Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of star-shaped PLLA with sorbitol as core and its microspheres application in controlled drug release

The purpose of this study was to investigate the suitability of a six-arm star-shaped poly(L-lactide)s (s-PLLA) as controlled drug carriers for hydrophobic drug molecules. First, s-PLLA was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide using sorbi- tol as initiator and stannous octoate as catalyst. The structure and molecular weight (Mw) of s-PLLA was characterized with 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and GPC. Second, rifampicin (RIF) used as a model drug was encapsulated within the microspheres of s-PLLA via oil-in-water emulsion/solvent evaporation technique. The morphology, drug encapsulation efficiency (EE), and in vitro release behav- ior of the prepared microspheres were studied in details. Results indicated that the average diameters of s-PLLA microspheres can be controlled between 8 and 20 mm by varying the copolymer's concentration or Mw. The EE of RIF was mainly determined by the con- centration of s-PLLA. The in vitro study showed that the burst release behavior can be depressed by increasing the Mw of the s-PLLA. Present work suggests that the synthesized s-PLLA could be used as a new material for drug delivery. V C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42213.
Ureasilicate hybrid coatings for corrosion protection of galvanized steel in cementitious media

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge the ﬁnancial support from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) for the PhD grant SFRH/BD/62601/2009 and the ﬁnancial support by Centro de Quimica [project F-COMP-01-0124-FEDER-022716 (ref. FCT PestC/Qui/UI0686/2011)-FEDER-COMPETE]. The Authors would also like to thank Hugo Marques Gomes for assisting in the schematic representations.
Evolution of the surface structures on SrTiO3(110) tuned by Ti or Sr concentration

The surface structure of the SrTiO3(110) polar surface is studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Monophased reconstructions in (5 x 1), (4 x 1), (2 x 8), and (6 x 8) are obtained, respectively, and the evolution between these phases can be tuned reversibly by adjusting the Ar+ sputtering dose or the amount of Sr/Ti evaporation. Upon annealing, the surface reaches the thermodynamic equilibrium that is determined by the metal concentration. The different electronic structures and absorption behaviors of the surface with different reconstructions are investigated.
Kinetic model for selective cultivation of microfungi in a microscreen process for food processing wastewater treatment and biomass production

The research was aimed at developing a technology to combine the production of useful microfungi with the treatment of wastewater from food processing. A recycle bioreactor equipped with a microscreen was developed as a wastewater treatment system on a laboratory scale to contain a Rhizopus culture and maintain its dominance under non-aseptic conditions. Competitive growth of bacteria was observed, but this was minimised by manipulation of the solids retention time and the hydraulic retention time. Removal of about 90% of the waste organic material (as BOD) from the wastewater was achieved simultaneously. Since essentially all fungi are retained behind the 100 μm aperture screen, the solids retention time could be controlled by the rate of harvesting. The hydraulic retention time was employed to control the bacterial growth as the bacteria were washed through the screen at a short HRT. A steady state model was developed to determine these two parameters. This model predicts the effluent quality. Experimental work is still needed to determine the growth characteristics of the selected fungal species under optimum conditions (pH and temperature).
5 Why Breastfeeding?

There is no other period of time in human life when the quantity and quality of nutritional supply are of greater importance than during the first months after birth. This is due to the extremely rapid growth of infants who normally double their birth weight in 4–5 months and triple it in the first year; such a growth rate demands a very high requirement of energy and nutrients per kilogram of body weight [1], [2]. The capacity to compensate for a diet that is insufficient in quantity or inadequate in nutritional value is limited. Body reserves of nutrients are very restricted and, particularly during the first months of life, some body functions are not fully developed, such as nutrient absorption, metabolism, and renal conservation. In addition to this fast rate of body mass gain there is a rapid development and differentiation of tissues and organs. During this period of developmental plasticity, environmental cues such as nutrition and metabolism have modifying effects on growth, development, and long-term function and health. An increasing body of evidence indicates that nutrition, particularly during the first two years of life, has a marked impact on later physiology, health, and disease risks; this is commonly referred to as the ‘metabolic programming of lifelong health and disease’ or the ‘developmental origins of adult health’ [1], [3], [4]. 5.2 The Evolution of Lactation
Modeling multicomponent gas separation using hollow‐fiber membrane contactors

A model developed for multicomponent gas separation using hollow-fiber contactors permits simulation of cocurrent, countercurrent, and crossflow contacting patterns with permeate purging (or sweep). The numerical approach proposed permits simulation to much higher stage cuts than previously published work and provides rapid and stable solutions for cases with many components, with widely varying permeability coefficients. This new approach also permits the rational and straightforward incorporation of effects such as permeate sweep, pressure-dependent permeability coefficients, and bore side pressure gradients. Simulation results are presented for separation of commercially significant multicomponent gas mixtures using polymer permeation properties similar to those of polysulfone. The effect of permeate purging on separation performance is explored for air separation. The influence of pressure ratio on hydrogen separation performance for a refinery stream is presented. Air is modeled as a four-component mixture of O2, N2, CO2, and H2O and the refinery stream contains five components: H2, CH4, C2H4, C2H6, and C3H8. In air separation, permeate purging with a small fraction of the residue stream provides a very effective method for improving module efficiency for drying but is not efficient for improving nitrogen purity or recovery. In multicomponent mixtures, maxima in the compositions of components of intermediate permeability may be observed as a function of distance along the hollow fiber. This result suggests the use of membrane staging to capture these components at their maximum concentration.
Elasticity of Single Polyelectrolyte Chains and Their Desorption from Solid Supports Studied by AFM Based Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy

AFM based single molecule force spectroscopy was used for the investigation of single polyelectrolyte chains. Namely, the elasticity of polyvinylamine chains and their desorption from solid surfaces was studied as a function of the polymer's charge density and electrolyte concentration. Experimental force−distance profiles were fitted by the wormlike chain model, including elastic contributions arising from the stretching of bond angles and covalent bonds. It was found that, under the high stretching forces which can be applied in the AFM experiments, the bending rigidity of polyelectrolyte chains (as described by the persistence length) is significantly lower than predicted by Odijk−Skolnick−Fixman (OSF) theory. Furthermore, the desorption force of single physisorbed polymer chains from negatively charged silica surfaces was determined. In addition to the electrostatic interaction between polymer and substrate, which depends linearly on the Debye screening length and the polymer's line charge density, a .
Intensity of Urban Heat Island and Air Quality in Gdańsk during 2010 Heat Wave

During summer unfavorable bioclimatic conditions in cities are primarily related to thermal discomfort caused by the urban heat island, which often is additionally intensified by an increased concentration of air pollution. Temporary deterioration of aero sanitary conditions occurs during summer heat waves and is accompanied by an increased tourist flow toward regions particularly attractive in that time of year, consequently increasing traffic pollution. The objective of the present work is to statistically assess the influence of the intensity of the urban heat island on aero sanitary conditions in the central part of Gdansk in excessively hot conditions during July 2010. The study is based on hourly air temperature and pollution concentration values included in the Common Air Quality Index: nitrogen dioxide (NO2), tropospheric ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter PM10 and PM2.5, and sulphur dioxide (SO2). The results of automatic measurements were obtained from four stations operating within the network of the Agency of Regional Air Quality Monitoring in the Gdansk metropolitan area (ARMAAG). The intensity of the urban heat island was determined by means of differences of the hourly values of air temperature between stations situated in central and peripheral parts of Gdansk, including the station in the direct vicinity of Gdansk Bay. It was found that the urban heat island had a statistically significant influence on thermal sensitivity measured with the use of effective temperature ET. The highest intensity of UHI occurred between the central district (Gdansk Wrzeszcz) and a typical seaside district (Gdansk Nowy Port). In approximately 70% of cases, the intensity was in the range 1-3oC, and its maximum values, over 4oC, occurred in the morning (7-9 a.m.) and evening (5-8 p.m.). Urban heat island intensity in July 2010 had a statistically significant impact on concentrations of all analyzed pollutants and contributed to the decreased air quality in the centre of Gdansk. In general, the strongest influence of the urban heat island intensity was manifested with a 1-5 hour delay, depending on the time of day and type of pollution.
Numerical and experimental study of a 0.25 mu m fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator MOSFET: static and dynamic radio-frequency behaviour

We investigate the static and dynamic characteristics of a 0.25 mum gate-length fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor. Considering properly the physical topology of the transistor with its accesses, numerical simulations are performed using a two-dimensional ensemble Monte Carlo simulator and these are compared with experimental results. Moreover, in the simulation we include important effects that appear in real transistors, such as surface charges, contact resistances, impact ionization phenomena and extrinsic parasitic capacitances. The appearance of a velocity overshoot region near the drain, together with the presence of hot carriers in the channel, is observed in the saturation regime. The dynamic behaviour of the device is described through significant small signal equivalent circuit parameters, which are examined by means of internal quantities (such as profiles of the internal electron concentration), provided by numerical simulations. In general, the device shows excellent performance in terms of important design parameters, such as transconductance-to-current ratio, transconductance and cut-off frequency together with a reduced capacitive coupling to the substrate. The results of the Monte Carlo simulations show an exceptional agreement with the experimental data, thus confirming the validity of the simulator as a reliable toot for the analysis of the influence of geometrical and electrical parameters on the static and dynamic performance of the device.
Coupled nitrogen and oxygen isotope fractionation of nitrate during assimilation by cultures of marine phytoplankton

We report the first measurements of coupled nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) isotopic variations of nitrate (NO ) during its assimilation by laboratory cultures of marine phytoplankton and derive the N and O kinetic isotope effects for nitrate assimilation by three species of diatoms (Thalassiosira weissflogii, Thalassiosira oceanica, and Thalassiosira pseudonana) and a coccolithophorid (Emiliana huxleyi). Large interspecies and intraspecies variations in the N isotope effects were observed. The O isotope effect associated with nitrate consumption was consistently close to the N isotope effect, such that the 18O/16O and 15N/14N of nitrate varied in a ratio of ~1 : 1, regardless of species or of the magnitude of the isotope effect. In addition, the 18O/16O and 15N/14N of internal nitrate of T. weissflogii grown under various environmental conditions were elevated relative to the medium nitrate by a proportion of ~1 : 1. These findings are consistent with a nitrate isotopic fractionation mechanism that involves nitrate reduction as the chief fractionating step. The observed N:O isotopic coupling during nitrate assimilation suggests that combined N and O isotopic measurements of water column nitrate can provide new constraints on the ocean N cycle.
Application of Pretreatment Methods for Reliable Dissolved Organic Nitrogen Analysis in Water—A Review

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is ubiquitously present in the environment, and its occurrence plays important roles in nitrogen cycling and water safety issues. However, analytical techniques for DON are currently not well established. The DON data obtained from conventional methods by subtracting dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN, including nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia) from total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) are subject to aggregated analytical errors and therefore can be low in precision and accuracy. To minimize the subtraction-induced errors, in recent years scientists have examined several pretreatment methods to achieve either direct detection or more reliable analysis of DON. The key challenge is to maximize the extents of DIN removal and DON recovery simultaneously. This review summarizes these pretreatment methods within four categories: (1) membrane methods, (2) adsorptive methods, (3) catalysis methods, and (4) preconcentration methods. By identifying the advantages and disadvantages of each method, this review may facilitate future development of DON detection methods and make DON analysis more rapid, direct, accurate, and precise. According to available information, many studies have endorsed the dialysis method, which is thus favored, except that its processing time needs to be dramatically shortened. Adsorptive methods using ion exchange resins, chromatographic columns, or nonionic adsorbents have been investigated in a few cases with promising results but mixed information regarding the DON loss. Therefore, their use remains controversial and may require optimization and systematic verification in the future. In one study nanofiltration achieved substantial (69–92%) removal of DIN and certain levels (18–22%) of DON loss within 4 hr; this also should be confirmed by more studies. Electrodialysis and reverse osmosis, although not evaluated previously, are known to be robust for removing DIN species and isolating DOM (DOM); therefore, they may merit exploration as alternative methods. In contrast, catalytic reduction of DIN was proven to be inappropriate for DON analysis owing to the high level of DON loss. Lyophilization and rotary evaporation were previously assumed to preserve all solutes, but some evidences suggest that they may cause considerable changes in the DOM content and integrity. Overall, these methods have laid solid groundwork for further studies, and users need to be aware of the limits and potential interferences of these methods in practice.
RANCANG BANGUN MINI WEATHER STATION BERBASIS SMS GATEWAY MENGGUNAKAN ARDUINO UNO

Pengamatan unsur cuaca secara terus menerus merupakan hal yang sangat penting, untuk mengetahui kondisi cuaca sesaat, serta jumlah curah hujan hingga saat ini masih banyak dilakukan secara manual dimana kesalahan akibat faktor manusia (human error) sering terjadi, sementara bila dilakukan secara terus menerus akan mengakibatkan ketidakseimbangan lingkungan, dalam menghindari kesalahan yang diakibatkan faktor manusia pemanfaatan mikrokontroler serta beberapa sensor dapat berfungsi sebagai alat akuisisi data, dengan menambahkan beberapa alat pedukung seperti sarana penyimpanan data serta alat komunikasi, maka terbentuklah suatu sistem pengamatan cuaca otomatis atau yang sering disebut Mini Weather Station (MWS) dengan ukuran yang kecil (portable) serta konsumsi daya yang rendah. Hasil penelitian ini telah berhasil membuat suatu prototype yang selanjutnya dapat dikembangkan untuk keperluan kehidupan sehari hari dalam menjalankan aktifitas untuk memantau perubahan cuaca yang tidak menentu meskipun dalam jarak jauh.
Partial Oxidation of Hydrolysed and Unhydrolysed Textile Azo Dyes by Ozone and the Effect on Biodegradability

This work involved a series of batch tests where Acid Yellow 17, and unhydrolysed and hydrolysed Reactive Black 5 textile dyes were ozonated to assess the efficacy of partial oxidation and associated decolourization, and parent compound degradation. Absorbance readings and a decrease in the chemical oxygen demand/total organic carbon (COD/TOC) confirmed that partial oxidation was the predominant degradation mechanism. An applied dose of 0.6 g 1–1 caused 100% colour removal through dye chromophore cleavage whilst higher doses resulted in further degradation. Biodegradability improvement in ozonated hydrolysed Reactive Black 5 was tracked through biological oxygen demand (BOD5) increase and BOD/COD and BOD/TOC ratios. Partial oxidation improved the biodegradability of hydrolysed Reactive Black 5 and the optimal applied dose requirement for maximum biodegradability improvement was 1.8 gl 1–1, which increased the BOD/TOC and BOD/COD ratios from 0 to 0.58 and 0.27, respectively. This suggested that for maximum biodegradability improvement, partial oxidation must proceed beyond decolourization.
Dry Water: a Prospective Material for Methane Storage via Clathrate Hydrate Form

Dry water (DW) is a powder-like, solidified form of water, where water droplets are surrounded by silica nanoparticles. DW is considered to be an effective medium for gas storage because it can slurp up gases which combine the water molecules to form clathrate hydrate. In this paper, DW was prepared by mixing water and hydrophobic silica particles (H18) at high speeds, and based on which, dry water methane hydrates (DW-MH) were synthesized under certain conditions. The characteristics of DW and DW-MH were investigated by Raman spectroscopy. The results show that DW-MH is a typetical sI clathrate hydrate with hydration number around 5.9. The storage capacity in clathrate hydrate prepared with methane and four different materials, i.e. DW, powder ice, Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) solution and liquid water, was measured by volumetric method. The results showed that DW is prospective medium for gas storage that can increase much higher of the storage capacity compared to other materials.
Effect of Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes on the Electrochemical Performance of Al/Ca Codoped α-Nickel Hydroxide

The effect of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MCNTs) addition on the electrochemical performance of Al/Ca codoped α-nickel hydroxide is studied. The microstructure and electrochemical performance of the prepared samples are characterized by XRD, SEM, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and charge-discharge tests. The results show that the addition of MCNTs could decrease the electrochemical reaction impedance dramatically, improve the electrochemical reaction reversibility, and increase the specific discharge capacity.
Preparation of Porous Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 and β‐Ca3(PO4)2 Bioceramics

Submicrometer-sized, pure calcium hydroxyapatite (HA, (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2)) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP, Ca3(PO4)2) bioceramic powders, that have been synthesized via chemical precipitation techniques, were used in the preparation of aqueous slurries that contained methyl cellulose to manufacture porous (70%–95% porosity) HA or β-TCP ceramics. The pore sizes in HA bioceramics of this study were 200–400 μm, whereas those of β-TCP bioceramics were 100–300 μm. The pore morphology and total porosity of the HA and β-TCP samples were investigated via scanning electron microscopy, water absorption, and computerized tomography.
Process for Forming Passivated Metal Interconnection System with a Planar Surface

1498329 Semiconductor devices INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP 31 March 1976 [1 May 1975] 12964/76 Heading H1K [Also in Division B6] A metal pattern is formed on a substrate (e.g. an integrated circuit wafer 10 carrying a SiO 2 layer 12 having contact openings) by the following steps. (i) There are successively deposited on the substrate a first layer 14 of an organic thermosetting polymerized resin, a second layer 16 of an organic polymerized resin soluble in a solvent which does not attack the first layer 14, and a third layer 18 of a material resistant to reactive ion etching in oxygen. (ii) A resist layer is deposited, exposed and developed to expose selected areas of the layer 18. (iii) The exposed areas of layer 18 are removed, e.g. by reactive ion etching in CF 4 or by dip-etching. (iv) The thus exposed areas of layers 16, 14 are removed by reactive ion etching in an atmosphere containing oxygen, optionally mixed with argon or nitrogen. (v) A metal layer 24 is deposited over the entire surface, having a thickness substantially equal to that of the first layer 14. (vi) The arrangement is exposed to the preferential solvent for the second layer 16, thus removing this layer and everything on it and leaving the first layer 14 with a metal pattern therein having an upper surface substantially coplanar with that of the layer 14. A multilayer metallization pattern may be formed by repetition of these steps. The preferred materials for the various layers are as follows: for layer 14, a polyimide formed by reacting pyromellitic dianhydride with an aromatic diamine which yields a polyamic acid; for layer 16, a polysulphone polymerized resin formed by reacting sulphur dioxide with aromatic or aliphatic vinyl compounds (this is preferentially soluble in nmethyl pyrrolidone, preferably in an ultra-sonic bath); for layer 18, SiO 2 , Al 2 O 2 , Si, Si 3 N 4 , a metal or glass, but preferably a glass resin predominantly of a polymethylsiloxane material. All three layers 14, 16, 18 are preferably spun on, and then subjected to heat. The metal layer 24 may be Al, Mo, Ta or laminated combinations of Cr-Ag-Cr, Mo-Au-Mo or Cr-Cu-Cr.