bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards Next-Generation Sequencing for HIV-1 Drug Resistance Testing in a Clinical Setting
Authors: Teo Calesta Hui Yi , Norhisham Nurul Hannah Binte , Lee Ogestelli Fabia , Png Siyu , Chai Chean Nee , Yan Gabriel , Tang Julian Wei-Tze , Lee Chun Kiat
Published: October 2022

The HIV genotypic resistance test (GRT) is a standard of care for the clinical management of HIV/AIDS patients. In recent decades, population or Sanger sequencing has been the foundation for drug resistance monitoring in clinical settings. However, the advent of high-throughput or next-generation sequencing has caused a paradigm shift towards the detection and characterization of low-abundance covert mutations that would otherwise be missed by population sequencing. This is clinically significant, as these mutations can potentially compromise the efficacy of antiretroviral therapy, causing poor virologic suppression. Therefore, it is important to develop a more sensitive method so as to reliably detect clinically actionable drug-resistant mutations (DRMs). Here, we evaluated the diagnostic performance of a laboratory-developed, high-throughput, sequencing-based GRT using 103 archived clinical samples that were previously tested for drug resistance using population sequencing. As expected, high-throughput sequencing found all the DRMs that were detectable by population sequencing. Significantly, 78 additional DRMs were identified only by high-throughput sequencing, which is statistically significant based on McNemar’s test. Overall, our results complement previous studies, supporting the notion that the two methods are well correlated, and the high-throughput sequencing method appears to be an excellent alternative for drug resistance testing in a clinical setting.
Isolation, Identification, and Genetic Phylogenetic Analysis of Two Different Genotypes of Bovine Parainfluenza 3 Virus in China
Authors: Wang Xu , Hu Jianjun , Meng Fanyan , Cao Yiheng , Wang Zijie , Zhang Qianyi , Zhang Qian , Zhang Xingxing , Han Mengli , Wu Tongzhong , Zhong Fagang , Huang Xin
Published: October 2022

Bovine parainfluenza virus 3 (BPIV3) is one of several viruses that contribute to bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC). During this study, isolation of BPIV3 was attempted from 20 PCR-positive swabs by Madin-Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) cells. Nine samples showed obvious cytopathic lesions identified as BPIV3 by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing. The genomes of isolates XJ21032-1 and XJ20055-3 were sequenced using Illumina sequencing technology and determined to have lengths of 15,512 bp and 15,479 bp, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that isolate XJ21032-1 was genotype B, and isolate XJ20055-3 was genotype C. In addition, the two isolates had multiple amino acid changes in nucleocapsid protein, fusion protein, and hemagglutinin/neuraminidase, major antigenic proteins. This allows the further recognition of the presence of BPIV3 type B in Chinese cattle herds. We hope this will help trace the origin of BPIV3, improve the understanding of differences between genotypes, and provide data support for vaccine development.
Evaluation of Five Buffers for Inactivation of Monkeypox Virus and Feasibility of Virus Detection Using the Panther Fusion® Open Access System
Authors: Fischer Robert J. , Gallogly Shane , Schulz Jonathan E. , van Doremalen Neeltje , Munster Vincent , Das Sanchita
Published: October 2022

Rapid diagnosis is key to containing viral outbreaks. However, for the current monkeypox outbreak the major deterrent to rapid testing is the requirement for higher biocontainment of potentially infectious monkeypox virus specimens. The current CDC guidelines require the DNA extraction process before PCR amplification to be performed under biosafety level 3 unless vaccinated personnel are performing assays. This increases the turn-around time and makes certain laboratories insufficiently equipped to handle specimens from patients with suspected monkeypox infection. We investigated the ability of five commercially available lysis buffers and heat for inactivation of monkeypox virus. We also optimized the use of monkeypox virus in Hologic® Panther Specimen Lysis Buffer for detection of virus in the Panther Fusion® Open Access System using published generic and clade specific monkeypox virus primers and probes.
Factors Affecting Farmers’ Adoption of Flood Adaptation Strategies Using Structural Equation Modeling
Authors: Faruk Md Omar , Maharjan Keshav Lall
Published: October 2022

Floods are a frequent disaster in Bangladesh, and farmers are the most at risk. Understanding how to improve the farmers’ flood adaption is important to reduce flood effects. Protection motivation theory (PMT) has been widely used to examine flood adaptation behavior, but there is still debate regarding the quantitative effect of PMT factors on flood adaption behavior, particularly in a geographically vulnerable context. This study integrates psychological aspects based on PMT to assess farmers’ flood adaptability. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data from 359 farmers. We employed structural equation modeling to test a PMT model with mediation analysis. The results showed that farmers who perceive a higher flood risk and feel more fear of floods are more likely to implement flood adaptation measures. Similarly, farmers adopt more adaptive actions if they have higher self-efficacy and response efficacy. However, they are less likely to take adaptive actions if they are subject to maladaptation. Maladaptation plays a significant role as a mediating variable. These findings will act as recommendations for government agencies to design policy measures to strengthen flood risk management. The study supports the theory of protection motivation to understand farmers’ flood adaptation behavior. However, further study is required to enhance and generalize the existing model.
Potential Hydrological Impacts of Planting Switchgrass on Marginal Rangelands in South Central Great Plains
Authors: Kharel Gehendra , Zhong Yu , Will Rodney E. , Zhang Tian , Zou Chris B.
Published: October 2022

Woody plant encroachment is an ongoing global issue. In the Southern Great Plains of the United States, the rapid encroachment and coalescence of woody plants are transforming herbaceous-dominated rangelands into woodlands with a detrimental impact on water quality and quantity. In this study, we conducted modeling simulations to assess how converting juniper (Juniperus virginiana) woodland and low to moderately productive grassland into switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) biomass production system would affect streamflow and sediment yields in the Lower Cimarron River, Oklahoma. First, the grassland areas in the basin were divided into productivity classes suitable for rangeland activities based on the soil productivity index. Next, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to develop the basin hydrologic model, calibrated and validated for streamflow in five gaging stations with a percent bias of <10%, Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency index of >0.76, and R2 of >0.77. Then, the model was used to simulate evapotranspiration (ET), streamflow, groundwater recharge, and sediment loads under different land use conversion scenarios. Results showed that converting existing juniper woodlands, ~4% of the basin, to switchgrass had limited impacts on the water budget and sediment yield. A hypothetical scenario of converting low to moderately productive rangeland to switchgrass increased annual ET by 2.6%, with a decrease in streamflow by 10.8% and a reduction in sediment yield by 39.2% compared to the baseline model. Results indicated that switchgrass could be considered a potential land use alternative to address the juniper encroached grassland with minimal loss in streamflow but a substantial reduction in sediment yield in the southcentral region of the Great Plains.
Theoretical Model and Experimental Research on Determining Aquifer Permeability Coefficients by Slug Test under the Influence of Positive Well-Skin Effect
Authors: Zhao Yanrong , Wang Haonan , Lv Pei , Dong Xiaosong , Huang Yong , Wang Jinguo , Yang Yikai
Published: October 2022

In the process of slug test in the field, mud and debris may infiltrate into the aquifer during the formation of the test well, and a poorly permeable annulus area appears around the test well wall. This is called the positive well-skin effect, which can have a significant impact on the results of slug tests due to the characteristics of a slug test. Therefore, to carry out the research on the determination of aquifer permeability coefficients by slug test under the influence of positive well-skin effect, a mathematical model of a slug test considering the positive well-skin effect was constructed. The Laplace transform method and the AWG algorithm were used to solve for a series of standard curves, and specific steps were given for calculating aquifer permeability coefficients by slug test under the influence of positive well-skin effect. Meanwhile, an indoor test model with positive well-skin effect was constructed, then several sets of slug tests and pumping tests with different excitation strengths were carried out. Based on this study, the presence of positive well-skin layer had a great impact on the aquifer permeability coefficient determined from both the pumping test and Kipp model of slug test, resulting in smaller results. The HWS model overcomes the influence of positive well-skin effect. This will further improve the theory of slug test, increase the accuracy of slug test in determining the permeability coefficient, and promote the application scope of slug test. It is therefore possible to discern the well-skin factor and determine the aquifer permeability coefficient by fitting the slug test data to a standard curve.
Evolution of Wet and Dry Spells Based on Original and Corrected Precipitation Data in Southwest China, 1961–2019
Authors: Ren Yitong , Cheng Qingping , Jin Hanyu
Published: October 2022

Gauge-measured precipitation data have long been recognized to underestimate actual precipitation due to wind-induced error, trace precipitation, and wetting loss, which affects the spatial and temporal characteristics of precipitation. In this study, we examined spatial and temporal differences in wet and dry spell indices based on original (Po) and corrected (Pc) precipitation data and their correlations with large-scale circulation indices (LSCIs) in Southwest China during 1961–2019. The main conclusions were: (1) Pc-based trends in wet/dry spell indices were generally more pronounced than Po-based. Specifically, when Pc-based, more stations had significant changes in the MWS, MLWS, MPWS, PWS95, FWW, FDW, MDS, MLDS, NLDS, and DDS95 indices, while fewer had significant changes in the NWS, NDS, FDD, and FWD indices. (2) Spearman’s results showed that more LSCIs were significantly related to the Pc-based wet/dry spell indices than Po-based. Po-based and Pc-based MWS, Po-based MDS, and Pc-based NLDS were significantly related to the most LSCIs. Therefore, taking them as examples, wavelet transform coherence (WTC) and partial wavelet coherence (PWC) were used to explore the coherence with LSCIs. WTC results showed South Asian Summer Monsoon Index (SASMI) + Po-based MWS, Arctic Oscillation (AO) + Po-based MDS, SASMI + Pc-based MWS, Asia Polar Vortex Intensity Index (APVI) + Pc-based NLDS exhibited the most obvious periodic resonance with main resonance periods of 2.13~7.8 year, 2.19~10.41 year, 2.13~12.13 year, 2.75~18.56 year, respectively. Since WTC may arbitrarily ignore the interaction between LSCIs, PWC is adopted for further analysis. PWC results showed the coherence of AO +Po-based MDS significantly increased after eliminating the Nino Eastern Pacific index (NEP) influence, with the main resonance period of 6.56~18.56 year. This study clearly demonstrated that corrected precipitation data should be used to improve the accuracy of drought assessments, climate models, eco-hydrological models, etc.
Simulation Analysis of the Cooling Effect of Urban Water Bodies on the Local Thermal Environment
Authors: Cao Beilei , Chen Qiang , Du Mingyi , Cheng Qianhao , Li Yuanyuan , Liu Rui
Published: October 2022

Urban water bodies have a cooling effect and alter the local urban thermal environment. However, current research is unclear regarding the relationships between factors such as the spatial density, area proportion, and distribution pattern of water bodies and the cooling effect of water on the local thermal environment. To clarify these relationships, it is critical to quantify and evaluate the influence these factors have on the cooling effect of water in the urban landscape. Therefore, we analyzed the cooling effect of different water bodies on the local thermal environment at the microscale by comparing their area proportions and distribution patterns using numerical simulations. Furthermore, we analyzed the day–night variation in the cooling effect of urban water bodies with different areas and distribution patterns. We used the area proportion, separation index (SI), and landscape shape index (LSI) to indicate the layouts of water bodies. The results showed that the cooling effect of a water body was higher during the day than at night. These results also showed that area proportion and LSI were positively correlated with the water body’s cooling effect. However, the efficiency of the cooling effect gradually decreased with increasing area proportion. When the LSI increased, more areas within the region displayed larger cooling effect values, but the uniformity of the regional cooling diminished. Additional results showed that the cooling effect had no significant positive correlation with SI. A moderate SI could enhance the uniformity of the cooling effect in the region and link the cooling effect between water patches.
Residual Sediment Transport in the Fine-Grained Jiangsu Coast under Changing Climate: The Role of Wind-Driven Currents
Authors: Pu Jinshan , Chen Yongping , Su Min , Mei Jinya , Yang Xinyi , Yu Zhibin , Yao Peng
Published: October 2022

Residual sediment transport, which is influenced by many factors including tide, wind, and waves, controls coastal morphological changes on different time scales. For fine-grained coasts where the wave effects are limited, it is still unclear to what extent the wind-driven current can impact the residual sediment transport. Taking the fine-grained Jiangsu Coast as an example, this study aimed to identify the contribution of wind on residual sediment transport over different time scales using a newly developed model. On a seasonal scale, wind-induced sediment transport shows strong seasonal characteristics, where the residual transport is more significant in the winter and summer. Nevertheless, the tide plays a dominant role in both residual current and sediment transport and the annual sediment budget over the coast. On the scale of tidal cycles, the extreme winds overwhelm the tides, controlling the residual sediment transport. However, the net sediment transport caused by the northerly winds (representing cold waves) is comparable to that of the southerly winds (representing typhoons). Therefore, although extreme winds can drive massive sediment transport in a short period, their contribution to annual sediment transport is limited.
The Water-Saving Management Contract in China: Current Status, Existing Problems, and Countermeasure Suggestions
Authors: Wang Wei , Ren Liang , Deng Chenning , Wang Qianyang , Yu Jingshan
Published: October 2022

This study analyzed the policies and summarized the current status of the national water-saving management contract (WSMC) development as well as its implementation between 2016 and 2020. Several main problems affecting and restricting the implementation of WSMC projects were identified including the lack of awareness of the importance of water conservation among water users, the limited number and scale of water conservation service enterprises, and the inadequacy of relevant policies and systems. Subsequently, 11 countermeasure suggestions were proposed, including stimulating the endogenous power of the WSMC, strengthening policy support for the WSMC, improving the supporting systems and the service systems, increasing investment and innovation of water conservation technologies, improving technical standards, exploring innovative WSMC models, promoting pilot demonstrations, deepening water price system reforms, increasing the publicity and training of the WSMC, strengthening coordination, and linkage between multiple departments. These suggestions can provide a reference for the relevant departments to develop and promote WSMC policies.
Assessment of Surface Water Quality in the Baia Mare Area, Romania
Authors: Sur Ioana Monica , Moldovan Ana , Micle Valer , Polyak Evelyn Terez
Published: October 2022

Baia Mare area represents one of the most important mining areas of Romania. Although the mining activities carried out here are currently inactive (since 2012), they generated residual pollution that negatively influences all the environmental factors. The aim of the study is to evaluation of the quality of surface water from the vicinity of the city of Baia Mare, Romania. The surface water samples, collected in two distinct years (2021 and 2022), were analyzed to determine the concentration of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, Fe, Mn, and As) in order to establish the degree of contamination and the water quality through heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), heavy metal pollution index (HPI), and water quality index (WQI). The pH and the content of cations (Ca, Mg, Na, K) and anions (HCO3−, SO42−, Cl−) were also determined for complex characterization. The results showed that the water in the area had a high degree of pollution with high concentrations of Cr: 0.165–1.57 mgL−1, Ni: 0.01–0.718 mgL−1, and Cu: 0.036–0.195 mgL−1. The pollution indices showed an average level of heavy metal pollution for the collected surface water samples. The quality index demonstrated that all surface water samples in the study area were unfit for irrigation and drinking due to poor and very poor water quality.
Perennial Groundwater Zone Formation Processes in Thin Organic Soil Layers Overlying Thick Clayed Mineral Soil Layers in a Small Serpentine Headwater Catchment
Authors: Yoshino Takahiko , Katsura Shin’ya
Published: October 2022

Groundwater zone formation in the soil layers of a headwater catchment is an important factor that controls volumetric and chemical changes in streamflow; it also induces shallow landslides. Previous studies have suggested that the groundwater zone in soil layers generally forms transiently atop low-permeability layers in response to rainfall. This study focused on an unchanneled hollow in a serpentine headwater catchment, where a semi-perennial to perennial groundwater zone was observed in thin organic soil layers (OSLs) overlying thick clay mineral soil layers (CMLs), even during dry periods. We conducted detailed observations in this catchment to clarify the formation processes of the semi-perennial to perennial groundwater zone. The results showed that water is supplied from the CMLs to the OSLs as unsaturated upward flow in areas where the OSLs are dry. This water then accumulates in the downslope hollow, which sustains the groundwater zone in the OSLs during dry periods. The frequent and long-term occurrence of upward flow can be attributed to differences in the hydraulic properties of OSLs and CMLs. This process prevents the OSLs in the hollow from drying, presumably causes volumetric and chemical changes in streamflow, and reduces the stability of OSLs.
Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change on Rainwater Harvesting: A Case Study for Eight Australian Capital Cities
Authors: Preeti Preeti , Haddad Khaled , Rahman Ataur
Published: October 2022

Due to climate change, freshwater supply will be limited at many locations around the globe. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) has emerged as an alternative and sustainable freshwater source. In this study, the impacts of climate change on water saving as well as the reliability of a RWH system are investigated using data from eight Australian capital cities. Both historical and projected rainfall data were incorporated into a daily water balance model to evaluate the performance of a RWH system in relation to its reliability, water savings and scarcity. Indoor (toilet and laundry), outdoor (irrigation) and combined (indoor plus outdoor) water demands were considered for a 5 m3 tank size. It has been found that in the future period, the water savings and reliability of a RWH system will reduce slightly across the selected cities. Different capital cities of Australia will experience different level of performance for a RWH system depending on their locations, water uses and seasons. The findings of this study will be useful to water authorities and policy makers to plan for a sustainable RWH system under changing climate conditions.
Seasonal Variation and Driving Factors of Nitrate in Rivers of Miyun Reservoir Watershed, North China
Authors: Wang Qingsuo , Sun Dongbao , Yu Yilei , Tang Zhiyang , Lu Yongxin
Published: October 2022

In order to identify the seasonal variations and dominant driving factors of NO3-N in rivers, investigations of five consecutive years were conducted in seven rivers of the Miyun Reservoir Watershed. Significant seasonal variation of NO3-N in rivers was separately found in the dormant season (non-growing season) and the growing season. Furtherly, the V-shaped, W-shaped, and indistinct seasonal patterns of NO3-N accounted for 53.0%, 38.7%, and 8.3%, respectively. They were remarkably affected by stream flow, and their significant quadratic function was discovered. The annual maxima and minima of NO3-N corresponded to medium flow in the dormant season and low flow or flood in the growing season, respectively. On one hand, flood mainly played a role in the diluent for the Chao River with high NO3-N, and on the other hand, it acted as a nitrogen source for the Bai River with low NO3-N. The NO3-N was closely correlated with human activities, and this correlation had obvious seasonal change trend. In the dormant season, significant and mostly extremely significant high correlation coefficient (R) values were determined, while partly non-significant with low R values were found in July, August, September, and October. Increasing seasonal variation index of NO3-N from upstream to downstream was found that was gentle for large rivers and sharp for small tributaries. The seasonality of NO3-N was more affected by natural factors, especially flood, than human factors.
Relationship between Chlorophyll a and Environmental Factors in Lakes Based on the Random Forest Algorithm
Authors: Huang Hanjie , Wang Wei , Lv Junping , Liu Qi , Liu Xudong , Xie Shulian , Wang Fei , Feng Jia
Published: October 2022

Chlorophyll a concentration is an important indicator to characterize phytoplankton biomass, which further reflects the water quality of lakes. Based on the data of chlorophyll a concentration and environmental factors extracted from the ChlaData, HydroLAKES, and HELLAKES databases for Chinese lakes for three years (2000, 2005, and 2010), we used the random forest model and the generalized linear model to analyze the relationship between chlorophyll a concentration and environmental factors in Chinese lakes and predict the chlorophyll a concentration. The results showed that the relative importance of environmental factors for chlorophyll a was as follows: nutrient salt concentration > longitude and latitude > monthly mean precipitation > altitude > annual average temperature. The coefficient of determination of the random forest model was 0.9997 (R2 = 0.9997), and the root-mean-square error was 0.0010 (RMSE = 0.0010), with high prediction accuracy. The random forest model and the generalized linear model both showed that TP was the main influencing factor of chlorophyll a concentration. The validation results based on the measured data show that the models are reliable. By making more accurate predictions of chlorophyll a concentrations, we can facilitate the prevention, control, and treatment of lake blooms.
Permeability and Porosity Changes in Sandstone Reservoir by Geothermal Fluid Reinjection: Insights from a Laboratory Study
Authors: Gan Haonan , Liu Zhiming , Wang Guiling , Liao Yuzhong , Wang Xiao , Zhang Yu , Zhao Jichu , Liu Zhitao
Published: October 2022

Geothermal energy is a clean and environmentally friendly energy source that can be used sustainably; however, attention towards geothermal energy has been intermittent during the last 40 years as a function of the crisis of oil price. However, geothermal reinjection and clogging has been a challenge limiting geothermal development and utilization. In China, widely distributed sandstone geothermal reservoirs have reduced production due to technical constraints such as excessive reinjection pressure and blockage. In this paper, we took the Binzhou sandstone geothermal field in North China as an example and conducted displacement experiments under different temperature and flow rate conditions by collecting in situ geothermal fluid and core rock to obtain changes in sandstone permeability. By comparing the variation in geochemical and mineral composition of geothermal fluids and cores before and after the experiments, combined with a water–rock interaction simulation, we investigated the reasons for the changes in permeability and porosity. The results show that high temperature and low flow rate have relatively minimal displacement pressure, and a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min at 45 °C shows a minimal effect on permeability, while 1.0 mL/min at 55 °C and 0.5 mL/min at 45 °C show a minimal effect on porosity. Flow rate is the main factor controlling permeability, while temperature demonstrated a relatively minor effect. The shift in permeability and porosity is mainly caused by the precipitation of quartz and the conversion of albite to montmorillonite. The injection of fluids at 55 °C may have dissolved additional minerals with a minimal change in porosity. However, the permeability reduction at 55 °C is greater than that at 45 °C, indicating that the blockage, which led to the permeability reduction, contains multiple causes, such as chemical and physical blockages. From the laboratory studies, we recommended that reinjected geothermal water be cooled or kept below the reservoir temperature before reinjection and at moderate flow conditions.
Deriving Optimal Analysis Method for Road Surface Runoff with Change in Basin Geometry and Grate Inlet Installation
Authors: Jo Junbeom , Kwak Changjae , Kim Jungsoo , Kim Sooyoul
Published: October 2022

Road surface-runoffs have been analyzed using various approaches, but inaccurate analysis methods lead to overestimation of the drainage capacity, causing unexpected flood damage in low-lying urban areas. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of considering various parameters for accurate road surface-runoff analysis. This study involves road surface-runoff analysis using an enhanced approach considering simplified and modified drainage basin geometries, road surface and gutter flow travel times, and inlet interception efficiency as key parameters under various road conditions. The topographical road conditions were set as follows: Width (6 m), longitudinal slope of road (2–10%), road surface slope (2%), and transverse slope of gutter (2–7%). The results show that using a modified basin considering road slope conditions for estimating actual flow path length and travel time is better for flow analysis than the simplified rectangular basin. Additionally, the runoff analysis should consider the roadside inlet installation conditions, given that the bypass discharge (i.e., rainfall runoff that is not intercepted by upstream inlets) flows downstream and affects the downstream flow characteristics. Based on these results, an optimal road surface-runoff analysis method was developed, which is expected to be useful for road design.
Extreme Precipitation Events on the East Coast of Brazil’s Northeast: Numerical and Diagnostic Analysis
Authors: Costa Saulo Barros , Herdies Dirceu Luís , Souza Diego Oliveira de
Published: October 2022

The Northeast of Brazil (NEB) is the region with the highest number of municipal decrees of emergency situation declaration caused by weather events in the period from 2013 to 2022 and with the highest rate of natural disasters per risk area. In the NEB, the city of Recife and its metropolitan region are the biggest localities with populations in risk areas. Focusing on this region, five events of extreme precipitation were chosen for simulations using the WRF model and diagnostics analyses. First, a set of configurations of the model was tested, including 11 microphysics (MPH) schemes, 9 planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes, 5 cumulus (CUM), and 7 surface layer (SFC) schemes. Then, through diagnostic analysis, the conditional instability, the moisture supply at low levels, and the support of the medium and high levels in storm formation were verified. The model’s configurations were verified by 298 rain gauges with hourly registrations through statistical metrics such as bias, MSE, standard deviation, and Pearson’s correlation, and demonstrated that the MPH schemes of Thompson Aerosol-Aware and NSSL + CCM, ACM2, MYJ for the PBL, KFCuP for CUM, and RUC for SFC were considered the best. All the cases were better with CUM parametrizations turned on. In all cases, diagnostics analyses highlighted the strong moisture flux convergence at the low levels, the presence of wind shear on the middle layer, weak cyclonic vorticity advection at high levels, and CAPE values around 1500 J/kg, in addition to an inverse relationship between wind shear action and CAPE values. This work is part of the national strategy for monitoring, diagnosis, and modeling of information that can minimize or even prevent damage caused by severe precipitation events.
Consortium between Groundwater Quality and Lint Yield in Cotton Belt Areas
Authors: Hameed Muhammad Rashid , Attia Houneida , Riaz Umair , Ashraf Kamran , Alamer Khalid H. , Althobaiti Ashwaq T. , Algethami Badreyah , Sultan Khawar , Khan Aamir Amanat Ali , Zaman Qamar uz
Published: October 2022

The agriculture sector of Pakistan mainly depends on freshwater from groundwater resources. Deterioration of these resources adversely affected crop yields due to climate change and human activities. A comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate the groundwater quality of varying boring depths and the possible effects on the crop yield of cotton in Tehsil Fort Abbas, District Bahawalnagar, Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 347 samples were collected from the investigated areas. Results revealed that 86% of samples were declared unfit for irrigation purposes, 6% of samples were fit, and 8% of samples were marginally fit for irrigation. The ranges for the electrical conductivity (EC), sodium absorption ratio (SAR), and residual sodium carbonate (RSC) were 0.61–10.49 dS m−1, 0.65 to 5.44 meq L−1, and 0.02 to 5.44 meq L−1, respectively. Regarding the EC of water samples, the southwestern side of the study area where the lower values were observed was in an acceptable range in terms of water quality. Differential response to metal contamination was observed in the study area. Lower contamination of metals was observed in the water samples collected from some regions on the eastern and western sides of the study area. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that by increasing the depth of the bore, the value of EC was also increased. Similarly, for the cotton lint yield maximum yield (1040 kg acre−1) was observed in the sampling point located in the southwestern part of the study area due to better quality of irrigation water, while the minimum cotton lint yield (520 kg acre−1) was noticed in sampling point located in the western side of the study area. Overall groundwater quality of Tehsil Fort Abbas was unfit for irrigation due to the high EC values and metal concentrations. The yield showed a negative correlation among all parameters of water. It was suggested that using the recommended dose of gypsum powder/stone and dilution of groundwater with canal water reduced the hazards of anions and cations of groundwater for the accumulation of salts in crops.
Combination of a Highly Efficient Biological System and Visible-Light Photocatalysis Pretreatment System for the Removal of Phthalate Esters from Wastewater
Authors: Chen Chih-Yu , Wang Guey-Horng , Chang Yu-Jen , Chen Yi-Hui , Cheng Chiu-Yu , Chung Ying-Chien
Published: October 2022

To save energy and increase treatment efficiency, a visible-light photocatalysis system was coupled with a biological treatment system for the continuous removal of phthalate esters (PAEs) from synthetic wastewater. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) were treated using an iodine-doped TiO2 photocatalyst, and the reactions followed first-order kinetics (similar to ultraviolet TiO2 photocatalysis) to produce phthalic acid as an intermediate product. The effects of various operating factors, such as PAE concentrations, pH, light intensity, retention time (RT), and the coexistence of PAEs, on individual PAE removal were investigated. DEHP-degrading bacteria were isolated from DEHP-contaminated soil, purified through serial dilution, and then identified through DNA sequencing. The results indicated that the optimal operating conditions for PAE removal with a visible-light photoreactor were a pH of 5, a temperature of 30 °C, a light intensity of 300 W, and an RT of 5.5 min. DEHP, which contains long and branched chains, was more difficult to degrade than DMP, which contains short alkyl side chains. Pseudomonas sp. was the most dominant bacteria in the DEHP-contaminated soil and was inoculated in a packed bed reactor (PBR) for complete PAE degradation. The effluent containing PAEs was pretreated using the visible-light photoreactor under a short RT. This treatment resulted in the effluent becoming biodegradable, and PAEs could be completely removed from the treated effluent by using the PBR. The coupled photobiological system achieved removal efficiencies of 99.6%, 99.9%, and 100% for DEHP, DBP, and DMP, respectively, during the continuous treatment. The results of this study indicate that the developed coupled system is an effective, energy-saving, and cost-efficient tool for treating wastewater containing PAEs.
Analysis of the Characteristics and Driving Forces of Changes in Lake Water Volume in Inland Arid Basins in China
Authors: Lv Aifeng , Zhang Chuanhui
Published: October 2022

Lakes are sensitive indicators of climatic change and are important resources for regional economic development. In recent years, there have been many studies related to the changes in lake area and lake volume. However, further studies are still required to understand the responses of lakes to climatic change and human activities. This paper utilizes lakes in the Qaidam Basin, an inland arid region of China, as the object of study and investigates the characteristics of variability in lake changes and its driving forces by combining multi-source remote sensing, model simulations and historical data. We first analyzed the spatiotemporal pattern of climatic change in the basin under the background of global warming. The response of lake water volume to climatic change and human activities is then discussed. Finally, the main factors that affect the change in lake water volume in different regions of the basin are delineated. The water volume of lakes in the Qaidam Basin increased by 3.81 km3 from 1990 to 2020. Particularly since the 21st century, the water volume of lakes has increased rapidly, and an increasingly abrupt change appeared around 2015. The increases in precipitation and vegetation area are the main and secondary factors that led to the increase in total lake water volume in the basin, respectively. However, the main influencing factors still vary in different regions. The impact of air temperature, evaporation, and changes in the cropland area on the change in lake water volume is generally not obvious. Human activities, such as the development of salt lakes and damming, have led to substantial changes in the spatial pattern of lakes in the middle of the basin and are associated with the replacement, genesis, and disappearance of Yiliping Lake, Yahu Lake and West Taijinar Lake, respectively. This study reveals the changing characteristics of climate and lake water volume in inland arid basins in China, which are highly important to understand the responses of lakes to climatic change and human activities, and provides a scientific basis for the rational development and utilization of lake resources in arid basins.
Thermal-Hydraulic Characteristics of the Liquid-Based Battery Thermal Management System with Intersected Serpentine Channels
Authors: Liu Huaqiang , Gao Xiangcheng , Niu Dong , Yu Minghao , Ji Yulong
Published: October 2022

Liquid thermal management is the prevailing method to maintain the operating performance and safety of Li-ion batteries. However, a better heat transfer performance is often accompanied by a higher power cost for liquid-based cooling methods. In the present work, V-shaped intersecting bypasses are integrated into conventional serpentine channels to reduce the liquid pressure drop across the cold plate without loss of thermal performance. The thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the battery thermal management system are studied based on CFD simulations. The non-dimensional j/f factor is developed and adopted to evaluate the heat transfer ability and friction loss of different designs. The effects of intersecting channel addition, flow direction, channel inlet, and outlet distributions are explored with the simulation results and data analysis. The results show that all of these factors would impact the thermal–hydraulic characteristics of the liquid cold plate. The addition of intersecting channels remarkably reduces the power cost, thus increasing the j/f factor. The alteration of the flow direction from longitudinal to widthwise could further improve the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the intersected channel design. For conventional serpentine channels, the inlet and outlet distributions show no evident impact on thermal performance. However, regarding the intersected cases, the thermal-hydraulic performance is enhanced when the inlet and outlet are placed on the opposite sides of the cold plate, especially when the inlet velocity is less than 0.3 m/s. The findings of this study could shed light on the liquid flow channel design for battery thermal management.
Evolution of Water Technologies and Corresponding Philosophy and Sciences Focusing on the Hellenic World through the Millennia
Authors: Angelakis Andreas N. , Krasilnikoff Jens , Tzanakakis Vasileios A.
Published: October 2022

In this review, hydro-technological advancements in the Hellenic world throughout the millennia are considered in relation to the scientific developments and perceptions of the natural world articulated by Greek thinkers. Starting with the advanced hydro technologies of the Minoan civilization, this review presents the state-of-the-art evaluation of the hydro technologies in Greek historical contexts. More precisely, this review focus on how, when, and where modern hydro technologies developed based on ancient technological achievements, and subsequently when technological achievements were totally forgotten in specific periods, such as the Iron Age (ca 1200–800 BC), only to be reinvented or rediscovered in subsequent periods. In most cases, information has been collected from different sources and was cross-matched with each other. The results observed from the literature and material evidence are compiled and presented in the form of a critical review study. With a few examples, comparisons to hydrologic and hydraulic developments in other civilizations are considered and discussed.
Water Hammer Simulation Using Simplified Convolution-Based Unsteady Friction Model
Authors: Urbanowicz Kamil , Bergant Anton , Stosiak Michał , Deptuła Adam , Karpenko Mykola , Kubrak Michał , Kodura Apoloniusz
Published: October 2022

Omission of frequency-dependent hydraulic resistance (skin friction) during modelling of the water hammer phenomenon is unacceptable. This resistance plays a major role when the transient liquid flow occurs in rigid-walled pipes (steel, copper, etc.). In the literature, there are at least two different modelling approaches to skin friction. The first group consists of models based on instantaneous changes in local and convective velocity derivatives, and the second group are models based on the convolution integral and full history of the flow. To date, more popular models are those from the first group, but their use requires empirical coefficients. The second group is still undervalued, even if based on good theoretical foundations and does not require any empirical coefficients. This is undoubtedly related to the calculation complexity of the convolution integral. In this work, a new improved effective solution of this integral is further validated, which is characterised with the use of a simplified weighting function consisting of just two exponential terms. This approach speeds the numerical calculations of the basic flow parameters (pressure and velocity) significantly. Presented comparisons of calculations using the new procedure with experimental pressure runs show the usefulness of the proposed solution and prove that it maintains sufficient accuracy.
A Comparative Study on Steady-State Water Inflow into a Circular Underwater Tunnel with an Excavation Damage Zone
Authors: Pan Yi-Heng , Qi Jia-Rui , Zhang Jin-Feng , Peng Ya-Xiong , Chen Chao , Ma Hai-Nan , Ye Chen
Published: October 2022

Excavation damage zones that occur around tunnels usually lead to a change in rock permeability, which has an impact on the water inflow into tunnels and even induces water inrush disasters. For a better understanding of the effect of the excavation damage zone, analytical solutions that consider the excavation damage zone are developed based on the review and modification of the solutions that consider linings and grouting circles. Then, both analytical solutions and the finite element method are applied to estimate the water inflow, and the results are in good agreement. The effect of the excavation damage zone on water inflow is analyzed based on an impact factor of the excavation damage zone and evaluated in a real engineering case, and the seepage-preventing effects of grouting are discussed. The results reveal that the water inflow increases with increasing permeability and thickness of the excavation damage zone and that there is a limit for the effects of the excavation damage zone. In addition, the effect is stronger for underwater tunnels with small water inflows and stabilizes gradually as the magnitude of water inflow increases. The increase in the impermeability and thickness of the lining and grouting circle can reduce the effect.
The Karakoram Anomaly: Validation through Remote Sensing Data, Prospects and Implications
Authors: Attaullah Haleema , Khan Asif , Khan Mujahid , Khan Firdos , Ali Shaukat , Masud Tabinda , Iqbal Muhammad Shahid
Published: October 2022

Millions of people rely on river water originating from snow- and ice-melt from basins in the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalayas (HKH). One such basin is the Upper Indus Basin (UIB), where the snow- and ice-melt contribution can be more than 80%. Being the origin of some of the world’s largest alpine glaciers, this basin could be highly susceptible to global warming and climate change. Field observations and geodetic measurements suggest that in the Karakoram Mountains, glaciers are either stable or have expanded since 1990, in sharp contrast to glacier retreats that are prevalently observed in the Himalayas and adjoining high-altitude terrains of Central Asia. Decreased summer temperature and discharge in the rivers originating from this region are cited as supporting evidence for this somewhat anomalous phenomenon. This study used remote sensing data during the summer months (July–September) for the period 2000 to 2017. Equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) for July, August and September have been estimated. ELA trends for July and September were found statistically insignificant. The August ELA declined by 128 m during 2000–2017 at a rate of 7.1 m/year, testifying to the Karakoram Anomaly concomitant with stable to mass gaining glaciers in the Hunza Basin (western Karakoram). Stable glaciers may store fresh water for longer and provide sustainable river water flows in the near to far future. However, these glaciers are also causing low flows of the river during summer months. The Tarbela reservoir reached three times its lowest storage level during June 2019, and it was argued this was due to the low melt of glaciers in the Karakoram region. Therefore, using remote sensing data to monitor the glaciers’ health concomitant with sustainable water resources development and management in the HKH region is urgently needed.
Numerical Investigation of Flow Structure and Turbulence Characteristic around a Spur Dike Using Large-Eddy Simulation
Authors: Chen Yanhong , Lu Yang , Yang Shutan , Mao Jingqiao , Gong Yiqing , Muhammad Wada Idris , Yin Sidian
Published: October 2022

Spur dikes provide significant control for flow regimes in river regulation engineering, which can help in the regeneration of stream habitats. However, the narrowing of the flow by spur dike changes the turbulence characteristics. To clarify the turbulence characteristics around the spur dike, the method of large eddy simulation (LES) was used to investigate the horizontal turbulence structure around spur dikes with different discharges in an open-channel flume. The simulations were an exact reproduction of large-scale laboratory experiments, which showed agreement with the experimental results. The distributions of time-averaged streamwise velocity, bed shear stress, and second-order turbulence statistics obtained from the LES were analyzed. An examination of the time series of velocity fluctuation as the probability density function, quadrant analysis, the power density spectra, flow instability, and the vortex separation created in the detached shear layer were estimated. The results accurately revealed the flow field under flow separation, the turbulence statistics inside the separated shear layer, and the vortex structure and emphasized the variation in the different water depths. The results demonstrated that the form of turbulence was not significantly affected by discharge. Moreover, vortex and energy transmission displayed the same periodicity, despite variances in the structural form of turbulence at different water depths. Overall, the results of the study provide an efficient basis for understanding the turbulence around spur dikes, which is crucial for their safe design.
Mineral Reaction Kinetics during Aciding of the Gaoyuzhuang Carbonate Geothermal Reservoir in the Xiong’an New Area, Northern China
Authors: Yue Gaofan , Zhu Xi , Wang Guiling , Ma Feng
Published: October 2022

There are abundant geothermal resources in the Xiong’an New Area, China. Drilling has revealed a greater potential in the deep Gaoyuzhuang geothermal reservoir. However, the reservoir required acidification to increase its water production. In this study, three types of core samples with different mineral compositions from different depths in the target boreholes were selected for acid rock reaction experiments at the temperature of 40 °C, 60 °C, 80 °C and 100 °C, and pressure of 30 MPa. The kinetics of the acid rock reaction of the major minerals were modeled based on the transitional state theory. The kinetic parameters were obtained by comparing the modelling and experimental results. The results show that the lithology of the Gaoyuzhuang reservoir is primarily dolomite. The dissolution ratio for 15 wt.% HCl reached 84.1% on average for the rock fragments. Temperature has a significant effect on the dissolution rate of the minerals. In the presence of HCl (acidic mechanism), the reaction rate constants of the dolomite, calcite and illite reached 2.4 × 10−4 mol/m2/s, 5.3 × 10−1 mol/m2/s and 9.5 × 10−2 mol/m2/s, respectively. The results of this study provide the basic parameters for the design and evaluation of field acidizing.