Stand-alone optical spinning tweezers with tunable rotation frequency.

Advances in optical trapping design principles have led to tremendous progress in manipulating nanoparticles (NPs) with diverse functionalities in different environments using bulky systems. However, efficient control and manipulation of NPs in harsh environments require a careful design of contactless optical tweezers. Here, we propose a simple design of a fibered optical probe allowing the trapping of dielectric NP as well as a transfer of the angular momentum of light to the NP inducing its mechanical rotation. A polarization conversion from linearly-polarized incident guided to circularly transmitted beam is provoked geometrically by breaking the cylindrical symmetry of a coaxial nano-aperture that is engraved at the apex of a tapered metal coated optical fiber. Numerical simulations show that this simple geometry tip allows powerful light transmission together with efficient polarization conversion. This guarantees very stable trapping of quasi spherical NPs in a non-contact regime as well as potentially very tunable and reversible rotation frequencies in both directions (up to 45 Hz in water and 5.3 MHz in air for 10 mW injected power in the fiber). This type of fiber probe opens the way to a new generation of miniaturized tools for total manipulation (trapping, sorting, spinning) of NPs.

Effects of ascorbic acid addition on the oxidative stress response of Oryza sativa L. plants to As(V) exposure.

Accumulation of noxious elements in the edible part of crops and its impact on food safety is of increasing concern. Rice is one of the major staple food crops worldwide, including arsenic (As)-polluted areas, in which dietary As exposure is becoming a widespread health threat. Plant chemical priming has been shown to be an effective strategy to enhance tolerance to environmental stresses, including metal(loid) exposure. The priming effect of ascorbic acid (AsA) was assessed in rice seedlings exposed to As(V) in a hydroponics experiment. AsA treatment (co-addition to the growing media concomitantly (t0) or 24 h in advance (t24)) prevented an excessive accumulation of As in the roots (that decreased âˆ¼ 60%) and stimulated the activities of photosynthetic and antioxidant attributes (∼1.2-fold) in the aerial part of the plants. The increase in proline levels in both shoots (∼2.1-fold) and roots (∼2.4-fold) was found to be the most sensitive stress parameter, and was able to reflect the AsA-induced reduction of As toxic effects (concentrations back to Control levels, both simultaneously added or added as a pretreatment) in the aerial part of the plants. However, the phytotoxic effects related to As exposure were not fully prevented by priming with AsA, and further research is needed to find alternative priming approaches.

Response of Phragmites australis to increasing As(V) concentrations: Accumulation and speciation of As, and plant oxidative stress.

The use of macrophytes has been proposed recently as a suitable option for the phytostabilization or rhizofiltration of soils or waters contaminated by trace elements. As one of the most representative species of this type of plant, common reed (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.) has shown tolerance to high concentrations of potentially hazardous elements, as is the case of arsenic. However, a deeper knowledge of how these plants deal with this toxicity, including their oxidative response, is needed for the optimum utilization of this species in phytoremediation procedures. In fact, little is known about how common reed plants react to As toxicity or the tolerance limits and accumulation potential of this species. In this work, common reed plants were exposed to a range of As(V) mass concentrations (0.5-10 mg L-1) in a hydroponic experiment, and the performance of the plants (growth, photosynthetic pigments, and oxidative stress related parameters) was evaluated and related to the major As species present in the different parts of the plants. The plants did not show any apparent symptom of toxicity and no significant effects were found for any of the different plant parameters analyzed. Arsenic was mostly accumulated as As(III) in the roots of the plants, and almost no translocation to the aerial part of the plants was observed for any of the As species analyzed. Common reed has shown a high capacity for As accumulation in its roots with no signs of toxicity, despite small nutrient imbalances. Thus, it can be considered to be a good candidate for use in the rhizofiltration and phytostabilization of As contaminated waters and soils, respectively.

Differential response of Oryza sativa L. and Phragmites australis L. plants in trace elements contaminated soils under flooded and unflooded conditions.

Drastic changes in the water regime of trace elements (TEs) contaminated soils under semiarid conditions, from completely dry to flooding situations, may alter the solubility of the contaminants and, therefore, their potential mobility and availability to plants. Certain macrophyte species have shown a promising suitability for their use in the phytoremediation of TEs contaminated soils under fluctuating flooded-unflooded conditions, as a consequence of their high resistance and tolerance to contamination. Similarly, different water conditions occur during rice (Oryza sativa) cultivation, a species often used as a model plant for TEs toxicity studies. The aim of this work was to study the tolerance and oxidative response to TEs of common reed (Phragmites australis) and rice grown in contaminated mining soils, when exposed to different water saturation conditions. Both species (common reed and rice) were cultivated in three different contaminated soils from the Sierra Minera of La Unión-Cartagena (SE-Spain) under contrasting water saturation conditions (flooded and unflooded) in a pot experiment. Soil EC and elevated metal (mainly Cd and Zn) soluble concentrations conditioned the survival of the plants. Whereas, As accumulation in the aerial part of both species influenced the most oxidative stress homeostasis. Common reed showed to be a good candidate for its use in the phytostabilization of TEs contaminated soils under both flooded and unflooded conditions.

Major As species, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation in rice plants exposed to increasing As(V) concentrations.

Arsenic (As) uptake by plants is mainly carried out as arsenate (As(V)), whose chemical analogy with phosphate is largely responsible for its elevated toxicity. Arsenate is known to stimulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in plants that provoke oxidative stress. This manuscript reports the results of a hydroponics study using rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings as a test plant, where the effects of increasing arsenate concentrations (0-10 mg L-1) on both lipid and protein oxidation, as well as As accumulation and speciation in plant roots and shoots were examined. Plant yield was negatively affected by increasing As concentration. Accumulation in plant roots was higher than in shoots at low arsenate doses (0.5-2.5 mg L-1), while root to shoot transport was drastically enhanced at the highest doses (5 and 10 mg L-1). Moreover, As(V) was the dominating species in the shoots and As(III) in the roots. Rice leaves in the 10 mg As L-1 treatment showed the highest lipid peroxidation damage (malondialdehyde concentration), whilst protein oxidation was not remarkably influenced by As dose. Lipid peroxidation seems to be therefore conditioned by As accumulation in rice plants, particularly by the presence of high As(V) concentrations in the aerial part of the plants as a consequence of unregulated translocation from roots to shoots above a threshold concentration (1.25-2.5 mg L-1) in the growing media. These results provide relevant information regarding As(V) toxic concentrations for rice plants, highlight the importance of major As species analysis in plant tissues regarding As toxicity and contribute to better understand plants response to elevated As concentrations in the growing media.

An ultra wideband-high spatial resolution-compact electric field sensor based on Lab-on-Fiber technology.

Non-intrusive, wide bandwidth and spatial resolution are terms often heard in electric field sensing. Despite of the fact that conventional electromagnetic field probes (EMF) can exhibit notable functional performances, they fail in terms of perturbation of the E-field due to their loaded metallic structure. In addition, even though electro-optical technology offers an alternative, it requires large interaction lenghts which severely limit the sensing performances in terms of bandwidth and spatial resolution. Here, we focus on miniaturizing the interaction volume, photon lifetime and device footprint by taking advantage of the combination of lithium niobate (LN), Lab-on-Fiber technologies and photonic crystals (PhC). We demonstrate the operation of an all-dielectric E-field sensor whose ultra-compact footprint is inscribed in a 125 µm-diameter circle with an interaction area smaller than 19 µm × 19 µm and light propagation length of 700 nm. This submicrometer length provides outstanding bandwidth flatness, in addition to be promising for frequency detection beyond the THz. Moreover, the minituarization also provides unique features such as spatial resolution under 10 µm and minimal perturbation to the E-field, accompanied by great linearity with respect to the E-field strength. All these specifications, summarized to the high versatibility of Lab-on-Fiber technology, lead to a revolutionary and novel fibered E-field sensor which can be adapted to a broad range of applications in the fields of telecommunications, health and military.

Combination of soil organic and inorganic amendments helps plants overcome trace element induced oxidative stress and allows phytostabilisation.

Trace element (TE)-contaminated soils require the improvement of their physico-chemical properties in order to allow their restoration through phytostabilization technologies. This study aimed to determine the usefulness of oxidative stress related parameters to validate the suitability of two different combinations of organic (solid fraction of pig slurry) and inorganic (paper mill sludge or a commercial red mud derivative) amendments for the phytostabilization of an acidic (4.2) TE-contaminated mine soil from SE Spain. Two wild species (Silybum marianum and Piptatherum miliaceum) were greenhouse cultivated and the development of the plants, their ionome, and oxidative stress related parameters were determined. Both amendment combinations increased significantly soil pH (to 5-6) and soil/pore water total organic C and total N concentrations, allowing an adequate plant growth and development (plants did not grow in untreated soils). The combination of amendments significantly reduced metal availability and showed to be effective (specially the one including the red mud derivative) in limiting shoot TE concentrations, which were all within common ranges (exclusion based tolerance of these species). Both protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation were significantly higher in S. marianum plants from phytostabilized soils than in those from non-contaminated soils, which confirms the oxidative stress these plants suffer despite their satisfactory growth in the treated soils. P. miliaceum plants showed no differences between phytostabilized and non-contaminated soils. Therefore, the combination of amendments and TE-tolerant autochthonous species would be a suitable option for the phytostabilisation of soils contaminated by mining activities, reducing TE solubility and allowing an adequate plant growth.

Phytostabilisation of severely contaminated mine tailings using halophytes and field addition of organic and inorganic amendments.

Phytostabilisation strategies have proven to be an efficient remediation option for mine tailings, but the adequate plant species and amendments have to be carefully selected. A remediation experiment was carried out at the semi-field level in tailings (pH 3.2, ≈1100, 4700 and 5000 mg kg-1 of As, Pb and Zn, respectively) from the mining district of La Unión-Cartagena (SE Spain). A red mud derivative (Fe/Al oxides), its combination with compost, and hydrated lime (Ca hydroxide) were applied in field plots of 0.25 m2. After four months of field stabilisation, tailings were transferred unaltered to a plant growth facility, and Atriplex halimus and Zygophyllum fabago (halophytes) were sown. Three months later, trace element (TE) solubility, plant accumulation and chemical speciation in the tailings pore water were studied. In unamended tailings, soluble TEs concentrations were very high (e.g., 40 mg Zn l-1), the dominant species being free ions and SO42-- complexes (>70%). The addition of amendments increased tailings pH (6.7-7), reduced TEs solubility and extractability (>80-99%) and changed the dominant species of soluble Al, Cu, Pb and Zn to hydroxides and/or organo-metallic complexes, but increased slightly the extractable As and soluble Tl concentrations. Plants were able to grow only in amended tailings, and both species presented low levels of Al, As, Cd and Zn. Therefore, the use of combined red mud derivative and compost and halophytes was shown to be a good phytostabilisation strategy, although the dose applied must be carefully chosen in order to avoid possible solubilisation of As and Tl.

Thermal and spectroscopic analysis of organic matter degradation and humification during composting of pig slurry in different scenarios.

In this work, different analytical techniques (thermal analysis, (13)C cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) NMR and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy) have been used to study the organic matter changes during the co-composting of pig slurry with cotton gin waste. To ensure the validity of the findings, the composting process was developed in different scenarios: under experimental pilot plant conditions, using the static pile system, and under real conditions on a pig farm, using the turning pile system. Also, the thermal stability index (R1) was determined before and after an extraction with water, to evaluate the effect of eliminating water-soluble inorganic salts on the thermal analysis. The results of the thermal methods showed the degradation of the most labile organic matter during composting; R1 increased during composting in all piles, without any influence of the presence of water-soluble inorganic ions in the sample. The NMR showed a decrease in the abundance of the carbohydrate molecules and an increase in the aliphatic materials during composting, due to a concentration effect. Also, FT-IR spectroscopy was a useful technique to study the trends of polysaccharides and nitrate, as indicators of organic matter transformations during composting.

Transmission properties of slanted annular aperture arrays. Giant energy deviation over sub-wavelength distance.

This paper is devoted to the study of the transmission properties of Slanted Annular Aperture Arrays made in perfectly conducting metal. More precisely, we consider the transmission based on the excitation of the cutoff-less guided mode, namely the TEM mode. We numerically and analytically demonstrate some intrinsic properties of the structure showing a transmission coefficient of at least 50% of an unpolarized incident beam independently of the illumination configuration (angle and plane of incidence). The central symmetry exhibited by the structure is analytically exploited to demonstrate the existence of a polarization state for which all the incident energy is transmitted through the sub-wavelength apertures when the eigenmode is excited, whatever are the illumination and the geometrical parameters. For this state of polarization, the laminar flow of the energy through the structure can exhibit giant deviation over very small distances. An example of energy flow deviation of 220° per wavelength is presented for illustration. The results presented in this paper could be considered as an important contribution to the understanding of the enhanced transmission phenomenon based on the excitation of guided modes.

Efficiency of soil organic and inorganic amendments on the remediation of a contaminated mine soil: II. Biological and ecotoxicological evaluation.

The feasibility of two organic materials (pig slurry and compost) in combination with hydrated lime for the remediation of a highly acidic trace elements (TEs) contaminated mine soil was assessed in a mesocosm experiment. The effects of the amendments on soil biochemical and ecotoxicological properties were evaluated and related with the main physicochemical characteristics of soil and soil solution. The original soil showed impaired basic ecological functions due to the high availability of TEs, its acidic pH and high salinity. The three amendments slightly reduced the direct and indirect soil toxicity to plants, invertebrates and microorganisms as a consequence of the TEs' mobility decrease in topsoil, reducing therefore the soil associated risks. The organic amendments, especially compost, thanks to the supply of essential nutrients, were able to improve soil health, as they stimulated plant growth and significantly increased enzyme activities related with the key nutrients in soil. Therefore, the use of compost or pig slurry, in combination with hydrated lime, decreased soil ecotoxicity and seems to be a suitable management strategy for the remediation of highly acidic TEs contaminated soils.

Efficiency of soil organic and inorganic amendments on the remediation of a contaminated mine soil: I. Effects on trace elements and nutrients solubility and leaching risk.

A mesocosm experiment, in columns, was conducted in a growth chamber to assess the viability of two organic materials (pig slurry and compost; in combination with hydrated lime) for the remediation of a highly acidic and trace elements (TEs) contaminated mine soil and the reduction of its associated leaching risks. Their influence on the evolution throughout the soil depth of the physicochemical properties (including TEs mobility) of the soil and soil solution (in situ periodic collection) and on Lolium perenne growth and foliar TEs accumulation was evaluated. Soluble and extractable concentrations of the different TEs were considerably high, although the organic amendments (with lime) and lime addition successfully decreased TEs mobility in the top soil layer, as a consequence of a rise in pH and changes in the redox conditions. Compost and pig slurry increased the soluble organic-C and dissolved N, K and P of the soil, producing a certain downwards displacement of N and K. The organic amendments allowed the growth of L. perenne in the soil, thus indicating improvement of soil conditions, but elevated TEs availability in the soil led to toxicity symptoms and abnormally high TEs concentrations in the plants. An evaluation of the functioning and ecotoxicological risks of the remediated soils is reported in part II: this allows verification of the viability of the amendments for remediation strategies.

Evaluation of the phytostabilisation efficiency in a trace elements contaminated soil using soil health indicators.

The efficiency of a remediation strategy was evaluated in a mine soil highly contaminated with trace elements (TEs) by microbiological, ecotoxicological and physicochemical parameters of the soil and soil solution (extracted in situ), as a novel and integrative methodology for assessing recovery of soil health. A 2.5-year field phytostabilisation experiment was carried out using olive mill-waste compost, pig slurry and hydrated lime as amendments, and a native halophytic shrub (Atriplex halimus L.). Comparing with non-treated soil, the addition of the amendments increased soil pH and reduced TEs availability, favoured the development of a sustainable vegetation cover (especially the organic materials), stimulated soil microorganisms (increasing microbial biomass, activity and functional diversity, and reducing stress) and reduced direct and indirect soil toxicity (i.e., its potential associated risks). Therefore, under semi-arid conditions, the use of compost and pig slurry with A. halimus is an effective phytostabilisation strategy to improve soil health of nutrient-poor soils with high TEs concentrations, by improving the habitat function of the soil ecosystem, the reactivation of the biogeochemical cycles of essential nutrients, and the reduction of TEs dissemination and their environmental impact.

6-micron interaction length electro-optic modulation based on lithium niobate photonic crystal cavity.

We report on electro-optic modulation using a Lithium Niobate (LN) Photonic Crystal (PC) cavity structure. The compact device (6 µm in length) consists of a 2D photonic crystal cavity made on an Annealed Proton Exchange (APE) LN waveguide with vertical deposited electrodes. Experimental results show a tunability of 0.6 nm/V. This compact design opens a way towards micro and nano-scale tunable photonic devices with low driving electrical power.

Enhanced electro-optical lithium niobate photonic crystal wire waveguide on a smart-cut thin film.

We report an electro-optically tunable photonic crystal linear cavity etched on a 200 nm lithium niobate waveguide ridge. The photonic crystal cavity and the ridge are both fabricated on a 1 µm thin film of lithium niobate obtained by smart-cut technology. The photonic crystal, of area 4x0.8 µm2, has been engineered to work in a slow light configuration so that the electro-optic effect is 20 times more important than in bulk material.

Improvement of soil quality after "alperujo" compost application to two contaminated soils characterised by differing heavy metal solubility.

Reclamation of trace element polluted soils often requires the improvement of the soil quality by using appropriate organic amendments. Low quality compost from municipal solid waste has been tested for reclamation of soils, but these materials can provide high amounts of heavy metals. Therefore, a high-quality compost, with low levels of heavy metals, produced from the main by-product of the Spanish olive oil extraction industry ("alperujo") was evaluated for remediation of soils affected by a pyritic mine sludge. Two contaminated soils were selected from the same area: they were characterised by differing pH values (4.6 and 7.3) and total metal concentrations, which greatly affected the fractionation of the metals. Compost was applied to soil at two rates (equivalent to 48 and 72 Tm ha(-1)) and compared with an inorganic fertiliser treatment. Compost acted as an available nutrient source (C, N and P) and showed a low mineralisation rate, suggesting a slow release of nutrients and thus favouring long term soil fertility. In addition, the liming effect of the compost led to a significant reduction of toxicity for soil microorganisms in the acidic soil and immobilisation of soil heavy metals (especially Mn and Zn), resulting in a clear increase in both soil microbial biomass and nitrification. Such positive effects were clearly greater than those provoked by the mineral fertiliser even at the lowest compost application rate, which indicates that this type of compost can be very useful for bioremediation programmes (reclamation and revegetation of polluted soils) based on phytostabilisation strategies.

Implications of the use of As-rich groundwater for agricultural purposes and the effects of soil amendments on as solubility.

An agricultural site in Segovia province (Spain) contains high levels of arsenic (As) of geological origin in its groundwater, which is used intensively for irrigation. Crops, irrigation waters, and soils were analyzed to evaluate the occurrence of As in this area and its potential impact on the food chain. High As mobility was found in the agricultural soils, related to the application of As in the irrigation waters (14.8-280 µg As L(-1)) and the general alkaline and sandy character of these soils, which imposes a low capacity for As sorption and therefore enhances plant uptake. The use of amendments can also affect the solubility of As in these soils. Evidence for this was evaluated based on a study of the effect of organic (compost) and inorganic (iron oxides-rich rolling mill scale and phosphate fertilizer) amendments. Arsenic solubility in soil and plant uptake were high, but not significantly affected by organic matter or phosphate addition, while As immobilization was associated with addition of iron oxides with the rolling mill scale, although this did not result in a decrease of As uptake by the tested plants.

Enhanced optical transmission by light coaxing: mechanism of the TEM-mode excitation.

This paper presents a theoretical study showing the mechanism of light transmission through opaque metallic films perforated with nanocoaxial apertures thanks to the excitation of their cutoff-free TEM (Transverse ElectroMagnetic) guided mode. Full three-dimensional Finite Difference Time Domain (3D-FDTD) together with a Body-Of-Revolution FDTD simulation results are presented and discussed in order to optimize this extraordinary transmission. Very promising findings are pointed out opening the path to the design of new devices for both nano-optic and photovoltaic applications.

Second harmonic generation enhancement by use of annular aperture arrays embedded into silver and filled by lithium niobate.

We propose and theoretically study a metallo-dielectric photonic crystal (MDPhC) based on metallic annular aperture arrays (AAA) associated to a nonlinear material (LiNbO(3)) for the second harmonic generation (SHG). An optimal structure design can be found thanks to the relations that link the geometrical parameters to the operating point namely the wavelength of the fundamental and SHG signals. A slow light phenomenon, which occurs at the cut-off frequency of the guided mode through the annular cavities, is at the origin of the SHG signal enhancement. The benefit of the AAA is demonstrated through a comparison with cylindrical aperture arrays.

Chemical and biological properties in the rhizosphere of Lupinus albus alter soil heavy metal fractionation.

To understand better the suitability of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) for phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils, the effect of its roots on chemical and biological properties of the rhizosphere affecting soil metal fractionation was studied. Plants were cultivated in two similar soils, with high levels of Zn, Cd, Cu and Pb but differing pH values (4.2 and 6.8). In the rhizosphere of both soils, its roots induced increases in water-soluble carbon, which influenced the fractionation of heavy metals and ultimately their uptake by plant roots. In the rhizosphere of the acid soil, the concentrations of 0.1M CaCl(2)-extractable Mn, Zn and Cu were lower than in the bulk soil, possibly due to their increased retention on Fe (III) hydroxides/oxyhydroxides, while in the neutral soil only the Zn concentration was lower. Higher concentrations of heavy metals were found in plants growing on the acid soil, reflecting their greater availability in this soil. The restricted transfer of heavy metals to the shoot confirms the potential role of this species in the initial phytoimmobilisation of heavy metals, particularly in neutral-alkaline soils.