Cr(VI) Immobilization Process in a Cr‐Spiked Soil by Zerovalent Iron Nanoparticles: Optimization Using Response Surface Methodology

The response surface methodology involving the five‐level central composite design (CCD) was employed to model and optimize the Cr(VI) immobilization process in a Cr‐spiked soil using starch‐stabilized zerovalent iron nanoparticles (ZVIn). ZVIn were synthesized via a borohydride reduction method and characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All Cr(VI) immobilization experiments were conducted in a batch system. The variables for the CCD optimization were the ZVIn dosage (% w/w), reaction time (min), and initial Cr(VI) concentration in soil (mg/kg). The predicted response values by the second‐order polynomial model were found to be in good agreement with experimental values (R² = 0.968 and adj‐R² = 0.940). The optimization result showed that the Cr(VI) immobilization efficiency presented the maximal result (90.63%) at the following optimal conditions: ZVIn dosage of 1.5% w/w, reaction time of 60 min, and an initial Cr(VI) concentration of 400 mg/kg.     

不同土壤水分条件和气温对沙枣树出胶的影响

对沙枣树的出胶进行了不同土壤水环境条件下的比较。结果表明,湿润林带的出胶率低,但出胶量高,干旱林带则相反,是出胶率高而出胶量低。沙枣树的出胶应该是自身生理活性作用和受害反应的结果。同时还发现沙枣树的出胶率和出胶量都随气温的增加而明显增加。指出出胶率高是病虫害侵染所造成,而出胶量高则是生理活性强的表现。沙枣胶的生产应该在新疆炎热的南疆地区进行,加强林带的管理和复壮有利于提高沙枣树的产胶量。     

Hydrogeochemical characteristics prediction using multiple linear regression: case study on unconfined aquifer in northeastern Tunisia

The main factors and mechanisms controlling the groundwater chemistry and mineralization are recognized through hydrochemical data. However, water quality prediction remains a key parameter for groundwater resources management and planning. The geochemical study of groundwater of a multilayered aquifer system in Tunisia is recognized by measurements of the pH, EC, total dissolved solids (TDS), major ion concentration and nitrates of 36 samples from pumping wells covering the aquifer extension and analyzed using standard laboratory and field methods. The calcite precipitation, gypsum, anhydrite and halite dissolution, and direct and reverse ion exchange are the principal process of chemical evolution in the Nadhour-Saouaf aquifer system. Using stepwise regression, the concentration groups of (Ca, Cl, and NO₃), (Cl, SO₄, and Mg), and (Ca and Na) exhibit significant prediction of TDS in Plio-Quaternary, Miocene, and Oligocene aquifer levels, respectively. The highest values of R ² and adjusted R ² close to 1 revealed the accuracy of the developed models which is confirmed by the weak difference between the measured and estimated values varying between ?12 and 8%. The important uncertainty parameters that affected the estimated TDS are assessed by the sensitivity analysis method. The concentration of (Cl), (Ca and Cl), and (Na) are the major parameters affecting the TDS sensitivity of the Plio-Quaternary, Miocene, and Oligocene aquifer levels, respectively. Hence, the developed TDS models provide a more simple and easy alternative to other methods used for groundwater quality estimation and prediction as proven from external validation on groundwater samples unconsidered in the model construction.     

巴丹吉林沙漠北缘沙尘天气过程中近地面气象要素变化及风沙流结构分析

提要：利用2013年春季在巴丹吉林沙漠北缘拐子湖地区的沙尘暴加强观测资料,对比分析该地区典型流动沙面晴天、扬沙和沙尘暴三种天气背景下各气象要素的变化特征及差异,同时对沙尘暴过程中近地层风沙活动特征进行分析。结果表明,随风速增加沙尘天气强度逐步提升且沙尘天气来临前风速、风向均表现出明显的调整现象,此后爆发过程中风速、风向相对稳定。随沙尘天气强度的增加气温逐渐减小且沙尘天气过程中地面呈利于沙尘起动的暖干状态,同时地面气压不断升高。悬浮的沙尘会导致拐子湖流动沙地各层地温有减小趋势,但减小程度相对较弱,使沙尘天气下各层地温仍保持良好的梯度变化和正弦型日变化趋势。拐子湖流沙地春季起沙风速为6.5m/s,输沙通量垂直分布状况在20cm左右具有明显的分段现象。地表100cm内总输沙量的50%和90%分别集中在地表20cm和56cm高度以内。观测期间整个5月地表0～100cm高度内的输沙通量为420.96kg/m。     

Visibility Analysis In Vision Metrology Network Design

The aim of this paper is to present a method whereby accuracy enhancement of an existing photogrammetric network is achieved through the automatic selection of additional camera stations. The determination of the positions of these 'accuracy fulfilment' camera stations is based upon what has been termed 'visibility uncertainty prediction modelling' of visibility constraints derived from the existing network geometry. Following a review of vision constraints in network design, the concepts of visibility uncertainty prediction and visibility uncertainty spheres are introduced. These provide a mechanism to predict the visibility of current object target points for the new accuracy fulfilment images. This in turn aids in network design improvement. The visibility uncertainty modelling is then illustrated for two close range photogrammetric network configurations, for which the test results demonstrate that the proposed model can reliably predict target visibility with an overall certainty of 75%.     

Mesozoic radiolarian faunas from the northwest Ilocos Region,Luzon, Philippines and their tectonic significance

Northwestern Ilocos Norte in Luzon, Philippines, exposes cherts, peridotite and a variety of metamorphic rocks including chlorite schist, quartzo‐feldspathic schist, muscovite schist and actinolite schist. These rocks are incorporated within a tectonic mélange, the Dos Hermanos Mélange, which is thrust onto the turbidite succession of the Eocene Bangui Formation and capped by the Upper Miocene Pasuquin Limestone. The radiolarian assemblages constrain the stratigraphic range of the cherts to the uppermost Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous. Stratigraphically important species include Eucyrtidiellum pyramis (Aita), Hiscocapsa acuta (Hull), Protunuma japonicus (Matsuoka & Yao), Archeodictyomitra montisserei (Squinabol), Hiscocapsa asseni (Tan), Cryptamphorella conara (Foreman) and Pseudodictyomitra carpatica (Lozyniak). The radiolarian biostratigraphic data provide evidence for the existence of a Mesozoic basinal source from which the cherts and associated rocks were derived. Crucial to determining the origin of these rocks is their distribution and resemblance with known mélange outcrops in Central Philippines. The mélange in the northwestern Ilocos region bears similarities in terms of age and composition with those noted in the western part of the Central Philippines, particularly in the islands of Romblon, Mindoro and Panay. The existence of tectonic mélanges in the Central Philippines has been attributed to the Early to Middle Miocene arc–continent collision. This event involved the Philippine Mobile Belt and the Palawan Microcontinental Block, a terrane that drifted from the southeastern margin of mainland Asia following the opening of the South China Sea. Such arc–continent collision event could also well explain the existence of a tectonic mélange in northwestern Luzon.     

Engineering geological characterisation of the rock masses at Tannur Dam site,South Jordan

This paper highlights the geomechanical characterisation of the rock masses exposed at the dam abutments and reservoir area at the Tannur Dam site, South Jordan. The right abutment rock masses are characterised by closely to widely spaced joints. The rock-mass qualities were assigned using the rock-mass rating (RMR) and Q-tunnelling index. Both systems assigned a poor quality for foundation rocks because of the presence of weak rocks. The rock masses constituting the dam abutments exhibit fair quality. The results of packer tests indicate that the hydraulic conductivity of the rock masses of Fuheis-Hummar-Shueib (FHS) and Wadi es Sir (A7) formations range from 10 to 150 Lugeon units (LU). The FHS was characterised by lower LU values compared with A7; this reflects the fracturing characteristics of A7. However, the A7 should be grouted especially the right abutment. However, the FHS needs less grouting because the spacing between joints seems to be tight. The estimated shear strength envelopes relevant to the rock masses of both abutments as well as the foundation rocks were quite similar and, therefore, present similar shear strength characteristics. The shear strength for jointed rock masses showed curvilinear failure planes with average cohesion values of 0.67 and 0.64 MPa and friction angles of 36.5 and 35.5° for dam abutments and the foundation area, respectively.     

Characteristics of lipid tracer compounds transported to the Arabian Gulf by runoff from rivers and atmospheric dust transport

River runoff and atmospheric fallout (dust and air particulate matter) are major input sources of natural and anthropogenic terrestrial organic and inorganic components to the Arabian seas. In this study, we report on the various lipid tracer compounds that might be transported to the Arabian Gulf by rivers, dust, and air particulate matter. These are based on geochemical analysis of sediment, dust, and particulate samples collected from Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. The samples were extracted with a dichloromethane/methanol mixture and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The extractable organic compounds (lipids) in the samples include n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkanols, methyl n-alkanoates, steroids, triterpenoids, carbohydrates, and petroleum hydrocarbons. The steroids and triterpenoids were major components in river and wetland samples. The major sources of these lipids were from natural vegetation, microbial (plankton and bacteria) residues in the sediments, sand, and soils, with some contribution from anthropogenic sources. Accordingly, these sources could be major inputs to the Arabian seas besides the autochthonous marine products. Future studies of the organic and inorganic biogeochemistry on river, dust, and coastal areas are needed to characterize the various regional sources, transformation, and diagenetic processes of the organic matter en route to the marine environment.     

On lattice reduction algorithms for solving weighted integer least squares problems: comparative study

Decorrelation or reduction theory deals with identifying appropriate lattice bases that aid in accelerating integer search to find the optimal integer solution of the weighted integer least squares problem. Orthogonality defect has been widely used to measure the degree of orthogonality of the reduced lattice bases for many years. This contribution presents an upper bound for the number of integer candidates in the integer search process. This upper bound is shown to be a product of three factors: (1) the orthogonality defect, (2) the absolute value of the determinant of the inverse of the generator matrix of the lattice, and (3) the radius of the search space raised to the power of the dimension of the integer ambiguity vector. Four well-known decorrelation algorithms, namely LLL, LAMBDA, MLAMBDA, and Seysen, are compared. Many simulated data with varying condition numbers and dimensions as well as real GPS data show that the Seysen reduction algorithm reduces the condition number much better than the other algorithms. Also, the number of integer candidates, before and after the reduction process, is counted for all algorithms. Comparing the number of integer candidates, condition numbers, and orthogonality defect reveals that reducing the condition number and the orthogonality defect may not necessarily result in decreasing the number of integer candidates in the search process. Therefore, contrary to the common belief, reducing the orthogonality defect and condition number do not always result in faster integer least squares estimation. The results indicate that LAMBDA and MLAMBDA perform much better in reducing the number of integer candidates than the other two algorithms, despite having a larger orthogonality defect and condition number in some cases. Therefore, these two algorithms can speed up the integer least squares estimation problem in general and the integer ambiguity resolution problem in particular.