Search

This paper was published in [Optics Express] and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at the following URL on the OSA website: [http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-22-S6-A1538]. Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law., Arrays of metallic thermocouples in the shape of spiral nanoantennas are proposed as infrared detectors, which use the thermoelectric properties of the metallic interfaces to generate electrical DC signals. The responsivity of these types of antennas is evaluated from both theoretical and numerical perspectives pointing out its potential as infrared sensors. Moreover, the same structures can be used to characterize the state of polarization of the optical near fields with a spatial resolution comparable to the wavelength., Fondo Sectorial CONACYT-Secretaría de Energía-Sustentabilidad Energética”, CONACYT, FONDECYT, Ministerio de Innovación de España, Sección Deptal. de Óptica (Óptica), Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Nanocellulose (NC)-based materials constitute a new class of bio-based building blocks that are inspiring advances for the next generation of high-performance sustainable materials. However, NC exhibits important drawbacks which limit its applications, such as its inherent interaction with bacteria and proteins, low conductivity, poor thermal stability, high water absorption (leading to, among other things, loss of structural integrity), etc. An efficient strategy to improve this, besides the possibility of introducing further properties, is through mineralization by in situ growing inorganic subcomponents to form NC-based hybrids. Following the example of nature which has been mineralizing biopolymers from the beginning of life to create complex structures (forming protective shields or structural supports), mineralization can be adopted in different (2D/3D) configurations, for instance, membranes, scaffolds, sponges, and monoliths (as per requirements), by in situ growing multiple subcomponents such as metal oxides, silicates, and metal-organic frameworks. The components act synergistically complementing each other, thus providing new functionalities that the components individually do not possess. For instance, it is possible to introduce properties such as self-healing behavior, magnetic character, antimicrobial properties, electrical and thermal conductivity, etc., which opens a wide range of opportunities in a variety of fields (e.g., energy, printed electronics, biomedicine, water/gas purification, etc.) of current interest and requirements. The present review paper summarizes and discusses the advanced applications of thus-formed nanocellulose hybrids, along with a general overview of the synthesis protocol and advanced characterization tools used to analyze these complex materials.

© The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Sandin, S. A., Alcantar, E., Clark, R., de Leon, R., Dilrosun, F., Edwards, C. B., Estep, A. J., Eynaud, Y., French, B. J., Fox, M. D., Grenda, D., Hamilton, S. L., Kramp, H., Marhaver, K. L., Miller, S. D., Roach, T. N. F., Seferina, G., Silveira, C. B., Smith, J. E., Zgliczynski, B. J., & Vermeij, M. J. A. Benthic assemblages are more predictable than fish assemblages at an island scale. Coral Reefs, 41, (2022.): 1031–1043, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-022-02272-5., Decades of research have revealed relationships between the abundance of coral reef taxa and local conditions, especially at small scales. However, a rigorous test of covariation requires a robust dataset collected across wide environmental or experimental gradients. Here, we surveyed spatial variability in the densities of major coral reef functional groups at 122 sites along a 70 km expanse of the leeward, forereef habitat of Curaçao in the southern Caribbean. These data were used to test the degree to which spatial variability in community composition could be predicted based on assumed functional relationships and site-specific anthropogenic, physical, and ecological conditions. In general, models revealed less power to describe the spatial variability of fish biomass than cover of reef builders (R2 of best-fit models: 0.25 [fish] and 0.64 [reef builders]). The variability in total benthic cover of reef builders was best described by physical (wave exposure and reef relief) and ecological (turf algal height and coral recruit density) predictors. No metric of anthropogenic pressure was related to spatial variation in reef builder cover. In contrast, total fish biomass showed a consistent (albeit weak) association with anthropogenic predictors (fishing and diving pressure). As is typical of most environmental gradients, the spatial patterns of both fish biomass density and reef builder cover were spatially autocorrelated. Residuals from the best-fit model for fish biomass retained a signature of spatial autocorrelation while the best-fit model for reef builder cover removed spatial autocorrelation, thus reinforcing our finding that environmental predictors were better able to describe the spatial variability of reef builders than that of fish biomass. As we seek to understand spatial variability of coral reef communities at the scale of most management units (i.e., at kilometer- to island-scales), distinct and scale-dependent perspectives will be needed when consi, This research and the larger efforts of Blue Halo Curacao were supported by funding from the Waitt Institute and with permissions from the Government of Curacao, Ministry of Health, Environment, and Nature. Field logistics were further supported by the Waitt Institute vessel crew, CARMABI Foundation, The Dive Shop Curacao, and Dive Charter Curacao.

Considering the current trend of finding sustainable alternatives to the existing fossil-based plastics, in this review we describe what makes a bioelastomer “bio” and what this implies in terms of materials design. We analyze the current state of development of bioelastomers, including the most important types, their current and upcoming use, and their synthetic pathways. Moreover, we provide a general landscape of the hybridization or composite preparation of elastomers to acquire specific functionalities and their implementation in advanced applications, focusing mainly on electronics and biomedicine. Furthermore, we show how through the use of bioelastomers, one can, besides helping the environment, achieve materials with exceptional performances (e.g., very high mechanical properties and/or self-healing properties), which can be processed via novel techniques such as 3/4D-(bio)printing.

The Spanish suffixes -oso, -ento, -udo and -ón (lluvioso ‘rainy’, hambriento ‘hungry’, barbudo ‘bearded’, cabezon ‘big head person’) are included in the semantic space of suffixes that are used mainly to form qualifying adjectives (NGLE, 2010). The closeness between these affixes causes a rivalry that becomes evident through the large number of quasi-synonymous words that exist in Spanish. (Zacarías, 2016a): mugroso, mugriento ‘grimy’; caprichoso, caprichudo ‘whimsical’; barbudo, barbón ‘bearded’; lloroso, llorón,‘weepy’ etc. In this paper, from the onomasiological point of view (Štekauer, 2005a, 2005b, 2016), we will analyze these suffixes to establish the criteria that can distinguish their individual sphere of influence and the main characteristics of the words formed in each case. We will follow a methodology that has been used to study this type of competing suffixes, which distinguishes between structural and contextual factors. We will use data from attested words, both in dictionaries and in neologisms (Zacarías, 2016b), to describe the current trends in Mexican Spanish. Finally, it is shown that each suffix establishes its own domain of action and there exist quasisynonymous because this pairs of words are distinguished by subtle differences in meaning., Los sufijos -oso, -ento, -udo y -ón (lluvioso, hambriento, barbudo, cabezón) comparten un espacio semántico que está a disposición de los hablantes, principalmente, para formar adjetivos calificativos (NGLE, 2010). La cercanía entre estos sufijos provoca que establezcan una rivalidad entre sí, la cual se evidencia en la gran cantidad de dobletes que existen en la lengua (Autor, 2016a): mugroso, mugriento; caprichoso, caprichudo; barbudo, barbón; sangrón, sangriento; lloroso, llorón, etc.  En este artículo, a partir de un punto de vista onomasiológico de la formación de palabras (Štekauer, 2005a, 2005b, 2016), analizaremos estos sufijos para establecer los criterios que pueden distinguir los ámbitos de actuación de cada uno y las características principales de las palabras formadas en cada caso. Seguiremos una metodología que se ha utilizado ya para estudiar este tipo de sufijos en competencia, que distingue entre factores estructurales y contextuales. Utilizaremos datos de palabras atestiguadas, tanto en diccionarios como en neologismos (Autor, 2016b) para conocer las tendencias actuales en el español de México. Al final, se demostrará que cada sufijo establece su propio dominio de acción y que los dobletes existentes se deben a que cada palabra expresa sutiles diferencias de significado.

This article proposes a process to prepare fully bio-based elastomer nanocomposites based on polyfarnesene and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). To improve the compatibility of cellulose with the hydrophobic matrix of polyfarnesene, the surface of CNC was modified via plasma-induced polymerization, at different powers of the plasma generator, using a trans-beta-farnesene monomer in the plasma reactor. The characteristic features of plasma surface-modified CNC have been corroborated by spectroscopic (XPS) and microscopic (AFM) analyses. Moreover, the cellulose nanocrystals modified at 150 W have been selected to reinforce polyfarnesene-based nanocomposites, synthesized via an in-situ coordination polymerization using a neodymium-based catalytic system. The effect of the different loading content of nanocrystals on the polymerization behavior, as well as on the rheological aspects, was evaluated. The increase in the storage modulus with the incorporation of superficially modified nanocrystals was demonstrated by rheological measurements and these materials exhibited better properties than those containing pristine cellulose nanocrystals. Moreover, we elucidate that the viscoelastic moduli of the elastomer nanocomposites are aligned with power-law model systems with characteristic relaxation time scales similar to commercial nanocomposites, also implying tunable mechanical properties. In this foreground, our findings have important implications in the development of fully bio-based nanocomposites in close competition with the commercial stock, thereby producing alternatives in favor of sustainable materials.