Ecosystems may exhibit alternative stable states (ASS) in response to environmental change. Modelling and observational data broadly support the theory of ASS, however evidence from manipulation experiments supporting this theory is limited. Here, we provide long-term manipulation and observation data supporting the existence of drought induced alternative stable soil moisture states (irreversi...

We develop wireless sensor network, control system, and data analysis technologies for dynamic and near-real-time validation of space-borne soil moisture measurements, in particular those from the Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) mission. Soil moisture fields are functions of variables that change over time across the range of scales from a few meters to several kilometers. We develop se...

[1] In dryland ecosystems, understanding the effects of heterogeneity in soil moisture and geophysical properties on vegetation structure and dynamics poses a suite of challenging research questions. Heterogeneity in soil depth can affect resource availability and the subsequent organization of woody vegetation, while spatiotemporal variation in soil moisture can reveal important ecohydrologica...

A combined experimental and analytic approach to moisture diffusion analysis (MDA) has evolved in proof of principle form as a new instrument termed a ~ist~re ~rof~lometer .. The ob~ec~ive in m?isture profilometry is the quantitative analysis of the spat1al d1str1but~on of m?1stu~e.w1th1n compos1tes . and definition of localized internal stress fields. An electrolyt1c cell 1s ut1l1zed to record...

Drying is essential in lowering the water activity and increasing the shelf stability of perishables. Thus, this study investigated the effect of pretreatment on the retention of the antioxidant properties and color of four tomato varieties; that is, Anna F1, Kilele, Prostar F1, and Riogrande during drying. Prepared quarters were treated by spraying with 0.5% sodium metabisulfate, 0.5% calcium ...

SKIN AGING IS A MULTIFACTORIAL PROCESS CONSISTING OF TWO DISTINCT AND INDEPENDENT MECHANISMS: intrinsic and extrinsic aging. Youthful skin retains its turgor, resilience and pliability, among others, due to its high content of water. Daily external injury, in addition to the normal process of aging, causes loss of moisture. The key molecule involved in skin moisture is hyaluronic acid (HA) that...

Spray drying is a common drying technique in food industries to convert liquid to powder form. A good understanding on the dynamic behavior of the process is important to ensure proper control. The aim of this study is to develop empirical models for spray drying of whole milk powder and orange juice powder. A preliminary study on the effect of several inputs such as inlet air temperature, feed...

We assessed the effects of canopy position and feral pig disturbance on soil moisture, pH, and inorganic nitrogen concentrations beneath canopies of Quercus agrifolia and surrounding grasslands on Santa Cruz Island, California. Percent soil moisture, pH, nitrate-N, and total inorganic nitrogen varied significantly with canopy position. Soil moisture decreased, and pH increased along transects f...

Remotely sensed data from satellites are often validated by comparing them against ground-based measurements which usually are relatively sparse. Conventional consistency analysis methods provide information on each data point individually and in relation to its neighbors. In this study, a consistency analysis method based on wavelet-based feature extraction and one-class support vector machine...