Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemistry of the interactions of acetaldehyde scavengers for poly(ethylene terephthalate)

The acetaldehyde (AA) scavenging mechanisms of anthranilamide, metaxylenediamine (MXDA), and alpha-cyclodextrin were investigated through a combination of proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and mass spectrometry techniques. AA was found to react with the amide and amine groups of anthranilamide to produce a two-ring structure with water as a byproduct. MXDA possesses two terminal, primary amines that make it difunctional. The aldehyde group of AA reacts with each primary amine to create an imine group and water. The imine groups were found to act as chromophores, supporting the results of previous work with poly (ethylene terephthalate). The AA scavenging mechanism for alpha-cyclodextrin was determined through concentration dependent NMR experiments. As the concentration of alpha-cyclodextrin was increased, the chemical shifts of AA's protons increased until a saturation point was reached at a molar ratio of one to one. This indicates that each alpha-cyclodextrin accommodates one AA molecule through hydrogen bonding and a size-enclosure mechanism. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 4191–4200, 2013
Hydroxyl contents of accessory minerals in mantle eclogites and related rocks

Infrared spectra in the region 3000 to 3800 cm^(-1) have been measured on coesite, kyanite, sanidine, and rutile occurring in inclusions of eclogite, and on garnet and spinel in an inclusion of alkremite from South African kimberites. Coesite and sanidine contain virtually no H_2O or OH, although one sanidine crystal was observed to contain abundant H2O, apparently as fluid inclusions of molecular H2O. Kyanite contains significant OH, consistent with previous results for similar samples. Corundum gives no indication of the presence of H_2O or OH. Rutile containing significant amounts of Fe, Cr, Al, and Nb also contains significant amounts of structural OH. Garnet in alkremite contains small amounts of molecular H_2O, whereas the spinel coexisting with this garnet gives no indication of H_2O or OH, indicating that the spinel structure is not able to accommodate significant amounts of OH. Ammonium contents of all samples were less than the detection limit (about 10 ppm).
Electroluminescent poly(fluorene-co-thiophene-S, S-dioxide): synthesis, characterisation and structure-property relationships

A new copolymer, constituted by the regular alternation of a fluorene derivative with a 1,1-dioxothiophene moiety, has been synthesised via Suzuki coupling. The molecular, thermal, structural, and photophysical characterisations have been performed. The material showed two dimensional order, enhanced by annealing; molecular modelling calculations afforded a consistent structural model accounting for the optical data. In comparison with both polyfluorenes and 1,1-dioxothiophene oligomers the unusual photoluminescence quantum yields observed in solution and in the solid state can be related to a significant contribution of internal conversion to the deactivation process in solution, and the formation of intra-chain hydrogen-bonds, due to a peculiar chain conformation, in the solid state. LED devices based on this new copolymer showed the highest efficiency compared with similar copolymers containing both fluorene and 1,1-dioxothiophene functionalities.
Influence of Proanthocyanidin on Motility and Osmotic Resistance Parameters of Merino Ram Sperm During Short Term Storage

Proantosiyanidin oligomerlerinin aktivitesi, antioksidan etki acisindan C vitamini ve E vitaminine gore yaklasik 50 kat daha fazladir. Bu calismanin amaci, koc spermasinin kisa sureli saklanmsi sirasinda, farkli dozlardaki sulandiriciya eklenen proantosiyanidin, koc spermatozoon motilitesi, membran butunlugu ve canliligi uzerine etkilerini arastirmaktir. Ejakulatlar, sezon disinda dort Merinos koctan elektroajakulator yardimiyla haftada bir kez toplandi ve bu islem alti kez tekrarlandi. Ejakulatlar dort esit parcaya bolunerek proantosiyanidin (10, 50 ve 100 ug / ml) iceren ve hicbir katki maddesi icermeyen (kontrol) sulandiricilar ile nihai ml’de 150x106/ml spermatozoa olacak sekilde sulandirildi. Sulandirilan sperma ornekleri + 4 ° C'de 72 saat suresince saklandi ve spermatozoa motilitesi, membran butunlugu ve canliligi uc gunluk saklama suresi boyunca degerlendirildi. Motilite, 37 ° C'de faz kontrast mikroskop ile subjektif olarak degerlendirildi. Membran butunlugu ve canliligi, eozin boyama testi ile hipoozmotik direnc testinde (HOST/E) degerlendirildi. 24, 48 ve 72 saat sonra, + 4 ° C'de saklanan koc spermasinda 10 μg / ml proantosiyanidin ile muamele edilmis spermatozoon ornekleri kontrol grubuna gore daha yuksek motilite ve HOST / Eosin test sonuclari gostermistir (p <0,05). Sonuc olarak koc sperminin +4 oC'de saklanmasinda sulandiriciya eklenen 10 μg / ml proantosiyanidin kontrol ve diger antioksidan gruplarina gore daha iyi bir koruyucu etki gosterdigi belirlendi.
Reducing risks in spare parts service contracts with a long downtime constraint

Abstract This article investigates spare parts service contracts for capital goods. We consider a single-item, single-location inventory system that serves one customer with multiple machines. During the contract execution phase, the true demand rate is observed. It can differ from the estimated demand rate because of two factors: increased demand variation in finite horizon settings and a shift in the mean utilization of the machines by the user during the contract. When the true demand rate is higher than the estimated demand rate, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is faced with higher-than-expected costs for the execution of the contract, and the asset user is generally faced with a higher number of extreme long downtime events. Therefore, we introduce the flexible-time contract, which ends after a predetermined number of demands. Using a Markov decision process, we prove that a state-dependent base stock policy is optimal under a flexible-time contract. Using simulation, we compare the flexible-time contract with the standard fixed-time contract. Our results show that the flexible-time contract reduces the costs for the OEM by up to 35% and prevents not meeting the agreed-on service level. We obtain similar results in a multi-item setting.
Seasonal variations in vertical distribution of methanogenic activity and Fe(II) content and relationship between them in wetland rice field soil

Abstract Methanogenic activity and Fe(II) content in soil samples collected at different depths of the plow layer in a wetland rice field were determined over a period of 1 y. The methanogenic activity increased at first in the top layer of soil (0–1 cm in depth) during the continuous flooding period of the field and the activity decreased after the period of midseason drainage. In contrast, in the deeper soil layers, the increase in the activity persisted during the period of intermittent irrigation after midseason drainage and the period of the highest methanogenic activity at each depth in the year varied for about 1 month depending on the depth. The Fe(II) content in soil did not change appreciably during the continuous flooding period regardless of the soil depth. However, after midseason drainage, the content significantly varied with depth. Thus, until the midseason drainage, a sharp increase in the methanogenic activity preceded the increase in the Fe(II) content in the surface (0–1 cm) soil layer, while the opposite was observed in the deeper soil layers. Based on these data, the relationship between the methanogenic activity and Fe(II) content in soil was investigated by calculating the correlation coefficients between them and comparing the slopes and constants of regression lines obtained. It was found that although during the cropping season of rice the methanogenic activity depended mainly on the Fe(II) content in soil as a whole, the relationship between the two parameters was different before and after the period of midseason drainage. The relationship between them before the midseason drainage was distinctly different depending on the depth, while after the midseason drainage the relationship was almost the same irrespective of the depth. During the non-cropping season, no correlation was obtained between the two parameters. Most of the correlation coefficients between the methanogenic activity and the soil temperature were low for all the data sets examined except for the deepest soil layer (13–15 cm) during the cropping season. Correlation coefficients between the methanogenic activity and water content in soil were also low.
ACCURACY ANALYSIS OF SENTINEL 2A AND LANDSAT 8 OLI+ SATELLITE DATASETS OVER KANO STATE (NIGERIA) USING VEGETATION SPECTRAL INDICES

This study explores the capabilities of Sentinel-2 over Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imageries for vegetation monitoring in the vegetated region of Minjibir LGA in Kano State. Accurate vegetation mapping is essential for monitoring crop and sustainable agricultural practice. Vegetation indices, comprising the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Green Chlorophyll Index (GCI), Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Moisture Stress Index (MSI) were determined for each year. The findings showed an increase in Sentinel 2A value of the vegetation indices with respect to Landsat 8 throughout the time of the study (2015-2019). The best average performance over the supervised classification was obtained using Sentinel-2A bands, which are dependent on the training sample and resolution. While the spectral consistency of the data was inferred by cross-calibration analysis using regression analysis. The spatial consistency was assessed by descriptive statistical analysis of examined variables. Regarding the spatial consistency, the mean and standard deviation values of all variables were steady for all seasons excluding for the mean value of the LAI and MSI. Based on this finding, it is recommended that Sentinel-2A data could be used as a complementary data source with Landsat 8 OLI in vegetation assessment. * Corresponding author
Low-Temperature Hydrothermal Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Structures on Glass, Silicon and Indium Tin Oxide Substrates

In this study, a low-temperature hydrothermal method is used to synthesize crystalline zinc oxide powders with various morphologies on glass, silicon and indium tin oxide substrates. The study found that each respective substrate produced a variation in the morphology of the zinc oxides produced at the reaction temperature of 90 oC. The crystallinity and particle size of the zinc oxide structures on each substrate type was characterized using both X-ray diffraction and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy.
SEMI-PREPARATIVE SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION OF THREE FLAVONOIDS FROM PEDICULARIS LONGIFLORA VAR. TUBIFORMIS (KLOTZSCH) P. C. TSOONG BY HSCCC

An effective high–speed counter–current chromatography (HSCCC) method was established for semi-preparative isolation and purification of bioactive chemical constituents from the Tibetan medicinal plant Pedicularis longiflora var. tubiformis (Klotzsch) P. C. Tsoong. With a two-phase solvent system composed of chloroform–methanol–water (8:4:5, v/v), 40 mg of extract was separated to yield luteolin (12.5 mg), apigenin (9.6 mg), and chrysoeriol (4.8 mg), with purities of 99.3, 98.2, and 98.6%, respectively, as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The chemical structures of these three components were identified by 1H NMR and 13C NMR.
Techniques and skills of indigenous weather and seasonal climate forecast in Northern Ghana

ABSTRACT There are strong calls to integrate scientific and indigenous forecasts to help farmers adapt to climate variability and change. Some studies used qualitative approaches to investigate indigenous people's techniques for forecasting weather and seasonal climate. In this study, we demonstrate how to quantitatively collect indigenous forecast and connect this to scientific forecasts. We identified and characterized the main indigenous ecological indicators (IEIs) local farmers in Northern Ghana use for forecasting. Mental model was constructed to establish the relationship between IEIs and their forecasts. Local farmers were trained to send their rainfall forecast with mobile apps and record observed rainfall with rain gauges. Results show that farmers forecast techniques are based on established cognitive relationship between IEIs and forecast events. Skill assessment shows that on the average both farmers and Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) were able to accurately forecast one out of every three daily rainfall events. Performance at the seasonal scale showed that unlike farmers, GMet was unable to predict rainfall cessation in all communities. We conclude that it is possible to determine the techniques and skills of indigenous forecasts in quantitative terms and that indigenous forecasts are not just intuitive but a skill developed over time and with practice.
Evaluation of the Existing Solar Energy and Rainwater Potential in the Total Roof Area of Buildings: Izmit District Example

In this research, an exemplary study has been conducted in order to draw attention to the importance of evaluating the existing potential on the roofs of buildings. This research offers an evaluation of the existing solar energy and rainwater potential on the total roof area of the buildings in the Izmit district, which is a central district of Kocaeli province, one of the busiest centers of industry in Turkey. The calculations in this study were carried out by using the data obtained from various institutions. As a result of these calculations, the ratio of electrical energy that can be provided with photovoltaic systems on roofs to meet the annual electricity consumption of the district was found to be 203.581%, and the annual solar energy utilization rate for a family of 4 to bring 240 liters of daily use water temperature to 60°C with an 8 m2 collector area was calculated as 66%. In addition, the ratio of rainwater that can be collected from the total roof area of the existing buildings in the district to meet the domestic water consumed by the district was found to be 33.27%.
Research of dependence centrifugal pump efficiency of impeller slit seal design parameters

Efficiency and resource are the two main characteristics of a centrifugal pump. In present study, the dependence of these characteristics from impeller sealing wear ring configuration was considered. Range of models with various configurations has been analyzed using numerical flow simulation. Compromise curves nave been obtained as a result. This information allows select an optimal ratio of dimensions of wear ring hydrodynamic slit seal to achieve a balance between efficiency and reliability of centrifugal pump.
Strategic Operation of Hydroelectric Power Plants in Energy Markets: A Model and a Study on the Hydro-Wind Balance

The European Union defined ambitious targets for the production of energy from renewable energy sources. Most European markets trade now high levels of variable renewable energy (VRE). Renewable generation increases the variability and uncertainty of the net-load (i.e., demand minus VRE). To a large extent, this variability and uncertainty can be compensated by hydroelectric power plants. Typically, hydro power producers (HPPs) consider the periods of time with low market prices (and normally low demand and/or high VRE production) to pump, and the periods with high market prices (and normally high demand and/or low VRE production) to produce energy. This article presents a model for hydro power plants and a study to analyse the hydro-wind balance in a real-world setting, namely a simplified version of the Portuguese power system, involving a significant penetration of hydro and wind power (more than 50%). The study is conducted with the help of the multi-agent system MATREM. The results confirm (and rebut) the typical behavior of hydroelectric power plants (to produce energy, to pump water or to stay idle).
Aromatic imine stereochemistry as studied by 13C and 1H NMR of 15N‐enriched materials

A series of thirteen 15N-enriched N-aryl imines derived from benzaldehydes and acetophenones have been prepared and examined by 13C and 1H NMR. Preferred conformations of the C-arvl and N-aryl rings have been deduced from 13C chemical shifts and 13C-15N couplings. Evidence for steric inhibition of resonance in O-alkylated materials is presented. Relative signs of 1J(CN) and 2J(CCN) have been determined in some compounds. An E: Z interconversion barrier of 21.6 kcal mol−1 has been obtained from 1H NMR coalescence data.
Implementing and Evaluating Health as a Service in Fog and Cloud Computing using Raspberry Pi

Internet of Things (IoT) generates a myriad amount of data, which is sent over the Cloud computing infrastructure for analytics and Business Intelligence. This application scenario suffers network delays, transmission delays and delays in decision making. Due to these drawbacks, the Cloud-based IoT infrastructure is not suitable for time-critical health care applications. To overcome this problem, a smart way is introduced called “Fog Computing” - a LAN based processing approach which has multiple advantages. When IoT, Fog and Cloud Computing are combined, the resultant system’s performance is far better. Hence, the combination results in a very efficient Health Care system. Fog and Cloud Computing have their dimensions that not only support each other but also explore many new application domains. In this paper, the real-time ElectroCardioGram (ECG) based Health Care system is implemented in Cloud and Fog Computing. Different Quality of Service (QoS) parameters like memory consumption, transmission delays, computation delays, network delays, Carbon dioxide emission, data transferred and response time are measured, analyzed and improved to make the system more efficient. Based on the Fog computing characteristics and capabilities, the Raspberry Pi 3 B+ model is configured as a Health Care serving gateway by using different installation and configuration steps. Initially, the proposed system is tested for one patients ECG data analysis over cloud and Fog. In every set up all QoS parameters are measured and later the system is subjected to multiple ECG streams for varying numbers of patients to find the limitations of the Raspberry Pi node as a Fog Computing node. The obtained results show that for more number of ECG streams the Fog node is not able maintain QoS in decision making time. Every QoS parameter is explored in detail for decision-making time. In the end, the Fog computing based proposed system is concluded for its pros and cons and future aspects of the Fog node are discussed to make better systems.
Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities of the unsaponifiable fraction of extra virgin olive oil

The health benefits of olive oil are well-known. In this study, the unsaponifiable fraction of extra virgin olive oil (Unsap) was investigated for reducing power capacity, ferric reducing antioxidant power, fer-rous chelating activity and nitric oxide inhibition. The present study was also designed to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic effect of the Unsap against human carcinoma cells. The anti-inflammatory potential of Unsap has been determined via the inhibition of Human Cyclooxygenases. The results showed that Unsap is efficient for ferric reducing antioxidant power and nitric oxide inhibition. Unsap has a selective effect as anti-inflammatory agent. The results showed moderate to good in vitro antitumor activities of Unsap against human liver, lung and pancreas cancer cells with IC50 ranging from 19.6 to 30.4 μg/mL and good selectivity index (≥ 2). In conclusion, Unsap represents a promising and safe antitumor and antioxidant material that supports the need for further investigation.
Development of a Water Quality Assessment Index for the Chania River, Kenya

Human-related activities are known to have deleterious effects on the water quality of aquatic ecosystems, but there is limited information on the impact of these on rivers in tropical regions, such as the Chania River in Kenya. The Chania River is an important source of water for humans and animals and provides habitat for a variety of flora and fauna. This study used a Water Quality Index (WQI) to assess the suitability of the water for human use based on selected physico-chemical parameters (nitrates, Total Dissolved solids (TDS), potassium, sulphates, chlorides, copper, manganese, pH and phosphates). Sample collection was done between October 2018 and February 2019 over the dry and the wet seasons. Generally, the WQI indicated that water quality was fair to good in the dry season (19.67 to 30.10) but fair to poor in the wet season (23.17 to 89.15). It is recommended that the riparian zone of the Chania River be protected from anthropogenic disturbances in the County Kiambu.
Wearable biosensors for monitoring spatiotemporal grip force data in real time

Biosensors and wearable sensor systems with transmitting capabilities are currently developed and used for the monitoring of health data, exercise activities, and other performance data. Unlike conventional approaches, these devices enable convenient, continuous, and/or unobtrusive monitoring of a user’s behavioral signals in real time. Examples include signals relative to hand movements and individual grip force data, which directly translate into spatiotemporal grip force profiles for the different measurement loci on the fingers and/or palm of the hand. Wearable sensor systems combine innovation in sensor design, electronics, data transmission, power management, and signal processing for statistical analysis, as will be shown in this presentation. The first part briefly summarizes current state of the art in grip force profiling to highlight important functional aspects. Then, wearable sensor technology in the form of sensor glove systems for the real-time monitoring of task skill evolution during training in a simulator task will be described on the basis of the spatiotemporal evolution of individual grip force profiles and their statistical and functional analysis. Although a lot of research is currently devoted to this area, many technological aspects still remain to be optimized, and new methods for data analysis and knowledge representation are urgently needed, as will be clarified in the discussion. Wearable sensor technology represents an open challenge for the scientific community and its further development partly relies on contributions from women researchers from multiple disciplines, as pointed out in the final conclusions of this presentation.
Sea salt deliquescence and crystallization in atmosphere: an in situ investigation using x‐ray phase contrast imaging

X‐ray phase contrast imaging (PCI) based on synchrotron radiation was introduced for the first time as an in situ imaging way to investigate sea salt phase change, i.e. deliquescence and crystallization in atmospheric environment. A performance on the deliquescence of pure NaCl, which is the dominant component in sea salt, demonstrated that this technique can directly observe the change of core particle and differentiate the outer water layer clearly in solid‐aqueous system of ~100 µm scale. The imaging results showed that sea salt particle deliquesced on a large scale of relative humidity (RH) between 34 and 97% RH as a solid–liquid drop, while no clear deliquescence RH was observed during the process. According to the drop size growth curve, sea salt deliquescence can be divided into three steps, namely water accumulating step (34–75% RH), bulk melting step (75–86% RH) and delay dissolving step (>86% RH), which are most probably dominated by grouped components as MgCl2/CaCl2/MgSO4, NaCl and Na2SO4/KCl/K2SO4, respectively. Instead at a sole RH, the crystallization of sea salt solution occurred at a range of 46–58% RH, which well agreed with the theory proposed by Ge et al. The aqueous‐solid condition provided by sea salt deliquescence and crystallization may greatly enhance the heterogeneous chemical reactions in atmosphere. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.