Downstream Channel Research Articles

Vertical Integration and Downstream Resource Allocation: An Empirical Study in the Movie Industry

How does vertical integration affect resource allocation and economic efficiency in downstream channels? By analyzing a fine-grained screen-level panel dataset of 78 domestic movies shown in 47 theater chains in China, this study examines the impact of vertical integration on the screen allocation of theater chains. We find that vertical integration between movie producers or distributors and theater chains results in preferential screen allocation. Although there is no significant difference in the share of overall screens, theater chains allocate more large-sized and less small-sized screens to their integrated movies than nonintegrated movies. Furthermore, the impact of vertical integration on screen allocation is conditional on movie popularity. Specifically, only popular integrated movies gain preferential resource allocation, and unpopular integrated movies get even fewer screens. Our investigation on the economic efficiency of resource allocation shows that, for each seat of the screening room, integrated movies generate lower box office revenues than nonintegrated movies. Our findings suggest that vertical integration brings benefits of preferential resource allocation for upstream suppliers but leads to resource underutilization for downstream firms.

A seasonal assessment of the qualitative and quantitative features of the urban waters of Canal do Anil, Rio de Janeiro

The purpose of this study is to assess the water quality of the Canal do Anil basin in Rio de Janeiro by taking account of seasonality, as well as quantitative and qualitative factors, based on a multivariate framework designed for the correlation of parameters and environmental conditions. The methodology involves collecting data from water samples at specific points in the basin. The concept of seasonality is represented on a temporal and spatial scale and based on the seasons, rainfall volume, parameters and water quality index. The results showed a worsening of the water quality from upstream to downstream, with a high concentration of total dissolved solids and turbidity, especially in the downstream channel. There is a tendency for greater dilution or movement of pollutants, depending on rainfall intensity, and a little evidence of a close correlation between the parameters analyzed. Climatic seasonality, related to rainfall and the observed flow rate, has an effect on improving water quality, which is aggravated by the high concentration of domestic and industrial pollution. The lack of basic sanitation in the region, especially a sanitary sewage system and a regular collection of solid waste, leads to conditions of environmental degradation in the Canal do Anil basin.

Evaluating the Effect of Downstream Channel Width Variation on Hydraulic Performance of Arched Plan Stepped Spillways

Evaluating the Effect of Downstream Channel Width Variation on Hydraulic Performance of Arched Plan Stepped Spillways

Ambient NO2 exposure induces migraine in rats: Evidence, mechanisms and interventions

Migraine is a complex neurological disorder with a high disability rate. Although the precipitating factors of migraine remain unclear, previous studies suggest that when there is excess nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in the atmosphere, the medical demand due to migraine attacks increases sharply. However, the main role of NO2 as a trigger for migraine is not yet well understood. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between NO2 exposure and the occurrence of migraine as well as the possible underlying mechanisms. We first investigated whether repeated short-term NO2 exposure could induce behavioural and biological migraine phenotypes in rats. Next, capsazepine (CZP) was used to block transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) in vivo, and CZP and vitamin E (VE) were used to verify the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-TRPV1 signalling in NO2-induced migraine in primary trigeminal neurones in vitro. We demonstrated that short-term repeated NO2 exposure can significantly induce migraine in rats, and its key molecular mechanism may be related to ROS burst and its downstream TRPV1 channel activation. The findings of this study will enhance the understanding of the neurotoxic mechanism of NO2, provide new clues for identifying the aetiology of migraine, and lay a new experimental basis for implementing migraine-related preventive and therapeutic control measures.

Damming-Induced Hydrogeomorphic Transition in Downstream Channel and Delta: A Case Study of the Yellow River, China

River dynamics and sediment budget play a crucial role in shaping geomorphic variability of river channels and deltaic environments. Basin-scale human activities, including dam construction, induce alterations in river flow and sediment dynamics in the downstream channels and to the delta, and quantification of sediment source shift along downstream fluvial-deltaic systems is often uncertain. This study analyzed the river regime changes and sediment dynamics of a typical sediment-laden fluvial-deltaic system—the lower Yellow River (LYR) and the Yellow River Delta (YRD) —to assess the integrated effects of dam impoundment and dam-based river regulation schemes on downstream hydrogeomorphic transition processes. The Xiaolangdi (XLD) Reservoir, which was completed in 2000 with a total storage of 12.7 km3, is the final reservoir located in the middle Yellow River and plays an important role in flood control and energy supply. Following the full operation of XLD Reservoir, the relationship between water and sediment in the LYR became more balanced, with a drastic decline of sediment input and seasonal migrations of floodwaters. The interannual variability of water levels at downstream hydrological stations indicated a geomorphic transition in the LYR from net deposition to erosion state. The building of the XLD Reservoir caused a downstream shift of river-originated sediment source and 48% of the total sediment delivered to the YRD was derived from the LYR. However, the reduced sediment delivery since 2000 has still triggered net land loss regarding the YRD system, with a strong spatial variability which is dominated by the reduced accretion at the active delta front and erosion at the abandoned river mouth and coastal engineering zone. Compared with other environmental factors, the construction of upstream dams contributed the most to the decline of downstream sediment delivery over the past decades. The challenge for sustainable sediment management is the gradual decline of scouring efficiency as the riverbed sediment is coarsening. Our study suggests that future river regulation strategies should consider the geomorphic sustainability of both the LYR and the YRD system.

R_IC: A novel and versatile implementation of the index of connectivity in R

Sediment connectivity is the capability of a system to regulate the exchange of sediment in catchments. The Index of Connectivity (IC) has become a widely used tool, offering a practical way to assess sediment connectivity from hillslopes to downstream channels. We present a novel implementation of IC in R environment to expand the audience of users and encourage alternative applications of the index. The R_IC is an open-source and freely available tool composed by three codes. Standard R_IC runs the IC and it represents the core of the other variants. Custom R_IC offers a more flexible script, allowing the computation of alternative weighting factors and the possibility of running a further profile IC analysis. Batch R_IC performs batch processing of the index. For each code variant, a geomorphological application is presented to illustrate how the R_IC could be used in watershed management and practical issues related to sediment dynamics.

Spatial and temporal changes in nutrients associated with dam regulation of the Yellow River

Sediment regulation via manipulating dam operations is an effective solution for dealing with reservoir siltation and downstream channel incision. Large amounts of sediment and thereby nutrients can be discharged within a short period of time. To ascertain the concentration of and transformation between dissolved and particulate nutrients during such periods, we conducted field observations in the Xiaolangdi Reservoir and its downstream reach during the sediment regulation stage of the Water-Sediment Regulation Scheme (WSRS) in 2018. We found that water and sediment characteristics differed significantly pre- and post-WSRS period. Nutrient concentrations varied significantly among the dissolved, suspended, and deposited phases, while no significant differences were observed between the reservoir and downstream reach, except for dissolved total carbon, particulate ammonium nitrogen, and calcium-bound phosphorus. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations of the dissolved phase were significantly positively correlated with suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and electrical conductivity (EC) (p < 0.05). Total organic carbon (TOC) concentration of the suspended phase was significantly negatively correlated with EC and median particle size (D50) (p < 0.05). Nutrient concentration during the deposited phase was less correlated to selected hydrological and physical parameters. Nutrient transformation between the deposited phase and the suspended and dissolved phases were higher than those between suspended and dissolved phases. TP transformation was closely related to hydrological parameters (SSC and D50), while TN transformation was predominantly related to physical parameters (EC and DO). The concentration and transformation of nutrients during the transport process from the reservoir to downstream were likely driven by different factors. In conclusion, reservoir management practices like WSRS could mitigate nutrients retention in reservoir, however, leading to higher nutrients transformation downstream.

Numerical Investigation of Sediment Flushing and Morphological Changes in Tamsui River Estuary through Monsoons and Typhoons

The removal of reservoir silt and the restoration of existing reservoir capacities through land excavation and hydraulic sediment flushing have become necessary. Hydraulic sediment flushing discharge changes flow and sediment conditions of the downstream river channel. In the Tamsui River estuary in Taiwan, sediment flushing from the Shihmen reservoir upstream has potential impacts on the morphology of the navigation channels and the adjacent coasts. This study employed a validated coastal and estuarine processes model to investigate: (1) the influence of sediment flushing and tidal levels on morphological changes during flood and flushing-discharge operations of the reservoir, and (2) the differences in morphological changes on the estuary between monsoon and typhoon seasons. The prediction of the morphological changes was carried out by simulating hydrodynamic and morphodynamic processes under multi-year synthetic conditions combined by northeast monsoon and three historical typhoon events. The simulation results reveal that during the operation of sediment flushing when the peak discharge of river flood flow reaches the estuary section at ebb tides, more sediment can be transported to the open sea than that at flood tides. Additionally, the nature reserve area on the left bank of the estuary is eroded during monsoon and silted in typhoon seasons.

Stability and Asymmetry of Tide‐Influenced River Bifurcations

AbstractBifurcations are important geomorphological features in tide‐influenced deltas. At bifurcations, river flow and tides distribute sediment over the channel network and determine the morphodynamic evolution of the entire delta. Using a one‐dimensional numerical model, we study the effects of tides on the morphological evolution of bifurcations from river‐dominated to tide‐dominated systems. In accordance with previous studies, bifurcations with small tidal influence, in which the flood flow hardly drives morphological change, have a larger range of Shields stress and width‐to‐depth ratio conditions for which symmetric bifurcations are stable to depth perturbations, compared to their river‐dominated counterparts. We extended the existing studies to tide‐dominated conditions. When bifurcations become increasingly tide‐dominated, the range of conditions under which balance discharge partition (symmetric morphology) can exist, shrinks. Under these conditions, the bed can also change during the flood phase and growth of the bed asymmetry is larger than the decay during ebb. However, the bed asymmetry in equilibrium becomes less pronounced with increasing tidal dominance. We conclude that tides reduce the tendency of closure and abandonment of one of the downstream channels compared to river‐dominated bifurcations, either by inhibiting the instability or by reducing asymmetry.

Pemanfaatan Kolam Tampung Sebagai Upaya Mitigasi Banjir Kawasan Pada Sub Sistem Medokan Ayu Kota Surabaya

Medokan Ayu is an area from Surabaya Drainage Master Plan 2018-2038, located in Rayon Jambangan and reported to be inundated. This caused by overcapacity of the existing drainage channel to accommodate the 2-year flood discharge. From 134 channels observed, 27 channels overflowed, and 20 out of 27 canals are located in residential areas so the inundation hampered the local citizens activities. For a discharge period of 10 years, overflow occurs in the upstream and the middle of the main channel due to the slope of the channel is too flat. Since it is not possible to change the base elevation upstream or downstream, a reservoir was created as a solution by utilizing the government's inventory area located near the downstream of the channel. This reservoir will have pump that stream the water back to downstream channel. So, with this flood control system, Medokan Ayu area can be free from inundation.

Rapid switching and durable on-chip spark-cavitation-bubble cell sorter

Precise and high-speed sorting of individual target cells from heterogeneous populations plays an imperative role in cell research. Although the conventional fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) is capable of rapid and accurate cell sorting, it occupies a large volume of the instrument and inherently brings in aerosol generation as well as cross-contamination among samples. The sorting completed in a fully enclosed and disposable microfluidic chip has the potential to eliminate the above concerns. However, current microfluidic cell sorters are hindered by the high complexities of the fabrication procedure and the off-chip setup. In this paper, a spark-cavitation-bubble-based fluorescence-activated cell sorter is developed to perform fast and accurate sorting in a microfluidic chip. It features a simple structure and an easy operation. This microfluidic sorter comprises a positive electrode of platinum and a negative electrode of tungsten, which are placed on the side of the main channel. By applying a high-voltage discharge on the pair of electrodes, a single spark cavitation bubble is created to deflect the target particle into the downstream collection channel. The sorter has a short switching time of 150 μs and a long lifespan of more than 100 million workable actions. In addition, a novel control strategy is proposed to dynamically adjust the discharge time to stabilize the size of the cavitation bubble for continuous sorting. The dynamic control of continuously triggering the sorter, the optimal delay time between fluorescence detection and cell sorting, and a theoretical model to predict the ideal sorting recovery and purity are studied to improve and evaluate the sorter performance. The experiments demonstrate that the sorting rate of target particles achieves 1200 eps, the total analysis throughput is up to 10,000 eps, the particles sorted at 4000 eps exhibit a purity greater than 80% and a recovery rate greater than 90%, and the sorting effect on the viability of HeLa cells is negligible.

Ultra-lean dynamics of a holder-stabilized hydrogen enriched flames in a preheated mesoscale combustor

To provide the theoretical basis to suppress the unstable flames under the coupling effect of flow and heat recirculation, the present work experimentally studies the ultra-lean dynamics of a holder stabilized 40%H2–60%CH4–air premixed flame in a preheated mesoscale combustor. The regime diagram of the flame behaviors at various operating conditions is obtained. It is observed that the blow-off limit first increases slightly and then decreases sharply (the anomalous blow-off limit) with the decreased Re value. Three types of the flame behaviors (i.e., the conventional stable flame, the stable residual flame, and the periodic oscillating residual flame) are found before the flame blow-off. In addition, with the decreased Reynolds number, the operating range for the stable residual flame broadens first and then narrows, but that of the periodic oscillating residual flame decreases monotonically, which are observed for the first time. The results show that, with the decreased Reynolds number, the flame root of the conventional stable flame anchors almost at the same location right behind the holder, while the flame tips obviously shift upstream. With the decreased equivalence ratio, the left and right flame tips in the downstream channel shift toward each other and finally merge into a single flame tip, which results in the formation of the stable residual flame. When the equivalence ratio decreases further, the periodic oscillating residual flame occurs. The flame tip periodically oscillates up and down over time. In the end, the blow-off dynamics of the stable residual flame and periodic oscillating residual flame are revealed.

Large-scale landslide dam breach experiments: Overtopping and “overtopping and seepage” failures

Landslide dams form when landslide materials reach rivers causing complete or partial blockage. It is known that overtopping water flows and seepage flows are two crucial processes that induce dam failure. In several instances, the landslide dams collapse is caused by the coupled influence of seepage flows and overtopping water. This study aims to evaluate the contribution of seepage flows to the overtopping failure of landslide dams in terms of dam stability, breach duration, and flow discharge. We conducted two field experiment tests to simulate landslide dam failure modes: overtopping failure and overtopping-seepage coupling. Results show that the internal erosion due to seepage induces the loss of fine particles, resulting in a fourfold increase in dam deformation relative to when seepage is minimal. In the case overtopping and seepage failure, the outburst duration is shortened by two-thirds, but the peak outburst discharge is increased by nearly two times compared with the pure overtopping failure. Sediments accumulate at the downstream channel for overtopping failure, but erosion is observed before accumulation when the “overtopping and seepage” failure occurs. Fine grain sizes are limited to the downstream bed for both failure modes, which indicates the equal mobility of sediments involved in the outburst flood from a landslide dam breach.

Economic-Driven Hierarchical Voltage Regulation of Incremental Distribution Networks: A Cloud-Edge Collaboration Based Perspective

In this article, a cloud-edge collaboration based control framework is proposed for the voltage regulation and economic operation in incremental distribution networks (IDN). The voltage regulation and economic operation, usually considered in separated aspects, can be integrated in a hierarchical control method by coordinating the active power and reactive power of distributed generators (DGs) and distributed storages (DSs) in an “active” mode. Promising the voltage security of the IDN, the upper level multiobjective optimization is formulated to maximize the consumption of the DGs, moreover, the lower level model predictive control (MPC) aims to regulate the dynamics of the DGs and DSs based on the established state space model. Time delay in the downstream channel is considered due to the open environment of the proposed control framework, which can be eliminated by using the PCM derived from the MPC considering model uncertainty. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the validity and robustness of the proposed method.

Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on riverbed scour and siltation of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River

AbstractThis study investigated the influence of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) on the evolution of nearby channels in the Yangtze River (Changjiang River) system in order to better understand the environmental impact of large‐scale reservoir operations. From 2003 to 2017, the amounts of runoff and sediment transport in the Yangtze River were reduced by 3.3–14.5% and 67.8–92.7%, respectively, relative to 1955–2002 before the TGD was operational. Topographic measurements of the middle reaches (Yichang to Hukou) of the Yangtze River were analyzed from 1975 to 2017, during which time the cumulative erosion of the flood channel was 22.78 × 108 m3, and the dry channel accounted for 90.3% of the erosion. Following commissioning of the TGD, the scouring intensity of the sandy gravel section near the dam initially increased then decreased, whereas the scouring intensity of sandy sections away from the dam continued to increase. Beaches on convex banks of curved sections were scoured, and deep channels on concave banks became silted. In braided sections, the braids tended to shrink, and the diversion ratio of the main branch during dry seasons reduced, resulting in frequent branch alternation. Compared to changes in the downstream river channels of other large reservoirs worldwide, scouring from the TGD is extensive. The findings of this study are significant for river channel regulation and waterway planning in the Yangtze River and worldwide.

Cooling Characteristic of a Wall Jet for Suppressing Crossflow Effect under Conjugate Heat Transfer Condition

The leading edge is the critical portion for a gas turbine blade and is often insufficiently cooled due to the adverse effect of Crossflow in the cooling chamber. A novel internal cooling structure, wall jet cooling, can suppress Crossflow effect by changing the coolant flow direction. In this paper, the conjugate heat transfer and aerodynamic characteristics of blades with three different internal cooling structures, including impingement with a single row of jets, swirl cooling, and wall jet cooling, are investigated through RANS simulations. The results show that wall jet cooling combines the advantages of impingement cooling and swirl cooling, and has a 19–54% higher laterally-averaged overall cooling effectiveness than the conventional methods at different positions on the suction side. In the blade with wall jet cooling, the spent coolant at the leading edge is extracted away through the downstream channels so that the jet could accurately impinge the target surface without unnecessary mixing, and the high turbulence generated by the separation vortex enhances the heat transfer intensity. The Coriolis force induces the coolant air to adhere to the pressure side’s inner wall surface, preventing the jet from leaving the target surface. The parallel cooling channels eliminate the common Crossflow effect and make the flow distribution of the orifices more uniform. The trailing edge outlet reduces the entire cooling structure’s pressure to a low level, which means less penalty on power output and engine efficiency.

Quantifying the impacts of climate variation, damming, and flow regulation on river thermal dynamics: a case study of the W\u0142oc\u0142awek Reservoir in the Vistula River, Poland

BackgroundRiver damming inevitably reshapes water thermal conditions that are important to the general health of river ecosystems. Although a lot of studies have addressed the damming’s thermal impacts, most of them just assess the overall effects of climate variation and human activities on river thermal dynamics. Less attention has been given to quantifying the impact of climate variation, damming and flow regulation, respectively. In addition, for rivers that have already faced an erosion problem in downstream channels, an adjustment of the hydroelectric power plant operation manner is expected, which reinforces the need for understanding of flow regulation’s thermal impact. To fill this gap, an air2stream-based approach is proposed and applied at the Włocławek Reservoir in the Vistula River in Poland.ResultsIn the years of 1952–1983, downstream river water temperature rose by 0.31 ℃ after damming. Meanwhile, the construction of dam increased the average annual water temperature by 0.55 ℃, while climate change oppositely made it decreased by 0.26 ℃. In addition, for the seasonal impact of damming, autumn was the most affected season with the warming reached 1.14 ℃, and the least affected season was winter when water temperature experienced a warming of 0.1 ℃. The absolute values of seasonal average temperature changes due to flow regulation were less than 0.1 ℃ for all the seasons.ConclusionsThe impacts of climate variation, damming, and flow regulation on river water temperatures can be evaluated reasonably on the strength of the proposed methodology. Climate variation and damming led to general opposite impacts on the downstream water temperature at the Włocławek Reservoir before 1980s. It is noted that the climate variation impact showed an opposite trend compared to that after 1980s. Besides, flow regulation below dam hardly affected downstream river water temperature variation. This study extends the current knowledge about impacts of climate variation and hydromorphological conditions on river water temperature, with a study area where river water temperature is higher than air temperature throughout a year.

Fat preference deficits and experience-induced recovery in global taste-deficient Trpm5 and Calhm1 knockout mice

There is much evidence that gustation mediates the preference for dietary fat in rodents. Several studies indicate that mice have fat taste receptors that activate downstream signaling elements, including TRPM5 and CALHM1 ion channels and P2×2/P2×3 purinergic gustatory nerve receptors. Experiment 1 further documented the involvement of TRPM5 in fat appetite by giving Trpm5 knockout (KO) mice, which show global taste deficits, 24-h two-bottle choice tests with ascending concentrations of soybean oil (0.1 - 10% Intralipid) vs. water. Unlike wildtype (WT) mice, naive Trpm5 KO mice were indifferent to 0.5 - 2.5% fat. They preferred 5–10% fat but consumed much less than WT mice. The same KO mice preferred all fat concentrations in a second test series, which is attributed to a postoral fat conditioned attraction to the non-taste flavor qualities of the Intralipid, although they consumed less fat than the WT mice. The fat preference deficits of the Trpm5 KO mice were as great or greater than those observed in Calhm1 KO mice, another KO line with global taste deficits. Experiment 2 examined experience-enhanced fat preferences in Trpm5 KO and Calhm1 KO mice by giving them one-bottle training with 1%, 2.5%, and 5% fat prior to two-bottle fat vs. water tests. The KO mice displayed increased two-bottle preferences for all concentrations, although they still consumed less 1% and 2.5% fat than WT mice. Thus, the postoral actions of fat induce robust preferences for fat in taste-deficient mice, but do not stimulate the high fat intakes observed in WT mice with normal fat taste signaling.

Comparative numerical study of the dynamic motion of OWC impulse turbine in the starting process

OWC impulse turbine can be effectively used in utilizing the wave energy. The starting process of rotor is crucial in influencing the operation stability and is investigated in this study. With adding the source terms on the momentum equation considering the angular acceleration, the dynamic motion of OWC turbine rotor is numerically studied. By comparing simulation and experiment, the starting process is found with two stages including speed increasing stage and stably-variating stage. The speed of rotor pulses and the flow direction alternates due to the reciprocating piston motion. The power is generated by the pressure difference between the two sides of rotor. Local high and low velocity can be found in rotor channels and downstream vane channels. The moment of inertia of rotor and wave motion law is comparatively studied to have a better understanding. Results found that a smaller moment of inertia of rotor, a slower wave motion, a stronger wave and a longer piston movement distance will be better to stably capture the energy. The compressibility is found influential mainly on pressure field and cause the rotor speed difference. This study provides guidance on enhancing the performance and improving the design technique of OWC impulse turbines.

Synergetic Control Strategy for Water Hammer Wave and Mass Wave in Hydropower Station With Downstream Channel

This paper investigates the synergetic control strategy for water hammer wave and mass wave in hydropower station with downstream channel. Firstly, the mathematical model of hydropower station with downstream channel (HSDC) and hydropower station with downstream channel and surge tank (HSDCST) are established. Then, the controller formula of HSDC and HSDCST are derived on the basis of the synergetic theory. Furthermore, it is parsed that the dynamic characteristics of HSDC and HSDCST to various disturbances under synergetic control strategy. Finally, the robustness and applicability of synergetic control strategy for HSDC and HSDCST are analyzed. The results indicate that the macro variable is the linear combination of state variables and their derivatives based on feedback linearization of the state equation. For the hydropower station under the synergetic control strategy, it has excellent dynamic characteristics employing sensitive response, small overshoot, fast attenuation speed and no static error. The synergetic control strategy is superior to the PID control strategy under various disturbances in controlling the amplitude of water hammer wave in HSDC, which is down 12.5%. The attenuation of mass wave in HSDCST under synergetic control strategy is faster, and the settling time is 6.16s less than that of PID control strategy. The synergetic control strategy is superior to the PID control strategy under various disturbances in controlling the amplitude of water hammer wave in HSDC and the attenuation of mass wave in HSDCST. Compared with PID control strategy, it is the robustness of synergetic control strategy that are much more advantageous for HSDC and HSDCST. Specifically, RI value is about 1.65, 0.18 for HSDC and 2.21, 0.25 for HSDCST under synergetic control strategy, while it is about 3.05, 1.20 and 3.32, 1.30 under PID control strategy. Moreover, the synergetic control strategy has a wide applicability in controlling the water hammer wave in HSDC and mass wave in HSDCST.