In this review, several cost-effective thin-film coating methods which include dip-coating, spin-coating, spray-coating, blade-coating, and roll-coating are presented. Each method has its set of advantages and disadvantages depending on the type of application. Not all of them are appropriate for large-scale production due to their certain limitations. That is why the coating method should be selected based on the type and size of substrate including the resolution of the required thin-films. The sol-gel method offers several benefits, such as simplicity in fabrication, excellent film uniformity, the capacity to cover surfaces of any size and over vast areas, and a low processing temperature. Nevertheless, these coating methods are somewhat economical and well managed in low-budget laboratories. Moreover, the produced thin-films are homogeneous and have low-surface roughness. Furthermore, some other thin-film deposition methods such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) are also discussed. Since CVD is not restricted to line-of-sight deposition, a characteristic shared by sputtering, evaporation, and other PVD processes, many manufacturing methods favor it. However, these techniques require sophisticated equipment and cleanroom facility. We aim to provide the pros and cons of thin-film coating methods and let the readers decide the suitable technique for their specific application.

In recent years, there has been growing interest in thermal spray techniques using suspension or solution-based coatings. These techniques offer precise control over particle size and microstructure, improving feedstock flowability and allowing for high-quality coatings customization. Spray parameters, such as stand-off distance (SOD) and feedstock flow rate, can alter the performance and characteristics of these coatings. Geothermal power plant heat exchangers often face issues like corrosion, scaling, and fouling. These issues could be mitigated, at least in part, by the use of spray coatings. In this study, TiO2 coatings were applied to a carbon steel substrate using suspension plasma spray (SPS) to enhance the performance of geothermal heat exchanger materials. The impact of SOD (50, 75, and 100mm) and feedstock flow rate (10, 20, and 30 ml/min) on these coatings was examined through various techniques, including SEM, profilometry, XRD, and adhesion testing. The results demonstrated that coatings deposited using 10ml/min feedstock flow rate were well-adhered to the substrate due to efficient melting of coating material but as the SOD and feedstock flow rate increase due to poor thermal and kinetic energy exchange between the torch and feedstock particles, adhesion between coating and substrate decreases. smaller SODs led to more compact coatings, while higher feedstock flow rates increased coating porosity. Smaller SODs and lower flow rates resulted in well-adhered coatings, offering valuable insights for advancing geothermal heat exchanger coatings.

In this work, we describe the optimization of carbon-based electrodes employed in Bio-Electrochemical Systems (BES) by the deposition on commercial carbon paper electrodes of nanostructured layers of poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxy-thiophene) poly(styrene-sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) via Ultrasonic Spray Coating (USC). This innovative application of USC allowed us to demon-strate that uniform and controlled depositions of PEDOT:PSS can be successfully obtained on car-bon-based electrodes. We characterized the morphology and verified the spatial uniformity of depositions via scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Electrochemical charac-terizations on fabricated electrodes demonstrated a more than two-fold increase in electrochemi-cal active surface area with respect to bare carbon paper. A lab-scale experiments on BES was performed selecting Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) as the reference devices. Devices featuring USC-deposited PEDOT:PSS electrodes showed a three-fold higher Energy recovery with respect to con-trol cells, reaching a maximum value of (13 ± 2) J·m−3. Furthermore, the optimal PEDOT:PSS con-centration for the MFCs improvement is in line with the values reported in the literature for other deposition methods. In conclusion, this work demonstrates that USC is a promising technique for application in BES.

In this article, we show theoretically and experimentally the formation of spin-waves band gaps in a magnonic crystal that was implemented by the deposition of periodic micro-structured strips of magnetite nanoparticles. A theoretical model describing the spectra of the transmitted spin-waves bandgaps is proposed. This is achieved using a simple model based on microwave transmission line theory and considering the presence of micro-structured strips of magnetite nanoparticles on the surface. Such magnonic crystal of equally spaced micro-structured strips of magnetite nanoparticles on the surface of an yttrium iron garnet thin film has been implemented and measured. The periodic micro-structured nanoparticles are deposited on the surface of such yttrium iron garnet single-crystal film grown on a gallium-gadolinium garnet substrate via dip-coating technique. Propagation of magnetostatic surface spin-waves is studied and it is shown that the presence of such periodic structure leads to the formation of spin-wave band gaps in the transmission characteristics. The spin-wave detection has been carried out using a pair of microwave antennas and a vector network analyzer. The results show that the periodic structure formed by the magnetite strips modifies the spectra of the transmitted spin waves producing band gaps.

Freeze drying was compared with spray drying regarding feasibility to process wild thyme drug in order to obtain dry formulations at laboratory scale starting from liquid extracts produced by different extraction methods: maceration, heat-, ultrasound-, and microwave-assisted extractions. Higher powder yield (based on the dry weight prior to extraction) was achieved by freeze than spray drying and lower loss of total polyphenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) due to the drying process. Gelatin as a coating agent (5% w/w) provided better TPC recovery by 70% in case of lyophilization and higher powder yield in case of spray drying by diminishing material deposition on the wall of the drying chamber. The resulting gelatin-free and gelatin-containing powders carried polyphenols in amount ~190 and 53-75 mg gallic acid equivalents GAE/g of powder, respectively. Microwave-assisted extract formulation distinguished from others by higher content of polyphenols, proteins and sugars, higher bulk density and lower solubility. The type of the drying process affected mainly position of the gelatin-derived -OH and amide bands in FTIR spectra. Spray dried formulations compared to freeze dried expressed higher thermal stability as confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry analysis and higher diffusion coefficient; the last feature can be associated with the lower specific surface area of irregularly shaped freeze-dried particles (151-223 µm) compared to small microspheres (~8 µm) in spray-dried powder.

Both grape pomace and whey are waste products from the food industry that are rich in valuable ingredients. The utilisation of these two by-products is becoming increasingly possible as consumer awareness of upcycling increases. The biological activities of grape pomace extract (GPE) are diverse and depend on its bioavailability, which is influenced by processes in the digestive system. In this work, goat whey protein (GW) was used as the primary coating to protect the phenolic compounds of GPE during the spray drying process. In addition, trehalose (T), sucrose (S), xylose (X) and maltodextrin (MD) were added to the goat whey proteins as co-coatings and protein stabilisers. All spray drying experiments resulted in microcapsules (MC) with high encapsulation efficiency (77.6—95.5%) and yield (91.5—99.0%) and almost 100% recovery of phenolic compounds during the release test. For o-coumaric acid, the GW-coated microcapsules (MC) showed a bioavailability index of up to 731.23%. A semi-crystalline structure and hydrophilicity are characteristics of the MC coated with 10% T, S, X or 5% MD. GW alone or in combination with T, S, MD or X has proven to be a promising carrier for polyphenols from grape pomace extract and ensures good bioavailability of these natural antioxidants.

Cold gas-dynamic spray (cold spray) is an evolving coating deposition and restoration technology in which particles are deposited above the sonic speed. This paper presents the non-destructive three-dimensional characterization of cold sprayed stainless steel coating. The visualization of coating morphology and volumetric porosity, and the analyses of porosity size and spatial distributions confirmed that dense stainless steel coating with non-connected, micron-sized gradient porosity is successfully produced by cold spray. The suitability of X-ray tomography for characterizing cold sprayed coatings is assessed.

The process of preparing anti-glare thin films by spray-coating silica sol-gel to soda-lime glass was exclusively and statistically studied in this paper. The effects of sol-gel deliver pressure, air transport pressure, and spray gun displacement speed on the gloss, haze, arithmetic mean surface roughness, and total transmittance light were analyzed. The experimental results indicate that the factors of sol-gel deliver pressure, air transport pressure, and displacement speed exhibit significant effect on the haze, gloss, and Ra. In contrast, the variation of total transmittance light with these three factors are insignificant. Because the anti-glare property is predominantly determined by low gloss and high haze, therefore, we aim to minimize gloss and maximize haze to achieve high anti-glare. Central composite design and response rurface methodology are employed to analyze the main and interaction effects of the three factors through quadratic polynomial equations, which are confirmed by the analysis of variance and R². The response surface methodology predict the lowest gloss and highest haze are 9.2 GU and 57.0%, corresponding to the sol-gel deliver pressure, air-transport pressure, and displacement speed of 250 kPa, 560 kPa, and 140 mm/s, and 340 kPa, 620 kPa, and 20 mm/s, respectively. Comparing the predicted optimal data with the real experimental results validates the applicability of the mathematical model. This study provides an important basis for the subsequent production of anti-glare glass with different specifications to satisfy the market demand.

This study investigated how the type and homogenisation parameters of the feed mixture affect the efficiency of the encapsulation process and the microcapsule properties of phenol-rich grape pomace extract (GPE) during the spray drying process with goat whey protein (GW) as wall material. GPE was obtained by solid-liquid extraction of grapes with 50% ethanol. Effects of ultrasonic homogenisation parameters (UB): temperature: 30-50 °C; time: 5-30 min; stabilisation time after homogenisation: 15-45 min, and homogenisation parameters on a magnetic stirrer (MS): temperature (25-50 °C), time (10-60 min) and homogenisation speed (600-1200 rpm) were tested using response surface methodology (RSM) and Box-Behnken design. After selecting the optimal homogenisation conditions, the spray drying process parameters were optimised in the same way, namely: inlet air temperature (160-190 °C), GW fraction (0.5-3.5) and feed flow (6-10 mL/ min). The results showed that GW has a high potential as a wall material in the spray drying process, especially for the purpose of protecting polyphenolic compounds from GPE.

Different materials prepared by appropriate synthesis methods and applying different post syn-thesis processes could be used as hole transport layer in perovskite solar cells. In the present work annealing was employed to enhance physical properties of copper oxide (CuO) thin films fabricated via spin coating technique and the effects of annealing on their optical, morphological, electrical and structural properties were investigated. The XRD findings revealed the polycrystalline structure with large crystallite size. Optical spectra showed larger transmission beyond the visible region, reduced absorption, and a decrease in bandgap energy from 1.93 eV to 1.81 eV. The Ag phonon modes at 299.22 and 304 cm-1 shown by the Raman shift confirmed the development of the CuO pure phase. FTIR spectra showed the Cu-O stretching band at 759, 764 and 446 cm−1. SEM revealed the agglomeration of nano crystallites with large grains on the surface. The carrier type conductivity of annealed CuO thin films was determined via two-point hot probe technique. Low resistivity values were determined via four-point probe method. These findings indicate that CuO thin films may be successfully used as a companion with an n-type layer in p-n junction solar cells, and a hole transport layer in perovskite solar cells.

Spin Assisted Layer-by-Layer (SA-LbL) assembly is one of the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly variants. It is considered as the fastest LbL assembly, however, the deficiency of layering quality on bigger polymeric support size poses a significant challenge to the application of SA-LbL assembly at a larger or industrial scale. To address the challenge, combined spin-spray assisted Layer-by-Layer (SSA-LbL) is employed to prepare membrane. In this study, nanofiltration (NF) thin film composite membranes were prepared by alternate deposition of branched-polyethyleneimine (PEI) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) on polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration (UF) membrane support. The resulting membrane was then tested to separate NaCl from water. One of the membranes produced in this work, i.e., (PEI/PSS)10 achieved rejection rate of 76.2 %; permeability of 2.79 l/h·m2·bar tested at pressure of 10 bar, temperature of 24.58 ± 0.51 °C , and NaCl-Feed concentration of 2076.75 ± 40.51 ppm. The membrane fouling resistance was also examined in 5 days-test. The membrane showed stable performance and lost only about 30% flux from the initial flux due to fouling which was comparable to that of commercial NF membrane such as NF90. Hence, this work shows that SSA-LbL can be considered as a promising and innovative membrane fabrication technique as it offers flexibility and applicability for preparing membrane from various materials as well as pertinence to industrial scale.

We propose a method of cooling nuclear spin systems of solid-state nanostructures by application of a time-dependent magnetic field synchronized with spin fluctuations. Optical spin noise spectroscopy is considered as the method of fluctuation control. Depending on the mutual orientation of the oscillating magnetic field and the probe light beam, cooling might be either provided by dynamic spin polarization in an external static field or result from population transfer between spin levels without build-up of a net magnetic moment (“true cooling”).

Magneto-electrochemistry (MEC) is a unique paradigm in science, where electrochemical experiments are carried out as a function of an applied magnetic field, creating a new horizon of potential scientific and technological applications. Over the time, detailed understanding of this research domain was developed to identify and rationalize the possible effects exerted by a magnetic field on the various microscopic processes occurring in an electrochemical system, such as: electrolyte properties governed by charge-transfer process (electric conductivity, viscosity, and diffusivity), mass transfer, electrochemical kinetics and on the structure/quality of products formed either at the working electrode or in the electrochemical cell. Particularly, magnetic field controlled chiral architecture obtained from deposited metal, alloys and catalyst and their excellent enantio-recognition in experimental frame is highly appealing. Interestingly, Hall effect was also demonstrated in electrolytic medium via an impressive experimental technique which is being employed for further theoretical understanding in the field of magneto-electrochemical science. Later, a highly reproducible local temperature variation was observed in electrochemical electrolytes exposed to perpendicular magnetic and electric fields. However, until recent studies, none of the above mentioned reports considered the possibility of a spin-dependent related charge-transfer process. Recent experimental and theoretical studies reveal that electron’s transmission through chiral molecules is spin-selective and this effect has been referred to as chiral-induced spin-selectivity (CISS) effect. The CISS effect pave the way for the building up of a system characterized by a net magnetic moment exploiting the spin-filtering ability of chiral molecules. This interplay between chirality and magnetism may shed light on fundamental scientific aspects underlying the enantio-recognition and highly efficient electron-transfer that occurs in biological process.

Using the unique combination of atomically resolved atom probe tomography (APT) and volume averaged neutron (resonance) spin echo (NRSE and NSE) experiments, the influence of nano-scaled clusters on the spin relaxation in spin glasses was studied. For this purpose, the phase transition from the paramagnetic phase to the spin glass phase in a Fe-Cr spin glass with a composition of Fe_17.8Cr_82.2 was studied in detail by means of NRSE. The microstructure was characterised by APT measurements, which show local concentration fluctuations of Fe and Cr on a length scale of 2 to 5 nm, which lead i) to the coexistence of ferro- and anti-ferromagnetic clusters and ii) a change of the magnetic properties of the whole sample, even in the spin glass phase, where spins are supposed to be randomly frozen. We show that a generalized spin glass relaxation function, which was successfully used to describe the phase transition in diluted spin glasses, can also be used for fitting the spin dynamics in spin glasses with significant concentration fluctuations.

Intercalation of noble metals can produce giant Rashba-type spin-orbit splittings in graphene. The spin-orbit splitting more than 100 meV has not yet been achieved in graphene on a metallic or a semiconductor substrate. Here, we report the p-type graphene obtained by Pt intercalation of zero-layer graphene on SiC substrate. The spin splitting of ∼200 meV was observed at a wide range of binding energies. Comparing the results of theoretical studies of different models with the experimantal ones measured by spin-ARPES, XPS and STM methods, we came to the conclusion that inducing giant spin-orbit splitting requires not only a fairly close arrangement of graphene to Pt layer, but also the presence of graphene corrugation caused by non-flat Pt layer. This makes it possible to find a compromise between strong hybridization and increased spin-orbit interaction. In our case, this is achieved by forming Pt submonolayer ordered on a nanometer scale under graphene.

We present an experimental study of the coherence properties of a single heavy-hole spin qubit formed in one quantum dot of a gated GaAs/AlGaAs double quantum dot device. We use a modified spin-readout latching technique in which the second quantum dot serves both as an auxiliary element for fast spin-dependent readout within a 200ns time window and also as a register for storing the spin-state information. To manipulate the single-spin qubit we apply sequences of microwave bursts of various amplitudes and durations to make Rabi, Ramsey, Hahn-echo, and CPMG measurements. As a result of the qubit manipulation protocols combined with the latching spin readout, we determine and discuss the achieved qubit coherence times: T1, T_Rabi, T2*, and T_CPMG vs microwave excitation amplitude, detuning and additional relevant parameters

This study explores the efficiency and applicability of a HONO collection system that incorporates an ultrasonic nozzle and spray chamber for the measurement of ambient air. The system demonstrates (1) a remarkable efficiency of 97.7% across two serial stages, (2) lower detection limits of 0.1 ppbv for HONO, and (3) absence of interference from NO2 or OH radicals. Practical ambient monitoring with the HONO collection system revealed typical diurnal variations in HONO, O3, and HNO3 concentrations, aligning with photolysis dynamics. Notably, HONO concentrations peaked at 0.37 ppb during nighttime and decreased to 0.27 ppb by midday. O3 demonstrated an inverse relationship with HONO, especially during ozone depletion phases, with r2 values of 0.94, 0.81, and 0.52 across various intervals. The HONO/NOx ratio during periods of enhanced HONO suggested the presence of additional formation mechanisms beyond heterogeneous NOx reactions. Moreover, ozone levels often fell below 20 ppb, indicating a consistent inverse correlation with HONO, thereby confirming periods and highlighting further mechanisms of HONO formation beyond heterogeneous NOx reactions. The real-time atmospheric chemical reactions involving HONO, monitored concurrently with O3 and NOx, were effectively validated by the HONO collection system employed in this investigation.

This paper proposes an innovative approach to address the challenge of softening deformation of thermal-curable thermosets during additive manufacturing. This approach involves the development of a composite powder composed of thermosetting materials with distinct curing temperatures, the utilization of Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing (CSAM) technology for 3D printing, and the application of a stepwise isothermal curing process. The corresponding effectiveness is validated by case studies. The results demonstrate that samples printed via CSAM maintain a solid state without deformation. During the post-curing process, each component of the composite material cures independently while the other components remain in a solid state, providing structural support for the whole material, thereby effectively reducing the softening deformation during the post-curing process. This approach offers a novel perspective for the additive manufacturing of thermal-curable thermosets.

Agricultural workers utilize pesticides extensively on their farms to control weeds and insects, as well as increase crop productivity. Despite these advantages, their excessive use poses a seri-ous threat, particularly to the population living at the nexus of urban and rural areas. Exposure to pesticide drift can be investigated using geospatial tools. Remote sensing technology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques have been used intensively and constitute trusted tools in different sectors, especially in agriculture. Remote sensing depends on pro-cessing the electromagnetic radiation reflected and emitted from the ground target and can be used to identify the spectral signature of crops exposed to pesticides. GIS has powerful tools for building a spatial geo-database of pesticide exposure drift. Therefore, the major objective of the research was to explore the effectiveness of using remote sensing and GIS techniques to estimate the exposure to pesticides in Macon County (Alabama). To achieve this objective, Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC) was used to identify accurate cropland areas. The Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 satellite images. Available agricultural pesticide usage data (seven of the seventeen organophosphates used in Alabama) were obtained through the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The results indicated that 6.6% of Macon County’s residents are considered potentially severely exposed, and the potentially affected population resides primarily in rural areas. While 23 percent of residents of rural edges are considered to have potentially medium to high expo-sure. In addition, 38% of residents living in suburban areas are considered to have potentially low-to-medium exposure. Also, the results indicated that both GIS and remote sensing can play an effective role in estimating pesticide exposure drift.

The electron of magnetic spin −1/2 is a Dirac fermion of a complex four-component spinor field. Though it is effectively addressed by relativistic quantum field theory, an intuitive form of the fermion still remains lacking. In this novel undertaking, the fermion is examined within the boundary posed by a recently proposed MP model of a hydrogen atom into 4D space-time. Such unorthodox process conceptually transforms the electron to the four-component spinor of non-abelian in both Euclidean and Minkowski space-times. Supplemented by several postulates, the relativistic and non-relativistic applications of the model are explored from an alternative perspective. The outcomes have important implications towards defining the spin-orbit coupling of particles from external light interactions. These findings, if considered could consolidate properly the fundamentals of the quantum state of matter from an alternative perspective using quantum field theory application and they warrant further investigations.

The quasi-two-dimensional organic charge-transfer salt κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂Cu₂(CN)₃ is one of the prime candidates for a quantum spin-liquid due the strong spin frustration of its anisotropic triangular lattice in combination with its proximity to the Mott transition. Despite intensive investigations of the material's low-temperature properties, several important questions remain to be answered. Particularly puzzling are the 6 K anomaly and the enigmatic effects observed in magnetic fields. Here we report on low-temperature measurements of lattice effects which were shown to be particularly strongly pronounced in this material (R. S. Manna et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 016403 (2010)). A special focus of our study lies on sample-to-sample variations of these effects and their implications on the interpretation of experimental data. By investigating overall nine single crystals from two different batches, we can state that there are considerable differences in the size of the second-order phase transition anomaly around 6 K, varying within a factor of 3. In addition, we find field-induced anomalies giving rise to pronounced features in the sample length for two out of these nine crystals for temperatures T < 9 K. We tentatively assign the latter effects to B-induced magnetic clusters suspected to nucleate around crystal imperfections. These B-induced effects are absent for the crystals where the 6 K anomaly is most strongly pronounced. The large lattice effects observed at 6 K are consistent with proposed pairing instabilities of fermionic excitations breaking the lattice symmetry. The strong sample-to-sample variation in the size of the phase transition anomaly suggests that the conversion of the fermions to bosons at the instability is only partial and to some extent influenced by not yet identified sample-specific parameters.

State transition in the multiple-levels system has the great potential applications in the quantum technology. In this article we employ a deterministic approach in complex space to analyze the dynamics of the 1s-2p electron transition in the hydrogen atom. The electron’s spin motion is embodied in the framework of quantum Hamilton mechanics that allows us to examine the transition dynamics more precisely. The transition is driven by an oscillating electric field in the z-direction. The electron’s transition process can be visualized by monitoring its motion in the complex space. The quantum potential and the total energy proposed in this paper provide new indices to observe the dynamic changes of electrons in the transition process.

First, we examine how spin is treated in special relativity and the necessity of introducing spin supplementary conditions (SSC) and how they are related to the choice of a center-of-mass of a spinning particle. Next, we discuss quantum electrodynamics and the Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation which we note is a position operator identical to the Pryce-Newton-Wigner position operator. The classical version of the operators are shown to be essential for the treatment of classical relativistic particles in general relativity, of special interest being the case of binary systems (black holes/neutron stars) which emit gravitational radiation.

A structure-based view on mesons is given, based upon the concept of an archetype quark, described as a pointlike source producing an energy flux, the spatial description of which is derived from Dirac’s second dipole moment. This enables to conceive the archetype meson (pion) as a structure that behaves as a one-body anharmonic quantum mechanical oscillator. All mesons appear being excitations of the archetype, thereby allowing a calculation of the mass spectrum without the use of empirical parameters for the masses of the quark flavors. This includes a physically comprehensible analysis of the spin-spin interaction between quarks. It also provides a solution for the eta-etaprime puzzle. Next to this, it is shown that quite some particles that are presently regarded as elementary, have a common root and can be traced back to a few archetypes only.

This study employed High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Diode Array De-tector and Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS) to characterize bioactive compounds in olive leaf extracts. The analysis revealed a diverse metabolic profile, predominantly composed of tyrosol, flavonoids, and hydroxycinnamic acid. The antioxidant activity of the extracts demonstrated their efficacy, with variations observed between neutral and acidic pH conditions. Encapsulation was explored as a preservation method, successfully maintaining the integrity of phenolic compounds in both liquid and powdered forms. All four extracts have an undeniable antimicrobial effect. Moreover, the antibacterial activity tested on E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 25923 strains significantly improved post-encapsulation, particularly for the acidic pH extract. The findings suggest that encapsulation can potentially conserve and/or enhance the antimicrobial activity of olive leaf extract, paving the way for developing functional products with improved shelf life and nutritional properties. Further investigations are recommended to elucidate underlying mecha-nisms and optimize encapsulation processes to maximize the benefits of olive leaf extract in di-verse applications.

In particle physics, spin is an intrinsic form of angular momentum carried by the elementary particles. It is believed that spin is a solely quantum-mechanical phenomenon, which does not have a counterpart in classical mechanics. We have derived the simplest equations of spin and magnetic moment of a charged elementary particle. These formulas enable us to understand the physical nature of the spin and the structure of elementary particles. It is shown that the electron and muon are in the shape of a thin ring with a circular cross section (torus), and the proton is in the form of a ring with a non-circular cross section (toroid). The connection between the photon’s spin of and the propagation of electromagnetic waves is considered.

In this review, we trace the evolution of the quantum spin-wave theory treating non-collinear spin configurations. Non-collinear spin configurations are consequences of the frustration created by competing interactions. They include simple chiral magnets due to competing nearest-neighbor (NN) and next-NN interactions and systems with geometry frustration such as the triangular antiferromagnet and the Kagomé lattice. We review here spin-wave results of such systems and also systems with the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Accent is put on these non-collinear ground states which have to be calculated before applying any spin-wave theory to determine the spectrum of the elementary excitations from the ground states. We mostly show results from a self-consistent Green’function theory to calculate the spin-wave spectrum and the layer magnetizations at finite T in two and three dimensions as well as in thin films with surface effects. Some new unpublished results are also included. Analytical details and the validity of the method are shown and discussed.

In previous papers we have shown how Schrödinger’s equation which includes an electromagnetic field interaction can be deduced from a fluid dynamical Lagrangian of a charged potential flow that interacts with an electromagnetic field. The quantum behaviour was derived from Fisher information terms which were added to the classical Lagrangian. It was thus shown that a quantum mechanical system is driven by information and not only electromagnetic fields. This program was applied also to Pauli’s equations by removing the restriction of potential flow and using the Clebsch formalism. Although the analysis was quite successful there were still terms that did not admit interpretation, some of them can be easily traced to the relativistic Dirac theory. Here we repeat the analysis for a relativistic flow, pointing to a new approach for deriving relativistic quantum mechanics.

Photoluminescent (PL) layers and electroluminescent (EL) systems have been extensively explored for constructing flat panels, screen monitors, and lighting systems. Due to their optical properties, our group is interested in the relationship between optical properties and dielectric constant is converted due to thermal change. In this study, we prepared a zinc sulfide (ZnS) fluorescent film on barium-calcium zirconium titanate ceramics. BCZT0.85 (Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3) and BCZT0.9 (Ba0.9Ca0.1Zr0.1Ti0.9O3) were prepared using the solid-state reaction method for the dielectric layer. The BCZT powders were calcined at 1200 and 1250 °C and dwell times of 2 and 4h. The phase formation and microstructure characteristics were then determined using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The dielectric behavior and optical properties rela-tionship was then studied to determine the composition and optimal conditions for further use as thermal detectors in electric vehicle battery packs. All BCZT powders exhibited the tetragonal phase, which was confirmed by JCPDS No. 01-079-2265. The dielectric constant increased with increasing calcining temperature or dwell time. The dielectric properties showed the BCZT0.85 ceramic sintered had the maximum dielectric constant of 15342 at calcine temperature of 1250 °C for 4h. Therefore, in this study, this condition was optimal for preparing the dielectric film. The maximum dielectric constant film is 42. The electroluminescence intensity of the samples increased in a temperature-dependent manner, with the highest EL intensity at 80 °C. Moreover, the electroluminescence intensity value was enhanced with the increase of the dielectric constant. Our results show promise for developing applications for Opto-thermal sensors.

Electrons moving at slow speeds much lower that the speed of light are described by a wave function which is a solution of Pauli’s equation. This is a low velocity limit of the relativistic Dirac equation. Here we compare two approaches, one which is the more conservative Copenhagen’s interpretation denying a trajectory of the electron but allowing a trajectory to the electron expectation value through Ehrenfest theorem. The said expectation value is of course calculated using a solution of Pauli’s equation. A less orthodox approach is championed by Bohm, and attributes a velocity field to the electron also derived from the Pauli wave function. It is thus interesting to compare the trajectory followed by the electron according to Bohm and its expectation value according to Ehrenfest. Both similarities and differences will be considered.

Spin crossover (SCO) complexes are in the forefront of image, memory and sensing devices, with applications already established since for thirty years. In order to reach magnetic multistability conditions, the high-spin (HS) and low-spin (LS) states have to be carefully balanced by ligand field stabilization and spin pairing energies. Both of these effects could be effectively modelled by electronic structure theory, if the description would be accurate enough to describe these concurrent influences to within a few kJ/mol. Such a milestone would allow for the in silico-driven development of SCO complexes. However, so far, the ab initio simulation of such systems has been dominated by general gradient approximation density functional calculations. The latter can only provide the right answer for the wrong reasons, given that the LS states are grossly stabilized. In this contribution, we explore different venues for the parameterisation of hybrid functionals. A fitting set is provided on the basis of explicitly correlated coupled cluster calculations, with single- and multi-dimensional fitting approaches being tested to selected classes of hybrid functionals (hybrid, range separated and local hybrid). Promising agreement to benchmark data is found for a rescaled PBE0 hybrid functional and a local version thereof, with a discussion of different atomic exchange factors.

We investigate on the plasmons of monolayer MoS₂ in the presence of spin-orbit interactions (SOIs) under the random phase approximation. The theoretical study shows that two new and novel plasmonic modes can be achieved via inter spin sub-band transitions around the Fermi level duo to the SOIs. The plasmon modes are optic-like, which are very different from the plasmon modes reported recently in monolayer MoS₂, and the other two-dimensional systems. The frequency of such plasmons increases with the increasing of the electron density or the spin polarizability, and decreases with the increasing of the wave vectors q. Our results exhibit some interesting features which can be utilized to the plasmonic and terahertz devices based on monolayer MoS₂.

The study was conducted at El-Sabahia Research Station (latitude 31°12'N, longitude 29°58'E), Alexandria, Egypt, to evaluate the effect of Spirulina platensis algae extract on the growth, yield, and juice quality of four sugarcane genotypes during the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons. The sugarcane genotypes tested (G.T. 54-9, G. 2003-47, G. 84-47, and G. 2004-27) were treated with four concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3%) of Spirulina algae extract (SE) during their development as plant cane and first ratoon crops. At harvest, the growth, physiological, and juice quality characteristics were documented, while chlorophyll content was measured 210 days after sowing. Spraying canes with 0.2% of SE was the most effective treatment in enhancing all of the evaluated characteristics compared to those left without SE. Cane yield was more closely correlated with stalk weight (r = 0.88), followed by leaf area index (r = 0.82), chlorophyll content (r = 0.82), stalk length (r = 0.76), and number of tillers (r = 0.73), while recoverable sugar yield was closely correlated (P < 0.01) with sugar content% (r = 0.76).

Walls-like structured monoclinic WO3 thin films were obtained by spray deposition method for further integration in gas sensors. For sensing applications, it is very important to achieve a high surface-to-volume ratio surface together with a proper thin films structure. The present communication reports on the effect of the sprayed solution volume variation (as a thickness variation element) on the detailed Raman spectroscopy for WO3 thin films with different thicknesses grown from precursor solutions with two different concentrations. Detailed analysis of the two series of samples shows that the growing thickness strongly affects the films morphology while their crystalline structure is only slightly affected. The Raman analysis contribute to refining the structural features clarifications. It was observed that, for both concentrations, the increase in thickness seems to slightly affect the stoichiometry of material and, in association with surface morphology variations, provide new possibilities for fine tuning of films properties towards enhanced as sensing applications. Further studies are ongoing.

In Uganda, the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is often infested by a complex of insect pests, but the bean stem maggots, aphids, bean leaf beetles, and flower thrips are the most important. Whereas yield losses due to these pests have been established, there is limited information on their population dynamics at different stages of crop growth and their effect on yield and yield components. In order to describe the population dynamics of selected common bean pests at various phases of bean crop growth, and their impact on yield and yield components, a study was carried out in Uganda during 2016 second rains and 2017 first rains in three agro-ecological zones. Bean fly, bean aphids, bean leaf beetles, whitefly, striped bean weevil, leaf hoppers, and caterpillars of Lepidopteran species were the main insects observed. Pesticide spray schedules were imposed to generate different populations of insect pests whose effects on yield and its components were determined. The findings indicate that spray regimes significantly influenced the abundance of bean fly, aphids, whitefly, striped bean weevil, and leaf hoppers but not bean leaf beetles and caterpillars. Additionally, except caterpillars, insect pests were significantly influenced by crop growth stages, but only aphids, whiteflies, bean flies and leaf hoppers exhibited a significant negative relationship with grain yield. Furthermore, yield and yield components varied significantly between spray regimes, agro-ecological zones, and seasons. Our study is important in informing growers on the stage of crop growth at which management tactics such as use of insecticides can be applied for different insect pests.

Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa were spray-drying using maltodextrin (MD) and gum arabic (GA) as carriers agents. An experimental design Taguchi L8 with seven variables was implemented. Physicochemical properties in the encapsulates were evaluated by UV-Vis, XRD, spectroscopy and gravimetric techniques. Treatments with aqueous extracts showed the highest concentration of total soluble polyphenols (TSP) 32.12- 21.23 mg EAG/g DW, and antioxidant capacity (AOX) for ABTS assay. The best treatment for TSP and AOX was T4: 2.5% Hibiscus w/w, aqueous extracts, decoction, extract-to-carrier ratio 1:1 (w/w), proportion to carriers (MD:GA) 80:20 (w/w), 10000 rpm, 150°C. Taguchi L8 model is a tool that allows the use of multiple variables with a low number of treatments that indicate the drying conditions that give the best parameters, focusing mainly on TSP and AOX, in addition, is a good alternative for the preservation and stability of the PC in Hibiscus.

In order to achieve better knowledge of the thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) by supersonic atmospheric plasma spraying (SAPS) process, an experimental study was carried out to elaborate physicochemical properties of particles in-flight during the SAPS process. One type of commercially available agglomerated and sintered yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) powders were injected into the SAPS plasma jet and collected by shock chilling method. The YSZ particles in-flight physicochemical properties of the melting state, morphology, microstructure, particle size distribution, element composition changes and phase transformation during the SAPS process have been systematically analyzed. The melting state, morphology and microstructure of the collected particles were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The particle size distribution was measured by a laser particle size analyzer (LPSA). Element compositions were quantitatively analysed by an electron probe X-ray microanalyzer (EPMA). Additionally, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method was used to analyse the phase transformation. The results showed that the original YSZ powders injected into the SAPS plasma jet were quickly heated and melted from the outer layer companied with breakup and collision-coalescence. The outer layer of the collected particles containing roughly hexagonal shaped grains exhibited a surface texture with high sphericity and the inside was dense with hollow structure. The median particle size was decreased from 45.65 μm to 42.04 μm. Besides, phase transformation took place and the content of zirconium (Zr) and yttrium (Y) element was decreased with the evaporation of ZrO2 and Y2O3.

K-Rb-83Kr based atomic co-magnetometer for measuring moving MEGs is theoretically studied in this paper. Parameters such as the spin exchange rates, the spin dephasing rates and the polarization of the nuclear spins are studied to configure the co-magnetometer. Results show that the nuclear spin could generate around 700 nT magnetic field under which the nuclear spin could compensate wide range of magnetic fields. We also showed the hybrid optical pumping vapor cell fabrication process in this paper. Alkali metals were mixed in a glove box and then was connected to the alkali vapor cell fabrication system. The vapor cell fabrication process is illustrated in this paper.

Polycrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on soda-lime glass substrates using the chemical spray pyrolysis method at three different substrate temperatures: 400, 450, and 500 ºC. The solvents used in the precursor solution consisted of either ethanol or methanol. The effects of these solvents on the compositional, structural, morphological, electrical, and optical properties were studied with different techniques, including Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Four-Point method and Ultraviolet and Visible Spectroscopy (Uv-Vis). The results show that both temperature and the type of solvent modify the properties of the materials. An essential outcome of the study was that at 500 ºC, the ZnO thin films prepared with either ethanol or methanol exhibited almost the same high-quality crystallinity, stoichiometry, average crystallite size, energy band gap, and resistivity. These findings contribute to our understanding of the properties of these materials and their potential applications.

The aim of the study was to develop casein-fucoidan composite nanostructures through the method of polyelectrolyte complexation and subsequent spray drying. To determine the optimal parameters for the preparation of the composite structures and to investigate the influence of the production and technological parameters on the main structural and morphological characteristics of the obtained structures, 3(k-p) fractional factorial design was applied. The independent variables (casein to fucoidan ration, glutaraldehyde concentration and spray intensity) were varied at three levels (low, medium, and high) and their effect on the yield, the average particle size and the zeta potential were evaluated statistically. Based on the obtained results, models C1F1G1Sp.30, C1F1G2Sp.40, and C1F1G3Sp.50, which have an average particle size ranging from (265 ± 32) nm to (357 ± 25) nm, production yield in the range (48.9 ± 2.9) % to (66.4 ± 2.2) % and zeta potential varying from ( −20.12 ± 0.9) mV to (−25.71 ± 1.0) mV were selected as optimal for further use as drug delivery systems.

Spray penetration into citrus canopies is critical for adequate coverage and deposition to ensure effective pest control. However, mismatch of air assistance to target canopy characteristics can lead to unintended spray loss through over penetration. To evaluate the effect of air assistance on on-target deposition, two sprayers (surrogates for airflow rates) were used to apply a fluorescent tracer dye solution @ target concentration of 300 ppm to 16 medium foliage density tree blocks in a commercial mandarin orchard. The complete factorial experiment in three replications comprised two ground speeds (1.6 and 4.8 km/h), two disc-core nozzles (TeeJet® D3-25 and D6-45), and either one or two nozzle rows to obtain a wide range of application rates (496 to 9,719 L/ha). Dye deposition significantly decreased with canopy depth (p=&lt;0.001) by nearly 7 times across the 3.4-m-wide canopies but was not significant over 1.2 to 2.2 m sampling height (p=0.867). Deposition obtained with the low airflow rate sprayer was significantly greater (p=&lt;0.001) than that obtained with the high airflow rate sprayer over the dose range likely due to too much air pushing out spray droplets. This study underscores the importance of matching the air assistance of orchard sprayers to the target canopy.

Fine scale models for the transport of marine aerosols are of great interest for the study of micro-climates and air quality in areas of complex topography, such as in urbanized coastal areas. To this end, the MIO laboratory implemented the Meso-NH model in its LES version over the North-West Mediterranean coastal zone using a recent sea-spray source function. Simulated meteorological parameters and aerosol concentrations are compared to experimental data acquired in the Mediterranean coastal zone in spring 2008, onboard R/V Atalante. Key findings indicate that the Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) mode closely matches with the experimental data, enabling an in-depth analysis of the numerical model ability to predict variations in aerosol concentrations. These variations are influenced by different wind directions, which lead to various fetch distances typical of coastal zones.

Microencapsulation by atomization can be used to minimize the loss of bioactive compounds, improving the characteristics and applicability of the powdered product. This study evaluates the effect of different encapsulating agents (maltodextrin, gum arabic, and chitosan) and three spray nozzle diameters (1.0, 1.2, and 1.5 mm) on the atomization of guavira (Campomanesia adamantium) pulp with added 6% bocaiuva (Acrocomia aculeata) dehydrated pulp in the green maturation stage. The experiment followed a simplex-centroid mixed design, with carrier agent concentrations and spray nozzle diameters as independent variables and powder yield, solubility, hygroscopicity, and vitamin C content as dependent variables. The results show that gum arabica increased powder yield and vitamin C retention. The addition of maltodextrin resulted in powders with increased solubility and low hygroscopicity. Furthermore, the optimization tool indicated that the best process conditions were achieved with the addition of gum arabic (10.8%) and chitosan (7.2%), resulting in powders with 29.48% yield, 82.96% solubility, 15.90% hygroscopicity and 741.11 mg/100g vitamin C. Furthermore, the 1.0 mm diameter spray nozzle was considered the most suitable for obtaining guavira pulp microparticles with higher ascorbic acid content.

Electroluminescence (EL) is an innovative technology in the lighting area. The EL device's main structure consists of a phosphor layer sandwiched by two electrodes. In this work, several alternating current EL devices have been developed by applying a set of sequential layers with combinations of in-house prepared inks and commercially available ink as a phosphor layer. A flexible polyester textile substrate was functionalized with inks by spray coating technique, after knife-coated an interfacial layer directly on the surface. A thorough study was carried out on the phosphor layer composition to optimize the EL device performance, more precisely the illuminance intensity and the illuminance homogeneity. The developed phosphor layer was composed of zinc sulphide doped with copper (between 30.0 to 38.1 wt%) and diluted by using a diluent at different ratios (28.0 to 35.5 wt%). The best peak illuminance intensity of 61 lux was obtained when the phosphor ink presented 35.4% ZnS:Cu and was diluted with 33.0% diluent. The aim of this study to determine the best formulation of the phosphor layer, which can be highly promising for further developments of EL devices, taking in account different applications in market.

A novel manufacturing process is presented for producing Nano powders and thin films of CuCoO₂ (CCO) material. This process utilizes three cost-effective synthesis methods: hydrothermal, sol-gel, and solid-state reactions. The resulting delafossite CuCoO₂ samples were deposited onto transparent substrates through spray pyrolysis, forming innovative thin films with a Nano crystal powder structure. Prior to the transformation into thin films, CuCoO₂ powder was first produced using a low-cost approach. The precursors for both powders and thin films were deposited onto glass surfaces using a spray pyrolysis process, and their characteristics were examined through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, HR-TEM, UV-visible, and Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses was conducted to determine the conductivity in transversal direction of this groundbreaking material for solar cell applications. On the other hand, the sheet resistance of the samples was investigated using the four probe-method to obtain the sheet resistivity and them calculate the in plane conductivity of the samples. We also investigated the aging characteristics of different precursors with varying durations. The functional properties of CuCoO2 samples were explored by studying chelating agent and precursor solution aging periods. Resuming, this study thoroughly discusses the synthesis of delafossite powders and their conversion into thin films, which hold potential as hole transport layers in transparent optoelectronic devices.

The process of Thermal spray is effective for creating a metal matrix composite (MMC) by embedding zirconium diboride reinforcement into a molybdenum matrix. This allows for the combination of beneficial properties in a new composite, as both materials have a high The materials Mo and ZrB2 possess different characteristics. For example, Mo has a melting point of 2622 ◦C while ZrB2 has a higher melting point of 3246 ◦C. Additionally, Mo has a high thermal conductivity of 139 W/m◦C compared to ZrB2's thermal conductivity of 24 W/m◦C. However, both materials have good thermal shock resistance, and Mo has a low coefficient of thermal expansion of 5.35 µm/m◦C while ZrB2 has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 5.8 × 10−6 K−1., as well as the ability to maintain strength at elevated temperatures and stability in extreme environments. The study focused on creating Mo/Zrb2 composites using a thermal spray coating technique, varying the parameters of spraying distance, number of passes, and gas pressure, and testing the resulting castings to evaluate their hardness and Young's Modulus. The primary objective of the research was to use the Taguchi technique for identifying the optimal parameters for generating the highest Young's Modulus and hardness for the castings. The Taguchi method integrates experimental and analytical principles to identify the most significant parameter affecting the response, which can significantly enhance overall performance. The study found that the optimal parameters were a spraying distance of 20 cm, gas pressure of 6 bar, and the number of passes of 18. The Taguchi method accurately predicted the parameters that produced the highest properties for the composite coatings, which demonstrated good surface formation without hot cracks and fewer pores, with well-formed metallurgical bonding between the coating and the substrate.

Background: According to newly published studies, patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have significantly lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D 25(OH)D levels than those without the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vitamin D insufficiency may be a predictor of poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients. Vitamin D supplementation is related to improved clinical outcomes in terms of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death, particularly in individuals with moderate-to-severe forms of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization. Materials and methods: This placebo-controlled five-day study was performed on 100 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with vitamin D insufficiency randomized into two groups. Vitamin D in the form of a sublingual sprayable microemulsion (LYL love your life® sunD3 LYLmicro™) was given three times daily after breakfast, lunch, and dinner (daily dose 12,000 IU) to 52 patients with blood vitamin D levels below 30 ng/ml. 48 patients in the control group received a placebo spray in the same daily regiment. Results: We observed a statistically significant increase by 8.6 ng/ml in median vitamin D level after five days of high-dose vitamin D3 spray therapy. 90.2% of subjects reached normal serum levels of vitamin D. There was a strong correlation between changes in vitamin D and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in individuals with moderately severe disease (p<0.05), while mild and severe cases showed no statistical significance comparing case and control groups. There were no statistically significant changes in ferritin and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. Conclusions: In this study, we demonstrated the possibility to rapidly increase circulating levels of vitamin D just in 5 days of high-dose intervention and found a statistically significant decrease of CRP levels in patients with moderately severe COVID-19. We were not able to detect statistically significant changes in ferritin and IL-6 levels during the 5-day vitamin D intervention.

The encapsulation of proteins into core-shell structures is a widely utilised strategy for controlling protein stability, delivery and release. Despite the recognised utility of these microstructures, however, core-shell fabrication routes are often too costly or poorly scalable to allow for industrial translation. Furthermore, many scalable routes rely upon emulsion-techniques implicating denaturing or environmentally harmful organic solvents. Herein, we investigate core-shell protein encapsulation through single-feed, aqueous spray drying: a cheap, industrially ubiquitous particle-formation technology in the absence of organic solvents. We show that an excipient’s preference for the surface of the spray dried particle is well-predicted by its hydrodynamic diameter (Dh) under relevant feed buffer conditions (pH and ionic strength) and that the predictive power of Dh is improved when measured at the spray dryer outlet temperature compared to room temperature (R2 = 0.64 vs. 0.59). Lastly, we leverage these findings to propose an adaptable design framework for fabricating core-shell protein encapsulates by single-feed aqueous spray drying.

Umbu is a tropical fruit with high content of bioactive compounds. However, maturation causes significant losses on nutrient density reducing the nutritional value of this highly appreciated fruit. Thus, the objective of the present work was to encapsulate the Umbu fruit bioactive compounds using spray drying and identify the variables affecting the biomolecules preservation. A Box-Behnken experimental design with 3 factors was set varying inlet temperature, atomization flow rate, and maltodextrin concentration for process otimization. Then the powder physicochemical and chemical properties were characterized, and results were modeled using a polynomial equation. Results revealed that the droplet size and maltodextrin concentration had a significant influence on the conservation of the biomolecules. Drying kinetics favoring fast formation of a particle crust increases encapsulation efficiency. Bioactive compounds retention was achieved by increasing maltodextrin even at high temperatures, where a matrix is formed hindering chemical degradation. Process optimization was validated and revealed low inlet temperatures (122ºC), high atomization flow rate (5kg/h) and high maltodextrin concentration (20%) to be the most desirable conditions for bioactive compounds retention.

The question of building sustainable in a geographical locality is inexorably linked to cost. In 2011, one of the authors built a sustainable house that was (at the time) the highest certified sustainable home based on the National Association of Home Builder’s standards for sustainable construction. This Texas house has been used for residential and research purposes for the past decade. In this case study, the authors evaluate components of the construction and their effectiveness as well as unseen secondary and tertiary effects. Some of the specific components discussed are home site placement; rainwater harvesting (100% of residential requirements); aerobic septic system; grid-tied solar array power; electric car charging; geothermal heating and cooling; reclaimed wood framing; spray foam installation; selection of windows, fixtures, and appliances; on-demand electric water heaters for guest areas; generator backups; and use of local items. Electric bills and water system improvements are discussed in detail, as improvements were made as part of residential and research requirements. This case study suggests that the financial outlay is worth the extra up-front costs if residents in this geographical area and climate will occupy the residence 7 years.

As a photo-catalytic titanium oxide film deposition process, thermal spray is hoped to be utilized practically on the condition that it is relatively easy to deposit anatase rich films. However, because of its high equipment and feedstock powder costs, it is very difficult to introduce thermal spray equipment into small companies. In this study, to develop a low cost thermal spray system, low power atmospheric suspension plasma spray equipment with titanium hydroxide suspension created by hydrolysis of titanium tetra iso butoxide using Ar, N2 as working gases. For avoiding sedimentation of the hydroxide particles in the suspension, mechanical milling of the suspension was conducted to create colloidal suspension before using it as feedstock. Moreover, an Ultrasonic wave container was used to keep the suspension particles moving while the spray process was conducted. After the film deposition, with As for the coating, anatase rich TiO2 film could be obtained. For characterization of the film, microstructure observation by optical microscope and X-ray diffraction was carried out. Consequently, by creation of colloidal suspension, deposition could be conducted without sedimentation of the hydroxide particle in the suspension during operation. Besides, it was proved the film had enough photo-catalytic property to decolor methylene-blue droplet

We investigate emergent conductive phenomena triggered by collinear antiferromagnetic orderings. We show that an up-down-zero spin configuration in a triangle cluster leads to linear and nonlinear spin conductivities even without the relativistic spin–orbit coupling; the linear spin conductivity is characterized by the Drude-type one, while the nonlinear spin conductivity is characterized by the Hall-type one. We demonstrate the emergence of both spin conductivities in the breathing kagome system consisting of a triangle cluster. The nonlinear spin conductivity becomes larger than the linear one when the Fermi level lies near the region where a small partial band gap opens. Our results indicate that collinear antiferromagnets with the triangle geometry give rise to rich spin conductive phenomena.

In this work, a generalized analogue to the Pauli spin matrices is presented and investigated. The proposed Hermitian spin matrices exhibit a general symmetry. The generalized spin projection operators are derived and the electrodynamics for hypothetical fermions are explored using the proposed spin matrices. The fermionic quantum Heisenberg model is constructed using the proposed spin matrices and comparative studies against simulation results using the Pauli spin matrices are conducted. Further analysis on key findings as well as discussions on extending the proposed spin matrix framework to describe hypothetical bosonic systems (spin-1) are provided.

In previous papers we have shown how Schr\"{o}dinger's equation which includes an electromagnetic field interaction can be deduced from a fluid dynamical Lagrangian of a charged potential flow that interacts with an electromagnetic field. The quantum behaviour was derived from Fisher information terms which were added to the classical Lagrangian. It was thus shown that a quantum mechanical system is drived by information and not only electromagnetic fields. This program was applied also to Pauli's equations by removing the restriction of potential flow and using the Clebsch formalism. Although the analysis was quite successful there were still terms that did not admit interpretation, some of them can be easily traced to the relativistic Dirac theory. Here we repeat the analysis for a relativistic flow, pointing to a new approach for deriving relativistic quantum mechanics.

In this study, the problem of overcoming the infinite energy barrier separating the bradyonic and tachyonic realms is investigated. Making use of the Majorana equation for particles with arbitrary spin and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, it is proved that, under certain conditions of spatial confinement, quantum fluctuations allow particles with very small mass and velocity close to the speed of light to pass in the tachyonic realm, avoiding the problem of the infinite barrier (bradyon–tachyon tunnelling). This theoretical approach allows an avoidance of the difficulties encountered in quantum field theory when it is extended to particles with imaginary rest mass.

Lavander distillation leads to huge quantities of solid waste produced yearly. This waste is usually discarded resulting in serious environmental issues. However, it still contains residual essential oil and other bioactive compounds. This research reports on the development and comparison of optimized solid-liquid separation methods, i.e. microwave (MAE) and ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) of phenolic compounds from lavender distillation waste. Optimal pretreatment conditions, such as waste moisture content and particle size were also determined. The extracts were spray or freeze-dried and the resulting powders were characterized for their physicochemical properties. The majority of the original phenolic compounds in lavender were found in the leachate fraction after distillation (61%), while 43% in the solid waste. Drying of the solid waste before extraction affected the process efficiency. UAE led to higher phenolic content and antioxidant properties compared to MAE. Drying (spray or freeze) the extracts did not significantly affect their phenolic content, while the use of maltodextrin as a drying agent improved the drying process yield especially in the freeze-drying method. It is concluded that valorization of lavender distillation wastes can be achieved via an integrated process consisting of a green extraction method and a consequent drying process that result in a stable bioactive powder.

The principal main of this research work was the study the influence of Cu addition on the wear behavior (WB) of eutectic Al-12.6Si alloy developed by spray forming (SF) method and compared with as-cast (AC) alloys. The phases of chemical compositions and microstructure were studied by optical microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The microstructure of SFAl-12.6Si (SF1) alloy reside — of fine primary and eutectic Si phases evenly distributed in the equiaxed α-Al matrix and SF Al-12.6Si-2Cu (SF2) alloy lie of uniformly distributed fine eutectic Si particulates and spherical form θ-Al2Cu precipitates in α-Al matrix. On other hand, the AC Al-12.6Si alloy (AC1) alloy involve of eutectic Si needles in the dendrite α-Al matrix, whereas AC Al-12.6Si-2Cu (AC2) alloy consisted of eutectic Si needles and Chinese script form θ phase distributed randomly in the α-Al matrix. The microhardness and wear properties were analyzed using Vickers hardness (VH) and dry sliding WT. The SF alloys exhibit superior hardness compared to the AC alloys. The wear properties of SF alloys exhibited significantly superior compared to the AC alloys. The SF2 alloy showed high wear resistance (WR) than the SF1 alloy in the entire sliding velocities and applied loads. The results indicate that the spray deposited alloys have a lower coefficient of friction (CF(µ)) than the AC alloys under varying load and sliding velocity conditions. The high WR in the SF alloy was due to microstructural modification during SF and precipitation of fine Al2Cu intermetallic and solid solubility effects. The SF2 depicts increased transition from oxidative to abrasive. In other ways, AC alloys demonstrate wear mechanisms that change from oxidative to abrasive and delamination with an increase in sliding velocity and load.

Respiratory viral infections, including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and, more recently, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, continue to pose significant global health threats. Conventional treatments for these infections often face challenges such as limited efficacy, the emergence of drug-resistant strains, and the requirement for frequent administration. In recent years, nanobodies have emerged as a promising class of therapeutic agents due to their unique properties, including small size, high stability, and specific binding capabilities. This mini-review article focuses on the application of nanobodies as spray and aerosol particles for the treatment of respiratory viral infections. Furthermore, we highlight the remarkable efficacy of nanobodies in preclinical and clinical studies against respiratory viruses, including their ability to neutralize viral particles, inhibit viral replication, and modulate the host immune response. We discuss the potential advantages of using nanobodies as inhalable formulations, including their improved delivery to the respiratory tract, enhanced stability in aerosol form, and reduced systemic side effects. Additionally, we explore the various strategies employed to engineer nanobodies for optimal aerosol delivery, such as conjugation to carrier particles or formulation as dry powders. We also examine the potential challenges and limitations associated with the development of nanobody-based aerosol therapies, including production scalability, cost-effectiveness, and regulatory considerations.

The influence of small-scale processes at the ocean-atmosphere boundary layer such as spray and foam on the surface waves prediction is studied. Estimates of the effect of including the exact number of specific fragmentation "parachute" type in the spray on the resulting drag coefficient is shown. For the estimates, the numerical simulations within WAVEWATCH III wave model are performed. The parameterizations of wind input were tested within WAVEWATCH III wave model: default ST4 and ST6 parameterizations and the ST1 and ST6 parameterizations used together with the implemented drag coefficient parameterization. The proposed parameterization takes into account the presence of foam and spay. The obtained results are compared with the NDBC buoys data. The importance of small-scale processes for waves at hurricane winds prediction and the prospects for their inclusion in modern numerical wave models is shown.

Automobile industries worldwide extensively use organic solvents. Yet, limited evidence examined the health and safety in handling these solvents, which can only be assured if workers have appropriate knowledge and demonstrate safe practices. A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the knowledge and practice among workers who are involved with handling organic solvents in the automobile industry in the largest most urban district in Brunei Darussalam. Qualitative data were sought from open-ended questions; observations and pictorial evidence through still photographs. Quantitative analysis showed that 75% of the workers practice reading labels, 94.1% use fully covered clothes, 82.4% wear gloves and 98.5% practice proper hand washing as well as 98.5% cover container lids. The qualitative analysis illustrated workers have general knowledge of materials containing solvents but did not identify the exact solvents, the harmful effects of the solvents, pathophysiology and harmful effects on specific body systems. Health and safety were practiced albeit not consistent. Health and Safety Authorities in Brunei Darussalam must review and enforce specific policies on use of organic solvents so that they can be practiced consistently and safely in automobile industries. Cooperation and collaboration in adhering to the policies are mandatory to ensure health and safety at work.

The potential of sodium alginate (ALG) and gum arabic (GA) as wall polymers for L-ascorbic acid (AA) encapsulation as a tool for their preservation against the thermo-oxidative degradation was investigated. The influence of such polymers used as wall material on the AA-content, size, encapsulation efficiency, encapsulation yield and thermo-oxidative stability were evaluated. The AA-microparticles were obtained using the spray-drying technique. An experimental Taguchi design was employed to assess the influence of the variables in the encapsulation process. The microparticles morphology and size distribution were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and laser diffraction. The thermal stability of AA microparticles was studied by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry analysis. This work points out the viability to encapsulate AA using GA and ALG through a spray-drying process. In general, a product yield ranging from 35.1% to 83.2% and an encapsulation efficiency above 90% was reached. Spherical microparticles with a smooth surface were obtained with a mean diameter around 6 μm and 9 μm for the those prepared with GA and ALG, respectively. The thermo-oxidative analysis showed that both polymers allow maintaining AA stable up to 188 °C, which is higher than the traditional processing temperature used in the fish feed industry.

We examine here the conductance changes associated with the change in spin state in a variety of different structures, using the example of the spin crossover complex [Fe(H2B(pz)2)2(bipy)] (pz= (pyrazol-1-yl)-borate and bipy = 2,2’-bipyridine) and [Fe(Htrz)2(trz)](BF4)] (Htrz = 1H-1,2,4-triazole) thin films . This conductance change is highly variable depending on the mechanism driving the change in spin state, the substrate and the device geometry. Simply stated, the choice of spin crossover complex used to build a device is not the only factor in determining the change in conductance with the change in spin state.

We demonstrate, in the context of Loop Quantum Gravity, the Quantum Holographic Principle, according to which the area of the boundary surface enclosing a region of space encodes a qubit per Planck unit. To this aim, we introduce fermion fields in the bulk, whose boundary surface is the two-dimensional sphere. The doubling of the fermionic degrees of freedom and the use of the Bogoliubov transformations lead to pairs of spin network’s edges piercing the boundary surface with double punctures, giving rise to pixels of area encoding a qubit. The proof is also valid in the case of a fuzzy sphere.

Results are presented concerning the influence on the water splitting process of enantiopure tartaric acid present in bulk solution. Stainless steel and electrodeposited nickel are used as working electrode (WE) surface. The latter is obtained by electrodeposition on the two poles of a magnet. The influence and role played by the chiral compound in solution has been assessed by comparing the current values, in cyclic voltammetry (CV) experiments, recorded in the potential range at which oxygen evolution reaction (OER) occurs. In the case of tartaric acid and nickel WE a spin polarization of about 4 % is found. The use of the chiral environment (bulk solution) and ferromagnetic chiral Ni electrode allows for observing the OER at a more favourable potential: about 50 mV (i.e. a cathodic, less positive, shift of the potential at which the oxygen evolution is observed).

This study aimed to determine shifts in microbial populations regarding richness and diversity from the daily use of a popular over-the-counter nasal spray. In addition, the finding of nasal commensal bacterial species that overlap with the oral microbiome may prove to be potential probiotics for the “gateway microbiomes.” Nasal swab samples were obtained before and after using the most popular over-the-counter (OTC) nasal spray in 10 participants aged 18–48. All participants were healthy volunteers with no significant medical histories. The participants were randomly assigned a number by randomizing software and consisted of five men and five women. The sampling consisted of placing a nasal swab atraumatically into the nasal cavity. The samples were preserved and sent to Northwestern University Sequencing Center for whole-genome deep sequencing. After 21 days of OTC nasal spray use twice daily, the participants returned for further nasal microbiome sampling. The microbial analysis included all bacteria, archaea, viruses, molds, and yeasts via deep sequencing for species analysis. The Northwestern University Sequencing Center utilized artificial intelligence analysis to determine shifts in species and strains following nasal spray use that resulted in changes in diversity and richness.

With the increasing interest in CM as a potential source of nutrients and bioactive compounds, there arises a necessity to delve into methods for its processing and drying. Over recent decades, a significant amount of research has been conducted on the chemical composition of CM and its potential health benefits. Consequently, this study is directed towards examining CM drying technology, including an analysis of the influence of different drying methods on its chemical composition and nutri-tional properties. The objective of this review is to systematically summarize the available literature on CM drying processes and their impact on its chemical composition. Special attention is devoted to comparing various drying methods such as freeze-drying, spray drying, and freeze-drying, as well as investigating factors affecting the quality of dried CM. To achieve this goal, we scrutinize a series of studies published between 2003 and 2022 to identify optimal drying methods that promote the maximum preservation of CM's nutritional components and bioactive compounds. Additionally, we explore possibilities for reducing drying time to enhance production efficiency. This research is grounded in the analysis of data from diverse scientific research databases, including Scopus and Google Scholar, encompassing a systematic review of scientific literature and a comparative analysis of the obtained results.

Cobalt-doped alumina catalysts were prepared by different methods, applying either the conventional wet impregnation (WI) and/or the advanced spray impregnation (SI), and evaluated as novel oxidation catalysts for CO and MeOH oxidation. The spray impregnation technique aims towards the synthesis of core-shell catalytic nanostructures to secure chemical/thermal stability of the active sites on the catalyst carrier. The catalysts were further promoted with low Pd content (0.5 wt.%) applying either incipient wetness impregnation (DI) or spray impregnation. The results revealed the superior performance of spray impregnated catalysts (Co/γ-Al2O3-SI) for both reactions. The deposition of Co oxide on the outer surface of the alumina particle (SEM images) and the availability of the active Co phase, resulted in the enhancement of Co/γ-Al2O3 catalysts oxidation activity. Pd incorporation increased catalysts reducibility (TPR-H2) and improved the catalysts performance for both reactions. However, Pd incorporation method affected the catalytic performance; as with the SI method the active phase of Co3O4 was probably covered from PdO and was not available for the oxidation reactions. On the contrary, the incorporation of Pd with the DI method resulted in better dispersion of PdO all over the Co/Al catalyst surface, maintaining available Co active sites and better Pd-Co interaction. MeOH desorption studies revealed the methanol oxidation mechanism; Co/Al catalysts promote partial oxidation of MeOH to formaldehyde (HCHO) and dehydration to dimethyl ether (DME), while Pd-based Co/Al catalysts enhance the complete oxidation of methanol to CO2 and H2O.

NaClO3 and NaBrO3 are believed to form a complete solid solution from RT to fusion. The unique solid phase can thus be written: NaClO3 (1-x)-NaBrO3 (x) with: 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. This study shows that at high temperature this statement might be valid. Nevertheless, up to 50°C and probably up to 160°C and even higher temperature, this is not true when the system is in thermodynamic equilibrium. A large miscibility gap exists at room temperature (RT). This gap could be reduced up to a complete disappearance by fast crystallization, for instance by spray-drying. The necessary conditions to access to equilibrium including homochirality are also discussed.

In this work, we report manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc) films obtained by ultrasonic spray-pyrolysis technique at 40°C deposited on glass substrate subjected to thermal annealing at 100 °C and 120°C. The MnPc films were characterized by UV/Vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The absorption spectra of the MnPc films were studied in a wavelength range from 200 to 850 nm, where the characteristic bands of a metallic phthalocyanine known as B and Q bands were observed in this range of the spectrum. The optical energy band (Eg) was calculated by the Tauc equation. It was found that for these MnPc films, the Eg has the values of 4.41, 4.46 and 3.58 eV corresponding to as deposited, annealing 100°C and 120°C, respectively. The Raman spectra of the films showed their characteristic vibrational modes of the MnPc films. In X-ray diffractograms of these films, the characteristic diffraction peaks of a metallic phthalocyanine are observed, presenting a monoclinic phase. SEM images of these films were studied in cross section obtaining thicknesses of 2, 1.2 and 0.3 μm to as deposited, annealing 100°C and 120°C, successively. Also, in the SEM images of these films, both the average particle sizes ranging from 4 to 0.041 µm and the average diameter from 4.8 to 0.091 μm were obtained. The results agree with those reported in the literature for MnPc films deposited with other techniques.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential benefits of feeding spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) to pigs infected with African swine fever virus (ASFV). Two groups of twelve weaned pigs each were fed with CONVENTIONAL or 8% SDPP enriched diets. Two pigs (trojans)/group) were injected intramuscularly with the pandemic ASFV (Georgia 2007/01) and comingled with the rest of the pigs (1:5 trojan:naïve ratio) to simulate a natural route of transmission. Trojans developed ASF and died within the first week after inoculation but contact pigs did not develop ASF, viremia or seroconversion. Therefore, three more trojans per group were introduced to optimize the ASFV transmission (1:2 trojan:naïve ratio). Blood, nasal and rectal swabs were weekly harvested and at end of the study, ASFV-target organs collected. After the second exposure, rectal temperature of conventionally fed contact pigs increased >40.5˚C while fever was delayed in the SDPP contact pigs. Additionally, PCR Ct values in blood, secretions and tissue samples were significantly lower (P<0.05) for CONVENTIONAL compared to SDPP contact pigs. Under these study conditions, contact exposed pigs fed SDPP had delayed ASFV transmission and reduced virus load, likely by enhanced specific T-cell priming after the first ASFV-exposure.

The evaporation of polymer solution droplet is an important in solution-based polymer film fabrications, such as inkjet print, spray coatings, and droplet casting etc. In this work, we investigated the effect of droplet size, solvent evaporation rate, and concentration on “coffee-ring” effect, crystal nucleation, polymorphism, and morphology of dried poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) solution droplets with atomic force microscopy (AFM) method. We found that the crystal structure, morphology and crystal distribution in the center and edge regions of dried PVDF droplets were different due to “coffee-ring” effect. The “coffee-ring” effect of dried PVDF droplets was mainly composited of accumulated crystals at the edge region of droplet, which was mainly made by crystallization of migrated chains. The interplay between migration of chains, crystallization and solidification of PVDF droplets significantly influenced the formation of “coffee-ring”. In addition, our results showed that the decrease of droplet size and controlling solvent evaporation rate were effective ways to improve the PVDF β-phase nucleation and decrease crystal size.

Recent advances and demands in clinical applications drive a large amount of research to hydroxyapatite (HA) composite coatings fabricated by plasma spray. However, lower degree of HA crystallinity related to high temperature exposure in plasma spray usually leads to rapid weakening and disintegration of HA coatings and often promotes inflammatory responses in the surrounding tissue. In this research, graphene nanosheet (GNS) reinforced HA coatings were fabricated using plasma spray and followed by heat and hydrothermal treatment (hereafter referred to as thermal treatment). The addition of GNSs resulted in competing phenomenon to influence HA crystallinity viz. increased portion of the partially melted/unmelted zones and higher cooling rate during splat formation, leading to slight increase in HA crystallinity (~46.0-51.3%) in the as-sprayed coating. XRD and FTIR results showed that thermal treatment was capable of inducing significant transformation of amorphous HA to the crystalline form and removing other foreign non-HA compounds through regaining OH- ion, and therefore HA coatings displayed ~45.5-47.1% improvements in HA crystallinity regardless of addition or not of the GNS nanofillers. Microstructure observations revealed that thermal treatment enabled microcrack propagation due to stresses caused by crystallisation and phase transformations, and the residual partially melted/unmelted zone of the thermally treated GNS/HA coating was significantly decreased in size. More importantly, the added GNSs contributed greatly to the significant increase in surface nanoroughness of the thermally treated HA coatings owing to the fact that much more structural defects along with the GNSs mainly induced by thermal treatment might act as nucleation sites to accelerate HA nanoparticle precipitation, which would be beneficial for the improved adhesion strength of the osteoblast cells on the coating surface.

Spin-orbit coupling and nonparaxiality effects during propagation of vortex vector light beams in a cylindrical graded-index waveguide are investigated by solving the full three-component field Maxwell’s equations. Symmetry breaking effects for left- and right-handed circularly polarized vortex light beams propagating in a rotationally symmetric graded-index optical fiber are considered. The mode-group delay in a graded-index fiber due to spin-orbit interaction is demonstrated. It is shown that the relative delay times between vortex pulses of opposite circular polarizations of the order of 10 ps/km can be observed in graded-index fibers for high-order topological charges.

Microfiltration membranes derived from semi-crystalline polymers face various challenges when synthesized through the extrusion–casting technique, including the use of large quantities of polymer, long casting times, and the generation of substantial waste. This study focuses on synthesizing these membranes using spin-casting followed by stretch-induced pore formation. Recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and virgin polyethylene powder, combined with a calcium carbonate filler, were used as the source materials for the membranes. The influence of the polymer-filler ratio with and without stretching on the morphology, tensile strength, and water flow rate was investigated. Optimal conditions were determined, emphasizing a balance between pore structure and mechanical integrity. The permeable membrane possessed a mean pore diameter of 500 nm, exhibited a tensile strength measuring 32 MPa, allowed water to flow at a rate of 19 ml/min, and had a water contact angle of 126°. These membranes effectively eliminated suspended particles from water, with their performance evaluated against that of commercially available membranes. This research outlines a synthesis route for microfiltration membranes tailored to semi-crystalline polymers and their plastic forms, utilizing the spin-casting technique.

Quantum physics is intrinsically probabilistic. The entropy of a quantum state quantifies the amount of randomness (or information loss) of such state. The degrees of freedom of a quantum state are position and spin, and upon their specification Born's rule in phase space defines randomness. We focus on the spin degree of freedom and elucidate the spin entropy. Then, we present some of its properties and show how entanglement increases spin entropy. Some speculative predictions on the decay of the $Z^0,W^{+,-}$ gauge bosons conclude the paper.

The spin-1/2 quantum transverse Ising model, defined on a ladder structure, with nearest-neighbor and four-spin interaction on a plaquette, is studied by using exact diagonalization and finite-size-scaling procedures. The quantum phase transition between the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases has been obtained in the thermodynamic limit. The critical transverse field decreases as the antiferromagnetic four-spin interaction increases, and reaches a multicritical point. However, the exact diagonalization approach was not able to capture the essence of the dimer phase beyond the multicritical transition.

We propose an experimental method for the unidirectional excitation of spin waves. By structuring Au nanowires arrays within a coplanar waveguide onto a thin yttrium iron garnet (YIG) film, we observe a chiral coupling between the excitation field geometry of the nanowires grating and several well-resolved propagating magnon modes. We report a propagating spin wave spectroscopy study with unprecedented spectral definition, wavelengths down to 130 nm and attenuation lengths well above the 100 μm over the 20 GHz frequency band. The proposed experiment paves the way for future non-reciprocal magnonic devices.

1D spin crossover (SCO) solids which convert between the low-spin (LS) and the high-spin (HS) states are widely studied in the literature due to their diverse thermal and optical characters which allows obtaining many original behaviors, such as large thermal hysteresis, incomplete spin tran-sitions, as multi-step spin transitions with self-organized states. In the present work, we investigate the thermal behaviors of a system of two-elastically coupled 1D mononuclear chains, using the electro-elastic model, by including an elastic frustration in the nearest neighbors (nn) bond length distances of each chain. The chains are made of SCO sites that are coupled elastically through springs with their nn and next-nearest neighbors. The elastic inter-chain coupling includes diagonal springs, while the nn inter-chains distance is fixed to that of the high-spin state. The model is solved using MC simulations, performed on the spin states and the lattice distortions. When we only frustrate the first chain, we found a strong effect on the thermal-dependence of the HS fraction of the second chain, whose, by lowering its transition temperature which is also accompanied with the appearance of a significant residual HS fraction at low temperature. In the second step, we frustrate both chains by imposing different frustration rates and found that, for high frustration values, the thermal dependence of the total HS fraction exhibits three step and even four step spin transitions. The careful examination of the spin state structures in the plateau regions revealed the existence of special antiferro-elastic structure of type LSLS-HSHS-LSLS-HSHS along the first chain, and HSHS-LSLS-HSHS-LSLS along the second, also showing that the two chains seem to be antifer-ro-elastically coupled. This type of organization is interesting, because it anticipates the possible existence of periodic structures made of alternate 1D antiferro-like HS-LS strings coupled in the ferro-like fashion along the interchain direction in the 2D case.

We present the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of a theory for spin 2 fields. The construction is developed in flat space-time. The construction in curved space-time is conceptually straightforward, although it is not unique. The theory is based on a symmetric tensor $S_{\mu\nu}$, contains two degrees of freedom of radiation, is motivated by the teleparallel formulation of general relativity, and displays a certain resemblance with Maxwell's theory for the electromagnetic field.

Abstract: I present a generalization of quantum electrodynamics which includes Diracmagnetic monop oles and the Salam magnetic photon. This quantum electromagnetodynamics has many attractive features. (1) It explains the quantization of electric charge. (2) It describes symmetrized Maxwell equations. (3) It is manifestly covariant. (4) It describes local four-potentials. (5) It avoids the unphysical Dirac string. (6) It predicts a second kind of electromagnetic radiation which can be veried by a tabletop experiment. An eect of this radiation may have been observed by August Kundt in 1885. Furthermore I discuss a generalization of General Relativity which includes Cartan's torsion. I discuss the mathematical denition, concrete description, and physical meaning of Cartan's torsion. I argue that the electric-magnetic duality of quantum electromagnetodynamics is analogous to the spin-mass duality of Einstein-Cartan theory. A quantum version of this theory requires that the torsion tensor corresponds to a spin-3 boson called tordion which is shown to have a rest mass close to the Planck mass. Moreover I present an empirically satised fundamental equation of unied eld theory which includes the fundamental constants of electromagnetism and gravity. I conclude with the remark that the concepts presented here require neither Grand Unication nor supersymmetry.

The interest in random fiber lasers (RFLs), first demonstrated one decade ago, is still growing and their basic characteristics have been studied by several authors. RFLs are open systems that present instabilities in the intensity fluctuations due to the energy exchange among their non-orthogonal quasi-modes. In this work, we present a review of the recent investigations on the output characteristics of a continuous-wave erbium-doped RFL, with emphasis on the statistical behavior of the emitted intensity fluctuations. A progression from the Gaussian to Lévy and back to the Gaussian statistical regime was observed by increasing the excitation laser power from below to above the RFL threshold. By analyzing the RFL output intensity fluctuations, the probability density function of emission intensities was determined, and its correspondence with the experimental results was identified, enabling a clear demonstration of the analogy between the RFL phenomenon and the spin-glass phase transition. A replica-symmetry-breaking phase above the RFL threshold was characterized and the glassy behavior of the emitted light was established. We also discuss perspectives for future investigations on RFL systems.

The rationalization of single molecule magnets’ (SMMs) magnetic properties by quantum mechanical approaches represents a major task in the field of the Molecular Magnetism. The fundamental interpretative key of molecular magnetism is the phenomenological Spin Hamiltonian and the understanding of the role of its different terms by electronic structure calculations is expected to steer the rational design of new and more performing SMMs. This paper deals with the ab initio calculation of isotropic and anisotropic exchange contributions in the Fe(III) dimer [Fe₂(OCH₃)₂(dbm)₄]. This system represents the building block of one of the most studied Single Molecule Magnets ([Fe₄RC(CH₂O)₃)₂(dpm)₆] where R can be an aliphatic chain or a phenyl group just to name the most common functionalization groups) and its relatively reduced size allows the use of a high computational level of theory. Calculations were performed using CASSCF and NEVPT2 approaches on the X-ray geometry as assessment of the computational protocol, which has then be used to evinced the importance of the outer coordination shell nature through organic ligand modelization. Magneto-structural correlations as function of internal degrees of freedom for isotropic and anisotropic exchange contributions are also presented, outlining for the first time the extremely rapidly changing nature of the anisotropic exchange coupling.

Ultrasonic feedback energy is affected by the variety, planting and growth state of crops, it is difficult to fine application in precision agriculture systems. To this end, an ultrasonic sensor was mounted in a spray boom height detection system. Winter wheat was used as the test object to obtain feedback energy values for the spray boom height from the top of the wheat in the field during six critical growth stages: the standing stage, jointing stage, booting stage, heading stage, filling stage and maturity stage. The relationship between the actual value of the height from the spray boom to the top of wheat (Habw) and the detected value of the height from the spray boom to the top of wheat (Hdbw) was analyzed. A spray boom height detection model based on the ultrasonic sensor during the full growth cycle of wheat was determined. Field validation tests showed that the applicability of the spray boom height detection distance (Dd) of the spray boom height detection model proposed in the present study was 450 mm~950 mm. Within the applicable Dd range, the detection error of the detection model was ≤5 cm during the full growth cycle. This study provides an ultrasonic detection model construction method, which improves the reliability and accuracy of ultrasonic boom height detection for different wheat growth stages.

This study demonstrates the successful synthesis of Ni/Y2O3 nanocomposite particles through the application of ultrasound-assisted precipitation using the Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis technique. The particle size was predicted accurately using a modified equation, and they were collected in a water suspension with Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the stabiliser. The presence of the Y2O3 core and Ni shell was confirmed with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and with electron diffraction. The TEM observations revealed the formation of round particles with an average diameter of 466 nm, while the lattice parameter on the Ni particle’s surface was measured to be 0.343 nm. The Ni/Y2O3 nanocomposite particle suspensions were lyophilized, to obtain a dried material that was suitable for embedding into a Polylactic acid (PLA) matrix. The resulting PLA/Ni/Y2O3 composite material was successfully extruded successfully, so that a 3D printed technology Fused Filament Fabrication could be used further for the production of tensile test tubes. The tensile tests showed that the addition of lyophilised Ni/Y2O3 into the PLA matrix decreased the tensile strength by 21.8 %, while the tensile modulus was not influenced. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) showed that the addition of the Ni/Y2O3 particles increased the glass transition temperature by 5 °C, and increased the storage modulus in the glass transition range significantly. These findings demonstrate the potential for utilising Ni/Y2O3 nanocomposite particles in 3D printing applications, and warrant further exploration of their mechanical properties and potential applications in various fields.

Owing to the escalating adoption of IoT systems across various domains, the demand for mobile and wireless power sources has surged. Although conventional batteries typically serve as energy storage components, the current low-power consumption devices necessitate eco-friendly alterna-tives. In this study, we designed, fabricated, and characterized an energy harvesting device that repurposes mechanical vibrations. A three-beam design was employed to harvest energy across a broader range of potential frequencies. Finite element models were simulated to ascertain the first bending moment for both sets of beams. A nanostructured piezoelectric multilayer film made of ZnO was deposited onto an AISI 304 steel substrate, and a photosensitive resin seismic mass was implemented. Low-cost techniques generating minimal environmental waste were leveraged in the fabrication process. The piezoelectric film was deposited using a spray nebulization technique involving recycled materials and cost-effective equipment. Micrographs of the layers unveiled the presence of nanospheres with diameters of 250 nm. Employing a custom-made shaker, output voltages of 1.08 V and 180 mV, and power outputs of 1.849 µW and 16.2 nW were achieved for each set of beams. The electrical characterization was conducted using a custom-made shaker, repurposing materials for this objective.

Ocular drug delivery is one of the most challenging administration routes due to the very low drug bioavailability. In this work, we produce and characterize mucoadhesive mixed polymeric micelles (PMs) made of chitosan and poly(vinyl alcohol) backbones graft-hydrophobized with short poly(methyl methacrylate) blocks and use them to encapsulate cannabidiol (CBD), an anti-inflammatory cannabinoid. CBD-loaded mixed PMs are physically stabilized by ionotropic crosslinking of the CS domains with sodium tripolyphoshate and spray-drying. These mixed PMs display CBD loading capacity of 20% w/w and sizes of 100-200 nm, and spherical morphology (cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy). The good compatibility of the unloaded and CBD-loaded PMs is assessed in a human corneal epithelial cell line. Then, we confirm the permeability of CBD-free PMs and nanoencapsulated CBD in cornea cell monolayers under liquid-liquid and air-liquid conditions. Overall, our results highlight the potential of these polymeric nanocarriers for ocular drug delivery.

Consumer products contain the chemical substances that threaten human health. The modeling methods and experimental methods have been used to estimate the inhalation exposure concentration by the consumer products. The model and measurement methods have the spatial property problem and time/cost consuming problem, respectively. For solving the problems due to the conventional methodology, this study performed the feasibility of applying CFD for evaluation of inhalation exposure by comparing the experiment results and the zero-dimensional results with CFD results. To calculate the aerosol concentration, the CFD was performed by combined the 3D Reynolds averaged Navier Stoke’s equation and discrete phased model using ANSYS FLUENT. As a result of comparing the three methodologies performed under the same simulation/experimental conditions, we found the zero-dimensional spray model shows approximately 5 times underestimated inhalation exposure concentration when compared with the CFD results and measurement results in near field. Also, the results of the measured concentration of aerosols at five locations and the CFD results at the same location were compared to show the possibility of evaluating inhalation exposure at various locations using CFD instead of experimental method. The CFD results according to measurement positions can predict rationally the measurement results with low error. In conclusion, in the field of exposure science, a guideline for exposure evaluation using CFD was found that complements the shortcomings of the conventional methodology, the zero-dimensional spray model and measurement method.

The study concentrates on researching possibilities of using computer image analysis and neural modeling in order to assess selected quality discriminants of spray-dried chokeberry powder. The aim of the paper is quality identification of chokeberry powders on account of their highest dying power, the highest bioactivity as well as technologically satisfying looseness of powder. The article presents neural models with vision technique backed up by devices such as digital camera as well as electron microscope. Reduction in size of input variables with PCA has influence on improving the processes of learning data sets, thus increasing effectiveness of identifying chokeberry fruit powders included in digital pictures, which is shown in the results of the conducted research. The effectiveness of image recognition are presented by classifying abilities as well as low Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), for which the best results are achieved with typology of network type Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP). The selected networks type MLP are characterized by the highest degree of classification at 0.99 and RMSE at 0.11 at most at the same time.

Ga doped ZnO thin films were formed by the Ultrasonic Chemical Spray Pyrolysis method onto substrates using zinc acetate and gallium (III) nitrate hydrate as precursors. The structural, optical, surface and electrical properties were studied as a function of increasing Ga doping concentration from 0 to 6 at %. Structural studies were shown polycrystalline with a hexagonal crystal structure. The transparency in the visible range was around 85% for thin film deposited using 6 at % Ga doping. With the aim of determining surface images and surface roughness of the films atomic force microscope images were taken. Ga doping of ZnO thin films could markedly decrease surface roughness. Electrical resistivity was determined by four point method. The resistivity 2.0% Ga doped ZnO film was the lowest resistivity of 1.7 cm. In the photoluminescence measurements of the films, existence of UV and defect emission band was observed. As a result, Ga doped ZnO films have advanced properties and promising materials for solar cells.

This paper provides a review of the aerodynamic behavior of horizontal axis wind turbines operating in hazardous environmental conditions. Over the past decade, renewable energy use has accelerated due to global warming, depleting fossil fuel reserves, and stricter environmental regulations. Among renewable options, solar and wind energy have shown economic viability and global growth. Horizontal axis wind turbines offer promising solutions for sustainable energy demand. Since wind turbines operate in an open environment, their efficiency depends on environmental conditions. Hazard environmental conditions, such as icing, rainfall, hailstorm, dust or sand, insects’ collisions, increased humidity and sea spray, result in degraded aerodynamic performance. The outcome of the most studies is that lift is degraded and at the same time drag is increased when wind turbines operate under these conditions. The objective of this review is to improve our comprehension of the crucial aspects to take into account when designing wind turbine blades, and it offers suggestions for future research paths. It serves as a valuable resource that can inspire researchers who are dedicated to enhancing the aerodynamic performance of horizontal axis wind turbines.

This study aimed to develop chitosan-based apigenin spray dried solid dispersion using 1:1,1:1.5,1:2 w/w ratios. The results of process yield and drug assay were found to be (87.5%, 94.2%, and 95.86%), (95.2 ±1.34%), (99.5 ±0.85%), and (97.6 ±2.42%), respectively, for AC1, AC2, and AC3. Flow properties indicate the free flow of powders. FTIR revealed compatibility among chitosan and apigenin, and DSC and XRD showed prepared solid dispersion was on a molecular level and available in amorphous. In contrast, SEM images reflect irregular block and near-spherical shape elongated particles in the selected AC2. The antimicrobial examination reflects that AC2 was more effective against Gram-positive, negative, and fungal strains. AC2 SDSDs has more anti-oxidant property compared to pure flavonoid (AGN). Anti-proliferative activity against A549 lung cancer cell lines showed better anti-cancer activity by AC2 SDSDs. The selected AC2 SDSD filled in a 3D shell pill and further characterized for 3D shell pill for dissolution profiles and stability studies. The product has sustained release and similar release profiles after three months of storage. The findings suggest that the AC2 SDSDs may be a promising candidate for further development as a 3D printed drug delivery system for treating multiple disease conditions using model flavonoid- apigenin.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of feeding spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) on the protection afforded by the BA71∆CD2 African swine fever virus (ASFV) vaccine prototype. Two groups of pigs ac-climated to diets without or with 8% SDPP were intranasally inoculated with 105 plaque forming units (PFU) of live attenuated ASFV strain BA71∆CD2 and three weeks later left in direct contact with pigs infected with the pandemic Georgia2007/01 ASFV strain. During the post-exposure (pe) period, 2/6 from the conventional diet group showed a transient peak rectal temperature >40.5ºC before day 20 pe and some tissue samples collected at 20 d pe from 5/6 were PCR+ for ASFV, albeit showing Ct values much higher than Trojan pigs. Interestingly, the SDPP group did not show fever, neither PCR+ in blood nor rectal swab at any time pe and none of the postmortem collected tissue samples were PCR+ for ASFV. Differential serum cytokine profiles among groups at vaccination, and a higher number of ASFV-specific IFNϒ-secreting T-cells in pigs fed with SDPP soon after the Georgia2007/01 encounter, confirmed the relevance of Th1-like responses in ASF pro-tection. We believe that our result show that nutritional interventions might contribute to improve future ASF vaccination strategies.

Viroids are known the smallest plant pathogens, and although their genome sequences do not encode proteins, they can cause disease in economically important crops. In order to control viroid diseases and mitigate their damage, genetic resources used for breeding of the viroid-resistant crop have been searched, but the practical resistant trait has not been found in almost all viroid-crop combinations, as well as the tolerant trait. Due to the difficulty in exploiting naturally occurring resistance or tolerance, various effective strategies have been devised to control viroid diseases using non-transforming or transforming techniques. Meanwhile, extensive findings related to viroid resistance and tolerance may lead to confer resistance or tolerance to viroid infection by combining with the recently emerged new technologies (e.g., spray-induced gene silencing and genome-editing technologies), which are believed to be more environmentally viable and acceptable to the general public than previously reported approaches. In particular, some genome-modified crops produced by the latter technology are already on the market. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the current status about investigation of naturally occurring genetic traits for viroid resistance and tolerance, accumulating knowledge about host factors involved in viroid pathogenicity, and various basic technologies developed to try to possible viroid disease control strategies. Furthermore, we discuss prospects and challenges for the achievement of more effective, practical, and sustainable disease control of viroid.

In this experimental work, pure nickel oxide and Al-doped NiO thin films have successfully been elaborated onto glass substrates by solar spray pyrolysis technique. The substrates were heated at around 450°C using a solar heater (furnace). The structural, optical and electrical properties of the elaborated Al-doped films have been studied at different atomic percentage ratios (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 at. %). The results of Al-doped NiO films XRD patterns were, the formation of (NiO) phase under a cubic crystalline structure (polycrystalline) with a strong favored orientation along (111) plane were noticed at all sprayed films. When Al doping ratio reaches 1 at.%, an growth in crystallite size over 31.9 nm was obtained denoting the nano-structure of the product, which confirmed by SEM images. In addition, aluminum oxide Al₂O₃ was clearly observed at 1.5 at.% Al ratio. Otherwise, all thin films have a good optical transmission in the visible region of about 65%, the optical band gap energy decreased from 3.69 to 3.64 eV with increasing Al doping ratio. It is shown that the layer deposited with 0.5 at.% has less disorder with few defects. The investigation on electrical properties of elaborated thin films confirmed that the conductivity of NiO films was improved, after doping them with Al which affirms their p-type character of semiconductor. However, an addition of an excessive quantity of Al content causes the formation of Al₂O₃ which leads to a decrease in the conductivity. It is worth mentioning that the Al content of 0.5 at.% is the optimum ratio in terms of electrical conductivity and formation defect. Al-doped NiO can be used in various optoelectronic devices due to its good transparency and high electrical conductivity.

Phytophthora. infestans is a well known late blight causing oomycetes pathogen. It evolves and adapts to the host background and new fungicide molecules rapidly within a few years of their release, may be due to the predominance of transposable elements in its genome. Frequent and huge applications of fungicides cause environmental concerns. Here we developed target specific RNA interference based molecules, that are capable of effectively reducing the late blight infection. cDNA microarray expression data was used for the selection of genes involved in the early stage of infection process, sporulation etc. The in vitro synthesis of double stranded RNA molecule, targeting SDH, EF-1α, GPI-HAM344, PLD-3 and HSP-90 encoding genes revealed the reduction in growth, sporulation and symptom expression, which were subsequently assessed by culture bioassay, detached leaf assay and topical application methods. The multiple genes targeted dsRNA nano clay sprayed plants showed enhanced disease resistance (4% disease severity) and least sporulation (<1x103), compared to naked dsRNA spray. Use of nano clay was assumed to be involved in the effective delivery, protection and boosting the action of RNAi in potato plants. A significant difference in the growth, sporulation count, disease severity and reduced expression of the genes and confocal microscopy imaging authenticates the effects of SIGS on late blight disease progression. Our research demonstrated that topical dsRNA nano clay spray under the open-air environment could be an alternative to chemical fungicides and transgenic approaches as a novel plant protection strategy for late blight in an environmentally friendly manner.

The demand for suspensions used in thermal spray processes is expanding from research labs using the lab-prepared suspensions toward actual coating production in different industrial sectors. Industrial applications dictate reduced production time and effort which may in turn justify the development of the market for ready-to-use commercial suspensions. To this end, some of the powder suppliers have already taken steps forward by introducing to the market suspensions of some of the most used materials such as yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), alumina and titania. There is, however, a need to compare the suspension characteristics over time and the resultant coatings when using these suspensions as compared with the freshly prepared home-made suspensions. In this work, such comparison is done using YSZ suspensions of the sub-micron to a few micron powders. In addition, some changes in the suspensions' formula were performed as a tool to vary the coatings’ microstructures in a more predictable way, without variation of spray parameters. The coatings were generated using both radial and axial injection of the suspensions into Oerlikon-Metco 3MB and Mettech Axial III plasma spray torches, respectively. A clear effect of suspension viscosity on the coating microstructure was observed using the 3MB torch with radial injection of suspension (i.e. cross flow atomization). The viscosity role, however, was not dominant when using the Axial III torch with axial feed injection system (i.e. coaxial flow atomization).

We consider creation of entanglement between the remote electron spins using a magnetic nanoparticle attached to a cantilever tip (CT). We assume that the frequency of the CT vibrations matches the Larmor frequency of the spin (the CT-spin resonance). In the conditions of the CT-spin resonance the CT-spin system is described by the exactly solvable Jaynes-Kummings model. In this work using the evolution operator of the Jaynes-Kummings model we show that a movable CT can create an entangled state between the remote spins. The most striking result is that the entanglement between the remote spins can be achieved without measurement of the vibrational state of the CT.

A deterministic quantum mechanics theory is presented in a series of papers starting with the present one. The proposed theory is shown to be consistent with the current mainstream statistical quantum theory as well as with classical physics. It produces solutions, which demonstrate that causality, physical reality, and determinism are restored and can explain in simple form concerns that are raised by results from the current mainstream statistical quantum theory. The meaning of particle- wave duality and complementarity, the possibility of a particle, like the electron, to cross through the nucleus as it does when the angular momentum of the electron is zero at the ground state of the hydrogen atom, the possibility of a point-size particle to have an “intrinsic spin”, the possibility of “quantum jumps” as the electron transitions instantaneously from one stable orbital to another without passing through the space in between the orbitals and does that at irregular time intervals, and the natural collapse of the wave function as part of the solution are some of the results that emerge from the proposed deterministic quantum mechanics theory. The phenomenon of entanglement is shown to be consistent with the proposed deterministic quantum mechanics theory. The Bohr-Schrödinger energy levels leading to the experimentally confirmed spectral lines, as well as the fine structure constant emerge directly from the solution of the equations governing theproposed deterministic quantum mechanics presented in Part II of these series of papers.

This is the second paper in a series introducing a deterministic quantum mechanics theory that is shown to be consistent with the current mainstream statistical quantum theory as well as with classical physics. The first paper in this series demonstrated how causality, physical reality, and determinism are restored and concerns that were raised by results from the current mainstream statistical quantum theory were explained in simple form. The meaning of particle-wave duality and complementarity, the possibility of a particle, like the electron, to cross through the nucleus as it does when the angular momentum of the electron is zero, the possibility of a point-size particle to have an “intrinsic spin”, the possibility of “quantum jumps” as the electron transitions instantaneously from one stable orbital to another and does that at irregular time intervals, the natural collapse of the wave function as part of the solution, as well as consistency with the phenomenon of entanglement were some of the results that emerged from the proposed deterministic quantum mechanics theory. While the first paper presented overwhelming evidence of the latter, the present paper is the first to produce actual solutions that are consistent with current mainstream quantum theory as well as with classical physics. Analytical solutions are presented via a linear stability method. The Bohr-Schrödinger energy levels leading to the experimentally confirmed spectral lines, as well as the fine structure constant emerge directly from the solution of the equations governing the proposed deterministic quantum mechanics. Recommended follow-up solutions as well as generalizations are being presented at the end of the paper.

In this study, we propose a solution process for realizing color glass for building integrated pho-tovoltaic (BIPV) systems by spin coating a color solution composed of a pearlescent pigment mixed in a norland optical adhesive (NOA) matrix. Color solutions are made from mixing pearlescent pigments in NOA63. Compared to a physical vapor deposition process, color coatings are achieved by spin coating in a relatively simple and inexpensive process at room temperature. The optical properties can be easily controlled by adjusting the spin coating speed and the concentra-tion of the pearlescent pigments. The produced color glasses achieved a high transmittance of 85% or more in the visible wavelength range, except the wavelength spectrum exhibiting the maxi-mum reflectance. In addition, we propose a one-step lamination process of color glass on a solar cell by leveraging on the adhesive property of the NOA matrix. This eliminates the cost and pro-cess of additional ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) layer or other materials used in the conventional lamination process. The color glass produced through this study has stability that does not change its properties over time. Therefore, it is expected to be applied to the BIPV solar module market where aesthetics and energy efficiency are required.