Herbicide detection in groundwater in Córrego Rico-SP watershed

Due to the large amount of pesticides applied in agriculture, mainly herbicides, there is a growing concern about a possible environmental contamination with these products, including water bodies. Given the above, the aim of the present work was to detect and quantify herbicides through multiresidue analysis in water samples collected in semi-artesian wells and springs in a rural area of the city of Jaboticabal (SP). Samples were collected from 32 wells and 13 water springs, in three different seasons: October 2010, February 2011 and May 2011. Additionally, samples at a residence in the urban area were also collected. Analysis using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was performed and herbicides ametryn, amicarbazone, clomazone, diclosulan, diuron, hexazinone, imazapic, imazapyr, isoxaflutole, S-metolachlor, sulfentrazone, sulfometuron-methyl, and tebuthiuron were evaluated. In semi-artesian wells, an incresed quantity of herbicides was found in comparison with the water springs. Among the tested herbicides, hexazinone, imazapyr and sulfentrazone were detected in measurable amounts in accordance with the analytical method applied, while clomazone was the most common herbicide being detected in more than 60% of the samples. Ametryn, diuron and amicarbazone herbicides were also detected. Diclosulan, imazapic, isoxaflutole, S-metolachlor, sulfometuron-methyl, and tebuthiuron were not detected in any sample. Inappropriate use of these products without prior knowledge of the behavior of the soil can lead to groundwaters and water springs contamination, thus an ongoing monitoring of this resource becomes very important.

Critical analysis of autoregressive and fast Fourier transform markers of cardiovascular variability in rats and humans

The autonomic nervous system plays an important role in physiological and pathological conditions, and has been extensively evaluated by parametric and non-parametric spectral analysis. To compare the results obtained with fast Fourier transform (FFT) and the autoregressive (AR) method, we performed a comprehensive comparative study using data from humans and rats during pharmacological blockade (in rats), a postural test (in humans), and in the hypertensive state (in both humans and rats). Although postural hypotension in humans induced an increase in normalized low-frequency (LFnu) of systolic blood pressure, the increase in the ratio was detected only by AR. In rats, AR and FFT analysis did not agree for LFnu and high frequency (HFnu) under basal conditions and after vagal blockade. The increase in the LF/HF ratio of the pulse interval, induced by methylatropine, was detected only by FFT. In hypertensive patients, changes in LF and HF for systolic blood pressure were observed only by AR; FFT was able to detect the reduction in both blood pressure variance and total power. In hypertensive rats, AR presented different values of variance and total power for systolic blood pressure. Moreover, AR and FFT presented discordant results for LF, LFnu, HF, LF/HF ratio, and total power for pulse interval. We provide evidence for disagreement in 23% of the indices of blood pressure and heart rate variability in humans and 67% discordance in rats when these variables are evaluated by AR and FFT under physiological and pathological conditions. The overall disagreement between AR and FFT in this study was 43%.

Detection of patients with functional dyspepsia using wavelet transform applied to their electrogastrogram

The aim of the present study was to develop a classifier able to discriminate between healthy controls and dyspeptic patients by analysis of their electrogastrograms. Fifty-six electrogastrograms were analyzed, corresponding to 42 dyspeptic patients and 14 healthy controls. The original signals were subsampled, filtered and divided into the pre-, post-, and prandial stages. A time-frequency transformation based on wavelets was used to extract the signal characteristics, and a special selection procedure based on correlation was used to reduce their number. The analysis was carried out by evaluating different neural network structures to classify the wavelet coefficients into two groups (healthy subjects and dyspeptic patients). The optimization process of the classifier led to a linear model. A dimension reduction that resulted in only 25% of uncorrelated electrogastrogram characteristics gave 24 inputs for the classifier. The prandial stage gave the most significant results. Under these conditions, the classifier achieved 78.6% sensitivity, 92.9% specificity, and an error of 17.9 ± 6% (with a 95% confidence level). These data show that it is possible to establish significant differences between patients and normal controls when time-frequency characteristics are extracted from an electrogastrogram, with an adequate component reduction, outperforming the results obtained with classical Fourier analysis. These findings can contribute to increasing our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in functional dyspepsia and perhaps to improving the pharmacological treatment of functional dyspeptic patients.

A hypothesis for the geochemical anomaly in the North Creek Watershed /

A regional geochemical reconnaissance by bottom stream sediment sampling, has delineated an area of high metal content in the north central sector of the North Creek Watershed. Development of a geochemical model, relating to the relative chemical concentrations derived from the chemical analyses of bottom sediments, suspended sediments, stream waters and well waters collected from the north central sector, was designed to discover the source of the anomaly. Samples of each type of material were analysed by the A.R.L. Direct Reading Multi-element Emission Spectrograph Q.A. 137 for elements: Na, K, Ca, Sr, Si, As, Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, Ti, Ag, Mo, Be, Fe, AI, Mn, Cu, Cr, P and Y. Anomalous results led to the discovery of a spring, the waters of which carried high concentrations of Zn, Cd, Pb, As, Ni, Ti, Ag, Sr and Si. In addition, the spring waters had high concentrations of Na, Ca, Mg, 504 , alkalinity, N03' and low concentrations of K, Cl and NH3. Increased specific conductivity (up to 2500 ~mho/cm.) was noted in the spring waters as well as increased calculated total dissolved solids (up to 2047 mg/l) and increased ionic strength (up to 0.06). On the other hand, decreases were noted in water temperature (8°C), pH (pH 7.2) and Eh (+.154 volts). Piezometer nests were installed in the anomalous north central sector of the watershed. In accordance with the slope of the piezometric surface from wells cased down to the till/bedrock interface, groundwater flow is directed from the recharge area (northwest of the anomaly) towards the artesian spring via the highly fractured dolostone aquifer of the Upper Eramosa Member. The bedrock aquifer is confined by the overlying Halton till and the underlying Lower Eramosa Member (Vinemount Shale). The oxidation of sphalerite and galena and the dissolution of gypsum, celestite, calcite, and dolomite within the Eramosa Member, contributed its highly, dissolved constituents to the circulating groundwaters, the age of which is greater than 20 years as determined by tritium dating. Groundwater is assumed to flow along the Vinemount Shale and discharge as an artesian spring where the shale unit becomes discontinuous. The anomaly is located on a topographic low where bedrock is close to the surface. Thermodynamic evaluation of the major ion speciation from the anomalous spring and surface waters, showed gypsum to be supersaturated in these spring waters. Downstream from the spring, the loss of carbon dioxide from the spring waters resulted in the supersaturation with respect to calcite, aragonite, magnesite and dolomite. This corresponded with increases in Eh (+.304 volts) and pH (pH 8.5) in the anomalous surface waters. In conclusion, the interaction of groundwaters within the highly, mineralized carbonate source (Eramosa Member) resulted in the characteristic Ca*Mg*HC03*S04 spring water at the anomalous site, which appeared to be the principle effect upon controlling the anomalous surface water chemistry.

Environmental assessment and biomonitoring of the Twelve Mile Creek watershed, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

In light of the heavy reliance of the people of the Niagara Peninsula on the T\\'elve Mile Creek (TMC) watershed for recreational activities and for municipal and industrial uses ( e.g., drinking water, shipping and discharge of effluents), it was deemed prudent to assess the envirol1tnental health of the system by analysing the sediments total and exchangeable metal, and TPH contents. The MOEE has set guidelines with limits for the protection and management of aquatic sediments, and the sediments from the headwaters of the TMC have total metal and TPH (subset of O&G) contents well below the lower provincial limits. Areas of environmental concern where total metal contents in sediments, either individually or collectively, exceed the guideline, are the south side of Lake Gibson, the Old WeIland Canal, a segment of TMC just south of the QEW and Martindale Pond. The total metal content of sediments does not in all instances identify areas of biological concern. Instead, it has been found that the exchangeable metal fraction of sediments is a better indicator of metal availability and thus potential accumulation in organisms. In some instances, the exchangeable metal fraction agrees with the total metal fraction defining areas of environmental concern, but it does vary from site to site reflecting the natural variability of the ambient environment. Overall, the exchangeable metal fraction of sediments appears to be a better indicator of anthropogenic pollution and ecosystem impact. A histochemical study of Anodon.ta sp., Elliptio sp. and zebra mussels (Dreissena polyn'101pha) was done in conjunction with passive biomonitoring of zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) from the Twelve Mile Creek watershed and Lake 51. Clair (Jeanette's Creek, Chatham, Ontario). The highest concentrations of divalent metals such as Cu, Ni, Cd, and Zn, and trivalent Al appear to accumulate in gill and kidney tissues. Metal contents of organ tissues in Anodonta sp. vary with size class. Organ metal content varies among size classes, thus requiring consideration of size in biomonitoring studies. Shucked zebra and quagga mussel tissues, exhibited similar size class to Al content trends. In addition they reflected the Al content trends of top (approximately 10 cm) most sediments in the Twelve Mile Creek watershed. Quagga mussels appear to have higher Al concentrations than zebra mussels, thus suggesting that quagga mussels may be better passive biomonitors of AI. Cd content in zebra mussel tissues, seemed to increase with size class trends. This was not demonstrated in the quagga mussel tissues. This suggests that Cd may be regulated by quagga mussels and not by zebra mussels, and that zebra mussels may be better passivebiomonitors of Cd than are quagga mussels. Zebra mussel, quagga mussel, Anodonta sp., and Elliptio sp. were used in a two part, active (translocated) biomonitoring study of the Twelve Mile Creek watershed. There was no statistical difference in death rates between zebra and quagga mussels after 65 days of biomonitoring. However there does appear to be a difference of death rates between sites. Unfortunately the data base did not permit us to differentiate between sites. Relative to Port Colborne Harbour (Port Colborne, Ontario), the Twelve Mile Creek watershed appears to be elevated in bioavailable AI. An area near the terminus of the Twelve Mile Creek appears to be an area of environmental concern since mussels seemed to have accumulated relatively large concentrations of Cd, Zn, and Pb. In addition to possible metal loading from a nearby outfalls, or possible upstream outfalls, road salt runoff from storm sewers may have contributed to metal accumulation through cation exchanges processes. Similar trends in cumulative quagga mussel metal concentrations during the two time periods (65 and 159 days), suggest that quagga mussels may reach equilibrium within 65 days of translocation. Differences in bioaccumulated metal concentrations of the two dreissenid species demonstrate that active biomonitoring studies must use a variety of organisms to adequately assess the environmental situation of specific waterways and/or bodies.

Resilience in a Watershed Governance Context: A Primer

Watersheds are complex systems involving social, economic, and ecological dimensions that are constantly interacting and influencing each other, and governance of these systems involve a large and diverse cast of actors that add to the complexity and difficulty in deciding what is best for the watershed and people. Resilience thinking offers a way to understand and navigate the uncertainty, dynamics and complexity of watershed governance. This primer describes key ideas associated with resilience: more inclusive participation; building a shared understanding; inclusion of ecosystem services and functions in long-term planning; strong leadership; institutional and decision making flexibility; and, a decentralized system. This primer is an initial effort to translate the scholarly understanding of these key ideas and initiate a dialogue about their application in the context of watershed governance.

Réécriture romantique du Moyen Âge, le chevalier transformé et réactualisé

En France, les changements sociaux, culturels et politiques du tournant des XVIIIe et XIXe siècles vont imposer au romantisme naissant une autre base d’inspiration que l’Antiquité qui fut celle du classicisme : le Moyen Âge. Victor et Hugo et Honoré de Balzac feront partie des auteurs romantiques qui adapteront les ressources imaginaires des œuvres médiévales dont la figure du chevalier. Pourquoi les romantiques ont-ils perçu en cette figure une source de sens ? Quels sont les aménagements nécessaires pour qu’une figure aussi liée au Moyen Âge soit réactualisée dans l’esthétique romantique? Cette étude se propose de répondre à ces question en observant la figure du chevalier dans des œuvres médiévales, Le chevalier de la charrette (Chrétien de Troyes) et Le Lancelot en prose (auteur inconnu), comparée au chevalier romantique présenté dans La légende du beau Pécopin et de la belle Bauldour (Victor Hugo) et Le frère d’armes (Honoré de Balzac). Cette comparaison permettra de mettre en lumière que cette figure est représentée dans ces œuvres transformée et actualisée.

Detection of microcalcifications in mammograms using local maxima andadaptive wavelet transform analysis

A method for computer- aided diagnosis of micro calcification clusters in mammograms images presented . Micro calcification clus.eni which are an early sign of bread cancer appear as isolated bright spots in mammograms. Therefore they correspond to local maxima of the image. The local maxima of the image is lint detected and they are ranked according to it higher-order statistical test performed over the sub band domain data

Development of a New Transform:MRT

Fourier transform methods are employed heavily in digital signal processing. Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) is among the most commonly used digital signal transforms. The exponential kernel of the DFT has the properties of symmetry and periodicity. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) methods for fast DFT computation exploit these kernel properties in different ways. In this thesis, an approach of grouping data on the basis of the corresponding phase of the exponential kernel of the DFT is exploited to introduce a new digital signal transform, named the M-dimensional Real Transform (MRT), for l-D and 2-D signals. The new transform is developed using number theoretic principles as regards its specific features. A few properties of the transform are explored, and an inverse transform presented. A fundamental assumption is that the size of the input signal be even. The transform computation involves only real additions. The MRT is an integer-to-integer transform. There are two kinds of redundancy, complete redundancy & derived redundancy, in MRT. Redundancy is analyzed and removed to arrive at a more compact version called the Unique MRT (UMRT). l-D UMRT is a non-expansive transform for all signal sizes, while the 2-D UMRT is non-expansive for signal sizes that are powers of 2. The 2-D UMRT is applied in image processing applications like image compression and orientation analysis. The MRT & UMRT, being general transforms, will find potential applications in various fields of signal and image processing.

Sustainable Watershed Management: Illusion or Reality? A case of Kerala State in India

Soil erosion is more detrimental and affects the chemical, physical and biological properties of the soil. Degradation of soil and water resources is a worldwide problem. Over the next two decades, it is expected that the world will need 17% more water to grow food for the increasing population in developing countries and that total water use will increase by 40%. The total land area subjected to human-induced soil degradation is estimated as 20 x 106 (km)2 Hence conservation of soil and water is essential for the subsistence of life. This can be made possible through sustainable watershed management. This thesis aims at investigating the condition under which sustainable watershed management is possible in Kerala, in South India. The research has been carried out in three stages. In the first stage a conceptual framework is formulated (Chapter 3) based on the relevant literature (Chapter 2) in the field of watershed management. In the second stage this framework is applied to two existing case studies in Kerala State (Chapter 4). In the third stage, the methodology is used to test out geo textile innovation (Chapter 5) in two field experiments (Chapter 6).

Unconstrained Handwritten Malayalam Character Recognition using Wavelet Transform and Support vector Machine Classifier

This paper presents the application of wavelet processing in the domain of handwritten character recognition. To attain high recognition rate, robust feature extractors and powerful classifiers that are invariant to degree of variability of human writing are needed. The proposed scheme consists of two stages: a feature extraction stage, which is based on Haar wavelet transform and a classification stage that uses support vector machine classifier. Experimental results show that the proposed method is effective

Quantile based stop-loss transform and its applications

Partial moments are extensively used in actuarial science for the analysis of risks. Since the first order partial moments provide the expected loss in a stop-loss treaty with infinite cover as a function of priority, it is referred as the stop-loss transform. In the present work, we discuss distributional and geometric properties of the first and second order partial moments defined in terms of quantile function. Relationships of the scaled stop-loss transform curve with the Lorenz, Gini, Bonferroni and Leinkuhler curves are developed

Discrete wavelet transform de-noising in eukaryotic gene splicing

This paper compares the most common digital signal processing methods of exon prediction in eukaryotes, and also proposes a technique for noise suppression in exon prediction. The specimen used here which has relevance in medical research, has been taken from the public genomic database - GenBank.Here exon prediction has been done using the digital signal processing methods viz. binary method, EIIP (electron-ion interaction psuedopotential) method and filter methods. Under filter method two filter designs, and two approaches using these two designs have been tried. The discrete wavelet transform has been used for de-noising of the exon plots.Results of exon prediction based on the methods mentioned above, which give values closest to the ones found in the NCBI database are given here. The exon plot de-noised using discrete wavelet transform is also given.Alterations to the proven methods as done by the authors, improves performance of exon prediction algorithms. Also it has been proven that the discrete wavelet transform is an effective tool for de-noising which can be used with exon prediction algorithms

Experimental study using coir geotextiles in watershed management

This paper presents the results of a field experiment conducted in Kerala, South India, to test the effectiveness of coir geotextiles for embankment protection. In the context of sustainable watershed management, coir is a cheap and locally available material 5 that can be used to strengthen traditional earthen bunds or protect the banks of village ponds from erosion. Particularly in developing countries, where coir is abundantly available and textiles can be produced by small-scale industry, this is an attractive alternative for conventional methods

Interactive comment on “Experimental study using coir geotextiles in watershed management

This paper presents the results of a field experiment conducted in Kerala, South India, to test the effectiveness of coir geotextiles for embankment protection. The results reveal that treatment with geotextile in combination with grass is an effective eco-hydrological measure to protect steep slopes from erosion. In the context of sustainable watershed management, coir is a cheap and locally available material that can be used to strengthen traditional earthen bunds or protect the banks of village ponds from erosion. Particularly in developing countries, where coir is abundantly available and textiles can be produced by small-scale industry, this is an attractive alternative for conventional methods. The paper analyses the performance of different treatments with regard to soil moisture content, protection against erosion and biomass production