Modeling and assessing the impact of reclaimed wastewater irrigation on the nutrient loads from an agricultural watershed containing rice paddy fields.

Two models were used in concert to predict nutrient loads in a waterbody receiving irrigation return flows from a rice paddy production system. Two irrigation scenarios were simulated, one using reclaimed wastewater as the irrigation water source, the other using water from a surface reservoir designed to supply irrigation water. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) loads in irrigation return flows from the rice paddy fields were simulated using the field-scale water quality model Chemical, Runoff and Erosion from Agricultural Management System model for rice paddy fields (CREAMS-PADDY).

Surface modification of implant materials and its effect on attachment and proliferation of bone cells.

Osteoblast-like cell response in variation with the air plasma sprayed (APS) TiO2 coating process parameters correlated with coating properties were investigated to evaluate the durability and biocompatibility of the surface-modified implant. The Taguchi technique was used to determine the coating properties affected by plasma spraying parameters on Ti-6AI-4V alloy substrate. The coating properties were characterized by porosity and surface roughness using an image analyzer and surf analyzer, respectively.