Quantifying Wetting Dynamics with Triboelectrification

Wetting is often perceived as an intrinsic surface property of materials, but determining its evolution is complicated by its complex dependence on roughness across the scales. The Wenzel state, where liquids have intimate contact with the rough substrate, and the Cassie-Baxter state, where liquids sit onto air pockets formed between asperities, are only two states among the plethora of wetting behaviors. Furthermore, transitions from the Cassie-Baxter to the Wenzel state dictate completely different surface performance, such as anti-contamination, anti-icing, drag reduction etc.; however, little is known about how transition occurs during time between the several wetting modes. In this paper, we show that wetting dynamics can be accurately quantified and tracked using solid-liquid triboelectrification. Theoretical underpinning reveals how surface micro-/nano-geometries regulate stability/infiltration, also demonstrating the generality of our theoretical approach in understanding wetting transitions.Comment: Both Main and SI uploaded in a single fil

Constructed Wetlands for Agricultural Wastewater Treatment in Northeastern North America:A Review

Constructed wetlands (CW) are a treatment option for agricultural wastewater. Their ability to adequately function in cold climates continues to be evaluated as they are biologically active systems that depend on microbial and plant activity. In order to assess their performance and to highlight regional specific design considerations, a review of CWs in Eastern Canada and the Northeastern USA was conducted. Here, we synthesize performance data from 21 studies, in which 25 full-scale wetlands were assessed. Where possible, data were separated seasonally to evaluate the climatic effects on treatment performance. The wastewater parameters considered were five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), total suspended solids (TSS), E. coli, fecal coliforms, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), ammonia/ammonium (NH3/NH4+-N), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3−-N), and total phosphorus (TP). Average concentration reductions were: BOD5 81%, TSS 83%, TKN 75%, NH4+-N 76%, NO3−-N 42%, and TP 64%. Average log reductions for E. coli and fecal coliforms were 1.63 and 1.93, respectively. Average first order areal rate constants (ka, m·y−1) were: BOD5 6.0 m·y−1, TSS 7.7 m·y−1, E. coli 7.0 m·y−1, fecal coliforms 9.7 m·y−1, TKN 3.1 m·y−1, NH4+-N 3.3 m·y−1, NO3−-N 2.5 m·y−1, and TP 2.9 m·y−1. In general, CWs effectively treated a variety of agricultural wastewaters, regardless of season

Decoupled Land and Ocean Temperature Trends in the Early-Middle Pleistocene

Record of long-term land temperature changes remains ephemeral, discontinuous, and isolated, thus leaving the common view that Pleistocene land temperature evolution should have followed ocean temperatures unconfirmed. Here, we present a continuous land surface temperature reconstruction in the Asian monsoon region over the past 3.0 Myr based on the distribution of soil bacterial lipids from the Chinese Loess Plateau. The land temperature record indicates an unexpected warming trend over the Pleistocene, which is opposite to the cooling trend in Pleistocene ocean temperatures, resulting in increased land-sea thermal contrast. We propose that the previously unrecognized increase of land-sea thermal contrast during much of the Pleistocene is a regional climate phenomenon that provides a likely mechanism in favor of the long-term enhancement of the Pleistocene East Asian summer monsoon

Paleoenvironmental change in the middle Okinawa Trough since the last deglaciation : evidence from the sedimentation rate and planktonic foraminiferal record

Author Posting. © The Authors, 2006. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 243 (2007): 378-393, doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.08.016.Well-dated, high-resolution records of planktonic foraminifera and oxygen isotopes from two sediment cores, A7 and E017, in the middle Okinawa Trough reveal strong and rapid millennial-scale climate changes since ~18 to 17 thousand years before present (kyr B.P.). Sedimentation rate shows a sudden drop at ~11.2 cal. kyr B.P. due to a rapid rise of sea-level after the Younger Dryas (YD) and consequently submergence of the large continental shelf on the East China Sea (ECS) and the retreat of the estuary providing sediment to the basin. During the last deglaciation, the relative abundance of warm and cold species of planktonic foraminifera fluctuates strongly, consistent with the timing of sea surface temperature (SST) variations determined from Mg/Ca measurements of planktonic foraminifera from one of the two cores. These fluctuations are coeval with climate variation recorded in the Greenland ice cores and North Atlantic sediments, namely Heinrich event 1 (H1), Bølling-Allerød (B/A) and YD events. At about 9.4 kyr B.P., a sudden change in the relative abundance of shallow to deep planktonic species probably indicates a sudden strengthening of the Kuroshio Current in the Okinawa Trough, which was synchronous with a rapid sea-level rise at 9.5-9.2 kyr B.P. in the ECS, Yellow Sea (YS) and South China Sea (SCS). The abundance of planktonic foraminiferal species, together with Mg/Ca based SST, exhibits millennial-scale oscillations during the Holocene, with 7 cold events (at about 1.7, 2.3-4.6, 6.2, 7.3, 8.2, 9.6, 10.6 cal. kyr BP) superimposed on a Holocene warming trend. This Holocene trend, together with centennial-scale SST variations superimposed on the last deglacial trend, suggests that both high and low latitude influences affected the climatology of the Okinawa Trough.This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40206007, 40106006, 90211022 and 40506027), the Chinese Academy of Sciences innovation program (KZCX3-SW-220), and the NSF (OCE05-29600 to DWO)

Diverse Flowering Response to Blue Light Manipulation: Application of Electric Lighting in Controlled-Environment Plant Production

Blue light is an important light wavelength in regulating plant flowering. In a controlled environment (CE) plant production systems, blue light can be manipulated easily and even precisely through electric lighting, especially with the advancement of light-emitted diode (LED) technologies. However, the results of previous studies in the literature about blue-light-mediated flowering are inconsistent, which would limit its practical application in CE plant production while implying that an in-depth study of the relevant physiological mechanism is necessary in the future. This review consolidates and analyzes the diverse findings from previous studies on blue light-mediated plant flowering in varying high-value crops from ornamental plants to fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops. By synthesizing the contrasting results, we proposed the possible explanations and even the underlying mechanisms related to blue light intensity and exposure duration, its co-action with other light wavelengths, background environment conditions, and the involved photoreceptors. We have also identified the knowledge gaps based on these studies and outlined future directions for research and potential application in this promising field. This review provides valuable insights into the important and diverse role of blue light in plant flowering and offers a foundation for further investigations to optimize plant flowering through lighting technologies

Variation of Phenotypic Responses to Lighting using Combination of Red and Blue Light-emitting Diodes versus Darkness in Seedlings of 18 Vegetable Genotypes

The objectives of this study were to identify traits and screen genotypes sensitive to narrow-waveband light-emitting diode light in 18 vegetable genotypes. Their phenotypic plasticity responses were examined under a combination of red (85%) and blue (15%) light-emitting diodes relative to dark, from seed germination to cotyledon unfolding. The photosynthetic photon flux density was around 316 Îźmol m-2 s-1, and the photoperiod was 17 h. Generally, light vs. dark delayed germination by reducing germination rate and increasing spread time of germination; inhibited shoot growth by reducing shoot length and fresh mass; promoted root growth by increasing root length, diameter, branching, and fresh mass; and promoted genotype-inherent coloring in leaves and stems. Shoot color, shoot length, and/or root branching showed higher plasticity indices than other plant traits in response to the light, suggesting that some or all of these plant traits are more sensitive to the lighting across the tested genotypes. Using cluster analysis based on the plasticity index, the 18 genotypes were separated into six groups, which expressed response sensitivity in part or all of the above-mentioned sensitive traits. Based on the average plasticity index of all the tested plant traits, the 18 genotypes were graded into four groups using the Fisher optimal partition. Small- vs. large-seed species and the red- vs. green-leaf/root cultivars within the same species showed higher phenotypic plasticity indices in most cases, suggesting that they are more sensitive to the lighting.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Potassium and micronutrients fertilizer addition in aquaponic solution for drug-type Cannabis sativa L. cultivation

Cultivating drug-type Cannabis sativa L. with aquaponics could reduce mineral fertilizer use; however, its nutrient solution is often un-balanced and low in K+ and micronutrients. It is unknown if a K+ fertilizer, a micronutrients fertilizer, or both, would improve C. sativa production in aquaponic solution, as optimal K+ and micronutrient concentrations in the rootzone for C. sativa during the flowering stage have not been investigated. To determine the effects of adding a K+ fertilizer and a micronutrients fertilizer to aquaponic solution for C. sativa production, we grew drug-type C. sativa in five aquaponic based solutions: aquaponic solution (control plants) (15 mgL-1 K+); aquaponic solution with added micronutrients (Fe3+, Cu2+, Mn2+, B3+, Mo3+ and Zn2+); and aquaponic solution with added micronutrients and three K+ concentrations (75, 113, and 150 mg L-1), during the flowering stage. To evaluate the impact of additional K+ and micronutrients on C. sativa production, we measured growth (vegetative parameters and weight), physiology (leaf gas-exchange), leaf nutrition content and yield (inflorescence weight). Adding the K+ fertilizer at 75 and 113 mg L-1 with micronutrients to aquaponic solution, increased harvest index (marketable inflorescence to shoot weight) by 16 and 22%, compared to the control, respectively. C. sativa dry apical inflorescence and total inflorescence yield also increased linearly with increasing K+ concentration. Alternatively, plants grown in the control (sub-optimal K+ and micronutrients conditions) had no difference in growth or measured physiological parameters compared to plants with supplemented nutrients. Our study suggests that aquaponic solution mitigates low-K+ concentrations from causing deficiency.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Phytochrome contributes to blue-light-mediated stem elongation and flower initiation in mature Arabidopsis thaliana plants

To examine whether phytochromes contribute to blue-light-mediated stem elongation, plant phenotypic responses were investigated in wild type Arabidopsis thaliana (Col-0), and its quintuple phytochrome (phyA phyB phyC phyD phyE) mutant plants under the following light treatments: (1) R, a pure red light from 660-nm LED; (2) B, a pure blue light from 455-nm LED; (3) BR, a impure blue light from LED combination of 94% B and 6% R; and (4) BRF, another impure blue light from LED combination of BR and 6 mol m−2 s−1 of FR (735 nm). A photosynthetic photon flux density of ≈100 μmol m−2 s−1 was provided for all the light treatments. The calculated phytochrome photoequilibrium was 0.89, 0.50, 0.69, and 0.60 for R, B, BR, and BRF, respectively, indicating a higher phytochrome activity under R and BR than B and BRF. After 18 days of light treatment, B or BRF increased main stem length in wild-type plants compared with R, but BR had an inhibition effect similar to R. Also, B and BRF relative to R or BR induced earlier flowering and reduced leaf size in wild type plants, showing typical shade-avoidance responses. In phytochrome-deficient mutant plants, the above shade-avoidance responses were inhibited under B or BRF. However, hypocotyl length, a growth trait characterizing the de-etiolation stage, was reduced under B, BR and BRF vs. R regardless of phytochrome absence. These findings suggest that for mature Arabidopsis plants, phytochrome plays a role in blue-light-mediated stem elongation and the associated shade-avoidance responses.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Early-stage Dark Treatment Promotes Hypocotyl Elongation Associated with Varying Effects on Yield and Quality in Sunflower and Arugula Microgreens

Microgreens growing under electric (aka artificial) lighting in controlled environments often have short hypocotyls, which can be difficult for machine harvest. To investigate whether early-stage dark treatment can promote hypocotyl elongation without compromising microgreen yield and quality, two different seed-size species, sunflower (Helianthus annuus ‘Black oil’) and arugula (Eruca sativa ‘Rocket’), were tested. Seeds of sunflower and arugula were sown in pots, and the pots were placed inside support trays. During the first 5 days after seeding, half of the pots per species within each tray were covered with an upside-down black tray as dark treatment, and another half were kept under light. The light treatment was provided by continuous (24-h) lighting with a combination of red (85%) and blue (15%) light-emitting diodes at a photosynthetic photo flux density of around 100 mol m−2 s−1. After 5 days of dark treatment, the black covers were removed and the plants were grown under the above lighting treatment till harvesting. The microgreens were harvested at 7 d and 12 d after seeding for sunflower and arugula, respectively. Early-stage dark treatment promoted hypocotyl elongation by 26% and 28% for sunflower and arugula, respectively. Microgreen yield was increased by 13% for sunflower and reduced by 24% for arugula under dark treatment. Dark treatment increased cotyledon succulence by 14% for sunflower, but reduced cotyledon size by about 25% for arugula despite increases in red color and succulence of arugula hypocotyls. For both species, cotyledon color and soluble solids content were not affected by dark treatment.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Variation of Sodium Uptake Rate in Suaeda glauca and Its Relation to Plant Size and Salt Acclimation

To characterize the pattern of sodium uptake by Suaeda glauca plants at mild salinity, this study investigated the temporal variation of sodium uptake rate (mmol Na+/plant/day), and its relation to plant size (i.e., main stem length) and salt acclimation, for S. glauca grown in nutrient solutions with 6, 8, or 10 mM NaCl. During the 23-day salt treatment, sodium uptake rate in S. glauca increased gradually at 5- to 7-day intervals with time advancement and showed a positive exponential relationship with the development of plant size. During the first week (0-7 day) of salt treatment, weekly average sodium uptake rate was higher in larger than in smaller plants. During the last week (18-23 day) of salt treatment, non-salt-acclimated plants showed a similar sodium uptake rate (on weekly average) to salt-acclimated plants when their plant sizes were not significantly different. These results suggest that, the largest plant size (i.e. one week before harvesting as a leaf vegetable), S. glauca reached the maximum level of sodium uptake rate, which was affected to a larger degree by plant size than by salt acclimation on a weekly scale.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author