The aim of this work was to study the effect of spray drying conditions on quality of coconut sugar powder and their characteristics. Effects of inlet air temperature (120°C, 150°C and 180°C) and maltodextrin concentrations (DE 9-12) at 10%, 20% and 30% (w/v) on physical properties of spray dried coconut sugar powder were investigated. Buchi mini spray dryer, model B-290, was used in this work....

Understanding the spatial and temporal variations of soil moisture is crucial for the land surface processes and their management. Accurate estimation of spatial and temporal variations of soil moisture is important for various hydrological studies also. Recently, remote sensing techniques have been used to estimate soil moisture. Estimation of soil moisture by remote sensing techniques provide...

Soil bacteria may be influenced by vegetation and play important roles in global carbon efflux and nutrient cycling under global changes. Coniferous and broadleaved forests are two phyletically distinct vegetation types. Soil microbial communities in these forests have been extensively investigated but few studies have presented comparable data regarding the characteristics of bacterial communi...

This study aimed to experimentally acquire evolution profiles between depth, bulk density, Free Air Space (FAS), air permeability and thermal conductivity in initial composting materials. The impact of two different moisture content, two particle size and two types of bulking agent on these four parameters was also evaluated. Bulk density and thermal conductivity both increased with depth while...

Moisture plays a key role in rock decay the built and natural environments. Rock-cut sites are particularly vulnerable to moisture-related weathering as they carved into outcrops do not have impermeable foundations or roofs retard flow of moisture. To characterise moisture dynamics its influence on rock-cut sites, we undertook monitoring campaign using non-destructive Microwave Measurement Syst...

This work examines the sources of moisture affecting the semi-arid Brazilian Northeast (NEB) during its pre-rainy and rainy season (JFMAM) through a Lagrangian diagnosis method. The FLEXPART model identifies the humidity contributions to the moisture budget over a region through the continuous computation of changes in the specific humidity along back or forward trajectories up to 10 days perio...

The fungal species Fusarium graminearum is related to deoxynivalenol (DON) formation. The aim of this study was to evaluate mycoflora and DON occurrence in 53 whole wheat grain samples collected in Southern Brazil during the 2012 crop. Wheat grains showed adequate values of water activity ranging from 0.48 to 0.72, within the required limits of moisture content, ranging from 9.1% to 13.9%. In a...

Uncontrolled excess moisture in buildings is a common problem that can lead to changes in fungal communities. In buildings, moisture parameters can be classified by location and include assessments of moisture in the air, at a surface, or within a material. These parameters are not equivalent in dynamic indoor environments, which makes moisture-induced fungal growth in buildings a complex occur...

1716 Abstract: Genetic variation in drought hardiness traits and their genetic correlations with growth potential and recovery traits were investigated in 39 full-sib families of coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) from southwestern British Columbia. Seedlings of these families were grown in raised nursery beds and subjected to three moisture regimes each i...

This work evaluated the capability of (electrochemical) impedance spectroscopy (IS, or ECIS as used here) to monitor damp heat (DH) stability of contact materials, CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) solar cell components, and devices. Cell characteristics and its variation of the CIGS devices were also examined by the ECIS. Bare and encapsulated sample sets were separately prepared and exposed in an environmenta...