New method improves how scientists measure water behavior in biochar-amended soils

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

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Dynamic contact angle as a new metric for the water repellency evaluation of biochar-amended soil

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Credit: Wei Jing, Mingjie Su, Kai Yang, Qilin Kang, Yaoming Li, Wei Li, Kun Zhang & Jiefei Mao

A new study has introduced a more accurate way to evaluate how biochar interacts with water, offering important insights for agriculture, soil management, and environmental sustainability.

Biochar, a carbon-rich material produced from biomass, is widely used to improve soil quality and water retention. However, understanding how biochar affects soil water behavior has long been challenging due to limitations in existing measurement methods.

Researchers have now developed a new approach called the dynamic contact angle method, which provides a more realistic assessment of how water interacts with biochar and biochar-amended soils over time. The findings were recently published in Biochar.

“Traditional methods only capture a snapshot of water behavior, but water interactions with biochar are dynamic,” said one of the study’s corresponding authors. “Our method allows us to observe how these interactions evolve, which leads to a more accurate understanding of soil water processes.”

Conventional techniques typically rely on two indicators: contact angle and water droplet penetration time. While contact angle measures how water initially sits on a surface, penetration time reflects how long it takes for water to be absorbed. These two methods often produce conflicting results, making it difficult to determine whether a material is truly water-repellent.

To resolve this issue, the research team tracked how the contact angle changes over time as a water droplet spreads and diffuses. By monitoring this process over 90 seconds, they introduced a new classification system for material behavior, including a newly defined category called “pseudo-hydrophobicity.”

This category describes materials that initially appear water-repellent but gradually become wettable as water spreads across their surface. According to the study, failing to account for this transition can lead to overestimating hydrophobicity.

“Our findings show that some materials previously classified as hydrophobic are actually only temporarily resistant to water,” the authors explained. “Recognizing pseudo-hydrophobicity helps reconcile inconsistencies between existing measurement methods.”

The researchers tested their approach on a wide range of materials, including 17 standard substances and 18 different types of biochar produced from agricultural residues, forestry byproducts, and household waste. The results demonstrated that the dynamic method consistently provided a more reliable evaluation of water behavior.

The study also explored how biochar affects soil over time. In controlled experiments lasting 90 days, most biochar types increased soil water repellency immediately after application. However, this effect tended to decrease with time, likely due to aging processes, microbial activity, and chemical changes on the biochar surface.

Importantly, the results showed that both the type of biochar and its application rate influence soil water behavior. Higher application rates generally led to stronger water repellency, while biochar produced at lower temperatures tended to be more hydrophobic due to its surface chemistry.

The researchers emphasize that understanding these dynamics is crucial for optimizing biochar use in agriculture, particularly in dry and semi-arid regions where water management is critical.

“This work provides a new tool for predicting how biochar will perform in real-world conditions,” the authors said. “It can help guide the design of biochar materials and improve strategies for soil water management.”

By offering a clearer and more comprehensive way to evaluate water interactions, the dynamic contact angle method could support the development of more effective soil amendments and sustainable agricultural practices.

 

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Journal Reference: Jing, W., Su, M., Yang, K. et al. Dynamic contact angle as a new metric for the water repellency evaluation of biochar-amended soil. Biochar 8, 38 (2026). 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-025-00555-y  

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About Biochar

Biochar (e-ISSN: 2524-7867) is the first journal dedicated exclusively to biochar research, spanning agronomy, environmental science, and materials science. It publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications—such as bioenergy, environmental remediation, soil enhancement, climate mitigation, water treatment, and sustainability analysis. The journal serves as an innovative and professional platform for global researchers to share advances in this rapidly expanding field. 

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Journal

Biochar

DOI

10.1007/s42773-025-00555-y 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Article Title

Dynamic contact angle as a new metric for the water repellency evaluation of biochar-amended soil

 

Turning agricultural waste into smarter livestock nutrition tools

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

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Smart waste-derived materials for feed application: chestnut shells and vine pruning biochar

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Credit: Marianna Guagliano, Serena Reggi, Matteo Dell’Anno, Silvia Mostoni, Filippo Ottani, Marco Puglia, Giovanni Dotelli, Roberto Scotti, Simone Pedrazzi, Luciana Rossi, Cinzia Cristiani & Elisabetta Finocchio

A new study has found that biochar made from agricultural waste such as chestnut shells and vine prunings could help deliver beneficial compounds more effectively in animal feed, offering a promising alternative to antibiotics in livestock production.

The research, published in Biochar, explores how biochar can act as a carrier for lysozyme, a natural antimicrobial enzyme commonly found in egg whites. Scientists developed a simple and environmentally friendly method to attach lysozyme onto biochar particles and tested how well the system works under conditions that mimic the digestive tract of young pigs.

“Our goal was to design a sustainable delivery system that protects sensitive bioactive molecules in the stomach and releases them where they are most effective, in the intestine,” said the study’s lead author. “Biochar offers a unique combination of porosity, surface chemistry, and stability that makes it an ideal candidate.”

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global concern, driven in part by the overuse of antibiotics in both human medicine and agriculture. In livestock farming, especially during stressful stages such as weaning, animals are vulnerable to disease and often require antibiotic treatments. Functional feed additives like lysozyme have emerged as promising alternatives, but their effectiveness is limited because they can degrade in the acidic environment of the stomach.

To address this challenge, the research team tested two types of biochar produced from waste biomass. One was derived from chestnut shells and the other from vine pruning residues. Both materials were shown to effectively bind lysozyme using a mild, water-based process.

The study found that the biochar carriers could load significant amounts of lysozyme while maintaining its stability. More importantly, release experiments revealed that the system behaves differently under varying pH conditions. At low pH, similar to the stomach, only a very small amount of lysozyme was released. At neutral pH, similar to the intestine, release increased, indicating that the biochar helps protect the enzyme during gastric transit and enables targeted delivery in the gut.

“This pH-responsive behavior is key,” the authors explained. “It means the biochar can shield the enzyme where it would otherwise be degraded and then release it where it can support gut health.”

Advanced imaging and spectroscopy techniques confirmed that lysozyme molecules were evenly distributed across the biochar surface, rather than forming aggregates. This uniform distribution likely contributes to both the stability and controlled release of the enzyme.

Beyond its functional performance, the approach also highlights the value of agricultural waste. Materials that are typically burned or discarded can be converted into high-value products that support sustainable farming practices. The use of biochar may also provide additional environmental benefits, including reducing emissions and improving nutrient management.

The findings suggest that biochar-based delivery systems could play a role in reducing reliance on antibiotics while improving animal health and productivity. Although the current study focuses on livestock applications, the researchers note that similar strategies could be explored in other areas, including human nutrition and pharmaceutical delivery.

“This work opens the door to a new class of biochar applications,” the authors said. “By combining waste valorization with advanced material design, we can create solutions that are both effective and environmentally responsible.”

 

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Journal Reference: Guagliano, M., Reggi, S., Dell’Anno, M. et al. Smart waste-derived materials for feed application: chestnut shells and vine pruning biochar. Biochar 8, 39 (2026).   

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-025-00557-w   

=== 

About Biochar

Biochar (e-ISSN: 2524-7867) is the first journal dedicated exclusively to biochar research, spanning agronomy, environmental science, and materials science. It publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications—such as bioenergy, environmental remediation, soil enhancement, climate mitigation, water treatment, and sustainability analysis. The journal serves as an innovative and professional platform for global researchers to share advances in this rapidly expanding field. 

Follow us on Facebook, X, and Bluesky.  

---

Journal

Biochar

DOI

10.1007/s42773-025-00557-w 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Article Title

Smart waste-derived materials for feed application: chestnut shells and vine pruning biochar

 

UCLA to host first Brain Health Summit, bringing together national experts to address a growing public health crisis

Two-day gathering of scientists, policymakers, philanthropists and community advocates to be livestreamed free to global audiences March 20–21

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

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UCLA Health will host its first-ever Brain Health Summit on March 20-21, bringing together leading scientists, policymakers, philanthropists and community advocates from across the country to address one of the most pressing and underfunded challenges in public health.

Disorders affecting the brain and nervous system — from neurological, neurodevelopmental, and mental health conditions — impact more than 180 million Americans and are the leading cause of disability in the country, according to a 2025 study published in JAMA Neurology. Yet federal neuroscience research funding has seen significant 2023, leaving scientists, states and private philanthropy to fill a widening gap.

However, momentum is building in the US and abroad with Texas voters approving a historic $3 billion to brain disease research in 2025 and brain economy frameworks gaining traction at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The UCLA Brain Health Summit is the first event to bring together experts from across these traditionally siloed fields neurologists alongside pediatricians, aging specialists alongside childhood neurodevelopment researchers, scientists alongside arts practitioners and patients — to discuss how to discuss how brain health can be prioritized

WATCH LIVE: https://www.youtube.com/live/GiUU8gerE3g — Free, no registration required.

What the Summit Will Address

Sessions span the full lifespan and spectrum of brain health:

• Brain health policy and funding: what states, philanthropy, and the private sector are doing as federal research investment retreats
• Technological innovation and AI's role in cognitive health
• Modifiable lifestyle factors — sleep, breathwork, nutrition, and exercise — and their role in prevention
• Brain health in childhood: neurodevelopmental disorders and early environmental exposures
• Art, music, dance, and creativity as tools in neurological care
• Patient and caregiver perspectives on living with brain disease
• Measuring brain health and developing a national Brain Health Index

Featured Speakers Include

• Steve Carnevale, Commissioner, California Commission on Behavioral Health
• Daniel Geschwind, Senior Dean and Vice Chancellor for Precision Medicine, UCLA
• Harris Eyre, Global Brain Economy Initiative, Rice University
• Kana Enomoto, McKinsey Health Institute — keynote on human cognitive advantage in the age of AI
• Jack Feldman, Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience, UCLA
• Steven Lewis, President, World Federation of Neurology
• Dilip Jeste, Past-President, American Psychiatric Association, Director, Global Research Network on Social Determinants of Mental Health and Exposomics 
• Jochen Reiser, University of Texas Medical Branch
• Jake Broder, Global Brain Health Institute, playwright of Unraveled

Event Details

• Dates: Friday–Saturday, March 20–21, 2026
• Location: UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center, 425 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095
• Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/GiUU8gerE3g
• More information and full schedule: https://teams.semel.ucla.edu/longevity/event/ucla-health-brain-health-summit

If you plan to attend in person, please contact UCLA Health media relations officer Will Houston at whouston@mednet.ucla.edu

 

Bell-bottoms today, miniskirts tomorrow: Math reveals fashion’s 20-year cycle

Scientists create — and mine — most comprehensive fashion database to date

Northwestern University

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Example of how the researchers measured features like hemlines, waistlines and necklines in archival sewing patterns.

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Credit: Emma Zajdela/Daniel Abrams

Fashion insiders and beauty magazines have long cited the “20-year-rule” — the idea that clothing trends often resurface every two decades. 

According to Northwestern University scientists, that observation isn’t just anecdotal. It’s a mathematical reality.

In a new study, the Northwestern team developed a new mathematical model showing that fashion trends tend to cycle roughly every 20 years. By analyzing roughly 37,000 images of women’s clothing spanning from 1869 to today, the team found that styles rise in popularity, fall out of favor and then eventually experience renewal.

Along with supporting common perceptions about the life cycles of fads, the researchers say these results could help explain how new ideas spread in society.

The study’s lead author Emma Zajdela will present these findings at 4:30 p.m. MDT on Tuesday, March 17 at the American Physical Society (APS) Global Physics Summit in Denver. Her talk, “Back in Fashion: Modeling the Cyclical Dynamics of Trends,” is part of the session “Statistical Physics of Networks and Complex Society Systems.”

Complimentary registration is available for members of the media. Press should contact the APS media teamfor more information.

“To our knowledge, this is the first time that someone developed such an extensive and precise database of fashion measures across more than a century,” Zajdela said. “We have some very interesting results, including that the cycle we uncovered in the data (20 years) matches industry knowledge. Historically, the lack of data posed a barrier to explicit quantitative study of this system.”

When this work was conducted, Zajdela was a Ph.D. candidate at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering, where she was advised by Daniel Abrams, a professor of engineering sciences and applied mathematics at McCormick and co-director of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems. Now, Zajdela is a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University and a research fellow at the Santa Fe Institute.

Zajdela and Abrams coauthored the study with Alicia Caticha, an assistant professor of art history at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and Jeremy White and Emily Kohlberg, who were both members of Abrams’ research group.

To conduct the study, the researchers compiled one of the most comprehensive quantitative datasets of fashion ever assembled. Drawing from historical sewing patterns from the Commercial Pattern Archive at the University of Rhode Island and runway collections, the team analyzed tens of thousands of garments dating back to the late 1800s.

Using custom tools, they measured key features of dresses — hemline, neckline and waistline positions — turning clothing designs into numerical data that could be measured and tracked across decades. To analyze the data, researchers built a mathematical model based on a simple idea: the tension between wanting to stand out while still fitting in. Once a style becomes too common, designers move away from it — but not so far that the clothes become unwearable.

“Over time, this constant push to be different from the recent past causes styles to swing back and forth,” Abrams said. “The system intrinsically wants to oscillate, and we see those cycles in the data.”

The results revealed a striking pattern. While fashion evolves gradually over time, the rise and fall of styles follows a repeating wave that peaks roughly every two decades. One of the clearest patterns involves hemline length. Over the past century, skirt lengths have repeatedly shortened and lengthened — from shorter flapper dresses in the 1920s to longer, more conservative styles in the 1950s and then to miniskirts of the late 1960s.

But this pattern loses its clarity in recent decades. Starting in the 1980s, the data show a wider range of skirt lengths appearing at the same time, suggesting that fashion trends are becoming more fragmented. Rather than one dominant trend, niches emerge, reflecting more diversity in fashion.

“In the past, there were two options — short dresses and long dresses,” Zajdela said. “In more recent years, there are more options: really short dresses, floor-length dresses and midi dresses. There is an increase in variance over time and less conformity.”

 

Representative dresses from 1923 to 1987, showing the change in hemlines over time.

 

Representative dresses from 1920 to 2010.

Credit

Emma Zajdela/Daniel Abrams