Maintaining intensive agriculture overlying aquifers using the threshold nitrate root-uptake phenomenon.

Reducing nitrate leaching from agricultural land to aquifers has been a high priority concern for more than a half century. This study presents theory and observations of a threshold concentration of nitrate in the root zone (Cmax), which the leachate concentration increases at higher rates with increasing root-zone nitrate concentration. The value of Cmax is derived both by direct results from container experiments with varying nitrogen (N) fertigation and as a calibration parameter in N-transport models beneath commercial agricultural plots.

Comparison of adsorption behaviors of selected endocrine-disrupting compounds in soil.

Bisphenol-A (BPA), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), and 4-nonylphenol (4NP) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that are useful models for studying the potential fate and transport of EDCs in soil and water environments. Two alluvial soils with contrasting physicochemical properties were used as adsorbents for this study. The Zook soil material had more organic matter and clay than the sandy loam Hanlon soil material.

Diversity in sensory quality and determining factors influencing mandarin flavor liking.

We evaluated the sensory quality of 42 mandarin varieties that belong to 7 different natural subgroups: common mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco), Clementine (Citrus clementina Hort. ex. Tan), Satsuma (Citrus unshiu Marcovitch), Mediterranean mandarin (Citrus deliciosa Tenore), King mandarin (Citrus nobilis Loureiro), and mandarin hybrids, such as tangor (Citrus reticulata × Citrus sinensis) and tangelo (Citrus reticulata × Citrus paradisi).

Image segmentation errors correction by mesh segmentation and deformation.

Volumetric image segmentation methods often produce delineations of anatomical structures and pathologies that require user modifications. We present a new method for the correction of segmentation errors. Given an initial geometrical mesh, our method semi automatically identifies the mesh vertices in erroneous regions with min-cut segmentation.

Anatomical structures segmentation by spherical 3D ray casting and gradient domain editing.

Fuzzy boundaries of anatomical structures in medical images make segmentation a challenging task. We present a new segmentation method that addresses the fuzzy boundaries problem. Our method maps the lengths of 3D rays cast from a seed point to the unit sphere, estimates the fuzzy boundaries location by thresholding the gradient magnitude of the rays lengths, and derives the true boundaries by Laplacian interpolation on the sphere.

Controlled exogenous enzyme imbibition and activation in whole chickpea seed enzyme reactor (SER).

Chickpeas are of excellent quality (protein, vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fatty acids) and very low in phytoestrogen, making them a potentially promising source for vegetarian-based infant formula (VBIF). However, their high starch and fiber concentration could hinder their utilization for infants. To overcome this natural shortcoming, a solid-state "enzymation" (SSE) process was developed in which imbibition of exogenous enzyme facilitates hydrolysis within the intact chickpea seed.

Interactions of carbamazepine in soil: effects of dissolved organic matter.

Pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) are co-introduced into soils by irrigation with reclaimed wastewater. We targeted carbamazepine (CBZ) as a model compound to study the tertiary interactions between relatively polar PCs, DOM, and soil. Sorption-desorption behavior of CBZ was studied with bulk clay soil and the corresponding clay size fraction in the following systems: (i) without DOM, (ii) co-introduced with DOM, and (iii) pre-adsorption of DOM before CBZ introduction.

Non-parametric iterative model constraint graph min-cut for automatic kidney segmentation.

We present a new non-parametric model constraint graph min-cut algorithm for automatic kidney segmentation in CT images. The segmentation is formulated as a maximum a-posteriori estimation of a model-driven Markov random field. A non-parametric hybrid shape and intensity model is treated as a latent variable in the energy functional.

Classification of suspected liver metastases using fMRI images: a machine learning approach.

This paper presents a machine-learning approach to the interactive classification of suspected liver metastases in fMRI images. The method uses fMRI-based statistical modeling to characterize colorectal hepatic metastases and follow their early hemodynamical changes. Changes in hepatic hemodynamics are evaluated from T2*-W fMRI images acquired during the breathing of air, air-CO2, and carbogen.

A bayesian approach for liver analysis: algorithm and validation study.

We present a new method for the simultaneous, nearly automatic segmentation of liver contours, vessels, and metastatic lesions from abdominal CTA scans. The method repeatedly applies multi-resolution, multi-class smoothed Bayesian classification followed by morphological adjustment and active contours refinement. It uses multi-class and voxel neighborhood information to compute an accurate intensity distribution function for each class.

Chemical fractionation of phosphorus in stabilized biosolids.

Three chemicals-ferrous sulfate (FeSul), calcium oxide (CaO), and aluminum sulfate (alum)-were applied at different rates to stabilize P in fresh, anaerobically digested biosolids (FBS) obtained from an activated sewage treatment plant. A modified Hedley fractionation procedure was used to assess P forms in these sludge-borne materials and in a biosolids compost (BSC) prepared from the same FBS. Each biosolids material exhibited a unique pattern of P distribution among fractions.

In situ accumulation of copper, chromium, nickel, and zinc in soils used for long-term waste water reclamation.

We studied the long-term in situ accumulation of Cu, Cr, Ni, and Zn in the soil profile of a large-scale effluent recharge basin after 24 yr of operation in a wastewater reclamation plant using the Soil Aquifer System approach in the Coastal Plain of Israel. The objective was to quantify metals accumulation in the basin's soil profile, clarify retention mechanisms, and calculate material balances and metal removal efficiency as the metal loads increase. Effluent recharge led to measurable accumulation, relative to the pristine soil, of Ni and Zn in the 0- to 4-m soil profile, with concentration increases of 0.

Adhesion modeling on rough low linear density polyethylene.

Food adhesion is an important attribute that could have both positive and negative ramifications depending on the application. Yet, its quantification remains cumbersome and as a consequence adhesion models are scarce. The effect of surface roughness, free energy, and ozone treatment on adhesion of rough low linear density polyethylene films was investigated.

Robot-assisted image-guided targeting for minimally invasive neurosurgery: planning, registration, and in-vitro experiment.

This paper present a novel image-guided system for precise automatic targeting in keyhole minimally invasive neurosurgery. The system consists of a miniature robot fitted with a mechanical guide for needle/probe insertion. Intraoperatively, the robot is directly affixed to a head clamp or to the patient skull.

Weight loading young chicks inhibits bone elongation and promotes growth plate ossification and vascularization.

The mechanical stimuli resulting from weight loading play an important role in mature bone remodeling. However, the effect of weight loading on the developmental process in young bones is less well understood. In this work, chicks were loaded with bags weighing 10% of their body weight during their rapid growth phase.

Discovery of a linear lead antagonist to the insect pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN).

We report the discovery of a linear lead antagonist for the insect pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) which inhibits sex pheromone biosynthesis in the female moth Heliothis peltigera. Two approaches have been used in attempting to convert PBAN agonists into antagonists. The first involved omission of the C-terminal amide and reduction of the sequence from the N-terminus in a linear library based on PBAN 1-33NH(2.

Induction of crystallization of calcium oxalate dihydrate in micellar solutions of anionic surfactants.

Calcium oxalate dihydrate (CaC2O4 center dot (2+x)H2O; COD; x < or = 0.5) does not readily crystallize from electrolytic solutions but appears as a component in crystalluria. In this paper, we review in vitro studies on the factors responsible for its nucleation and growth with special attention given to the role of surfactants.