Structural evaluation and animal implantation of porous eggshell wastederived hydroxyapatite graft as bone substitution

The development of hydroxyapatite graft with high economically value is needed for orthopedic practice in developing countries. Eggsell waste is well known as natural substance for calcium resource. It has been used as raw material in producing hydroxyapatite. This study was conducted to synthesize porous hydroxyapatite from eggshell waste and evaluate its activity as bone substitution. The porous hydroxyapatite graft was manufactured from eggshell and sugar as a raw material using hydrothermal process. The porous eggshell waste-derived hydroxyapatite (EW-HAP) graft was characterized using X ray difractometer (XRD) and analytical scanning electron microscope (SEM) and compared with commercial hydroxyapatite (HAP) JCPDS 09-432 graft (Bangros®) as standard. The porous EW-HAP graft obtained was then implanted on critically sized femoral defects surgically created in the right thigh of male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) with Bangros® as control. Radiological examination using XRD and histological examination using hematoxyline-and-eosin staining of the bone femour were performed at 28 days after implantation. The results showed that the XRD pattern for EW-HAP was likely similar with the HAP standard. However, the SEM examination showed that the pasticle size of EW-HAP graft (2.5-3 μm) was higher than those HAP standard graft (1.5-2 μm). Radiographs according to the International of Limb Salvage (ISOLS) radiological evaluation system between EW-HAP graft (6.1 ± 1.45) and HAP control graft (6.9 ± 2.10) was not significantly different (p>0.05). Moreover, histological examination according to Lane and Shandu scoring system between the both graft (4.0 ± 0.94 versus 4.4 ± 0.92) was also not significantly different (p>0.05). It can be concluded that the structure EW-HAP graft is similar with HAP graft standard. The both grafts have also equal outcome as bone substitution

Searching for incomplete self orthogonal latin squares : a targeted and parallel approach

The primary purpose of this dissertation is in the search for new methods in which to search for Incomplete Self Orthogonal Latin Squares. As such a full understanding of the structures involved must be examined, starting from basic Latin Squares. The structures will be explained and built upon in order to cover Mutually Orthogonal Latin Squares, Frame Latin Squares and Self Orthogonal Latin Squares. In addition the related structure Orthogonal Arrays, will be explained as they relate to Incomplete Self Orthogonal Latin Squares. This paper also dedicates time to explaining basic search methods and optimizations that can be done. The two search methods of focus are the backtracking algorithm and heuristic searches. In our 6nal method the two will work together to achieve an improved result. The methods currently being used to search in parallel are also provided, along with the necessary backup to there structure. The main research of this paper is focused on the search for Incomplete Self Orthogonal Squares. This is done by breaking down the problem into four separate areas of the square. By separating the blocks it enables us to work on a smaller problem while eliminating many incorrect solutions. The solution methodology is broken up into three steps and systematically solving the individual areas of the square. By taking advantage of the properties of squares to constrain our search as much as possible we succeeded in reducing the total search time significantly. Unfortunately, even with our improvement in the overall search time, no open incomplete self orthogonal latin square problems could be solved. Full results and comparisons to existing methods are provided

Forest Remote Sensing in Canada and the Individual Tree Crown (ITC) Approach to Forest Inventories

After a brief description of Canada’s forest situation and the role of the federal government in forestry, some Natural Resources Canada’country-wide project will be introduced. These include the National Forest Inventories (past and present), the National Forest Information System, the EOSD programs to map land cover, monitor change and evaluate biomass, mostly from Canada-wide coverages with Landsat images. The accounting of carbon and the monitoring of deforestation at a map scale level will also be introduced. The second and most significant part of this paper will describe our Individual Tree Crown (ITC) approach to forest inventories used with high spatial resolution images (better than 1m/pixel). Techniques for individual crown delineation, species classification and regrouping into forest stands that are leading to a semi-automatic production of forest inventories will be described.A locally adaptive technique for tree counts, mostly reserved for young regenerating areas, will also be presented. The synergy of multispectral and LIDAR data (atmany levels) will be examined and, the normalization of spectral values within and among aerial images will be considered.Article信州大学農学部紀要. 46(1-2): 85-92 (2010)departmental bulletin pape

Cacao agroforestry systems do not increase pest and disease incidence compared with monocultures under good cultural management practices

Pests and diseases threaten cacao production worldwide. Agroforestry systems are traditionally seen by farmers as one of the causes of increased pest and disease incidence, in contrast with full-sun monocultures. Cultural management practices - e.g. regular tree pruning, frequent pod harvest, regular removal of infested pods, weed management - have been reported to be crucial for pest and disease management. We performed two experiments for the purpose of assessing the effect of (i) different cacao production systems, and (ii) the frequency of harvest and removal of infested pods on the incidence of pests and diseases and on the cacao yield. The first experiment was performed in a long-term system comparison trial in Bolivia, where data on pest and disease incidence were recorded for three years in five production systems: two monocultures and two agroforestry system under organic and conventional farming, and one successional agroforestry system, i.e. a high tree density multi-strata system. Pest and disease management did not differ between systems and relied on cultural management practices. Overall, the incidence of pests and diseases did not differ between production systems, which indicated they were not the driver of yield differences between them. Across production systems, only 14% of the pods were affected by pests and diseases; 70% of these were affected by frosty pod rot. More than 80% of the pods infected by frosty pod rot were removed before the sporulation phase. In the second experiment, the effects of the frequency of harvest and removal of infected pods - every 15 days versus every 25 days - on pest and disease incidence and yield were tested in four farmers’ fields. Fortnightly harvest and diseased pod removal significantly decreased disease incidence and increased cacao yield, by 25% and 46% respectively. Our results show that cacao agroforestry systems do not increase pest and disease incidence compared with monocultures when good cultural management practices are implemented, which, in turn, can increase the productivity of the cacao plantations

Analytical models and system topologies for remote multispectral data acquisition and classification

Simple analytical models are presented of the radiometric and statistical processes that are involved in multispectral data acquisition and classification. Also presented are basic system topologies which combine remote sensing with data classification. These models and topologies offer a preliminary but systematic step towards the use of computer simulations to analyze remote multispectral data acquisition and classification systems

Preharvest seed infection byAspergillus flavus group fungi and subsequent aflatoxin contamination in groundnuts in relation to soil types

Preharvest seed infection byAspergillus flavus and aflatoxin contamination in selected groundnut genotypes (fourA. flavus-resistant and fourA. flavus-susceptible) were examined in different soil types at several locations in India in 1985–1990. Undamaged mature pods were sampled at harvest and seed examined forA. flavus infection and aflatoxin content in two or more trials at ICRISAT Center on light sandy soils and red sandy loam soils (Alfisols), and on Vertisols, at Anantapur on light sandy soils, and at Dharwad and Parbhani on Vertisols. Rainy season trials (1985–1989) were all rainfed. Post-rainy season trials were irrigated; late-season drought stress (90 days after sowing (DAS) until harvest at 125 DAS) was imposed in the 1987/88 and 1989/90 seasons.A. flavus infection and aflatoxin contamination levels were much lower in seed of all genotypes from Vertisols than in seed from Alfisols across locations and seasons. Vertisols also had significantly lower populations ofA. flavus than Alfisols. There were no marked differences between light sandy soils and red sandy loam soils (Alfisols) in respect of seed infection byA. flavus and aflatoxin contamination. Significant interactions between genotypes and soil types were evident, especially in theA. flavus-susceptible genotypes. Irrespective of soil types,A. flavus-resistant genotypes showed lower levels of seed infection byA. flavus and other fungi than didA. flavus-susceptible genotypes. The significance of the low preharvest aflatoxin risk in groundnuts grown on Vertisols is highlighte