Grain yield and N uptake of maize in response to increased plant density under reduced water and nitrogen supply conditions

The development of modern agriculture requires the reduction of water and chemical N fertilizer inputs.Increasing the planting density can maintain higher yields,but also consumes more of these restrictive resources.However,whether an increased maize density can compensate for the negative effects of reduced water and N supply on grain yield and N uptake in the arid irrigated areas remains unknown.This study is part of a long-term positioning trial that started in 2016.A split-split plot field experiment of maize was implemented in the arid irrigated area of northwestern China in 2020 to 2021.The treatments included two irrigation levels:local conventional irrigation reduced by 20%(W1,3,240 m^(3)ha^(-1))and local conventional irrigation(W2,4,050 m^(3)ha^(-1));two N application rates:local conventional N reduced by 25%(N1,270 kg ha^(-1))and local conventional N(360 kg ha^(-1));and three planting densities:local conventional density(D1,75,000 plants ha^(-1)),density increased by 30%(D2,97,500 plants ha-1),and density increased by 60%(D3,120,000 plants ha^(-1)).Our results showed that the grain yield and aboveground N accumulation of maize were lower under the reduced water and N inputs,but increasing the maize density by 30% can compensate for the reductions of grain yield and aboveground N accumulation caused by the reduced water and N supply.When water was reduced while the N application rate remained unchanged,increasing the planting density by 30% enhanced grain yield by 13.9% and aboveground N accumulation by 15.3%.Under reduced water and N inputs,increasing the maize density by 30% enhanced N uptake efficiency and N partial factor productivity,and it also compensated for the N harvest index and N metabolic related enzyme activities.Compared with W2N2D1,the N uptake efficiency and N partial factor productivity increased by 28.6 and 17.6%under W1N1D2.W1N2D2 had 8.4% higher N uptake efficiency and 13.9% higher N partial factor productivity than W2N2D1.W1N2D2 improved urease activity and nitrate reductase activity by 5.4% at the R2(blister)stage and 19.6% at the V6(6th leaf)stage,and increased net income and the benefit:cost ratio by 22.1 and 16.7%,respectively.W1N1D2 and W1N2D2 reduced the nitrate nitrogen and ammoniacal nitrogen contents at the R6 stage in the 40-100 cm soil layer,compared with W2N2D1.In summary,increasing the planting density by 30% can compensate for the loss of grain yield and aboveground N accumulation under reduced water and N inputs.Meanwhile,increasing the maize density by 30% improved grain yield and aboveground N accumulation when water was reduced by 20% while the N application rate remained constant in arid irrigation areas.

Purification of Produced Water from a Sour Oilfield in South Kuwait. 2. Oil-Water Separation and Crystallization of Calcium Carbonate

Oil-water separation for produced water (PW) originating from an oil extraction site in South Kuwait was carried out using bleached, esterified cellulosic material from used coffee grounds. Thereafter, earth-alkaline metal ions, specifically calcium ions, of the de-oiled PW were removed by precipitation with sodium carbonate to give access to pure sodium chloride as industrial salt from the remaining PW. While the purity of the precipitated calcium carbonate (CaCO3) depends on the precipitation conditions, CaCO3 of up to 95.48% purity can be obtained, which makes it a salable product. The precipitation of CaCO3 decreases the amount of calcium ions in PW from 11,300 ppm to 84 ppm.

Suitable Date of Seeding, Planting Density and Water Use Efficiency for Propagation of Stock Seed Potato in Mountainous Region of Southwest Sichuan

[Objective] The experiment was conducted to study suitable date of seed- ing and density of spring potato at the stock breeding base in Ebian County at an elevation of 1 200 to 1 500 m. [Methods] Virus-free Potato ＂Chuanyu 13＂ was used as material to study the effects of date of seeding and density on growing period, germination rate, yield and water use efficiency of spring potato in the field. [Result] With the postponement of date of seeding, the days from sowing to germination shortened, while the germination rate, the number of tubers per plant, the number of middle and small tubers in a group, yield and water use efficiency all increased. Planting density had no effects on the days from sowing to germination and the ger- mination rate, while the number of tubers per ptant, the number of middle and small tubers in a group, yield and water use efficiency increased significantly along with the increasing planting density. [Conclusion] At an elevation of 1 200 m to 1 250 m in Ebian County, the suitable date of seeding for potato was from February 9 to March 1, and the suitable planting density was 12×10^4 plants per hm^2, however, in the optimum planting density has not been found so that it needs further research,

Test for the effects of three surfactants on the penetration ability of the calcium chloride and water glass Solutions in dust

By using a downward penetration testing device, a large number of experiments were made to investigate the effects of surfactants (sodium succinate, sodium dodecyl sulfonate and dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid sodium salt) on the penetration ability of the calcium chloride and water glass solutions in four dust samples. The experimental results showed that the surfactants can enhance the penetration ability and decrease the surface tension of the calcium chloride and water glass solutions in great extent. After adding the surfactants in 0.2—0.6 wt.% to the solutions of calcium chloride and water glass in 5—25 wt.% respectively, the largest percent of penetration ability increases to 28% more. Among the three surfactants, the size of their effects on the penetration ability of calcium chloride and water solutions in the dust samples is dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid sodium salt, sodium dodecyl sulfonate and sodium succinate.The achieved conclusions are great significant for calcium chloride and water glass to be applied in the field of soil stabilization and raising dust control.

N‑Doped Graphene‑Decorated NiCo Alloy Coupled with Mesoporous NiCoMoO Nano‑sheet Heterojunction for Enhanced Water Electrolysis Activity at High Current Density

Developing highly effective and stable non-noble metalbased bifunctional catalyst working at high current density is an urgent issue for water electrolysis(WE).Herein,we prepare the N-doped graphene-decorated NiCo alloy coupled with mesoporous NiCoMoO nano-sheet grown on 3D nickel foam(NiCo@C-NiCoMoO/NF)for water splitting.NiCo@C-NiCoMoO/NF exhibits outstanding activity with low overpotentials for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction(HER:39/266 mV;OER:260/390 mV)at±10 and±1000 mA cm^(−2).More importantly,in 6.0 M KOH solution at 60℃ for WE,it only requires 1.90 V to reach 1000 mA cm−2 and shows excellent stability for 43 h,exhibiting the potential for actual application.The good performance can be assigned to N-doped graphene-decorated NiCo alloy and mesoporous NiCoMoO nano-sheet,which not only increase the intrinsic activity and expose abundant catalytic activity sites,but also enhance its chemical and mechanical stability.This work thus could provide a promising material for industrial hydrogen production.

A new mathematical model for horizontal wells with variable density perforation completion in bottom water reservoirs

Horizontal wells are commonly used in bottom water reservoirs,which can increase contact area between wellbores and reservoirs.There are many completion methods used to control cresting,among which variable density perforation is an effective one.It is difficult to evaluate well productivity and to analyze inflow profiles of horizontal wells with quantities of unevenly distributed perforations,which are characterized by different parameters.In this paper,fluid flow in each wellbore perforation,as well as the reservoir,was analyzed.A comprehensive model,coupling the fluid flow in the reservoir and the wellbore pressure drawdown,was developed based on potential functions and solved using the numerical discrete method.Then,a bottom water cresting model was established on the basis of the piston-like displacement principle.Finally,bottom water cresting parameters and factors influencing inflow profile were analyzed.A more systematic optimization method was proposed by introducing the concept of cumulative free-water production,which could maintain a balance（or then a balance is achieved）between stabilizing oil production and controlling bottom water cresting.Results show that the inflow profile is affected by the perforation distribution.Wells with denser perforation density at the toe end and thinner density at the heel end may obtain low production,but the water breakthrough time is delayed.Taking cumulative free-water production as a parameter to evaluate perforation strategies is advisable in bottom water reservoirs.

Testing with high density resistivity method in prevention and cure for mine water disaster and its applied effect

The detecting examples using the high density resistivity method, about the evaluation of containing water characteristic from the floor rock and the height of overburden failure, were given. It expresses that the high density resistivity method has good effect with strong maneuverability and continuous observing section during the prevention and cure for mine water disaster. At the same time, the article pointed out that the study of space data inversion and dynamic watching technology about the high density resistivity method must be enhanced in the future because of special condition of data collecting in mine.

Simultaneous Determination of Calcium and Magnesium in Water Using Artificial Neural Network Spectro-Photometric Method

A new analytical method using Back-Propagation （BP） artificial neural networks and spectrophotometry for simultaneous determination of calcium and magnesium in tap water, the Yellow River water and seawater is established. By condition experiment, the optimum analytical conditions for calcium, magnesium and Arsenazo （Ⅲ） color reactions are obtained. Levenberg- Marquart （L-M） algorithm is used for calculation in BP neural network. The topological structure of three-layer BP ANN network architecture is chosen as 11-10-2 （nodes）. The initial value of gradient coefficient μ is fixed at 0.001 and the increase factor and reduction factor of kt take the default values of the system. The data are processed by computers with our own programs written in MATLAB 7.0. The relative standard deviations of the calculated results for calcium and magnesium are 2.31% and 2.14%, respectively. The results of standard addition method show that the recoveries of calcium and magnesium are 103.6% and 100.8% in the tap water, 103.2% and 96.6% in the Yellow River water （Lijin district of Shandong Province）, and 98.8%-103.3% and 98.43%-103.4% in seawater from Jiaozhou Bay of Qingdao. It is found that 14 common cations and anions do not interfere with the determination of calcium and magnesium under the optimum experimental conditions. The comparative experiments do not show any obvious differ- ence between the results obtained by this new method and those obtained by the classical complexometric titration method in seawater medium. This method exhibits good reproducibility and high accuracy in the determination of calcium and magnesium and can be used for the simultaneous determination of Ca^2＋ and Mg^2＋ in tap water and natural water.

A Numerical Study on the Density Driven Circulation in the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass

The circulation of Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass （YSCWM） in the Southern Yellow Sea is investigated using a diagnostic 2D MITgcm model. The resolution of the computational grid is 900 m in the horizontal and 2 m in the vertical where an initial tem- perature distribution corresponding to a typical measured Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass was applied. The existence of YSCWM that causes fluid density difference, is shown to produce counter-rotating cyclonic horizontal eddies in the surface layer： the inner one is anti-cyclonic （clockwise） and relatively weaker （8-10cms-1） while the outer one is cyclonic （anti-clockwise） and much stronger （15-20cms-~）. This result is consistent with the surface pattern observed by Pang et al. （2004）, who has shown that a mesoscale anti-cyclonic eddy （clockwise） exists in the upper layer of central southern Yellow Sea, and a basin-scale cyclonic （anticlockwise） gyre lies outside of the anti-cyclonic eddy, based on the trajectories and drifting velocities of 23 drifters. Below the thermocline, there is an anti-cyclonic （clockwise） circulation. This complex current eddy system is considered to be capable of trapping suspended sediments and depositing them near the front between YSCWM and the coastal waters off the Subei coast, providing an explanation on the sediment depth and size distribution of mud patches in the Southern Yellow Sea. Moreover, sensitive test scenarios indicate that variations of bottom friction do not substantially change the main features of the circulation structure, but will reduce the bottom current velocity, increase the surface current velocity and weaken the upwelling around the frontal area.

Barium, Calcium and Sodium, Cyanide, Phosphate and Sulphate Contents of Groundwater in Some Ika Communities of Delta State, Nigeria

Barium, calcium, sodium, cyanide, phosphate and sulphate and contents of groundwater in Boji-Boji (BB) area and suburbs of Ika land, Delta State, Nigeria were studied. Groundwater is the predominant source of water for inhabitants of these communities without any form of treatment. 55 borehole water sites spread within these five sample sub-areas. The metal ions were analyzed using Solar Unicam flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Sulphate, phosphate, and cyanide contents were determined by colorimetric method. Results indicate the presence of sodium, calcium, sulphate, and phosphate. However, barium and cyanide were below detection limit. Secondly, there was a relatively higher proportion of calcium and sulphate than sodium and phosphate in its aquifer. Thirdly, a mean ratio value of 0.018 and 0.158 was observed for the ratios of Na+/Ca2+ and ?respectively. Fourthly, sodium showed good correlation with all the other parameters. Finally, nearly all the studied parameters have concentrations below the maximum contaminant levels of the World Health Organization (WHO), invariably inferring that the water is wholesome with respect to the analytes. However, concern still remains from a health point of view on the sodium concentrations in many sample areas.

Water Dissociation Phenomena on a Bipolar Membrane──Current-voltage Curve in Relation with IonicTransport and Limiting Current Density

The water dissociation mechanism on a bipolar membrane under the electrical field was investigated and characterized in terms of ionic transport and limiting current density. It is considered that the depletion layer exists at the junction of a bipolar membrane, which is coincided with the viewpoint of the most literatures, but we also consider that the thickness and conductivity of this layer is not only related with the increase of the applied voltage but also with the limiting current density. Below the limiting current density, the thickness of the depletion layer keeps a constant and the conductivity decreases with the increase of the applied voltage; while above the limiting current density, the depletion thickness will increase with the increase of the applied voltage and the conductivity keeps a very low constant. Based on the data reported in the literatures and independent determinations, the limiting current density was calculated and the experimental curves Ⅰ-Ⅴ in the two directions were com

Water,Nitrogen and Plant Density Affect the Response of Leaf Appearance of Direct Seeded Rice to Thermal Time

Field experiments were conducted in the Ebro Delta area （Spain）, from 2007 to 2009 with two rice varieties： Gleva and Tebre. The experimental treatments included a series of seed rates, two different water management systems and two different nitrogen fertilization times. The number of leaves on the main stems and their emergence time were periodically tagged. The results indicated that the final leaf number on the main stems in the two rice varieties was quite stable over a three-year period despite of the differences in their respective growth cycles. Interaction between nitrogen fertilization and water management influenced the final leaf number on the main stems. Plant density also had a significant influence on the rate of leaf appearance by extending the phyllochron and postponing the onset of intraspecific competition after the emergence of the 7th leaf on the main stems. Final leaf number on the main stems was negatively related to plant density. A relationship between leaf appearance and thermal time was established with a strong nonlinear function. In direct-seeded rice, the length of the phyllochron increases exponentially in line with the advance of plant development. A general model, derived from 2-year experimental data, was developed and satisfactorily validated; it had a root mean square error of 0.3 leaf. An exponential model can be used to predict leaf emergence in direct-seeded rice.

Studies of n-Octanol/water Partition Coefficients (lgK_(ow)) for Organophosphate Compounds by Density Functional Theory

Optimized calculation of 35 dialkyl phenyl phosphate compounds （OPs） was carded out at the B3LYP/6-31G^＊ level in Gaussian 98 program. Based on the theoretical linear solvation energy relationship （TLSER） model, the obtained parameters were taken as theoretical descriptors to establish the novel QSPR model for predicting n-octanol/water partition coefficients （lgKow） of OPs. The new model achieved in this work contains three variables, i.e., molecular volume （Vm）, dipole moment of the molecules （μ） and enthalpy （H^0）. For this model, R^2 = 0.9167 and SD = 0.31 at large t values. In addition, the variation inflation factors （VIF） of variables are all close to 1.0, suggesting high accuracy of the predicting model. And the results of cross-validation test （q^2 = 0.8993） and method validation also showed the model of this study exhibited optimum stability and better predictive power than that from semi-empirical method. The model achieved can be used to predict IgKow of congeneric compounds.

Root length density distribution and associated soil water dynamics for tomato plants under furrow irrigation in a solar greenhouse

Furrow irrigation is a traditional widely-used irrigation method in the world. Understanding the dynamics of soil water distribution is essential to developing effective furrow irrigation strategies, especially in water-limited regions. The objectives of this study are to analyze root length density distribution and to explore soil water dynamics by simulating soil water content using a HYDRUS-2D model with consideration of root water uptake for furrow irrigated tomato plants in a solar greenhouse in Northwest China. Soil water contents were also in-situ observed by the ECH_2O sensors from 4 June to 19 June and from 21 June to 4 July, 2012. Results showed that the root length density of tomato plants was concentrated in the 0–50 cm soil layers, and radiated 0–18 cm toward the furrow and 0–30 cm along the bed axis. Soil water content values simulated by the HYDRUS-2D model agreed well with those observed by the ECH_2O sensors, with regression coefficient of 0.988, coefficient of determination of 0.89, and index of agreement of 0.97. The HYDRUS-2D model with the calibrated parameters was then applied to explore the optimal irrigation scheduling. Infrequent irrigation with a large amount of water for each irrigation event could result in 10%–18% of the irrigation water losses. Thus we recommend high irrigation frequency with a low amount of water for each irrigation event in greenhouses for arid region. The maximum high irrigation amount and the suitable irrigation interval required to avoid plant water stress and drainage water were 34 mm and 6 days, respectively, for given daily average transpiration rate of 4.0 mm/d. To sum up, the HYDRUS-2D model with consideration of root water uptake can be used to improve irrigation scheduling for furrow irrigated tomato plants in greenhouses in arid regions.

Using the Dual Energy Gamma-Ray Transmission Technique to Measure Soil Bulk Density and Water Content of Central Southwestern Nigerian Soils

In this work, a radiological technique which simultaneously measures soil bulk density and water contents accurately and quickly in a non-destructive manner at different depths of the soil profile of the major soil series of Central Southwestern Nigeria is developed. Undisturbed samples from Iwo, Ondo, Egbeda, Itagunmodi, Okemessi, Mamu, Origo and Jago soil series of Southwestern Nigeria were collected on monthly intervals from June 2006 to May 2007. Using gamma-ray energy pairs of 122 and 1112 keV;and 344 and 1408 keV obtained from europium-152 (152Eu) radionuclide, the attenuation coefficients for soil and water, μs, μw and consequently ρs and θv at varying soil depths of these series were calculated. Comparative gravimetric measurements of these soil parameters were carried out. Using the XCOM computer algorithm with the soil elemental concentrations obtained using the Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (EDXRF) technique, theoretical estimates of μs for the various soil series were obtained and compared with the experimental values. The result of the developed dual energy gamma-ray transmission technique was compared with the gravimetric measurement method and Pearson correlation coefficient (0.987, p s and (0.996, p θv. The results of the measurements showed that θv minima with values 0.1931, 0.1987, 0.2377, 0.2111, 0.1738, 0.1701, 0.2334, 0.2341 and minima ρs values of 1.21 g/cm3, 1.20 g/cm3, 1.02 g/cm3, 1.38 g/cm3, 1.12 g/cm3, 1.14 g/cm3, 0.64 g/cm3, 1.33 g/cm3 were obtained respectively for the soil series stated above in January. The maxima θv with values 0.3621, 0.4212, 0.3962, 0.3794, 0.3049, 0.2811, 0.4415, 0.4416 and maxima ρs values of 1.52 g/cm3, 1.67 g/cm3, 1.74 g/cm3, 1.69 g/cm3, 1.70 g/cm3, 1.68 g/cm3, 1.08 g/cm3, 1.54 g/cm3 occurred for these soil series respectively in July except for Mamu soil series which occurred in May. These correlated very well with the occurrence of the Dry and Rainy seasons in the study area. The results of the EDXRF analysis showed that maxima Iron, Fe concentrations of 5.0890 ppm at the depth of 90 - 120 cm into the soil profile, was obtained for Iwo series, 4.4691 ppm at 50 - 70 cm for Ondo, 6.3438 ppm at 15 - 30 cm for Egbeda, 6.6845 ppm at 30 - 50 cm for Itagunmodi, 5.0252 ppm at 90 - 120 cm for Okemessi, 3.4996 ppm at 30 - 50 cm for Mamu, 5.1191 ppm at 50 - 70 cm for Jago and 4.7193 ppm at 90 - 120 cm for Origo. Maxima Potassium, K concentrations of 2.9613 ppm at the depth of 50 - 70 cm, was obtained for Iwo soil series, 2.3315 ppm at 0 - 15 cm for Egbeda, 2.2763 ppm at 70 - 90 cm for Okemessi and 3.3636 ppm at 50 - 70 cm for Mamu. Maxima Ti concentrations of 1.4822 ppm at 0 - 15 cm was obtained for Ondo soil series, 2.5159 ppm at 15 - 30 cm for Egbeda, 1.8690 ppm at 90 - 120 cm for Itagunmodi, 2.2975 ppm at 15-30 cm for Okemessi, 1.6453 ppm at 0 - 15 cm for Jago and 1.0513 ppm at 30 - 50 cm for Origo.

Inhibition of calcium oxalate nephrotoxicity with Zamzam water

Zamzam water is well known of its high conductivity. For this fact urologist and nephrologists recommend their patients who are suffering from kidney stones not to drink this water because it could worse their health status. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Zamzam water on calcium oxalate nephrotoxicity in experimentally induced kidney stones in male Wistar albino rats. Calcium oxalate crystals were induced by orally administration of 200 mg of glycolic acid dissolved in the drinking water. The rats were divided into three groups;six rats each. These include positive control group (given glycolic acid), test group (given glycolic acid plus Zamzam water) and negative group (given drinking water only). After two weeks of treatment, blood analysis of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine showed significant differences in positive control group compared to the negative control group, whereas no significant differences were noticed in the level of BUN and creatinine between both the negative control and the test group. Moreover, urine analysis showed a high density of calcium oxalate crystals in the positive control group, whereas no crystals were detected in the negative control and the test groups. Histopathological investigations showed damaging in kidneys of the positive control group with no tissue abnormalities in the negative control and the test group. I concluded from this study that Zamzam water prevents the formation calcium oxalate stone, which probably mean that it has no negative effect on patients suffering from kidney disorders due to crystals formation.

Density Functional Theory Study of Water Diffusion and Clustering on Pd(111)

The internal structures as well as adsorption and hopping energies of monomers, dimers, trimers, tetramers, pentamers and hexamers of water on Pd（111） have been studied by density functional theory （DFT） plane-wave pseudopotential method which performs the firstprinciples quantum-mechanical calculations to explore the properties of crystals and surfaces in materials. Based on the calculations, we suppose that their absorption is via one water molecule for monomers, dimmers and trimers, but three water molecules for pentamers and hexamers. Moreover, there is one water molecule bonding with Pd atom by O atom in pentamers and hexamers, which explains why pentamers and hexamers are stable. The binding energies of polymers may be used to explain why the trimer comes close to two nearby monomers to form a stable pentamer instead of tetramer. And the difference of mobility of small water clusters is due to their different hopping energies.

High temperature and high pressure rheological properties of high-density water-based drilling fluids for deep wells

To maintain tight control over rheological properties of high-density water-based drilling fluids, it is essential to understand the factors influencing the theology of water-based drilling fluids. This paper examines temperature effects on the rheological properties of two types of high-density water-based drilling fluids （fresh water-based and brine-based） under high temperature and high pressure （HTHP） with a Fann 50SL rheometer. On the basis of the water-based drilling fluid systems formulated in laboratory, this paper mainly describes the influences of different types and concentration of clay, the content of a colloid stabilizer named GHJ-1 and fluid density on the rheological parameters such as viscosity and shear stress. In addition, the effects of aging temperature and aging time of the drilling fluid on these parameters were also examined. Clay content and proportions for different densities of brine-based fluids were recommended to effectively regulate the rheological properties. Four theological models, the Bingham, power law, Casson and H-B models, were employed to fit the rheological parameters. It turns out that the H-B model was the best one to describe the rheological properties of the high-density drilling fluid under HTHP conditions and power law model produced the worst fit. In addition, a new mathematical model that describes the apparent viscosity as a function of temperature and pressure was established and has been applied on site.

Remote Sensing, Model-Derived and Ground Measurements of Snow Water Equivalent and Snow Density in Alaska

Snow water equivalent (SWE) is important for investigations of annual to decadal-scale changes in Arctic environment and energy-water cycles. Passive microwave satellite-based retrieval algorithm estimates of SWE now span more than three decades. SWE retrievals by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observation System (AMSR-E) onboard the NASA-Aqua satellite ended at October 2011. A critical parameter in the AMSR-E retrieval algorithm is snow density assumed from surveys in Canada and Russia from 1940s-1990s. We compare ground SWE measurements in Alaska to those of AMSR-E, European Space Agency GlobSnow, and GIPL model. AMSR-E SWE underperforms (is less than on average) ground SWE measurements in Alaska through 2011. Snow density measurements along the Alaska permafrost transect in April 2009 and 2010 show a significant latitude-gradient in snow density increasing to the Arctic coast at Prudhoe Bay. Large differences are apparent in comparisons of our measured mean snow densities on a same snow cover class basis March-April 2009-2011 Alaska to those measured in Alaska winter 1989-1992 and Canadian March-April 1961-1990. Snow density like other properties of snow is an indicator of climate and a non-stationary variable of SWE.

Association between calcium supplementation and bone mineral density in children:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To evaluate the effects of calcium supplementation on bone mineral density in children.Methods:The PubMed,Embase,and Cochrane library were systematically searched.The retrieve inception date was between October 2001 and October 2019.Two reviewers independently performed the data extraction and assessed methodology quality.Studies were limited to randomized clinical trials comparing calcium supplement with a placebo for bone mineral density in children.A meta-analysis was performed to calculate standard mean difference(SMD)and 95%confidence interval(CI).Results:A total of 6 randomized controlled trials involving 408 participants(calcium supplementation group:198;placebo group:210)were finally included in this study.The meta-analysis revealed that,compared with placebos,calcium supplementation had no effect on the bone mineral densities[the whole-body:SMD with CI=0.43(-0.05-0.91),P=0.08,I2=75%;the 2nd-4th lumbar vertebrae:SMD with 95%CI=0.27(−0.17 to 0.70),P=0.07,I2=0%)].Sensitivity analysis revealed that the results of the whole-body bone mineral density were unstable and that the bone density of the 2nd-4th lumbar spine was robust.Conclusions:The results of this meta-analysis suggested that calcium supplementation did not improve bone mineral density in children.However,there continues to be a need for more high-quality studies to verify this fact in the future.