Urbanization-associated land use and land cover (LULC) changes lead to modifications of surface microclimatic and hydrological conditions, including the formation of urban heat islands and changes in surface runoff pattern. The goal of the paper is to investigate the changes of biophysical variables due to urbanization induced LULC changes in Indianapolis, USA, from 2001 to 2006. The biophysica...

Seed priming is a physiological seed enhancement method. Hydroor osmotic priming can advance germination under adequate moisture conditions. During direct seeding on well-drained paddy and upland fields, rice seeds occasionally encounter low soil moisture conditions. Under these conditions, rice seeds need to undergo rapid germination and secure emergence through improved water absorption capac...

Global climate change is expected to affect how plants respond to their physical and biological environments. In this study, we examined the effects of elevated CO2 ([CO2]) and low soil moisture on the physiological responses of mountain maple (Acer spicatum L.) seedlings to light availability. The seedlings were grown at ambient (392 µmol mol(-1)) and elevated (784 µmol mol(-1)) [CO2], low and...

A strain of Aspergillus ochraceus Wilhelm, isolated from poultry feed, produced both penicillic acid and ochratoxin A. Studies demonstrating the ability of this fungus to colonize poultry feed and produce these two mycotoxins under various temperatures and moistures indicated that the interaction was complex. The optimal temperature for conidial development did not vary with moisture, but accum...

Abstract--A procedure is presented to determine the moisture diffusivity for drying from measured moisture concentratio~a profiles. From error analysis it is shown that the applied space grid for scanning and the one-dimensional resolution of the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) method used for the measurements had a minor influence on the accuracy of the determination of the moisture diffusivi...

Background and Objectives: Kefiran (Kef) is a water-soluble polysaccharide that can form transparent film however, it is brittle. Therefore, in order to improve the mechanical properties of kefiran film, a mixture with other polymers can be offered. The expansion of mixed systems can propose kefiran and polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) as a new composite film. Materials and Methods: Solutions of 20 gr...

In this paper the influence of the moisture content on the flow characteristics of blast furnace dust is investigated. The flowability of granular material is essential for the design and operation of dust separators, transport equipment and storage silos. Two blast furnace dust samples from different blast furnaces were investigated. The moisture content was adapted for measurement with the sh...

Soil moisture is a key variable in dryland ecosystems since it determines the occurrence and duration of vegetation water stress and affects the development of weather patterns including rainfall. However, the lack of ground observations of soil moisture and rainfall dynamics in many drylands has long been a major obstacle in understanding ecohydrological processes in these ecosystems. It is al...

dust is a common atmospheric phenomenon in iran especially in central arid regions.  this severely affects environment as well as resident’s health. among the results of this phenomenon are respiratory diseases, bash radiation, accelerated soil erosion, desertification and degradation of ecosystems. some dusts are originated from local desert conditions but adjacency to neighboring countries de...

Soil moisture is a critical hydrological variable that links the terrestrial water, energy and carbon cycles. Global and regional observations of soil moisture are needed to estimate the water and energy fluxes at the land surface, to quantify the net carbon flux in boreal landscapes, to enhance weather and climate forecast skill and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring c...