Investigation of fractured rock aquifer in South China using electrical resistivity tomography and self-potential methods

Assessment of fractured rock aquifers in many parts of the world is complicated given their strong heterogeneity. Delineation of the subsurface geological formation in the weathered terrain is essential for groundwater exploration. To achieve this goal, 2D electrical resistivity tomography(ERT) and self-potential(SP) in combination with joint profile method(JPM) and boreholes have been carried out to delineate the subsurface geological units, detect the fracture/fault zones in hard rock, monitor the groundwater flow, and estimate the groundwater reserves contained within the weathered terrain at a complex heterogeneous site of Huangbu, South Guangdong of China. The integration of resistivity images with the borehole lithology along three profiles delineates three subsurface distinct layers namely topsoil cover, weathered and unweathered layers. The incorporation of ERT and SP with JPM reveal five fractures/faults, i.e., F_1, F_2, F_3, F_4 and F_5. 2D ERT models interpret the less resistive anomalies as the fractures/faults zones, and high resistive anomalies as the fresh bedrock. The inversion program based on the smoothness-constraint is used on the resistivity field data to get more realistic three layered model. SP measurements are obtained along the same electrical profiles which provide the negative anomalies clearly indicating the groundwater preferential flow pathways along the fracture/fault zones. Hydraulic parameters namely hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity were determined to estimate the groundwater resources contained within the fractures/faults. The integrated results suggest that the fractures/faults zones are most appropriate places of drilling for groundwater exploration in the investigated area. Geophysical methods coupled with the upfront borehole data provides better understanding about the conceptual model of the subsurface geological formations. The current investigation demonstrates the importance of the integrated geophysical methods as a complementary approach for groundwater assessment in the hard rock weathered areas.

An Assessment of the Groundwater Potential of Bayero University Kano Permanent Site Using Induced Polarization and Self-potential Methods

This paper centers on the investigation of the subsurface condition of Bayero University Kano Permanent Site with the aim of understanding the lithology and also mapping out the groundwater patterns within the area. To achieve this, time domain IP （induced polarization） and SP （self-potential） methods were adopted using VES （vertical electrical sounding） technique with 49 stations sounded. The result of the interpreted and analyzed measured data shows that the area is underlain by two to five subsurface layers. These layers are top soil, laterite, weathered basement complex rocks, fractured basement complex rocks and fresh basement complex rocks. The aquiferous zone of the study area occurs in the weathered and fractured basements and its thickness ranges from 1.44 m to 70.157 m while the overburden thickness lies between 1.6 m and 72.104 m. SP values were plotted against depths of investigation in order to identify areas with greater depth of flow in the study area. From the analysis of the overburden thickness, aquifer thickness and SP values, the most favorable regions for groundwater exploitation were found around VES 6, 11, 13, 19, 26, 38, 44 and 48. The investigation also provides information about the subsurface condition with regards to engineering construction and safe place for refuse dumping in order to avoid groundwater contamination.

Self-potential inversion based on Attention U-Net deep learning network

Landfill leaks pose a serious threat to environmental health,risking the contamination of both groundwater and soil resources.Accurate investigation of these sites is essential for implementing effective prevention and control measures.The self-potential(SP)stands out for its sensitivity to contamination plumes,offering a solution for monitoring and detecting the movement and seepage of subsurface pollutants.However,traditional SP inversion techniques heavily rely on precise subsurface resistivity information.In this study,we propose the Attention U-Net deep learning network for rapid SP inversion.By incorporating an attention mechanism,this algorithm effectively learns the relationship between array-style SP data and the location and extent of subsurface contaminated sources.We designed a synthetic landfill model with a heterogeneous resistivity structure to assess the performance of Attention U-Net deep learning network.Additionally,we conducted further validation using a laboratory model to assess its practical applicability.The results demonstrate that the algorithm is not solely dependent on resistivity information,enabling effective locating of the source distribution,even in models with intricate subsurface structures.Our work provides a promising tool for SP data processing,enhancing the applicability of this method in the field of near-subsurface environmental monitoring.

Redox mechanism of geobattery and related electrical signals using a novel real-time self-potential monitoring experimental platform

Controlled laboratory experiments are proved to be a valuable tool for investigating changes in underground physical properties and the related response of surface geophysical signals.The self-potential(SP)method is widely used in mineral resource exploration due to its direct correlation with underground electrochemical gradients.This paper presented the design and construction of an experimental platform based on a multi-channel SP monitoring system.The proposed platform was used to monitor the anodizing corrosion process of different metal blocks from a laboratory perspective,record the real-time SP signal generated by the redox reaction,as well as investigate the geobattery mechanism associated with the natural polarization process of metal mineral resources.The experimental results demonstrate that the constructed SP monitoring platform effectively captures time-series SP signals and provides direct laboratory evidence for the geobattery model.The measured SP data were quantitatively interpreted using the simulated annealing algorithm,and the inversion results closely match the real model.This finding highlights the potential of the SP method as a promising tool for determining the location and spatial distribution of underground polarizers.The study holds reference value for the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources in both terrestrial and marine environments.

Insight Into the Separation-of-Variable Methods for the Closed-Form Solutions of Free Vibration of Rectangular Thin Plates

The separation-of-variable(SOV)methods,such as the improved SOV method,the variational SOV method,and the extended SOV method,have been proposed by the present authors and coworkers to obtain the closed-form analytical solutions for free vibration and eigenbuckling of rectangular plates and circular cylindrical shells.By taking the free vibration of rectangular thin plates as an example,this work presents the theoretical framework of the SOV methods in an instructive way,and the bisection–based solution procedures for a group of nonlinear eigenvalue equations.Besides,the explicit equations of nodal lines of the SOV methods are presented,and the relations of nodal line patterns and frequency orders are investigated.It is concluded that the highly accurate SOV methods have the same accuracy for all frequencies,the mode shapes about repeated frequencies can also be precisely captured,and the SOV methods do not have the problem of missing roots as well.

Estimation of Chloride Diffusivity in Hydrated Tricalcium Silicate Using a Hydration-Diffusion Integrated Method

This study aims to develop a chloride diffusion simulation method that considers the hydration microstructure and pore solution properties during the hydration of tricalcium silicate(C3S).The method combines the hydration simulation,thermodynamic calculation,and finite element analysis to examine the effects of pore solution,including effect of electrochemical potential,effect of chemical activity,and effect of mechanical interactions between ions,on the chloride effective diffusion coefficient of hydrated C3S paste.The results indicate that the effect of electrochemical potential on chloride diffusion becomes stronger with increasing hydration age due to the increase in the content of hydrated calcium silicate;as the hydration age increases,the effect of chemical activity on chloride diffusion weakens when the number of diffusible elements decreases;the effect of mechanical interactions between ions on chloride diffusion decreases with the increase of hydration age.

Structural Modal Parameter Recognition and Related Damage Identification Methods under Environmental Excitations: A Review

Modal parameters can accurately characterize the structural dynamic properties and assess the physical state of the structure.Therefore,it is particularly significant to identify the structural modal parameters according to the monitoring data information in the structural health monitoring(SHM)system,so as to provide a scientific basis for structural damage identification and dynamic model modification.In view of this,this paper reviews methods for identifying structural modal parameters under environmental excitation and briefly describes how to identify structural damages based on the derived modal parameters.The paper primarily introduces data-driven modal parameter recognition methods(e.g.,time-domain,frequency-domain,and time-frequency-domain methods,etc.),briefly describes damage identification methods based on the variations of modal parameters(e.g.,natural frequency,modal shapes,and curvature modal shapes,etc.)and modal validation methods(e.g.,Stability Diagram and Modal Assurance Criterion,etc.).The current status of the application of artificial intelligence(AI)methods in the direction of modal parameter recognition and damage identification is further discussed.Based on the pre-vious analysis,the main development trends of structural modal parameter recognition and damage identification methods are given to provide scientific references for the optimized design and functional upgrading of SHM systems.

Effects of spatial heterogeneity on pseudo-static stability of coal mine overburden dump slope,using random limit equilibrium and random finite element methods:A comparative study

Sudden and unforeseen seismic failures of coal mine overburden(OB)dump slopes interrupt mining operations,cause loss of lives and delay the production of coal.Consideration of the spatial heterogeneity of OB dump materials is imperative for an adequate evaluation of the seismic stability of OB dump slopes.In this study,pseudo-static seismic stability analyses are carried out for an OB dump slope by considering the material parameters obtained from an insitu field investigation.Spatial heterogeneity is simulated through use of the random finite element method(RFEM)and the random limit equilibrium method(RLEM)and a comparative study is presented.Combinations of horizontal and vertical spatial correlation lengths were considered for simulating isotropic and anisotropic random fields within the OB dump slope.Seismic performances of the slope have been reported through the probability of failure and reliability index.It was observed that the RLEM approach overestimates failure probability(P_(f))by considering seismic stability with spatial heterogeneity.The P_(f)was observed to increase with an increase in the coefficient of variation of friction angle of the dump materials.Further,it was inferred that the RLEM approach may not be adequately applicable for assessing the seismic stability of an OB dump slope for a horizontal seismic coefficient that is more than or equal to 0.1.

Design of Voltage Equalization Circuit and Control Method for Lithium-ion Battery Packs

The active equalization of lithium-ion batteries involves transferring energy from high-voltage cells to low-voltage cells,ensuring consistent voltage levels across the battery pack and maintaining safety.This paper presents a voltage balancing circuit and control method.First,a single capacitor method is used to design the circuit topology for energy transfer.Next,real-time voltage detection and control are employed to balance energy between cells.Finally,simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method,achieving balanced voltages of 3.97 V from initial voltages of 4.10,3.97,and 3.90 V.The proposed circuit is simple,reliable,and effectively prevents overcharge and overdischarge.

An Improved Local RBF Collocation Method for 3D Excavation Deformation Based on Direct Method and Mapping Technique

Since the plasticity of soil and the irregular shape of the excavation,the efficiency and stability of the traditional local radial basis function(RBF)collocation method(LRBFCM)are inadequate for analyzing three-dimensional(3D)deformation of deep excavation.In this work,the technique known as the direct method,where the local influence nodes are collocated on a straight line,is introduced to optimize the LRBFCM.The direct method can improve the accuracy of the partial derivative,reduce the size effect caused by the large length-width ratio,and weaken the influence of the shape parameters on the LRBFCM.The mapping technique is adopted to transform the physical coordinates of a quadratic-type block to normalized coordinates,in which the deformation problem can easily be solved using the direct method.The stability of the LRBFCM is further modified by considering the irregular shape of 3D excavation,which is divided into several quadratic-type blocks.The soil’s plasticity is described by the Drucker-Prager(D-P)model.The improved LRBFCM is integrated with the incremental method to analyze the plasticity.Five different examples,including strip excavations and circular excavations,are presented to validate the proposed approach’s efficiency.

Assessment of leachate-contaminated clays using experimental and artificial methods

The investigation of leachate-contaminated clay(LCC)is essential for landfill engineering assessment and achievement of sustainable development goals.Several static and dynamic laboratory tests,including unconfined compressive strength(UCS),California bearing ratio(CBR),and cyclic simple shear,are conducted.Cyclic simple shear experiments on LCCs were performed to evaluate the damping and shear modulus.The investigated factors are vertical load(VL),leachate content(LC),frequency(F),and shear strain(ShS)for LCC.Forensic-based investigation optimization(FBIO)and equilibrium optimizer algorithm(EOA)were utilized in addition to multiple types of ensemble models,including adaptive boosting(ADB),gradient boosting regression tree(GBRT),extreme gradient boosting(XGB) and random forest(RF).The comparison of the methods showed that GBRT-FBIO and XGB-EOA models outperformed other models for shear modulus and damping of LCC.The p-value less than 0.0001 shows the significance of the used models in the response surface methodology(RSM)method.

Hollow cerium nanoparticles synthesized by one-step method for multienzyme activity to reduce colitis in mice

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is a common chronic intestinal inflammatory disease.High oxidative stress is a treatment target for IBD.Cerium oxide(CeO2)nanomaterials as nanozymes with antioxidant activity are potential drugs for the treatment of colitis.AIM To synthesize hollow cerium(H-CeO2)nanoparticles by one-step method and to validate the therapeutic efficacy of H-CeO2 in IBD.METHODS H-CeO2 was synthesized by one-step method and examined its characterization and nanoenzymatic activity.Subsequently,we constructed dextran sulfate so-dium(DSS)-induced colitis in mice to observe the effects of H-CeO2 on colonic inflammation.The effects of H-CeO2 on colon inflammation and reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels in IBD mice were detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining and dichlorofluorescein diacetate staining,respectively.Finally,the biological sa-fety of H-CeO2 on mice was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining,blood routine,and blood biochemistry.RESULTS H-CeO2 nanoparticles prepared by the one-step method were uniform,monodi-sperse and hollow.H-CeO2 had a good ability to scavenge ROS,∙OH and∙OOH.H-CeO2 reduced DSS-induced decreases in body weight and colon length,colonic epithelial damage,inflammatory infiltration,and ROS accumulation.H-CeO2 administration reduced the disease activity index of DSS-induced animals from about 8 to 5.H-CeO2 had no significant effect on body weight,total platelet count,hemoglobin,white blood cell,and red blood cell counts in healthy mice.No significant damage to major organs was observed in healthy mice following H-CeO2 administration.CONCLUSION The one-step synthesis of H-CeO2 nanomaterials had good antioxidant activity,biosafety,and inhibited deve-lopment of DSS-induced IBD in mice by scavenging ROS.

Retrospective comparative study of different surgical methods for gastric ulcer perforation:Efficacy and postoperative complications

BACKGROUND Gastric ulcer perforation is a critical condition that can lead to significant morbidity and mortality if not promptly addressed.It is often the result of chronic peptic ulcer disease,which is characterized by a breach in the gastric wall due to ulceration.Surgical intervention is essential for managing this life-threatening complication.However,the optimal surgical technique remains debatable among clinicians.Various methods have been employed,including simple closure,omental patch repair,and partial gastrectomy,each with distinct advantages and disadvantages.Understanding the comparative efficacy and postoperative outcomes of these techniques is crucial for improving patient care and surgical decision-making.This study addresses the need for a comprehensive analysis in this area.AIM To compare the efficacy and postoperative complications of different surgical methods for the treatment of gastric ulcer perforation.METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on 120 patients who underwent surgery for gastric ulcer perforation between September 2020 and June 2023.The patients were divided into three groups based on the surgical method:Simple closure,omental patch repair,and partial gastrectomy.The primary outcomes were the operative success rate and incidence of postoperative complications.Secondary outcomes included the length of hospital stay,recovery time,and long-term quality of life.RESULTS The operative success rates for simple closure,omental patch repair,and partial gastrectomy were 92.5%,95%,and 97.5%,respectively.Postoperative complications occurred in 20%,15%,and 17.5%of patients in each group,respectively.The partial gastrectomy group showed a significantly longer operative time(P<0.001)but the lowest rate of ulcer recurrence(2.5%,P<0.05).The omental patch repair group demonstrated the shortest hospital stay(mean 7.2 days,P<0.05)and fastest recovery time.CONCLUSION While all three surgical methods showed high success rates,omental patch repair demonstrated the best overall outcomes,with a balance of high efficacy,low complication rates,and shorter recovery time.However,the choice of the surgical method should be tailored to individual patient factors and the surgeon’s expertise.

Towards a blank design method for manufacturing big-tapered profiled ring disk by spinning-rolling process

The big-tapered profiled ring disk is a key component of engines for rockets and missiles.A new forming technology,as called spinning-rolling process,has been proposed previously for the high performance,high efficiency and low-cost manufacturing of the component.Blank design is the key part of plastic forming process design.For spinning-rolling process,the shape and size of the blank play a crucial role in process stability,deformation behavior and dimensional accuracy.So this work proposes a blank design method to determine the geometry structure and sizes of the blank.The mathematical model for calculating the blank size has been deduced based on volume conservation and neutral layer length invariance principle.The FE simulation and corresponding trial production of an actual big-tapered profiled ring disk show that the proposed blank design method is applicative.In order to obtain a preferred blank,the influence rules of blank size determined by different deformation degrees(rolling ratio k)on the spinning-rolling process are revealed by comprehensive FE simulations.Overall considering the process stability,circularity of the deformed ring disk and forming forces,a reasonable range of deformation degree(rolling ratio k)is recommended for the blank design of the new spinning-rolling process.

Sensitivity Analysis of Structural Dynamic Behavior Based on the Sparse Polynomial Chaos Expansion and Material Point Method

This paper presents a framework for constructing surrogate models for sensitivity analysis of structural dynamics behavior.Physical models involving deformation,such as collisions,vibrations,and penetration,are devel-oped using the material point method.To reduce the computational cost of Monte Carlo simulations,response surface models are created as surrogate models for the material point system to approximate its dynamic behavior.An adaptive randomized greedy algorithm is employed to construct a sparse polynomial chaos expansion model with a fixed order,effectively balancing the accuracy and computational efficiency of the surrogate model.Based on the sparse polynomial chaos expansion,sensitivity analysis is conducted using the global finite difference and Sobol methods.Several examples of structural dynamics are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in addressing structural dynamics problems.

Inversion of self-potential anomalies caused by simple polarized bodies based on particle swarm optimization

Prticle swarm optimization(PSO)is adopted to invert the self-potential anomalies of simple geometry.Taking the vertical semi-infinite cylinder model as an example,the model parameters are first inverted using standard particle swarm optimization(SPSO),and then the searching behavior of the particle swarm is discussed and the change of the particles’distribution during the iteration process is studied.The existence of different particle behaviors enables the particle swarm to explore the searching space more comprehensively,thus PSO achieves remarkable results in the inversion of SP anomalies.Finally,six improved PSOs aiming at improving the inversion accuracy and the convergence speed by changing the update of particle positions,inertia weights and learning factors are introduced for the inversion of the cylinder model,and the effectiveness of these algorithms is verified by numerical experiments.The inversion results show that these improved PSOs successfully give the model parameters which are very close to the theoretical value,and simultaneously provide guidance when determining which strategy is suitable for the inversion of the regular polarized bodies and similar geophysical problems.

Dynamic imaging of metallic contamination plume based on self-potential data

A dynamic imaging method for monitoring self-potential data was proposed.Based on the Darcy’s law and Archie’sformulas,a dynamic model was built as a state model to simulate the transportation of metallic ions in porous medium,and theNernst equation was used to calculate the redox potential of metallic ions for observation modeling.Then,the state model andobservation model form an extended Kalman filter cycle to perform dynamic imaging.The noise added synthetic data imaging testshows that the extended Kalman filter can effectively fuse the model evolution and observed self-potential data.The further sandboxmonitoring experiment also demonstrates that the self-potential can be used to monitor the activities of metallic ions and exactlyretrieve the dynamic process of metallic contamination.

Performance evaluation for intelligent optimization algorithms in self-potential data inversion

The self-potential method is widely used in environmental and engineering geophysics. Four intelligent optimization algorithms are adopted to design the inversion to interpret self-potential data more accurately and efficiently: simulated annealing, genetic, particle swarm optimization, and ant colony optimization. Using both noise-free and noise-added synthetic data, it is demonstrated that all four intelligent algorithms can perform self-potential data inversion effectively. During the numerical experiments, the model distribution in search space, the relative errors of model parameters, and the elapsed time are recorded to evaluate the performance of the inversion. The results indicate that all the intelligent algorithms have good precision and tolerance to noise. Particle swarm optimization has the fastest convergence during iteration because of its good balanced searching capability between global and local minimisation.

A Review on Sources,Extractions and Analysis Methods of a Sustainable Biomaterial:Tannins

Condensed and hydrolysable tannins are non-toxic natural polyphenols that are a commercial commodity industrialized for tanning hides to obtain leather and for a growing number of other industrial applications mainly to substitute petroleum-based products.They are a definite class of sustainable materials of the forestry industry.They have been in operation for hundreds of years to manufacture leather and now for a growing number of applications in a variety of other industries,such as wood adhesives,metal coating,pharmaceutical/medical applications and several others.This review presents the main sources,either already or potentially commercial of this forestry by-materials,their industrial and laboratory extraction systems,their systems of analysis with their advantages and drawbacks,be these methods so simple to even appear primitive but nonetheless of proven effectiveness,or very modern and instrumental.It constitutes a basic but essential summary of what is necessary to know of these sustainable materials.In doing so,the review highlights some of the main challenges that remain to be addressed to deliver the quality and economics of tannin supply necessary to fulfill the industrial production requirements for some materials-based uses.

Drilling-based measuring method for the c-φ parameter of rock and its field application

The technology of drilling tests makes it possible to obtain the strength parameter of rock accurately in situ. In this paper, a new rock cutting analysis model that considers the influence of the rock crushing zone(RCZ) is built. The formula for an ultimate cutting force is established based on the limit equilibrium principle. The relationship between digital drilling parameters(DDP) and the c-φ parameter(DDP-cφ formula, where c refers to the cohesion and φ refers to the internal friction angle) is derived, and the response of drilling parameters and cutting ratio to the strength parameters is analyzed. The drillingbased measuring method for the c-φ parameter of rock is constructed. The laboratory verification test is then completed, and the difference in results between the drilling test and the compression test is less than 6%. On this basis, in-situ rock drilling tests in a traffic tunnel and a coal mine roadway are carried out, and the strength parameters of the surrounding rock are effectively tested. The average difference ratio of the results is less than 11%, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method for obtaining the strength parameters based on digital drilling. This study provides methodological support for field testing of rock strength parameters.