Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two-point method for kinetic analysis of a thermoluminescence glow peak

We present a method for the estimation of defect (trap) physical parameters from thermoluminescence (TL) glow peaks. In this method, the order of kinetics b is determined using two values of TL intensity each of which corresponds to the same temperature (T 1) on two separate glow peaks of a phosphor. The two glow peaks are obtained from two aliquots of the phosphor irradiated to same dose but read out at different heating rates. The proposed method requires a minimum of only two data points in contrast to standard peak shape (PS) methods that require three points corresponding to three different temperatures on the same glow peak. Once the order of kinetics b is determined, the activation energy E is calculated by taking a second point (T 2) on any one of the two glow peaks. The values of b and E thus obtained are used to evaluate the frequency factor S ′′ and the number of trapped electrons before the heating begins n o. The validity of the method was checked using two numerically generated glow peaks. For the two cases, the method reproduced the input values reasonably well. The method was also used to analyse two experimental glow peaks. The results obtained provide a reasonably good fit to the experimental data. The kinetic parameters calculated using the present technique are comparable to those calculated using PS and initial rise methods. Initial guesses can easily be obtained for E and S ′′ using the present technique when a glow curve is to be deconvoluted with a model consisting of many unknown parameters with E and S″ inclusive.
Transcriptomic time-series analysis of cold- and heat-shock response in psychrotrophic lactic acid bacteria

Background Psychrotrophic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species are the dominant species in the microbiota of cold-stored modified-atmosphere-packaged food products and are the main cause of food spoilage. Despite the importance of psychrotrophic LAB, their response to cold or heat has not been studied. Here, we studied the transcriptome-level cold- and heat-shock response of spoilage lactic acid bacteria with time-series RNA-seq for Le. gelidum, Lc. piscium , and P. oligofermentans at 0 °C, 4 °C, 14 °C, 25 °C, and 28 °C. Results We observed that the cold-shock protein A ( cspA ) gene was the main cold-shock protein gene in all three species. Our results indicated that DEAD-box RNA helicase genes ( cshA , cshB ) also play a critical role in cold-shock response in psychrotrophic LAB. In addition, several RNase genes were involved in cold-shock response in Lc. piscium and P. oligofermentans. Moreover, gene network inference analysis provided candidate genes involved in cold-shock response. Ribosomal proteins, tRNA modification, rRNA modification, and ABC and efflux MFS transporter genes clustered with cold-shock response genes in all three species, indicating that these genes could be part of the cold-shock response machinery. Heat-shock treatment caused upregulation of Clp protease and chaperone genes in all three species. We identified transcription binding site motifs for heat-shock response genes in Le. gelidum and Lc. piscium. Finally, we showed that food spoilage-related genes were upregulated at cold temperatures. Conclusions The results of this study provide new insights on the cold- and heat-shock response of psychrotrophic LAB. In addition, candidate genes involved in cold- and heat-shock response predicted using gene network inference analysis could be used as targets for future studies.
Quantifying the relationship between microbial attachment and mineral surface dynamics using vertical scanning interferometry (VSI)

A major challenge of biogeochemistry is to resolve the precise manner by which microbial activity influences mineral-surface reactions. Although a prerequisite for biological activity at a surface is substrate recognitionand attachment, probing the nature of this biological-geological interface is inherently difficult. While atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful high-resolution imaging technique capable of quantifying mineral-surface and microbial cell structure, it suffers from the invasive nature of tip-sample interactions and a limited field of view. A noninvasive imaging technique is needed that can detect the microbe at the surface and quantify any resulting changes in mineral-surface topography, while maintaining both a high spatial resolution and a large field of view. Vertical scanning interferometry (VSI) meets these requirements and enables the measurement of both local dissolution (etch pits) and global dissolution rates (surface normal retreat). Here we use AFM and VSI as complementary techniques to evaluate the influence of mineral-surface dynamics on the surface colonization of carbonate surfaces by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. It was found that 1) surface colonization occurred more slowly on actively dissolving calcite surfaces than on the less dynamic dolomite and magnesite surfaces; 2) cell attachment reduced calcite dissolution rates by more than 40 percent relative to cell-free controls; 3) surface microtopographical features such as etch pits provide high-energy sites that favor microbial attachment. These results indicate the existence of a complex relationship between microbial surface colonization and mineral-surface dynamics that deserves additional study. Further, this study demonstrates that VSI is an effective method for quantifying mineral-reaction rates in the context of microbial attachment. Direct comparisons with atomic force microscope (AFM) measurements also established VSI as a capable technique for making ex situ measurements of cell and biofilm dimensions on the surface. Accordingly, VSI should be considered a valuable complement to those powerful tools already available to the geomicrobiologist for quantification of processes occurring at the microbe-mineral interface.
Analysis of ionization wave dynamics in low-temperature plasma jets from fluid modeling supported by experimental investigations

This work is devoted to fluid modeling based on experimental investigations of a classical setup of a low-temperature plasma jet. The latter is generated at atmospheric pressure using a quartz tube of small diameter crossed by helium gas flow and surrounded by an electrode system powered by a mono-polar high-voltage pulse. The streamer-like behavior of the fast plasma bullets or ionization waves launched in ambient air for every high-voltage pulse, already emphasized in the literature from experimental or analytical considerations or recent preliminary fluid models, is confirmed by a numerical one-moment fluid model for the simulation of the ionization wave dynamics. The dominant interactions between electron and the main ions present in He–air mixtures with their associated basic data are taken into account. The gradual dilution of helium in air outside the tube along the axis is also considered using a gas hydrodynamics model based on the Navier–Stokes equation assuming a laminar flow. Due to the low magnitude of the reduced electric field E/N (not exceeding 15 Td), it is first shown that consideration of the stepwise ionization of helium metastables is required to reach the critical size of the electron avalanches in order to initiate the formation of ionization waves. It is also shown that a gas pre-ionization ahead of the wave front of about 109 cm−3 (coming from Penning ionization without considering the gas photo-ionization) is required for the propagation. Furthermore, the second ionization wave experimentally observed during the falling time of the voltage pulse, between the powered electrode and the tube exit, is correlated with the electric field increase inside the ionized channel in the whole region between the electrode and the tube exit. The propagation velocity and the distance traveled by the front of the ionization wave outside the tube in the downstream side are consistent with the present experimental measurements. In comparison with the streamer dynamics in a classical corona discharge, it is shown that under the same gas composition the plasma jet ionization waves propagate with a lower velocity (about 5 times), and have a higher diameter (at least 10 times) and a lower plasma density (at least 100 times).
Motor determinants of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders associated with persistent disturbances in social communication and repetitive pattern of behavior. Our work is based on the exploration of the motor disorders associated with this pathology, with a working hypothesis that this approach can offer elements of early diagnosis. For this, we used two animal models of prenatal toxicity (E12.5) in mice: following administration of an antiepileptic agent, valproic acid (VPA) or a synthetic analogue of the double-stranded viral RNA polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I: C). We carried out a general evaluation of postnatal development and a detailed exploration of sociability and fine motor behavior. Our results show: 1- an early motor and sensorimotor deficits in the VPA model, indicating that this model is appropriate for studying the contribution of motor impairments to the etiology of ASD; 2- differential effects on sociability with regards to sexes; 3- the presence of motor deficits but not of social deficits in females. Our results suggest motor behavior can offer an early and quantitative diagnostic tool for ASD. They pave the way to clinical explorations of these deficits and potentially to therapeutic pathways targeted towards the cerebellum.
Development and Evaluation of a Prototype Ambient Particle Concentrator for Inhalation Exposure Studies

AbstractA number of studies have underlined the importance of the acute and chronic effects of ambient particles on respiratory health. Because fine particles are capable of penetrating deeply into the respiratory system, most of the health studies have focused on the res-pirable portion of the particle size spectrum. Previous studies to examine exposureJ response relationships between particle exposure and adverse respiratory effects have been based on artificial preparations, or collected and resuspended ambient particles, rather than the natural material found in ambient air. Artificial particles may not be representative, and collected particles may be difficult to redisperse. In addition, the chemical and physical characteristics of ambient particles may change upon resuspension. We have developed a new technique that enables us to increase the concentration of ambient particles to levels about 10 times higher (or more, if desirableJ than their ambient values and supply them to an exposure chamber. A.
New Phenomena of Charge Damage in Plasma Etching: Heavy Damage Only through Dense-Line Antenna

The effect of antenna shape on charge damage has been examined using electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma metal etching and test devices with an 8-nm-thick gate oxide. A dense-line antenna causes capacitor breakdown and the positive shift of the transistor's threshold voltage (Vt), while a sparse-line antenna does not. This positive Vt shift corresponds to a positive charge-up of the dense line, and is not dependent on overetching. Such damage is hardly observed when the antenna's top surface is exposed to the plasma, indicating that the plasma is uniform in terms of conventional charge damage. These new phenomena can be explained by a new mechanism consisting of electron shading with photoresist patterns. This shading leads to less neutralization of the ion charge impinging onto the transitory metal which remains between the antenna lines because of the microloading effect, and thus the excess positive charge causes the damage.
Effect of lattice occupation behavior of Li+ cations on microstructure and electrical properties of (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-based lead-free piezoceramics

The multisite occupation of Li+ cations in perovskite structure of (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-based solid solution is investigated, which is rarely reported in previous studies. The multisite occupation in relation to the Li2CO3 doping level has been demonstrated with the aid of the microstructure and temperature-dependent conductivity analysis: As the addition of Li2CO3 is below 0.75 mol. %, the introduced Li+ cations precede to enter the A sites of the perovskite lattice to compensate for the A-site deficiency stemming from the high-temperature sintering process. Once the addition exceeds 0.75 mol. %, the excess Li+ cations will occupy B sites to substitute for Ti4+ and give rise to the generation of oxygen vacancies. The proposed multisite occupation behavior of Li+ cations and its derivative effects, involving the clamping effect or grain size effect, have made the piezo-/ferroelectric performances of the 0.85BNT–0.10BKT–0.05BT ceramics optimized at the Li2CO3 addition of 1.0 mol. %:d33 = 163 pC/N, Pr = 40.9 μC/cm2.
Photoactivated Ferric Chloride Oxidation of Carotenoids by Near-UV to Visible Light

When canthaxanthin (I) and β-carotene (II) dichloromethane solutions are treated with small amounts of ferric chloride (≤0.26 mol equiv), extensive photodegradation of the remaining unreacted neutral carotenoid occurs upon subsequent irradiation with near-UV to visible light. The rate of this photodegradation is independent of the neutral carotenoid concentration at a given initial FeCl3 concentration and first-order in initial FeCl3 (k1 = 1.43 and 3.30 min-1 for I and II, respectively). The data are consistent with a mechanism in which Fe(II) is photochemically converted in the presence of CH2Cl2 to Fe(III), which then oxidizes unreacted neutral carotenoids. We also report that canthaxanthin radical cations in dichloromethane form cation dehydrodimers at low temperature or upon irradiation with near-UV to visible light, which have an absorption maximum near 770 nm and a reduction peak at 20 mV in cyclic voltammetry. It is proposed that radical cations associate with parent molecules and then undergo two .
Surface functionalization of cubic boron nitride films for biological sensing applications

Surface functionalization and modification scheme of cubic boron nitride (cBN) films deposited by chemical vapor deposition was demonstrated. A homogeneous layer of amino groups was bonded covalently on the B and/or N atoms of cBN surface via a photochemical reaction with allylamine. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was carried out to verify comprehensively each stage of the surface modification process. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were self-assembled on the amine-terminated cBN surface, and a dense and well-distributed AuNPs monolayer was obtained. Modification of amine-terminated cBN films with amine-modified DNA probes presents an example of applications as DNA biosensors.
A kind of smart gold nanoparticle-hydrogel composite with tunable thermo-switchable electrical properties

A well-dispersed gold nanoparticle–poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAm) hydrogel composite with thermo-switchable electrical properties was prepared by the co-polymerization of Au nanoparticles with attached vinyl groups with NIPAm. The Au nanoparticles and the composite are characterized by TEM, UV-Vis, FTIR, and NMR. At the same time, the electrical conductivity, cyclic voltammetry and constant-pontential technique were used to demonstrate the electrical properties of the composite. It was found that the electrical properties of the composite show a tunable property with changing temperature and the electrical conductivity changes by two orders of magnitude at the transition temperature (Ttran). The Ttran of the composite can be adjusted from 0 °C to 40 °C by changing the concentration of Au nanoparticles, the degree of cross-linking or the composition of composite. The change in electrical properties is reversible in a heating and cooling cycle.
Is the productivity of organic farms restricted by the supply of available nitrogen?

Abstract. This paper reviews information from the literature and case studies to investigate whether productivity in organic systems is restricted by the supply of available N during the major phases of crop growth. Organic systems have the potential to supply adequate amounts of available N to meet crop demand through the incorporation of leys, N rich cash crop residues and uncomposted manures. However, this is seldom achieved because leys are only incorporated once every few years and organically produced crop residues and manures tend to have low N contents and slow mineralization rates. N availability could be improved by delaying ley incorporation until spring, applying uncomposted manures at the start of spring growth, transferring some manure applications from the ley phase to arable crops, preventing cover crops from reaching a wide C:N ratio and better matching crop type with the dynamics of N availability.
Design of identification experiments for robust control. A geometric approach for bivariate processes

A new approach to the design of experiments is proposed to identify linear multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) models that will provide robust control. The experimental designs for identification are based on minimizing uncertainties in the structure of the multivariate model rather than simply the magnitude of identification error. The experimental designs are derived for steady-state robust stability of 2×2 systems using a geometric approach. This approach leads to a simple and unified design approach based on the singular value decomposition (SVD) of the process gain matrix. These robust or control-relevant identification designs for MIMO systems differ considerably from traditional designs developed for single-output systems. Typically in these new multivariate designs, the inputs are correlated, they are not binary sequences, and the magnitudes of the perturbations in low-gain directions are much larger than those in high-gain directions. The results are extended to identification under closed-loop conditions. Dual composition control of distillation processes is used to illustrate the physical interpretations and the effectiveness of the SVD-based design
Performance of a Vapor-Fed Polybenzimidazole (PBI)-Based Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

A high-temperature vapor-fed direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has been implemented using H3PO4-doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) as the electrolyte. The influence of the cell temperature, the methanol concentration, and the oxygen partial pressure has been studied. This investigation included the evaluation of the cell performance, each electrode potential, and crossover current. A lifetime test for 10 days was intermittently carried out to assess the stability of the cell response. Increases in the temperature notably enhanced the performance of the cell, although the methanol crossover also increased. The methanol concentration was found to have an optimum value, because a low amount of methanol led to mass-transfer limitations and a large amount promoted the crossover and limited the availability of water for methanol oxidation. An increase in the oxygen partial pressure markedly improved the cell response. The higher comburent availability and reduced methanol crossover effect explain this behavior. The s.
Tunnel model of liquid diffusion

A tunnel model of liquid diffusion, analogous to Barker's thermodynamic model, is constructed by separating particle motion into components parallel and perpendicular to a tunnel axis. By combining exact results for hard rod systems, one is able to predict both the tunnel diffusion coefficient and the corresponding velocity correlation function. The ratio of the tunnel diffusion coefficient to the Enskog value at the same density and temperature is obtained by matching the virial and the temperature. The value predicted lies outside the range investigated by Alder et al; therefore direct comparison to molecular dynamics results is not possible. However, the velocity correlation function has the negative region characteristic of dense fluids. It is suggested that the derivation of the tunnel model dynamics may be valid at close packed densities.
Disruption of mitochondrial and lysosomal functions by human CACNA1C variants expressed in HEK 293 and CHO cells

Objective To investigate the pathogenesis of three novel de novo CACNA1C variants (p.E411D, p.V622G, and p.A272V) in causing neurodevelopmental disorders and arrhythmia. Methods Several molecular experiments were carried out on transfected human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK 293) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells to explore the effects of p.E411D, p.V622G, and p.A272V variants on electrophysiology, mitochondrial and lysosomal functions. Electrophysiological studies, RT-qPCR, western blot, apoptosis assay, mito-tracker fluorescence intensity, lyso-tracker fluorescence intensity, mitochondrial calcium concentration test, and cell viability assay were performed. Besides, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, ATP levels, mitochondrial copy numbers, mitochondrial complex I, II, and cytochrome c functions were measured. Results The p.E411D variant was found in a patient with attention deficit-hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and moderate intellectual disability (ID). This mutant demonstrated reduced calcium current density, mRNA, and protein expression, and it was localized in the nucleus, cytoplasm, lysosome, and mitochondria. It exhibited an accelerated apoptosis rate, impaired autophagy, and mitophagy. It also demonstrated compromised mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase, complex I, and II enzymes, abnormal mitochondrial copy numbers, low ATP levels, abnormal mitochondria fluorescence intensity, impaired mitochondrial fusion and fission, and elevated mitochondrial calcium ions. The p.V622G variant was identified in a patient who presented with West syndrome and moderate global developmental delay. The p.A272V variant was found in a patient who presented with epilepsy and mild ID. Both mutants (p.V622G and p.A272V) exhibited reduced calcium current densities, decreased mRNA and protein expressions, and they were localized in the nucleus, cytoplasm, lysosome, and mitochondria. They exhibited accelerated apoptosis and proliferation rates, impaired autophagy, and mitophagy. They also exhibited abnormal mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase, complex I and II enzymes, abnormal mitochondrial copy numbers, low ATP, high ROS levels, abnormal mitochondria fluorescence intensity, impaired mitochondrial fusion and fission, as well as elevated mitochondrial calcium ions. Conclusion The p.E411D, p.V622G and p.A272V mutations of human CACNA1C reduce the expression level of CACNA1C proteins, and impair mitochondrial and lysosomal functions. These effects induced by CACNA1C variants may contribute to the pathogenesis of CACNA1C-related disorders.