Effect of texturization on microbial inactivation in UV-C treated orange juice: Predictive modeling and analysis of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris physiological and morphological changes.

UV-C light is an alternative for preserving clear fruit-based drinks, replacing existing thermal treatments that degrade product quality and are ineffective against some microorganisms, including Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, a spoiling agent of concern in the juice sector. Texturizing agents are essential since consumers' preferences for these products strongly depend on the mouthfeel. However, the complexity of the treated texturized system may have an essential influence on UV-C effectiveness.

Sub-THz Characterization of Technical Surfaces for Particle Accelerator Vacuum Chambers.

Coatings play a crucial role in the functionality of vacuum chambers in particle accelerators, serving a dual goal by efficiently facilitating pumping and mitigating electron cloud effects. However, their impact on the surface impedance of the chamber walls raises concerns, potentially affecting the machine performance and imposing limitations on achievable energies and currents. Therefore, an electromagnetic characterization is essential for a comprehensive study of accelerator structures, particularly in the context of the next-generation machines where the demand for extremely short particle bunches accentuates the importance of evaluating material responses in the very-high-frequency region.

Dielectric Response of Different Alcohols in Water-Rich Binary Mixtures from THz Ellipsometry.

We report a study on the hydrogen bonding mechanisms of three aliphatic alcohols (2-propanol, methanol, and ethanol) and one diol (ethylene glycol) in water solution using a time-domain ellipsometer in the THz region. The dielectric response of the pure liquids is nicely modeled by the generalized Debye-Lorentz equation. For binary mixtures, we analyze the data using a modified effective Debye model, which considers H-bond rupture and reformation dynamics and the motion of the alkyl chains and of the OH groups.

A multidimensional evaluation of the effects of sweetener selection and UV-C treatment on orange juice and pectin-based confectionery gels.

Background: Consumers are seeking healthier alternatives to traditional confectioneries. They value the use of sugar replacers, more natural ingredients and/or environmentally friendly preservation technologies. UV-C light is considered an emerging alternative to thermal pasteurization that leaves no residue and requires minimal energy.

Highly Tunable MOCVD Process of Vanadium Dioxide Thin Films: Relationship between Structural/Morphological Features and Electrodynamic Properties.

The monoclinic structures of vanadium dioxide are widely studied as appealing systems due to a plethora of functional properties in several technological fields. In particular, the possibility to obtain the VO material in the form of thin film with a high control of structure and morphology represents a key issue for their use in THz devices and sensors. Herein, a fine control of the crystal habit has been addressed through an in-depth study of the metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) synthetic approach.

Probing the Molecular Dynamics of Aqueous Binary Solutions with THz Time-Domain Ellipsometry.

Using a customized time-domain ellipsometer operating in the THz range, the molecular dynamics of a liquid binary solution based on water and isopropyl alcohol (2-propanol) is investigated. The setup is capable of detecting small changes in the optical properties of the mixture within a single measurement. The complex dielectric response of samples with different concentrations is studied through the direct measurement of the ellipsometric parameters.

Sensing enhancement of a Fabry-Perot THz cavity using switchable VO mirrors.

We experimentally investigate the sensing properties of an open cavity operating in the THz regime and realized by employing as mirrors two thin vanadium dioxide (VO) films grown on silicon parallel plates and separated by a variable length. The phase transition of VO is used to control the behavior of the system between two different responses: a high transmission mode to the incident radiation (VO in the insulating state) and a high sensitivity to tiny changes in the cavity refractive index (VO in the conducting state). In the first state, the low loss regime enables to adjust the cavity length and easily optimize the resonances due to the Fabry-Perot (FP) effect in the Si plates and in the cavity volume.

Terahertz time-domain ellipsometry: tutorial.

Ellipsometry is extensively used in the optical regime to investigate the properties of many materials as well as to evaluate with high precision the surface roughness and thickness of thin films and multilayered systems. Due to the inherent non-coherent detection technique, data analyses in optical ellipsometry tend to be complicated and require the use of a predetermined model, therefore indirectly linking the sample properties to the measured ellipsometric parameters. The aim of this tutorial is to provide an overview of terahertz (THz) time-domain ellipsometry, which is based instead on a coherent detection approach and allows in a simple and direct way the measurement of the material response.

THz Multi-Mode Q-Plate with a Fixed Rate of Change of the Optical Axis Using Form Birefringence.

We report the design, fabrication and experimental validation of a THz all-dielectric multi-mode q-plate having a fixed rate of change of the optical axis. The device consists of space-variant birefringent slabs manufactured by 3D printing using melt-extruded Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The desired form birefringence is analytically evaluated and experimentally measured by the THz time domain spectroscopy technique.

Accurate THz ellipsometry using calibration in time domain.

We report on the realisation of a customized THz time domain spectroscopic ellipsometer (THz-TDSE) based on fiber-coupled photoconductive antennas, operating in a wide range of incident angles and allowing also standard transmission spectroscopy without any optical realignment. To ensure accurate parameter extraction for a broad range of materials, we developed a fast and effective algorithm-assisted method to calibrate the setup and compensate for the nonideality in the response of the THz system. The procedure allows to minimise errors induced by imperfect response of the antennas and polarizers, imprecise setting of the impinging and receiving angles in the goniometric mechanical arms, and unavoidable mismatches in the THz beam optics.

Effective EMI shielding behaviour of thin graphene/PMMA nanolaminates in the THz range.

The use of graphene in a form of discontinuous flakes in polymer composites limits the full exploitation of the unique properties of graphene, thus requiring high filler loadings for achieving- for example- satisfactory electrical and mechanical properties. Herein centimetre-scale CVD graphene/polymer nanolaminates have been produced by using an iterative 'lift-off/float-on' process and have been found to outperform, for the same graphene content, state-of-the-art flake-based graphene polymer composites in terms of mechanical reinforcement and electrical properties. Most importantly these thin laminate materials show a high electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness, reaching 60 dB for a small thickness of 33 μm, and an absolute EMI shielding effectiveness close to 3·10 dB cm g which is amongst the highest values for synthetic, non-metallic materials produced to date.

Dispersion diagram of surface plasmon polaritons from angular transmission investigation.

A novel, to the best of our knowledge, methodology based on the combination of experimental measurements and simulations of the wave transmission through a metasurface at different angles is presented, enabling us to identify the fundamental and first high-order mode of spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) excited in the terahertz regime. The approach offers a new way, an alternative to standard near field imaging, to trace out the presence of SSPPs on a metal-dielectric interface.

Endovascular Treatment of Persistent Sciatic Artery Occlusion: Case Report and Literature Review.

Persistent sciatic artery (PSA) is a rare congenital anatomic variant of the lower limb vascular system with highly variable presentations. The management of lower limb ischemia due to PSA disease is not specifically recommended in guidelines, and surgical by-pass is usually the most described treatment. We reported a case of a 46-year-old patient with bilateral PSA and right chronic limb-threatening ischemia due to PSA occlusion at the PSA-popliteal junction which was successfully treated with percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty.

Pyramidal metamaterial absorber for mode damping in microwave resonant structures.

In many resonant structures the damping of parasitic or higher order modes is indispensable to guarantee a correct and stable performance. This is particularly true in the microwave region in case of cavities or other resonant systems operating in accelerating structures, where the mitigation of spurious resonance effects is mandatory to achieve high quality particle beams. We present the results on the mode suppression in a real pillbox cavity by inserting a properly designed pyramidal metamaterial that acts as light, small volume damper for specific resonances in the range 3-4 GHz, only slightly perturbing other intrinsic modes.

Renal artery embolization of non-functioning graft: an effective treatment for graft intolerance syndrome.

Background: Percutaneous renal artery embolization is a valid non-invasive technique alternative to nephrectomy for patients with symptomatic non-functioning allograft (graft intolerance syndrome-GIS). The purpose of this article is to report the experience of our centre.

Methods: We analysed retrospectively 15 patients with symptomatic non-functioning renal allograft treated with percutaneous embolization from 2003 to 2017.

A case report on the effect of micrografting in the healing of chronic and complex burn wounds.

Different approaches can be used to repair extensive burn injury and chronic wounds, including full and split thickness skin grafts, temporising matrices and scaffolds, and composite cultured skin products. The use of non-cultured or autologous skin cells suspension in chronic burn is well established, but despite this no significant literature has been realized. The Rigenera micrografting technology is an innovative technique allowing to obtain a suspension of autologous micrografts that can be applied over the wounds in a combined methodology specifically developed and based on the both injections of the wound edges and spraying over the wound bed of this suspension.

Correction: G. Papari . Terahertz Spectroscopy of Amorphous WSe and MoSe Thin Films. (2018), (9), 1613.

The exponential factor in Equation (1) of the paper published in [1] reports a misprintand the correct expression of the transmission function is [...

A Retrospective Study on the Use of Dermis Micrografts in Platelet-Rich Fibrin for the Resurfacing of Massive and Chronic Full-Thickness Burns.

The coverage of massive burns still represents a big challenge, even if several strategies are to date available to deal with this situation. In this study, we describe the use of a combination of platelet-rich fibrin and micrograft spray-on skin in order to increase the yield of grafted cells in patients. We treated a total of five patients, of which two were affected by massive burns and three with chronic burn wounds.

Encoded-Enhancement of THz Metasurface Figure of Merit for Label-Free Sensing.

We describe an experimental strategy for the use of Terahertz (THz) metasurfaces as a platform for label-free wide range detection of the dielectric function in biological fluids. Specifically, we propose a metagrid (MG), opportunely infiltrated with a fluid and then capped, as the reference structure for sensing experiments with a high reproducibility character. By combining experiments and full-wave simulations of the transmission of such a structure, we introduce a reliable set up where the volume of the involved analyte in each unit cell is precisely determined.

Outcomes following percutaneous treatment of biliary stones.

Background: The percutaneous approach (PA) for management of biliary stones (BS) with or without an underlying biliary stenosis is an option for patients in whom an endoscopic approach (EA) is not possible. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a PA in patients with BS unsuitable for an EA.

Methods: A retrospective review of a database was performed.

Geometrical Dependence on the Onset of Surface Plasmon Polaritons in THz Grid Metasurfaces.

The transmission response of metallo-dielectric grid metasurfaces is experimentally investigated through Terahertz Time Domain Spectroscopy and the corresponding effective dielectric function is retrieved. Using a lumped element model we can determine the dependence of the effective plasma frequency (the transition frequency) on the metasurface filling factor F. The change of the transition frequency vs.

Terahertz Spectroscopy of Amorphous WSe₂ and MoSe₂ Thin Films.

Time domain spectroscopy is used to determine the THz electromagnetic response of amorphous transition metal dichalcogenides WSe₂ and MoSe₂ in thin-film form. The dielectric function is obtained using a rigorous transmission model to account for the large etalon effect. The Drude⁻Smith model is applied to retrieve the dielectric function, and from there, the sample conductivity.