Probabilistic Assessment of Reinforcing Steel Depassivation in Concrete under Aggressive Chloride Environments Based on Natural Exposure Data

The probability distributions of the critical threshold chloride concentration Ccr, the chloride diffusion coefficient D, and the surface chloride concentration Cs are determined based on the collected natural exposure data, and the probability estimation of reinforcement depassivation in concrete is presented using Monte-Carlo simulation. From sensitivity analysis of mean value for ccr, cs, and D on the depassivation probability of reinforcement, it is found that ccr, cs, and D respectively has the greatest, smaller, and the lowest effect on the probability of depassivation. Finally the effect of stress state of concrete on the reinforcement depassivation probability is analyzed. It is found that the influence of stress state becomes apparent as exposure time increases.

Cumulative Exposure to Natural Hazards and Mental Health in China: Are Older People More Vulnerable or More Resilient Than Younger and Middle-Aged Adults?

Despite the well-documented impacts of single natural hazards like earthquakes, less is known about the psychological adaptation to multiple natural hazards, particularly in rural areas. This study investigated the associations of multiple natural hazards with depression among Chinese adults. Data were retrieved from the China Family Panel Studies conducted during 2010–2018. With a sample of 11,633 Chinese adults, multilevel logistic regression was employed to examine the relationships between natural hazard exposure and depression in the total sample and different age groups. Overall, experiencing four or more natural hazards was associated with a higher risk of being depressed. Regarding hazard type, the number of hydrometeorological and biological hazards was associated with a higher likelihood of depression, whereas the number of geologic and other hazards was related to a lower risk of depression. Middle-aged adults from villages were more likely to be affected by natural hazard exposure than older and younger adults. The findings of this study show that cumulative exposure to natural hazards can generate lasting effects on depressive symptoms, particularly in middle adulthood. The findings also suggest that older adults from rural areas may have accumulated more resilience to mitigate the adverse well-being effects of hazard events. Policies and interventions should enhance disaster awareness and preparation for aging residents from multi-hazard communities.

Coupling effects of influence factors on probability of corrosion initiation time of reinforced concrete

The coupling model of major influence factors such state affecting the chloride diffusion process in concrete is as environmental relative humidity, load-induced crack and stress discussed. The probability distributions of the critical chloride concentration Cc, the chloride diffusion coefficient D, and the surface chloride concentration Cs were determined based on the collected natural exposure data. And the estimation of probability of corrosion initiation considering the coupling effects of influence factors is presented. It is found that the relative humidity and curing time are the most effective factors affecting the probability of corrosion initiation before and after 10 years of exposure time. At the same exposure time, the influence of load-induced crack and stress state on the probability of corrosion initiation is obvious, in which the effect of crack is the most one

Genotoxic effects of microcystins mediated by nitric oxide and mitochondria

Microcystins are potent toxins,produced naturally by cyanobacteria（blue green algae）,and they present significant threats to human and animal health（WHO,1999;Chorus,2001;Carmichael et al.,2001;Falconer,2005;IARC,2010;Ma et al.,2015）.