Drying Stage Research Articles

Decomposition dynamics and Calliphoridae succession in forest and urban environments of Constantine (Northeast of Algeria): implications for forensic entomology

ABSTRACT Forensic entomology serves a vital role in criminal investigations, contributing to the determination of time of colonization (TOC), minimum post-mortem interval (minPMI), and other forensic evidence related to the decomposition process. This study aimed to identify Calliphoridae species attracted to carcasses in two distinct locations in Algeria and to understand their role in forensic investigations. Two sites in Constantine were selected: a forest in Jebel Ouahch and an urban area in Chaabat Erssas. Two dog carcasses, an adult and a puppy, were monitored for decomposition stages. The puppy carcass reached the dry stage faster than the adult carcass, with decomposition rates varying between sites. A total of 594 Calliphoridae flies were collected, including Calliphora vicina, Calliphora vomitoria, Calliphora subalpina, Lucilia sericata, Lucilia illustris, Lucilia silvarum, and Chrysomya albiceps. These species were present in both locations, with Ch. albiceps being most prevalent, especially on the puppy carcass. Initial blowfly colonization occurred within four hours, with L. sericata and Ch. albiceps particularly abundant. This study underscores the importance of accurate species identification and environmental reconstruction in improving the precision of forensic estimates. Continued research on species phenology and the impacts of climate change will further enhance the applicability of forensic entomology in Algeria.

Levodopa is associated with reduced development of new-onset geographic atrophy in patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Geographic atrophy (GA) is a significant cause of vision loss in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Current treatments are limited to anti-complement drugs, which have limited efficacy to delay progression with significant risk of complications. Levodopa (L-DOPA) is a byproduct of melanin synthesis that is associated with reduced development of neovascular AMD. In this study, we determined if L-DOPA was associated with a reduced likelihood of new-onset GA. We performed a retrospective analysis in the Vestrum Health Retina Database. We included eyes with non-neovascular AMD without GA and 1-5years of follow-up. Eyes were divided into two groups. Exposed to L-DOPA before or on the date of non-neovascular AMD without GA diagnosis, and eyes not exposed to L-DOPA. We extracted age, sex, AREDS2 status, dry AMD stage, smoking history, and conversion rate to GA at years 1 through 5. Propensity score matching was used to match L-DOPA and control groups. Cox proportional hazard regression, adjusting for age, sex, AMD severity, AREDS2 use, smoking status, and L-DOPA use was employed to calculate hazard ratios for new-onset GA detection. We identified 112,089 control and 844 L-DOPA exposed eyes with non-neovascular AMD without GA. After propensity score matching, 2532 control and 844 L-DOPA exposed eyes remained that were well-matched for age, sex, AMD severity, AREDS2 use, and smoking status. We found that L-DOPA exposure was associated with a significantly reduced likelihood (HR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.48-0.95, P = 0.025) of new-onset GA detection. L-DOPA use was associated with reduced detection of new-onset GA.

Evaluation and process monitoring of jujube hot air drying using hyperspectral imaging technology and deep learning for quality parameters

Timely and effective detection of quality attributes during drying control is essential for enhancing the quality of fruit processing. Consequently, this study aims to employ hyperspectral imaging technology for the non-destructive monitoring of soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), moisture, and hardness in jujubes during hot air drying. Quality parameters were measured at drying temperatures of 55 °C, 60 °C, and 65 °C. A deep learning model (CNN_BiLSTM_SE) was developed, incorporating a convolutioyounal neural network (CNN), bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM), and a squeeze-and-excitation (SE) attention mechanism. The performance of PLSR, SVR, and CNN_BiLSTM_SE was compared using different preprocessing methods (MSC, Baseline, and MSC_1st). The CNN_BiLSTM_SE model, optimized for hyperparameters, outperforms PLSR and SVR in predicting jujube quality attributes. Subsequently, these best prediction models were used to predict quality attributes at the pixel level for jujube, enabling the visualization of the Spatio-temporal distribution of these parameters at different drying stages.

Screening of Inbred Lines of Maize against Turcicum Leaf Blight (Exserohilum turcicum) under Artificial Epiphytotic Conditions

Aims: Turcicum Leaf Blight (TLB), caused by Exserohilum turcicum, significantly affects maize in Karnataka, leading to yield losses of up to 70% in severe cases. To develop tolerant genotypes against this disease, an experiment was conducted using 100 inbred lines collected from the IMIC maize field day in Hyderabad. Study Design: Investigation was carried using Randomized complete block design with two replication. Place and Duration of Study: Maize Research Centre and Seed Farm, Devihosur during kharif-2022. Methodology: One hundred inbred lines were screened against TLB disease. among them 10 resistant lines were selected based on their maturity, disease reaction, grain yield and per se performance. These inbreds along with the checks (Resistant check CI-4 and Susceptible Check CM-202) were sown in Kharif 2022 at Maize Research Centre and Seed Farm Devihosur, UAS, Dharwad. Artificial inoculation was performed 45 days after sowing in the leaf whorls using infected leaves with TLB and the results were evaluated at the silk drying stage. To assess the disease reaction to TLB, we used 1 to 9 scale as established by the Indian Institute of Maize Research, Ludhiana (Anon., 2016). Lines that received disease scores between 1.0 and 3.0 were classified as resistant (R), scores of 4 to 5 as moderately resistant (MR), scores of 6 to 7 as moderately susceptible (MS), and scores of 8 to 9 as susceptible (S). Results: The performance of these lines were compared with the resistant check CI-4 and susceptible check CM-202. Screening trial revealed that out of hundred inbred lines, eighteen lines Showed highly resistant reaction. This information can be useful for selection of parents and to develop tolerant hybrids in breeding programs or utilize them as source of resistance.

Morphological and physiological characteristics of two neotropical plants in veredas with different levels of drying

Objective: The propose of this study was to investigate whether the species Copaifera oblongifolia (Fabaceae) and Macairea radula (Melastomataceae), occurring in veredas with different levels of drying, show differences in plant architecture (morphological traits) and foliar compound levels (physiological characteristics). Methods: Sampling was conducted in two veredas, which are Vereda da Almescla (preserved vereda) and Vereda do Peruaçu (degraded vereda in an advanced drying stage) located in the northern region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data on morphological traits (height, circumference above ground, and canopy width) and foliar compounds (concentrations of chlorophyll, nitrogen, and flavonols) were collected from 15 individuals of each species in each vereda. Results: The results showed that the structural characteristics of the studied species did not differ between the analyzed veredas. Similarly, foliar compounds did not exhibit significant differences in their concentrations among the plants from the two veredas studied. Conclusion: These results suggest that the water stress present in the veredas does not seem to influence the morphological characteristics and foliar compounds of neotropical species. This is the first study evaluating the impacts of vereda drying on morphological and physiological attributes of plants.

Characterising the Nutritional and Alkaloid Profiles of Tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis Sweet) Pods and Seeds at Different Stages of Ripening

Tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis Sweet) is a key crop for Andean indigenous communities, offering proteins and fats. Both the pods and seeds of tarwi are consumed, either in their tender (immature) state or as dried, fully ripe seeds. Tarwi, like other Lupinus species, contains high alkaloid levels in its fruits and seeds that must be removed before consumption. This study evaluated the fat, protein, fibre, and alkaloid contents of four cultivars at five maturity stages ranging from 180 to 212 days after sowing. Samples of the pods and the seeds were analysed to determine their colour and protein, crude fibre, fat, and alkaloid contents. The results showed that while the protein concentration in the pods decreased as the fruits matured, the protein content in the seeds increased, reaching approximately 41%. Moreover, the pods exhibited a significant decrease in alcohol content, with the values dropping below 1% at the senescent (dry) stage for all the cultivars. In contrast, the alkaloid levels in the seeds remained stable from 196 days after sowing in the Guaranguito, Andean, and Ecuadorian cultivars, with concentrations around 4%. The present study showed that as the pods matured, their overall protein content decreased, while their seed protein content increased to around 41%. The alkaloid levels in the pods dropped below 1% in the dry stage, while the seed alkaloid levels remained stable at around 4% in the Guaranguito, Andean, and Ecuadorian cultivars after 196 days. However, in the Peruvian cultivar, the alkaloid content remained constant starting from 188 days after sowing, with concentrations just over 3%. This result suggests that as the pods mature, their alkaloid content decreases, while the alkaloid levels in the seeds stabilise from around 188 to 196 days after seeding. Consequently, the alkaloid contents found in the seeds likely originate from other aerial parts of the plant and are not significantly increased by the pods.

Dry age-related macular degeneration classification from optical coherence tomography images based on ensemble deep learning architecture.

Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a retinal disease, which has been the third leading cause of vision loss. But current AMD classification technologies did not focus on the classification of early stage. This study aimed to develop a deep learning architecture to improve the classification accuracy of dry AMD, through the analysis of optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. We put forward an ensemble deep learning architecture which integrated four different convolution neural networks including ResNet50, EfficientNetB4, MobileNetV3 and Xception. All networks were pre-trained and fine-tuned. Then diverse convolution neural networks were combined. To classify OCT images, the proposed architecture was trained on the dataset from Shenyang Aier Excellence Hospital. The number of original images was 4,096 from 1,310 patients. After rotation and flipping operations, the dataset consisting of 16,384 retinal OCT images could be established. Evaluation and comparison obtained from three-fold cross-validation were used to show the advantage of the proposed architecture. Four metrics were applied to compare the performance of each base model. Moreover, different combination strategies were also compared to validate the merit of the proposed architecture. The results demonstrated that the proposed architecture could categorize various stages of AMD. Moreover, the proposed network could improve the classification performance of nascent geographic atrophy (nGA). In this article, an ensemble deep learning was proposed to classify dry AMD progression stages. The performance of the proposed architecture produced promising classification results which showed its advantage to provide global diagnosis for early AMD screening. The classification performance demonstrated its potential for individualized treatment plans for patients with AMD.

A preliminary study on decomposition and seasonality of insect succession of decomposing rabbit carcasses at El-Sharkia Governorate, Egypt

BackgroundStudying insect succession on carcasses is important in estimating the postmortem interval. This study aims to identify the decomposition stages of decomposing rabbit carcasses and to find out the relationship between seasonal variations and abundance of insects colonizing rabbit carcasses at El-Sharkia Governorate, Egypt.MethodsThree domestic rabbits (weighing 1300 g each) were killed by a sharp knife. The carcasses were exposed to the sun, left to decompose and inspected twice daily at 6-h intervals to collect insects. Maggots were collected and reared.ResultsThe rabbit carcasses underwent four decomposition stages: fresh, bloat, decay and dry stages. The identified families and their respective collected species included three dipteran families: Calliphoridae (Lucilia sericata, Chrysomya megacephala, and Chrysomya albiceps), Sarcophagidae (Sarcophaga argyrostoma) and Muscidae (Musca domestica and Synthesiomyia nudiseta), three coleopteran families. Histeridae (Saprinus semistriatus), Cleridae (Necrobia rufipes) and Dermestidae (Dermestes frischii and Attagenus gloriosus) and three hymenopteran families: Chalcididae (Brachymeria femorata), Vespidae (Vespa orientalis) and Formicidae (Monomorium sp.). Carrion fauna was dominated by dipteran and coleopteran species, with calliphorid and sarcophagid flies found to play a significant role in carrion consumption process.ConclusionThe succession pattern and decomposition rate were season dependent. The information collected may help establish the basic database for entomological forensic investigations in the future.Graphical abstract

Hydrogen permeation behavior of X80 pipeline steel under alternating wet-dry environment in the South China Sea

The riser sections of offshore pipelines are subject to cathodic potentials, alternating wet-dry (AWD) cycles and stresses in the service environment. The hydrogen permeation of X80 offshore pipeline with different cathodic potentials, dry/wet ratios, and constant tensile stress in AWD environment were investigated by the self made experimental equipment, which includes the three modules, i.e., the constant stress loading, the two-component cell hydrogen permeation, and AWD environment. Results showed that hydrogen permeation current fluctuates with the AWD, which is different from that in the bulk solution. In one AWD cycle, the permeation increases in the wetting stage and decreases in the dry stage. The smaller the dry/wet ratio, the longer the hydrogen permeation current keeps high level which is caused by the dense corrosion product layer. The hydrogen permeation currents in the elastic stress are greater than those in the plastic deformation, and unstressed conditions is the smallest.

Pyrolysis characteristics and kinetic analysis of coating pitch derived from ethylene tar using model-free and model-fitting methods

This work conducted the pyrolysis of coating pitch derived from the ethylene tar through thermogravimetry analysis. The thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were performed to correlate the structural characteristics with the pyrolysis behavior. Meanwhile, the pyrolysis kinetics were estimated with model-free and model-fitting methods. The TG-DTG results showed that the pyrolysis process was generally divided into drying, fast pyrolysis, and polycondensation stages, accompanied by the decomposition of active functional groups like the aliphatic carbons bonded to oxygen (falO), the pyrolysis of relatively stable groups like the non-protonated aromatic carbon (faH), and the condensation of high bonding-energy aromatic structure like aromatic bridgehead carbon (faB). The activation energy obtained from model-free analysis ranged from 78.12 to 150.92kJ/mol with the increasing conversion, indicating the pyrolysis process as a multi-step reaction mechanism. Furthermore, the reaction model A1/3 (gα=[−ln(1−α)]3) was identified as the most suitable model for the pyrolysis of coating pitch in the conversion range of 0.25-0.8. The modeling values matched well with the experimental data, indicating the accuracy and feasibility of the results.

Combination aquaphotomics study and LF-NMR to monitor the drying process of honey pills

As one of the factors affecting the quality of honey pills (HP), there are few researches on its quality control and solutions. But water can directly affect the appearance, stability and potency of the HP. In this study, near-infrared spectroscopy was used to monitor the moisture content of HP with different drying conditions, and multiple linear regression analysis was carried out to establish the moisture content prediction model, and the R2 of the model prediction is 0.9532. The visualization of HP drying process were carried out by aquaphotomics method characterizes the status of the water molecular network at different drying stages. At the same time, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) information was carried out to analyze the water distribution in the drying process, and further verified the water solvent shell action in the water balance process of aquaphotomics analysis. The surface water of the pill disperses to the air, and the internal water diffuses outwards. We adopted the techniques such as rheology to comprehensively characterize the state of HP, and to evaluate the quality of them by using the dissolution test. The quality state of the pills was analyzed by the aquaphotomics analysis of water species. The above research system provided the scientific basis for revealing the drying process of HP from the viewpoint of aquaphotomics, as well as showed potential for expansion and application to other Chinese traditional medicine products.

Effect of Granite Fly Ash on Mechanical Properties of Basalt and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite

The granite processing industry generates a substantial volume of residual granite waste daily. This residue is collected through a filtration process during the drying and heating stages of concrete mixture production. Utilizing this residue, known as granite fly ash (GD), offers a promising avenue for mitigating adverse effects due to this waste material. The present study undertakes an experimental investigation into the potential utilization of granite fly ash as a filler to enhance the mechanical properties of basalt/glass composites (BFRC/GFRC). The research focuses on assessing the density and tensile characteristics of the developed fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. Composite samples were fabricated by incorporating GD at varying loadings, i.e., 1 wt.%, 3 wt.%, and 5 wt.%. The FRP laminates were produced using hand lay-up and vacuum silicon mold curing techniques. The outcomes show a slight increase in density, in which a maximum of 7% increment at 5 wt% of GD in BFRC. Meanwhile, tensile properties displayedsignificant enhancements, especially FRP with 3 wt.% GD content, for both BFRC and GFRC. Notably, the addition of 1 wt.% GD resulted in a 9% increase in tensile strength and a substantial 27% increase in modulus for the BFRC composite. In summary, the study underscores the advantageous influence of GD incorporation, particularly within the 1 wt.%, 3 wt.%, and 5 wt.%, on the mechanical properties of both BFRC and GFRC composites.

Utilization of Sengon Wood Sawdust as Bio-Pellet Feedstock: Characteristics, Potential, and Feasibility for Renewable Energy

The pellet-making process involves stages of drying, compaction, cooling, and size separation. Considering that Indonesia has great potential for biomass supply, this research aims to identify the characteristics of bio-pellets produced from sengon wood sawdust based on the pellet standard SNI8675:2018. The results showed that the highest calorific value at the Dry Basis (DB) condition was 4703 Kcal/kg, meeting national and international standards. The moisture content in the As Received (AR) condition was recorded at 10.36%, while the lowest ash content was 1.72%. The highest combustion rate was found in sample 3, with a value of 0.174 gr/min, indicating good combustion performance. The utilization of sengon wood sawdust as bio-pellets can be an efficient and environmentally friendly renewable energy solution, and has the potential to be further developed to support diversification and national energy security.

Comprehensive evaluation of the Paleogene lacustrine source rocks within the Bodong Sag, Bohai Bay Basin using kinetics-based petroleum system modeling

The hydrocarbon potential of the Bodong Sag remains unclear. Investigation and comprehensive evaluation of Paleogene lacustrine source rocks is essential to determine the exploration potential and direction. This study examined the Paleogene source rocks using organic geochemical methods, including total organic carbon (TOC), Rock-Eval pyrolysis, maceral composition, vitrinite reflectance (Ro), and kinetic analysis. For the first time in this study area, a three-dimensional (3D) kinetics-based petroleum system modeling approach was employed to reconstruct the burial history, thermal maturity, and hydrocarbon generation history of the source rocks. The resource mass was evaluated based on the calculated generation mass. Results indicate that the third member (E2s3) and first member (E3s1) of the Shahejie Formation are mainly Type II1 organic matter, exhibiting high generation potential. The third member of the Dongying Formation (E3d3) contains mixed Type II1 and II2 organic matter, with moderate potential. The E2s3 and E3s1 source rocks matured early, entering the oil window in the Early Oligocene (∼30.3 Ma) and Middle Oligocene (∼28 Ma), respectively, and are currently in the wet gas to dry gas stage. The E3d3 source rocks matured later, entering the oil window at the end of the Oligocene (∼24.6 Ma) and are currently in the late oil to the wet gas stage. Subsidence and burial have resulted in higher maturity in the southern subsag compared to the northern subsag, with the margins remaining in low maturity to immature stages. Resource estimates for the Bodong Sag source rocks are quantified at 8.33 × 108 t of oil and 1.68 × 1011 m3 of gas. E2s3, E3s1, and E3d3 contribute 41.62%, 33.95%, and 24.43% respectively, with E2s3 source rocks being the major contributor. The southern subsag, accounting for 76.92%, is the primary hydrocarbon generation kitchen. The significant increase in natural gas resources highlights the prospects for natural gas exploration in the Bodong area.

Radio Frequency Vacuum Drying Study on the Drying Characteristics and Quality of Cistanche Slices and Analysis of Heating Uniformity.

To fully leverage the advantages of both hot air drying and radio frequency vacuum drying, a segmented combination drying technique was applied to post-harvest Cistanche. This new drying method involves using hot air drying in the initial stage to remove the majority of free water, followed by radio frequency vacuum drying in the later stage to remove the remaining small amount of free water and bound water. During the radio frequency vacuum drying (RFV) phase, the effects of temperature (45, 55, and 65 °C), vacuum pressure (0.020, 0.030, and 0.040 MPa), plate spacing (65, 75, and 85 mm), and slice thickness (4, 5, and 6 mm) on the drying characteristics, quality, and microstructure of Cistanche slices were investigated. Additionally, infrared thermal imaging technology was used to examine the surface temperature distribution of the material during the drying process. The results showed that compared to radio frequency vacuum drying alone, the hot air-radio frequency combined drying significantly shortened the drying time. Under conditions of lower vacuum pressure (0.020 MPa), plate spacing (65 mm), and higher temperature (65 °C), the drying time was reduced and the drying rate increased. Infrared thermal imaging revealed that in the early stages of hot air-radio frequency vacuum combined drying, the center temperature of Cistanche was higher than the edge temperature. As drying progressed, the internal moisture of the material diffused from the inside out, resulting in higher edge temperatures compared to the center and the formation of overheating zones. Compared to natural air drying, the hot air-radio frequency vacuum combined drying effectively preserved the content of active components such as polysaccharides (275.56 mg/g), total phenols (38.62 mg/g), total flavonoids (70.35 mg/g), phenylethanoid glycosides, and iridoids. Scanning electron microscopy observed that this combined drying method reduced surface collapse and cracking of the material. This study provides theoretical references for future drying processes of Cistanche.

Ichnological records associated with dermestid beetles in dinosaur bones from Lala's Place (Maastrichtian), Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, Mexico, and their taphonomic implications

We analyzed the ichnological record of hadrosaur remains from the dinosaur quarry CLP-3, Lala's Place, Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, where taphonomic research is ongoing. These fossils have been determined to stratigraphically belong to the Cerro del Pueblo Formation, deposited in a deltaic floodplain environment. The Lala's Place quarries have been determined to belong to the early Maastrichtian (69 ± 5 Ma) through U/Pb detrital zircon dating. Thirteen trace fossil morphotypes were identified in six bone elements, interpreted to belong to a single individual. These traces were identified to belong to the ichnospecies Cuniculichnus seilacheri, cf. Cubiculum cooperi, Cubiculum atsintli. A new ichnospecies, Cubiculum subcorticalis n. isp., characterized by a composite feeding-pupation trace with subcortical chambers, is also described. Based on these findings, temporal range of the previously described ichnospecies is expanded to the Maastrichtian stage in the Cerro del Pueblo Formation. Previous work has reported these ichnospecies and associated them with dermestid beetles; this work also associates these traces with dermestids through morphological analyses and using for the first time the novel Usefulness in Identification and Differentiation (UID) index, recently proposed for this taxon. These traces indicate that the carcass was exposed to a subaerial environment for at least 20–30 days, reaching a dry stage in which dermestid adults fed, reproduced, and oviposited. Larvae produced these traces by excavating chambers to avoid cannibalism by other larvae.

Insects on Decomposing Pigs and their Forensic Importance at a University in Nigeria

The use of insects to estimate post-mortem interval (PMI) of cadavers by forensic entomologists, is an innovative science enshrined in the medico-criminal system of the developed world. The science is dependent on the biology of insect species that are found in decomposing cadavers. Thus, insect species that are found on decomposing pigs as model to human cadaver, was studied during the rainy and dry seasons of 2021 in a University forest in Nigeria. The decomposition stages (fresh through skeletonization) of the pig cadavers were monitored, and insects found on them were collected with a sweep net, visually observed, and handpicked. They were identified morphologically using insect identification keys with the aid of a dissecting microscope. The tissues of the pig cadavers decomposed completely in 14 and 10 days, respectively, for dry and rainy seasons. Twenty-seven insect species belonging to the orders; Diptera, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera were identified. The dipterans consist of the families Calliphoridae, Muscidae, Ulidiidae, and Stratiomyidae. The coleopteran families are the Carabidae, Chrysomelidae, Cleridae, Dermestidae, Histeridae, Scarabaeidae, and Staphylinidae, while Formicidae is the only family for the hymenopteran. The dipteran species were the first group to visit the cadavers during fresh, bloated, and wet decay stages while the coleopterans visited during wet and dry decay stages thus, creating a succession pattern on the cadavers. The insect species that aided the cadaver decomposition at different stages are discussed as forensic indicators, which could be useful as PMI estimators of the study area.

Innovative design and construction of a closure joint for inland-river immersed tunnels via dry-land construction methods: A case study of the Yuliangzhou tunnel in China

Closure joints constructed to fill the spaces between immersed tunnel elements or between the tunnel elements and adjacent cut-and-cover tunnels are crucial for the longitudinal stability of immersed tunnels and affect the overall cost and duration of tunnel construction. To avoid the obstruction of navigation and reduce the difficulty of constructing closure joints, dry-land construction methods have been widely applied to construct closure joints for inland-river immersed tunnels, in particular using procedures involving axial dry docks. However, the traditional dry-land construction method has many inherent drawbacks. For example, the construction of underwater large-scale reinforced concrete antiretreat structures involves many underwater works, complicated construction processes, long operation time spans and high costs. Based on the Yuliangzhou immersed tunnel in China, a new dry-land construction method for closure joints of inland-river immersed tunnels based on tunnel–soil interface friction was developed to address the abovementioned problems. Considering the adverse influences of back-silting sediment on tunnel–soil interface friction, large-scale laboratory and onsite shear tests were carried out to derive the interface friction coefficients between the tunnel element base slabs and prelaid pebble foundation beds. A composite concrete steel sandwich (CCSS) water-retaining system was designed and assembled to separate the water in the dry dock from the river course. A simplified analysis method based on numerical simulations for the determination of the equivalent horizontal thrust P applied to element ES caused by the dewatering of the axial dry dock was proposed. Based on horizontal antisliding stability analyses of the tunnel elements during the axial dry dock dewatering stage, equations for the key design parameters of the new dry-land construction method were established. Through examination of the static equilibrium of the tunnel elements in the tunnel longitudinal direction, temporary longitudinal displacement constraint (LDC) structures at the immersion joints were designed. Furthermore, the following key construction techniques for the new dry-land construction method were systematically designed: installation of a CCSS water-retaining system at the entrance of the axial dry dock, water sealing at contact gaps, installation of finish-rolled screw-thread (FRST) steel bars as the LDC structures at the immersion joints, and construction of rigid connections between tunnel element ES and the cut-and-cover tunnel. Finally, onsite observation of the deformation states of Gina gaskets and monitoring of the tensile forces of FRST steel bars at the immersion joints verified the successful implementation of the new dry-land construction method, supporting the use of these techniques in closure joint design and construction for inland-river immersed tunnels.

Effect of kerf location on drying quality of larch logs

The demand for structural logs in wooden construction is substantial. However, logs, due to their inherent structural characteristics, are prone to developing checks during drying process. Kerf treatment is a practical and effective pretreatment technology for drying that can significantly reduce checking. Nonetheless, the optimal location for the kerf treatment remains unexplored. This study was designed to position the kerf based on the location of the pith and assessed the effects of single kerf, double kerf, and kerf-center boring treatments on log drying quality. The check ratio of kerf logs decreased significantly (p < 0.05). As kerf depth increased, the check ratio slightly decreased, while the moisture content (MC) difference between the core layer and surface layer increased. Additionally, the inclusion of kerfs in counterpoint positions exhibited a profound effect on reducing the check ratio. Eccentricity influenced the later drying stages of the logs. The check ratio of non-eccentricity logs tended to stabilize during the later drying period, while that of eccentric logs continued to increase. For eccentric logs, this study employed the counterpoint double-kerf process, resulting in a surface check ratio of 0.42%. For non-eccentric logs, utilizing a single shallow kerf significantly improved the surface drying quality, with a surface check ratio of 1.00%.

Reducing the Energy Consumption during Microwave Drying of Coal Slime Dough by Optimizing Parameters: Experiment and Modeling.

Reducing the energy consumption in microwave drying processes is essential for the sustainable management of coal slime. Utilizing a self-constructed microwave thermogravimetric apparatus, the research investigates critical parameters, including microwave power, spherical diameter, and granule size, affecting drying kinetics and energy efficiency. The results show that it was observed that the drying process progresses through three distinct stages, marked by variations in temperature and moisture content: the initial warming phase, a steady drying stage, and a final phase where the drying rate decreases; optimal pellet sizes for efficient moisture evaporation and diffusion were identified, with smaller particles enhancing heat transfer and drying efficiency; and the Nadhari model was determined to best represent the drying kinetics of coal slime under microwave radiation. The findings indicate a positive correlation between drying efficiency and particle size while being inversely related to increased microwave power for smaller granules. A direct positive relationship between moisture migration and increased power levels was established, while an inverse relationship with the enlargement of particle sizes was observed, negatively affecting the efficiency. For granule sizes of 30, 40, and 50 mm, a decrease in activation power was recorded, with values of 8.215 ± 2.301, 7.936 ± 1.547, and 3.393 ± 0.248 W·g-1, respectively; and through the comparative analysis of energy consumption, it was demonstrated that for coal slurry particles sized 0.15-0.18 mm subjected to a drying duration of 600 s, an increase in power leads to a reduction in drying efficiency, whereas larger diameter contributes to improved efficiency.