Buds emerge from the roots of domesticated runner bean plants (Phaseolus coccineus L.) as sprouts and give the crop its persistence. This particularity of the species seems to be associated with the environment where ...Buds emerge from the roots of domesticated runner bean plants (Phaseolus coccineus L.) as sprouts and give the crop its persistence. This particularity of the species seems to be associated with the environment where the species was cultivated during long time. Data on regrowth traits were recorded on 70 accessions of domesticated P. coccineus after overwintering at a site in the central highlands of Mexico. The characteristics recorded included fresh weight of vegetative regrowth, root length, root crown diameter, and diameter of the main root. Most accessions that sprout the following spring, after the grain harvest of the previous year, come from temperate and semi-cold sites with cambisol and andosol soils in mixed Quercus pine forest and high mountain fir trees. Those that do not sprout are from sites of semiarid temperate climate, haplic phaeozem soil in shrub grasslands with deciduous broadleaved trees, and semiwarm subhumid climate, eutrophic regosol soil in deciduous broadleaved forest. Two types of roots were differentiated: branched and thickened taproots, also associated with a different climate, and the type of soil of the collection sites.展开更多
Since 2009,the Mine Safety and Health Administration(MSHA)has required mines to install refuge alternatives(RAs)in underground coal mines.One of the biggest concerns with occupied RAs is the possible severity of the r...Since 2009,the Mine Safety and Health Administration(MSHA)has required mines to install refuge alternatives(RAs)in underground coal mines.One of the biggest concerns with occupied RAs is the possible severity of the resulting thermal environment.In 30 CFR 7.504,the maximum allowable apparent temperature(AT)for an occupied RA is specified as 35℃(95°F).Manufacturers must conduct heat/humidity tests to demonstrate that their RAs meet the 35℃(95°F)AT limit.For these tests,heat input devices are used to input the metabolic heat of actual miners.A wide variety of test methods,sensors,and heat input devices could be used when conducting such tests.Since 2012,the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)has conducted over thirty 96-hour heat/humidity tests on four different RAs.This paper discusses the test equipment and procedures used during these investigations.This information is useful for RA manufacturers conducting RA heat/humidity tests,for other researchers investigating RA heat/humidity buildup,and for those who need to assess the thermal environment of any confined space where people may be trapped or are seeking refuge.展开更多
The typical loess on high slopes along the BaoLan High-speed Rail, China, was selected as the research object. The influence of the freeze-thaw cycle and dry-wet alternation on the shear-strength parameters of the uns...The typical loess on high slopes along the BaoLan High-speed Rail, China, was selected as the research object. The influence of the freeze-thaw cycle and dry-wet alternation on the shear-strength parameters of the unsaturated loess was investigated by laboratory experimental methods. Moreover, the temperature field, seepage field, and stability of slopes with different gradients were simulated under the effect of the freeze-thaw cycle and dry-wet alternation by using the geotechnical analysis software Geo-Studio. The research results showed(1) when the freeze-thaw cycle was repeated on the slope, with the frozen depth increasing, the melted depth did the same; besides, the closed loop of isotherms formed on the slope;(2) under the action of dry-wet circulation, the negative pore-water pressure and volumetric water content showed an upward tendency. However, owing to the different slope gradients, rainfall infiltration was not the same. As time went by, the differences of the negative pore-water pressure and volumetric water content between the slopes of different gradients continued to increase;(3) with the freeze-thaw cycle and dry-wet alternation increasing, the slope-safety factor decreased. Especially in the early period, the slope-safety factor changed remarkably. For slopes undergoing freeze-thaw action, the slope-safety factor was negatively correlated with the gradient. However, with regard to slopes undergoing dry-wet alternation, the result became more complex because the slope-safety factor was related to both seepage strength and slope grade. Accordingly, further research is needed to study the effect of seepage strength and slope grade on the stability of loess slopes.展开更多
The global supplies of petroleum are on the decline and the dwindling resource has become increasingly difficult to access. Improved technology is increasingly been required to access petroleum that is in hard to reac...The global supplies of petroleum are on the decline and the dwindling resource has become increasingly difficult to access. Improved technology is increasingly been required to access petroleum that is in hard to reach geographical environments and has chemical composition that is not entirely compatible with existing processing techniques. Alternative energy involves energy from renewable and non-depleting sources such as wind and solar, offer many opportunities for research and development and are been widely developed globally. These sources of energy are expected to reduce the threat of a changing climate, air pollution and oil dependence caused by the automobile industry. There are many economic, environmental and societal benefits of employing various alternative energy sources or options in the passenger automobile industry for motive power. Transitioning from a monoculture of hydrocarbon-based transportation will be just as signify- cant as investments in research and development needed to develop a portfolio of cost-competitive and safe alternative powertrain technologies that can effectively retire the fossil fueled internal combustion engine, without much of any economic stress. In this work, we couple energy and environmental issues to obtain a realistic indication of the future of alternative powertrain technologies for the future of the passenger automobile industry.展开更多
The structure of concrete generally serves in multi-media environments; various environments act differently on concrete. The compound action of some severe environments will threaten the duration of concrete and decr...The structure of concrete generally serves in multi-media environments; various environments act differently on concrete. The compound action of some severe environments will threaten the duration of concrete and decrease the service life of a concrete structure if improperly handled. In this paper the microstructure of concrete is observed by using Scanned Electric Microscope (SEM) through contrasting experiments in media of acid, alkali and salt with that of freezing-thawing in the same medium environment. This study is to supply a certain basis for changing traditional thinking of mechanical design and to combine construction reliability design with durability of concrete design.展开更多
文摘Buds emerge from the roots of domesticated runner bean plants (Phaseolus coccineus L.) as sprouts and give the crop its persistence. This particularity of the species seems to be associated with the environment where the species was cultivated during long time. Data on regrowth traits were recorded on 70 accessions of domesticated P. coccineus after overwintering at a site in the central highlands of Mexico. The characteristics recorded included fresh weight of vegetative regrowth, root length, root crown diameter, and diameter of the main root. Most accessions that sprout the following spring, after the grain harvest of the previous year, come from temperate and semi-cold sites with cambisol and andosol soils in mixed Quercus pine forest and high mountain fir trees. Those that do not sprout are from sites of semiarid temperate climate, haplic phaeozem soil in shrub grasslands with deciduous broadleaved trees, and semiwarm subhumid climate, eutrophic regosol soil in deciduous broadleaved forest. Two types of roots were differentiated: branched and thickened taproots, also associated with a different climate, and the type of soil of the collection sites.
文摘Since 2009,the Mine Safety and Health Administration(MSHA)has required mines to install refuge alternatives(RAs)in underground coal mines.One of the biggest concerns with occupied RAs is the possible severity of the resulting thermal environment.In 30 CFR 7.504,the maximum allowable apparent temperature(AT)for an occupied RA is specified as 35℃(95°F).Manufacturers must conduct heat/humidity tests to demonstrate that their RAs meet the 35℃(95°F)AT limit.For these tests,heat input devices are used to input the metabolic heat of actual miners.A wide variety of test methods,sensors,and heat input devices could be used when conducting such tests.Since 2012,the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)has conducted over thirty 96-hour heat/humidity tests on four different RAs.This paper discusses the test equipment and procedures used during these investigations.This information is useful for RA manufacturers conducting RA heat/humidity tests,for other researchers investigating RA heat/humidity buildup,and for those who need to assess the thermal environment of any confined space where people may be trapped or are seeking refuge.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51769013)
文摘The typical loess on high slopes along the BaoLan High-speed Rail, China, was selected as the research object. The influence of the freeze-thaw cycle and dry-wet alternation on the shear-strength parameters of the unsaturated loess was investigated by laboratory experimental methods. Moreover, the temperature field, seepage field, and stability of slopes with different gradients were simulated under the effect of the freeze-thaw cycle and dry-wet alternation by using the geotechnical analysis software Geo-Studio. The research results showed(1) when the freeze-thaw cycle was repeated on the slope, with the frozen depth increasing, the melted depth did the same; besides, the closed loop of isotherms formed on the slope;(2) under the action of dry-wet circulation, the negative pore-water pressure and volumetric water content showed an upward tendency. However, owing to the different slope gradients, rainfall infiltration was not the same. As time went by, the differences of the negative pore-water pressure and volumetric water content between the slopes of different gradients continued to increase;(3) with the freeze-thaw cycle and dry-wet alternation increasing, the slope-safety factor decreased. Especially in the early period, the slope-safety factor changed remarkably. For slopes undergoing freeze-thaw action, the slope-safety factor was negatively correlated with the gradient. However, with regard to slopes undergoing dry-wet alternation, the result became more complex because the slope-safety factor was related to both seepage strength and slope grade. Accordingly, further research is needed to study the effect of seepage strength and slope grade on the stability of loess slopes.
文摘The global supplies of petroleum are on the decline and the dwindling resource has become increasingly difficult to access. Improved technology is increasingly been required to access petroleum that is in hard to reach geographical environments and has chemical composition that is not entirely compatible with existing processing techniques. Alternative energy involves energy from renewable and non-depleting sources such as wind and solar, offer many opportunities for research and development and are been widely developed globally. These sources of energy are expected to reduce the threat of a changing climate, air pollution and oil dependence caused by the automobile industry. There are many economic, environmental and societal benefits of employing various alternative energy sources or options in the passenger automobile industry for motive power. Transitioning from a monoculture of hydrocarbon-based transportation will be just as signify- cant as investments in research and development needed to develop a portfolio of cost-competitive and safe alternative powertrain technologies that can effectively retire the fossil fueled internal combustion engine, without much of any economic stress. In this work, we couple energy and environmental issues to obtain a realistic indication of the future of alternative powertrain technologies for the future of the passenger automobile industry.
文摘The structure of concrete generally serves in multi-media environments; various environments act differently on concrete. The compound action of some severe environments will threaten the duration of concrete and decrease the service life of a concrete structure if improperly handled. In this paper the microstructure of concrete is observed by using Scanned Electric Microscope (SEM) through contrasting experiments in media of acid, alkali and salt with that of freezing-thawing in the same medium environment. This study is to supply a certain basis for changing traditional thinking of mechanical design and to combine construction reliability design with durability of concrete design.
