Average Moisture Research Articles

Equilibrium moisture content in charcoal exposed to different relative humidity conditions

Equilibrium moisture content is an important characteristic associated with hydrocarbon fuels, including biomass and charcoal. Its determination is essential since it negatively affects several properties, especially the caloric value and energy density. Thus, this research was conducted with the aim of determining the equilibrium moisture content of charcoal produced for industrial purposes from 6-year-old Eucalyptus and Corymbia species exposed to different relative humidity conditions at a temperature of 30°C. Four samples of charcoal were collected from each of the four species of Eucalyptus and Corymbia used in the study. The equilibrium moisture content of the samples was always achieved by desorption. At the end of the experiment, the dry masses were obtained. Twelve simple and multiple linear models were used to estimate the equilibrium moisture of the samples. Overall average equilibrium moisture estimates were slightly higher in Eucalyptus species in all relative humidity conditions, except at 90%. Considering the scientific principle of parsimony, the simple linear model was selected for both Corymbia and Eucalyptus species. The difference between Corymbia and Eucalyptus equilibrium moisture of charcoal was higher at lower relative humidity conditions.

High-Resolution Quantitative Retrieval of Soil Moisture Based on Multisource Data Fusion with Random Forests: A Case Study in the Zoige Region of the Tibetan Plateau

Accurate high-resolution soil moisture mapping is critical for surface studies as well as climate change research. Currently, regional soil moisture retrieval primarily focuses on a spatial resolution of 1 km, which is not able to provide effective information for environmental science research and agricultural water resource management. In this study, we developed a quantitative retrieval framework for high-resolution (250 m) regional soil moisture inversion based on machine learning, multisource data fusion, and in situ measurement data. Specifically, we used various data sources, including the normalized vegetation index, surface temperature, surface albedo, soil properties data, precipitation data, topographic data, and soil moisture products from passive microwave data assimilation as input parameters. The soil moisture products simulated based on ground model simulation were used as supplementary data of the in situ measurements, together with the measured data from the Maqu Observation Network as the training target value. The study was conducted in the Zoige region of the Tibetan Plateau during the nonfreezing period (May–October) from 2009 to 2018, using random forests for training. The random forest model had good accuracy, with a correlation coefficient of 0.885, a root mean square error of 0.024 m³/m³, and a bias of −0.004. The ground-measured soil moisture exhibited significant fluctuations, while the random forest prediction was more accurate and closely aligned with the field soil moisture compared to the soil moisture products based on ground model simulation. Our method generated results that were smoother, more stable, and with less noise, providing a more detailed spatial pattern of soil moisture. Based on the permutation importance method, we found that topographic factors such as slope and aspect, and soil properties such as silt and sand have significant impacts on soil moisture in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. This highlights the importance of fine-scale topographic and soil property information for generating high-precision soil moisture data. From the perspective of inter-annual variation, the soil moisture in this area is generally high, showing a slow upward trend, with small spatial differences, and the annual average value fluctuates between 0.3741 m3/m3 and 0.3943 m3/m3. The intra-annual evolution indicates that the monthly mean average soil moisture has a large geographical variation and a small multi-year linear change rate. These findings can provide valuable insights and references for regional soil moisture research.

Using temporal variability of land surface temperature and normalized vegetation index to estimate soil moisture condition on forest areas by means of remote sensing

Land Surface Temperature (LST) against Vegetation Index (VI) scatterplot is a base concept of Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) which is a widely used drought index taking into account evaporation over heterogenic area. The main advantage of using TVDI is that it reflects rather a soil moisture conditions than volumetric soil moisture itself. This is particularly useful when the aim of conducting research is to assess water availability for plants rather than volumetric soil moisture at some depth. Results that have been obtained so far using indices based on LST-VI scatterplot proved their effectiveness in meadows, pastures or crops but were not satisfactory enough over forest areas. An important limitation of using TVDI is a need to collect LST and VI data from heterogenic areas, to provide different soil moisture conditions which is often difficult to ensure.In this paper, we proposed a new approach to the TVDI calculation method in which we use temporal variability of soil moisture conditions (shown in different satellite images of the same area) instead of their spatial heterogeneity.Calculations were conducted over the forest area in Tuczno Poland. To calculate the temporal TVDI model 4 Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS scenes were used, and calculation was performed in Python 3 using open-source packages. The average moisture conditions of each chosen scene were validated using field data, namely evapotranspiration determined from an eddy covariance.

Biochemical composition, bioactivity, processing, and food applications of winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus): A review

AbstractThe winged bean, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) D.C., is called the four‐angled bean or Goa bean, which is an underutilized, non‐conventional, and multipurpose tropical legume cultivated in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea. The objective of this article was to reveal a comprehensive view on the nutritional properties, biochemical compositions, health benefits, processing, and food applications of winged beans. The average moisture, carbohydrate, protein, fat, crude fiber, and ash content of 138 genotypes of winged bean seeds were found as 9.09 ± 1.73%, 26.81 ± 6.88%, 34.98 ± 4.63%, 18.01 ± 2.27%, 10.24 ± 5.49%, and 4.16 ± 0.41%, respectively. Leaves of winged beans are good sources of vitamins such as vitamin C (14.5–128 mg/100 g), thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin A (5240–20,800 IU), and vitamin E. The seed of winged beans is rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, and copper. The anti‐nutritional factors, namely, trypsin inhibitor, chymotrypsin inhibitor, phytic acid, saponin, tannin, oxalate, and flatulence saccharides of winged bean, were reported to be in the range of 40–99.5 TIU/mg of protein, 86.4–109.6 CIU/mg of protein, 4.09%–9.96%, 0.6%, 0.77%–0.97%, 0.5%, and 0.04%–0.18%, respectively. This bean can prevent diabetes, cancer, and asthma, boost immunity, and promote women's and men's reproductive health. Winged are transformed into consumable form by processing methods such as soaking, cooking, sprouting, fermentation, roasting, and so forth. This bean is processed into traditional products (curries, soup, pickles, etc.) and contemporary products (milk, tofu, tempeh, etc.). Future research should focus on promoting its utilization as an alternative to soybeans toward meeting global food and nutritional security.

Satellite gravity observation and hydrological modelling-based integrated groundwater storage change in Northwestern India

Abstract This paper presents a novel approach for an improved estimate of regional groundwater storage (GWS) change in Northwestern India by integrating satellite-based Gravity Recovery and Climate Exchange (GRACE) gravity observation and hydrological modelling of satellite/in situ hydrometeorological data. Initially, GRACE observation-based terrestrial water storage (TWS) change and hydrological model-based TWS change products were integrated using weight coefficients derived from multi-linear regression analysis of TWS change vs governing hydrological components. Later, the monthly average soil moisture change was subtracted from the monthly average individual and integrated TWS change products to obtain GWS change products. By spatial correlation analysis, three GWS change products were then compared with groundwater level (GWL) fluctuation-based in situ GWS change. Hydrological model, spaceborne GRACE observation, and integrated GWS change products show a positive correlation in ∼59, ∼69, and ∼73% of the area with in situ GWS change. While a hydrological model-based estimate considers geology, terrain, and hydrometeorological conditions, GRACE gravity observation includes groundwater withdrawal from aquifers. All the factors are included in the integrated product. The approach overcomes the limitations of GRACE observation (spatial resolution, geology, terrain, and hydrometeorological factors), hydrological modelling (groundwater withdrawal conditions), and conventional GWL fluctuation-based method (inadequate spatial continuity and cumbersome, labour-intensive exercise).

Performance analysis and drying kinetics of beetroot slices dried in an innovative solar dryer without and with thermal storage unit

ABSTRACT An active indirect solar dryer (AISD) has been used to conduct drying experiments of beetroot slices without a thermal storage unit (TSU) (mode-I) and with TSU (mode-II) using paraffin wax as a phase change material. The performance analysis and drying curves of beetroot slices were assessed in both modes and compared. The average drying efficiency and drying rate were enhanced by 48.63% and 41.72% in mode-II compared to mode-I. Two-term exponential and modified Page models were the best models for beetroot slices in mode-I and mode-II, respectively. The specific energy consumption was estimated to be 1.706 and 0.96 kWh/kg, the average moisture diffusivity was 7.11 × 10−9 and 7.22 × 10−9 m2/s, and the mean mass transfer coefficients were 3.56 × 10−3 and 3.64 × 10−3 m/s, respectively. The specific moisture extraction rate was 0.586 and 1.041 kg/kWh and the mean heat transfer coefficient was 4.103 and 4.2 W/m2K, in mode-I and mode-II, respectively. The collector outlet temperature is increased by 2.5 to 10.7°C when the heat is discharged from TSU. In comparison to mode-I, the performance of AISD is superior in mode-II, exhibiting better drying performance due to TSU in the drying section in mode-II.

Determination of Immune-Boosting Trace Elements In Selected Fruit Seeds

The deluge of processed food in the world has led to an incalculable number of health problems and increased mortality. Consequently, a healthy and long life has become a gem that every human being is chasing in this modern society. Due to the lacuna of information about a healthy lifestyle, scientists have shifted their focal point to carry out painstaking research in the field of nutrition such as trace elements. Reviewing prior literature, it is evident that controlled intake of trace elements leads to healthy skin and hair, aids in blood sugar control, prevents osteoporosis, and is involved in protein synthesis, treatment of hypertension, and inflammatory conditions. Intake of large amounts of the elements brings about health problems lowering the body's immunity. This study analyzed trace elements of selected fruit seeds (watermelon seeds, orange seeds, pawpaw seeds, avocado seeds) commonly consumed in Kendu Bay, Homa Bay County, and club 36, Nairobi County to determine the moisture content and levels of trace elements in the seeds then compare the concentrations of the trace elements (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn) in the various selected fruit seeds with the limits recommended by WHO and FAO. The wet digestion method was used to digest them after which they were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The average moisture content in orange, pawpaw, watermelon, and avocado seeds was 50.26%, 87.38, 72.19%, and 63.75 respectively. The levels of the trace elements were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results indicated that all the trace elements positively correlated with copper, giving a strong correlation coefficient (r=0.9997) with a regression equation of y=0.0238x-0.0002, while manganese had the lowest correlation (r= 0.9617). Pawpaw seeds from Kendu Bay had the highest levels of zinc (0.6020±0.5794mg/kg), magnesium (4.2270±0.1479mg/kg), and manganese (0.2743±0.0564mg/kg). Avocado seed from club 36 had the lowest levels of zinc (0.2102±0.0076mg/kg) and magnesium (1.6063±0.0594mg/kg). Orange seeds from club 36 recorded the highest levels of copper (0.1597±0.0005mg/kg), while pawpaw seeds from club 36 recorded the lowest levels of copper (0.1177±0.0004mg/kg). It is evident from the results that magnesium was the abundant trace mineral in all the fruit seed samples, with a concentration of 4.2270±0.1479mg/kg in pawpaw seeds from Kendu Bay. Manganese and copper recorded the lowest levels across all samples. Comparing the results with WHO/FAO permissible limits for trace minerals in food, all elements in the fruit seed samples were below and within the permissible levels. Iron contents were below the detection limit in all samples. The findings of this study will provide additional information on the immune-boosting trace elements present in the selected fruit seeds from Kendu Bay and Club 36, Nairobi. The study will be of great importance to nutritionists, consumers worldwide, and health agencies in creating awareness of the health benefits of fruit seed consumption

Design and development of hydraulic controlled tractor front mounted twin conveyor onion (Allium cepa) digger

In India and many developing countries harvesting of onion (Allium cepa L.) crop is done manually which is cumbersome and time-consuming. The tractor-operated front-mounted twin conveyor onion digger was designed and developed during 2019 in Divisional Workshop (Farm Machinery and Power Engineering) at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. It had five blades made of mild steel (320 mm × 150 mm × 12 mm size) bolted to the base plate instead of one single share to strengthen the share. Onion and soil were separated over conveying unit. Power from the rear PTO (Power take-off) of a tractor to the front-mounted digging unit was conveyed through a power transmission unit which consisted of a gear reduction unit, V-belt and pulley arrangement, and 40 mm diameter of the propeller shaft. The lifting, lowering, and depth were controlled with the help of two single-acting hydraulic cylinders. The biometric and physical properties of onion bulbs (Agri found light red) were found average with equatorial and polar diameter, plant height, neck thickness, and weight of onion dry leaves as 36.19 and 37.19 mm, 284.05 mm, 6.80 mm and 30.19 g respectively. The average soil cone index, moisture content, and bulk density (before transplanting and harvesting) of soil were observed to be 1 kg/cm2, 17.22,12.58%, and 1.50, 1.38 g/cm3 respectively. The performance evaluation in the field found a maximum percentage of exposed and minimum damaged bulbs as 82.55% and 13.51% respectively, at a forwarding speed of 1.5 kmph and conveyor speed of 2 kmph. The field efficiency of the machine was 87.46%.

Upscaling soil moisture from point scale to field scale: Toward a general model

AbstractField‐scale soil moisture measurements are valuable but rarely available because the resolution of most satellite soil moisture products is too coarse, while most in situ sensors provide only point‐scale data. Previous upscaling approaches for such data are mostly site‐specific, and none are suitable to upscale data from the thousands of stations in existing monitoring networks. To help fill this gap, this research aims to develop a more broadly applicable upscaling approach using data from the Marena, Oklahoma, In Situ Sensor Testbed and a cosmic‐ray neutron rover. Rover survey data were used to measure average soil moisture for the ∼64‐ha field on 12 dates in 2019–2020. Statistical modeling was used to identify the soil, terrain, and vegetation properties influencing the relationships between the field‐scale rover data and point‐scale in situ data from six monitoring sites. Site‐specific linear upscaling models estimated the field average soil moisture with root mean squared error (RMSE) values ranging from 0.007 to 0.017 cm3 cm−3, but such models are not transferrable between sites. To create a more general model, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression was used with a leave‐one‐out cross‐validation approach to identify the key predictors for upscaling. The resulting parsimonious model required only the point‐scale observations and sand content data and achieved RMSE values ranging from 0.006 to 0.031 cm3 cm−3 for the six monitoring sites. The texture‐based model demonstrated reasonable accuracy and is a promising step toward a general model that could be broadly applied for upscaling point‐scale in situ monitoring stations.

Spatial and Temporal Variation/ Variability of the Estimated and Measured Soil Moisture in Northern Jordan

The study employed the adjusted Thornthwaite-Mather model (1955) to estimate soil moisture in Irbid, Ras Muneef, and Almafraq stations for the period (1977-2015). Besides, fieldwork to collect soil moisture from 22 sites for four months (November 2019 to February 2020) was conducted. The results show that both estimated and observed soil moisture increased toward the northwest of the study area, that the highest average soil moisture reached 196.8 mm in February in Ras Munif following rainfall and soil characteristics such as texture, porosity, permeability, and soil water capacity. In addition, the content of soil moisture tends to be more stable when the soil is at or near its field capacity. However, the instability of soil moisture decreases when the soil is dry, Soil moisture reaches its lowest level from May to October, and the lowest average moisture is recorded in October at a rate of up to 0.5 mm, in Mafraq. It has also been found that the soil moisture in the northwest slopes is slightly higher than those in the northeast slopes. The annual mean of true evapotranspiration ranged between (5.4 and 54 mm); The highest annual averages were recorded in Irbid Station for all months, which exceeded the other stations; It reached (40 mm) in the year 2009. Ultimately, the study recommended that it is necessary to integrate different studies such as agro-meteorological, hydrological, and studies to establish a geodatabase to support future agricultural planning.

Investigation on the Mechanical Properties of Paper Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes)

The widely use of papers and for the promotion of conservation of the forest ecosystem in making papers from the falling of trees. This work is focused on the realization of paper and its mechanical properties. Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) is aquatic plant with a high growth rate that usually cover the river surface and has an impact to the environment and other living things. The work done was to produce a paper from water hyacinth through cutting, grinding, refining, molding, the bleaching process and drying process we obtained different papers. In the realization process of the papers, we have used Hydrogen peroxides for the bleaching process to obtain white paper (Bleached paper). In our case we have both the bleached and the unbleached paper. Papers were successfully produced under experimental condition. Mechanical properties of each paper were investigated. The various density of paper water hyacinth plant of the bleached and unbleached was 21.68 g/m3 and 26.37 g/m3 respectively, average tensile rupture stress 1.337MPa & 0.405MPa and young modulus was found to be 36.278MPa and 17.604MPa, the elongation at break 4.744% and 2.879%, average moisture content of 4.82% to 9.59% and 3.57% to 6.62% respectively for the Unbleached and Bleached paper water hyacinth plant. For this reason, Unbleached Paper with certain different strength ranges could be considered to be applied as packaging, seedling pot, mulching or insulating material in advance application. The use of water hyacinth as biomass with the used of the roots and leaf shows a bulky structure. The study concludes that water hyacinth is a potential fiber for paper production especially in areas where it is abundant, but the tensile strength of unbleached paper is more than the bleached paper. So that the paper can be used for other purpose than writing.

Influence of Thermo-Mechanical Densification (TMD) on the Properties of Structural Sawn Timber (Pinus sylvestris L.)

The article presents the results of thermo-mechanical densification tests conducted on Scots pine timber. The densification process was carried out in industrial conditions with a high-pressure press, which allowed flat compression of boards that were up to 2.5 m long. A phenomenon of elastic redeformations was observed in the densified boards after each pulse of compression. As a result of thermo-mechanical compression, the average timber moisture content dropped to 9%, and the average density increased by 13.5%, from the level of 547 to 621 kg/m3. As a result of thermo-mechanical densification, the strength class C of most Scots pine timber pieces improved. Most timber pieces that were subjected to thermo-mechanical densification have improved their strength class, C, by one (72.7% of the tested batch) or two C classes (3.6% of the batch under study).

Numerical study on the swelling and failure of red-layer mudstone subgrade caused by humidity diffusion

Red-layer mudstone is a typical soft rock with low strength, easy weathering and disintegration, and significant swelling. This is an important reason for the swelling, deformation, and failure of red-layer mudstone subgrades. In this study, a humidity diffusion–deformation–fracture coupling model based on the finite discrete element method (FDEM) is used to simulate the process of moisture absorption swelling deformation and failure of the red-layer mudstone subgrade. First, two examples with analytical solutions are used to verify the accuracy of the model in addressing the humidity diffusion and swelling stress problems. Subsequently, the influence of multiple factors on the moisture absorption swelling deformation and failure of the red-layer mudstone subgrade is simulated. The results show that shear cracks mainly occur during the moisture absorption swelling of the red-layer mudstone. With an increase in the number of crack zones, the swelling coefficient and initial moisture content of the crack zones, average swelling deformation, and total number of cracks on the mudstone subgrade surface increased. Simultaneously, the fluctuation of the swelling deformation of the subgrade surface is positively correlated with the average moisture content and total number of cracks in the mudstone layer. In addition, the degree of influence of these factors on the swelling deformation and failure of the red-layer subgrade is also discussed. The numerical calculation results are conducive to a better understanding of the mechanism of moisture absorption swelling and failure of red-layer mudstone subgrades.

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Meteorological and Agricultural Droughts in China: Change Patterns and Causes

Drought is complex and is also one of the main disasters affecting China. Exploring the response of agricultural drought and meteorological drought to climatic factors helps us to understand the causes of drought. In this paper, we evaluated the temporal and spatial characteristics of soil drought and meteorological drought (SMD) and explored their responses to climatic factors and latent heat fluxes (LHF), and then explained their variation from the perspective of atmospheric circulation. The following results were obtained. (1) Meteorological drought has gradually increased in the Liaohe River Basin, on the North China Plain, and on the Loess Plateau while average soil moisture has been maintained at only approximately 25%. The impacts of drought are very serious in these regions. (2) LHF response to short time-scale (3-month scale) drought performance is high in the dry season, and the regions with high correlation coefficients are spatially distributed and concentrated in the monsoon climate zone. The regions with high correlation coefficients between drought and LHFs on long time scales (12-month scale) are concentrated in the coastal basin of southeast China. (3) Short- and long-term SMDs showed highly responsive and significant relationships with PDO, showing variations in the southeast coastal basin, the Pearl River basin, the northwest inland basin and the eastern part of the Heilongjiang basin, with a maximum correlation coefficient of 0.21 (p < 0.01). The short-term SMD in the northwestern inland region was significantly negatively correlated with AMO (correlation coefficient of −0.19, p < 0.01). the Nino3.4 index is significantly positively correlated with the SMD in the southeast coastal region of China, with a maximum correlation coefficient of 0.23 (p < 0.01). The decrease in convective precipitation led to a stronger association between soil and meteorological drought and climatic factors. This study helps to reveal the changing patterns of SMDs and can also be used globally to identify the local development patterns of drought under climate change.

Oxidation of cellulose molecules toward delignified oxidated hot-pressed wood with improved mechanical properties

Wooden building materials have advantages in terms of biodegradability, non-toxicity, pollution-free and recycling. Currently, applications of natural wood are extremely limited because of low density, low strength and toughness. Therefore, we reported an effective modification strategy with nano-scale cellulose nanofibrils design to prepare a synergistically enhanced cellulosic material. Via three steps: i) the secondary alcohol hydroxyl groups in C2, C3 position were cut; ii) oxidize the hydroxyl group at C2, C3 position to achieve dialdehyde cellulose; and iii) oxidized again to obtain dicarboxylic cellulose. Subsequently, thanks to the regulation of the average moisture content, the moisture content in the wood surface and subsurface increased in a short time. The wood softening layer contributes to the hotpressing treatment of the wood. The mechanical properties and dimensionality have been greatly improved. The obtained delignified oxidated hot-pressed wood with 0.55 mmol/g carboxyl group content demonstrates excellent strength of 328.8 ± 7.43 MPa and Young's modulus of 8.1 ± 0.14 GPa, which is twice than that of natural wood. Delignified oxidated hot-pressed wood also shows exceptional toughness of 8.3 ± 0.28 MJ/m3. Other than that, the shore hardness indicates 0.55 mmol/g carboxylic group, which could increase the hardness at the wood surface hardness to 72.5 ± 4.29°.

The Characterization of Dry Fermented Sausages under the "Chorizo Zamorano" Quality Label: The Application of an Alternative Statistical Approach.

The characterization of quality brand meat products, such as "Chorizo Zamorano" dry fermented sausages, involves a wide range of data which makes it necessary to use alternative statistical methodologies. In this study, the feasibility of the Categorical Principal Components Analysis as a multivariate non-linear technique for the characterization of "Chorizo Zamorano" was assessed. The data analyzed were those of eight commercial brands covered by the quality mark over an eight-year period (2013-2020) and included parameters of the physicochemical composition and organoleptic properties of the product. The results showed that "Chorizo Zamorano" has an average moisture content (28.28%), high protein (38.38%) and fat (51.05%) contents, and a very low carbohydrate concentration (1.52%). Results showed that the fat and protein content and the sensory parameters related to external and internal odor appeared to be the studied variables with the greatest influence on the classification of the products according to their quality.

Cooling and wetting of soil decelerated ground freezing–thawing processes of the active layer in Xing'an permafrost regions in Northeast China

The accelerated or decelerated freezing–thawing processes of the active layer in Xing'an permafrost regions are crucial for the protection of permafrost. To better understand the freezing–thawing processes of the active layer and its driving factors, according to the observation from 2017 to 2020 of soil temperature and water content in the active layer of forest and peatland in two representative hemiboreal ecosystems in the Da Xing'anling Mountains, Northeast China, the study explored in detail the effects of climatic conditions and local factors on the hydrothermal and freezing–thawing processes of active layer soils. The results showed that during the freezing–thawing cycles of 2017–2020, freezing and thawing start times in the peatland and forest ecosystems soils were generally delayed, and it took longer for the active layer soil to completely thaw than to freeze. The annual average soil temperature in the peatland's active layer (5–80 cm) was 0.7–2.0 °C lower than that in the forest, and the annual average soil moisture content on the peatland was 5.5%–26.7% higher than that in the forest. Compared with the forest ecosystem soils, the ground surface freezing time of the peatland was delayed by 3–10 d, and the freezing rate decreased by 1.1–1.5 cm d−1, while the beginning time of thawing was advanced by 22–27 d, and the thawing rate decreased by 1.3–1.4 cm d−1. In the process of decreasing soil temperature and increasing soil moisture content, the freezing and thawing rate of the active layer would be reduced, decelerating the freezing–thawing processes of the active layer in the process of decreasing soil temperature and increasing soil moisture content. The results provide the key original data for studying the formation and evolution of active layer and permafrost in the Xing'an permafrost regions in Northeast China and can be used to validate the prediction of ecosystem succession under the combined influences of climate change and permafrost degradation.

Effect of The Addition of Acacia Powder Ash and Carbide Welding Ash to Increase the Production of Brick Craftsmen

Many bricks are produced by small business and industries as construction materials. As the population increases, there is also more demand for bricks in construction construction. The materials used in this study are waste from the acacia wood burning process and carbide welding ash waste. These two materials will be tested into additives from making bricks. The research method was carried out using testing of moisture content, specific gravity, Atterberg limit testing (Liquid limit) as well as a visual description of bricks with an outside temperature without a combustion process. Of the three samples, the average moisture content obtained, the lowest moisture content value was 69.41% in a mixture of clay soil plus acacia ash which showed that the soil category was a soft organic clay category with the characteristic that the soil could be pressed with the tip of the thumb so that the soil was suitable to be used as additional raw material in making stone stones without burning. The results of the average soil specific gravity test of 2 samples showed a Gs value of 2.64 at a temperature of t0 C, this shows that the soil with the organic clay category is in accordance with the test results on the moisture content that the clay soil is the basic raw material. The liquid limit test in this study showed the average value of water content in bricks without additives as much as 120.36%: the average value of water content in bricks with additives from the values of the three samples can be known that the mineral clay material is of the montmorillonite type with a liquid limit value of 100-900. Visual observations showed that bricks printed using clay soil raw materials without additives showed a break (split) in half during the drying process for 2 days with a temperature of 30oC; the mixture of clay soil and welded ash of the brick carbide experienced small cracks / crak on the surface with the drying process at the same temperature while the mixture of clay soil with acacia ash showed intact bricks without intact bricks without fractures or cracks on the surface in the drying process using the same temperature.

Response characteristics of root to moisture change at seedling stage of Kengyilia hirsuta.

Kengyilia hirsuta is an important pioneer plant distributed on the desertified grassland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It has strong adaptability to alpine desert habitats, so it can be used as a sand-fixing plant on sandy alpine land. To study the response mechanisms of root morphological and physiological characteristics of K. hirsuta to sandy soil moisture, 10%, 25% and 40% moisture levels were set up through potted weighing water control method. The biomass, root-shoot ratio, root architecture parameters, and biochemical parameters malondialdehyde, free proline, soluble protein, indole-3-acetic acid, abscisic acid, cytokinin, gibberellin, relative conductivity and antioxidant enzyme activities were measured in the trefoil stage, and the response mechanisms of roots at different moisture levels were analyzed. The results showed that with the increase of soil moisture, root morphological indexes such as root biomass, total root length, total root volume and total root surface increased, while the root topological index decreased continuously. The malondialdehyde content, relative conductivity, superoxide dismutase activity, peroxidase activity, catalase activity, free proline content, soluble protein content, abscisic acid content and cytokinin content at the 25% and 40% moisture levels were significantly decreased compared with the 10% level (P< 0.05). Thus, the root growth of K. hirsuta was restricted by the 10% moisture level, but supported by the 25% and 40% moisture levels. An artificial neural network revealed that total root length, total root surface area, root link average length, relative conductivity, soluble protein, free proline and moisture level were the key factors affecting root development. These research results could contribute to future agricultural sustainability.

Complex Dose Rate Calculations in Luminescence Dating of Lacustrine and Palustrine Sediments from Niederweningen, Northern Switzerland

This study focusses on dose rate determination in complex settings in two drill cores from the site of Niederweningen, northern Switzerland. A crosscheck with a certified standard material and neutron activation analyses (NAA) reveals an overall good performance of high-resolution gamma spectrometry (HR-GS) when determining dose rate-relevant elements. A second focus is on average water content during burial, by comparing measured sediment moisture with water uptake capability. Furthermore, layer models are used to investigate the impact of inhomogeneous stratification on dose rate. Finally, different scenarios to correct for radioactive disequilibrium in the uranium decay chain are investigated. While most of the applied corrections appear to have only a minor to moderate effect on age calculation, the results for one core are contradictory. Possibly, some of the applied correction scenarios are not reflecting the complex natural setting sufficiently, in particular average sediment moisture during burial and the timing of radioactive disequilibrium might be incorrectly estimated. While deposition in one core can be quite securely attributed to the period 100–70 ka, assigning the sediment sequence in the other core to the time between ca. 130 ka and 90 ka remains to some extent insecure.