The aim of the paper is to clarify the mechanisms of external Europeanization. Studies so far claim that the more distant a country is from the EU core the more indirect the mechanisms of the external Europeanization ...The aim of the paper is to clarify the mechanisms of external Europeanization. Studies so far claim that the more distant a country is from the EU core the more indirect the mechanisms of the external Europeanization are. The paper problematizes this claim. Empirically it focuses on the case of social conditionality （SC） as applied in the area of social trade policy. Theoretically it follows Normal Accident Theory, as adapted in the area of the EU studies. The paper focuses on the interactions of the web of actors found in this policy area. It distinguishes between complex and tightly linked interactions. It hypothesizes that the less complex and the more tightly linked actors are the more direct the mechanisms of external Europeanization. SC is a ＂social＂ trade policy instrument that the EU includes to its trade agreements with developing countries through the Generalized System of Preferences （GSP） in order to promote the ratification and application of basic human rights, and labor, sustainable development and good governance standards. The GSP is a trade policy program that allows the exemption of developing countries from exports tariffs as a way of assisting their growth and development. SC is a ＂hard＂ instrument in the sense that it consists of both a positive aspect （carrots） and a negative one （sticks）. Developing countries that ratify and apply basic human rights, and labor, sustainable development and good governance standards qualify for additional trade preferences （carrots）, while failure of compliance results to the withdrawal of the preferences （sticks）.展开更多
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the risk factors associated with intensive care unitacquired weakness(ICU-AW) in critically ill patients at risk of malnutrition and to evaluate the efficacy of early enteral nu...BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the risk factors associated with intensive care unitacquired weakness(ICU-AW) in critically ill patients at risk of malnutrition and to evaluate the efficacy of early enteral nutrition(EEN) and the role of biomarkers in managing ICU-AW.METHODS: This retrospective, observational cohort study included 180 patients at risk of malnutrition admitted to the emergency intensive care unit of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University Hospital from January 2022 to December 2023. Patients were divided into ICU-AW group and non-ICU-AW group according to whether they developed ICU-AW, or categorized into EEN and parenteral nutrition(PN) groups according to nutritional support. ICU-AW was diagnosed using the Medical Research Council score. The primary outcome was the occurrence of ICU-AW.RESULTS: The significant factors associated with ICU-AW included age, sex, type of nutritional therapy, mechanical ventilation(MV), body mass index(BMI), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), and creatinine(Cr) levels(P<0.05). The PN group developed ICU-AW earlier than did the EEN group, with a significant difference observed(log-rank P<0.001). Among biomarkers for ICU-AW, the mean prealbumin(PAB)/C-reactive protein(CRP) ratio had the highest diagnostic accuracy(area under the curve [AUC] 0.928, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.892–0.946), surpassing the mean Cr/BUN ratio(AUC 0.740, 95% CI 0.663–0.819) and mean transferrin levels(AUC 0.653, 95% CI 0.574–0.733).CONCLUSION: Independent risk factors for ICU-AW include female sex, advanced age, PN, MV, lower BMI, and elevated BUN and Cr levels. EEN may potentially delay ICU-AW onset, and the PAB/CRP ratio may be an effective diagnostic marker for this condition.展开更多
In cold regions,rock structures will be weakened by freeze-thaw cycles under various water immersion conditions.Determining how water immersion conditions impact rock deterioration under freeze-thaw cycles is critical...In cold regions,rock structures will be weakened by freeze-thaw cycles under various water immersion conditions.Determining how water immersion conditions impact rock deterioration under freeze-thaw cycles is critical to assess accurately the frost resistance of engineered rock.In this paper,freeze-thaw cycles(temperature range of-20℃-20℃)were performed on the sandstones in different water immersion conditions(fully,partially and non-immersed in water).Then,computed tomography(CT)tests were conducted on the sandstones when the freeze-thaw number reached 0,5,10,15,20 and 30.Next,the effects of water immersion conditions on the microstructure deterioration of sandstone under freezethaw cycles were evaluated using CT spatial imaging,porosity and damage factor.Finally,focusing on the partially immersed condition,the immersion volume rate was defined to understand the effects of immersion degree on the freeze-thaw damage of sandstone and to propose a damage model considering the freeze-thaw number and immersion degree.The results show that with increasing freeze-thaw number,the porosities and damage factors under fully and partially immersed conditions increase continuously,while those under non-immersed condition first increase and then remain approximately constant.The most severe freeze-thaw damage occurs in fully immersed condition,followed by partially immersed condition and finally non-immersed condition.Interestingly,the freeze-thaw number and the immersion volume rate both impact the microstructure deterioration of the partially immersed sandstone.For the same freeze-thaw number,the damage factor increases approximately linearly with increasing immersion volume rate,and the increasing immersion degree exacerbates the microstructure deterioration of sandstone.Moreover,the proposed model can effectively estimate the freeze-thaw damage of partially immersed sandstone with different immersion volume rates.展开更多
ZnO is a highly significant II-VI semiconductor known for its excellent optoelectronic properties,making it widely applicable and promising for use in light-emitting devices,solar cells,lasers,and photodetectors.The m...ZnO is a highly significant II-VI semiconductor known for its excellent optoelectronic properties,making it widely applicable and promising for use in light-emitting devices,solar cells,lasers,and photodetectors.The methods for preparing ZnO are diverse,and among them,the hydrothermal method is favored for its simplicity,ease of operation,and low cost,making it an optimal choice for ZnO single-crystal growth.Most studies investigating the effects of different hydrothermal experimental parameters on the morphology and performance of ZnO nano-materials typically focus on only 2—3 variable parameters,with few examining the impact of all possible experimental parameter changes on ZnO nano-mate-rials.The principles of the hydrothermal method and its advantages in nano-material preparation were briefly introduced in this article.The detailed discussion on the influence of various experimental parameters on the preparation of ZnO nano-materials was provided,which including reaction materials,Zn^(2+)/OH^(-)ratio,reaction time and temperature,additives,experimental equipment,and annealing conditions.The review co-vers how different experimental parameters affect the morphology and performance of the materials,as well as how different rare earth doping elements influence the performance of ZnO nano-materials.It is hoped that this work will contribute to future research on the hydrothermal synthesis of nano-materials.展开更多
The titanium alloy strut serves as a key load-bearing component of aircraft landing gear,typically manufactured via forging.The friction condition has important influence on material flow and cavity filling during the...The titanium alloy strut serves as a key load-bearing component of aircraft landing gear,typically manufactured via forging.The friction condition has important influence on material flow and cavity filling during the forging process.Using the previously optimized shape and initial position of preform,the influence of the friction condition(friction factor m=0.1–0.3)on material flow and cavity filling was studied by numerical method with a shear friction model.A novel filling index was defined to reflect material flow into left and right flashes and zoom in on friction-induced results.The results indicate that the workpiece moves rigidly to the right direction,with the displacement decreasing as m increases.When m<0.18,the underfilling defect will occur in the left side of strut forging,while overflow occurs in the right forging die cavity.By combining the filling index and analyses of material flow and filling status,a reasonable friction factor interval of m=0.21–0.24 can be determined.Within this interval,the cavity filling behavior demonstrates robustness,with friction fluctuations exerting minimal influence.展开更多
Small modular reactor(SMR)belongs to the research forefront of nuclear reactor technology.Nowadays,advancement of intelligent control technologies paves a new way to the design and build of unmanned SMR.The autonomous...Small modular reactor(SMR)belongs to the research forefront of nuclear reactor technology.Nowadays,advancement of intelligent control technologies paves a new way to the design and build of unmanned SMR.The autonomous control process of SMR can be divided into three stages,say,state diagnosis,autonomous decision-making and coordinated control.In this paper,the autonomous state recognition and task planning of unmanned SMR are investigated.An operating condition recognition method based on the knowledge base of SMR operation is proposed by using the artificial neural network(ANN)technology,which constructs a basis for the state judgment of intelligent reactor control path planning.An improved reinforcement learning path planning algorithm is utilized to implement the path transfer decision-makingThis algorithm performs condition transitions with minimal cost under specified modes.In summary,the full range control path intelligent decision-planning technology of SMR is realized,thus provides some theoretical basis for the design and build of unmanned SMR in the future.展开更多
Let d(n;r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2))be the number of factorization n=n_(1)n_(2)satisfying n_i≡r_i(mod q_i)(i=1,2)andΔ(x;r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2))be the error term of the summatory function of d(n;r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2))...Let d(n;r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2))be the number of factorization n=n_(1)n_(2)satisfying n_i≡r_i(mod q_i)(i=1,2)andΔ(x;r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2))be the error term of the summatory function of d(n;r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2)).Suppose x≥(q_(1)q_(2))^(1+ε),1≤r_i≤q_i,and(r_i,q_i)=1(i=1,2).This paper studies the power moments and sign changes ofΔ(x;r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2)).We prove that for sufficiently large constant C,Δ(q_(1)q_(2)x:r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2))changes sign in the interval[T,T+C√T]for any large T.Meanwhile,we show that for small constants c and c,there exist infinitely many subintervals of length c√log^(-7)T in[T,2T]where±Δ(q_(1)q_(2)x:r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2))>cx^(1/4)always holds.展开更多
In this paper,we propose a three-term conjugate gradient method for solving unconstrained optimization problems based on the Hestenes-Stiefel(HS)conjugate gradient method and Polak-Ribiere-Polyak(PRP)conjugate gradien...In this paper,we propose a three-term conjugate gradient method for solving unconstrained optimization problems based on the Hestenes-Stiefel(HS)conjugate gradient method and Polak-Ribiere-Polyak(PRP)conjugate gradient method.Under the condition of standard Wolfe line search,the proposed search direction is the descent direction.For general nonlinear functions,the method is globally convergent.Finally,numerical results show that the proposed method is efficient.展开更多
The growing importance of maintaining and extending the functional lifespan of reinforced concrete structures has resulted in an increased emphasis on non-destructive testing techniques as essential tools for evaluati...The growing importance of maintaining and extending the functional lifespan of reinforced concrete structures has resulted in an increased emphasis on non-destructive testing techniques as essential tools for evaluating structural conditions.Non-destructive testing procedures offer a notable benefit in assessing the uniformity,homogeneity,ability to withstand compression,durability,and degree of corrosion in reinforcing bars within reinforced concrete structures.This study aimed to evaluate the existing condition of partially constructed residential buildings in Rewari district,located in the state of Haryana.The reinforced concrete structure of the building had been completed eight years ago,however,the project was abruptly stopped.Prior to recommencing the construction,it is important to assess the present state of the structure in order to evaluate the deterioration in Reinforced Cement Concrete(RCC).The building’s state was evaluated by visually inspecting the building,conducting on-site examinations,and analyzing samples in a laboratory.The findings emphasize the assessment of the robustness and durability of concrete to ascertain the degree of deterioration and degradation in the structure.The study incorporates visual inspection,and non-destructive evaluation utilizing different instruments to evaluate the corrosion condition of reinforcing bars.In addition,selected RCC columns,beams,and slabs undergo chemical testing.It has been observed that the strength results and chemical results were within permissible limits.展开更多
The potential of 2-amino-1-propanol(AP)as a novel depressant in selectively floating ilmenite from titanaugite under weakly acidic conditions was investigated.Micro-flotation results show that AP significantly reduces...The potential of 2-amino-1-propanol(AP)as a novel depressant in selectively floating ilmenite from titanaugite under weakly acidic conditions was investigated.Micro-flotation results show that AP significantly reduces the recovery of titanaugite while having no evident impact on ilmenite flotation.Subsequent bench-scale flotation tests further confirm a remarkable improvement in separation efficiency upon the introduction of AP.Contact angle and adsorption tests reveal a stronger affinity of AP towards the titanaugite surface in comparison to ilmenite.Zeta potential measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)analyses exhibit favorable adsorption characteristics of AP on titanaugite,resulting from a synergy of electrostatic attraction and chemical interaction.In contrast,electrostatic repulsion hinders any significant interaction between AP and the ilmenite surface.These findings highlight the potential of AP as a highly efficient depressant for ilmenite flotation,paving the way for reduced reliance on sulfuric acid in the industry.展开更多
The creep phenomenon of inelastic deformation of surrounding rock may occur under the action of deepgeological stress for a long period of time,potentially resulting in large-scale deformations or eveninstability fail...The creep phenomenon of inelastic deformation of surrounding rock may occur under the action of deepgeological stress for a long period of time,potentially resulting in large-scale deformations or eveninstability failure of the underground engineering.Accurate characterization of the creep behavior of thesurrounding rock is essential for evaluating the long-term stability and safety of high-level radioactivewaste(HLW)disposal repositories.Although the laboratory creep tests of brittle undamaged rocks,suchas granite,have been extensively performed,the creep characteristics of fractured surrounding rockunder the multi-field coupling environment still require attention.In this study,a series of creep experimentswas conducted on Beishan granite,which was identified as the optimal candidate surroundingrock for the disposal repository in China.The effects of various factors,including inclination angle offractures,stress conditions,temperatures,and water content,were investigated.The experimental resultsshow that the axial total strain increases linearly with increasing stress level,while the lateral totalstrain,axial and lateral creep strain rates increase exponentially.The failure time of saturated specimensfractured at 45°and 60°is approximately 1.05‰and 0.84‰of that of dry specimens,respectively.Theeffect of temperature,ranging from room temperature to 120℃,is minimal,compared to the substantialvariations in strain and creep rates caused by stress and water content.The creep failure of specimensfractured at 30°is dominated by rock material failure,whereas the creep failure of specimens fractured at60°is dominated by pre-existing fracture slip.At a 45°fracture angle,a composite failure mechanism isobserved that includes both rock material failure and pre-existing fracture slip.展开更多
Chronic pain,characterized by pain lasting for more than three months,is a debilitating condition frequently caused by conditions such as fibromyalgia,arthritis,neuropathy,and migraine[1-3].
Hypersaline mariculture wastewater necessitates treatment prior to its discharge into marine environments.Algal-mycelial pellets(AMPs),known for their cost-effectiveness,energy efficiency and sustainability,have not b...Hypersaline mariculture wastewater necessitates treatment prior to its discharge into marine environments.Algal-mycelial pellets(AMPs),known for their cost-effectiveness,energy efficiency and sustainability,have not been previously explored for their flocculation and pollutant removal capabilities in hyperhaline conditions.This work employed an orthogonal test design to investigate the effects of nine factors at three levels on the treatment efficiency of mariculture wastewater using Chlorella sp.TNBR1 and Aspergillus niger AMPs.The comprehensive optimal conditions for achieving the highest flocculation efficiency and pollutant removal are determined to be a temperature of 30℃,light intensity of 6000 lux,a 12:0 light-dark cycle,an initial pH of 6,amicroalgal density of 11.25×10^(6)cell/mL,microalgal growth phase at the early logarithmic stage,a fungal spore density of 9.00×10^(5)spore/mL and a fungal pellet phase of 60 h.Under such conditions,the treatment of nonsterile actual mariculture wastewater with Chlorella sp.TNBR1 and Aspergillus niger AMPs results in a 93.35%±7.20%reduction in chemical oxygen demand(COD),92.83%±7.29%reduction in total nitrogen(TN),100%removal of total phosphorus(TP),and a flocculation efficiency of 69.21%±5.36%.These findings confirm that AMPs are a viable solution for effectively treating COD,TN and TP in real hypersaline mariculture wastewater,while also facilitating the flocculation and harvesting of microalgae.展开更多
Drains play an important role in seepage control in geotechnical engineering.The enormous number and one-dimensional(1D)geometry of drainage holes make their nature difficult to be accurately modeled in groundwater fl...Drains play an important role in seepage control in geotechnical engineering.The enormous number and one-dimensional(1D)geometry of drainage holes make their nature difficult to be accurately modeled in groundwater flow simulation.It has been well understood that drains function by presenting discharge boundaries,which can be characterized by water head,no-flux,unilateral or mixed water head-unilateral boundary condition.It has been found after years of practices that the flow simulation may become erroneous if the transitions among the drain boundary conditions are not properly considered.For this,a rigorous algorithm is proposed in this study to detect the onset of transitions among the water head,noflux and mixed water head-unilateral boundary conditions for downwards-drilled drainage holes,which theoretically completes the description of drain boundary conditions.After verification against a numerical example,the proposed algorithm is applied to numerical modeling of groundwater flow through a gravity dam foundation.The simulation shows that for hundreds of downwards-drilled drainage holes used to be prescribed with water head boundary condition,56%and 2%of them are transitioned to mixed water head-unilateral and no-flux boundary conditions,respectively.The phreatic surface around the drains will be overestimated by 25e33 m without the use of the mixed boundary condition.For the first time,this study underscores the importance of the mixed water head-unilateral boundary condition and the proposed transition algorithm in drain modeling,which may become more essential for simulation of transient flow because of groundwater dynamics.展开更多
In the present article,we introduce a completely new regular model for static,spherically symmetric celestial fluid spheres in embedding classⅠspacetime.In this regard,needfully,we propose a new suitable metric poten...In the present article,we introduce a completely new regular model for static,spherically symmetric celestial fluid spheres in embedding classⅠspacetime.In this regard,needfully,we propose a new suitable metric potential e^(λ(r))to generate the present model.The various analyses on energy density,pressure,anisotropic factor,mass,compactness parameter,redshift,and energy condition make sure the model is physically viable on the ground of model stars Vela X-1,Cen X-3,SMC X-4,and LMC X-4.The reported solutions also respect the equilibrium state by satisfying the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff(TOV)equation and ensure stability by satisfying the causality condition,condition on the adiabatic index,and Harrison-Zeldovich-Novikov condition.The generated M-R graph matches the ranges of masses and radii for the model compact stars.Additionally,this study provides estimates of the moment of inertia based on the I-M graph.展开更多
Groundwater is the main water supply source in the Tarim Basin in China.Endemic disease caused by high iodine(I)groundwater in the Tarim Basin was reported previously.Therefore,it is crucial to systematically identify...Groundwater is the main water supply source in the Tarim Basin in China.Endemic disease caused by high iodine(I)groundwater in the Tarim Basin was reported previously.Therefore,it is crucial to systematically identify the distribution and genesis of groundwater I.Based on hydrochemical analysis of 717 groundwater samples collected in 2015–2018,spatial distribution and hydrogeochemistry characteristic of high I groundwater in different aquifers were analyzed.Results showed that groundwater I ranged between<10.00 and 4000.00μg/L(mean of 53.71μg/L).High I groundwater(I>100.00μg/L)accounted for 7.25%of the total samples.Horizontally,groundwater I significantly increased from recharge zone(RZ)to transition zone(TZ)and to evaporation zone(EZ).Vertically,groundwater in shallow confined aquifer(SCA)had the greatest I concentration,followed by single-structure phreatic aquifer(SSPA),phreatic aquifer in confined groundwater area(PACGA),while groundwater in deep confined aquifer(DCA)generally had low I concentration.Groundwater I enrichment in SSPA was mainly affected by organic matter(OM)decomposition and that in SCA was mainly affected by evaporite mineral dissolution,OM decomposition under alkaline environment.While I enrichment in groundwater of PACGA was restrained under neutral environment.Lacustrine sedimentary environment was crucial for I enrichment in groundwater.Besides,fine-grained lithology of aquifer,smooth topographic slope,shallow buried depth of groundwater,weak alkaline and reducing environment,reductive dissolution of iron oxide/hydroxide minerals and OM decomposition were advantageous to I enrichment in groundwater.展开更多
Constructing impermeable curtains to contain contaminant in aquifers is a costly and complex process that can impact the structure integrity of aquifer systems.Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater cont...Constructing impermeable curtains to contain contaminant in aquifers is a costly and complex process that can impact the structure integrity of aquifer systems.Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project?This study evaluates the necessity of impermeable curtains for groundwater contaminant remediation projects.Specifically,it considers remediation efforts based on the Pump and Treat(PAT)technique under various hydrogeological conditions and contaminant properties,comparing the total remediation cost and effectiveness.To further investigate,a multi-objective simulation and optimization model,utilizing the Multi-Objective Fast Harmony Search(MOFHS)algorithm,was employed to identify optimal groundwater remediation system designs that without impermeable curtains.Both a two-dimensional(2-D)hypothetical example and a three-dimensional(3-D)field example were used to assess the necessity of constructing impermeable curtains.The 2-D hypothetical example demonstrated that the installation of impermeable curtain is justified only when the dispersivity(αL)of the contaminant reaches 100 meters.In most cases,particularly at sites with porosity(n)under 0.3,alternative,more cost-effective,and efficient remediation strategies may be available,making impermeable barriers unnecessary.The optimization results of the 3-D field example further corroborate the conclusions derived from the 2-D hypothetical example.These findings provide valuable guidance for more scientifically informed,reasonable,and cost-effective groundwater contaminant remediation projects.展开更多
Pangu-Weather(PGW),trained with deep learning–based methods(DL-based model),shows significant potential for global medium-range weather forecasting.However,the interpretability and trustworthiness of global medium-ra...Pangu-Weather(PGW),trained with deep learning–based methods(DL-based model),shows significant potential for global medium-range weather forecasting.However,the interpretability and trustworthiness of global medium-range DLbased models raise many concerns.This study uses the singular vector(SV)initial condition(IC)perturbations of the China Meteorological Administration's Global Ensemble Prediction System(CMA-GEPS)as inputs of PGW for global ensemble prediction(PGW-GEPS)to investigate the ensemble forecast sensitivity of DL-based models to the IC errors.Meanwhile,the CMA-GEPS forecasts serve as benchmarks for comparison and verification.The spatial structures and prediction performance of PGW-GEPS are discussed and compared to CMA-GEPS based on seasonal ensemble experiments.The results show that the ensemble mean and dispersion of PGW-GEPS are similar to those of CMA-GEPS in the medium range but with smoother forecasts.Meanwhile,PGW-GEPS is sensitive to the SV IC perturbations.Specifically,PGWGEPS can generate realistic ensemble spread beyond the sub-synoptic scale(wavenumbers≤64)with SV IC perturbations.However,PGW's kinetic energy is significantly reduced at the sub-synoptic scale,leading to error growth behavior inconsistent with CMA-GEPS at that scale.Thus,this behavior indicates that the effective resolution of PGW-GEPS is beyond the sub-synoptic scale and is limited to predicting mesoscale atmospheric motions.In terms of the global mediumrange ensemble prediction performance,the probability prediction skill of PGW-GEPS is comparable to CMA-GEPS in the extratropic when they use the same IC perturbations.That means that PGW has a general ability to provide skillful global medium-range forecasts with different ICs from numerical weather prediction.展开更多
Global warming and human activities have reduced the concentrations of dissolved oxygen in the bottom water of lakes,resulting in increased anoxia in surface sediments.This increased anoxia likely alters carbon cyclin...Global warming and human activities have reduced the concentrations of dissolved oxygen in the bottom water of lakes,resulting in increased anoxia in surface sediments.This increased anoxia likely alters carbon cycling processes(e.g.,organic carbon mineralization)by altering microbial community composition and functions in lakes.However,it remains unclear how organic carbon mineralization responds to increased anoxia in surface sediments of lakes(particularly saline lakes).In this study,CO_(2)production in surface sediments of six lakes with different salinity(0.47-250 g/L)on the Tibetan Plateau was investigated using microcosm incubations under aerobic and anaerobic conditions,respectively,followed by geochemical and microbial analyses.The results showed that for the freshwater lake,CO_(2)production rates in anaerobic sediment microcosms were significantly(P<0.05)lower than their aerobic counterparts.In contrast,an opposite trend was observed for CO_(2)production in saline lakes.Furthermore,the CO_(2)production rates decreased significantly(P<0.05)under aerobic conditions,while it exhibited a hump-like relationship with increasing salinity under anaerobic conditions.Taken together,our results suggest that increased anoxia would enhance organic carbon mineralization in surface sediments of saline lakes and help understand carbon feedback on global changes in saline lakes.展开更多
WEIFANG City of east China’s Shandong Province is located in the central part of the Shandong Peninsula,bordering the Bohai Sea to the north and the Yellow Sea to the south.In springtime,the region sees little rainfa...WEIFANG City of east China’s Shandong Province is located in the central part of the Shandong Peninsula,bordering the Bohai Sea to the north and the Yellow Sea to the south.In springtime,the region sees little rainfall yet many windy days,with a single prevailing wind direction and minimal turbulence-an environmental condition ideal for kite flying.展开更多
文摘The aim of the paper is to clarify the mechanisms of external Europeanization. Studies so far claim that the more distant a country is from the EU core the more indirect the mechanisms of the external Europeanization are. The paper problematizes this claim. Empirically it focuses on the case of social conditionality （SC） as applied in the area of social trade policy. Theoretically it follows Normal Accident Theory, as adapted in the area of the EU studies. The paper focuses on the interactions of the web of actors found in this policy area. It distinguishes between complex and tightly linked interactions. It hypothesizes that the less complex and the more tightly linked actors are the more direct the mechanisms of external Europeanization. SC is a ＂social＂ trade policy instrument that the EU includes to its trade agreements with developing countries through the Generalized System of Preferences （GSP） in order to promote the ratification and application of basic human rights, and labor, sustainable development and good governance standards. The GSP is a trade policy program that allows the exemption of developing countries from exports tariffs as a way of assisting their growth and development. SC is a ＂hard＂ instrument in the sense that it consists of both a positive aspect （carrots） and a negative one （sticks）. Developing countries that ratify and apply basic human rights, and labor, sustainable development and good governance standards qualify for additional trade preferences （carrots）, while failure of compliance results to the withdrawal of the preferences （sticks）.
文摘BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the risk factors associated with intensive care unitacquired weakness(ICU-AW) in critically ill patients at risk of malnutrition and to evaluate the efficacy of early enteral nutrition(EEN) and the role of biomarkers in managing ICU-AW.METHODS: This retrospective, observational cohort study included 180 patients at risk of malnutrition admitted to the emergency intensive care unit of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University Hospital from January 2022 to December 2023. Patients were divided into ICU-AW group and non-ICU-AW group according to whether they developed ICU-AW, or categorized into EEN and parenteral nutrition(PN) groups according to nutritional support. ICU-AW was diagnosed using the Medical Research Council score. The primary outcome was the occurrence of ICU-AW.RESULTS: The significant factors associated with ICU-AW included age, sex, type of nutritional therapy, mechanical ventilation(MV), body mass index(BMI), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), and creatinine(Cr) levels(P<0.05). The PN group developed ICU-AW earlier than did the EEN group, with a significant difference observed(log-rank P<0.001). Among biomarkers for ICU-AW, the mean prealbumin(PAB)/C-reactive protein(CRP) ratio had the highest diagnostic accuracy(area under the curve [AUC] 0.928, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.892–0.946), surpassing the mean Cr/BUN ratio(AUC 0.740, 95% CI 0.663–0.819) and mean transferrin levels(AUC 0.653, 95% CI 0.574–0.733).CONCLUSION: Independent risk factors for ICU-AW include female sex, advanced age, PN, MV, lower BMI, and elevated BUN and Cr levels. EEN may potentially delay ICU-AW onset, and the PAB/CRP ratio may be an effective diagnostic marker for this condition.
基金funding support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.12172019).
文摘In cold regions,rock structures will be weakened by freeze-thaw cycles under various water immersion conditions.Determining how water immersion conditions impact rock deterioration under freeze-thaw cycles is critical to assess accurately the frost resistance of engineered rock.In this paper,freeze-thaw cycles(temperature range of-20℃-20℃)were performed on the sandstones in different water immersion conditions(fully,partially and non-immersed in water).Then,computed tomography(CT)tests were conducted on the sandstones when the freeze-thaw number reached 0,5,10,15,20 and 30.Next,the effects of water immersion conditions on the microstructure deterioration of sandstone under freezethaw cycles were evaluated using CT spatial imaging,porosity and damage factor.Finally,focusing on the partially immersed condition,the immersion volume rate was defined to understand the effects of immersion degree on the freeze-thaw damage of sandstone and to propose a damage model considering the freeze-thaw number and immersion degree.The results show that with increasing freeze-thaw number,the porosities and damage factors under fully and partially immersed conditions increase continuously,while those under non-immersed condition first increase and then remain approximately constant.The most severe freeze-thaw damage occurs in fully immersed condition,followed by partially immersed condition and finally non-immersed condition.Interestingly,the freeze-thaw number and the immersion volume rate both impact the microstructure deterioration of the partially immersed sandstone.For the same freeze-thaw number,the damage factor increases approximately linearly with increasing immersion volume rate,and the increasing immersion degree exacerbates the microstructure deterioration of sandstone.Moreover,the proposed model can effectively estimate the freeze-thaw damage of partially immersed sandstone with different immersion volume rates.
文摘ZnO is a highly significant II-VI semiconductor known for its excellent optoelectronic properties,making it widely applicable and promising for use in light-emitting devices,solar cells,lasers,and photodetectors.The methods for preparing ZnO are diverse,and among them,the hydrothermal method is favored for its simplicity,ease of operation,and low cost,making it an optimal choice for ZnO single-crystal growth.Most studies investigating the effects of different hydrothermal experimental parameters on the morphology and performance of ZnO nano-materials typically focus on only 2—3 variable parameters,with few examining the impact of all possible experimental parameter changes on ZnO nano-mate-rials.The principles of the hydrothermal method and its advantages in nano-material preparation were briefly introduced in this article.The detailed discussion on the influence of various experimental parameters on the preparation of ZnO nano-materials was provided,which including reaction materials,Zn^(2+)/OH^(-)ratio,reaction time and temperature,additives,experimental equipment,and annealing conditions.The review co-vers how different experimental parameters affect the morphology and performance of the materials,as well as how different rare earth doping elements influence the performance of ZnO nano-materials.It is hoped that this work will contribute to future research on the hydrothermal synthesis of nano-materials.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(52375378)National Key Laboratory of Metal Forming Technology and Heavy Equipment(S2308100.W12)Huxiang High-Level Talent Gathering Project of Hunan Province(2021RC5001)。
文摘The titanium alloy strut serves as a key load-bearing component of aircraft landing gear,typically manufactured via forging.The friction condition has important influence on material flow and cavity filling during the forging process.Using the previously optimized shape and initial position of preform,the influence of the friction condition(friction factor m=0.1–0.3)on material flow and cavity filling was studied by numerical method with a shear friction model.A novel filling index was defined to reflect material flow into left and right flashes and zoom in on friction-induced results.The results indicate that the workpiece moves rigidly to the right direction,with the displacement decreasing as m increases.When m<0.18,the underfilling defect will occur in the left side of strut forging,while overflow occurs in the right forging die cavity.By combining the filling index and analyses of material flow and filling status,a reasonable friction factor interval of m=0.21–0.24 can be determined.Within this interval,the cavity filling behavior demonstrates robustness,with friction fluctuations exerting minimal influence.
文摘Small modular reactor(SMR)belongs to the research forefront of nuclear reactor technology.Nowadays,advancement of intelligent control technologies paves a new way to the design and build of unmanned SMR.The autonomous control process of SMR can be divided into three stages,say,state diagnosis,autonomous decision-making and coordinated control.In this paper,the autonomous state recognition and task planning of unmanned SMR are investigated.An operating condition recognition method based on the knowledge base of SMR operation is proposed by using the artificial neural network(ANN)technology,which constructs a basis for the state judgment of intelligent reactor control path planning.An improved reinforcement learning path planning algorithm is utilized to implement the path transfer decision-makingThis algorithm performs condition transitions with minimal cost under specified modes.In summary,the full range control path intelligent decision-planning technology of SMR is realized,thus provides some theoretical basis for the design and build of unmanned SMR in the future.
基金supported by the Talent Fund of Beijing Jiaotong University(No.2020RC012)NSFC(No.11871295),supported by NSFC(No.11971476),supported by NSFC(No.12071421)。
文摘Let d(n;r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2))be the number of factorization n=n_(1)n_(2)satisfying n_i≡r_i(mod q_i)(i=1,2)andΔ(x;r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2))be the error term of the summatory function of d(n;r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2)).Suppose x≥(q_(1)q_(2))^(1+ε),1≤r_i≤q_i,and(r_i,q_i)=1(i=1,2).This paper studies the power moments and sign changes ofΔ(x;r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2)).We prove that for sufficiently large constant C,Δ(q_(1)q_(2)x:r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2))changes sign in the interval[T,T+C√T]for any large T.Meanwhile,we show that for small constants c and c,there exist infinitely many subintervals of length c√log^(-7)T in[T,2T]where±Δ(q_(1)q_(2)x:r_(1),q_(1),r_(2),q_(2))>cx^(1/4)always holds.
基金Supported by the Science and Technology Project of Guangxi(Guike AD23023002)。
文摘In this paper,we propose a three-term conjugate gradient method for solving unconstrained optimization problems based on the Hestenes-Stiefel(HS)conjugate gradient method and Polak-Ribiere-Polyak(PRP)conjugate gradient method.Under the condition of standard Wolfe line search,the proposed search direction is the descent direction.For general nonlinear functions,the method is globally convergent.Finally,numerical results show that the proposed method is efficient.
文摘The growing importance of maintaining and extending the functional lifespan of reinforced concrete structures has resulted in an increased emphasis on non-destructive testing techniques as essential tools for evaluating structural conditions.Non-destructive testing procedures offer a notable benefit in assessing the uniformity,homogeneity,ability to withstand compression,durability,and degree of corrosion in reinforcing bars within reinforced concrete structures.This study aimed to evaluate the existing condition of partially constructed residential buildings in Rewari district,located in the state of Haryana.The reinforced concrete structure of the building had been completed eight years ago,however,the project was abruptly stopped.Prior to recommencing the construction,it is important to assess the present state of the structure in order to evaluate the deterioration in Reinforced Cement Concrete(RCC).The building’s state was evaluated by visually inspecting the building,conducting on-site examinations,and analyzing samples in a laboratory.The findings emphasize the assessment of the robustness and durability of concrete to ascertain the degree of deterioration and degradation in the structure.The study incorporates visual inspection,and non-destructive evaluation utilizing different instruments to evaluate the corrosion condition of reinforcing bars.In addition,selected RCC columns,beams,and slabs undergo chemical testing.It has been observed that the strength results and chemical results were within permissible limits.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2019YFC1803501)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52074357)+2 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province,China(No.2022JJ30713)the Vanadium Titanium Union Foundationthe Project of Technology Innovation Center for Comprehensive Utilization of Strategic Mineral Resources,Ministry of Natural Resources,China。
文摘The potential of 2-amino-1-propanol(AP)as a novel depressant in selectively floating ilmenite from titanaugite under weakly acidic conditions was investigated.Micro-flotation results show that AP significantly reduces the recovery of titanaugite while having no evident impact on ilmenite flotation.Subsequent bench-scale flotation tests further confirm a remarkable improvement in separation efficiency upon the introduction of AP.Contact angle and adsorption tests reveal a stronger affinity of AP towards the titanaugite surface in comparison to ilmenite.Zeta potential measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)analyses exhibit favorable adsorption characteristics of AP on titanaugite,resulting from a synergy of electrostatic attraction and chemical interaction.In contrast,electrostatic repulsion hinders any significant interaction between AP and the ilmenite surface.These findings highlight the potential of AP as a highly efficient depressant for ilmenite flotation,paving the way for reduced reliance on sulfuric acid in the industry.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42307258)the China Atomic Energy Authority(CAEA)through the Geological Disposal Program,and the Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province Project,China(Grant No.2023ZYD0154).
文摘The creep phenomenon of inelastic deformation of surrounding rock may occur under the action of deepgeological stress for a long period of time,potentially resulting in large-scale deformations or eveninstability failure of the underground engineering.Accurate characterization of the creep behavior of thesurrounding rock is essential for evaluating the long-term stability and safety of high-level radioactivewaste(HLW)disposal repositories.Although the laboratory creep tests of brittle undamaged rocks,suchas granite,have been extensively performed,the creep characteristics of fractured surrounding rockunder the multi-field coupling environment still require attention.In this study,a series of creep experimentswas conducted on Beishan granite,which was identified as the optimal candidate surroundingrock for the disposal repository in China.The effects of various factors,including inclination angle offractures,stress conditions,temperatures,and water content,were investigated.The experimental resultsshow that the axial total strain increases linearly with increasing stress level,while the lateral totalstrain,axial and lateral creep strain rates increase exponentially.The failure time of saturated specimensfractured at 45°and 60°is approximately 1.05‰and 0.84‰of that of dry specimens,respectively.Theeffect of temperature,ranging from room temperature to 120℃,is minimal,compared to the substantialvariations in strain and creep rates caused by stress and water content.The creep failure of specimensfractured at 30°is dominated by rock material failure,whereas the creep failure of specimens fractured at60°is dominated by pre-existing fracture slip.At a 45°fracture angle,a composite failure mechanism isobserved that includes both rock material failure and pre-existing fracture slip.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(T2241028)the STI2030-Major Projects[2021ZD0203000(2021ZD0203003)]the Chinese Academy of Sciences Hundred Talents Program.
文摘Chronic pain,characterized by pain lasting for more than three months,is a debilitating condition frequently caused by conditions such as fibromyalgia,arthritis,neuropathy,and migraine[1-3].
基金supported by the Program for Guangdong Introducing Innovative and Entrepreneurial Teams(No.2019ZT08L213)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42277101).
文摘Hypersaline mariculture wastewater necessitates treatment prior to its discharge into marine environments.Algal-mycelial pellets(AMPs),known for their cost-effectiveness,energy efficiency and sustainability,have not been previously explored for their flocculation and pollutant removal capabilities in hyperhaline conditions.This work employed an orthogonal test design to investigate the effects of nine factors at three levels on the treatment efficiency of mariculture wastewater using Chlorella sp.TNBR1 and Aspergillus niger AMPs.The comprehensive optimal conditions for achieving the highest flocculation efficiency and pollutant removal are determined to be a temperature of 30℃,light intensity of 6000 lux,a 12:0 light-dark cycle,an initial pH of 6,amicroalgal density of 11.25×10^(6)cell/mL,microalgal growth phase at the early logarithmic stage,a fungal spore density of 9.00×10^(5)spore/mL and a fungal pellet phase of 60 h.Under such conditions,the treatment of nonsterile actual mariculture wastewater with Chlorella sp.TNBR1 and Aspergillus niger AMPs results in a 93.35%±7.20%reduction in chemical oxygen demand(COD),92.83%±7.29%reduction in total nitrogen(TN),100%removal of total phosphorus(TP),and a flocculation efficiency of 69.21%±5.36%.These findings confirm that AMPs are a viable solution for effectively treating COD,TN and TP in real hypersaline mariculture wastewater,while also facilitating the flocculation and harvesting of microalgae.
基金Financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51925906 and U2340228)the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province(Grant No.2022CFA028)is acknowledged.
文摘Drains play an important role in seepage control in geotechnical engineering.The enormous number and one-dimensional(1D)geometry of drainage holes make their nature difficult to be accurately modeled in groundwater flow simulation.It has been well understood that drains function by presenting discharge boundaries,which can be characterized by water head,no-flux,unilateral or mixed water head-unilateral boundary condition.It has been found after years of practices that the flow simulation may become erroneous if the transitions among the drain boundary conditions are not properly considered.For this,a rigorous algorithm is proposed in this study to detect the onset of transitions among the water head,noflux and mixed water head-unilateral boundary conditions for downwards-drilled drainage holes,which theoretically completes the description of drain boundary conditions.After verification against a numerical example,the proposed algorithm is applied to numerical modeling of groundwater flow through a gravity dam foundation.The simulation shows that for hundreds of downwards-drilled drainage holes used to be prescribed with water head boundary condition,56%and 2%of them are transitioned to mixed water head-unilateral and no-flux boundary conditions,respectively.The phreatic surface around the drains will be overestimated by 25e33 m without the use of the mixed boundary condition.For the first time,this study underscores the importance of the mixed water head-unilateral boundary condition and the proposed transition algorithm in drain modeling,which may become more essential for simulation of transient flow because of groundwater dynamics.
文摘In the present article,we introduce a completely new regular model for static,spherically symmetric celestial fluid spheres in embedding classⅠspacetime.In this regard,needfully,we propose a new suitable metric potential e^(λ(r))to generate the present model.The various analyses on energy density,pressure,anisotropic factor,mass,compactness parameter,redshift,and energy condition make sure the model is physically viable on the ground of model stars Vela X-1,Cen X-3,SMC X-4,and LMC X-4.The reported solutions also respect the equilibrium state by satisfying the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff(TOV)equation and ensure stability by satisfying the causality condition,condition on the adiabatic index,and Harrison-Zeldovich-Novikov condition.The generated M-R graph matches the ranges of masses and radii for the model compact stars.Additionally,this study provides estimates of the moment of inertia based on the I-M graph.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.42067035 and 42007161)Water Conservancy Engineering Key Discipline Project of Xinjiang Agricultural University(No.SLXK2019-10)the Opening Project of Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Security and Water Disasters Prevention in 2021(No.ZDSYS-JS-2021-10)。
文摘Groundwater is the main water supply source in the Tarim Basin in China.Endemic disease caused by high iodine(I)groundwater in the Tarim Basin was reported previously.Therefore,it is crucial to systematically identify the distribution and genesis of groundwater I.Based on hydrochemical analysis of 717 groundwater samples collected in 2015–2018,spatial distribution and hydrogeochemistry characteristic of high I groundwater in different aquifers were analyzed.Results showed that groundwater I ranged between<10.00 and 4000.00μg/L(mean of 53.71μg/L).High I groundwater(I>100.00μg/L)accounted for 7.25%of the total samples.Horizontally,groundwater I significantly increased from recharge zone(RZ)to transition zone(TZ)and to evaporation zone(EZ).Vertically,groundwater in shallow confined aquifer(SCA)had the greatest I concentration,followed by single-structure phreatic aquifer(SSPA),phreatic aquifer in confined groundwater area(PACGA),while groundwater in deep confined aquifer(DCA)generally had low I concentration.Groundwater I enrichment in SSPA was mainly affected by organic matter(OM)decomposition and that in SCA was mainly affected by evaporite mineral dissolution,OM decomposition under alkaline environment.While I enrichment in groundwater of PACGA was restrained under neutral environment.Lacustrine sedimentary environment was crucial for I enrichment in groundwater.Besides,fine-grained lithology of aquifer,smooth topographic slope,shallow buried depth of groundwater,weak alkaline and reducing environment,reductive dissolution of iron oxide/hydroxide minerals and OM decomposition were advantageous to I enrichment in groundwater.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2022YFC3702200)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42372279 and U2267218)the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province(Grant No.JZ2022AKZR0451).
文摘Constructing impermeable curtains to contain contaminant in aquifers is a costly and complex process that can impact the structure integrity of aquifer systems.Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project?This study evaluates the necessity of impermeable curtains for groundwater contaminant remediation projects.Specifically,it considers remediation efforts based on the Pump and Treat(PAT)technique under various hydrogeological conditions and contaminant properties,comparing the total remediation cost and effectiveness.To further investigate,a multi-objective simulation and optimization model,utilizing the Multi-Objective Fast Harmony Search(MOFHS)algorithm,was employed to identify optimal groundwater remediation system designs that without impermeable curtains.Both a two-dimensional(2-D)hypothetical example and a three-dimensional(3-D)field example were used to assess the necessity of constructing impermeable curtains.The 2-D hypothetical example demonstrated that the installation of impermeable curtain is justified only when the dispersivity(αL)of the contaminant reaches 100 meters.In most cases,particularly at sites with porosity(n)under 0.3,alternative,more cost-effective,and efficient remediation strategies may be available,making impermeable barriers unnecessary.The optimization results of the 3-D field example further corroborate the conclusions derived from the 2-D hypothetical example.These findings provide valuable guidance for more scientifically informed,reasonable,and cost-effective groundwater contaminant remediation projects.
基金supported by the joint funds of the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation(NSFC)(Grant No.U2242213)the funds of the NSFC(Grant No.42341209)+2 种基金the National Key Research and Development(R&D)Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(Grant No.2021YFC3000902)the National Science Foundation for Young Scholars(Grant No.42205166)the Joint Research Project for Meteorological Capacity Improvement(Grant No.22NLTSQ008)。
文摘Pangu-Weather(PGW),trained with deep learning–based methods(DL-based model),shows significant potential for global medium-range weather forecasting.However,the interpretability and trustworthiness of global medium-range DLbased models raise many concerns.This study uses the singular vector(SV)initial condition(IC)perturbations of the China Meteorological Administration's Global Ensemble Prediction System(CMA-GEPS)as inputs of PGW for global ensemble prediction(PGW-GEPS)to investigate the ensemble forecast sensitivity of DL-based models to the IC errors.Meanwhile,the CMA-GEPS forecasts serve as benchmarks for comparison and verification.The spatial structures and prediction performance of PGW-GEPS are discussed and compared to CMA-GEPS based on seasonal ensemble experiments.The results show that the ensemble mean and dispersion of PGW-GEPS are similar to those of CMA-GEPS in the medium range but with smoother forecasts.Meanwhile,PGW-GEPS is sensitive to the SV IC perturbations.Specifically,PGWGEPS can generate realistic ensemble spread beyond the sub-synoptic scale(wavenumbers≤64)with SV IC perturbations.However,PGW's kinetic energy is significantly reduced at the sub-synoptic scale,leading to error growth behavior inconsistent with CMA-GEPS at that scale.Thus,this behavior indicates that the effective resolution of PGW-GEPS is beyond the sub-synoptic scale and is limited to predicting mesoscale atmospheric motions.In terms of the global mediumrange ensemble prediction performance,the probability prediction skill of PGW-GEPS is comparable to CMA-GEPS in the extratropic when they use the same IC perturbations.That means that PGW has a general ability to provide skillful global medium-range forecasts with different ICs from numerical weather prediction.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.42272356,92251304)the Kunlun Talented People of Qinghai Province,High-End Innovation and Entrepreneurship talents(Grant to Jiang Hongchen)+4 种基金the Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Geology and Environment of Salt Lakes(the Science and Technology Plan Project of Qinghai Province Incentive Fund,No.2024-KFKTA08)the 111 Program(the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs&the Ministry of Education of China,No.B18049)the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program(Polymenakou et al.)(No.2019QZKK0805)the Science and Technology Plan Project of Qinghai Province(No.2022-ZJ-Y08)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,China University of Geosciences(Wuhan)。
文摘Global warming and human activities have reduced the concentrations of dissolved oxygen in the bottom water of lakes,resulting in increased anoxia in surface sediments.This increased anoxia likely alters carbon cycling processes(e.g.,organic carbon mineralization)by altering microbial community composition and functions in lakes.However,it remains unclear how organic carbon mineralization responds to increased anoxia in surface sediments of lakes(particularly saline lakes).In this study,CO_(2)production in surface sediments of six lakes with different salinity(0.47-250 g/L)on the Tibetan Plateau was investigated using microcosm incubations under aerobic and anaerobic conditions,respectively,followed by geochemical and microbial analyses.The results showed that for the freshwater lake,CO_(2)production rates in anaerobic sediment microcosms were significantly(P<0.05)lower than their aerobic counterparts.In contrast,an opposite trend was observed for CO_(2)production in saline lakes.Furthermore,the CO_(2)production rates decreased significantly(P<0.05)under aerobic conditions,while it exhibited a hump-like relationship with increasing salinity under anaerobic conditions.Taken together,our results suggest that increased anoxia would enhance organic carbon mineralization in surface sediments of saline lakes and help understand carbon feedback on global changes in saline lakes.
文摘WEIFANG City of east China’s Shandong Province is located in the central part of the Shandong Peninsula,bordering the Bohai Sea to the north and the Yellow Sea to the south.In springtime,the region sees little rainfall yet many windy days,with a single prevailing wind direction and minimal turbulence-an environmental condition ideal for kite flying.
