Effect of tillage on fractal indices describing soil surface microrelief of a Brazilian Alfisol

Soil surface roughness is known to influence water infiltration, runoff and erosion. Soil surface roughness changes with management and weather and its mathematical description still remains an important issue. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of tillage on the two fractal indices, fractal dimension, D, and crossover length, 1, currently used in characterizing soil surface microrelief. The statistical index random roughness, RR, was also assessed. Field experiments were done on an Alfisol located at Rio Grande do Sul State (Brazil). Two tillage treatments (conventional versus direct drilling) were tested. The soil surface microrelief was assessed by point elevation measurements in 16 plots for each treatment. The sampling scheme was a square grid with 20 x 20 mm between point spacing and the plot size was 280 x 280 mm, so that each data set consisted of 225 individual elevation points. All indices were calculated after trend removal, both by slope correction, i.e., oriented microrelief, and by slope plus tillage marks correction, i.e., random microrelief. The implemented algorithm for estimating D and 1 consisted in evaluating the roughness around the local root mean square deviation (RMS) of the point elevation values. Irrespective of tillage treatment and detrending procedure, fractal behavior extended only over a bounded range of scales, from 40 to 100 mm, due to the experimental setup. In these conditions, assessing fractal indices was not always straightforward. The statistical index RR and the fractal index I were significantly different between tillage treatments for oriented and random surface conditions. D values of random soil surfaces were not affected by tillage treatment, whereas D values of oriented microrelief were significantly lower in the direct drilled plots. Removal of tillage marks trend resulted in a significant increase in D values. Within each tillage treatment, 1 and D were significantly correlated. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surface effects on vortex dynamics in thin type-II superconducting stripes with random pinning

We analyze the dynamics of a driven vortex lattice moving in a thin Superconducting stripe. The two dimensional stripe is assumed to be finite in the longitudinal direction, where we take into account the Surface effects, and infinite in the transversal direction. The numerical simulations are performed using the Langevin dynamics, including the vortex-vortex interaction, interaction of vortices with the surface current, vortex images, transport current and randomly distributed pinning centers. We show results for the differential resistivity and the vortex trajectories as a function of the external force. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Extraction of Building Roof Contours From LiDAR Data Using a Markov-Random-Field-Based Approach

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Vibrational spectra and surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering of palladium phthalocyanine evaporated films

The vibrational spectra of palladium phthalocyanine (PdPc) evaporated thin solid films are reported, including the resonance Raman scattering, surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) and SERRS mapping of the film surface using micro-Raman spectroscopy with 633 nm laser radiation. SERRS of PdPc was obtained by evaporating an overlayer of Ag nanoparticles on to the PdPc film on glass. The SERRS enhancement factor is estimated as similar to10(4) with reference to PdPc evaporated films on glass. The molecular organization of the PdPc evaporated films was probed using transmission and reflection-absorption infrared spectra. It was established that a random molecular distribution found in PdPc evaporated films is independent of temperature. No evidence of thermal degradation due to thermal annealing was found in the films. Electronic absorption and emission spectra are also discussed. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Surface morphology and molecular organization of lignins in Langmuir-Blodgett films

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) are used to investigate molecular organization in Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of two kinds of lignins. The lignins were extracted from sugar cane bagasse using distinct extraction processes and are referred to here as ethanol lignin (EL) and saccharification lignin (SAC). AFM images show that LB films from EL have a flat surface in comparison with those from SAC. For the latter, ellipsoidal aggregates are seen oriented perpendicularly to the substrate. This result is confirmed by a combination of transmission and reflection FTIR measurements, which also point to lignin aggregates preferentially oriented perpendicularly to the substrate. For LB films from EL, on the other hand, aggregates are preferentially oriented parallel to the substrate, again consistent with the flat surface observed in AFM data. The vibrational spectroscopy data for cast films from both lignins show random molecular organization, as one should expect.

Surface effects on moving vortices in superconducting stripes

Size and surface dynamical effects are investigated in thin superconducting stripes with variable width. We perform numerical simulations of the vortex dynamics, with the inclusion of the surface confining potential and a random distribution of pinning centers. To fully characterize the vortex flow, we calculate the differential resistance, the transverse diffusion coefficient, the structure factor and the intensity of the Bragg peaks, as functions of the transport force. We found that surface effects induce a premature ordering of the flux line lattice, and the system displays plastic and smectic behavior only in a very narrow range of forces. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Surface Treatments on the Bond Strength between Composite Resin and Acrylic Resin Denture Teeth

Purpose: This investigation studied the effects of 3 surface treatments on the shear bond strength of a light-activated composite resin bonded to acrylic resin denture teeth. Materials and Methods: The occlusal surfaces of 30 acrylic resin denture teeth were ground flat with up to 400-grit silicon carbide paper. Three different surface treatments were evaluated: (1) the flat ground surfaces were primed with methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer for 180 seconds; (2) light-cured adhesive resin was applied and light polymerized according to the manufacturer's instructions; and (3) treatment 1 followed by treatment 2. The composite resin was packed on the prepared surfaces using a split mold. The interface between tooth and composite was loaded at a cross-head speed of 0.5 mm/min until failure. Results: Analysis of variance indicated significant differences between the surface treatments. Results of mean comparisons using Tukey's test showed that significantly higher shear bond strengths were developed by bonding composite resin to the surfaces that were previously treated with MMA and then with the bonding agent when compared to the other treatments. Conclusion: Combined surface treatment of MMA monomer followed by application of light-cured adhesive resin provided the highest shear bond strength between composite resin and acrylic resin denture teeth.

Bond strength durability of direct and indirect composite systems following surface conditioning for repair

Purpose: This study evaluated the effect of surface conditioning methods and thermocycling on the bond strength between a resin composite and an indirect composite system in order to test the repair bond strength. Materials and Methods: Eighteen blocks (5 x 5 x 4 mm) of indirect resin composite (Sinfony) were fabricated according to the manufacturer's instructions. The specimens were randomly assigned to one of the following two treatment conditions (9 blocks per treatment): (1) 10% hydrofluoric acid (HF) for 90 s (Dentsply) + silanization, (2) silica coating with 30-Ìm SiOx particles (CoJet) + silanization. After surface conditioning, the bonding agent was applied (Adper Single Bond) and light polymerized. The composite resin (W3D Master) was condensed and polymerized incrementally to form a block. Following storage in distilled water at 37°C for 24 h, the indirect composite/resin blocks were sectioned in two axes (x and y) with a diamond disk under coolant irrigation to obtain nontrimmed specimens (sticks) with approximately 0.6 mm2 of bonding area. Twelve specimens were obtained per block (N = 216, n = 108 sticks). The specimens from each repaired block were again randomly divided into 2 groups and tested either after storage in water for 24 h or thermocycling (6000 cycles, 5°C to 55°C). The microtensile bond strength test was performed in a universal testing machine (crosshead speed: 1 mm/min). The mean bond strengths of the specimens of each block were statistically analyzed using two-way ANOVA (α = 0.05). Results: Both surface conditioning (p = 0.0001) and storage conditions (p = 0.0001) had a significant effect on the results. After 24 h water storage, silica coating and silanization (method 2) showed significantly higher bond strength results (46.4 ± 13.8 MPa) than that of hydrofluoric acid etching and silanization (method 1) (35.8 ± 9.7 MPa) (p < 0.001). After thermocycling, no significant difference was found between the mean bond strengths obtained with method 1 (34.1 ± 8.9 MPa) and method 2 (31.9 ± 7.9 MPa) (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Although after 24 h of testing, silica coating and silanization performed significantly better in resin-resin repair bond strength, both HF acid gel and silica coating followed by silanization revealed comparable bond strength results after thermocycling for 6000 times.

Osseointegration of implants with dendrimers surface characteristics installed conventionally or with Piezosurgery®. A comparative study in the dog

Aim: The first aim of the present experiment was to compare bone healing at implants installed in recipient sites prepared with conventional drills or a piezoelectric device. The second aim was to compare implant osseointegration onto surfaces with and without dendrimers coatings. Material and Methods: Six Beagles dogs were used in this study. Five implants with two different surfaces, three with a ZirTi® surface (zirconia sand blasted, acid etched), and two with a ZirTi®-modified surface with dendrimers of phosphoserine and polylysine were installed in the right side of the mandible. In the most anterior region (P2, P3), two recipient sites were prepared with drills, and one implant ZirTi® surface and one coated with dendrimers implants were installed at random. In the posterior region (P4 and M1), three recipient sites were randomly prepared: two sites with a Piezosurgery® instrument and one site with drill and two ZirTi® surface and one coated with dendrimers implants installed. Three months after the surgery, the animals were sacrificed for histological analysis. Results: No complications occurred during the healing period. Three implants were found not integrated and were excluded from analysis. However, n = 6 was obtained. The distance IS-B at the buccal aspect was 2.2 ± 0.8 and 1.8 ± 0.5 mm, while IS-C was 1.5 ± 0.9 and 1.4 ± 0.6 mm at the Piezosurgery® and drill groups, respectively. Similar values were obtained between the dendrimers-coated and ZirTi® surface implants. The BIC% values were higher at the drill (72%) compared to the Piezosurgery® (67%) sites. The BIC% were also found to be higher at the ZirTi® (74%) compared to the dendrimers-coated (65%) implants, the difference being statistically significant. Conclusion: This study has revealed that oral implants may osseointegrate equally well irrespective of whether their bed was prepared utilizing conventional drills with abundant cooling or Piezosurgery®. Moreover, the surface coating of implants with dendrimers phosphoserine and polylysine did not improve osseointegration. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Fast assembly of non-thiolated DNA on gold surface at lower pH

In a typical protocol for attaching DNA to a gold electrode, thiolated DNA is incubated with the electrode at neutral pH overnight. Here we report fast adsorption of non-thiolated DNA oligomers on gold electrodes at acidic pH (i.e., pH ~3.0). The peak-to-peak potential difference and the redox peak currents in typical cyclic voltammetry of [Fe(CN)6]3- are investigated to monitor the attachment. Compared with incubation at neutral pH, the lower pH can significantly promote the adsorption processes, enabling efficient adsorption even in 30min. The adsorption rate is DNA concentration-dependent, while the ionic strength shows no influence. Moreover, the adsorption is base-discriminative, with a preferred order of A>C≫G, T, which is attributed to the protonation of A and C at low pH and their higher binding affinity to gold surface. The immobilized DNA is functional and can hybridize with its complementary DNA but not a random DNA. This work is promising to provide a useful time-saving strategy for DNA assembly on gold electrodes, allowing fast fabrication of DNA-based biosensors and devices. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Characterization of Soil Surface Roughness Effects on Runoff and Soil Erosion Rates under Simulated Rainfall

This study aims at identifying the influence of soil surface roughness from small to large aggregates (random roughness) on runoff and soil loss and to investigate the interaction with soil surface seal formation. Bulk samples of a silty clay loam soil were sieved to four aggregate-size classes of 3 to 12, 12 to 20, 20 to 45, 45 to 100 mm, and packed in soil trays set at a 5% slope. Rainfall simulations using an oscillating nozzle simulator were conducted for 90 min at an average rainfall intensity of 50.2 mm h(-1). Soil surface roughness was measured using an instantaneous profile laser scanner and surface sealing was studied by macroscopic analysis of epoxy impregnated soil samples. The rainfall simulations revealed longer times to initiate runoff with increasing soil surface roughness. For random roughness levels up to 6 mm, a decrease in final runoff rate with increasing roughness was observed. This can be attributed to a decreased breakdown of the larger roughness elements on rougher surfaces, thus keeping infiltration rate high. For a random roughness larger than 6 mm, a greater final runoff rate was observed. This was caused by the creation of a thick depositional seal in the concentrated flow areas, thus lowering the infiltration rates. Analysis of impregnated soil sample blocks confirmed the formation of a structural surface seal on smooth surfaces, whereas thick depositional seals were visible in the depressional areas of rougher surfaces. Therefore, from our observations it can be learned that soil surface roughness as formed by the presence of different aggregate sizes reduces runoff but that its effect diminishes due to aggregate breakdown and the formation of thick depositional seals in the case of rough soil surfaces. Sediment concentration increased with increasing soil surface roughness, due to runoff concentration in flow paths. Nevertheless, final soil loss rates were comparable for all soil roughness categories, indicating that random roughness is only important in influencing runoff rates and the time to initiate runoff, but not in influencing sediment export through soil loss rates.

Processing and structural properties of random oriented lead lanthanum zirconate titanate thin films

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Assessment of broiler surface temperature variation when exposed to different air temperatures

This study was conducted to determine the effect of the air temperature variation on the mean surface temperature (MST) of 7-to 35-day-old broiler chickens using infrared thermometry to estimate MST, and to study surface temperature variation of the wings, head, legs, back and comb as affected by air temperature and broiler age. One hundred Cobb(R) broilers were used in the experiment. Starting on day 7, 10 birds were weekly selected at random, housed in an environmental chamber and reared under three distinct temperatures (18, 25 and 32 degrees C) to record their thermal profile using an infrared thermal camera. The recorded images were processed to estimate MST by selecting the whole area of the bird within the picture and comparing it with the values obtained using selected equations in literature, and to record the surface temperatures of the body parts. The MST estimated by infrared images were not statistically different (p > 0.05) from the values obtained by the equations. MST values significantly increased (p < 0.05) when the air temperature increased, but were not affected by bird age. However, age influenced the difference between MST and air temperature, which was highest on day 14. The technique of infrared thermal image analysis was useful to estimate the mean surface temperature of broiler chickens.