Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest 1117, Hungary.
Published: June 2024
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
Non-iridescent structural plumage reflectance is a sexually selected indicator of individual quality in several bird species. However, the structural basis of individual differences remains unclear. In particular, the dominant periodicity of the quasi-ordered feather barb nanostructure is of key importance in colour generation, but no study has successfully traced back reflectance parameters, and particularly hue, to nanostructural periodicity, although this would be key to deciphering the information content of individual variation. We used matrix small-angle X-ray scattering measurements of intact, stacked feather samples from the blue tit crown to estimate the sex-dependence and individual variation of nanostructure and its effects on light reflectance. Measures of nanostructural periodicity successfully predicted brightness, ultraviolet chroma and also hue, with statistically similar effects in the two sexes. However, we also observed a lack of overall effect of the nanostructural inhomogeneity estimate on reflectance chromaticity, sex-dependent accuracy in hue prediction and strong sex-dependence in position estimation error. We suggest that reflectance attributes are modified by other feather structures in a sex-specific manner, and that within-individual variation in nanostructural parameters exists within or among feathers and this confounds the interpretation of structure-reflectance relationships at the plumage area level.
Optical sensors are among the most significant optical devices that have found extensive applications for THz sensing. Surface plasmon-based sensors have attracted increasing attention more than other kinds of optical sensors such as photonic crystal, optical fiber, and graphene sensors, owing to their compact footprint, fast reaction, and high sensitivity value. Therefore, this work reviews plasmonic sensor structures divided into three general categories.
Wearable nanocomposite stretch sensors are an exciting new development in biomaterials for biomechanical motion-tracking technology, with applications in the treatment of low back pain, knee rehabilitation, fetal movement tracking, and other fields. When strained, the resistance of the low-cost sensors is reduced, enabling human motion to be monitored using a suitable sensor array. However, current sensor technologies have exhibited significant drift, in the form of increased electrical resistance, if left stored in typical room conditions.
This work presents a unique and straightforward method to synthesise hafnium oxide (HfO) and hafnium carbide (HfC) nanoparticles (NPs) and to fabricate hafnium nanostructures (NSs) on a Hf surface. Ultrafast picosecond laser ablation of the Hf metal target was performed in three different liquid media, namely, deionised water (DW), toluene, and anisole, to fabricate HfO and HfC NPs along with Hf NSs. Spherical HfO NPs and nanofibres were formed when Hf was ablated in DW.
Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China.
Alkali element doping has significant physical implications for two-dimensional materials, primarily by tuning the electronic structure and carrier concentration. It can enhance interface electronic interactions, providing opportunities for effective charge transfer at metal-organic interfaces. In this work, we investigated the effects of gradually increasing the level of K doping on the lattice structure and electronic properties of an organometallic coordinated Kagome lattice on a Ag(111) surface.
Innovations in nanostructured surfaces have found a practical place in the medical area with use in implant materials for post-operative infection prevention. These textured surfaces should be dual purpose: (1) bactericidal on contact and (2) resistant to biofilm formation over prolonged periods. Here, hydrothermally etched titanium surfaces were tested against two highly antimicrobial resistant microbial species, methicillin-resistant and .
