Rate Of Depletion Research Articles

Application of gravity and remote sensing data to groundwater potential in Wadi Ar-Ramah, Saudi Arabia

Water scarcity is developing in the Middle East as a result of the region’s growing population and tremendously advanced agricultural and industrial sectors. Saudi Arabia is the Middle East country with the highest water consumption, so there is an urgent need to take action, and new technology advancements in geophysical measurements allow for the monitoring of groundwater. Wadi Ar-Ramah is one region that has witnessed significant agricultural expansion as well as a serious over-exploitation of the groundwater resources that are available there. Depletion rate in groundwater of the Wadi Ar-Ramah basin at eastern Saudi Arabia was determined for the time interval of 04/2002 to 12/2021 using a combination of gravity data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission and results of land surface models. The findings are: 1) the average yearly rainfall rate was computed at 87.7 mm yr−1 over the Wadi Ar-Ramah; 2) the terrestrial water storage variation (ΔTWS) was computed at −1.216 ± 0.013 cm yr−1; 3) the GLDAS-derived soil moisture (ΔSMS) was minimal at −0.32 ± 0.025 mm yr−1; 4) the GRACE-derievd groundwater decreasing rate was calculated at 1.212 ± 0.012 cm yr−1; 5) the relief of the ground surface is producing northeasterly streams that carry the minimal surface water to the east; 6) our integrated method provides a repeatable and cost-effective approach.

Deoxyribonucleoside treatment rescues EtBr-induced mtDNA depletion in iPSC-derived neural stem cells with POLG mutations.

Mutations in POLG, the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymerase gamma (Pol-γ), lead to diseases driven by defective mtDNA maintenance. Despite being the most prevalent cause of mitochondrial disease, treatments for POLG-related disorders remain elusive. In this study, we used POLG patient-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neural stem cells (iNSCs), one homozygous for the POLG mutation c.2243G>C and one compound heterozygous with c.2243G>C and c.1399G>A, and treated these iNSCs with ethidium bromide (EtBr) to study the rate of depletion and repopulation of mtDNA. In addition, we investigated the effect of deoxyribonucleoside (dNs) supplementation on mtDNA maintenance during EtBr treatment and post-treatment repopulation in the same cells. EtBr-induced mtDNA depletion occurred at a similar rate in both patient and control iNSCs, however, restoration of mtDNA levels was significantly delayed in iNSCs carrying the compound heterozygous POLG mutations. In contrast, iNSC with the homozygous POLG mutation recovered their mtDNA at a rate similar to controls. When we treated cells with dNs, we found that this reduced EtBr-induced mtDNA depletion and significantly increased repopulation rates in both patient iNSCs. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that mutations in POLG impair mtDNA repopulation also within intact neural lineage cells and suggest that those with compound heterozygous mutation have a more severe defect of mtDNA synthesis. Our findings further highlight the potential for dNs to improve mtDNA replication in the presence of POLG mutations, suggesting that this may offer a new therapeutic modality for mitochondrial diseases caused by disturbed mtDNA homeostasis.

Implications of z ≳ 12 JWST galaxies for galaxy formation at high redshift

ABSTRACT Using a semi-analytic galaxy formation model, we study analogues of eight z ≳ 12 galaxies recently discovered by James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We select analogues from a cosmological simulation with a (311 cMpc)3 volume and an effective particle number of 1012 enabling the resolution of every atomic-cooling galaxy at z ≤ 20. We vary model parameters to reproduce the observed ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function at 5 < z < 13, aiming for a statistically representative high-redshift galaxy mock catalogue. Using the forward-modelled JWST photometry, we identify analogues from this catalogue and study their properties as well as possible evolutionary paths and local environment. We find faint JWST galaxies (MUV ≳ − 19.5) to remain consistent with the standard galaxy formation model and that our fiducial catalogue includes large samples of their analogues. The properties of these analogues broadly agree with conventional spectral energy distribution-fitting results, except for having systematically lower redshifts due to the evolving ultraviolet luminosity function, and for having higher specific star formation rates as a result of burstier histories in our model. On the other hand, only a handful of bright galaxy analogues can be identified for the observed z ∼ 12 galaxies. Moreover, in order to reproduce the z ≳ 16 JWST galaxy candidates, boosting star-forming efficiencies through reduced feedback regulation and increased gas depletion rate is necessary relative to models of lower redshift populations. This suggests star formation in the first galaxies could differ significantly from their lower redshift counterparts. We also find that these candidates are subject to low-redshift contamination, which is present in our fiducial results as both the dusty or quiescent galaxies at z ∼ 5.

SlGSTE8 in Spodoptera litura participated in the resistance to phoxim and chlorpyrifos

AbstractGlutathione S‐transferases (GSTs) were reported to participate in insecticide resistance by metabolic and antioxidant activities. In our previous study, an ε class gene of GSTs, SlGSTe8 in Spodoptera litura, was screened out to be upregulated in a population resistant to pyrethroids and organophosphates. SlGSTe8 was highly expressed in the larvae stage, and the digestive tissue, foregut, midgut and hindgut, while the relative expression level was low in the pupae stage and other tissues. To further explore its role in the resistance to pyrethroids and organophosphates, the metabolic activity to insecticides by its recombinant protein was determined by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography, and its antioxidant enzyme activity was evaluated by disc diffusion assay. The recombinant protein showed significant metabolic activity to phoxim and chlorpyrifos, but not to fenvalerate, cyhalothrin or β‐cypermethrin. After incubation, the depletion rate of chlorpyrifos is 85.3%, higher than that of phoxim (17.5%). Also, the inhibition zone around filter discs decreased significantly after exposure to cumene hydroperoxide in recombinant plasmid than vector only, suggesting significant antioxidant activity of SlGSTE8. Further modelling and docking analysis indicated that the 3D structure of SlGSTE8 was well shaped for phoxim and chlorpyrifos, with the binding energy −5.58 and −5.15 kcal/mol, respectively. Our work provides evidence that SlGSTe8 in S. litura plays important roles in phoxim and chlorpyrifos resistance.

Coupled bubble dynamics and interaction mechanisms of adjacently nucleated vapor bubbles under subcooled pool boiling regime

The present work investigates the plausible modes of interaction between two adjacently located vapor bubbles growing on high wettability surface during subcooled nucleate pool boiling. The study becomes important as the phenomenon of bubble interaction has a significant impact on the resulting bubble dynamic parameters as well as on microlayer dynamics of the respective vapor bubbles. As against the symmetric growth of microlayer in the case of isolated pool boiling, microlayers of mutually interacting vapor bubbles no longer remain symmetric and tend to deplete relatively faster, thereby influencing the resulting wall heat transfer rates. Toward this, the microlayers and dynamics of adjacently located interacting vapor bubbles have been mapped in a simultaneous manner using thin-film interferometry and high-speed rainbow schlieren deflectometry as a function of varying subcooling levels. Results of the experiments revealed that parameters such as non-dimensional spacing between the two vapor bubbles, supplied heat flux, and degree of subcooling have a strong impact on the mechanism of bubbles' interaction, which, in turn, influence the bubble departure frequency, bubble diameter, and microlayer dynamics. Three dominant modes of bubble interaction, hydrodynamic interaction (HI), thermal interaction (TI), and coalescence (C), were identified as a function of the level of subcooling. Quantification of the experimental data showed that the equivalent diameter of the vapor bubble increases with an increase in the level of heat flux, while it decreases with an increase in the subcooling level. Additionally, the secondary nucleation affects the liftoff time and movement of the primary bubble and can hydrodynamically deplete the microlayer of the first bubble even when the bubbles are far apart, with the depletion rates showing a strong dependence on the growth rate and location of the secondary nucleation.

Pengaturan Suhu Brooding pada Performa Ayam Broiler Pelanggan PT New Hope Indonesia

Genetic improvement through intensive selection in broilers for economically important traits such as body weight, growth rate, feed efficiency, and carcass quality plays a role in increasing the productivity and efficiency of the broiler industry. Good maintenance management is needed by paying attention to the quantity and quality of feed as well as comfortable and controlled environmental conditions. The environmental factor that is often the focus of attention is the temperature of milieu. During the brooding period aged 0‒21 days, the Day Old Chick cannot regulate its body temperature perfectly and still influenced by ambient temperature. Therefore, it is necessary to study the effect of brooding temperature on the performance of broiler at PT New Hope Indonesia's customers, to find the problems in regulating brooding temperatures along with solutions, evaluations, and improvement plans. Observations were made for 21 days in a semi-closed house with a population of 22,000 Cobb strain broiler. The research method used is data recording observation. The primary data were average brooding temperature for 21 days, depletion rate, feed consumption, body weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and production index. There was a deviation in body weight and FCR at the age of 11‒14 days due to the restriction of the heater until the age of 14 days and the wind speed at night which was more than 0.3 ms-1. With the corrective action of wind speed regulation, an effective temperature close to the thermoneutral zone and optimal production performance was obtained until the end of the brooding period.
 
 Keywords: body weight, broiler, brooding, feed conversion ratio, temperature

Experimental assessment of performance, emission and lube oil deterioration using gasoline and LPG for a sustainable environment

The unfavorable environmental hazards by conventional fuels like gasoline have stirred scientists to pursue less detrimental and more effective fuels. Mostly, the oxygenated and biofuels produced higher CO2 and NOx emissions due to improved combustion. These greenhouse gases are mainly responsible for global warming which is considered a serious environmental threat nowadays. Therefore, efforts need to be rendered to look for such alternative fuels which not only improve engine efficiency but also reduce hazardous emissions. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has long been considered for improved engine performance and reduced harmful emissions. However, rare efforts have been made to evaluate fuel efficiency by assessing the damage imparted to lubricating oil. This existing gap has been filled by a thorough assessment of performance, manifold emissions, and the wearing of lube oil using gasoline and LPG in spark ignition (SI) engines. The fuels were investigated through vital parameters: brake power (BP), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), and exhaust emissions. Although LPG showed average lessened BSFC (15.13%) and increased BTE (14.34%), the gasoline kept itself in the competition by producing average 23.74% higher brake power. All the hazardous tailpipe emissions improved considerably for LPG. Similarly, the degradation of physical and chemical properties, the concentration of metallic particles, and the depletion rate of additives also favoured the gaseous fuel. The statistical significance of performance and emission terms with speed was figured out using the Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient (R). BSFC and hydrocarbon Pearson concentration emerged negatively correlated to speed with values of −0.813 and - 0.996, respectively, for LPG.

Frequency of application of 24-epibrassinolide on plant growth, physiology and postharvest fruit quality of Cantaloupe grown at elevated temperature

ABSTRACT Reduction of yield in tropical greenhouses is an issue with Cucumis melo L. var. cantaloupensis. A natural occurring hormone, 24-epibrassinolide (EBR), regulates cellular activities and physiological processes of plants and signaling. To determine effects of EBR application, cantaloupe cvs. Himalai-99 and Glamour (factor 1) were treated with 0.1 mg∙L−1 EBR applied over four frequencies (factor 2) as; F1: no EBR (control), F2: at 15 DAT (days after transplant), F3: at 15 + 30 DAT, and F4: at 15 + 30 + 45 DAT at 47 ± 3°C (5°C higher than the ambient greenhouse) in a factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replicates. Postharvest fruit quality was monitored at room temperature (26°C) in a completely randomized design with four replicates. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance, mean separation with least significant difference and associations between parameters with Pearson correlation. Application of EBR at 15 + 30 DAT (F3) increased plant dry weight, leaf area, specific leaf area, root length, root surface area, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and chlorophyll content. It increased the quantum efficiency of photosystem II, peroxidase and catalase activities by 50%, stomatal length and width by 75% and decreased malondialdehyde and proline content by 56%. Pre-harvest foliar application of EBR at 15 + 30 DAT reduced postharvest weight loss and ethylene emission rate by two fold and reduced ascorbic acid and antioxidant depletion rates during storage. The EBR application at 15 + 30 DAT produced the best plant and fruit quality performances, while the application of EBR at fruit development stage (45 DAT) caused reduced fruit quality.

Potential reuse of domestic organic residues as soil organic amendment in the current waste management system in Australia, China, and The Netherlands

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is essential for most soil functions. Changes in land use from natural land to cropland disrupt long-established SOC balances and reduce SOC levels. The intensive use of chemical fertilisers in modern agriculture accelerates the rate of SOC depletion. Domestic organic residues (DOR) are a valuable source of SOC replenishment with high carbon content. However, there is still a lack of knowledge and data regarding whether and to what extent DOR can contribute to replenishing SOC. This paper aims to unpack the potential of DOR as a SOC source. Total SOC demand and annual SOC loss are defined and calculated. The carbon flow within different DOR management systems is investigated in three countries (China, Australia, and The Netherlands). The results show that the total SOC demand is too large to be fulfilled by DOR in a short time. However, DOR still has a high potential as a source of SOC as it can mitigate the annual SOC loss by up to 100%. Achieving this 100% mitigation requires a shift to more circular management of DOR, in particular, more composting, and direct land application instead of landfilling and incineration (Australia and China), or a higher rate of source separation of DOR (The Netherlands). These findings form the basis for future research on DOR recycling as a SOC source.

Effects of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors by background cardiovascular medications: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

To explore whether the beneficial cardiovascular (CV) effect of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors is consistent with or without concurrent use of CV medications in patients with type 2 diabetes, heart failure (HF) or chronic kidney disease. We searched Medline and Embase up to September 2022 for CV outcomes trials. The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular (CV) death or hospitalization for HF. Secondary outcomes included the individual components of CV death, hospitalization for HF, death from any cause, major adverse CV events or renal events, volume depletion and hyperkalaemia. We pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and risk ratios alongside 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We included 12 trials comprising 83 804 patients. SGLT-2 inhibitors reduced the risk of CV death or hospitalization for HF regardless of background use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEIs/ARBs), angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNIs), b-blockers, diuretics, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), or triple combination therapy of either an ACEI/ARB plus b-blocker plus MRA, or an ARNI plus b-blocker plus MRA (HRs ranged from 0.61 to 0.83; P > .1 for each subgroup interaction). Similarly, no subgroup differences were evident for most analyses for the secondary outcomes of CV death, hospitalization for HF, all-cause mortality, major adverse CV or renal events, hyperkalaemia and volume depletion rate. The benefit of SGLT-2 inhibitors seems to be additive to background use of CV medications in a broad population of patients. These findings should be interpreted as hypothesis generating because most of the subgroups analysed were not prespecified.

Deepwater dissolved oxygen shows little ecological memory between lake phenological seasons

ABSTRACT Depletion of deepwater dissolved oxygen (DO) in lakes has become increasingly prevalent and severe because of many external stressors, potentially threatening human-derived ecosystem services ranging from drinking water quality to fisheries. Using year-round, high-frequency DO data from 12 dimictic lakes, we compared 3 measures of deepwater DO depletion during winter and summer: DO depletion rate, DO minimum, and hypoxia duration. Hypoxia (DO < 3 mg L−1) occurred in over half of the lakes and persisted an average of 83% longer in summer than in winter. While we found no difference in DO depletion rates between winter versus summer, these rates were significantly related to lake morphology in winter but trophic state in summer. In assessing cross-seasonal linkages, we found limited evidence for significant legacy effects in deepwater DO availability. Only fall mixing efficacy significantly responded to the previous summer’s minimum DO saturation, but it always reached moderate to high DO replenishment levels (>65%) regardless of the previous summer’s DO depletion severity. This lack of ecological memory in deepwater DO depletion across seasons suggests that deepwater DO largely resets during spring and fall mixing periods in most years in these dimictic lakes. Understanding the patterns and drivers in deepwater DO depletion in both winter and summer is a key step forward for predicting future chemical and biological consequences of seasonal DO depletion and managing lake ecosystem health, as well as the effects that climate change may have on these patterns.

Estimation of the maximum sustainable yield of giant grenadier &lt;i&gt;Albatrossia pectoralis&lt;/i&gt; (Macrouridae) in the Russian Far East using Bayesian surplus production model JABBA

Statistical estimates for the exploitable stock of giant grenadier are determined, by fishing zones in the Russian Far East, and interannual dynamics of the species biomass is considered using historical data on catches and abundance. The assessments relationship with reference points of the biomass dynamic models is examined for the first time. With using the Bayesian approach, a priori assumptions about virgin biomass, which were made earlier on results of scientific surveys extrapolated to unsurveyed areas, are accounted in JABBA model; some errors in the catch and abundance indices are revealed. The parameters of instantaneous rate of recruitment and initial depletion of population are determined. Overfishing is not detected yet in any fishing zone, but a negative trend of the biomass dynamics is noticed for the Western Bering Sea fishing zone since 2015 (if the stock estimations based on surveys are realistic). The decline is reasoned by implementation of too high target for exploitation rate of vulnerable biomass (φF = 0.10) that is higher than such target for other fishing zones (&lt; 0.08 or even 0.01 for the stocks exploited with the total allowable catch limits). That’s why annual catches exceeded the surplus production in the Western Bering Sea fishing zone in 2012 and since 2015 to nowadays. The sum of median estimations for the maximum sustainable yields in all fishing zones is about 47.4 . 103 t that exceeds the values of total annual catch. The instantaneous rate of recruitment is almost equal in the neighboring fishing zones in the western Bering Sea and at East Kamchatka (0.086–0.085 by median, with 95 % credible intervals from 0.05 to 0.14) and is much higher at Kuril Islands with the maximum in the North-Kuril fishing zone. The latter case is possibly conditioned by partially external recruitment. Therefore, population structure of giant grenadier should be clarified for correct modeling of the recruitment; until then, the stocks assessments by fishing zones are available.

Formulation of the cosmic ray–driven electron-induced reaction mechanism for quantitative understanding of global ozone depletion

This paper formulates the cosmic ray-driven electron-induced reaction as a universal mechanism to provide a quantitative understanding of global ozone depletion. Based on a proposed electrostatic bonding mechanism for charge-induced adsorption of molecules on surfaces and on the measured dissociative electron transfer (DET) cross sections of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) adsorbed on ice, an analytical equation is derived to give atmospheric chlorine atom concentration: [Formula: see text] where Φe is the prehydrated electron (epre-) flux produced by cosmic ray ionization on atmospheric particle surfaces, [Formula: see text] is the surface coverage of an ODS, and ki is the ODS's effective DET coefficient that is the product of the DET cross section, the lifetimes of surface-trapped epre- and Cl-, and the particle surface area density. With concentrations of ODSs as the sole variable, our calculated results of time-series ozone depletion rates in global regions in the 1960s, 1980s, and 2000s show generally good agreement with observations, particularly with ground-based ozonesonde data and satellite-measured data over Antarctica and with satellite data in a narrow altitude band at 13 to 20 km of the tropics. Good agreements with satellite data in the Arctic and midlatitudes are also found. A previously unreported effect of denitrification on ozone loss is found and expressed quantitatively. But this equation overestimates tropospheric ozone loss at northern midlatitudes and the Arctic, likely due to increased ozone production by the halogen chemistry in polluted regions. The results render confidence in applying the equation to achieve a quantitative understanding of global ozone depletion.

Depletion zones of groundwater resources in the Southwest Desert of Iraq

Abstract Aquifers offer a reliable supply of high-quality water, making groundwater significant in arid and semi-arid regions. Climate change is predicted to result in a decrease in rainfall and an increase in droughts. The prolonged drought severely devastated Iraq and is the main reason for the ongoing increase in groundwater consumption over the last decade. In this study, the stresses and depletion potentials of the Dammam confined aquifer, which extended along the Najaf and Muthanna governorates, are identified and analyzed. By using the Groundwater Modelling System (GMS v10.4) software, a numerical simulation of groundwater flow was used to study the Dammam aquifer system. The upper layer was modeled as unconfined, while the bottom layer was confined. The findings from the steady-state calibration indicate that the hydraulic conductivity (HK) within the study area varies between 1.47 to 20.0 m/day. Additionally, the recharging rate (RH) was estimated to be approximately 1.66 × 10−6 m/day. These parameters were utilized as the initial condition for conducting the transient analysis. Two operating scenarios were employed to perform unsteady simulations. The initial scenario involved the utilization of 89 production wells, while the second scenario included all 139 stand-by production wells, resulting in a total of 228 wells for the operational period from July 2021 to June 2022. The results of the first operation scenario showed that the drawdowns ranged from 0.4 to 5.8 m, whereas the second operation scenario showed that the drawdown increased from 1.0 to 22 m. The depletion rate in the groundwater static heads was measured by the percentage of relative difference. Hence, the depletion rate for the first scenario varied from 4.32 to 33.34%. On the other hand, the second scenario ranged from 7.45 to 33.34%.

A Novel Numerical Method for Geothermal Reservoirs Embedded with Fracture Networks and Parameter Optimization for Power Generation

Geothermal recovery involves a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) process in fractured rocks. A fluid transient equilibrium equation, considering thermal conduction, convection, and heat exchange, is established. The evolution of the reservoir permeability and the variance in the fracture aperture due to a change in the stress field are derived simultaneously. THM coupling is accomplished through iterative hydromechanical and thermo-hydro processes. To overcome the difficulty of geometric discretization, a three-dimensional THM coupler model embedded with discrete fracture networks, using a zero-thickness surface and line elements to simulate fractures and injection/production wells, is established to evaluate the geothermal production. The reliability of the method is verified by a case study. Then, this method is applied to evaluate the influence of the geometric topological characteristics of fracture networks and the fracture aperture on the reservoir temperature evolution and heat extraction effectiveness. The results show that the power generation efficiency and geothermal depletion rate are significantly affected by the injection–production pressure. Injection wells and production wells with pressures higher than the initial fluid pressure in the fractures can be used to significantly increase power generation, but the consumption of geothermal energy and loss of efficiency are significant and rapid. To achieve better benefits for the geothermal recovery system, an optimization algorithm based on simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) is proposed; it takes the power generation efficiency as the objective function, and the corresponding program is developed using MATLAB to optimize the position and pressure values for each production well. The results show that the heat transfer for the entire EGS reservoir becomes more uniform after optimization, and the heat transfer efficiency is greatly improved.

Alteration of Structure and Characteristics of Concrete with Coconut Shell as a Substitution of a Part of Coarse Aggregate.

One of the most promising ways to solve the problem of reducing the rate of depletion of natural non-renewable components of concrete is their complete or partial replacement with renewable plant counterparts that are industrial and agricultural waste. The research significance of this article lies in the determination at the micro- and macro-levels of the principles of the relationship between the composition, the process of structure formation and the formation of properties of concrete based on coconut shells (CSs), as well as the substantiation at the micro- and macro-levels of the effectiveness of such a solution from the point of view of fundamental and applied materials science. The aim of this study was to solve the problem of substantiating the feasibility of concrete consisting of a mineral cement-sand matrix and aggregate in the form of crushed CS, as well as finding a rational combination of components and studying the structure and characteristics of concrete. Test samples were manufactured with a partial substitution of natural coarse aggregate with CS in an amount from 0% to 30% in increments of 5% by volume. The following main characteristics have been studied: density, compressive strength, bending strength and prism strength. The study used regulatory testing and scanning electron microscopy. The density of concrete decreased to 9.1% with increasing the CS content to 30%. The highest values for the strength characteristics and coefficient of construction quality (CCQ) were recorded for concretes containing 5% CS: compressive strength-38.0 MPa, prism strength-28.9 MPa, bending strength-6.1 MPa and CCQ-0.01731 MPa × m3/kg. The increase in compressive strength was 4.1%, prismatic strength-4.0%, bending strength-3.4% and CCQ-6.1% compared with concrete without CS. Increasing the CS content from 10% to 30% inevitably led to a significant drop in the strength characteristics (up to 42%) compared with concrete without CS. Analysis of the microstructure of concrete containing CS instead of part of the natural coarse aggregate revealed that the cement paste penetrates into the pores of the CS, thereby creating good adhesion of this aggregate to the cement-sand matrix.

Signatures of two- and three-dimensional semimetals from circular dichroism

Topological invariants are crucial quantities for classifying materials with topological phases. Hence, their connections with experimentally measurable quantities are extremely important. In this context, circular dichroism (CD) provides a protocol to detect the Chern number [Formula: see text] of the lowest energy Bloch band (LBB) of a semimetal. This hinges on the unequal depletion rates of the Bloch electrons from a filled LBB, under the action of a time-periodic circular drive, depending on the chirality of the polarization. According to the dimensionality of the system (i.e., whether it is two- or three-dimensional), the integrated differential rate for depletion has to be formulated a bit differently in order to relate it to [Formula: see text]. Our aim is to capture the nature of the CD response for semimetals with anisotropic band dispersions. We show that while the quantization of the CD response for the three-dimensional cases is strongly sensitive to anisotropy, the two-dimensional counterparts show a perfectly quantized response.

Chemical Weathering Patterns of Diluted Bitumen Spilled into Freshwater Limnocorrals.

Due to the sudden nature of oil spills, few controlled studies have documented how oil weathers immediately following accidental release into a natural lake environment. Here, we evaluated the weathering patterns of Cold Lake Winter Blend, a diluted bitumen (dilbit) product, by performing a series of controlled spills into limnocorrals installed in a freshwater lake in Northern Ontario, Canada. Using a regression-based design, we added seven different dilbit volumes, ranging from 1.5 to 180 L, resulting in oil-to-water ratios between 1:71,000 (v/v) and 1:500 (v/v). We monitored changes in the composition of various petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), including n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and oil biomarkers in dilbit over time, as it naturally weathered for 70 days. Depletion rate constants (kD) of n-alkanes and PAHs ranged from 0.0009 to 0.41 d-1 and 0.0008 to 0.38 d-1, respectively. There was no significant relationship between kD and spill volume, suggesting that spill size did not influence the depletion of petroleum hydrocarbons from the slick. Diagnostic ratios calculated from concentrations of n-alkanes, isoprenoids, and PAHs indicated that evaporation and photooxidation were major processes contributing to dilbit weathering, whereas dissolution and biodegradation were less important. These results demonstrate the usefulness of large scale field studies carried out under realistic environmental conditions to elucidate the role of different weathering processes following a dilbit spill.

Numerical modeling of faceted crystal growth using a lattice Boltzmann-phase field model with a new interfacial energy function

A lattice Boltzmann-phase field model is proposed to study faceted crystal growth in a supersaturated solution, taking into account a new anisotropic interfacial energy function to reproduce the facet characteristics. In this model, a flow field solver and a concentration field solver are coupled with the phase field equation to study faceted crystal growth with fluid convection and solute transfer. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons are carried out with the experimental observation and theoretical analysis of snowflakes to demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the present numerical method. Then crystallization of sodium chloride in a supersaturated solution is investigated in a 3D space at a constant temperature. The results show that the initial supersaturation, solute depletion rate, and solution flow can greatly change the faceted crystal growth by affecting solute transport and distribution. The mechanism of the formation of morphologies and interface velocity evolution is studied and concluded, which shows that the present model has instructional significance for studying and understanding the regulation mechanism of faceted crystal growth.

A novel durable anti-icing slippery surfaces with dendritic porous structure

In recent years, the lubricant depletion in slippery lubricant-infused porous surface (SLIPS) has been widely concerned, which limits its application in anti-icing. The lubricant stability is determined by three main factors including lubricant storage, depletion, and self-healing rate after depletion. However, many studies only consider one or two factors and there is a lack of systematic research on the anti-icing durability of the improved SLIPS. Herein, considering the “storage-depletion-healing” of the lubricant, a dendritic porous structure was fabricated, and the pore depth ratio and surface porosity were optimized. Additionally, the anti-icing durability of the dendritic slippery surface (Y-SLIPS) was investigated. The results show that the optimal pore depth ratio (upper pore to lower pore) and surface porosity are 1:2 and 66%, respectively. Compared to the traditional slippery surface (I-SLIPS), the Y-SLIPS has better anti-icing durability in frost and icing environment. The Y-SLIPS exceeds 20 kPa at the 140th frosting/defrosting cycle, while the I-SLIPS reaches this value at the 100th cycle. When maintaining extremely low ice-adhesion strength, the Y-SLIPS can withstand 190 icing/deicing cycles, far more than that of the I-SLIPS. The optimal dendritic porous structure further improves the anti-icing durability of the slippery surfaces, which lays the foundation for its anti-icing application.