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Environmental monitoring of pollutants, such as NOx and COx, which can be facilitated by a range of gas sensors, is of considerable fundamental and practical importance. This work has been focused on the synthesis and evaluation of zeolite β with tin (Sn-BEA) and dealuminated β (DeAl-BEA) zeolites. The zeolite samples have been extensively investigated by IR, UV-VIS and NMR spectroscopy, XRD, TGA, and N2 adsorption-desorption. The prepared Sn-BEA sample is characterised by the submicron particle size, an almost defect-free structure, and high hydrophobicity. Sensors containing selective microporous layers based on Sn-BEA and DeAl-BEA zeolites have been prepared and extensively tested. Both the Sn-BEA and DeAl-BEA zeolites have been deposited in thin films and evaluated as gas sensors for CO, CO2, NO, and NO2 in the presence of water vapour at room temperature. The Sn-BEA zeolite-based sensor showed high selectivity towards NO2, while the DeAl-BEA is selective towards CO2 and NO2.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are considered as valuable biomarkers to discriminate healthy from diseased cells such as cancer. Passing cytosolic and plasma membranes before their release, EVs inherit the biochemical properties of the cell. Here, we determine protein profiles of single EVs to understand how much they represent their cell of origin. We use a microfluidic platform which allows to immobilize EVs from completely isolated single cells, reducing heterogeneity of EVs as strongly seen in cell populations. After immunostaining, we employ four-color total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to enumerate EVs and determine their biochemical fingerprint encoded in membranous or cytosolic proteins. Analyzing single cells derived from pleural effusions of two different human adenocarcinoma as well as from human embryonic kidney (SkBr3, MCF-7 and HEK293, respectively), we observed that a single cell secretes enough EVs to extract the respective tissue fingerprint. We show that overexpressed integral plasma membrane proteins are also found in EV membranes, which together with populations of colocalized proteins, provide a cell-specific, characteristic pattern. Our method highlights the potential of EVs as a diagnostic marker and can be directly employed for fundamental studies of EV biogenesis., Analytical Chemistry, 95 (3), ISSN:1520-6882, ISSN:0003-2700

International audience; In this paper, synchrotron radiation photoemission techniques are used to unravel the pending nature of the two Ba 4d components, also observed on Ba 3d lines, and commonly named Ba(α) and Ba(β). Investigations were carried out on the (001) surface of epitaxial very thin (≤ 20 nm) films combined with DFT calculations. Photoelectron diffraction experiments reveal different behaviors for Ba(α) and Ba(β) components. While six well defined diffraction features corresponding to the BaTiO$_3$ bulk structure are observed for the Ba(α) component, no feature really appears in the diffraction pattern of Ba(β). This observations reveal the absence of forward scattering processes, hence this component comes mostly from surface BaO plane. Supporting these results, DFT calculations demonstrate a shift to lower binding energy (BE) only for the Ba 4d peak from the topmost BaO layer with respect to the photoelectron peak stemming from bulk layers. Hence, only one peak (the Ba(α) one) should be observed for a sample with a complete TiO$_2$ termination. This hypothesis is supported by photoemission measurements carried out at low photon energy in grazing angle emission, in order to enhance the signal from topmost layers with respect to the bulk. For each sample, the Ba(β)/Ba(α) intensity ratio is well reproduced by a model where the Ba(β) signal is only coming from the topmost surface BaO plane.

Graphene–oxide–semiconductor (GOS) planar-type electron emission devices with a hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) protective layer have demonstrated improved oxidation resistance while maintaining their emission performance. The devices with a monolayer or a multilayer (13 nm in thickness) h-BN protective layer can emit electrons even after oxygen plasma exposure (ashing). Remarkably, the device with a monolayer h-BN was able to emit electrons with a maximum efficiency of 11% after a 4-min ashing, showing that a thin h-BN protection layer can provide oxygen tolerance to GOS devices without a significant emission loss. The thicker multilayer h-BN imparted higher oxidation resistance to the device but with decreased emission efficiency compared with the device with monolayer h-BN. Thus, the use of h-BN necessitates a trade-off between the device’s emission performance and its oxidation resistance. In addition, the etching rate of h-BN by the oxygen plasma treatment was found to increase by exposure to air after the first plasma treatment, which indicates that the adherence of H2O to the surface of h-BN is one probable cause of h-BN etching during the ashing process.

Sprayed transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) are an interesting alternative to sputtered TCOs for many applications due to the possible high throughput and a simple, atmospheric pressure process of spray deposition. In this work, the growth mechanism of sprayed ZnO:In was analyzed by transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) analysis of the thin film’s crystal orientation, which shows a preferred orientation of the growing grains and thus proves that the deposition occurs from the gas phase. It was observed that with increasing thickness of the layer, the average grain size increases and the measured resistivity significantly reduces to ≈5-6 × 10-3 Ω cm for layers of >500 nm thickness. Since many applications also require good electrical contact formation, the contact resistivity and the interface between sprayed IZO and n-type poly-Si and p-type GaAs, two materials that are commonly used in III-V/silicon tandem solar cells, were investigated by electrical measurements and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. The interlayers observed in TEM were investigated by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) line scans. The results suggest that oxidic interlayers at the substrate/IZO interface are responsible for the observed higher contact resistivity compared to the contact resistivity of sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO) references. The results presented in this work lead to a better understanding of the deposition process occurring in spray pyrolysis and thus allow a more targeted optimization of process parameters depending on the future requirements of the application.

Slow sand filters (SSF) are a simple water treatment technology providing an important alternative to conventional drinking water treatment. SSF are extensive in terms of carbon cost and chemical use but require a large land area and are complex to operate, as periodic cleaning is required to prevent filter clogging. Therefore, redundant SSF beds are required to enable water production to occur during long cleaning downtimes. Underwater skimming (UWS) is a cleaning innovation where the foulant layer (containing sand and particles) is removed using a skimmer consisting of a shrouded blade mounted on a vehicle platform. Sand, particles, and biofilm are skimmed prior to ex situ washing of the recovered sand. In this Viewpoint, we posit that the introduction of an in situ underwater skimmer operated remotely can substantially help to offset the aforementioned challenge of downtime, with its associated loss of production, enabling the technology to operate more efficiently and remain a pertinent and advantageous process option within modern water treatment facilities or possibly resource constrained settings. Otherwise, this resilient biotechnological process could be replaced by chemical and energy-intensive processes which increase the entropy of water treatment more than SSF. The anticipated benefits and challenges of UWS of SSF are discussed.

Refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs) have shown great promise for a multitude of advanced engineering applications due to their high mechanical stability from cryogenic temperatures to 1600 °C. However, the low ductility they exhibit at room temperature limits their machinability when traditional machining techniques are used. Studies on the nontraditional machining of RHEAs, on the other hand, are very limited. In the present work, MoNbTaTiZr RHEAs subjected to wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) were examined using electron microscopy, contact profilometry, and nanoindentation. Voids, microcracks, and recast material were observed on the machined surfaces. A transition from roughing to finishing decreased the amount of recast material, but the density of observable voids and microcracks on the surface increased. Optimal results were obtained by finishing, where the surface quality was improved by the removal of recast material remaining from prior passes. The brass wire electrode provided a smoother surface while the copper-core electrode provided minor heat-affected zone in the MoNbTaTiZr samples. In the roughing cuts, a 7.00% improvement in surface roughness was achieved using the copper-core electrode compared to the brass electrode. In the semi-finishing and finishing cuts, the brass wire electrode provided improvements of 13.68% and 22.68%, respectively, compared to the copper-core electrode. On the other hand, the wear of the brass electrode was as much as 20.98% higher than that of the copper-core electrode.

The demand for air mobility services will depend on the safety of these operations but also on the transportation time savings in congested urban areas. An adequate air space structure is therefore essential to achieve both objectives. Corridors, the most extended solution proposed nowadays, can meet the safety requirements necessary for air taxi operations, but they are rigid (point-to-point solutions) and would increase delays. As an alternative, this paper presents the airspace structure proposed in the SESAR AMU-LED Project, based on layers to assure both safety and efficiency of air taxi operations. In this proposal, small UAS will fly in the bottom part, called the Very Low Level, whereas air taxis will fly in the upper part. The paper applies a collision risk model to determine the minimum required safety buffer between both layers to assure the necessary safety levels. The results obtained show that a buffer of 10 m between them would meet the required safety levels for air taxi operations.

The demand for air mobility services will depend on the safety of these operations but also on the transportation time savings in congested urban areas. An adequate air space structure is therefore essential to achieve both objectives. Corridors, the most extended solution proposed nowadays, can meet the safety requirements necessary for air taxi operations, but they are rigid (point-to-point solutions) and would increase delays. As an alternative, this paper presents the airspace structure proposed in the SESAR AMU-LED Project, based on layers to assure both safety and efficiency of air taxi operations. In this proposal, small UAS will fly in the bottom part, called the Very Low Level, whereas air taxis will fly in the upper part. The paper applies a collision risk model to determine the minimum required safety buffer between both layers to assure the necessary safety levels. The results obtained show that a buffer of 10 m between them would meet the required safety levels for air taxi operations.

Polyelectrolyte multilayers are nanofilms with vast applications in numerous areas such as medicine and food industry. Recently, they have been getting a lot of attention as potential food coatings for the prevention of fruit decay during transportation and storage, and therefore the coatings need to be biocompatible. In this study, we fabricated thin films made of biocompatible polyelectrolytes, positively charged polysaccharide chitosan, and negatively charged carboxymethyl cellulose on a model silica surface. Typically, to enhance the properties of the prepared nanofilms, the first layer (precursor layer) of poly(ethyleneimine) is used. However, for the construction of completely biocompatible coatings, this could be problematic due to potential toxicity. This study offers an option for a viable candidate as a replacement precursor layer: chitosan itself was adsorbed from a more concentrated solution. In the case of chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose films, using chitosan over poly(ethyleneimine) as a precursor layer has shown a twofold increase in film thickness, as well as an increase in film roughness. In addition, these properties can be tuned by the presence of a biocompatible background salt (e.g., sodium chloride) in the deposition solution that has proven to change the film thickness and surface roughness depending on the salt concentration. Such a straightforward way of tuning the properties of these films combined with their biocompatibility makes this precursor material a prime candidate for use as a potential food coating.

Nucleus-based breeding programs are characterized by intense selection that results in high genetic gain, which inevitably means reduction of genetic variation in the breeding population. Therefore, genetic variation in such breeding systems is typically managed systematically, for example, by avoiding mating the closest relatives to limit progeny inbreeding. However, intense selection requires maximum effort to make such breeding programs sustainable in the long-term. The objective of this study was to use simulation to evaluate the long-term impact of genomic selection on genetic mean and variance in an intense layer chicken breeding program. We developed a large-scale stochastic simulation of an intense layer chicken breeding program to compare conventional truncation selection to genomic truncation selection optimized with either minimization of progeny inbreeding or full-scale optimal contribution selection. We compared the programs in terms of genetic mean, genic variance, conversion efficiency, rate of inbreeding, effective population size, and accuracy of selection. Our results confirmed that genomic truncation selection has immediate benefits compared to conventional truncation selection in all specified metrics. A simple minimization of progeny inbreeding after genomic truncation selection did not provide any significant improvements. Optimal contribution selection was successful in having better conversion efficiency and effective population size compared to genomic truncation selection, but it must be fine-tuned for balance between loss of genetic variance and genetic gain. In our simulation, we measured this balance using trigonometric penalty degrees between truncation selection and a balanced solution and concluded that the best results were between 45° and 65°. This balance is specific to the breeding program and depends on how much immediate genetic gain a breeding program may risk vs. save for the future. Furthermore, our results show that the persistence of accuracy is better with optimal contribution selection compared to truncation selection. In general, our results show that optimal contribution selection can ensure long-term success in intensive breeding programs using genomic selection.

In 2022 I lost my Paternal Grandmother. I found that in addition to the loss of a dear matriarch I mourned everyday things lost to the past. From furniture to childhood relationships, I was made keenly aware of their absence. As I longed to spend more time in the past, I created a studio practice of printing and drawing, whereby I enable myself to spend hours a day in quiet introspection, just drawing and reflecting on my life as expressed by personal details. My work melds renderings of everyday spaces and objects from memories of childhood and my present experience as a parent in order to highlight the significance of lived experiences, and to assert their worth for gaining an understanding of self. I share ordinary yet significant personal details with viewers to contextualize the importance of the quotidian in forming a personal identity. I further assert that there is valor in living a life full of personal significance, and that there is value to be discovered in ones’ own personal details. With the work in Personal Details, I invite consideration of the everyday things that add up to an individual life, while also providing a personal introduction by which I describe myself far more aptly than I could ever do with words alone.

To sensitively detect the electrode surface roughness change in the initial process of the lithium electrodeposition/dissolution processes in ionic liquids (ILs), electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (ESPR) measurements were performed in an in situ manner on a gold electrode in a glyme-Li salt solvate IL, tetraglyme/lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide ([Li(G4)⁺][FSA⁻]), and an IL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide ([C₄mim⁺][FSA⁻]), containing 100 mM Li⁺[FSA⁻]. The SPR angle shifts (Δθ[SPR]) were tracked simultaneously with the repetitively recorded cyclic voltammograms (CVs) of the Li underpotential deposition (UPD)/underpotential stripping (UPS). Δθ[SPR] increased/decreased in the UPD/UPS processes, sensitively responding to the refractive index change at the IL/electrode interface. The time derivative Δθ[SPR] curves basically reproduced CVs but were significantly less influenced by residual current, indicating that ESPR was an effective in situ method to track the Li UPD/UPS processes. In [Li(G4)⁺][FSA⁻], the shift in Δθ[SPR]per deposited Li amount did not change as the CV scan was repeated, indicating no change in surface roughness. In contrast, in [C₄mim⁺][FSA⁻], the same parameter increased with an increase in the scan number, reflecting the increase in surface roughness as confirmed by Fresnel reflectivity simulations. The comparison of ESPR results with the simulations suggests that for both ILs, the surface of the deposited Li layer was smoothened during the period after the Li UPD and before the Li UPS in CVs.

The interaction of amorphous silica nanoparticles with phospholipid monolayers and bilayers has received a great deal of interest in recent years and is of importance for assessing potential cellular toxicity of such species, whether natural or synthesized for the purpose of nanomedical drug delivery and other applications. This present communication studies the rate of silica nanoparticle adsorption on to phospholipid monolayers in order to extract a heterogeneous rate constant from the data. This rate constant relates to the initial rate of growth of an adsorbed layer of nanoparticles as SiO2 on a unit area of the monolayer surface from unit concentration in dispersion. Experiments were carried out using the system of dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) monolayers deposited on Pt/Hg electrodes in a flow cell. Additional studies were carried out on the interaction of soluble silica with these layers. Results show that the rate constant is effectively constant with respect to silica nanoparticle size. This is interpreted as indicating that the interaction of hydrated SiO2 molecular species with phospholipid polar groups is the molecular initiating event (MIE) defined as the initial interaction of the silica particle surface with the phospholipid layer surface promoting the adsorption of silica nanoparticles on DOPC. The conclusion is consistent with the observed significant interaction of soluble SiO2 with the DOPC layer and the established properties of the silica–water interface., We acknowledge EU for supporting ENNSATOX GA No. 229244, HISENTS GA No. 685817, and SABYDOMA GA No 862296.

Ferromagnet/heavy metal bilayers represent a central building block for spintronic devices where the magnetization of the ferromagnet can be controlled by spin currents generated in the heavy metal. The efficiency of spin current generation is paramount. Equally important is the efficient transfer of this spin current across the ferromagnet/heavy metal interface. Here, we show theoretically and experimentally that for Ta as heavy metal the interface only partially transmits the spin current while this effect is absent when Pt is used as heavy metal. This is due to magnetic moment reduction at the interface caused by 3d–5d hybridization effects. We show that this effect can be avoided by atomically thin interlayers. On the basis of our theoretical model we conclude that this is a general effect and occurs for all 5d metals with less than half-filled 5d shell.

We report here a new method for the stereoselective synthesis of five-membered iminosugar C-glycosides using an intramolecular palladium-catalyzed carboamination. We have prepared efficiently two sugar-derived aminoalkenes, which were submitted to the carboamination conditions in the presence of different aryl bromides. A small library of protected iminosugars carrying a 1

В настоящей статье поставлена задача - отразить современный научный уровень в области геологического изучения и литолого-фациальных особенностей в горюче-сланцевом бассейне Кызылкума. Выполнено литолого-фациальное моделирование территории Кызылкума в период накопления в бассейне седиментации исходного субстрата горючих сланцев. Характеризуются литолого-геохимические особенности, вещественный состав и металлоносность горючих сланцев, которые могут явится стратегическим сырьем для получения многих ценных товаров народного потребления., In the article under consideration, the task is to reflect the modern scientific level in the field of geological study and lithological-facies features of the oil-shale basin of Kyzylkum. Lithological and facisubstrate of oil shale in the sedimentation basin. The lithological and geochemical features, the mes modeling of the territory of Kyzylkum was performed during the accumulation of the initial material composition and metallicity of oil shales, which can be a strategic raw material for obtaining many valuable consumer goods, are characterized., Нефтяная провинция, Выпуск 1 (33) 2023, Pages 72-80

The route to reliable quantum nanoelectronic devices hinges on precise control of the electrostatic environment. For this reason, accurate methods for electrostatic simulations are essential in the design process. The most widespread methods for this purpose are the Thomas-Fermi approximation, which provides quick approximate results, and the Schr\"odinger-Poisson method, which better takes into account quantum mechanical effects. The mentioned methods suffer from relevant shortcomings: the Thomas-Fermi method fails to take into account quantum confinement effects that are crucial in heterostructures, while the Schr\"odinger-Poisson method suffers severe scalability problems. This paper outlines the application of an orbital-free approach inspired by density functional theory. By introducing gradient terms in the kinetic energy functional, our proposed method incorporates corrections to the electronic density due to quantum confinement while it preserves the scalability of a theory that can be expressed as a functional minimization problem. This method offers a new approach to addressing large-scale electrostatic simulations of quantum nanoelectronic devices., Comment: 9+2 pages, 4 figures

New insoluble layered zirconium phosphate carboxyaminophosphonates (ZPs), with the general formula Zr2(PO4)H5[(O3PCH2)2N(CH2)nCOO]2·mH2O (n = 3, 4, and 5), have been prepared and characterized. The crystal structure for n = 3 and 4 samples was determined ab initio from X-ray powder diffraction data. The structure for n = 3 was monoclinic in space group C2/c with the following unit cell parameters: a = 34.346(1) Å, b = 8.4930(2) Å, c = 9.0401(2) Å, and β = 97.15(1)°. The structure for n = 4 was triclinic in space group P1̅ with the following unit cell parameters: a = 17.9803(9) Å, b = 8.6066(4) Å, c = 9.0478(3) Å, α = 90.466(3)°, β = 94.910(4)°, and γ = 99.552(4)°. The two structures had the same connectivity as Zr phosphate glycine diphosphonate (n = 1), as previously reported. By intercalation of short amines, these layered compounds were exfoliated in single lamella or packets of a few lamellae, which formed colloidal dispersions in water. After a thorough characterization, the dispersed lamellae were functionalized with Ag nanoparticles, which were grown in situ on the surface of exfoliated lamellae. Finally, their antimicrobial activity was tested on several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. All of these systems were found to be active against the four pathogens most frequently isolated from orthopedic prosthetic infections and often causative of nosocomial infections. Interestingly, they were found to express powerful inhibitory activity even against bacterial strains exhibiting a relevant profile of antibiotic resistance such as Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 700699.

The use of non-cage housing systems for layers is increasing in Europe and elsewhere. Knowledge of factors that may affect mortality in these systems is important to be able to improve animal welfare, reduce mortality and enhance sustainability. The aim of this study was to investigate factors that may contribute to increased mortality in non-beak trimmed aviary-housed laying hens in Norway. A total of 39 non-beak trimmed commercial flocks (Lohmann LSL (n = 25) and Dekalb White (n = 14)) were visited between week 70 to 76 of life, and factors related to health, behaviour and management were recorded. Mean mortality in the flocks was 3% (range: 0.5–9%) and increased flock mortality was correlated with total feather loss (p < 0.05); feather loss on the breast (p < 0.02) and feather loss on the head (p < 0.003). There was an association between layer hybrid line and mortality (p = 0.055). Furthermore, a low positive correlation between mortality and dust level inside the barn was found (p < 0.04), showing that mortality was higher when dust level was also high. No correlation between mortality and the provision of environmental enrichment was found. In conclusion, this study found an association between flocks with elevated mortality (>3.0%) and increased feather loss which may indicate feather pecking. The results underline the importance of regularly assessment of plumage condition in commercial layer farms, as a tool to detect early signs of feather pecking in commercial aviary-housed layer flocks. This may help to target feather pecking before cannibalism breaks out.

The effects of injecting the Poulvac E. coli vaccine (PECV) into either the air cell (AC) or amnion (AM) at different dosages at 18 days of incubation (DOI) on Hy-Line W-36-layer embryo and hatchling development were investigated. Serial dilutions of the PECV in diluent provided either 6.5 × 104, 6.5 × 103, 6.5 × 102, or 6.5 × 101 CFU dosages of E. coli. A diluent only injection treatment was included as a control. A total of 19 live embryonated eggs in each of 10 treatment groups were represented on each of 16 replicate levels (3040 total) in the hatcher unit. At 19 DOI, swabs of the AM indicated that the 6.5 × 101 and 6.5 × 102 CFU dosages provided a 50% level of PECV presence, whereas the 6.5 × 103 and 6.5 × 104 CFU dosages provided a 100% level of PECV presence. Conversely, only the 6.5 × 103 and 6.5 × 104 CFU dosages provided a 50% level of PECV presence in the AC. At all E. coli dosage levels, injection in the AM led to higher percentages of live or dead embryos that failed to pip (PEIS) (p = 0.001) or complete hatch (PEPE) (p ≤ 0.001) and a lower percentage of live fully hatched chicks (HI) (p ≤ 0.001), when compared to those injected in the AC. Like HI, significantly lower percentages of female hatchlings were also observed at 22 DOI for the AM compared to the AC injection, for all dosages except for the 6.5 × 102 CFU dosage. However, at all the dosages above the 6.5 × 101 CFU dosage, the AM injection resulted in a lower mean hatchling body weight (p = 0.010) at 22 DOI. In conclusion, E. coli populations were more prevalent in the AM than in the AC after the injection of the PECV in those sites. Furthermore, the injection of the PECV in the AM at all E. coli dosages generally increased late embryo mortality and decreased hatchability and hatchling body weight in comparison to an AC injection. It is concluded that the negative impact of the in ovo administration of the PECV in the AM at 18 DOI on the hatch process is dose dependent. However, effects of an increase in AC dosages and a decrease in AM dosages should be further investigated.

Silver films with a thickness below 50 nanometer were deposited on glass using DC magnetron sputtering. The chemical stability of the films was investigated by exposure of the film to a droplet of a HCl solution in a humid atmosphere. The affected area was monitored with a digital microscope. The affected area increases approximately linearly with time which points to a diffusive mechanism. The slope of the area versus time plot, or the diffusivity, was measured as a function of the acid concentration, the presence of an aluminum seed layer, and film thickness. The diffusivity scales linearly with the acid concentration. It is shown that the diffusivity for Al-seeded Ag films is much lower. The behavior as function of the film thickness is more complex as it shows a maximum.

The black perovskite phase of CsPbI3 is promising for optoelectronic applications; however, it is unstable under ambient conditions, transforming within minutes into an optically inactive yellow phase, a fact that has so far prevented its widespread adoption. Here we use coarse photolithography to embed a PbI2-based interfacial microstructure into otherwise-unstable CsPbI3 perovskite thin films and devices. Films fitted with a tessellating microgrid are rendered resistant to moisture-triggered decay and exhibit enhanced long-term stability of the black phase (beyond 2.5 years in a dry environment), due to increasing the phase transition energy barrier and limiting the spread of potential yellow phase formation to structurally isolated domains of the grid. This stabilizing effect is readily achieved at the device level, where unencapsulated CsPbI3 perovskite photodetectors display ambient-stable operation. These findings provide insights into the nature of phase destabilization in emerging CsPbI3 perovskite devices and demonstrate an effective stabilization procedure which is entirely orthogonal to existing approaches.

Thin films made of weak polyelectrolytes poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) have been fabricated on silicon wafers using the layer-by-layer (LbL) method. To study the influence of counteranion type on the growth and properties of PAH/PAA multilayers, the nature of the supporting sodium salt was varied from cosmotropic to chaotropic anions (F$^–$, Cl$^–$, and ClO$_4$$^–$). Results of ellipsometry and AFM measurements indicate that the film thickness and surface roughness systematically increase on the order F$^–$ < Cl$^–$ < ClO$_4$$^–$. Furthermore, we found that the hydrophobicity of the PAH/PAA multilayer also follows the described trend when a polycation is the terminating layer. However, the heating of PAH/PAA multilayers to 60 °C during the LbL assembly suppressed the influence of background anions on the multilayer formation and properties. On the basis of the obtained results, it could be concluded that thermal annealing induces changes at the polymer–air interface in the sense of reorientation and migration of polymer chains.

International audience; The colloidal stability of non-motile algal cells in water drives their distribution in space. An accurate description of the interfacial properties of microalgae is therefore critical to understand how microalgae concentrations can change in their biotope or during harvesting processes. Here, we probe the surface charges of three unicellular algae─Chlorella vulgaris, Nannochloropsis oculata, and Tetraselmis suecica─through their electrophoretic mobility. Ohshima’s soft particle theory describes the electrokinetic properties of particles covered by a permeable polyelectrolyte layer, a usual case for biological particles. The results appear to fit the predictions of Ohshima’s theory, proving that all three microalgae behave electrokinetically as soft particles. This allowed us to estimate two characteristic parameters of the polyelectrolyte external layer of microalgae: the volume charge density and the hydrodynamic penetration length. Results were compared with transmission electron microscopy observations of the algal cells’ surfaces, and in particular of their extracellular polymeric layer, which was identified with the permeable shell evidenced by electrophoretic measurements. Noticeably, the algal surface potentials estimated from electrophoretic mobility using the soft particle theory are less negative than the apparent zeta potentials. This finding indicates that electrostatics are expected to play a minor role in phenomena of environmental and industrial importance, such as microalgae aggregation or adhesion.

[ES] WParty App será una aplicación web y móvil (iOS y Android) que ayudará, tanto a empresas como a usuarios particulares, a la organización de forma online de eventos. Esta aplicación contará con funcionalidades como la creación de eventos públicos y privados, venta de entradas, controles de acceso y creación de fondos de gasto. Está aplicación tendrá una arquitectura estructurada por capas. En este TFG desarrollaremos la lógica de negocio y la lógica de datos. La lógica de negocio estará implementada en un middleware en forma de API REST que, mediante las operaciones típicas de tipo ¿CRUD¿ vía HTTP, realizará peticiones a la capa de persistencia para consultar o modificar la información requerida. Por otra parte, la capa de persistencia recogerá esas peticiones en un back-end. En particular, contaremos con dos bases de datos: una base de datos de almacenamiento de datos CORE y otra base de datos de acceso rápido, cuyo objetivo será permitir un acceso directo desde la lógica de negocio para habilitar consultas de manera más eficiente. Por otro lado, el desarrollo de este proyecto será de tipo Test-Driven Development (TDD), así que también el TFG también incluirá cómo funciona esta metodología y se aportarán todos los casos de prueba. Finalmente, en este trabajo abordaremos también aspectos tales como el presupuestado de costes de explotación de los procesos y el almacenamiento, la explotación económica de nuestra aplicación y la seguridad dentro de toda nuestra infraestructura., [EN] WParty App will be a web and smartphone (iOS and Android) application that will help both, companies and private users, to organize events online. This application will have functionalities such as the creation of public and private events, ticket sales, access control and the creation of expense pulls. This application will have a layered architecture. In this TFG we will develop the business and data logic. This application will have a layered architecture. In this TFG we will develop the business logic and the data logic. The business logic will be implemented in a middleware as a REST API that, by typical "CRUD" HTTP operations, will make requests to the persistence layer to query or modify the required information. On the other hand, the persistence layer will collect these requests in a back-end. We will have two databases: a CORE data storage database and a quick access database, whose objective will be to allow direct access from the business logic to enable queries in a more efficient way. The development of this project will be a Test-Driven Development (TDD), so we will also see in this document how it works, and we will provide all the test cases. In this work we will also address issues such as the budgeting of operating costs of processes and storage, the economic exploitation of our application and the security within our entire infrastructure.

The article presents the continuation of the research on modification of fibrous carriers based on poly(lactic acid) using the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method by the two types of biocompatible polymers—sodium hyaluronate and sodium alginate. Such modified nonwovens, differing in the structural parameters due to different manufacturing methods, could be potentially used in different biomedical applications. The results of the analysis indicate that the EPD process significantly changes the structural characteristics of the carrier in terms of thickness and porosity, which not always can be beneficial in terms of the final application. The varying structure of both carriers significantly influences the mode of deposition of the layer, the efficiency of the deposition process as well as the structural characteristics of the carrier after deposition. Microtomographic and SEM studies were employed to analyze the structure of deposits, and FTIR analysis allowed for confirmation of the occurrence of the polymer layers and its chemical structure.

Polymers containing catechol groups have gained a large interest, as they mimic an essential feature of mussel adhesive proteins that allow strong binding to a large variety of surfaces under water. This feature has made this class of polymers interesting for surface modification purposes, as layer functionalities can be introduced by a simple adsorption process, where the catechol groups should provide a strong anchoring to the surface. In this work, we utilize an AFM-based method to evaluate the wear resistance of such polymer layers in water and compare it with that offered by electrostatically driven adsorption. We pay particular attention to two block copolymer systems where the anchoring group in one case is an uncharged catechol-containing block and in the other case a positively charged and catechol-containing block. The wear resistance is evaluated in terms of wear volume, and here, we compare with data for similar copolymers with statistical distribution of the catechol groups. Monitoring of nanomechanical properties provides an alternative way of illustrating the effect of wear, and we use modeling to show that the stiffness, as probed by an AFM tip, of the soft layer residing on a hard substrate increases as the thickness of the layer decreases. The stick−slip characteristics are also evaluated.

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is widely used to fabricate microfluidic organs-on-chips. Using these devices (PDMS-based devices), the mechanical microenvironment of living tissues, such as pulmonary respiration and intestinal peristalsis, can be reproduced in vitro. However, the use of PDMS-based devices in drug discovery research is limited because of their extensive absorption of drugs. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of the tetrafluoroethylene–propylene (FEPM) elastomer to fabricate a hepatocyte-on-a-chip (FEPM-based hepatocyte chip) with lower drug absorption. The FEPM-based hepatocyte chip expressed drug-metabolizing enzymes, drug-conjugating enzymes, and drug transporters. Also, it could produce human albumin. Although the metabolites of midazolam and bufuralol were hardly detected in the PDMS-based hepatocyte chip, they were detected abundantly in the FEPM-based hepatocyte chip. Finally, coumarin-induced hepatocyte cytotoxicity was less severe in the PDMS-based hepatocyte chip than in the FEPM-based hepatocyte chip, reflecting the different drug absorptions of the two chips. In conclusion, the FEPM-based hepatocyte chip could be a useful tool in drug discovery research, including drug metabolism and toxicity studies., フッ素系エラストマー素材を用いた肝臓チップの開発と薬物代謝・毒性試験への応用. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-09-16., Drug testing on miniatured livers. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-09-17.

International audience; The reaction between P2-type honeycomb layered oxides Na2Ni2TeO6 and K2Ni2TeO6 enables the formation of NaKNi2TeO6. The compound is characterized by X-ray diffraction and 23Na solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the structure is discussed through density functional theory calculations. In addition to the honeycomb Ni/Te cationic ordering, NaKNi2TeO6 exhibits a unique example of alternation of sodium and potassium layers instead of a random alkali-mixed occupancy. Stacking fault simulations underline the impact of the successive position of the Ni/Te honeycomb layers and validate the presence of multiple stacking sequences within the powder material, in proportions that evolve with the synthesis conditions. In a broader context, this work contributes to a better understanding of the alkali-mixed layered compounds.

Laboratory animal research has provided significant knowledge into the function of cortical circuits at the laminar level, which has yet to be fully leveraged towards insights about human brain function on a similar spatiotemporal scale. The use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in conjunction with neural models provides new opportunities to gain important insights from current knowledge. During the last five years, human studies have demonstrated the value of high-resolution fMRI to study laminar-specific activity in the human brain. This is mostly performed at ultra-high-field strengths (≥ 7 T) and is known as laminar fMRI. Advancements in laminar fMRI are beginning to open new possibilities for studying questions in basic cognitive neuroscience. In this paper, we first review recent methodological advances in laminar fMRI and describe recent human laminar fMRI studies. Then, we discuss how the use of laminar fMRI can help bridge the gap between cortical circuit models and human cognition.

Copper(I) thiocyanate (CuSCN) is a stable, low-cost, solution-processable p-type inorganic semiconductor used in numerous optoelectronic applications. Here, for the first time, we employ the time-of-flight (ToF) technique to measure the out-of-plane hole mobility of CuSCN films, enabled by the deposition of 4 μm-thick films using aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD). A hole mobility of ∼10–3 cm2/V s was measured with a weak electric field dependence of 0.005 cm/V1/2. Additionally, by measuring several 1.5 μm CuSCN films, we show that the mobility is independent of thickness. To further validate the suitability of our AACVD-prepared 1.5 μm-thick CuSCN film in device applications, we demonstrate its incorporation as a hole transport layer (HTL) in methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Our AACVD films result in devices with measured power conversion efficiencies of 10.4%, which compares favorably with devices prepared using spin-coated CuSCN HTLs (12.6%), despite the AACVD HTLs being an order of magnitude thicker than their spin-coated analogues. Improved reproducibility and decreased hysteresis were observed, owing to a combination of excellent film quality, high charge-carrier mobility, and favorable interface energetics. In addition to providing a fundamental insight into charge-carrier mobility in CuSCN, our work highlights the AACVD methodology as a scalable, versatile tool suitable for film deposition for use in optoelectronic devices.

Layer fMRI, requiring high field, advanced pulse sequences, and sophisticated processing methods, has emerged in the last decade. The rate of layer fMRI papers published has grown sharply as more groups are overcoming the substantial technical challenges and the unique advantages are becoming clear. Rather than simple delineation of functional activation, layer fMRI promises to provide directional activity and connectivity measures as they are inferred by the layer-specific location. This short review highlights the methods used to achieve layer fMRI as well as the challenges in acquisition, processing and interpretation. It emphasizes the utility of extensive individual averaging as well as the extreme difficulty of cross subject averaging. It also highlights recent studies that have explored layer fMRI in cognitive tasks as well as resting state connectivity studies that have revealed cortical hierarchy.

Purpose In the mining industry, a run-of-mine (ROM) stockpile is a temporary storage unit, but it is also widely accepted as an effective method to reduce the short-term variations of ore grade. However, tracing ore grade at ROM stockpiles accurately using most current fleet management systems is challenging, due to insufficient information available in real time. This study aims to build a three-dimensional (3D) model for ROM stockpiles continuously based on fine-grained grade information through integrating data from a number of ore grade tracking sources. Design/methodology/approach Following a literature review, a framework for a new stockpile management system is proposed. In this system, near real-time high-resolution 3D ROM stockpile models are created based on dump/load locations measured from global positioning system sensors. Each stockpile model contains a group of layers which are separated by different qualities. Findings Acquiring the geometric shapes of all the layers in a stockpile and cuts made by front wheel loaders provides a better understanding about the quality and quality distribution within a stockpile when it is stacked/reclaimed. Such a ROM stockpile model can provide information on predicating ore blend quality with high accuracy and high efficiency. Furthermore, a 3D stockyard model created based on such ROM stockpile models can help organisations optimise material flow and reduce the cost. Research limitations/implications The modelling algorithm is evaluated using a laboratory scaled stockpile at this stage. The authors expect to scan a real stockpile and create a reference model from it. Meanwhile, the geometric model cannot represent slump or collapse during reclaiming faithfully. Therefore, the model is expected to be reconcile monthly using laser scanning data. Practical implications The proposed model is currently translated to the operations at OZ Minerals. The use of such model will reduce the handling costs and improve the efficiency of existing grade management systems in the mining industry. Originality/value This study provides a solution to build a near real-time high-resolution multi-layered 3D stockpile model through using currently available information and resources. Such novel and low-cost stockpile model will improve the production rates with good output product quality control.

Introduction. Tell Sabi Abyad is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Balikh basin, located about 30 km south of the Syrian-Turkish border. It consists of four mounds excavated in different seasons. The excavation was initiated by a Dutch archaeological expedition that started on 1986 and finished in 2010. It was led first by Professor M. Van Loon and then by P. Akkermans. Methods and materials. The research was based on the results of archaeological excavations, published by the excavation team. The historical reconstruction method was used to study the materials of the site. Results. The study of excavation materials of the Tell Sabi Abyad monument made it possible to identify the cultural layers, which revealed religious buildings, dwellings, farm buildings, as well as other traces of the long-term human presence. The paper describes chronological layers and the amount of artefacts at different periods. The research made it possible to acquire new facts that can clarify the existing knowledge about Northern Mesopotamia of the Neolithic era. Conclusion. The study of the monument showed that the houses were built on stable towering platforms, had a regular residential character, and involved bricks, clay, wood, and cane. Most of the houses had a rectangular layout and were connected to each other by small openings (doors). There were also houses with roof entrances. In addition, circular buildings, the tholoi, were found. In the late chronological layers, the era of Halaf culture, the tholoi were widely used not only as places of worship, but also for housing and food storage.

Benzofused seven-membered heterocycles such as 1,4-benzo[e]diazepines (1,4-BZDs) and 1,4-benzo[e]oxazepines (1,4-BZOs) were efficiently synthesized by Rh-catalyzed hydrofunctionalization of internal alkynes and allenes in good to excellent yields. The asymmetric hydroamination of (aminomethyl)anilines gave rise to 3-vinyl-1,4-BZDs with excellent enantioselectivities. Orthogonal N-deprotection of 1,4-BZDs allowed an easy entry to an advanced pyrrolobenzodiazepine metabolite of the V2-receptor antagonist Lixivaptan® This work has received financial support from MINECO (project CTQ2017-87939R and ORFEO-CINQA network RED2018-102387-T), the Xunta de Galicia (project ED431C 2018/04 and Centro singular de investigación de Galicia accreditation 2019-2022, ED431G 2019/03) and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund – ERDF). A.V.-R. thanks Xunta de Galicia for a predoctoral fel-lowship (ED481A-2018/34, 2018-2021). SI

We demonstrate a monolithic perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cell with a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.2%. The tandem solar cell still exhibits photocurrent mismatch between the subcells thus optical simulations are used to determine the optimal device stack. Results reveal a high optical potential with the optimized device reaching a short-circuit current density of 19.9 mA cm$^{−2}$ and 32% PCE based on semiempirical material properties. To evaluate its energy yield, we first determine the CIGS temperature coefficient, which is at −0.38% K$^{−1}$ notably higher than the one from the perovskite subcell (−0.22% K$^{−1}$), favoring perovskite in the field operation at elevated cell temperatures. Both single-junction cells, however, are significantly outperformed by the combined tandem device. The enhancement in energy output is more than 50% in the case of CIGS single-junction device. The results demonstrate the high potential of perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cells, for which we describe optical guidelines toward 30% PCE.

Decreasing iridium loading in the electrocatalyst presents a crucial challenge in the implementation of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers. In this respect, fine dispersion of Ir on electrically conductive ceramic supports is a promising strategy. However, the supporting material needs to meet the demanding requirements such as structural stability and electrical conductivity under harsh oxygen evolution reaction (OER) conditions. Herein, nanotubular titanium oxynitride (TiON) is studied as a support for iridium nanoparticles. Atomically resolved structural and compositional transformations of TiON during OER were followed using a task-specific advanced characterization platform. This combined the electrochemical treatment under floating electrode configuration and identical location transmission electron microscopy (IL-TEM) analysis of an in-house-prepared Ir-TiON TEM grid. Exhaustive characterization, supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, demonstrates and confirms that both the Ir nanoparticles and single atoms induce a stabilizing effect on the ceramic support via marked suppression of the oxidation tendency of TiON under OER conditions.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the most prevalent mycotoxins that threatens food and feed safety. Biodegradation of OTA has gained much attention. In this study, an Alcaligenes faecalis strain named ANSA176, with a strong OTA-detoxifying ability, was isolated from donkey intestinal chyme and characterized. The strain ANSA176 could degrade 97.43% of 1 mg/mL OTA into OTα within 12 h, at 37 °C. The optimal levels for bacterial growth were 22–37 °C and pH 6.0–9.0. The effects of ANSA176 on laying hens with an OTA-contaminated diet were further investigated. A total of 36 laying hens were assigned to three dietary treatments: control group, OTA (250 µg/kg) group, and OTA + ANSA176 (6.2 × 108 CFU/kg diet) group. The results showed that OTA decreased the average daily feed intake (ADFI) and egg weight (EW); meanwhile, it increased serum alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), immunoglobulin G (IgG), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and glutathione reductase (GR). However, the ANSA176 supplementation inhibited or attenuated the OTA-induced damages. Taken together, OTA-degrading strain A. faecalis ANSA176 was able to alleviate the immune injury and inflammation induced by OTA.

Nanoparticle interactions with cellular membranes are controlled by molecular recognition reactions and regulate a multitude of biological processes, including virus infections, biological nanoparticle-mediated cellular communication, and drug delivery applications. Aided by the design of various supported cell membrane mimics, multiple methods have been employed to investigate these types of interactions, revealing information on nanoparticle coverage, interaction kinetics, as well as binding strength; however, precise quantification of the separation distance across which these delicate interactions occur remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that carefully designed neutron reflectometry (NR) experiments followed by an attentive selection and application of suitable theoretical models offer a means to quantify the distance separating biological nanoparticles from a supported lipid bilayer (SLB) with sub-nanometer precision. The distance between the nanoparticles and SLBs was tuned by exploiting either direct adsorption or specific binding using DNA tethers with different conformations, revealing separation distances of around 1, 3, and 7 nm with nanometric accuracy. We also show that NR provides precise information on nanoparticle coverage, size distribution, material composition, and potential structural changes in the underlying planar SLB induced upon nanoparticle binding. The precision with which these parameters could be quantified should pave an attractive path for investigations of the interactions between nanoparticles and interfaces at length scales and resolutions that were previously inaccessible. This thus makes it possible to, for example, gain an in-depth understanding of the molecular recognition reactions of inorganic and biological nanoparticles with cellular membranes., Journal of the American Chemical Society, 144 (45), ISSN:0002-7863, ISSN:1520-5126

The electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) provides a green route for decentralized H2 O2 synthesis, where a structure-selectivity relationship is pivotal for the control of a highly selective and active two-electron pathway. Here, we report the fabrication of a boron and nitrogen co-doped turbostratic carbon catalyst with tunable B-N-C configurations (CNB-ZIL) by the assistance of a zwitterionic liquid (ZIL) for electrochemical hydrogen peroxide production. Combined spectroscopic analysis reveals a fine tailored B-N moiety in CNB-ZIL, where interfacial B-N species in a homogeneous distribution tend to segregate into hexagonal boron nitride domains at higher pyrolysis temperatures. Based on the experimental observations, a correlation between the interfacial B-N moieties and HO2 - selectivity is established. The CNB-ZIL electrocatalysts with optimal interfacial B-N moieties exhibit a high HO2 - selectivity with small overpotentials in alkaline media, giving a HO2 - yield of ≈1787 mmol gcatalyst -1 h-1 at -1.4 V in a flow-cell reactor. ispartof: ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION vol:61 issue:37 ispartof: location:Germany status: published

International audience; Nowadays, phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLEDs) is a widespread technology, in which all the high-performance devices are constructed on a stack of different organic layers called multi-layer devices (ML-PhOLEDs). Thanks to these functional layers, the injection, the transport, and the recombination of holes and electrons in the emissive layer (EML) are significantly improved, allowing to reach high performances. In this technology, the ideal devices are the single-layer PhOLEDs (SL-PhOLEDs), with a very simple stack only constituted by the electrodes and the EML. These devices are simple, very easy to fabricate, and can hence significantly decrease their costs. Nevertheless, removing the functional layers of an OLED drastically decreases the performances and there is, so far, only a few examples of high-performance SL-PhOLEDs. Thus, in SL-PhOLEDs, the role of the functional layer should be performed by the EML, which should allow an excellent injection, transport, and recombination of holes and electrons. In this work, thanks to a rational molecular design of the EML, we report a green-emitting SL-PhOLED, displaying a very high external quantum efficiency of 22.7%. The EML of this device is constructed on the barely studied Ir(ppy)2acac phosphor and a high efficiency host material possessing a Donor-spiro-Acceptor design. This performance is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest reported to date for SL-PhOLEDs (all colors considered). Through a structure/property/device performance relationship study combining morphological (AFM), photophysical (time-resolved spectroscopy) and charge transport studies, we show that the EML presents all the required characteristics such as smooth surface, quick radiative deactivation, and ambipolarity. In addition, the comparison with Ir(ppy)3, the most famous green emitter used in PhOLEDs, highlights the high potential of Ir(ppy)2acac. The impact of the phosphorescent emitter on the ambipolarity of the charge transport is particularly evidenced.

Water quality is critical for poultry farming. This study assessed the physical, chemical and microbiological quality of drinking water in small-layer farms in Southern Mozambique and identified potential risk factors for total coliform (TC) and Escherichia coli contamination of drinking water. In 20 farms, 57 samples were collected and examined for pH, nitrate content (NC), nitrite level (NL) and total hardness contents (TH). Furthermore, TC and E. coli growth were assessed at 37 °C. One hundred per cent of the drinking water was of acceptable quality in terms of pH (6.5-8.5), NC (50 mg/L) and NL (3 mg/L). Total hardness contents exceeded the recommended standard in 37.5% of borehole water samples and 91.7% of tap water samples, respectively. Total coliform and E. coli were found in 40% and 15% of water samples. Tap water samples had the greatest contamination, with TC and E. coli levels of 41.7% and 16.7%, respectively. Although not statistically significant, sampling from the beginning of the nipple line (p = 0.101, OR = 7.357, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.678-79.886) and not cleaning the rearing equipment regularly (p = 0.098, OR = 3.966, 95% CI: 0.766-20.280) were factors affecting the TC growth. Sampling from the tank water source (p = 0.001, OR = 0.005, 95% CI: 0.000-0.121) and borehole water source (OR = 13 585) and not cleaning the equipment consistently (p = 0.073, OR = 9.682, 95% CI: 0.810-115.68) were all factors affecting E. coli growth. It is concluded that the TH and microbiological quality of the drinking water of the study region are inadequate. Regular water quality assessments should be incorporated into Mozambican layer farm management to limit the potential for health concerns, and farmers should thoroughly clean and disinfect their rearing equipment. CONTRIBUTION: We should incorporate regular water quality assessments into Mozambican layer farm management to limit the potential for health concerns, and farmers should thoroughly clean and disinfect their rearing equipment

Zavarivanje je neizbježan način spajanja materijala u strojarstvu, izvedbi građevinskih elemenata te kod postrojenja kemijske naftne i petrokemijske industrije. Cilj ovog diplomskog rada bio je ispitati korozijsku otpornost različitih uzorka zavarenih spojeva konstrukcijskog čelika S355 ovisno o načinu pripreme, mehaničkoj obradi i pripremi površine te njihovoj zaštiti. U svrhu analize korozijske otpornosti zavarenih spojeva u eksperimentalnom dijelu rada provedeno je 168-satno ispitivanje u slanoj komori prema standardu cikličkog ispitivanja korozije CCT-1. Nadalje, provedena su ispitivanja penetrantima zbog boljeg razumijevanja nastanka korozije i određivanja potencijalnih mjesta izbijanja korozije te metoda ispitivanja urezivanjem mrežice. Rezultati utjecaja slane atmosfere u slanoj komori ukazuju da nema razlike između uzoraka očišćenih i neočišćenih površina, ako nisu zaštićeni premazima. Uzorci s temeljnim i završnim premazom ukazuju na visoku otpornost u slanoj atmosferi s boljom otpornosti uzoraka koji sadrže i temeljni i završni premaz. Slana komora nije ostavila veliki utjecaj prilikom urezivanja mrežice te svi premazi prikazuju vrlo visoku prionjivost na metalnu površinu., Welding is an inevitable way of joining materials in mechanical engineering, the execution of construction elements, and in chemical, petroleum and petrochemical industry plants. The aim of this thesis was to examine the corrosion resistance of various samples of welded joints of structural steel S355 depending on the method of preparation, mechanical processing and surface preparation and their protection. In order to analyze the corrosion resistance of the welded joints in the experimental part of the work, a 168-hour test was carried out in a salt chamber according to the CCT-1 cyclic corrosion test standard. Furthermore, penetrant tests were carried out for a better understanding of the occurrence of corrosion and the determination of potential corrosion outbreak sites, as well as the Cross-Cut method. The results after subjecting the experiment to the influence of the salty atmosphere in the salt chamber indicate that there is no difference between samples of cleaned and uncleaned surfaces, if they are not protected by coatings. Samples with a primer and a topcoat show high resistance in a salty atmosphere with better adhesion of samples containing both a primer and a topcoat. The salt chamber did not have a big impact on Cross-Cut test, and all coatings show very high adhesion to the metal surface.

International audience; Orchestration is the art of writing music for a possibly large ensemble of instruments, by blending or opposing their sounds and grouping them into an orchestral texture. We aim here at providing a deeper understanding of orchestration in classical and early-romantic symphonies by analyzing, at the bar level, how the instruments of the orchestra organize into melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, and mixed layers. We formalize the description of such layers and release an open corpus with more than 7900 annotations in 24 first movements of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven symphonies. Initial analyses of this corpus confirm specific roles of the instruments and their families (woodwinds, brass, and strings), some evolution between composers, as well as the contribution of orchestral texture to form. The model and the corpus offer perspectives for empirical and computational studies on orchestral music.

This study shows the design of the novel hyperbolic tangent sigmoid function for the numerical treatment of the Williamson nanofluid model (WNM), which is categorized as velocity, concentration, and temperature. A process of a deep neural network using fifteen and thirty neurons is presented to solve the model. The hyperbolic tangent sigmoid transfer function is used in the process of both hidden layers. The optimization is performed through the Bayesian regularization approach (BRA) to solve the WNM. A targeted dataset through the Adam scheme is achieved that is further accomplished using the procedure of training, testing, and verification with ratios of 0.15, 0.13, and 0.72. The correctness of the deep neural network along with the BRA is performed through the overlapping of the solutions. The small calculated absolute error values also enhance the accurateness of the designed procedure. Moreover, the statistical observations are authenticated to reduce the mean square error for the nonlinear WNM.

The electrodeposited layers such as Ni-P and Ni-P/SiC have a wide use in many fields of activities due to their very good properties such as well behave in corrosion and wear resistance. In this paper are presented some microstructures of Ni-P/SiC deposits and some working parameters that influence the modification of the structure of their thin layers. It was observed, among the others, that the amount of phosphorus included in the deposited layers leads to the modification of the deposition structure and microstructure of these types of materials.

Functionalized nanoparticles have various applications, for which grafting of a chemical moiety onto the surface to induce/improve certain properties is needed. When incorporated in polymeric matrices, for instance, the modified nanoparticles can alter the interfacial characteristics leading to improvements ofthe macroscopic properties of the nanocomposites. The extent of these improvements is highly dependent on the thickness, morphology and conformity of the grafted layer. However, the common liquid-phase modification methods provide limited control over these factors. A novel gas-phase modification process was utilized, with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as precursor, to chemically deposit amino-terminated organic layers on fumed silica nanoparticles in a fluidized bed. A self-limiting surface saturation was achieved when the reaction was done at 200 °C. With this self-limiting feature, we were able to graft multiple layers of aminopropylsiloxane (APS) onto the silica nanoparticles using water as the coreactant. The feasibility of this process was analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), diffuse reflectance IR Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and elemental analysis (EA). By altering the number of APTES/water cycles, it was possible to control the thickness and conformity of the deposited aminopropylsiloxane layer. This novel approach allows to engineer the surface of nanoparticles, by introducing versatile functionalized layers in a controlled manner.