Graphene is always raising high expectations, as a strong, ultrathin, two-dimensional material that could also be the basis for new components in information technology. There is huge need for characterization of graphene devices. This can be done using Raman spectroscopy. Laser light is sent to the material sample, and scattered photons tell us about the rotations and vibrations of the molecules inside, and thus about the crystal structure. On average, only around 1 in 10 million photons is scattered in this way.
The situation is extraordinary: there have only ever been four declarations of public health emergencies of international concern in the past and now there are two at the same time. Whilst the risks associated with the novel coronavirus are still unclear, people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are still battling with an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus which has been ongoing since 2018 and has already claimed over 2000 lives. One issue is the precise characterisation of the pathogen because the ebolaviruses, like lots of viruses, appear in various genetic forms.
Ferroelectric materials possessing high photoelectric, piezoelectric and dielectric response are widely applied in industrial products, such as transducers, capacitors and memory devices. However, as the development of technology, miniaturization, integration and flexibility are of great importance, which could hardly be fulfilled by traditional bulk ferroelectric materials. Hence, nanoscale ferroelectric domain walls (DWs), with recently found dramatic mechanical, electrical, optical and magnetic properties aside from ferroelectric domains, have become a hotspot.
Since the discovery of two ferromagnetic (FM) atomically thin CrI3 and Cr2Ge2Te6 in 2017 (Nature 2017, 546, 270?Nature 2017, 546, 265), intrinsic ferromagnetism in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdWs) materials, maintaining long-range magnetic orders at the atomic monolayer limit, has received growing attention. Each individual layer is FM; however adjacent layers are antiferromagnetically (AFM) coupled together.
An international study, in which the University of Granada (UGR) participated, has confirmed that intergroup contact between advantaged groups (ethnic majorities and cis-heterosexuals) and disadvantaged groups (ethnic minorities and sexual minorities) is not always positive as a strategy for reducing prejudice toward disadvantaged groups, contrary to the view traditionally defended in the Social Psychology field.
Geographers from Staffordshire University are stepping into the virtual world of computer games to develop exciting new ways of assessing landscapes.
Ruth Swetnam, Professor of Applied Geography, has spent years analysing geographical landscapes and determining what features people from different countries find most appealing.
In the future, robots could take blood samples, benefiting patients and healthcare workers alike.
A Rutgers-led team has created a blood-sampling robot that performed as well or better than people, according to the first human clinical trial of an automated blood drawing and testing device.
The device provides quick results and would allow healthcare professionals to spend more time treating patients in hospitals and other settings.
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Easter Island society did not collapse prior to European contact and its people continued to build its iconic moai statues for much longer than previously believed, according to a team of researchers including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
Scientists from Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU, Vladivostok, Russia), together with colleagues from FEB RAS, China, Hong Kong, and Australia, manufactured ultra-compact bright sources based on IR-emitting mercury telluride (HgTe) quantum dots (QDs), the future functional elements of quantum computers and advanced sensors. A related article is published in "Light: Science and Applications".
Vaccine responses in the developing immune systems of children may depend on factors such as age, location and anemia status, according to a study comparing samples from 1,119 Dutch children to 171 children in sub-Saharan Africa who took part in a malaria vaccine trial. By casting light on how geography shapes immune responses in children, the findings could help health authorities conduct more effective vaccination campaigns in developing countries.