Publications by authors named "Ruth F Menger"
Article Synopsis
- Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening disease, is severely impacting global citrus production, necessitating effective insecticide application to control the Asian citrus psyllid, the disease's primary vector.
- A novel fluorescent method was used to analyze insecticide distribution in Florida's HLB-infected groves, revealing significant variability in coverage, particularly with an average of 21 times more insecticide on the top of leaves compared to the bottom.
- The study found that tractor applications provided 4-87 times better coverage than aerial applications, suggesting that these insights can help optimize pest management strategies to better target pests while conserving resources and protecting the environment.
Article Synopsis
- PFAS are harmful environmental contaminants that persist in the environment and accumulate in living organisms, highlighting the need for effective detection methods for public health and environmental safety.
- Existing detection methods for PFAS are often expensive, require specialized labs, and trained personnel, creating a demand for affordable and portable solutions.
- The review focuses on the development of PFAS sensors that provide real-time data, discusses their detection mechanisms, and outlines future research and commercialization challenges needed for effective implementation.
A new paper-based analytical device design was fabricated by a wax printing method for simultaneous determination of Cu(ii), Co(ii), Ni(ii), Hg(ii), and Mn(ii). Colorimetry was used to quantify these heavy metal ions using bathocuproine (Bc), dimethylglyoxime (DMG), dithizone (DTZ), and 4-(2-pyridylazo) resorcinol (PAR) as complexing agents. The affinity of complexing agents to heavy metal ions is dependent on the formation constant (K).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing, HLB) has infected >90% of Florida's oranges and thus growers are desperate to improve pest management strategies. In this field study, insecticide application efficacy was investigated with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to determine if insecticide concentration and distribution were effective at killing the target pest Asian citrus psyllids (ACP). Sample discs attached to leaves were sprayed with imidacloprid and malathion at a field site in Florida.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCapillary forces are commonly employed to transport fluids in pump-free microfluidic platforms such as paper-based microfluidics. However, since paper is a porous material consisting of nonuniform cellulose fibers, it has some limitations in performing stable flow functions like mixing. Here, we developed a pump-free microfluidic device that enables rapid mixing by combining paper and plastic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article reports the first fluorescent distance-based paper device coupled with an evaporating preconcentration system for determining trace mercury ions (Hg) in water. The fluorescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs) were synthesized by a one-step microwave method using citric acid and ethylenediamine. The fluorescence turn-off of the NCDs in the presence of Hg was visualized with a common black light, and the distance of the quenched fluorescence correlated to Hg concentration.
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