Search Results (75)

Light quality is a pivotal environmental signal governing the morphogenesis and metabolic programming of edible fungi. This study evaluated the effects of eight light qualities—red (R), green (G), blue (B), red-green (RG), red-blue (RB), green-blue (GB), red-green-blue (RGB), and dark control (CK)—on the agronomic traits of Lentinula edodes. Among all treatments, blue light (B) emerged as the most effective regulator, yielding the highest productivity per log (228.12 g), and significantly enhancing pileus diameter (45.17 mm) and stipe thickness (29.45 mm). To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms, integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed on primordia and mature fruiting bodies. Transcriptomic profiling identified 4280 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under blue light, which were significantly enriched in energy metabolism and structural development pathways. Metabolomic analysis revealed 45 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs), highlighting a 7.64-fold upregulation of 9(S)-HPODE and a marked downregulation of L-arginine at the harvest stage under blue light. Multi-omics integration demonstrated that blue light orchestrates a strategic metabolic shift: it activates arginine and proline metabolism during the primordial stage, maintains linoleic acid metabolism throughout development, and triggers alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism during the transition to maturity. These pathways facilitate the conversion of amino acids into energy precursors and enhance cell membrane fluidity through unsaturated fatty acid synthesis to support rapid growth. Conversely, red light treatment triggered stress-related MAPK signaling, delayed primordium formation, and redirected resources toward stipe elongation via phenylalanine accumulation, resulting in significantly lower yields. In conclusion, this study confirms that blue light is the optimal condition for L. edodes cultivation, providing a robust molecular foundation for precision light-regulation strategies to maximize yield and quality in commercial production. Full article

Real-time monitoring of marine ecosystems is crucial for global climate change research. In extreme marine environments such as the westerly regions in the Arctic and Antarctic, monitoring buoys and platforms often suffer from severe challenges, including insufficient energy supply, limited battery life, and difficult maintenance. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) offer a promising strategy for self-powered marine sensing. However, conventional tubular liquid–solid triboelectric nanogenerators (LS-TENGs) suffer from low efficiency of interfacial charge transfer due to limited contact area and excessive internal resistance, which restricts their output. In this study, a multi-tube nested liquid–solid triboelectric nanogenerator (MLS-TENG) is proposed, and the suitable filling ratio is determined through comparative experiments on structural parameters. This design significantly increases the effective contact area, reduces internal resistance, and improves synergistic charge transfer at multiple interfaces. Experimental results demonstrate that the MLS-TENG exhibits substantially improved electrical output compared with the corresponding single-tube structures. When integrated with a power management module, the capacitor charging efficiency is improved by approximately 120 times. In real sea trials, an array composed of MLS-TENG units successfully drives a self-powered sensing system, achieving stable 4G transmission of environmental parameters. This work provides a scalable structural optimization strategy for constructing high-performance blue energy-harvesting self-powered nodes for the marine Internet of Things. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of different light-emitting diode (LED) spectral qualities on the early growth of kale at the baby-leaf harvest stage in a plant factory with artificial lighting (PFAL) by integrating morphological traits, biomass accumulation, plant quality indices, vegetation indices, and chlorophyll a fluorescence. Two kale (Brassica oleracea L.) cultivars, ‘Jellujon’ and ‘Manchoo Collard’, were grown for four weeks under monochromatic red, green, and blue LEDs, a purple composite LED with far-red wavelengths, and three white LEDs with different correlated color temperatures (3000, 4100, and 6500 K). Blue LED increased shoot height by approximately 14–28%, depending on cultivar and comparison among the white LED treatments, but this elongation did not translate into superior biomass production. In contrast, white LEDs, particularly at 3000–4100 K, increased leaf area to 24.2–24.9 cm² and SPAD units to 47.3–50.2, whereas blue or green LEDs generally resulted in smaller leaves and lower SPAD units. Shoot dry weight under 3000–4100 K white LEDs reached 0.25–0.26 g in ‘Jellujon’ and 0.26–0.29 g in ‘Manchoo Collard’, approximately twofold higher than under blue or green LEDs. Compactness, Dickson quality index, root investment ratio, and leaf efficiency index were also more favorable under white LEDs, indicating improved plant sturdiness and structural stability. Green LED light was associated with lower maximum photochemical efficiency (Φ_Po) and greater energy dissipation (Φ_Do and DI_o/RC), whereas photochemical reflectance index and PI_ABS tended to be more favorable under selected white LED treatments, although these responses were partly cultivar- and treatment-dependent. Taken together, among the LED spectral quality treatments tested, 3000–4100 K white LEDs provided the most consistently favorable conditions for producing structurally robust, high-quality kale at the early growth stage in PFAL systems. The purple LED showed partial advantages in leaf development and selected physiological responses, but these effects were less consistent across cultivars and indices. Full article

Zinc stannate (ZnSnO₃), a lead-free perovskite oxide, possesses a wide band gap along with ferroelectric and piezoelectric characteristics, but its practical use is limited by nanoparticle agglomeration and poor mechanical stability. In this study, ZnSnO₃ nanoparticles were synthesized via a chemical precipitation method and incorporated into electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofibers to overcome these drawbacks. XRD confirmed the formation of orthorhombic perovskite ZnSnO₃, while FTIR verified successful embedding into the PVP matrix without chemical degradation. UV–Vis analysis revealed a slight blue shift in the absorption edge, with the optical band gap widening from 3.61 eV (ZnSnO₃) to 3.73 eV (ZnSnO₃/PVP), accompanied by enhanced visible light absorption. SEM images showed that agglomerated ZnSnO₃ nanoparticles were transformed into smooth, bead-free nanofibers with diameters ranging from 0.22 to 1.80 μm. The synergy between ZnSnO₃ crystallinity and PVP flexibility imparts structural integrity, tunable optical behavior, and mechanical robustness, making the hybrid nanofibers promising candidates for photocatalysis, flexible optoelectronics, and energy-harvesting applications. Full article

Hybrid PV-TEG systems can harvest both solar electrical and thermoelectric power, but their operating point drifts with irradiance, temperature gradients, partial shading, and load changes—often yielding multi-peak P-V characteristics. Conventional MPPT (e.g., P&O) and fixed-structure integer-order PID struggle to remain fast, stable, and globally optimal in these conditions. To address fast, robust tracking in these conditions, we propose an adaptive fractional-order PID (FOPID) MPPT whose parameters (K_p, K_i, K_d, λ, μ) are auto-tuned by the red-billed blue magpie optimizer (RBBMO). RBBMO is used offline to set the controller’s search ranges and weighting; the adaptive law then refines the gains online from the measured ΔV, ΔI slope error to maximize the hybrid PV-TEG output. The method is validated in MATLAB R2024b/Simulink 2024b, on a boost-converter–interfaced PV-TEG using five testbeds: (i) start-up/search, (ii) stepwise irradiance, (iii) partial shading with multiple local peaks, (iv) load steps, and (v) field-measured irradiance/temperature from Shanxi Province for spring/summer/autumn/winter. Compared with AOS, PSO, MFO, SSA, GHO, RSA, AOA, and P&O, the proposed tracker is consistently the fastest and most energy-efficient: 0.06 s to reach 95% MPP and 0.12 s settling at start-up with 1950 W·s harvested (vs. 1910 W·s AOS, 1880 W·s PSO, 200 W·s P&O). Under stepwise irradiance, it delivers 0.95–0.98 kJ at t = 1 s and under partial shading, 1.95–2.00 kJ, both with ±1% steady ripple. Daily field energies reach 0.88 × 10⁻³, 2.95 × 10⁻³, 2.90 × 10⁻³, 1.55 × 10⁻³ kWh in spring–winter, outperforming the best baselines by 3–10% and P&O by 20–30%. Robustness tests show only 2.74% power derating across 0–40 °C and low variability (Δv^max typically ≤ 1–1.5%), confirming rapid, low-ripple tracking with superior energy yield. Finally, the RBBMO-tuned adaptive FOPID offers a superior efficiency–stability trade-off and robust GMPP tracking across all five cases, with modest computational overhead. Full article

Efficient biomass harvesting remains one of the primary barriers to the commercial feasibility of large-scale microalgal production. This study investigates the effect of different culture media on the surface physicochemical properties of Tetradesmus sp., with emphasis on their role in natural aggregation. Cultures were grown for 30 days under controlled light and temperature conditions using Blue Green 11 (BG11), Tris–acetate–phosphate (TAP), and deionized water supplemented with Bayfolan^® fertilizer. Surface hydrophobicity was assessed through microbial adhesion to solvents (MATS) and contact angle analysis, electrokinetic properties were evaluated by zeta potential measurements, and cell surface chemistry was characterized by attenuated total reflectance (ATR) sampling methodology for Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Across all treatments, Tetradesmus sp. exhibited inherent hydrophobicity, but Bayfolan^® supplementation yielded the highest contact angle (49.0 ± 0.9°) and the least negative free energy of interaction (ΔGsws = −26.36 mJ·m⁻²), indicating a stronger tendency toward self-aggregation. Zeta potential values remained consistently negative (−10 to −14 mV), with no significant variation among media, suggesting that hydrophobic interactions rather than electrostatic forces govern aggregation. ATR-FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, with changes in peak intensities reflecting metabolic adjustments to media composition. These results demonstrate that low-cost Bayfolan^® supplementation enhances surface hydrophobicity and aggregation, providing a sustainable strategy to facilitate biomass recovery and reduce harvesting costs in microalgal biorefineries. Full article

Organic phase change materials (OPCMs) offer high energy density for thermal storage but suffer from crystallization kinetics dependent on ambient temperature, leading to uncontrolled heat release and limited storage lifetime. Although doping OPCMs with azobenzene (Azo) derivatives enables optically controlled energy storage and release, existing systems require UV irradiation for E-to-Z isomerization. This UV dependency seriously hinders their development in practical solar applications. Herein, we develop a visible-light-responsive Azo@OPCM composite by doping tetra-ortho-fluorinated azobenzene into eicosane. Systematic characterization of composites with different dopant ratios via UV–visible spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry reveals that green-light irradiation drives E-to-Z isomerization, achieving 97–99% Z-isomer conversion. This photoisomerization could introduce supercooling through photo-responsive energy barriers generated by Z-isomer, allowing thermal energy storage at lower temperatures. Subsequent blue-light irradiation triggers Z-to-E reversion to eliminate supercooling and enable optically controlled heat release. Additionally, by regulating the molar ratios of dopant, the optimized composites achieved 280.76 J/g energy density at 20% molar doping ratio, which surpassed that of pure eicosane and the reported Azo-based photothermal energy storage system. This work establishes a complete visible-light-controlled energy harvesting–storage–release cycle with significant potential for near-room-temperature solar thermal storage applications. Full article

Indoor horticulture requires a substantial quantity of electricity to meet crops extended photoperiodic requirements for optimal photosynthetic rate. Simultaneously, global electricity costs have grown dramatically in recent years, endangering the sustainability and profitability of indoor vertical farms and/or modern greenhouses that use artificial lighting systems to accelerate crop development and growth. This study investigates the growth rate and physiological development of cherry tomato plants cultivated in a pilot indoor vertical farm at the Agricultural University of Athens’ Laboratory of Farm Structures (AUA) under continuous and disruptive lighting. The leaf physiological traits from multiple photoperiodic stress treatments were analyzed and utilized to estimate the plant’s tolerance rate under varied illumination conditions. Four different photoperiodic treatments were examined and compared, firstly plants grew under 14 h of continuous light (C-14L10D/control), secondly plants grew under a normalized photoperiod of 14 h with intermittent light intervals of 10 min of light followed by 50 min of dark (NI-14L10D/stress), the third treatment where plants grew under 14 h of a load-shifted energy demand response intermittent lighting schedule (LSI-14L10D/stress) and finally plants grew under 13 h photoperiod following of a load-shifted energy demand response intermittent lighting schedule (LSI-13L11D/stress). Plants were subjected also under two different light spectra for all the treatments, specifically WHITE and Blue/Red/Far-red light composition. The aim was to develop flexible, energy-efficient lighting protocols that maintain crop productivity while reducing electricity consumption in indoor settings. Results indicated that short periods of disruptive light did not negatively impact physiological responses, and plants exhibited tolerance to abiotic stress induced by intermittent lighting. Post-harvest data indicated that intermittent lighting regimes maintained or enhanced growth compared to continuous lighting, with spectral composition further influencing productivity. Plants under LSI-14L10D and B/R/FR spectra produced up to 93 g fresh fruit per plant and 30.4 g dry mass, while consuming up to 16 kWh less energy than continuous lighting—highlighting the potential of flexible lighting strategies for improved energy-use efficiency. Full article

Wave energy is a widely distributed, abundant, and clean renewable energy source with tremendous potential for development. This study presents a multi-unit coupled motion hybrid generator (MCM-HG) based on a pendulum structure for harvesting low-frequency wave energy. The device integrates eight power generation units, including triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), electromagnetic generators (EMGs), and piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs), enhancing space utilization and energy conversion efficiency through coupled motion. Experiments show that at a frequency of 0.5 Hz and a swing angle of 15°, the MCM-HG achieves an output power of 22.07 mW and a power density of 7.36 Wm⁻³. The device successfully powers microelectronic devices, demonstrating its potential application value in the marine Internet of Things. Full article

Recent advances in electrochemiluminescence (ECL) leveraging thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) have highlighted its potential for near-unity exciton harvesting. However, there are still very limited examples of TADF-ECL emitters. We present a rigid diboron-embedded multiple-resonance TADF emitter, which exhibits blue–green emission at 493 nm with a remarkably narrow bandwidth (FWHM = 22 nm) and minimized singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔE_ST = 0.2 eV), achieving a 67% photoluminescence quantum yield. DFT calculations confirm the short-range charge transfer, enabling narrowband emission. Co-reactant-dependent ECL shows that tripropylamine (TPrA) improves the ECL efficiency from 11% (annihilation) to 51%, while benzoyl peroxide (BPO) yields 1% due to poor radical stabilization. ECL spectra align with photoluminescence, confirming the singlet-state dominance without exciplex interference. TPrA enhances stable radical formation and energy transfer, whereas BPO induces non-radiative losses. These findings establish molecular rigidity and co-reactant selection as pivotal factors in developing high-performance TADF-ECL systems, providing fundamental guidelines for designing organic electrochemiluminescent materials with optimized exciton harvesting efficiency. Full article

Controlled-environment crop production often weakens plants’ defense mechanisms, reducing the accumulation of protective phytochemicals essential to human health. Our previous studies demonstrated that short-term supplementation of low-dose ultraviolet (UV) light to the red–green–blue (RGB) spectrum effectively boosts secondary metabolite (SM) synthesis and antioxidant capacity in lettuce. This study explored whether similar effects occur in basil cultivars by supplementing the RGB spectrum with ultraviolet B (UV-B, 311 nm) or ultraviolet C (UV-C, 254 nm) light shortly before harvest. Molecular analyses focused on UV-induced polyphenol synthesis, particularly chalcone synthase (CHS) level, and UV light perception via the UVR8 receptor. The impact of high-energy UV radiation on the photosynthetic apparatus (PA) was also monitored. The results showed that UV-B supplementation did not harm the PA, while UV-C significantly impaired photosynthesis and restricted plant growth and biomass accumulation. In green-leaf (Sweet Large, SL) basil, UV-B enhanced total antioxidant capacity (TAC), increasing polyphenolic secondary metabolites and ascorbic acid (AsA) levels. UV-C also stimulated phenolic compound accumulation in SL basil but had no positive effects in the purple-leaf (Dark Opal, DO) cultivar. Interestingly, while the UV-B treatment promoted UVR8 monomerization in both cultivars, the enhanced CHS level and concomitant SM synthesis were noted only for SL basil. In addition, UV-C also induced CHS activity and SM synthesis in SL basil but clearly in a UVR8-independeted manner. These findings underscore the potential of UV light supplementation for enhancing plant functional properties, highlighting species- and cultivar-specific effects without compromising photosynthetic performance. Full article

The Peruvian coast covers more than 3000 km along the Pacific Ocean, being one of the richest seas in terms of biodiversity, productivity, fishing, and renewable energy potential. Marine renewable energy (MRE) in both offshore and coastal environments of Peru is, currently, a huge reserve of practically unused renewable energy, with inexhaustible potential. In this context, renewable energies from hydroelectric, biomass, wind, and solar sources have been applied in the country, but geothermal, waves, tidal currents, and tidal range sources are currently underdeveloped. This article presents the enormous source of sustainable blue energy for generating electrical energy that exists in Peru from waves and tidal resource potential. In addition, this article presents the main opportunities, gaps, and key issues for the implementation of marine renewable energy (MRE), with emphasis on: (i) showing the available potential in the northern, central, and southern Pacific Ocean territories of Peru, (ii) characterizing the marine energy best available technologies to implement, (iii) the environmental and socio-economic impacts of marine renewable energy, and (iv) discussion of challenges, opportunities, and future directions for developments in the marine energy sector. Finally, the article concludes that the greatest possibilities for exploiting the abundant marine renewable energy (MRE) resource in Peru are large spaces in both offshore and coastal environments on the Pacific Ocean that can be considered for harvesting energy. These issues will depend strongly on the implementation of regulations and policies for the strategic use for planning of marine resources, encouraging research and development (R&D) for creating sustainable innovations, incentives for project finance mechanisms, and developing specialized local human capital, considering the sustainability of livelihoods of coastal communities and ecosystems. Full article

The synthesis of reliable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly ZnO piezoelectric nanoparticles (NPs) can contribute to nanotechnology applications in electronics, sensors, and energy harvesting. Herein, ZnO NPs were synthesized using a hydrothermal method under varied reaction times and adding ammonium hydroxide, which provided an advantage of a low-cost, scalable, low-temperature, and environmentally friendly process. Characterization through UV–Vis spectroscopy revealed absorption peaks between 374 and 397 nm, showing a blue shift compared to bulk ZnO (400 nm) attributable to nanoscale dimensions. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis indicated particle dimensions with length and width ranges from 150 to 341 nm and from 83 to 120 nm, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed high-crystalline quality, with crystallite sizes calculated using the Scherrer equation. In addition, the effective mass model provided an estimated band gap that matched with the reported data. Also, the lattice parameters, interplanar distances, and Zn-O bond lengths were consistent with Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction Standards (JCPDS). Finally, a ZnO NP film was deposited on a steel substrate, which generated a displacement of 150 nm under a square wave voltage of 10 V. The piezoelectric behavior of the synthesized ZnO NPs can be useful for fabrication of piezoelectric nanogenerators. The proposed synthesis can allow ZnO NPs with potential application in electronic devices, energy harvesters, and transducers. Full article

Leather waste contains up to 10% nitrogen (N); thus, combustion or gasification only for the energy recovery would not be rational, if safety standards are met. On the other hand, the chromium (Cr) content exceeding 5% in half of the waste stream (w/w) is too significant to be applied in agriculture. In this work, four acid hydrolysates from leather waste shavings, both wet-white free of Cr and wet-blue with Cr, were used: two with a mixture of acids and supplemented with Cu, Mn, and Zn, and the other two as semi-products from collagen extraction using hydrochloric acid. Additionally wet-green leather waste shavings, e.g., impregnated with olive extract, were used followed by the two treatments: amendment with a biochar from “wet white” leather waste shavings and amendment with this biochar incubated with the commercial phosphorus stimulating microbial consortia BactoFos. They were applied as organic nitrogen-based fertilizers in a glasshouse experiment, consisting of 4–5 subsequent harvests every 30 days, under spring–autumn conditions in northern Poland. Biochar-amended wet-greens provided the highest nitrogen use efficiencies, exceeding 100% after 4 months of growth (for 20 kg N/ha) and varying from 17% to 37% in particular months. This is backed up by another parameter (relative agronomic effectiveness) that for these materials exceeded 150% for a single month and in total was around 33%. Biochar amendments significantly increased agronomic parameters for wet-greens, and their microbial treatment enhanced them even further. Recycling this type of waste can replace inorganic fertilizers, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint. Full article

Semitransparent organic solar cells (ST-OSCs) have garnered more interest and stand out as promising candidates for next-generation solar energy harvesters with their unique advantages. However, challenges remain for the advancement of colorful ST-OSCs, such as enhancing the light absorption and transmittance without considerable power conversion efficiency (PCE) losses. Herein, an optical analysis of silver (Ag) electrodes and one-dimensional photonic crystals (1DPCs) was conducted by simulations, revealing the presence of optical Tamm states (OTSs) at the interface of Ag/1DPCs. Furthermore, the spectral and electrical properties were fine-tuned by modulating the OTSs through theoretical simulations, utilizing PM6:Y6 as the active layer. The structural parameters of the ST-OSCs were optimized, including the Ag layer thickness, the central wavelength of 1DPCs, the first WO₃ layer thickness, and the pair number of WO₃/LiF. The optimization resulted in the successful development of blue, violet-blue, and red ST-OSC devices, which exhibited transmittance peak intensities ranging from 31.5% to 37.9% and PCE losses between 1.5% and 5.2%. Notably, the blue device exhibited a peak intensity of 37.0% and a PCE of 15.24%, with only a 1.5% loss in efficiency. This research presents an innovative approach to enhancing the performance of ST-OSCs, achieving a balance between high transparency and high efficiency. Full article