A comparative study of functional properties of normal and wooden breast broiler chicken meat with NaCl addition.

PubMed

Xing, Tong; Zhao, Xue; Han, Minyi; Cai, Linlin; Deng, Shaolin; Zhou, Guanghong; Xu, Xinglian

2017-09-01

The selection of broilers for augmented growth rate and breast has brought about wooden-breast (WB) muscle abnormalities, which caused substantial economic losses. The objective of this study was to compare water holding capacity, water mobility and distribution, salt-soluble protein (SSP) content, and protein profiles of normal and WB chicken meat with different additions of NaCl. Thirty WB and 30 normal chicken breasts were selected from a deboning line of a major Chinese processing plant at 2 to 3 h post mortem. Two different meat batters were formulated to 150 mg/g meat protein and different NaCl contents (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%). Results indicated that as NaCl contents increased, the cooking loss of meat batters decreased (P < 0.05). Increasing the NaCl content to 3% or more increased the solubility of myofibrillar protein and the extraction of SSPs, which resulted in the improving of cooking yield. Over a range of salt concentrations, normal and WB meat showed different protein profiles, with myosin heavy chain exhibiting a higher intensity at ≥3% salt level. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR)revealed an increased T22 and higher P22 in raw WB meat compared to normal meat (P < 0.05). Regarding the meat batters, WB meat batters had reduced T21 and lower immobilized water proportions at low NaCl contents (<2%). After heating, T2 shifted towards higher relaxation times with increasing NaCl contents in meat gels. Meat gels prepared from WB had a lower proportion of water within the myofibrillar protein matrix and a greater proportion of exuded bulk water at NaCl contents <3% (P < 0.05), while at higher NaCl contents the difference was eliminated, thus improving water retention capacity. In conclusion, for raw meat, meat batters and gels, water distribution and mobility of WB exhibited significant differences compared to normal meat. The addition of NaCl affected water mobility and distributions in meat batters, with a level of 3% NaCl eliminating the differences between processed normal and WB meat products. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

FTIR measurements of OH in deformed quartz and feldspars of the South Tibetan Detachment, Greater Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jezek, L.; Law, R. D.; Jessup, M. J.; Searle, M. P.; Kronenberg, A. K.

2017-12-01

OH absorption bands due to water in deformed quartz and feldspar grains of mylonites from the low-angle Lhotse Detachment (of the South Tibetan Detachment System, Rongbuk Valley north of Mount Everest) have been measured by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. Previous microstructural studies have shown that these rocks deformed by dislocation creep at high temperature conditions in the middle crust (lower - middle amphibolite facies), and oxygen isotope studies suggest significant influx of meteoric water. OH absorption bands at 3400 cm-1 of quartz mylonites from the footwall of the Lhotse Detachment Fault are large, with the character of the molecular water band due to fluid inclusions in milky quartz. Mean water contents depend on structural position relative to the core of the Lhotse Detachment, from 1000 ppm (OH/106 Si) at 420 m below the fault to 11,350 (+/-1095) ppm near its center. The gradient in OH content shown by quartz grains implies influx of meteoric water along the Lhotse Detachment from the Tibetan Plateau ground surface to middle crustal depths, and significant fluid penetration into the extruding Himalayan slab by intergranular, permeable fluid flow processes. Feldspars of individual samples have comparable water contents to those of quartz and some are wetter. Large water contents of quartz and feldspar may have contributed to continued deformation and strain localization on the South Tibetan Detachment System. Dislocation creep in quartz is facilitated by water in laboratory experiments, and the water contents of the Lhotse fault rocks are similar to (and even larger than) water contents of quartz experimentally deformed during water weakening. Water contents of feldspars are comparable to those of plagioclase aggregates deformed experimentally by dislocation and diffusion creep under wet conditions.

Composition, physicochemical properties and thermal inactivation kinetics of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase from coconut (Cocos nucifera) water obtained from immature, mature and overly-mature coconut.

PubMed

Tan, Thuan-Chew; Cheng, Lai-Hoong; Bhat, Rajeev; Rusul, Gulam; Easa, Azhar Mat

2014-01-01

Composition, physicochemical properties and enzyme inactivation kinetics of coconut water were compared between immature (IMC), mature (MC) and overly-mature coconuts (OMC). Among the samples studied, pH, turbidity and mineral contents for OMC water was the highest, whereas water volume, titratable acidity, total soluble solids and total phenolics content for OMC water were the lowest. Maturity was found to affect sugar contents. Sucrose content was found to increase with maturity, and the reverse trend was observed for fructose and glucose. Enzyme activity assessment showed that polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in all samples was more heat resistant than peroxidase (POD). Compared to IMC and MC, PPO and POD from OMC water showed the lowest thermal resistance, with D83.3°C=243.9s (z=27.9°C), and D83.3°C=129.9s (z=19.5°C), respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water Contents of the Mantle Beneath the Rio Grande Rift: FTIR Analysis of Kilbourne Hole Peridotite Xenoliths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaffer, Lillian A.; Peslier, Anne; Brandon, Alan

2013-01-01

Although nominally anhydrous mantle minerals contain only trace amounts of water, they are the main reservoir of water in the mantle. Added up at the scale of the Earth's mantle, these trace amounts of water represent oceans worth in mass]. Mantle xenoliths from Kilbourne Hole in southern New Mexico are ideal to study mantle water distribution in a rift tectonic setting as they come from a recently-erupted maar in the middle of the Rio Grande Rift. Eleven lherzolites, one harzburgite, and one dunite are being analyzed for water contents by FTIR. The xenoliths will also be analyzed for major and trace element composition, Fe3+/Summation (Fe) ratios, and characterized petrologically. Olivines exhibit variable water contents with less water at the rims compared to the cores. This is probably due to H loss during decompression and xenolith transport by the host magma. Mantle water contents appear to have been primarily preserved in the core of the olivines, based on diffusion modeling of the typically plateau-shaped water content profiles across these grains. Water concentrations are in equilibrium between clino- and orthopyroxene, but olivine concentrations are typically not in equilibrium with those of either pyroxene. Lherzolites analyzed so far have water contents of 2-12 ppm H2O in olivines, 125-165 ppm H2O in orthopyroxenes, and 328-447 ppm H2O in clinopyroxenes. These water contents are similar to, but with a narrower range, than those for the respective minerals in other continental peridotite xenoliths. The lherzolites have bulk-rock (BR) Al2O3 contents that range between 3.17 and 3.78 wt%, indicating similar degrees of partial melting, which could explain the narrow range of their pyroxene water contents. Primitive mantle normalized rare earth element (REE) profiles of the bulk lherzolites vary from light REE depleted to flat, with no significant differences between, nor relation to, their mineral water contents. Consequently, the metasomatic agents that enriched LREEs in these lherzolites were most likely water-poor. The harzburgite and the dunite have lower weight percent Al2O3 compared to the lherzolites (2.11% and 0.34% respectively) indicating higher degrees of melting. Their olivine water contents, however, are similar to those of the lherzolites. Moreover, no correlations are observed between pyroxene water contents and indices of melting or metasomatism between the lherzolite group, the harzburgite, and the dunite, although the latter has the lowest pyroxene water contents. More samples will be analyzed to determine if the water contents are controlled by melting, metasomatism, or a combination of the two in the Kilbourne Hole mantle.

Comparing electronic probes for volumetric water content of low-density feathermoss

USGS Publications Warehouse

Overduin, P.P.; Yoshikawa, K.; Kane, D.L.; Harden, J.W.

2005-01-01

Purpose - Feathermoss is ubiquitous in the boreal forest and across various land-cover types of the arctic and subarctic. A variety of affordable commercial sensors for soil moisture content measurement have recently become available and are in use in such regions, often in conjunction with fire-susceptibility or ecological studies. Few come supplied with calibrations suitable or suggested for soils high in organics. Aims to test seven of these sensors for use in feathermoss, seeking calibrations between sensor output and volumetric water content. Design/methodology/approach - Measurements from seven sensors installed in live, dead and burned feathermoss samples, drying in a controlled manner, were compared to moisture content measurements. Empirical calibrations of sensor output to water content were determined. Findings - Almost all of the sensors tested were suitable for measuring the moss sample water content, and a unique calibration for each sensor for this material is presented. Differences in sensor design lead to changes in sensitivity as a function of volumetric water content, affecting the spatial averaging over the soil measurement volume. Research limitations/implications - The wide range of electromagnetic sensors available include frequency and time domain designs with variations in wave guide and sensor geometry, the location of sensor electronics and operating frequency. Practical implications - This study provides information for extending the use of electromagnetic sensors to feathermoss. Originality/value - A comparison of volumetric water content sensor mechanics and design is of general interest to researchers measuring soil water content. In particular, researchers working in wetlands, boreal forests and tundra regions will be able to apply these results. ?? Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Simultaneous measurement of unfrozen water content and ice content in frozen soil using gamma ray attenuation and TDR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xiaohai; Zhou, Jian; Kinzelbach, Wolfgang; Stauffer, Fritz

2014-12-01

The freezing temperature of water in soil is not constant but varies over a range determined by soil texture. Consequently, the amounts of unfrozen water and ice change with temperature in frozen soil, which in turn affects hydraulic, thermal, and mechanical properties of frozen soil. In this paper, an Am-241 gamma ray source and time-domain reflectometry (TDR) were combined to measure unfrozen water content and ice content in frozen soil simultaneously. The gamma ray attenuation was used to determine total water content. The TDR was used to determine the dielectric constant of the frozen soil. Based on a four-phase mixing model, the amount of unfrozen water content in the frozen soil could be determined. The ice content was inferred by the difference between total water content and unfrozen water content. The gamma ray attenuation and the TDR were both calibrated by a gravimetric method. Water contents measured by gamma ray attenuation and TDR in an unfrozen silt column under infiltration were compared and showed that the two methods have the same accuracy and response to changes of water content. Unidirectional column freezing experiments were performed to apply the combined method of gamma ray attenuation and TDR for measuring unfrozen water content and ice content. The measurement error of the gamma ray attenuation and TDR was around 0.02 and 0.01 m3/m3, respectively. The overestimation of unfrozen water in frozen soil by TDR alone was quantified and found to depend on the amount of ice content. The higher the ice content, the larger the overestimation. The study confirmed that the combined method could accurately determine unfrozen water content and ice content in frozen soil. The results of soil column freezing experiments indicate that total water content distribution is affected by available pore space and the freezing front advance rate. It was found that there is similarity between the soil water characteristic and the soil freezing characteristic of variably saturated soil. Unfrozen water content is independent of total water content and affected only by temperature when the freezing point is reached.

Effective water content reduction in sewage wastewater sludge using magnetic nanoparticles.

PubMed

Lakshmanan, Ramnath; Kuttuva Rajarao, Gunaratna

2014-02-01

The present work compares the use of three flocculants for sedimentation of sludge and sludge water content from sewage wastewater i.e. magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MION), ferrous sulfate (chemical) and Moringa crude extract (protein). Sludge water content, wet/dry weight, turbidity and color were performed for, time kinetics and large-scale experiment. A 30% reduction of the sludge water content was observed when the wastewater was treated with either protein or chemical coagulant. The separation of sludge from wastewater treated with MION was achieved in less than 5min using an external magnet, resulted in 95% reduction of sludge water content. Furthermore, MION formed denser flocs and more than 80% reduction of microbial content was observed in large volume experiments. The results revealed that MION is efficient in rapid separation of sludge with very low water content, and thus could be a suitable alternative for sludge sedimentation and dewatering in wastewater treatment processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analytical calculation of electrolyte water content of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell for on-board modelling applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrara, Alessandro; Polverino, Pierpaolo; Pianese, Cesare

2018-06-01

This paper proposes an analytical model of the water content of the electrolyte of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. The model is designed by accounting for several simplifying assumptions, which make the model suitable for on-board/online water management applications, while ensuring a good accuracy of the considered phenomena, with respect to advanced numerical solutions. The achieved analytical solution, expressing electrolyte water content, is compared with that obtained by means of a complex numerical approach, used to solve the same mathematical problem. The achieved results show that the mean error is below 5% for electrodes water content values ranging from 2 to 15 (given as boundary conditions), and it does not overcome 0.26% for electrodes water content above 5. These results prove the capability of the solution to correctly model electrolyte water content at any operating condition, aiming at embodiment into more complex frameworks (e.g., cell or stack models), related to fuel cell simulation, monitoring, control, diagnosis and prognosis.

Effects of Hull Scratching, Soaking, and Boiling on Antinutrients in Japanese Red Sword Bean (Canavalia gladiata).

PubMed

Une, Satsuki; Nonaka, Koji; Akiyama, Junich

2016-10-01

The effects of hull processing, soaking, and boiling on the content or activity of antinutrients in the red sword bean (RSB; Canavalia gladiata) were investigated. RSB seeds were compared with kidney bean (KB; Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds that are starch based and often used as processed products in Japan. RSB seeds had higher weight, thicker hull, and higher protein content, but lower moisture content compared with KB seeds. Because of the strong and thick hull, the relative water absorption of untreated RSB seeds was very low after soaking. Seeds were soaked after dehulling, scratching, and roasting. The results showed that hull scratching was the optimal method for increasing water absorption during soaking compared with dehulling and roasting. After soaking, the water used for soaking was discarded, since it had a high content of polyphenols and bitter taste, and RSB seeds were boiled in fresh water for 20, 40, and 60 min. The results showed that polyphenol and tannin contents, antioxidant activity, and hemagglutinating activity, as well as maltase, sucrase, and trypsin inhibitor activities in scratched RSB seeds decreased significantly after boiling compared with those in raw seeds, whereas amylase inhibitor activity showed no significant change. Overall, it was concluded that the combination of hull scratching, soaking, and boiling in fresh water can reduce thermal-stable or sensitive antinutrients in RSB and thus, significantly improve its nutritional value. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Silymarin improves the behavioural, biochemical and histoarchitecture alterations in focal ischemic rats: a comparative evaluation with piracetam and protocatachuic acid.

PubMed

Muley, Milind M; Thakare, Vishnu N; Patil, Rajesh R; Kshirsagar, Ajay D; Naik, Suresh R

2012-08-01

Comparative neuroprotective potential of silymarin, piracetam and protocatechuic acid ethyl ester (PCA) was evaluated in focal ischemic rats. Various pharmacological, biochemical (lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione, catalase, nitrite content, brain water content) and behavioural (memory impairment, motor control, neurological score) including infarct size and histopathological alterations were evaluated. Silymarin (200mg/kg) and PCA treatment significantly improved behavioural, biochemical and histopathological changes, and reduced water content and infarct size. However, piracetam only improved behavioural and histopathological changes, reduced water content and infarct size. The findings indicate that silymarin exhibits neuroprotective activity better than PCA and piracetam in focal ischemia/reperfusion reflected by its better restoration of behavioural and antioxidant profile. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of water content on thermal oxidation of oleic acid investigated by combination of EPR spectroscopy and SPME-GC-MS/MS.

PubMed

Chen, Hongjian; Cao, Peirang; Li, Bo; Sun, Dewei; Wang, Yong; Li, Jinwei; Liu, Yuanfa

2017-04-15

Promotion of water to the thermal oxidation of oleic acid was detected by the combination of EPR, SPME-GC-MS/MS and GC. Spin-trapping technique was used to identify and quantify the radical species formed during thermal oxidation of oleic acid by using DMPO as electron spin trap. The most abundant radical species were identified as DMPO-alkyl radical adducts. EPR intensity plateau of the samples with 5% water content was 140% higher than the samples without water. It implies oleic acid samples with high water content had high level of oxidation rates. The proportion of aldehydes of the samples with 2% water content was the maximum about 59.97%. Among the formed products, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal has genotoxic and cytotoxic effects, whose percentage was nearly twice comparing with that of 5-0% water content. This study demonstrated that higher water content in frying systems would contribute to seriously oxidation and degradation of oleic acids. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Remote sensing of atmospheric water content from Bhaskara SAMIR data. [using statistical linear regression analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gohil, B. S.; Hariharan, T. A.; Sharma, A. K.; Pandey, P. C.

1982-01-01

The 19.35 GHz and 22.235 GHz passive microwave radiometers (SAMIR) on board the Indian satellite Bhaskara have provided very useful data. From these data has been demonstrated the feasibility of deriving atmospheric and ocean surface parameters such as water vapor content, liquid water content, rainfall rate and ocean surface winds. Different approaches have been tried for deriving the atmospheric water content. The statistical and empirical methods have been used by others for the analysis of the Nimbus data. A simulation technique has been attempted for the first time for 19.35 GHz and 22.235 GHz radiometer data. The results obtained from three different methods are compared with radiosonde data. A case study of a tropical depression has been undertaken to demonstrate the capability of Bhaskara SAMIR data to show the variation of total water vapor and liquid water contents.

[Effects of snow cover on water soluble and organic solvent soluble components during foliar litter decomposition in an alpine forest].

PubMed

Xu, Li-Ya; Yang, Wan-Qin; Li, Han; Ni, Xiang-Yin; He, Jie; Wu, Fu-Zhong

2014-11-01

Seasonal snow cover may change the characteristics of freezing, leaching and freeze-thaw cycles in the scenario of climate change, and then play important roles in the dynamics of water soluble and organic solvent soluble components during foliar litter decomposition in the alpine forest. Therefore, a field litterbag experiment was conducted in an alpine forest in western Sichuan, China. The foliar litterbags of typical tree species (birch, cypress, larch and fir) and shrub species (willow and azalea) were placed on the forest floor under different snow cover thickness (deep snow, medium snow, thin snow and no snow). The litterbags were sampled at snow formation stage, snow cover stage and snow melting stage in winter. The results showed that the content of water soluble components from six foliar litters decreased at snow formation stage and snow melting stage, but increased at snow cover stage as litter decomposition proceeded in the winter. Besides the content of organic solvent soluble components from azalea foliar litter increased at snow cover stage, the content of organic solvent soluble components from the other five foliar litters kept a continue decreasing tendency in the winter. Compared with the content of organic solvent soluble components, the content of water soluble components was affected more strongly by snow cover thickness, especially at snow formation stage and snow cover stage. Compared with the thicker snow covers, the thin snow cover promoted the decrease of water soluble component contents from willow and azalea foliar litter and restrain the decrease of water soluble component content from cypress foliar litter. Few changes in the content of water soluble components from birch, fir and larch foliar litter were observed under the different thicknesses of snow cover. The results suggested that the effects of snow cover on the contents of water soluble and organic solvent soluble components during litter decomposition would be controlled by litter quality.

Oxidative processes in soybean and pea seeds: effect of light, temperature, and water content

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vertucci, C. W.; Leopold, A. C.

1987-01-01

Oxidative processes are probable determinants of longevity of seeds in storage. Measurements of actual oxygen uptake rates were made for soybean and pea seeds as a comparison of short and long lived seeds when light, temperature, and moisture contents were varied. In both peas and soybeans, the oxygen uptake was depressed at low temperatures (<16 degrees C) and low water contents (< 0.25 gram H2O per gram dry weight). Apparent activation energies under these conditions are very high, while apparent activation energies of seeds at higher water contents and at temperatures greater than 22 degrees C are much less. Light enhances the level of oxygen uptake in pea, but reduces the level of oxygen uptake in soybean. The complexities of the interactions of oxygen uptake with environmental conditions in soybean compared to pea suggest that oxidative processes occur in soybean at low water contents, but are essentially absent in pea. It is suggested that the additional oxidative processes in soybean with moisture contents between 0.10 and 0.24 gram per gram may contribute to the poorer longevity of soybean seed compared to pea seed.

Comparison of intracellular water content measurements by dark-field imaging and EELS in medium voltage TEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terryn, C.; Michel, J.; Kilian, L.; Bonhomme, P.; Balossier, G.

2000-09-01

Knowledge of the water content at the subcellular level is important to evaluate the intracellular concentration of either diffusible or non-diffusible elements in the physiological state measured by the electron microprobe methods. Water content variations in subcellular compartments are directly related to secretion phenomena and to transmembrane exchange processes, which could be attributed to pathophysiological states. In this paper we will describe in details and compare two local water measurement methods using analytical electron microscopy. The first one is based on darkfield imaging. It is applied on freeze-dried biological cryosections; it allows indirect measurement of the water content at the subcellular level from recorded maps of darkfield intensity. The second method uses electron energy loss spectroscopy. It is applied to hydrated biological cryosections. It is based on the differences that appear in the electron energy loss spectra of macromolecular assemblies and vitrified ice in the 0-30 eV range. By a multiple least squares (MLS) fit between an experimental energy loss spectrum and reference spectra of both frozen-hydrated ice and macromolecular assemblies we can deduce directly the local water concentration in biological cryosections at the subcellular level. These two methods are applied to two test specimens: human erythrocytes in plasma, and baker's yeast (Saccharomyses Cerevisiae) cryosections. We compare the water content measurements obtained by these two methods and discuss their advantages and drawbacks.

Operando μ-Raman study of the actual water content of perfluorosulfonic acid membranes in the fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Zhe; Badets, Vasilica; Huguet, Patrice; Morin, Arnaud; Schott, Pascal; Tran, Thi Bich Hue; Porozhnyy, Mikhaël; Nikonenko, Victor; Deabate, Stefano

2017-07-01

Operando μ-Raman spectroscopy is used to probe the water distribution across Nafion® and Aquivion™ membranes in the operating fuel cell. The through-plane water concentration profile is obtained with μm resolution at the middle of the active surface, both at the gas distribution channel and at the under-lands areas. Depth-resolved measurements carried out at room temperature show that the water content of both membranes increases with the increase of the feed gas relative humidity and decreases with the increase of stoichiometry. At given relative humidity and stoichiometry conditions, the water content first increases at the fuel cell start-up and, then, decreases progressively with the increase of the current density delivered by the cell. The water loss is due to the concomitant rise of pressure drops and of the cell inner temperature, the latter giving the larger contribution. Pressure drops are related to the increase of the feed gases fluxes while temperature rise is due to increasing ohmic losses and heat from the electrochemical reaction. Compared to Nafion, Aquivion exhibits larger water content, but similar dehydration rate as a function of ohmic losses, and larger water accumulation at the under-lands area compared to channel.

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy for non-invasive assessment of water content in biological samples.

PubMed

Borovkova, Mariia; Khodzitsky, Mikhail; Demchenko, Petr; Cherkasova, Olga; Popov, Alexey; Meglinski, Igor

2018-05-01

We apply terahertz time-domain spectroscopy for the quantitative non-invasive assessment of the water content in biological samples, such as Carpinus caroliniana tree leaves and pork muscles. The developed experimental terahertz time-domain spectroscopy system operates both in transmission and reflection modes. The Landau-Looyenga-Lifshitz-based model is used for the calculation of the water concentration within the samples. The results of the water concentration measurements are compared with the results of the gravimetric measurements. The obtained results show that the water content in biological samples can be measured non-invasively, with a high accuracy, utilizing terahertz waves in transmission and reflection modes.

Effect of water content and heating temperature on thermal properties of brown rice batter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aboukzail, Jehan; Abdullah, Aminah; Ghani, Maaruf Abd

2015-09-01

The objectives of this research were to assess the effect of water content in the formulation (60%,80%, 100%, 105%, 110%, 120% flour basis) on starch gelatinization of brown rice batter, and to identify the effects of heat treatment at 50°C, 60°C, 70°C, 80°C on starch gelatinization and degree of starch gelatinization of brown rice batter and wheat dough. At 60% water content, there was no gelatinization of brown rice batter, but the batter was gelatinized by increasing the water content to 80%. No significant differences in onset (To) peak (Tp) and endest (Tend) temperature when the water content increased from 80% to 120%; however, enthalpy (ΔH) decreased when water content grew up. Heat treatment of brown rice batter at 60% water content made brown rice batter gelatinized. Starch gelatinization temperature To, Tend and ΔH did not have significant differences when temperature of heat treatment increased from 50°C to 80°C while Tp increased significantly (p<0.05) at 80°C. However, heat treatment had more effect on wheat dough compared to brown rice batter.

Snow loads on roofs in areas of heavy snowfall

Treesearch

Robert D. Doty; Glenn H. Deitschman

1966-01-01

This study tested the feasibility of estimating snow loads on roofs from measurements of depth and water content of snow on nearby ground. The water content, and therefore the weight, of snow on the ground proved comparable to that of snow on roofs.

Changes in entrapped gas content and hydraulic conductivity with pressure.

PubMed

Marinas, Maricris; Roy, James W; Smith, James E

2013-01-01

Water table fluctuations continuously introduce entrapped air bubbles into the otherwise saturated capillary fringe and groundwater zone, which reduces the effective (quasi-saturated) hydraulic conductivity, K(quasi), thus impacting groundwater flow, aquifer recharge and solute and contaminant transport. These entrapped gases will be susceptible to compression or expansion with changes in water pressure, as would be expected with water table (and barometric pressure) fluctuations. Here we undertake laboratory experiments using sand-packed columns to quantify the effect of water table changes of up to 250 cm on the entrapped gas content and the quasi-saturated hydraulic conductivity, and discuss our ability to account for these mechanisms in ground water models. Initial entrapped air contents ranged between 0.080 and 0.158, with a corresponding K(quasi) ranging between 2 and 6 times lower compared to the K(s) value. The application of 250 cm of water pressure caused an 18% to 26% reduction in the entrapped air content, resulting in an increase in K(quasi) by 1.16 to 1.57 times compared to its initial (0 cm water pressure) value. The change in entrapped air content measured at pressure step intervals of 50 cm, was essentially linear, and could be modeled according to the ideal gas law. Meanwhile, the changes in K(quasi) with compression-expansion of the bubbles because of pressure changes could be adequately captured with several current hydraulic conductivity models. © Ground Water 2012 and © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2012. Ground Water © 2012, National Ground Water Association.

[Distribution of virtual water of crops in Beijing].

PubMed

Wang, Hong-Rui; Dong, Yan-Yan; Wang, Jun-Hong; Wang, Yan; Han, Zhao-Xing

2007-11-01

Virtual water content of grains and vegetables in Beijing's districts is calculated and analyzed for many years by irrigating water quota method, which is compared with the distribution and exploitation of groundwater in Beijing. The results indicate the virtual water content of grains shows a downward trend in all the districts, but the grain production in Yanqing district brings great pressure to the local groundwater. Secondly, the virtual water content of vegetables shows an upward trend in Shunyi District, Daxing district and Pinggu District and is accounting for more and more gradually. Thirdly, the total virtual water volume of grains is decreasing, and the total virtual water volume of vegetables is increasing and the total virtual water volume of crops in Beijing is reducing in recent years, which corresponds with the structural adjustment of policies.

Verification of Ganoderma (lingzhi) commercial products by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy and two-dimensional IR correlation spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choong, Yew-Keong; Sun, Su-Qin; Zhou, Qun; Lan, Jin; Lee, Han-Lim; Chen, Xiang-Dong

2014-07-01

Ganoderma commercial products are typically based on two sources, raw material (powder form and/or spores) and extract (water and/or solvent). This study compared three types of Ganoderma commercial products using 1 Dimensional Fourier Transform infrared and second derivative spectroscopy. The analyzed spectra of Ganoderma raw material products were compared with spectra of cultivated Ganoderma raw material powder from different mushroom farms in Malaysia. The Ganoderma extract product was also compared with three types of cultivated Ganoderma extracts. Other medicinal Ganoderma contents in commercial extract product that included glucan and triterpenoid were analyzed by using FTIR and 2DIR. The results showed that water extract of cultivated Ganoderma possessed comparable spectra with that of Ganoderma product water extract. By comparing the content of Ganoderma commercial products using FTIR and 2DIR, product content profiles could be detected. In addition, the geographical origin of the Ganoderma products could be verified by comparing their spectra with Ganoderma products from known areas. This study demonstrated the possibility of developing verification tool to validate the purity of commercial medicinal herbal and mushroom products.

Effects of fast walking on tibiofemoral bone water content in middle-aged adults.

PubMed

Ho, Kai-Yu; Standerfer, Alexa; Ngo, Suzenna; Daun, Karen; Lee, Szu-Ping

2016-08-01

Although it is believed that genu varum increases loading on the medial knee during locomotion, the acute effect of increased loading on bone stress has not been determined. This study aimed to examine the effects of locomotion and lower extremity alignment on bone water content in middle-aged adults without knee osteoarthritis. Five males and 5 females participated. Lower extremity alignment was defined as the angle between the midpoint of the anterior mid-thigh and the midpoint of the patellar tendon using the center of the patella as the fulcrum. A chemical-shift-encoded water-fat magnetic resonance imaging protocol was used to assess bone water content before and after a 30-minute fast walking session. Bone stress response was determined by quantifying water content within the weight-bearing regions of the medial and lateral compartments of the tibiofemoral joint. Paired t-tests were used to compare bone water content before and after fast walking. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine the associations between lower extremity alignment and changes in water content post-walking. The paired t-tests revealed no changes in water content after fast walking within medial and lateral femur/tibia (P>0.05). Pearson correlation analyses revealed a significant moderate correlation between increased bone water content of the medial femur and increased varus alignment (R=0.688, P=0.028). Although there was no significant change in bone water content following locomotion, knee varus was associated with signs of bone stress in the medial femur. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comments on "J. Vera et. al., Soil water balance trial involving capacitance and neutron probe measurements"

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Vera et al. (2009) compared estimates of soil profile water content (mm) to a depth of 0.8 m made with the neutron moisture meter (NMM) and a multi-depth capacitance probe (MDCP), using measurements replicated in four drainage lysimeters (5 m x 5 m x 1.5-m deep). The NMM estimates of water content w...

Is a Water Content of 60% Maximum Water Holding Capacity Suitable for Folsomia candida Reproduction Tests? A Study with Silver Nanoparticles and AgNO3

PubMed Central

McKee, Moira S.; Megía Guerrero, Amelia; Filser, Juliane

2018-01-01

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are increasingly emitted to the environment due to a rise in application in various products; therefore, assessment of their potential risks for biota is important. In this study the effects of AgNP at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.6–375 µg kg−1 soil) on the soil invertebrate Folsomia candida in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) soil was examined at different soil water contents. Animals were retrieved by heat extraction, which had an efficiency of about 90% compared with the floatation method. The tested water content range is set by OECD Guideline 232 (40–60% of the maximum water holding capacity, WHC), and we detected significant differences in toxicity due to these. With AgNO3, used as an ionic control, the number of juveniles significantly decreased only at 40% WHC, which might be due to dilution of the toxicant at higher soil water content. In turn, at 60% WHC, the reproduction of F. candida significantly increased in the presence of AgNP compared with in the control. However, at this water content, the required number of juveniles in the control treatment was not reached in three independent tests. The fact that the OECD validity criterion is not met indicates that the soil conditions are not suitable for reproduction at 60% WHC. PMID:29614765

Evaluation of free water and water activity measurements as functional alternatives to total moisture content in broiler excreta and litter samples.

PubMed

van der Hoeven-Hangoor, E; Rademaker, C J; Paton, N D; Verstegen, M W A; Hendriks, W H

2014-07-01

Litter moisture contents vary greatly between and within practical poultry barns. The current experiment was designed to measure the effects of 8 different dietary characteristics on litter and excreta moisture content. Additionally, free water content and water activity of the excreta and litter were evaluated as additional quality measures. The dietary treatments consisted of nonstarch polysaccharide content (NSP; corn vs. wheat), particle size of insoluble fiber (coarse vs. finely ground oat hulls), viscosity of a nonfermentable fiber (low- and high-viscosity carboxymethyl cellulose), inclusion of a clay mineral (sepiolite), and inclusion of a laxative electrolyte (MgSO4). The 8 treatments were randomly assigned to cages within blocks, resulting in 12 replicates per treatment with 6 birds per replicate. Limited effects of the dietary treatments were noted on excreta and litter water activity, and indications were observed that this measurement is limited in high-moisture samples. Increasing dietary NSP content by feeding a corn-based diet (low NSP) compared with a wheat-based diet (high NSP) increased water intake, excreta moisture and free water, and litter moisture content. Adding insoluble fibers to the wheat-based diet reduced excreta and litter moisture content, as well as litter water activity. Fine grinding of the oat hulls diminished the effect on litter moisture and water activity. However, excreta moisture and free water content were similar when fed finely or coarsely ground oat hulls. The effects of changing viscosity and adding a clay mineral or laxative deviated from results observed in previous studies. Findings of the current experiment indicate a potential for excreta free water measurement as an additional parameter to assess excreta quality besides total moisture. The exact implication of this parameter warrants further investigation. © 2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

α-chymotrypsin in water-acetone and water-dimethyl sulfoxide mixtures: Effect of preferential solvation and hydration.

PubMed

Sirotkin, Vladimir A; Kuchierskaya, Alexandra A

2017-10-01

We investigated water/organic solvent sorption and residual enzyme activity to simultaneously monitor preferential solvation/hydration of protein macromolecules in the entire range of water content at 25°C. We applied this approach to estimate protein destabilization/stabilization due to the preferential interactions of bovine pancreatic α-chymotrypsin with water-acetone (moderate-strength H-bond acceptor) and water-DMSO (strong H-bond acceptor) mixtures. There are three concentration regimes for the dried α-chymotrypsin. α-Chymotrypsin is preferentially hydrated at high water content. The residual enzyme activity values are close to 100%. At intermediate water content, the dehydrated α-chymotrypsin has a higher affinity for acetone/DMSO than for water. Residual enzyme activity is minimal in this concentration range. The acetone/DMSO molecules are preferentially excluded from the protein surface at the lowest water content, resulting in preferential hydration. The residual catalytic activity in the water-poor acetone is ∼80%, compared with that observed after incubation in pure water. This effect is very small for the water-poor DMSO. Two different schemes are operative for the hydrated enzyme. At high and intermediate water content, α-chymotrypsin exhibits preferential hydration. However, at intermediate water content, in contrast to the dried enzyme, the initially hydrated α-chymotrypsin possesses increased preferential hydration parameters. At low water content, no residual enzyme activity was observed. Preferential binding of DMSO/acetone to α-chymotrypsin was detected. Our data clearly demonstrate that the hydrogen bond accepting ability of organic solvents and the protein hydration level constitute key factors in determining the stability of protein-water-organic solvent systems. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Intestinal Water Absorption Varies with Expected Dietary Water Load among Bats but Does Not Drive Paracellular Nutrient Absorption.

PubMed

Price, Edwin R; Brun, Antonio; Gontero-Fourcade, Manuel; Fernández-Marinone, Guido; Cruz-Neto, Ariovaldo P; Karasov, William H; Caviedes-Vidal, Enrique

2015-01-01

Rapid absorption and elimination of dietary water should be particularly important to flying species and were predicted to vary with the water content of the natural diet. Additionally, high water absorption capacity was predicted to be associated with high paracellular nutrient absorption due to solvent drag. We compared the water absorption rates of sanguivorous, nectarivorous, frugivorous, and insectivorous bats in intestinal luminal perfusions. High water absorption rates were associated with high expected dietary water load but were not highly correlated with previously measured rates of (paracellular) arabinose clearance. In conjunction with these tests, we measured water absorption and the paracellular absorption of nutrients in the intestine and stomach of vampire bats using luminal perfusions to test the hypothesis that the unique elongated vampire stomach is a critical site of water absorption. Vampire bats' gastric water absorption was high compared to mice but not compared to their intestines. We therefore conclude that (1) dietary water content has influenced the evolution of intestinal water absorption capacity in bats, (2) solvent drag is not the only driver of paracellular nutrient absorption, and (3) the vampire stomach is a capable but not critical location for water absorption.

Determining the soil hydraulic conductivity by means of a field scale internal drainage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Severino, Gerardo; Santini, Alessandro; Sommella, Angelo

2003-03-01

Spatial variations of water content in large extents soils (vadose zone) are highly affected by the natural heterogeneity of the porous medium. This implies that the magnitude of the hydraulic properties, especially the conductivity, varies in an irregular manner with scale. Determining mean values of hydraulic properties will not suffice to accurately quantify water flow in the vadose zone. At field scale proper field measurements have to be carried out, similar to standard laboratory methods that also characterize the spatial variability of the hydraulic properties. Toward this aim an internal drainage test has been conducted at Ponticelli site near Naples (Italy) where water content and pressure head were monitored at 50 locations of a 2×50 m 2 plot. The present paper illustrates a method to quantify the mean value and the spatial variability of the hydraulic parameters needed to calibrate the soil conductivity curve at field scale (hereafter defined as field scale hydraulic conductivity). A stochastic model that regards the hydraulic parameters as random space functions (RSFs) is derived by adopting the stream tube approach of Dagan and Bresler (1979). Owing to the randomness of the hydraulic parameters, even the water content θ will be a RSF whose mean value (hereafter termed field scale water content) is obtained as an ensemble average over all the realizations of a local analytical solution of Richards' equation. It is shown that the most frequent data collection should be carried out in the initial stage of the internal drainage experiment, when the most significant changes in water content occur. The model parameters are obtained by a standard least square optimization procedure using water content data at a certain depth (z=30 cm) for several times ( t=5, 24, 48, 96, 144, 216, 312, 408, 576, 744, 912 h). The reliability of the proposed method is then evaluated by comparing the predicted water content with observations at different depths ( z=45, 60, 75, and 90 cm). The calibration procedure is further verified by comparing the cumulative distribution of measured water content at different times with corresponding distribution obtained from the calibrated model.

Comparative experimental investigation on the actuation mechanisms of ionic polymer–metal composites with different backbones and water contents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, Zicai; Chang, Longfei; Wang, Yanjie

2014-03-28

Water-based ionic polymer–metal composites (IPMCs) exhibit complex deformation properties, especially when the water content changes. To explore the general actuation mechanisms, both Nafion and Flemion membranes are used as the polymer backbones. IPMC deformation includes three stages: fast anode deformation, relaxation deformation, and slow anode deformation, which is mainly dependent on the water content and the backbone. When the water content decreases from 21 to 14 wt. %, Nafion–IPMC exhibits a large negative relaxation deformation, zero deformation, a positive relaxation deformation, and a positive steady deformation without relaxation in sequence. Despite the slow anode deformation, Flemion–IPMC also shows a slight relaxation deformation,more » which disappears when the water content is less than 13 wt. %. The different water states are investigated at different water contents using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The free water, which decreases rapidly at the beginning through evaporation, is proven to be critical for relaxation deformation. For the backbone, indirect evidence from the steady current response is correlated with the slow anode deformation of Flemion-IPMC. The latter is explained by the secondary dissociation of the weak acid group –COOH. Finally, we thoroughly explain not only the three deformations by swelling but also their evolvement with decreasing water content. A fitting model is also presented based on a multi-diffusion equation to reveal the deformation processes more clearly, the results from which are in good agreement with the experimental results.« less

Biophysical and socioeconomic impacts of soil and water conservation measures. An evaluation of Sustainable Land Management in SE Spain.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vente, J.; Solé-Benet, A.; López, J.; Boix-Fayos, C.

2012-04-01

In close collaboration with stakeholders promising soil and water conservation measures were selected as part of the EU funded DESIRE project. These measures were monitored for nearly three years at an experimental farm in the upper Guadalentin (SE-Spain). Four Sustainable Land Management (SLM) measures were implemented on rainfed almonds: a) reduced tillage, b) green manure, c) straw mulch, d) traditional water harvesting. A fifth measure (e) reduced tillage of cereals, was compared to conventional mouldboard tillage. Here, we present monitoring results according to biophysical and socioeconomic criteria. SLM measures a, b and e, aim to reduce soil and water loss through runoff. Therefore, for each measure three replica erosion-runoff plots and a control plot were installed to monitor soil and water loss and soil moisture content at two depths. SLM measures c and d aim to increase soil water content by preventing soil evaporation and adding additional water by water harvesting respectively. In these fields, the volume of harvested water was registered and soil water content was monitored. In all experiments, farm operation costs and crop harvest were monitored as well. In the almond fields, green manure and reduced tillage significantly reduced soil and water loss as compared to the control plot with normal tillage operations. Also for the cereal field, results show lower erosion rates under reduced tillage as compared to traditional tillage operation. In two successive years, the highest almond harvest was found in the field with water harvesting (d), followed by the green manure field (b), though no significant differences were found in soil water content with their control plots. Mulching did not show a significant effect on soil water content or harvest. Four of the selected SLM options showed a positive effect on the protection of soil and water resources, and were beneficial for crop yield. Whereas, reduced tillage also results in lower production costs, the other measures (green manure, mulching and water harvesting) require initial and/or maintenance costs. Therefore, even though these measures may lead to a higher farm income, due to the high inter-annual variability of harvest, they face a lower acceptance by most farmers of rainfed agriculture in semiarid SE spain.

Fluoride content of still bottled water in Australia.

PubMed

Cochrane, N J; Saranathan, S; Morgan, M V; Dashper, S G

2006-09-01

Recently there has been a considerable increase in the consumption of bottled water in Australia. Overseas studies have found the fluoride levels in many bottled waters are well below levels considered optimal for preventing dental caries. This raises the concern that if bottled water is regularly consumed an effective means of preventing dental caries is unavailable. The aim of this study was to determine the fluoride concentration in 10 popular brands of still bottled water currently sold in Australia. The fluoride content of water samples were determined using an ion analyser and compared to a fluoride standard. The fluoride concentration of all bottled waters was less than 0.08 ppm. Only three of the 10 brands indicated the fluoride content on their labels. Melbourne reticulated water was found to be fluoridated at 1.02 ppm. All bottled waters tested contained negligible fluoride which justifies the concern that regular consumption of bottled water may reduce the benefits gained from water fluoridation. It is recommended that all bottled water companies should consider stating their fluoride content on their labels. This will inform consumers and dental care providers of the levels of fluoride in bottled water and allow an informed decision regarding consumption of fluoridated versus non-fluoridated drinking water.

Investigation of water seepage through porous media using X-ray imaging technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Sung Yong; Lim, Seungmin; Lee, Sang Joon

2012-07-01

SummaryDynamic movement of wetting front and variation of water contents through three different porous media were investigated using X-ray radiography. Water and natural sand particles were used as liquid and porous media in this study. To minimize the effects of minor X-ray attenuation and uneven illumination, the flat field correction (FFC) was applied before determining the position of wetting front. In addition, the thickness-averaged (in the direction of the X-ray penetration) water content was obtained by employing the Beer-Lambert law. The initial inertia of water droplet influences more strongly on the vertical migration, compared to the horizontal migration. The effect of initial inertia on the horizontal migration is enhanced as sand size decreases. The pattern of water transport is observed to be significantly affected by the initial water contents. As the initial water contents increases, the bulb-type transport pattern is shifted to a trapezoidal shape. With increasing surface temperature, water droplets are easily broken on the sand surface. This consequently decreases the length of the initial inertia region. Different from the wetting front migration, the water contents at the initial stage clearly exhibit a preferential flow along the vertical direction. The water transport becomes nearly uniform in all directions beyond the saturation state.

A comparison of juice extraction methods in the pungency measurement of onion bulbs.

PubMed

Yoo, Kil Sun; Lee, Eun Jin; Hamilton, Brian K; Patil, Bhimanagouda S

2016-02-01

Onion pungency is estimated by measuring the pyruvic acid content in juice extracted from fresh tissues. We compared pyruvic acid content and its variation in the juices extracted by the pressing, maceration, blending with no water, or blending with water (blend/water) methods. There were considerable differences in the pyruvic acid content and coefficient of variation (CV) among these methods, and there was an interaction between the onion cultivars and the juice extraction methods. The pressing method showed over 30% CV in the quartered or composite samples. The blend/water method showed the greatest pyruvic acid content in the shortday-type ('TG1015Y' and 'Texas Early White') onions, while the pressing method showed the greatest pyruvic acid content in the longday-type onions. The blend/water method, which gave ratios between 1:1 and 1:4 (w/w), showed the same pyruvic acid content. The blending (no water) method had the highest correlation, followed by the maceration method. The lowest correlations were found with the pressing method and the blend/water method. Complete homogenisation of tissues with 1:1 or greater ratios of water was necessary for the maximum consistency and full development of the pyruvic acid reaction for onion pungency measurement. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Thermal properties of soils: effect of biochar application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usowicz, Boguslaw; Lukowski, Mateusz; Lipiec, Jerzy

2014-05-01

Thermal properties (thermal conductivity, heat capacity and thermal diffusivity) have a significant effect on the soil surface energy partitioning and resulting in the temperature distribution. Thermal properties of soil depend on water content, bulk density and organic matter content. An important source of organic matter is biochar. Biochar as a material is defined as: "charcoal for application as a soil conditioner". Biochar is generally associated with co-produced end products of pyrolysis. Many different materials are used as biomass feedstock for biochar, including wood, crop residues and manures. Additional predictions were done for terra preta soil (also known as "Amazonian dark earth"), high in charcoal content, due to adding a mixture of charcoal, bone, and manure for thousands of years i.e. approximately 10-1,000 times longer than residence times of most soil organic matter. The effect of biochar obtained from the wood biomass and other organic amendments (peat, compost) on soil thermal properties is presented in this paper. The results were compared with wetland soils of different organic matter content. The measurements of the thermal properties at various water contents were performed after incubation, under laboratory conditions using KD2Pro, Decagon Devices. The measured data were compared with predictions made using Usowicz statistical-physical model (Usowicz et al., 2006) for biochar, mineral soil and soil with addition of biochar at various water contents and bulk densities. The model operates statistically by probability of occurrence of contacts between particular fractional compounds. It combines physical properties, specific to particular compounds, into one apparent conductance specific to the mixture. The results revealed that addition of the biochar and other organic amendments into the soil caused considerable reduction of the thermal conductivity and diffusivity. The mineral soil showed the highest thermal conductivity and diffusivity that decreased in soil with addition of biochar and pure biochar. The reduction of both properties was mostly due to decrease in both particle density and bulk density. Both biochar and the organic amendments addition resulted in a decrease of the heat capacity of the mixtures in dry state and considerable increase in wet state. The lowest and highest reduction in the thermal conductivity with decreasing water content was obtained for pure biochar and mineral soil, respectively. The thermal diffusivity had a characteristic maximum at higher bulk densities and lower water contents. The wetland soil higher in organic matter content exhibit smaller temporal variation of the thermal properties compared to soils lower in organic matter content in response to changes of water content. The statistical-physical model was found to be useful for satisfactory predicting thermal properties of the soil with addition of biochar and organic amendments. Usowicz B. et al., 2006. Thermal conductivity modelling of terrestrial soil media - A comparative study. Planetary and Space Science 54, 1086-1095.

Spatial Irrigation Management Using Remote Sensing Water Balance Modeling and Soil Water Content Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barker, J. Burdette

Spatially informed irrigation management may improve the optimal use of water resources. Sub-field scale water balance modeling and measurement were studied in the context of irrigation management. A spatial remote-sensing-based evapotranspiration and soil water balance model was modified and validated for use in real-time irrigation management. The modeled ET compared well with eddy covariance data from eastern Nebraska. Placement and quantity of sub-field scale soil water content measurement locations was also studied. Variance reduction factor and temporal stability were used to analyze soil water content data from an eastern Nebraska field. No consistent predictor of soil water temporal stability patterns was identified. At least three monitoring locations were needed per irrigation management zone to adequately quantify the mean soil water content. The remote-sensing-based water balance model was used to manage irrigation in a field experiment. The research included an eastern Nebraska field in 2015 and 2016 and a western Nebraska field in 2016 for a total of 210 plot-years. The response of maize and soybean to irrigation using variations of the model were compared with responses from treatments using soil water content measurement and a rainfed treatment. The remote-sensing-based treatment prescribed more irrigation than the other treatments in all cases. Excessive modeled soil evaporation and insufficient drainage times were suspected causes of the model drift. Modifying evaporation and drainage reduced modeled soil water depletion error. None of the included response variables were significantly different between treatments in western Nebraska. In eastern Nebraska, treatment differences for maize and soybean included evapotranspiration and a combined variable including evapotranspiration and deep percolation. Both variables were greatest for the remote-sensing model when differences were found to be statistically significant. Differences in maize yield in 2015 were attributed to random error. Soybean yield was lowest for the remote-sensing-based treatment and greatest for rainfed, possibly because of overwatering and lodging. The model performed well considering that it did not include soil water content measurements during the season. Future work should improve the soil evaporation and drainage formulations, because of excessive precipitation and include aerial remote sensing imagery and soil water content measurement as model inputs.

Bio-drying of municipal solid waste with high water content by aeration procedures regulation and inoculation.

PubMed

Zhang, Dong-Qing; He, Pin-Jing; Jin, Tai-Feng; Shao, Li-Ming

2008-12-01

To improve the water content reduction of municipal solid waste with high water content, the operations of supplementing a hydrolytic stage prior to aerobic degradation and inoculating the bio-drying products were conducted. A 'bio-drying index' was used to evaluate the bio-drying performance. For the aerobic processes, the inoculation accelerated organics degradation, enhanced the lignocelluloses degradation rate by 10.4%, and lowered water content by 7.0%. For the combined hydrolytic-aerobic processes, the inoculum addition had almost no positive effect on the bio-drying efficiency, but it enhanced the lignocelluloses degradation rate by 9.6% and strengthened the acidogenesis in the hydrolytic stage. Compared with the aerobic processes, the combined processes had a higher bio-drying index (4.20 for non-inoculated and 3.67 for the inoculated trials). Moreover, the lowest final water content occurred in the combined process without inoculation (50.5% decreased from an initial 72.0%).

Land surface evapotranspiration modelling at the regional scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raffelli, Giulia; Ferraris, Stefano; Canone, Davide; Previati, Maurizio; Gisolo, Davide; Provenzale, Antonello

2017-04-01

Climate change has relevant implications for the environment, water resources and human life in general. The observed increment of mean air temperature, in addition to a more frequent occurrence of extreme events such as droughts, may have a severe effect on the hydrological cycle. Besides climate change, land use changes are assumed to be another relevant component of global change in terms of impacts on terrestrial ecosystems: socio-economic changes have led to conversions between meadows and pastures and in most cases to a complete abandonment of grasslands. Water is subject to different physical processes among which evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the most significant. In fact, ET plays a key role in estimating crop growth, water demand and irrigation water management, so estimating values of ET can be crucial for water resource planning, irrigation requirement and agricultural production. Potential evapotranspiration (PET) is the amount of evaporation that occurs when a sufficient water source is available. It can be estimated just knowing temperatures (mean, maximum and minimum) and solar radiation. Actual evapotranspiration (AET) is instead the real quantity of water which is consumed by soil and vegetation; it is obtained as a fraction of PET. The aim of this work was to apply a simplified hydrological model to calculate AET for the province of Turin (Italy) in order to assess the water content and estimate the groundwater recharge at a regional scale. The soil is seen as a bucket (FAO56 model, Allen et al., 1998) made of different layers, which interact with water and vegetation. The water balance is given by precipitations (both rain and snow) and dew as positive inputs, while AET, runoff and drainage represent the rate of water escaping from soil. The difference between inputs and outputs is the water stock. Model data inputs are: soil characteristics (percentage of clay, silt, sand, rocks and organic matter); soil depth; the wilting point (i.e. the minimal point of soil moisture that plant requires not to wilt); the field capacity (i.e. the maximum amount of water content that a soil can held); the available water content (AWC), obtained as the difference between field capacity and wilting point. Furthermore, the model considers 15 different ID of land use, with a resolution of 250 m. The model was then tested by a direct comparison with experimental data. First, the modelled water content from the surface down to 65 cm of soil depth was compared to the measured one with a Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) in Grugliasco (TO), a non-irrigated flat permanent meadow, for years 2006-2008. Here, the soil is sandy with a slope of about 1%. Then, considering three corn farms located in the Cuneo district, the goodness of modelled irrigations was verified. The soil texture of the three farms, analysed according to the USDA criteria, is loam or silty-loam. In particular, we compared the number of irrigations done by the farmers with the ones given by the model, which irrigates as soon as the plant reaches an imposed level of water stress. We also compared the irrigation turn given by the model with the farmers' one. Then we compared the modelled water content with the one measured before and after the irrigation. We observed that the modelled irrigation occurred when the measured water content was close to the modelled wilting point. In both test cases, the model seems to reflect quite well the real behaviour of water content.

A Survey of N'-Nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and Total Water Content in Select Smokeless Tobacco Products Purchased in the United States in 2015.

PubMed

Ammann, Jeffrey R; Lovejoy, Katherine S; Walters, Matthew J; Holman, Matthew R

2016-06-01

This investigation provides an updated survey measuring the levels of N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and water content of a select number of smokeless tobacco products sold in the United States in 2015. A total of 34 smokeless tobacco products were collected and analyzed for NNN and water content using LC-MS/MS and GC-TCD, respectively. Smokeless tobacco products were chosen to obtain a representative sample of the different types of products on the U.S. market. These smokeless products represent 12 of the 25 top-selling smokeless tobacco products according to 2013 Nielsen net sales data while five of the smokeless tobacco products are of lower selling smokeless tobacco products. The NNN levels and the water content of the smokeless tobacco products were determined and compared to previous studies. Although the range of NNN levels found was broad for the examined smokeless tobacco products (0.64-12.0 μg/g dry weight), dry snuff had the highest levels of NNN observed (>5 μg/g dry weight). We observed a general decrease in NNN levels for the same six moist snuff products that were analyzed in 2004 compared to our current 2015 study. The water content of the smokeless tobacco products surveyed ranged from 3.92 to 54.8%.

A Survey of N′-Nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and Total Water Content in Select Smokeless Tobacco Products Purchased in the United States in 2015

PubMed Central

Ammann, Jeffrey R.; Lovejoy, Katherine S.; Walters, Matthew J.; Holman, Matthew R.

2016-01-01

This investigation provides an updated survey measuring the levels of N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and water content of a select number of smokeless tobacco products sold in the United States in 2015. A total of 34 smokeless tobacco products were collected and analyzed for NNN and water content using LC-MS/MS and GC-TCD, respectively. Smokeless tobacco products were chosen to obtain a representative sample of the different types of products on the U.S. market. These smokeless products represent 12 of the 25 top-selling smokeless tobacco products according to 2013 Nielsen net sales data while five of the smokeless tobacco products are of lower selling smokeless tobacco products. The NNN levels and the water content of the smokeless tobacco products were determined and compared to previous studies. Although the range of NNN levels found was broad for the examined smokeless tobacco products (0.64–12.0 µg/g dry weight), dry snuff had the highest levels of NNN observed (>5 µg/g dry weight). We observed a general decrease in NNN levels for the same six moist snuff products that were analyzed in 2004 compared to our current 2015 study. The water content of the smokeless tobacco products surveyed ranged from 3.92 to 54.8%. PMID:27192054

Effect of water content and organic carbon on remote sensing of crop residue cover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serbin, G.; Hunt, E. R., Jr.; Daughtry, C. S. T.; McCarty, G. W.; Brown, D. J.; Doraiswamy, P. C.

2009-04-01

Crop residue cover is an important indicator of tillage method. Remote sensing of crop residue cover is an attractive and efficient method when compared with traditional ground-based methods, e.g., the line-point transect or windshield survey. A number of spectral indices have been devised for residue cover estimation. Of these, the most effective are those in the shortwave infrared portion of the spectrum, situated between 1950 and 2500 nm. These indices include the hyperspectral Cellulose Absorption Index (CAI), and advanced multispectral indices, i.e., the Lignin-Cellulose Absorption (LCA) index and the Shortwave Infrared Normalized Difference Residue Index (SINDRI), which were devised for the NASA Terra Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensor. Spectra of numerous soils from U.S. Corn Belt (Indiana and Iowa) were acquired under wetness conditions varying from saturation to oven-dry conditions. The behavior of soil reflectance with water content was also dependent on the soil organic carbon content (SOC) of the soils, and the location of the spectral bands relative to significant water absorptions. High-SOC soils showed the least change in spectral index values with increase in soil water content. Low-SOC soils, on the other hand, showed measurable difference. For CAI, low-SOC soils show an initial decrease in index value followed by an increase, due to the way that water content affects CAI spectral bands. Crop residue CAI values decrease with water content. For LCA, water content increases decrease crop residue index values and increase them for soils, resulting in decreased contrast. SINDRI is also affected by SOC and water content. As such, spatial information on the distribution of surface soil water content and SOC, when used in a geographic information system (GIS), will improve the accuracy of remotely-sensed crop residue cover estimates.

Magmatic water contents determined through clinopyroxene: Examples from the Western Canary Islands, Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weis, Franz A.; Skogby, Henrik; Troll, Valentin R.; Deegan, Frances M.; Dahren, Börje

2015-07-01

Water is a key parameter in magma genesis, magma evolution, and resulting eruption styles, because it controls the density, the viscosity, as well as the melting and crystallization behavior of a melt. The parental water content of a magma is usually measured through melt inclusions in minerals such as olivine, a method which may be hampered, however, by the lack of melt inclusions suitable for analysis, or postentrapment changes in their water content. An alternative way to reconstruct the water content of a magma is to use nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMs), such as pyroxene, which take up low concentrations of hydrogen as a function of the magma's water content. During magma degassing and eruption, however, NAMs may dehydrate. We therefore tested a method to reconstruct the water contents of dehydrated clinopyroxene phenocrysts from the Western Canary islands (n = 28) through rehydration experiments followed by infrared and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Employing currently available crystal/melt partitioning data, the results of the experiments were used to calculate parental water contents of 0.71 ± 0.07 to 1.49 ± 0.15 wt % H2O for Western Canary magmas during clinopyroxene crystallization at upper mantle conditions. This H2O range is in agreement with calculated water contents using plagioclase-liquid-hygrometry, and with previously published data for mafic lavas from the Canary Islands and comparable ocean island systems elsewhere. Utilizing NAMs in combination with hydrogen treatment can therefore serve as a proxy for pre-eruptive H2O contents, which we anticipate becoming a useful method applicable to mafic rocks where pyroxene is the main phenocryst phase.

Investigating Temporal and Spatial Variations in Near Surface Water Content using GPR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbard, S. S.; Grote, K.; Kowalsky, M. B.; Rubin, Y.

2001-12-01

Using only conventional point or well logging measurements, it is difficult to obtain information about water content with sufficient spatial resolution and coverage to be useful for near surface applications such as for input to vadose zone predictive models or for assisting with precision crop management. Prompted by successful results of a controlled ground penetrating radar (GPR) pilot study, we are investigating the applicability of GPR methods to estimate near surface water content at a study site within the Robert Mondavi vineyards in Napa County, California. Detailed information about soil variability and water content within vineyards could assist in estimation of plantable acreage, in the design of vineyard layout and in the design of an efficient irrigation/agrochemical application procedure. Our research at the winery study site involves investigation of optimal GPR acquisition and processing techniques, modeling of GPR attributes, and inversion of the attributes for water content information over space and time. A secondary goal of our project is to compare water content information obtained from the GPR data with information available from other types of measurements that are being used to assist in precision crop management. This talk will focus on point and spatial correlation estimation of water content obtained using GPR groundwave information only, and comparison of those estimates with information obtained from analysis of soils, TDR, neutron probe and remote sensing data sets. This comparison will enable us to 1) understand the potential of GPR for providing water content information in the very shallow subsurface, and to 2) investigate the interrelationships between the different types of measurements (and associated measurement scales) that are being utilized to characterize the shallow subsurface water content over space and time.

Rare earth element content of cryptocrystalline magnesites of Konya, Turkey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zedef, Veysel, E-mail: vzedef@selcuk.edu.tr; Russell, Michael

We examined the rare earth element content of several cryptocrystalline magnesites as well as hydromagnesite, host rock serpentinites, lake water and hot spring water from Turkey. Southwestern Turkey hosts cryptocrystalline magnesites, sedimentary magnesites with presently forming, biologically mediated hydromagnesites and travertines. Our results show the REE content of the minerals, rocks and waters are well below detection limits. One hydromagnesite sample from Lake Salda has slightly high La (2.38ppb), Ce (3.91 ppb) and Nd (1.68 ppb) when compared to other samples, but these are also still below detection limits of the method we followed.

An empirical model for the complex dielectric permittivity of soils as a function of water content

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, J. R.; Chmugge, T. J.

1978-01-01

The recent measurements on the dielectric properties of soils shows that the variation of dielectric constant with moisture content depends on soil types. The observed dielectric constant increases only slowly with moisture content up to a transition point. Beyond the transition it increases rapidly with moisture content. The moisture value of transition region was found to be higher for high clay content soils than for sandy soils. Many mixing formulas were compared with, and were found incompatible with, the measured dielectric variations of soil-water mixtures. A simple empirical model was proposed to describe the dielectric behavior of ths soil-water mixtures. The relationship between transition moisture and wilting point provides a means of estimating soil dielectric properties on the basis of texture information.

Effects of Soil Water Deficit on Insecticidal Protein Expression in Boll Shells of Transgenic Bt Cotton and the Mechanism.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiang; Wang, Jian; Peng, Sheng; Li, Yuan; Tian, Xiaofeng; Wang, Guangcheng; Zhang, Zhongning; Dong, Zhaodi; Chen, Yuan; Chen, Dehua

2017-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of soil water deficit on insecticidal protein expression in boll shells of cotton transgenic for a Bt gene. In 2014, Bt cotton cultivars Sikang 1 (a conventional cultivar) and Sikang 3 (a hybrid cultivar) were planted in pots and five soil water content treatments were imposed at peak boll stage: 15% (G1), 35% (G2), 40% (G3), 60% (G4), and 75% field capacity (CK), respectively. Four treatments (G2, G3, G4, and CK) were repeated in 2015 in the field. Results showed that the insecticidal protein content of boll shells decreased with increasing water deficit. Compared with CK, boll shell insecticidal protein content decreased significantly when soil water content was below 60% of maximum water holding capacity for Sikang 1 and Sikang 3. However, increased Bt gene expression was observed when boll shell insecticidal protein content was significantly reduced. Activity assays of key enzymes in nitrogen metabolism showed that boll shell protease and peptidase increased but nitrogen reductase and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) decreased. Insecticidal protein content exhibited significant positive correlation with nitrogen reductase and GPT activities; and significant negative correlation with protease and peptidase activities. These findings suggest that the decrease of insecticidal protein content associated with increasing water deficit was a net result of decreased synthesis and increased decomposition.

Probing bias reduction to improve comparability of lint cotton water and moisture contents at moisture equilibrium

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Karl Fischer Titration (KFT) reference method is specific for water in lint cotton and was designed for samples conditioned to moisture equilibrium, thus limiting its biases. There is a standard method for moisture content – weight loss – by oven drying (OD), just not for equilibrium moisture c...

Three-dimensional visualization and quantification of water content in the rhizosphere.

PubMed

Moradi, Ahmad B; Carminati, Andrea; Vetterlein, Doris; Vontobel, Peter; Lehmann, Eberhard; Weller, Ulrich; Hopmans, Jan W; Vogel, Hans-Jörg; Oswald, Sascha E

2011-11-01

• Despite the importance of rhizosphere properties for water flow from soil to roots, there is limited quantitative information on the distribution of water in the rhizosphere of plants. • Here, we used neutron tomography to quantify and visualize the water content in the rhizosphere of the plant species chickpea (Cicer arietinum), white lupin (Lupinus albus), and maize (Zea mays) 12 d after planting. • We clearly observed increasing soil water contents (θ) towards the root surface for all three plant species, as opposed to the usual assumption of decreasing water content. This was true for tap roots and lateral roots of both upper and lower parts of the root system. Furthermore, water gradients around the lower part of the roots were smaller and extended further into bulk soil compared with the upper part, where the gradients in water content were steeper. • Incorporating the hydraulic conductivity and water retention parameters of the rhizosphere into our model, we could simulate the gradual changes of θ towards the root surface, in agreement with the observations. The modelling result suggests that roots in their rhizosphere may modify the hydraulic properties of soil in a way that improves uptake under dry conditions. © 2011 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2011 New Phytologist Trust.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baconnais, S.; Delavoie, F.; Zahm, J.M.

The absence or decreased expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) induces increased Na{sup +} absorption and hyperabsorption of the airway surface liquid (ASL) resulting in a dehydrated and hyperviscous ASL. Although the implication of abnormal airway submucosal gland function has been suggested, the ion and water content in the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) glandular secretory granules, before exocytosis, is unknown. We analyzed, in non-CF and CF human airway glandular cell lines (MM-39 and KM4, respectively), the ion content in the secretory granules by electron probe X-ray microanalysis and the water content by quantitative dark field imaging on freeze-dried cryosections.more » We demonstrated that the ion content (Na{sup +}, Mg{sup 2+}, P, S and Cl{sup -}) is significantly higher and the water content significantly lower in secretory granules from the CF cell line compared to the non-CF cell line. Using videomicroscopy, we observed that the secretory granule expansion was deficient in CF glandular cells. Transfection of CF cells with CFTR cDNA or inhibition of non-CF cells with CFTR{sub inh}-172, respectively restored or decreased the water content and granule expansion, in parallel with changes in ion content. We hypothesize that the decreased water and increased ion content in glandular secretory granules may contribute to the dehydration and increased viscosity of the ASL in CF.« less

Total Water Content Measurements with an Isokinetic Sampling Probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reehorst, Andrew L.; Miller, Dean R.; Bidwell, Colin S.

2010-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center has developed a Total Water Content (TWC) Isokinetic Sampling Probe. Since it is not sensitive to cloud water particle phase nor size, it is particularly attractive to support super-cooled large droplet and high ice water content aircraft icing studies. The instrument is comprised of the Sampling Probe, Sample Flow Control, and Water Vapor Measurement subsystems. Analysis and testing have been conducted on the subsystems to ensure their proper function and accuracy. End-to-end bench testing has also been conducted to ensure the reliability of the entire instrument system. A Stokes Number based collection efficiency correction was developed to correct for probe thickness effects. The authors further discuss the need to ensure that no condensation occurs within the instrument plumbing. Instrument measurements compared to facility calibrations from testing in the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel are presented and discussed. There appears to be liquid water content and droplet size effects in the differences between the two measurement techniques.

Thermosonication and optimization of stingless bee honey processing.

PubMed

Chong, K Y; Chin, N L; Yusof, Y A

2017-10-01

The effects of thermosonication on the quality of a stingless bee honey, the Kelulut, were studied using processing temperature from 45 to 90 ℃ and processing time from 30 to 120 minutes. Physicochemical properties including water activity, moisture content, color intensity, viscosity, hydroxymethylfurfural content, total phenolic content, and radical scavenging activity were determined. Thermosonication reduced the water activity and moisture content by 7.9% and 16.6%, respectively, compared to 3.5% and 6.9% for conventional heating. For thermosonicated honey, color intensity increased by 68.2%, viscosity increased by 275.0%, total phenolic content increased by 58.1%, and radical scavenging activity increased by 63.0% when compared to its raw form. The increase of hydroxymethylfurfural to 62.46 mg/kg was still within the limits of international standards. Optimized thermosonication conditions using response surface methodology were predicted at 90 ℃ for 111 minutes. Thermosonication was revealed as an effective alternative technique for honey processing.

[Foliar water use efficiency of Platycladus orientalis sapling under different soil water contents].

PubMed

Zhang, Yong E; Yu, Xin Xiao; Chen, Li Hua; Jia, Guo Dong; Zhao, Na; Li, Han Zhi; Chang, Xiao Min

2017-07-18

The determination of plant foliar water use efficiency will be of great value to improve our understanding about mechanism of plant water consumption and provide important basis of regional forest ecosystem management and maintenance, thus, laboratory controlled experiments were carried out to obtain Platycladus orientalis sapling foliar water use efficiency under five different soil water contents, including instantaneous water use efficiency (WUE gs ) derived from gas exchange and short-term water use efficiency (WUE cp ) caculated using carbon isotope model. The results showed that, controlled by stomatal conductance (g s ), foliar net photosynthesis rate (P n ) and transpiration rate (T r ) increased as soil water content increased, which both reached maximum va-lues at soil water content of 70%-80% field capacity (FC), while WUE gs reached a maximum of 7.26 mmol·m -2 ·s -1 at the lowest soil water content (35%-45% FC). Both δ 13 C of water-soluble leaf and twig phloem material achieved maximum values at the lowest soil water content (35%-45% FC). Besides, δ 13 C values of leaf water-soluble compounds were significantly greater than that of phloem exudates, indicating that there was depletion in 13 C in twig phloem compared with leaf water-soluble compounds and no obvious fractionation in the process of water-soluble material transportation from leaf to twig. Foliar WUE cp also reached a maximum of 7.26 mmol·m -2 ·s -1 at the lowest soil water content (35%-45% FC). There was some difference between foliar WUE gs and WUE cp under the same condition, and the average difference was 0.52 mmol·m -2 ·s -1 . The WUE gs had great space-time variability, by contrast, WUE cp was more representative. It was concluded that P. orientalis sapling adapted to drought condition by increasing water use efficiency and decreasing physiological activity.

The physiological responses of Vallisneria natans to epiphytic algae with the increase of N and P concentrations in water bodies.

PubMed

Song, Yu-Zhi; Wang, Jin-Qi; Gao, Yong-Xia; Xie, Xue-Jian

2015-06-01

To reveal the mechanism of submerged plants decline in progressively eutrophicated freshwaters, physiological responses of Vallisneria natans to epiphytic algae were studied in simulation lab by measuring plant physiological indexes of chlorophyll content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity based on a 2 × 4 factorial design with two epiphytic conditions (with epiphytic algae and without) and four levels of N and P concentrations in water (N-P[mg.L(-1)]: 0.5, 0.05; 2.5, 0.25; 4.5, 0.45; 12.5, 1.25). Compared with control (non-presence of epiphytic algae), chlorophyll contents of V. natans were significantly decreased (p < 0.01) for the presence of epiphytic algae under any concentrations of N and P in water bodies. While the presence of epiphytic algae induced peroxidation of membrane lipids, MDA contents of V. natans had significantly increased (p < 0.05) by comparing with control. SOD activity significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) with the presence of epiphytic algae in the treatments of T2 and T3 in the whole culture process by comparing with control, sometimes reaching an extremely significant level (p < 0.01). However, in the treatments of T1 and T4, SOD activity had no obvious change with the presence of epiphytic algae (p < 0.05) by comparing with control. At the end of the experiment, the effects of epiphytic algae on chlorophyll content and SOD activity in the leaves of V. natans were increased at first and then decreased with the concentrations of N and P in water, and MDA content became higher with the increase of N and P. concentrations. Repeated measurement data testing showed that the effects of epiphytic algae on the chlorophyll content and MDA content and SOD activity were significant, respectively (p < 0.001), the effects of epiphytic algae were combining with effects of concentrations of N and P (p < 0.001), respectively, and their interaction (p < 0.001). Our observations confirmed that this prediction: the growth of epiphytic algae directly produced adverse effects on physiology of V. natans and epiphytic algal biomass were positively correlated with nutrient available in the water column.

Prediction of moisture variation during composting process: A comparison of mathematical models.

PubMed

Wang, Yongjiang; Ai, Ping; Cao, Hongliang; Liu, Zhigang

2015-10-01

This study was carried out to develop and compare three models for simulating the moisture content during composting. Model 1 described changes in water content using mass balance, while Model 2 introduced a liquid-gas transferred water term. Model 3 predicted changes in moisture content without complex degradation kinetics. Average deviations for Model 1-3 were 8.909, 7.422 and 5.374 kg m(-3) while standard deviations were 10.299, 8.374 and 6.095, respectively. The results showed that Model 1 is complex and involves more state variables, but can be used to reveal the effect of humidity on moisture content. Model 2 tested the hypothesis of liquid-gas transfer and was shown to be capable of predicting moisture content during composting. Model 3 could predict water content well without considering degradation kinetics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of different irrigation practices using treated wastewater on tomato yields, quality, water productivity, and soil and fruit mineral contents.

PubMed

Demir, Azize Dogan; Sahin, Ustun

2017-11-01

Wastewater use in agricultural irrigation is becoming a common practice in order to meet the rising water demands in arid and semi-arid regions. The study was conducted to determine the effects of the full (FI), deficit (DI), and partial root-zone drying (PRD) irrigation practices using treated municipal wastewater (TWW) and freshwater (FW) on tomato yield, water use, fruit quality, and soil and fruit heavy metal concentrations. The TWW significantly increased marketable yield compared to the FW, as well as decreased water consumption. Therefore, water use efficiency (WUE) in the TWW was significantly higher than in the FW. Although the DI and the PRD practices caused less yields, these practices significantly increased WUE values due to less irrigation water applied. The water-yield linear relationships were statistically significant. TWW significantly increased titratable acidity and vitamin C contents. Reduced irrigation provided significantly lower titratable acidity, vitamin C, and lycopene contents. TWW increased the surface soil and fruit mineral contents in response to FW. Greater increases were observed under FI, and mineral contents declined with reduction in irrigation water. Heavy metal accumulation in soils was within safe limits. However, Cd and Pb contents in fruits exceeded standard limits given by FAO/WHO. Higher metal pollution index values determined for fruits also indicated that TWW application, especially under FI, might cause health risks in long term.

[Spatial distribution and pollution assessment of heavy metals in the tidal reach and its adjacent sea estuary of Daliaohe area, China ].

PubMed

Zhang, Lei; Qin, Yan-wen; Ma, Ying-qun; Zhao, Yan-min; Shi, Yao

2014-09-01

The aim of this article was to explore the pollution level of heavy metals in the tidal reach and its adjacent sea estuary of Daliaohe area. The contents and spatial distribution of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ph and Zn in surface water, suspended solids and surface sediments were analyzed respectively. The integrated pollution index and geoaccumulation index were used to evaluate the contamination degree of heavy metals in surface water and surface sediments respectively. The results indicated that the contents of heavy metals in surface water was in the order of Pb < Cu < Cd < Cr < As < Zn. The heavy metal contents in surface water increased from river to sea. Compared with the contents of heavy metals in surface water of the typical domestic estuary in China, the overall contents of heavy metals in surface water were at a higher level. The contents of heavy metals in suspended solids was in the order of Cd < Cu < As < Cr

Imaging Water in Deformed Quartzites: Examples from Caledonian and Himalayan Shear Zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kronenberg, Andreas; Ashley, Kyle; Hasnan, Hasnor; Holyoke, Caleb; Jezek, Lynna; Law, Richard; Thomas, Jay

2016-04-01

Infrared IR measurements of OH absorption bands due to water in deformed quartz grains have been collected from major shear zones of the Caledonian and Himalayan orogens. Mean intragranular water contents were determined from the magnitude of the broad OH absorption at 3400 cm-1 as a function of structural position, averaging over multiple grains, using an IR microscope coupled to a conventional FTIR spectrometer with apertures of 50-100 μm. Images of water content were generated by scanning areas of up to 4 mm2 of individual specimens with a 10 μm synchrotron-generated IR beam and contouring OH absorptions. Water contents vary with structural level relative to the central cores of shear zones and they vary at the grain scale corresponding to deformation and recrystallization microstructures. Gradients in quartz water content expressed over structural distances of 10 to 400 m from the centers of the Moine Thrust (Stack of Glencoul, NW Scotland), the Main Central Thrust (Sutlej valley of NW India), and the South Tibetan Detachment System (Rongbuk valley north of Mount Everest) indicate that these shear zones functioned as fluid conduits. However, the gradients differ substantially: in some cases, enhanced fluid fluxes appear to have increased quartz water contents, while in others, they served to decrease water contents. Water contents of Moine thrust quartzites appear to have been reduced during shear at greenschist facies by processes of regime II BLG/SGR dislocation creep. Intragranular water contents of the protolith 70 m below the central fault core are large (4078 ± 247 ppm, H/106 Si) while mylonites within 5 mm of the Moine hanging wall rocks have water contents of only 1570 (± 229) ppm. Water contents between these extremes vary systematically with structural level and correlate inversely with the extent of dynamic recrystallization (20 to 100%). Quartz intragranular water contents of Himalayan thrust and low-angle detachment zones sheared at upper amphibolite conditions by regime III GBM creep show varying trends with structural level. Water contents increase toward the Lhotse detachment of the Rongbuk valley, reaching 11,350 (± 1095) ppm, whereas they decrease toward the Main Central Thrust exposed in the western part of the Sutlej valley to values as low as 170 (± 25) ppm. Maps of intragranular water content correspond to populations of fluid inclusions, which depend on the history of deformation and dynamic recrystallization. Increases in water content require the introduction of secondary fluid inclusions, generally by brittle microcracking followed by crack healing and processes of inclusion redistribution documented in milky quartz experiments. Decreases in water content result from dynamic recrystallization, as mobile grain boundaries sweep through wet porphyroclasts, leaving behind dry recrystallized grains. Intragranular water contents throughout greenschist mylonites of the Moine thrust are comparable to those of quartz weakened by water in laboratory experiments. However, water contents of upper amphibolite mylonites of the Main Central Thrust are far below those required for water weakening at experimental strain rates and offer challenges to our understanding of quartz rheology.

Effects of plastic mulches and high tunnel raspberry production systems on soil physicochemical quality indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domagała-Świątkiewicz, Iwona; Siwek, Piotr

2018-01-01

In horticulture, degradable materials are desirable alternatives to plastic films. Our aim was to study the impact of soil plastic mulching on the soil properties in the high tunnel and open field production systems of raspberry. The raised beds were mulched with a polypropylene non-woven and two degradable mulches: polypropylene with a photodegradant and non-woven polylactide. The results indicated that the system of raspberry production, as well as the type of mulching had significant impact on soil organic carbon stock, moisture content and water stable aggregate amount. Soils taken from the open field system had a lower bulk density and water stability aggregation index, but higher organic carbon and capillary water content as compared to soils collected from high tunnel conditions. In comparison with the open field system, soil salinity was also found to be higher in high tunnel, as well as with higher P, Mg, Ca, S, Na and B content. Furthermore, mulch covered soils had more organic carbon amount than the bare soils. Soil mulching also enhanced the water capacity expressed as a volume of capillary water content. In addition, mulching improved the soil structure in relation to the bare soil, in particular, in open field conditions. The impact of the compared mulches on soil quality indicators was similar.

A comparative study of water-steam distillation with water-bubble distillation techniques to increase the quality of patchouli essential oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitri, Noor; Yandi, Nefri; Hermawati, Julianto, Tatang Shabur

2017-03-01

A comparative study of the quality of patchouli oil using Water-Steam Distillation (WSD) and Water Bubble Distillation (WBD) techniques has been studied. The raw materials were Patchouli plants from Samigaluh village, Kulon Progo district, Yogyakarta. This study is aimed to compare two distillation techniques in order to find out the optimal distillation technique to increase the content of patchouli alcohol (patchoulol) and the quality of patchouli oil. Pretreatment such as withering, drying, size reduction and light fermentation were intended to increase the yield. One kilogramm of patchouli was moisturized with 500 mL of aquadest. The light fermentation process was carried out for 20 hours in a dark container. Fermented patchouli was extracted for 6 hours using Water-Steam and Water Bubble Distillation techniques. Physical and chemical properties test of patchouli oil were performed using SNI standard No. SNI-06-2385-2006 and the chemical composition of patchouli oil was analysed by GC-MS. As the results, the higher yield oil is obtained using Water-Steam Distillation, i.e. 5.9% versus 2.4%. Spesific gravity, refractive index and acid number of patchouli oil in Water-Steam Distillation results did not meet the SNI standard, i.e. 0.991; 1.623 and 13.19, while the Water Bubble Distillation met the standard, i.e. 0.955; 1.510 and 6.61. The patchoulol content using Water Bubble Distillation technique is 61.53%, significant higher than those using Water-Steam Distillation, i.e. 38.24%. Thus, Water Bubble Distillation promises a potential technique to increase the content of patchoulol in the patchouli oil.

[Environmental safety assessment on the new super absorbent polymers applied into a soil-Chinese cabbage system].

PubMed

Li, Xi; He, Ji-Zheng; Zheng, Yuan-Ming; Zheng, Ming-Lan

2014-02-01

Super absorbent polymers (SAPs), a new water retention material, have a potential for application in water-saving agricultural production. In this study, we investigated the effects of SAPs, synthesized from natural plant extracts, on Chinese cabbage fresh weight, soil water content, soil water stable aggregates, soil microbial biomass (carbon) and soil microbial respiration under three water conditions (excessive, normal and deficient) and two SAPs application strategies (bulk treatment and spraying treatment). The results showed that the SAPs significantly promoted the soil water content, water-stable aggregates (> 0.25 mm) and the soil microbial activities, especially under the water deficient conditions. Meanwhile, SAP application strategy was of great significance to the effects on Chinese cabbage and soil properties. Compared with the control treatment under normal water condition, spraying treatment of Jaguar C (S-JC) could reduce irrigation water amount by about 25% without reducing the crop production. Furthermore, compared with the control treatment under the same water condition with S-JC (deficient), it could increase Chinese cabbage production by 287%. Thus, SAPs is an environmental friendly water-saving technique in agricultural production.

Upscaled soil-water retention using van Genuchten's function

USGS Publications Warehouse

Green, T.R.; Constantz, J.E.; Freyberg, D.L.

1996-01-01

Soils are often layered at scales smaller than the block size used in numerical and conceptual models of variably saturated flow. Consequently, the small-scale variability in water content within each block must be homogenized (upscaled). Laboratory results have shown that a linear volume average (LVA) of water content at a uniform suction is a good approximation to measured water contents in heterogeneous cores. Here, we upscale water contents using van Genuchten's function for both the local and upscaled soil-water-retention characteristics. The van Genuchten (vG) function compares favorably with LVA results, laboratory experiments under hydrostatic conditions in 3-cm cores, and numerical simulations of large-scale gravity drainage. Our method yields upscaled vG parameter values by fitting the vG curve to the LVA of water contents at various suction values. In practice, it is more efficient to compute direct averages of the local vG parameter values. Nonlinear power averages quantify a feasible range of values for each upscaled vG shape parameter; upscaled values of N are consistently less than the harmonic means, reflecting broad pore-size distributions of the upscaled soils. The vG function is useful for modeling soil-water retention at large scales, and these results provide guidance for its application.

An Assessment of the Icing Blade and the SEA Multi-Element Sensor for Liquid Water Content Calibration of the NASA GRC Icing Research Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steen, Laura E.; Ide, Robert F.; Van Zante, Judith F.

2016-01-01

The Icing Research Tunnel at NASA Glenn has recently switched from using the Icing Blade to using the SEA Multi-Element Sensor (also known as the multi-wire) for its calibration of cloud liquid water content. In order to peform this transition, tests were completed to compare the Multi-Element Sensor to the Icing Blade, particularly with respect to liquid water content, airspeed, and drop size. The two instruments were found to compare well for the majority of Appendix C conditions. However, it was discovered that the Icing Blade under-measures when the conditions approach the Ludlam Limit. This paper also describes data processing procedures for the Multi-Element Sensor in the IRT, including collision efficiency corrections, mounting underneath a splitter plate, and correcting for a jump in the compensation wire power. Further data is presented to describe the repeatability of the IRT with the Multi-Element Sensor, health-monitoring checks for the instrument, and a sensing-element configuration comparison. Ultimately these tests showed that in the IRT, the multi-wire is a better instrument for measuring cloud liquid water content than the blade.

The effect of residual water on antacid properties of sucralfate gel dried by microwaves.

PubMed

Gainotti, Alessandro; Losi, Elena; Colombo, Paolo; Santi, Patrizia; Sonvico, Fabio; Baroni, Daniela; Massimo, Gina; Colombo, Gaia; Del Gaudio, Pasquale

2006-01-20

The aim of this work was to study the acid neutralization characteristics of microwave-dried sucralfate gel in relation to the water content and physical structure of the substance. Several dried sucralfate gels were compared with humid sucralfate gel and sucralfate nongel powder in terms of neutralization rate and buffering capacity. Humid sucralfate gel and microwave-dried gel exhibited antacid effectiveness. In particular, the neutralization rate of dried gel powders was inversely related to the water content: as the water content of dried powders decreased, the acid reaction rate linearly increased. The relationship was due to the different morphology of dried sucralfate gels. In fact, the porosity of the dried samples increased with the water reduction. However, the acid neutralization equivalent revealed that the dried sucralfate gel became more resistant to acid attack in the case of water content below 42%. Then, the microwave drying procedure had the opposite effect on the reactivity of the aluminum hydroxide component of dried sucralfate gel powders, since the rate of the reaction increased whereas the buffering capacity decreased as the amount of water was reduced.

The effect of residual water on antacid properties of sucralfate gel dried by microwaves.

PubMed

Gainotti, Alessandro; Losi, Elena; Colombo, Paolo; Santi, Patrizia; Sonvico, Fabio; Baroni, Daniela; Massimo, Gina; Colombo, Gaia; Del Gaudio, Pasquale

2006-03-01

The aim of this work was to study the acid neutralization characteristics of microwave-dried sucralfate gel in relation to the water content and physical structure of the substance. Several dried sucralfate gels were compared with humid sucralfate gel and sucralfate nongel powder in terms of neutralization rate and buffering capacity. Humid sucralfate gel and microwave-dried gel exhibited antacid effectiveness. In particular, the neutralization rate of dried gel powders was inversely related to the water content: as the water content of dried powders decreased, the acid reaction rate linearly increased. The relationship was due to the different morphology of dried sucralfate gels. In fact, the porosity of the dried samples increased with the water reduction. However, the acid neutralization equivalent revealed that the dried sucralfate gel became more resistant to acid attack in the case of water content below 42%. Then, the microwave drying procedure had the opposite effect on the reactivity of the aluminum hydroxide component of dried sucralfate gel powders, since the rate of the reaction increased whereas the buffering capacity decreased as the amount of water was reduced.

Sex-specific divergence for adaptations to dehydration stress in Drosophila kikkawai.

PubMed

Parkash, Ravi; Ranga, Poonam

2013-09-01

Several studies on diverse Drosophila species have reported higher desiccation resistance of females, but the physiological basis of such sex-specific differences has received less attention. We tested whether sex-specific differences in cuticular traits (melanic females and non-melanic males) of Drosophila kikkawai correspond with divergence in their water balance mechanisms. Our results are interesting in several respects. First, positive clinal variation in desiccation resistance was correlated with cuticular melanisation in females but with changes in cuticular lipid mass in males, despite a lack of differences between the sexes for the rate of water loss. Second, a comparative analysis of water budget showed that females of the northern population stored more body water as well as hemolymph content and exhibited greater dehydration tolerance than flies from the southern tropics. In contrast, we found no geographical variation in the males for water content and dehydration tolerance. Third, an ~10-fold increase in the rate of water loss after organic solvent treatment of male D. kikkawai suggested a role of cuticular lipids in cuticular transpiration, but had no effect in the females. Fourth, geographical differences in the storage of carbohydrate content (metabolic fuel) were observed in females but not in males. Interestingly, in females, the rate of utilization of carbohydrates did not vary geographically, but males from drier localities showed a 50% reduction compared with wetter localities. Thus, body melanisation, increased body water, hemolymph, carbohydrate content and greater dehydration tolerance confer greater desiccation resistance in females, but a reduced rate of water loss is the only possible mechanism to cope with drought stress in males. Finally, acclimated females showed a significant increase in drought resistance associated with higher trehalose content as well as dehydration tolerance, while males showed no acclimation response. Thus, sex-specific differences in desiccation resistance of D. kikkawai are associated with divergence in some water balance strategies, despite a lack of differences in the rate of water loss between the two sexes.

The effect of adsorbed liquid and material density on saltation threshold: Insight from laboratory and wind tunnel experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Xinting; Hörst, Sarah M.; He, Chao; Bridges, Nathan T.; Burr, Devon M.; Sebree, Joshua A.; Smith, James K.

2017-11-01

Saltation threshold, the minimum wind speed for sediment transport, is a fundamental parameter in aeolian processes. Measuring this threshold using boundary layer wind tunnels, in which particles are mobilized by flowing air, for a subset of different planetary conditions can inform our understanding of physical processes of sediment transport. The presence of liquid, such as water on Earth or methane on Titan, may affect the threshold values to a great extent. Sediment density is also crucial for determining threshold values. Here we provide quantitative data on density and water content of common wind tunnel materials (including chromite, basalt, quartz sand, beach sand, glass beads, gas chromatograph packing materials, walnut shells, iced tea powder, activated charcoal, instant coffee, and glass bubbles) that have been used to study conditions on Earth, Titan, Mars, and Venus. The measured density values for low density materials are higher compared to literature values (e.g., ∼30% for walnut shells), whereas for the high density materials, there is no such discrepancy. We also find that low density materials have much higher water content and longer atmospheric equilibration timescales compared to high density sediments. We used thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to quantify surface and internal water and found that over 80% of the total water content is surface water for low density materials. In the Titan Wind Tunnel (TWT), where Reynolds number conditions similar to those on Titan can be achieved, we performed threshold experiments with the standard walnut shells (125-150 μm, 7.2% water by mass) and dried walnut shells, in which the water content was reduced to 1.7%. The threshold results for the two scenarios are almost the same, which indicates that humidity had a negligible effect on threshold for walnut shells in this experimental regime. When the water content is lower than 11.0%, the interparticle forces are dominated by adsorption forces, whereas at higher values the interparticle forces are dominated by much larger capillary forces. For materials with low equilibrium water content, like quartz sand, capillary forces dominate. When the interparticle forces are dominated by adsorption forces, the threshold does not increase with increasing relative humidity (RH) or water content. Only when the interparticle forces are dominated by capillary forces does the threshold start to increase with increasing RH/water content. Since tholins have a low methane content (0.3% at saturation, [Curtis, D. B., Hatch, C. D., Hasenkopf, C. A., et al., 2008. Laboratory studies of methane and ethane adsorption and nucleation onto organic particles: Application to Titan's clouds. Icarus, 195, 792. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2008.02.003]), we believe tholins would behave similarly to quartz sand when subjected to methane moisture.

Estimating chlorophyll content and bathymetry of Lake Tahoe using AVIRIS data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamilton, Michael K.; Davis, Curtiss O.; Rhea, W. J.; Pilorz, Stuart H.; Carder, Kendall L.

1993-01-01

Data on chlorophyll content and bathymetry of Lake Tahoe obtained on August 9, 1990 by the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) are compared to concurrent in situ surface and in-water measurements. Measured parameters included profiles of percent transmission of monochromatic light, stimulated chlorophyll fluorescence, photosynthetically available radiation, spectral upwelling and downwelling irradiance, and upwelling radiance. Several analyses were performed illustrating the utility of the AVIRIS over a dark water scene. Image-derived chlorophyll concentration compared extremely well with that measured with bottle samples. A bathymetry map of the shallow parts of the lake was constructed which compares favorably with published lake soundings.

Temperature and volumetric water content petrophysical relationships in municipal solid waste for the interpretation of bulk electrical resistivity data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilawski, Tamara; Dumont, Gaël; Nguyen, Frédéric

2015-04-01

Landfills pose major environmental issues including long-term methane emissions, and local pollution of soil and aquifers but can also be seen as potential energy resources and mining opportunities. Water content in landfills determine whether solid fractions can be separated and recycled, and controls the existence and efficiency of natural or enhanced biodegradation. Geophysical techniques, such as electrical and electromagnetic methods have proven successful in the detection and qualitative investigation of sanitary landfills. However, their interpretation in terms of quantitative water content estimates makes it more challenging due to the influence of parameters such as temperature, compaction, waste composition or pore fluid. To improve the confidence given to bulk electrical resistivity data and to their interpretation, we established temperature and volumetric water content petrophysical relationships that we tested on field and laboratory electrical resistivity measurements. We carried out two laboratory experiments on leachates and waste samples from a landfill located in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. We determined a first relationship between temperature and electrical resistivity with pure and diluted leachates by progressively increasing the temperature from 5°C to 65°C, and then cooling down to 5°C. The second relationship was obtained by measuring electrical resistivity on waste samples of different volumetric water contents. First, we used the correlations obtained from the experiments to compare electrical resistivity measurements performed in a landfill borehole and on reworked waste samples excavated at different depths. Electrical resistivities were measured every 20cm with an electromagnetic logging device (EM39) while a temperature profile was acquired with optic fibres. Waste samples were excavated every 2m in the same borehole. We filled experimental columns with these samples and measured electrical resistivities at laboratory temperature. We made corrections according to the temperature profile and to volumetric water contents obtained previously on undisturbed samples. Corrected values tended to be superimposed on those obtained in the field. Then, we calculated the water content of the different reworked waste samples using the correlation between volumetric water content correlation and electrical resistivity and we compared this value to the one measured at the laboratory. Both values were correlated satisfactorily. In conclusion, we show that bulk electrical resistivity measurements are very promising to quantify water content in landfills if temperature can be estimated independently. In future applications, electrical resistivity tomography coupled with distributed temperature sensing could give important estimates of water content of the waste and thus helping in dealing with problematics such as boosting biodegradation and stabilization of the waste, reducing risks of soil and aquifers pollution, landfill mining, and controlled production of methane.

Equivalences between refractive index and equilibrium water content of conventional and silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses from automated and manual refractometry.

PubMed

González-Méijome, José M; López-Alemany, Antonio; Lira, Madalena; Almeida, José B; Oliveira, M Elisabete C D Real; Parafita, Manuel A

2007-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to develop mathematical relationships that allow obtaining equilibrium water content and refractive index of conventional and silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses from refractive index measures obtained with automated refractometry or equilibrium water content measures derived from manual refractometry, respectively. Twelve HEMA-based hydrogels of different hydration and four siloxane-based polymers were assayed. A manual refractometer and a digital refractometer were used. Polynomial models obtained from the sucrose curves of equilibrium water content against refractive index and vice-versa were used either considering the whole range of sucrose concentrations (16-100% equilibrium water content) or a range confined to the equilibrium water content of current soft contact lenses (approximately 20-80% equilibrium water content). Values of equilibrium water content measured with the Atago N-2E and those derived from the refractive index measurement with CLR 12-70 by the applications of sucrose-based models displayed a strong linear correlation (r2 = 0.978). The same correlations were obtained when the models are applied to obtain refractive index values from the Atago N-2E and compared with those (values) given by the CLR 12-70 (r2 = 0.978). No significantly different results are obtained between models derived from the whole range of the sucrose solution or the model limited to the normal range of soft contact lens hydration. Present results will have implications for future experimental and clinical research regarding normal hydration and dehydration experiments with hydrogel polymers, and particularly in the field of contact lenses. 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The effect of water plasticization on the molecular mobility and crystallization tendency of amorphous disaccharides.

PubMed

Heljo, Ville Petteri; Nordberg, Antti; Tenho, Mikko; Virtanen, Tommi; Jouppila, Kirsi; Salonen, Jarno; Maunu, Sirkka Liisa; Juppo, Anne Mari

2012-10-01

To study how water plasticization affects the molecular mobility and crystallization tendency of freeze-dried trehalose, sucrose, melibiose and cellobiose. Freeze-dried disaccharides were subjected to different relative humidity atmospheres and their physical stabilities were evaluated. Lyophilizate water sorption tendencies and glass transition temperatures were modeled using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Gordon-Taylor (GT) equations, respectively. Sucrose and cellobiose crystallization tendencies were compared by using the concept of reduced crystallization temperature (RCT), and the molecular mobilities of trehalose and melibiose were compared by measuring their T(1)H relaxation time constants. Based on the BET and GT models, water sorption tendency and the resulting plasticizing effect were different in sucrose when compared to the other disaccharides. Trehalose and melibiose exhibited generally slower crystallization rates when compared to sucrose and cellobiose. Amorphous melibiose was shown to be particularly stable within the studied water content range, which may have partly been caused by its relatively slow molecular mobility. Slow amorphous-to-crystalline transition rate is known to be important for lyoprotecting excipients when formulating a robust drug product. The physical stabilities of amorphous trehalose and melibiose even with relatively high water contents might make their use advantageous in this respect compared to sucrose and cellobiose.

Augmented water binding and low cellular water content in erythrocytes of camel and camelids.

PubMed

Bogner, P; Csutora, P; Cameron, I L; Wheatley, D N; Miseta, A

1998-12-01

We investigated a link between hemoglobin primary structure, hemoglobin hydrophobicity-hydrophilicity, and erythrocyte water content in various mammalian species. Some hemoglobin molecules, particularly those of the camel and camelids, contain more charged amino acid residues and are more hydrophilic than the hemoglobins of human and a number of other mammalian species. To test the in vivo significance of these alterations of hemoglobin primary structure, we determined the osmotically unresponsive erythrocyte water fractions in mannit solutions of various osmolarities at 4 degreesC. Among the species investigated, the size of the osmotically unresponsive erythrocyte water fraction relates in a positive linear way to hemoglobin hydrophilicity. The extreme low total erythrocyte water content of camel erythrocytes (1.1-1.3 g water/g dry mass) may be explained by a comparatively high osmotically unresponsive erythrocyte water fraction. It is proposed that alterations of hemoglobin sequences of camel and camelids may be the part of a natural selection process aimed at protecting these animals against osmotic dehydration in arid environments.

Augmented water binding and low cellular water content in erythrocytes of camel and camelids.

PubMed Central

Bogner, P; Csutora, P; Cameron, I L; Wheatley, D N; Miseta, A

1998-01-01

We investigated a link between hemoglobin primary structure, hemoglobin hydrophobicity-hydrophilicity, and erythrocyte water content in various mammalian species. Some hemoglobin molecules, particularly those of the camel and camelids, contain more charged amino acid residues and are more hydrophilic than the hemoglobins of human and a number of other mammalian species. To test the in vivo significance of these alterations of hemoglobin primary structure, we determined the osmotically unresponsive erythrocyte water fractions in mannit solutions of various osmolarities at 4 degreesC. Among the species investigated, the size of the osmotically unresponsive erythrocyte water fraction relates in a positive linear way to hemoglobin hydrophilicity. The extreme low total erythrocyte water content of camel erythrocytes (1.1-1.3 g water/g dry mass) may be explained by a comparatively high osmotically unresponsive erythrocyte water fraction. It is proposed that alterations of hemoglobin sequences of camel and camelids may be the part of a natural selection process aimed at protecting these animals against osmotic dehydration in arid environments. PMID:9826628

Robust spatialization of soil water content at the scale of an agricultural field using geophysical and geostatistical methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henine, Hocine; Tournebize, Julien; Laurent, Gourdol; Christophe, Hissler; Cournede, Paul-Henry; Clement, Remi

2017-04-01

Research on the Critical Zone (CZ) is a prerequisite for undertaking issues related to ecosystemic services that human societies rely on (nutrient cycles, water supply and quality). However, while the upper part of CZ (vegetation, soil, surface water) is readily accessible, knowledge of the subsurface remains limited, due to the point-scale character of conventional direct observations. While the potential for geophysical methods to overcome this limitation is recognized, the translation of the geophysical information into physical properties or states of interest remains a challenge (e.g. the translation of soil electrical resistivity into soil water content). In this study, we propose a geostatistical framework using the Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME) approach to assimilate geophysical and point-scale data. We especially focus on the prediction of the spatial distribution of soil water content using (1) TDR point-scale measurements of soil water content, which are considered as accurate data, and (2) soil water content data derived from electrical resistivity measurements, which are uncertain data but spatially dense. We used a synthetic dataset obtained with a vertical 2D domain to evaluate the performance of this geostatistical approach. Spatio-temporal simulations of soil water content were carried out using Hydrus-software for different scenarios: homogeneous or heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity distribution, and continuous or punctual infiltration pattern. From the simulations of soil water content, conceptual soil resistivity models were built using a forward modeling approach and point sampling of water content values, vertically ranged, were done. These two datasets are similar to field measurements of soil electrical resistivity (using electrical resistivity tomography, ERT) and soil water content (using TDR probes) obtained at the Boissy-le-Chatel site, in Orgeval catchment (East of Paris, France). We then integrated them into a specialization framework to predict the soil water content distribution and the results were compared to initial simulations (Hydrus results). We obtained more reliable water content specialization models when using the BME method. The presented approach integrates ERT and TDR measurements, and results demonstrate that its use significantly improves the spatial distribution of water content estimations. The approach will be applied to the experimental dataset collected at the Boissy le Châtel site where ERT data were collected daily during one hydrological year, using Syscal pro 48 electrodes (with a financial support of Equipex-Critex) and 10 TDR probes were used to monitor water content variation. Hourly hydrological survey (tile drainage discharge, precipitation, evapotranspiration variables and water table depth) were conducted at the same site. Data analysis and the application of geostatistical framework on the experimental dataset of 2015-2016 show satisfactory results and are reliable with the hydrological behavior of the study site.

Hydrological modelling of the Mara River Basin, Kenya: Application of the Normalised Difference Infrared Index (NDII)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hulsman, Petra; Savenije, Hubert; Bogaard, Thom

2017-04-01

In hydrology and water resources management, precipitation and discharge are the main time series for hydrological modelling. However, in African river catchments, the quantity and quality of the available precipitation stations and discharge measurements are unfortunately often inadequate for reliable hydrological modelling. To cope with these uncertainties, this study proposes to calibrate on water levels and to constrain the model using the Normalised Difference Infrared Index (NDII) as a proxy for root zone moisture stress. With the NDII, the leaf water content can be monitored. Previous studies related the NDII to the equivalent water thickness (EWT) of leaves, which is used to determine the vegetation water content (VWC). As the water content in the leaves is related to the water content in the root zone, the NDII can also be used as indicator of the soil moisture content in the root zone. In previous studies it was found that the root zone moisture content is exponentially correlated to the NDII during periods of moisture stress. In this study, the semi-distributed rainfall runoff model FLEX-Topo has been applied to the Mara River Basin. In this model seven sub-basins are distinguished and four hydrological response units with each a unique model structure based on the expected dominant flow processes. To calibrate the model, the water levels have been back-calculated from modelled discharges, using cross-section data and the Strickler formula calibrating parameter 'k•s1/2', and compared to measured water levels. In addition, the correlation between the NDII and root zone moisture content has been analysed for this river basin for each sub-catchment and hydrological response unit. Also, the application of the NDII as model constraint or for calibration has been analysed.

Evolved-Lithology Clasts in Lunar Breccias: Relating Petrogenetic Diversity to Measured Water Content

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christoffersen, R.; Simon, J. J.; Ross, D. K.

2017-01-01

Studies of the inventory and distribution of water in lunar rocks have recently begun to focus on alkali suite samples as possible water repositories, particularly the most highly evolved granitoid lithologies. Although H analyses of feldspars in these rocks have so far pointed to 'low' (less than 20 ppm) H2O contents, there is sufficient variability in the dataset (e.g., 2-20 ppm) to warrant consideration of the petrogenetic factors that may have caused some granitoid-to-intermediate rocks to be dryer or wetter than others. Given that all examples of these rocks occur as clasts in complex impact breccias, the role of impact and other factors in altering water contents established by primary igneous processes becomes a major factor. We are supporting our ongoing SIMS studies of water in evolved lunar lithologies with systematic SEM and EPMA observations. Here we report a synthesis of the observations as part of developing discriminating factors for reconstructing the thermal, crystallization and shock history of these samples as compared with their water contents.

Influence of light intensity and water content of medium on total dendrobine of Dendrobium nobile Lindl.

PubMed

Li, Jin-Ling; Zhao, Zhi; Liu, Hong-Chang; Luo, Chun-Li; Wang, Hua-Lei

2017-11-01

To ascertain the influence of light intensity and water content of medium on the total dendrobine of Dendrobium nobile (D. nobile). The principal component analysis combined with total dendrobine accumulation was conducted to assess the yield and quality of D. nobile in all treatments. In the experiment, D. nobile plants were cultivated in greenhouse as tested materials, and complete test of 9 treatments was adopted with relative light intensities 75.02%, 39.74%, 29.93% and relative water content of medium 50%, 65%, 80%. The plants were treated in June and harvested till December. Indexes including agronomic traits, fresh weight and dry weight of stem and leaf, ash content, extract, and dendrobine were measured. Under the light intensity treatments of 75.02% with 50%, 65%, 80% water content of medium, the basal stems of plants were comparatively thicker with more leaves, and the fresh weight and dry weight of stems and leaves were significantly higher than other 6 treatments. Leaves in all treatments contained dendrobine. Under the light intensity treatments of 75.02% with 50%, 65%, 80% water content of medium, dendrobine content of leaves was lower while dendrobine contents of other treatments were more than 0.60%. After comprehensive assessment through the principal component analysis and total dendrobine accumulation, the results showed that 3 treatments with relative light intensity of 75.02% ranked the top three. In brief, the moderately strong light intensity and water content of medium from low to medium can facilitate the growth and yield of D. nobile plants, while light intensity from moderately weak to weak can enhance the dendrobine content. Copyright © 2017 Hainan Medical University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Research advances in reflectance spectra of plant leafs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Taotao; Yang, Ting; Guo, Yanxin; Xu, Jingqi; Chang, Wandong; Fang, Siyi; Zhu, Kangkang; Xu, Tingyan

2018-02-01

Leaves are an important factor when we study plants because their water content, pigment content and nutrient content of leaves can reflect the current growth status of the whole plant. The methods of spectral diagnosis technology or image technology mainly are the pre-detection technique which can be used to invert the color, texture and spectral reflectance of the leaves. From this we can obtain the changes of the internal components and the external morphological characteristics of the plant leaves in different states changes. In this paper, the reflection spectral response mechanism of plant water content, pigment and nutrient elements at domestic and overseas are reviewed and compared.

Physical, chemical and microbial analysis of bottled drinking water.

PubMed

Sasikaran, S; Sritharan, K; Balakumar, S; Arasaratnam, V

2012-09-01

People rely on the quality of the bottled drinking water, expecting it to be free of microbial contamination and health hazards. To evaluate the quality of bottled drinking water sold in Jaffna peninsula by analysing the physical, chemical and microbial contents and comparing with the recommended Sri Lankan Standard (SLS) values. All bottled water samples sold in Jaffna peninsula were collected. Electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid, pH, calcium, nitrate, total aerobic and anaerobic count, coliform bacterial count and faecal contamination were checked. These are 22 brands of bottled drinking water sold in Jaffna peninsula. The sample had very low electrical conductivity when compared with SLS (750 μS/ cm) and varied from 19 to 253 μS/cm with the mean of 80.53 (±60.92) μS/cm. The pH values of the bottled drinking water brands varied from 4.11 to 7.58 with a mean of 6.2 (±0.75). The total dissolved solid content of the bottled drinking water brands varied from 9 to 123.67 mg/l with a mean of 39.5 (±30.23) mg/l. The calcium content of the bottled drinking water brands varied from 6.48 to 83.77 mg/l with a mean of 49.9 (±25.09) mg/l. The nitrate content of the bottled drinking water brands varied from 0.21 to 4.19 mg/l with the mean of 1.26 (±1.08) mg/l. Aerobic bacterial count varied from 0 to 800 colony forming unit per ml (cfu/ml) with a mean of 262.6 (±327.50) cfu/ml. Among the 22 drinking bottled water brands 14 and 9% of bottled drinking water brands showed fungal and coliform bacterial contaminants respectively. The water brands which contained faecal contamination had either Escherichia coli or Klebsiella spp. The bottled drinking water available for sale do not meet the standards stipulated by SLS.

Soil-water content characterisation in a modified Jarvis-Stewart model: A case study of a conifer forest on a shallow unconfined aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guyot, Adrien; Fan, Junliang; Oestergaard, Kasper T.; Whitley, Rhys; Gibbes, Badin; Arsac, Margaux; Lockington, David A.

2017-01-01

Groundwater-vegetation-atmosphere fluxes were monitored for a subtropical coastal conifer forest in South-East Queensland, Australia. Observations were used to quantify seasonal changes in transpiration rates with respect to temporal fluctuations of the local water table depth. The applicability of a Modified Jarvis-Stewart transpiration model (MJS), which requires soil-water content data, was assessed for this system. The influence of single depth values compared to use of vertically averaged soil-water content data on MJS-modelled transpiration was assessed over both a wet and a dry season, where the water table depth varied from the surface to a depth of 1.4 m below the surface. Data for tree transpiration rates relative to water table depth showed that trees transpire when the water table was above a threshold depth of 0.8 m below the ground surface (water availability is non-limiting). When the water table reached the ground surface (i.e., surface flooding) transpiration was found to be limited. When the water table is below this threshold depth, a linear relationship between water table depth and the transpiration rate was observed. MJS modelling results show that the influence of different choices for soil-water content on transpiration predictions was insignificant in the wet season. However, during the dry season, inclusion of deeper soil-water content data improved the model performance (except for days after isolated rainfall events, here a shallower soil-water representation was better). This study demonstrated that, to improve MJS simulation results, appropriate selection of soil water measurement depths based on the dynamic behaviour of soil water profiles through the root zone was required in a shallow unconfined aquifer system.

Liquid water content and droplet size calibration of the NASA Lewis Icing Research Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ide, Robert F.

1989-01-01

The icing research tunnel at the NASA Lewis Research Center underwent a major rehabilitation in 1986 to 1987, necessitating recalibration of the icing cloud. The methods used in the recalibration, including the procedure used to establish a uniform icing cloud and the use of a standard icing blade technique for measurement of liquid water content are described. PMS Forward Scattering Spectrometer and Optical Array probes were used for measurement of droplet size. Examples of droplet size distributions are shown for several median volumetric diameters. Finally, the liquid water content/droplet size operating envelopes of the icing tunnel are shown for a range of airspeeds and are compared to the FAA icing certification criteria.

Desorption isotherms of salted minced pork using K-lactate as a substitute for NaCl.

PubMed

Muñoz, I; Arnau, J; Costa-Corredor, A; Gou, P

2009-12-01

The aim of this study was to obtain and compare water desorption isotherms of ground meat containing NaCl (0.107kg NaCl/kg raw-meat dry matter) and/or K-lactate as NaCl substitute at two different levels of molar substitution (30% and 100%). A thin layer of salted ground meat was dried and sampled at pre-determined times. The moisture content of the samples and their water activities (a(w)) were measured at 5°C and 25°C. Results showed that ground meat with NaCl and/or different K-lactate contents had a similar water desorption isotherm for a(w) ranging from 0.7 to 1.0. Below 0.7, the water equilibrium content fell with small decreases in a(w) faster for meat with NaCl than for meat with K-lactate. K-lactate could reduce the excessive hardening at the surface of salted meat products. Experimental desorption isotherms were compared to those estimated using two approaches of the Ross equation. Models provided a good fit for the experimental data.

An automated method for mapping human tissue permittivities by MRI in hyperthermia treatment planning.

PubMed

Farace, P; Pontalti, R; Cristoforetti, L; Antolini, R; Scarpa, M

1997-11-01

This paper presents an automatic method to obtain tissue complex permittivity values to be used as input data in the computer modelling for hyperthermia treatment planning. Magnetic resonance (MR) images were acquired and the tissue water content was calculated from the signal intensity of the image pixels. The tissue water content was converted into complex permittivity values by monotonic functions based on mixture theory. To obtain a water content map by MR imaging a gradient-echo pulse sequence was used and an experimental procedure was set up to correct for relaxation and radiofrequency field inhomogeneity effects on signal intensity. Two approaches were followed to assign the permittivity values to fat-rich tissues: (i) fat-rich tissue localization by a segmentation procedure followed by assignment of tabulated permittivity values; (ii) water content evaluation by chemical shift imaging followed by permittivity calculation. Tests were performed on phantoms of known water content to establish the reliability of the proposed method. MRI data were acquired and processed pixel-by-pixel according to the outlined procedure. The signal intensity in the phantom images correlated well with water content. Experiments were performed on volunteers' healthy tissue. In particular two anatomical structures were chosen to calculate permittivity maps: the head and the thigh. The water content and electric permittivity values were obtained from the MRI data and compared to others in the literature. A good agreement was found for muscle, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and white and grey matter. The advantages of the reported method are discussed in the light of possible application in hyperthermia treatment planning.

Breast Tissue Characterization with Photon-counting Spectral CT Imaging: A Postmortem Breast Study

PubMed Central

Ding, Huanjun; Klopfer, Michael J.; Ducote, Justin L.; Masaki, Fumitaro

2014-01-01

Purpose To investigate the feasibility of breast tissue characterization in terms of water, lipid, and protein contents with a spectral computed tomographic (CT) system based on a cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) photon-counting detector by using postmortem breasts. Materials and Methods Nineteen pairs of postmortem breasts were imaged with a CZT-based photon-counting spectral CT system with beam energy of 100 kVp. The mean glandular dose was estimated to be in the range of 1.8–2.2 mGy. The images were corrected for pulse pile-up and other artifacts by using spectral distortion corrections. Dual-energy decomposition was then applied to characterize each breast into water, lipid, and protein contents. The precision of the three-compartment characterization was evaluated by comparing the composition of right and left breasts, where the standard error of the estimations was determined. The results of dual-energy decomposition were compared by using averaged root mean square to chemical analysis, which was used as the reference standard. Results The standard errors of the estimations of the right-left correlations obtained from spectral CT were 7.4%, 6.7%, and 3.2% for water, lipid, and protein contents, respectively. Compared with the reference standard, the average root mean square error in breast tissue composition was 2.8%. Conclusion Spectral CT can be used to accurately quantify the water, lipid, and protein contents in breast tissue in a laboratory study by using postmortem specimens. © RSNA, 2014 PMID:24814180

Remote Sensing of Vegetation Nitrogen Content for Spatially Explicit Carbon and Water Cycle Estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y. L.; Miller, J. R.; Chen, J. M.

2009-05-01

Foliage nitrogen concentration is a determinant of photosynthetic capacity of leaves, thereby an important input to ecological models for estimating terrestrial carbon and water budgets. Recently, spectrally continuous airborne hyperspectral remote sensing imagery has proven to be useful for retrieving an important related parameter, total chlorophyll content at both leaf and canopy scales. Thus remote sensing of vegetation biochemical parameters has promising potential for improving the prediction of global carbon and water balance patterns. In this research, we explored the feasibility of estimating leaf nitrogen content using hyperspectral remote sensing data for spatially explicit estimation of carbon and water budgets. Multi-year measurements of leaf biochemical contents of seven major boreal forest species were carried out in northeastern Ontario, Canada. The variation of leaf chlorophyll and nitrogen content in response to various growth conditions, and the relationship between them,were investigated. Despite differences in plant type (deciduous and evergreen), leaf age, stand growth conditions and developmental stages, leaf nitrogen content was strongly correlated with leaf chlorophyll content on a mass basis during the active growing season (r2=0.78). With this general correlation, leaf nitrogen content was estimated from leaf chlorophyll content at an accuracy of RMSE=2.2 mg/g, equivalent to 20.5% of the average measured leaf nitrogen content. Based on this correlation and a hyperspectral remote sensing algorithm for leaf chlorophyll content retrieval, the spatial variation of leaf nitrogen content was inferred from the airborne hyperspectral remote sensing imagery acquired by Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI). A process-based ecological model Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator (BEPS) was used for estimating terrestrial carbon and water budgets. In contrast to the scenario with leaf nitrogen content assigned as a constant value without differentiation between and within vegetation types for calculating the photosynthesis rate, we incorporated the spatial distribution of leaf nitrogen content in the model to estimate net primary productivity and evaportranspiration of boreal ecosystem. These regional estimates of carbon and water budgets with and without N mapping are compared, and the importance of this leaf biochemistry information derived from hyperspectral remote sensing in regional mapping of carbon and water fluxes is quantitatively assessed. Keywords: Remote Sensing, Leaf Nitrogen Content, Spatial Distribution, Carbon and Water Budgets, Estimation

Validation of Nimbus-7 cloud and SMMR data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hwang, P. H.; Yeh, H. Y. M.; Macmillan, D. S.; Long, C. S.

1986-01-01

The relationship between cloud amount, water content (WC), and liquid water content (LWC) is studied. Nimbus-7 cloud data and LWC and WC data derived from the SMMR for July 1979 are analyzed and compared. The SMMR sea surface temperature (SST) data are also compared to Air Force SST data. The comparisons reveal that Nimbus-7 cloud data and the SMMR WC and LWC data correlate well, and there is also good agreement between the SMMR SST and the Air Force data. The data demonstrate that there is a relation between the WC, LWC, and cloud amount data.

Laboratory Characterization of Type N Mortar

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

and test results are documented in Chapter 2. Comparative plots and anal- yses of the experimental results are presented in Chapter 3. A summary is...determinations are provided in Table 1. Measurements of posttest water content1 were conducted in accordance with procedures given in American Society for...Testing and Materials (ASTM) D 2216 (ASTM 2005d). Based on the appropriate values of posttest water content, wet density, and an assumed grain density

[Physicopharmaceutical characteristics of ulinastatin vaginal suppositories prepared in a hospital].

PubMed

Satake, Kiyoshi; Nakajima, Takanori; Iwata, Masanori; Fujikake, Yoshio; Kimura, Masayuki

2011-01-01

We studied a locally applied vaginal preparation (vaginal suppositories) of ulinastatin (urinary trypsin inhibitor, UTI), designed to threatened premature delivery and maintain pregnancy. Witepsol S55 was chosen as the basic component of the vaginal suppositories based on the physical pharmaceutical characteristics of three kinds of hard fats. The average particle size of the UTI aqueous injection was approximately 70% as compared with that of the UTI lyophilized product, used as the base material for the preparation of UTI vaginal suppositories. We compared the physical pharmaceutical properties of UTI vaginal suppositories with water contents of 2.5%, 5.0%, and 7.5%, respectively. Preparation strength negatively correlated with the water content. The coefficient of viscosity positively correlated with the water content of the preparation. UTI vaginal suppositories with a water content of 5.0% had the highest average drug release rate on moment analysis. A comprehensive evaluation of the properties of UTI vaginal suppositories, including high strength due to disintegration resistance, the coefficient of viscosity and its influence on local retention, and drug release and its influence on the duration of effect, indicated that a 5.0% UTI aqueous solution for injection combined with Witepsol S55 as the base was the optimal formulation for the hospital preparation of vaginal suppositories.

Near-infrared imaging of water in human hair.

PubMed

Egawa, Mariko; Hagihara, Motofumi; Yanai, Motohiro

2013-02-01

The water content of hair can be evaluated by weighing, the Karl Fischer method, and from electrical properties. However, these methods cannot be used to study the distribution of water in the hair. Imaging techniques are required for this purpose. In this study, a highly sensitive near-infrared (NIR) imaging system was developed for evaluating water in human hair. The results obtained from NIR imaging and conventional methods were compared. An extended indium-gallium-arsenide NIR camera (detection range: 1100-2200 nm) and diffuse illumination unit developed in our laboratory were used to obtain a NIR image of hair. A water image was obtained using a 1950-nm interference filter and polarization filter. Changes in the hair water content with relative humidity (20-95% RH) and after immersion in a 7% (w/w) sorbitol solution were measured using the NIR camera and an insulation resistance tester. The changes in the water content after treatment with two types of commercially available shampoo were also measured using the NIR camera. As the water content increased with changes in the relative humidity, the brightness of the water image decreased and the insulation resistance decreased. The brightness in the NIR image of hair treated with sorbitol solution was lower than that in the image of hair treated with water. This shows the sorbitol-treated hair contains more water than water-treated hair. The sorbitol-treated hair had a lower resistance after treatment than before, which also shows that sorbitol treatment increases the water content. With this system, we could detect a difference in the moisturizing effect between two commercially available shampoos. The highly sensitive imaging system could be used to study water in human hair. Changes in the water content of hair depended on the relative humidity and treatment with moisturizer. The results obtained using the NIR imaging system were similar to those obtained using a conventional method. Our system could detect differences in the moisturizing effects of two commercially available shampoos. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Water consumption and water-saving characteristics of a ground cover rice production system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Xinxin; Zuo, Qiang; Ma, Wenwen; Li, Sen; Shi, Jianchu; Tao, Yueyue; Zhang, Yanan; Liu, Yang; Liu, Xiaofei; Lin, Shan; Ben-Gal, Alon

2016-09-01

The ground cover rice production system (GCRPS) offers a potentially water-saving alternative to the traditional paddy rice production system (TPRPS) by furrow irrigating mulched soil beds and maintaining soils under predominately unsaturated conditions. The guiding hypothesis of this study was that a GCRPS would decrease both physiological and non-physiological water consumption of rice compared to a TPRPS while either maintaining or enhancing production. This was tested in a two-year field experiment with three treatments (TPRPS, GCRPSsat keeping root zone average soil water content near saturated, and GCRPS80% keeping root zone average soil water content as 80-100% of field water capacity) and a greenhouse experiment with four treatments (TPRPS, GCRPSsat, GCRPSfwc keeping root zone average soil water content close to field water capacity, and GCRPS80%). The water-saving characteristics of GCRPS were analyzed as a function of the measured soil water conditions, plant parameters regarding growth and production, and water input and consumption. In the field experiment, significant reduction in both physiological and non-physiological water consumption under GCRPS lead to savings in irrigation water of ∼61-84% and reduction in total input water of ∼35-47%. Compared to TPRPS, deep drainage was reduced ∼72-88%, evaporation was lessened ∼83-89% and transpiration was limited ∼6-10% under GCRPS. In addition to saving water, plant growth and grain yield were enhanced under GCRPS due to increased soil temperature in the root zone. Therefore, water use efficiencies (WUEs), based on transpiration, irrigation and total input water, were respectively improved as much as 27%, 609% and 110% under GCRPS. Increased yield attributed to up to ∼19%, decreased deep drainage accounted for ∼75%, decreased evaporation accounted for ∼14% and reduced transpiration for ∼5% of the enhancement in WUE of input water under GCRPS, while increased runoff and water storage had negative influence on WUE (-7.5 and -3.7%, respectively) for GCRPS compared to TPRPS. The greenhouse experiment validated the results obtained in the field by simplifying the non-physiological water consumption processes, and thus confirming the relative importance of physiological processes and increased WUE under GCRPS.

Intercomparison of Lab-Based Soil Water Extraction Methods for Stable Water Isotope Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt, D.; Orlowski, N.; McDonnell, J.

2016-12-01

The effect of pore water extraction technique on resultant isotopic signature is poorly understood. Here we present results of an intercomparison of five common lab-based soil water extraction techniques: high pressure mechanical squeezing, centrifugation, direct vapor equilibration, microwave extraction, and cryogenic extraction. We applied five extraction methods to two physicochemically different standard soil types (silty sand and clayey loam) that were oven-dried and rewetted with water of known isotopic composition at three different gravimetric water contents (8, 20, and 30%). We tested the null hypothisis that all extraction techniques would provide the same isotopic result independent from soil type and water content. Our results showed that the extraction technique had a significant effect on the soil water isotopic composition. Each method exhibited deviations from spiked reference water, with soil type and water content showing a secondary effect. Cryogenic extraction showed the largest deviations from the reference water, whereas mechanical squeezing and centrifugation provided the closest match to the reference water for both soil types. We also compared results for each extraction technique that produced liquid water on both an OA-ICOS and IRMS; differences between them were negligible.

Feeding frequency, but not dietary water content, affects voluntary physical activity in young lean adult female cats.

PubMed

de Godoy, M R C; Ochi, K; de Oliveira Mateus, L F; de Justino, A C C; Swanson, K S

2015-05-01

The objective of this study was to investigate whether increased dietary water content and feeding frequency increased voluntary physical activity of young, lean adult female cats. A replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement (feeding frequency and water content) was used. The 4 treatments consisted of 1 meal daily dry pet food without added water (1D; 12% moisture as is), 1 meal daily dry pet food with added water (1W; 70% total water content), 4 meals daily dry pet food without added water (4D; 12% moisture as is), and 4 meals daily dry pet food with added water (4W; 70% total water content). Eight healthy adult, lean, intact, young, female domestic shorthair cats were used in this experiment. Voluntary physical activity was evaluated using Actical activity monitors placed on collars and worn around the cats' necks for the last 7 d of each experimental period of 14 d. Food anticipatory activity (FAA) was calculated based on 2 h prior to feeding periods and expressed as a percentage of total daily voluntary physical activity. Increased feeding frequency (4 vs. 1 meal daily) resulted in greater average daily activity (P = 0.0147), activity during the light period (P = 0.0023), and light:dark activity ratio (P = 0.0002). In contrast, physical activity during the dark period was not altered by feeding frequency (P > 0.05). Cats fed 4 meals daily had increased afternoon FAA (P= 0.0029) compared with cats fed once daily. Dietary water content did not affect any measure of voluntary physical activity. Increased feeding frequency is an effective strategy to increase the voluntary physical activity of cats. Thus, it may assist in the prevention and management of obesity.

Photosynthetic performance of invasive Pinus ponderosa and Juniperus virginiana seedlings under gradual soil water depletion.

PubMed

Bihmidine, S; Bryan, N M; Payne, K R; Parde, M R; Okalebo, J A; Cooperstein, S E; Awada, T

2010-07-01

Changes in climate, land management and fire regime have contributed to woody species expansion into grasslands and savannas worldwide. In the USA, Pinus ponderosa P.&C. Lawson and Juniperus virginiana L. are expanding into semiarid grasslands of Nebraska and other regions of the Great Plains. We examined P. ponderosa and J. virginiana seedling response to soil water content, one of the most important limiting factors in semiarid grasslands, to provide insight into their success in the region. Photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII, maximum carboxylation velocity, maximum rate of electron transport, stomatal limitation to photosynthesis, water potential, root-to-shoot ratio, and needle nitrogen content were followed under gradual soil water depletion for 40 days. J. virginiana maintained lower L(s), higher A, g(s), and initial F(v)/F(m), and displayed a more gradual decline in V(cmax) and J(max) with increasing water deficit compared to P. ponderosa. J. virginiana also invested more in roots relative to shoots compared to P. ponderosa. F(v)/F(m) showed high PSII resistance to dehydration in both species. Photoinhibition was observed at approximately 30% of field capacity. Soil water content was a better predictor of A and g(s) than Psi, indicating that there are other growth factors controlling physiological processes under increased water stress. The two species followed different strategies to succeed in semiarid grasslands. P. ponderosa seedlings behaved like a drought-avoidant species with strong stomatal control, while J. virginiana was more of a drought-tolerant species, maintaining physiological activity at lower soil water content. Differences between the studied species and the ecological implications are discussed.

Secondary relaxations in supercooled and glassy sucrose-borate aqueous solutions.

PubMed

Longinotti, M Paula; Corti, Horacio R; Pablo, Juan J de

2008-10-13

The dielectric relaxation spectra of concentrated aqueous solutions of sucrose-borate mixtures have been measured in the supercooled and glassy regions in the frequency range of 40Hz to 2MHz. The secondary (beta) relaxation process was analyzed in the temperature range 183-233K at water contents between 20 and 30wt%. The relaxation times were obtained, and the activation energy of that process was calculated. In order to assess the effect of borate on the relaxation of disaccharide-water mixtures, we also studied the dielectric behavior of sucrose aqueous solutions in the same range of temperatures and water contents. Our findings support the view that, beyond a water content of approximately 20wt%, the secondary relaxation of water-sucrose and water-sucrose-borate mixtures adopts a universal character that can be explained in terms of a simple exponential function of the temperature scaled by the glass transition temperature (T(g)). The behavior observed for water-sucrose and water-sucrose-borate mixtures is compared with previous results obtained in other water-carbohydrate systems.

Integral Quantification of Soil Water Content at the Intermediate Catchment Scale by Ground Albedo Neutron Sensing (GANS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera Villarreyes, C. A.; Baroni, G.; Oswald, S. E.

2012-04-01

Soil water content at the plot or hill-slope scale is an important link between local vadose zone hydrology and catchment hydrology. However, so far only few methods are on the way to close this gap between point measurements and remote sensing. One new measurement methodology for integral quantifications of mean areal soil water content at the intermediate catchment scale is the aboveground sensing of cosmic-ray neutrons, more precisely ground albedo neutron sensing (GANS). Ground albedo natural neutrons, are generated by collisions of secondary cosmic rays with land surface materials (soil, water, biomass, snow, etc). Neutrons measured at the air/ground interface correlate with soil moisture contained in a footprint of ca. 600 m diameter and a depth ranging down to a few decimeters. This correlation is based on the crucial role of hydrogen as neutron moderator compared to others landscape materials. The present study performed ground albedo neutron sensing in different locations in Germany under different vegetative situations (cropped and bare field) and different seasonal conditions (summer, autumn and winter). Ground albedo neutrons were measured at (i) a farmland close to Potsdam (Brandenburg, Germany) cropped with corn in 2010 and sunflowers in 2011, and (ii) a mountainous farmland catchment (Schaefertal, Harz Mountains, Germany) in 2011. In order to test this method, classical soil moisture devices and meteorological data were used for comparison. Moreover, calibration approach, and transferability of calibration parameters to different times and locations are also evaluated. Our observations suggest that GANS can overcome the lack of data for hydrological processes at the intermediate scale. Soil water content from GANS compared quantitatively with mean water content values derived from a network of classical devices (RMSE = 0.02 m3/m3 and r2 = 0.98) in three calibration periods with cropped-field conditions. Then, same calibration parameters corresponded well under different field conditions. Moreover, GANS approach responded well to precipitation events in both experimental sites through summer and autumn, and soil water content estimations were affected by water stored in snow.

COSMOS soil water sensor compared with EM sensor network & weighing lysimeter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil water sensing methods are widely used to characterize the root zone and below, but only a few are capable of delivering water content data with accuracy for the entire soil profile such that evapotranspiration (ET) can be determined by soil water balance and irrigations can be scheduled with mi...

[Cold hardiness of Pinus ponderosa, P. banksian and P. tabulaeformis].

PubMed

Gong, Yuehua; Zhou, Yongxue; Fan, Junfeng; Liu, Yingzhou; Pang, Kejia

2006-08-01

By the method of artificial freezing, this paper made a comparative study on the cold hardiness of Pinus ponderosa, P. banksiana and P. tabulaeformis, with their inherent mechanisms approached. The results showed that the cold hardiness of these three species was in the sequence of P. banksiana > P. tabulaeformis > P. ponderosa. P. banksiana had high bound water/free water ratio (7.0) and ABA content (164.3 microg x g(-1) FW) but low K+ (2450 microg x g(-1) DW) and soluble sugar (12.0%) , P. tabulaeformis had higher contents of ABA (95.8 microg x g(-1) FW), K+ (4538 microg x g(-1) DW) and soluble sugar (18.68%) but low bound water/free water ratio (2.58), while P. ponderosa had high soluble sugar content (18.05%) but low bound water/free water ratio (2.18) and K+ (2275 microg x g(-1) DW) and ABA (63.3 microg x g(-1) FW) contents. These differences might be the reasons resulting in the different cold hardiness of these three species. Low chlorophyll content and high carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio might also contribute to the cold hardiness of P. banksiana. Therefore, though the test species are all of cold hardiness, their inherent mechanisms may be different.

THz and mm-Wave Sensing of Corneal Tissue Water Content: Electromagnetic Modeling and Analysis

PubMed Central

Taylor, Zachary D.; Garritano, James; Sung, Shijun; Bajwa, Neha; Bennett, David B.; Nowroozi, Bryan; Tewari, Priyamvada; Sayre, James; Hubschman, Jean-Pierre; Deng, Sophie; Brown, Elliott R.; Grundfest, Warren S.

2015-01-01

Terahertz (THz) spectral properties of human cornea are explored as a function of central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal water content, and the clinical utility of THz-based corneal water content sensing is discussed. Three candidate corneal tissue water content (CTWC) perturbations, based on corneal physiology, are investigated that affect the axial water distribution and total thickness. The THz frequency reflectivity properties of the three CTWC perturbations were simulated and explored with varying system center frequency and bandwidths (Q-factors). The modeling showed that at effective optical path lengths on the order of a wavelength the cornea presents a lossy etalon bordered by air at the anterior and the aqueous humor at the posterior. The simulated standing wave peak-to-valley ratio is pronounced at lower frequencies and its effect on acquired data can be modulated by adjusting the bandwidth of the sensing system. These observations are supported with experimental spectroscopic data. The results suggest that a priori knowledge of corneal thickness can be utilized for accurate assessments of corneal tissue water content. The physiologic variation of corneal thickness with respect to the wavelengths spanned by the THz band is extremely limited compared to all other structures in the body making CTWC sensing unique amongst all proposed applications of THz medical imaging. PMID:26322247

[Effects of ex situ rice straw incorporation on organic matter content and main physical properties of hilly red soil].

PubMed

Zhu, Han-hua; Huang, Dao-you; Liu, Shou-long; Zhu, Qi-hong

2007-11-01

Two typical land-use types, i.e., newly cultivated slope land and mellow upland, were selected to investigate the effects of ex situ rice straw incorporation on the organic matter content, field water-holding capacity, bulk density, and porosity of hilly red soil, and to approach the correlations between these parameters. The results showed that ex situ incorporation of rice straw increased soil organic matter content, ameliorated soil physical properties, and improved soil water storage. Comparing with non-fertilization and applying chemical fertilizers, ex situ incorporation of rice straw increased the contents of organic matter (5.8%-28.9%) and > 0.25 mm water-stable aggregates in 0-20 cm soil layer, and increased the field water-holding capacity (6.8%-16.2%) and porosity (4.8%-7.7%) significantly (P < 0.05) while decreased the bulk density (4.5%-7.5%) in 10-15 cm soil layer. The organic matter content in 0-20 cm soil layer was significantly correlated to the bulk density, porosity, and field water-holding capacity in 10-15 cm soil layer (P < 0.01), and the field water-holding capacity in 0-20 cm and 10-15 cm soil layers was significantly correlated to the bulk density and porosity in these two layers (P < 0.05).

Investigation of total phenolic, total flavonoid, antioxidant and allyl isothiocyanate content in the different organs of Wasabi japonica grown in an organic system.

PubMed

Shin, Seong Woo; Ghimeray, Amal Kumar; Park, Cheol Ho

2014-01-01

This study was carried out to investigate the total polyphenol (TP), total flavonoid (TF), antioxidative effect and allyl isothyocyanate (ITC) content in different organs of wasabi plant grown in an organic system. Invitro study of methanol and boiled water extracts of wasabi were conducted by analyzing the 1-1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrozyl (DPPH) radial scavenging activity, metal chelating activity and total antioxidant capacity in a comparative manner. The result revealed that methanol extract showed higher TP in flower (3644 mg TAE/100 g dw), leaf (3201 mg TAE/100 g dw) and fruit (3025 mg TAE/100 g dw) as compared to the boiled water extract. Similarly, TF content was also higher in methanol extracts of flower (1152 mg QE/100 g dw) and leaf (325 mg QE/100 g dw), however, the other parts showed ignorable value. Results of antioxidant activity were found at different magnitude of potency. The methanol extract of different parts of wasabi exhibited higher activity in total antioxidant capacity and DPPH radical scavenging assay as compared to water extract. In metal chelating assay, the boiled water extracts of leaf showed higher (76.9%) activity, followed by fruit (68.8%) and flower (62.8%). Ally ITC detected by gas chromatography was present in all of the tissues of wasabi plant but the content was found to be varied in different tissues. Overall, this study will allow consumers and processors to understand the possibility for medical application of wasabi plant by knowing the level of total polyphenol distribution, Ally ITC content and antioxidant property distributed in different parts and tissues.Key words: Allyl ITC, antioxidant, flavonoid, polyphenol, Wasabi japonica.

Study to find the best extraction solvent for use with guava leaves (Psidium guajava L.) for high antioxidant efficacy.

PubMed

Seo, Jongkwon; Lee, Soojung; Elam, Marcus L; Johnson, Sarah A; Kang, Jonghoon; Arjmandi, Bahram H

2014-03-01

The effects of guava leaves extracted using solvents of water, ethanol, methanol, and different concentrations of hydroethanolic solvents on phenolic compounds and flavonoids, and antioxidant properties have been investigated. The antioxidant capability was assessed based on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical-scavenging abilities, reducing power, and nitric oxide-and nitrate-scavenging activities. The results demonstrated that the antioxidant ability of guava leaf extracts has a strong relationship with phenolic compound content rather than flavonoid content. Phenolic compound content of water extracted guava leaves was higher compared to pure ethanol and methanol extracts. However, phenolic compound content extracted using hydroethanolic solvent was higher than water, whereas 50% hydroethanolic was observed to be the most effective solvent showing high antioxidant ability.

Validation of a Compact Isokinetic Total Water Content Probe for Wind Tunnel Characterization at NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel and at NRC Ice Crystal Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davison, Craig R.; Landreville, Charles; Ratvasky, Thomas P.

2017-01-01

A new compact isokinetic probe to measure total water content in a wind tunnel environment has been developed. The probe has been previously tested under altitude conditions. This paper presents a comprehensive validation of the probe under a range of liquid water conditions at sea level in the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel and with ice crystals at sea level at the NRC wind tunnel. The compact isokinetic probe is compared to tunnel calibrations and other probes.

Chrysotile in water

PubMed Central

Speil, Sidney

1974-01-01

The problems of quantitating chrysotile in water by fiber count techniques are reviewed briefly and the use of mass quantitation is suggested as a preferable measure. Chrysotile fiber has been found in almost every sample of natural water examined, but generally transmission electron miscroscopy (TEM) is required because of the small diameters involved. The extreme extrapolation required in mathematically converting a few fibers or fiber fragments under the TEM to the fiber content of a liquid sample casts considerable doubt on the validity of numbers used to compare chrysotile contents of different liquids. PMID:4470930

Supplementation of glycerol or fructose via drinking water to grazing lambs on tissue glycogen level and lipogenesis.

PubMed

Volpi-Lagreca, G; Duckett, S K

2017-06-01

Lambs ( = 18; 40.1 ± 7.4 kg BW) were used to assess supplementation of glycerol or fructose via drinking water on growth, tissue glycogen levels, postmortem glycolysis, and lipogenesis. Lambs were blocked by BW and allocated to alfalfa paddocks (2 lambs/paddock and 3 paddocks/treatment). Each paddock within a block was assigned randomly to drinking water treatments for 30 d: 1) control (CON), 2) 120 g fructose/L of drinking water (FRU), or 3) 120 g glycerol/L of drinking water (GLY). Lambs grazed alfalfa with free access to water treatments for 28 d and then were fasted in indoor pens for a final 2 d with access to only water treatments. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS with water treatment and time (when appropriate) in the model. During the 28-d grazing period, ADG was greater ( < 0.05) for GLY than for CON or FRU. During the 2-d fasting period, BW shrink was lower ( < 0.05) for GLY compared with CON or FRU. Hot carcass weight was greater ( < 0.05) for GLY than for FRU. The interaction for glycogen content × postmortem time was significant ( = 0.003) in LM and semitendinosus (ST) muscles. Glycogen content in the LM was greater ( < 0.05) for GLY at 2 and 3 h and for FRU at 1 h postmortem compared with CON. Glycogen content in ST did not differ between treatments ( > 0.05). Liver glycogen content was over 14-fold greater ( < 0.05) for GLY compared with FRU or CON. Liver free glucose was greater ( < 0.05) for GLY than for CON, whereas liver lipid content was higher ( < 0.05) for CON than for GLY. Supplementation with GLY increased ( < 0.05) odd-chain fatty acids in LM, subcutaneous fat (SQ), and the liver. Stearic acid (C18:0) concentrations were reduced in LM ( = 0.064) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SQ; = 0.018), whereas oleic acid (C18:1 -9) concentration tended to be increased ( = 0.066) in SQ with FRU and GLY. Linolenic acid (C18:3 -3) was reduced ( = 0.031) and all long-chain -3 fatty acid (eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid) concentrations were increased ( < 0.05) with FRU and GLY compared with CON. Glycerol supplementation upregulated ( < 0.05) stearoyl-CoA desaturate () and fatty acid synthase () mRNA by over 40-fold in the SQ and 5-fold in the liver. Glycerol supplementation also upregulated ( < 0.05) glucose transporters and glycogen branching enzyme in the liver. Overall, glycerol supplementation improved growth, reduced BW shrink during fasting, increased glycogen content in muscle and the liver, and stimulated de novo lipogenesis.

Developing an A Priori Database for Passive Microwave Snow Water Retrievals Over Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Mengtao; Liu, Guosheng

2017-12-01

A physically optimized a priori database is developed for Global Precipitation Measurement Microwave Imager (GMI) snow water retrievals over ocean. The initial snow water content profiles are derived from CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) measurements. A radiative transfer model in which the single-scattering properties of nonspherical snowflakes are based on the discrete dipole approximate results is employed to simulate brightness temperatures and their gradients. Snow water content profiles are then optimized through a one-dimensional variational (1D-Var) method. The standard deviations of the difference between observed and simulated brightness temperatures are in a similar magnitude to the observation errors defined for observation error covariance matrix after the 1D-Var optimization, indicating that this variational method is successful. This optimized database is applied in a Bayesian retrieval snow water algorithm. The retrieval results indicated that the 1D-Var approach has a positive impact on the GMI retrieved snow water content profiles by improving the physical consistency between snow water content profiles and observed brightness temperatures. Global distribution of snow water contents retrieved from the a priori database is compared with CloudSat CPR estimates. Results showed that the two estimates have a similar pattern of global distribution, and the difference of their global means is small. In addition, we investigate the impact of using physical parameters to subset the database on snow water retrievals. It is shown that using total precipitable water to subset the database with 1D-Var optimization is beneficial for snow water retrievals.

Influence of irrigation during the growth stage on yield and quality in mango (Mangifera indica L)

PubMed Central

Wei, Junya; Liu, Guoyin; Liu, Debing; Chen, Yeyuan

2017-01-01

Although being one of the few drought-tolerant plants, mango trees are irrigated to ensure optimum and consistent productivity in China. In order to better understand the effects of soil water content on mango yield and fruit quality at fruit growth stage, irrigation experiments were investigated and the object was to determine the soil water content criteria at which growth and quality of mango would be optimal based on soil water measured by RHD-JS water-saving irrigation system through micro-sprinkling irrigation. Five soil water content treatments (relative to the percentage of field water capacity) for irrigation (T1:79%-82%, T2:75%-78%, T3:71%-74%, T4: 65%-70%, T5:63%-66%) were compared in 2013. Amount of applied irrigation water for different treatments varied from 2.93m3 to 1.08 m3. The results showed that mango fruit production and quality at fruit growth stage were significantly affected under different irrigation water amounts. Variation in soil water content not only had effects on fruit size, but also on fruit yield. The highest fruit yield and irrigation water use efficiency were obtained from the T4 treatment. Irrigation water amount also affected fruit quality parameters like fruit total soluble solids, soluble sugar, starch, titratable acid and vitamin C content. Comprehensive evaluation of the effect of indexs of correlation on irrigation treatment by subordinate function showed that when the soil moisture content were controlled at about 65–70% of the field water moisture capacity, water demand in the growth and development of mango could be ensured, and maximum production efficiency of irrigation and the best quality of fruit could be achieved. In conclusion, treatment T4 was the optimum irrigation schedule for growing mango, thus achieving efficient production of mango in consideration of the compromise among mango yield, fruit quality and water use efficiency. PMID:28384647

Influence of irrigation during the growth stage on yield and quality in mango (Mangifera indica L).

PubMed

Wei, Junya; Liu, Guoyin; Liu, Debing; Chen, Yeyuan

2017-01-01

Although being one of the few drought-tolerant plants, mango trees are irrigated to ensure optimum and consistent productivity in China. In order to better understand the effects of soil water content on mango yield and fruit quality at fruit growth stage, irrigation experiments were investigated and the object was to determine the soil water content criteria at which growth and quality of mango would be optimal based on soil water measured by RHD-JS water-saving irrigation system through micro-sprinkling irrigation. Five soil water content treatments (relative to the percentage of field water capacity) for irrigation (T1:79%-82%, T2:75%-78%, T3:71%-74%, T4: 65%-70%, T5:63%-66%) were compared in 2013. Amount of applied irrigation water for different treatments varied from 2.93m3 to 1.08 m3. The results showed that mango fruit production and quality at fruit growth stage were significantly affected under different irrigation water amounts. Variation in soil water content not only had effects on fruit size, but also on fruit yield. The highest fruit yield and irrigation water use efficiency were obtained from the T4 treatment. Irrigation water amount also affected fruit quality parameters like fruit total soluble solids, soluble sugar, starch, titratable acid and vitamin C content. Comprehensive evaluation of the effect of indexs of correlation on irrigation treatment by subordinate function showed that when the soil moisture content were controlled at about 65-70% of the field water moisture capacity, water demand in the growth and development of mango could be ensured, and maximum production efficiency of irrigation and the best quality of fruit could be achieved. In conclusion, treatment T4 was the optimum irrigation schedule for growing mango, thus achieving efficient production of mango in consideration of the compromise among mango yield, fruit quality and water use efficiency.

Root cortical senescence decreases root respiration, nutrient content and radial water and nutrient transport in barley.

PubMed

Schneider, Hannah M; Wojciechowski, Tobias; Postma, Johannes A; Brown, Kathleen M; Lücke, Andreas; Zeisler, Viktoria; Schreiber, Lukas; Lynch, Jonathan P

2017-08-01

The functional implications of root cortical senescence (RCS) are poorly understood. We tested the hypotheses that RCS in barley (1) reduces the respiration and nutrient content of root tissue; (2) decreases radial water and nutrient transport; and (3) is accompanied by increased suberization to protect the stele. Genetic variation for RCS exists between modern germplasm and landraces. Nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency increased the rate of RCS. Maximal RCS, defined as the disappearance of the entire root cortex, reduced root nitrogen content by 66%, phosphorus content by 63% and respiration by 87% compared with root segments with no RCS. Roots with maximal RCS had 90, 92 and 84% less radial water, nitrate and phosphorus transport, respectively, compared with segments with no RCS. The onset of RCS coincided with 30% greater aliphatic suberin in the endodermis. These results support the hypothesis that RCS reduces root carbon and nutrient costs and may therefore have adaptive significance for soil resource acquisition. By reducing root respiration and nutrient content, RCS could permit greater root growth, soil resource acquisition and resource allocation to other plant processes. RCS merits investigation as a trait for improving the performance of barley, wheat, triticale and rye under edaphic stress. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Interspecific relationship and Si, N nutrition of rice in rice-water spinach intercropping system.

PubMed

Ning, Chuan Chuan; Yang, Rong Shuang; Cai, Mao Xia; Wang, Jian Wu; Luo, Shi Ming; Cai, Kun Zheng

2017-02-01

Intercropping is a sound eco-agriculture model, but aquatic crops (e.g., rice) intercropping is seldom researched. In the present study, rice and water spinach were chosen as the research objects, a field trial was conducted to explore the yields, interspecific relationship and Si, N nutrition of rice under rice-water spinach intercropping for four seasons during two consecutive years (2014-2015). The experiment had five treatments: rice monoculture, water spinach monoculture, and rice-water spinach intercropping ratios of 2:2, 3:2, 4:2, respectively. The results showed that rice-water spinach intercropping significantly increased rice yield, and the increase rates of 2:2, 3:2 and 4:2 intercropping per unit area were 77.5%-120.6%, 64.9%-80.9%, 37.7%-56.0%, respectively. However, intercropping resulted in reduction of water spinach yield. Intercropping significantly increased total yield of rice and water spinach from land equivalent ratios (LER) analysis. The values of LER were more than 1.0, and the ratio of 3:2 intercropping had the best effect. As for the competitive index, rice was more competitive than water spinach in intercropping system, especially in early season. Compared with rice monoculture, rice-water spinach intercropping significantly increased the absorption of Si and N in rice leaves, and Si content of rice leaves during ripening stage, but didn't increase its N content and even slightly reduced it during ripening stage. Intercropping had no significant effect on available Si, ammonium N and nitrate N content in soil. Compared with rice monoculture and intercropping, water spinach monoculture had always the highest available Si, ammonium N and nitrate N contents in soil through the experiment period. The results suggested that rice-spinach intercropping could promote rice to absorb silicon and nitrogen and increase the competitive ability of rice.

Title: Potassium application regulates nitrogen metabolism and osmotic adjustment in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) functional leaf under drought stress.

PubMed

Zahoor, Rizwan; Zhao, Wenqing; Abid, Muhammad; Dong, Haoran; Zhou, Zhiguo

2017-08-01

To evaluate the role of potassium (K) in maintaining nitrogen metabolism and osmotic adjustment development of cotton functional leaves to sustain growth under soil drought and rewatering conditions, the plants of two cotton cultivars Siza 3 (low-K sensitive) and Simian 3 (low-K tolerant), were grown under three different K rates (K0, K1, and K2; 0, 150, and 300kgK 2 Oha -1 , respectively) and exposed to drought stress with 40±5% soil relative water content (SRWC). The drought stress was applied at flowering stage by withholding water for eight days followed by rewatering to a well-watered level (75±5% SRWC). The results showed that drought-stressed plants of both cultivars showed a decrease in leaf relative water content (RWC) and osmotic potential in the functional leaves and developed osmotic adjustment with an increase in the contents of free amino acids, soluble sugars, inorganic K, and nitrate as compared to well-watered plants. In drought-stressed plants, nitrogen-metabolizing enzyme activities of nitrogen reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS), and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) were diminished significantly (P≤0.05) along with decreased chlorophyll content and soluble proteins. However, drought-stressed plants under K application not only exhibited higher osmotic adjustment with greater accumulation of osmolytes but also regulated nitrogen metabolism by maintaining higher enzyme activities, soluble proteins, and chlorophyll content in functional leaves as compared to the plants without K application. Siza 3 showed better stability in enzyme activities and resulted in 89% higher seed cotton yield under K2 as compared to K0 in drought-stressed plants, whereas this increase was 53% in the case of Simian 3. The results of the study suggested that K application enhances cotton plants' potential for sustaining high nitrogen-metabolizing enzyme activities and related components to supplement osmotic adjustment under soil drought conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

A biomechanical perspective on the role of large stem volume and high water content in baobab trees (Adansonia spp.; Bombacaceae).

PubMed

Chapotin, Saharah Moon; Razanameharizaka, Juvet H; Holbrook, N Michele

2006-09-01

The stems of large trees serve in transport, storage, and support; however, the degree to which these roles are reflected in their morphology is not always apparent. The large, water-filled stems of baobab trees (Adansonia spp.) are generally assumed to serve a water storage function, yet recent studies indicate limited use of stored water. Through an analysis of wood structure and composition, we examined whether baobab morphology reflects biomechanical constraints rather than water storage capacity in the six Madagascar baobab species. Baobab wood has a high water content (up to 79%), low wood density (0.09-0.17 g · cm(-3)), high parenchyma content (69-88%), and living cells beyond 35 cm into the xylem from the cambium. Volumetric construction cost of the wood is several times lower than in more typical trees, and the elastic modulus approaches that of parenchyma tissue. Safety factors calculated from estimated elastic buckling heights were low, indicating that baobabs are not more overbuilt than other temperate and tropical trees, yet the energy investment in stem material is comparable to that in temperate deciduous trees. Furthermore, the elastic modulus of the wood decreases with water content, such that excessive water withdrawal from the stem could affect mechanical stability.

Boron content and sources in Tertiary aquifers in the Sultanate of Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moraetis, Daniel; Lamki, Mohamed Al; Muhammad, Dawood; Yaroubi, Saif; Batashi, Hamad Al; Pracejus, Bernhard

2017-04-01

The boron (B) content of relatively shallow groundwaters in arid areas is high due to extreme evaporation which precipitates several salts with subsequent boron accumulation originating from rocks dissolution and/or rainwater. In deeper aquifers, where there is no groundwater-surface connection, other sources of boron may affect the water quality. The present study investigates the boron origin observed in 197 wells completed within the units of Umm Er Radhuma (UeR), Rus, Dammam and Fars (from older to younger geological units) which all belong to the Tertiary units of the interior of Oman. The acquired chemical data include major ions (cations and anions), Rare Earth Elements (REE) along with B isotopes (10 and 11) and Sr isotopes (86 and 87). In addition, leaching tests were performed in selected samples to validate the release of B in distilled water. The water samples were grouped based on B concentration of less than 5 mg/l, 5 to 15 mg/l and extreme values of higher than 15 mg/l. The Fars and UeR groundwater samples showed the most extreme boron content (higher than 15 mg/l) yet the former is the shallower and younger unit and the latter is the deeper and older unit. The Fars water of high boron content (higher than 15 mg/l) shows very high content of magnesium and calcium as well as low concentration of Sr. Furthermore, the magnesium and calcium are also high in UeR, while Sr concentration is much higher in UeR compared to Fars. The UeR water with extreme boron content appears in the field of diagenetic water in a diagram of δ11BNIST951 [‰] versus 1/B, along with Sr isotopes ratio and europium (Eu) positive anomaly, while Fars waters appear in a mixing zone of marine water with infiltrated rainwater. The regression analysis of sodium and chloride showed that concentrations of boron up to 10 mg/l can be correlated to halite dissolution in infiltrated rainwater in all units. The laboratory leaching tests verified the rocks capability to release boron up to 7 mg/l with a low water/solid ratio (low porosity rocks). Thus, the lowest boron content (up to 5 mg/l) is correlated to the dissolution of minerals within the Tertiary units. Whilst the samples containing 5 to 15 mg/l of B could correspond to lower water to solid ratio aquifer and/or mixing of low and high boron waters (rainwater and diagenetic or marine water). Finally, B isotopes along the REE analysis are considered as better indices of groundwater origin compared to Sr isotopes ratio especially in the case of diagenetic water identification.

The Calculated and Measured Performance Characteristics of a Heated-Wire Liquid-Water-Content Meter for Measuring Icing Severity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neel, Carr B.; Steinmetz, Charles P.

1952-01-01

Ground tests have been made of an instrument which, when assembled in a more compact form for flight installation, could be used to obtain statistical flight data on the liquid-water content of icing clouds and to provide an indication of icing severity. The sensing element of the instrument consists of an electrically heated wire which is mounted in the air stream. The degree of cooling of the wire resulting from evaporation of the impinging water droplets is a measure. of the liquid-water content of the cloud. Determination of the value of the liquid-water content from the wire temperature at any instant requires a knowledge of the airspeed, altitude, and air temperature. An analysis was made of the temperature response of a heated wire exposed to an air stream containing water drops. Comparisons were made of the liquid-water content as measured with several heated wires and absorbent cylinders in an artificially produced cloud. For one of the wires, comparative tests were made with a rotating-disk icing-rate meter in an icing wind tunnel. From the test results, it was shown that an instrument for measuring the concentration of liquid water in an air stream can be built using an electrically heated wire of known temperatureresistance characteristics, and that the performance of such a device can be predicted using appropriate theory. Although an instrument in a form suitable for gathering statistical data in flight was not built, the practicability of constructing such an instrument was illustrated. The ground-test results indicated that a flight heated-wire instrument would be simple and durable, would respond rapidly to variations in liquid-water content, and could be used for the measurement of water content in clouds which are above freezing temperature, as well as in icing clouds.

Surface forces between hydrophilic silica surfaces in a moisture-sensitive oleophilic diacrylate monomer liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Shunya; Kasuya, Motohiro; Kurihara, Kazue; Nakagawa, Masaru

2018-02-01

We measured the surface forces generated between fused silica surfaces in a low-viscosity oleophilic diacrylate monomer for reliably repeated ultraviolet (UV) nanoimprinting, and studied the influence of water in monomer liquids on the forces. Fused silica surfaces, with a static contact angle of 52.6 ± 1.7° for water, owing to the low degree of hydroxylation, hardly showed reproducible surface forces with repeated scan cycles, comprising approach and separation, even in an identical liquid monomer medium with both of low and high water content. The monomer liquid with a high water content of approximately 420 ppm showed a greater tendency to increase the surface forces at longer surface-surface distances compared with the monomer liquid with a low water content of approximately 60 ppm. On the other hand, silica surfaces with a water contact angle of < 5° after exposure to vacuum UV (VUV) light under a reduced air pressure showed reproducible profiles of surfaces forces using the monomer with a low water concentration of approximately 60 ppm for repeated surface forces scan cycles even in separately prepared silica surfaces, whilst they showed less reproducible profiles in the liquids with high water content of 430 ppm. These results suggested that water possibly adsorbed on the hydrophilic and hydrophobic silica surfaces in the monomer liquid of the high water concentration influenced the repeatability of the surface forces profiles.

Observed reflectivities and liquid water content for marine stratocumulus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coakley, J. A., Jr.; Snider, J. B.

1989-01-01

Simultaneous observations of cloud liquid water content and cloud reflectivity are used to verify their parametric relationship in a manner consistent with simple parameterizations often used in general-circulation climate models. The column amount of cloud liquid water was measured with a microwave radiometer on San Nicolas Island as described by Hogg et al., (1983). Cloud reflectivity was obtained through spatial coherence analysis of AVHRR imagery data as per Coakley and Baldwin (1984) and Coakley and Beckner (1988). The dependence of the observed reflectivity on the observed liquid water is discussed, and this empirical relationship is compared with the parameterization proposed by Stephens (1978).

Effect of Anisotropy on the Resilient Behaviour of a Granular Material in Low Traffic Pavement

PubMed Central

Jing, Peng; Nowamooz, Hossein; Chazallon, Cyrille

2017-01-01

Granular materials are often used in pavement structures. The influence of anisotropy on the mechanical behaviour of granular materials is very important. The coupled effects of water content and fine content usually lead to more complex anisotropic behaviour. With a repeated load triaxial test (RLTT), it is possible to measure the anisotropic deformation behaviour of granular materials. This article initially presents an experimental study of the resilient repeated load response of a compacted clayey natural sand with three fine contents and different water contents. Based on anisotropic behaviour, the non-linear resilient model (Boyce model) is improved by the radial anisotropy coefficient γ3 instead of the axial anisotropy coefficient γ1. The results from both approaches (γ1 and γ3) are compared with the measured volumetric and deviatoric responses. These results confirm the capacity of the improved model to capture the general trend of the experiments. Finally, finite element calculations are performed with CAST3M in order to validate the improvement of the modified Boyce model (from γ1 to γ3). The modelling results indicate that the modified Boyce model with γ3 is more widely available in different water contents and different fine contents for this granular material. Besides, based on the results, the coupled effects of water content and fine content on the deflection of the structures can also be observed. PMID:29207504

Effect of Anisotropy on the Resilient Behaviour of a Granular Material in Low Traffic Pavement.

PubMed

Jing, Peng; Nowamooz, Hossein; Chazallon, Cyrille

2017-12-03

Granular materials are often used in pavement structures. The influence of anisotropy on the mechanical behaviour of granular materials is very important. The coupled effects of water content and fine content usually lead to more complex anisotropic behaviour. With a repeated load triaxial test (RLTT), it is possible to measure the anisotropic deformation behaviour of granular materials. This article initially presents an experimental study of the resilient repeated load response of a compacted clayey natural sand with three fine contents and different water contents. Based on anisotropic behaviour, the non-linear resilient model (Boyce model) is improved by the radial anisotropy coefficient γ ₃ instead of the axial anisotropy coefficient γ ₁. The results from both approaches ( γ ₁ and γ ₃) are compared with the measured volumetric and deviatoric responses. These results confirm the capacity of the improved model to capture the general trend of the experiments. Finally, finite element calculations are performed with CAST3M in order to validate the improvement of the modified Boyce model (from γ ₁ to γ ₃). The modelling results indicate that the modified Boyce model with γ ₃ is more widely available in different water contents and different fine contents for this granular material. Besides, based on the results, the coupled effects of water content and fine content on the deflection of the structures can also be observed.

[Leaf water potential of spring wheat and field pea under different tillage patterns and its relationships with environmental factors].

PubMed

Zhang, Ming; Zhang, Ren-Zhi; Cai, Li-Qun

2008-07-01

Based on a long-term experiment, the leaf water potential of spring wheat and field pea, its relationships with environmental factors, and the diurnal variations of leaf relative water content and water saturation deficient under different tillage patterns were studied. The results showed that during whole growth period, field pea had an obviously higher leaf water potential than spring wheat, but the two crops had similar diurnal variation trend of their leaf water potential, i.e., the highest in early morning, followed by a descent, and a gradual ascent after the descent. For spring wheat, the maximum leaf water potential appeared at its jointing and heading stages, followed by at booting and flowering stages, and the minimum appeared at filling stage. For field pea, the maximum leaf water potential achieved at squaring stage, followed by at branching and flowering stages, and the minimum was at podding stage. The leaf relative water content of spring wheat was the highest at heading stage, followed by at jointing and flowering stages, and achieved the minimum at filling stage; while the water saturation deficient was just in adverse. With the growth of field pea, its leaf relative water content decreased, but leaf water saturation deficient increased. The leaf water potential of both spring wheat and field pea had significant correlations with environmental factors, including soil water content, air temperature, solar radiation, relative air humidity, and air water potential. Path analysis showed that the meteorological factor which had the strongest effect on the diurnal variation of spring wheat' s and field pea' s leaf water potential was air water potential and air temperature, respectively. Compared with conventional tillage, the protective tillage patterns no-till, no-till plus straw mulching, and conventional tillage plus straw returning increased the leaf water potential and relative water content of test crops, and the effect of no-till plus straw mulching was most significant.

Thermal protective uniforms and hoods: impact of design modifications and water content on burn prevention in New York City firefighters: laboratory and field results

PubMed Central

Prezant, D; Malley, K; Barker, R; Guerth, C; Kelly, K

2001-01-01

Objectives—To determine (1) the effectiveness of hoods in reducing head burns, (2) the impact of clothes worn under the protective outer uniform (modern = long sleeve shirt and long pants; modified modern = short sleeve T-shirt and short pants) on burns, and (3) whether water content (dry, damp or saturated) affects the level of thermal protection. Setting—Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY). Methods—Laboratory tests (fully dressed manikin) evaluated the different uniform and water conditions when exposed to an average 24 cal/cm2 heat flux, approximately 2250°F air temperature. FDNY field results compared (1) head burns during winters wearing the hood to winters without hood and (2) upper and lower extremity burns during summers wearing traditional, modern, and modified modern uniforms. Results—Laboratory tests showed that thermal protection was: (1) dramatically improved by the hood with protection increasing as water content increased and (2) not significantly different between modern and modified modern uniforms, regardless of water content. FDNY field results confirmed these tests showing (1) significant decreases in neck burns (by 54%), ear burns (by 60%), and head burn totals (by 46%) wearing the hood and (2) no significant differences in upper or lower extremity burns wearing modern compared with modified modern uniforms. Conclusions—Based on combined laboratory and field results, we strongly recommend the use of modern thermal protective hoods and the modified modern uniform. PMID:11565971

Comparison of the Mineral Content of Tap Water and Bottled Waters

PubMed Central

Azoulay, Arik; Garzon, Philippe; Eisenberg, Mark J

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVES Because of growing concern that constituents of drinking water may have adverse health effects, consumption of tap water in North America has decreased and consumption of bottled water has increased. Our objectives were to 1) determine whether North American tap water contains clinically important levels of calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), and sodium (Na+) and 2) determine whether differences in mineral content of tap water and commercially available bottled waters are clinically important. DESIGN We obtained mineral analysis reports from municipal water authorities of 21 major North American cities. Mineral content of tap water was compared with published data regarding commercially available bottled waters and with dietary reference intakes (DRIs). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Mineral levels varied among tap water sources in North America and among bottled waters. European bottled waters generally contained higher mineral levels than North American tap water sources and North American bottled waters. For half of the tap water sources we examined, adults may fulfill between 8% and 16% of their Ca2+ DRI and between 6% and 31% of their Mg2+ DRI by drinking 2 liters per day. One liter of most moderate mineralization European bottled waters contained between 20% and 58% of the Ca2+ DRI and between 16% and 41% of the Mg2+ DRI in adults. High mineralization bottled waters often contained up to half of the maximum recommended daily intake of Na+. CONCLUSION Drinking water sources available to North Americans may contain high levels of Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+ and may provide clinically important portions of the recommended dietary intake of these minerals. Physicians should encourage patients to check the mineral content of their drinking water, whether tap or bottled, and choose water most appropriate for their needs. PMID:11318912

Two-port transmission line technique for dielectric property characterization of polymer electrolyte membranes.

PubMed

Lu, Zijie; Lanagan, Michael; Manias, Evangelos; Macdonald, Digby D

2009-10-15

Performance improvements of perfluorosulfonic acid membranes, such as Nafion and Flemion, underline a need for dielectric characterization of these materials toward a quantitative understanding of the dynamics of water molecules and protons within the membranes. In this Article, a two-port transmission line technique for measuring the complex permittivity spectra of polymeric electrolytes in the microwave region is described, and the algorithms for permittivity determination are presented. The technique is experimentally validated with liquid water and polytertrafluoroethylene film, whose dielectric properties are well-known. Further, the permittivity spectra of dry and hydrated Flemion SH150 membranes are measured and compared to those of Nafion 117. Two water relaxation modes are observed in the microwave region (0.045-26 GHz) at 25 degrees C. The higher-frequency process observed is identified as the cooperative relaxation of bulk-like water, whose amount was found to increase linearly with water content in the polymer. The lower-frequency process, characterized by longer relaxation times in the range of 20-70 ps, is attributed to water molecules that are loosely bound to sulfonate groups. The loosely bound water amount was found to increase with hydration level at low water content and levels off at higher water contents. Flemion SH150, which has an equivalent weight of 909 g/equiv, displays higher dielectric strengths for both of these water modes as compared to Nafion 117 (equivalent weight of 1100 g/equiv), which probably reflects the effect of equivalent weight on the polymers' hydrated structure, and in particular its effect on the extended ionic cluster domains.

Peatland water repellency: Importance of soil water content, moss species, and burn severity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, P. A.; Lukenbach, M. C.; Kettridge, N.; Petrone, R. M.; Devito, K. J.; Waddington, J. M.

2017-11-01

Wildfire is the largest disturbance affecting peatlands, with northern peat reserves expected to become more vulnerable to wildfire as climate change enhances the length and severity of the fire season. Recent research suggests that high water table positions after wildfire are critical to limit atmospheric carbon losses and enable the re-establishment of keystone peatland mosses (i.e. Sphagnum). Post-fire recovery of the moss surface in Sphagnum-feathermoss peatlands, however, has been shown to be limited where moss type and burn severity interact to result in a water repellent surface. While in situ measurements of moss water repellency in peatlands have been shown to be greater for feathermoss in both a burned and unburned state in comparison to Sphagnum moss, it is difficult to separate the effect of water content from species. Consequently, we carried out a laboratory based drying experiment where we compared the water repellency of two dominant peatland moss species, Sphagnum and feathermoss, for several burn severity classes including unburned samples. The results suggest that water repellency in moss is primarily controlled by water content, where a sharp threshold exists at gravimetric water contents (GWC) lower than ∼1.4 g g-1. While GWC is shown to be a strong predictor of water repellency, the effect is enhanced by burning. Based on soil water retention curves, we suggest that it is highly unlikely that Sphagnum will exhibit strong hydrophobic conditions under field conditions.

Evaluation of the spatial variability of soil water content at the spatial resolution of SMAP data products : case studies in Italy and Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menenti, Massimo; Akdim, Nadia; Alfieri, Silvia Maria; Labbassi, Kamal; De Lorenzi, Francesca; Bonfante, Antonello; Basile, Angelo

2014-05-01

Frequent and contiguous observations of soil water content such as the ones to be provided by SMAP are potentially useful to improve distributed models of soil water balance. This requires matching of observations and model estimates provided both sample spatial patterns consistently. The spatial resolution of SMAP soil water content data products ranges from 3 km X 3 km to 40 km X 40 km. Even the highest spatial resolution may not be sufficient to capture the spatial variability due to terrain, soil properties and precipitation. We have evaluated the SMAP spatial resolution against spatial variability of soil water content in two Mediterranean landscapes: a hilly area dominated by vineyards and olive orchards in Central Italy and a large irrigation schemes (Doukkala) in Morocco. The "Valle Telesina" is a 20,000 ha complex landscape located in South Italy in the Campania region, which has a complex geology and geomorphology and it is characterised by an E-W elongated graben where the Calore river flows. The main crops are grapevine (6,448 ha) and olive (3,390 ha). Soil information was mainly derived from an existing soil map at 1:50 000 scale (Terribile et al., 1996). The area includes 47 SMUs (Soil Mapping Units) and about 60 soil typological units (STUs). (Bonfante et al., 2011). In Doukkala, the soil water retention and unsaturated capillary conductivity were estimated from grain size distribution of a number of samples (22 pilot points, each one sampled in 3 horizons of 20cm), and combined with a soil map. The land use classification was carried out using a NDVI time series at high spatial resolution (Landsat TM and SPOT HRV). We have calculated soil water content for each soil unit in each area in response to several climate cases generating daily maps of soil water content at different depths. To reproduce spatial sampling by SMAP we have filtered these spatial patterns by calculating box averages with grid sizes of 1 km X 1 km and 5 km X 5 km. We have repeated this procedure for soil water content in the 0 to 5 cm and 0 to 10 cm depths. For each case we have compared the variance of filtered soil water content with the expected accuracy of SMAP soil water content. The two areas are very different as regards morphology and soil formation. The Valle Telesina is characterized by a very significant variability of soil hydrological properties leading to complex patterns in soil water content. Contrariwise, the soil properties estimated for all soil mapping units in the Dhoukkala collapse into just two pairs of water retention and hydraulic conductivity characteristics, leading to smoother patterns of soil water content.

Investigation of Polyhenolic Content of Rose Hip (Rosa canina L.) Tea Extracts: A Comparative Study

PubMed Central

İlbay, Zeynep; Şahin, Selin; Kırbaşlar, Ş. İsmail

2013-01-01

Three different brands of Rose hip (Rosa canina L.) tea were extracted with water, ethanol (EtOH), methanol (MeOH), and aqueous mixtures (50%, v/v) by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and Soxhlet methods. Total phenolic content was determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The results were presented by means of the extract yields and total phenolic contents, expressed in gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per g of dried matter (DM). The greatest amount of extract observed in tea samples was obtained by UAE through water with the value of 619.37 ± 0.58 mg/g DM. Regarding the phenolic content, the best result was achieved by the Soxhlet method through 50% MeOH mixture (59.69 ± 0.89 mg GAE/g DM), followed by the UAE method with water (48.59 ± 0.29 mg GAE/g DM). PMID:28239095

Study to find the best extraction solvent for use with guava leaves (Psidium guajava L.) for high antioxidant efficacy

PubMed Central

Seo, Jongkwon; Lee, Soojung; Elam, Marcus L; Johnson, Sarah A; Kang, Jonghoon; Arjmandi, Bahram H

2014-01-01

The effects of guava leaves extracted using solvents of water, ethanol, methanol, and different concentrations of hydroethanolic solvents on phenolic compounds and flavonoids, and antioxidant properties have been investigated. The antioxidant capability was assessed based on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical-scavenging abilities, reducing power, and nitric oxide-and nitrate-scavenging activities. The results demonstrated that the antioxidant ability of guava leaf extracts has a strong relationship with phenolic compound content rather than flavonoid content. Phenolic compound content of water extracted guava leaves was higher compared to pure ethanol and methanol extracts. However, phenolic compound content extracted using hydroethanolic solvent was higher than water, whereas 50% hydroethanolic was observed to be the most effective solvent showing high antioxidant ability. PMID:24804076

Comparison of pulsating DC and DC power air-water plasma jet: A method to decrease plume temperature and increase ROS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, K.; Hu, H.; Lei, J.; Hu, Y.; Zheng, Z.

2016-12-01

Most air-water plasma jets are rich in hydroxyl radicals (•OH), but the plasma has higher temperatures, compared to that of pure gas, especially when using air as working gas. In this paper, pulsating direct current (PDC) power was used to excite the air-water plasma jet to reduce plume temperature. In addition to the temperature, other differences between PDC and DC plasma jets are not yet clear. Thus, comparative studies of those plasmas are performed to evaluate characteristics, such as breakdown voltage, temperature, and reactive oxygen species. The results show that the plume temperature of PDC plasma is roughly 5-10 °C lower than that of DC plasma in the same conditions. The •OH content of PDC is lower than that of DC plasma, whereas the O content of PDC plasma is higher. The addition of water leads in an increase in the plume temperature and in the production of •OH with two types of power supplies. The production of O inversely shows a declining tendency with higher water ratio. The most important finding is that the PDC plasma with 100% water ratio achieves lower temperature and more abundant production of •OH and O, compared with DC plasma with 0% water ratio.

Water content within the oceanic upper mantle of the Southwest Indian Ridge: a FTIR analysis of orthopyroxenes of abyssal peridotites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, W.; Li, H.; Tao, C.; Jin, Z.

2013-12-01

Water can be present in the oceanic upper mantle as structural OH in nominally anhydrous minerals. Such water has marked effects on manlte melting and rheology properties. However, the water content of MORB source is mainly inferred from MORB glass data that the water budget of oceanic upper mantle is poorly constrained. Here we present water analysis of peridotites from different sites on the Southwest Indian Ridge. The mineral assemblages of these peridotites are olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and spinel. As the peridotites have been serpentinized to different degrees, only water contents in orthopyroxnene can be better determined by FTIR spectrometry. The IR absorption bands of all measured orthopyroxenes can be devided into four different groups: (1)3562-3596 cm-1, (2)3515-3520 cm-1, (3)3415-3420 cm-1, (4)3200-3210 cm-1. The positions of these absorption bands are in good agreement with perivious reports. Hydrogen profile measurements performed on larger opx grains in each suite of samples show no obvious variations between core and rims regions, indicating that diffusion of H in orthopyroxene is insignificant. Preliminary measured water contents of orthopyroxene differ by up to one order of magnitude. Opx water contents (80-220 ppm) of most samples are within the range of those found in mantle xenoliths of contentinal settings [1]. Opx water contents of one sample (VM-21V-S9-D5-2: 38-64 ppm) are similar to those from Gakkel Ridge abyssal peridotites (25-60 ppm) [2] but higher than those from Mid-Atlantic Ridge ODP-Leg 209(~15 ppm) [3]. Two other samples show high water concentrations (VM-19ΙΙΙ-S3-TVG2-4: 260-275 ppm, Wb-18-b: 190-265 ppm) which compare well with those from Mid-Atlantic Ridge ODP-Leg 153(160-270 ppm) [4]. Most opx water contents decrease with increasing depletion degree (spl Cr#) consistent with an incompatible behavior of water during partial melting. Recalculated bulk water contents (27-117 ppm) of these peridotites overlap estimates for MORB source. However, estimated original bulk water contents prior to partial melting of some samples are very high (e.g. wb-18-b: 540-770 ppm) and can not simply be explained by melt extraction. Our data suggest that the water contents in the oceanic upper mantle of SWIR are heterogeneous or different post-melt depletion histories are involved. Reference [1] Peslier (2010) JVGR 197, 239-258. [2] Peslier et al. (2007) Goldschmidt. [3] Gose et al. (2009) Geology 37,543-546 [4] Schmädicke et al. (2011) Lithos 125, 308-320.

Wildfire impacts on soil-water retention in the Colorado Front Range, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ebel, Brian A.

2012-01-01

This work examined the plot-scale differences in soil-water retention caused by wildfire in the area of the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire in the Colorado Front Range, United States. We measured soil-water retention curves on intact cores and repacked samples, soil particle-size distributions, and organic matter content. Estimates were also made of plant-available water based on the soil-water retention curves. Parameters for use in soil-hydraulic property models were estimated; these parameters can be used in unsaturated flow modeling for comparing burned and unburned watersheds. The primary driver for measured differences in soil-water retention in burned and unburned soils was organic matter content and not soil-particle size distribution. The tendency for unburned south-facing soils to have greater organic matter content than unburned north-facing soils in this field area may explain why unburned south-facing soils had greater soil-water retention than unburned north-facing soils. Our results suggest that high-severity wildfire can “homogenize” soil-water retention across the landscape by erasing soil-water retention differences resulting from organic matter content, which for this site may be affected by slope aspect. This homogenization could have important implications for ecohydrology and plant succession/recovery in burned areas, which could be a factor in dictating the window of vulnerability of the landscape to flash floods and erosion that are a common consequence of wildfire.

Wildfire impacts on soil-water retention in the Colorado Front Range, United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebel, Brian A.

2012-12-01

This work examined the plot-scale differences in soil-water retention caused by wildfire in the area of the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire in the Colorado Front Range, United States. We measured soil-water retention curves on intact cores and repacked samples, soil particle-size distributions, and organic matter content. Estimates were also made of plant-available water based on the soil-water retention curves. Parameters for use in soil-hydraulic property models were estimated; these parameters can be used in unsaturated flow modeling for comparing burned and unburned watersheds. The primary driver for measured differences in soil-water retention in burned and unburned soils was organic matter content and not soil-particle size distribution. The tendency for unburned south-facing soils to have greater organic matter content than unburned north-facing soils in this field area may explain why unburned south-facing soils had greater soil-water retention than unburned north-facing soils. Our results suggest that high-severity wildfire can "homogenize" soil-water retention across the landscape by erasing soil-water retention differences resulting from organic matter content, which for this site may be affected by slope aspect. This homogenization could have important implications for ecohydrology and plant succession/recovery in burned areas, which could be a factor in dictating the window of vulnerability of the landscape to flash floods and erosion that are a common consequence of wildfire.

Changing the characteristics and properties of zeolite Y and nano-anatase in the formation of a nano-anatase/Y composite with improved photocatalytic and adsorption properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domoroshchina, E. N.; Chernyshev, V. V.; Kuz'micheva, G. M.; Dorokhov, A. V.; Pirutko, L. V.; Kravchenko, G. V.; Chumakov, R. B.

2018-02-01

Zeolite Y and the NTD/Y nanocomposite, which were synthesized in situ (the addition of zeolite Y to the reaction mixture in the course of the synthesis of NTD by the sulfate method), were studied by a variety of methods. The decrease in the particle size (scanning electron microscopy) and the water content in pores (X-ray powder diffraction study, the full-profile Rietveld method, IR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry), the increase in OH groups content and the decrease in the water content on the surface of zeolite (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) in the composition of NTD/Y compared to the initial zeolite Y were all established. A larger specific surface area of NTD/Y (Brunauer-Emmet-Teller method) compared to the initial zeolite Y is due to the fact that zeolite Y in the nanocomposite contains a smaller amount of water because of the synthesis conditions and the presence of nanocrystalline NTD on the surface of zeolite particles. It was found that NTD/Y nanocomposite exhibits a higher photocatalytic activity in the model decomposition reaction of methyl orange under UV and adsorption capacity for the extraction of P(V) and As(V) ions from aqueous media compared to the initial zeolite and pure NTD obtained under the same conditions, which differs from NTD/Y by the larger particle size, the smaller specific surface and the smaller content of OH groups and water on the surface. The role of Bronsted and Lewis centers in the realization of properties is discussed.

A comparative modeling study of a dual tracer experiment in a large lysimeter under atmospheric conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stumpp, C.; Nützmann, G.; Maciejewski, S.; Maloszewski, P.

2009-09-01

SummaryIn this paper, five model approaches with different physical and mathematical concepts varying in their model complexity and requirements were applied to identify the transport processes in the unsaturated zone. The applicability of these model approaches were compared and evaluated investigating two tracer breakthrough curves (bromide, deuterium) in a cropped, free-draining lysimeter experiment under natural atmospheric boundary conditions. The data set consisted of time series of water balance, depth resolved water contents, pressure heads and resident concentrations measured during 800 days. The tracer transport parameters were determined using a simple stochastic (stream tube model), three lumped parameter (constant water content model, multi-flow dispersion model, variable flow dispersion model) and a transient model approach. All of them were able to fit the tracer breakthrough curves. The identified transport parameters of each model approach were compared. Despite the differing physical and mathematical concepts the resulting parameters (mean water contents, mean water flux, dispersivities) of the five model approaches were all in the same range. The results indicate that the flow processes are also describable assuming steady state conditions. Homogeneous matrix flow is dominant and a small pore volume with enhanced flow velocities near saturation was identified with variable saturation flow and transport approach. The multi-flow dispersion model also identified preferential flow and additionally suggested a third less mobile flow component. Due to high fitting accuracy and parameter similarity all model approaches indicated reliable results.

Black water sludge reuse in agriculture: are heavy metals a problem?

PubMed

Tervahauta, Taina; Rani, Sonia; Hernández Leal, Lucía; Buisman, Cees J N; Zeeman, Grietje

2014-06-15

Heavy metal content of sewage sludge is currently the most significant factor limiting its reuse in agriculture within the European Union. In the Netherlands most of the produced sewage sludge is incinerated, mineralizing the organic carbon into the atmosphere rather than returning it back to the soil. Source-separation of black water (toilet water) excludes external heavy metal inputs, such as industrial effluents and surface run-offs, producing sludge with reduced heavy metal content that is a more favorable source for resource recovery. The results presented in this paper show that feces is the main contributor to the heavy metal loading of vacuum collected black water (52-84%), while in sewage the contribution of feces is less than 10%. To distinguish black water from sewage in the sludge reuse regulation, a control parameter should be implemented, such as the Hg and Pb content that is significantly higher in sewage sludge compared to black water sludge (from 50- to 200-fold). The heavy metals in feces and urine are primarily from dietary sources, and promotion of the soil application of black water sludge over livestock manure and artificial fertilizers could further reduce the heavy metal content in the soil/food cycle. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Clay-Alcohol-Water Dispersions: Anomalous Viscosity Changes Due to Network Formation of Clay Nanosheets Induced by Alcohol Clustering.

PubMed

Kimura, Yuji; Haraguchi, Kazutoshi

2017-05-16

Clay-alcohol-water ternary dispersions were compared with alcohol-water binary mixtures in terms of viscosity and optical absorbance. Aqueous clay dispersions to which lower alcohols (ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, and tert-butanol) were added exhibited significant viscosity anomalies (maxima) when the alcohol content was 30-55 wt %, as well as optical absorbance anomalies (maxima). The maximum viscosity (η max ) depended strongly on the clay content and varied between 300 and 8000 mPa·s, making it remarkably high compared with the viscosity anomalies (2 mPa·s) observed in alcohol-water binary mixtures. The alcohol content at η max decreased as the hydrophobicity of the alcohol increased. The ternary dispersions with viscosity anomalies exhibited thixotropic behaviors. The effects of other hydrophilic solvents (glycols) and other kinds of clays were also clarified. Based on these findings and the average particle size changes, the viscosity anomalies in the ternary dispersions were explained by alcohol-clustering-induced network formation of the clay nanosheets. It was estimated that 0.9, 1.7, and 2.5 H 2 O molecules per alcohol molecule were required to stabilize the ethanol, 2-propanol, and tert-butanol, respectively, in the clay-alcohol-water dispersions.

[Effects of strip planting and fallow rotation on the soil and water loss and water use efficiency of slope farmland].

PubMed

Hou, Xian-Qing; Li, Rong; Han, Qing-Fang; Jia, Zhi-Kuan; Wang, Wei; Yan, Bo; Yang, Bao-Ping

2012-08-01

In order to enhance the soil water-retaining capacity of slope farmland and reduce its soil and water loss, a field study was conducted in 2007-2010 to examine the effects of strip planting and fallow rotation on the soil water regime, soil and water loss characteristics, and water use efficiency of a 10 degrees-15 degrees slope farmland in the arid area of southern Ningxia, Northwest China. Compared with the traditional no-strip planting, strip planting and fallow rotation increased the soil water content in 0-200 cm layer significantly, with an increment of 4.9% -7.0%. Strip planting and fallow rotation pattern could also effectively conserve the soil water in rain season, and obviously improve the soil water regime at crops early growth stages. As compared to no-strip planting, strip planting and fallow rotation increased the soil water content in 0-200 cm layer by 5.4%-8.5%, decreased the surface runoff by 0.7-3.2 m3 x hm(-2), sediment runoff by 0.2-1.9 t x hm(-2), and soil total N loss by 42.1% -73.3%, while improved the crop water use efficiency by 6.1% -24.9% and the precipitation use efficiency by 6.3% -15.3%.

Deuterium content of water increases depression susceptibility: the potential role of a serotonin-related mechanism.

PubMed

Strekalova, Tatyana; Evans, Matthew; Chernopiatko, Anton; Couch, Yvonne; Costa-Nunes, João; Cespuglio, Raymond; Chesson, Lesley; Vignisse, Julie; Steinbusch, Harry W; Anthony, Daniel C; Pomytkin, Igor; Lesch, Klaus-Peter

2015-01-15

Environmental factors can significantly affect disease prevalence, including neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression. The ratio of deuterium to protium in water shows substantial geographical variation, which could affect disease susceptibility. Thus the link between deuterium content of water and depression was investigated, both epidemiologically, and in a mouse model of chronic mild stress. We performed a correlation analysis between deuterium content of tap water and rates of depression in regions of the USA. Next, we used a 10-day chronic stress paradigm to test whether 2-week deuterium-depleted water treatment (91 ppm) affects depressive-like behavior and hippocampal SERT. The effect of deuterium-depletion on sleep electrophysiology was also evaluated in naïve mice. There was a geographic correlation between a content of deuterium and the prevalence of depression across the USA. In the chronic stress model, depressive-like features were reduced in mice fed with deuterium-depleted water, and SERT expression was decreased in mice treated with deuterium-treated water compared with regular water. Five days of predator stress also suppressed proliferation in the dentate gyrus; this effect was attenuated in mice fed with deuterium-depleted water. Finally, in naïve mice, deuterium-depleted water treatment increased EEG indices of wakefulness, and decreased duration of REM sleep, phenomena that have been shown to result from the administration of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). Our data suggest that the deuterium content of water may influence the incidence of affective disorder-related pathophysiology and major depression, which might be mediated by the serotoninergic mechanisms. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tidal cycles of total particulate mercury in the Jade Bay, lower Saxonian Wadden Sea, southern North Sea.

PubMed

Jin, Huafang; Liebezeit, Gerd

2013-01-01

In this study, we evaluate the nature of the relationship between particulate matter and total mercury concentrations. For this purpose, we estimate both of the two values in water column over 12-h tidal cycles of the Jade Bay, southern North Sea. Total particulate mercury in 250 mL water samples was determined by oxygen combustion-gold amalgamation. Mercury contents varied from 63 to 259 ng/g suspended particulate matter (SPM) or 3.5-52.8 ng/L in surface waters. Total particulate mercury content (THg(p)) was positively correlated with (SPM), indicating that mercury in tidal waters is mostly associated with (SPM), and that tidal variations of total particulate mercury are mainly due to changes in (SPM) content throughout the tidal cycle. Maximum values for THg(p) were observed during mid-flood and mid-ebb, while the lowest values were determined at low tide and high tide. These data suggest that there are no mercury point sources in the Jade Bay. Moreover, the THg(p) content at low tide and high tide were significantly lower than the values recorded in the bottom sediment of the sampling site (>200 ng/g DW), while THg(p) content during the mid-flood and mid-ebb were comparable to the THg content in the surface bottom sediments. Therefore, changes in THg(p) content in the water column due to tidal forcing may have resulted from re-suspension of underlying surface sediments with relatively high mercury content.

Gravimetric water distribution assessment from geoelectrical methods (ERT and EMI) in municipal solid waste landfill.

PubMed

Dumont, Gaël; Pilawski, Tamara; Dzaomuho-Lenieregue, Phidias; Hiligsmann, Serge; Delvigne, Frank; Thonart, Philippe; Robert, Tanguy; Nguyen, Frédéric; Hermans, Thomas

2016-09-01

The gravimetric water content of the waste material is a key parameter in waste biodegradation. Previous studies suggest a correlation between changes in water content and modification of electrical resistivity. This study, based on field work in Mont-Saint-Guibert landfill (Belgium), aimed, on one hand, at characterizing the relationship between gravimetric water content and electrical resistivity and on the other hand, at assessing geoelectrical methods as tools to characterize the gravimetric water distribution in a landfill. Using excavated waste samples obtained after drilling, we investigated the influences of the temperature, the liquid phase conductivity, the compaction and the water content on the electrical resistivity. Our results demonstrate that Archie's law and Campbell's law accurately describe these relationships in municipal solid waste (MSW). Next, we conducted a geophysical survey in situ using two techniques: borehole electromagnetics (EM) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). First, in order to validate the use of EM, EM values obtained in situ were compared to electrical resistivity of excavated waste samples from corresponding depths. The petrophysical laws were used to account for the change of environmental parameters (temperature and compaction). A rather good correlation was obtained between direct measurement on waste samples and borehole electromagnetic data. Second, ERT and EM were used to acquire a spatial distribution of the electrical resistivity. Then, using the petrophysical laws, this information was used to estimate the water content distribution. In summary, our results demonstrate that geoelectrical methods represent a pertinent approach to characterize spatial distribution of water content in municipal landfills when properly interpreted using ground truth data. These methods might therefore prove to be valuable tools in waste biodegradation optimization projects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced Optical Diagnostics for Ice Crystal Cloud Measurements in the NASA Glenn Propulsion Systems Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bencic, Timothy J.; Fagan, Amy; Van Zante, Judith F.; Kirkegaard, Jonathan P.; Rohler, David P.; Maniyedath, Arjun; Izen, Steven H.

2013-01-01

A light extinction tomography technique has been developed to monitor ice water clouds upstream of a direct connected engine in the Propulsion Systems Laboratory (PSL) at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). The system consists of 60 laser diodes with sheet generating optics and 120 detectors mounted around a 36-inch diameter ring. The sources are pulsed sequentially while the detectors acquire line-of-sight extinction data for each laser pulse. Using computed tomography algorithms, the extinction data are analyzed to produce a plot of the relative water content in the measurement plane. To target the low-spatial-frequency nature of ice water clouds, unique tomography algorithms were developed using filtered back-projection methods and direct inversion methods that use Gaussian basis functions. With the availability of a priori knowledge of the mean droplet size and the total water content at some point in the measurement plane, the tomography system can provide near real-time in-situ quantitative full-field total water content data at a measurement plane approximately 5 feet upstream of the engine inlet. Results from ice crystal clouds in the PSL are presented. In addition to the optical tomography technique, laser sheet imaging has also been applied in the PSL to provide planar ice cloud uniformity and relative water content data during facility calibration before the tomography system was available and also as validation data for the tomography system. A comparison between the laser sheet system and light extinction tomography resulting data are also presented. Very good agreement of imaged intensity and water content is demonstrated for both techniques. Also, comparative studies between the two techniques show excellent agreement in calculation of bulk total water content averaged over the center of the pipe.

Hydration behavior of casein micelles in thin film geometry: a GISANS study?

PubMed

Metwalli, E; Moulin, J F; Gebhardt, R; Cubitt, R; Tolkach, A; Kulozik, U; Müller-Buschbaum, P

2009-04-07

The water content of casein micelle films in water vapor atmosphere is investigated using time-resolved grazing incidence small-angle neutron scattering (GISANS). Initial dry casein films are prepared with a spin-coating method. At 30 degrees C, the formation of a water-equilibrated casein protein film is reached after 11 min with a total content of 0.36 g of water/g of protein. With increasing water vapor temperature up to 70 degrees C, an increase in the water content is found. With GISANS, lateral structures on the nanometer scale are resolved during the swelling experiment at different temperatures and modeled using two types of spheres: micelles and mini-micelles. Upon water uptake, molecular assemblies in the size range of 15 nm (mini-micelles) are attributed to the formation of a high-contrast D2O outer shell on the small objects that already exist in the protein film. For large objects (>100 nm), the mean size increases at high D2O vapor temperature because of possible aggregation between hydrated micelles. These results are discussed and compared with various proposed models for casein micelle structures.

Water Calibration Measurements for Neutron Radiography: Application to Water Content Quantification in Porous Media

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kang, Misun; Bilheux, Hassina Z; Voisin, Sophie

2013-04-01

Using neutron radiography, the measurement of water thickness was performed using aluminum (Al) water calibration cells at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) Cold-Guide (CG) 1D neutron imaging facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA. Calibration of water thickness is an important step to accurately measure water contents in samples of interest. Neutron attenuation by water does not vary linearly with thickness mainly due to beam hardening and scattering effects. Transmission measurements for known water thicknesses in water calibration cells allow proper correction of the underestimation of water content due to these effects. As anticipated, strong scatteringmore » effects were observed for water thicknesses greater than 2 mm when the water calibration cells were positioned close to the face of the detector / scintillator (0 and 2.4 cm away, respectively). The water calibration cells were also positioned 24 cm away from the detector face. These measurements resulted in less scattering and this position (designated as the sample position) was used for the subsequent experimental determination of the neutron attenuation coefficient for water. Neutron radiographic images of moist Flint sand in rectangular and cylindrical containers acquired at the sample position were used to demonstrate the applicability of the water calibration. Cumulative changes in the water volumes within the sand columns during monotonic drainage determined by neutron radiography were compared with those recorded by direct reading from a burette connected to a hanging water column. In general, the neutron radiography data showed very good agreement with those obtained volumetrically using the hanging water-column method. These results allow extension of the calibration equation to the quantification of unknown water contents within other samples of porous media.« less

Monitoring water content dynamics of biological soil crusts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Young, Michael H.; Fenstermaker, Lynn F.; Belnap, Jayne

2017-01-01

Biological soil crusts (hereafter, “biocrusts”) dominate soil surfaces in nearly all dryland environments. To better understand the influence of water content on carbon (C) exchange, we assessed the ability of dual-probe heat-pulse (DPHP) sensors, installed vertically and angled, to measure changes in near-surface water content. Four DPHP sensors were installed in each of two research plots (eight sensors total) that differed by temperature treatment (control and heated). Responses were compared to horizontally installed water content measurements made with three frequency-domain reflectometry (FDR) sensors in each plot at 5-cm depth. The study was conducted near Moab, Utah, from April through September 2009. Results showed significant differences between sensor technologies: peak water content differences from the DPHP sensors were approximately three times higher than those from the FDR sensors; some of the differences can be explained by the targeted monitoring of biocrust material in the shorter DPHP sensor and by potential signal loss from horizontally installed FDR sensors, or by an oversampling of deeper soil. C-exchange estimates using the DPHP sensors showed a net C loss of 69 and 76 g C m−2 in control and heated plots, respectively. The study illustrates the potential for using the more sensitive data from shallow installations for estimating C exchange in biocrusts.

Distinguishing succulent plants from crop and woody plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gausman, H. W.; Escobar, D. E.; Everitt, J. H.; Richardson, A. J.; Rodriguez, R. R.

1978-01-01

We compared laboratory spectrophotometrically measured leaf reflectances of six succulents (peperomia, possum-grape, prickly pear, spiderwort, Texas tuberose, wolfberry) with those of four nonsucculents (cenizo, honey mesquite, cotton, sugarcane) for plant species discrimination. Succulents (average leaf water content of 92.2 percent) could be distinguished from nonsucculents (average leaf water content of 71.2 percent) within the near-infrared water absorption waveband (1.35 to 2.5 microns). This was substantiated by field spectrophotometric reflectances of plant canopies. Sensor bands encompassing either the 1.6- or 2.2-wavelengths may be useful to distinguish succulent from nonsucculent plant species.

[Influence of dissolved gases on highly diluted aqueous media].

PubMed

Belovolova, L V; Glushkov, M V; Vinogradov, E A

2014-01-01

In the experiments on redox potential measurement for a series of identical samples of purified and presettled water it was found that the response to ultraviolet irradiation varies appreciably within a few days after treatment, including stepwise changes. In a few hours after exposure, leading to a higher content of reactive oxygen species as compared with the equilibrium values, long-term changes including variations in redox potential and optical system parameters are recorded in water and diluted aqueous media. We propose a heuristic organization model of the water-gas system with an increased content of reactive oxygen species.

A return to the genetic heritage of durum wheat to cope with drought heightened by climate change.

PubMed

Slama, Amor; Mallek-Maalej, Elhem; Ben Mohamed, Hatem; Rhim, Thouraya; Radhouane, Leila

2018-01-01

The objective of this work was to perform a comparative analysis of the physiological, biochemical and agronomical parameters of recent and heritage durum wheat cultivars (Triticum durum Desf.) under water-deficit conditions. Five cultivars were grown under irrigated (control) and rainfall (stressed) conditions. Different agro-physiological and biochemical parameters were studied: electrolyte leakage, relative water content, chlorophyll fluorescence, proline, soluble sugars, specific peroxidase activity, yield and drought stress indices. It was revealed that a water deficit increased proline content, electrolyte leakage, soluble sugars and specific peroxidase activity and decreased relative water content, fluorescence and grain yield. According to these parameters and drought stress indices, our investigation indicated that old cultivars are the best-adapted to local conditions and showed characteristics of drought tolerance, while recent cultivars showed more drought susceptibility. Therefore, local cultivars of each country should be kept by farmers and plant breeders to preserve their genetic heritage.

[Soil moisture variation under different water and fertilization managements in apple orchard of Weibei dryland, China].

PubMed

Zhao, Zhi Yuan; Zheng, Wei; Liu, Jie; Ma, Peng Yi; Li, Zi Yan; Zhai, Bing Nian; Wang, Zhao Hui

2018-04-01

To evaluate the variations of soil moisture under different water and fertilizer treatments in apple orchard in the Weibei dryland, a field experiment was carried out in 2013-2016 at Tianjiawa Village, Baishui County, Shaanxi Province. There were three treatments, i.e., farmers traditional model (only addition of NPK chemical fertilizer, FM), extension model (swine manure and NPK chemical fertilizer combined with black plastic film in tree row space, EM), and optimized model (swine manure and NPK chemical fertilizer combined with black plastic film in tree row space and planting rape in the inter-row of apple trees, OM). The results showed that OM treatment significantly increased soil water storage capacity in 0-200 cm soil layer. Water content of 0-100 cm soil layer was increased by 5.6% and 15.3% in the dry season compared with FM and EM treatment, respectively. Moreover, the soil water relative deficit index of OM was lower than that of EM in 200-300 cm soil layer. The rainfall infiltration in the dry year could reach 300 cm depth under OM. Meanwhile, OM stabilized soil water content and efficiently alleviated the desiccation in deep soil layer. Compared with FM and EM, the 4-year average yield of OM was increased by 36.6% and 22.5%, respectively. In summary, OM could increase water use efficiency through increasing the contents of available soil water and improving the soil water condition in shallow and deep layers, which help alleviate the soil deficit in deep layer and increase yield.

Capability of crop water content for revealing variability of winter wheat grain yield and soil moisture under limited irrigation.

PubMed

Zhang, Chao; Liu, Jiangui; Shang, Jiali; Cai, Huanjie

2018-08-01

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major crop in the Guanzhong Plain, China. Understanding its water status is important for irrigation planning. A few crop water indicators, such as the leaf equivalent water thickness (EWT: g cm -2 ), leaf water content (LWC: %) and canopy water content (CWC: kg m -2 ), have been estimated using remote sensing techniques for a wide range of crops, yet their suitability and utility for revealing winter wheat growth and soil moisture status have not been well studied. To bridge this knowledge gap, field-scale irrigation experiments were conducted over two consecutive years (2014 and 2015) to investigate relationships of crop water content with soil moisture and grain yield, and to assess the performance of four spectral process methods for retrieving these three crop water indicators. The result revealed that the water indicators were more sensitive to soil moisture variation before the jointing stage. All three water indicators were significantly correlated with soil moisture during the reviving stage, and the correlations were stronger for leaf water indicators than that of the canopy water indicator at the jointing stage. No correlation was observed after the heading stage. All three water indicators showed good capabilities of revealing grain yield variability in jointing stage, with R 2 up to 0.89. CWC had a consistent relationship with grain yield over different growing seasons, but the performances of EWT and LWC were growing-season specific. The partial least squares regression was the most accurate method for estimating LWC (R 2 =0.72; RMSE=3.6%) and comparable capability for EWT and CWC. Finally, the work highlights the usefulness of crop water indicators to assess crop growth, productivity, and soil water status and demonstrates the potential of various spectral processing methods for retrieving crop water contents from canopy reflectance spectrums. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CO2 enrichment affects eco-physiological growth of maize and alfalfa under different water stress regimes in the UAE.

PubMed

Ksiksi, Taoufik Saleh; Ppoyil, Shaijal Babu Thru; Palakkott, Abdul Rasheed

2018-03-01

Water stress has been reported to alter morphology and physiology of plants affecting chlorophyll content, stomatal size and density. In this study, drought stress mitigating effects of CO 2 enrichment was assessed in greenhouse conditions in the hot climate of UAE. Commercially purchased maize ( Zea mays L.) and alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) were seeded in three different custom-built cage structures, inside a greenhouse. One cage was kept at 1000 ppm CO 2 , the second at 700 ppm CO 2 , and the third at ambient greenhouse CO 2 environment (i.e. 435 ppm). Three water stress treatments HWS (200 ml per week), MWS (400 ml per week), and CWS (600 ml per week) were given to each cage so that five maize pots and five alfalfa pots in each cage received same water stress treatments. In maize, total chlorophyll content was similar or higher in water stress treatments compared to control for all CO 2 concentrations. Stomatal lengths were higher in enriched CO 2 environments under water stress. At 700 ppm CO 2 , stomatal widths decreased as water stress increased from MWS to HWS. At both enriched CO 2 environments, stomatal densities decreased compared to ambient CO 2 environment. In alfalfa, there was no significant increase in total chlorophyll content under enriched CO 2 environments, even though a slight increase was noticed.

An improved sensor for precision detection of in situ stem water content using a frequency domain fringing capacitor.

PubMed

Zhou, Haiyang; Sun, Yurui; Tyree, Melvin T; Sheng, Wenyi; Cheng, Qiang; Xue, Xuzhang; Schumann, Henrik; Schulze Lammers, Peter

2015-04-01

One role of stems is that of water storage. The water content of stems increases and decreases as xylem water potential increases and decreases, respectively. Hence, a nondestructive method to measure stem water content (StWC) = (volume of water) : (volume of stem), could be useful in monitoring the drought stress status of plants. We introduce a frequency domain inner fringing capacitor-sensor for measuring StWC which operates at 100 MHz frequency. The capacitor-sensor consists of two wave guides (5-mm-wide braided metal) that snugly fit around the surface of a stem with a spacing of 4-5 mm between guides. Laboratory measurements on analog stems reveals that the DC signal output responds linearly to the relative dielectric constant of the analog stem, is most sensitive to water content between the waveguides to a depth of c. 3 mm from the stem surface, and calibrations based on the gravimetric water loss of excised stems of plants revealed a resolution in StWC of < ± 0.001 v/ v. The sensor performed very well on whole plants with a 100-fold increased resolution compared with previous frequency domain and time domain reflectometry methods and, hence, may be very useful for future research requiring nondestructive measurements of whole plants. © European Union 2014. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Carbon dioxide gas exchange and the energy status of leaves of Primula palinuri under water stress.

PubMed

Dietz, K J; Heber, U

1983-08-01

The photosynthetic rate of water stressed leaves of Primula palinuri was reduced drastically by stomatal closure, not by limitations imposed on the capacity of the photosynthetic apparatus, when water loss exceeded 20% of the water content of turgid leaves. The sudden decrease in phtosynthesis was not observed when the lower epidermis of the leaves had been removed. In these 'stripped' leaves, inhibition of photosynthesis increased only gradually during the wilting caused by increasing water stress and was complete when the relative water content was as low as 20% compared with the initial value. This corresponded to a water potential of about-40 bar. The light intensity at which half-maximum rates of photosynthesis were observed decreased as stress increased. In intact leaves photosynthesizing in the presence of CO2, light scattering, which is a measure of thylakoid energization, increased steeply during stomatal closure. The observed increase corresponded to the light scattering level measured in the absence of CO2. When the lower epidermis was removed, no sudden increase in thylakoid energization could be observed during dehydration. Thylakoid energization remained high even at low water potentials. It decreased drastically only below a relative water content of 20%. Irrespective, of the extent of water stress, CO2 fixation of stripped leaves increased when the oxygen content of air was reduced from 21% to 2%. Usually the transition from 21 to 2% O2 was accompanied by increased thylakoid energization. The increase in energization was more pronounced below than above a relative water content of 50%. The data show that energy-dissipating photorespiratory CO2 turnover in the in tercellular space of water-stressed leaves whose stomata are closed decreases only slowly as water stress increases. Respiratory CO2 production by leaves in the dark was even more resistant to water stress than photosynthesis. It was still significant at water potentials as low as-80 bar.

Clouds vertical properties over the Northern Hemisphere monsoon regions from CloudSat-CALIPSO measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Subrata Kumar; Golhait, R. B.; Uma, K. N.

2017-01-01

The CloudSat spaceborne radar and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) space-borne lidar measurements, provide opportunities to understand the intriguing behavior of the vertical structure of monsoon clouds. The combined CloudSat-CALIPSO data products have been used for the summer season (June-August) of 2006-2010 to present the statistics of cloud macrophysical (such as cloud occurrence frequency, distribution of cloud top and base heights, geometrical thickness and cloud types base on occurrence height), and microphysical (such as ice water content, ice water path, and ice effective radius) properties of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) monsoon region. The monsoon regions considered in this work are the North American (NAM), North African (NAF), Indian (IND), East Asian (EAS), and Western North Pacific (WNP). The total cloud fraction over the IND (mostly multiple-layered cloud) appeared to be more frequent as compared to the other monsoon regions. Three distinctive modes of cloud top height distribution are observed over all the monsoon regions. The high-level cloud fraction is comparatively high over the WNP and IND. The ice water content and ice water path over the IND are maximum compared to the other monsoon regions. We found that the ice water content has little variations over the NAM, NAF, IND, and WNP as compared to their macrophysical properties and thus give an impression that the regional differences in dynamics and thermodynamics properties primarily cause changes in the cloud frequency or coverage and only secondary in the cloud ice properties. The background atmospheric dynamics using wind and relative humidity from the ERA-Interim reanalysis data have also been investigated which helps in understanding the variability of the cloud properties over the different monsoon regions.

The Effect of Five Different Wetting Treatments on the Nutrient Content and Microbial Concentration in Hay for Horses

PubMed Central

Moore-Colyer, Meriel Jean Scott; Lumbis, Kimberly; Longland, Annette; Harris, Patricia

2014-01-01

Five different hays were used to determine the effect of 5 different soaking and steaming treatments on the water soluble carbohydrate and microbial (bacteria and mould) contents of UK hay. Hays were subjected to the following 5 treatments: 1. Dry; 2. Steamed for 50 minutes in the Haygain- 600 steamer; 3. Soaked in water at 16°C for 9 hours; 4. Steamed then soaked and 5. Soaked then steamed. Post treatment hays were tested for water soluble carbohydrates, bacteria and mould contents. Differences between means were determined using ANOVA and least significant difference with hay (5), bale (3) and treatment (5) as fixed factors, thus n = 75. Protein and ash proportions were unaltered in any of the treatments. Soaked, steamed then soaked and soaked then steamed treatments were all equally effective at reducing water soluble carbohydrates, with significantly (P<0.05) lower mean contents (79–83 g/kg DM) compared with 126 and 122 g/kg dry matter (DM) for dry and steamed respectively. Steamed and soaked then steamed had significantly (P<0.05) less bacteria (1.04×103 and 4.9×102 CFU/g DM) compared with soaked which increased CFU/g DM from 6.0×104 in dry hay up to 3.5×105. Mould contents CFU/g DM were significantly (P<0.05) reduced by steaming (2) and soaking then steaming (1.9) but no difference was seen between dry (1148), soaked (692) or steamed then soaked (501). Soaking for 9 hours followed by steaming for 50 minutes in the Haygain steamer was the most effective method for reducing water soluble carbohydrates and microbial contamination in hay. Soaking or steaming+soaking lowered water soluble carbohydrates but significantly reduced the hygienic quality of the hay which could potentially compromise the health of the horse. PMID:25426729

A portable NMR sensor to measure dynamic changes in the amount of water in living stems or fruit and its potential to measure sap flow.

PubMed

Windt, Carel W; Blümler, Peter

2015-04-01

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and NMR imaging (magnetic resonance imaging) offer the possibility to quantitatively and non-invasively measure the presence and movement of water. Unfortunately, traditional NMR hardware is expensive, poorly suited for plants, and because of its bulk and complexity, not suitable for use in the field. But does it need to be? We here explore how novel, small-scale portable NMR devices can be used as a flow sensor to directly measure xylem sap flow in a poplar tree (Populus nigra L.), or in a dendrometer-like fashion to measure dynamic changes in the absolute water content of fruit or stems. For the latter purpose we monitored the diurnal pattern of growth, expansion and shrinkage in a model fruit (bean pod, Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and in the stem of an oak tree (Quercus robur L.). We compared changes in absolute stem water content, as measured by the NMR sensor, against stem diameter variations as measured by a set of conventional point dendrometers, to test how well the sensitivities of the two methods compare and to investigate how well diurnal changes in trunk absolute water content correlate with the concomitant diurnal variations in stem diameter. Our results confirm the existence of a strong correlation between the two parameters, but also suggest that dynamic changes in oak stem water content could be larger than is apparent on the basis of the stem diameter variation alone. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Performance comparison of TDR-based systems for permanent and diffused detection of water content and leaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cataldo, A.; De Benedetto, E.; Cannazza, G.; Huebner, C.; Trebbels, D.

2017-01-01

In this work, the performance of three time domain reflectometry (TDR) instruments (with different hardware architectures, specifications and costs) is comparatively assessed. The goal is to evaluate the performance of low-cost TDR instrumentation, in view of the development of a completely permanent TDR-based monitoring solution, wherein the costs of the instrument is so low, that it can be left on-site, even unguarded, and controlled remotely. Without losing generality, the applications considered for the comparative experiments are the TDR-based detection of leaks in underground pipes and, more in general, of soil water content variations. For this reason, both laboratory and in-the-field experiments are carried out by comparatively using three TDR instruments, in conjunction with wire-like sensing elements (SEs).

Impact of Conventional and Integrated Management Systems on the Water-Soluble Vitamin Content in Potatoes, Field Beans, and Cereals.

PubMed

Freitag, Sabine; Verrall, Susan R; Pont, Simon D A; McRae, Diane; Sungurtas, Julia A; Palau, Raphaëlle; Hawes, Cathy; Alexander, Colin J; Allwood, J William; Foito, Alexandre; Stewart, Derek; Shepherd, Louise V T

2018-01-31

The reduction of the environmental footprint of crop production without compromising crop yield and their nutritional value is a key goal for improving the sustainability of agriculture. In 2009, the Balruddery Farm Platform was established at The James Hutton Institute as a long-term experimental platform for cross-disciplinary research of crops using two agricultural ecosystems. Crops representative of UK agriculture were grown under conventional and integrated management systems and analyzed for their water-soluble vitamin content. Integrated management, when compared with the conventional system, had only minor effects on water-soluble vitamin content, where significantly higher differences were seen for the conventional management practice on the levels of thiamine in field beans (p < 0.01), Spring barley (p < 0.05), and Winter wheat (p < 0.05), and for nicotinic acid in Spring barley (p < 0.05). However, for all crops, variety and year differences were of greater importance. These results indicate that the integrated management system described in this study does not significantly affect the water-soluble vitamin content of the crops analyzed here.

An Assessment of the Icing Blade and the SEA Multi-Element Sensor for Liquid Water Content Calibration of the NASA GRC Icing Research Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steen, Laura E.; Ide, Robert F.; Van Zante, Judith Foss

2017-01-01

The Icing Research Tunnel at NASA Glenn has recently switched to from using the Icing Blade to using the SEA Multi-Element Sensor (also known as the multi-wire) for its calibration of cloud liquid water content. In order to perform this transition, tests were completed to compare the Multi-Element Sensor to the Icing Blade, particularly with respect to liquid water content, airspeed, and drop size. The two instruments were found to compare well for the majority of Appendix C conditions. However, it was discovered that the Icing Blade under-measures when the conditions approach the Ludlam Limit. This paper also describes data processing procedures for the Multi-Element Sensor in the IRT, including collection efficiency corrections, mounting underneath a splitter plate, and correcting for a jump in the compensation wire power. Further data is presented to describe the repeatability of the IRT with the Multi-Element sensor, health-monitoring checks for the instrument, and a sensing-element configuration comparison.

Prevalence of dental fluorosis & dental caries in association with high levels of drinking water fluoride content in a district of Gujarat, India.

PubMed

Kotecha, P V; Patel, S V; Bhalani, K D; Shah, D; Shah, V S; Mehta, K G

2012-06-01

Endemic fluorosis resulting from high fluoride concentration in groundwater is a major public health problem in India. This study was carried out to measure and compare the prevalence of dental fluorosis and dental caries in the population residing in high and normal level of fluoride in their drinking water in Vadodara district, Gujarat, India. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Vadodara district, six of the 261 villages with high fluoride level and five of 1490 with normal fluoride level in drinking water were selected. The data collection was made by house-to-house visits twice during the study period. The dental fluorosis prevalence in high fluoride area was 59.31 per cent while in normal fluoride area it was 39.21 per cent. The prevalence of dental caries in high fluoride area was 39.53 per cent and in normal fluoride area was 48.21 per cent with CI 6.16 to 11.18. Dental fluorosis prevalence was more among males as compared to females. Highest prevalence of dental fluorosis was seen in 12-24 yr age group. The risk of dental fluorosis was higher in the areas showing more fluoride content in drinking water and to a lesser degree of dental caries in the same area. High fluoride content is a risk factor for dental fluorosis and problem of dental fluorosis increased with passage of time suggesting that the fluoride content in the water has perhaps increased over time. Longitudinal studies should be conducted to confirm the findings.

Water movement in stony soils: The influence of stoniness on soil water content profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novak, Viliam; Knava, Karol

2010-05-01

WATER MOVEMENT IN STONY SOILS: THE INFLUENCE OF STONINESS ON SOIL WATER CONTENT PROFILES Viliam Novák, Karol Kňava Institute of Hydrology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Racianska 75, 831 02 Bratislava 3, Slovakia, e-mail: novak@uh.savba.sk Soils containing rock fragments are widespread over the world, on Europe such soil account for 30%, 60% in Mediterranean region. In comparison to fine earth soils (soil particles are less then 2 mm) stony soils contain rock fragments characterized by the low retention capacity and hydraulic conductivity. So, for stony soils -in comparison to the fine-earth soils - is typical lower hydraulic conductivity and retention capacity, which lead to the decrease decrease of infiltration rate and low water retention. So, water movement and its modeling in stony soil would differ from fine earth (usually agricultural) soil. The aim of this contribution is to demonstrate the differences in water movement in homogeneous soil (fine earth) and stony soil. The influence of different stoniness on soil water content and soil water dynamics was studied too. Windthrow at High Tatra mountains in Slovakia (November 2004) cleared nearly 12 000 ha of 80 year conifers and this event initiated complex research of windthrow impact on the ecosystem. The important part of this study was water movement in impacted area. Specific feature of the soil in this area was moraine soil consisting of fine earth, characterized as silty sand, with the relative stone content up to 0.49, increasing with depth. Associated phenomenon to the forest clearing is the decrease of rain interception and higher undercanopy precipitation. Conifers interception capacity can be three times higher than low canopy interception, and can reach up to 40% of annual precipitation in Central Europe. Stones in the soil are decreasing infiltration rate, but paradoxically increased understorey precipitation and followingly the increased cumulative infiltration led to the increase of the soil water content of the upper 1 meter soil layer up to 53 mm at the end of vegetation period in comparison to the afforested area. Finally, soil water content profiles of stony soil differ from homogeneous ones and contain less water comparing to soil without stones.

Spray formation of biodiesel-water in air-assisted atomizer using Schlieren photography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amirnordin, S. H.; Khalid, A.; Sapit, A.; Salleh, H.; Razali, A.; Fawzi, M.

2016-11-01

Biodiesels are attractive renewable energy sources, particularly for industrial boiler and burner operators. However, biodiesels produce higher nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions compared with diesel. Although water-emulsified fuels can lower NOx emissions by reducing flame temperature, its influence on atomization needs to be investigated further. This study investigates the effects of water on spray formation in air-assisted atomizers. The Schlieren method was used to capture the spray images in terms of tip penetration, spray angle, and spray area. The experiment used palm oil biodiesel at different blending ratios (B5, B10, and B15) and water contents (0vol%-15vol%). Results show that water content in the fuel increases the spray penetration and area but reduces the spray angle because of the changes in fuel properties. Therefore, biodiesel-water application is applicable to burner systems.

The effect of moisture content on physicochemical properties of extruded waxy and non-waxy rice flour.

PubMed

Jongsutjarittam, Ornpicha; Charoenrein, Sanguansri

2014-12-19

The properties of waxy rice flour (WRF) and non-waxy rice flour (RF) were modified using an extrusion process with different feeding material moisture contents. WRF was more affected by the thermomechanical stress from extrusion; consequently, it had a lower glass transition temperature but higher water solubility index (WSI) indicating higher molecular degradation than extruded RF. The lower moisture content of the feeding flour caused more severe flour damage (coarser surface of the extruded flour) and lowered relative crystallinity compared to higher moisture content processing. Moreover, low moisture content processing led to complete gelatinization, whereas, partial gelatinization occurred in the higher moisture content extrusion. Consequently, the extruded flours had a lower peak viscosity and gelatinization enthalpy but a higher water absorption index and WSI than native flour. In conclusion, the rice flour type and the moisture content of the extrusion feeding flour affected the physicochemical properties of the extruded flour. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Azolla pinnata growth performance in different water sources.

PubMed

Nordiah, B; Harah, Z Muta; Sidik, B Japar; Hazma, W N Wan

2012-07-01

Azolla pinnata R.Br. growth performance experiments in different water sources were conducted from May until July 2011 at Aquaculture Research Station, Puchong, Malaysia. Four types of water sources (waste water, drain water, paddy field water and distilled water) each with different nutrient contents were used to grow and evaluate the growth performance of A. pinnata. Four water sources with different nutrient contents; waste, drain, paddy and distilled water as control were used to evaluate the growth performance of A. pinnata. Generally, irrespective of the types of water sources there were increased in plant biomass from the initial biomass (e.g., after the first week; lowest 25.2% in distilled water to highest 133.3% in drain water) and the corresponding daily growth rate (3.61% in distilled water to 19.04% in drain water). The increased in biomass although fluctuated with time was consistently higher in drain water compared to increased in biomass for other water sources. Of the four water sources, drain water with relatively higher nitrate concentration (0.035 +/- 0.003 mg L(-l)) and nitrite (0.044 +/- 0.005 mg L(-1)) and with the available phosphate (0.032 +/- 0.006 mg L(-1)) initially provided the most favourable conditions for Azolla growth and propagation. Based on BVSTEP analysis (PRIMER v5), the results indicated that a combination of more than one nutrient or multiple nutrient contents explained the observed increased in biomass of A. pinnata grown in the different water sources.

Determination of Large-Scale Cloud Ice Water Concentration by Combining Surface Radar and Satellite Data in Support of ARM SCM Activities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Guosheng

2013-03-15

Single-column modeling (SCM) is one of the key elements of Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) research initiatives for the development and testing of various physical parameterizations to be used in general circulation models (GCMs). The data required for use with an SCM include observed vertical profiles of temperature, water vapor, and condensed water, as well as the large-scale vertical motion and tendencies of temperature, water vapor, and condensed water due to horizontal advection. Surface-based measurements operated at ARM sites and upper-air sounding networks supply most of the required variables for model inputs, but do not provide the horizontal advection term ofmore » condensed water. Since surface cloud radar and microwave radiometer observations at ARM sites are single-point measurements, they can provide the amount of condensed water at the location of observation sites, but not a horizontal distribution of condensed water contents. Consequently, observational data for the large-scale advection tendencies of condensed water have not been available to the ARM cloud modeling community based on surface observations alone. This lack of advection data of water condensate could cause large uncertainties in SCM simulations. Additionally, to evaluate GCMs cloud physical parameterization, we need to compare GCM results with observed cloud water amounts over a scale that is large enough to be comparable to what a GCM grid represents. To this end, the point-measurements at ARM surface sites are again not adequate. Therefore, cloud water observations over a large area are needed. The main goal of this project is to retrieve ice water contents over an area of 10 x 10 deg. surrounding the ARM sites by combining surface and satellite observations. Built on the progress made during previous ARM research, we have conducted the retrievals of 3-dimensional ice water content by combining surface radar/radiometer and satellite measurements, and have produced 3-D cloud ice water contents in support of cloud modeling activities. The approach of the study is to expand a (surface) point measurement to an (satellite) area measurement. That is, the study takes the advantage of the high quality cloud measurements (particularly cloud radar and microwave radiometer measurements) at the point of the ARM sites. We use the cloud ice water characteristics derived from the point measurement to guide/constrain a satellite retrieval algorithm, then use the satellite algorithm to derive the 3-D cloud ice water distributions within an 10° (latitude) x 10° (longitude) area. During the research period, we have developed, validated and improved our cloud ice water retrievals, and have produced and archived at ARM website as a PI-product of the 3-D cloud ice water contents using combined satellite high-frequency microwave and surface radar observations for SGP March 2000 IOP and TWP-ICE 2006 IOP over 10 deg. x 10 deg. area centered at ARM SGP central facility and Darwin sites. We have also worked on validation of the 3-D ice water product by CloudSat data, synergy with visible/infrared cloud ice water retrievals for better results at low ice water conditions, and created a long-term (several years) of ice water climatology in 10 x 10 deg. area of ARM SGP and TWP sites and then compared it with GCMs.« less

Laboratory test investigations on soil water characteristic curve and air permeability of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Shi, Jianyong; Wu, Xun; Ai, Yingbo; Zhang, Zhen

2018-05-01

The air permeability coefficient has a high correlation with the water content of municipal solid waste. In this study, continuous drying methodology using a tension meter was employed to construct the soil water characteristic curve of municipal solid waste (M-SWCC). The municipal solid waste air permeability test was conducted by a newly designed apparatus. The measured M-SWCC was well reproduced by the van Genuchten (V-G) model and was used to predict the parameters of typical points in M-SWCC, including saturated water content, field capacity, residual water content and water content at the inflection point. It was found that the M-SWCC was significantly influenced by void ratio. The final evaporation and test period of M-SWCC increase with the increase in void ratio of municipal solid waste. The evolution of air permeability coefficient with water content of municipal solid waste depicted three distinct characteristic stages. It was observed that the water contents that corresponded to the two cut-off points of the three stages were residual water content and water content at the inflection point, respectively. The air permeability coefficient of municipal solid waste decreased with the increase of the water content from zero to the residual water content. The air permeability coefficient was almost invariable when the water content increased from residual water content to the water content at the inflection point. When the water content of municipal solid waste exceeded the water content at the inflection point, the air permeability coefficient sharply decreased with the increase of water content.

Comparative Analysis of the Combined Effects of Different Water and Phosphate Levels on Growth and Biological Nitrogen Fixation of Nine Cowpea Varieties

PubMed Central

Jemo, Martin; Sulieman, Saad; Bekkaoui, Faouzi; Olomide, Oluwatosin A. K.; Hashem, Abeer; Abd_Allah, Elsayed Fathi; Alqarawi, Abdulaziz A.; Tran, Lam-Son Phan

2017-01-01

Water deficit and phosphate (Pi) deficiency adversely affect growth and biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) of legume crops. In this study, we examined the impact of interaction between soil water conditions and available soil-Pi levels on growth, nodule development and BNF potential of nine cowpea varieties grown on dry savanna soils. In our experimental design, soils with different available soil-Pi levels, i.e., low, moderate, and high soil-Pi levels, collected from various farming fields were used to grow nine cowpea varieties under well-watered and water-deficit conditions. Significant and severe water deficit-damaging effects on BNF, nodulation, growth, levels of plant-nitrogen (N) and -phosphorus (P), as well as shoot relative water content and chlorophyll content of cowpea plants were observed. Under well-watered and high available soil-Pi conditions, cowpea varieties IT07K-304-9 and Dan'Ila exhibited significantly higher BNF potential and dry biomass, as well as plant-N and -P contents compared with other tested ones. Significant genotypic variations among the cowpeas were recorded under low available soil-Pi and water-deficit conditions in terms of the BNF potential. Principal component (PC) analysis revealed that varieties IT04K-339-1, IT07K-188-49, IT07K-304-9, and IT04K-405-5 were associated with PC1, which was better explained by performance for nodulation, plant biomass, plant-N, plant-P, and BNF potential under the combined stress of water deficit and Pi deficiency, thereby offering prospects for development of varieties with high growth and BNF traits that are adaptive to such stress conditions in the region. On another hand, variety Dan'Ila was significantly related to PC2 that was highly explained by the plant shoot/root ratio and chlorophyll content, suggesting the existence of physiological and morphological adjustments to cope with water deficit and Pi deficiency for this particular variety. Additionally, increases in soil-Pi availability led to significant reductions of water-deficit damage on dry biomass, plant-N and -P contents, and BNF potential of cowpea varieties. This finding suggests that integrated nutrient management strategies that allow farmers to access to Pi-based fertilizers may help reduce the damage of adverse water deficit and Pi deficiency caused to cowpea crop in the regions, where soils are predominantly Pi-deficient and drought-prone. PMID:29312379

Comparative Analysis of the Combined Effects of Different Water and Phosphate Levels on Growth and Biological Nitrogen Fixation of Nine Cowpea Varieties.

PubMed

Jemo, Martin; Sulieman, Saad; Bekkaoui, Faouzi; Olomide, Oluwatosin A K; Hashem, Abeer; Abd Allah, Elsayed Fathi; Alqarawi, Abdulaziz A; Tran, Lam-Son Phan

2017-01-01

Water deficit and phosphate (Pi) deficiency adversely affect growth and biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) of legume crops. In this study, we examined the impact of interaction between soil water conditions and available soil-Pi levels on growth, nodule development and BNF potential of nine cowpea varieties grown on dry savanna soils. In our experimental design, soils with different available soil-Pi levels, i.e., low, moderate, and high soil-Pi levels, collected from various farming fields were used to grow nine cowpea varieties under well-watered and water-deficit conditions. Significant and severe water deficit-damaging effects on BNF, nodulation, growth, levels of plant-nitrogen (N) and -phosphorus (P), as well as shoot relative water content and chlorophyll content of cowpea plants were observed. Under well-watered and high available soil-Pi conditions, cowpea varieties IT07K-304-9 and Dan'Ila exhibited significantly higher BNF potential and dry biomass, as well as plant-N and -P contents compared with other tested ones. Significant genotypic variations among the cowpeas were recorded under low available soil-Pi and water-deficit conditions in terms of the BNF potential. Principal component (PC) analysis revealed that varieties IT04K-339-1, IT07K-188-49, IT07K-304-9, and IT04K-405-5 were associated with PC1, which was better explained by performance for nodulation, plant biomass, plant-N, plant-P, and BNF potential under the combined stress of water deficit and Pi deficiency, thereby offering prospects for development of varieties with high growth and BNF traits that are adaptive to such stress conditions in the region. On another hand, variety Dan'Ila was significantly related to PC2 that was highly explained by the plant shoot/root ratio and chlorophyll content, suggesting the existence of physiological and morphological adjustments to cope with water deficit and Pi deficiency for this particular variety. Additionally, increases in soil-Pi availability led to significant reductions of water-deficit damage on dry biomass, plant-N and -P contents, and BNF potential of cowpea varieties. This finding suggests that integrated nutrient management strategies that allow farmers to access to Pi-based fertilizers may help reduce the damage of adverse water deficit and Pi deficiency caused to cowpea crop in the regions, where soils are predominantly Pi-deficient and drought-prone.

Bench and Riser Soil Water Content on Semiarid Hillslopes with Terracettes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinse, R.; Corrao, M.; Eitel, J.; Link, T. E.

2015-12-01

Microtopographic features known as terracettes are found throughout many semiarid rangelands. These path-like features roughly perpendicular to the slope are frequently traversed by grazing animals on steep hillslopes. The soil properties and hydrologic function, however, are virtually unknown. This research aimed to identify differences in soil properties between terracette bench and riser features, and their influence on soil water content for two terracetted sites and two non-terracetted control sites (grazed and ungrazed) in Eastern Washington State. Measurements of volumetric water content (θ_v), bulk density, soil texture, saturated hydraulic conductivity, pH, and ECa_a were collected along with compaction, vegetative cover and cattle density throughout the 2013 and 2014 field seasons. Results show small but significant volumetric water content differences between terracette benches and risers in the upper 10 cm with benches exhibiting higher mean θ_v than risers throughout the year. Soil bulk density on benches (1600 kg m-3^{-3}) was significantly higher than that of risers (1300 kg m-3^{-3}) with no differences in soil texture. The saturated hydraulic conductivity on benches was roughly half of that for risers. No significant soil differences were noted below 20 cm depth. Terracetted sites showed greater field-averaged θ_v compared to non-terracetted sites suggesting a positive trend with animal stocking rates. Higher water content on terracette benches is attributed to shifts in pore size distribution with compaction, and a reduction in root-water uptake due to plant-root impedance. This increased soil water does not however increase forage production as it is not accessible to plants.

[Field study on the change of urinary iodine levels among family members with iodine content of 5 - 150 microg/L in drinking water before and after non-iodized salt intervention].

PubMed

Li, Su-mei; Zhang, Gen-hong; Sun, Fan; Wang, Pei-hua; Zhang, Zhi-zhong; Li, Xiu-wei; Li, Shu-hua

2008-08-01

To compare the changes of urinary iodine levels among the family members with iodine content of 5 - 150 microg/L in drinking water, before and after non-iodized salt intervention through a field trail study. Family members who routinely drank water with iodine content 5 - 150 microg/L were chosen to substitute non-iodized salt for their current iodized salt for 2 months, and urine samples of the family members were collected for determination of iodine change before and after intervention was carried out. Median urinary iodine of school children, women with productive age and male adults exceeding 370 microg/L before intervention and the frequency distribution of urinary iodine were all above 70%. Our results revealed that iodine excess exited in three groups of family members. After intervention, all median urinary iodine level seemed to have decreased significantly, and groups with drinking water iodine 5.0 - 99.9 microg/L reduced to adequate or close to adequate while the group that drinking water iodine was 100 - 150 microg/L reached the cut-off point of excessive iodine level (300 microg/L). Results from your study posed the idea that the iodine adequate areas should be defined as the areas with iodine content of 5.0 - 100 microg/L in drinking water, and edible salt not be iodized in these areas. Areas with iodine content of 100 - 150 microg/L in drinking water should be classified as iodine excessive.

Effect of water saturation in soil organic matter on the partition of organic compounds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rutherford, D.W.; Chlou, G.T.

1992-01-01

The sorption of benzene, trichloroethylene, and carbon tetrachloride at room temperature from water solution and from vapor on two high-organic-content soils (peat and muck) was determined in order to evaluate the effect of water saturation on the solute partition in soil organic matter (SOM). The uptake of water vapor was similarly determined to define the amounts of water in the saturated soil samples. In such high-organic-content soils the organic vapor sorption and the respective solute sorption from water exhibit linear isotherms over a wide range of relative concentrations. This observation, along with the low BET surface areas of the samples, suggests that partition in the SOM of the samples is the dominant process in the uptake of these liquids. A comparison of the sorption from water solution and from vapor phase shows that water saturation reduces the sorption (partition) efficiency of SOM by ?? 42%; the saturated water content is ??38% by weight of dry SOM. This reduction is relatively small when compared with the almost complete suppression by water of organic compound adsorption on soil minerals. While the effect of water saturation on solute uptake by SOM is much expected in terms of solute partition in SOM, the influence of water on the solubility behavior of polar SOM can be explained only qualitatively by regular solution theory. The results suggest that the major effect of water in a drying-wetting cycle on the organic compound uptake by normal low-organic-content soils (and the associated compound's activity) is the suppression of adsorption by minerals rather than the mitigation of the partition effect in SOM.

Comparing Kaolin and Pinolene to Improve Sustainable Grapevine Production during Drought

PubMed Central

Belfiore, Nicola; Gaiotti, Federica; Lovat, Lorenzo; Sansone, Luigi; Poni, Stefano; Tomasi, Diego

2016-01-01

Viticulture is widely practiced in dry regions, where the grapevine is greatly exposed to water stress. Optimizing plant water use efficiency (WUE) without affecting crop yield, grape and wine quality is crucial to limiting use of water for irrigation and to significantly improving viticulture sustainability. This study examines the use in vineyards of particle film technology (engineered kaolin) and compares it to a film-forming antitranspirant (pinolene), traditionally used to limit leaf water loss, and to an untreated control. The trial was carried out under field conditions over three growing seasons, during which moderate to very severe plant water stress (down to -1.9 MPa) was measured through stem water potential. Leaf stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthesis rate (An) were measured during the seasons and used to compute intrinsic WUE (WUEi, defined as An/gs ratio). Leaf temperature was also recorded and compared between treatments. Bunch quantity, bunch and berry weight, sugar accumulation, anthocyanin and flavonoid contents were measured. Finally, microvinifications were performed and resultant wines subjected to sensory evaluation.Results showed that the use of kaolin increased grapevine intrinsic WUE (+18% on average as compared to unsprayed vines) without affecting berry and bunch weight and quantity, or sugar level. Anthocyanin content increased (+35%) in kaolin treatment, and the wine was judged more attractive (p-value <0.05) and slightly more appreciated (p-value < 0.1) than control. Pinolene did not increase WUEi, limiting An more than gs; grapes with this treatment contained lower sugar and anthocyanin content than control, and the obtained wine was the least appreciated. This study demonstrates that particle film technology can improve vine WUEi and wine quality at the same time, while traditional antitranspirants were not as effective for these purposes. This positive effect can be used in interaction with other already-demonstrated uses of particle film technology, such as pest control and sunburn reduction, in order to achieve more sustainable vineyard management. PMID:27294368

Effect of plasticizer type and concentration on physical properties of biodegradable films based on sugar palm (arenga pinnata) starch for food packaging.

PubMed

Sanyang, M L; Sapuan, S M; Jawaid, M; Ishak, M R; Sahari, J

2016-01-01

In this study, sugar palm starch (SPS) films were developed using glycerol (G), sorbitol (S) or their combination (GS) as plasticizers at the ratio of 15, 30 and 45 (wt)% using casting technique. The addition of plasticizers to SPS film-forming solutions helped to overcome the brittle and fragile nature of unplasticized SPS films. Increased plasticizer concentration resulted to an increase in film thickness, moisture content and solubility. On the contrary, density and water absorption of plasticized films decreased with increasing plasticizer concentration. Raising the plasticizer content from 15 to 45 % showed less effect on the moisture content and water absorption of S-plasticized films. Films containing glycerol and glycerol-sorbitol plasticizer (G, and GS) demonstrated higher moisture content, solubility and water absorption capacity compared to S-plasticized films. The results obtained in this study showed that plasticizer type and concentration significantly improves film properties and enhances their suitability for food packaging applications.

Easy preparation of dietary fiber with the high water-holding capacity from food sources.

PubMed

Yamazaki, Eiji; Murakami, Kazumi; Kurita, Osamu

2005-03-01

Dietary fibers were prepared as alkali- and acid-insoluble fractions with chemical phosphorylation from Tossa jute (Corchorus olitorius), defatted soybean (Glycine max), and Shiitake (Lentinula edodes). The dietary fiber fractions treated with alkaline solution containing sodium metaphosphate had the lower protein content and higher total dietary fiber content than those of the preparations without phosphorylation. Alkaline extraction followed by phosphorylation led to a 1.5-fold increase in the water holding capacity of dietary fiber compared with no phosphorylation, whereas the binding capacity to bile acids of dietary fiber was almost the same. The alkali- and acid-insoluble extraction with phosphorylation provided an efficient preparation of water-insoluble dietary fiber with high-water holding capacity from various food sources.

Required Accuracy of Structural Constraints in the Inversion of Electrical Resistivity Data for Improved Water Content Estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinze, T.; Budler, J.; Weigand, M.; Kemna, A.

2017-12-01

Water content distribution in the ground is essential for hazard analysis during monitoring of landslide prone hills. Geophysical methods like electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) can be utilized to determine the spatial distribution of water content using established soil physical relationships between bulk electrical resistivity and water content. However, often more dominant electrical contrasts due to lithological structures outplay these hydraulic signatures and blur the results in the inversion process. Additionally, the inversion of ERT data requires further constraints. In the standard Occam inversion method, a smoothness constraint is used, assuming that soil properties change softly in space. While this applies in many scenarios, sharp lithological layers with strongly divergent hydrological parameters, as often found in landslide prone hillslopes, are typically badly resolved by standard ERT. We use a structurally constrained ERT inversion approach for improving water content estimation in landslide prone hills by including a-priori information about lithological layers. The smoothness constraint is reduced along layer boundaries identified using seismic data. This approach significantly improves water content estimations, because in landslide prone hills often a layer of rather high hydraulic conductivity is followed by a hydraulic barrier like clay-rich soil, causing higher pore pressures. One saturated layer and one almost drained layer typically result also in a sharp contrast in electrical resistivity, assuming that surface conductivity of the soil does not change in similar order. Using synthetic data, we study the influence of uncertainties in the a-priori information on the inverted resistivity and estimated water content distribution. We find a similar behavior over a broad range of models and depths. Based on our simulation results, we provide best-practice recommendations for field applications and suggest important tests to obtain reliable, reproducible and trustworthy results. We finally apply our findings to field data, compare conventional and improved analysis results, and discuss limitations of the structurally-constrained inversion approach.

Characterization of oily mature skin by biophysical and skin imaging techniques.

PubMed

de Melo, M O; Maia Campos, P M B G

2018-02-13

The skin is a complex biological system and may suffer change according to the environmental factors, as higher temperatures can increase sebum excretion, presenting oiliness and acne. These alterations can persist during the aging and provoke more changes in aged skin. In this study we evaluated the mature oily skin characteristics using biophysical and skin imaging techniques. Sixty healthy female subjects, aged between 39 and 55 years old were recruited and separated into 2 groups according to their skin type: normal/dry and oily skin. The skin was evaluated in terms of stratum corneum water content, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) sebum content, dermis thickness and echogenicity, skin microrelief, and pores content. The mature oily skin presented no significant differences when compared to the normal/dry skin on the stratum corneum water content and TEWL parameters. The sebum content was significantly higher on the oily skin group. The microrelief analysis showed an increase of skin roughness values in the oily skin and increase of scaliness in the normal/dry skin. The oily skin showed lower dermis echogenicity mainly in the frontal region and higher dermis thickness when compared to normal/dry skin. The mature oily skin showed different characteristics from normal/dry skin in terms of sebum content, microrelief parameters, and dermis thickness. This way, the characterization of mature oily skin in an objective way is very important to development of dermocosmetic products for more effective treatments focused specially on this type of skin. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Digestive parameters and water turnover of the leopard tortoise.

PubMed

McMaster, Megan K; Downs, Colleen T

2008-09-01

Leopard tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis) experience wide fluctuations in environmental conditions and unpredictable availability of food and water within the Nama-Karoo biome. It was hypothesised that tortoises fed two diets differing in preformed water and fibre content would have differing food intake, gut transit rate, assimilation efficiency, faecal and urinary water loss, and urine concentrations. It was predicted that tortoises fed these contrasting diets would attempt to maintain energy and water balance by altering their digestive parameters. Leopard tortoises fed lucerne (Medicago sativa) had a low food intake coupled with long gut transit times, which resulted in the lowest amount of faecal energy and faecal water lost. Tortoises fed tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) had higher food intake and faster gut transit times, but more energy and water was lost in the faeces. However, daily energy assimilated and assimilation efficiency were comparable between tortoises fed the two diets. Urine osmolality was significantly different between tortoises on the two diets. Results indicate that leopard tortoises can adjust parameters such as transit rate, food intake, water loss and urine osmolality to maintain body mass, water and energy balance in response to a high fibre, low water content and a low fibre, high water content diet. This study suggests that this digestive flexibility allows leopard tortoises in the wild to take advantage of unpredictable food and water resources.

In vitro adhesion of Acanthamoeba castellanii to soft contact lenses depends on water content and disinfection procedure.

PubMed

Reverey, Julia F; Fromme, Roland; Leippe, Matthias; Selhuber-Unkel, Christine

2014-08-01

To compare the potential of different soft contact lenses to be contaminated with Acanthamoeba castellanii as a function of material parameters and cleaning procedures. Different unworn soft hydrogel and silicone hydrogel contact lenses were incubated with human pathogenic A. castellanii. The adhesion of the acanthamoebae was investigated on the contact lenses and put into relation to their material parameters. The efficacy of a recommended contact lens cleaning procedure in reducing A. castellanii adhesion was investigated. We found that material parameters such as elastic modulus, silicone content, ionic properties and swelling do not influence the adhesion of acanthamoebae to soft contact lenses. A material parameter that influenced adhesion significantly was the water content of the lens. With increasing water content, the adhesion of acanthamoebae increased. By following the cleaning instructions of the manufacturer the contamination of the lenses with A. castellanii could be reduced to a minimum, as shown both on contact lenses and in control experiments. With this study we show that for the tested lenses, the adhesion of A. castellanii to contact lenses is independent of the silicone content of the lens, but depends nonlinearly on the water content of the lens. Furthermore, we demonstrate that applying proper lens cleaning procedures minimizes the risk of acanthamoebae adhesion to contact lenses. Copyright © 2013 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Direct and indirect effects of development temperature on adult water balance traits of Eldana saccharina (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

PubMed

Kleynhans, Elsje; Conlong, Des E; Terblanche, John S

2014-09-01

For water balance physiology, prior thermal history may pre-condition individuals to be more sparing in their water consumption at a given temperature upon subsequent exposure, or alternatively, may relax constraints on water economy leading to more frivolous use of water at a later stage. Here we test these two major alternative hypotheses on the adult life stage of Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) by exposing them to different rearing temperatures (acclimation treatments) during immature stage development and comparing adult physiological performance (water loss rates, time to death) and water-balance related traits (body size, water content). Developmental acclimation at 20°C, 25°C or 30°C throughout the larval and pupal stage resulted in significant effects on water balance traits of two-day old adult male and female E. saccharina. In summary, lower developmental acclimation resulted in a 61% increase in water loss rate (range: 0.78mg/h) and a 26% reduction in survival time (6.8h). Initial body water content and initial body mass generally remained similar across male acclimation groups while higher developmental acclimation reduced female body mass significantly. High developmental acclimation resulted in significantly higher (∼23%) body water content at death possibly indicating a better overall ability to withstand desiccating conditions, although there was no difference in time to death compared to the intermediate group. The relationship between time to death and body mass was altered from negative at 25°C and 30°C acclimation, to positive at 20°C acclimation. These results show pervasive effects of rearing temperature on adult physiological performance, with low temperature relaxing what appear to be substantial constraints on water economy at higher temperatures for E. saccharina. Furthermore, they are significant for understanding the recent range expansion of E. saccharina into cooler environments in southern Africa and for management of the species. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PEMFC catalyst layers: the role of micropores and mesopores on water sorption and fuel cell activity.

PubMed

Soboleva, Tatyana; Malek, Kourosh; Xie, Zhong; Navessin, Titichai; Holdcroft, Steven

2011-06-01

The effects of carbon microstructure and ionomer loading on water vapor sorption and retention in catalyst layers (CLs) of PEM fuel cells are investigated using dynamic vapor sorption. Catalyst layers based on Ketjen Black and Vulcan XC-72 carbon blacks, which possess distinctly different surface areas, pore volumes, and microporosities, are studied. It is found that pores <20 nm diameter facilitate water uptake by capillary condensation in the intermediate range of relative humidities. A broad pore size distribution (PSD) is found to enhance water retention in Ketjen Black-based CLs whereas the narrower mesoporous PSD of Vulcan CLs is shown to have an enhanced water repelling action. Water vapor sorption and retention properties of CLs are correlated to electrochemical properties and fuel cell performance. Water sorption enhances electrochemical properties such as the electrochemically active surface area (ESA), double layer capacitance and proton conductivity, particularly when the ionomer content is very low. The hydrophilic properties of a CL on the anode and the cathode are adjusted by choosing the PSD of carbon and the ionomer content. It is shown that a reduction of ionomer content on either cathode or anode of an MEA does not necessarily have a significant detrimental effect on the MEA performance compared to the standard 30 wt % ionomer MEA. Under operation in air and high relative humidity, a cathode with a narrow pore size distribution and low ionomer content is shown to be beneficial due to its low water retention properties. In dry operating conditions, adequate ionomer content on the cathode is crucial, whereas it can be reduced on the anode without a significant impact on fuel cell performance. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Physical and hydraulic properties of baked ceramic aggregates used for plant growth medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinberg, Susan L.; Kluitenberg, Gerard J.; Jones, Scott B.; Daidzic, Nihad E.; Reddi, Lakshmi N.; Xiao, Ming; Tuller, Markus; Newman, Rebecca M.; Or, Dani; Alexander, J. Iwan. D.

2005-01-01

Baked ceramic aggregates (fritted clay, arcillite) have been used for plant research both on the ground and in microgravity. Optimal control of water and air within the root zone in any gravity environment depends on physical and hydraulic properties of the aggregate, which were evaluated for 0.25-1-mm and 1-2-mm particle size distributions. The maximum bulk densities obtained by any packing technique were 0.68 and 0.64 g cm-3 for 0.25-1-mm and 1-2-mm particles, respectively. Wettable porosity obtained by infiltration with water was approximately 65%, substantially lower than total porosity of approximately 74%. Aggregate of both particle sizes exhibited a bimodal pore size distribution consisting of inter-aggregate macropores and intra-aggregate micropores, with the transition from macro- to microporosity beginning at volumetric water content of approximately 36% to 39%. For inter-aggregate water contents that support optimal plant growth there is 45% change in water content that occurs over a relatively small matric suction range of 0-20 cm H2O for 0.25-1-mm and 0 to -10 cm H2O for 1-2-mm aggregate. Hysteresis is substantial between draining and wetting aggregate, which results in as much as a approximately 10% to 20% difference in volumetric water content for a given matric potential. Hydraulic conductivity was approximately an order of magnitude higher for 1-2-mm than for 0.25-1-mm aggregate until significant drainage of the inter-aggregate pore space occurred. The large change in water content for a relatively small change in matric potential suggests that significant differences in water retention may be observed in microgravity as compared to earth.

Estimation of perceptible water vapor of atmosphere using artificial neural network, support vector machine and multiple linear regression algorithm and their comparative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shastri, Niket; Pathak, Kamlesh

2018-05-01

The water vapor content in atmosphere plays very important role in climate. In this paper the application of GPS signal in meteorology is discussed, which is useful technique that is used to estimate the perceptible water vapor of atmosphere. In this paper various algorithms like artificial neural network, support vector machine and multiple linear regression are use to predict perceptible water vapor. The comparative studies in terms of root mean square error and mean absolute errors are also carried out for all the algorithms.

[Study on the variation of arsenic concentration in groundwater and chemical characteristics of arsenic in sediment cores at the areas with endemic arsenic poison disease in Jianghan Plain].

PubMed

Zhou, Suhua; Ye, Hengpeng; Li, Mingjian; Xiong, Peisheng; Du, Dongyun; Wang, Jingwen

2015-06-01

To understand the variation of arsenic concentration in underground water at the endemic arsenic poison disease area of Jianghan Plain so as to better understand the spatial distribution of high arsenic groundwater, hydro-chemical evolution and source of arsenic in this region. Thirty underground water samples were collected respectively around 3 km radius of the two houses where arsenic poisoning patients lived, in Xiantao and Honghu. Sediment cores of three drillings were collected as well. Both paired t-test or paired Wilcoxon Signed Ranking Test were used to compare the arsenic concentration of water. The arsenic concentration in 2011-2012 appeared lower than that in 2006-2007 at the Nanhong village of Xiantao (t = 4.645 3, P < 0.000 1), but was higher (S = -150, P < 0.000 1) in the Yaohe village of Honghu. The pH value showed weak acidity with Eh as weak oxidated. Positive correlations were observed between arsenic concentration and Cl, HCO3(-), Fe, Mn. However, negative correlations were found between As and SO4(2-), NO3(-). The range of arsenic content in the sediment was 1.500 mg/kg to 17.289 mg/kg. The maximum arsenic content existed in the soil layer, while the minimum arsenic content existed in the sand layer. The concentration of arsenic varied widely with time and space at endemic arsenic poison disease area of Jianghan Plain. Characteristics of these water chemicals showed significant differences, when compared to the groundwater from Datong Basin, Shanxi Shanyin and Hetao Plain of Inner Mongolia, which presented a typical environment with high arsenic contents in the groundwater. The arsenic content in the sediment samples seemed related to the lithologic structure.

[Fractal features of soil aggregate structure in slope farmland with different de-farming patterns in South Sichuan Province of China].

PubMed

Wang, Jing-Yan; Hu, Ting-Xing; Gong, Wei; Gong, Yuan-Bo; Luo, Cheng-De

2010-06-01

By using fractal model, this paper studied the fractal dimension of soil aggregate structure (D) in the slope farmland (CK), its 5-year de-farmed Neosinocalamus affinis plantation (NAP), Bambusa pervariabilis x Dendrocalamopsis oldhami plantation (BDP), Alnus crenastogyne + Neosinocalamus affinis plantation (ANP), and abandoned farmland (AFL) in south Sichuan Province of China, and analyzed the relationships between the D and soil physical and chemical properties. In the de-farmed plantations and abandoned farmland, the contents of > 0.25 mm soil aggregates and water-stable aggregates were increased significantly, compared with those in the slope farmland. The D was 1.377-2.826, being in the order of NAP < BDP < ANP < AFL < CK, and decreased with the increasing contents of > 0.25 mm soil aggregates and water-stable aggregates. Comparing with CK, de-farming increased the soil natural water content, capillary porosity, and contents of soil organic matter, total N, alkali-hydrolysable N, total P, and total K, and decreased soil bulk density, non-capillary porosity, and aeration porosity. There were close relationships between the fractal dimension of soil aggregate structure and the soil physical and chemical properties. All the results suggested that the de-farming of slope farmland was beneficial to the increase of the contents of > 0.25 mm soil aggregates and water-stable aggregates, and the enhancement of soil structure stability. The D could be used as an ideal index to evaluate soil fertility, and planting Neosinocalamus affinis on the de-farming slope farmland was a good measure for the improvement of soil fertility in the research area.

The partial root-zone saline irrigation system and antioxidant responses in tomato plants.

PubMed

Alves, Rita de Cássia; de Medeiros, Ana Santana; Nicolau, Mayara Cristina Malvas; Neto, Antônio Pizolato; de Assis Oliveira, Francisco; Lima, Leonardo Warzea; Tezotto, Tiago; Gratão, Priscila Lupino

2018-06-01

Salinity is a limiting factor that can affect plant growth and cause significant losses in agricultural productivity. This study provides an insight about the viability of partial root-zone irrigation (PRI) system with saline water supported by a biochemical approach involving antioxidant responses. Six different irrigation methods using low and high salt concentrations (S1-0.5 and S2-5.0 dS m -1 ) were applied, with or without PRSI, so that one side of the root-zone was submitted to saline water while the other side was low salinity water irrigated. The results revealed different responses according to the treatments and the PRSI system applied. For the treatments T1, T2 and T3, the PRSI was not applied, while T4, T5 and T6 treatments were applied with PRSI system. Lipid peroxidation, proline content, and activities of SOD, CAT, APX, GR and GSH in tomato plants subjected to PRSI system were analyzed. Plant growth was not affected by the salt concentrations; however, plants submitted to high salt concentrations showed high MDA content and Na + accumulation when compared to the control plants. Plants submitted to treatments T4, T5 and T6 with PRSI system exhibited lower MDA compared to the control plants (T1). Proline content and activities of SOD, CAT, APX, GR and GSH content were maintained in all treatments and tissues analyzed, with only exception for APX in fruits and GSH content, in roots. The overall results showed that PRSI system could be an applicable technique for saline water supply on irrigation since plants did not show to be vulnerable to salt stress, supported by a biochemical approach involving antioxidant responses. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Physicochemical Properties Influencing Presence of Burkholderia pseudomallei in Soil from Small Ruminant Farms in Peninsular Malaysia

PubMed Central

Panchadcharam, Chandrawathani; Zakaria, Zunita; Abdul Aziz, Saleha

2016-01-01

Soil is considered to be a major reservoir of Burkholderia pseudomallei in the environment. This paper investigates soil physicochemical properties that may influence presence of B. pseudomallei in soil samples from small ruminant farms in Peninsular Malaysia. Soil samples were collected from the farms and cultured for B. pseudomallei. The texture, organic matter and water contents, pH, elemental contents, cation exchange capacities, carbon, sulfur and nitrogen contents were determined. Analysis of soil samples that were positive and negative for B. pseudomallei using multivariable logistic regression found that the odds of bacterial isolation from soil was significantly higher for samples with higher contents of iron (OR = 1.01, 95%CI = 1.00–1.02, p = 0.03), water (OR = 1.28, 95%CI = 1.05–1.55, p = 0.01) and clay (OR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.15–2.06, p = 0.004) compared to the odds of isolation in samples with lower contents of the above variables. These three factors may have favored the survival of B. pseudomallei because iron regulates expression of respiratory enzymes, while water is essential for soil ecology and agent’s biological processes and clay retains water and nutrients. PMID:27635652

Green technology approach towards herbal extraction method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutalib, Tengku Nur Atiqah Tengku Ab; Hamzah, Zainab; Hashim, Othman; Mat, Hishamudin Che

2015-05-01

The aim of present study was to compare maceration method of selected herbs using green and non-green solvents. Water and d-limonene are a type of green solvents while non-green solvents are chloroform and ethanol. The selected herbs were Clinacanthus nutans leaf and stem, Orthosiphon stamineus leaf and stem, Sesbania grandiflora leaf, Pluchea indica leaf, Morinda citrifolia leaf and Citrus hystrix leaf. The extracts were compared with the determination of total phenolic content. Total phenols were analyzed using a spectrophotometric technique, based on Follin-ciocalteau reagent. Gallic acid was used as standard compound and the total phenols were expressed as mg/g gallic acid equivalent (GAE). The most suitable and effective solvent is water which produced highest total phenol contents compared to other solvents. Among the selected herbs, Orthosiphon stamineus leaves contain high total phenols at 9.087mg/g.

[Soil infiltration of snowmelt water in the southern Gurbantunggut Desert, Xinjiang, China].

PubMed

Hu, Shun-jun; Chen, Yong-bao; Zhu, Hai

2015-04-01

Soil infiltration of snow-melt water is an important income item of water balance in arid desert. The soil water content in west slope, east slope and interdune of sand dune in the southern Gurbantunggut Desert was monitored before snowfall and after snow melting during the winters of 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. According to the principle of water balance, soil infiltration of snow-melt in the west slope, east slope, interdune and landscape scale was calculated, and compared with the results measured by cylinder method. The results showed that the soil moisture recharge from unfrozen layer of unsaturated soil to surface frozen soil was negligible because the soil moisture content before snowfall was lower, soil infiltration of snow-melt water was the main source of soil water of shallow soil, phreatic water did not evaporate during freezing period, and did not get recharge after the snow melting. Snowmelt water in the west slope, east slope, interdune and landscape scale were 20-43, 27-43, 32-45, 26-45 mm, respectively.

[Effects of water conditions and controlled release urea on yield and leaf senescence physiological characteristics in summer maize.

PubMed

Li, Guang Hao; Liu, Ping Ping; Zhao, Bin; Dong, Shu Ting; Liu, Peng; Zhang, Ji Wang; Tian, Cui Xia; He, Zai Ju

2017-02-01

In an soil column experiment with Zhengdan 958 (a summer maize cultivar planted widely in China), treatments of three water levels,severe water stress W 1 which the soil moisture kept (35±5)% of the field capacity, mild water stress W 2 which was (55±5)%,normal water W 3 which was (75±5)%, and four levels of controlled release urea fertilizer (N 0 , N 1 was 150 kg N·hm -2 ,N 2 was 225 kg N·hm -2 and N 3 was 300 kg N·hm -2 ) were included to study the interactive effects of water and controlled release urea on yield and leaf senescence characteristics of summer maize. The results showed that the coupling of water and controlled release urea had significant effects on increasing yield, delaying the senescence and keeping the high efficiency of the functional leaves. Under the same nitrogen condition, yield, LAI, chlorophyll content and the activities of SOD, POD, CAT and soluble protein content in summer maize ear leaf were significantly increased with more water supplying, and the content of MDA decreased significantly. Under the condition of the same moisture, these indicators were also significantly increased with the increasing nitrogen application and MDA content was reduced significantly. However, these indicators (except MDA) of W 3 N 3 , W 3 N 2 and W 2 N 3 treatments were maintained at a higher level and the MDA content was lo-wer compared with other treatments despite the fact that there were no significant difference among these three treatments, which indicated that the interactive effects of water and controlled release urea had an important role in maintaining the function of ear leaf, delaying the leaf senescence, and was beneficial to the photosynthates production and obtaining higher yield of summer maize. Integrating the yield, LAI, chlorophyll content, various protective enzymes activity, MDA and soluble protein content, controlled release urea application rate of 225 kg N·hm -2 was the best treatment as the soil moisture content was (75±5)% of field capacity. Continuous increase in the nitrogen application could not enhance the activities of protective enzymes, oppositely, it could cause the decline of protective enzymes activities and the increase of MDA content rapidly and speed up plants translation to senescence, which was not conductive to the efficient use of nitrogen. We suggested that coupling controlled release urea application rate of 300 kg N·hm -2 with soil moisture content of (55±5)% of field capacity was optimum.

Contrasting effects of untreated textile wastewater onto the soil available nitrogen-phosphorus and enzymatic activities in aridisol.

PubMed

Arif, Muhammad Saleem; Riaz, Muhammad; Shahzad, Sher Muhammad; Yasmeen, Tahira; Buttler, Alexandre; Garcıa-Gil, Juan Carlos; Roohi, Mahnaz; Rasool, Akhtar

2016-02-01

Water shortage and soil qualitative degradation are significant environmental problems in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. The increasing demand for water in agriculture and industry has resulted in the emergence of wastewater use as an alternative in these areas. Textile wastewater is produced in surplus amounts which poses threat to the environment as well as associated flora and fauna. A 60-day incubation study was performed to assess the effects of untreated textile wastewater at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% dilution levels on the physico-chemical and some microbial and enzymatic properties of an aridisol soil. The addition of textile wastewater provoked a significant change in soil pH and electrical conductivity and soil dehydrogenase and urease activities compared to the distilled-water treated control soil. Moreover, compared to the control treatment, soil phosphomonoesterase activity was significantly increased from 25 to 75% application rates, but decreased at 100% textile wastewater application rate. Total and available soil N contents increased significantly in response to application of textile wastewater. Despite significant increases in the soil total P contents after the addition of textile wastewater, soil available P content decreased with increasing concentration of wastewater. Changes in soil nutrient contents and related enzymatic activities suggested a dynamic match between substrate availability and soil N and P contents. Aridisols have high fixation and low P availability, application of textile wastewater to such soils should be considered only after careful assessment.

Effect of Water Content Components on Desiccation and Recovery in Sphagnum Mosses

PubMed Central

Hájek, Tomáš; Beckett, Richard P.

2008-01-01

Background and Aims The basic parameters of water relations were measured in Sphagnum mosses. The relationships of these parameters to the photosynthetic response to desiccation and the ecology of these mosses were then tested. Methods The water relations parameters of six Sphagnum species (mosses typical of wet habitats) and Atrichum androgynum (a moss more typical of mesophytic conditions) were calculated from pressure–volume isotherms. Photosynthetic properties during and after moderate desiccation were monitored by chlorophyll fluorescence. Key Results When desiccated, the hummock-forming species S. fuscum and S. magellanicum lost more water before turgor started dropping than other sphagna inhabiting less exposed habitats (73 % compared with 56 % on average). Osmotic potentials at full turgor were similar in all species, with an average value of −1·1 MPa. Hummock sphagna had clearly more rigid cell walls than species of wet habitats (ε = 3·55 compared with 1·93 MPa). As a result, their chlorophyllous cells lost turgor at higher relative water contents (RWCs) than species of wet habitats (0·61 compared with 0·46) and at less negative osmotic potentials (–2·28 compared with −3·00 MPa). During drying, ΦPSII started declining earlier in hummock species (at an RWC of 0·65 compared with 0·44), and Fv/Fm behaved similarly. Compared with other species, hummock sphagna desiccated to −20 or −40 MPa recovered more completely after rehydration. Atrichum androgynum responded to desiccation similarly to hummock sphagna, suggesting that their desiccation tolerance may have a similar physiological basis. Conclusions Assuming a fixed rate of desiccation, the higher water-holding capacities of hummock sphagna will allow them to continue metabolism for longer than other species. While this could be viewed as a form of ‘desiccation avoidance’, hummock species also recover faster than other species during rehydration, suggesting that they have higher inherent tolerance. This may help them to persist in drought-exposed hummocks. In contrast, species growing in wet habitats lack such strong avoidance and tolerance mechanisms. However, their turgor maintenance mechanisms, for example more elastic cell walls, enable them to continue metabolizing longer as their water contents fall to the turgor-loss point. PMID:18024417

Uranium bone content as an indicator of chronic environmental exposure from drinking water.

PubMed

Larivière, Dominic; Tolmachev, Sergei Y; Kochermin, Vera; Johnson, Sonia

2013-07-01

Uranium (U) is an ubiquitous radioelement found in drinking water and food. As a consequence of its prevalence, most humans ingest a few micrograms (μg) of this element daily. It is incorporated in various organs and tissues. Several studies have demonstrated that ingested U is deposited mainly in bones. Therefore, U skeletal content could be considered as a prime indicator for low-level chronic intake. In this study, 71 archived vertebrae bone samples collected in seven Canadian cities were subjected to digestion and U analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. These results were correlated with U concentrations in municipal drinking water supplies, with the data originating from historical studies performed by Health Canada. A strong relationship (r(2) = 0.97) was observed between the averaged U total skeletal content and averaged drinking water concentration, supporting the hypothesis that bones are indeed a good indicator of U intake. Using a PowerBASIC compiler to process an ICRP systemic model for U (ICRP, 1995a), U total skeletal content was estimated using two gastrointestinal tract absorption factors (ƒ1 = 0.009 and 0.03). Comparisons between observed and modelled skeletal contents as a function of U intake from drinking water tend to demonstrate that neither of the ƒ1 values can adequately estimate observed values. An ƒ1value of 0.009 provides a realistic estimate for intake resulting from food consumption only (6.72 μg) compared to experimental data (7.4 ± 0.8 μg), whereas an ƒ1value of 0.03 tends to better estimate U skeletal content at higher levels of U (1-10 μg L(-1)) in drinking water. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrometer in the mantle: dln(Vs)/dln(Vp)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L.; Weidner, D. J.

2010-12-01

The absorption of water into nominally non-hydrous phases is the probable storage mechanism of hydrogen throughout most of the mantle. Thus the water capacity in the mantle is greatest in the transition zone owing to the large water-solubility of ringwoodite and wadsleyite. However, the actual amount of water that is stored there is highly uncertain. Since water is probably brought down by subduction activity, it’s abundance is probably laterally variable. Thus, a metric that is sensitive to variations of water content are good candidates for hydrometers. Here we evaluate the parameter, dln(Vs)/dln(Vp), as such a parameter. It is useful to detect lateral variations of water if the effects of hydration on the parameter are different than those of temperature or composition. We compare the value of dln(Vs)/dln(Vp) due to the temperature with that due to the water content as a function of depth for the upper mantle. We have calculated dln(Vs)/dln(Vp) due to both water and temperature using a density functional theory approach, and available experimental data. Our results indicate that dln(Vs)/dln(Vp) due to water is distinguishable from dln(Vs)/dln(Vp) due to temperature or variations in iron content, particularly in ringwoodite. The difference increases with depth and making the lower part of the transition zone most identifiable as a water reservoir.

Post-Fire soil water repellency, hydrologic response, and sediment yield compared between grass-converted and chaparral watersheds

Treesearch

Ken R. Hubbert; Pete M. Wohlgemuth; Jan L. Beyers; Marcia G. Narog; Ross Gerrard

2012-01-01

In 2002, the Williams Fire burned >90 % of the San Dimas Experimental Forest, providing an opportunity to investigate differences in soil water repellency, peak discharge, and sediment yield between grass-converted and chaparral watersheds. Post-fire water repellency and moisture content were measured in the winter and summer for four years. Peak discharge was...

The Enhancement of Water Ice Content in the Local Area Northeast of Arcadia Planitia: Evidence from Neutron Data from HEND (Mars Odyssey) and Elevation from MOLA (MGS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanin, A. B.; Mitrofanov, I. G.; Kozyrev, A. S.; Litvak, M. L.; Tretyakov, V.; Smith, D. E.; Zuber, M. T.; Boynton, W.; Saunders, R. S.

2003-01-01

The first year of neutron mapping measurements from the Mars Odyssey spacecraft revealed enormous hydrogen-rich regions in the southern and northern hemispheres of the Martian crust that imply significant amounts of near surface water ice. The hydrogen-rich areas of the southern and northern regions appear generally comparable in spatial extent and water ice content. This observation is interesting in light of topography measured by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) on the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft, which shows a significant difference in elevation between northern lowlands and southern highlands that could imply a difference in seasonal CO2 condensation. In this study we correlate the high energy neutron flux observed by HEND (Mars Odyssey) and surface elevation measured by MOLA in order to interpret the seasonal change in epithermal neutron flux in terms near-surface water ice content.

Impact of removing iodized salt on the iodine nutrition of children living in areas with variable iodine content in drinking water.

PubMed

Lv, Shengmin; Zhao, Yinglu; Li, Yanxia; Wang, Yuchun; Liu, Hua; Li, Yang; Zhao, Jun; Rutherford, Shannon

2015-09-01

Excess iodine in drinking water has emerged as a public health issue in China. This study assesses the effectiveness of removing iodized salt on reducing the iodine excess in populations living in high-iodine areas and also to identify the threshold value for safe levels of iodine in water. Twelve villages from 5 cities of Hebei Province with iodine content in drinking water ranging from 39 to 313 µg/l were selected to compare the urinary iodine content of children aged 8-10 years before and after removing iodized salt from their diet. For 3 villages where median water iodine content (MWIC) was below 110 µg/l, following the removal of iodized salt (the intervention), the median urinary iodine content (MUIC) reduced to under 300 µg/l decreasing from 365, 380, 351 to 247, 240, 281 µg/l, respectively. However, the MUIC in the 9 villages with MWIC above 110 µg/l remained higher than 300 µg/l. The children's MUIC correlated positively with the MWIC in the 12 villages (p ≤ 0.001). The linear regression equation after removing iodized salt was MUIC = 0.6761MWIC + 225.67, indicating that to keep the MUIC below 300 µg/l (the iodine excess threshold recommended by the WHO) requires the MWIC to be under 110 µg/l. Removing iodized salt could only correct the iodine excess in the population living in the areas with MWIC below 110 µg/l. In the areas with water iodine above 110 µg/l, interventions should be focused on seeking water with lower iodine content. This study suggests a threshold value of 110 µg/l of iodine in drinking water to maintain a safe level of dietary iodine.

Feasibility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in obtaining nucleus pulposus (NP) water content with changing postures.

PubMed

Nazari, Jalil; Pope, Malcolm H; Graveling, Richard A

2015-05-01

Opportunities to evaluate spinal loading in vivo are limited and a large majority of studies on the mechanical functions of the spine have been in vitro cadaveric studies and/or models based on many assumptions that are difficult to validate. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in obtaining nucleus pulposus (NP) water content measurements with changing postures. MRI studies were conducted on 25 healthy males with no history of low back pain (age 20-38). The L1 to S1 intradiscal levels were imaged in supine, sitting and standing postures using an upright 0.6 Tesla magnet, where a set of H2O: D2O7 phantoms were mounted on the back of the subjects. A calibration curve, provided from these phantoms, was applied to the absolute proton density image, yielding a pixel-by-pixel map of the water content of the NP. The NP at all levels showed a highly significant water loss (p<0.001) in sitting and standing postures compared with the supine posture. A trend towards higher levels of water was observed at all levels in the standing posture relative to sitting postures, however statistically significant differences were found only at L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels. This study demonstrates that variations in water content of the NP in different postures are in agreement with those determined from published invasive disc pressure measurements. The result of study demonstrates the feasibility of using MRI to determine the water content of the NP with changing postures and to use these data to evaluate spinal loading in these postures. This measurement method of water content by quantitative MR imaging could become a powerful tool for both clinical and ergonomic applications. The proposed methodology does not require invasive pressure measurement techniques. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Remote sensing of chlorophyll and temperature in marine and fresh waters.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arvesen, J. C.; Millard, J. P.; Weaver, E. C.

1973-01-01

An airborne differential radiometer was demonstrated to be a sensitive, real-time detector of surface chlorophyll content in water bodies. The instrument continuously measures the difference in radiance between two wavelength bands, one centered near the maximum of the blue chlorophyll a absorption region and the other at a reference wavelength outside this region. Flights were made over fresh water lakes, marine waters, and an estuary, and the results were compared with 'ground truth' measurements of chlorophyll concentration. A correlation between output signal of the differential radiometer and the chlorophyll concentration was obtained. Examples of flight data are illustrated. Simultaneous airborne measurements of chlorophyll content and water temperature revealed that variations in chlorophyll are often associated with changes in temperature. Thus, simultaneous sensing of chlorophyll and temperature provides useful information for studies of marine food production, water pollution, and physical processes such as upwelling.

HydroCrowd: a citizen science snapshot to assess the spatial control of nitrogen solutes in surface waters

PubMed Central

Breuer, Lutz; Hiery, Noreen; Kraft, Philipp; Bach, Martin; Aubert, Alice H.; Frede, Hans-Georg

2015-01-01

We organized a crowdsourcing experiment in the form of a snapshot sampling campaign to assess the spatial distribution of nitrogen solutes, namely, nitrate, ammonium and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), in German surface waters. In particular, we investigated (i) whether crowdsourcing is a reasonable sampling method in hydrology and (ii) what the effects of population density, soil humus content and arable land were on actual nitrogen solute concentrations and surface water quality. The statistical analyses revealed a significant correlation between nitrate and arable land (0.46), as well as soil humus content (0.37) but a weak correlation with population density (0.12). DON correlations were weak but significant with humus content (0.14) and arable land (0.13). The mean contribution of DON to total dissolved nitrogen was 22%. Samples were classified as water quality class II or above, following the European Water Framework Directive for nitrate and ammonium (53% and 82%, respectively). Crowdsourcing turned out to be a useful method to assess the spatial distribution of stream solutes, as considerable amounts of samples were collected with comparatively little effort. PMID:26561200

Impacts of Climate and Land-cover Changes on Water Resources in a Humid Subtropical Watershed: a Case Study from East Texas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heo, J.

2015-12-01

This study investigates an interconnected system of climate change - land cover - water resources for a watershed in humid subtropical climate from 1970 to 2009. A 0.7°C increase in temperature and a 16.3% increase in precipitation were observed in our study area where temperature had no obvious increase trend and precipitation showed definite increasing trend compared to previous studies. The main trend of land-cover change was conversion of vegetation and barren lands to developed and crop lands affected by human intervention, and forest and grass to bush/shrub which considered to be caused by natural climate system. Precipitation contribution to the other hydrologic parameters for a humid subtropical basin is estimated to be 51.9% of evapotranspiration, 16.3% of surface runoff, 0.9% of groundwater discharge, 19.3% of soil water content, and 11.6% of water storage. It shows little higher evapotranspiration and considerably lower surface runoff compare to other humid climate area due to vegetation dominance of land cover. Hydrologic responses to climate and land cover changes are increases of surface runoff, soil water content, evapotranspiration by 15.0%, 2.7%, and 20.1%, respectively, and decrease of groundwater discharge decreased by 9.2%. Surface runoff is relatively stable with precipitation while groundwater discharge and soil water content are sensitive to land cover changes especially human intervention. If temperature is relatively stable, it is considered to be land cover plays important role in evapotranspiration. Citation: Heo, J., J. Yu, J. R. Giardino, and H. Cho (2015), Impacts of climate and land-cover changes on water resources in a humid subtropical watershed: a case study from East Texas, USA, Water Environ. J., 29, doi:10.1111/wej.12096

Determination of aerosol content in the atmosphere from ERTS-1 data. [San Diego, California and Salton Sea

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griggs, M.; Ludwig, C. B.; Malkmus, W. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Significant results, relating the radiance over water surfaces to the atmospheric aerosol content, have been obtained. The results indicate that the MSS channels 4, 5, and 6 centered at 0.55, 0.65, and 0.75 microns have comparable sensitivity, and that the aerosol content can be determined within + or - 10% with the assumed measurement errors of the MSS. The fourth channel, MSS 7, is not useful for aerosol determination due to the water radiance values from this channel generally being less than the instrument noise. The accuracy of the aerosol content measurement could be increased by using an instrument specifically designed for this purpose. This radiance-aerosol content relationship can possibly provide a basis for monitoring the atmospheric aerosol content on a global basis, allowing a base-line value of aerosols to be established. The contrast-aerosol content investigation shows useful linear relationships in MSS channels 4 and 5, allowing the aerosol content to be determined within + or - 10%. MSS 7 is not useful due to the low accuracy in the water radiance, and MSS 6 is found to be too insensitive. These results rely on several assumptions due to the lack of ground truth data, but do serve to indicate which channels are most useful.

Prevalence of dental fluorosis & dental caries in association with high levels of drinking water fluoride content in a district of Gujarat, India

PubMed Central

Kotecha, P.V.; Patel, S.V.; Bhalani, K.D.; Shah, D.; Shah, V.S.; Mehta, K.G.

2012-01-01

Background & objectives: Endemic fluorosis resulting from high fluoride concentration in groundwater is a major public health problem in India. This study was carried out to measure and compare the prevalence of dental fluorosis and dental caries in the population residing in high and normal level of fluoride in their drinking water in Vadodara district, Gujarat, India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Vadodara district, six of the 261 villages with high fluoride level and five of 1490 with normal fluoride level in drinking water were selected. The data collection was made by house-to-house visits twice during the study period. Results: The dental fluorosis prevalence in high fluoride area was 59.31 per cent while in normal fluoride area it was 39.21 per cent. The prevalence of dental caries in high fluoride area was 39.53 per cent and in normal fluoride area was 48.21 per cent with CI 6.16 to 11.18. Dental fluorosis prevalence was more among males as compared to females. Highest prevalence of dental fluorosis was seen in 12-24 yr age group. Interpretation & conclusions: The risk of dental fluorosis was higher in the areas showing more fluoride content in drinking water and to a lesser degree of dental caries in the same area. High fluoride content is a risk factor for dental fluorosis and problem of dental fluorosis increased with passage of time suggesting that the fluoride content in the water has perhaps increased over time. Longitudinal studies should be conducted to confirm the findings. PMID:22825606

Water in the Cratonic Mantle: Insights from FTIR Data on Lac De Gras Xenoliths (Slave Craton, Canada)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peslier, Anne H.; Brandon, Alan D.; Schaffer, Lillian Aurora; O'Reilly, Suzanne Yvette; Griffin, William L.; Morris, Richard V.; Graff, Trevor G.; Agresti, David G.

2014-01-01

The mantle lithosphere beneath the cratonic part of continents is the deepest (> 200 km) and oldest (>2-3 Ga) on Earth, remaining a conundrum as to how these cratonic roots could have resisted delamination by asthenospheric convection over time. Water, or trace H incorporated in mineral defects, could be a key player in the evolution of continental lithosphere because it influences melting and rheology of the mantle. Mantle xenoliths from the Lac de Gras kimberlite in the Slave craton were analyzed by FTIR. The cratonic mantle beneath Lac de Gras is stratified with shallow (<145 km) oxidized ultradepleted peridotites and pyroxenites with evidence for carbonatitic metasomatism, underlain by reduced and less depleted peridotites metasomatized by kimberlite melts. Peridotites analyzed so far have H O contents in ppm weight of 7-100 in their olivines, 58 to 255 in their orthopyroxenes (opx), 11 to 84 in their garnet, and 139 in one clinopyroxene. A pyroxenite contains 58 ppm H2O in opx and 5 ppm H2O in its olivine and garnet. Olivine and garnet from the deep peridotites have a range of water contents extending to higher values than those from the shallow ones. The FTIR spectra of olivines from the shallow samples have more prominent Group II OH bands compared to the olivines from the deep samples, consistent with a more oxidized mantle environment. The range of olivine water content is similar to that observed in Kaapvaal craton peridotites at the same depths (129-184 km) but does not extend to as high values as those from Udachnaya (Siberian craton). The Slave, Kaapvaal and Siberian cratons will be compared in terms of water content distribution, controls and role in cratonic root longevity.

Resuscitation with Pooled and Pathogen-Reduced Plasma Attenuates the Increase in Brain Water Content following Traumatic Brain Injury and Hemorrhagic Shock in Rats.

PubMed

Genét, Gustav Folmer; Bentzer, Peter; Ostrowski, Sisse Rye; Johansson, Pär Ingemar

2017-03-01

Traumatic brain injury and hemorrhagic shock is associated with blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown and edema formation. Recent animal studies have shown that fresh frozen plasma (FFP) resuscitation reduces brain swelling and improves endothelial function compared to isotonic NaCl (NS). The aim of this study was to investigate whether pooled and pathogen-reduced plasma (OctaplasLG ® [OCTA]; Octapharma, Stockholm, Sweden) was comparable to FFP with regard to effects on brain water content, BBB permeability, and plasma biomarkers of endothelial glycocalyx shedding and cell damage. After fluid percussion brain injury, hemorrhage (20 mL/kg), and 90-min shock, 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to resuscitation with OCTA, FFP, or NS (n = 16/group). Brain water content (wet/dry weight) and BBB permeability (transfer constant for 51 Cr-EDTA) were measured at 24 h. Plasma osmolality, oncotic pressure, and biomarkers of systemic glycocalyx shedding (syndecan-1) and cell damage (histone-complexed DNA) were measured at 0 and 23 h. At 24 h, brain water content was 80.44 ± 0.39%, 80.82 ± 0.82%, and 81.15 ± 0.86% in the OCTA, FFP, and NS groups (lower in OCTA vs. NS; p = 0.026), with no difference in BBB permeability. Plasma osmolality and oncotic pressures were highest in FFP and OCTA resuscitated, and osmolality was further highest in OCTA versus FFP (p = 0.027). In addition, syndecan-1 was highest in FFP and OCTA resuscitated (p = 0.010). These results suggest that pooled solvent-detergent (SD)-treated plasma attenuates the post-traumatic increase in brain water content, and that this effect may, in part, be explained by a high crystalloid and colloid osmotic pressure in SD-treated plasma.

Aluminum bioavailability from drinking water is very low and is not appreciably influenced by stomach contents or water hardness.

PubMed

Yokel, R A; Rhineheimer, S S; Brauer, R D; Sharma, P; Elmore, D; McNamara, P J

2001-03-21

The objectives were to estimate aluminum (Al) oral bioavailability under conditions that model its consumption in drinking water, and to test the hypotheses that stomach contents and co-administration of the major components of hard water affect Al absorption. Rats received intragastric 26Al in the absence and presence of food in the stomach and with or without concomitant calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) at concentrations found in hard drinking water. The use of 26Al enables the study of Al pharmacokinetics at physiological Al concentrations without interference from 27Al in the environment or the subject. 27Al was intravenously administered throughout the study. Repeated blood withdrawal enabled determination of oral 26Al bioavailability from the area under its serum concentrationxtime curve compared to serum 27Al concentration in relation to its infusion rate. Oral Al bioavailability averaged 0.28%. The presence of food in the stomach and Ca and Mg in the water that contained the orally dosed 26Al appeared to delay but not significantly alter the extent of 26Al absorption. The present and published results suggest oral bioavailability of Al from drinking water is very low, about 0.3%. The present results suggest it is independent of stomach contents and water hardness.

Modeling preferential water flow and solute transport in unsaturated soil using the active region model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sheng, F.; Wang, K.; Zhang, R.

2009-03-15

Preferential flow and solute transport are common processes in the unsaturated soil, in which distributions of soil water content and solute concentrations are often characterized as fractal patterns. An active region model (ARM) was recently proposed to describe the preferential flow and transport patterns. In this study, ARM governing equations were derived to model the preferential soil water flow and solute transport processes. To evaluate the ARM equations, dye infiltration experiments were conducted, in which distributions of soil water content and Cl{sup -} concentration were measured. Predicted results using the ARM and the mobile-immobile region model (MIM) were compared withmore » the measured distributions of soil water content and Cl{sup -} concentration. Although both the ARM and the MIM are two-region models, they are fundamental different in terms of treatments of the flow region. The models were evaluated based on the modeling efficiency (ME). The MIM provided relatively poor prediction results of the preferential flow and transport with negative ME values or positive ME values less than 0.4. On the contrary, predicted distributions of soil water content and Cl- concentration using the ARM agreed reasonably well with the experimental data with ME values higher than 0.8. The results indicated that the ARM successfully captured the macroscopic behavior of preferential flow and solute transport in the unsaturated soil.« less

Wheat-water chestnut flour blends: effect of baking on antioxidant properties of cookies.

PubMed

Shafi, Musarat; Baba, Waqas N; Masoodi, Farooq Ahmad; Bazaz, Rafiya

2016-12-01

Proximate composition, mineral content, functional, pasting and antioxidant properties of water chestnut flour (WCF) were compared with refined wheat flour. WCF showed higher phenolic (4.25 gGAE/1000 g), flavonoid (1.92 g QE/1000 g) and mineral content (K, Mg, Zn, Cu) than wheat flour. WCF showed greater retrogradation tendency but lower peak viscosity than wheat flour. Wheat flour - WCF blends and cookies were evaluated for water activity, physical & textural properties. Water activity of cookies decreased significantly (0.415-0.311) with increase in level of WCF in wheat flour. Total phenolic content, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity (DPPH• scavenging capacity, FRAP) of WCF - wheat flour blends as well as their cookies was also determined. Baking led to a greater increase in DPPH• scavenging capacity of WCF cookies (33.8%) than WF cookies (25%). Baking had a similar effect on FRAP value. Wheat flour cookies showed a decrease of 51%, and 62% while WCF cookies showed a decrease of 36%, and 34% in TPC and TFC values respectively. WCF cookies thus showed better retention of antioxidant activities suggesting greater stability of WC phenolics than wheat phenolics. Sensory analysis showed cookies made from water chestnut (100%) had fair acceptability due to their characteristic flavor. Thus, water chestnut flour serves both as a gluten free as well as antioxidant rich flour for production of cookies.

Effects of enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation, water deficit, and their combination on UV-absorbing compounds and osmotic adjustment substances in two different moss species.

PubMed

Hui, Rong; Zhao, Ruiming; Song, Guang; Li, Yixuan; Zhao, Yang; Wang, Yanli

2018-05-01

A simulation experiment was conducted to explore the influence of enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation, water deficit, and their combination on UV-absorbing compounds and osmotic adjustment substances of mosses Bryum argenteum and Didymodon vinealis isolated from biological soil crusts (BSCs) growing in a revegetated area of the Tengger Desert, China. Four levels of UV-B radiation and two gradients of water regime were employed. Compared with their controls, amounts of total flavonoids, chlorophyll, carotenoids, soluble sugars, and soluble proteins significantly decreased (p < 0.05), but proline content significantly increased (p < 0.05), when exposed to either enhanced UV-B or water deficit. The negative effects of enhanced UV-B were alleviated when water deficit was applied. There were increases in UV-absorbing compounds and osmotic adjustment substances when exposed to a combination of enhanced UV-B and water deficit compared with single stresses, except for the proline content in D. vinealis. In addition, our results also indicated interspecific differences in response to enhanced UV-B, water deficit, and their combination. Compared with B. argenteum, D. vinealis was more resistant to enhanced UV-B and water deficit singly and in combination. These results suggest that the damage of enhanced UV-B on both species might be alleviated by water deficit. This alleviation is important for understanding the response of BSCs to UV-B radiation in future global climate change. This also provides novel insights into assessment damages of UV-B to BSC stability in arid and semiarid regions.

STS-34 onboard view of iodine comparator assembly used to check water quality

NASA Image and Video Library

1989-10-23

STS034-10-014 (18-23 Oct. 1989) --- An onboard 35mm camera provides a closeup view of an STS-34 beverage container doubling as an experiment module for a test involving iodine concentration in onboard water. The examination called for the adding of starch to a specimen of Atlantis' fuel-cell produced water. The liquid was then compared against the color chart for determining the degree of iodine content. The experiment was designed by Terry H. Slezak of JSC's Photographic Technology and Television Division.

Flight of the Chinese white pine beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in relation to sex, body weight and energy reserve.

PubMed

Chen, H; Li, Z; Bu, S H; Tian, Z Q

2011-02-01

The flight distance, flight time and individual flight activities of males and females of Dendroctonus armandi were recorded during 96-h flight trials using a flight mill system. The body weight, glucose, glycogen and lipid content of four treatments (naturally emerged, starved, phloem-fed and water-fed) were compared among pre-flight, post-flight and unflown controls. There was no significant difference between males and females in total flight distance and flight time in a given 24-h period. The flight distance and flight time of females showed a significant linear decline as the tethered flying continued, but the sustained flight ability of females was better than that of males. The females had higher glycogen and lipid content than the males; however, there was no significant difference between both sexes in glucose content. Water-feeding and phloem-feeding had significant effects on longevity, survival days and flight potential of D. armandi, which resulted in longer feeding days, poorer flight potential and lower energy substrate content. Our results demonstrate that flight distances in general do not differ between water-fed and starved individuals, whereas phloem-fed females and males fly better than water-fed and starved individuals.

Estimation of the Total Atmospheric Water Vapor Content and Land Surface Temperature Based on AATSR Thermal Data

PubMed Central

Zhang, Tangtang; Wen, Jun; van der Velde, Rogier; Meng, Xianhong; Li, Zhenchao; Liu, Yuanyong; Liu, Rong

2008-01-01

The total atmospheric water vapor content (TAWV) and land surface temperature (LST) play important roles in meteorology, hydrology, ecology and some other disciplines. In this paper, the ENVISAT/AATSR (The Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer) thermal data are used to estimate the TAWV and LST over the Loess Plateau in China by using a practical split window algorithm. The distribution of the TAWV is accord with that of the MODIS TAWV products, which indicates that the estimation of the total atmospheric water vapor content is reliable. Validations of the LST by comparing with the ground measurements indicate that the maximum absolute derivation, the maximum relative error and the average relative error is 4.0K, 11.8% and 5.0% respectively, which shows that the retrievals are believable; this algorithm can provide a new way to estimate the LST from AATSR data. PMID:27879795

Airflow dispersion in unsaturated soil.

PubMed

Gidda, T; Cann, D; Stiver, W H; Zytner, R G

2006-01-05

Dispersion data is abundant for water flow in the saturated zone but is lacking for airflow in unsaturated soil. However, for remediation processes such as soil vapour extraction, characterization of airflow dispersion is necessary for improved modelling and prediction capabilities. Accordingly, gas-phase tracer experiments were conducted in five soils ranging from uniform sand to clay at air-dried and wetted conditions. The disturbed soils were placed in one-dimensional stainless steel columns, with sulfur hexafluoride used as the inert tracer. The tested interstitial velocities were typical of those present in the vicinity of a soil vapour extraction well, while wetting varied according to the water-holding capacity of the soils. Results gave dispersivities that varied between 0.42 and 2.6 cm, which are typical of values in the literature. In air-dried soils, dispersion was found to increase with the pore size variability of the soil. For wetted soils, particle shape was an important factor at low water contents, while at high water contents, the proportion of macroporous space filled with water was important. The relative importance of diffusion decreased with increasing interstitial velocity and water content and was, in general, found to be minor compared to mechanical mixing across all conditions studied.

Forest productivity and water stress in Amazonia: observations from GOSAT chlorophyll fluorescence.

PubMed

Lee, Jung-Eun; Frankenberg, Christian; van der Tol, Christiaan; Berry, Joseph A; Guanter, Luis; Boyce, C Kevin; Fisher, Joshua B; Morrow, Eric; Worden, John R; Asefi, Salvi; Badgley, Grayson; Saatchi, Sassan

2013-06-22

It is unclear to what extent seasonal water stress impacts on plant productivity over Amazonia. Using new Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) satellite measurements of sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence, we show that midday fluorescence varies with water availability, both of which decrease in the dry season over Amazonian regions with substantial dry season length, suggesting a parallel decrease in gross primary production (GPP). Using additional SeaWinds Scatterometer onboard QuikSCAT satellite measurements of canopy water content, we found a concomitant decrease in daily storage of canopy water content within branches and leaves during the dry season, supporting our conclusion. A large part (r(2) = 0.75) of the variance in observed monthly midday fluorescence from GOSAT is explained by water stress over moderately stressed evergreen forests over Amazonia, which is reproduced by model simulations that include a full physiological representation of photosynthesis and fluorescence. The strong relationship between GOSAT and model fluorescence (r(2) = 0.79) was obtained using a fixed leaf area index, indicating that GPP changes are more related to environmental conditions than chlorophyll contents. When the dry season extended to drought in 2010 over Amazonia, midday basin-wide GPP was reduced by 15 per cent compared with 2009.

Agronomic benefits of biochar as a soil amendment after its use as waste water filtration medium.

PubMed

Werner, Steffen; Kätzl, Korbinian; Wichern, Marc; Buerkert, Andreas; Steiner, Christoph; Marschner, Bernd

2018-02-01

In many water-scarce countries, waste water is used for irrigation which poses a health risk to farmers and consumers. At the same time, it delivers nutrients to the farming systems. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that biochar can be used as a filter medium for waste water treatment to reduce pathogen loads. At the same time, the biochar is becoming enriched with nutrients and therefore can act as a fertilizer for soil amendment. We used biochar as a filter medium for the filtration of raw waste water and compared the agronomic effects of this "filterchar" (FC) and the untreated biochar (BC) in a greenhouse pot trial on spring wheat biomass production on an acidic sandy soil from Niger. The biochar filter showed the same removal of pathogens as a common sand filter (1.4 log units on average). We did not observe a nutrient accumulation in FC compared to untreated BC. Instead, P, Mg and K were reduced during filtration while N content remained unchanged. Nevertheless, higher biomass (Triticum L. Spp.) production in BC (+72%) and FC (+37%) treatments (20 t ha -1 ), compared with the unamended control, were found. There were no significant differences in aboveground biomass production between BC and FC. Soil available P content was increased by BC (+106%) and FC (+52%) application. Besides, mineral nitrogen content was reduced in BC treated soil and to a lesser extent when FC was used. This may be explained by reduced sorption affinity for mineral nitrogen compounds on FC surfaces. Although the nutrients provided by FC decreased, due to leaching in the filter, it still yielded higher biomass than the unamended control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding water uptake in bioaerosols using laboratory measurements, field tests, and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaudhry, Zahra; Ratnesar-Shumate, Shanna A.; Buckley, Thomas J.; Kalter, Jeffrey M.; Gilberry, Jerome U.; Eshbaugh, Jonathan P.; Corson, Elizabeth C.; Santarpia, Joshua L.; Carter, Christopher C.

2013-05-01

Uptake of water by biological aerosols can impact their physical and chemical characteristics. The water content in a bioaerosol can affect the backscatter cross-section as measured by LIDAR systems. Better understanding of the water content in controlled-release clouds of bioaerosols can aid in the development of improved standoff detection systems. This study includes three methods to improve understanding of how bioaerosols take up water. The laboratory method measures hygroscopic growth of biological material after it is aerosolized and dried. Hygroscopicity curves are created as the humidity is increased in small increments to observe the deliquescence point, then the humidity is decreased to observe the efflorescence point. The field component of the study measures particle size distributions of biological material disseminated into a large humidified chamber. Measurements are made with a Twin-Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS, TSI, Inc), -Relative Humidity apparatus where two APS units measure the same aerosol cloud side-by-side. The first operated under dry conditions by sampling downstream of desiccant dryers, the second operated under ambient conditions. Relative humidity was measured within the sampling systems to determine the difference in the aerosol water content between the two sampling trains. The water content of the bioaerosols was calculated from the twin APS units following Khlystov et al. 2005 [1]. Biological material is measured dried and wet and compared to laboratory curves of the same material. Lastly, theoretical curves are constructed from literature values for components of the bioaerosol material.

Improving water content estimation on landslide-prone hillslopes using structurally-constrained inversion of electrical resistivity data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinze, Thomas; Möhring, Simon; Budler, Jasmin; Weigand, Maximilian; Kemna, Andreas

2017-04-01

Rainfall-triggered landslides are a latent danger in almost any place of the world. Due to climate change heavy rainfalls might occur more often, increasing the risk of landslides. With pore pressure as mechanical trigger, knowledge of water content distribution in the ground is essential for hazard analysis during monitoring of potentially dangerous rainfall events. Geophysical methods like electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) can be utilized to determine the spatial distribution of water content using established soil physical relationships between bulk electrical resistivity and water content. However, often more dominant electrical contrasts due to lithological structures outplay these hydraulic signatures and blur the results in the inversion process. Additionally, the inversion of ERT data requires further constraints. In the standard Occam inversion method, a smoothness constraint is used, assuming that soil properties change softly in space. This applies in many scenarios, as for example during infiltration of water without a clear saturation front. Sharp lithological layers with strongly divergent hydrological parameters, as often found in landslide prone hillslopes, on the other hand, are typically badly resolved by standard ERT. We use a structurally constrained ERT inversion approach for improving water content estimation in landslide prone hills by including a-priori information about lithological layers. Here the standard smoothness constraint is reduced along layer boundaries identified using seismic data or other additional sources. This approach significantly improves water content estimations, because in landslide prone hills often a layer of rather high hydraulic conductivity is followed by a hydraulic barrier like clay-rich soil, causing higher pore pressures. One saturated layer and one almost drained layer typically result also in a sharp contrast in electrical resistivity, assuming that surface conductivity of the soil does not change in similar order. Using synthetic data, we study the influence of uncertainties in the a-priori information on the inverted resistivity and estimated water content distribution. Based on our simulation results, we provide best-practice recommendations for field applications and suggest important tests to obtain reliable, reproducible and trustworthy results. We finally apply our findings to field data, compare conventional and improved analysis results, and discuss limitations of the structurally-constrained inversion approach.

Olivine inclusions in Siberian diamonds and mantle xenoliths: Contrasting water and trace-element contents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jean, M. M.; Taylor, L. A.; Howarth, G. H.; Peslier, A. H.; Fedele, L.; Bodnar, R. J.; Guan, Y.; Doucet, L. S.; Ionov, D. A.; Logvinova, A. M.; Golovin, A. V.; Sobolev, N. V.

2016-11-01

A subject of continuing debate is how the Earth's lithospheric portion of the upper mantle has remained the thickest (> 200 km) and oldest (> 3 Gy) beneath cratons and is yet surrounded by a vigorously convecting asthenosphere. It is generally admitted that water is a key parameter in the strength and longevity of cratonic roots, because olivine, the main phase of the lithospheric mantle, becomes stronger if its water content decreases. Expanding upon the work presented in Novella et al. (2015) and Taylor et al. (2016), we report new water contents for additional olivine inclusions in diamonds together with the trace-element composition for all olivine inclusions, as well as for mantle xenoliths from various kimberlite pipes located on the Siberian craton. The olivine diamond inclusions from this study have systematically low-water contents (< 50 ppmw H2O), moderate to high forsterite (e.g., Fo91-94) contents and low Ni, Co, and Zn ppm contents (e.g., < 2848, < 108, and < 47 ppm, respectively). In contrast, olivines from Siberian craton mantle xenoliths have a wide range of water contents (6-323 ppmw H2O) and extend to lower-Fo (91-92), Ni, Co, and Zn-rich compositions, compared to the diamond inclusions. Depleted incompatible trace-element concentrations in olivine (0.1-0.001 × Primitive Mantle) advance our hypothesis for the protogenetic origins for the majority of Siberian diamond inclusions. These observations are consistent with the peridotite xenoliths as representing a part of the cratonic lithosphere that has experienced melt re-fertilization, which has also transported water. The olivine diamond inclusions, on the other hand, preserve "micro-samples" of an initial, dry cratonic lithosphere, mostly resulting from melting events. These inclusions are likely sourced from the initial cratonic mantle lithosphere, which thereby, resisted delamination over time, due to its buoyancy and strength, imparted from melt and water depletion, respectively. And thus, our data provides a major argument that the kimberlite-hosted mantle xenoliths may be more metasomatized than common rocks at the base of the Siberian and other cratonic roots away from kimberlite fields.

Soil Moisture Content Estimation using GPR Reflection Travel Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lunt, I. A.; Hubbard, S. S.; Rubin, Y.

2003-12-01

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) reflection travel time data were used to estimate changes in soil water content under a range of soil saturation conditions throughout the growing season at a California winery. Data were collected during four data acquisition campaigns over an 80 by 180 m area using 100 MHz surface GPR antennae. GPR reflections were associated with a thin, low permeability clay layer located between 0.8 to 1.3 m below the ground surface that was calibrated with borehole information and mapped across the study area. Field infiltration tests and neutron probe logs suggest that the thin clay layer inhibited vertical water flow, and was coincident with high volumetric water content (VWC) values. The GPR reflection two-way travel time and the depth of the reflector at borehole locations were used to calculate an average dielectric constant for soils above the reflector. A site-specific relationship between the dielectric constant and VWC was then used to estimate the depth-averaged VWC of the soils above the reflector. Compared to average VWC measurements from calibrated neutron probe logs over the same depth interval, the average VWC estimates obtained from GPR reflections had an RMS error of 2 percent. We also investigated the estimation of VWC using reflections associated with an advancing water front, and found that estimates of average VWC to the water front could be obtained with similar accuracy. These results suggested that the two-way travel time to a GPR reflection associated with a geological surface or wetting front can be used under natural conditions to obtain estimates of average water content when borehole control is available. The GPR reflection method therefore has potential for monitoring soil water content over large areas and under variable hydrological conditions.

Silicon and water-deficit stress differentially modulate physiology and ultrastructure in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

PubMed

Xu, Ling; Islam, Faisal; Ali, Basharat; Pei, Zengfei; Li, Juanjuan; Ghani, Muhammad Awais; Zhou, Weijun

2017-08-01

Plants combat drought stress by coordinating various metabolic enzymes, and endogenous phytohormones, such as indole acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA). In the present study, 37-day-old wheat seedlings were subjected to the Hoagland solution with 20% PEG for 7 days (to create the artificial osmotic stress environment) in the greenhouse, and were supplemented with an optimized concentration (1.0 mM) of silicon (Si) to alleviate the negative effects of former stress on physiological, biochemical and phytohormones contents. Exogenous Si significantly improved plant growth parameters under osmotic stress compared to PEG treatment alone (the increase was up to 6 and 9% for shoot and root fresh weight, 4 and 12% for shoot and root dry weight, respectively). Moreover, Si significantly decreased the H 2 O 2 , MDA contents, electrolyte leakage, antioxidant enzyme activity (POD), and mineral contents (K and Ca) under osmotic stress but markedly increased the ascorbic acid(AsA), soluble sugar and mineral (Mg and Si) contents. Interestingly, Si application under water-deficit stress differently modulated the endogenous levels of ABA, IAA and JA in wheat plants compared to PEG treatment alone. This study suggests that exogenous Si improves the plant growth by modulating the nutrient (Na, Mg and Si) uptake and phytohormone levels in wheat under water-deficit stress.

The use of aluminum oxychlorides to coagulate water having high content of organic impurities and low alkalinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evsyutin, A. V.; Boglovskii, A. V.

2007-07-01

Results from laboratory investigations and industrial tests of the coagulation of source water at the Pskov district power station are presented. It is shown that the source water may not be alkalified if it is treated with aluminum oxychlorides. As a result, the clarified water becomes less corrosive and a lower salt load is placed on water treatment plants as compared with the case when aluminum sulfate is used for coagulation.

Seasonal Variation in Fluoride Content in Groundwaters of Langtang Area, Northcentral Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dibal, H. U.; Dajilak, W. N.; Lekmang, I. C.; Nimze, L. W.; Yenne, E. Y.

2017-06-01

Thirty groundwater samples were collected at the peak of the rainy season and analysed for fluoride and other cations and anions in drinking water sources of Langtang area. For comparative purposes, thirty seven groundwater samples were collected in the dry season. The aim of the study was to determine variation in fluoride content with respect to the seasons. Fluoride in water was determined by the Ion Selective Electrode (ISE) and the cations by the Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). The anion (sulphate) was determined by Multi - Ion Colorimeter, bicarbonate and chloride by titration method. In addition fluorine content in aquifer materials from a borehole section were determined by Fusion method. The two seasons show variation in content of fluoride in groundwater. Fluoride content in groundwater is higher in the dry season ranging from 0.13 - 10.3 mg/l compared to the 0.06 - 4.60 mg/l values in the rainy season. Content of fluorine (0.01 wt %) in the aquifer materials (sands) is low from depth of 0 to 7.95 m. However, fluorine content increases with depth, from 7.95 to 10.60 m with concentration of 0.04 wt %, 0.05 wt % from 10.60 to 13.25m, and 0.07 wt % from 13.25 to 15.70 m, the content of fluorine however, decreased at depth 15.70 to18.55m with concentration of 0.02 wt % even with fluorite mineral in the aquifer material at this depth. Dilution of fluoride ion as a result of rain input which recharges the aquifer may be the main reason for lower values recorded in the rainy season. Over fifty and sixty percent of waters in both dry and rainy season have fluoride concentration above the WHO upper limit of 1.5 mg/l. Consumption of these elevated values of fluoride in groundwater of the study area, clearly manifests as symptoms of dental fluorosis.

SISGR-Fundamental Experimental and Theoretical Studies on a Novel Family of Oxide Catalyst Supports for Water Electrolysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumta, Prashant

2014-10-03

Identification and development of non-noble metal based electro-catalysts or electro-catalysts with significant reduction of expensive noble metal contents (E.g. IrO2, Pt) with comparable electrochemical performance as the standard noble metal/metal oxide for proton exchange membrane (PEM) based water electrolysis would constitute a major breakthrough in the generation of hydrogen by water electrolysis. Accomplishing such a system would not only result reduction of the overall capital costs of PEM based water electrolyzers, but also help attain the targeted hydrogen production cost [< $ 3.0 / gallon gasoline equivalent (gge)] comparable to conventional liquid fuels. In line with these goals, it wasmore » demonstrated that fluorine doped IrO2 thin films and nanostructured high surface area powders display remarkably higher electrochemical activity, and comparable durability as pure IrO2 electro-catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in PEM based water electrolysis. Furthermore, corrosion resistant SnO2 and NbO2 support has been doped with F and coupled with IrO2 or RuO2 for use as an OER electro-catalyst. A solid solution of SnO2:F or NbO2:F with only 20 - 30 mol.% IrO2 or RuO2 yielding a rutile structure in the form of thin films and bulk nanoparticles displays similar electrochemical activity and stability as pure IrO2/RuO2. This would lead to more than 70 mol.% reduction in the noble metal oxide content. Novel nanostructured ternary (Ir,Sn,Nb)O2 thin films of different compositions FUNDAMENTAL STUDY OF NANOSTRUCTURED ELECTRO-CATALYSTS WITH REDUCED NOBLE METAL CONTENT FOR PEM BASED WATER ELECTROLYSIS 4 have also been studied. It has been shown that (Ir0.40Sn0.30Nb0.30)O2 shows similar electrochemical activity and enhanced chemical robustness as compared to pure IrO2. F doping of the ternary (Ir,Sn,Nb)O2 catalyst helps in further decreasing the noble metal oxide content of the catalyst. As a result, these reduced noble metal oxide catalyst systems would potentially be preferred as OER electro-catalysts for PEM electrolysis. The excellent performance of the catalysts coupled with its robustness would make them great candidates for contributing to significant reduction in the overall capital costs of PEM based water electrolyzers. This s.thesis provides a detailed fundamental study of the synthesis, materials, characterization, theoretical studies and detailed electrochemical response and potential mechanisms of these novel electro-catalysts for OER processes.« less

Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content in Red Ginger (Zingiber officinale) based drinks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widayat; Cahyono, B.; Satriadi, H.; Munfarida, S.

2018-01-01

Indonesia is a rich spices country, both as a cooking spice and medicine. One of the most abundant commodities is red ginger, where it still less in application. On the other hand, the level of pollution is higher, so antioxidants are needed to protect the body cells from the bad effects of free radicals. The body can not naturally produce antioxidants as needed, so we need to consume foods with high antioxidant content. The purpose of this study is to know the antioxidant activity and total phenolic content in red ginger (Zingiber officinale) based drinks. Research design with complete randomized design (RAL) with factorial pattern 3 x 3, as the first factor is red ginger extract and water ratio (1: 1, 1: 2 and 1: 3) and second factor is the type of sugar used (cane sugar, palm sugar and mixed sugar). The results of this study indicate that red ginger extract and water ratio of 1: 3 give higher antioxidant. The highest antioxidant obtained in red ginger extract and water ratio of 1: 3 and using mixed sugar. That antioxidants value is 88.56%, it is not significant decreased compared to the antioxidant of pure ginger extract that is 91.46%. For higher phenol total content obtained on syrup that uses palm sugar. The highest phenol total content obtained in red ginger extract and water ratio of 1: 1 and using palm sugar. That total phenol content value is 6299 ppm.

Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity of Tetracarpidium conophorum (Müll. Arg) Hutch & Dalziel Leaves

PubMed Central

Amaeze, O. U.; Ayoola, G. A.; Sofidiya, M. O.; Adepoju-Bello, A. A.; Adegoke, A. O.; Coker, H. A. B.

2011-01-01

This study evaluated the antioxidant activity as well as bioflavonoid content of the methanol and ethanol-water extracts of the fresh and dried leaves of Tetracarpidium conophorum. Antioxidant activity was determined by spectrophotometric methods using DPPH free radical, nitric oxide radical inhibition and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays. In addition, total phenolics, flavonoids and proanthocyanidin content were also determined. The ethanol: water extract of the dried leaves had the highest antioxidant activity with a 50% inhibition of DPPH at a concentration of 0.017 mg/mL compared to the standards, Vitamin C and Vitamin E with inhibition of 0.019 and 0.011 mg/mL, respectively. This extract also showed nitric oxide radical inhibition activity comparable to that of rutin, 54.45% and 55.03% for extract and rutin, respectively, at 0.1 mg/mL. Ferric reducing power was also comparable to that of ascorbic acid (281 and 287 μM Fe (11)/g, resp.) at a concentration of 1 mg/mL. The methanol extract of both the dried and the fresh leaves had higher phenolic, flavonoids and proanthocyanidin content than the ethanol : water extract. The study reveals that T. conophorum can be an interesting source of antioxidants with their potential use in different fields namely food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. PMID:21912723

Atmospheric water parameters in mid-latitude cyclones observed by microwave radiometry and compared to model calculations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katsaros, Kristina B.; Hammarstrand, Ulla; Petty, Grant W.

1990-01-01

Existing and experimental algorithms for various parameters of atmospheric water content such as integrated water vapor, cloud water, precipitation, are used to examine the distribution of these quantities in mid latitude cyclones. The data was obtained from signals given by the special sensor microwave/imager (SSM/I) and compared with data from the nimbus scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) for North Atlantic cyclones. The potential of microwave remote sensing for enhancing knowledge of the horizontal structure of these storms and to aid the development and testing of the cloud and precipitation aspects of limited area numerical models of cyclonic storms is investigated.

Effect of NTP Pretreatment on Thermal Resistance and Fouling Components of Oilfield Wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jie; Li, Wenli; Zou, Longsheng; Fu, Honghun

2018-01-01

In order to prevent scaling in the process of oilfield wastewater evaporation, low temperature plasma is used for pretreatment of heavy oil wastewater. It reacts with the ions and radicals produced by the low-temperature plasma and then is send into the evaporator. The changes of various indexes of the distilled water and the distribution of fouling in the evaporation process of heavy oil wastewater after plasma pretreatment were studied. The results showed that the content and hardness of silica in wastewater were decreased after plasma pretreatment, which was more suitable for evaporation treatment. At the same time, the content of salt and oil in distilled water is reduced, and the quality is improved. In addition, when the steam concentration was 30∼40 times, the suspended solids in the concentrated solution of the wastewater increased significantly after the plasma treatment. Correspondingly, the fouling at the bottom of evaporator is greatly reduced. Comparing the various indexes of distilled water and the feed water index of gas injection boiler, it can be seen that the excessive oil content in distilled water is the biggest obstacle to the recovery of distilled water to boiler feed water. Low temperature plasma pretreatment can provide a quick and new way to solve the scaling problems and water quality problems in the recovery of distilled water from a large number of heavy oil wastewater.

Effects of water deficit on breadmaking quality and storage protein compositions in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

PubMed

Zhou, Jiaxing; Liu, Dongmiao; Deng, Xiong; Zhen, Shoumin; Wang, Zhimin; Yan, Yueming

2018-03-12

Water deficiency affects grain proteome dynamics and storage protein compositions, resulting in changes in gluten viscoelasticity. In this study, the effects of field water deficit on wheat breadmaking quality and grain storage proteins were investigated. Water deficiency produced a shorter grain-filling period, a decrease in grain number, grain weight and grain yield, a reduced starch granule size and increased protein content and glutenin macropolymer contents, resulting in superior dough properties and breadmaking quality. Reverse phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that the total gliadin and glutenin content and the accumulation of individual components were significantly increased by water deficiency. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis detected 144 individual storage protein spots with significant accumulation changes in developing grains under water deficit. Comparative proteomic analysis revealed that water deficiency resulted in significant upregulation of 12 gliadins, 12 high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits and 46 low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the expression of storage protein biosynthesis-related transcription factors Dof and Spa was upregulated by water deficiency. The present results illustrated that water deficiency leads to increased accumulation of storage protein components and upregulated expression of Dof and Spa, resulting in an improvement in glutenin strength and breadmaking quality. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of High Hydrostatic Pressure on Water Absorption of Adzuki Beans

PubMed Central

Ueno, Shigeaki; Shigematsu, Toru; Karo, Mineko; Hayashi, Mayumi; Fujii, Tomoyuki

2015-01-01

The effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment on dried soybean, adzuki bean, and kintoki kidney bean, which are low-moisture-content cellular biological materials, was investigated from the viewpoint of water absorption. The samples were vacuum-packed with distilled water and pressurized at 200 MPa and 25 °C for 10 min. After the HHP treatment, time courses of the moisture contents of the samples were measured, and the dimensionless moisture contents were estimated. Water absorption in the case of soybean could be fitted well by a simple water diffusion model. High pressures were found to have negligible effects on water absorption into the cotyledon of soybean and kintoki kidney bean. A non-linear least square method based on the Weibull equation was applied for the adzuki beans, and the effective water diffusion coefficient was found to increase significantly from 8.6 × 10−13 to 6.7 × 10−10 m2/s after HHP treatment. Approximately 30% of the testa of the adzuki bean was damaged upon HHP treatment, which was comparable to the surface area of the testa in the partially peeled adzuki bean sample. Thus, HHP was confirmed to promote mass transfer to the cotyledon of legumes with a tight testa. PMID:28231195

Condition and biochemical profile of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) cultured at different depths in a cold water coastal environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallardi, Daria; Mills, Terry; Donnet, Sebastien; Parrish, Christopher C.; Murray, Harry M.

2017-08-01

The growth and health of cultured blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) are affected by environmental conditions. Typically, culture sites are situated in sheltered areas near shore (i.e., < 1 km distance from land, < 20 m depth); however, land runoff, user conflicts and environmental impact in coastal areas are concerns and interest in developing deep water (> 20 m depth) mussel culture has been growing. This study evaluated the effect of culture depth on blue mussels in a cold water coastal environment (Newfoundland, Canada). Culture depth was examined over two years from September 2012 to September 2014; mussels from three shallow water (5 m) and three deep water (15 m) sites were compared for growth and biochemical composition; culture depths were compared for temperature and chlorophyll a. Differences between the two years examined were noted, possibly due to harsh winter conditions in the second year of the experiment. In both years shallow and deep water mussels presented similar condition; in year 2 deep water mussels had a significantly better biochemical profile. Lipid and glycogen analyses showed seasonal variations, but no significant differences between shallow and deep water were noted. Fatty acid profiles showed a significantly higher content of omega-3 s (20:5ω3; EPA) and lower content of bacterial fatty acids in deep water sites in year 2. Everything considered, deep water appeared to provide a more favorable environment for mussel growth than shallow water under harsher weather conditions.

Exogenous nitric oxide improves sugarcane growth and photosynthesis under water deficit.

PubMed

Silveira, Neidiquele M; Frungillo, Lucas; Marcos, Fernanda C C; Pelegrino, Milena T; Miranda, Marcela T; Seabra, Amedea B; Salgado, Ione; Machado, Eduardo C; Ribeiro, Rafael V

2016-07-01

Nitric oxide (NO)-mediated redox signaling plays a role in alleviating the negative impact of water stress in sugarcane plants by improving root growth and photosynthesis. Drought is an environmental limitation affecting sugarcane growth and yield. The redox-active molecule nitric oxide (NO) is known to modulate plant responses to stressful conditions. NO may react with glutathione (GSH) to form S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), which is considered the main reservoir of NO in cells. Here, we investigate the role of NO in alleviating the effects of water deficit on growth and photosynthesis of sugarcane plants. Well-hydrated plants were compared to plants under drought and sprayed with mock (water) or GSNO at concentrations ranging from 10 to 1000 μM. Leaf GSNO sprayed plants showed significant improvement of relative water content and leaf and root dry matter under drought compared to mock-sprayed plants. Additionally, plants sprayed with GSNO (≥ 100 μM) showed higher leaf gas exchange and photochemical activity as compared to mock-sprayed plants under water deficit and after rehydration. Surprisingly, a raise in the total S-nitrosothiols content was observed in leaves sprayed with GSH or GSNO, suggesting a long-term role of NO-mediated responses to water deficit. Experiments with leaf discs fumigated with NO gas also suggested a role of NO in drought tolerance of sugarcane plants. Overall, our data indicate that the NO-mediated redox signaling plays a role in alleviating the negative effects of water stress in sugarcane plants by protecting the photosynthetic apparatus and improving shoot and root growth.

Structure and dynamics of water in mixed solutions including laponite and PEO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morikubo, Satoshi; Sekine, Yurina; Ikeda-Fukazawa, Tomoko

2011-01-01

To investigate the structure and dynamics of water in mixed solutions including laponite clay particles and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), we measured the Raman spectra of the mixed solutions in the temperature range 283-313 K. The results show that the vibrational energies of the O-H stretching modes in the mixed solutions depend on the water content and temperature. The energy shifts of the O-H stretching modes are attributed to changes in the water structure. By applying a structural model of bulk water to the spectra in the O-H stretching region, the local structures of water in the solutions were analyzed. The result shows that the formation probability of hydrogen bonds in the solutions decreases as the water content decreases. Laponite and PEO have effects to disrupt the network structure of hydrogen bonds between water molecules. Further, it was found that laponite and PEO cause increase in the strength of hydrogen bonds of surrounding water,although the strength of the hydrogen bonds increases with the order water-laponite < water-water < water-PEO. It is concluded that water in laponite-PEO mixed solutions has a less-networked structure with strong hydrogen bonds compared with bulk water.

Antioxidant activity of some Moroccan marine microalgae: Pufa profiles, carotenoids and phenolic content.

PubMed

Maadane, Amal; Merghoub, Nawal; Ainane, Tarik; El Arroussi, Hicham; Benhima, Redouane; Amzazi, Saaid; Bakri, Youssef; Wahby, Imane

2015-12-10

In order to promote Moroccan natural resources, this study aims to evaluate the potential of microalgae isolated from Moroccan coastlines, as new source of natural antioxidants. Different extracts (ethanolic, ethanol/water and aqueous) obtained from 9 microalgae strains were screened for their in vitro antioxidant activity using DPPH free radical-scavenging assay. The highest antioxidant potentials were obtained in Dunalliela sp., Tetraselmis sp. and Nannochloropsis gaditana extracts. The obtained results indicate that ethanol extract of all microalgae strains exhibit higher antioxidant activity, when compared to water and ethanol/water extracts. Therefore, total phenolic and carotenoid content measurement were performed in active ethanol extracts. The PUFA profiles of ethanol extracts were also determined by GC/MS analysis. The studied microalgae strains displayed high PUFA content ranging from 12.9 to 76.9 %, total carotenoids content varied from 1.9 and 10.8mg/g of extract and total polyphenol content varied from 8.1 to 32.0mg Gallic acid Equivalent/g of extract weight. The correlation between the antioxidant capacities and the phenolic content and the carotenoids content were found to be insignificant, indicating that these compounds might not be major contributor to the antioxidant activity of these microalgae. The microalgae extracts exerting the high antioxidant activity are potential new source of natural antioxidants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Chromogranin A derived peptide CGA47-66 inhibits hyper-permeability of blood brain barrier in mice with sepsis].

PubMed

Zeng, Yan; Zhang, Dan; Jiang, Liping; Wei, Fu; Xu, Shan

2016-02-01

To explore the effect of chromofungin (CHR), a chromogranin A (CGA) derived peptide CGA47-66, on hyper-permeability of blood brain barrier in septic mice. 120 healthy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into groups, with 12 mice in each group. Seventy-two mice were used for dynamic observation of the contents of water and Evan blue (EB) in brain tissue after being treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Another 48 mice were divided into normal saline control group (NS group), LPS induced sepsis model group (LPS group), low-dose CHR pretreatment group (CL+LPS group), and high-dose CHR pretreatment group (CH+LPS group). The septic model was reproduced by intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg LPS 0.1 mL, and the mice in NS group was given equal volume of normal saline. The mice in CL+LPS group and CH+LPS group were intraperitoneally injected with 15.5 μg/kg and 77.5 μg/kg CHR 10 minutes before LPS injection. Six hours after LPS injection, 4 mL/kg of 2% EB was injected via caudal vein, the contents of water and EB in brain tissue were determined, and EB immune fluorescence in brain tissue was determined to assess the changes in permeability of blood brain barrier. Brain pathology was observed with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. With the extension of time after LPS injection, the contents of water and EB in brain tissue were gradually increased, and the time of difference with statistical significance appeared earlier when compared with that of control group in the contents of water than that in EB contents (3 hours and 6 hours, respectively). The contents of water and EB in brain tissue in LPS group were significantly increased as compared with NS group [water content: (79.77±0.62)% vs. (78.28±0.44)%, P < 0.01; EB content (μg/g): 13.87±4.50 vs. 7.13±1.76, P < 0.05]. CHR pretreatment with either of two dosages could reverse the increase in water and EB contents in brain tissue induced by LPS, and the effect was more significant in CH+LPS group [water content: (78.15±0.73)% vs. (79.77±0.62)%, EB (μg/g): 7.09±2.59 vs. 13.87±4.50, both P < 0.05]. It was shown by EB fluorescence observation that the fluorescence signal displayed only in the meninges in NS group, and EB fluorescence was widely distributed in brain parenchyma in LPS group, indicating that the EB leakage in LPS group was more marked than that of NS group. In CHR pretreatment groups, EB fluorescence was decreased in brain parenchyma, indicating that EB leakage was significantly less marked, while it was more obvious in high dose CHR group. It was shown by HE staining that cerebral blood vessel structure was intact in NS group, and the gap around blood vessel was not significant increased. On the other hand, brain structure in LPS group appeared loose, with widening of small perivascular spaces and obvious edema. Brain edema in CHR pretreatment groups was improved as compared with that of the LPS group, and it was more apparent in high dose CHR group. LPS induced change in blood brain barrier permeability in mice in a time-dependent manner. Exogenous CGA derived peptides CHR can inhibit LPS induced hyper-permeability of blood brain barrier in septic mice, thus reduces brain edema, protects the brain tissue, and the effect is more obvious with a high dose of CHR (77.5 μg/kg).

Hydrogeochemical signatures of thermal springs compared to deep formation water of North Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozau, Elke; van Berk, Wolfgang

2014-05-01

Thermal springs and hot deep formation waters can be used for geothermal energy production. Depending on the chemical composition of the used waters, geothermal power plants have to deal with scaling and corrosion effects. Therefore, the understanding of the hydrogeochemical behaviour of such waters can be helpful to enhance the efficiency of the energy production. This study is comparing hydrogeochemical characteristics of thermal springs in the Harz Mountains (North Germany) and deep formation water of the North German Basin. The Harz Mountains consist of uplifted Palaeozoic rocks, whereas the North German Basin consists of sedimentary layers of Permian, Mesozoic and Cenozoic age. Volcanic rocks are included in the Permian layers. The thickness of the sedimentary basin varies between 2 km and more than 8 km. The deep aquifers of the North German Basin are mostly not involved in the recent meteoric water cycle. Their waters have contents of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) up to about 400 g/L. Thermal springs of the Harz Mountains are situated close to the main fracture system of the region. These springs are connected to the meteoric water cycle and display lower contents of TDS (< 25 g/L). In both geological systems the TDS content is increasing with depth and temperature. The elemental ratios of the waters (e.g., Na/Cl, Cl/Br, Na/Ca) indicate similar hydrogeochemical formation processes in the Harz Mountains and the North German Basin. The concentrations of calcium, sodium, and chloride differ due to salt dissolution and feldspar transformation (albitisation) in the thermal springs as well as in the deep formation waters. Based on today's knowledge hydrochemical and stratigraphical data from the North German Basin can be used to elucidate the geological origin of the thermal springs in the Harz Mountains. Acknowledgements. The presented data are results of the collaborative research program "gebo" (Geothermal energy and high performance drilling), financed by the Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of Lower Saxony and the company Baker Hughes.

Mapping of Biophysical Parameters of Rice Agriculture System from Hyperspectral Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moharana, Shreedevi; Duta, Subashisa

2017-04-01

Chlorophyll, nitrogen and leaf water content are the most essential parameters for paddy crop growth. Ground hyperspectral observations were collected at canopy level during critical growth period of rice by using hand held Spectroradiometer. Chemical analysis was carried out to quantify the total chlorophyll, nitrogen and leaf water content. By exploiting the in-situ hyperspectral measurements, regression models were established between each of the crop growth parameters and the spectral indices specifically designed for chlorophyll, nitrogen and water stress. Narrow band vegetation index models were developed for mapping these parameters from Hyperion imagery in an agriculture system. It was inferred that the modified simple ratio (SR) and leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC) predictive index models, which followed a linear and nonlinear relationship respectively, produced satisfactory results in predicting rice nitrogen content from hyperspectral imagery. The presently developed model was compared with other models proposed by researchers. It was ascertained that, nitrogen content varied widely from 1-4 percentage and only 2-3 percentage for paddy crop using present modified index models and well-known predicted Tian et al. (2011) model respectively. The modified present LNC index model performed better than the established Tian et al. (2011) model as far as the estimated nitrogen content from Hyperion imagery was concerned. Moreover, within the observed chlorophyll range attained from the rice genotypes cultivated in the studied rice agriculture system, the index models (LNC, OASVI, Gitelson, mSR and MTCI) accomplished satisfactory results in the spatial distribution of rice chlorophyll content from Hyperion imagery. Spatial distribution of total chlorophyll content widely varied from 1.77-5.81 mg/g (LNC), 3.0-13 mg/g (OASVI) and 2.90-5.40 mg/g (MTCI). Following the similar guideline, it was found that normalized difference water index (NDWI) and normalized difference infrared index (NDII) predictive models demonstrated the spatial variability of leaf water content from 40 percentage to 90 percentage in the same rice agriculture system which has a good agreement with observed in-situ leaf water measurements. The spatial information of these parameters will be useful for crop nutrient management and yield forecasting, and will serve as inputs to various crop-forecasting models for developing a precision rice agriculture system. Key words: Rice agriculture system, nitrogen, chlorophyll, leaf water content, vegetation index

Comparing land surface phenology derived from satellite and GPS network microwave remote sensing.

PubMed

Jones, Matthew O; Kimball, John S; Small, Eric E; Larson, Kristine M

2014-08-01

The land surface phenology (LSP) start of season (SOS) metric signals the seasonal onset of vegetation activity, including canopy growth and associated increases in land-atmosphere water, energy and carbon (CO2) exchanges influencing weather and climate variability. The vegetation optical depth (VOD) parameter determined from satellite passive microwave remote sensing provides for global LSP monitoring that is sensitive to changes in vegetation canopy water content and biomass, and insensitive to atmosphere and solar illumination constraints. Direct field measures of canopy water content and biomass changes desired for LSP validation are generally lacking due to the prohibitive costs of maintaining regional monitoring networks. Alternatively, a normalized microwave reflectance index (NMRI) derived from GPS base station measurements is sensitive to daily vegetation water content changes and may provide for effective microwave LSP validation. We compared multiyear (2007-2011) NMRI and satellite VOD records at over 300 GPS sites in North America, and their derived SOS metrics for a subset of 24 homogenous land cover sites to investigate VOD and NMRI correspondence, and potential NMRI utility for LSP validation. Significant correlations (P<0.05) were found at 276 of 305 sites (90.5 %), with generally favorable correspondence in the resulting SOS metrics (r (2)=0.73, P<0.001, RMSE=36.8 days). This study is the first attempt to compare satellite microwave LSP metrics to a GPS network derived reflectance index and highlights both the utility and limitations of the NMRI data for LSP validation, including spatial scale discrepancies between local NMRI measurements and relatively coarse satellite VOD retrievals.

Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of a pale-green durum wheat mutant shows variations in photosystem components and metabolic deficiencies under drought stress

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Leaf pigment content is an important trait involved in environmental interactions. In order to determine its impact on drought tolerance in wheat, we characterized a pale-green durum wheat mutant (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) under contrasting water availability conditions. Results The pale-green mutant was investigated by comparing pigment content and gene/protein expression profiles to wild-type plants at anthesis. Under well-watered (control) conditions the mutant had lower levels of chlorophylls and carotenoids, but higher levels of xanthophyll de-epoxidation compared to wild-type. Transcriptomic analysis under control conditions showed that defense genes (encoding e.g. pathogenesis-related proteins, peroxidases and chitinases) were upregulated in the mutant, suggesting the presence of mild oxidative stress that was compensated without altering the net rate of photosynthesis. Transcriptomic analysis under terminal water stress conditions, revealed the modulation of antioxidant enzymes, photosystem components, and enzymes representing carbohydrate metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, indicating that the mutant was exposed to greater oxidative stress than the wild-type plants, but had a limited capacity to respond. We also compared the two genotypes under irrigated and rain-fed field conditions over three years, finding that the greater oxidative stress and corresponding molecular changes in the pale-green mutant were associated to a yield reduction. Conclusions This study provides insight on the effect of pigment content in the molecular response to drought. Identified genes differentially expressed under terminal water stress may be valuable for further studies addressing drought resistance in wheat. PMID:24521234

Dental fluorosis in children in areas with fluoride-polluted air, high-fluoride water, and low-fluoride water as well as low-fluoride air: a study of deciduous and permanent teeth in the Shaanxi province, China.

PubMed

Ruan, Jian Ping; Bårdsen, Asgeir; Astrøm, Anne Nordrehaug; Huang, Rui Zhe; Wang, Zhi Lun; Bjorvatn, Kjell

2007-04-01

The aim of the study was to assess dental fluorosis (DF) in the deciduous and permanent teeth of children in areas with high-F coal (area A) and high-F water (area C) compared to children from area B, with low-F water and coal. 596 children were examined. DF was assessed by TF-score. F-content of indoor air, drinking water, coal, tea, rice, and maize was analyzed. F-content of air and coal ranged from 3.2 microg/m(3) and 25.8 mg/kg (area B), 3.8 microg/m(3) and 36.3 mg/kg (area C) to 56.8 microg/m(3) and 713.1 mg/kg (area A). Likewise, mean F-content of water ranged from approximately 0.50 mg/l (areas A and B) to 3.64 mg/l (area C). F-content of tea leaves was similar in all three areas. Maize and rice contained <5 mg F/kg. Prevalence of primary teeth with DF was 49.1%, 2.0%, and 66.8% in areas A, B, and C, respectively. Similarly, DF was found in 96.7% (area A), 19.6% (area B), and 94.4% (area C) of the permanent teeth. Severe fluorosis (TF > or = 5) was found in area A (47.0%) and area C (36.1%) (p<0.01). Early erupting teeth had slightly higher mean TF-scores in area A than in area C. DF was prevalent in both dentitions in areas A and C. Similarity in percentages of DF may indicate that indoor air with approximately 60 microg F/m(3) and drinking water with 3.6 mg F/L are similarly toxic to developing permanent teeth. The percentage of deciduous teeth with DF was significantly lower in area A compared to area C. Where low-F coal and low-F water were used (area B), approximately 20% of permanent teeth had DF, indicating a relatively low tolerance to fluoride in Chinese children brought up under the present living conditions.

Sensory, Physico-Chemical and Water Sorption Properties of Corn Extrudates Enriched with Spirulina.

PubMed

Tańska, Małgorzata; Konopka, Iwona; Ruszkowska, Millena

2017-09-01

This study compares the quality of extrudates made from corn grits with the addition of up to 8% of spirulina powder. The sensory properties (shape, color, aroma, taste and crispness), chemicals (content of water, protein, fat, ash, fiber, carbohydrates, carotenoids, chlorophyll and phycocyanin) and physical properties (color, water absorption index, expansion indices, texture and water sorption properties) were determined. It has been found that spirulina-enriched extrudates had slightly lower sensory scores, but the addition of spirulina improved their nutritional value. The contents of protein, ash, fiber and β-carotene increased in extrudates with 8% of spirulina by 34, 36, 140 and 1,260%, respectively. The increasing addition of spirulina caused a decrease in extrudates lightness, an increase in their greenness and yellowness accompanied by a decrease of expansion indices and an increase of softness. Only small differences were found in water sorption properties, suggesting a similar behavior of spirulina-enriched extrudates during storage.

Induction of mRNA for Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase Is Correlated with a Decrease in Shoot Water Content in Well-Irrigated Mesembryanthemum crystallinum 1

PubMed Central

Schmitt, Jürgen M.; Piepenbrock, Mechtild

1992-01-01

The abundance of mRNA specific for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPCase) was measured in leaves from well-watered plants of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum. Plants grown side by side in pots of four different volumes (0.16, 0.74, 2.6, 6.5 liters) were compared. The time of increase in the steady-state level of PEPCase mRNA in well-watered plants was dependent on soil volume. The larger the pot, the later PEPCase transcripts were increased. PEPCase mRNA induction started when shoot water content decreased to well below 4000% of dry weight. No positive correlation with the developmental status of the plants could be found. The data indicate that PEPCase mRNA induction in well-watered plants up to 10 weeks of age is controlled environmentally rather than developmentally. ImagesFigure 2 PMID:16668951

Extensive, water-rich magma reservoir beneath southern Montserrat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edmonds, M.; Kohn, S. C.; Hauri, E. H.; Humphreys, M. C. S.; Cassidy, M.

2016-05-01

South Soufrière Hills and Soufrière Hills volcanoes are 2 km apart at the southern end of the island of Montserrat, West Indies. Their magmas are distinct geochemically, despite these volcanoes having been active contemporaneously at 131-129 ka. We use the water content of pyroxenes and melt inclusion data to reconstruct the bulk water contents of magmas and their depth of storage prior to eruption. Pyroxenes contain up to 281 ppm H2O, with significant variability between crystals and from core to rim in individual crystals. The Al content of the enstatites from Soufrière Hills Volcano (SHV) is used to constrain melt-pyroxene partitioning for H2O. The SHV enstatite cores record melt water contents of 6-9 wt%. Pyroxene and melt inclusion water concentration pairs from South Soufriere Hills basalts independently constrain pyroxene-melt partitioning of water and produces a comparable range in melt water concentrations. Melt inclusions recorded in plagioclase and in pyroxene contain up to 6.3 wt% H2O. When combined with realistic melt CO2 contents, the depth of magma storage for both volcanoes ranges from 5 to 16 km. The data are consistent with a vertically protracted crystal mush in the upper crust beneath the southern part of Montserrat which contains heterogeneous bodies of eruptible magma. The high water contents of the magmas suggest that they contain a high proportion of exsolved fluids, which has implications for the rheology of the mush and timescales for mush reorganisation prior to eruption. A depletion in water in the outer 50-100 μm of a subset of pyroxenes from pumices from a Vulcanian explosion at Soufrière Hills in 2003 is consistent with diffusive loss of hydrogen during magma ascent over 5-13 h. These timescales are similar to the mean time periods between explosions in 1997 and in 2003, raising the possibility that the driving force for this repetitive explosive behaviour lies not in the shallow system, but in the deeper parts of a vertically protracted crustal magma storage system.

Influence of defoliation date and gin-drying temperature on oven moisture and KFT water within cotton cultivars

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water measured in lint cotton by Karl Fischer Titration was compared to moisture content measured by standard oven-drying in two cultivars. The cultivars had been defoliated at different times and ginned at two possible temperatures. Ginned lint was further processed to produce mechanically cleaned,...

Effect of extrusion cooking on the physicochemical properties, resistant starch, phenolic content and antioxidant capacities of green banana flour.

PubMed

Sarawong, Chonthira; Schoenlechner, Regine; Sekiguchi, Ken; Berghofer, Emmerich; Ng, Perry K W

2014-01-15

Green banana flour was extruded through a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with constant barrel temperature. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of extrusion cooking variables (feed moisture, FM, 20% and 50%; screw speed, SS, 200 and 400rpm) and storing of the extruded flours at 4°C for 24h on the physicochemical properties, resistant starch (RS), pasting properties and antioxidant capacities. Extrusion cooking at higher FM and lower SS increased the amylose content, which was expressed in highest RS content. Water adsorption index (WAI) and pasting properties were increased, while water solubility index (WSI), total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities (FRAP, ABTS(+), DPPH) in free and bound phenolics were decreased compared to the other extruded samples. Storing the extruded flours at 4°C for 24h prior to oven drying was the main factor leading to a further increase in the content of amylose, RS, TPC and WSI values, as well as pasting properties - in particular peak viscosity. Compared to native banana flour, extrusion cooking caused significant changes in all studied properties of the extruded flours, except for soluble DF and antioxidant capacity (ABTS(+) and DPPH) of bound phenolics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of organic and conventional production systems and cultivars on the technological properties of winter wheat.

PubMed

Ceseviciene, Jurgita; Slepetiene, Alvyra; Leistrumaite, Alge; Ruzgas, Vytautas; Slepetys, Jonas

2012-11-01

The current study aimed to estimate the effects of organic and conventional production systems and four winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) bread cultivars on the technological properties of grain, flour, dough and bread, to increase current knowledge regarding the interactions of the technological properties of winter wheat and assess the cultivars for their suitability for organic production systems. All the technological properties winter wheat which were investigated were significantly affected by the agricultural production system and cultivars, and some of them, mostly grain quality parameters, by the harvest year. Grain from organic winter wheat had significantly lower protein and gluten contents, lower sedimentation and flour water absorption values, shorter dough stability time and lower loaf volume, but higher values of starch content and stronger gluten, compared with grain from the conventional wheat. For both production systems significant positive correlations of protein content with gluten content, sedimentation value, dough stability time, loaf volume, farinograph water absorption, and negative with starch content, gluten index were determined. Statistically significant differences between agricultural production systems were found. The cultivars Ada and Alma had better technological properties that make them more suitable for the organic production system, compared to Širvinta 1 and Zentos. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Relative Influence of H2O and CO2 on the Primitive Surface Conditions and Evolution of Rocky Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvador, A.; Massol, H.; Davaille, A.; Marcq, E.; Sarda, P.; Chassefiere, E.

2016-12-01

Recent literature reveals how different the telluric planets' water content can be, depending on the formation processes and origins of water. Furthermore, for Earth mass planets, estimates of their atmospheric water content range between 0.3 to 1000 water oceans. We simulate the secular convective cooling and solidification of a 1D magma ocean (hereafter "MO") in interaction with the outgassed atmosphere. We vary the initial CO2 and H2O contents (respectively from 0.1×10-2 to 14×10-2wt% and from 0.05 to 2.2 times the Earth Ocean current mass (MEO)), the solar distance - from 0.63 to 1.30 AU -, the radiative heat transfer in the atmosphere (grey or non-grey, with or without clouds) and investigate the relative influence of these parameters on an Earth like planet's surface conditions at the MO phase term, and especially its ability to form a water ocean. We define the end of the MO as the time when the heat flux from the vigorous convecting mantle becomes negligible compared to the incident solar flux, linked to the dramatic increase of viscosity as the MO solidification reaches the surface, which considerably reduces the convection intensity and the heat transfer. This particular time coincides with the possible apparition of a water ocean and with the development of a thermal boundary layer at the surface, thick enough to limit the interactions between the two reservoirs. As a first step, we assume a bottom-up solidification of the MO. The planetary surface pressure-temperature conditions, resulting from the solidification, are conditioned by the sun-planet distance and the initial CO2 and H2O contents. There is a critical sun-planet distance Rc below which water will never condense, whatever the initial volatile content. For distances larger than Rc, water condensation strongly depends on the relative proportion of CO2 and H2O. The higher the H2O content, the easier it is to reach the equilibrium water vapor pressure and therefore to condense water, for the tested range of CO2 contents. Otherwise, for [H2O]t0<1.8 MEO , too much CO2 precludes the formation of a water ocean by greenhouse effect. In order to study exoplanets surface conditions, and the wide diversity of these gas rich extrasolar worlds, we propose a simple scaling law to explain the relative influence of the tested parameters on the water condensation.

Effect of soil water content on spatial distribution of root exudates and mucilage in the rhizosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holz, Maire; Zarebanadkouki, Mohsen; Kuzyakov, Yakov; Carminati, Andrea

2016-04-01

Water and nutrients are expected to become the major factors limiting food production. Plant roots employ various mechanisms to increase the access to these limited soil resources. Low molecular root exudates released into the rhizosphere increase nutrient availability, while mucilage improves water availability under low moisture conditions. However, studies on the spatial distribution and quantification of exudates in soil are scarce. Our aim was therefore to quantify and visualize root exudates and mucilage distribution around growing roots using neutron radiography and 14C imaging at different levels of water stress. Maize plants were grown in rhizotrons filled with a silty soil and were exposed to varying soil conditions, from optimal to dry. Mucilage distribution around the roots was estimated from the profiles of water content in the rhizosphere - note that mucilage increases the soil water content. The profiles of water content around different root types and root ages were measured with neutron radiography. Rhizosphere extension was approx. 0.7 mm and did not differ between wet and dry treatments. However, water content (i.e. mucilage concentration) in the rhizosphere of plants grown in dry soils was higher than for plants grown under optimal conditions. This effect was particularly pronounced near the tips of lateral roots. The higher water contents near the root are explained as the water retained by mucilage. 14C imaging of root after 14CO2 labeling of shoots (Pausch and Kuzyakov 2011) was used to estimate the distribution of all rhizodeposits. Two days after labelling, 14C distribution was measured using phosphor-imaging. To quantify 14C in the rhizosphere a calibration was carried out by adding given amounts of 14C-glucose to soil. Plants grown in wet soil transported a higher percentage of 14C to the roots (14Croot/14Cshoot), compared to plants grown under dry conditions (46 vs. 36 %). However, the percentage of 14C allocated from roots to rhizosphere (14Crhizosphere/14Croot) was double in plants grown under dry conditions (0.43 vs. 0.75 %). Plants grown in wet soils showed a faster root growth (1.4 cm d-1) compared to plants in dry soil (1 cm d-1). Compared to the results with neutron radiography, rhizosphere extension of 14C was generally higher and strongly depended on root type: it was 2 mm for main roots and 1 mm for lateral roots. This indicates that low molecular exudates diffuse further into the soil than mucilage. As for mucilage, concentration of 14C was higher in the rhizosphere of plants grown under dry conditions. This observation can be explained by: (a) higher allocation of 14C from roots to rhizosphere in dry soils, (b) a fast diffusion of exudates in wet soils, and (c) faster root growth in wet soils, which results in lower exudation per root length. In summary, the combination of neutron radiography and 14C imaging was successfully used to visualize and to quantify the distribution of mucilage and root exudates in the rhizosphere of plants grown in soil. The high concentration of root exudates in rhizosphere under dry conditions might be strategy of plants to increase their water and nutrient availability unfavorable conditions.

Effect of lignin on water vapor barrier, mechanical, and structural properties of agar/lignin composite films.

PubMed

Shankar, Shiv; Reddy, Jeevan Prasad; Rhim, Jong-Whan

2015-11-01

Biodegradable composite films were prepared using two renewable resources based biopolymers, agar and lignin alkali. The lignin was used as a reinforcing material and agar as a biopolymer matrix. The effect of lignin concentration (1, 3, 5, and 10wt%) on the performance of the composite films was studied. In addition, the mechanical, water vapor barrier, UV light barrier properties, FE-SEM, and TGA of the films were analyzed. The agar/lignin films exhibited higher mechanical and UV barrier properties along with lower water vapor permeability compared to the neat agar film. The FTIR and SEM results showed the compatibility of lignin with agar polymer. The swelling ratio and moisture content of agar/lignin composite films were decreased with increase in lignin content. The thermostability and char content of agar/lignin composite films increased with increased lignin content. The results suggested that agar/lignin films have a potential to be used as a UV barrier food packaging material for maintaining food safety and extending the shelf-life of the packaged food. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phenols and the antioxidant capacity of Mediterranean vegetables prepared with extra virgin olive oil using different domestic cooking techniques.

PubMed

Ramírez-Anaya, Jessica Del Pilar; Samaniego-Sánchez, Cristina; Castañeda-Saucedo, Ma Claudia; Villalón-Mir, Marina; de la Serrana, Herminia López-García

2015-12-01

Potato, tomato, eggplant and pumpkin were deep fried, sautéed and boiled in Mediterranean extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), water, and a water/oil mixture (W/O). We determined the contents of fat, moisture, total phenols (TPC) and eighteen phenolic compounds, as well as antioxidant capacity in the raw vegetables and compared these with contents measured after cooking. Deep frying and sautéing led to increased fat contents and TPC, whereas both types of boiling (in water and W/O) reduced the same. The presence of EVOO in cooking increased the phenolics identified in the raw foods as oleuropein, pinoresinol, hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol, and the contents of vegetable phenolics such as chlorogenic acid and rutin. All the cooking methods conserved or increased the antioxidant capacity measured by DPPH, FRAP and ABTS. Multivariate analyses showed that each cooked vegetable developed specific phenolic and antioxidant activity profiles resulting from the characteristics of the raw vegetables and the cooking techniques. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data on fluoride concentration level in villages of Asara (Alborz, Iran) and daily fluoride intake based on drinking water consumption.

PubMed

Akhavan, Giti; Dobaradaran, Sina; Borazjani, Jaleh Mohajeri

2016-12-01

In the present data article, fluoride concentration levels of drinking water (with spring or groundwater sources) in 10 villages of Asara area located in Alborz province were determined by the standard SPADNS method using a spectrophotometer (DR/2000 Spectrophotometer, USA). Daily fluoride intakes were also calculated based on daily drinking water consumption. The fluoride content were compared with EPA and WHO guidelines for drinking water.

Characterizing roots and water uptake in a ground cover rice production system.

PubMed

Li, Sen; Zuo, Qiang; Wang, Xiaoyu; Ma, Wenwen; Jin, Xinxin; Shi, Jianchu; Ben-Gal, Alon

2017-01-01

Water-saving ground cover rice production systems (GCRPS) are gaining popularity in many parts of the world. We aimed to describe the characteristics of root growth, morphology, distribution, and water uptake for a GCRPS. A traditional paddy rice production system (TPRPS) was compared with GCRPS in greenhouse and field experiments. In the greenhouse, GCRPS where root zone average soil water content was kept near saturation (GCRPSsat), field capacity (GCRPSfwc) and 80% field capacity (GCRPS80%), were evaluated. In a two-year field experiment, GCRPSsat and GCRPS80% were applied. Similar results were found in greenhouse and field experiments. Before mid-tillering the upper soil temperature was higher for GCRPS, leading to enhanced root dry weight, length, surface area, specific root length, and smaller diameter of roots but lower water uptake rate per root length compared to TPRPS. In subsequent growth stages, the reduced soil water content under GCRPS caused that the preponderance of root growth under GCRPSsat disappeared in comparison to TPRPS. Under other GCRPS treatments (GCRPSfwc and GCRPS80%), significant limitation on root growth, bigger root diameter and higher water uptake rate per root length were found. Discrepancies in soil water and temperature between TPRPS and GCRPS caused adjustments to root growth, morphology, distribution and function. Even though drought stress was inevitable after mid-tillering under GCRPS, especially GCRPS80%, similar or even enhanced root water uptake capacity in comparison to TPRPS might promote allocation of photosynthetic products to shoots and increase water productivity.

Production of higher quality bio-oils by in-line esterification of pyrolysis vapor

DOEpatents

Hilten, Roger Norris; Das, Keshav; Kastner, James R; Bibens, Brian P

2014-12-02

The disclosure encompasses in-line reactive condensation processes via vapor phase esterification of bio-oil to decease reactive species concentration and water content in the oily phase of a two-phase oil, thereby increasing storage stability and heating value. Esterification of the bio-oil vapor occurs via the vapor phase contact and subsequent reaction of organic acids with ethanol during condensation results in the production of water and esters. The pyrolysis oil product can have an increased ester content and an increased stability when compared to a condensed pyrolysis oil product not treated with an atomized alcohol.

Relation between L-band soil emittance and soil water content

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stroosnijder, L.; Lascano, R. J.; Van Bavel, C. H. M.; Newton, R. W.

1986-01-01

An experimental relation between soil emittance (E) at L-band and soil surface moisture content (M) is compared with a theoretical one. The latter depends on the soil dielectric constant, which is a function of both soil moisture content and of soil texture. It appears that a difference of 10 percent in the surface clay content causes a change in the estimate of M on the order of 0.02 cu m/cu m. This is based on calculations with a model that simulates the flow of water and energy, in combination with a radiative transfer model. It is concluded that an experimental determination of the E-M relation for each soil type is not required, and that a rough estimate of the soil texture will lead to a sufficiently accurate estimate of soil moisture from a general, theoretical relationship obtained by numerical simulation.

Effects of alternate drip irrigation and superabsorbent polymers on growth and water use of young coffee tree.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaogang; Li, Fusheng; Yang, Qiliang; Wang, Xinle

2016-07-01

To obtain optimal irrigation management for young coffee tree, the effects of alternate drip irrigation (ADI) and superabsorbent polymers on physiology, growth, dry mass accumulation and water use on one-year old Coffea arabica L. tree were investigated. This experiment had three drip irrigation methods, i.e., conventional drip irrigation (CDI), alternate drip irrigation (ADI) and fixed drip irrigation (FDI), and two levels of superabsorbent polymers, i.e., no superabsorbent polymers (NSAP) and added superabsorbent polymers (SAP). Compared to CDI, ADI saved irrigation water by 32.1% and increased water use efficiency (WUE) by 29.9%. SAP increased root-shoot ratio, total dry mass and WUE by 20.3, 24.9 and 33.0%, respectively, when compared to NSAP. Compared to CDI with NSAP treatment, ADI with SAP treatment increased total dry mass by 13.8% and saved irrigation water by 34.4%, thus increased WUE by 73.4%, and it increased root activity, the contents of chlorophyll and soluble sugar in leaves by 162.4, 38.0 and 8.5%, but reduced the contents of proline and malondialdehyde in leaves by 7.2 and 9.7%, respectively. Thus, alternate drip irrigation with superabsorbent polymers increased the growth and WUE of young Coffea arabica L. tree and was optimal irrigation management for young coffee tree.

[Effects of spent mushroom compost on greenhouse cabbage growth under soil salt stress].

PubMed

Wang, Qiu-Ling; Wu, Liang-Huan; Dong, Lan-Xue; Chen, Zai-Ming; Wang, Zhong-Qiang

2011-05-01

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of spent mushroom compost (SMC) in alleviating greenhouse soil secondary salinization and cabbage salt stress. With the amendment of SMC, the salinized soil after 60 day cabbage cultivation had a pH value close to 7.0, its organic matter and available phosphorous contents increased significantly, and the increment of total water-soluble salt content reduced, compared with the control. When the amendment amount of SMC was 10 g x kg(-1), the increment of soil water soluble salt content was the least, suggesting that appropriate amendment with SMC could reduce the salt accumulation in greenhouse soil. Amendment with SMC increased the cabbage seed germination rate, plant height, plant fresh mass, chlorophyll SPAD value, and vitamin C content, and decreased the proline content significantly. All the results indicated that SMC could improve the growth environment of greenhouse cabbage, and effectively alleviate the detrimental effect of salt stress.

Red cabbage yield, heavy metal content, water use and soil chemical characteristics under wastewater irrigation.

PubMed

Tunc, Talip; Sahin, Ustun

2016-04-01

The objective of this 2-year field study was to evaluate the effects of drip irrigation with urban wastewaters reclaimed using primary (filtration) and secondary (filtration and aeration) processes on red cabbage growth and fresh yield, heavy metal content, water use and efficiency and soil chemical properties. Filtered wastewater (WW1), filtered and aerated wastewater (WW2), freshwater and filtered wastewater mix (1:1 by volume) (WW3) and freshwater (FW) were investigated as irrigation water treatments. Crop evapotranspiration decreased significantly, while water use efficiency increased under wastewater treatments compared to FW. WW1 treatment had the lowest value (474.2 mm), while FW treatments had the highest value (556.7 mm). The highest water use efficiency was found in the WW1 treatment as 8.41 kg m(-3), and there was a twofold increase with regard to the FW. Wastewater irrigation increased soil fertility and therefore red cabbage yield. WW2 treatment produced the highest total fresh yield (40.02 Mg ha(-1)). However, wastewater irrigation increased the heavy metal content in crops and soil. Cd content in red cabbage heads was above the safe limit, and WW1 treatment had the highest value (0.168 mg kg(-1)). WW3 treatment among wastewater treatments is less risky in terms of soil and crop heavy metal pollution and faecal coliform contamination. Therefore, WW3 wastewater irrigation for red cabbage could be recommended for higher yield and water efficiency with regard to freshwater irrigation.

Transient Liquid Water as a Mechanism for Induration of Soil Crusts on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, G. A.; Blaney, D.; Cabrol, N.; Clark, B. C.; Farmer, J.; Grotzinger, J.; Greeley, R.; McLennan, S. M.; Richter, L.; Yen, A.

2004-01-01

The Viking and the Mars Exploration Rover missions observed that the surface of Mars is encrusted by a thinly cemented layer tagged as "duricrust". A hypothesis to explain the formation of duricrust on Mars should address not only the potential mechanisms by which these materials become cemented, but also the textural and compositional components of cemented Martian soils. Elemental analyzes at five sites on Mars show that these soils have sulfur content of up to 4%, and chlorine content of up to 1%. This is consistent with the presence of sulfates and halides as mineral cements. . For comparison, the rock "Adirondack" at the MER site, after the exterior layer was removed, had nearly five times lower sulfur and chlorine content , and the Martian meteorites have ten times lower sulfur and chlorine content, showing that the soil is highly enriched in the saltforming elements compared with rock.Here we propose two alternative models to account for the origin of these crusts, each requiring the action of transient liquid water films to mediate adhesion and cementation of grains. Two alternative versions of the transient water hypothesis are offered, a top down hypothesis that emphasizes the surface deposition of frost, melting and downward migration of liquid water and a bottom up alternative that proposes the presence of interstitial ice/brine, with the upward capillary migration of liquid water.

Effects of land use pattern on soil water in revegetation watersheds in semi-arid Chinese Loess Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Lei; Chen, Liding; Wei, Wei

2017-04-01

Soil water stored below rainfall infiltration depth is a reliable water resource for plant growth in arid and semi-arid regions. For decreasing serious soil erosion, large-scale human-introduced vegetation restoration was initiated in Chinese Loess Plateau in late 1990s. However, these activities may result in excessive water consumption and soil water deficit if no appropriate scientific guidance were offered. This in turn impacts the regional ecological restoration and sustainable management of water resources. In this study, soil water content data in depth of 0-5 m was obtained by long-term field observation and geostatistical method in 6 small watersheds covered with different land use pattern. Profile characteristics and spatial-temporal patterns of soil water were compared between different land use types, hillslopes, and watersheds. The results showed that: (1) Introduced vegetation consumed excessive amount of water when compared with native grassland and farmland, and induced temporally stable soil desiccation in depth of 0-5 m. The introduced vegetation decreased soil water content to levels lower than the reference value representing no human impact in all soil layers. (2) The analysis of differences in soil water at hillslope and watershed scales indicated that land use determined the spatial and temporal variability of soil water. Soil water at watershed scale increased with the increasing area of farmland, and decreased with increasing percentage of introduced vegetation. Land use structure determined the soil water condition and land use pattern determined the spatial-temporal variability of soil water at watershed scale. (3) Large-scale revegetation with introduced vegetation diminished the spatial heterogeneity of soil water at different scales. Land use pattern adjustment could be used to improve the water resources management and maintain the sustainability of vegetation restoration.

Photocatalytic water oxidation by a pyrochlore oxide upon irradiation with visible light: rhodium substitution into yttrium titanate.

PubMed

Kiss, Borbala; Didier, Christophe; Johnson, Timothy; Manning, Troy D; Dyer, Matthew S; Cowan, Alexander J; Claridge, John B; Darwent, James R; Rosseinsky, Matthew J

2014-12-22

A stable visible-light-driven photocatalyst (λ≥450 nm) for water oxidation is reported. Rhodium substitution into the pyrochlore Y2 Ti2 O7 is demonstrated by monitoring Vegard's law evolution of the unit-cell parameters with changing rhodium content, to a maximum content of 3 % dopant. Substitution renders the solid solutions visible-light active. The overall rate of oxygen evolution is comparable to WO3 but with superior light-harvesting and surface-area-normalized turnover rates, making Y2 Ti1.94 Rh0.06 O7 an excellent candidate for use in a Z-scheme water-splitting system. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Heterogeneous water content in the lunar interior: insights from orbital detection of water in lunar pyroclastic deposits and silicic rich domes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S.; Milliken, R.

2015-12-01

Constraining the distribution and abundance of water (H2O and/or OH) in the lunar interior is crucial for assessing the formation and evolution of the Moon. Deriving such information from returned lunar samples is the most direct approach, but only a few regions have been sampled. Reflectance spectra for the 3μm region, remotely sensed by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), provide an alternative way to characterize lunar water at a global scale. Though such methods only probe the optical surface, hydration in some materials may result from internal processes instead of interaction with the solar wind. Constraining the volatile content of pyroclastic deposits and silicic rich domes, for example, can provide insight into volatile distribution and evolution related to magmatic processes. Thermally-corrected M3 data, constrained by Diviner temperatures and laboratory data, enable us to estimate the amount of water in these deposits. We find evidence for increased hydration signatures at nearly all large pyroclastic deposits relative to background values for surrounding terrains, suggestive of H2O-bearing magmas. Water contents for these deposits exhibit a linear correlation with the deposit range, largely consistent with lunar magma eruption models. In addition, the water content at inferred high-Ti deposits is higher than that of low-Ti pyroclastics for the same deposit range, which may reflect inherent differences in the water content or degassing history of the associated magmas. Our results also suggest that over half of the examined silicic-rich domes are very dry (no detectable water signature), which suggests either a volatile-poor source or a very different degassing history compared to pyroclastic deposits. Potential silicic-rich domes are inferred to have formed due to ascension of immiscible silicic melts in which volatiles may have been concentrated. Those silicic melts might cool slowly and allow extensive diffusion of water, whereas quenched glasses in pyroclastics may favor volatile retention. Current work is focused on the morphologic and compositional characteristics of these deposits as well as improved quantitative estimates of their water content. Latest results will be presented in the context of how these orbital observations may inform us of lunar interior processes.

A statistical examination of Nimbus 7 SMMR data and remote sensing of sea surface temperature, liquid water content in the atmosphere and surfaces wind speed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Wang, I.; Chang, A. T. C.; Gloersen, P.

1982-01-01

Nimbus 7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) brightness temperature measurements over the global oceans have been examined with the help of statistical and empirical techniques. Such analyses show that zonal averages of brightness temperature measured by SMMR, over the oceans, on a large scale are primarily influenced by the water vapor in the atmosphere. Liquid water in the clouds and rain, which has a much smaller spatial and temporal scale, contributes substantially to the variability of the SMMR measurements within the latitudinal zones. The surface wind not only increases the surface emissivity but through its interactions with the atmosphere produces correlations, in the SMMR brightness temperature data, that have significant meteorological implications. It is found that a simple meteorological model can explain the general characteristics of the SMMR data. With the help of this model methods to infer over the global oceans, the surface temperature, liquid water content in the atmosphere, and surface wind speed are developed. Monthly mean estimates of the sea surface temperature and surface winds are compared with the ship measurements. Estimates of liquid water content in the atmosphere are consistent with earlier satellite measurements.

Lampung natural zeolite filled cellulose acetate membrane for pervaporation of ethanol-water mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iryani, D. A.; Wulandari, N. F.; Cindradewi, AW; Ginting, S. Br; Ernawati, E.; Hasanudin, U.

2018-03-01

Pervaporation of ethanol–water can be cost-competitive in the production of renewable biomass ethanol. For the purpose of improving the pervaporation performance of polymeric membranes, we prepared cellulose acetate (CA) filled Lampung Natural Zeolite (LNZ) membranes by incorporating LNZ into CA for pervaporation separation of ethanol-water mixtures. The characteristics and performance of these filled membranes in the varied ratio of CA:LNZ (30:0, 30:5, 30:10, 30: 20, 20:20 and 40:10) wt% were investigated. The prepared membranes were characterized for pervaporation membrane performance such as %water content and membrane swelling degree. Further, the permeation flux and selectivity of membrane were also observed. The results of investigation show that water content of membrane tends to increase with increase of LNZ content. However, the swelling degree of membrane decrease compared than that of CA control membrane. The permeation flux and the selectivity of membranes tend to increase continuously. The CA membrane with ratio of CA:LNZ 30:20 shows the highest selectivity of 80.42 with a permeation flux of 0.986 kg/(m2 h) and ethanol concentration of 99.08 wt%.

Heat shock proteins (Hsp70) and water content in the estivating Mediterranean Grunt Snail (Cantareus apertus).

PubMed

Reuner, Andy; Brümmer, Franz; Schill, Ralph O

2008-09-01

Pulmonate land snails often are able to estivate to survive dry hot seasons were water and food are scarce. The aperture of the shell is closed with an epiphragm, and metabolism is depressed to approximately one fourth of basal metabolism. We investigated a molecular aspect of estivation focussing on the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) stress response during estivation in the Mediterranean Grunt Snail Cantareus apertus. Sequences of a new inducible hsp70 and of actin are presented and expression of the hsp70 gene as well as Hsp70 protein content was measured in estivating animals. Both Hsp70 protein and mRNA do not show a significant change from the control, although there is a trend that hsp70 mRNA is less abundant in estivating specimens. After heat shock, the expression of hsp70 increased and a higher Hsp70 protein content was detected. Water relations were also investigated. After a period of 6 months in the dormant state, the snails contained 14% less water than active ones, implying a constricted protection against desiccation, compared to the desert snail Sphincterochila zonata, and a Mediterranean-type water economy.

A Thermal Analysis of a Hot-Wire Probe for Icing Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Struk, Peter M.; Rigby, David L.; Venkataraman, Krishna

2014-01-01

This paper presents a steady-state thermal model of a hot-wire instrument applicable to atmospheric measurement of water content in clouds. In this application, the power required to maintain the wire at a given temperature is used to deduce the water content of the cloud. The model considers electrical resistive heating, axial conduction, convection to the flow, radiation to the surroundings, as well as energy loss due to the heating, melting, and evaporation of impinging liquid and or ice. All of these parameters can be varied axially along the wire. The model further introduces a parameter called the evaporation potential which locally gauges the maximum fraction of incoming water that evaporates. The primary outputs of the model are the steady-state power required to maintain a spatially-average constant temperature as well as the variation of that temperature and other parameters along the wire. The model is used to understand the sensitivity of the hot-wire performance to various flow and boundary conditions including a detailed comparison of dry air and wet (i.e. cloud-on) conditions. The steady-state power values are compared to experimental results from a Science Engineering Associates (SEA) Multi-Element probe, a commonly used water-content measurement instrument. The model results show good agreement with experiment for both dry and cloud-on conditions with liquid water content. For ice, the experimental measurements under read the actual water content due to incomplete evaporation and splashing. Model results, which account for incomplete evaporation, are still higher than experimental results where the discrepancy is attributed to splashing mass-loss which is not accounted in the model.

A direct evaluation of the Geosat altimeter wet atmospheric range delay using very long baseline interferometry observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koblinsky, C. J.; Ryan, J.; Braatz, L.; Klosko, S. M.

1993-01-01

The overall accuracy of the U.S. Navy Geosat altimeter wet atmospheric range delay caused by refraction through the atmosphere is directly assessed by comparing the estimates made from the DMSP Special Sensor Microwave/Imager and the U.S. Navy Fleet Numerical Ocean Center forecast model for Geosat with measurements of total zenith columnar water vapor content from four VLBI sites. The assessment is made by comparing time series of range delay from various methods at each location. To determine the importance of diurnal variation in water vapor content in noncoincident estimates, the VLBI measurements were made at 15-min intervals over a few days. The VLBI measurements showed strong diurnal variations in columnar water vapor at several sites, causing errors of the order 3 cm rms in any noncoincident measurement of the wet troposphere range delay. These errors have an effect on studies of annual and interannual changes in sea level with Geosat data.

Effect of cyclic and static tensile loading on water content and solute diffusion in canine flexor tendons: an in vitro study.

PubMed

Hannafin, J A; Arnoczky, S P

1994-05-01

This study was designed to determine the effects of various loading conditions (no load and static and cyclic tensile load) on the water content and pattern of nutrient diffusion of canine flexor tendons in vitro. Region D (designated by Okuda et al.) of the flexor digitorum profundus was subjected to a cyclic or static tensile load of 100 g for times ranging from 5 minutes to 24 hours. The results demonstrated a statistically significant loss of water in tendons subjected to both types of load as compared with the controls (no load). This loss appeared to progress with time. However, neither static nor cyclic loading appeared to alter the diffusion of 3H-glucose into the tendon over a 24-hour period compared with the controls. These results suggest that any benefit in tendon repair derived from intermittent passive motion is probably not a result of an increase in the diffusion of small nutrients in response to intermittent tensile load.

Fluoride and bacterial content of bottled drinking water versus municipal tap water.

PubMed

Mythri, H; Chandu, G N; Prashant, G M; Subba Reddy, V V

2010-01-01

Water is a divine gift. People quench their thirst without questioning the source of water. But, apprehension about contaminants in municipal water supplies along with increased fear of fluorosis made bottled drinking water as one of the important tradable commodities. The objectives of the study were to determine and compare the fluoride and bacterial contents of commercially available bottled drinking water and municipal tap water in Davangere city, Karnataka. Fifty samples of 10 categories of bottled drinking water with different batch numbers were purchased and municipal water from different sources were collected. Fluoride levels were determined by an ion-selective electrode. Water was cultured quantitatively and levels of bacteria were calculated as colony-forming units (CFUs) per milliliter. Descriptive analysis of water samples for fluoride concentration was in the range of 0.07-0.33 for bottled drinking water, Bisleri showing the highest of 0.33. A comparison of the mean values of microbial count for bottled drinking water with that of municipal tap water showed no statistically significant difference, but was more than the standard levels along with the presence of fungus and maggots. The fluoride concentration was below the optimal level for both municipal tap water and bottled drinking water. CFUs were more than the recommended level in both municipal tap water and bottled drinking water.

Soybean Photosynthesis and Yield as Influenced by Heterodera glycines, Soil Type and Irrigation.

PubMed

Koenning, S R; Barker, K R

1995-03-01

The effects of soil types and soil water matric pressure on the Heterodera glycines-Glycine max interaction were examined in microplots in 1988 and 1989. Reproduction of H. glycines was restricted in fine-textured soils as compared with coarse-textured ones. Final population densities of this pathogen in both years of the study were greater in nonirrigated soils than in irrigated soils. The net photosynthetic rate of soybean (per unit area of leaf) was suppressed only slightly or not at all in response to infection by H. glycines and other stresses. Relative soybean-yield suppression in response to H. glycines was not affected by water content in fine-textured soils, but slopes of the damage functions were steepest in sand, sandy loam, and muck soils at high water content (irrigated plots). Yield restriction of soybean in response to this pathogen under irrigation was equal to or greater than the yield suppression under dry conditions. Although yield potential may be elevated by irrigation when soil-water content is inadequate, supplemental irrigation cannot be used to circumvent nematode damage to soybean.

Effect of high molecular weight plasticizers on the gelatinization of starch under static and shear conditions.

PubMed

Taghizadeh, Ata; Favis, Basil D

2013-02-15

Starch gelatinization in the presence of high molecular weight polyol plasticizers and water was studied under static and dynamic conditions and was compared to a glycerol reference. For static gelatinization, glycerol, sorbitol, diglycerol and polyglycerol were examined using polarized light microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. A wide range of starch/water/plasticizer compositions were prepared to explore the gelatinization regime for each plasticizer. The plasticizers show that the onset and conclusion temperatures for sorbitol and glycerol are in the same range and are lower than the other two plasticizers. On the other hand, polyglycerol shows a higher gelatinization temperature than diglycerol because of its higher molecular weight and viscosity. The results indicate that in the case of all plasticizers, increasing the water content tends to decrease the gelatinization temperature and, except for polyglycerol, increasing the plasticizer content increases the gelatinization temperature. In the case of polyglycerol, however, increasing the plasticizer content had the opposite effect and this was found to be related to the borderline solubility of polyglycerol in water. When the polyglycerol/water solubility was increased by increasing the temperature of the water/plasticizer/starch slurry, the gelatinization temperature dependence was found to be similar to the other polyols. A rheological technique was developed to study the dynamic gelatinization process by tracking the influence of shear on the complex viscosity in a couette flow system. Glycerol, diglycerol and sorbitol were subjected to different dynamic gelatinization treatments and the results were compared with static gelatinization. It is quantitatively shown that shear has a major effect on the gelatinization process. The conclusion temperature of gelatinization is significantly diminished (up to 21 °C) in the presence of shear whereas the onset temperature of gelatinization remains virtually unchanged as compared to static conditions. By comparing glycerol, diglycerol and sorbitol data, it is shown that the molecular weight or structure did not qualitatively affect the changes shear imposed on dynamic gelatinization. Shear had a relatively more pronounced effect on diglycerol as the plasticizer with less hydrogen bonding ability. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of application of composted water-bamboo leaves on soil nutrients and vegetable quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Zhi-Qing; Hu, Xue-Feng; Lu, Xinzhe; Luo, Fan

2017-04-01

Liantang Town of Qingpu District in the western suburbs of Shanghai is known as a land of water-bamboo, where the cultivation of water-bamboo attains more than 2000 ha in area. A huge amount of water-bamboo leaves, approximately 1.5×108 kg, are produced annually in the town and become a headachy agricultural waste. The leaves of water-bamboo are difficult to be biodegraded, and will adversely affect the growth of next crops if being directly returned to the fields due to its high C/N ratio. We transformed these water-bamboo leaves into organic manure through fermenting and composting. Total N, total P and total K of this fermented manure are 23.7 g kg-1, 6.39 g kg-1 and 44.3 g kg-1, respectively. To study the fertilizer efficiency of this organic manure, four field experiments on vegetables were carried out in the suburb of Shanghai. Each experiment designed the same four treatments of fertilization, including a lower amount of the fermented manure (LM), 3750 kg ha-1; a higher amount of the manure (HM), 7500 kg ha-1; synthetic chemical fertilizer (CF), 750 kg ha-1; non-fertilized CK. Each treatment has three replicate plots, and each plot was 9 m2 in area. The results indicated that the application of the fermented manure increased the contents of organic matter and nutrients in the soils significantly. Compared with CK, the content of organic matter in the soils treated with HM increased by 16.0%, and those of alkali-hydrolyzable N, available P, available K, total N, total P and total K in the soils increased by 14.5%, 4.8%, 12.8%, 16.7%, 48.0% and 9.1%, respectively. Compared with CF and CK, the application of the fermented manure, both LM and HM, increased the numbers of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes and improved the activities of urease and phosphatase in the soils significantly. The study also indicated that the contents of soluble sugar and Vitamin C in green peppers and tomatoes treated with HM increased by 62.8% and 14.8%, respectively, compared with CK; while those with CF only by 18.4% and 4.9%, respectively. Likewise, the contents of Vitamin C and soluble proteins in cabbage treated with HM increased by 115.3% and 31.4%, respectively. Compared with synthetic chemical fertilizers, the fermented manure released nutrients slowly and persistently, which was conducive to maintain soil fertility for a long term and reduce agricultural diffuse pollution effectively. Moreover, the application of this fermented manure increased the contents of soluble sugar and Vitamin C in vegetables and improved their quality significantly. Turning discarded water-bamboo leaves into organic manure through fermenting and composting is not only low in cost, but also contributes to the development of recycling agriculture in the suburbs of Shanghai.

Predicting soil water content at - 33 kPa by pedotransfer functions in stoniness 1 soils in northeast Venezuela.

PubMed

Pineda, M C; Viloria, J; Martínez-Casasnovas, J A; Valera, A; Lobo, D; Timm, L C; Pires, L F; Gabriels, D

2018-02-22

Soil water content is a key property in the study of water available for plants, infiltration, drainage, hydraulic conductivity, irrigation, plant water stress and solute movement. However, its measurement consumes time and, in the case of stony soils, the presence of stones difficult to determinate the water content. An alternative is the use of pedotransfer functions (PTFs), as models to predict these properties from readily available data. The present work shows a comparison of different widely used PTFs to estimate water content at-33 kPa (WR -33kPa ) in high stoniness soils. The work was carried out in the Caramacate River, an area of high interest because the frequent landslides worsen the quality of drinking water. The performance of all evaluated PTFs was compared with a PTF generated for the study area. Results showed that the Urach's PTF presented the best performance in relation to the others and could be used to estimate WR -33kPa in soils of Caramacate River basin. The calculated PTFs had a R 2 of 0.65. This was slightly higher than the R 2 of the Urach's PTF. The inclusion of the rock fragment volume could have the better results. The weak performance of the other PTFs could be related to the fact that the mountain soils of the basin are rich in 2:1 clay and high stoniness, which were not used as independent variables for PTFs to estimate the WR -33kPa .

Reduced oxygenation at intermediate depths of the southwest Pacific during the last glacial maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durand, Axel; Chase, Zanna; Noble, Taryn L.; Bostock, Helen; Jaccard, Samuel L.; Townsend, Ashley T.; Bindoff, Nathaniel L.; Neil, Helen; Jacobsen, Geraldine

2018-06-01

To investigate changes in oxygenation at intermediate depths in the southwest Pacific between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Holocene, redox sensitive elements uranium and rhenium were measured in 12 sediment cores located on the Campbell and Challenger plateaux offshore from New Zealand. The core sites are currently bathed by Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW), Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) and Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (UCDW). The sedimentary distributions of authigenic uranium and rhenium reveal reduced oxygen content at intermediate depths (800-1500 m) during the LGM compared to the Holocene. In contrast, data from deeper waters (≥1500 m) indicate higher oxygen content during the LGM compared to the Holocene. These data, together with variations in benthic foraminiferal δ13C, are consistent with a shallower AAIW-UCDW boundary over the Campbell Plateau during the LGM. Whilst AAIW continued to bathe the intermediate depths (≤1500 m) of the Challenger Plateau during the LGM, the data suggest that the AAIW at these core sites contained less oxygen compared to the Holocene. These results are at odds with the general notion that AAIW was better oxygenated and expanded deeper during the LGM due to stronger westerlies and colder temperatures. These findings may be explained by an important change in AAIW formation and circulation.

Water intake in domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from open dishes and nipple drinkers under different water and feeding regimes.

PubMed

Tschudin, A; Clauss, M; Codron, D; Liesegang, A; Hatt, J-M

2011-08-01

Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are often presented suffering from urolithiasis. A high water intake is important in the prophylaxis of uroliths. We investigated the influence factors for water intake using 12 rabbits subjected to different feed and water regimes with practical relevance: Hay, fresh parsley, a seed mix and two different pelleted feed were offered in diverse combinations. Water was provided either by open dish or nipple drinker. Water was accessible ad libitum except for four treatments with 6 h or 12 h water access. Under the different feeding regimes, the drinker had no influence on water intake, but faecal dry matter content was significantly higher with nipple drinkers [60.0 ± 2.1 vs. 57.2 ± 2.1% of wet weight (mean ± 95% confidence interval), p = 0.003]. Dry food led to a higher drinking water intake but total water intake was still lower than with addition of 'fresh' food. With restricted water access, rabbits exhibited a significantly higher water intake with open dishes compared with nipple drinkers (54.9 ± 9.8 vs. 48.1 ± 8.2 g/kg(0.75) /day (mean ± 95% confidence interval), p = 0.04). High proportions of fresh parsley or hay in the diet enhanced total water intake and urine output, and led to lower urinary dry matter content and lower urinary calcium concentrations. Restricted access to drinkers led to a decreased total daily water intake and increased dry matter content of urine and faeces. For optimal water provision and urolith prophylaxis, we recommend a diet with a high 'fresh food' proportion as well as additionally hay ad libitum with free water access, offered in an open bowl. © 2010 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Resistant starch: Variation among high amylose rice varieties and its relationship with apparent amylose content, pasting properties and cooking methods.

PubMed

Chen, Ming-Hsuan; Bergman, Christine J; McClung, Anna M; Everette, Jace D; Tabien, Rodante E

2017-11-01

Resistant starch (RS), which is not hydrolyzed in the small intestine, has proposed health benefits. We evaluated 40 high amylose rice varieties for RS content in cooked rice and a 1.9-fold difference was found. Some varieties had more than two-fold greater RS content than a US long-grain intermediate-amylose rice. The high amylose varieties were grouped into four classes according to paste viscosity and gelatinization temperature based on genetic variants of the Waxy and Starch Synthase IIa genes, respectively. RS content was not different between the four paste viscosity-gelatinization temperature classes. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that apparent amylose content and pasting temperature were strong predictors of RS within each class. Two cooking methods, fixed water-to-rice ratio/time and in excess-water/minimum-cook-time, were compared using six rice varieties that were extremes in RS in each of the genetic variant classes, no difference in RS content due to cooking method was observed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Water-Deficit Tolerance in Sweet Potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] by Foliar Application of Paclobutrazol: Role of Soluble Sugar and Free Proline.

PubMed

Yooyongwech, Suravoot; Samphumphuang, Thapanee; Tisarum, Rujira; Theerawitaya, Cattarin; Cha-Um, Suriyan

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to elevate water deficit tolerance by improving soluble sugar and free proline accumulation, photosynthetic pigment stabilization, photosynthetic abilities, growth performance and storage root yield in sweet potato cv. 'Tainung 57' using a foliar application of paclobutrazol (PBZ). The experiment followed a Completely Randomized Block Design with four concentrations of PBZ: 0 (control), 17, 34, and 51 μM before exposure to 47.5% (well irrigation), 32.3% (mild water deficit) or 17.5% (severe water deficit) soil water content. A sweet potato cultivar, 'Japanese Yellow', with water deficit tolerance attributes was the positive check in this study. Total soluble sugar content (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) increased by 3.96-folds in 'Tainung 57' plants treated with 34 μM PBZ grown under 32.3% soil water content (SWC) compared to the untreated plants, adjusting osmotic potential in the leaves and controlling stomatal closure (represented by stomatal conductance and transpiration rate). In addition, under the same treatment, free proline content (2.15 μmol g -1 FW) increased by 3.84-folds when exposed to 17.5% SWC. PBZ had an improved effect on leaf size, vine length, photosynthetic pigment stability, chlorophyll fluorescence, and net photosynthetic rate; hence, delaying wilting symptoms and maintaining storage root yield (26.93 g plant -1 ) at the harvesting stage. A positive relationship between photon yield of PSII (Φ PSII ) and net photosynthetic rate was demonstrated ( r 2 = 0.73). The study concludes that soluble sugar and free proline enrichment in PBZ-pretreated plants may play a critical role as major osmoprotectant to control leaf osmotic potential and stomatal closure when plants were subjected to low soil water content, therefore, maintaining the physiological and morphological characters as well as storage root yield.

Water-Deficit Tolerance in Sweet Potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] by Foliar Application of Paclobutrazol: Role of Soluble Sugar and Free Proline

PubMed Central

Yooyongwech, Suravoot; Samphumphuang, Thapanee; Tisarum, Rujira; Theerawitaya, Cattarin; Cha-um, Suriyan

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to elevate water deficit tolerance by improving soluble sugar and free proline accumulation, photosynthetic pigment stabilization, photosynthetic abilities, growth performance and storage root yield in sweet potato cv. ‘Tainung 57’ using a foliar application of paclobutrazol (PBZ). The experiment followed a Completely Randomized Block Design with four concentrations of PBZ: 0 (control), 17, 34, and 51 μM before exposure to 47.5% (well irrigation), 32.3% (mild water deficit) or 17.5% (severe water deficit) soil water content. A sweet potato cultivar, ‘Japanese Yellow’, with water deficit tolerance attributes was the positive check in this study. Total soluble sugar content (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) increased by 3.96-folds in ‘Tainung 57’ plants treated with 34 μM PBZ grown under 32.3% soil water content (SWC) compared to the untreated plants, adjusting osmotic potential in the leaves and controlling stomatal closure (represented by stomatal conductance and transpiration rate). In addition, under the same treatment, free proline content (2.15 μmol g-1 FW) increased by 3.84-folds when exposed to 17.5% SWC. PBZ had an improved effect on leaf size, vine length, photosynthetic pigment stability, chlorophyll fluorescence, and net photosynthetic rate; hence, delaying wilting symptoms and maintaining storage root yield (26.93 g plant-1) at the harvesting stage. A positive relationship between photon yield of PSII (ΦPSII) and net photosynthetic rate was demonstrated (r2 = 0.73). The study concludes that soluble sugar and free proline enrichment in PBZ-pretreated plants may play a critical role as major osmoprotectant to control leaf osmotic potential and stomatal closure when plants were subjected to low soil water content, therefore, maintaining the physiological and morphological characters as well as storage root yield. PMID:28848596

Divergence of water balance mechanisms and acclimation potential in body color morphs of Drosophila ananassae.

PubMed

Parkash, Ravi; Aggarwal, Dau Dayal; Lambhod, Chanderkala; Singh, Divya

2014-01-01

Drosophila ananassae is a desiccation sensitive species, but the physiological basis of its abundance in the drier subtropical areas is largely unknown. We tested the hypothesis whether body color morphs of D. ananassae differ in the mechanistic basis of water conservation as well as desiccation acclimation potential, consistent with their distribution under dry or wet habitats. We observed reduced rate of water loss consistent with the greater desiccation potential of dark morph as compared with light morph, despite lack of quantitative differences in cuticular lipid mass between them. Dark morph evidenced greater wet and dry mass (∼1.17-fold) as well as higher hemolymph content (∼1.70-fold) and (∼17%) dehydration tolerance to sustain longer survival under desiccation stress (LT50 17.5 hr) as compared with light morph (LT50 4.3 hr). We found significant differences in the storage of energy metabolites in the body color morphs of D. ananassae, that is, carbohydrate content was significantly higher (∼0.18 mg/mg dry mass) in the dark morph as compared to light morph, but greater (∼0.05 mg/mg dry mass) body lipid content was evident in the light morph. Under desiccation stress, dark and light morphs utilized mainly carbohydrates but also lipids to a lesser extent. However, the rate of utilization of energy metabolites did not vary between dark and light morphs. Further, the dark morph consumed higher energy content derived from carbohydrates under desiccation stress as compared with the light morph. Finally, we found contrasting patterns of acclimation to desiccation stress in the two body color morphs, that is, increase in desiccation survival (4.7 hr), as well as in dehydration tolerance (∼6%) due to acclimation of the dark morph but no such effects were observed in the light morph. Thus, divergence in water balance mechanisms as well as acclimation potential reflects evolved physiological adaptations of the dark morph under drier but of the light morph to wet climatic conditions. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A one-stage cultivation process for lipid- and carbohydrate-rich biomass of Scenedesmus obtusiusculus based on artificial and natural water sources.

PubMed

Schulze, Christian; Reinhardt, Jakob; Wurster, Martina; Ortiz-Tena, José Guillermo; Sieber, Volker; Mundt, Sabine

2016-10-01

A one-stage cultivation process of the microalgae Scenedesmus obtusiusculus with medium based on natural water sources was developed to enhance lipids and carbohydrates. A medium based on artificial sea water, Baltic Sea water and river water with optimized nutrient concentrations compared to the standard BG-11 for nitrate (-75%), phosphate and iron (-90%) was used for cultivation. Although nitrate exhaustion over cultivation resulted in nitrate limitation, growth of the microalgae was not reduced. The lipid content increased from 6.0% to 19.9%, an increase in oleic and stearic acid was observed. The unsaponifiable matter of the lipid fraction was reduced from 19.5% to 11.4%. The carbohydrate yield rose from 45% to 50% and the protein content decreased from 32.4% to 15.9%. Using natural water sources with optimized nutrient concentrations could open the opportunity to modulate biomass composition and to reduce the cultivation costs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Retrieving topsoil moisture using RADARSAT-2 data, a novel approach applied at the east of the Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eweys, Omar Ali; Elwan, Abeer A.; Borham, Taha I.

2017-12-01

This manuscript proposes an approach for estimating soil moisture content over corn fields using C-band SAR data acquired by RADARSAT-2 satellite. An image based approach is employed to remove the vegetation contribution to the satellite signals. In particular, the absolute difference between like and cross polarized signals (ADLC) is employed for segmenting the canopy growth cycle into tiny stages. Each stage is represented by a Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of the like polarized signals. For periods of bare soils and vegetation cover, CDFs are compared and the vegetation contribution is quantified. The portion which represent the soil contributions (σHHsoil°) to the satellite signals; are employed for inversely running Oh model and the water cloud model for estimating soil moisture, canopy water content and canopy height respectively. The proposed approach shows satisfactory performance where high correlation of determination (R2) is detected between the field observations and the corresponding retrieved soil moisture, canopy water content and canopy height (R2 = 0.64, 0.97 and 0.98 respectively). Soil moisture retrieval is associated with root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.03 m3 m-3 while estimating canopy water content and canopy height have RMSE of 0.38 kg m-2 and 0.166 m respectively.

Modeling the influence of snow cover temperature and water content on wet-snow avalanche runout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valero, Cesar Vera; Wever, Nander; Christen, Marc; Bartelt, Perry

2018-03-01

Snow avalanche motion is strongly dependent on the temperature and water content of the snow cover. In this paper we use a snow cover model, driven by measured meteorological data, to set the initial and boundary conditions for wet-snow avalanche calculations. The snow cover model provides estimates of snow height, density, temperature and liquid water content. This information is used to prescribe fracture heights and erosion heights for an avalanche dynamics model. We compare simulated runout distances with observed avalanche deposition fields using a contingency table analysis. Our analysis of the simulations reveals a large variability in predicted runout for tracks with flat terraces and gradual slope transitions to the runout zone. Reliable estimates of avalanche mass (height and density) in the release and erosion zones are identified to be more important than an exact specification of temperature and water content. For wet-snow avalanches, this implies that the layers where meltwater accumulates in the release zone must be identified accurately as this defines the height of the fracture slab and therefore the release mass. Advanced thermomechanical models appear to be better suited to simulate wet-snow avalanche inundation areas than existing guideline procedures if and only if accurate snow cover information is available.

Does water content or flow rate control colloid transport in unsaturated porous media?

PubMed

Knappenberger, Thorsten; Flury, Markus; Mattson, Earl D; Harsh, James B

2014-04-01

Mobile colloids can play an important role in contaminant transport in soils: many contaminants exist in colloidal form, and colloids can facilitate transport of otherwise immobile contaminants. In unsaturated soils, colloid transport is, among other factors, affected by water content and flow rate. Our objective was to determine whether water content or flow rate is more important for colloid transport. We passed negatively charged polystyrene colloids (220 nm diameter) through unsaturated sand-filled columns under steady-state flow at different water contents (effective water saturations Se ranging from 0.1 to 1.0, with Se = (θ - θr)/(θs - θr)) and flow rates (pore water velocities v of 5 and 10 cm/min). Water content was the dominant factor in our experiments. Colloid transport decreased with decreasing water content, and below a critical water content (Se < 0.1), colloid transport was inhibited, and colloids were strained in water films. Pendular ring and water film thickness calculations indicated that colloids can move only when pendular rings are interconnected. The flow rate affected retention of colloids in the secondary energy minimum, with less colloids being trapped when the flow rate increased. These results confirm the importance of both water content and flow rate for colloid transport in unsaturated porous media and highlight the dominant role of water content.

Characteristics of epidemiology of dental caries in children from regions with high and optimum fluorine content in drinking water.

PubMed

Trufanova, Valentina; Sheshukova, Olha; Davydenko, Vadym; Polishchuk, Tetiana; Bauman, Sofia; Dobroskok, Vitalina

2018-01-01

Introduction: Prevention of dental diseases in children is the priority item on the modern dentistry agenda. Among the undeniable factors known as contributing into caries incidence, there is fluoride content in the external environment, especially in drinking water, which is the main source of fluoride intake. The aim: This study is aimed at evaluating dental caries indices in children and adolescents inhabiting in areas with optimal and high-level fluoride concentration in drinking water and assessing their level of oral hygiene. Materials and methods: To explore the caries epidemiology in the regions with optimal and high fluoride content, we examined 315 children aged 6, 12 and 15 who live in the city of Poltava (fluoride content in drinking water is 0.9-1.2 mg / l) and 91 children of the same age residing in the village of a town type Mashivka (fluoride content in drinking water ranges from 1.7 to 2.9 mg / l). Results: More than half of the 6-year-old children of both groups have decayed teeth. The comparative analysis of the prevalence and intensity of caries in the children aged 12 and 15 years demonstrated a significant increase in the number of individuals diagnosed to have caries with increasing age in both groups. Conclusions: Our research suggests that, along with the number of other cariogenic factors, fluorosis contributes to a more intense course of caries progression. This situation demands wider health policy measures to support primary and secondary caries prevention and management among the children.

[Effect of NaOH-treatment on dry-thermophilic anaerobic digestion of Spartina alterniflora].

PubMed

Chen, Guang-Yin; Zheng, Zheng; Chang, Zhi-Zhou; Ye, Xiao-Mei; Luo, Yan

2011-07-01

In order to improve the biotransformation rate of lignocellulosic materials, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was widely used to pretreat lignocellulosic materials. Effect of NaOH-treatment on dry-thermophilic anaerobic digestion of Spartina alternflora was studied by batch model under the temperature of 55 degrees C +/- 1 degrees C, at the initial total solid loading (TSL) of 20%. The results indicated that biogas production was inhibited by NaOH-treatment and improved by NaOH-treatment with water washed. The cumulative biogas yield of control (CK), NaOH-treated and NaOH-treated with water washed (NaOH + water) were 268.35 mL/g, 205.76 mL/g and 299.97 mL/g, respectively. The methane content of CK and NaOH + water treatments kept stable while fluctuation of NaOH-treated treatment during anaerobic digestion process was observed. Compared with CK and NaOH + water treatments, methane content of NaOH-treated treatment was improved by 5.30%. The content of hemi-cellulose and cellulose of S. alternifora decreased while content of lignin of S. alterniflora increased after 51-day anaerobic digestion. The crystallinity of cellulose of S. alterniflora increased after NaOH-treatment which was consistent to the result of FTIR. The lignocellulosic structure was destroyed and the biodegradability of S. alterniflora was increased by NaOH pretreatment. However, the amount of Na+ was taken into the anaerobic system, besides the high Na+ content in the plant itself which inhibited the anaerobic microorganisms. Therefore, NaOH-treatment is considered to be unsuitable for the anaerobic digestion of S. alterniflora.

Correlation between subacute sensorimotor deficits and brain water content after surgical brain injury in rats

PubMed Central

McBride, Devin W.; Wang, Yuechun; Sherchan, Prativa; Tang, Jiping; Zhang, John H.

2015-01-01

Brain edema is a major contributor to poor outcome and reduced quality of life after surgical brain injury (SBI). Although SBI pathophysiology is well-known, the correlation between cerebral edema and neurological deficits has not been thoroughly examined in the rat model of SBI. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between brain edema and deficits in standard sensorimotor neurobehavior tests for rats subjected to SBI. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to either sham surgery or surgical brain injury via partial frontal lobectomy. All animals were tested for neurological deficits 24 post-SBI and fourteen were also tested 72 hours after surgery using seven common behavior tests: modified Garcia neuroscore (Neuroscore), beam walking, corner turn test, forelimb placement test, adhesive removal test, beam balance test, and foot fault test. After assessing the functional outcome, animals were euthanized for brain water content measurement. Surgical brain injury resulted in a significantly elevated frontal lobe brain water content 24 and 72 hours after surgery compared to that of sham animals. In all behavior tests, significance was observed between sham and SBI animals. However, a correlation between brain water content and functional outcome was observed for all tests except Neuroscore. The selection of behavior tests is critical to determine the effectiveness of therapeutics. Based on this study’s results, we recommend using beam walking, the corner turn test, the beam balance test, and the foot fault test since correlations with brain water content were observed at both 24 and 72 hours post-SBI. PMID:25975171

Correlation between subacute sensorimotor deficits and brain water content after surgical brain injury in rats.

PubMed

McBride, Devin W; Wang, Yuechun; Sherchan, Prativa; Tang, Jiping; Zhang, John H

2015-09-01

Brain edema is a major contributor to poor outcome and reduced quality of life after surgical brain injury (SBI). Although SBI pathophysiology is well-known, the correlation between cerebral edema and neurological deficits has not been thoroughly examined in the rat model of SBI. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between brain edema and deficits in standard sensorimotor neurobehavior tests for rats subjected to SBI. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to either sham surgery or surgical brain injury via partial frontal lobectomy. All animals were tested for neurological deficits 24 post-SBI and fourteen were also tested 72 h after surgery using seven common behavior tests: modified Garcia neuroscore (Neuroscore), beam walking, corner turn test, forelimb placement test, adhesive removal test, beam balance test, and foot fault test. After assessing the functional outcome, animals were euthanized for brain water content measurement. Surgical brain injury resulted in significantly elevated frontal lobe brain water content 24 and 72 h after surgery compared to that of sham animals. In all behavior tests, significance was observed between sham and SBI animals. However, a correlation between brain water content and functional outcome was observed for all tests except Neuroscore. The selection of behavior tests is critical to determine the effectiveness of therapeutics. Based on this study's results, we recommend using beam walking, the corner turn test, the beam balance test, and the foot fault test since correlations with brain water content were observed at both 24 and 72 h post-SBI. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Effects of land use type on diurnal dynamics of environment microclimate in Karst zone].

PubMed

Li, Sheng; Ren, Hua-Dong; Yao, Xiao-Hua; Zhang, Shou-Gong

2009-02-01

In June 2007, the diurnal dynamics of light intensity, air temperature, air relative humidity, soil temperature, and surface soil (0-5 cm) water content of five land use types in the typical Karst zone of Lingyun City in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were observed. The results showed that different land use types altered the composition, coverage, and height of aboveground vegetation, which in turn changed the environment microclimate to different degree. The microclimate quality was in the order of forestland > shrub land > grassland > farmland > rock land. On rock land, the light intensity, air temperature, air relative humidity, soil temperature, and soil water content were higher, and the diurnal variation of the five climatic factors was notable, with the microclimatic conditions changed towards drier and hotter. Compared with those on rock land, the light intensity on forestland, shrub land, grassland, and farmland decreased by 96.4%, 52.0%, 17.0% and 44.2%, air temperature decreased by 30.1%, 20.2%, 12.7% and 17.8%, air relative humidity increased by 129.2%, 57.2%, 18.0% and 41.2%, soil temperature decreased by 11.5%, 8%, 2.5% and 5.5%, and soil water content increased by 42.6%, 33.2%, 15.7% and 14.0%, respectively. The five climatic factors on forestland and shrub land had lesser fluctuation, with the microclimate tended to cool and wet. Light intensity, air temperature, and soil temperature correlated positively with each other, and had negative correlations with air relative humidity and soil water content. A positive correlation was observed between air temperature and soil water content.

Soil moisture content estimation using ground-penetrating radar reflection data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lunt, I. A.; Hubbard, S. S.; Rubin, Y.

2005-06-01

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) reflection travel time data were used to estimate changes in soil water content under a range of soil saturation conditions throughout the growing season at a California winery. Data were collected during three data acquisition campaigns over an 80 by 180 m area using 100 MHz surface GPR antennas. GPR reflections were associated with a thin, low permeability clay layer located 0.8-1.3 m below the ground surface that was identified from borehole information and mapped across the study area. Field infiltration tests and neutron probe logs suggest that the thin clay layer inhibited vertical water flow, and was coincident with high volumetric water content (VWC) values. The GPR reflection two-way travel time and the depth of the reflector at the borehole locations were used to calculate an average dielectric constant for soils above the reflector. A site-specific relationship between the dielectric constant and VWC was then used to estimate the depth-averaged VWC of the soils above the reflector. Compared to average VWC measurements from calibrated neutron probe logs over the same depth interval, the average VWC estimates obtained from GPR reflections had an RMS error of 0.018 m 3 m -3. These results suggested that the two-way travel time to a GPR reflection associated with a geological surface could be used under natural conditions to obtain estimates of average water content when borehole control is available and the reflection strength is sufficient. The GPR reflection method therefore, has potential for monitoring soil water content over large areas and under variable hydrological conditions.

Water content contribution in calculus phantom ablation during Q-switched Tm:YAG laser lithotripsy.

PubMed

Zhang, Jian J; Rajabhandharaks, Danop; Xuan, Jason Rongwei; Wang, Hui; Chia, Ray W J; Hasenberg, Tom; Kang, Hyun Wook

2015-01-01

Q-switched (QS) Tm:YAG laser ablation mechanisms on urinary calculi are still unclear to researchers. Here, dependence of water content in calculus phantom on calculus ablation performance was investigated. White gypsum cement was used as a calculus phantom model. The calculus phantoms were ablated by a total 3-J laser pulse exposure (20 mJ, 100 Hz, 1.5 s) and contact mode with N=15 sample size. Ablation volume was obtained on average 0.079, 0.122, and 0.391  mm3 in dry calculus in air, wet calculus in air, and wet calculus in-water groups, respectively. There were three proposed ablation mechanisms that could explain the effect of water content in calculus phantom on calculus ablation performance, including shock wave due to laser pulse injection and bubble collapse, spallation, and microexplosion. Increased absorption coefficient of wet calculus can cause stronger spallation process compared with that caused by dry calculus; as a result, higher calculus ablation was observed in both wet calculus in air and wet calculus in water. The test result also indicates that the shock waves generated by short laser pulse under the in-water condition have great impact on the ablation volume by Tm:YAG QS laser.

Incorporating Graphene Oxide into Alginate Polymer with a Cationic Intermediate To Strengthen Membrane Dehydration Performance.

PubMed

Guan, Kecheng; Liang, Feng; Zhu, Haipeng; Zhao, Jing; Jin, Wanqin

2018-04-25

Two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) in hybrid membranes provides fast water transfer across its surface due to the abundant oxygenated functional groups to afford water sorption and the hydrophobic basal plane to create fast transporting pathways. To establish more compatible and efficient interactions for GO and sodium alginate (SA) polymer chains, cations sourced from lignin are employed to decorate GO (labeled as cation-functionalized GO (CG)) nanosheets via cation-π and π-π interactions, providing more interactive sites to confer synergetic benefits with polymer matrix. Cations from CG are also functional to partially interlock SA chains and intensify water diffusion. And with the aid of two-dimensional pathways of CG, fast selective water permeation can be realized through hybrid membranes with CG fillers. In dehydrating aqueous ethanol solution, the hybrid membrane exhibits considerable performance compared with bare SA polymer membrane (long-term stable permeation flux larger than 2500 g m -2 h -1 and water content larger than 99.7 wt %, with feed water content of 10 wt % under 70 °C). The effects of CG content in SA membrane were investigated, and the transport mechanism was correspondingly studied through varying operation conditions and membrane materials. In addition, such a membrane possesses long-term stability and almost unchanged high dehydration capability.

Powdery Emulsion Explosive: A New Excellent Industrial Explosive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Ouqi; Zhang, Kaiming; Yu, Zhengquan; Tang, Shujuan

2012-07-01

Powdery emulsion explosive (PEE), a new powdery industrial explosive with perfect properties, has been made using an emulsification-spray drying technique. PEE is composed of 91-92.5 wt% ammonium nitrate (AN), 4.5-6 wt% organic fuels, and 1.5-1.8 wt% water. Due to its microstructure as a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion and low water content, it has excellent detonation performance, outstanding water resistance, reliable safety, and good application compared with other industrial explosives, such as ammonite, emulsion explosives, and ANFO.

[Effects of different tillage patterns on soil properties, maize yield and water use efficiency in Weibei Highland, China.

PubMed

Liu, Dan; Zhang, Xia; Li, Jun; Wang, Xu-Dong

2018-02-01

An eight-year field experiment of straw returning was conducted on dark loessial soil in Weibei Highland to investigate the effects of tillage patterns on soil aggregate, soil organic carbon (SOC), corn yield and soil water use efficiency (WUE). There were six tillage patterns, including conventional tillage (CT/CT), no-tillage (NT/NT), subsoiling tillage (ST/ST), no-tillage/subsoiling tillage (NT/ST), conventional tillage/no-tillage (CT/NT) and conventional tillage/subsoiling tillage (CT/ST). The results showed that compared with CT/CT, the patterns of NT/NT, ST/ST and the rotational tillage patterns (NT/ST, CT/NT and CT/ST) decreased the mean mass diameter of soil mechanical stable aggregate. The patterns of NT/NT, ST/ST and NT/ST increased the content of soil water-stable aggregate with the particle size >0.25 mm (WR 0.25 ) and their mean mass diameter, especially in the depth of 20-50 cm. These patterns reduced the proportion of aggregate destruction (PAD). Compared with CT/CT, the patterns of NT/ST, CT/NT, NT/NT and ST/ST increased the content of SOC in 0-10 cm soil layer. The content of SOC decreased as the increases of soil depth for all tillage patterns, but the decrease in SOC of three single tillage patterns (ST/ST, NT/NT and CT/CT) was larger than that of three rotational tillage patterns. Compared with CT/CT, the other five tillage patterns increased soil water storage in 0-200 cm soil profile, crop yield and WUE in maize. The yield and WUE in NT/ST pattern were significantly increased by 15.1% and 27.5%, respectively. Both corn yield and WUE were significantly and positively correlated with soil water storage in 0-200 cm soil profile in field during the cropping and fallow periods. Moreover, soil water storage during the cropping period was positively correlated with WR 0.25 , but negatively correlated with PAD in 0-50 cm soil layer. Particularly, maize yield, WUE and soil water storage during the cropping period were closely related to WR 0.25 in 20-50 cm soil layer and PAD. Both WUE and soil water storage during the cropping period was correlated with the SOC content in 0-10 cm soil layer. With respect to the soil properties, crop yield and WUE, the tillage pattern of NT/ST was the best stratety in dark loessial soil for spring maize growth in Weibei Highland.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improve photosynthetic energy use efficiency and decrease foliar construction cost under recurrent water deficit in woody evergreen species.

PubMed

Barros, Vanessa; Frosi, Gabriella; Santos, Mariana; Ramos, Diego Gomes; Falcão, Hiram Marinho; Santos, Mauro Guida

2018-06-01

Plants suffer recurrent cycles of water deficit in semiarid regions and have several mechanisms to tolerate low water availability. Thus, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can alleviate deleterious effects of stress. In this study, Cynophalla flexuosa plants, a woody evergreen species from semiarid, when associated with AMF were exposed to two consecutive cycles of water deficit. Leaf primary metabolism, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf construction cost (CC) and photosynthetic energy use efficiency (PEUE) were measured. The maximum stress occurred on seven days (cycle 1) and ten days (cycle 2) after suspending irrigation (photosynthesis close to zero). The rehydration was performed for three days after each maximum stress. In both cycles, plants submitted to water deficit showed reduced gas exchange and leaf relative water content. However, Drought + AMF plants had significantly larger leaf relative water content in cycle 2. At cycle 1, the SLA was larger in non-inoculated plants, while CC was higher in inoculated plants. At cycle 2, Drought + AMF treatment had lower CC and large SLA compared to control, and high PEUE compared to Drought plants. These responses suggest AMFs increase tolerance of C. flexuosa to recurrent water deficit, mainly in cycle 2, reducing the CC, promoting the improvement of SLA and PEUE, leading to higher photosynthetic area. Thus, our result emphasizes the importance of studies on recurrence of water deficit, a common condition in semiarid environments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Instability of misoprostol tablets stored outside the blister: a potential serious concern for clinical outcome in medical abortion.

PubMed

Berard, Veronique; Fiala, Christian; Cameron, Sharon; Bombas, Teresa; Parachini, Mirella; Gemzell-Danielsson, Kristina

2014-01-01

Misoprostol (Cytotec) is recognised to be effective for many gynaecological indications including termination of pregnancy, management of miscarriage and postpartum haemorrhage. Although not licensed for such indications, it has been used for these purposes by millions of women throughout the world. Misoprostol tablets are most often packaged as multiple tablets within an aluminium strip, each within an individual alveolus. When an alveolus is opened, tablets will be exposed to atmospheric conditions. To compare the pharmaco technical characteristics (weight, friability), water content, misoprostol content and decomposition product content (type A misoprostol, type B misoprostol and 8-epi misoprostol) of misoprostol tablets Cytotec (Pfizer) exposed to air for periods of 1 hour to 720 hours (30 days), to those of identical non exposed tablets. Four hundred and twenty (420) tablets of Cytotec (Pfizer) were removed from their alveoli blister and stored at 25°C/60% relative humidity. Water content, and misoprostol degradation products were assayed in tablets exposed from 1 to 720 hours (30 days). Comparison was made with control tablets (N=60) from the same batch stored in non-damaged blisters. Statistical analyses were carried out using Fisher's exact test for small sample sizes. By 48 hours, exposed tablets demonstrated increased weight (+4.5%), friability (+1 300%), and water content (+80%) compared to controls. Exposed tablets also exhibited a decrease in Cytotec active ingredient dosage (-5.1% after 48 hours) and an increase in the inactive degradation products (+25% for type B, +50% for type A and +11% for 8-epi misoprostol after 48 hours) compared to controls. Exposure of Cytotec tablets to 'typical' European levels of air and humidity results in significant time-dependent changes in physical and biological composition that could impact adversely upon clinical efficacy. Health professionals should be made aware of the degradation of misoprostol with inappropriate storage of misoprostol tablets.

Instability of Misoprostol Tablets Stored Outside the Blister: A Potential Serious Concern for Clinical Outcome in Medical Abortion

PubMed Central

Berard, Veronique; Fiala, Christian; Cameron, Sharon; Bombas, Teresa; Parachini, Mirella; Gemzell-Danielsson, Kristina

2014-01-01

Introduction Misoprostol (Cytotec) is recognised to be effective for many gynaecological indications including termination of pregnancy, management of miscarriage and postpartum haemorrhage. Although not licensed for such indications, it has been used for these purposes by millions of women throughout the world. Misoprostol tablets are most often packaged as multiple tablets within an aluminium strip, each within an individual alveolus. When an alveolus is opened, tablets will be exposed to atmospheric conditions. Objective To compare the pharmaco technical characteristics (weight, friability), water content, misoprostol content and decomposition product content (type A misoprostol, type B misoprostol and 8-epi misoprostol) of misoprostol tablets Cytotec (Pfizer) exposed to air for periods of 1 hour to 720 hours (30 days), to those of identical non exposed tablets. Methods Four hundred and twenty (420) tablets of Cytotec (Pfizer) were removed from their alveoli blister and stored at 25°C/60% relative humidity. Water content, and misoprostol degradation products were assayed in tablets exposed from 1 to 720 hours (30 days). Comparison was made with control tablets (N = 60) from the same batch stored in non-damaged blisters. Statistical analyses were carried out using Fisher’s exact test for small sample sizes. Results By 48 hours, exposed tablets demonstrated increased weight (+4.5%), friability (+1 300%), and water content (+80%) compared to controls. Exposed tablets also exhibited a decrease in Cytotec active ingredient dosage (−5.1% after 48 hours) and an increase in the inactive degradation products (+25% for type B, +50% for type A and +11% for 8-epi misoprostol after 48 hours) compared to controls. Conclusion Exposure of Cytotec tablets to ‘typical’ European levels of air and humidity results in significant time-dependent changes in physical and biological composition that could impact adversely upon clinical efficacy. Health professionals should be made aware of the degradation of misoprostol with inappropriate storage of misoprostol tablets. PMID:25502819

Reference test methods for total water in lint cotton by Karl Fischer Titration and low temperature distillation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In a study of comparability of total water contents (%) of conditioned cottons by Karl Fischer Titration (KFT) and Low Temperature Distillation (LTD) reference methods, we demonstrated a match of averaged results based on a large number of replications and weighing the test specimens at the same tim...

Contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and/or bacteria to enhancing plant drought tolerance under natural soil conditions: effectiveness of autochthonous or allochthonous strains.

PubMed

Ortiz, N; Armada, E; Duque, E; Roldán, A; Azcón, R

2015-02-01

Autochthonous microorganisms [a consortium of arbuscular-mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)] were assayed and compared to Rhizophagus intraradices (Ri), Bacillus megaterium (Bm) or Pseudomonas putida (Psp) and non-inoculation on Trifolium repens in a natural arid soil under drought conditions. The autochthonous bacteria Bt and the allochthonous bacteria Psp increased nutrients and the relative water content and decreased stomatal conductance, electrolyte leakage, proline and APX activity, indicating their abilities to alleviate the drought stress. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly enhanced plant growth, nutrient uptake and the relative water content, particularly when associated with specific bacteria minimizing drought stress-imposed effects. Specific combinations of autochthonous or allochthonous inoculants also contributed to plant drought tolerance by changing proline and antioxidative activities. However, non-inoculated plants had low relative water and nutrients contents, shoot proline accumulation and glutathione reductase activity, but the highest superoxide dismutase activity, stomatal conductance and electrolyte leakage. Microbial activities irrespective of the microbial origin seem to be coordinately functioning in the plant as an adaptive response to modulated water stress tolerance and minimizing the stress damage. The autochthonous AM fungi with Bt or Psp and those allochthonous Ri with Bm or Psp inoculants increased water stress alleviation. The autochthonous Bt showed the greatest ability to survive under high osmotic stress compared to the allochthonous strains, but when single inoculated or associated with Ri or AM fungi were similarly efficient in terms of physiological and nutritional status and in increasing plant drought tolerance, attenuating and compensating for the detrimental effect of water limitation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

An examination of the effects of explicit cloud water in the UCLA GCM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ose, Tomoaki

1993-01-01

The effect of explicit cloud water on the climate simulation by the University of California of Los Angeles GCM is investigated by adding the mixing ratios of cloud ice and cloud liquid water to the prognostic variables of the model. The detrained cloud ice and cloud liquid water are obtained by the microphysical calculation in the Arakawa-Schubert (1974) cumulus scheme. The results are compared with the observations concerned with cloudiness, planetary albedo, OLR, and the dependence of cloud water content on temperature.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Alleviates Salt Stress in Black Locust through Improved Photosynthesis, Water Status, and K+/Na+ Homeostasis

PubMed Central

Chen, Jie; Zhang, Haoqiang; Zhang, Xinlu; Tang, Ming

2017-01-01

Soil salinization and the associated land degradation are major and growing ecological problems. Excess salt in soil impedes plant photosynthetic processes and root uptake of water and nutrients such as K+. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can mitigate salt stress in host plants. Although, numerous studies demonstrate that photosynthesis and water status are improved by mycorrhizae, the molecular mechanisms involved have received little research attention. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of AM symbiosis and salt stress on photosynthesis, water status, concentrations of Na+ and K+, and the expression of several genes associated with photosynthesis (RppsbA, RppsbD, RprbcL, and RprbcS) and genes coding for aquaporins or membrane transport proteins involved in K+ and/or Na+ uptake, translocation, or compartmentalization homeostasis (RpSOS1, RpHKT1, RpNHX1, and RpSKOR) in black locust. The results showed that salinity reduced the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and relative water content in both non-mycorrhizal (NM) and AM plants; the reductions of these three parameters were less in AM plants compared with NM plants. Under saline conditions, AM fungi significantly improved the net photosynthetic rate, quantum efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry, and K+ content in plants, but evidently reduced the Na+ content. AM plants also displayed a significant increase in the relative water content and an evident decrease in the shoot/root ratio of Na+ in the presence of 200 mM NaCl compared with NM plants. Additionally, mycorrhizal colonization upregulated the expression of three chloroplast genes (RppsbA, RppsbD, and RprbcL) in leaves, and three genes (RpSOS1, RpHKT1, and RpSKOR) encoding membrane transport proteins involved in K+/Na+ homeostasis in roots. Expression of several aquaporin genes was regulated by AM symbiosis in both leaves and roots depending on soil salinity. This study suggests that the beneficial effects of AM symbiosis on the photosynthetic capacity, water status, and K+/Na+ homeostasis lead to the improved growth performance and salt tolerance of black locust exposed to salt stress. PMID:29067036

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Alleviates Salt Stress in Black Locust through Improved Photosynthesis, Water Status, and K+/Na+ Homeostasis.

PubMed

Chen, Jie; Zhang, Haoqiang; Zhang, Xinlu; Tang, Ming

2017-01-01

Soil salinization and the associated land degradation are major and growing ecological problems. Excess salt in soil impedes plant photosynthetic processes and root uptake of water and nutrients such as K + . Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can mitigate salt stress in host plants. Although, numerous studies demonstrate that photosynthesis and water status are improved by mycorrhizae, the molecular mechanisms involved have received little research attention. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of AM symbiosis and salt stress on photosynthesis, water status, concentrations of Na + and K + , and the expression of several genes associated with photosynthesis ( RppsbA, RppsbD, RprbcL , and RprbcS ) and genes coding for aquaporins or membrane transport proteins involved in K + and/or Na + uptake, translocation, or compartmentalization homeostasis ( RpSOS1, RpHKT1, RpNHX1 , and RpSKOR ) in black locust. The results showed that salinity reduced the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and relative water content in both non-mycorrhizal (NM) and AM plants; the reductions of these three parameters were less in AM plants compared with NM plants. Under saline conditions, AM fungi significantly improved the net photosynthetic rate, quantum efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry, and K + content in plants, but evidently reduced the Na + content. AM plants also displayed a significant increase in the relative water content and an evident decrease in the shoot/root ratio of Na + in the presence of 200 mM NaCl compared with NM plants. Additionally, mycorrhizal colonization upregulated the expression of three chloroplast genes ( RppsbA, RppsbD , and RprbcL ) in leaves, and three genes ( RpSOS1, RpHKT1 , and RpSKOR ) encoding membrane transport proteins involved in K + /Na + homeostasis in roots. Expression of several aquaporin genes was regulated by AM symbiosis in both leaves and roots depending on soil salinity. This study suggests that the beneficial effects of AM symbiosis on the photosynthetic capacity, water status, and K + /Na + homeostasis lead to the improved growth performance and salt tolerance of black locust exposed to salt stress.

Nutrient availability and nutrient use efficiency in plants growing in the transition zone between land and water.

PubMed

Cavalli, G; Baattrup-Pedersen, A; Riis, T

2016-03-01

The transition zone between terrestrial and freshwater habitats is highly dynamic, with large variability in environmental characteristics. Here, we investigate how these characteristics influence the nutritional status and performance of plant life forms inhabiting this zone. Specifically, we hypothesised that: (i) tissue nutrient content differs among submerged, amphibious and terrestrial species, with higher content in submerged species; and (ii) PNUE gradually increases from submerged over amphibious to terrestrial species, reflecting differences in the availability of N and P relative to inorganic C across the land-water ecotone. We found that tissue nutrient content was generally higher in submerged species and C:N and C:P ratios indicated that content was limiting for growth for ca. 20% of plant individuals, particularly those belonging to amphibious and terrestrial species groups. As predicted, the PNUE increased from submerged over amphibious to terrestrial species. We suggest that this pattern reflects that amphibious and terrestrial species allocate proportionally more nutrients into processes of importance for photosynthesis at saturating CO2 availability, i.e. enzymes involved in substrate regeneration, compared to submerged species that are acclimated to lower availability of CO2 in the aquatic environment. Our results indicate that enhanced nutrient loading may affect relative abundance of the three species groups in the land-water ecotone of stream ecosystems. Thus, species of amphibious and terrestrial species groups are likely to benefit more from enhanced nutrient availability in terms of faster growth compared to aquatic species, and that this can be detrimental to aquatic species growing in the land-water ecotone, e.g. Ranunculus and Callitriche. © 2015 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Proliferating effect of radiolytically depolymerized carrageenan on physiological attributes, plant water relation parameters, essential oil production and active constituents of Cymbopogon flexuosus Steud. under drought stress.

PubMed

Singh, Minu; Khan, M Masroor A; Uddin, Moin; Naeem, M; Qureshi, M Irfan

2017-01-01

Carrageenan has been proved as potent growth promoting substance in its depolymerized form. However, relatively little is known about its role in counteracting the adverse effects of drought stress on plants. In a pot experiment, lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus Steud.), grown under different water stress regimes [(100% field capacity (FC), 80% FC and 60% FC)], was sprayed with 40, 80 and 120 mg L-1 of gamma irradiated carrageenan (ICA). Foliar application of ICA mitigated the harmful effects of drought stress to various extents and improved the biochemical characteristics, quality attributes and active constituents (citral and geraniol) of lemongrass significantly. Among the applied treatments, ICA-80 mg L-1 proved the best in alleviating detrimental effects of drought. However, drought stress (80 and 60% FC), irrespective of the growth stages, had an adverse impact on most of the studied attributes. Generally, 60% FC proved more deleterious than 80% FC. At 80% FC, application of ICA-80 mg L-1 elevated the essential oil (EO) content by 18.9 and 25%, citral content by 7.33 and 8.19% and geraniol content by 9.2 and 8.9% at 90 and 120 days after planting (DAP), respectively, as compared to the deionized-water (DW) spray treatment (80% FC+ DW). Whereas, at 60% FC, foliar application of 80 mg L-1 ICA significantly augmented the EO content by 15.4 and 17.8% and active constituents viz. citral and geraniol, by 5.01 and 5.62% and by 6.06 and 5.61% at 90 and 120 DAP, respectively, as compared to the control (water-spray treatment).

Proliferating effect of radiolytically depolymerized carrageenan on physiological attributes, plant water relation parameters, essential oil production and active constituents of Cymbopogon flexuosus Steud. under drought stress

PubMed Central

Khan, M. Masroor A.; Uddin, Moin; Naeem, M.; Qureshi, M. Irfan

2017-01-01

Carrageenan has been proved as potent growth promoting substance in its depolymerized form. However, relatively little is known about its role in counteracting the adverse effects of drought stress on plants. In a pot experiment, lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus Steud.), grown under different water stress regimes [(100% field capacity (FC), 80% FC and 60% FC)], was sprayed with 40, 80 and 120 mg L-1 of gamma irradiated carrageenan (ICA). Foliar application of ICA mitigated the harmful effects of drought stress to various extents and improved the biochemical characteristics, quality attributes and active constituents (citral and geraniol) of lemongrass significantly. Among the applied treatments, ICA-80 mg L-1 proved the best in alleviating detrimental effects of drought. However, drought stress (80 and 60% FC), irrespective of the growth stages, had an adverse impact on most of the studied attributes. Generally, 60% FC proved more deleterious than 80% FC. At 80% FC, application of ICA-80 mg L-1 elevated the essential oil (EO) content by 18.9 and 25%, citral content by 7.33 and 8.19% and geraniol content by 9.2 and 8.9% at 90 and 120 days after planting (DAP), respectively, as compared to the deionized-water (DW) spray treatment (80% FC+ DW). Whereas, at 60% FC, foliar application of 80 mg L-1 ICA significantly augmented the EO content by 15.4 and 17.8% and active constituents viz. citral and geraniol, by 5.01 and 5.62% and by 6.06 and 5.61% at 90 and 120 DAP, respectively, as compared to the control (water-spray treatment). PMID:28708833

Use of hydroponics culture to assess nutrient supply by treated wastewater.

PubMed

Adrover, Maria; Moyà, Gabriel; Vadell, Jaume

2013-09-30

The use of treated wastewater for irrigation is increasing, especially in those areas where water resources are limited. Treated wastewaters contain nutrients that are useful for plant growth and help to reduce fertilizers needs. Nutrient content of these waters depends on the treatment system. Nutrient supply by a treated wastewater from a conventional treatment plant (CWW) and a lagooned wastewater from the campus of the University of Balearic Islands (LWW) was tested in an experiment in hydroponics conditions. Half-strength Hoagland nutrient solution (HNS) was used as a control. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings were grown in 4 L containers filled with the three types of water. Four weeks after planting, barley was harvested and root and shoot biomass was measured. N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Fe contents were determined in both tissues and heavy metal concentrations were analysed in shoots. N, P and K concentrations were lower in LWW than in CWW, while HNS had the highest nutrient concentration. Dry weight barley production was reduced in CWW and LWW treatments to 49% and 17%, respectively, comparing to HNS. However, to a lesser extent, reduction was found in shoot and root N content. Treated wastewater increased Na content in shoots and roots of barley and Ca and Cr content in shoots. However, heavy metals content was lower than toxic levels in all the cases. Although treated wastewater is an interesting water resource, additional fertilization is needed to maintain a high productivity in barley seedlings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Autoclaving as a mean of modifying the soil wettability characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urbanek, Emilia; Bodi, Merche; Shakesby, Rick; Doerr, Stefan

2010-05-01

Studies of soil water repellency have often attempted to isolate its hydrological impact by comparing responses of wettable and water repellent soils. It is, however, almost impossible to identify natural wettable and water repellent soils that are otherwise fully comparable. Furthermore no established methodology exists that allows changing a soil from wettable to water repellent (or vice versa) without affecting its chemical composition. Approaches used for rendering wettable soil (or sands) water repellent involve coating particles with hydrophobic or commercial water repellent spray. Heating soil to temperatures >300 °C has been used to eliminate existing water repellency from samples, but this can permanently alter the composition of organic matter. Here we report on a new technique for rendering wettable soil water repellent involving autoclaving. Autoclaving is commonly applied in medicine and biology for sterilization. It uses moist heat and pressure to destroy the bacteria, viruses and fungi. The same method has also been used in soil ecology studies for selective removal of certain micro-organisms. In our study, soils at various moisture contents were autoclaved in sealed bags for 1hr at 121°C. The soils became water repellent and the degree of water repellency was found to be dependent on the original soil moisture content and the soil wettability remained unchanged even with further drying of the soil up to 105°C. No changes in soil wettability were found after autoclaving very dry or wet soils. Only at certain intermediate water contents was the soil able to switch to a hydrophobic state. We suspect that the changes occurring during the autoclaving involve molecular orientation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups of soil organic matter, and moist heat and pressure cause the hydrophobic groups to be directed towards the outside of the soil particles which consequently repels water. Treatment of soil in this way presents a simple, inexpensive method of making a soil hydrophobic without changing its chemical composition. This has considerable potential for controlled experiments requiring both soils that differ only in terms of their degree of hydrophobicity.

Deflocculation of clay suspensions using sodium polyacrylates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jedlicka, P.

1984-01-01

Rheological properties of elutriated kaolin suspensions deflocculated by Na polyacrylate (DAC 3 and DAC 4) were studied and compared to those deflocculated by the conventional Na2CO3 water and glass and imported Dispex N40. The deflocculating effect of Na polyacrylate was comparable to that of Dispex N40. The optimum amounts of Na polyacrylate were determined for suspensions based on 5-type kaolin. The Na polyacrylate can be successfully used for decreasing the water content of ceramic slips for casting and spray drying.

Comparative evaluation of the amount of the residual monomer in conventional and deep-frozen heat cure polymethylmethacrylate acrylic resin: An in vitro study.

PubMed

Jadhav, Sonali S; Mahajan, Neerja; Sethuraman, Rajesh

2018-01-01

Heat cure acrylic resin material with reduced monomer content is generally recommended for clinical usage as it leads to improved mechanical, physical, and biocompatibility properties. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate and compare the amount of the residual monomer in the conventional and three different groups of deep-frozen heat cure polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) acrylic resin. Totally 40 Specimens of heat cure PMMA acrylic resin (DPI India) (10 conventional heat cure and 30 deep frozen) were made using two disc-shaped stainless steel molds and invested into type II dental stone using compression molding technique. Each group contained 10 specimens ( n = 10). Group 1: Control group of conventional polished PMMA specimen stored in water for 24 h at +37°C (10 specimens), Group 2: Deep frozen unpolished PMMA (10 specimens), Group 3: Deep frozen polished PMMA (10 specimens), and Group 4: Deep frozen polished PMMA specimen stored in water for 24 h at +37°C (10 specimens). Amount of the residual monomer content in all the specimens was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. Data were analyzed using One-Way Analysis of Variance and multiple comparison Tukey's post hoc test (α = 0.05). Least residual monomer content was found in Group 4 (0.12 wt%) followed by Group 3 (0.19 wt%), Group 2 (0.23 wt%), and Group 1 (0.26 wt%). Statistically significant difference ( P < 0.05) was found in residual monomer content for all the four groups tested. Post hoc test for intergroup comparison also showed a significant difference between groups. The amount of the residual monomer was found to be least in deep-frozen polished PMMA specimen stored in water for 24 h at +37°C (Group 4). Thus, it can be concluded that deep freezing, polishing, and storing in water can reduce the residual monomer content.

Efficiency of fluorescence in situ hybridization for bacterial cell identification in temporary river sediments with contrasting water content.

PubMed

Fazi, Stefano; Amalfitano, Stefano; Pizzetti, Ilaria; Pernthaler, Jakob

2007-09-01

We studied the efficiency of two hybridization techniques for the analysis of benthic bacterial community composition under varying sediment water content. Microcosms were set up with sediments from four European temporary rivers. Wet sediments were dried, and dry sediments were artificially rewetted. The percentage of bacterial cells detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization with fluorescently monolabeled probes (FISH) significantly increased from dry to wet sediments, showing a positive correlation with the community activity measured via incorporation of (3)H leucine. FISH and signal amplification by catalyzed reporter deposition (CARD-FISH) could significantly better detect cells with low activity in dried sediments. Through the application of an optimized cell permeabilization protocol, the percentage of hybridized cells by CARD-FISH showed comparable values in dry and wet conditions. This approach was unrelated to (3)H leucine incorporation rates. Moreover, the optimized protocol allowed a significantly better visualization of Gram-positive Actinobacteria in the studied samples. CARD-FISH is, therefore, proposed as an effective technique to compare bacterial communities residing in sediments with contrasting water content, irrespective of differences in the activity state of target cells. Considering the increasing frequencies of flood and drought cycles in European temporary rivers, our approach may help to better understand the dynamics of microbial communities in such systems.

In situ observations of snow particle size distributions over a cold frontal rainband within an extratropical cyclone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jiefan; Lei, Hengchi

2016-02-01

Cloud microphysical properties of a mixed phase cloud generated by a typical extratropical cyclone in the Tongliao area, Inner Mongolia on 3 May 2014, are analyzed primarily using in situ flight observation data. This study is mainly focused on ice crystal concentration, supercooled cloud water content, and vertical distributions of fit parameters of snow particle size distributions (PSDs). The results showed several discrepancies of microphysical properties obtained during two penetrations. During penetration within precipitating cloud, the maximum ice particle concentration, liquid water content, and ice water content were increased by a factor of 2-3 compared with their counterpart obtained during penetration of a nonprecipitating cloud. The heavy rimed and irregular ice crystals obtained by 2D imagery probe as well as vertical distributions of fitting parameters within precipitating cloud show that the ice particles grow during falling via riming and aggregation process, whereas the lightly rimed and pristine ice particles as well as fitting parameters within non-precipitating cloud indicate the domination of sublimation process. During the two cloud penetrations, the PSDs were generally better represented by gamma distributions than the exponential form in terms of the determining coefficient ( R 2). The correlations between parameters of exponential /gamma form within two penetrations showed no obvious differences compared with previous studies.

Interdependence of plant water status with photosynthetic performance and root defense responses in Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek under progressive drought stress and recovery.

PubMed

Sengupta, Debashree; Guha, Anirban; Reddy, Attipalli Ramachandra

2013-10-05

The present study investigates the interdependence of plant water status with foliar and root responses in Vigna radiata L.Wilczek under progressive drought. Vegetatively-mature V. radiata plants were subjected to water withdrawal for 3 and 6days (D3 and D6, respectively) and then re-watered subsequently for 6days (6R) for stress-recovery. Changes in plant water status were expressed in terms of leaf and root moisture contents (LMC and RMC, respectively) and leaf relative water content (LRWC). Progressive drought caused apparent decrease in LRWC, LMC and RMC depicting significant level of dehydration of leaf and root tissues. Stomatal limitation alone could not account for the observed decrease in net CO2 assimilation rates (Pn) due to comparatively less decrease in sub-stomatal CO2 (Ci) concentrations with respect to other gas exchange parameters indicating possible involvement of non-stomatal limitations. Analysis of polyphasic chl a fluorescence kinetics during progressive drought showed decreased energy connectivity among PSII units as defined by a positive L-band with highest amplitude during D6. Efficiency of electron flux from OEC towards PSII acceptor side was not significantly affected during drought conditions as evidenced by the absence of a positive K-band. Increasing root-level water-limitation enforced a gradual oxidative stress through H2O2 accumulation and membrane lipid peroxidation in V. radiata roots exhibiting drastic enhancement of proline content and a significant but gradual increase in ascorbic acid content as well as guaiacol peroxidase activity under progressive drought. Expression analysis of Δ(1) pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) through real time PCR and enzyme activity studies showed a strong positive correlation between VrP5CS gene expression, enzyme activity and proline accumulation in the roots of V. radiata under progressive drought and recovery. Drought-induced changes in root moisture content (RMC) showed positive linear correlations with leaf water content, stomatal conductance as well as transpirational water loss dynamics and a significant negative correlation with the corresponding drought-induced expression patterns of ascorbate, guaiacol peroxidase and proline in roots of V. radiata. The study provides new insights into the plant water status-dependent interrelationship between photosynthetic performance and major root defense responses of V. radiata under progressive drought conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of different anti-solvent and coconut shell content on properties of coconut shell regenerated cellulose biocomposite films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahary, Farah Norain; Husseinsyah, Salmah; Mostapha@Zakaria, Marliza

2016-07-01

In this study, coconut shell (CS) regenerated cellulose (RC) biocomposite films was prepared using dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride (DMAc/LiCl) solvent system. The effect of anti-solvents such as water and methanol for regeneration of cellulose and coconut shell content on properties of CS-RC biocomposite films was investigated. The used of water as anti-solvent for cellulose regeneration was found to have higher tensile properties compared to regenerated cellulose using methanol. Besides, the X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis also revealed that RC using water as anti-solvent have higher crystallinity index (CrI) than CS-RC biocomposite film using methanol. The tensile strength and modulus elasticity of CS-RC biocomposite films increased up to 3 wt% CS and decreased with further addition of CS. The elongation at break of CS-RC biocomposite films decreased with the increment of CS. The CrI of CS-RC bioocmposite films up to 3 wt% and decreased with at higher content of CS.

The Role of Evapotranspiration on Soil Moisture Depletion in a Small Alaskan Subarctic Farm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruairuen, W.; Fochesatto, G. J.; Sparrow, E. B.; Schnabel, W.; Zhang, M.

2013-12-01

At high latitudes the period for agriculture production is very short (110 frost-free days) and strongly depends on the availability of soil water content for vegetables to grow. In this context the evapotranspiration (ET) cycle is key variable underpinning mass and energy balance modulating therefore moisture gradients and soil dryness. Evapotranspiration (ET) from field-grown crops water stress is virtually unknown in the subarctic region. Understanding ET cycles in high latitude agricultural ecosystem is essential in terms of water management and sustainability and projection of agricultural activity. To investigate the ET cycle in farming soils a field experiment was conducted in the summer of 2012 and 2013 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station combining micrometeorological and hydrological measurements. In this case experimental plots of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) plants were grown. The experiment evaluated several components of the ET cycle such as actual evapotranspiration, reference evaporation, pan evaporation as well as soil water content and temperature profiles to link them to the vegetable growing functions. We investigated the relationship of soil moisture content and crop water use across the growing season as a function of the ET cycle. Soil water depletion was compared to daily estimates of water loss by ET during dry and wet periods. We also investigated the dependence of ET on the atmospheric boundary layer flow patterns set by the synoptic large scale weather patterns.

[Analysis on the exposure level and geographic distribution trend of toxicological indicators in rural drinking water, Shandong Province, in 2015].

PubMed

Shi, F; Lyu, S P; Kong, F L; Yang, X T; Zhou, J Y

2017-09-06

Objective: To analyze the exposure level and the geographical distribution trend of toxicological indicators of rural drinking water in Shandong Province. Methods: The drawing method was used to randomly select no less than 60% villages and towns from 137 counties (cities, districts) of 17 cities in Shandong Province in 2015, and then 1-3 rural centralized water supply units were selected according to the circumstance of rural centralized water supply units in each village and town. In total, 735 villages and towns, 1 473 rural centralized water supply units were selected, and 1 473 water samples were collected. The water treatment process, water supply population and other circumstances of the rural centralized water supply units were investigated, the water quality was monitored, the content of toxicological indicators of drinking water in different areas was compared, and the trend surface isogram of excessive toxicological indicators was drawn. Results: The qualified rate of toxicological indicators in 1 473 water samples was 83.64% ( n =1 232). The main toxicological indicators that affected the qualified rate of toxicological indicators of drinking water in rural areas in Shandong Province were nitrate and fluoride. The excessive rate of fluoride was 5.70% ( n =84) and the exposed population was 1 736 709 (4.22%). The excessive rate of nitrate (as nitrogen) was 12.29% ( n =181) and the exposed population was 1 393 612 (3.39%). The P (5)0 content of fluoride in the eastern, middle and western regions was 0.24, 0.29 and 0.59 mg/L, respective;which was higher in the western region than in the east and the middle regions ( P< 0.05). There was no significant difference between the eastern and the middle regions ( P> 0.05). The P (50) content of nitrate (as nitrogen) in the eastern, middle and western regions was 8.00, 7.48, and 2.00 mg/L, which was higher in the eastern and middle regions than in the west region ( P< 0.05), there was no significant difference between the eastern and the middle regions ( P> 0.05). The trend surface isogram of nitrate and fluoride content showed that the content of nitrate (as nitrogen) in rural drinking water in the eastern region was significantly higher than that in the western region, especially there was a high peak area in the northeastern region, and this high content distribution extended diagonally to the central region, while the other regions were in a relatively low range. The content of fluoride in rural drinking water in the western region was significantly higher than that in the eastern region, and there were high peaks in the southwest and northwest regions, and the other regions were in a relatively low range. Conclusion: The high exposed toxicological indicators in rural drinking water in Shandong Province were nitrate (as nitrogen) and fluoride, and their distribution showed obvious geographical distribution trend.

Feasibility of using saltcedar as a filler in injection-molded polyethylene composites

Treesearch

Craig M. Clemons; Nicole M. Stark

2009-01-01

Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) was investigated for use as a filler in wood–plastic composites (WPCs). The mineral content, water-soluble extractive content, and thermal stability of saltcedar flour were compared with those of a commercial pine wood flour. The wood flours were compounded with plastic, and the viscosities of the composite melts containing the two...

FLUORIDE CONTENT OF COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE BOTTLED DRINKING WATER IN BANGKOK, THAILAND.

PubMed

Rirattanapong, Praphasri; Rirattanapong, Opas

2016-09-01

The use of bottled drinking water may be a source of fluoride and could be a risk factor for fluorosis among infants and young children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fluoride content of commercially available bottled drinking water in Bangkok, Thailand. Forty-five water samples (15 samples of plain water and 30 samples of mineral water) were purchased from several supermarkets in Bangkok, Thailand. Three bottles of each water sample were purchased, and the fluoride content of each sample was measured twice using a combination fluoride-ion selective electrode. The average reading for each sample was then calculated. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Differences between mineral and plain water samples were determined by Student’s t-test. The mean (±SD) fluoride content for all the water samples was 0.17 (±0.17) mg F/l (range: 0.01-0.89 mg F/l). Six brands (13%) tested stated the fluoride content on the label. The actual fluoride content in each of their brands varied little from the label. Eight samples (18%) had a fluoride content >0.3 mg F/l and two samples (4%) had a fluoride content >0.6 mg F/l. The mean mineral water fluoride concentration was significantly higher than the mean fluoride concentration of plain water (p=0.001). We found commercially sold bottled drinking water in Bangkok, Thailand contained varying concentrations of fluoride; some with high concentrations of fluoride. Health professions need to be aware this varying fluoride content of bottled drinking water and educate the parents of infants and small children about this when prescribing fluoride supplements. Consideration should be made to have fluoride content put on the label of bottled water especially among brands with a content >0.3 mg F/l.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Method for Monitoring Water Content in Epoxy Resins and Fiber-Reinforced Composites

PubMed Central

Gagani, Abedin I.; Echtermeyer, Andreas T.

2018-01-01

Monitoring water content and predicting the water-induced drop in strength of fiber-reinforced composites are of great importance for the oil and gas and marine industries. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic methods are broadly available and often used for process and quality control in industrial applications. A benefit of using such spectroscopic methods over the conventional gravimetric analysis is the possibility to deduce the mass of an absolutely dry material and subsequently the true water content, which is an important indicator of water content-dependent properties. The objective of this study is to develop an efficient and detailed method for estimating the water content in epoxy resins and fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was applied to measure the water content of amine-epoxy neat resin. The method was developed and successfully extended to glass fiber-reinforced composite materials. Based on extensive measurements of neat resin and composite samples of varying water content and thickness, regression was performed, and the quantitative absorbance dependence on water content in the material was established. The mass of an absolutely dry resin was identified, and the true water content was obtained. The method was related to the Beer–Lambert law and explained in such terms. A detailed spectroscopic method for measuring water content in resins and fiber-reinforced composites was developed and described. PMID:29641451

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Method for Monitoring Water Content in Epoxy Resins and Fiber-Reinforced Composites.

PubMed

Krauklis, Andrey E; Gagani, Abedin I; Echtermeyer, Andreas T

2018-04-11

Monitoring water content and predicting the water-induced drop in strength of fiber-reinforced composites are of great importance for the oil and gas and marine industries. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic methods are broadly available and often used for process and quality control in industrial applications. A benefit of using such spectroscopic methods over the conventional gravimetric analysis is the possibility to deduce the mass of an absolutely dry material and subsequently the true water content, which is an important indicator of water content-dependent properties. The objective of this study is to develop an efficient and detailed method for estimating the water content in epoxy resins and fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was applied to measure the water content of amine-epoxy neat resin. The method was developed and successfully extended to glass fiber-reinforced composite materials. Based on extensive measurements of neat resin and composite samples of varying water content and thickness, regression was performed, and the quantitative absorbance dependence on water content in the material was established. The mass of an absolutely dry resin was identified, and the true water content was obtained. The method was related to the Beer-Lambert law and explained in such terms. A detailed spectroscopic method for measuring water content in resins and fiber-reinforced composites was developed and described.

[Influence of bean yellow mosaic virus on metabolism of photosynthetic pigments, proteins and carbohydrates in Glycine soja L].

PubMed

Kyrychenko, A M

2014-01-01

This paper presents data on BYMV effects on some physiological processes of Glycine soja L. cultivated in the right-bank forest-steppe regions. Pigment content (chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids), soluble proteins and water soluble carbohydrates were estimated and, as has been shown, are subjected to significant changes as compared with control plants, namely: a decrease in the content of chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids was 64%, 53% and 36% compared with the control plants. The significant increase in carbohydrates (56% compared to the control) was observed at the end of the test period.

Effect of type and content of modified montmorillonite on the structure and properties of bio-nanocomposite films based on soy protein isolate and montmorillonite.

PubMed

Kumar, P; Sandeep, K P; Alavi, S; Truong, V D; Gorga, R E

2010-06-01

The nonbiodegradable and nonrenewable nature of plastic packaging has led to a renewed interest in packaging materials based on bio-nanocomposites (biopolymer matrix reinforced with nanoparticles such as layered silicates). Bio-nanocomposite films based on soy protein isolate (SPI) and modified montmorillonite (MMT) were prepared using melt extrusion. The effect of different type (Cloisite 20A and Cloisite 30B) and content (0% to 15%) of modified MMT on the structure (degree of intercalation and exfoliation) and properties (color, mechanical, dynamic mechanical, thermal stability, and water vapor permeability) of SPI-MMT bio-nanocomposite films were investigated. Extrusion of SPI and modified MMTs resulted in bio-nanocomposites with exfoliated structures at lower MMT content (5%). At higher MMT content (15%), the structure of bio-nanocomposites ranged from intercalated for Cloisite 20A to disordered intercalated for Cloisite 30B. At an MMT content of 5%, bio-nanocomposite films based on modified MMTs (Cloisite 20A and Cloisite 30B) had better mechanical (tensile strength and percent elongation at break), dynamic mechanical (glass transition temperature and storage modulus), and water barrier properties as compared to those based on natural MMT (Cloisite Na(+)). Bio-nanocomposite films based on 10% Cloisite 30B had mechanical properties comparable to those of some of the plastics that are currently used in food packaging applications. However, much higher WVP values of these films as compared to those of existing plastics might limit the application of these films to packaging of high moisture foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

The Comparison of the Contents of Sugar, Amadori, and Heyns Compounds in Fresh and Black Garlic.

PubMed

Yuan, Heng; Sun, Linjuan; Chen, Min; Wang, Jun

2016-07-01

Black garlic is produced through thermal processing and is used as a healthy food throughout the world. Compared with fresh garlic, there are obvious changes in the color, taste, and biological functions of black garlic. To analyze and explain these changes, the contents of water-soluble sugars, fructan, and the key intermediate compounds (Heyns and Amadori) of the Maillard reaction in fresh raw garlic and black garlic were investigated, which were important to control and to evaluate the quality of black garlic. The results showed that the fructan contents in the black garlics were decreased by more than 84.6% compared with the fresh raw garlics, which translated into changes in the fructose and glucose contents. The water-soluble sugar content was drastically increased by values ranging from 187.79% to 790.96%. Therefore, the taste of the black garlic became very sweet. The sucrose content in black garlic was almost equivalent to fresh garlic. The Amadori and Heyns compounds were analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS in multiple reaction monitoring mode using the different characteristic fragment ions of Heyns and Amadori compounds. The total content of the 3 main Amadori and 3 Heyns compounds in black garlic ranged from 762.53 to 280.56 μg/g, which was 40 to 100-fold higher than the values in fresh raw garlic. This result was significant proof that the Maillard reaction in black garlic mainly utilized fructose and glucose, with some amino acids. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Bio-conversion of water hyacinths into methane gas, part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolverton, B. C.; Mcdonald, R. C.; Gordon, J.

1974-01-01

Bio-gas and methane production from the microbial anaerobic decomposition of water hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes) (Mart) Solms was investigated. These experiments demonstrated the ability of water hyacinths to produce an average of 13.9 ml of methane gas per gram of wet plant weight. This study revealed that sample preparation had no significant effect on bio-gas and/or methane production. Pollution of water hyacinths by two toxic heavy materials, nickel and cadmium, increased the rate of methane production from 51.8 ml/day for non-contaminated plants incubated at 36 C to 81.0 ml/day for Ni-Cd contaminated plants incubated at the same temperature. The methane content of bio-gas evolved from the anaerobic decomposition of Ni-Cd contaminated plants was 91.1 percent as compared to 69.2 percent methane content of bio-gas collected from the fermentation of non-contaminated plants.

Bulk elastic moduli and solute potentials in leaves of freshwater, coastal and marine hydrophytes. Are marine plants more rigid?

PubMed Central

Touchette, Brant W.; Marcus, Sarah E.; Adams, Emily C.

2014-01-01

Bulk modulus of elasticity (ɛ), depicting the flexibility of plant tissues, is recognized as an important component in maintaining internal water balance. Elevated ɛ and comparatively low osmotic potential (Ψπ) may work in concert to effectively maintain vital cellular water content. This concept, termed the ‘cell water conservation hypothesis’, may foster tolerance for lower soil-water potentials in plants while minimizing cell dehydration and shrinkage. Therefore, the accumulation of solutes in marine plants, causing decreases in Ψπ, play an important role in plant–water relations and likely works with higher ɛ to achieve favourable cell volumes. While it is generally held that plants residing in marine systems have higher leaf tissue ɛ, to our knowledge no study has specifically addressed this notion in aquatic and wetland plants residing in marine and freshwater systems. Therefore, we compared ɛ and Ψπ in leaf tissues of 38 freshwater, coastal and marine plant species using data collected in our laboratory, with additional values from the literature. Overall, 8 of the 10 highest ɛ values were observed in marine plants, and 20 of the lowest 25 ɛ values were recorded in freshwater plants. As expected, marine plants often had lower Ψπ, wherein the majority of marine plants were below −1.0 MPa and the majority of freshwater plants were above −1.0 MPa. While there were no differences among habitat type and symplastic water content (θsym), we did observe higher θsym in shrubs when compared with graminoids, and believe that the comparatively low θsym observed in aquatic grasses may be attributed to their tendency to develop aerenchyma that hold apoplastic water. These results, with few exceptions, support the premise that leaf tissues of plants acclimated to marine environments tend to have higher ɛ and lower Ψπ, and agree with the general tenets of the cell water conservation hypothesis. PMID:24876296

Characterizing roots and water uptake in a ground cover rice production system

PubMed Central

Li, Sen; Zuo, Qiang; Wang, Xiaoyu; Ma, Wenwen; Jin, Xinxin; Shi, Jianchu; Ben-Gal, Alon

2017-01-01

Background and aims Water-saving ground cover rice production systems (GCRPS) are gaining popularity in many parts of the world. We aimed to describe the characteristics of root growth, morphology, distribution, and water uptake for a GCRPS. Methods A traditional paddy rice production system (TPRPS) was compared with GCRPS in greenhouse and field experiments. In the greenhouse, GCRPS where root zone average soil water content was kept near saturation (GCRPSsat), field capacity (GCRPSfwc) and 80% field capacity (GCRPS80%), were evaluated. In a two-year field experiment, GCRPSsat and GCRPS80% were applied. Results Similar results were found in greenhouse and field experiments. Before mid-tillering the upper soil temperature was higher for GCRPS, leading to enhanced root dry weight, length, surface area, specific root length, and smaller diameter of roots but lower water uptake rate per root length compared to TPRPS. In subsequent growth stages, the reduced soil water content under GCRPS caused that the preponderance of root growth under GCRPSsat disappeared in comparison to TPRPS. Under other GCRPS treatments (GCRPSfwc and GCRPS80%), significant limitation on root growth, bigger root diameter and higher water uptake rate per root length were found. Conclusions Discrepancies in soil water and temperature between TPRPS and GCRPS caused adjustments to root growth, morphology, distribution and function. Even though drought stress was inevitable after mid-tillering under GCRPS, especially GCRPS80%, similar or even enhanced root water uptake capacity in comparison to TPRPS might promote allocation of photosynthetic products to shoots and increase water productivity. PMID:28686687

Oral intake of Lactobacillus helveticus-fermented milk whey decreased transepidermal water loss and prevented the onset of sodium dodecylsulfate-induced dermatitis in mice.

PubMed

Baba, Hidehiko; Masuyama, Akihiro; Yoshimura, Chiaki; Aoyama, Yoshiko; Takano, Toshiaki; Ohki, Kohji

2010-01-01

We investigated the effects of oral intake of Lactobacillus helveticus-fermented milk whey on the intact and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)-exposed skin of Hos:HR-1 hairless mice. The mice were allowed to drink 10% L. helveticus-fermented milk whey in distilled water ad libitum for 5 weeks. SDS solution was topically applied to the dorsal skin at 4 weeks, leading to the development of dermatitis. The skin moisture content, transepidermal water loss, and sizes of the dermatitis areas were periodically measured. Compared with oral intake of water alone, oral intake of water containing L. helveticus-fermented milk whey for 4 weeks significantly lowered transepidermal water loss from intact skin, significantly reduced in size the areas of early SDS-induced dermatitis, and ameliorated both the SDS-induced decrease in moisture content and the increase in transepidermal water loss. These results suggest that oral intake of L. helveticus-fermented milk whey might be effective in promoting the epidermal barrier function and in preventing the onset of dermatitis.

Water in orthopyroxene from abyssal spinel peridotites of the East Pacific Rise (ODP Leg 147: Hess Deep)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hesse, Kirsten T.; Gose, Jürgen; Stalder, Roland; Schmädicke, Esther

2015-09-01

Abyssal spinel peridotites from Hess Deep, East Pacific Rise (ODP Leg 147) were investigated concerning their major, minor, and trace element mineral chemistry and the incorporation of structural water in orthopyroxene. The rocks are partially serpentinized harzburgites containing primary minerals of olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, and spinel. Orthopyroxene is enstatitic with Mg# (Mg/(Mg + Fe)) between 0.90 and 0.92 and Al2O3 from 0.5 to 2.9 wt.%. The residual harzburgite experienced high degrees of melt removal in the spinel peridotite stability field. The average degree of partial melting was calculated to be 17.5% (range: 16.4-17.8%). Trace element data of ortho- and clinopyroxenes reflect this strong depletion, characteristic for the restitic nature of abyssal peridotites. Mantle re-equilibration temperatures around 1000 °C indicate that, after melt extraction and before exhumation to the ocean floor, the rocks experienced significant cooling in the spinel peridotite facies. Water contents of orthopyroxene range from 86 to 233 wt. ppm H2O with an average concentration of 142 wt. ppm H2O. These results represent the first data on water contents in the sub-pacific mantle obtained by direct measurements of sub-oceanic peridotite. The water contents are not related to mineral chemistry, stratigraphy, melting degree, mantle equilibrium conditions or oxidation state. Calculated post-melt peridotite water contents vary between 40 and 100 wt. ppm H2O. Compared to Mid-Atlantic Ridge peridotites, the East Pacific Rise samples of Leg 147 contain somewhat lower water concentrations than samples from Leg 153 and considerably higher contents than those of Leg 209 (Gose et al., 2009; Schmädicke et al., 2011). In Leg 147, the strongest OH absorbtion band occurs at 3420 cm- 1, wheras orthopyroxene from MAR peridotite (Legs 153 and 209) has its strongest absorbtion band at 3566 and 3522 cm- 1. The mantle equilibrium temperature of Leg 147 peridotites is lower than that of Leg 209 ( 1250 °C) but close to that of Leg 153 samples (950-1000 °C). The high degree of partial melting of Leg 147 peridotite samples overlaps with the Leg 209 samples. In accordance to this data we conclude that in order to obtain relatively high water contents of up to 233 wt. ppm in depleted peridotite, after melt removal water must have re-entered the orthopyroxene structure. We suggest that re-equilibration of water contents took place under spinel-facies conditions before exhumation of the tectonite, since elevated temperatures enhance diffusion and elevated pressures facilitate hydrogen uptake. The extended time span between melt removal and uplift inferred from significant isobaric cooling of at least 200 K at spinel-facies depth facilitates re-equilibration of water contents and may explain the high concentrations. Exhumation from spinel-facies depth was fast and accompanied by further cooling such that re-equilibration to lower pressure assemblages and decompression-induced water loss were prevented.

Production of beta-carotene by a Rhodotorula glutinis mutant in sea water medium.

PubMed

Bhosale, P; Gadre, R V

2001-01-01

Mutant 32, derived from Rhodotorula glutinis NCIM 3353 produced 76-fold more beta-carotene than the parent strain. In the growth medium prepared in seawater, the total carotenoid content and dry cell mass was 86 mg/l and 16 g/l, respectively, as compared to 70 mg/l and 12 g/l obtained with a medium prepared in distilled water. A 2-fold increase in beta-carotene with simultaneous 2.3-fold decrease in torulene content was also observed. When grown in seawater medium at pH 6.0, 83 +/- 5% carotenoids could be extracted from the cells without any mechanical disintegration.

Environmental Conditions Outweigh Geographical Contiguity in Determining the Similarity of nifH-Harboring Microbial Communities in Sediments of Two Disconnected Marginal Seas

PubMed Central

Zhou, Haixia; Dang, Hongyue; Klotz, Martin G.

2016-01-01

Ecological evidence suggests that heterotrophic diazotrophs fueled by organic carbon respiration in sediments play an important role in marine nitrogen fixation. However, fundamental knowledge about the identities, abundance, diversity, biogeography, and controlling environmental factors of nitrogen-fixing communities in open ocean sediments is still elusive. Surprisingly, little is known also about nitrogen-fixing communities in sediments of the more research-accessible marginal seas. Here we report on an investigation of the environmental geochemistry and putative diazotrophic microbiota in the sediments of Bohai Sea, an eutrophic marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. Diverse and abundant nifH gene sequences were identified and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were found to be the dominant putative nitrogen-fixing microbes. Community statistical analyses suggested bottom water temperature, bottom water chlorophyll a content (or the covarying turbidity) and sediment porewater Eh (or the covarying pH) as the most significant environmental factors controlling the structure and spatial distribution of the putative diazotrophic communities, while sediment Hg content, sulfide content, and porewater SiO32−-Si content were identified as the key environmental factors correlated positively with the nifH gene abundance in Bohai Sea sediments. Comparative analyses between the Bohai Sea and the northern South China Sea (nSCS) identified a significant composition difference of the putative diazotrophic communities in sediments between the shallow-water (estuarine and nearshore) and deep-water (offshore and deep-sea) environments, and sediment porewater dissolved oxygen content, water depth and in situ temperature as the key environmental factors tentatively controlling the species composition, community structure, and spatial distribution of the marginal sea sediment nifH-harboring microbiota. This confirms the ecophysiological specialization and niche differentiation between the shallow-water and deep-water sediment diazotrophic communities and suggests that the in situ physical and geochemical conditions play a more important role than geographical contiguity in determining the community similarity of the diazotrophic microbiota in marginal sea sediments. PMID:27489551

The Relationship of Temporal Variations in SMAP Vegetation Optical Depth to Plant Hydraulic Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konings, A. G.

2016-12-01

The soil emissions measured by L-band radiometers such as that on the NASA Soil Moisture Active/Passive mission are modulated by vegetation cover as quantified by the soil scattering albedo and the vegetation optical depth (VOD). The VOD is linearly proportional to the total vegetation water content, which is dependent on both the biomass and relative water content of the plant. Biomass is expected to vary more slowly than water content. Variations in vegetation water content are highly informative as they are directly indicative of the degree of hydraulic stress (or lack thereof) experienced by the plant. However, robust retrievals are needed in order for SMAP VOD observations to be useful. This is complicated by the fact that multiple unknowns (soil moisture, VOD, and albedo) need to be determined from two highly correlated polarizations. This presentation will discuss the application to SMAP of a recently developed timeseries algorithm for VOD and albedo retrieval - the Multi-Temporal Dual Channel Algorithm MTDCA, and its interpretation for plant hydraulic applications. The MT-DCA is based on the assumption that, for consecutive overpasses at a given time of day, VOD varies more slowly than soil moisture. A two-overpass moving average can then be used to determine variations in VOD that are less sensitive to high-frequency noise than classical dual-channel algorithms. Seasonal variations of SMAP VOD are presented and compared to expected patterns based on rainfall and radiation seasonality. Taking advantage of the large diurnal variation (relative to the seasonal variation) of canopy water potention, diurnal variations (between 6AM and 6PM observations) of SMAP VOD are then used to calculate global variations in ecosystem-scale isohydricity - the degree of stomatal closure and xylem conductivity loss in response to water stress. Lastly, the effect of satellite sensing frequency and overpass time on water content across canopies of different height will be discussed.

Arctic Deep Water Ferromanganese-Oxide Deposits Reflect the Unique Characteristics of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hein, James R.; Konstantinova, Natalia; Mikesell, Mariah; Mizell, Kira; Fitzsimmons, Jessica N.; Lam, Phoebe J.; Jensen, Laramie T.; Xiang, Yang; Gartman, Amy; Cherkashov, Georgy; Hutchinson, Deborah R.; Till, Claire P.

2017-11-01

Little is known about marine mineral deposits in the Arctic Ocean, an ocean dominated by continental shelf and basins semi-closed to deep-water circulation. Here, we present data for ferromanganese crusts and nodules collected from the Amerasia Arctic Ocean in 2008, 2009, and 2012 (HLY0805, HLY0905, and HLY1202). We determined mineral and chemical compositions of the crusts and nodules and the onset of their formation. Water column samples from the GEOTRACES program were analyzed for dissolved and particulate scandium concentrations, an element uniquely enriched in these deposits. The Arctic crusts and nodules are characterized by unique mineral and chemical compositions with atypically high growth rates, detrital contents, Fe/Mn ratios, and low Si/Al ratios, compared to deposits found elsewhere. High detritus reflects erosion of submarine outcrops and North America and Siberia cratons, transport by rivers and glaciers to the sea, and distribution by sea ice, brines, and currents. Uniquely high Fe/Mn ratios are attributed to expansive continental shelves, where diagenetic cycling releases Fe to bottom waters, and density flows transport shelf bottom water to the open Arctic Ocean. Low Mn contents reflect the lack of a mid-water oxygen minimum zone that would act as a reservoir for dissolved Mn. The potential host phases and sources for elements with uniquely high contents are discussed with an emphasis on scandium. Scandium sorption onto Fe oxyhydroxides and Sc-rich detritus account for atypically high scandium contents. The opening of Fram Strait in the Miocene and ventilation of the deep basins initiated Fe-Mn crust growth ˜15 Myr ago.

Arctic deep-water ferromanganese-oxide deposits reflect the unique characteristics of the Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hein, James; Konstantinova, Natalia; Mikesell, Mariah; Mizell, Kira; Fitzsimmons, Jessica N.; Lam, Phoebe; Jensen, Laramie T.; Xiang, Yang; Gartman, Amy; Cherkashov, Georgy; Hutchinson, Deborah; Till, Claire P.

2017-01-01

Little is known about marine mineral deposits in the Arctic Ocean, an ocean dominated by continental shelf and basins semi-closed to deep-water circulation. Here, we present data for ferromanganese crusts and nodules collected from the Amerasia Arctic Ocean in 2008, 2009, and 2012 (HLY0805, HLY0905, HLY1202). We determined mineral and chemical compositions of the crusts and nodules and the onset of their formation. Water column samples from the GEOTRACES program were analyzed for dissolved and particulate scandium concentrations, an element uniquely enriched in these deposits.The Arctic crusts and nodules are characterized by unique mineral and chemical compositions with atypically high growth rates, detrital contents, Fe/Mn ratios, and low Si/Al ratios, compared to deposits found elsewhere. High detritus reflects erosion of submarine outcrops and North America and Siberia cratons, transport by rivers and glaciers to the sea, and distribution by sea ice, brines, and currents. Uniquely high Fe/Mn ratios are attributed to expansive continental shelves, where diagenetic cycling releases Fe to bottom waters, and density flows transport shelf bottom water to the open Arctic Ocean. Low Mn contents reflect the lack of a mid-water oxygen minimum zone that would act as a reservoir for dissolved Mn. The potential host phases and sources for elements with uniquely high contents are discussed with an emphasis on scandium. Scandium sorption onto Fe oxyhydroxides and Sc-rich detritus account for atypically high scandium contents. The opening of Fram Strait in the Miocene and ventilation of the deep basins initiated Fe-Mn crust growth ∼15 Myr ago.

Liquid crystalline systems for transdermal delivery of celecoxib: in vitro drug release and skin permeation studies.

PubMed

Estracanholli, Eder André; Praça, Fabíola Silva Garcia; Cintra, Ana Beatriz; Pierre, Maria Bernadete Riemma; Lara, Marilisa Guimarães

2014-12-01

Liquid crystalline systems of monoolein/water could be a promising approach for the delivery of celecoxib (CXB) to the skin because these systems can sustain drug release, improve drug penetration into the skin layers and minimize side effects. This study evaluated the potential of these systems for the delivery of CXB into the skin based on in vitro drug release and skin permeation studies. The amount of CXB that permeated into and/or was retained in the skin was assayed using an HPLC method. Polarizing light microscopy studies showed that liquid crystalline systems of monoolein/water were formed in the presence of CXB, without any changes in the mesophases. The liquid crystalline systems decreased drug release when compared to control solution. Drug release was independent of the initial water content of the systems and CXB was released from cubic phase systems, irrespective of the initial water content. The systems released the CXB following zero-order release kinetics. In vitro drug permeation studies showed that cubic phase systems allowed drug permeation and retention in the skin layers. Cubic phase systems of monoolein/water may be promising vehicles for the delivery of CXB in/through the skin because it improved CXB skin permeation compared with the control solution.

Effect of Dietary Processed Sulfur Supplementation on Water-holding Capacity, Color, and Lipid Profiles of Pork

PubMed Central

Yang, FengQi; Kim, Ji-Han; Yeon, Su Jung; Hong, Go-Eun; Park, Woojoon; Lee, Chi-Ho

2015-01-01

This study was performed to investigate the effect of dietary processed sulfur supplementation on water-holding capacity, color, and lipid profiles of pork according to the level of dietary processed sulfur (0%, CON; 0.3%, S). The pigs were slaughtered at an average final weight of 120 kg, and the longissimus dorsi muscles were collected from the carcasses. As results, pork processed with sulfur had significantly higher moisture and ash contents compared to those of CON but lower crude fat, pH, expressible drip, lower redness and yellowness, and greater lightness. Pork processed with sulfur showed significantly lower total lipid content, triglycerides, and atherosclerosis index but significantly higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Feeding processed sulfur significantly lowered myristic acid, heptadecanoic acid, and stearic acid contents, whereas monounsaturated fatty acids and oleic acids were significantly higher compared to those in the CON. Higher amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids and n-6 fatty acids were observed in the pork processed with sulfur than that of the CON. Therefore, supplementing pigs with dietary sulfur improved nutrient and meat quality. PMID:26877643

Spatio-temporal variability of soil water content on the local scale in a Mediterranean mountain area (Vallcebre, North Eastern Spain). How different spatio-temporal scales reflect mean soil water content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molina, Antonio J.; Latron, Jérôme; Rubio, Carles M.; Gallart, Francesc; Llorens, Pilar

2014-08-01

As a result of complex human-land interactions and topographic variability, many Mediterranean mountain catchments are covered by agricultural terraces that have locally modified the soil water content dynamic. Understanding these local-scale dynamics helps us grasp better how hydrology behaves on the catchment scale. Thus, this study examined soil water content variability in the upper 30 cm of the soil on a Mediterranean abandoned terrace in north-east Spain. Using a dataset of high spatial (regular grid of 128 automatic TDR probes at 2.5 m intervals) and temporal (20-min time step) resolution, gathered throughout a 84-day period, the spatio-temporal variability of soil water content at the local scale and the way that different spatio-temporal scales reflect the mean soil water content were investigated. Soil water content spatial variability and its relation to wetness conditions were examined, along with the spatial structuring of the soil water content within the terrace. Then, the ability of single probes and of different combinations of spatial measurements (transects and grids) to provide a good estimate of mean soil water content on the terrace scale was explored by means of temporal stability analyses. Finally, the effect of monitoring frequency on the magnitude of detectable daily soil water content variations was studied. Results showed that soil water content spatial variability followed a bimodal pattern of increasing absolute variability with increasing soil water content. In addition, a linear trend of decreasing soil water content as the distance from the inner part of the terrace increased was identified. Once this trend was subtracted, resulting semi-variograms suggested that the spatial resolution examined was too high to appreciate spatial structuring in the data. Thus, the spatial pattern should be considered as random. Of all the spatial designs tested, the 10 × 10 m mesh grid (9 probes) was considered the most suitable option for a good, time-stable estimate of mean soil water content, as no improvement was obtained with the 5 × 5 m mesh grid (30 probes). Finally, the results of temporal aggregation showed that decreasing the monitoring frequency down to 8 h during wetting-up periods and to 1 day during drying-down ones did not result in a loss of information on daily soil water content variations.

A novel method for rapid determination of total solid content in viscous liquids by multiple headspace extraction gas chromatography.

PubMed

Xin, Li-Ping; Chai, Xin-Sheng; Hu, Hui-Chao; Barnes, Donald G

2014-09-05

This work demonstrates a novel method for rapid determination of total solid content in viscous liquid (polymer-enriched) samples. The method is based multiple headspace extraction gas chromatography (MHE-GC) on a headspace vial at a temperature above boiling point of water. Thus, the trend of water loss from the tested liquid due to evaporation can be followed. With the limited MHE-GC testing (e.g., 5 extractions) and a one-point calibration procedure (i.e., recording the weight difference before and after analysis), the total amount of water in the sample can be determined, from which the total solid contents in the liquid can be calculated. A number of black liquors were analyzed by the new method which yielded results that closely matched those of the reference method; i.e., the results of these two methods differed by no more than 2.3%. Compared with the reference method, the MHE-GC method is much simpler and more practical. Therefore, it is suitable for the rapid determination of the solid content in many polymer-containing liquid samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydraulic conductivity of compacted zeolites.

PubMed

Oren, A Hakan; Ozdamar, Tuğçe

2013-06-01

Hydraulic conductivities of compacted zeolites were investigated as a function of compaction water content and zeolite particle size. Initially, the compaction characteristics of zeolites were determined. The compaction test results showed that maximum dry unit weight (γ(dmax)) of fine zeolite was greater than that of granular zeolites. The γ(dmax) of compacted zeolites was between 1.01 and 1.17 Mg m(-3) and optimum water content (w(opt)) was between 38% and 53%. Regardless of zeolite particle size, compacted zeolites had low γ(dmax) and high w(opt) when compared with compacted natural soils. Then, hydraulic conductivity tests were run on compacted zeolites. The hydraulic conductivity values were within the range of 2.0 × 10(-3) cm s(-1) to 1.1 × 10(-7) cm s(-1). Hydraulic conductivity of all compacted zeolites decreased almost 50 times as the water content increased. It is noteworthy that hydraulic conductivity of compacted zeolite was strongly dependent on the zeolite particle size. The hydraulic conductivity decreased almost three orders of magnitude up to 39% fine content; then, it remained almost unchanged beyond 39%. Only one report was found in the literature on the hydraulic conductivity of compacted zeolite, which is in agreement with the findings of this study.

Water Ice Abundance on Ceres

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-15

This frame from an animation shows dwarf planet Ceres overlaid with the concentration of hydrogen determined from data acquired by the gamma ray and neutron detector GRaND instrument aboard NASA Dawn spacecraft. The hydrogen is in the upper yard (or meter) of regolith, the loose surface material on Ceres. The color scale gives hydrogen content in water-equivalent units, which assumes all of the hydrogen is in the form of H2O. Blue indicates where hydrogen content is higher, near the poles, while red indicates lower content at lower latitudes. In reality, some of the hydrogen is in the form of water ice, while a portion of the hydrogen is in the form of hydrated minerals (such as OH, in serpentine group minerals). The color information is superimposed on shaded relief map for context. A second animation (Figure 2) compares the hydrogen content of Ceres' regolith with that of the giant asteroid Vesta, which Dawn orbited from 2011 to 2012. These data show Vesta is a much drier world, with a much lower percent of hydrogen in its regolith. Both maps were produced from data acquired by GRaND. Videos are available at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21081

Development of oxidised and heat-moisture treated potato starch film.

PubMed

Zavareze, Elessandra da Rosa; Pinto, Vânia Zanella; Klein, Bruna; El Halal, Shanise Lisie Mello; Elias, Moacir Cardoso; Prentice-Hernández, Carlos; Dias, Alvaro Renato Guerra

2012-05-01

This study investigated the effects of sodium hypochlorite oxidation and a heat-moisture treatment of potato starch on the physicochemical, pasting and textural properties of potato starches in addition to the water vapour permeability (WVP) and mechanical properties of potato starch films produced from these starches. The carbonyl contents, carboxyl contents, swelling power, solubility, pasting properties and gel texture of the native, oxidised and heat-moisture treated (HMT) starches were evaluated. The films made of native, oxidised and HMT starches were characterised by thickness, water solubility, colour, opacity, mechanical properties and WVP. The oxidised and HMT starches had lower viscosity and swelling power compared to the native starch. The films produced from oxidised potato starch had decreased solubility, elongation and WVP values in addition to increased tensile strength compared to the native starch films. The HMT starch increased the tensile strength and WVP of the starch films compared to the native starch. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of mixing technique on bubble formation in alginate impression material.

PubMed

McDaniel, Thomas F; Kramer, Robert T; Im, Francis; Snow, Dallin

2013-01-01

Previous studies have found that variations in mixing technique can influence the porosity content of alginate impression material. The aim of this study was twofold: determine whether bubble formation in alginate is influenced by the sequence of water/powder addition prior to mixing, and to compare 4 different mixing techniques. Manual spatulation, an automated spinning bowl, a centrifugal mixer and a vacuum mixer were evaluated for the resulting porosity in the set alginate. It was found that adding powder first, versus water first, made no difference in the bubble content using the 3 automated mixing techniques (P = 0.714). However, porosity was significantly less for powder-first trials using manual spatulation (P < 0.05). It was also found that surface porosity in the resulting impressions was significantly less for centrifugal and vacuum mixing when compared to manual spatulation, while internal porosity was significantly less for centrifugal mixing compared to all other mixing techniques (P < 0.05). The centrifugal mixing and vacuum mixing techniques required the least amount of mixing time.

Alleviation of drought stress of marigold (Tagetes erecta) plants by using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

PubMed Central

Asrar, Abdul-Wasea A.; Elhindi, Khalid M.

2010-01-01

The effect of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus “AMF” (Glomus constrictum Trappe) on growth, pigments, and phosphorous content of marigold (Tagetes erecta) plant grown under different levels of drought stress was investigated. The applied drought stress levels reduced growth vigor (i.e. plant height, shoot dry weight, flower diameter as well as its fresh and dry weights) of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plant as compared to control plant (non-drought stressed plant). The presence of mycorrhizal fungus, however, stimulated all growth parameters of the treated plant comparing to non-mycorrhizal treated plant. The photosynthetic pigments (carotene in flowers and chlorophylls a and b in leaves) were also stimulated by the mycorrhizal fungi of well-watered as well as of water-stressed plants. The total pigments of mycorrhizal plants grown under well-watered conditions were higher than those of non-mycorrhizal ones by 60%. In most cases, drought-stressed mycorrhizal plants were significantly better than those of the non-mycorrhizal plants. So, the overall results suggest that mycorrhizal fungal colonization affects host plant positively on growth, pigments, and phosphorous content, flower quality and thereby alleviates the stress imposed by water with holding. PMID:23961109

Intestinal Fluid Permeability in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) Is Affected by Dietary Protein Source.

PubMed

Hu, Haibin; Kortner, Trond M; Gajardo, Karina; Chikwati, Elvis; Tinsley, John; Krogdahl, Åshild

2016-01-01

In Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), and also in other fish species, certain plant protein ingredients can increase fecal water content creating a diarrhea-like condition which may impair gut function and reduce fish growth. The present study aimed to strengthen understanding of the underlying mechanisms by observing effects of various alternative plant protein sources when replacing fish meal on expression of genes encoding proteins playing key roles in regulation of water transport across the mucosa of the distal intestine (DI). A 48-day feeding trial was conducted with five diets: A reference diet (FM) in which fish meal (72%) was the only protein source; Diet SBMWG with a mix of soybean meal (30%) and wheat gluten (22%); Diet SPCPM with a mix of soy protein concentrate (30%) and poultry meal (6%); Diet GMWG with guar meal (30%) and wheat gluten (14.5%); Diet PM with 58% poultry meal. Compared to fish fed the FM reference diet, fish fed the soybean meal containing diet (SBMWG) showed signs of enteritis in the DI, increased fecal water content of DI chyme and higher plasma osmolality. Altered DI expression of a battery of genes encoding aquaporins, ion transporters, tight junction and adherens junction proteins suggested reduced transcellular transport of water as well as a tightening of the junction barrier in fish fed the SBMWG diet, which may explain the observed higher fecal water content and plasma osmolality. DI structure was not altered for fish fed the other experimental diets but alterations in target gene expression and fecal water content were observed, indicating that alterations in water transport components may take place without clear effects on intestinal structure.

Spatial patterns of soil nutrients and groundwater levels within the Debre Mawi watershed of the Ethiopian highlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzman, Christian; Tilahun, Seifu; Dagnew, Dessalegn; Zegeye, Assefe; Tebebu, Tigist; Yitaferu, Birru; Steenhuis, Tammo

2015-04-01

Persistent patterns of erosion have emerged in the Ethiopian highlands leading to soil and water conservation practices being implemented throughout the countryside. A common concern is the loss of soil fertility and loss of soil water. This study investigates the spatial patterns of soil nutrients and water table depths in a small sub-watershed in the northwestern Ethiopian highlands. NPK, a particularly important group of nutrients for inorganic fertilizer considerations, did not follow a consistent trend as a group along and across slope and land use transects. Whereas nitrogen content was greatest in the upslope regions (~0.1% TN), available phosphorus had comparably similar content in the different slope regions throughout the watershed (~2.7 mg/kg). The exchangeable cations (K, Ca, Mg) did increase in content in a downslope direction (in most cases though, they were highest in the middle region) but not consistently later in the season. On average, calcium (40 cmol/kg), magnesium (5 cmol/kg), and potassium (0.5 cmol/kg) were orders of magnitudes different in content. The perched water table in different areas of the watershed showed a very distinct trend. The lower part of the sub-watershed had shallower levels of water table depths (less than 10 cm from the surface) than did the upper parts of the sub-watershed (usually greater than 120 cm from the surface). The middle part of the sub-watershed had water table depths located at 40 to 70 cm below the surface. These results show how the landscape slope position and land use may be important for planning where and when soil nutrients and water would be expected to be appropriately "conserved" or stored.

Fluoride content and distribution pattern in groundwater of eastern Yunnan and western Guizhou, China.

PubMed

Luo, Kunli; Liu, Yonglin; Li, Huijie

2012-02-01

For study, the fluoride (F) content and distribution pattern in groundwater of eastern Yunnan and western Guizhou fluorosis area in southwestern China, the F content of 93 water samples [groundwater (fissure water, cool spring, and hot springs), rivers water] and 60 rock samples were measured. The result shows the F content of the fissure water and cold spring water is 0.027-0.47 mg/L, and river water is 0.048-0.224 mg/L. The F content of hot spring water is 1.02-6.907 mg/L. The drinking water supplied for local resident is mainly from fissure water, cool spring, and river water. And the F content in all of them is much lower than the Chinese National Standard (1.0 mg/L), which is the safe intake of F in drinking water. The infected people in eastern Yunnan and western Guizhou fluorosis area have very little F intake from the drinking water. The hot spring water in fluorosis area of eastern Yunnan and western Guizhou, southwest China has high F content, which is not suitable for drinking. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

Effect of water content on stability of landslides triggered by earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyabanaki, S.; Bagtzoglou, A. C.; Anagnostou, E. N.

2013-12-01

Earthquake- triggered landslides are one of the most important natural hazards that often result in serious structural damage and loss of life. They are widely studied by several researchers. However, less attention has been focused on soil water content. Although the effect of water content has been widely studied for rainfall- triggered landslides [1], much less attention has been given to it for stability analysis of earthquake- triggered landslides. We developed a combined hydrology and stability model to investigate effect of soil water content on earthquake-triggered landslides. For this purpose, Bishop's method is used to do the slope stability analysis and Richard's equation is employed to model infiltration. Bishop's method is one the most widely methods used for analyzing stability of slopes [2]. Earthquake acceleration coefficient (EAC) is also considered in the model to analyze the effect of earthquake on slope stability. Also, this model is able to automatically determine geometry of the potential landslide. In this study, slopes with different initial water contents are simulated. First, the simulation is performed in the case of earthquake only with different EACs and water contents. As shown in Fig. 1, initial water content has a significant effect on factor of safety (FS). Greater initial water contents lead to less FS. This impact is more significant when EAC is small. Also, when initial water content is high, landslides can happen even with small earthquake accelerations. Moreover, in this study, effect of water content on geometry of landslides is investigated. For this purpose, different cases of landslides triggered by earthquakes only and both rainfall and earthquake for different initial water contents are simulated. The results show that water content has more significant effect on geometry of landslides triggered by rainfall than those triggered by an earthquake. Finally, effect of water content on landslides triggered by earthquakes during rainfall is investigated. In this study, after different durations of rainfall, an earthquake is applied to the model and the elapsed time in which the FS gets less than one obtains by trial and error. The results for different initial water contents and earthquake acceleration coefficients show that landslides can happen after shorter rainfall duration when water content is greater. If water content is high enough, the landslide occurs even without rainfall. References [1] Ray RL, Jacobs JM, de Alba P. Impact of unsaturated zone soil moisture and groundwater table on slope instability. J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 2010, 136(10):1448-1458. [2] Das B. Principles of Foundation Engineering. Stanford, Cengage Learning, 2011. Fig. 1. Effect of initial water content on FS for different EACs

Effect of treated wastewater application on soil water repellency of sandy soil with olive trees and grass cover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diamantis, V.; Ziogas, A.; Giougis, J.; Pliakas, F.; Diamantis, I.

2009-04-01

Soil water repellency has received significant attention due to water scarcity and increasing demand of irrigation water worldwide. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of treated wastewater application on soil water repellency of a repellent sandy soil with olive trees and grass cover. Secondary effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant was applied directly on the field on a 4×2 m plot. Freshwater and a mixture of freshwater:wastewater (1:1) were used in subsequent plots for comparison. A total of 62 water applications were performed between March 2006 and July 2008. The soil receiving the mixture of freshwater:wastewater exhibited the highest wettability. The soil water repellency after the first year of wastewater application decreased in the respective plot compared with the soil under natural conditions. The higher values of the WDPT were determined on the freshwater irrigated plot. The field-moist samples on all plots revealed high wettability because the moisture content of the soil was maintained above the critical soil water content. The results of this study reveal that short-term application of treated municipal wastewater does not induce soil water repellency.

Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Arylesterase and Cholinesterase.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Augustinsson, Klas-Bertil; Jonsson, Gunnel; Sparrman, Berndt

1961-01-01

The effects of Co 60 gamma radiation on arylesterase and cholinesterase of human blood plasma were compared using solid preparations of purified enzymes containing various amounts of water. In the case of cholinesterase a water content of 12% exerted maximum protection against irradiation. Such a protection by water was not observed with arylesterase. Finally, in aqueous solutions cholinesterase was more resistant to irradiation by gamma rays than was arylesterase when irradiation was performed in an atmosphere of nitrogen.

[Development and succession of artificial biological soil crusts and water holding characteristics of topsoil].

PubMed

Wu, Li; Chen, Xiao-Guo; Zhang, Gao-Ke; Lan, Shu-Bin; Zhang, De-Lu; Hu, Chun-Xiang

2014-03-01

In order to understand the improving effects of cyanobacterial inoculation on water retention of topsoil in desert regions, this work focused on the development and succession of biological soil crusts and water holding characteristics of topsoil after cyanobacterial inoculation in Qubqi Desert. The results showed that after the artificial inoculation of desert cyanobacteria, algal crusts were quickly formed, and in some microenvironments direct succession of the algal crusts to moss crusts occurred after 2-3 years. With the development and succession of biological soil crusts, the topsoil biomass, polysaccharides content, crust thickness and porosity increased, while the soil bulk density decreased. At the same time, with crust development and succession, the topsoil texture became finer and the percents of fine soil particles including silt and clay contents increased, while the percents of coarse soil particles (sand content) decreased proportionately. In addition, it was found that with crust development and succession, the water holding capacity and water content of topsoil showed an increasing trend, namely: moss crust > algal crusts > shifting sand. The water content (or water holding capacity) in algal and moss crusts were 1.1-1.3 and 1.8-2.2 times of those in shifting sand, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the water holding capacity and water content of topsoil were positively correlated with the crust biomass, polysaccharides content, thickness, bulk density, silt and clay content; while negatively correlated with the porosity and sand content. Furthermore, stepwise regression analysis showed that the main factor affecting water content was the clay content, while that affecting water holding capacity was the porosity.

The effect of water harvesting techniques on runoff, sedimentation, and soil properties.

PubMed

Al-Seekh, Saleh H; Mohammad, Ayed G

2009-07-01

This study addressed the hydrological processes of runoff and sedimentation, soil moisture content, and properties under the effect of different water harvesting techniques (treatments). The study was conducted at three sites, representing environmental condition gradients, located in the southern part of the West Bank. For each treatment, the study evaluated soil chemical and physical properties, soil moisture at 30 cm depth, surface runoff and sedimentation at each site. Results showed that runoff is reduced by 65-85% and sedimentation by 58-69% in stone terraces and semi-circle bunds compared to the control at the semi-humid site. In addition, stone terraces and contour ridges significantly reduced the amount of total runoff by 80% and 73%, respectively, at the arid site. Soil moisture content was significantly increased by water harvesting techniques compared to the control in all treatments at the three study sites. In addition, the difference between the control and the water harvesting structures were higher in the arid and semi-arid areas than in the semi-humid area. Soil and water conservation, via utilization of water harvesting structures, is an effective principle for reducing the negative impact of high runoff intensity and subsequently increasing soil moisture storage from rainfall. Jessour systems in the valley and stone terraces were effective in increasing soil moisture storage, prolonging the growing season for natural vegetation, and decreasing the amount of supplemental irrigation required for growing fruit trees.

The Effect of Water Harvesting Techniques on Runoff, Sedimentation, and Soil Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Seekh, Saleh H.; Mohammad, Ayed G.

2009-07-01

This study addressed the hydrological processes of runoff and sedimentation, soil moisture content, and properties under the effect of different water harvesting techniques (treatments). The study was conducted at three sites, representing environmental condition gradients, located in the southern part of the West Bank. For each treatment, the study evaluated soil chemical and physical properties, soil moisture at 30 cm depth, surface runoff and sedimentation at each site. Results showed that runoff is reduced by 65-85% and sedimentation by 58-69% in stone terraces and semi-circle bunds compared to the control at the semi-humid site. In addition, stone terraces and contour ridges significantly reduced the amount of total runoff by 80% and 73%, respectively, at the arid site. Soil moisture content was significantly increased by water harvesting techniques compared to the control in all treatments at the three study sites. In addition, the difference between the control and the water harvesting structures were higher in the arid and semi-arid areas than in the semi-humid area. Soil and water conservation, via utilization of water harvesting structures, is an effective principle for reducing the negative impact of high runoff intensity and subsequently increasing soil moisture storage from rainfall. Jessour systems in the valley and stone terraces were effective in increasing soil moisture storage, prolonging the growing season for natural vegetation, and decreasing the amount of supplemental irrigation required for growing fruit trees.

Net primary productivity of subalpine meadows in Yosemite National Park in relation to climate variability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Peggy E.; Van Wagtendonk, Jan W.; Yee, Julie L.; McClaran, Mitchel P.; Cole, David N.; McDougald, Neil K.; Brooks, Matthew L.

2013-01-01

Subalpine meadows are some of the most ecologically important components of mountain landscapes, and primary productivity is important to the maintenance of meadow functions. Understanding how changes in primary productivity are associated with variability in moisture and temperature will become increasingly important with current and anticipated changes in climate. Our objective was to describe patterns and variability in aboveground live vascular plant biomass in relation to climatic factors. We harvested aboveground biomass at peak growth from four 64-m2 plots each in xeric, mesic, and hydric meadows annually from 1994 to 2000. Data from nearby weather stations provided independent variables of spring snow water content, snow-free date, and thawing degree days for a cumulative index of available energy. We assembled these climatic variables into a set of mixed effects analysis of covariance models to evaluate their relationships with annual aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), and we used an information theoretic approach to compare the quality of fit among candidate models. ANPP in the xeric meadow was negatively related to snow water content and thawing degree days and in the mesic meadow was negatively related to snow water content. Relationships between ANPP and these 2 covariates in the hydric meadow were not significant. Increasing snow water content may limit ANPP in these meadows if anaerobic conditions delay microbial activity and nutrient availability. Increased thawing degree days may limit ANPP in xeric meadows by prematurely depleting soil moisture. Large within-year variation of ANPP in the hydric meadow limited sensitivity to the climatic variables. These relationships suggest that, under projected warmer and drier conditions, ANPP will increase in mesic meadows but remain unchanged in xeric meadows because declines associated with increased temperatures would offset the increases from decreased snow water content.

Specific findings on ice crystal microphysical properties from in-situ observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coutris, Pierre; Leroy, Delphine; Fontaine, Emmanuel; Schwarzenboeck, Alfons; Strapp, J. Walter

2017-04-01

This study focuses on microphysical properties of ice particles populating high ice water content areas in Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS). These clouds have been extensively sampled during the High Altitude Ice Crystal - High Ice Water Content international projects (HAIC-HIWC, Dezitter et al. 2013, Strapp et al. 2015) with the objective of characterizing ice particle properties such as size distribution, radar reflectivity and ice water content. The in-situ data collected during these campaigns at different temperature levels and in different type of MCS (oceanic, continental) make the HAIC-HIWC data set a unique opportunity to study ice particle microphysical properties. Recently, a new approach to retrieve ice particle mass from in-situ measurements has been developed: a forward model that relates ice particles' mass to Particle Size Distribution (PSD) and Ice Water Content (IWC) is formulated as a linear system of equations and the retrieval process consists in solving the inverse problem with numerical optimization tools (Coutris et al. 2016). In this study, this new method is applied to HAIC-HIWC data set and main outcomes are discussed. First, the method is compared to a classical power-law based method using data from one single flight performed in Darwin area on February, 7th 2014. The observed differences in retrieved quantities such as ice particle mass, ice water content or median mass diameter, highlight the potential benefit of abandoning the power law simplistic assumption. The method is then applied to data measured at different cloud temperatures ranging from -40°C to -10°C during several flights of both Darwin 2014 and Cayenne 2015 campaigns. Specific findings about ice microphysical properties such as variations of effective density with particle size and the influence of cloud temperature on particle effective density are presented.

Influence of the submarine volcanic eruption off El Hierro (Canary Islands) on the mesopelagic cephalopod's metal content.

PubMed

Lozano-Bilbao, Enrique; Gutiérrez, Ángel José; Hardisson, Arturo; Rubio, Carmen; González-Weller, Dailos; Aguilar, Natacha; Escánez, Alejandro; Espinosa, José María; Canales, Paula; Lozano, Gonzalo

2018-04-01

This work investigates whether a submarine volcanic eruption off El Hierro (Canary Islands) in October 2011 influenced the metal contents of two deep water cephalopod species: Abraliopsis morisii and Pyroteuthis margaritifera. This was assessed by comparing metal contents in specimens collected off the island of El Hierro and in the neighbouring islands of La Palma and Tenerife during an experimental deep water fishing trip. The concentration of 20 heavy metals was analyzed in 180 specimens of A. morisii and P. margaritifera collected around the three islands to test for inter-island differences for each species and metal. While both species showed geographical differences in metal concentrations, the main finding was that A. morisii could be a bioindicator species for metals such as Li, Sr and Ca. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The use of inulin as fat replacer and its effect on texture and sensory properties of emulsion type sausages

PubMed Central

Berizi, E.; Shekarforoush, S. S.; Mohammadinezhad, S.; Hosseinzadeh, S.; Farahnaki, A.

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the possibility of reducing energy content in emulsion type sausages by replacing fat with inulin. In the manufactured product, the fat content was reduced to 6%-18% and replaced by inulin and water. The quality of the resulting product was determined by chemical and texture profile analyses (TPA), color measurement and sensory evaluation. The results showed that replacing fat with inulin led to a significant energy content reduction of up to 64% (with 6% inulin and 12% water). In addition, color measurement, sensory evaluation and TPA were comparable to the traditional product in the inulin treated samples. The overall acceptability of all experimental groups was adequate; therefore, inulin is suggested as a good replacement for fat in emulsion type sausages. PMID:29387097

The use of inulin as fat replacer and its effect on texture and sensory properties of emulsion type sausages.

PubMed

Berizi, E; Shekarforoush, S S; Mohammadinezhad, S; Hosseinzadeh, S; Farahnaki, A

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the possibility of reducing energy content in emulsion type sausages by replacing fat with inulin. In the manufactured product, the fat content was reduced to 6%-18% and replaced by inulin and water. The quality of the resulting product was determined by chemical and texture profile analyses (TPA), color measurement and sensory evaluation. The results showed that replacing fat with inulin led to a significant energy content reduction of up to 64% (with 6% inulin and 12% water). In addition, color measurement, sensory evaluation and TPA were comparable to the traditional product in the inulin treated samples. The overall acceptability of all experimental groups was adequate; therefore, inulin is suggested as a good replacement for fat in emulsion type sausages.

Natural genetic variability reduces recalcitrance in poplar

DOE PAGES

Bhagia, Samarthya; Muchero, Wellington; Kumar, Rajeev; ...

2016-05-20

Here, lignin content and structure are known to affect recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass to chemical/biochemical conversion. Previously, we identified rare Populus trichocarpa natural variants with significantly reduced lignin content. Because reduced lignin content may lower recalcitrance, 18 rare variants along with 4 comparators, and BESC standard Populus was analyzed for composition of structural carbohydrates and lignin. Sugar yields from these plants were measured at 5 process conditions: one for just enzymatic hydrolysis without pretreatment and four via our combined high-throughput hot water pretreatment and co-hydrolysis (HTPH) technique.

Yield, quality and biochemical properties of various strawberry cultivars under water stress.

PubMed

Adak, Nafiye; Gubbuk, Hamide; Tetik, Nedim

2018-01-01

Although strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) species are sensitive to abiotic stress conditions, some cultivars are known to be tolerant to different environmental conditions. We examined the response of different strawberry cultivars to water stress conditions in terms of yield, quality and biochemical features. The trial was conducted under two different irrigation regimes: in grow bags containing cocopeat (control, 30%; water stress, 15% drainage) with four different cultivars (Camarosa, Albion, Amiga and Rubygem). Fruit weight declined by 59.72% and the yield per unit area by 63.62% under water stress conditions as compared to control. Albion and Rubygem were found to be more tolerant and Amiga the most sensitive in terms of yield under stress conditions. Water stress increased all biochemical features in fruits such as total phenol, total anthocyanin, antioxidant activity and sugar contents. Among the cultivars, glucose and fructose was higher in Albion. Considering the rise in global warming, identification of resistant and tolerant cultivars to stress conditions are crucial for future breeding programmes. Our results showed that some of the fruit's physical features were affected negatively by stress conditions whereas many of the biochemical features such as total anthocyanin content, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were positively modulated. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of low water content in protic ionic liquid on ions electrosorption in porous carbon: application to electrochemical capacitors.

PubMed

Gorska, B; Timperman, L; Anouti, M; Béguin, F

2017-05-10

The effect of low water content (<20, 150, 1000, 10 000 ppm) in triethylammonium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide - [(C 2 H 5 ) 3 N + H][TFSI - ] - protic ionic liquid (PIL) on the performance of activated carbon (AC) electrodes as well as AC/AC electrochemical capacitors (ECs) is reported. Under negative polarization, hydrogen electrosorption onto carbon is enhanced along with the increase of water content in PIL, whereas the resulting desorption peaks are shifted to lower potential values, evidencing lower sorption energy when hydrogen is stored from moisture containing PIL. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) investigations on PIL-based ECs demonstrated that the evolution of the Stern layer nanostructure at positive and negative potentials is asymmetrical. The results revealed comparable electrochemical performance for PIL containing 150 and 1000 ppm of H 2 O, due to similar operation of the positive electrode, where [TFSI - ] anions are adsorbed in the outer Helmholtz plane, and the negative one, where hydrogen is stored through the reduction of the intermediate hydronium cation. By contrast, a cell with "dry" PIL (<20 ppm of water) displayed a distinctive operation due to hydrogen electrosorption directly through reduction of the protonated cation, and selective adsorption of [TFSI - ] anions, which occurs thanks to the high polarizability and image force (IF) created by their induced charge. Galvanostatic cycling with potential limitation (GCPL) showed comparable capacitance values whatever the water content in PILs up to 1000 ppm, yet electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed higher capacitance as well as better retention at higher frequencies with the PIL containing 150 ppm of water. Hence, 150 ppm is reasoned to be an optimal value for diffusion and adsorption of ions. The nature of current collectors (aluminum or stainless steel) has a determining role in their polarization behavior, and consequently the potential range of electrodes as well as ion diffusion into the activated carbon porosity, influencing the observed capacitance values (C EIS/2.0V : 170 vs. 128 F g -1 , for Al and SSt, respectively).

Effect of SiO2, PVA and glycerol concentrations on chemical and mechanical properties of alginate-based films.

PubMed

Yang, Manli; Shi, Jinsheng; Xia, Yanzhi

2018-02-01

Sodium alginate (SA)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/SiO 2 nanocomposite films were prepared by in situ polymerization through solution casting and solvent evaporation. The effect of different SA/PVA ratios, SiO 2 , and glycerol content on the mechanical properties, water content, water solubility, and water vapor permeability were studied. The nanocomposite films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and thermal stability (thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermogravimetry) analyses. The nanocomposites showed the highest values of mechanical properties, such as SA/PVA ratio, SiO 2 , and glycerol content was 7:3, 6wt.%, and 0.25g/g SA, respectively. The tensile strength and elongation at break (E%) of the nanocomposites increased by 525.7% and 90.7%, respectively, compared with those of the pure alginate film. The Fourier transform infrared spectra showed a new SiOC band formed in the SA/PVA/SiO 2 nanocomposite film. The scanning electron microscopy image revealed good adhesion between SiO 2 and SA/PVA matrix. After the incorporation of PVA and SiO 2 , the water resistance of the SA/PVA/SiO 2 nanocomposite film was markedly improved. Transparency decreased with increasing PVA content but was enhanced by adding SiO 2 . Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Antioxidant Activities of Hot Water Extracts from Various Spices

PubMed Central

Kim, Il-Suk; Yang, Mi-Ra; Lee, Ok-Hwan; Kang, Suk-Nam

2011-01-01

Recently, the natural spices and herbs such as rosemary, oregano, and caraway have been used for the processing of meat products. This study investigates the antioxidant activity of 13 spices commonly used in meat processing plants. The hot water extracts were then used for evaluation of total phenolic content, total flavonoids content and antioxidant activities. Our results show that the hot water extract of oregano gave the highest extraction yield (41.33%) whereas mace (7.64%) gave the lowest. The DPPH radical scavenging ability of the spice extracts can be ranked against ascorbic acid in the order ascorbic acid > clove > thyme > rosemary > savory > oregano. The values for superoxide anion radical scavenging activities were in the order of marjoram > rosemary > oregano > cumin > savory > basil > thyme > fennel > coriander > ascorbic acid. When compared to ascorbic acid (48.72%), the hydroxyl radical scavenging activities of turmeric and mace were found to be higher (p < 0.001). Clove had the highest total phenolic content (108.28 μg catechin equivalent (CE)/g). The total flavonoid content of the spices varied from 324.08 μg quercetin equivalent (QE)/g for thyme to 3.38 μg QE/g for coriander. Our results indicate that hot water extract of several spices had a high antioxidant activity which is partly due to the phenolic and flavonoid compounds. This provides basic data, having implications for further development of processed food products. PMID:21747728

Effects of different cleaning treatments on heavy metal removal of Panax notoginseng (Burk) F. H. Chen.

PubMed

Dahui, Liu; Na, Xu; Li, Wang; Xiuming, Cui; Lanping, Guo; Zhihui, Zhang; Jiajin, Wang; Ye, Yang

2014-01-01

The quality and safety of Panax notoginseng products has become a focus of concern in recent years. Contamination with heavy metals is one of the important factors as to P. notoginseng safety. Cleaning treatments can remove dust, soil, impurities or even heavy metals and pesticide residues on agricultural products. But effects of cleaning treatments on the heavy metal content of P. notoginseng roots have still not been studied. In order to elucidate this issue, the effects of five different cleaning treatments (CK, no treatment; T1, warm water (50°C) washing; T2, tap water (10°C) washing; T3, drying followed by polishing; and T4, drying followed by tap water (10°C) washing) on P. notoginseng roots' heavy metal (Cu, Pb, Cd, As and Hg) contents were studied. The results showed that heavy metal (all five) content in the three parts all followed the order of hair root > rhizome > root tuber under the same treatment. Heavy metal removals were in the order of Hg > As > Pb > Cu > Cd. Removal efficiencies of the four treatments were in the order of T2 > T1 > T3 > T4. Treatments (T1-T4) could decrease the contents of heavy metal in P. notoginseng root significantly. Compared with the requirements of WM/T2-2004, P. notoginseng roots' heavy metal contents of Cu, Pb, As and Hg were safe under treatments T1 and T2. In conclusion, the cleaning process after production was necessary and could reduce the content of heavy metals significantly. Fresh P. notoginseng root washed with warm water (T2) was the most efficient treatment to remove heavy metal and should be applied in production.

Increased transepidermal water loss and decreased ceramide content in lesional and non-lesional skin of dogs with atopic dermatitis.

PubMed

Shimada, Kenichiro; Yoon, Ji-Seon; Yoshihara, Toru; Iwasaki, Toshiroh; Nishifuji, Koji

2009-10-01

This study evaluated changes in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin hydration and intercorneal lipid content in dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD). TEWL and skin hydration were measured in the inguinal skin of 10 dogs with AD and 30 normal dogs. TEWL was significantly higher in both lesional skin (94.3 +/- 38.8 g/m(2)/h) and non-lesional skin (28.8 +/- 9.5) of dogs with AD than healthy controls (12.3 +/- 2.3) (P < 0.05). Water content in the lesional skin of dogs with AD (15.8 +/- 7.0 AU) was significantly lower than that of controls (24.2 +/- 8.8) (P < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were recognized in water content between non-lesional skin of dogs with AD and controls. To compare the lipid content between lesional and non-lesional skin of dogs with AD and controls, intercorneal lipids, extracted from the stratum corneum, were quantified by thin-layer chromatography. The relative amounts of ceramides in the lesional skin (24.4 +/- 5.6%) and non-lesional skin (25.6 +/- 3.8%) of dogs with AD were significantly lower than those in controls (31.4 +/- 6.9%) (P < 0.05). Conversely, no significant differences were recognized in the relative amounts of cholesterols and free fatty acids (FFA) between dogs with AD and controls. Moreover, there are statistical correlations between TEWL and the relative amounts of ceramides, but not those of cholesterols and FFA, in both lesional and non-lesional skin of dogs with AD. These results strongly suggest that decreased ceramide content accelerates TEWL in dogs with AD, similar to the situation seen in the corresponding human disease.

Comparison of three approaches to model grapevine organogenesis in conditions of fluctuating temperature, solar radiation and soil water content.

PubMed

Pallas, B; Loi, C; Christophe, A; Cournède, P H; Lecoeur, J

2011-04-01

There is increasing interest in the development of plant growth models representing the complex system of interactions between the different determinants of plant development. These approaches are particularly relevant for grapevine organogenesis, which is a highly plastic process dependent on temperature, solar radiation, soil water deficit and trophic competition. The extent to which three plant growth models were able to deal with the observed plasticity of axis organogenesis was assessed. In the first model, axis organogenesis was dependent solely on temperature, through thermal time. In the second model, axis organogenesis was modelled through functional relationships linking meristem activity and trophic competition. In the last model, the rate of phytomer appearence on each axis was modelled as a function of both the trophic status of the plant and the direct effect of soil water content on potential meristem activity. The model including relationships between trophic competition and meristem behaviour involved a decrease in the root mean squared error (RMSE) for the simulations of organogenesis by a factor nine compared with the thermal time-based model. Compared with the model in which axis organogenesis was driven only by trophic competition, the implementation of relationships between water deficit and meristem behaviour improved organogenesis simulation results, resulting in a three times divided RMSE. The resulting model can be seen as a first attempt to build a comprehensive complete plant growth model simulating the development of the whole plant in fluctuating conditions of temperature, solar radiation and soil water content. We propose a new hypothesis concerning the effects of the different determinants of axis organogenesis. The rate of phytomer appearance according to thermal time was strongly affected by the plant trophic status and soil water deficit. Furthermore, the decrease in meristem activity when soil water is depleted does not result from source/sink imbalances.

Soil moisture and wild olive tree transpiration relationship in a water-limited Mediterranean ecosystem.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curreli, M.; Montaldo, N.; Oren, R.

2016-12-01

Typically, during the dry summers, Mediterranean ecosystems are characterized by a simple dual PFTs system with strong-resistant woody vegetation and bare soil, since grass died. In these conditions the combined use of sap flow measurements, based on Granier's thermo-dissipative probes, eddy covariance technique and soil water content measurements provides a robust estimation of evapotranspiration (ET). An eddy covariance micrometeorological tower, thermo-dissipative probes based on the Granier technique and TDR sensors have been installed in the Orroli site in Sardinia (Italy). The site landscape is a mixture of Mediterranean patchy vegetation types: wild olives, different shrubs and herbaceous species, which died during the summer. 33 sap flow sensors have been installed at the Orroli site into 15 wild olives clumps with different characteristics (tree size, exposition to wind, solar radiation and soil depth). Sap flow measurements show the significantly impacts on transpiration of soil moisture, radiation and vapor pressure deficit (VPD). In addition ET is strongly influenced by the tree position into the clump. Results show a significant difference in sap flow rate for the south exposed trees compared to inside clump and north exposed trees. Using an innovative scaling procedure, the transpiration calculated from sap flow measurements have been compared to the eddy covariance ET. Sap flow measurements show night time uptake allows the recharge of the stem capacity, depleted during the day before due to transpiration. The night uptake increases with increasing VPD and transpiration but surprisingly it is independent to soil water content. Soil moisture probes allow monitoring spatial and temporal dynamics of water content at different soil depth and distance to the trees, and estimating its correlation with hydraulic lift. During the light hours soil moisture is depleted by roots to provide the water for transpiration and during night time the lateral roots transfer water from pasture in conjunction whit deep roots uptake to recharge water in the stem.

Natural organic matters removal efficiency by coagulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sapingi, Mohd Sharizal Mohd; Pishal, Munirah; Murshed, Mohamad Fared

2017-10-01

The presence of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) in surface water results in unwanted characteristics in terms of color, odor, and taste. NOM content reaction with free chlorine in treated water lowers the water quality further. Chlorine is added for disinfection and produces undesirable disinfection by-products (DPBs). DBPs in drinking water are carcinogenic to consumers and may promote cancerous cell development in the human body. This study was performed to compare the coagulant efficiency of aluminum sulfate (Alum) and ferric chloride (FeCl3) on NOM removal (as in UV254 absorbance) and turbidity removal under three pH conditions (pH 6, pH 7, and sample actual pH). The three sampling points for these studies were Jalan Baru River, Kerian River, and Redac Pond. Additional sampling points, such as Lubuk Buntar and a tubewell located in the Civil Engineering School, were included to observe differences in characteristics. DOC, UV absorbance, and full wavelength were tested, after which samples treated with alum were also tested to further analyze the NOM content. Based on UV254 absorbance and DOC data, specific UV value was calculated to obtain vital synopsis of the characteristics of NOM content, as well as coagulation efficiency.

Overexpression of Arabidopsis Molybdenum Cofactor Sulfurase Gene Confers Drought Tolerance in Maize (Zea mays L.)

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jiachang; Xiao, Yitao; Yue, Yuesen; Duan, Liusheng; Zhang, Mingcai; Li, Zhaohu

2013-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a key component of the signaling system that integrates plant adaptive responses to abiotic stress. Overexpression of Arabidopsis molybdenum cofactor sulfurase gene (LOS5) in maize markedly enhanced the expression of ZmAO and aldehyde oxidase (AO) activity, leading to ABA accumulation and increased drought tolerance. Transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) exhibited the expected reductions in stomatal aperture, which led to decreased water loss and maintenance of higher relative water content (RWC) and leaf water potential. Also, transgenic maize subjected to drought treatment exhibited lower leaf wilting, electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 content, and higher activities of antioxidative enzymes and proline content compared to wild-type (WT) maize. Moreover, overexpression of LOS5 enhanced the expression of stress-regulated genes such as Rad 17, NCED1, CAT1, and ZmP5CS1 under drought stress conditions, and increased root system development and biomass yield after re-watering. The increased drought tolerance in transgenic plants was associated with ABA accumulation via activated AO and expression of stress-related gene via ABA induction, which sequentially induced a set of favorable stress-related physiological and biochemical responses. PMID:23326325

Overexpression of Arabidopsis molybdenum cofactor sulfurase gene confers drought tolerance in maize (Zea mays L.).

PubMed

Lu, Yao; Li, Yajun; Zhang, Jiachang; Xiao, Yitao; Yue, Yuesen; Duan, Liusheng; Zhang, Mingcai; Li, Zhaohu

2013-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a key component of the signaling system that integrates plant adaptive responses to abiotic stress. Overexpression of Arabidopsis molybdenum cofactor sulfurase gene (LOS5) in maize markedly enhanced the expression of ZmAO and aldehyde oxidase (AO) activity, leading to ABA accumulation and increased drought tolerance. Transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) exhibited the expected reductions in stomatal aperture, which led to decreased water loss and maintenance of higher relative water content (RWC) and leaf water potential. Also, transgenic maize subjected to drought treatment exhibited lower leaf wilting, electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde (MDA) and H(2)O(2) content, and higher activities of antioxidative enzymes and proline content compared to wild-type (WT) maize. Moreover, overexpression of LOS5 enhanced the expression of stress-regulated genes such as Rad 17, NCED1, CAT1, and ZmP5CS1 under drought stress conditions, and increased root system development and biomass yield after re-watering. The increased drought tolerance in transgenic plants was associated with ABA accumulation via activated AO and expression of stress-related gene via ABA induction, which sequentially induced a set of favorable stress-related physiological and biochemical responses.

NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF WATER CONTENT IN THE SUBSURFACE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hendrickx, Jan M.H.

1999-12-31

This report contains the experimental, theoretical and numerical studies performed under Department of Energy (DOE) Agreement Number DE-FG07-96ER14732 entitled ''Surface Nuclear Magnetic Resonance for Imaging Subsurface Water.'' DOE and Department of Defense (DOD) complexes and test ranges are situated in widely varying climatic conditions from the desert southwest to the humid east. The mission of the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) is to clean up the inventory of inactive DOE sites and facilities, and the goal of the EM Office of Technology Development (OTD) is to deliver technologies to make environmental restoration more efficient and cost effective.more » In the western United States, where a number of DOE facilities are located, the water table can occur several hundred feet below the surface. The zone between surface and water table is called the vadose zone or unsaturated zone. A characteristic of that zone is that mobility of water and contaminants is greatly reduced compared to rate of movement in the saturated zone. A thick vadose zone lowers the risk and, at least, increases the time before contaminants enter drinking water supplies. The assessment of risk is often performed by modeling of ground water flow and contaminant migration by analytical methods or unsaturated flow models (e.g. Hendrickx et al 1991). Necessary inputs for these models are the hydraulic properties of the different geological formations (e.g. Hendrickx 1990) and the water content distribution in the vadose zone (Freeze and Cherry 1979). Accurate risk assessments for ground water contamination cannot be conducted without actual measurements of the water content distribution in the vadose zone. To date, very few techniques have been developed to provide such information at an acceptable speed and cost. Because soil water contents exhibit a large spatial and temporal variability, the costs of conventional measurement techniques, such as gravimetric sampling, gypsum blocks, and neutron probes, are high. Only non-intrusive tests with a cost factor much lower than that of an intrusive test will offer acceptable alternatives. Therefore, a definite need exists for a non-intrusive water content measurement method. The surface nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique applied to imaging of ground water was first developed by Russian scientists from the Institute of Chemical and Combustion in Novosibirsk, Russia. Over the last two decades they have published a series of papers and reports describing the theory of the method, along with experimental measurements from the surface to a depth of about 100 m. Preliminary evaluation of the concepts and results merited further investigations, particularly because of the critical technical need for cost-effective water content measurements in environmental restoration.« less

Layering of stomach contents in drowning cases in post-mortem computed tomography compared to forensic autopsy.

PubMed

Gotsmy, Walther; Lombardo, Paolo; Jackowski, Christian; Brencicova, Eva; Zech, Wolf-Dieter

2018-04-24

In forensic autopsy, the analysis of stomach contents is important when investigating drowning cases. Three-layering of stomach contents may be interpreted as a diagnostic hint to drowning due to swallowing of larger amounts of water or other drowning media. The authors experienced frequent discrepancies of numbers of stomach content layering in drowning cases between post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) and autopsy in forensic casework. Therefore, the goal of this study was to compare layering of stomach contents in drowning cases between PMCT and forensic autopsy. Drowning cases (n = 55; 40 male, 15 female, mean age 45.3 years; mean amount of stomach content 223 ml) that received PMCT prior to forensic autopsy were retrospectively analyzed by a forensic pathologist and a radiologist. Number of layers of stomach content in PMCT were compared to number of layers at forensic autopsy. In 28 of the 55 evaluated drowning cases, a discrepancy between layering of stomach contents at autopsy compared to PMCT was observed: 1 layer at autopsy (n = 28): 50% discrepancy to PMCT, 2 layers (n = 20): 45% discrepancy, and 3 layers (n = 7): 71.4% discrepancy. Sensitivity of correctly determining layering (as observed at forensic autopsy) in PMCT was 52% (positive predictive value 44.8%). Specificity was 46.6% (negative predictive value 53.8%). In a control group (n = 35) of non-drowning cases, three-layering of stomach contents was not observed. Discrepancies of observed numbers of stomach content layers between PMCT and forensic autopsy are a frequent finding possibly due to stomach content sampling technique at autopsy and movement of the corpse prior to PMCT and autopsy. Three-layering in PMCT, if indeed present, may be interpreted as a hint to drowning.

Metasomatic Control of Water in Garnet and Pyroxene from Kaapvaal Craton Mantle Xenoliths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peslier, Anne H.; Woodland, Alan B.; Bell, David R.; Lazarov, Marina; Lapen, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) were used to determine water, rare earth (REE), lithophile (LILE), and high field strength (HFSE) element contents in garnet and pyroxene from mantle xenoliths, Kaapvaal craton, southern Africa. Water enters these nominally anhydrous minerals as protons bonded to structural oxygen in lattice defects. Pyroxene water contents (150-400 ppm in clinopyroxene; 40-250 ppm in orthopyroxene) correlate with their Al, Fe, Ca and Na and are homogeneous within a mineral grains and a xenolith. Garnets from Jagersfontein are chemically zoned for Cr, Ca, Ti and water contents. Garnets contain 0 to 20 ppm H2 Despite the fast diffusion rate of H in mantle m inerals, the observations above indicate that the water contents of mantle xenolith minerals were not disturbed during kimberlite entrainment and that the measured water data represent mantle values. Trace elements in all minerals show various degrees of light REE and LILE enrichments indicative of minimal to strong metasomatism. Water contents of peridotite minerals from the Kaapvaal lithosphere are not related to the degree of depletion of the peridotites. Instead, metasomatism exerts a clear control on the amount of water of mantle minerals. Xenoliths from each location record specific types of metasomatism with different outcomes for the water contents of mantle minerals. At pressures . 5.5 GPa, highly alkaline melts metasomatized Liqhobong and Kimberley peridotites, and increased the water contents of their olivine, pyroxenes and garnet. At higher pressures, the circulation of ultramafic melts reacting with peridotite resulted in co-variation of Ca, Ti and water at the edge of garnets at Jagersfontein, overall decreasing their water content, and lowered the water content of olivines at Finsch Mine. The calculated water content of these melts varies depending on whether the water content of the peridotite (2 wt% HO. 2O) or individual m inerals (<0.5-13 wt% H2O) are used, and also depend on the mineral-melt water partition coefficients. These metasomatic events are thought to have occurred during the Archean and Proterozoic, meaning that the water contents measured here have been preserved since that time and can be used to investigate viscocity and longevity of cratonic mantle roots.

Vegetation water content of crops and woodlands for improving soil moisture retrievals from Coriolis WindSat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Estimation of vegetation water content (VWC) by shortwave infrared remote sensing improves soil moisture retrievals. The largest unknown for predicting VWC is stem water content; for woodlands, stem water content is expected to be proportional to stem height. Airborne imagery were acquired and photo...

Vegetation water content of crops and woodlands for improving soil moisture retrievals from Coriolis WindSat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Estimation of vegetation water content (VWC) by shortwave infrared remote sensing improves soil moisture retrievals. The largest unknown for predicting VWC is stem water content, which is assumed to be allometrically related to canopy water content. From forest science, stem volume is linearly relat...

Baking loss of bread with special emphasis on increasing water holding capacity.

PubMed

Kotoki, D; Deka, S C

2010-01-01

Potato flour (PF), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and honey were used as baking agents and their effects on baking loss and sensory quality were studied. PF at 1, 2 and 4% levels decreased baking loss followed by HPMC and honey. Water absorption was substantially high with the HPMC (70.8-80.8%) and PF (61.7-71.7%) compared to honey and normal standard bread. PF incorporation increased shelf-life (6-7 days) as compared to HPMC and honey. HPMC incorporated bread had higher moisture content (36.8-38.0%) followed by PF (34.5-35.8%) and honey (34.7%). The ash content was in the order of PF (1%) > honey (4%) > PF (2%) > normal bread > HPMC (0.5 g) > PF (4%) > HPMC (1 g) > HPMC (1.5 g). PF incorporated bread had sensorily highest acceptance followed by HPMC and honey.

Effects of different soil management practices on soil properties and microbial diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gajda, Anna M.; Czyż, Ewa A.; Dexter, Anthony R.; Furtak, Karolina M.; Grządziel, Jarosław; Stanek-Tarkowska, Jadwiga

2018-01-01

The effects of different tillage systems on the properties and microbial diversity of an agricultural soil was investigated. In doing so, soil physical, chemical and biological properties were analysed in 2013-2015, on a long-term field experiment on a loamy sand at the IUNG-PIB Experimental Station in Grabów, Poland. Winter wheat was grown under two tillage treatments: conventional tillage using a mouldboard plough and traditional soil tillage equipment, and reduced tillage based on soil crushing-loosening equipment and a rigid-tine cultivator. Chopped wheat straw was used as a mulch on both treatments. Reduced tillage resulted in increased water content throughout the whole soil profile, in comparison with conventional tillage. Under reduced tillage, the content of readily dispersible clay was also reduced, and, therefore, soil stability was increased in the toplayers, compared with conventional tillage. In addition, the beneficial effects of reduced tillage were reflected in higher soil microbial activity as measured with dehydrogenases and hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate, compared with conventional tillage. Moreover, the polimerase chain reaction - denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis showed that soil under reduced till-age had greater diversity of microbial communities, compared with conventionally-tilled soil. Finally, reduced tillage increased organic matter content, stability in water and microbial diversity in the top layer of the soil.

Estimation of effective soil hydraulic properties at field scale via ground albedo neutron sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera Villarreyes, C. A.; Baroni, G.; Oswald, S. E.

2012-04-01

Upscaling of soil hydraulic parameters is a big challenge in hydrological research, especially in model applications of water and solute transport processes. In this contest, numerous attempts have been made to optimize soil hydraulic properties using observations of state variables such as soil moisture. However, in most of the cases the observations are limited at the point-scale and then transferred to the model scale. In this way inherent small-scale soil heterogeneities and non-linearity of dominate processes introduce sources of error that can produce significant misinterpretation of hydrological scenarios and unrealistic predictions. On the other hand, remote-sensed soil moisture over large areas is also a new promising approach to derive effective soil hydraulic properties over its observation footprint, but it is still limited to the soil surface. In this study we present a new methodology to derive soil moisture at the intermediate scale between point-scale observations and estimations at the remote-sensed scale. The data are then used for the estimation of effective soil hydraulic parameters. In particular, ground albedo neutron sensing (GANS) was used to derive non-invasive soil water content in a footprint of ca. 600 m diameter and a depth of few decimeters. This approach is based on the crucial role of hydrogen compared to other landscape materials as neutron moderator. As natural neutron measured aboveground depends on soil water content, the vertical footprint of the GANS method, i.e. its penetration depth, does also. Firstly, this study was designed to evaluate the dynamics of GANS vertical footprint and derive a mathematical model for its prediction. To test GANS-soil moisture and its penetration depth, it was accompanied by other soil moisture measurements (FDR) located at 5, 20 and 40 cm depths over the GANS horizontal footprint in a sunflower field (Brandenburg, Germany). Secondly, a HYDRUS-1D model was set up with monitored values of crop height and meteorological variables as input during a four-month period. Parameter estimation (PEST) software was coupled to HYDRUS-1D in order to calibrate soil hydraulic properties based on soil water content data. Thirdly, effective soil hydraulic properties were derived from GANS-soil moisture. Our observations show the potential of GANS to compensate the lack of information at the intermediate scale, soil water content estimation and effective soil properties. Despite measurement volumes, GANS-derived soil water content compared quantitatively to FDRs at several depths. For one-hour estimations, root mean square error was estimated as 0.019, 0.029 and 0.036 m3/m3 for 5 cm, 20 cm and 40 cm depths, respectively. In the context of soil hydraulic properties, this first application of GANS method succeed and its estimations were comparable to those derived by other approaches.

Estimation water vapor content using the mixing ratio method and validated with the ANFIS PWV model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suparta, W.; Alhasa, K. M.; Singh, M. S. J.

2017-05-01

This study reported the comparison between water vapor content, the surface meteorological data (pressure, temperature, and relative humidity), and precipitable water vapor (PWV) produced by PWV from adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) for areas in the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Bangi (UKMB) station. The water vapor content value was estimated with mixing ratio method and the surface meteorological data as the parameter inputs. The accuracy of water vapor content was validated with PWV from ANFIS PWV model for the period of 20-23 December 2016. The result showed that the water vapor content has a similar trend with the PWV which produced by ANFIS PWV model (r = 0.975 at the 99% confidence level). This indicates that the water vapor content that obtained with mixing ratio agreed very well with the ANFIS PWV model. In addition, this study also found, the pattern of water vapor content and PWV have more influenced by the relative humidity.

Evaluating a sensor setup with respect to near-surface soil water monitoring and determination of in-situ water retention functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolz, R.; Kammerer, G.

2017-06-01

Monitoring water status near the soil surface is a prerequisite for studying hydrological processes at the soil-atmosphere boundary and an option for calibrating remotely sensed water content data, for instance. As the water status of the uppermost soil layer is highly variable in space and time, adequate sensors are required to enable accurate measurements. Therefore, a sensor setup was tested and evaluated in the laboratory and in the field for such a purpose. The arrangement included Hydra Probe and MPS-2 sensors to measure water content and matric potential, respectively. Performance of the MPS-2 was validated in the laboratory by comparing sensor readings with the water potential of a soil, drained to equilibrium for certain pressure steps inside a pressure plate apparatus. Afterwards, six Hydra Probes and twelve MPS-2 sensors were installed in bare soil at a small field plot of about 9 m2. The measurements represented soil water status to a depth of 6 cm from surface. Core samples were repeatedly excavated around the measurement spots. Their water content was determined and the samples were further utilized to analyze water retention characteristics. The tested setup properly reflected changes of near-surface soil water status due to rainfall and evaporation. However, some shortcomings weakened the potential of the chosen arrangement. Site-specific calibration of the Hydra Probes - implemented by relating sensor readings to the water content values of the core samples - confirmed the applicability of the recommended standard calibration parameters for the respective soil texture. The derived user calibration enabled a measurement accuracy of 0.02 cm3·cm-3. Further improvement was restrained by the spatial variability of soil moisture. In this context, spots that were permanently drier or wetter than the others were discovered by means of a temporal stability approach. Performance of MPS-2 sensors was more critical with respect to the objectives. Sensor-to-sensor variation was small at the applied pressure steps of -20, -50, and -100 kPa, but the respective averaged readings were -18, -37, and -57 kPa. At matric potentials of -200 and -300 kPa, the MPS-2 revealed substantial sensor-to-sensor variation. The large deviation of the sensor readings in the field confirmed that the calibration of the MPS-2 should be improved. However, in spite of this inaccuracy, the wide measuring range of the MPS-2 offers suitability to a wide range of potential applications. As an example, water retention functions were calculated from the in-situ data and compared to retention data from the core samples.

Investigating the Effect of Compaction Characteristics on the Erodibility of Cohesive Soils Using the JET Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asghari Tabrizi, A.; LaRocque, L. A.; Chaudhry, M.; Imran, J.

2013-12-01

Several flood disasters occur every year all over the world, mostly due to levee and dam failure which result in human fatalities as well as devastating economic damages. To model and predict earthen embankment failures for the preparation of emergency action plans and risk assessments, the soil erodibility by flowing water is an essential parameter. The determination of erodibility becomes even more complicated for cohesive soils because of the large number of parameters controlling their erosion behavior (e.g. clay content, plasticity, compaction effort, compaction water content) and the difficulty of estimating these parameters. In this study the effect of the compaction energy and compaction water content on the erodibility of a sandy loam soil was assessed. Soil samples were prepared in a standard diameter compaction mold, 101.6 mm, for three levels of compaction effort and water content (i.e. low, medium, and high) with two replications for each case (18 tests total) and examined using the jet erosion test (JET). Observations from qualitative and statistical analyses of the data are: 1) a wide range of erodibility, from very erodible to very resistant, was produced by changes in the compaction characteristics; 2) for a given compaction energy, the erosion resistance based on the detachment rate coefficient kd tends to become minimum near the optimum compaction water content. On the dry side of optimum compaction water content, kd decreases with steep gradients by increasing the water content, while it increases with a flatter gradient on the wet side; 3) At a given water content, the soil erosion resistance increases with compaction efforts; 4) compaction water content influences soil erosibility more than compaction energy, especially on the dry side of the optimum compaction water content; and 5) for a given compaction effort, the critical shear stress increases with water content up to an optimum water content and then it decreases which is in consistent with the kd trends.

[The dose-effect relationship of water fluoride levels and renal damage in children].

PubMed

Liu, Jun-Ling; Xia, Tao; Yu, Yao-Yong; Sun, Xian-Zhong; Zhu, Qilong; He, Weihong; Zhang, Ming; Wang, Aiguo

2005-05-01

To explore the dose-effect relationship of water fluoride levels and renal damage in children and observe the difference of renal function between high-loaded fluoride people and dental fluorosis people in the same water fluoride level region. 210 children were divided into seven groups in term of drinking water fluoride levels and whether they suffered from dental fluorosis. Fluoride concentrations in urine and serum and activities of urine NAG and gamma-GT were determined. The urine and serum fluoride of high-loaded fluoride people and dental fluorosis people increased compared with control, moreover fluoride contents in urine and serum increased gradually with the increase of fluoride level in drinking water. Urine NAG and gamma-GT activities significantly increased in dental fluorosis people from area of 2.58 mg/L fluoride in drinking water and in those two groups from area of 4.51 mg/L fluoride in drinking water. Moreover, there existed an obvious dose-effect relationship between the drinking water fluoride concentration and NAG and gamma-GT activity. Over 2.0 mg/L fluoride in drinking water can cause renal damage in children, and the damage degree increases with the drinking water fluoride content. Renal damage degree is not related to whether the children suffered from dental fluorosis and mainly due to water fluoride concentration.

Correlation between lead levels in drinking water and mothers' breast milk: Dakahlia, Egypt.

PubMed

Mandour, Raafat A; Ghanem, Abdel-Aziz; El-Azab, Somaia M

2013-04-01

This study was performed on fifty-two drinking tap water samples (surface and groundwater) collected from different districts of Dakahlia Governorate and fifty-two breast milk samples from lactating mothers hosted in Dakahlia Governorate hospitals. All these samples were subjected to lead analysis. Lead level in drinking groundwater showed higher levels than in drinking surface water. Also, an elevation of lead levels in breast milk of mothers drinking groundwater was noticed when compared with that of mothers drinking surface water. The comparison between mean lead levels in drinking water and mothers' breast milk samples showed positive relationship. Lead concentrations in breast milk of the studied samples were elevated by exposure to smoking. We conclude that prolonged contact with lead plumbing can increase the lead content in tap water with subsequent increase in lead burden in infant fed formula and infant blood. Also, we recommend that chemical analyses must be carried out periodically for the surface and groundwater to ensure the water suitability for drinking purposes. Passive exposure to smoking during lactation should be avoided. Capsule: Prolonged contact with lead plumbing can increase the lead content in tap water with subsequent increase in lead burden in infant fed formula and infant blood.

Long-term influence of tillage and fertilization on net carbon dioxide exchange rate on two soils with different textures.

PubMed

Feiziene, Dalia; Feiza, Virginijus; Slepetiene, Alvyra; Liaudanskiene, Inga; Kadziene, Grazina; Deveikyte, Irena; Vaideliene, Asta

2011-01-01

The importance of agricultural practices to greenhouse gas mitigation is examined worldwide. However, there is no consensus on soil organic carbon (SOC) content and CO emissions as affected by soil management practices and their relationships with soil texture. No-till (NT) agriculture often results in soil C gain, though, not always. Soil net CO exchange rate (NCER) and environmental factors (SOC, soil temperature [T], and water content [W]), as affected by soil type (loam and sandy loam), tillage (conventional, reduced, and NT), and fertilization, were quantified in long-term field experiments in Lithuania. Soil tillage and fertilization affected total CO flux (heterotrophic and autotrophic) through effect on soil SOC sequestration, water, and temperature regime. After 11 yr of different tillage and fertilization management, SOC content was 23% more in loam than in sandy loam. Long-term NT contributed to 7 to 27% more SOC sequestration on loam and to 29 to 33% more on sandy loam compared with reduced tillage (RT) or conventional tillage (CT). Soil water content in loam was 7% more than in sandy loam. Soil gravimetric water content, averaged across measurement dates and fertilization treatments, was significantly less in NT than CT and RT in both soils. Soil organic carbon content and water storage capacity of the loam and sandy loam soils exerted different influences on NCER. The NCER from the sandy loam soil was 13% greater than that from the loam. In addition, NCER was 4 to 9% less with NT than with CT and RT systems on both loam and sandy loam soils. Application of mineral NPK fertilizers promoted significantly greater NCER from loam but suppressed NCER by 15% from sandy loam. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

A comparative study of microwave radiometer observations over snowfields with radiative transfer model calculations. [for water runoff estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, A. T. C.; Shiue, J. C.

1979-01-01

Truck mounted microwave instrumentation was used to study the microwave emission characteristics of the Colorado Rocky Mountain snowpack in the vicinity of Fraser, Colorado during the winter of 1978. The spectral signatures of 5.0, 10.7, 18, and 37 GHz radiometers with dual polarization were used to measure the snowpack density and temperature profiles, rain profile, and free water content. These data were compared with calculated results based on microscopic scattering models for dry, surface melting, and very wet snowpacks.

Potential of duckweed in the conversion of wastewater nutrients to valuable biomass: a pilot-scale comparison with water hyacinth.

PubMed

Zhao, Yonggui; Fang, Yang; Jin, Yanling; Huang, Jun; Bao, Shu; Fu, Tian; He, Zhiming; Wang, Feng; Zhao, Hai

2014-07-01

The application potential of duckweed (Lemna japonica 0234) and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) were compared in two pilot-scale wastewater treatment systems for more than one year. The results indicated duckweed had the same total nitrogen (TN) recovery rate as water hyacinth (0.4 g/m(2)/d) and a slightly lower total phosphorus (TP) recovery rate (approximately 0.1g/m(2)/d) even though its biomass production was half that of water hyacinth. The higher content of crude protein (33.34%), amino acids (25.80%), starch (40.19%), phosphorus (1.24%), flavonoids (2.91%) and lower fiber content provided duckweed with more advantages in resource utilization. Additionally, microbial community discovered by 454 pyrosequencing indicated that less nitrifying bacteria and more nitrogen-fixing bacteria in rhizosphere of duckweed provided it with higher nitrogen recovery efficiency (60%) than water hyacinth (47%). Under the presented condition, duckweed has more application advantages than water hyacinth because it more effectively converted the wastewater nutrients into valuable biomass. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Describing the spatio-temporal variability of vines and soil by satellite-based spectral indices: A case study in Apulia (South Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borgogno-Mondino, E.; Novello, V.; Lessio, A.; de Palma, L.

2018-06-01

A time series of Landsat 8 OLI (L8 OLI) multispectral images acquired between May 2013 and February 2016 were used to investigate vigour, vine and soil water content in a vineyard of Moscato Reale (syn. Moscato Bianco) sited in the Castel del Monte DOCG area. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) were calculated and compared with vine midday stem water potential (ΨMDstem) and soil volume water content (VWC), to calibrate estimation models. Estimation models were calibrated using already existing ground observation datasets from previous ordinary vineyard management operations: ΨMDstem was measured at two different locations in vineyard at 6 different dates in summer 2014; VWC was continuously measured from June to October 2014 and from January to September 2015. Results showed that: a) vine stem water potential can be locally estimated with an accuracy ranging from ±0.046 (high vigour vines) to ±0.127 (low vigour vines) MPa; b) soil volume water content can be locally estimated with an accuracy of about ±1.7%. Medium resolution satellite imagery proved, therefore, to be effective, at vineyard level, to describe vigour, vine and soil water status and their seasonality. This is an important issue to focus on since, as Landsat 8 images are free, the entire process is economic enough to be consistent with cost and incoming of the farming system.

[The new method monitoring crop water content based on NIR-Red spectrum feature space].

PubMed

Cheng, Xiao-juan; Xu, Xin-gang; Chen, Tian-en; Yang, Gui-jun; Li, Zhen-hai

2014-06-01

Moisture content is an important index of crop water stress condition, timely and effective monitoring of crop water content is of great significance for evaluating crop water deficit balance and guiding agriculture irrigation. The present paper was trying to build a new crop water index for winter wheat vegetation water content based on NIR-Red spectral space. Firstly, canopy spectrums of winter wheat with narrow-band were resampled according to relative spectral response function of HJ-CCD and ZY-3. Then, a new index (PWI) was set up to estimate vegetation water content of winter wheat by improveing PDI (perpendicular drought index) and PVI (perpendicular vegetation index) based on NIR-Red spectral feature space. The results showed that the relationship between PWI and VWC (vegetation water content) was stable based on simulation of wide-band multispectral data HJ-CCD and ZY-3 with R2 being 0.684 and 0.683, respectively. And then VWC was estimated by using PWI with the R2 and RMSE being 0.764 and 0.764, 3.837% and 3.840%, respectively. The results indicated that PWI has certain feasibility to estimate crop water content. At the same time, it provides a new method for monitoring crop water content using remote sensing data HJ-CCD and ZY-3.

[Spectral reflectance characteristics and modeling of typical Takyr Solonetzs water content].

PubMed

Zhang, Jun-hua; Jia, Ke-li

2015-03-01

Based on the analysis of the spectral reflectance of the typical Takyr Solonetzs soil in Ningxia, the relationship of soil water content and spectral reflectance was determined, and a quantitative model for the prediction of soil water content was constructed. The results showed that soil spectral reflectance decreased with the increasing soil water content when it was below the water holding capacity but increased with the increasing soil water content when it was higher than the water holding capacity. Soil water content presented significantly negative correlation with original reflectance (r), smooth reflectance (R), logarithm of reflectance (IgR), and positive correlation with the reciprocal of R and logarithm of reciprocal [lg (1/R)]. The correlation coefficient of soil water content and R in the whole wavelength was 0.0013, 0.0397 higher than r and lgR, respectively. Average correlation coefficient of soil water content with 1/R and [lg (1/R)] at the wavelength of 950-1000 nm was 0.2350 higher than that of 400-950 nm. The relationships of soil water content with the first derivate differential (R') , the first derivate differential of logarithm (lgR)' and the first derivate differential of logarithm of reciprocal [lg(1/R)]' were unstable. Base on the coefficients of r, lg(1/R), R' and (lgR)', different regression models were established to predict soil water content, and the coefficients of determination were 0.7610, 0.8184, 0.8524 and 0.8255, respectively. The determination coefficient for power function model of R'. reached 0.9447, while the fitting degree between the predicted value based on this model and on-site measured value was 0.8279. The model of R' had the highest fitted accuracy, while that of r had the lowest one. The results could provide a scientific basis for soil water content prediction and field irrigation in the Takyr Solonetzs region.

Influence of water content on degradation rates for ethanol in biofiltration.

PubMed

Auria, R; Aycaguer, A C; Devinny, J S

1998-01-01

Treatment of ethanol vapor in a peat biofilter with various initial water contents (70%, 59%, 49%, and 35%) was studied. For water contents ranging from 49% to 70%, elimination capacity was about 30 g/m3/h. For a water content of 35%, elimination capacity decreased to 4 g/m3/h. A low mean CO2 yield coefficient (0.35 g CO2 produced per g ethanol consumed) was found for all of the initial water contents. The value was only 20% of the yield coefficient (1.91 g/g) predicted by stoichiometry. When the packing material was dried from 70% to 59% water content during the biofiltration process, elimination capacity dropped from 27 g/m3/h to 4 g/m3/h. After 24 hours of drying, the biofiltration experiment was restarted and run for two more weeks. During this period, the biofilter did not recover. At 59% water content, the rate of water evaporation was estimated at 59.6 g/m3/h. A simplified mass balance permitted calculation of the biological water production rate, approximately 22.1 g/m3/h.

Certification of the reference material of water content in water saturated 1-octanol by Karl Fischer coulometry, Karl Fischer volumetry and quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance.

PubMed

Wang, Haifeng; Ma, Kang; Zhang, Wei; Li, Jia; Sun, Guohua; Li, Hongmei

2012-10-15

Certified reference materials (CRMs) of water content are widely used in the calibration and validation of Karl Fischer coulometry and volumetry. In this study, the water content of the water saturated 1-octanol (WSO) CRM was certified by Karl Fischer coulometry, volumetry and quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (Q NMR). The water content recovery by coulometry was 99.76% with a diaphragm-less electrode and Coulomat AG anolyte. The relative bias between the coulometry and volumetry results was 0.06%. In Q NMR, the water content of WSO is traceable to the International System (SI) of units through the purity of internal standard. The relative bias of water content in WSO between Q NMR and volumetry was 0.50%. The consistency of results for these three independent methods improves the accuracy of the certification of the RM. The certified water content of the WSO CRM was 4.76% with an expanded uncertainty of 0.09%. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of soils on water quantity and quality in Piedmont forested headwater watersheds of North Carolina

Treesearch

Johnny Boggs; Ge Sun; David Jones; Steven G. McNulty

2013-01-01

Water quantity and quality data were compared from six headwater watersheds on two distinct soil formations, Carolina Slate Belt (CSB) and Triassic Basins (TB). CSB soils are generally thicker, less erodible, and contain less clay content than soils found in TB. TB generated significantly more discharge/precipitation ratio than CSB (0.33 vs. 0.24) in...

High atmospheric demand for water can limit forest carbon uptake and transpiration as severely as dry soil

Treesearch

Benjamin N. Sulman; Daniel Tyler Roman; Koong Yi; Lixin Wang; Richard P. Phillips; Kimberly A. Novick

2016-01-01

When stressed by low soil water content (SWC) or high vapor pressure deficit (VPD), plants close stomata, reducing transpiration and photosynthesis. However, it has historically been difficult to disentangle the magnitudes of VPD compared to SWC limitations on ecosystem-scale fluxes. We used a 13 year record of eddy covariance measurements from a forest in south...

Vadose Zone Hydrology and Eco-hydrology in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wenke

2016-04-01

Vadose zone hydrology has long been a concern regarding groundwater recharge, evaporation, pollution, and the ecological effects induced by groundwater and water & salt contents in the unsaturated zone. The greater difference between day and night temperatures in arid and semi-arid areas influences water movement and heat transport in the vadose zone, and further influences the water and heat fluxes between the water table and the atmosphere as well as ecological environment. Unfortunately, these studies are lack in a systematic viewpoint in China. One of the main reasons is that the movement of water, vapor and heat from the surface to the water table is very complex in the arid and semi-arid areas. Another reason is lack of long term field observations for water content, vapor, heat, and soil matrix potential in the vadose zone. Three field observation sites, designed by the author, were set up to measure the changes in climate, water content , temperature and soil matrix potential of the unsaturated zone and groundwater level under the different conditions of climate and soil types over the period of 1-5 years. They are located at the Zhunngger Basin of Xinjing Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China, the Guanzhong Basin of Shaanxi Province in central China, and the Ordos Basin of the Inner Monggol Autonomous Region in north China, respectively. These three field observation sites have different climate and soil types in the vadose zone and the water table depth are also varied. Based on the observation data of climate, groundwater level, water content, temperature and soil matrix potential in the vadose zone from the three sites in associated with the field survey and numerical simulation method, the water movement and heat transport in the vadose zone, and the evaporation of phreatic water for different groundwater depths and soil types have been well explored. The differences in water movement of unsaturated zone between the bare surface soil and vegetation conditions were also compared. The concept of the ecological value of groundwater and unsaturated zone is presented in arid and semi-arid regions. This ecological value can be reflected in four aspects:(1) the maintenance of base flow in streams and areas of lakes and wetland;(2) the supply of physiological water demented by vegetation;(3) the regulation of soil moisture and salt content; and (4) the stability of the eco-environment. In addition, the threshold system between the ecological environment and multi-dimensional indices as variations in water and salt contents in the vadose zone, groundwater depth and quality as well as groundwater exploitation, are proposed in the arid and semi-arid areas. It is expected that this research could provide a scientific basis and technological support for better understanding on the movement of water, vapor and heat in the vadose zone in arid and semi-arid areas. It will also help to maintain sustainable development of the ecological environment and utilization of water resources.

[Effects of different irrigation treatments during heading and flowering stage on cold resis-tance, yield and physiological characteristics of late rice].

PubMed

Cao, Na; Chen, Xiao Rong; He, Hao Hua; Zhu, Chang Lan; Cai, Shuo; Xu, Tao; Xie, Heng Wang; Liu, Fang Ping

2017-12-01

Taking super hybrid rice variety 'Wufengyou T025' as test material, the effects of different irrigation methods and water layer depth on physiological characteristics and yield in double-season late rice under low temperature conditions during heading and flowering stage were investigated. Three treatments were set, i.e., draining during day and containing 4-5 cm water layer during night (H 1 ), draining during day and containing 8-10 cm water layer during night (H 2 ), and containing 8-10 cm water layer day and night (H 3 ), with the 0-1 cm water layer day and night was as the control (CK). The results showed that rice leaf temperature, soil layer temperature and canopy temperature under the different irrigation treatments were higher than that of CK, and the warming effect of treatment H 2 was the best during the low temperature period. Leaf chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, leaf stomatal conductance and intercellular CO 2 concentration of rice plants decreased gradually under the low temperature, while the smallest reduction occurred in H 2 . The increase ranges of malondialdehyde and proline content in H 2 were lower, while its soluble protein content was the highest compared with other irrigation treatments. The increase ranges for the activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase in H 2 were lower, while its decrease range for the activity of catalase was the lowest. Irrigation for heat preservation could increase the yield, and H 2 performed best. Yield of H 2 at the second sowing date in 2014 and 2015 encountering low temperature increased by 12.9% and 13.5% respectively compared to CK. The yield components including the effective panicle numbers per plant, panicle length, seed setting rate and 1000-grain mass were improved in all irrigation treatments compared to CK. Draining during day and containing 8-10 cm water layer during night (H 2 ) was the most effective agronomic measure to enhance the tolerance to low temperature during heading and flowering stage for double-season hybrid late rice.

Determination of Lovastatin, β-glucan, Total Polyphenols, and Antioxidant Activity in Raw and Processed Oyster Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus (Higher Basidiomycetes).

PubMed

Lam, Yu Shan; Okello, Edward J

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to quantify a number of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus. Ostreatus, and characterize the effects of processing, such as blanching, on these outcomes. Dry matter content was 8%. Lovastatin was not detected in this study. β-glucan content of 23.9% and total polyphenol content of 487.12 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g of dry matter were obtained in raw P. ostreatus. Antioxidant activities as evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays in raw P. ostreatus were 14.46, 16.51, and 11.21 µmol/g, respectively. Blanching did not significantly affect β-glucan content but caused significant decrease in dry matter content, polyphenol content, and antioxidant activities. Mushroom rolls produced from blanched mushrooms and blanching water contained significantly higher amounts of β-glucan, total polyphenol content, and FRAP antioxidant activity compared to blanched mushrooms. In conclusion, P. ostreatus is a good source for β-glucan, dietary polyphenols, and antioxidants. Although the blanching process could affect these properties, re-addition of the blanching water during the production process of mushroom rolls could potentially recover these properties and is therefore recommended.

[Development of Sediment Micro-Interface Under Physical and Chironomus plumosus Combination Disturbance].

PubMed

Wang, Ren; Li, Da-peng; Huang, Yong; Liu, Yan-jian; Chen, Jun

2015-11-01

Synergistic effect of physical and Chironomus plumosus combination disturbance on the characteristics of the micro-environment and micro-interface was investigated by the Rhizon samplers and Unisense micro sensor system. The results showed that the oxygen penetration depth (OPD), total oxygen exchange (TOE), water content and total microbial activity increased under the combination disturbance and bioturbation and were kept at the higher level, compared with the control. These parameters increased with the physical intensity under combination disturbance. However, the content of Fe2+ decreased under the combination disturbance and bioturbation and the decrease was more obvious than that in the control. The changes of the Fe2+, the water content and the total microbial activity were large at 0-4 cm depth in the sediments. Therefore, the area might be the active area for the transformation of internal sedimentary phosphorus forms. The curve fitting was used for the OPD, TOE, the content of Fe2+, the water content and the total microbial activity with the physical intensity under combination disturbance. It was observed that the second-order polynomial equation was suitable for the curve fitting. In addition, jump type synergistic effect was presented in the above mentioned parameters under combination disturbance when the physical intensity was higher than 34 r x min(-1). The remodeling on the sediment micro-interface and micro-environment might be the main inducing mechanism for the transformation of internal phosphorus.

Distribution characteristics of organochlorine pesticide in the water environment in Lanzhou section of Yellow River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, L.; Zhao, X.; Shen, J. M.; Chen, Z. L.; Wang, X. C.; Qiu, H. R.

2017-04-01

Surface water, surface sediments and suspended particles in the Lanzhou section of Yellow River were collected. After the samples were lyophilised, extracted, concentrated, purified and separated, organochlorine pesticides in the samples were analysed by GC-MS. Results showed that organochlorine pesticide contents in surface water, surface sediments and suspended particles ranged from 28.63 ng/L to 123.2 ng/L, from 0.86 ng/g to 4.51 ng/g and from 23.29 ng/g to 126.14 ng/g, respectively. HCHs, DDTs and HCB were high; among these contents, HCH contents ranged from 1.49 ng/L to 18.1 ng/L, from 0.04ng/g to 1.53 ng/g and from 2.74ng/g to 25.64 ng/g, respectively. DDT contents ranged from 1.49 ng/Lto 18.1 ng/L, from 0.04 ng/g to 1.53 ng/g and from 2.74 ng/g to 25.64 ng/g, respectively. Component analysis results showed that organochlorine pesticide in the Lanzhou section of Yellow River was mainly from early residues or soil after pesticides were applied and long-term weathering occurred. Correlation analysis results showed that total organic carbon was an important factor affecting the distribution of organochlorine pesticide in sediments. Moderate organochlorine pesticide contents were detected in surface water in Lanzhou section of Yellow River compared with other rivers in our country and in other countries. Furthermore, the ecological risk of organochlorine pesticide in surface sediments was low.

Relationship between biochemical factors and skin symptoms in chronic venous disease.

PubMed

Takai, Yasushi; Hiramoto, Keiichi; Nishimura, Yoshiyuki; Ooi, Kazuya

2017-05-01

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a common venous disease of the lower extremities and patients often develop symptoms of itching and skin roughness. An easy to use and objective skin examination was recently developed that allows measurement of the level of stratum corneum content and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), which can indicate the status of the barrier function of the stratum corneum. Previous studies demonstrated that histamine production from mast cells, and tryptase and matrix metalloprotease-9 levels were associated with skin inflammation. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between dry skin and inflammatory mediators that mediate the skin symptoms of CVD subjects. The study enrolled 27 subjects with CVD and a control group consisting of 9 volunteers. The itching onset frequency was higher in women (70.4%) compared with men (50.0%). To analyze the mechanisms involved in itching we measured blood inflammatory mediators pre- and post-sclerotherapy. There was a significant decrease in Substance P, histamine, IgE, and tryptase levels post-sclerotherapy compared with those at pre-sclerotherapy. These levels were associated with the severity of itching. In addition, compared with the control subjects, there was a significant increase in the stratum corneum water content and a decrease in the TEWL in the 27 patients with CVD. This was associated with a decrease in the itching symptoms. Our findings indicate that sclerotherapy decreased levels of inflammatory mediators, increased stratum corneum water content and decreased TEWL, which coincided with reduced itching in CVD patients, indicating they might be therapeutic targets.

Confocal Raman microspectroscopy of stratum corneum: a pre-clinical validation study.

PubMed

Wu, J; Polefka, T G

2008-02-01

Skin moisturization is not only important for maintaining skin functional properties but also has great impact on the skin's aesthetic properties. The top layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC), plays a key role in protecting and preventing against external aggressions as well as in regulating water flux in and out. Confocal Raman microspectroscopy is the first commercially available technique that provides a non-invasive, in vivo method to determine depth profiles of water concentration in the skin, however, in this case it was applied in an in vitro setting. As the first phase of validating the usefulness of confocal Raman microspectroscopy, we used porcine skin as a surrogate for human skin. Water concentration profiles were obtained using confocal Raman microspectroscopy from isolated pigskin SC and compared with that using the Karl Fischer titration method. The two methods correlated very well with a regression coefficient of 1.07 as well as a correlation coefficient, R(2) = 0.989, which demonstrated the consistency and accuracy of confocal Raman microspectroscopy for water concentration determination. To evaluate the instrument's response to different skin care/cleansing products, a wide range of products were tested to compare their skin moisturization ability. Among those tested were a lotion, commercial soap bar, syndet bar, traditional non-emollient shower gel (water, Sodium Laureth Ether Sulfate (SLES), cocamidopropyl betaine system) and emollient containing shower gel (water, sunflower oil, SLES, cocamidopropyl betaine, glycerin, petrolatum). The results were consistent with what was expected. The water content on skin treated with (A) lotion was significantly higher than the non-treated control; (B) syndet bar-treated skin had a significantly higher water content than soap-based bar-treated sites; (C) non-emollient shower gel washed sites were more moisturized than soap-based bar-treated samples; and (D) emollient shower gel-treated skin was significantly more hydrated than non-emollient shower gel washed skin. The unique and direct quantitative water content information provided by confocal Raman microspectroscopy offers a whole new perspective for fundamental skin moisturization studies and will play an important role in evaluating moisturizing profiles and the hydration potential of products designed for personal care in the cosmetic industry.

A comparison of different radiative transfer model inversion methods for canopy water content retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boren, E. J.; Boschetti, L.; Johnson, D.

2016-12-01

With near-future droughts predicted to become both more frequent and more intense (Allen et al. 2015, Diffenbaugh et al. 2015), the estimation of satellite-derived vegetation water content would benefit a wide range of environmental applications including agricultural, vegetation, and fire risk monitoring. No vegetation water content thematic product is currently available (Yebra et al. 2013), but the successful launch of the Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel 2A satellites, and the forthcoming Sentinel 2B, provide the opportunity for monitoring biophysical variables at a scale (10-30m) and temporal resolution (5 days) needed by most applications. Radiative transfer models (RTM) use a set of biophysical parameters to produce an estimated spectral response and - when used in inverse mode - provide a way to use satellite spectral data to estimate vegetation biophysical parameters, including water content (Zarco-Tejada et al. 2003). Using the coupled leaf and canopy level model PROSAIL5, and Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel 2A MSI optical satellite data, the present research compares the results of three model inversion techniques: iterative optimization (OPT), look-up table (LUT), and artificial neural network (ANN) training. Ancillary biophysical data, needed for constraining the inversion process, were collected from various crop species grown in a controlled setting and under different water stress conditions. The measurements included fresh weight, dry weight, leaf area, and spectral leaf transmittance and reflectance in the 350-2500 nm range. Plot-level data, collected coincidently with satellite overpasses during three summer field campaigns in northern Idaho (2014 to 2016), are used to evaluate the results of the model inversion. Field measurements included fresh weight, dry weight, leaf area index, plant height, and top of canopy reflectance in the 350-2500 nm range. The results of the model inversion intercomparison exercised are used to characterize the uncertainties of vegetation water content estimation from Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel 2A data.

Tritium ( 3 H) Retention In Mice: Administered As HTO, DTO or as 3 H-Labeled Amino-Acids.

PubMed

Priest, Nicholas D; Blimkie, Melinda S J; Wyatt, Heather; Bugden, Michelle; Bannister, Laura A; Gueguen, Yann; Jourdain, Jean-Rene; Klokov, Dmitry

2017-05-01

The objective of this study was to compare the biokinetics of injected H-labeled light (HTO) and heavy (DTO) water in CBA/CaJ mice and to compare the organ distribution and/or body content of H administered by chronic ingestion for 1 mo to C57Bl/6J mice, as either H-labeled water or H-labeled amino acids (glycine, alanine and proline). HTO and DTO were administered to CBA/CaJ mice by single intraperitoneal injection and body retention was determined for up to 384 h post-injection. Tritium-labeled water or H-labeled amino acids were given to C57Bl/6J mice ad libitum for 30 d in drinking water. Body content and organ distribution of H during the period of administration and subsequent to administration was determined by liquid scintillation counting. No differences were found between the biokinetics of HTO and DTO, indicating that data generated using HTO can be used to help assess the consequences of H releases from heavy water reactors. The results for H-water showed that the concentration of radionuclide in the mice reached a peak after about 10 d and dropped rapidly after the cessation of H administration. The maximum concentration reached was only 50% of that in the water consumed, indicating that mice receive a significant fraction of their water from respiration. Contrary to the findings of others, the pattern of H retention following the administration of a cocktail of the labeled amino acids was very little different from that found for the water. This is consistent with the suggestion that most of the ingested amino acids were rapidly metabolized, releasing water and carbon dioxide.

Icing Cloud Calibration of the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ide, Robert F.; Oldenburg, John R.

2001-01-01

The icing research tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center underwent a major rehabilitation in 1999, necessitating recalibration of the icing clouds. This report describes the methods used in the recalibration, including the procedure used to establish a uniform icing cloud and the use of a standard icing blade technique for measurement of liquid water content. The instruments and methods used to perform the droplet size calibration are also described. The liquid water content/droplet size operating envelopes of the icing tunnel are shown for a range of airspeeds and compared to the FAA icing certification criteria. The capabilities of the IRT to produce large droplet icing clouds is also detailed.

[Total flavones derived from Lagotis brevituba maxim reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease mice].

PubMed

Yang, Bailing; Hou, Qian; Hu, Feng; Zhang, Fan

2016-07-01

Objective To investigate the mechanism behind the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with total flavones derived from Lagotis brevituba maxim (TF-LBM). Methods Fifty SAMP8 mice (aged 8 months) were randomly divided into 5 groups, (150, 300, 600) mg/kg TF-LBM groups, 0.65 g/kg donepezil HCl group and AD model group; 10 SAMR1 mice (aged 8 months) were used as a control group of normal aging. The AD model group and the normal aging control group were given the same volume of distilled water as TF-LBM groups. Eight weeks after intragastric administration, Morris water maze experiment was conducted to calculate the latency of place navigation. After the behavioral experiment, the brain cortical tissue and hippocampus (CA1 region) of the mice from various groups were taken to observe the morphological changes of the cortical tissue and hippocampus and test IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α content. Results Compared with the model group, the escape latency of the normal aging group, the high-dose TF-LBM group and the donepezil HCl group were evidently shortened; compared with the normal aging group, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-αof the model group increased significantly; compared with the model group, IL-1β content of the low-dose TF-LBM group had no obvious difference, while IL-1β content of the median-dose and high-dose TF-LBM groups and the donepezil HCl group decreased significantly; IL-6 content decreased in all TF-LBM groups and the donepezil HCl group; TNF-α level in the low-dose and median-dose TF-LBM groups had no evident difference, while it was reduced significantly in the high-dose TF-LBM group and the donepezil HCl group. Compared with the normal aging group, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α content of the model group increased significantly; compared with the model group, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α content of all TF-LBM groups and the donepezil HCl group decreased. Conclusion TF-LBM can improve the behavior change of SAMP8 mice with AD. TF-LBM can reduce the content of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in cerebral cortex and hippocampus CA1.

Monitoring hillslope moisture dynamics with surface ERT for enhancing spatial significance of hydrometric point measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hübner, R.; Heller, K.; Günther, T.; Kleber, A.

2015-01-01

Besides floodplains, hillslopes are basic units that mainly control water movement and flow pathways within catchments of subdued mountain ranges. The structure of their shallow subsurface affects water balance, e.g. infiltration, retention, and runoff. Nevertheless, there is still a gap in the knowledge of the hydrological dynamics on hillslopes, notably due to the lack of generalization and transferability. This study presents a robust multi-method framework of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) in addition to hydrometric point measurements, transferring hydrometric data into higher spatial scales to obtain additional patterns of distribution and dynamics of soil moisture on a hillslope. A geoelectrical monitoring in a small catchment in the eastern Ore Mountains was carried out at weekly intervals from May to December 2008 to image seasonal moisture dynamics on the hillslope scale. To link water content and electrical resistivity, the parameters of Archie's law were determined using different core samples. To optimize inversion parameters and methods, the derived spatial and temporal water content distribution was compared to tensiometer data. The results from ERT measurements show a strong correlation with the hydrometric data. The response is congruent to the soil tension data. Water content calculated from the ERT profile shows similar variations as that of water content from soil moisture sensors. Consequently, soil moisture dynamics on the hillslope scale may be determined not only by expensive invasive punctual hydrometric measurements, but also by minimally invasive time-lapse ERT, provided that pedo-/petrophysical relationships are known. Since ERT integrates larger spatial scales, a combination with hydrometric point measurements improves the understanding of the ongoing hydrological processes and better suits identification of heterogeneities.

Thermal diffusivity of peat, sand and their mixtures at different water contents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvozdkova, Anna; Arkhangelskaya, Tatiana

2014-05-01

Thermal diffusivity of peat, sand and their mixtures at different water contents was studied using the unsteady-state method described in (Parikh et al., 1979). Volume sand content in studied samples was 0 % (pure peat), 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 55 and 62 % (pure sand). Thermal diffusivity of air-dry samples varied from 0.6×10-7m2s-1 for pure peat to 7.0×10-7m2s-1 for pure sand. Adding 5 and 10 vol. % of sand didn't change the thermal diffusivity of studied mixture as compared with that of the pure air-dry peat. Adding 15 % of sand resulted in significant increase of thermal diffusivity by approximately 1.5 times: from 0.6×10-7m2s-1 to 0.9×10-7m2s-1. It means that small amounts of sand with separate sand particles distributed within the peat don't contribute much to the heat transfer through the studied media. And there is a kind of threshold between the 10 and 15 vol. % of sand, after which the continuous sandy chains are formed within the peat, which can serve as preferential paths of heat transport. Adding 20 and 30 % of sand resulted in further increase of thermal diffusivity to 1.3×10-7m2s-1 and 1.7×10-7m2s-1, which is more than two and three times greater than the initial value for pure peat. Thermal diffusivity vs. moisture content dependencies had different shapes. For sand contents of 0 to 40 vol. % the thermal diffusivity increased with water content in the whole studied range from air-dry samples to the capillary moistened ones. For pure peat the experimental curves were almost linear; the more sand was added the more pronounced became the S-shape of the curves. For sand contents of 50 % and more the curves had a pronounced maximum within the range of water contents between 0.10 and 0.25 m3m-3 and then decreased. The experimental k(θ) curves, where k is soil thermal diffusivity, θ is water content, were parameterized with a 4-parameter approximating function (Arkhangelskaya, 2009, 2014). The suggested approximation has an advantage of clear physical interpretation: the parameters are (1) the thermal diffusivity of the dry sample; (2) the difference between the highest thermal diffusivity at some optional water content and that of the dry sample; (3) the optional water content at which the thermal diffusivity reaches its maximum; (4) half-width of the peak of the k(θ) curve. The increase of sand contents in studied mixtures was accompanied by the increase of the parameters (1), (2) and (4) and the decrease of the parameter (3). References Parikh R.J., Havens J.A., Scott H.D., 1979. Thermal diffusivity and conductivity of moist porous media. Soil Science Society of America Journal 43, 1050-1052. Arkhangel'skaya T.A., 2009. Parameterization and mathematical modeling of the dependence of soil thermal diffusivity on the water content. Eurasian Soil Science 42 (2), 162-172. doi: 10.1134/S1064229309020070 Arkhangelskaya T.A., 2014. Diversity of thermal conditions within the paleocryogenic soil complexes of the East European Plain: The discussion of key factors and mathematical modeling // Geoderma. Vol. 213. P. 608-616. doi 10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.04.001

Studies and Application of Remote Sensing Retrieval Method of Soil Moisture Content in Land Parcel Units in Irrigation Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, H.; Zhao, H. L.; Jiang, Y. Z.; Zang, W. B.

2018-05-01

Soil moisture is one of the important hydrological elements. Obtaining soil moisture accurately and effectively is of great significance for water resource management in irrigation area. During the process of soil moisture content retrieval with multiremote sensing data, multi- remote sensing data always brings multi-spatial scale problems which results in inconformity of soil moisture content retrieved by remote sensing in different spatial scale. In addition, agricultural water use management has suitable spatial scale of soil moisture information so as to satisfy the demands of dynamic management of water use and water demand in certain unit. We have proposed to use land parcel unit as the minimum unit to do soil moisture content research in agricultural water using area, according to soil characteristics, vegetation coverage characteristics in underlying layer, and hydrological characteristic into the basis of study unit division. We have proposed division method of land parcel units. Based on multi thermal infrared and near infrared remote sensing data, we calculate the ndvi and tvdi index and make a statistical model between the tvdi index and soil moisture of ground monitoring station. Then we move forward to study soil moisture remote sensing retrieval method on land parcel unit scale. And the method has been applied in Hetao irrigation area. Results show that compared with pixel scale the soil moisture content in land parcel unit scale has displayed stronger correlation with true value. Hence, remote sensing retrieval method of soil moisture content in land parcel unit scale has shown good applicability in Hetao irrigation area. We converted the research unit into the scale of land parcel unit. Using the land parcel units with unified crops and soil attributes as the research units more complies with the characteristics of agricultural water areas, avoids the problems such as decomposition of mixed pixels and excessive dependence on high-resolution data caused by the research units of pixels, and doesn't involve compromises in the spatial scale and simulating precision like the grid simulation. When the application needs are met, the production efficiency of products can also be improved at a certain degree.

Hydrologic Impact of Straw Mulch On Runoff from a Burned Area for Various Soil Water Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carnicle, M. M.; Moody, J. A.; Ahlstrom, A. K.

2011-12-01

Mountainous watersheds often exhibit increases in runoff and flash floods after wildfires. During 11 days of September 2010, the Fourmile Canyon wildfire burned 2500 hectares of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Boulder, Colorado. In an effort to minimize the risk of flash floods after the wildfire, Boulder County aerially applied straw mulch on high-risk areas selected primarily on the basis of their slopes and burn severities. The purpose of this research is to investigate the hydrologic response, specifically runoff, of a burned area where straw mulch is applied. We measured the runoff, at different soil water contents, from 0.8-m diameter plots. Paired plots were installed in June 2011 in a basin burned by the Fourmile Canyon Fire. Two sets of bounded, paired plot (two control and two experimental plots) were calibrated for 35 days without straw on either plot by measuring volumetric soil water content 2-3 times per week and measuring total runoff from each storm. Straw (5 cm thick) was added to the two experimental plots on 19 July 2011 and also to the funnels of two visual rain gages in order to measure the amount of rainfall absorbed by the straw. Initial results during the calibration period showed nearly linear relations between the volumetric soil water content of the control and experimental plots. The regression line for the runoff from the control versus the runoff from the experiment plot did not fit a linear trend; the variability may have been caused by two intense storms, which produced runoff that exceeded the capacity of the runoff gages. Also, during the calibration period, when soil water content was low the runoff coefficients were high. It is anticipated that the final results will show that the total runoff is greater on plots with no straw compared to those with straw, under conditions of various antecedent soil water content. We are continuing to collect data during the summer of 2011 to test this hypothesis.

Amelioration of cognitive, motor and endogenous defense functions with silymarin, piracetam and protocatechuic acid in the cerebral global ischemic rat model.

PubMed

Muley, Milind M; Thakare, Vishnu N; Patil, Rajesh R; Bafna, Pallavi A; Naik, Suresh R

2013-07-19

The neuroprotective activities of silymarin, piracetam and protocatechuic acid ethyl ester (PCA) on cerebral global ischemic/reperfusion were evaluated in a rat model. A midline ventral incision was made in the throat region. The right and left common carotid arteries were located and a bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) was performed for 30min using atraumatic clamps followed by a 24h period of reperfusion. Neurological/behavioral functions (cognitive and motor), endogenous defense systems (lipid peroxidation, glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase), reduced water content and infarct size and histopathological alterations were then studied. Silymarin and PCA treatments significantly improved cognitive, motor and endogenous defense functions, histopathological alterations, and, reduced both water content and infarct size compared to the vehicle-treated ischemic control group. Piracetam treatment improved neurological and histopathological alterations, reduced water content and infarct size, but failed to restore/prevent the impaired endogenous defense functions significantly. Silymarin showed better neuroprotection than piracetam and PCA in experimentally induced global ischemic/reperfusion and was able to facilitate mnemonic performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Dietary Fiber Extracted from Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) on the Physico-Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Reduced-Fat Frankfurters.

PubMed

Kim, Cheon-Jei; Kim, Hyun-Wook; Hwang, Ko-Eun; Song, Dong-Heon; Ham, Youn-Kyung; Choi, Ji-Hun; Kim, Young-Boong; Choi, Yun-Sang

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated the effects of reducing fat levels from 30% to 25, 20, and 15% by substituting pork fat with water and pumpkin fiber (2%) on the quality of frankfurters compared with control. Decreasing the fat concentration from 30% to 15% significantly increased moisture content, redness of meat batter and frankfurter, cooking loss, and water exudation, and decreased fat content, energy value, pH, and lightness of meat batter and frankfurter, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and apparent viscosity. The addition of 2% pumpkin fiber was significantly increased moisture content, yellowness of meat batter and frankfurter, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and apparent viscosity, whereas reduced cooking loss and emulsion stability. The treatment of reduced-fat frankfurters formulated with 20 and 25% fat levels and with pumpkin fiber had sensory properties similar to the high-fat control frankfurters. The results demonstrate that when the reduced-fat frankfurter with 2% added pumpkin fiber and water replaces fat levels can be readily made with high quality and acceptable sensory properties.

Effects of Dietary Fiber Extracted from Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) on the Physico-Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Reduced-Fat Frankfurters

PubMed Central

Kim, Cheon-Jei; Kim, Hyun-Wook; Hwang, Ko-Eun; Song, Dong-Heon; Ham, Youn-Kyung; Choi, Ji-Hun

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated the effects of reducing fat levels from 30% to 25, 20, and 15% by substituting pork fat with water and pumpkin fiber (2%) on the quality of frankfurters compared with control. Decreasing the fat concentration from 30% to 15% significantly increased moisture content, redness of meat batter and frankfurter, cooking loss, and water exudation, and decreased fat content, energy value, pH, and lightness of meat batter and frankfurter, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and apparent viscosity. The addition of 2% pumpkin fiber was significantly increased moisture content, yellowness of meat batter and frankfurter, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and apparent viscosity, whereas reduced cooking loss and emulsion stability. The treatment of reduced-fat frankfurters formulated with 20 and 25% fat levels and with pumpkin fiber had sensory properties similar to the high-fat control frankfurters. The results demonstrate that when the reduced-fat frankfurter with 2% added pumpkin fiber and water replaces fat levels can be readily made with high quality and acceptable sensory properties. PMID:27433101

Water and Melting in Back-arc Basins: New perspectives from the Eastern Lau Spreading Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langmuir, C. H.; Bezos, A.; Escrig, S.; Michael, P. J.

2007-12-01

Since the work of Stolper and Newman (EPSL, 1994) it has been well recognized that water and extent of melting correlate positively in back-arc basin basalts. Quantification of this effect has been used to determine the effect of water content in the source on extent of melting. The slope of the relationship δF/δH2Oo is linear, and varies from one back-arc basin to another. MELTS and other modeling (Hirschmann et al., J. Petrol., 1999; Gaetani and Grove, Contrib. Mineral. Pet. 1998; Geophys. Mon., 2003; Kelley et al., JGR, 2006) has led to the suggestion that the slope varies regularly with mantle temperature, and that water has a much larger effect on melting at higher compared to lower temperatures. This modeling has been done in the context of isothermal, isobaric addition of water. For back-arcs worldwide, a critical aspect of the data is that more hydrous basalts have very low Fe contents, even when corrected appropriately for hydrous fractionation. This leads to clear negative correlations between Fe and H2O corrected back to mantle values at Fo90. The 3 wt.% variations in Fe content are not compatible with isobaric models, and require very different melting conditions for hydrous basalts as compared to anhydrous back-arc basalts. Back-arc basin basalts also plot on the global correlations of axial depth and Na8.0, and this relationship has been used to estimate mantle temperatures in back-arc basins, which on this basis extend to very high values. New data on major elements, trace elements and water from the Eastern Lau Spreading Center (ELSC), along with a re-evaluation of global back-arc data and modeling of mantle melting in the context of a polybaric spreading center environment (Langmuir et al., Geophys. Mon., 2006) provide new perspectives on these issues. The ELSC1 segment has a lower δF/δH2Oo than both the Mariana and Manus Basins, which would suggest the lowest temperature. However, its extent of melting inferred from its "F" intercept (on a plot of F vs. water in the source) is similar to the Marianas, suggesting a similar temperature, and its Na contents are as low as Manus, suggesting a high temperature. These inconsistent results can be understood from quantitative models and a more realistic melting process beneath back-arc spreading centers. δF/δH2Oo does not change with mantle temperature. In the back-arc environment, there are two independent halves of the melting regime, the "dry side" and the "wet side." The dry side undergoes polybaric fractional melting like other ocean ridges. The wet side (somehow) produces low pressure equilibrium hydrous melts with high water and low Fe contents. Mixing between the two creates the back-arc arrays. Large variations of Fe and Ti that anti-correlate linearly with water reflect this two component mixing in the back-arc. Both Ti and Na are mobile in the back-arc mantle, and source depletion and enrichment is an essential factor for evaluation of mantle temperature variations. Despite the low Na contents in the Lau Basin does not appear to be particularly hot, and instead is derived from a depleted mantle with low Na contents at only modestly elevated potential temperatures of 1400 degrees.

Role of litter decomposition sensitivity to water content in non-additive litter mixture effect: theoretical demonstration and validation with a peatland litter experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gogo, Sébastien; Leroy, Fabien; Zoccatelli, Renata; Bernard-Jannin, Léonard; Laggoun-Défarge, Fatima

2017-04-01

In this work, we showed theoretically that differences in litter water content, evaporation rate and reaction rate sensitivity to water content can give account of non-additive litter mixture effect. More specifically two litters with the same dependence to litter water content and contrasted water content, and 2 litters with contrasted decomposition sensitivity to litter water content can exert synergistic mixture effect on decomposition when the 2 litters interact. In these situations, water can flow from the wettest to the driest litter, changing the whole reaction rate without changing the whole litter water content. The reaction rate increase of the litter receiving the water was relatively more important than the reaction rate decrease of the litter supplying the water. These theoretical considerations were validated with experimental data. Sphagnum rubellum and Molinia caerulea decompose faster in measured mixture than expected from the rates obtained in monoculture incubation. Sphagnum rubellum litter can contain more water, which evaporates at a slower rate than Molinia caerulea. It is thus proposed that water flowed from Sphagnum rubellum litter to the Molinia caerulea litter, with a substantial increase of the decomposition of the latter. The physical and biochemical litter characteristics towards water explains a fraction of the synergistic effect of mixing the 2 litters, which suggests that other factors intervene in this effect, such as the carbon substrate.

Environmental impact of coal mining and coal seam gas production on surface water quality in the Sydney basin, Australia.

PubMed

Ali, A; Strezov, V; Davies, P; Wright, I

2017-08-01

The extraction of coal and coal seam gas (CSG) will generate produced water that, if not adequately treated, will pollute surface and groundwater systems. In Australia, the discharge of produced water from coal mining and related activities is regulated by the state environment agency through a pollution licence. This licence sets the discharge limits for a range of analytes to protect the environment into which the produced water is discharged. This study reports on the impact of produced water from coal mine activities located within or discharging into high conservation environments, such as National Parks, in the outer region of Sydney, Australia. The water samples upstream and downstream from the discharge points from six mines were taken, and 110 parameters were tested. The results were assessed against a water quality index (WQI) which accounts for pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, total phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen and E .coli. The water quality assessment based on the trace metal contents against various national maximum admissible concentration (MAC) and their corresponding environmental impacts was also included in the study which also established a base value of water quality for further study. The study revealed that impacted water downstream of the mine discharge points contained higher metal content than the upstream reference locations. In many cases, the downstream water was above the Australia and New Zealand Environment Conservation Council and international water quality guidelines for freshwater stream. The major outliers to the guidelines were aluminium (Al), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn). The WQI of surface water at and downstream of the discharge point was lower when compared to upstream or reference conditions in the majority of cases. Toxicology indices of metals present in industrial discharges were used as an additional tool to assess water quality, and the newly proposed environmental water quality index (EWQI) lead to better trend in the impact of coal and coal seam gas mining activities on surface water quality when compared to the upstream reference water samples. Metal content limits were based on the impact points assigned by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, USA. For environmental and health impact assessment, the approach used in this study can be applied as a model to provide a basis to assess the anthropogenic contribution from the industrial and mining activities on the environment.

Skin changes induced by a zinc oxide dressing compared with a hydrocolloid dressing in healthy individuals.

PubMed

Nielsen, Lene Feldskov; Blume, Niels; Romme, Tina; Samuelsen, Peter; Everland, Hanne; Ifversen, Peter; Karlsmark, Tonny

2005-05-01

Incidence of skin complications in ostomy patients constitutes a well-known and well-described problem. The reasons are, however, very difficult to describe because of the many factors contributing to the problem. This article describes the skin changes derived exclusively from the adhesives used in a carefully controlled, long-term study using two fundamentally different types of adhesives: a hydrocolloid adhesive and a zinc oxide adhesive. The adhesives were changed daily on the volar forearm of 11 volunteers for a 4-week period. Once a week, transepidermal water-loss (TEWL), water content of the skin, erythema and the peel force applied for removal of the adhesives were measured. On the last day of the study, a replica of the skin surface was obtained to determine changes in the skin topography, and a biopsy was taken to study changes at the cellular level. We found increased TEWL and decreased water content in skin treated with the zinc oxide adhesive, but increased water-loss and water content when the hydrocolloid adhesive was used. In addition, the area treated with zinc oxide adhesive showed significant increase of epidermal thickness, scaly appearance and parakeratosis with similarities to pathological dry skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, changes that were not found when using the hydrocolloid adhesive. The skin response seems to be the result of the content of zinc oxide and the mechanical interaction of the zinc oxide adhesive. We conclude that the nature of the adhesive plays an important role in the skin response to repeated application of adhesives, as seen in peristomal skin.

Runoff simulation sensitivity to remotely sensed initial soil water content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodrich, D. C.; Schmugge, T. J.; Jackson, T. J.; Unkrich, C. L.; Keefer, T. O.; Parry, R.; Bach, L. B.; Amer, S. A.

1994-05-01

A variety of aircraft remotely sensed and conventional ground-based measurements of volumetric soil water content (SW) were made over two subwatersheds (4.4 and 631 ha) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service Walnut Gulch experimental watershed during the 1990 monsoon season. Spatially distributed soil water contents estimated remotely from the NASA push broom microwave radiometer (PBMR), an Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics (IRE) multifrequency radiometer, and three ground-based point methods were used to define prestorm initial SW for a distributed rainfall-runoff model (KINEROS; Woolhiser et al., 1990) at a small catchment scale (4.4 ha). At a medium catchment scale (631 ha or 6.31 km2) spatially distributed PBMR SW data were aggregated via stream order reduction. The impacts of the various spatial averages of SW on runoff simulations are discussed and are compared to runoff simulations using SW estimates derived from a simple daily water balance model. It was found that at the small catchment scale the SW data obtained from any of the measurement methods could be used to obtain reasonable runoff predictions. At the medium catchment scale, a basin-wide remotely sensed average of initial water content was sufficient for runoff simulations. This has important implications for the possible use of satellite-based microwave soil moisture data to define prestorm SW because the low spatial resolutions of such sensors may not seriously impact runoff simulations under the conditions examined. However, at both the small and medium basin scale, adequate resources must be devoted to proper definition of the input rainfall to achieve reasonable runoff simulations.

Jellyfish Body Plans Provide Allometric Advantages beyond Low Carbon Content

PubMed Central

Pitt, Kylie A.; Duarte, Carlos M.; Lucas, Cathy H.; Sutherland, Kelly R.; Condon, Robert H.; Mianzan, Hermes; Purcell, Jennifer E.; Robinson, Kelly L.; Uye, Shin-Ichi

2013-01-01

Jellyfish form spectacular blooms throughout the world’s oceans. Jellyfish body plans are characterised by high water and low carbon contents which enables them to grow much larger than non-gelatinous animals of equivalent carbon content and to deviate from non-gelatinous pelagic animals when incorporated into allometric relationships. Jellyfish have, however, been argued to conform to allometric relationships when carbon content is used as the metric for comparison. Here we test the hypothesis that differences in allometric relationships for several key functional parameters remain for jellyfish even after their body sizes are scaled to their carbon content. Data on carbon and nitrogen contents, rates of respiration, excretion, growth, longevity and swimming velocity of jellyfish and other pelagic animals were assembled. Allometric relationships between each variable and the equivalent spherical diameters of jellyfish and other pelagic animals were compared before and after sizes of jellyfish were standardised for their carbon content. Before standardisation, the slopes of the allometric relationships for respiration, excretion and growth were the same for jellyfish and other pelagic taxa but the intercepts differed. After standardisation, slopes and intercepts for respiration were similar but excretion rates of jellyfish were 10× slower, and growth rates 2× faster than those of other pelagic animals. Longevity of jellyfish was independent of size. The slope of the allometric relationship of swimming velocity of jellyfish differed from that of other pelagic animals but because they are larger jellyfish operate at Reynolds numbers approximately 10× greater than those of other pelagic animals of comparable carbon content. We conclude that low carbon and high water contents alone do not explain the differences in the intercepts or slopes of the allometric relationships of jellyfish and other pelagic animals and that the evolutionary longevity of jellyfish and their propensity to form blooms is facilitated by their unique body plans. PMID:23967331

Jellyfish body plans provide allometric advantages beyond low carbon content.

PubMed

Pitt, Kylie A; Duarte, Carlos M; Lucas, Cathy H; Sutherland, Kelly R; Condon, Robert H; Mianzan, Hermes; Purcell, Jennifer E; Robinson, Kelly L; Uye, Shin-Ichi

2013-01-01

Jellyfish form spectacular blooms throughout the world's oceans. Jellyfish body plans are characterised by high water and low carbon contents which enables them to grow much larger than non-gelatinous animals of equivalent carbon content and to deviate from non-gelatinous pelagic animals when incorporated into allometric relationships. Jellyfish have, however, been argued to conform to allometric relationships when carbon content is used as the metric for comparison. Here we test the hypothesis that differences in allometric relationships for several key functional parameters remain for jellyfish even after their body sizes are scaled to their carbon content. Data on carbon and nitrogen contents, rates of respiration, excretion, growth, longevity and swimming velocity of jellyfish and other pelagic animals were assembled. Allometric relationships between each variable and the equivalent spherical diameters of jellyfish and other pelagic animals were compared before and after sizes of jellyfish were standardised for their carbon content. Before standardisation, the slopes of the allometric relationships for respiration, excretion and growth were the same for jellyfish and other pelagic taxa but the intercepts differed. After standardisation, slopes and intercepts for respiration were similar but excretion rates of jellyfish were 10× slower, and growth rates 2× faster than those of other pelagic animals. Longevity of jellyfish was independent of size. The slope of the allometric relationship of swimming velocity of jellyfish differed from that of other pelagic animals but because they are larger jellyfish operate at Reynolds numbers approximately 10× greater than those of other pelagic animals of comparable carbon content. We conclude that low carbon and high water contents alone do not explain the differences in the intercepts or slopes of the allometric relationships of jellyfish and other pelagic animals and that the evolutionary longevity of jellyfish and their propensity to form blooms is facilitated by their unique body plans.

Vegetation Water Content Mapping for Agricultural Regions in SMAPVEX16

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, W. A.; Cosh, M. H.; McKee, L.; Berg, A. A.; McNairn, H.; Hornbuckle, B. K.; Colliander, A.; Jackson, T. J.

2017-12-01

Vegetation water content impacts the ability of L-band radiometers to measure surface soil moisture. Therefore it is necessary to quantify the amount of water held in surface vegetation for an accurate soil moisture remote sensing retrieval. A methodology is presented for generating agricultural vegetation water content maps using Landsat 8 scenes for agricultural fields of Iowa and Manitoba for the Soil Moisture Active Passive Validation Experiments in 2016 (SMAPVEX16). Manitoba has a variety of row crops across the region, and the study period encompasses the time frame from emergence to reproduction, as well as a forested region. The Iowa study site is dominated by corn and soybeans, presenting an easier challenge. Ground collection of vegetation biomass and water content were also collected to provide a ground truth data source. Errors for the resulting vegetation water content maps ranged depending upon crop type, but generally were less than 15% of the total plant water content per crop type. Interpolation is done between Landsat overpasses to produce daily vegetation water content maps for the summer of 2016 at a 30 meter resolution.

Renal mitochondrial impairment is attenuated by AT1 blockade in experimental Type I diabetes.

PubMed

de Cavanagh, Elena M V; Ferder, León; Toblli, Jorge E; Piotrkowski, Bárbara; Stella, Inés; Fraga, Cesar G; Inserra, Felipe

2008-01-01

To investigate whether ANG II type 1 (AT(1)) receptor blockade could protect kidney mitochondria in streptozotocin-induced Type 1 diabetes, we treated 8-wk-old male Sprague-Dawley rats with a single streptozotocin injection (65 mg/kg ip; STZ group), streptozotocin and drinking water containing either losartan (30 mg.kg(-1).day(-1); STZ+Los group) or amlodipine (3 mg.kg(-1).day(-1); STZ+Amlo group), or saline (intraperitoneally) and pure water (control group). Four-month-long losartan or amlodipine treatments started 30 days before streptozotocin injection to improve the antioxidant defenses. The number of renal lesions, plasma glucose and lipid levels, and proteinuria were higher and creatinine clearance was lower in STZ and STZ+Amlo compared with STZ+Los and control groups. Glycemia was higher in STZ+Los compared with control. Blood pressure, basal mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial pyruvate content, and renal oxidized glutathione levels were higher and NADH/cytochrome c oxidoreductase activity was lower in STZ compared with the other groups. In STZ and STZ+Amlo groups, mitochondrial H(2)O(2) production rate was higher and uncoupling protein-2 content, cytochrome c oxidase activity, and renal glutathione level were lower than in STZ+Los and control groups. Mitochondrial nitric oxide synthase activity was higher in STZ+Amlo compared with the other groups. Mitochondrial pyruvate content and H(2)O(2) production rate negatively contributed to electron transfer capacity and positively contributed to renal lesions. Uncoupling protein-2 content negatively contributed to mitochondrial H(2)O(2) production rate and renal lesions. Renal glutathione reduction potential positively contributed to mitochondria electron transfer capacity. In conclusion, AT(1) blockade protects kidney mitochondria and kidney structure in streptozotocin-induced diabetes independently of blood pressure and glycemia.

Ground-water hydrology of the upper Sevier River Basin, south-central Utah, and simulation of ground-water flow in the valley-fill in Panguitch Valley.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thiros, Susan A.; Brothers, William C.

1993-01-01

The ground-water hydrology of the upper Sevier River basin, primarily of the unconsolidated valley-fill aquifers, was studied from 1988 to 1989. Recharge to the valley-fill aquifers is mostly by seepage from surface-water sources. Changes in soil-moisture content am water levels were measured in Panguitch Valley both at a flood-irrigated and at a sprinkler-irrigated alfalfa field to quantify seepage from unconsumed irrigation water. Lag time between irrigation and water-level response decreased from 6 to 2 days in the flood-irrigated field as the soil-moisture content increased. Water levels measured in the sprinkler-irrigated field did not respond to irrigation. Discharge from the valley-fill aquifer to the Sevier River in Panguitch Valley is about 53,570 acre-feet per year.Water levels measured in wells from 1951 to 1989 tend to fluctuate with the quantity of precipitation falling at higher elevations. Ground-water discharge to the Sevier River in Panguitch Valley causes a general increase in the specific conductance of the river in a downstream direction.A three-layered ground-water-flow model was used to simulate the effects of changes in irrigation practices am increased ground-water withdrawals in Panguitch Valley. The establishment of initial conditions consisted of comparing simulated water levels and simulated gains and losses from the Sevier River and selected canals with values measured during the 1988 irrigation season. The model was calibrated by comparing water-level changes measured from 1961 to 1963 to simulated changes. A simulated change from flood to sprinkler irrigation resulted in a maximum decline in water level of 0.9 feet after the first year of change. Simulating additional discharge from wells resulted in drawdowns of about 20 feet after the first year of pumping.

Kidney stone formation and antioxidant effects of Cynodon dactylon decoction in male Wistar rats.

PubMed

Golshan, Alireza; Hayatdavoudi, Parichehr; Hadjzadeh, Mousa Al-Reza; Khajavi Rad, Abolfazl; Mohamadian Roshan, Nema; Abbasnezhad, Abbasali; Mousavi, Seyed Mojtaba; Pakdel, Roghayeh; Zarei, Batool; Aghaee, Azita

2017-01-01

The antioxidant capacity impairs in kidney and urinary bladder of animals with stone disease. Herbal medicine can improve the antioxidant condition of renal tissue. Cynodon dactylon ( C. dactylon ) is a medicinal plant with antioxidative and diuretic properties and different preparations of this plant have shown promising effects in stone disease. Assessment of the whole plant decoction to prevent kidney stone disease as well as its antioxidant effects was the aim of this paper. Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 experimental groups (n=10). One group was left without treatment and four groups received ethylene glycol (1% v/v) in drinking water for 6 weeks. Three doses of Cynodon dactylon aqueous decoction (12.5, 50 and 200 mg/kg BW) were added to the drinking water of groups 3-5. Finally, water intake, 24-hour urine volume, MDA, total thiol concentration and FRAP value were measured in the serum and kidney tissues. The CaOx depositions were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Compared to the ethylene glycol-treated group, 200 mg/kg C. dactylon , lowered stone incidents, decreased urine volume, increased FRAP/g Cr (43%) and thiol content (p<0.05) with no significant alteration of water intake, MDA decreased significantly compared to C. dactylon 12.5 (p<0.01). Kidney weight increased and body weight decreased in ethylene glycol-treated group compared to the control group (p<0.05). A minimum dose of 200 mg/kg C. dactylon reduced stone formation and simultaneously increased total antioxidant power of serum and preserved MDA content and water.

Influence of water content on the inactivation of P. digitatum spores using an air-water plasma jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Youyi, HU; Weidong, ZHU; Kun, LIU; Leng, HAN; Zhenfeng, ZHENG; Huimin, HU

2018-04-01

In order to investigate whether an air-water plasma jet is beneficial to improve the efficiency of inactivation, a series of experiments were done using a ring-needle plasma jet. The water content in the working gas (air) was accurately measured based on the Karl Fischer method. The effects of water on the production of OH (A2Σ+-X2Πi) and O (3p5P-3s5S) were also studied by optical emission spectroscopy. The results show that the water content is in the range of 2.53-9.58 mg l-1, depending on the gas/water mixture ratio. The production of OH (A2Σ+-X2Πi) rises with the increase of water content, whereas the O (3p5P-3s5S) shows a declining tendency with higher water content. The sterilization experiments indicate that this air-water plasma jet inactivates the P. digitatum spores very effectively and its efficiency rises with the increase of the water content. It is possible that OH (A2Σ+-X2Πi) is a more effective species in inactivation than O (3p5P-3s5S) and the water content benefit the spore germination inhibition through rising the OH (A2Σ+-X2Πi) production. The maximum of the inactivation efficacy is up to 93% when the applied voltage is -6.75 kV and the water content is 9.58 mg l-1.

Geochemistry and source waters of rock glacier outflow, Colorado Front Range

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, M.W.; Knauf, M.; Caine, N.; Liu, F.; Verplanck, P.L.

2006-01-01

We characterize the seasonal variation in the geochemical and isotopic content of the outflow of the Green Lake 5 rock glacier (RG5), located in the Green Lakes Valley of the Colorado Front Range, USA. Between June and August, the geochemical content of rock glacier outflow does not appear to differ substantially from that of other surface waters in the Green Lakes Valley. Thus, for this alpine ecosystem at this time of year there does not appear to be large differences in water quality among rock glacier outflow, glacier and blockslope discharge, and discharge from small alpine catchments. However, in September concentrations of Mg2+ in the outflow of the rock glacier increased to more than 900 ??eq L-1 compared to values of less than 40 ??eq L-1 at all the other sites, concentrations of Ca2+ were greater than 4,000 ??eq L-1 compared to maximum values of less than 200 ??eq L-1 at all other sites, and concentrations of SO42- reached 7,000 ??eq L-1, compared to maximum concentrations below 120 ??eq L-1 at the other sites. Inverse geochemical modelling suggests that dissolution of pyrite, epidote, chlorite and minor calcite as well as the precipitation of silica and goethite best explain these elevated concentrations of solutes in the outflow of the rock glacier. Three component hydrograph separation using end-member mixing analysis shows that melted snow comprised an average of 30% of RG5 outflow, soil water 32%, and base flow 38%. Snow was the dominant source water in June, soil water was the dominant water source in July, and base flow was the dominant source in September. Enrichment of ?? 18O from - 10??? in the outflow of the rock glacier compared to -20??? in snow and enrichment of deuterium excess from +17.5??? in rock glacier outflow compared to +11??? in snow, suggests that melt of internal ice that had undergone multiple melt/freeze episodes was the dominant source of base flow. Copyright ?? 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Spatiotemporal variation characteristics of heavy metals pollution in the water, soil and sediments environment of the Lean River-Poyang Lake Wetland].

PubMed

Jian, Min-Fei; Li, Ling-Yu; Xu, Peng-Fei; Chen, Pu-Qing; Xiong, Jian-Qiu; Zhou, Xue-Ling

2014-05-01

Overlying water, sediments, surface soils in the typical wetland areas of Lean River and Poyang Lake which were rich in non-ferrous metal mineral resources on both sides of the river, were chosen for monitoring heavy metals including copper, lead and cadmium of base flow in average season, flood season, and dry season in 2012. Statistical analysis methods were coupled to characterize the spatiotemporal variation of heavy metals pollution and identify the main sources. The results indicated that the concentrations of copper were the highest in all samples of each sampling sites in the Lean River-Poyang Lake wetland. And the content values of copper, lead and cadmium in different samples of different sampling sites also showed that the content values of copper were higher than those of lead, and the content values of lead were also higher than those of cadmium. The results also showed that the heavy metals pollution of copper, lead and cadmium in flood season was the heaviest whereas the heavy metals pollution in dry season was comparatively light. The results of the contents of the three kinds of heavy metals elements in different sampling sites of the watersheds of lean River showed that the contents of copper in the samples from the upstream sampling sites of Lean River were higher than those of other samples from other sites. And the contents of lead in the samples from the downstream sampling sites of Lean River were higher than those of other samples from other sampling sites. The contents of cadmium in the samples from the midstream sampling sites of Lean River were higher than those of other samples from other sites. The first principal component representing copper pollution explained 36. 99% of the total variance of water quality. The second principal component concerning representing lead pollution explained 30. 12% of the total variance. The correlation analysis results showed that there were significant positive correlations among the contents of copper in sediments and the contents of copper in overlying water. And there was also significant positive correlation between the contents of copper in sediments and the contents of copper in the surface soils. And the correlation analysis showed that there were significant positive correlations among the contents of cadmium in sediments and the contents of cadmium in surface soils. The above results reflected that the copper pollution or cadmium sources of water, soil and sediments were consistent, which were mainly from heavy metal acidic waste of mining emissions. The correlations between other components were not very obvious, which reflected the sources of pollutants were different.

[Study on trace elements of lake sediments by ICP-AES and XRF core scanning].

PubMed

Cheng, Ai-Ying; Yu, Jun-Qing; Gao, Chun-Liang; Zhang, Li-Sha; He, Xian-Hu

2013-07-01

It is the first time to study sediment of Toson lake in Qaidam Basin. Trace elements including Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb in lake sediment were measured by ICP-AES method, studied and optimized from different resolution methods respectively, and finally determined a optimum pretreatment system for sediment of Toson lake, namely, HCl-HNO3-HF-HClO4-H2O2 system in the proportions of 5 : 5 : 5 : 1 : 1 was determined. At the same time, the data measured by XRF core scanning were compared, the use of moisture content correction method was analyzed, and the influence of the moisture content on the scanning method was discussed. The results showed that, compared to the background value, the contents of Cd and Zn were a little higher, the content of Cr, Cu and Pb was within the background value limits. XRF core scanning was controlled by sediment elements as well as water content in sediment to some extent. The results by the two methods showed a significant positive correlation, with the correlation coefficient up to 0.673-0.925, and they have a great comparability.

The effects of sugars on moisture sorption isotherm and functional properties of cold water fish gelatin films.

PubMed

Hazaveh, Parham; Mohammadi Nafchi, Abdorreza; Abbaspour, Hossein

2015-08-01

Sugars were incorporated into CWFG solutions at different ratios (0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% w/w). Functional properties of the modified films were characterized following American standard test methods, and moisture sorption isotherm was characterized by polynomial and GAB models. Permeation to water vapor and oxygen of the modified films decreased compared to that of the control CWFG films. Moisture content, solubility, and monolayer water content of CWFG films decreased with the increase of sugar content. The addition of sugars significantly increased the Tensile strength of CWFG films from 30 to 40 MPa for ribose, and 30 to 35 MPa for fructose whereas elongation at the breaks decreased from 60% to 30% for ribose, and from 60% to 45% for that which incorporated fructose sugars. Moisture sorption isotherm curve significantly shifted to lower moisture content in aw<0.6. In aw>0.6, ribose-incorporated CWFG films, had similar function to hydrogel materials. In all the characterizations, the effects of ribose were significantly higher than those of fructose. Results of this research can be explored for commercial use, depending on the application for either packaging purposes or in the cosmetics industries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of APSIM and DNDC simulations of nitrogen transformations and N2O emissions.

PubMed

Vogeler, I; Giltrap, D; Cichota, R

2013-11-01

Various models have been developed to better understand nitrogen (N) cycling in soils, which is governed by a complex interaction of physical, chemical and biological factors. Two process-based models, the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) and DeNitrification DeComposition (DNDC), were used to simulate nitrification, denitrification and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soils following N input from either fertiliser or excreta deposition. The effect of environmental conditions on N transformations as simulated by the two different models was compared. Temperature had a larger effect in APSIM on nitrification, whereas in DNDC, water content produced a larger response. In contrast, simulated denitrification showed a larger response to temperature and also organic carbon content in DNDC. And while denitrification in DNDC is triggered by rainfall ≥5mm/h, in APSIM, the driving factor is soil water content, with a trigger point at water content at field capacity. The two models also showed different responses to N load, with nearly linearly increasing N2O emission rates with N load simulated by DNDC, and a lower rate by APSIM. Increasing rainfall intensity decreased APSIM-simulated N2O emissions but increased those simulated by DNDC. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of biological and coagulation pre-treatments to control organic and biofouling potential components of ultrafiltration membrane in the treatment of lake water.

PubMed

Pramanik, Biplob Kumar; Kajol, Annaduzzaman; Suja, Fatihah; Md Zain, Shahrom

2017-03-01

Biological aerated filter (BAF), sand filtration (SF), alum and Moringa oleifera coagulation were investigated as a pre-treatment for reducing the organic and biofouling potential component of an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane in the treatment of lake water. The carbohydrate content was mainly responsible for reversible fouling of the UF membrane compared to protein or dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content. All pre-treatment could effectively reduce these contents and led to improve the UF filterability. Both BAF and SF markedly led to improvement in flux than coagulation processes, and alum gave greater flux than M. oleifera. This was attributed to the effective removal and/or breakdown of high molecular weight (MW) organics by biofilters. BAF led to greater improvement in flux than SF, due to greater breakdown of high MW organics, and this was also confirmed by the attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. Coagulation processes were ineffective in removing biofouling potential components, whereas both biofilters were very effective as shown by the reduction of low MW organics, biodegradable dissolved organic carbon and assimilable organic carbon contents. This study demonstrated the potential of biological pre-treatments for reducing organic and biofouling potential component and thus improving flux for the UF of lake water treatment.

Combination of different methods to assess the fate of lignin in decomposing needle and leave litter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klotzbücher, Thimo; Filley, Timothy; Kaiser, Klaus; Kalbitz, Karsten

2010-05-01

Lignin is a major component of plant litter. However, its fate during litter decay is still poorly understood. One reason is the difficult analysis. Commonly used methods utilize different methodological approaches and focus on different aspects, e.g., content of lignin and/or of lignin-derived phenols and the degree of oxidation. The comparability and feasibility of the methods has not been tested so far. Our aims were: (1) to compare different methods with respect to track lignin degradation during plant litter decay and (2) to evaluate possible advantages of combining the different results. We assessed lignin degradation in decaying litter by 13C-TMAH thermochemolysis and CuO oxidation (each combined with GC/MS) and by determination of acid-detergent lignin (ADL) combined with near infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, water-extractable organic matter produced during litter decay was examined for indicators of lignin-derived compounds by UV absorbance at 280 nm, fluorescence spectroscopy, and 13C-TMAH GC/MS. The study included litter samples from 5 different tree species (acer, ash, beech, pine, spruce), exposed in litterbags to degradation in a spruce stand for 27 months. First results suggested stronger lignin degradation in coniferous than in deciduous litter. This was indicated by complementary results from various methods: Conifer litter showed a more pronounced decrease in ADL content and a stronger increase in oxidation degree of side chains (Ac/Al ratios of CuO oxidation and 13C-TMAH products). Furthermore water extracted organic matter from needles showed a higher aromaticity and molecule complexity. Thus properties of water extractable organic matter seemed to reflect the extents of lignin degradation in solid litter samples. Contents of lignin-derived phenols determined with the CuO method (VSC content) hardly changed during decay of needles and leaves. These results thus not matched the trends found with the ADL method. Our results suggested that water-soluble phenolic acids that are included in the CuO oxidation products, accumulated during decay of litter with less stable lignin and then contributed to VSC contents and to the pool of water- extractable organic matter. By combining results from different methods we gained a better understanding about the differences in lignin degradation between the litter species.

Influence of cryoprotectant levels on storage stability of surimi from Nemipterus japonicus and quality of surimi-based products.

PubMed

U, Parvathy; George, Sajan

2014-05-01

A study was undertaken with the aim of reducing the concentration of cryoprotectants in surimi without adversely affecting frozen storage stability. Minced meat from a tropical fish, Nemipterus japonicus, was strained, water leached and mixed with different levels of sucrose-sorbitol (1:1) mixture (henceforth called sugar mixture), quick frozen at -35 °C and frozen stored at -20 °C. The surimi samples were subjected to storage stability studies for a period of 5 months. Water leaching resulted in slight absorption of water by meat and reduction in protein, fat and mineral contents. Surimi was found to have moderately white colour. Sensory evaluation studies were conducted on three products, viz., sausage, patty and cake, prepared using surimi containing different concentrations of sugar mixture. Sugar mixture content varying from 0% (control) to 4% in surimi resulted in products that were more acceptable to the taste panelists compared those with 6% and 8% sugar mixture. During frozen storage of surimi pH and total plate count remained nearly steady for all sugar mixture concentrations and throughout the storage period. Moisture content appeared to remain constant during storage, but decreased with increase in sugar concentration. The salt soluble nitrogen content of surimi and gel strength of sausage prepared from it decreased with storage period in all surimi samples, and increased with sugar mixture concentration. Expressible water content of surimi sausage showed an increasing trend with storage period of surimi and a decreasing trend with sugar mixture concentration. Sensory evaluation parameters-elasticity, sweetness and preference-remained more or less steady during storage. However elasticity and sweetness increased and preference decreased with sugar mixture concentration beyond 4%. Elasticity and gel strength of surimi sausage seemed to be much lower for control compared to even the lowest concentration of sugar (2%) used. A concentration of 2 to 4% sucrose-sorbitol mixture is well-accepted by the consumers in products-surimi sausage, patty and cake and at this range of concentration surimi could be well-preserved at -20 °C for at least 5 months.

Cartilage collagen damage in hip osteoarthritis similar to that seen in knee osteoarthritis; a case-control study of relationship between collagen, glycosaminoglycan and cartilage swelling.

PubMed

Hosseininia, Shahrzad; Lindberg, Lisbeth R; Dahlberg, Leif E

2013-01-09

It remains to be shown whether OA shares molecular similarities between different joints in humans. This study provides evidence for similarities in cartilage molecular damage in osteoarthritic (OA) joints. Articular cartilage from osteoarthritic hip joints were analysed and compared to non-OA controls regarding collagen, glycosaminoglycan and water content. Femoral heads from 16 osteoarthritic (OA) and 20 reference patients were obtained from hip replacement surgery due to OA and femoral neck fracture, respectively. Cartilage histological changes were assessed by Mankin grading and denatured collagen type II immunostaining and cartilage was extracted by α-chymotrypsin. Hydroxyproline and Alcian blue binding assays were used to measure collagen and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content, respectively. Mankin and immunohistology scores were significantly higher in hip OA samples than in reference samples. Cartilage water content was 6% higher in OA samples than in references. 2.5 times more collagen was extracted from OA than from reference samples. There was a positive association between water content and percentage of extractable collagen pool (ECP) in both groups. The amounts of collagen per wet and dry weights did not differ statistically between OA and reference cartilage. % Extractable collagen was not related to collagen per dry weight in either group. However when collagen was expressed by wet weight there was a negative correlation between % extractable and collagen in OA cartilage. The amount of GAG per wet weight was similar in both groups but the amount of GAG per dry weight was higher in OA samples compared to reference samples, which suggests a capacity for GAG biosynthesis in hip OA cartilage. Neither of the studied parameters was related to age in either group. Increased collagen extractability and water content in human hip cartilage is associated with OA pathology and can be observed at early stages of the degenerative hip OA process. Our results suggest a common degradative pathway of collagen in articular cartilage of different joints. Furthermore, the study suggests that biochemical changes precede more overt OA changes and that chondrocytes may have a capability to compensate molecular loss in the early phase of OA.

Analysis of factors controlling sediment phosphorus flux potential of wetlands in Hulun Buir grassland by principal component and path analysis method.

PubMed

He, Jing; Su, Derong; Lv, Shihai; Diao, Zhaoyan; Ye, Shengxing; Zheng, Zhirong

2017-11-08

Phosphorus (P) flux potential can predict the trend of phosphorus release from wetland sediments to water and provide scientific parameters for further monitoring and management for phosphorus flux from wetland sediments to overlying water. Many studies have focused on factors affecting sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface, but rarely on the relationship among these factors. In the present study, experiment on sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface was conducted in six wetlands in Hulun Buir grassland, China and the relationships among sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface, sediment physical properties, and sediment chemical characteristics were examined. Principal component analysis and path analysis were used to discuss these data in correlation coefficient, direct, and indirect effects on sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface. Results indicated that the major factors affecting sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface were amount of organophosphate-degradation bacterium in sediment, Ca-P content, and total phosphorus concentrations. The factors of direct influence sediment P flux potential were sediment Ca-P content, Olsen-P content, SOC content, and sediment Al-P content. The indirect influence sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface was sediment Olsen-P content, sediment SOC content, sediment Ca-P content, and sediment Al-P content. And the standard multiple regression describing the relationship between sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface and its major effect factors was Y = 5.849 - 1.025X 1  - 1.995X 2  + 0.188X 3  - 0.282X 4 (r = 0.9298, p < 0.01, n = 96), where Y is sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface, X 1 is sediment Ca-P content, X 2 is sediment Olsen-P content, X 3 is sediment SOC content, and X 4 is sediment Al-P content. Therefore, future research will focus on these sediment properties to analyze the interrelation among sediment properties factors, main vegetable factors, and environment factors which influence the sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface.

Use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to improve the drought tolerance of Cupressus atlantica G.

PubMed

Zarik, Lamia; Meddich, Abdelilah; Hijri, Mohamed; Hafidi, Mohamed; Ouhammou, Ahmed; Ouahmane, Lahcen; Duponnois, Robin; Boumezzough, Ali

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated whether indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi could improve the tolerance of Cupressus atlantica against water deficit. We tested a gradient of watering regime spanning from 90% to 25% of soil retention capacity of water on mycorhized and non-mycorhized seedlings in pot cultures with sterilized and non-sterilized soils. Our result showed a positive impact of AM fungi on shoot height, stem diameter and biomass as well as on the growth rate. We also observed that inoculation with AM fungi significantly improved uptake of minerals by C. atlantica in both sterilized and non-sterilized soils independently of water regimes. We found that mycorhized plants maintained higher relative water content (RWC) and water potential compared with non-mycorhized plants that were subjected to drought-stress regimes (50% and 25% of soil retention capacity). The contents of proline and of soluble sugars showed that their concentrations decreased in non-mycorhized plants subjected to DS. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities also decreased in non-mycorhized plants submitted to DS compared to mycorhized plants. The same pattern was observed by measuring peroxidase (POD) enzyme activity. The results demonstrated that AM fungal inoculation promoted the growth and tolerance of C. atlantica against DS in pot cultures. Therefore, mycorrhizal inoculation could be a potential solution for the conservation and reestablishment of C. atlantica in its natural ecosystem. Copyright © 2016 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Integration of Remote Sensing Technology Using Sentinel-2A Satellite images For Fertilization and Water Pollution Analysis in Estuaries Inlet of Semarang Eastern Flood Canal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subiyanto, Sawitri; Ramadhanis, Zainab; Baktiar, Aditya Hafidh

2018-02-01

One of the waters that has been contaminated by industrial waste and domestic waste is the waters in estuaries inlet of Semarang Eastern Flood Canal which is the estuary of the river system, which passes through the eastern city of Semarang which is dense with residential and industrial. So it is necessary to have information about the assessment of water quality in Estuaries Inlet of Semarang Eastern Flood Canal. Remote sensing technology can analyze the results of recording the spectral characteristics of water with water quality parameters. One of the parameters for assessing water quality is Chlorophyll-a and Total Suspended Solid, can be estimated through remote sensing technology using multispectral Sentinel-2A Satellite images. In this research there are 3 algorithms that will be used in determining the content of chlorophyll a, and for determining TSS. Image accuracy test is done to find out how far the image can give information about Chlorophyll-a and TSS in the waters. The results of the image accuracy test will be compared with the value of chlorophyll-a and TSS that have been tested through laboratory analysis. The result of this research is the distribution map of chlorophyll-a and TSS content in the waters.

Fluorescent solute-partitioning characterization of layered soft contact lenses.

PubMed

Dursch, T J; Liu, D E; Oh, Y; Radke, C J

2015-03-01

Partitioning of aqueous packaging, wetting, and care-solution agents into and out of soft contact lenses (SCLs) is important for improving wear comfort and also for characterizing lens physico-chemical properties. We illustrate both features of partitioning by application of fluorescent-solute partitioning into DAILIES TOTAL1® (delefilcon A) water-gradient SCLs, which exhibit a layered structure of a silicone-hydrogel (SiHy) core sandwiched between thin surface-gel layers. Two-photon fluorescence confocal laser-scanning microscopy and attenuated total-reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) characterize the lens and assess uptake profiles of six prototypical fluorescent solutes. Comparison of solute uptake in a SiHy-core prototype lens (i.e., O2OPTIX(TM)) validates the core SiHy structure of DAILIESTOTAL1®. To establish surface-layer charge, partition coefficients and water contents are obtained for aqueous pH values of 4 and 7.4. Solute fluorescence-intensity profiles clearly confirm a layered structure for the DAILIES TOTAL1® lenses. In all cases, aqueous solute partition coefficients are greater in the surface layers than in the SiHy core, signifying higher water in the surface gels. ATR-FTIR confirms surface-layer mass water contents of 82±3%. Water uptake and hydrophilic-solute uptake at pH 4 compared with that at pH 7.4 reveal that the surface-gel layers are anionic at physiologic pH 7.4, whereas both the SiHy core and O2OPTIX™ (lotrafilcon B) are nonionic. We successfully confirm the layered structure of DAILIES TOTAL1®, consisting of an 80-μm-thick SiHy core surrounded by 10-μm-thick polyelectrolyte surface-gel layers of significantly greater water content and aqueous solute uptake compared with the core. Accordingly, fluorescent-solute partitioning in SCLs provides information on gel structure and composition, in addition to quantifying uptake and release amounts and rates. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using radiative transfer models to study the atmospheric water vapor content and to eliminate telluric lines from high-resolution optical spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardini, A.; Maíz Apellániz, J.; Pérez, E.; Quesada, J. A.; Funke, B.

2013-05-01

The Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) and the retrieval algorithm, incorporated in the SCIATRAN 2.2 software package developed at the Institute of Remote Sensing/Institute of Enviromental Physics of Bremen University (Germany), allows to simulate, among other things, radiance/irradiance spectra in the 2400--24 000 Å range. In this work we present applications of RTM to two case studies. In the first case the RTM was used to simulate direct solar irradiance spectra, with different water vapor amounts, for the study of the water vapor content in the atmosphere above Sierra Nevada Observatory. Simulated spectra were compared with those measured with a spectrometer operating in the 8000--10 000 Å range. In the second case the RTM was used to generate telluric model spectra to subtract the atmospheric contribution and correct high-resolution stellar spectra from atmospheric water vapor and oxygen lines. The results of both studies are discussed.

Influence of tragacanth gum in egg white based bioplastics: Thermomechanical and water uptake properties.

PubMed

López-Castejón, María Luisa; Bengoechea, Carlos; García-Morales, Moisés; Martínez, Inmaculada

2016-11-05

This study aims to extend the range of applications of tragacanth gum by studying its incorporation into bioplastics formulation, exploring the influence that different gum contents (0-20wt.%) exert over the thermomechanical and water uptake properties of bioplastics based on egg white albumen protein (EW). The effect of plasticizer nature was also evaluated through the modification of the water/glycerol ratio within the plasticizer fraction (fixed at 40wt.%). The addition of tragacanth gum generally yielded an enhancement of the water uptake capacity, being doubled at the highest content. Conversely, presence of tragacanth gum resulted in a considerable decrease in the bioplastic mechanical properties: both tensile strength and maximum elongation were reduced up to 75% approximately when compared to the gum-free system. Ageing of selected samples was also studied, revealing an important effect of storage time when tragacanth gum is present, possibly due to its hydrophilic character. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of heavy metals and water content on the strength of magnesium phosphate cements.

PubMed

Buj, Irene; Torras, Josep; Casellas, Daniel; Rovira, Miquel; de Pablo, Joan

2009-10-15

In this paper the mechanical properties of magnesium potassium phosphate cements used for the Stabilization/Solidification (S/S) of galvanic wastes were investigated. Surrogate wastes (metal nitrate dissolutions) were employed containing Cd, Cr(III), Cu, Ni, Pb or Zn at a concentration of 25 g dm(-3) and different water-to-solid (W/S) ratios (0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 dm(3)kg(-1)) have been employed. Cements were prepared by mixing hard burned magnesia of about 70% purity with potassium dihydrogen phosphate. Compressive strength and tensile strength of specimens were determined. In addition the volume of permeable voids was measured. It was found that when comparing pastes that the volume of permeable voids increases and mechanical strength decreases with the increase of water-to-solid ratio (W/S). Nevertheless pastes with the same material proportions containing different metals show different mechanical strength values. The hydration products were analyzed by XRD. With the increase of water content not previously reported hydration compound was detected: bobierrite.

Reduction of environmental and energy footprint of microalgal biodiesel production through material and energy integration.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Raja; Viamajala, Sridhar; Gerlach, Robin

2012-03-01

The life cycle impacts were assessed for an integrated microalgal biodiesel production system that facilitates energy- and nutrient- recovery through anaerobic digestion, and utilizes glycerol generated within the facility for additional heterotrophic biodiesel production. Results show that when external fossil energy inputs are lowered through process integration, the energy demand, global warming potential (GWP), and process water demand decrease significantly and become less sensitive to algal lipid content. When substitution allocation is used to assign additional credit for avoidance of fossil energy use (through utilization of recycled nutrients and biogas), GWP and water demand can, in fact, increase with increase in lipid content. Relative to stand-alone algal biofuel facilities, energy demand can be lowered by 3-14 GJ per ton of biodiesel through process integration. GWP of biodiesel from the integrated system can be lowered by up to 71% compared to petroleum fuel. Evaporative water loss was the primary water demand driver. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Zeolite A synthesized from alkaline assisted pre-activated halloysite for efficient heavy metal removal in polluted river water and industrial wastewater.

PubMed

Meng, Qingpeng; Chen, Hong; Lin, Junzhong; Lin, Zhang; Sun, Junliang

2017-06-01

High quality zeolite A was synthesized through a hydrothermal process using alkaline-assisted pre-activated halloysite mineral as the alumina and silica source. The synthesis conditions employed in this study were finely tuned by varying the activating temperature, sodium hydroxide content, water content and Si/Al ratio. The obtained zeolite A showed excellent adsorption properties for both single metal cation solutions and mixed cation solutions when the concentrations of the mixed cations were comparable with those in polluted natural river water and industrial wastewater. High adsorptive capacities for Ag + (123.05mg/g) and Pb 2+ (227.70mg/g) were achieved using the synthesized zeolite A. This observation indicates that the zeolite A synthesized from alkaline-assisted pre-activated halloysite can be used as a low-cost and relatively effective adsorbent to purify heavy metal cation polluted natural river water and industrial wastewater. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Documentation and verification of VST2D; a model for simulating transient, Variably Saturated, coupled water-heat-solute Transport in heterogeneous, anisotropic 2-Dimensional, ground-water systems with variable fluid density

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedel, Michael J.

2001-01-01

This report describes a model for simulating transient, Variably Saturated, coupled water-heatsolute Transport in heterogeneous, anisotropic, 2-Dimensional, ground-water systems with variable fluid density (VST2D). VST2D was developed to help understand the effects of natural and anthropogenic factors on quantity and quality of variably saturated ground-water systems. The model solves simultaneously for one or more dependent variables (pressure, temperature, and concentration) at nodes in a horizontal or vertical mesh using a quasi-linearized general minimum residual method. This approach enhances computational speed beyond the speed of a sequential approach. Heterogeneous and anisotropic conditions are implemented locally using individual element property descriptions. This implementation allows local principal directions to differ among elements and from the global solution domain coordinates. Boundary conditions can include time-varying pressure head (or moisture content), heat, and/or concentration; fluxes distributed along domain boundaries and/or at internal node points; and/or convective moisture, heat, and solute fluxes along the domain boundaries; and/or unit hydraulic gradient along domain boundaries. Other model features include temperature and concentration dependent density (liquid and vapor) and viscosity, sorption and/or decay of a solute, and capability to determine moisture content beyond residual to zero. These features are described in the documentation together with development of the governing equations, application of the finite-element formulation (using the Galerkin approach), solution procedure, mass and energy balance considerations, input requirements, and output options. The VST2D model was verified, and results included solutions for problems of water transport under isohaline and isothermal conditions, heat transport under isobaric and isohaline conditions, solute transport under isobaric and isothermal conditions, and coupled water-heat-solute transport. The first three problems considered in model verification were compared to either analytical or numerical solutions, whereas the coupled problem was compared to measured laboratory results for which no known analytic solutions or numerical models are available. The test results indicate the model is accurate and applicable for a wide range of conditions, including when water (liquid and vapor), heat (sensible and latent), and solute are coupled in ground-water systems. The cumulative residual errors for the coupled problem tested was less than 10-8 cubic centimeter per cubic centimeter, 10-5 moles per kilogram, and 102 calories per cubic meter for liquid water content, solute concentration and heat content, respectively. This model should be useful to hydrologists, engineers, and researchers interested in studying coupled processes associated with variably saturated transport in ground-water systems.

Ethylene-vinyl acetate foam as a new lung substitute in radiotherapy.

PubMed

Marqués, Enrique; Mancha, Pedro J

2018-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam as a new lung substitute in radiotherapy and to study its physical and dosimetric characteristics. We calculated the ideal vinyl acetate (VA) content of EVA foam sheets to mimic the physical and dosimetric characteristics of the ICRU lung tissue. We also computed the water-to-medium mass collision stopping power ratios, mass attenuation coefficients, CT numbers, effective atomic numbers and electron densities for: ICRU lung tissue, the RANDO commercial phantom, scaled WATER and EVA foam sheets with varying VA contents in a range between the minimum and maximum values supplied by the manufacturer. For all these substitutes, we simulated percent depth-dose curves with EGSnrc Monte Carlo (MC PDDs) in a water-lung substitute-water slab phantom expressed as dose-to-medium and dose-to-water for 3 × 3- and 10 × 10-cm 2 field sizes. PDD for the 10 × 10-cm 2 field size was also calculated with the MultiGrid Superposition algorithm (MGS PDD) for a relative electron density to water ratio of 0.26. The latter was compared with the MC PDDs in dose-to-water for scaled WATER and EVA foam sheets with the VA content that was most similar to the calculated ideal content that is physically achievable in practice. We calculated an ideal VA content of 55%; however, the maximum physically achievable content with current manufacturing techniques is 40%. The physical characteristics of the EVA foam sheets with a VA content of 40% (EVA40) are very close to those of the ICRU lung reference. The physical densities of the EVA40 foam sheets ranged from 0.030 to 0.965 g/cm 3 , almost covering the entire physical density range of the inflated/deflated lung (0.260-1.050 g/cm 3 ). Its mass attenuation coefficient at the effective energy of a 6-MV photon beam agrees within 0.8% of the ICRU reference value, and its CT number agrees within 6 HU. The effective atomic number for EVA40 varies by less than 0.42 of the ICRU value, and its effective electron density is within 0.9%. PDDs expressed in dose-to-medium and dose-to-water agree with the ICRU curve within 2% in all regions. PDDs calculated with both MC and MGS were within 1.5%. The EVA40 is an excellent cork-like lung substitute for radiotherapy applications. From a sole material used in footwear, it is possible to obtain a lung substitute that mimics the physical and dosimetric characteristics of ICRU lung tissue even better than the RANDO commercial phantom. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Long-term nitrogen additions and the intrinsic water-use efficiency of boreal Scots pine.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, John; Wallin, Göran; Linder, Sune; Lundmark, Tomas; Näsholm, Torgny

2015-04-01

Nitrogen fertilization nearly always increases productivity in boreal forests, at least in terms of wood production, but it is unclear how. In a mature (80 yrs. old) Scots pine forest in northern Sweden, we tested the extent to which nitrogen fertilization increased intrinsic photosynthetic water-use efficiency. We measured δ13C both discretely, in biweekly phloem sampling, and continuously, by monitoring of bole respiration. The original experiment was designed as a test of eddy covariance methods and is not therefore strictly replicated. Nonetheless, we compared phloem contents among fifteen trees from each plot and stem respiration from four per plot. The treatments included addition of 100 kg N/ha for eight years and a control. Phloem contents have the advantage of integrating over the whole canopy and undergoing complete and rapid turnover. Their disadvantage is that some have observed isotopic drift with transport down the length of the stem, presumably as a result of preferential export and/or reloading. We also measured the isotopic composition of stem respiration from four trees on each plot using a Picarro G1101-I CRDS attached to the vent flow from a continuous gas-exchange system. We detected consistent differences in δ13C between the treatments in phloem contents. Within each treatment, the phloem δ13C was negatively correlated with antecedent temperature (R2= 0.65) and no other measured climate variable. The isotopic composition of stem CO2 efflux will be compared to that of phloem contents. However, when converted to intrinsic water-use efficiency, the increase amounted to only about 4%. This is a small relative to the near doubling in wood production. Although we were able to detect a clear and consistent increase in water-use efficiency with N-fertilization, it constitutes but a minor cause of the observed increase in wood production.

Effect of the fungus Piriformospora indica on physiological characteristics and root morphology of wheat under combined drought and mechanical stresses.

PubMed

Hosseini, Fatemeh; Mosaddeghi, Mohammad Reza; Dexter, Anthony Roger

2017-09-01

This study was done to evaluate the effects of the root-colonizing endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica on wheat growth under combined drought and mechanical stresses. Inoculated (colonized) and non-inoculated (uncolonized) wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Chamran) seedlings were planted in growth chambers filled with moist sand (at a matric suction of 20 hPa). Slight, moderate and severe mechanical stresses (i.e., penetration resistance, Q p , of 1.17, 4.17 and 5.96 MPa, respectively) were produced by a dead-load technique (i.e., placing a weight on the sand surface) in the root medium. Slight, moderate and severe drought stresses were induced using PEG 6000 solutions with osmotic potentials of 0, -0.3 and -0.5 MPa, respectively. After 30 days, plant physiological characteristics and root morphology were measured. An increase in Q p from 1.17 to 5.96 MPa led to greater leaf proline concentration and root diameter, and lower relative water content (RWC), leaf water potential (LWP), chlorophyll contents and root volume. Moreover, severe drought stress decreased root and shoot fresh weights, root volume, leaf area, RWC, LWP and chlorophyll content compared to control. Catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities under severe drought stress were about 1.5 and 2.9 times greater than control. Interaction of the stresses showed that mechanical stress primarily controls plant water status and physiological responses. However, endophyte presence mitigated the adverse effects of individual and combined stresses on plant growth. Colonized plants were better adapted and had greater root length and volume, RWC, LWP and chlorophyll contents under stressful conditions due to higher absorption sites for water and nutrients. Compared with uncolonized plants, colonized plants showed lower CAT activity implying that wheat inoculated with P. indica was more tolerant and experienced less oxidative damage induced by drought and/or mechanical stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Comparison of isothiocyanate yield from wasabi rhizome tissues grown in soil or water.

PubMed

Sultana, Tamanna; Porter, N G; Savage, G P; McNeil, D L

2003-06-04

The isothiocyanate (ITC) yield of wasabi, the Japanese horseradish (Wasabi japonica), was measured on its release from glucosinolates in the rhizomes of plants grown in two traditional ways. Mature plants of 18 months old were harvested from two different commercial farms located in the South Island of New Zealand. At one farm, the plants were grown in raised soil beds, while the plants at the other farm were grown in gravel irrigated by river water. Following harvest, the rhizomes from each growth medium were divided into five size groups based on the weight and length of the rhizomes. The different sized rhizomes were also subdivided into proximal, medial, and distal portions of the rhizomes and each portion was further subdivided into epidermis plus cortex, and vascular plus pith. The individual and total ITC contents of each portion (proximal, medial, and distal) of the rhizomes were measured using dichloromethane extraction followed by the GC-FPD. The total ITC content of the rhizomes grown in soil increased (13 times) linearly from 6 to 114 g of rhizome weight, while the mean ITC content of the water-grown wasabi increased (10 times) nonlinearly for similar sized rhizomes. Water-grown rhizomes in the weight range from 18 to 45 g gave significantly (P = 0.030) higher total ITC (1-2 times) than similarly sized soil-grown rhizomes. Analysis of the tissues showed that the total and the individual ITCs were found in significantly higher levels (73 and 64%, respectively) in the skin and cortex tissue compared to the vascular and pith tissues. Analysis of the ITC content of the different locations of the wasabi rhizome showed that the distal portion of the rhizome contained significantly higher levels of both total and individual ITCs compared to the medial and proximal portions of the rhizome.

Microbial Condition of Water Samples from Foreign Fuel Storage Facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berry, C.J.; Fliermans, C.B.; Santo Domingo, J.

1997-10-30

In order to assess the microbial condition of foreign nuclear fuel storage facilities, fourteen different water samples were received from facilities outside the United States that have sent spent nuclear fuel to SRS for wet storage. Each water sample was analyzed for microbial content and activity as determined by total bacteria, viable aerobic bacteria, viable anaerobic bacteria, viable sulfate- reducing bacteria, viable acid-producing bacteria and enzyme diversity. The results for each water sample were then compared to other foreign samples and to data from the receiving basin for off- site fuel (RBOF) at SRS.

Influence of Water Content on Mechanical Properties of Rock in Both Saturation and Drying Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zilong; Cai, Xin; Cao, Wenzhuo; Li, Xibing; Xiong, Cheng

2016-08-01

Water content has a pronounced influence on the properties of rock materials, which is responsible for many rock engineering hazards, such as landslides and karst collapse. Meanwhile, water injection is also used for the prevention of some engineering disasters like rock-bursts. To comprehensively investigate the effect of water content on mechanical properties of rocks, laboratory tests were carried out on sandstone specimens with different water contents in both saturation and drying processes. The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance technique was applied to study the water distribution in specimens with variation of water contents. The servo-controlled rock mechanics testing machine and Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar technique were used to conduct both compressive and tensile tests on sandstone specimens with different water contents. From the laboratory tests, reductions of the compressive and tensile strength of sandstone under static and dynamic states in different saturation processes were observed. In the drying process, all of the saturated specimens could basically regain their mechanical properties and recover its strength as in the dry state. However, for partially saturated specimens in the saturation and drying processes, the tensile strength of specimens with the same water content was different, which could be related to different water distributions in specimens.

The reliability and validity of hand-held refractometry water content measures of hydrogel lenses.

PubMed

Nichols, Jason J; Mitchell, G Lynn; Good, Gregory W

2003-06-01

To investigate within- and between-examiner reliability and validity of hand-held refractometry water content measures of hydrogel lenses. Nineteen lenses of various nominal water contents were examined by two examiners on two occasions separated by 1 hour. An Atago N2 hand-held refractometer was used for all water content measures. Lenses were presented in a random order to each examiner by a third party, and examiners were masked to any potential lens identifiers. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), 95% limits of agreement, and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to characterize the within- and between-examiner reliability and validity of lens water content measures. Within-examiner reliability was excellent (ICC, 0.97; 95% limits of agreement, -3.6% to +5.7%), and the inter-visit mean difference of 1.1 +/- 2.4% was not biased (p = 0.08). Between-examiner reliability was also excellent (ICC, 0.98; 95% limits of agreement, -4.1% to +3.9%). The mean difference between examiners was -0.1 +/- 2.1% (p = 0.83). The mean difference between the nominally reported water content and our water content measures was -2.1 +/- 1.7% (p < 0.001); the 95% limits of agreement for this difference were -5.4% to +1.1%. There is good reliability within and between examiners in measuring water content of hydrogel lenses. However, with our sample of lenses, examiners tended to overestimate the nominal water content of hydrogel lenses. As discussed, this bias may be associated with the Brix scale used in refractometry and is material dependent. Therefore, investigators may need to account for bias when measuring hydrogel lens water content via hand-held refractometry.

Combination of broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy with magnetic resonance imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merritt, Sean Isaiah

Broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) is an emerging optical technique used to measure absorption and scattering of bulk tissue non-invasively within the near-infrared (600--1050 nm). The ultimate aim of my advisors group is for broadband DOS to become an established medical diagnostic technique used clinically on various tissue types including breast, muscle and bone. The specific goal for my research is to use established magnetic resonance (MR) techniques for the purpose of continued development and validation of broadband DOS. The initial studies carried out were a validation of broadband DOS through a direct comparison with MRI. Both techniques are sensitive to signals produced by water and lipids in tissue. There is also sensitivity to blood flow, which MRI measures using exogenous contrast agents and broadband DOS is sensitive through measurement of total hemoglobin content (THC) and tissue oxygen saturation (StO2). These validation studies were compared initially in a rat tumor model in which both techniques were used simultaneously. A qualitative correlation was found between the MR images of water content and blood perfusion compared with the DOS water and THC values. A more quantitative comparison was made between measuring absolute water and lipid content in phantoms and in human tissue, which showed a strong correlation. The in vivo study also validated that broadband DOS was interrogating bone marrow in the tibia. The second half of this thesis is focused on developing new capabilities of broadband DOS and the MRI literature is used as a guide. When a water molecule hydrogen bonds to another molecule, the absorption spectrum in the near-infrared which is due to the vibrational overtone of the OH bond will change. The expected changes were observed in tissue and an algorithm was developed to fit for a tissue bound water parameter. Also, as tissue temperature changes, the fraction of water bound to other water molecules changes and can be used to fit for deep tissue temperature. Preliminary validation of these two techniques is carried out and there appears to be great potential for these methods.

Prevention of enzymatic browning of Chinese yam (Dioscorea spp.) using electrolyzed oxidizing water.

PubMed

Jia, Guo-Liang; Shi, Jing-Ying; Song, Zhan-Hua; Li, Fa-De

2015-04-01

In this study, the effects of electrolyzed oxidizing water (EOW) on the prevention of enzymatic browning of fresh-cut "Jiu Jinhuang" Chinese yam were investigated. The yams were immersed in the inhibitors for 25 min at 20 °C. Compared with the tap water (TW) treatment, the chromatic attributes were significantly different after 72 h of storage (P < 0.05). The activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO, EC 1.10.3.1), peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7), and L -phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5) were inhibited when measured at 24 h. The contents of phenolic acids, including gallic and chlorogenic acid, in the group treated with the slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) were higher than those treated with TW and neutral electrolyzed water (NEW). The group treated with NEW had the highest total phenol content (P < 0.05, at 24 h), while the group treated with SAEW had the highest flavonoid content (P < 0.05) during storage. Without being treated with inhibitors, the Km and Vmax values of yam PPO were 0.0044 mol/L and 0.02627 U/min, respectively, and the Ki of samples treated with SAEW and citric acid (CA) were 15.6607 and 2.3969 μmol/L, respectively. These results indicate that EOW is beneficial as a browning inhibitor. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Influence of Water Content on Pullout Behaviour of Geogrid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Rong; Song, Yang-yang; Hao, Dong-xue; Gao, Yu-cong

2017-06-01

The interaction between geogrid and soil is fundamental and crucial factor on safety and stability of geogrid-reinforced earth structure. Therefore, the interface index between geogrid and soil is of vital importance in the design of reinforced earth structures. The pullout behaviour of geogrid in soil is studied, an experimental investigation is conducted using geogrid in four groups of soil with 20%, 24%, 28%, 32% water contents, which correspond to normal stresses of 50, 100, 200 and 300 kPa respectively. The results indicate that the geogrid embedded in soil mainly represents pullout failure, and the ultimate pullout force is sensitive to water content. It decreases with the increase of the water content firstly. Besides, the water content influences the process of the pullout behaviour. The increase of water content leads to the ultimate pullout force soon.

The Fluoride Content of Yerba Mate Depending on the Country of Origin and the Conditions of the Infusion.

PubMed

Łukomska, A; Jakubczyk, K; Maciejewska, D; Baranowska-Bosiacka, I; Janda, K; Goschorska, M; Chlubek, D; Bosiacka, B; Gutowska, I

2015-10-01

There are many reports of the positive effect of yerba mate on the human body. Elemental composition analysis of yerba mate revealed the presence of many microelements and macroelements, but there is no literature data referencing the content and the effect of the method of preparing the yerba mate infusion on the amount of released fluoride and thus the amount of this element supplied to the human body. Therefore, in the traditional way (cold and hot), we prepared infusions of yerba mate from different countries and determined in samples content of fluoride using potentiometric method. Hot infusions resulted in statistically significant (p = 0.03) increases in the amount of fluoride released from the dried material to the water, compared to brewing with water at room temperature. The successive refills of hot water also resulted in a release of the same amount of fluoride, although smaller than the infusion with water at room temperature (at the third refill, it was statistically significantly smaller at p = 0.003). With an increase in the number of hot water refills, the amount of fluoride released from the sample portion significantly decreased. Similar results were recorded when analyzing samples depending on the country of origin. The amount of fluoride released into the water differed statistically significantly depending on the country of origin. The most fluoride was determined in the infusions of yerba mate from Argentina and the least in infusions from Paraguay.

Bioaugmentation potential of free and formulated 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM) degrading Aminobacter sp. MSH1 in soil, sand and water.

PubMed

Schultz-Jensen, Nadja; Aamand, Jens; Sørensen, Sebastian R

2016-12-01

Pesticides are used extensively worldwide, which has led to the unwanted contamination of soil and water resources. Former use of the herbicide 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (dichlobenil) has caused pollution of ground and surface water resources by the stable degradation product 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM) in several parts of Europe, which has resulted in the costly closure of several drinking water wells. One strategy for preventing this in future is bioaugmentation using bacterial degraders. BAM-degrading Aminobacter sp. MSH1 was therefore formulated into dried beads and tests undertaken to establish their potential for use in the remediation of polluted soil, sand and water. The formulation procedure included freeze drying, combined with trehalose addition for cell wall protection, thus ensuring a high amount of viable cells following prolonged storage at room temperature. The beads were round-shaped pellets with a diameter of about 1.25 mm, a dry matter content of approximately 95 % and an average viable cell content of 4.4 × 10(9) cells/g bead. Formulated MSH1 cells led to a similar, and frequently even faster, BAM mineralisation (20-65 % (14)CO2 produced from (14)C-labelled BAM) in batch tests conducted with sand, water and different soil moisture contents compared to adding free cells. Furthermore, the beads were easy to handle and had a shelf life of several months.

[Exposure to fluorides from drinking water in the city of Aguascalientes, Mexico].

PubMed

Trejo-Vázquez, R; Bonilla-Petriciolet, A

2001-08-01

Determine the fluoride content in all the wells that supply drinking water to the city of Aguascalientes, Mexico, in order to establish the population's degree of exposure. The fluoride content of the 126 wells that supply drinking water to the city of Aguascalientes was determined, using the SPADNS method, in accordance with two Mexican regulations, NMX-AA-77-1982 and NMX-014-SSAI-1993. Using that data, we created fluoride isopleth maps showing the distribution of fluoride concentrations in the water supplies for the city of Aguascalientes. We also estimated exposure doses for the city's inhabitants. The mean analysis uncertainty was 3.9%. Seventy-three wells had a fluoride concentration of" 1.5 mg/L, which was the maximum permissible value set by the Mexican standards then in effect. All the maximum exposure doses surpassed the minimum risk level set by Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States of America. In the children under 1 year of age, even the minimum does was slightly higher than the ATSDR risk level. From estimating the fluoride exposure doses caused by water consumption in the city of Aguascalientes and comparing those doses with ones from other states in Mexico, we concluded that the fluoride intake in Aguascalientes represents a potential risk for inhabitants' health. The fluoride content of the city's drinking water should be reduced to 0.69 mg/L.

Resolution capacity of geophysical monitoring regarding permafrost degradation induced by hydrological processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mewes, Benjamin; Hilbich, Christin; Delaloye, Reynald; Hauck, Christian

2017-12-01

Geophysical methods are often used to characterize and monitor the subsurface composition of permafrost. The resolution capacity of standard methods, i.e. electrical resistivity tomography and refraction seismic tomography, depends not only on static parameters such as measurement geometry, but also on the temporal variability in the contrast of the geophysical target variables (electrical resistivity and P-wave velocity). Our study analyses the resolution capacity of electrical resistivity tomography and refraction seismic tomography for typical processes in the context of permafrost degradation using synthetic and field data sets of mountain permafrost terrain. In addition, we tested the resolution capacity of a petrophysically based quantitative combination of both methods, the so-called 4-phase model, and through this analysed the expected changes in water and ice content upon permafrost thaw. The results from the synthetic data experiments suggest a higher sensitivity regarding an increase in water content compared to a decrease in ice content. A potentially larger uncertainty originates from the individual geophysical methods than from the combined evaluation with the 4-phase model. In the latter, a loss of ground ice can be detected quite reliably, whereas artefacts occur in the case of increased horizontal or vertical water flow. Analysis of field data from a well-investigated rock glacier in the Swiss Alps successfully visualized the seasonal ice loss in summer and the complex spatially variable ice, water and air content changes in an interannual comparison.

Improving Hurricane Heat Content Estimates From Satellite Altimeter Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Matthaeis, P.; Jacob, S.; Roubert, L. M.; Shay, N.; Black, P.

2007-12-01

Hurricanes are amongst the most destructive natural disasters known to mankind. The primary energy source driving these storms is the latent heat release due to the condensation of water vapor, which ultimately comes from the ocean. While the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) has a direct correlation with wind speeds, the oceanic heat content is dependent on the upper ocean vertical structure. Understanding the impact of these factors in the mutual interaction of hurricane-ocean is critical to more accurately forecasting intensity change in land-falling hurricanes. Use of hurricane heat content derived from the satellite radar altimeter measurements of sea surface height has been shown to improve intensity prediction. The general approach of estimating ocean heat content uses a two-layer model representing the ocean with its anomalies derived from altimeter data. Although these estimates compare reasonably well with in-situ measurements, they are generally about 10% under-biased. Additionally, recent studies show that the comparisons are less than satisfactory in the Western North Pacific. Therefore, our objective is to develop a methodology to more accurately represent the upper ocean structure using in-situ data. As part of a NOAA/ USWRP sponsored research, upper ocean observations were acquired in the Gulf of Mexico during the summers of 1999 and 2000. Overall, 260 expendable profilers (XCTD, XBT and XCP) acquired vertical temperature structure in the high heat content regions corresponding to the Loop Current and Warm Core Eddies. Using the temperature and salinity data from the XCTDs, first the Temperature-Salinity relationships in the Loop Current Water and Gulf Common water are derived based on the depth of the 26° C isotherm. These derived T-S relationships compare well with those inferred from climatology. By means of these relationships, estimated salinity values corresponding to the XBT and XCP temperature measurements are calculated, and used to derive continuous profiles of density. Ocean heat content is then estimated from these profiles, and compared to that derived from altimeter data, showing - as mentioned earlier - a consistent bias. Using a procedure that conserves density in the vertical, these density profiles are discretized into five isopycnic layers representative of the upper ocean in the Gulf of Mexico. Statistical correlations are then derived between the altimetric sea surface height anomalies and the thickness of these layers in the region. Using these correlations, a higher resolution upper ocean structure is derived from the altimeter data. Withholding observations from one snapshot of data in the correlations, and comparing the estimated ocean heat content with in-situ values, will allow us to quantify errors in this approach. This methodology will then be extended to the Western Pacific using Argo data, and results will be presented.

[Effect of shifting sand burial on evaporation reduction and salt restraint under saline water irrigation in extremely arid region].

PubMed

Zhang, Jian-Guo; Zhao, Ying; Xu, Xin-Wen; Lei, Jia-Qiang; Li, Sheng-Yu; Wang, Yong-Dong

2014-05-01

The Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt is drip-irrigated with high saline groundwater (2.58-29.70 g x L(-1)), and shifting sand burial and water-salt stress are most common and serious problems in this region. So it is of great importance to study the effect of shifting sand burial on soil moisture evaporation, salt accumulation and their distribution for water saving, salinity restraint, and suitable utilization of local land and water resources. In this study, Micro-Lysimeters (MLS) were used to investigate dynamics of soil moisture and salt under different thicknesses of sand burial (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 cm), and field control experiments of drip-irrigation were also carried out to investigate soil moisture and salt distribution under different thicknesses of shifting sand burial (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 cm). The soil daily and cumulative evaporation decreased with the increase of sand burial thickness in MLS, cumulative evaporation decreased by 2.5%-13.7% compared with control. And evaporative inhibiting efficiency increased with sand burial thickness, evaporative inhibiting efficiency of 1-5 cm sand burial was 16.7%-79.0%. Final soil moisture content beneath the interface of sand burial increased with sand burial thickness, and it increased by 2.5%-13.7% than control. The topsoil EC of shifting sand in MLS decreased by 1.19-6.00 mS x cm(-1) with the increasing sand burial thickness, whereas soil salt content beneath the interface in MLS increased and amplitude of the topsoil salt content was higher than that of the subsoil. Under drip-irrigation with saline groundwater, average soil moisture beneath the interface of shifting sand burial increased by 0.4% -2.0% compare with control, and the highest value of EC was 7.77 mS x cm(-1) when the sand burial thickness was 10 cm. The trend of salt accumulation content at shifting sand surface increased firstly, and then decreased with the increasing sand burial thickness. Soil salt contents beneath the interface of shifting sand burial were much lower than that of shifting sand surface. 35 cm was the critical sand burial thickness for water-saving and salt restraint. In summary, sand burial had obvious inhibition effects on soil evaporation and salt accumulation, so maybe it could be used to save water and reduce salt accumulation in arid shifting desert areas.

The use of magnetic resonance sounding for quantifying specific yield and transmissivity in hard rock aquifers: The example of Benin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vouillamoz, J. M.; Lawson, F. M. A.; Yalo, N.; Descloitres, M.

2014-08-01

Hundreds of thousands of boreholes have been drilled in hard rocks of Africa and Asia for supplying human communities with drinking water. Despite the common use of geophysics for improving the siting of boreholes, a significant number of drilled holes does not deliver enough water to be equipped (e.g. 40% on average in Benin). As compared to other non-invasive geophysical methods, magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) is selective to groundwater. However, this distinctive feature has not been fully used in previous published studies for quantifying the drainable groundwater in hard rocks (i.e. the specific yield) and the short-term productivity of aquifer (i.e. the transmissivity). We present in this paper a comparison of MRS results (i.e. the water content and pore-size parameter) with both specific yield and transmissivity calculated from long duration pumping tests. We conducted our experiments in six sites located in different hard rock groups in Benin, thus providing a unique data set to assess the usefulness of MRS in hard rock aquifers. We found that the MRS water content is about twice the specific yield. We also found that the MRS pore-size parameter is well correlated with the specific yield. Thus we proposed two linear equations for calculating the specific yield from the MRS water content (with an uncertainty of about 10%) and from the pore-size parameter (with an uncertainty of about 20%). The later has the advantage of defining a so-named MRS cutoff time value for indentifying non-drainable MRS water content and thus low groundwater reserve. We eventually propose a nonlinear equation for calculating the specific yield using jointly the MRS water content and the pore-size parameters, but this approach has to be confirmed with further investigations. This study also confirmed that aquifer transmissivity can be estimated from MRS results with an uncertainty of about 70%. We conclude that MRS can be usefully applied for estimating aquifer specific yield and transmissivity in weathered hard rock aquifers. Our result will contribute to the improvement of well siting and groundwater management in hard rocks.

Results and Conclusions from the NASA Isokinetic Total Water Content Probe 2009 IRT Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reehorst, Andrew; Brinker, David

2010-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center has developed and tested a Total Water Content Isokinetic Sampling Probe. Since, by its nature, it is not sensitive to cloud water particle phase nor size, it is particularly attractive to support super-cooled large droplet and high ice water content aircraft icing studies. The instrument comprises the Sampling Probe, Sample Flow Control, and Water Vapor Measurement subsystems. Results and conclusions are presented from probe tests in the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) during January and February 2009. The use of reference probe heat and the control of air pressure in the water vapor measurement subsystem are discussed. Several run-time error sources were found to produce identifiable signatures that are presented and discussed. Some of the differences between measured Isokinetic Total Water Content Probe and IRT calibration seems to be caused by tunnel humidification and moisture/ice crystal blow around. Droplet size, airspeed, and liquid water content effects also appear to be present in the IRT calibration. Based upon test results, the authors provide recommendations for future Isokinetic Total Water Content Probe development.

Response of Ajowan to water stress induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 during seed germination and seedling growth.

PubMed

Rohamare, Yogita; Dhumal, K N; Nikam, T D

2014-09-01

Seed germination and subsequent metabolic changes in Ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi L.) (NRCSS AA-2) seedlings was studied under water limiting conditions, imposed by increasing concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000). Five water stress conditions (0, -0.05, -0.1, -0.15 and -0.2 MPa) were created in the laboratory in a completely randomized design. The results revealed that water stress (-0.2 MPa) significantly reduced seed germination components like final germination percent (80%) radical (64%) and plumule (63%) length, fresh (63%) and dry (74%) weight of seedlings and vigor index (SVI) by 92% over control. Decrease in osmotic potential resulted in decreased protein content (56%) with concomitant increase in total sugars (55%) at -0.2 MPa as compared to control. Significant increase in free proline and glycine betaine content by 1.5 to 2 folds was observed at the highest water stress condition. The seedlings exhibited increased activity of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase under stressed condition. In the present study, it was found that Ajowan was a moderately drought tolerant species at laboratory level.

Alginate-polyester comacromer based hydrogels as physiochemically and biologically favorable entities for cardiac tissue engineering.

PubMed

Thankam, Finosh G; Muthu, Jayabalan

2015-11-01

The physiochemical and biological responses of tissue engineering hydrogels are crucial in determining their desired performance. A hybrid comacromer was synthesized by copolymerizing alginate and poly(mannitol fumarate-co-sebacate) (pFMSA). Three bimodal hydrogels pFMSA-AA, pFMSA-MA and pFMSA-NMBA were synthesized by crosslinking with Ca(2+) and vinyl monomers acrylic acid (AA), methacrylic acid (MA) and N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide (NMBA), respectively. Though all the hydrogels were cytocompatible and exhibited a normal cell cycle profile, pFMSA-AA exhibited superior physiochemical properties viz non-freezable water content (58.34%) and water absorption per unit mass (0.97 g water/g gel) and pore length (19.92±3.91 μm) in comparing with other two hydrogels. The increased non-freezable water content and water absorption of pFMSA-AA hydrogels greatly influenced its biological performance, which was evident from long-term viability assay and cell cycle proliferation. The physiochemical and biological favorability of pFMSA-AA hydrogels signifies its suitability for cardiac tissue engineering. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact lens material characteristics associated with hydrogel lens dehydration.

PubMed

Ramamoorthy, Padmapriya; Sinnott, Loraine T; Nichols, Jason J

2010-03-01

To determine the association between material dehydration and hydrogel contact lens material characteristics, including water content and ionicity. Water content and refractive index data were derived from automated refractometry measurements of worn hydrogel contact lenses of 318 participants in the Contact Lens and Dry Eye Study (CLADES). Dehydration was determined in two ways; as the difference between nominal and measured (1) water content and (2) refractive index. Multiple regression models were used to examine the relation between dehydration and material characteristics, controlling for tear osmolality. The overall measured and nominal water content values were 52.58 +/- 7.49% and 56.88 +/- 7.81% respectively, while the measured and nominal refractive indices were 1.429 +/- 0.015 and 1.410 +/- 0.017. High water content and ionic hydrogel lens materials were associated with greater dehydration (p < 0.0001 for both) than low water content and non-ionic materials. When dehydration was assessed as the difference in refractive index, only high water content was associated with dehydration (p < 0.0001). High water content and ionic characteristics of hydrogel lens materials are associated with hydrogel lens dehydration, with the former being more strongly associated. Such dehydration changes could in turn lead to important clinical ramifications such as reduced oxygen transmissibility, greater lens adherence and reduced tear exchange.

Postnatal changes in skin water content in preterm infants.

PubMed

Ishiguro, Akio; Fujinuma, Sumie; Motojima, Yukiko; Oka, Shuntaro; Komaki, Takeshi; Saito, Aya; Kawasaki, Hidenori; Araki, Shunsuke; Kanai, Masayo; Sobajima, Hisanori; Tamura, Masanori

2015-09-01

Preterm infants have immature skin, which contributes to skin problems. Very little is known about postnatal changes in the skin, despite the clinical importance of this issue. To assess temporal changes in skin water content in preterm infants. A prospective observational study. Infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit were included in this study. Skin water content was measured at five different skin regions using dielectric methods at a depth of 1.5mm. Skin water content was measured on postnatal day 1 in 101 infants, and the correlation between skin water content and gestational week was analyzed. Measurements were also made on postnatal days 2, 3, and 7, and every 7days thereafter until the corrected age of 37weeks in 87 of the 101 infants. Temporal changes were statistically analyzed after dividing participants into seven groups by gestational age. On postnatal day 1, skin water content correlated inversely with gestational age at all skin regions. Skin water content decreased significantly over time, converging to the level of term infants by the corrected age of 32-35weeks. Skin water content at a depth of 1.5mm was related to corrected age and reached the level of term infants by the corrected age of approximately 32-35weeks. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of water management, tillage options and phosphorus status on arsenic uptake in rice.

PubMed

Talukder, A S M H M; Meisner, C A; Sarkar, M A R; Islam, M S

2011-05-01

High arsenic (As) concentrations in soil may lead to elevated concentrations of arsenic in agricultural products. Field experiments were conducted to examine the effects of water management (WM) and Phosphorus (P) rates on As uptake, rice growth, yield and yield attributes of winter (boro) and monsoon (aman) rice in an As contaminated soil-water at Gobindagonj, Gaibandha, Bangladesh in 2004 and 2005. Significantly, the highest average grain yields (6.88±0.07 t ha(-1) in boro 6.38±0.06 t ha(-1) in aman) were recorded in permanent raised bed (PRB; aerobic WM: Eh=+360 mV) plus 100% P amendment. There was a 12% yield increase over conventional till on flat (CTF; anaerobic WM: Eh=-56 mV) at the same P level. In boro, the As content in grain and As content in straw were about 3 and 6 times higher in CTF compared to PRB, respectively. The highest total As content (0.646±0.01 ppm in grain and 10.93±0.19 ppm in straw) was recorded under CTF, and the lowest total As content (0.247±0.01 and 1.554±0.09 ppm in grain and straw, respectively) was recorded under PRB (aerobic WM). The results suggest that grain and straw As are closely associated in boro rice. The furrow irrigation approach of the PRB treatments consistently reduced irrigation input by 29-31% for boro and 27-30% for aman rice relative to CTF treatments in 2004 and 2005, respectively, thus reducing the amount of As added to the soil from the As-contaminated irrigation water. Yearly, 30% less As was deposited to the soil compared to CTF system through irrigation water during boro season. High As concentrations in grain and straw in rice grown using CTF in the farmers' field, and the fact that using PRB reduced grain As concentrations to value less than half of the proposed food hygiene standard. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Models of compacted fine-grained soils used as mineral liner for solid waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivrikaya, Osman

2008-02-01

To prevent the leakage of pollutant liquids into groundwater and sublayers, the compacted fine-grained soils are commonly utilized as mineral liners or a sealing system constructed under municipal solid waste and other containment hazardous materials. This study presents the correlation equations of the compaction parameters required for construction of a mineral liner system. The determination of the characteristic compaction parameters, maximum dry unit weight ( γ dmax) and optimum water content ( w opt) requires considerable time and great effort. In this study, empirical models are described and examined to find which of the index properties correlate well with the compaction characteristics for estimating γ dmax and w opt of fine-grained soils at the standard compactive effort. The compaction data are correlated with different combinations of gravel content ( G), sand content ( S), fine-grained content (FC = clay + silt), plasticity index ( I p), liquid limit ( w L) and plastic limit ( w P) by performing multilinear regression (MLR) analyses. The obtained correlations with statistical parameters are presented and compared with the previous studies. It is found that the maximum dry unit weight and optimum water content have a considerably good correlation with plastic limit in comparison with liquid limit and plasticity index.

Determination of the initial exothermic reaction of shredded tyres with wire content.

PubMed

Sellasie, Kassahun G; Moo-Young, Horace K; Lloyd, Thomas

2004-10-01

This paper presents the cause of exothermic reactions in shredded tyre with exposed wire content in shredded tyre piles. Data indicate that the oxidation of exposed steel wires is the exothermic reaction in shredded tyre embankments. This would lead to spontaneous combustion. Reaction of the steel with the sulphur or the carbon black appears not to be the source of the exothermic. Laboratory tests have been conducted to determine the heat transfer properties of the materials that compose tyres (i.e., tyre rubber and wires) by using a hot-plate apparatus. In addition, one-dimensional heat conduction experiments were conducted to compare the flow of heat through the materials while varying the physical and environmental conditions. The physical conditions were the size of tyre shred, water content, and wire contents. An exothermic reaction occurred when exposed wire was present but not when it was absent. A one-dimensional heat transfer equation was developed, and parametric studies were conducted to verify the laboratory model. Exothermic reaction was found to increase linearly with temperature, size and shape of the shredded tyres, density, amount of wire in shredded tyres, and water content.

Acidity in organic horizons of arctic soils on the Barents Sea coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamrikova, E. V.; Deneva, S. V.; Kubik, O. S.; Punegov, V. V.; Kyz”yurova, E. V.; Bobrova, Yu. I.; Zueva, O. M.

2017-11-01

Parameters of water and KCl extracts from organic horizons of arctic soils on the coast of Khaipudyr Bay of the Barents Sea, in which the values of pH are 3.8-4.3 and 2.7-3.5, respectively, have been compared. It has been found that the content of water-extractable organic carbon is 0.2-0.5 g/dm3; the contents of low-molecular-weight carbohydrates and acids are 1-24 and 6 mg/dm3, respectively, and the content of Fe3+ ions is 1-4 mmol/dm3. The increase in the ionic strength of solution reduces the extraction efficiency of total organic carbon in 1.2 times and that of acids and carbohydrates in 3 times on the average at the simultaneous increase in the content of iron ions in the liquid phase in 7-15 times. It has been shown that organic acids and iron compounds are the main sources of acidity in salt extracts from organic soil horizons. The low contents of Ca2+ and Mg2+, which participate in the neutralization of acids, favor the high acidity of the studied horizons.

Estimation of bare soil evaporation using multifrequency airborne SAR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soares, Joao V.; Shi, Jiancheng; Van Zyl, Jakob; Engman, E. T.

1992-01-01

It is shown that for homogeneous areas soil moisture can be derived from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) measurements, so that the use of microwave remote sensing can given realistic estimates of energy fluxes if coupled to a simple two-layer model repesenting the soil. The model simulates volumetric water content (Wg) using classical meterological data, provided that some of the soil thermal and hydraulic properties are known. Only four parameters are necessary: mean water content, thermal conductivity and diffusitivity, and soil resistance to evaporation. They may be derived if a minimal number of measured values of Wg and surface layer temperature (Tg) are available together with independent measurements of energy flux to compare with the estimated values. The estimated evaporation is shown to be realistic and in good agreement with drying stage theory in which the transfer of water in the soil is in vapor form.

Acetylated rice starches films with different levels of amylose: Mechanical, water vapor barrier, thermal, and biodegradability properties.

PubMed

Colussi, Rosana; Pinto, Vânia Zanella; El Halal, Shanise Lisie Mello; Biduski, Bárbara; Prietto, Luciana; Castilhos, Danilo Dufech; Zavareze, Elessandra da Rosa; Dias, Alvaro Renato Guerra

2017-04-15

Biodegradable films from native or acetylated starches with different amylose levels were prepared. The films were characterized according to the mechanical, water vapor barrier, thermal, and biodegradability properties. The films from acetylated high amylose starches had higher moisture content and water solubility than the native high amylose starch film. However, the acetylation did not affect acid solubility of the films, regardless of the amylose content. Films made from high and medium amylose rice starches were obtained; however low amylose rice starches, whether native or acetylated, did not form films with desirable characteristics. The acetylation decreased the tensile strength and increased the elongation of the films. The acetylated starch-based films had a lower decomposition temperature and higher thermal stability than native starch films. Acetylated starches films exhibited more rapid degradation as compared with the native starches films. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Composition of the water-soluble fraction of different cheeses.

PubMed

Taborda, Gonzalo; Molina, Elena; Martínez-Castro, Isabel; Ramos, Mercedes; Amigo, Lourdes

2003-01-01

Volatile and nonvolatile compounds present in the water-soluble fraction (WSF) and water-soluble fraction with molecular weight lower than 1000 Da (WSF < 1000 Da) of six Spanish cheeses, Cabrales, Idiazábal, Mahón, Manchego, Roncal, and a goat's milk cheese, were analyzed. Different nitrogen fractions (determined by Kjeldahl method), caseins (by capillary electrophoresis), peptides and amino acids (by HPLC), and volatile components (by dynamic headspace coupled to GC-MS) as well as mineral content in the cheese fractions were analyzed and compared. The different nitrogen and volatile compounds identified in the WSF were characteristic of each cheese variety. Cabrales cheese displayed the highest content of free amino acids and the highest quantity and variety of volatile compounds. The WSF < 1000 Da fraction was less representative, especially for volatile compounds, as some of the components were lost in the ultrafiltration. Alcohols were better recovered than ketones and esters.

Solubility of amphotericin B in water-lecithin-dispersions and lecithin-based submicron emulsions.

PubMed

Salerno, Claudia; Perez, Sebastian; Monteagudo, Ezequiel; Carlucci, Adriana; Bregni, Carlos

2013-01-01

The aim of this work was to evaluate water-lecithin-dispersions (WLDs) as carriers for amphotericin B (AmB) and to compare the drug solubility in WLDs and O/W lecithin-based submicron emulsions (SMEs) in order to evaluate the influence of lecithin content on the dosage form solubilization of the active compound. WLDs and different SMEs with either 1.2 or 2.4% of lecithin were prepared. WLD with 2.4% lecithin show a 10-fold increase in solubilization of AmB compared with 1.2% lecithin WLD. SMEs with 1.2% lecithin show an increase of over 400 times in solubilization compared with WLD containing the same concentration of lecithin, whereas SMEs with 2.4% lecithin show an increase of over 40 times compared with the corresponding WLD. Drug solubilization in SMEs with 2.4% lecithin is not significantly greater than in those containing 1.2% lecithin. The content of surfactant Brij 97 ® had a significant influence on drug solubilization in SMEs (P < 0.05). Results indicate that indicate that SMEs are proper systems to solubilize AmB. It can be assumed that solubilization is due to the formulation microstructure and not to the separate components themselves.

Irrigation scheduling as affected by field capacity and wilting point water content from different data sources

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil water content at field capacity and wilting point water content is critical information for irrigation scheduling, regardless of soil water sensor-based method (SM) or evapotranspiration (ET)-based method. Both methods require knowledge on site-specific and soil-specific Management Allowable De...

[Influence of natural fluoride concentration in drinking water on dental health of first class pupils in an area with enhanced fluoride content at the beginning of the 21st century].

PubMed

Steinmeyer, R

2011-08-01

Since the end of the first half of the 20 (th) century it is well-known that fluoride concentrations in drinking water of about 1 ppm reduce the prevalence of dental caries by about 40-60%. This knowledge led to the fluoridation of drinking water during the second half of the 20 (th) century in many countries, including East Germany. Although the natural F (-) content in drinking water in Germany is usually very low, the eastern Eifel is one of the few larger areas in Germany with (nearly) optimal (0.7-1.0 ppm) or moderately enhanced (0.3-0.7 ppm) natural fluoride concentrations in drinking water. 30 years ago, in 1977, the caries prevalence of children of various age groups in the fluoride-rich areas of the eastern Eifel was established by Einwag to be about 40% lower than in adjacent fluoride-poor regions (0.1 ppm). Meanwhile fluoride has become available from many different sources for children of any age: e. g., toothpaste (with 500 ppm fluoride even for very young children who just got the first tooth), fluoridated salt, professional fluoride applications (paid by health insurances), the rising consumption of mineral waters (many of which have a fluoride content >0.3 ppm). This poses the question of the current influence of enhanced natural drinking water fluoride concentrations on caries prevalence in children. The results of the dental examinations of 9 555 pupils (6 or 7 years old) of the first classes of all 63 primary schools in the Landkreis Mayen-Koblenz from 5 years (2004/2005-2008/2009) are compared to the fluoride content of the drinking water. The data show no obvious correlation between dental health and fluoride concentration for any of the dental health parameters investigated. However, in spite of the low geographic resolution of social parameters, there was a notable connection between dental health status and sociodemographic indicators for the respective region. 30 years after the study by Einwag in the same region, the natural fluoride content of drinking water either had no influence on dental health at all, or this influence is so diminutive that it is exceeded by far by sociodemographic factors. Obviously there is much more fluoride available from other sources nowadays compared to 30 years ago. The results may also have implications for the administration of fluoride tablets and support the recommendations of the DGZMK (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde) from the year 2000, restricting the administration of fluoride tablets to special situations following an individual anamnesis of fluoride uptake. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

TREATMENT OF PRODUCED OIL AND GAS WATERS WITH SURFACTANT-MODIFIED ZEOLITE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lynn E. Katz; R.S. Bowman; E.J. Sullivan

2003-11-01

Co-produced water from the oil and gas industry accounts for a significant waste stream in the United States. It is by some estimates the largest single waste stream in the country, aside from nonhazardous industrial wastes. Characteristics of produced water include high total dissolved solids content, dissolved organic constituents such as benzene and toluene, an oil and grease component, and chemicals added during the oil-production process. While most of the produced water is disposed via reinjection, some must be treated to remove organic constituents before the water is discharged. Current treatment options are successful in reducing the organic content; however,more » they cannot always meet the levels of current or proposed regulations for discharged water. Therefore, an efficient, cost-effective treatment technology is needed. Surfactant-modified zeolite (SMZ) has been used successfully to treat contaminated ground water for organic and inorganic constituents. In addition, the low cost of natural zeolites makes their use attractive in water-treatment applications. This report summarizes the work and results of this four-year project. We tested the effectiveness of surfactant-modified zeolite (SMZ) for removal of BTEX with batch and column experiments using waters with BTEX concentrations that are comparable to those of produced waters. The data from our experimental investigations showed that BTEX sorption to SMZ can be described by a linear isotherm model, and competitive effects between compounds were not significant. The SMZ can be readily regenerated using air stripping. We field-tested a prototype SMZ-based water treatment system at produced water treatment facilities and found that the SMZ successfully removes BTEX from produced waters as predicted by laboratory studies. When compared to other existing treatment technologies, the cost of the SMZ system is very competitive. Furthermore, the SMZ system is relatively compact, does not require the storage of potentially hazardous chemicals, and could be readily adapted to an automated system.« less

Analysis of natural variation in bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) reveals physiological responses underlying drought tolerance.

PubMed

Shi, Haitao; Wang, Yanping; Cheng, Zhangmin; Ye, Tiantian; Chan, Zhulong

2012-01-01

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is a widely used warm-season turfgrass and one of the most drought tolerant species. Dissecting the natural variation in drought tolerance and physiological responses will bring us powerful basis and novel insight for plant breeding. In the present study, we evaluated the natural variation of drought tolerance among nine bermudagrass varieties by measuring physiological responses after drought stress treatment through withholding water. Three groups differing in drought tolerance were identified, including two tolerant, five moderately tolerant and two susceptible varieties. Under drought stress condition, drought sensitive variety (Yukon) showed relative higher water loss, more severe cell membrane damage (EL), and more accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA), while drought tolerant variety (Tifgreen) exhibited significantly higher antioxidant enzymes activities. Further results indicated that drought induced cell injury in different varieties (Yukon, SR9554 and Tifgreen) exhibited liner correlation with leaf water content (LWC), H₂O₂ content, MDA content and antioxidant enzyme activities. Additionally, Tifgreen plants had significantly higher levels of osmolytes (proline level and soluble sugars) when compared with Yukon and SR9554 under drought stress condition. Taken together, our results indicated that natural variation of drought stress tolerance in bermudagrass varieties might be largely related to the induced changes of water status, osmolyte accumulation and antioxidant defense system.

Antioxidants, low molecular weight carbohydrates, and total antioxidant capacity in strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa): effects of cultivar, ripening, and storage.

PubMed

Olsson, Marie E; Ekvall, Jimmy; Gustavsson, Karl-Erik; Nilsson, Jessica; Pillai, Deepa; Sjöholm, Ingegerd; Svensson, Ulla; Akesson, Björn; Nyman, Margareta G L

2004-05-05

Four cultivars of strawberries (Senga Sengana, BFr77111, Elsanta, and Honeoye) were studied for their content of antioxidants, total antioxidant capacity, and low molecular weight carbohydrates in relation to harvest year, ripening stage, and cold storage. For ascorbic acid, chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, and total antioxidative capacity, measured in both water-soluble and water-insoluble extracts, there was a 2-5-fold variation among cultivars. Unripe berries contained lower concentrations of chlorogenic acid and p-coumaric acid and also quercetin and kaempferol compared with riper berries. During cold storage for up to 3 days, relatively few changes in the concentration of the different antioxidants occurred. The concentrations of several investigated parameters were interrelated, for example, for ascorbic acid and water-soluble antioxidant capacity and for ellagic acid and water-insoluble antioxidant capacity. The dominating sugars in strawberries were fructose and glucose, but considerable amounts of sucrose were also present, and their contents varied among cultivars, giving a predicted glycemic index of approximately 81. Verbascose, raffinose, and stachyose were found in only minor amounts. The study shows that the concentration of a number of bioactive compounds in strawberries varied according to cultivar, ripening stage, and storage. This information should make it possible to select strawberries with an optimal content of bioactive compounds.

Structure and sorption properties of CNC reinforced PVA films.

PubMed

Popescu, Maria-Cristina

2017-08-01

Bio-nanocomposite films based on cellulose nanocrystals reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) were obtained by solvent casting method. To assess the structural features of the films, different spectral techniques (FTIR, 2D COS and XRD) have been used. Infrared and 2D correlation spectroscopy evidenced the presence of H-bond interactions between the PVA and CNC, and the variation in the conformational rearrangements, while XRD showed that the crystallite size and the crystallinity degree were affected by the incorporation of CNC. At low content of CNC in the PVA matrix, the crystallinity degree decreased to 29.9%, while at higher CNC content increased to 80.6%, comparing to PVA (35.4%). To evaluate the interaction with water, contact angle measurement, water sorption and NIR spectroscopy were used, respectively. The increase of the CNC content induced a reduction in water sorption ability from 93% for PVA to 75% for PVA/CNC films, indicating the involvement of the hydroxyl groups in new hydrogen bonded interactions. By analyzing the variation of the NIR bands from 1930, 1902 and 1985nm, was observed that the water molecules interact with the polymer matrix through moderate hydrogen bond before diffusing into the free volume of the matrix and form stronger hydrogen bonds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Importance of bioavailable calcium drinking water for the maintenance of bone mass in post-menopausal women.

PubMed

Costi, D; Calcaterra, P G; Iori, N; Vourna, S; Nappi, G; Passeri, M

1999-12-01

The aim of this research was to establish the importance of calcium intake through mineral water on vertebral bone density in women. To this purpose, we examined 255 women divided into two groups: those regularly drinking a high calcium content mineral water (group A; no.=175) and those using different type of water with a lower calcium content (group B; no.=80). Their dietary daily calcium intake was determined by means of a validated questionnaire (N.I.H. Consensus statement) and vertebral bone density was measured by Dual-Energy X-ray absorptiometry (Unigamma-plus ACN densitometer). Women in group A ingested a significantly higher quantity of calcium in water than women in group B (mean difference 258 mg; 95% confidence limits: 147-370 mg). The average bone density values were slightly but significantly higher in group A as compared to group B (mean+/-SD: 1.044+0,15 vs 1.002+0,14; p=0.03). In addition to age, BMI and menopausal status, calcium intake was a significant predictor of spinal BMD. These 4 variables explained about 35% of the spinal BMD variance. When the analysis was repeated separately for pre- and post-menopausal subjects, calcium remained a significant predictor in post-menopausal women (t=2.28; p=0.02), but not in premenopausal women. These results underline the importance of a lifelong daily calcium intake, resulting by the regular drinking of high bioavailable calcium water, in order to maintain bone mass after the menopause, in comparison to the use of a lower content calcium water.

Physiological Conjunction of Allelochemicals and Desert Plants

PubMed Central

Dudai, Nativ; Rachmilevitch, Shimon

2013-01-01

Plants exchange signals with other physical and biological entities in their habitat, a form of communication termed allelopathy. The underlying principles of allelopathy and secondary-metabolite production are still poorly understood, especially in desert plants. The coordination and role of secondary metabolites were examined as a cause of allelopathy in plants thriving under arid and semiarid soil conditions. Desert plant species, Origanum dayi, Artemisia sieberi and Artemisia judaica from two different sources (cultivar cuttings and wild seeds) were studied in their natural habitats. Growth rate, relative water content, osmotic potential, photochemical efficiency, volatile composition and vital factors of allelopathy were analyzed at regular intervals along four seasons with winter showing optimum soil water content and summer showing water deficit conditions. A comprehensive analysis of the volatile composition of the leaves, ambient air and soil in the biological niche of the plants under study was carried out to determine the effects of soil water conditions and sample plants on the surrounding flora. Significant morpho-physiological changes were observed across the seasons and along different soil water content. Metabolic analysis showed that water deficit was the key for driving selective metabolomic shifts. A. judaica showed the least metabolic shifts, while A. sieberi showed the highest shifts. All the species exhibited high allelopathic effects; A. judaica displayed relatively higher growth-inhibition effects, while O. dayi showed comparatively higher germination-inhibition effects in germination assays. The current study may help in understanding plant behavior, mechanisms underlying secondary-metabolite production in water deficit conditions and metabolite-physiological interrelationship with allelopathy in desert plants, and can help cull economic benefits from the produced volatiles. PMID:24339945

Near infrared spectroscopic evaluation of water in hyaline cartilage.

PubMed

Padalkar, M V; Spencer, R G; Pleshko, N

2013-11-01

In diseased conditions of cartilage such as osteoarthritis, there is typically an increase in water content from the average normal of 60-85% to greater than 90%. As cartilage has very little capability for self-repair, methods of early detection of degeneration are required, and assessment of water could prove to be a useful diagnostic method. Current assessment methods are either destructive, time consuming, or have limited sensitivity. Here, we investigated the hypotheses that non-destructive near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) of articular cartilage can be used to differentiate between free and bound water, and to quantitatively assess water content. The absorbances centered at 5200 and 6890 cm(-1) were attributed to a combination of free and bound water, and to free water only, respectively. The integrated areas of both absorbance bands were found to correlate linearly with the absolute water content (R = 0.87 and 0.86) and with percent water content (R = 0.97 and 0.96) of the tissue. Partial least square models were also successfully developed and were used to predict water content, and percent free water. These data demonstrate that NIRS can be utilized to quantitatively determine water content in articular cartilage, and may aid in early detection of degenerative tissue changes in a laboratory setting, and with additional validations, possibly in a clinical setting.

Gas occurrence property in shales of Tuha basin northwest china

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jinlong; Huang, Zhilong

2017-04-01

Pore of rock under formation condition must be fulfilled by gas, oil, or water, so the volume of water and gas is equation to porous volume in shale gas. The occurrences states of gas are free gas, solution gas, and absorbed gas. Field analysis is used to obtain total gas content by improved lost gas recover method. Free gas content acquired by pore proportion of gas, which use measured pore volume minus water and oil saturation, convert gas content of standard condition by state equation. Water saturation obtain from core water content, oil saturation obtain from extract carbohydrate. Solution gas need gas solubility in oil and water to calculate solution gas content in standard condition. Absorbed gas, introduce Absorbed Gas Saturation ɛ, which acquire from isothermal adsorption volume vs field analysis gas content in many basins of published paper, need isothermal adsorption and Absorbed Gas Saturation to obtain absorbed gas content. All of the data build connect with logging value by regression equation. The gas content is 0.92-1.53 m3/t from field analysis, evaluate gas content is 1.33 m3/t average, free gas proportion is about 47%, absorbed gas counter for 49%, and solution gas is average 4%.

Isoprene emission protects photosynthesis but reduces plant productivity during drought in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants.

PubMed

Ryan, Annette C; Hewitt, C Nicholas; Possell, Malcolm; Vickers, Claudia E; Purnell, Anna; Mullineaux, Philip M; Davies, William J; Dodd, Ian C

2014-01-01

Isoprene protects the photosynthetic apparatus of isoprene-emitting plants from oxidative stress. The role of isoprene in the response of plants to drought is less clear. Water was withheld from transgenic isoprene-emitting and non-emitting tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants, to examine: the response of isoprene emission to plant water deficit; a possible relationship between concentrations of the drought-induced phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and isoprene; and whether isoprene affected foliar reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation levels. Isoprene emission did not affect whole-plant water use, foliar ABA concentration or leaf water potential under water deficit. Compared with well-watered controls, droughted non-emitting plants significantly increased ROS content (31-46%) and lipid peroxidation (30-47%), concomitant with decreased operating and maximum efficiencies of photosystem II photochemistry and lower leaf and whole-plant water use efficiency (WUE). Droughted isoprene-emitting plants showed no increase in ROS content or lipid peroxidation relative to well-watered controls, despite isoprene emission decreasing before leaf wilting. Although isoprene emission protected the photosynthetic apparatus and enhanced leaf and whole-plant WUE, non-emitting plants had 8-24% more biomass under drought, implying that isoprene emission incurred a yield penalty. © 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

Economic contribution of 'artificial upwelling' mariculture to sea-thermal power generation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roels, O.A.

1976-07-01

Deep-sea water has two valuable properties: it is uniformly cold and, compared to surface water, it is rich in nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate which are necessary for plant growth. In tropical and subtropical areas, the temperature difference between the warm surface water and the cold deep water can be used for sea-thermal power generation or other cooling applications such as air-conditioning, ice-making, desalination, and cooling of refineries, power plants, etc. Once the deep water is brought to the surface, utilization of both the cold temperature and the nutrient content is likely to be more advantageous than the usemore » of only one of them. Claude demonstrated the technical feasibility of sea-thermal power generation in Cuba in 1930. The technical feasibility of artificial upwelling mariculture in the St. Croix installation has been demonstrated. Results to date demonstrate that the gross sales value of the potential mariculture yield from a given volume of deep-sea water is many times that of the sales value of the power which can be generated by the Claude process from the same volume of deep water. Utilizing both the nutrient content and the cold temperature of the deep water may therefore make sea-thermal power generation economically feasible.« less

Inactivation of koi-herpesvirus in water using bacteria isolated from carp intestines and carp habitats.

PubMed

Yoshida, N; Sasaki, R-K; Kasai, H; Yoshimizu, M

2013-12-01

Since its first outbreak in Japan in 2003, koi-herpesvirus (KHV) remains a challenge to the carp Cyprinus carpio L. breeding industry. In this study, inactivation of KHV in water from carp habitats (carp habitat water) was investigated with the aim of developing a model for rapidly inactivating the pathogen in aquaculture effluent. Experiments with live fish showed that, in carp habitat water, KHV lost its infectivity within 3 days. Indications were that inactivation of KHV was caused by the antagonistic activity of bacteria (anti-KHV bacteria) in the water from carp habitats. Carp habitat water and the intestinal contents of carp were therefore screened for anti-KHV bacteria. Of 581 bacterial isolates, 23 showed anti-KHV activity. An effluent treatment model for the disinfection of KHV in aquaculture effluent water using anti-KHV bacteria was developed and evaluated. The model showed a decrease in cumulative mortality and in the number of KHV genome copies in kidney tissue of fish injected with treated effluent compared with a positive control. It is thought that anti-KHV bacteria isolated from the intestinal contents of carp and from carp habitat water can be used to control KHV outbreaks. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A New Method for Sensing Soil Water Content in Green Roofs Using Plant Microbial Fuel Cells

PubMed Central

Tapia, Natalia F.; Rojas, Claudia; Bonilla, Carlos A.

2017-01-01

Green roofs have many benefits, but in countries with semiarid climates the amount of water needed for irrigation is a limiting factor for their maintenance. The use of drought-tolerant plants such as Sedum species, reduces the water requirements in the dry season, but, even so, in semiarid environments these can reach up to 60 L m−2 per day. Continuous substrate/soil water content monitoring would facilitate the efficient use of this critical resource. In this context, the use of plant microbial fuel cells (PMFCs) emerges as a suitable and more sustainable alternative for monitoring water content in green roofs in semiarid climates. In this study, bench and pilot-scale experiments using seven Sedum species showed a positive relationship between current generation and water content in the substrate. PMFC reactors with higher water content (around 27% vs. 17.5% v/v) showed larger power density (114.6 and 82.3 μW m−2 vs. 32.5 μW m−2). Moreover, a correlation coefficient of 0.95 (±0.01) between current density and water content was observed. The results of this research represent the first effort of using PMFCs as low-cost water content biosensors for green roofs. PMID:29283378

A New Method for Sensing Soil Water Content in Green Roofs Using Plant Microbial Fuel Cells.

PubMed

Tapia, Natalia F; Rojas, Claudia; Bonilla, Carlos A; Vargas, Ignacio T

2017-12-28

Green roofs have many benefits, but in countries with semiarid climates the amount of water needed for irrigation is a limiting factor for their maintenance. The use of drought-tolerant plants such as Sedum species, reduces the water requirements in the dry season, but, even so, in semiarid environments these can reach up to 60 L m -2 per day. Continuous substrate/soil water content monitoring would facilitate the efficient use of this critical resource. In this context, the use of plant microbial fuel cells (PMFCs) emerges as a suitable and more sustainable alternative for monitoring water content in green roofs in semiarid climates. In this study, bench and pilot-scale experiments using seven Sedum species showed a positive relationship between current generation and water content in the substrate. PMFC reactors with higher water content (around 27% vs. 17.5% v / v ) showed larger power density (114.6 and 82.3 μW m -2 vs. 32.5 μW m -2 ). Moreover, a correlation coefficient of 0.95 (±0.01) between current density and water content was observed. The results of this research represent the first effort of using PMFCs as low-cost water content biosensors for green roofs.

Determination of microwave vegetation optical depth and water content in the source region of the Yellow River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, R.; Wen, J.; Wang, X.

2017-12-01

In this study, we use dual polarization brightness temperature observational data at the K frequency band collected by the Micro Wave Radiation Imager (MWRI) on board the Fengyun-3B satellite (FY-3B) to improve the τ-ω model by considering the contribution of water bodies in the pixels to radiation in the wetland area of the Yellow River source region. We define a dual polarization slope parameter and express the surface emissivity in the τ-ω model as the sum of the soil and water body emissivity to retrieve the vegetation optical depth (VOD); however, in regions without water body coverage, we still use the τ-ω model to solve for the VOD. By using the field observation data on the vegetation water content (VWC) in the source region of the Yellow River during the summer of 2012, we establish the regression relationship between the VOD and VWC and retrieve the spatial distribution of the VWC. The results indicate that in the entire source region of the Yellow River in 2012, the VOD was in the range of 0.20-1.20 and the VWC was in the range of 0.20 to 1.40, thereby exhibiting a trend of low values in the west and high values in the east. The area with the largest regional variation is along the Yellow River. We compare the results from remote-sensing estimated and ground-measured vegetation water content, and the root-mean-square error is 0.12. The analysis results indicated that by considering the coverage of seasonal wetlands in the source region of the Yellow River, the microwave remote sensing data collected by the FY-3B MWRI can be used to retrieve the vegetation water content in the source region of the Yellow River.

Pupation Behaviors and Emergence Successes of Ectropis grisescens (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in Response to Different Substrate Types and Moisture Contents.

PubMed

Wang, Huifang; Ma, Tao; Xiao, Qiang; Cao, Panrong; Chen, Xuan; Wen, Yuzhen; Xiong, Hongpeng; Qin, Wenquan; Liang, Shiping; Jian, Shengzhe; Li, Yanjun; Sun, Zhaohui; Wen, Xiujun; Wang, Cai

2017-12-08

Ectropis grisescens Warren (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) is one of the most severe pests of tea plants in China. This species commonly pupates in soil; however, little is known about its pupation ecology. In the present study, choice and no-choice tests were conducted to investigate the pupation behaviors and emergence success of E. grisescens in response to different substrates (sand, sandy loam 1, sandy loam 2, and silt loam) and moisture contents (5, 20, 35, 50, 65, and 80%). Moisture-choice bioassays showed that significantly more E. grisescens individuals pupated in or on soil (sandy loam 1 and 2 and silt loam) that was at the intermediate moisture levels, whereas 5%- and 35%-moisture sand was significantly more preferred over 80%-moisture sand for pupating. Substrate-choice bioassays showed that sand was most preferred by E. grisescens individuals at 20%- and 80%-moisture levels, but no preference was detected among the four substrates at 50%-moisture content. No-choice tests showed that the percentage of burrowed E. grisescens individuals and pupation depth were significantly lower when soil was dry (20% moisture) or wet (80% moisture). In addition, 20%-moisture sandy loam 2 and silt loam significantly decreased the body water content of pupae and emergence success of adults compared to 50%-moisture content. However, each measurement (percentage of burrowed individuals, pupation depth, body water content, or emergence success) was similar when compared among different moisture levels of sand. Interestingly, pupae buried with 80%-moisture soil exhibited significantly lower emergence success than that were unburied. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Preliminary studies on physicochemical properties of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide-iron complex].

PubMed

Wang, Kai-ping; Zhang, Yu; Dai, Li-quan

2006-05-01

To study some physicochemical properties of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide-iron complex (APC). Based on the qualitatively identified reactions of iron (III), the qualitatively identified reactions of APC were found out by comparing hydroxide. The content of iron (III) in APC was determined with iodometry. The stability of APC under physiological pH conditions was judged by titrating APC with sodium hydroxide. The deoxidization of APC was tested with colorimetric analysis. APC showed the qualitatively identified reactions of iron (III). The content of iron (III) in APC ranged from 10% to 40%, and the water-solubility of APC was related to the content of iron (III). The complex was stable at physiological pH from 3 to 12, without precipitation and dissociation. At 37 degrees C, Fe (III) in the complex was completely reduced to Fe (III) by ascorbic acid in about 6 hours. APC can be qualitatively identified by using the qualitatively identified reactions of iron (III). When its iron (III) content is within 20%-25%, APC has a better ability to dissolve in water. And the complex is stable under physiological pH conditions.

Screening study on microsphere used in profile control under the environment of microbial oil recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tiantian; Xie, Gang; Gao, Shanshan; Wang, Zhiqiang; Wei, Junjie; Shi, Lei; Zheng, Ya; Gu, Yi; Lei, Xiaoyang; Wang, Ai

2017-12-01

The performance of four microspheres samples (MS-1, MS-2, MS-3, and MS-4) were evaluated and optimized by indoor experiments. Firstly, the basic physical and chemical properties of the four kinds of microspheres were evaluated by analyzing the solid contents and the solubility in the water. Results showed that the content of the precipitated solids in MS-1 was the lowest in the four kinds of microsphere samples. The contents of the other three microspheres were similar in the value of solid content. Besides, the three microspheres of the solubility in the simulated formation water were excellent. Secondly, the expansion properties of three kinds of microspheres (MS-2, MS-3, and MS-4) were investigated. Results revealed that the expansion performance of MS-3 was greatly affected by microbial metabolism. However, the other two samples had excellent expansion performance under the condition of microbial flooding. Finally, the sealing performance of MS-2 and MS-4 was evaluated by physical simulation Block test. Results showed that compared with MS-2, MS-4 was more suitable for Block B.

Beyond the usual mapping functions in GPS, VLBI and Deep Space tracking.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barriot, Jean-Pierre; Serafini, Jonathan; Sichoix, Lydie

2014-05-01

We describe here a new algorithm to model the water contents of the atmosphere (including ZWD) from GPS slant wet delays relative to a single receiver. We first make the assumption that the water vapor contents are mainly governed by a scale height (exponential law), and secondly that the departures from this decaying exponential can be mapped as a set of low degree 3D Zernike functions (w.r.t. space) and Tchebyshev polynomials (w.r.t. time.) We compare this new algorithm with previous algorithms known as mapping functions in GPS, VLBI and Deep Space tracking and give an example with data acquired over a one day time span at the Geodesy Observatory of Tahiti.