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Physicochemical Processes Leading to Plasma-Driven Solution Electrolysis
A new type of electrolysis, initially known as the contact glow-discharge electrolysis (CGDE) and, more recently, as the plasma-driven solution electrolysis (PDSE), has attracted attention as an alternative method of hydrogen production. PDSE is a nontypical electrochemical process in which electric plasma is formed in the glow discharges excited by the direct or pulsed current in a gas–vapor envelope in the vicinity of the discharge electrode immersed in the electrolytic solution. The yield of chemicals in PDSE (i.e., the ratio of the moles of the product formed to the moles of electrons consumed in a chemical reaction) is several times higher than the Faradaic production of chemicals (predicted by Faraday’s law). In PDSE, new chemical compounds can also be synthesized, which does not happen using Faradaic electrolysis.
  • 881
  • 31 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Deformation (Mechanics)
Deformation in continuum mechanics is the transformation of a body from a reference configuration to a current configuration. A configuration is a set containing the positions of all particles of the body. A deformation may be caused by external loads, body forces (such as gravity or electromagnetic forces), or changes in temperature, moisture content, or chemical reactions, etc. Strain is a description of deformation in terms of relative displacement of particles in the body that excludes rigid-body motions. Different equivalent choices may be made for the expression of a strain field depending on whether it is defined with respect to the initial or the final configuration of the body and on whether the metric tensor or its dual is considered. In a continuous body, a deformation field results from a stress field induced by applied forces or is due to changes in the temperature field inside the body. The relation between stresses and induced strains is expressed by constitutive equations, e.g., Hooke's law for linear elastic materials. Deformations which are recovered after the stress field has been removed are called elastic deformations. In this case, the continuum completely recovers its original configuration. On the other hand, irreversible deformations remain even after stresses have been removed. One type of irreversible deformation is plastic deformation, which occurs in material bodies after stresses have attained a certain threshold value known as the elastic limit or yield stress, and are the result of slip, or dislocation mechanisms at the atomic level. Another type of irreversible deformation is viscous deformation, which is the irreversible part of viscoelastic deformation. In the case of elastic deformations, the response function linking strain to the deforming stress is the compliance tensor of the material.
  • 880
  • 20 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Implications of Gauge-Free Extended Electrodynamics
Recent tests measured an irrotational (curl-free) magnetic vector potential (A) that is contrary to classical electrodynamics (CED). A (irrotational) arises in extended electrodynamics (EED) that is derivable from the Stueckelberg Lagrangian. A (irrotational) implies an irrotational (gradient-driven) electrical current density, J. Consequently, EED is gauge-free and provably unique. EED predicts a scalar field that equals the quantity usually set to zero as the Lorenz gauge, making A and the scalar potential (F) independent and physically-measureable fields. EED predicts a scalar-longitudinal wave (SLW) that has an electric field along the direction of propagation together with the scalar field, carrying both energy and momentum. EED also predicts the scalar wave (SW) that carries energy without momentum.
  • 879
  • 01 May 2021
Topic Review
U-NII
The Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) radio band is part of the radio frequency spectrum used by IEEE 802.11a devices and by many wireless ISPs. It operates over four ranges: Wireless ISPs generally use 5.725–5.825 GHz. In the USA licensed amateur radio operators are authorized 5.650–5.925 GHz by Part 97.303 of the FCC rules. U-NII is an FCC regulatory domain for 5 GHz wireless devices. U-NII power limits are defined by the United States CFR Title 47 (Telecommunication), Part 15 - Radio Frequency Devices, Subpart E - Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure Devices, Paragraph 15.407 - General technical requirements. Regulatory use in individual countries may differ. The European HiperLAN standard operates in same frequency band as the U-NII.
  • 876
  • 17 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Isotopes of Unbiunium
Check temperatures Ubu: no input for C, K, F. Check temperatures Ubu: no input for C, K, F. Unbiunium, also known as eka-actinium or simply element 121, is the hypothetical chemical element with symbol Ubu and atomic number 121. Unbiunium and Ubu are the temporary systematic IUPAC name and symbol respectively, until a permanent name is decided upon. In the periodic table of the elements, it is expected to be the first of the superactinides, and the third element in the eighth period: analogously to lanthanum and actinium, it could be considered the fifth member of group 3 and the first member of the fifth-row transition metals. It has attracted attention because of some predictions that it may be in the island of stability, although newer calculations expect the island to actually occur at a slightly lower atomic number, closer to copernicium and flerovium. Unbiunium has not yet been synthesized. Nevertheless, because it is only three elements away from the heaviest known element, oganesson (element 118), its synthesis may come in the near future; it is expected to be one of the last few reachable elements with current technology, and the limit may be anywhere between element 120 and 124. It will also likely be far more difficult to synthesize than the elements known so far up to 118, and still more difficult than elements 119 and 120. The team at RIKEN in Japan has plans to attempt the synthesis of element 121 in the future after its attempts on elements 119 and 120. The position of unbiunium in the periodic table suggests that it would have similar properties to its lighter congeners, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, and actinium; however, relativistic effects may cause some of its properties to differ from those expected from a straight application of periodic trends. For example, unbiunium is expected to have a s2p valence electron configuration instead of the s2d of its lighter congeners in group 3, but this is not expected to significantly affect its chemistry, which is predicted to be that of a normal group 3 element; it would on the other hand significantly lower its first ionisation energy beyond what would be expected from periodic trends.
  • 876
  • 26 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Ion-Exchange
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, ion-exchange process can be defined as “any class of chemical reactions between two substances (each consisting of positively and negatively charged species called ions) that involves an exchange of one or more ionic components”. This is the case, for example, of a multi-component oxide glass immersed – at a given temperature – in a mixture of molten salts containing metal ions (typically nitrates such as silver nitrate AgNO3, potassium nitrate KNO3, copper nitrate Cu(NO3)2, sodium nitrate NaNO3, etc.). Because of the high temperature at which the process occurs and concentration gradient established in proximity of the interface between glass and molten salt, sodium ions Na+ present within the compound glass migrate in the solution and are replaced by cations originally contained in the salt melt (e.g., Ag+, K+, Cu2+, etc.). Due to the different size and polarizability of the ions participating in the process, the glass modifies its network locally in the exchanged regions, with particular reference to its density and, therefore, to its refractive index. This paves the way for the production of graded-index optical components and waveguides, for passive and active integrated optical devices. Furthermore, the K+ – Na+ exchange is the basis for the chemical strengthening of the glass, which allows to obtain mechanically resistant glasses in increasingly thinner thicknesses for applications in smartphone technology and flexible photonics. Finally, the possibility of inducing the formation of noble metal nanoparticles in an ion-exchanged glass following particular thermal post-process techniques allows the realization of new low-cost optical platforms for sensing and photovoltaic applications.
  • 875
  • 31 May 2021
Topic Review
Fouling Prevention in Membranes by Radiation-Induced Graft Copolymerization
The application of membrane processes in various fields has now undergone accelerated developments, despite the presence of some hurdles impacting the process efficiency. Fouling is arguably the main hindrance for a wider implementation of polymeric membranes, particularly in pressure-driven membrane processes, causing higher costs of energy, operation, and maintenance. Radiation induced graft copolymerization (RIGC) is a powerful versatile technique for covalently imparting selected chemical functionalities to membranes’ surfaces, providing a potential solution to fouling problems. 
  • 874
  • 17 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Old Quantum Theory
The old quantum theory is a collection of results from the years 1900–1925 which predate modern quantum mechanics. The theory was never complete or self-consistent, but was rather a set of heuristic corrections to classical mechanics. The theory is now understood as the semi-classical approximation to modern quantum mechanics. The main and final accomplishments of the old quantum theory were the determination of the modern form of the periodic table by Edmund Stoner and the Pauli Exclusion Principle which were both premised on the Arnold Sommerfeld enhancements to the Bohr model of the atom. The main tool of the old quantum theory was the Bohr–Sommerfeld quantization condition, a procedure for selecting out certain states of a classical system as allowed states: the system can then only exist in one of the allowed states and not in any other state.
  • 871
  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Coconut Palm
The price of traditional sources of nutrients used in animal feed rations is increasing steeply in developed countries due to their scarcity, high demand from humans for the same food items, and expensive costs of raw materials. Thus, one of the alternative sources is coconut parts or coconut as a whole fruit. Coconut is known as the ‘tree of abundance’, ‘tree of heaven’, and ‘tree of life’ owing to its numerous uses, becoming a very important tree in tropical areas for its provision of food, employment, and business opportunities to millions of people. Coconut contains a rich profile of macro and micronutrients that vary depending on the parts and how they are used. It is frequently chosen as an alternative source of protein and fiber. Its uses as an antibacterial agent, immunomodulant, and antioxidant further increase its importance. Using coconut oil in ruminant feed helps to minimize methane gas emissions by 18–30%, and to reduce dry matter intake up to 4.2 kg/d. The aquaculture sectors also use coconut palm as an alternative source because it significantly improves the digestion, growth, lipid metabolism, health, and antioxidative responses. However, coconut is not widely used in poultry diets although it has adequate amount of protein and carbohydrate due to anti-nutritional factors such cellulose (13%), galactomannan (61%), and mannan (26%). 
  • 871
  • 31 Aug 2022
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Wavefunction Collapse Broadens Molecular Spectrum
Spectral lines in the optical spectra of atoms, molecules, and other quantum systems are characterized by a range of frequencies ω or a range of wavelengths λ=2πc/ω, where c is the speed of light. Such a frequency or wavelength range is called the width of the spectral lines (linewidth). It is influenced by many specific factors. Thermal motion of the molecules results in broadening of the lines as a result of the Doppler effect (thermal broadening) and by their collisions (pressure broadening). The electric fields of neighboring molecules lead to Stark broadening. The linewidth to be considered here is the so-called parametric broadening (PB) of spectral lines in the optical spectrum. PB can be considered the fundamental type of broadening of the electronic vibrational–rotational (rovibronic) transitions in a molecule, which is the direct manifestation of the basic concept of the collapse of a wavefunction that is postulated by the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. Thus, that concept appears to be not only valid but is also useful for predicting physically observable phenomena.
  • 870
  • 11 Apr 2023
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