Moisture Time Research Articles

Natural Mucilage From Phoenix dactylifera L. as an Alternative for Artificial Saliva

The sensation of dry mouth is a clinical illness known as xerostomia. Treatment is necessary for alleviating symptoms in patients who experience either transient or persistent dry mouth. It is essential to develop artificial saliva for this purpose. The fruit of the Phoenix dactylifera is edible and has been used in food. Its mucilage from dried fruits was extracted by soaking in distilled water and precipitated with 90% v/v ethanol. The mucilage of P. dactylifera was used for producing artificial saliva and was combined with other components including proteins and electrolytes. The translucent light brown gel solution was seen in the artificial saliva using P. dactylifera mucilage. The measured relative density ranged from 1.02 to 1.15 g/mL. Artificial saliva had to become more viscous with the addition of P. dactylifera mucilage and its concentration. Their pH values ranged between 6.98 and 7.15. The produced artificial saliva had a wetting time ranging from 7.53 to 9.70 min, which is similar to the typical human saliva. Artificial saliva could form a film in the mouth after certain periods. It was found that artificial saliva exhibited many adsorption bands corresponding to various biomolecules, such as protein, carbohydrate, and lipid, and had a unique peak at 275 nm. The results of this investigation suggest that a formulation including mucilage from P. dactylifera may be utilized to treat xerostomia patients by temporarily lubricating and hydrating their mouths when they experience persistent dry mouth.

Holistic modeling of the electrolyte filling process to study the dosing and wetting behavior of lithium-ion batteries

The electrolyte filling process of lithium-ion batteries is characterized by extensive wetting times and significant costs for experimental process design, which is becoming increasingly relevant in the current landscape of fast-evolving cell designs to optimize energy density. In this study, an approach for applying computational fluid dynamics to simulate the flow of liquid electrolyte through the battery void volume and porous cell stack is shown. Results of the simulation on pore scale are used to calculate the permeability of the cell stack, which provides an input parameter for the simulation on cell scale. On a cell scale, the calculated parameters act as a resistance value of the cell stack, enabling the modeling of the interaction between dosing and wetting. The detailed model setup including simulation parameters is provided, so that cell manufacturers and researchers will be able to set up individual simulation models to predict the filling behavior during cell development.

Deterioration mechanism of loess from Ili valley region of China under wet and dry cycles: evidences from shear tests

The properties of loess in the Ili region of China are significantly affected by repeated cycles of rainfall and evaporation. It is thus essential to investigate the deterioration mechanism of loess subjected to the wet and dry cycles. This paper employs various methods, including the direct shear and triaxial shear tests, as well as the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to evaluate the variation patterns of shear strength parameters and microstructure of Ili loess. The direct shear test was conducted on loess samples experiencing a limited number of wet and dry cycles (0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9), while the triaxial shear test focused on a more extensive range of wet and dry cycles (0, 1, 3, 10, 20, and 30). In parallel, the alterations in the shear strength parameters of the loess material under different shear tests were also scrutinized. The findings obtained from this research revealed that the shear strength of Ili loess decreased to varying degrees based on the two test methods when they are affected by the wet and dry cycles. Comparing the results with the same number of wet and dry times (0, 1 and 3 times), both the shear strength and cohesion obtained from the triaxial shear test were greater than those from the direct shear test, while the results for the angle of internal friction were reversed. Moreover, the scanning electron microscope tests on Ili loess did indicate that the micro-particle size, pore space, morphology, soil structure, and particle contact mode exhibited the deterioration with different degrees. The micro-structural change is believed to be the main reason for the deterioration mechanism of the shear strength. The research outcomes will enrich the understanding about the loess properties in Central Asia, providing data reference and theoretical basis for engineering construction in these region.

Spatiotemporal patterns of net primary productivity of subtropical forests in China and its response to drought

Net primary productivity (NPP) is an important indicator used to evaluate the carbon sequestration capacity of forest ecosystems. Subtropical forest ecosystems play an indispensable role in maintaining the global carbon balance, while frequently occurring drought events in recent years have seriously damaged their productivity. However, the spatiotemporal patterns of NPP, as well as its response to drought, remain uncertain. In this study, the multiscale drought characteristics in subtropical China during 1981–2015 were analyzed based on the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index. Then, simulated and analyzed the spatiotemporal NPP of subtropical forests by the boreal ecosystem productivity simulator model. Finally, the response of NPP to drought was analyzed based on multiple statistical indices. The results show that most regions in subtropical China experienced mild and moderate drought during 1981–2015. In particular, the extent of drought severity has shown a noticeable increasing trend after 2000. The forest NPP ranged from 622.64 to 1323.82 gC·m−2·a−1, with an overall increase rate of 16.15 gC·m−2·a−1; in particular, the contribution of the western forest NPP became increasingly important. Drought stress has limited the growth of subtropical forest NPP in China, with summer and wet season time scales of drought having the greatest impact on forest NPP anomalies, followed by autumn time scales. The limitation is mostly because the drought duration continually increased, leading to differences in the impact of drought on forest NPP before and after 2000, with declines of 59.55 % and 82.45 %, respectively, mainly concentrated in southwestern regions, such as Yunnan, Guangxi, and Sichuan provinces. This study quantitatively analyzed the impact of drought on subtropical forest NPP, and provides scientific basis for subtropical forest response and adaptation to climate change.

PLM4Alg: Protein Language Model-Based Predictors for Allergenic Proteins and Peptides.

The rising prevalence of allergy demands efficient and accurate bioinformatic tools to expedite allergen identification and risk assessment while also reducing wet experiment expenses and time. Recently, pretrained protein language models (pLMs) have successfully predicted protein structure and function. However, to our best knowledge, they have not been used for predicting allergenic proteins/peptides. Therefore, this study aims to develop robust models for allergenic protein/peptide prediction using five pLMs of varying sizes and systematically assess their performance through fine-tuning with a convolutional neural network. The developed pLM4Alg models have achieved state-of-the-art performance with accuracy, Matthews correlation coefficient, and area under the curve scoring 93.4-95.1%, 0.869-0.902, and 0.981-0.990, respectively. Moreover, pLM4Alg is the first model capable of handling prediction tasks involving residue-missed sequences and sequences containing nonstandard amino acid residues. To facilitate easy access, a user-friendly web server (https://f6wxpfd3sh.us-east-1.awsapprunner.com) has been established. pLM4Alg is expected to become the leading machine learning-based prediction model for allergenic peptides and proteins. Its collaboration with other predictors holds great promise for accelerating allergy research.

Evaluation of Low- and Intermediate-Temperature Cracking Performance of Fiber-Reinforced Asphalt Mixtures

This study was conducted to assess the impact of aramid fiber reinforcement on the fatigue and thermal cracking performance of asphalt mixtures at intermediate and low temperatures, respectively. The study also involved evaluating the experimental consistency and ranking fiber-reinforced asphalt mixtures (FRAMs) based on their performance. One aggregate (diabase stone), one binder type (PG 76-22), and two combinations of aramid fibers, added at different dosages, were used to produce three FRAMs. These fibers included polyolefin/aramid (PFA) fibers at 0.05% dosage by mix weight and Sasobit-coated aramid (SCA) fibers at 0.01% and 0.02% dosages. An unreinforced (control) mix was also produced without any reinforcement. All mixtures were produced at a batch plant by keeping their binder content constant (at 5.5%). The manufacturer recommended dry and wet mixing times were used for better fiber distribution and represent actual mixing conditions. The laboratory performance of plant-produced FRAMs was assessed to characterize the low- and intermediate-temperature cracking performance. The indirect tension asphalt cracking test, semi-circular bend test, three-point bending beam tests, and uniaxial fatigue tests were performed at intermediate temperature; the disk shape compact tension test and thermal stress restrained specimen test tests were performed at low temperature. Fibers were successful at improving the fatigue cracking of asphalt mixtures based on intermediate-temperature testing results. In addition, fiber reinforcement, regardless of dosage and combination, showed improvements in low-temperature (thermal) cracking performance. Furthermore, based on ranking analysis for selected performance indicators from each experiment, the SCA 0.02% reinforced mix on average showed the highest cracking resistance.

A Review of User Perceptions of Drought Indices and Indicators Used in the Diverse Climates of North America

Drought monitoring and early detection have improved greatly in recent decades through the development and refinement of numerous indices and indicators. However, a lack of guidance, based on user experience, exists as to which drought-monitoring tools are most appropriate in a given location. This review paper summarizes the results of targeted user engagement and the published literature to improve the understanding of drought across North America and to enhance the utility of drought-monitoring tools. Workshops and surveys were used to assess and make general conclusions about the perceived performance of drought indicators, indices and impact information used for monitoring drought in the five main Köppen climate types (Tropical, Temperate, Continental, Polar Tundra, Dry) found across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. In Tropical, humid Temperate, and southerly Continental climates, droughts are perceived to be more short-term (less than 6 months) in duration rather than long-term (more than 6 months). In Polar Tundra climates, Dry climates, Temperate climates with dry warm seasons, and northerly Continental climates, droughts are perceived to be more long-term than short-term. In general, agricultural and hydrological droughts were considered to be the most important drought types. Drought impacts related to agriculture, water supply, ecosystem, and human health were rated to be of greatest importance. Users identified the most effective indices and indicators for monitoring drought across North America to be the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) and Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) (or another measure of precipitation anomaly), followed by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) (or another satellite-observed vegetation index), temperature anomalies, crop status, soil moisture, streamflow, reservoir storage, water use (demand), and reported drought impacts. Users also noted the importance of indices that measure evapotranspiration, evaporative demand, and snow water content. Drought indices and indicators were generally thought to perform equally well across seasons in Tropical and colder Continental climates, but their performance was perceived to vary seasonally in Dry, Temperate, Polar Tundra, and warmer Continental climates, with improved performance during warm and wet times of the year. The drought indices and indicators, in general, were not perceived to perform equally well across geographies. This review paper provides guidance on when (time of year) and where (climate zone) the more popular drought indices and indicators should be used. The paper concludes by noting the importance of understanding how drought, its impacts, and its indicators are changing over time as the climate warms and by recommending ways to strengthen the use of indices and indicators in drought decision making.

Theoretical modeling of key parameters of wet film in roll coating process of coating panel

The purpose of this dissertation is to quantitatively regulate the wet film thickness of coating panels in metal packaging during roll coating, which has not been accomplished in previous studies. The aim of the research is to derive a formula model for the roll coating machine, which is a general-purpose equipment, to provide theoretical support for quantitatively regulating wet film thickness and calculating leveling time. Based on the coating leveling formula studied by Orchard [Appl. Sci. Res. 11, 451 (1963)], combined with the working conditions of the roll coating process, an innovative application of boundary slip theory and Hertzian theory is used to analyze the functional relationship of each parameter in the roll coating process, and to construct a model of wet film leveling time. The process data were obtained from factory equipment. The validation of the formula model refers to the method adopted by Wang and others, who processed experimental fixtures with different wavelengths and crest heights to experimentally validate the model. The average thickness of the wet film and the leveling time are the key to the roller coating process. The average wet film thickness is the key parameter affecting the quality of the product, and the leveling time determines when the wet film enters the dry film process. The wet film thickness mainly depends on the pressure of each roll in the roll coating process. The wet film leveling time model accurately constructs the functional relationship between process parameters, leveling time, and wet film thickness, which can be quantitatively calculated. The leveling time model is experimentally verified to be correct.

Prediction Model of Residual Soil Shear Strength under Dry–Wet Cycles and Its Uncertainty

Granite residual soil is widely distributed in Southeast Fujian. Large-scale engineering construction leads to the exposure of residual soil slopes to the natural environment. Affected by seasonal climate factors, the soil of slopes experiences a dry–wet cycle for a long time. The repeated changes in water content seriously affect the shear strength of soil, and then affect the stability of the slope. In order to explore the influence of the dry–wet cycle on the shear strength of granite residual soil in Fujian, an indoor dry–wet cycle simulation test was carried out for shallow granite residual soil on a slope in Fuzhou, and the relationship between water content, dry–wet cycle times, and the shear strength index, including the cohesion and internal friction angle of the granite residual soil, was discussed. The results show that when the number of dry–wet cycles is constant, the cohesion and internal friction angle of the granite residual soil decrease with an increase in water content. The relationship between the cohesion, internal friction angle, and water content can be described using a power function. Meanwhile, the fitting parameters of the power function are also a function of the number of wet and dry cycles. The prediction formulas of the cohesion and internal friction angle considering the number of dry–wet cycles and water content are established, and then the prediction formula of shear strength is obtained. The ratio of the predicted value of shear strength to the test value shall be within ±15%. An error transfer analysis based on the point estimation method shows that the overall uncertainty of the predicted value of shear strength caused by the combined uncertainty of the predicted value of cohesion and the internal friction angle and the single-variable uncertainty of the predicted value of shear strength caused only by the uncertainty of the predicted value of either the cohesion or internal friction angle increases first and then decreases with an increase in the number of dry–wet cycles. All increase with an increasing water content. The maximum standard deviation of the proposed shear strength prediction model of granite residual soil is less than 9%.

Warming decreases desert ecosystem functioning by altering biocrusts in drylands

Abstract Warming and precipitation fluctuations are changing desert ecosystems in global drylands. However, the effects of climate change on keystone species such as cryptogamic biocrust in drylands remain relatively under‐investigated, even though biocrusts play a vital role in desert ecosystems. We conducted a long‐term experiment (14 years) to simulate the responses of two main types of biocrusts to warming coupled with reduction in precipitation that was achieved by open‐top chambers (OTCs) to simulate the predicted warming and precipitation decreasing under climate change scenario. We also conduct a structural analysis to evaluate the resulting changes in desert ecosystem functioning (carbon and nitrogen cycling). Neither warming and corresponding rainfall reduction treatments had a negative effect on lichen species richness, but both treatments reduced lichen cover and biomass. The negative effects of warming on moss‐dominated crusts were much greater than those on lichen‐dominated crusts. Although mosses and lichens had varying degree responses to warming, the loss of mosses and decreased lichen cover and biomass, as well as the shortening of the wet time, resulted in a reduction in carbon and nitrogen fixation, soil enzyme activity and water‐holding capacity of biocrusts and topsoil. These impacts collectively change the water balance of drylands and weaken the hydrological and biogeochemical function of biocrusts. Synthesis and applications: Results from this long‐term experiment suggest that the ecosystem C and N cycling and water balance of global drylands may be highly impacted by climate change, in part because of the response of biocrusts, which contribute an important implication for both dryland restoration and earth system dynamics.

Quality Evaluation Of Different Commercial Shampoo Brands Made In Nepal

Background: Shampoo is one of the most popular cosmetic items for washing the hair and scalp. It is necessary to evaluate shampoo in order to understand its performance, quality, and effectiveness, as well as to ensure compliance with the standards of many journal articles. Objective: The purpose of the research study was to evaluate the quality of four commercial and two medicinal shampoo brands made in Nepal. Method: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out in order to evaluate label information, microbiological quality, and physiochemical parameters such as (pH, density, viscosity, surface tension, foaming ability & stability, detergency power, wetting time etc. Furthermore, a UV-visible spectrophotometer was used to measure the percentage of assay of medicated sample. Result: When compared to secondary data from journals, the study found that not all shampoos met specifications. It was found that only S5 of the six samples tested positive for microbial growth and exceeded the limit. Except for S5, the pH ranged between 5-7.The surface tension of all samples meets the specifications. S1-S4 had normal detergency power, however the medicated sample had low detergency power. All demonstrated good wetting time and dirt dispersion. The percentage of solid content in S1-S2 was very low. The assay percentage was within the prescribed range for medicated sample. Conclusion: When compared to a standard journal, the study found that certain parameters were within range while some were out of range.

Effect of seawater dry-wet cycling on the durability of concrete repair materials

In order to investigate the durability of concrete repair materials in marine environments, this research selected four typical repair materials commonly used on the market to carry out indoor seawater dry and wet cycling tests and real marine environment exposure tests. The research results show that: the compressive strength and abrasion loss variations of these four repair materials under indoor seawater dry-wet cycling are closely related. Among them, magnesium phosphate mortar demonstrates better resistance to seawater erosion in both environments. The chloride ion penetration depth of four repair materials increases with seawater dry and wet cycling time. Its law of change is closely related to the law of change of the most probable pore size inside the material, while the epoxy resin mortar and acrylic-modified mortar have a high depth of chloride ion penetration under the real marine environment due to the microcracks and porous phenomena appearing on the surface of the material. In addition, the results of the tests in the real marine environment differed somewhat from those in the indoor environment, highlighting the need to conduct real marine environment tests. The results provide theoretical support for selecting and evaluating concrete repair materials in the marine environment.

Experimental investigation on infiltration behavior of sodium ion in compacted bentonite

Because of its high swelling capacity and low hydraulic conductivity, bentonite has been selected as the candidate buffer material in deep geological disposal project for handling high-level radioactive waste. In Japan, seawater infiltration is an important issue in the evaluation of buffer material, as disposal facilities are under discussion for siting in coastal areas [1]. Sodium ion, which is the main ion in seawater, has profound effects on the properties of bentonite, such as hydraulic conductivity and swelling behaviours etc. [2][3]. These changes may be closely related to the infiltration behavior of sodium ion in bentonite. T In this study, for observing the infiltration behavior of sodium ion in compacted bentonite, infiltration tests were conducted on compacted bentonite specimens with thickness of 2 mm, where the specimens were wetted by NaCl solutions with a concentration range of 0 to 1 mol/L. In the testing program, wetting time, specimen dry densities and initial water contents were varied to investigate their effects on sodium ion infiltration. After the infiltration test, final water contents of specimens were measured and leached cations were obtained using benzyltrimethylammonium chloride (BTM) method [4].
 Figure 1 shows the results of leached cations and final water content of specimens with 1.5g/cm3 initial dry density for different wetting time. It is found that under the 0.1mol/L NaCl solution case, there is almost no sodium ion infiltration in compacted bentonite with a dry density of 1.5g/cm3 as shown in Figure 1(a). For the case of 0.5mol/L and 1mol/L NaCl solution, the leached sodium cation from specimens increases with the increase of concentration of supplied NaCl solution under the same wetting time. For other exchangeable cations (i.e., Mg+, Ca2+ and K+), there is no appreciable difference among the varieties of NaCl solutions and wetting time. For the final water content measurement results, it is found from Figure 1(b) that the water content increasing speeds in 0.5mol/L and 1mol/L NaCl solutions are significantly faster than that in 0.1mol/L NaCl solution.

Alternative Eco-friendly Treatment of Hollow Cellulosic Fiber-Based Hybrid Composites for Remarkable Reactive Dyeing

Egyptian Chorisia hollow fibers have been blended with cotton waste, polyester waste, and raw bamboo at various ratios and weft counts using open-end spinning. The blended fabrics of hybrid composites were subjected to atmospheric plasma, pectinase, and lipase enzyme treatments, as well as the substitution of all hazardous chemicals, as sustainable alternatives to traditional alkaline scouring. The impacts of the treatments on the hollow-based fabrics' hydrophilicity, surface morphology, and color performance have been discussed. Pretreatment is associated with considerable weight loss (~ 12%) and a wetting time of less than 5 s which represents adequate absorbency of the composite. The enzymatic treatment contributed to looser arrangement of the fibrils which indicates an effective elimination of lignin and hemicellulose. The crystalline sections were greatly influenced by enzymatic treatment, providing effective decrease of cellulose crystallinity by about 30–40% as revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Compared to conventional scouring, bio-scouring discharges significantly less effluent. The treated composite using either enzyme or plasma pretreatment method produced about at least 300% higher color yield (K/S) and 100% enhanced dye fixation (% F) than the untreated fabric. The lipase pretreatment without subsequent to atmospheric plasma treatment could be enough to achieve the highest hydrophilicity and color performance level under the experimental conditions.

Meat Quality Changes in Aged Pork Loin using Jeju Volcanic Scoria Earthenware.

This study aimed to investigate changes in the quality of meat aged using Jeju scoria earthenware. Water-holding properties, pH, color, tenderization, fatty acid composition, and free amino acid characteristics of aged pork loin were evaluated to determine the effects of wet and dry (normal and Jeju Scoria) aging methods and aging time (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 days) on meat quality. The aging methods altered pH and CIE L* after 10 days of aging. However, the aging method did not alter the pH and CIE L* of the aged pork loin after 10 days of aging. The shear force was significantly lower in the Scoria aging method than in the wet aging method after 10 and 20 days of aging. Both the normal and Scoria aging methods increased aging loss compared to the wet aging method, which could be attributed to longer air exposure times of the two non-packaged aging methods than in the packaged aging method. The scoria aging method had significantly higher contents and ratios of saturated (SFA) to mono-unsaturated fatty acids but lower ratios of poly-unsaturated fatty acids to SFA than the wet aging method. The content of most free amino acids significantly increased with aging time, especially those related to the sweet, and umami categories. In summary, this study suggests that the Scoria aging method provides positive aspects of eating quality, such as improvement of meat tenderness and taste, including umami, with minimum changes in the overall meat quality.

Predicting Galvanic Corrosion of Aluminum Using Accelerated Laboratory Electrochemical Experiments

Aluminum (Al) alloys are the most commonly used non-ferrous metals (approximately 25 million tons per year) for various technical applications and is the second most commonly used metal alloy after steel. Al alloys are also used in combination with other metals or materials to get specific desirable properties for applications such as transportation, construction, electrical appliances, and consumer goods. However, a system of dissimilar materials can lead to potential corrosion problems such as galvanic and crevice corrosion. In this work, atmospheric galvanic corrosion of Al alloy was predicted by combining electrochemical techniques and accelerated laboratory corrosion tests. Three different galvanic couples were analyzed where 6061-T6 Al alloy was coupled with a passivating metal (304 stainless steel), noble metal (copper), and a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite (CFR PMC). The galvanic current flowing between the anode and cathode was measured using the zero-resistance ammeter (ZRA) technique in the humidity-chamber setup, cyclic corrosion test chamber following a modified GM9540P cycle, and an outdoor exposure test site. Electrolytes with varying amounts of chloride contents were used to simulate different atmospheric conditions. Four separate equations based on Faraday's law were developed to calculate the corrosion rate in grams per meter square per day (gmd) by relating the time of wetness (TOW) to the galvanic current measured from the accelerated laboratory experiments. The total exposure time was divided into wet periods (Twet) and dry periods (Tdry). The surface morphology of Al samples from the galvanic couples was studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and elemental surface analysis was conducted using energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDXA). Figure 1

Monitoring for relative effect of corrosive environmental factor on corrosion rate for steel structural details

It is necessary to examine the corrosion durability of a steel structure based on its local corrosive environmental conditions since its corrosion deterioration could appear locally, depending on the installation environment or structural details. In this study, therefore, test specimens with various structural details were fabricated to evaluate the relationship between the corrosive environmental factors and relative corrosion rates, and outdoor exposure tests were conducted on the distinguishing area with and without airborne chloride. For this, the temperature, relative humidity, corrosion current, time of wetness (TOW), and surface chloride were measured as corrosive environmental factors for the outdoor exposure test site and test specimens, and their relative corrosion rates were also examined using monitoring steel plates (MSP) as their mean corrosion depths. From the outdoor exposure test results, their mean corrosion depths exposed to the same environment were shown to be affected by their angles of the structural details. The relative mean corrosion depth varying due to the structural details was shown to be affected by the TOW and surface chloride.

Shrinkage Characteristics and Microstructure Evolution of Yili Loess under Different Wetting and Drying Cycles

The loess in Yili Valley is prone to landslides in the rainy season. We studied the influence law of shrinkage and the microstructure of the loess in Yili Valley under different wetting and drying cycles. Considering the climatic conditions and sampling depth of the study area, shrinkage tests were carried out under six kinds of dry and wet cycling paths. The fracture changes and shrinkage characteristics of the loess under different dry–wet cycling times were analyzed, and the deformation characteristics of the loess during the process of water-loss shrinkage under the dry–wet cycling conditions were discussed. The results show that (1) there is an exponential relationship between the number of dry and wet cycles and the final shrinkage rate. The influence of dry and wet cycles on the final shrinkage rate is significant in the early stage. (2) With the increase in the number of dry and wet cycles, the decline in the final shrinkage rate decreases, and the final shrinkage rate and shrinkage coefficient of soil also show a decreasing trend, while the soil sample area first increases and then gradually decreases, and the surface shrinkage cracking is gradually stable. The surface porosity tends to increase. (3) Under the action of repeated wet expansion and dry contraction, irregular cracks are produced inside the soil body, which leads to the increase in soil permeability, reduces the strength of the soil body, reflects the phenomenon of strength deterioration, and thus indicates the stability of loess slopes. The research results of this paper can provide an important parameter basis for the prevention and control of loess landslide geological disasters in Yili Valley.

Design of a new clean and comfortable temperature-sensitive polyethylene-based copolymer textile

With the rapid development of science and technology, compared with traditional textiles, which provide basic functions such as shelter from the body and cold, intelligent textiles can create a more comfortable and safe environment for people, improve work efficiency and meet people’s demand for diversified functions. At present, polypropylene material has the characteristics of temperature sensitivity, washing resistance, friction resistance, good whiteness and softness, and is widely used in textile, clothing and other industries. In this paper, The temperature sensitivity of cross-linked cotton fabric was characterized by measuring and analyzing the equilibrium swelling ratio, wetting time and surface contact angle. The temperature at which polymer properties suddenly change is 35°C, and the initial wetting time of cross-linked cotton fabric is longer than that of original cotton fabric. When the temperature exceeds 150°C, it loses its temperature sensitivity, resulting in the cross-linked cotton fabric being insensitive to temperature. The most suitable polymer concentration is 1%–8%. According to the DSC curve of P(MEO2MA-co-EGMA360) in the range of 60°C–20°C, the glass transition temperature (Tg) was determined. There is an obvious endothermic peak on the DSC curve near −26°C, which indicates that the glass transition temperature of P(MEO2MA-co-EGMA360) is −26°C, and P (MEO2MA-EGMA360). It is in a viscous state at room temperature. The air permeability and moisture permeability of cross-linked cotton fabric can be adjusted by changing the temperature, and the wearing comfort of the fabric can be improved. The test results of fabric wearability show that after crosslinking reaction, the washing fastness and rubbing fastness of fabric are within acceptable range, while whiteness, softness and mechanical properties are not affected. Considering comprehensively, when the polymer concentration is 8%, the drying temperature is 130°C and the drying time is 2 min, the finished fabric has the best indexes. This is mainly due to the spontaneous “self-adjustment” of aggregation morphology between the hydrogen bonding between polymer and water molecules and the hydrophobic interaction between molecules themselves in order to maintain a delicate dynamic balance, thus reaching a new thermodynamic equilibrium state. When the temperature exceeds the transition temperature, the surface of P(MEO2MA-co-EGMA360) film changes from a dense film structure to a porous structure, so that the air and moisture permeability can be adjusted and the wearing comfort of the fabric can be improved.

Performance evaluation of multiple satellite rainfall data sets in central highlands of Abbay Basin, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This study evaluates four satellite-based precipitation datasets with gauged rainfall observations at a daily and wet season time scales. Satellite Precipitation Estimators from Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation Stations (CHIRPSv2), the Climate prediction center (CPC) morphing technique (CMORPH), the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrieval for GPM (IMERG-06) and Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks Cloud Classification System (PERSSIANN-CCS) were used. Categorical and continuous statistical techniques were applied to evaluate the detection and estimation ability of SPEs. Among the SPEs, CMORPH was superior, 0.90 and followed by IMERG-06, 0.82 in the Probability of detection (POD), Critical success index (CSI), 0.74 and 0.70 and Accuracy, 0.75 and 0.72 at wet season, respectively. The result of bias ratio showed underestimation for all SPEs at wet season and daily time scale. The comparison of SPEs in terms of RMSE indicated that IMERG-06 was better, 75.9 followed by CMORPH, 86.0. In terms of Relative bias (RBias), IMERG-06 was the second next to CHIRPSv2. On the other hand, IMERG-06 had better RMSE at JJAS and daily time scale. Overall, the findings of this evaluation study showed the capacity of IMERG-06 product could be reliable rainfall data sources for climate and hydrological analysis of central highlands of Abbay Basin.