Asymmetric Drying and Wetting Trends in Eastern and Western China

As an important factor that directly affects agricultural production, the social economy, and policy implementation,observed changes in dry/wet conditions have become a matter of widespread concern. However, previous research has mainly focused on the long-term linear changes of dry/wet conditions, while the detection and evolution of the non-linear trends related to dry/wet changes have received less attention. The non-linear trends of the annual aridity index, obtained by the Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition(EEMD) method, reveal that changes in dry/wet conditions in China are asymmetric and can be characterized by contrasting features in both time and space in China. Spatially, most areas in western China have experienced transitions from drying to wetting, while opposite changes have occurred in most areas of eastern China. Temporally, the transitions occurred earlier in western China compared to eastern China. Research into the asymmetric spatial characteristics of dry/wet conditions compensates for the inadequacies of previous studies, which focused solely on temporal evolution;at the same time, it remedies the inadequacies of traditional research on linear trends over centennial timescales. Analyzing the non-linear trend also provides for a more comprehensive understanding of the drying/wetting changes in China.

Optimization of drying conditions and components to reduce wall sticking during spray drying of infant formula milk

Wall sticking,which greatly reduces productivity and product quality,has been a big challenge of spray drying.Structure of drying tower and atomizer,as well as drying conditions are the main influencing factors.This research explored the possibility to reduce wall sticking by optimizing drying conditions and components to obtain higher recovery rate of powdered infant formula milk(PIFM).Response surface experimental results indicated that inlet air temperature(T),feed concentration(C),feeding speed(S),as well as interaction term of TC and quadratic terms of C^(2) and S^(2) had significant influences on recovery rate for determined milk formula.According to mixture experiments at optimized drying conditions,whey protein(P),fat(F)and lactose(L)contents,as well as interaction term FL had significant effects on recovery rate.Positive effects were observed for F and L contents on recovery rate,while negative effects were observed for P and FL.Under the optimized drying condition of 136℃,19.80%and 4.07 mL/min,respectively,for T,C and S,the maximum recovery rate of 58.98%was obtained for PIFM with P,F and L content of 18%,31%and 51%,respectively.Wall sticking phenomena could be reduced by optimizing drying conditions and mildly adjusting components of infant formula milk.

Thermal–moisture dynamics and thermal stability of active layer in response to wet/dry conditions in the central region of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau,China

The amount of rainfall varies unevenly in different regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with some regions becoming wetter and others drier. Precipitation has an important impact on the process of surface energy balance and the energy-water transfer within soils. To clarify the thermal-moisture dynamics and thermal stability of the active layer in permafrost regions under wet/dry conditions, the verified water-vapour-heat coupling model was used. Changes in the surface energy balance, energy-water transfer within the soil, and thickness of the active layer were quantitatively analyzed. The results demonstrate that rainfall changes significantly affect the Bowen ratio, which in turn affects surface energy exchange. Under wet/dry conditions, there is a positive correlation between rainfall and liquid water flux under the hydraulic gradient;water vapour migration is the main form under the temperature gradient, which indicates that the influence of water vapour migration on thermalmoisture dynamics of the active layer cannot be neglected. Concurrently, regardless of wet or dry conditions,disturbance of the heat transport by conduction caused by rainfall is stronger than that of convection by liquid water. In addition, when rainfall decreases by 1.5 times(212 mm) and increases by 1.5 times(477 mm), the thickness of the active layer increases by 0.12 m and decreases by 0.21 m, respectively. The results show that dry conditions are not conducive to the preservation of frozen soil;however, wet conditions are conducive to the preservation of frozen soil, although there is a threshold value. When this threshold value is exceeded, rainfall is unfavourable for the development of frozen soil.

Changes in terrestrial surface dry and wet conditions on the Loess Plateau(China) during the last half century

This paper, using a revised Penman-Monteith model, computed the terrestrial surface humidity index of the Loess Plateau （China） based on climatic factors of monthly mean temperature, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed and sunshine duration observed on the plateau from 1961 to 2008. The temporal-spatial distribution, anomaly distribution and sub-regional temporal variations of the terrestrial surface dry and wet conditions were analyzed as well. The results showed a decreasing trend in the annual average surface humidity from the southeast to the northwest in the research anna. Over the period of 1961-2008, an aridification tendency appeared sharply in the central interior region of the Loess Plateau, and less sharply in the middle part of the region. The border region showed the weakest tendency ol; aridification. It is clear that aridification diffused in all directions from the interior region. The spatial anomaly distribution of the terrestrial surface dry and wet conditions on the Loess Plateau can be divided into three key areas： the southern, western and eastern regions. The terrestrial annual humidity index displayed a significantly descending trend and showed remarkable abrupt changes from wet to dry in the years 1967, 1977 and 1979. In the above mentioned three key areas for dry and wet conditions, the terrestrial annual humidity index exhibited a fluctuation period of 3-4 years, while in the southern region, a fluctuation period of 7-8 years existed at the same time.

Effects of Subsoiling on Some Soil Physical Properties and Wheat Yield in a Dry Land Ecological Condition

In order to evaluate the effect of subsoiling on the soil physical properties and wheat yield in dry land conditions, this research was conducted in Mamassani area of Fars province in Iran. The experiment was laid down in the form of a complete block experimental design with four treatments and four replications for three years. Treatments included： （1） conventional tillage without using subsoiler which was control treatment （So）; （2） using subsoiler with the shank space of 40 cm which was equal to the subsoiling depth （SO; （3） using subsoiler with the shank space of 60 cm which was 1.5 times of the subsoiling depth （S2）; and （4） using subsoiler with the shank space of 80 cm which was 2 times of the subsoiling depth （S3）. Subsoiling depth was set at 40 cm which was the lower limit of the hard pan depth in the soil. Soil cone index, soil bulk density, soil moisture content, wheat yield, and yield components were measured in this study and SAS software was used to analyze the collected data. Results showed that subsoiling decreased the soil bulk density and cone index, and increased water retention of the soil. Results also revealed that applying subsoiler increased wheat yield and yield components in our dry land conditions. Since subsoiling improved soil physical conditions and increases wheat yield, applying subsoiler in such a dry land conditions is therefore recommended. Results of this study also showed that subsoiling with the shank space of 40 cm and 60 cm had better performance compared to the shank space of 80 cm. On the other hand, shank space of 40 cm reduced the subsoiler effective working width and consequently effective field capacity. Therefore, subsoiler with a shank space of 60 cm is recommended for application in dry land soils of our type.

Wear Performance of Laser Surface Hardened GCr15 Steel

In order to assess the new tribological properties of laser surface hardened GCr15 steel, the wear resistance between specimens treated with laser and those of conventionally hardened under dry sliding conditions was compared. The change of wear mechanisms in laser hardened GCr15 resulted in a distinct difference in wear rates. The results showed that quenched zones not only had sufficient depth of hardening and higher hardness, but had more retained austenite and finer carbides because of a higher degree of carbide dissolution. Laser surface hardened GCr15 steel specimens exhibited superior wear resistance to their conventionally hardened specimens due to the effects of the microstructure hardening, high hardness and toughness. The wear mechanism for both the laser quenched layer and conventionally hardened layer was highly similar, generally involving adhesive, material transfer, wear-induced oxidation and plowing. When conventionally hardened block specimens rubbed against the laser hardened specimens, the surface of conventionally hardened block specimens was polished. The microstructural thermal stability was increased after laser surface treatment.

Correlation Analyses between Ultraviolet Radiation, Global Solar Radiation, and Metrological Variables and the COVID-19 Cases in Arid Climate

The transmission of infectious diseases is influenced by several meteorological factors. In this study, the influence of several such factors in the transmission of COVID-19 (from 26 March 2020 to 29 July 2021) in the arid weather of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was investigated using the Spearman and Kendall rank tests. The factors considered were the average, maximum, and minimum values of air temperatures, air pressure, wind speed, relative humidity, absolute humidity, dew point temperatures, and the average values of the global solar radiation and ultraviolet radiation at bands A and B. The data on meteorological factors were obtained from the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) weather station, whereas the data on the daily COVID-19 cases were obtained from the official webpage of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH). The results revealed that air temperature (average, minimum, and maximum) average and maximum wind speed, maximum dew point temperature, global solar radiation, and ultraviolet radiation at A and B bands are positively associated with the daily number of COVID-19 cases reported in Riyadh. However, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure (averages, minimum, and maximum) is anti-correlated with the number of daily COVID-19 cases, while absolute humidity exerts no influence. These results are in total agreement with some of the previously established studies and are either contradicted partly or totally with others conducted at several locations around the world. The results could help not only epidemiologists understand the behavior of COVID-19 against meteorological variables but also national and international organizations and healthcare policymakers devise control strategies to combat the virus.

Sliding wear behaviors of Nomex fabric/phenolic composite under dry and water-bathed sliding conditions

A Nomex fabric/phenolic composite was prepared,and its tribological properties were evaluated under dry and water‐bathed sliding conditions by a pin‐on‐disk tribometer.The resulting size of the friction coefficient for the Nomex fabric/phenolic composite in the study occurred in the following order:dry sliding condition>distilled water‐bathed sliding condition>sea water‐bathed sliding condition.The fabric composite’s wear rate from high to low was as follows:distilled water‐bathed sliding condition>sea water‐bathed sliding condition>dry sliding condition.Under water‐bathed sliding conditions,penetration of water into the cracks accelerated the composite’s invalidation process,resulting in a higher wear rate.We also found that the extent of corrosion and transfer film formed on the counterpart pin significantly influenced the wear rate of the Nomex fabric composite.Discussion of the Nomex fabric composite’s wear mechanisms under the sliding conditions investigated is provided on the basis of the characterization results.

Corrosion Behavior of Weathering Test Steel for Bridge Under the Neutral Wet/Dry Alternate Condition

The corrosion behaviors of the high-performance weathering test steel for bridge and the reference (09CuPCrNi-A) were symmetrically studied under 3.5% NaCl neutral wet/dry alternate condition,revealing their dynamics line tendency of primary corrosion and the rusting flow in the simulative marine atmosphere environment.By observing the corrosion evolution of surface microstructures and composition by the scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and the energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) at the different stages,the corrosion mechanism was further discussed in details.

A CONSERVATIVE COUPLED FLOW/TRANSPORT MODEL WITH ZERO MASS ERROR

A fully conservative form applied to a coupled system of two-dimensional water flow and solute motion is presented. A cell-centred finite volume method based on Roe＇s approximate Riemann solver with unstructured grids is formulated. The bed slope source terms are discretized following an upwind approach and a semi-implicit treatment is used for the friction source terms. The centered discretization of the diffusion terms is in an implicit way. It is shown that this numerical technique reproduces almost exactly the steady state of still water and enables to achieve zero numerical errors in unsteady flow over configurations with strong variations on bed slope. The model ensures a global conservation and positive values of both water level and solute concentration. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the model in solute transport over real complex geometries.

Topographical Parameter Characteristics of Dry Sliding Surfaces of Particle-Reinforced Aluminum Composites

Generally, friction and wear occur on the surface of the materials. It is necessary to investigate the dry sliding friction and wear behavior of surface. In this paper, 3-D topographical parameters were used to investigate the topographical characteristics of dry sliding surfaces for particle-reinforced alu-minum composites on semi-metallic friction material. The experimental results indicate that the surface topography of the particle-reinforced aluminum composites can be divided into two types, the flaking-off pit type and the groove type. The composites whose surface topography is the flaking-off pit type possess superior heat conductivity and bearing area, lower wear rate, and higher friction coefficient than the groove type. Consequently, the flaking-off pit type surface topography is much better than the groove type for particle-reinforced aluminum composites on semi-metallic friction materials in dry sliding.