scholarly journals Splendid coloration of the peacock spider Maratus splendens

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (121) ◽  
pp. 20160437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doekele G. Stavenga ◽  
Jürgen C. Otto ◽  
Bodo D. Wilts

Jumping spiders are well known for their acute vision and often bright colours. The male peacock spider Maratus splendens is richly coloured by scales that cover the body. The colours of the white, cream and red scales, which have an elaborate shape with numerous spines, are pigmentary. Blue scales are unpigmented and have a structural colour, created by an intricate photonic system consisting of two chitinous layers with ridges, separated by an air gap, with on the inner sides of the chitin layers an array of filaments. We have characterized the optical properties of the scales by microspectrophotometry, imaging scatterometry and light and scanning electron microscopy. Optical modelling revealed that the filament array constitutes a novel structural coloration system, which subtly fine tunes the scale reflectance to the observed blue coloration.

1972 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Dahl

AbstractA method for preparation of alcohol-preserved culicid larvae for Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) studies is described. It is based on dehydration by ethanol-xylol and fast evaporation of xylol in +8o° C. for ten minutes. For taxonomic studies such as examination of pecten teeth, comb scales and microtrichiae in magnifications up to 6oooX the method is suitable. For studies of receptor structures on hair-tufts and microstructures of the body integument alcohol preserved material is less satisfactory. The microstructure of the comb scales is figured and their function discussed. Differences in the ultrastructure of the abdominal hair-tufts are pointed out.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 714-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeraj K. Mishra ◽  
Chaitnaya Kumar ◽  
Amit Kumar ◽  
Manish Kumar ◽  
Pratibha Chaudhary ◽  
...  

AbstractA nanocomposite of 0.5SnO2–0.5Al2O3 has been synthesized using a sol-gel route. Structural and optical properties of the nanocomposite have been discussed in detail. Powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction spectroscopy confirm the phase purity and the particle size of the 0.5SnO2–0.5Al2O3 nanocomposite (13 to 15 nm). The scanning electron microscopy also confirms the porosity in the sample, useful in sensing applications. The FT-IR analysis confirms the presence of physical interaction between SnO2 and Al2O3 due to the slight shifting and broadening of characteristic bands. The UV-Vis analysis confirms the semiconducting nature because of direct transition of electrons into the 0.5SnO2–0.5Al2O3 nanocomposites.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (41) ◽  
pp. 415703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan-Hsien Lin ◽  
Uwe Jahn ◽  
Hanno Küpers ◽  
Esperanza Luna ◽  
Ryan B Lewis ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 6) ◽  
pp. 275-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
NS Kim ◽  
HC Kim ◽  
C. Sim ◽  
JR Ji ◽  
NS Kim ◽  
...  

In March 2010, a 3.5-month-old Korean native calf was anatomized and two nematode worms were detected in the thoracic cavity. The worms were identified and classified by light and scanning electron microscopy on the basis of features at the anterior and posterior parts of the worms. The worms were female Setaria digitata and Setaria marshalli and numerous eggs which contained microfilaria were detected in the uterus of both species. The body lengths of the S. digitata and S. marshalli were 78 mm and 117 mm, respectively. Mosquitoes act as the vector for Setaria nematodes but these are inactivated in winter in Korea. Therefore, we concluded that this case represented setariasis with congenital infection occurring during the summer prenatal stage of life.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-311
Author(s):  
Ali Tajdari ◽  
Amir Babaei ◽  
Alireza Goudarzi ◽  
Razie Partovi

In this research, first, ZnO nanorods were synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized in terms of morphological and structural properties by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Subsequently, polylactic acid/ZnO, polylactic acid/TiO2, and polylactic acid/ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposites with different percentages of nanoparticles and two different types of ZnO morphologies were prepared and their microstructural, optical, mechanical, hydrolytic degradation, and antibacterial properties were investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy results of polylactic acid/ZnO and polylactic acid/TiO2 samples showed a proper dispersion and nanoparticle distribution for low percentages (up to 5 wt%) and increased aggregation for the higher percentages. Besides, a large increase in the aggregation tendency was observed for combined nanoparticles (polylactic acid/ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposites). Results of the tensile test, the UV–Vis absorption tests, and the hydrolytic degradation tests of the samples showed an enhanced mechanical (approximately 55% increase in the presence of 3–5 wt% of nanoparticles) and light absorption and degradation (approximately 85% increase in the presence of 3–10 wt% of nanoparticles) for the polylactic acid by incorporating nanoparticles. It was also observed that, in addition to the quality of dispersion and distribution of nanoparticles in the polymeric matrix, the type of morphology of nanoparticles can contribute to the improvement of these properties. The cylindrical morphology of ZnO played a greater role on improving the polylactic acid mechanical properties compared to the spherical ZnO morphology (approximately 20%). On the contrary, the increased polylactic acid optical properties and degradation with ZnO spherical morphology were more pronounced (approximately 60%). Interestingly, when both ZnO and TiO2 were added, a synergistic effect in the case of UV-shielding and degradation rate and alternatively, a detrimental effect on the mechanical properties were detected. (The polylactic acid optical properties increased by about 17% and its degradation more than doubled.) Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of polylactic acid was investigated against the two Gram-positive Listeria monocytogenes and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli by incorporating nanoparticles. The results indicated that as the nanoparticle percentage increases, the antibacterial activity steadily increases.


Parasite ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weishan Zhao ◽  
Can Li ◽  
Dong Zhang ◽  
Runqiu Wang ◽  
Yingzhen Zheng ◽  
...  

Balantidium grimi n. sp. is described from the rectum of the frog Quasipaa spinosa (Amphibia, Dicroglossidae) from Lishui, Zhejiang Province, China. The new species is described by both light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a molecular phylogenetic analysis is also presented. This species has unique morphological features in that the body shape is somewhat flattened and the vestibulum is “V”-shaped, occupying nearly 3/8 to 4/7 of the body length. Only one contractile vacuole, situated at the posterior body, was observed. The phylogenetic analysis based on SSU-rDNA indicates that B. grimi groups together with B. duodeni and B. entozoon. In addition, the genus Balantidium is clearly polyphyletic.


CrystEngComm ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (14) ◽  
pp. 1935-1944 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Woo ◽  
G. Lugito ◽  
S. M. Chang

Polarized optical, atomic force, and scanning electron microscopy images showing the correlations of three-dimensional crystal arrangements with optical properties exhibited by poly(dodecamethylene terephthalate).


2011 ◽  
Vol 295-297 ◽  
pp. 869-872
Author(s):  
Qing Shan Li ◽  
Xin Wang ◽  
Jun Liu ◽  
Guang Zhong Xing

Six-ring Rock is widely used as containers of water and additives to produce health care products. In this paper, the composition and microstructure of Six-ring Rock have been investigated by using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction and other technologies. Results show that Six-ring Rock is composed of CaMg(CO3)2, SiO2 and KAlSi3O8. Fe atoms exist in CaMg(CO3)2 by replacing Mg atoms. Six-ring Rock shows nano-size lamellar and acerose microstructures on the surface, and nano-size monocrystals in the body. Six-ring Rock is a natural nano structure mineral.


1990 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomáš Scholz ◽  
Oleg Ditrich

ABSTRACTThe body surface of an immature female Gnathostoma spinigerum found for the first time in the definitive host (Felis catus f. domestica) in Laos was studied using a scanning electron microscope. All types of cuticular spines, which are one of the most important features for species identification of gnathostomid nematodes, together with their spatial arrangement, are described and figured.


2004 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 447-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabete M Cunha ◽  
Maria João R Oliveira ◽  
Paula G Ferreira ◽  
Artur P Águas

Phagocytes remove and store mercury (Hg) that enters the body. Macrophages and granulocytes respond in opposite ways to Hg: macrophages loose cell viability, and neutrophils become protected from apoptosis. We have investigated the cytology of early intake of Hg by macrophages and neutrophils after a short period (2-4 min) of in vivo exposure to HgCl2. The two types of phagocytes were attracted either to a subcutaneous air pouch or to the peritoneal cavity of BALB/c mice by in situ BSA injection. BSA caused, 72 hours later, inflammatory exudates where neutrophils (air-pouch cavity) or macrophages (peritoneal cavity) were the predominant cell type. A lethal dose of HgCl2 (25 mg) was then injected in the two inflammatory cavities. The mice died 2-4 min later and the cell exudates were harvested and studied by scanning electron microscopy coupled with X-ray elemental microanalysis (SEM-XRM). More than half of the phagocytes showed ingested Hg; a higher percentage of macrophages (around 70%) than neutrophils (around 50%) were positive for the metal. Intracellular particles of Hg were spheroid and presented a small diameter (less than 20 nm). They could be seen in large numbers inside phagocytes (up to 20-30 Hg dots per cell); they were scattered throughout the cytoplasm of the cells. The ability of phagocytes to ingest Hg increased as the BSA-induced inflammation progressed. We conclude that (i) Hg is quickly ingested as small particles by phagocytes; (ii) endocytosis of Hg increases with the degree of activation of phagocytes; and (iii) phagocytes internalize Hg by pinocytosis.


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