Assessment of Surface Water Quality of King Abdullah Canal, Using Physico-Chemical Characteristics and Water Quality Index, Jordan

The main aim of this research is to evaluate the water quality of King Abdullah Canal (KAC) using the water quality index method (WQI). For this purpose, nine different sampling sites were used in the calculation of WQI during the period of January to December 2012. The samples were analyzed for various physico-chemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, total suspended solids, ions of Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Fluorite, Chloride, Sulfate, Bicarbonate, and Nitrate in different seasons (winter, spring, summer and autumn). The analyzed results (by WQI method) have been used to suggest models for predicting water quality. The relative weight assigned to each parameter has a range from 1 to 5, based on the important parameters for drinking purposes. The computed WQI for the nine samples has a range from 46.66 to 542.08. The analysis reveals that the water quality status of the study area is varying from excellent to good in the upper part of the canal and from poor to very poor in the lower part of the canal. Comparing with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Jordan Standard (JS), the results indicate that the lower part of the canal is polluted. Therefore, the water is not safe for domestic use and needs further treatment, especially in the lower part of the canal.

Characteristics of Dry and Wet Climate in Shandong Province Based on Standardized Precipitation Index

Based on the monthly precipitation data of 116 meteorological stations in Shandong Province during 1970-2021,standardized precipitation index(SPI)was calculated,and the methods of linear fitting,mutation test and Morlet wavelet analysis were used to analyze the change trend and temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of SPI index in the past 52 years.The results show that there were more normal years in Shandong Province,and the frequency reached 38.46%.There was severe drought in the 1980s and more wet years after 2003.SPI index showed an upward trend in spring,summer and winter but a weak arid trend in autumn.In addition,intense dry weather was more frequent in summer.Spatially,the climate was normal or humid in most areas of Shandong Province.The regions with more wet years were located in the central and northeast Shandong and the peninsula,while the climate was normal in the southwest and north of Shandong.The areas with more dry years were mainly located in the northwest of Shandong Province.There was mainly local and global drought in Shandong Province,and the arid area showed a decreasing trend.In the past 52 years,Shandong Province experienced quasi-4 times of alternation between dry and wet climate.The long period of 21 a was the first main period,and the climate would be still wet in Shandong Province in the future.In terms of mutation,the climate in Shandong Province became humid after 2003,and 2003 was the mutation point.After the abrupt change,the climate changed from gradually drying to wetting.

Assessment of Water Quality in High-Pressure Peruvian Anthropic Sectors of Lake Titicaca Using a Calibrated Index

The world’s lakes are in the process of degradation, with loss of water quality as a result of anthropic influences. This research aimed to evaluate water quality in high-pressure Peruvian anthropic sectors of Lake Titicaca using a calibrated index. The study considered ten important bays with influence from urban sectors. In each bay, surface waters were monitored for six years, considering physical, chemical and microbiological parameters. Water quality was assessed using the NSF Water Quality Index (NSF-WQI) and the one calibrated for Lake Titicaca (WQIT). Comparing the efficiency of these two indices, the WQIT showed a variation from moderately polluted bays to bad quality bays, such as Desaguadero and Yunguyo. These two bays were classified as hypereutrophic, therefore, the uses attributable to this condition are only irrigation and energy production. Applying the NSF-WQI, the results were not able to identify this significative difference, as all bays were classified as moderate quality waters. This result indicates that the WQIT calibration was adequate, as it allows inferring and estimating the water quality of Lake Titicaca with greater precision. According to Peru’s water quality standard for category 4, established for the conservation of the country’s lakes, the parameters that exceeded the standard values were PO4-P (0.035 mg∙L−1) and BOD5 (5 mg∙L−1) in all bays, and TC (1000 MPN mL−1) in Yunguyo bay. These high values indicate eutrophication processes, one of the main problems in the study area. The WQIT calibrated for Lake Titicaca can be used as an efficient tool to assess water quality in high Andean lentic waterbodies in South America.

Deformation characteristics and safety assessment of a high-speed railway induced by undercutting metro tunnel excavation

Stratum deformation(settlement) is a challenging issue in tunnel engineering, especially when construction of metro tunnels has to undercut high-speed railway. For this purpose, we used the FLAC30 software to analyze the stratum settlement characteristics of high-speed railway at different crossing angles intersected by metro tunnel, in terms of ground settlement trough, stratum slip line and irregularity of ballastless tracks. According to the evolution of the stratum settlement at different angle regions, an optimized angle is proposed for the actual project design. In order to reduce the influence of stratum settlement on the safety of high-speed railway, an approach of safety assessment is proposed for the shield engineering undercutting high-speed railway, as per Chinese specifications using numerical results and on-site conditions. A case study is conducted for the shield tunnel section crossing the Wuhan-Guangzhou High-speed Railway between the Guangzhou North Railway Station and the Huacheng Road Station, which represents the first metro tunnel project passing below a high-speed railway in China. A series of measures is taken to ensure the safe excavation of the shield tunnel and the operation of the high-speed railway. The results can provide a technical support for performing a safety evaluation between high-speed railways and metro tunnels.

Assessment on Phosphorus Efficiency Characteristics of Soybean Genotypes in Phosphorus-Deficient Soils

A glasshouse study compared the growth and phosphorus （P） efficiency of 96 genotypes of soybean [Glycine max （L.） Merrill] in a P-deficient soil. The soybean genotypes differed greatly in growth, nodulation and P uptake after growing in the soil for 45 days, with shoot biomass ranging from 0.91 to 1.75 g per plant. The application of P improved biomass production, nodulation and P uptake and decreased root to shoot ratio, root length and surface area and P utilization efficiency. The 96 soybean genotypes were divided into 3 categories in P efficiency using the principal component analysis and cluster analysis, and 4 categories according to F values in combination with growth potentials. The Pefficient genotypes were associated with high biomass production, root to shoot ratio, root length and surface area and P uptake but low shoot to root P concentration ratio under P deficiency. The results indicate that there is a substantial genotypic variation in P efficiency in existing germplasm, and that P efficiency was correlated positively with dry weights of shoots and roots, ratio of root to shoot dry weight, root length and surface area, root P content and total P uptake. The shoot dry weight under P deficiency and relative shoot dry weight （deficient P/adequate P supply） are effective and simple indicators for screening P-efficient genotypes at the seedling stage.

New characteristics of intensity assessment of Sichuan Lushan “4.20” M_s7.0 earthquake

The post-earthquake rapid accurate assessment of macro influence of seismic ground motion is of significance for earthquake emergency relief,post-earthquake reconstruction and scientific research. The seismic intensity distribution map released by the Lushan earthquake field team of the China Earthquake Administration(CEA) five days after the strong earthquake(M7.0) occurred in Lushan County of Sichuan Ya’an City at 8:02 on April 20,2013 provides a scientific basis for emergency relief,economic loss assessment and post-earthquake reconstruction. In this paper,the means for blind estimation of macroscopic intensity,field estimation of macro intensity,and review of intensity,as well as corresponding problems are discussed in detail,and the intensity distribution characteristics of the Lushan '4.20' M7.0 earthquake and its influential factors are analyzed,providing a reference for future seismic intensity assessments.

Safety Assessment and Distribution Characteristics of Heavy Metal Pollutants in Livestock and Poultry Meat from Different Regions of China

[Objective] To analyze and compare the heavy metal inspection results of different livestock and poultry meat from different farms,wholesale markets,farmers' markets and supermarkets in different areas of China,in order to evaluate the health risks of livestock and poultry meat.[Method] A total of 10 500 samples of 5 kinds of livestock and poultry meat were collected in North China,Northeast China,East China,Central China,South China,Southwest China and Northwest China during 2015-2017.The samples were analyzed and evaluated with the method of index of food safety( IFS).[Result]the average over-standard rates of Pb,Cd,Cr,Hg and As in samples were 1.10%-2.48%,0.67%-2.48%,1.00%-2.57%,0.81%-1.43% and 0.43%-1.00%,respectively,and the index of food safety was less than 1.The pollution levels of Pb,Cd,Cr,Hg and As in livestock and poultry meat in Southwest China were higher than those in other areas,while the pollution of As in Northeast China was severer than that in other areas.The order of IFS values of different heavy metals in different livestock and poultry meat was the same.[Conclusion] The index of food safety showed that the risk of heavy metal pollution in livestock and poultry meat did not exceed the acceptable limit.

Climatic characteristics of summer high temperature and assessment methods in the large cities of North China

Based on the high temperature data of June to August in 1961-2000 in North China, the high temperature weather processes are investigated, and a more complete data set for severe high temperature processes is created. The climatic characteristics of adverse high temperature weather in Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Jinan and Taiyuan are analyzed respectively. The major features of the East-Asia Subtropical High and Transformed Continental High are discussed. The outcomes indicate that the influence of both East Asia Subtropical High and Transformed Continental High on these weather events varies, by a larger margin, from one city to another over North China and they are also closely related to the relative humidity. It is found that the behaviours of East-Asia Subtropical High and Transformed Continental High are the major important systems that give rise to the summer high temperature weather over the region. Based on these findings, the 5-day, 10-day and monthly assessment models for such high impact events have been developed. The assessment outcomes prove to be useful in assessing severe high-temperature events in major cities of North China.

Big data assessment on the operating characteristics of on-line taxis and thoughts on relevant policies

A double-dimensional big data assessment method on the characteristics of on-line taxi traffic operation is proposed to provide a scientific basis for carrying out the taxi industry reform and standardizing the on-line taxi hailing management work. Taking Shenzhen as an example, multi- source data such as on-line taxi license plate data, plate identification data and taxi （including on-line taxis） operation data are combined with the results of the stated preference （SP） survey on taxi operating characteristics to assess the overall operation characteristics of on-line taxis. The results show that the current on-line taxis in Shenzhen can be divided into three categories, that is, full-time on-line taxis, non- active on-line taxis and part-time on-line taxis, accounting for 4%, 55%, and 41%, respectively, of the total quantity. In terms of the characteristics of space-time operations, full-time on-line taxis have similar operating characteristics as those of traditional taxis; the operation of non-active on-line taxis and part-time on-line taxis coincides with commuting requirements during morning and evening peak hours. However, part-time on-line taxis operate for a much longer time period at night. Due to the convenient hailing and favorable price, on-line taxis have a significant impact on trip modes of citizens; and the substitution eflbct of on-line taxis on traditional buses and cruising taxis is obvious. It is beneficial for helping the government departments to objectively understand the development law of the on-line taxi industry and providing decision reference for the formulation of relevant management policies during the critical development stage of on-line taxi industry.

Study on the Characteristics of Pollutants in Surface Water Source Based on Risk Assessment

Supervision of urban water source area and the safety of drinking water is one of the important tasks in China's current environmental protection work. By reviewing screening methods of characteristic pollutants in urban water source area,screening system of pollutants based on the framework of environmental risk is introduced in detail: establish database of pollutants→determine the evaluation purpose→determine testing end and screening standard→assignment calculation→prioritization. At the same time,the application of health risk assessment and technology in the risk assessment of urban water source area is introduced,so as to provide technical support and theoretical basis for management and protection of urban water source area.

Assessment of Existing Bridge’s Beam Bending Stiffness Using Crack Characteristics

At present, the bearing capacity evaluation is mainly based on load detection, which requires closed traffic and has certain risks. With the increase of service time, the cracks of reinforced concrete beam bridge will gradually develop and the stiffness will reduce, resulting in the decrease of bearing capacity. Therefore, in this paper, the calculation of stiffness reduction coefficient by using crack characteristic parameters, which provides basic data for bearing capacity evaluation, has been studied. In this paper, using regression analysis through fracture characteristics of four model beam observation and test load-displacement curve characteristic parameters, crack flexural rigidity of the beam bridge relationship has been set up. The qualitative assessment based appearance of cracks in the structure of checks has been converted to quantitative assessment. And compared with the test results of a real bridge, comparative results show that the assessment is objective and reliable. It makes the assessment more objective and scientific. A new way of Quantitative assessment of the structural performance has been provided for a large number of existing reinforced concrete beam bridge.

Trace elements spatial distribution characteristics,risk assessment and potential source identification in surface water from Honghu Lake,China

Five trace elements including Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr and As were investigated in surface water from ten typical sampling sites in Honghu Lake. The consequence indicated that all of the detected trace element levels were within the allowed standard of China’s safe water guideline. The hazard quotients （HQ） and the hazard index （HI） value levels of all the five heavy metals in all sampling sites did not exceed the acceptable risk limits of non-carcinogenic value through the selected assessment method. Pearson’s correlation analysis and principal component analysis （PCA） indicated that Zn and Cu mainly originated from the natural alluviation and non-point agricultural sources, whereas Cr and As were mainly derived from industrial effluents. Moreover, Cd mainly originated from both non-point agricultural and industrial pollution sources. In addition, cluster analysis （CA） implied that cluster 1 （including S3, S5, S6 and S10） was considered the set of high pollution sites and cluster 2 （including S4 and S9） was identified as the set of moderate pollution sites.

Characteristics and Methods of Groundwater Environmental Impact Assessment in Mining Areas of Guizhou Province:A Case Study of Zhijin Area of Zhina Mining Area

In Guizhou Province,karst areas and springs are widely distributed,and hydrogeological conditions are complex in mining areas. Usually there are many hydrogeological units in a mining area,and the hydrogeological conditions are very different from that of most northern mining areas in China. In view of the uniqueness of mining areas in Guizhou Province,taking Zhijin area of Zhina mining area as an example,the planning characteristics of mining areas and characteristics of groundwater environment in Guizhou Province were analyzed firstly,and then the characteristics and key considerations of groundwater environmental impact assessment in mining areas of Guizhou Province were studied. For example,when the height of water flowing fractured zone,impact radius,and the amount of water resources affected are calculated,it is necessary to analyze and evaluate as many typical mines as possible. The impact on springs as the sources of residents＇ drinking water should be analyzed one by one.

Dynamic characteristics and hazard assessment of debris flow in Shangyao valley

Shangyao valley is located in Jin'an village of Songpan in Sichuan. Many material sources are accumulated in valleys. The debris flow will be triggered by a rain storm with short-duration and strong intensity, which may threaten people's lives and property in downstream. Based on the investigation,the formation conditions of debris flow and its dynamic characteristics are analyzed and its hazard assessment is investigated. Research shows that there is the potential cause of debris flow in Shangyao valley,which is of the middle risk class.

Effect of Lead Stress on Growth Characteristics and Physiological Indexes of Alternanthera philoxeroides

[Objective] The paper aimed to discuss effects of different concentrations of lead stress on Alternanthera philoxeroides growth and physiological indices,to explore phytoremediation methods for removal of lead pollution. [Method] A. philoxeroides in water culture was treated with different concentration of lead,and then,its external injury was observed,its growth and physiological indexes were measured. [Result] A. philoxeroides biomass and chlorophyll content decreased; conductivity and malonaldehyde （MDA ） content were increased; the SOD,POD and CAT activities showed a trend of first increase and then decrease with increase in concentration of lead stress. [Conclusion] With increase in lead concentration,the cell membrane permeability increased and MDA had a higher accumulation,antioxidant enzymes activity decreased,the normal oxidative metabolism of A. philoxeroides was severely affected,leading it to wilt.

Establishment of Monitoring and Assessment Index System of Land Degradation of Farmland Ecosystems at Small-scale

The research established land degradation monitoring and assessment in- dex system of farmland ecosystem under influence of human activities, including farming system, measures, mulch residuals, fertilizer pollutions, pesticide pollution, irrigation method, salt content of soils, engineering measures of discharging alkali, agricultural protection forests and poverty. The indices of the system are accessible, and convenient for operation, which is suitable for land managers self-monitoring, re- ducing irrational farming activities, improving farmland productivity and preventing farmland degradation.

Construction and application of an assessment index system for evalu ating the eco-community’s sustainability

An assessment index system including environment, socio-culture, economy and technology was established for evaluating environmental construction level of community （objective construction）, and questionnaire was designed according to paper review for evaluating residential satisfaction （subjective satisfaction）. The index system was divided into four layers： system （A）, subsystems （B）, categories （C）, and indicators （D）, and in total of 38 indicators was established. The Xihe community, affiliated to Nanfen district, Benxi City, Liaoning Province, China was selected as a case study. Results indicated that the community sustainability index related to objective environmental construction was 0.4355 and was classified as class Ⅲ （moderate）; the community sustainability index related to the residential satisfaction was 0.4255, belonging to class Ⅲ. In conclusion, the sustainability of Xihe community was moderate and needed to be improved. Residential satisfaction was lower than objective environmental construction. The assessment index system established in this study is able to reflect the comprehensive sustainability of community and can be used to evaluate other similar communities＇ sustainability.

Validation of nutritional risk index method against patientgenerated subjective global assessment in screening malnutrition in colorectal cancer patients

Objective：To validate malnutrition screening tool of nutrition risk index （NRI） against patent-generated subjective global assessment （PG-SGA） as a gold standard tool in colorectal cancer patients before radiotherapy.Methods：Nutritional status of 52 volunteer colorectal cancer patients with a mean age of 54.1±16.8 years who referred to radiotherapy center were assessed by PG-SGA （gold standard method） and NRI.Serum albumin levels of patients were determined by colorimetric method.A contingency table was used to determine the sensitivity,specificity,and predictive value of the NRI in screening patients at risk of malnutrition,in comparison with the PG-SGA in patients before radiotherapy.Results：The findings of PG-SGA and NRI showed that 52％ and 45％ of patients in our study were moderately or severely malnourished respectively.The NRI had a sensitivity of 66％ and a specificity of 60％ against PG-SGA.The positive predictive value was 64％ and the negative predicative value was 62％.The agreement between NRI and PG-SGA was statistically insignificant （kappa =0.267; P＞0.05）.Conclusions：The findings of present study showed that the prevalence of malnutrition was high in patients with colorectal cancer.Moreover,NRI method had low sensitivity and specificity in assessing nutritional status of patients with cancer.It seems that the combination of anthropometric,laboratory parameters and a subjective scoring system may be helpful tools in screening of malnutrition in cancer patients.

Prediction of Abdominal Visceral Obesity From Body Mass Index,Waist Circumference and Waist-hip Ratio in Chinese Adults:Receiver Operating Characteristic Curves Analysis

Objective To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) measurements in diagnosing abdominal visceral obesity. Methods BMI, WC, and WHR were assessed in 690 Chinese adults (305 men and 385 women) and compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VA). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated and used to determine the threshold point for each anthropometric parameter. Results 1) MRI showed that 61.7% of overweight/obese individuals (BMI≥25 kg/m2) and 14.2% of normal weight (BMI<25 kg/m2) individuals had abdominal visceral obesity (VA≥100 cm2). 2) VA was positively correlated with each anthropometric variable, of which WC showed the highest correlation (r=0.73-0.77, P<0.001). 3) The best cut-off points for assessing abdominal visceral obesity were as followed: BMI of 26 kg/m2, WC of 90 cm, and WHR of 0.93, with WC being the most sensitive and specific factor. 4) Among subjects with BMI≥28 kg/m2 or WC≥95 cm, 95% of men and 90% of women appeared to have abdominal visceral obesity. Conclusion Measurements of BMI, WC, and WHR can be used in the prediction of abdominal visceral obesity, of which WC was the one with better accuracy.

Index-based assessment of agricultural drought in a semi-arid region of Inner Mongolia, China

Agricultural drought is a type of natural disaster that seriously impacts food security.Because the relationships among short-term rainfall,soil moisture,and crop growth are complex,accurate identification of a drought situation is difficult.In this study,using a conceptual model based on the relationship between water deficit and crop yield reduction,we evaluated the drought process in a typical rainfed agricultural region,Hailar county in Inner Mongolia autonomous region,China.To quantify drought,we used the precipitation-based Standardized Precipitation Index(SPI),the soil moisture-based Crop Moisture Index(CMI),as well as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI).Correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between dekad-scale drought indices during the growing season(May–September)and final yield,according to data collection from 2000 to 2010.The results show that crop yield has positive relationships with CMI from mid-June to mid-July and with the NDVI anomaly throughout July,but no correlation with SPI.Further analysis of the relationship between the two drought indices shows that the NDVI anomaly responds to CMI with a lag of 1 dekad,particularly in July.To examine the feasibility of employing these indices for monitoring the drought process at a dekad time scale,a detailed drought assessment was carried out for selected drought years.The results confirm that the soil moisture-based vegetation indices in the late vegetative to early reproductive growth stages can be used to detect agricultural drought in the study area.Therefore,the framework of the conceptual model developed for drought monitoring can be employed to support drought mitigation in the rainfed agricultural region of Northern China.