmosphere storage, were not influenced by all five relatively low rates of N application. The best N treatment for fruit quality was with the low rate of N application in August. Highest fruit firmness, soluble solids content, and titratable acidity after storage occurred in fruit from trees that were harvested in 1997 with the lowest yield, regardless of N application. Return bloom, flower, and leaf N were good predictors of yield. Due to alternate bearing tendencies yield was a better predictor of fruit firmness, soluble solids, and titratable acidity than leaf N. The best N treatment for highest yield without sacrificing fruit quality was a single application (227 g) in August each year.