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As we entered 2021, we interviewed Riad Sattouf about his Arab of the Future series, reflecting on how comics explore memory and the importance of narrative storytelling not limited to 280 Twitter ...

As 2020 came to a close we sat down with Thi Bui over Zoom to discuss her graphic narrative, The Best We Could Do, her recent collaboration on a children’s book, A Different Pond (co-created with B...

In early 2021we met with Carol Tyler over Zoom to discuss her comics, her participation in the underground comix community, and her forthcoming work, The Ephemerata: Shaping the Exquisite Nature of...

Porous graphene with catalytically active ceria nanometre-size particles were prepared using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on graphene produced through chemical vapour deposition (CVD). The reported process provided porous graphene containing ceria nanoparticles as confirmed by HR TEM and XPS. Isotopically labelled 13 C graphene was employed to study desorption of the species containing carbon. Methanol adsorption was utilised to probe the nature of the catalytic activity of prepared ceria decorated graphene. The important role of graphene support for the stabilization of reduced ceria nanoparticles was finally confirmed. Increased dehydrogenation activity of graphene with ceria nanoparticles leading to CO and H2 formation was demonstrated.

In a recent interview with Empire magazine, director Martin Scorsese criticised Marvel Entertainment movies as he declared, ‘that’s not cinema’ (de Semlyen 2019). After fans responded to his interi...

In Spring 2020, Vera Camden and Valentino Zullo, American editors of the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics sat down with Derf Backderf to discuss his new book, Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio. Hig...

Characterization of the type and density of defects in two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is important as the nature of these defects strongly influences the electronic and optical properties of the material, especially its photoluminescence (PL). Defect characterization is not as straightforward as it is for graphene films, where the D and D' Raman scattering modes easily indicate the density and type of defects in the graphene layer. Thus, in addition to the Raman scattering analysis, other spectroscopic techniques are necessary to perform detailed characterization of atomically thin TMD layers. We demonstrate that PL spectroscopy performed at liquid helium temperatures reveals the key fingerprints of defects in TMDs and hence provides valuable information about their origin and concentration. In our study, we address defects in chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown MoS2 monolayers. A significant difference is observed between the as-grown monolayers compared with the CVD-grown monolayers transferred onto a Si/SiO2 substrate, which contain extra defects due to the transfer process. We demonstrate that the temperature-dependent Raman and PL micro-spectroscopy techniques enable disentangling the contributions and locations of various defect types in TMD systems.

The monolayer character of two-dimensional materials predestines them for application as active layers of sensors. However, their inherent high sensitivity is always accompanied by a low selectivity. Chemical functionalization of two-dimensional materials has emerged as a promising way to overcome the selectivity issues. Here, we demonstrate efficient graphene functionalization with carbohydrate ligands—chitooligomers, which bind proteins of the lectin family with high selectivity. Successful grafting of a chitooligomer library was thoroughly characterized, and glycan binding to wheat germ agglutinin was studied by a series of methods. The results demonstrate that the protein quaternary structure remains intact after binding to the functionalized graphene, and that the lectin can be liberated from the surface by the addition of a binding competitor. The chemoenzymatic assay with a horseradish peroxidase conjugate also confirmed the intact catalytic properties of the enzyme. The present approach thus paves the way towards graphene-based sensors for carbohydrate–lectin binding.

Monolayer and isotopically labelled bilayer graphene membranes were prepared on grids for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In order to create defects in the graphene layers in a controlled way, we studied the sensitivity of the individual graphene layers to the oxygen plasma treatment. We tested samples with different configurations by varying the order of the transfer of layers and changing the orientation of the samples with respect to the plasma chamber. Using Raman spectroscopy, HRTEM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we demonstrated defect formation and determined the quantity and chemical composition of the defects. By keeping the sample structure and the setup of the experiment unchanged, the significant role of the sample orientation with respect to the chamber was demonstrated. The effect was accounted for by the variation of the accessibility of the sample surface for the reactive species. Therefore, this effect can be used to control the degree of damage in each layer, resulting in differing numbers of defects present on each side of the sample.

‘The Interview Issue’ marks the first time the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics has dedicated an entire issue to the voice of the cartoonist. When we were asked to become American Editors of th...

Graphene-enhanced Raman scattering (GERS) on isotopically labelled bilayer and a single layer of pristine and partially hydrogenated graphene has been studied. The hydrogenated graphene sample showed a change in relative intensities of Raman bands of Rhodamine 6 G (R6G) with different vibrational energies deposited on a single layer and bilayer graphene. The change corresponds qualitatively to different doping of graphene in both areas. Pristine graphene sample exhibited no difference in doping nor relative intensities of R6G Raman peaks in the single layer and bilayer areas. Therefore, it was concluded that strain and strain inhomogeneities do not affect the GERS. Because of analyzing relative intensities of selected peaks of the R6G probe molecules, it is possible to obtain these results without determining the enhancement factor and without assuming homogeneous coverage of the molecules. Furthermore, we tested the approach on copper phtalocyanine molecules.

In honor of the 75th anniversary of the comic book super heroine Wonder Woman in 2016, Kent State University and Cleveland Public Library partnered to celebrate the intersections of public literacy...

Characterization of the type and density of defects in two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is important as the nature of these defects strongly influences the electronic and optical properties of the material, especially its photoluminescence (PL). Defect characterization is not as straightforward as it is for graphene films, where the D and D’ Raman scattering modes easily indicate the density and type of defects in the graphene layer. Thus, in addition to the Raman scattering analysis, other spectroscopic techniques are necessary to perform detailed characterization of atomically thin TMD layers. We demonstrate that PL spectroscopy performed at liquid helium temperatures reveals the key fingerprints of defects in TMDs and hence provides valuable information about their origin and concentration. In our study, we address defects in chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown MoS2 monolayers. A significant difference is observed between the as-grown monolayers compared with the CVD-grown monolayers transferred onto a Si/SiO2 substrate, which contain extra defects due to the transfer process. We demonstrate that the temperature-dependent Raman and PL micro-spectroscopy techniques enable disentangling the contributions and locations of various defect types in TMD systems.

Characterization of the type and density of defects in two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is important as the nature of these defects strongly influences the electronic and optical properties of the material, especially its photoluminescence (PL). Defect characterization is not as straightforward as it is for graphene films, where the D and D' Raman scattering modes easily indicate the density and type of defects in the graphene layer. Thus, in addition to the Raman scattering analysis, other spectroscopic techniques are necessary to perform detailed characterization of atomically thin TMD layers. We demonstrate that PL spectroscopy performed at liquid helium temperatures reveals the key fingerprints of defects in TMDs and hence provides valuable information about their origin and concentration. In our study, we address defects in chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown MoS2 monolayers. A significant difference is observed between the as-grown monolayers compared with the CVD-grown monolayers transferred onto a Si/SiO2 substrate, which contain extra defects due to the transfer process. We demonstrate that the temperature-dependent Raman and PL micro-spectroscopy techniques enable disentangling the contributions and locations of various defect types in TMD systems.

Valentino Zullo:Can we start with the fact that you are a Persian comics creator? I noticed that when you are interviewed you are not asked about being Persian or about Iran. Sina Grace:I think a l...

The emission of light in two-dimensional (2-D) layered hybrid organic lead halide perovskites, namely (R-NH3)2PbX4, can be effectively tuned using specific building blocks for the perovskite formation. Herein this behaviour is combined with a non-covalent graphene functionalization allowing excellent selectivity and spatial resolution of the perovskite film growth, promoting the formation of hybrid 2-D perovskite : graphene heterostructures with uniform coverage of up to centimeter scale graphene sheets and arbitrary shapes down to 5 μm. Using cryo-Raman microspectroscopy, highly resolved spectra of the perovskite phases were obtained and the Raman mapping served as a convenient spatially resolved technique for monitoring the distribution of the perovskite and graphene constituents on the substrate. In addition, the stability of the perovskite phase with respect to the thermal variation was inspected in situ by X-ray diffraction. Finally, time-resolved photoluminescence characterization demonstrated that the optical properties of the perovskite films grown on graphene are not hampered. Our study thus opens the door to smart fabrication routes for (opto)-electronic devices based on 2-D perovskites in contact with graphene with complex architectures.

Queer Theory by definition is difficult to capture, but it is best understood as the theoretical discourse that upends our assumptions that serve to undergird oppressive structures of power, beginning with a focus on those assumptions that reinforce heteronormativity and harmful gender norms. Queer Theory seeks to uncover and undermine hidden agendas, assumptions, categories, traditions, and norms that support the status quo. Queer Theory is not only antinormative, but also looks to empower disenfranchised subjects by not only dismantling existing structures of power but creating new avenues of empowerment. Queer Theory looks at how a text “queers” established narratives, that is, how it upends established norms and challenges underlying hierarchies. Reading with Queer Theory does not mean imposing a queer reading onto the text, but asking what is queer about the text or what is it queering. This chapter reads Justin Whitley and Elsa Charretier’s The Unstoppable Wasp as a queer feminist critique of continuity as a convention of mainstream comics.

As comics have received numerous literary awards, found their way into museums, peer-reviewed journals and medical schools, countless academic and non-academic outlets assert the form’s newfound le...

We exploit TiO2 surface functionalization as a tool to induce the crystallization process of CH3NH3PbI3−xClx perovskite thin films resulting in a reduction of the degree of orientation of the (110) crystallographic planes. Notably, the variation of the film crystalline orientational order does not affect the photovoltaic performances of the perovskite-based devices, whose efficiency remains mostly unchanged. Our findings suggest that other factors are more significant in determining the device efficiency, such as the non-homogenous coverage of the TiO2 surface causing charge recombination at the organic/TiO2 interface, defect distribution on the perovskite bulk and at the interfaces, and transport in the organic or TiO2 layer. This observation represents a step towards the comprehension of the perovskite film peculiarities influencing the photovoltaic efficiency for high performance devices.

The mere mention of French theory brings to mind thoughts of split subjects, signifiers and definitions of postmodernism. However, The French Comics Theory Reader, edited by Ann Miller and Bart Bea...

Hillary Chute suggests ‘if comics is about mapping, it is also about bodies – about locating them in space and time’ (‘Comics Form and Narrating Lives,’ Profession 1, 107–117). If scholars envision comics as body narratives, we must also consider that which covers the body: the skin. This article offers a reading of J.H. Williams III’s work on the contemporary DC Comics series Detective Comics and Batwoman, exploring a new vision of the subject and its mapped presence on the surface of the body. These narratives embedded in the surface avoid the disjuncture between sign and signifier in categorizations of identity as various performances retain a presence on the skin. Thus, without denying the performative nature of identity, this article explores the after-effects of the performance – how its palimpsestic presence maps time and space onto the surface of the material body. Furthermore, by turning to skin, the materiality of the body is brought into focus without reducing our discussion to biology; instead...

Joseph J. Darowksi’s The Ages of the X-Men is a welcome contribution to what is a very complicated corner of comics scholarship: the superhero narrative. While there certainly has been a boom in wr...

Experiments have demonstrated that ocean acidification (OA) conditions projected to occur by the end of the century will slow the calcification of numerous coral species and accelerate the biological erosion of reef habitats (bioerosion). Microborers, which bore holes less than 100 mu m diameter, are one of the most pervasive agents of bioerosion and are present throughout all calcium carbonate substrates within the reef environment. The response of diverse reef functional groups to OA is known from real-world ecosystems, but to date our understanding of the relationship between ocean pH and carbonate dissolution by microborers is limited to controlled laboratory experiments. Here we examine the settlement of microborers to pure mineral calcium carbonate substrates (calcite) along a natural pH gradient at a volcanically acidified reef at Maug, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Colonization of pioneer microborers was higher in the lower pH waters near the vent field. Depth of microborer penetration was highly variable both among and within sites (4.2-195.5 mu m) over the short duration of the study (3 mo.) and no clear relationship to increasing CO2 was observed. Calculated rates of biogenic dissolution, however, were highest at the two sites closer to the vent and were not significantly different from each other. These data represent the first evidence of OA-enhancement of microboring flora colonization in newly available substrates and provide further evidence that microborers, especially bioeroding chlorophytes, respond positively to low pH. The accelerated breakdown and dissolution of reef framework structures with OA will likely lead to declines in structural complexity and integrity, as well as possible loss of essential habitat.

The authors have examined the protoporphyrin IX (PP) peripheral vinyl C=C stretching 220-nm-excited resonance Raman cross sections, depolarization ratios, and vinyl stretching frequencies. The depolarization ratio of 0.33 observed for the bis(cyanide) complexes of both PP and a monovinylporphyrin derivative indicates that the enchancement of the vinyl vibration is likely in both cases to be dominated by a single tensor component in a manner similar to that for the C=C stretch of simpler olefins. The data suggest that the two peripheral vinyl groups are vibrationally encoupled. 53 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.

Ultraviolet resonance Raman spectroscopy is used to probe residual olefin in polypropylene. Ratios of the olefin band to nonresonantly enhanced polymer modes increase with increasing; olefin content. No UV photodamage is evident for samples which are moved through the laser beam. In contrast, an increase in intensity of the olefin band as a function of irradiation time is seen in stationary samples of polymer, which probably indicates photo-oxidative degradation.

The resonance Raman spectra of ferric protoporphyrin IX (PP) complexes show selective vinyl enhancement with UV excitation below 300 nm. The authors have compared vinyl group Raman enhancement of pp complexes in the Soret band and in the UV and have also examined the C=C enhancement in 1-hexene. We conclude that little conjugation occurs between the vinyl groups and the porphyrin ring in the ground electronic state. In contrast, resonance enhancement of the vinyl vibrational modes with visible Soret excitation occurs because of a small amount of conjugation between the vinyl {pi}* antibonding orbitals and the porphyrin excited {pi}* Soret orbitals.

Several U(IV) compounds with fluorinated and bulky β-diketones have been synthesized by a novel route. The compounds have been characterized by elemental and mass spectroscopic analyses, IR and electronic spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction patterns. The electronic and steric effects of the β-diketone substituents on the properties of the compounds are discussed.

Severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCIDs) represent a group of distinct congenital disorders affecting either cell-mediated or humoral immunity, which lead invariably to severe and life-threatening infections. The different forms of SCID are currently classified according to the presence or absence of T, B, and NK cells. This greatly helps define the site of the blockage during the differentiation process. Even though SCID patients share common clinical features, such as opportunistic infections and failure to thrive, irrespective of the underlying pathogenetic mechanism, the discovery of new causative gene alterations led to identify novel complex clinical phenotypes, sometimes associated to extrahematopoietic manifestations. In a few cases, the presenting signs may be peculiar to that specific form and physicians should be alerted in recognizing such complex phenotypes, in order to avoid delay in the diagnostic procedures. The aim of this review is to alert care-givers to take into account also the less frequent clinical features and novel pathogenic mechanisms to direct the functional and molecular studies toward a certain genetic alteration.