Mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rock with different water contents under dynamic disturbance

Uniaxial compression tests and cyclic loading acoustic emission tests were conducted on 20%,40%,60%,80%,dry and saturated muddy sandstone by using a creep impact loading system to investigate the mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rocks with different water contents under dynamic disturbance.The mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of muddy sandstones at different water contents were analysed.Results of experimental studies show that water is a key factor in the mechanical properties of rocks,softening them,increasing their porosity,reducing their brittleness and increasing their plasticity.Under uniaxial compression,the macroscopic damage characteristics of the muddy sandstone change from mono-bevel shear damage and‘X’type conjugate bevel shear damage to a roadway bottom-drum type damage as the water content increases.Dynamic perturbation has a strengthening effect on the mechanical properties of samples with 60%and less water content,and a weakening effect on samples with 80%and more water content,but the weakening effect is not obvious.Macroscopic damage characteristics of dry samples remain unchanged,water samples from shear damage and tensile–shear composite damage gradually transformed into cleavage damage,until saturation transformation monoclinic shear damage.The evolution of acoustic emission energy and event number is mainly divided into four stages:loading stage(Ⅰ),dynamic loading stage(Ⅱ),yield failure stage(Ⅲ),and post-peak stage(Ⅳ),the acoustic emission characteristics of the stages were different for different water contents.The characteristic value of acoustic emission key point frequency gradually decreases,and the damage degree of the specimen increases,corresponding to low water content—high main frequency—low damage and high water content—low main frequency—high damage.

Variations in evaporation from water surfaces along the margins of the Badain Jaran Desert over nearly 60 years and influencing factors

Based on meteorological data collected over nearly 60 years(1960-2017)from four national meteorological stations along the margins of the Badain Jaran Desert,this study analyzed the spatiotemporal variations in evaporation from water surfaces and identified the dominant controlling factors.Methods used included linear trend analysis,linear tendency estimation,the departure method,the rank correlation coefficient-based method,and Multiple Linear Regression(MLR).Results indicate notable spatiotemporal differences in evaporation distribution and evolution.Spatially,average annual evaporation exhibited a pronounced altitude effect,decreasing at a rate of about 8.23 mm/m from east to west with increasing altitude.Temporally,annual evaporation showed significant upward trends after 1996 at the northeastern(Guaizi Lake)and western(Dingxin)margins,with rates of 132 mm/10a and 105 mm/10a,respectively.Conversely,along the northwestern(Ejina Banner)and southern(Alxa Right Banner)margins of the desert,an evaporation paradox was observed,with annual evaporation trending downward at rates of 162 mm/10a and 187 mm/10a,respectively,especially after 1987.The dominant factors controlling evaporation varied spatially:Average annual temperature and relative humidity influended the western margin(Dingxin),average annual temperature was the key factor for the northeastern margin(Guaizi Lake),and average wind speed was crucial for the northern(Ejina Banner)and southern(Alxa Right Banner)margins.

Quantitative Evaluation of Heavy Metal Pollution and Its Influencing Factors in Water Bodies of Karst Areas

At present, there is relatively little research on the synergistic effects of heavy metals in soil, sediment, and bedrock on heavy metal pollution in water bodies. In this paper, heavy metals in soil, sediment, bedrock, and water of a typical karst watershed in southwest China were investigated. The results indicated that the average values of heavy metals in soil and sediment were relatively higher than those in bedrock except for Ni and As. During the research period, As and Cd were the main heavy metal elements polluting the soil and sediment in the study area, while water bodies were mainly polluted by Ni, As, and Cd. The pollution assessment indicated that there were instances of poor or very poor water quality in the study area during the study period;the soil as a whole was slightly polluted by Cd and As;sediment was subject to moderate Cd pollution and mild As pollution. Analysis of geochemical form for heavy metals showed that heavy metals in soil and sediment were mainly in residual form, and the proportions of exchangeable As and Cd were relatively high. Multiple statistical analysis showed that heavy metals in sediment, soil, and bedrock explained 23.8%, 16.8%, and 16.2% of the changes in heavy metals of water, respectively. The research results can provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution in water bodies.

Purification Effects of Aquatic Vegetations on Lake Wetland Water Environment and Analysis of the Influencing Factors in Hongze Lake

[Objective] To study the purification effect of plant community on wetland water environment in Hongze Lake, and to provide references to the ecological restoration of this area. [Methed] The typical lakeside zone of Hongze Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve was taken as the study area. Through the field survey based on environmental characteristics of aquatic areas and non-aquatic areas, combined with laboratory test, the content changes of nutrients （N and P）, COD （chemical oxygen demand） and SD （transparency） levels in the water body of lake wetland were measured; the purification effect of the lake wetland ecosystem in the growth process of aquatic vegetation was quantitatively analyzed, and possible influ- encing factors were discussed. [Result] Aquatic vegetation could remove the TN, TP, COD, Chla in wetland water environment and had obvious effects on the changes of SD content. Competition between aquatic plants can inhibit the growth of algae and relieve the eutrophication of water body. [Conclusion] This study provided theoretical basis for ecological restoration and enhancement of self-purification capability in the lakeside zone of Hongze Lake.

Available Contents of Trace Nutrient Element and Factors Affecting Their Availability in Western Jilin

Based on the assay of the total content and available content of the trace nutrient elements and the soil pH and organic matter of the soil samples,the characteristic of the available content of the trace nutrient elements and their affecting factors are studied. The results show that the available B in western Jilin is in a middle level,the content in Nong'an is higher than that in the others; the available Mn is extremely abundant; the available Cu in Nong'an is obviously higher than other areas,and the content in Da'an differs greatly; the available Zn is in a middle level; the severe shortage of available Mo differs between different areas; and the available Fe is extremely abundant. The available Mn,Cu and Fe have significantly positive correlation with their total content; the available B has significantly positive correlation with pH,and Zn has obviously negative correlation with pH; the available Mn and Fe had significantly positive correlation with soil organic matter.

Research Advance on Influencing Factors of Crop Water Use Efficiency

The research advance on the influencing factors of crop water use effi-ciency （WUE） was reviewed in this paper. Based on the discussion on the conno-tation of crop WUE, the influencing factors of crop WUE, such as crop, environ-ment, chemicals, cultivation measures, cropping systems, etc, were elaborated. A-mong them, the species and varieties of crop, soil and chemicals were discussed in detail.

Influential Factors of Water Productivity of Maize in Oasis of Arid Areas——A Case Study of Linze County

[Objective] The aim was to research influential factors of water productivity of maize in oasis in arid areas. [Method] In middle reach of Heihe River in Linze County of Zhangye City, maize, a major crop in irrigated area in the oasis, was studied and nine influential factors were chosen through grey relation analysis. [Result] According to grey relation analysis, top five factors influencing water produc- tivity of maize during 1995-2009 were as follows： applied quantity of chemical fertil- izers〉labour input〉seeds〉mulch amount〉pesticide amount, which indicated that controllable factors, instead of uncontrollable ones, dominate in influence of water productivity of maize in oasis in arid areas. [Conclusion] With water resource limited, investment of controllable factors in high-efficient agricultural production should be the major strategy to improve water productivity of maize in oasis of arid areas.

Seismic performance evaluation of water supply pipes installed in a full-scale RC frame structure based on a shaking table test

As an important part of nonstructural components,the seismic response of indoor water supply pipes deserves much attention.This paper presents shaking table test research on water supply pipes installed in a full-scale reinforced concrete(RC)frame structure.Different material pipes and different methods for penetrating the reinforced concrete floors are combined to evaluate the difference in seismic performance.Floor response spectra and pipe acceleration amplification factors based on test data are discussed and compared with code provisions.A seismic fragility study of displacement demand is conducted based on numerical simulation.The acceleration response and displacement response of different combinations are compared.The results show that the combination of different pipe materials and different passing-through methods can cause obvious differences in the seismic response of indoor riser pipes.

Spatial variability of soil water content and related factors across the Hexi Corridor of China

Soil water content(SWC) is a key factor limiting ecosystem sustainability in arid and semi-arid areas of the Hexi Corridor of China, which is characterized by an ecological environment that is vulnerable to climate change. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the large-scale spatial distribution of SWC in this region. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the spatial distribution patterns of SWC across the Hexi Corridor and identify the factors responsible for spatial variation of SWC at a regional scale. This study collected and analyzed SWC in the 0–100 cm soil profile from 109 field sampling sites(farmland, grassland and forestland) across the Hexi Corridor in 2017. We selected 17 factors, including land use, topography(latitude, longitude, elevation, slope gradient, and slope aspect), soil properties(soil clay content, soil silt content, soil bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, field capacity, and soil organic carbon content), climate factors(mean annual precipitation, potential evaporation, and aridity index), plant characteristic(vegetation coverage) and planting pattern(irrigation or rain-fed), as possible environmental variables to analyze their effects on SWC. The results showed that SWC was 0.083(±0.067) g/g in the 0–100 cm soil profile and decreased in the order of farmland, grassland and forestland. The SWC in the upper soil layers(0–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm) had obvious difference when the mean annual precipitation differed by 200 mm. The SWC decreased from southeast to northwest following the same pattern as precipitation, and had a moderate to strong spatial dependence in a large effective range(75–378 km). The SWC showed a similar distribution and had no significant difference between soil layers in the 0–100 cm soil profile. The principal component analysis showed that the mean annual precipitation, geographical position(longitude and latitude) and soil properties(soil bulk density and soil clay content) were the main factors dominating the variance of environmental variables. A stepwise linear regression equation showed that plant characteristic(vegetation coverage) and soil properties(soil organic carbon content, field capacity and soil clay content) were the optimal factors to predict the variation of SWC. Soil clay content could be better to explain the SWC variation in the deeper soil layers compared with the other factors.

Influential factors and control of water inrush in a coal seam as the main aquifer

In this paper, a combination of field measurement, theoretical analysis and numerical simulation were used to study the main control factors of coal mine water inrush in a main aquifer coal seam and its control scheme. On the basis of revealing and analyzing the coal seam as the main aquifer in western coal mine of Xiao Jihan coal mine, the simulation software of PHASE-2D was applied to analyze the water inflow under different influencing factors. The results showed that water inflow increases logarithmically with the coal seam thickness, increases as a power function with the permeability coefficient of the coal seam, and increases linearly with the coal seam burial depth and the head pressure; The evaluation model for the factors of coal seam water inrush was gained by using nonlinear regression analysis with SPSS. The mine water inrush risk evaluation partition within the scope of the mining field was obtained,through the engineering application in Xiao Jihan coal mine. To ensure the safe and efficient production of the mine, we studied the coal mine water disaster prevention and control measures of a main aquifer coal seam in aspects of roadway driving and coal seam mining.

Water,organic matter,nitrogen and phosphorus contents in sediment of a large-scale mariculture area in the Zhelin Bay of eastern Guangdong Province,China

The Zhelin Bay is one of the most important bays for large-scale mariculture in Guangdong Province, China. Owing to the increasing human population and the expanding mariculture in the last two decades, the ecological environment has greatly changed with frequent harmful algal blooms. A monthly survey of water content, organic matter （TOM）, and various forms of nitrogen and phosphorous in sediment from July 2002 to July 2003 in the bay was conducted. The results showed that the water content was correlated significantly with TOM and various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus and can be used as proxy for quick and rough estimate of these factors in the future surveys. TOM was also correlated significantly with various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, indicating that it was one of the key factors affecting the concentrations and distributions of nitrogen and phosphorus in the investigated waters. Average total Kjeldhal nitrogen （TkN） content was（ 1 113.1 ± 382.5）μg/g and average total phosphorus （TP） content was（567.2± 223.3）μg/g, and both were much higher than those of similar estuaries in China and elsewhere. Average nitrogen and phosphorus tended to be higher inside than outside the bay, higher at aquaculture than non-aquaculture areas, and higher at fish-cage culture than oyster culture areas, suggesting that large-scale mariculture inside the bay played an important role in the eutrophication of the Zhelin Bay. Various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were higher during the warm season （July--September）, which was due to the increased decomposition and concentration of organic matter resulted from the fast growth and high mortality of the cultured species. Compared with July 2002, TkN and TP contents were much higher in July 2003, in consonance with the eutrophication of the Zhelin Bay. Because exchangeable phosphorus （Ex-P）, iron-bounded phos- phorus （Fe-P） and organic phosphorus （OP） combined accounted for 34.3% of the TP and authigenic phosphorus （Au-P） accounted for 49.2% of the TP, biological phosphorus （BP） that includes Ex-P, Fe-P, OP, and a portion of Au-P, thus accounted for 34.3% to 83.5% of the TP in the Zhelin Bay, which was within the percentage range, but with a high absolute value among the estuaries. Au-P was the most important species of phosphorus and accounted for 49.2% of the TP during the investigation. Since eutrophication in the water column can lead to reduction of pH in sediment and release of phosphorus in Au-P combined with authigenic spodiosite and calcium carbonate, high content of Au-P in the sediment maybe act as a time bomb that can trigger a vicious cycle of eutrophication and large-scale harmful algal bloom in the Zhelin Bay.

Experimental investigation of Daqing Oilfield mudstone's creep characteristic under different water contents

In order to analyze mechanism of casing damage,the uniaxial compression experiment and creep experiment of interbedded mudstone samples from Sanan development area of Daqing Oilfield under different water contents were carried out.The changes of the mudstone's mechanical parameters and creep characteristics with the increment of water saturation were studied.The results indicate that the rock strength and elastic modulus decrease rapidly with the increment of water content,at the same time,the creep strain and creep strain rate of steady state increase with the increment of water content,and also the steady state creep strain rate is enhanced with the increment of deviatoric stress.Through the creep characteristic curves,a non-linear creep constitutive equation of mudstone considering the change of water contents is established,which will be used in future numerical analysis.

A Calculation Method of Double Strength Reduction for Layered Slope Based on the Reduction of Water Content Intensity

The calculation of the factor of safety(FOS)is an important means of slope evaluation.This paper proposed an improved double strength reductionmethod(DRM)to analyze the safety of layered slopes.The physical properties of different soil layers of the slopes are different,so the single coefficient strength reduction method(SRM)is not enough to reflect the actual critical state of the slopes.Considering that the water content of the soil in the natural state is the main factor for the strength of the soil,the attenuation law of shear strength of clayey soil changing with water content is fitted.This paper also establishes the functional relationship between different reduction coefficients.Then,a USDFLD subroutine is programmed using the secondary development function of finite element software.Controlling the relationship between field variables and calculation time realizes double strength reduction applicable to the layered slope.Finally,by comparing the calculation results of different examples,it is proved that the stress and displacement distribution of the critical slope state obtained by the improved method is more realistic,and the calculated safety factor is more reliable.The newly proposedmethod considers the difference of intensity attenuation between different soil layers under natural conditions and avoids the disadvantage of the strength reduction method with uniform parameters,which provides a new idea and method for stability analysis of layered and complex slopes.

Experimental determination and prediction of the compressibility factor of high CO_2 content natural gas with and without water vapor

In order to study the effect of different CO2 contents on gas compressibility factor（Z-factor）,the JEFRI-PVT apparatus has been used to measure the Z-factor of dry natural gas with CO2 content range from 10.74 to 70.42 mol%at the temperature range from 301.2 to 407.3 K and pressure range from 7 to 44 MPa.The results show that Z-factor decreases with increasing CO2 content in natural gas at constant temperature and increases with increasing temperature for natural gas with the same CO2 content.In addition,the Z-factor of water-saturated natural gas with high CO2 content has been measured.A comparison of the Z-factor between natural gas with and without saturated water vapor indicates that the former shows a higher Z-factor than the latter.Furthermore,Peng-Robinson,Hall-Yarborough,and Soave-Benedict-Webb- Rubin equations of state（EoS）are used for the calculation of Z-factor of high CO2 content natural gas with and without water vapor.The optimal binary interaction parameters（BIP）for PR EoS are presented.The measured Z-factor is compared with the calculated Z-factor based on three models,which shows that PR EoS combined with van der Waals mixing rule for gas without water and Huron-Vidal mixing rule for water-saturated gas,are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Influencing factors and mechanism of water absorption process of iron ores during sintering

The appropriate content and distribution of sinter moisture play an important role in the granulation of iron ores. In this study, the effects of porosity, size distribution, and particle shape on the water absorption rate （WAR） of four types of iron ores were analyzed by using the immersion method and capillary water absorption method. In addition, the mechanism underlying the water absorption process in iron ores was unraveled. It is found that the WARs of iron ores decrease quickly with the increase in water absorption time at the initial stages of water absorption. With further increase in absorption time, the WARs decrease gradually, until near 0. Iron ores with higher porosity, smaller particle size, and plate-like structure have the higher WARs. Compared with pores in the single-particle iron ore, voids among particles in the multi-particle iron oxide play an important role at the initial stages of water absorption. The water absorption mechanism of all single-particle and multi-particle iron ores analyzed in this study includes four steps, wherein the first three steps play a significant role in the sintering pro-cess.

Architecture mode, sedimentary evolution and controlling factors of deepwater turbidity channels： A case study of the M Oilfield in West Africa

Turbidity channels have been considered as one of the important types of deepwater reservoir, and the study of their architecture plays a key role in efficient development of an oil field. To better understand the reservoir architecture of the lower Congo Basin M oilfield, semiquantitative–quantitative study on turbidity channel depositional architecture patterns in the middle to lower slopes was conducted with the aid of abundant high quality materials（core, outcrop, logging and seismic data）,employing seismic stratigraphy, seismic sedimentology and sedimentary petrography methods. Then, its sedimentary evolution was analyzed accordingly. The results indicated that in the study area, grade 3 to grade 5 architecture units were single channel, complex channel and channel systems, respectively. Single channel sinuosity is negatively correlated with the slope, as internal grains became finer and thickness became thinner from bottom to top, axis to edge. The migration type of a single channel within one complex channel can be lateral migration and along paleocurrent migration horizontally, and lateral,indented and swing stacking in section view. Based on external morphological characteristics and boundaries,channel systems are comprised of a weakly confining type and a non-confining type. The O73 channel system can be divided into four complex channels named S1–S4, from bottom to top, with gradually less incision and more accretion. The study in this article will promote deeper understanding of turbidity channel theory, guide 3D geological modeling in reservoir development and contribute to efficient development of such reservoirs.

Disinfection Byproducts and Their Precursors in Drinking Water Sources:Origins,Influencing Factors,and Environmental Insights

Tracing the contamination origins in water sources and identifying the impacts of natural and human processes are essential for ecological safety and public health.However,current analysis approaches are not ideal,as they tend to be laborious,time-consuming,or technically difficult.Disinfection byproducts(DBPs)are a family of well-known secondary pollutants formed by the reactions of chemical disinfectants with DBP precursors during water disinfection treatment.Since DBP precursors have various origins(e.g.,natural,domestic,industrial,and agricultural sources),and since the formation of DBPs from different precursors in the presence of specific disinfectants is distinctive,we argue that DBPs and DBP precursors can serve as alternative indicators to assess the contamination in water sources and identify pollution origins.After providing a retrospective of the origins of DBPs and DBP precursors,as well as the specific formation patterns of DBPs from different precursors,this article presents an overview of the impacts of various natural and anthropogenic factors on DBPs and DBP precursors in drinking water sources.In practice,the DBPs(i.e.,their concentration and speciation)originally present in source water and the DBP precursors determined using DBP formation potential tests—in which water samples are dosed with a stoichiometric excess of specific disinfectants in order to maximize DBP formation under certain reaction conditions—can be considered as alternative metrics.When jointly used with other water quality parameters(e.g.,dissolved organic carbon,dissolved organic nitrogen,fluorescence,and molecular weight distribution)and specific contaminants of emerging concern(e.g.,certain pharmaceuticals and personal care products),DBPs and DBP precursors in drinking water sources can provide a more comprehensive picture of water pollution for better managing water resources and ensuring human health.

Effects of natural mineral-rich water consumption on the expression of sirtuin 1 and angiogenic factors in the erectile tissue of rats with fructose-induced metabolic syndrome

Consuming a high-fructose diet induces metabolic syndrome （MS）-Iike features, including endothelial dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is an early manifestation of endothelial dysfunction and systemic vascular disease. Because mineral deficiency intensifies the deleterious effects of fructose consumption and mineral ingestion is protective against MS, we aimed to characterize the effects of 8weeks of natural mineral-rich water consumption on the structural organization and expression of vascular growth factors and receptors on the corpus cavernosum （CC） in 10% fructose-fed Sprague-Dawley rats （FRUCT）. Differences were not observed in the organization of the CC either on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） or the components of the angiopoietins/Tie2 system. However, opposing expression patterns were observed for VEGF receptors （an increase and a decrease for VEGFR1 and VEGFR2, respectively） in FRUCT animals, with these patterns being strengthened by mineral-rich water ingestion. Mineral-rich water ingestion （FRUCTMIN） increased the proportion of smooth muscle cells compared with FRUCT rats and induced an upregulatory tendency of sirtuin I expression compared with the control and FRUCT groups. Western blot results were consistent with the dual immunofluorescence evaluation. Plasma oxidized low-density lipoprotein and plasma testosterone levels were similar among the experimental groups, although a tendency for an increase in the former was observed in the FRUCTMIN group. The mineral-rich water-treated rats presented changes similar to those observed in rats treated with MS-protective polyphenol-rich beverages or subjected to energy restriction, which led us to hypothesize that the effects of mineral-rich water consumption may be more vast than those directly observed in this study.

Multi-omics analysis reveals the pivotal role of phytohormone homeostasis in regulating maize grain water content

Grain water content(GWC)is a key determinant for mechanical harvesting of maize(Zea mays).In our previous research,we identified a quantitative trait locus,qGWC1,associated with GWC in maize.Here,we examined near-isogenic lines(NILs)NILL and NILH that differed at the qGWC1 locus.Lower GWC in NILL was primarily attributed to reduced grain water weight(GWW)and smaller fresh grain size,rather than the accumulation of dry matter.The difference in GWC between the NILs became more pronounced approximately 35 d after pollination(DAP),arising from a faster dehydration rate in NILL.Through an integrated analysis of the transcriptome,proteome,and metabolome,coupled with an examination of hormones and their derivatives,we detected a marked decrease in JA,along with an increase in cytokinin,storage forms of IAA(IAA-Glu,IAA-ASP),and IAA precursor IPA in immature NILL kernels.During kernel development,genes associated with sucrose synthases,starch biosynthesis,and zein production in NILL,exhibited an initial up-regulation followed by a gradual down-regulation,compared to those in NILH.This discovery highlights the crucial role of phytohormone homeostasis and genes related to kernel development in balancing GWC and dry matter accumulation in maize kernels.

Control factors of DIC in the Y3 seamount waters of the Western Pacific Ocean

An investigation was carried out in the Y3 seamount area of the Western Pacific Ocean in December 2014,and the distribution of dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC)and its relationship with environmental factors in this area were explored.The results show that DIC concentration was higher in the adjacent waters of the Y3 seamount area,and the uplift of DIC isolines at the stations was close to the seamount.Meanwhile,interaction between the North Equatorial Current(NEC)and the Y3 seamount affected the DIC distribution,i.e.,the upwelling in the same direction of the NEC was obvious,resulting in a decreasing trend of average concentration of DIC in the 200 m water column from the top to the two sides in this direction but in the cross direction.The DIC concentration increased with the water depth increase,and its distribution was affected by various environmental factors.In the surface water,high temperature was a decisive factor for the decrease of the DIC concentration,but the photosynthesis of phytoplankton showing only a weak influence.In the North Pacific Tropic Water(NPTW),DIC production rate from organic matter decomposition was higher than that of DIC consumption by phytoplankton photosynthesis,leading to a continual increase of DIC.In the North Pacific Intermediate Water(NPIW),organic matter decomposition played a leading role in the increase of DIC.In the deep water,decomposition of organic matter weakened,and the dissolution of CaCO3 controlled the carbonate system,and DIC had the smallest variation range.