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The new development pattern is a strategic choice to reshape China's new advantages in international cooperation and competition. It is based on China's current development stage, changes in the environment, and other factors. Located deep within China's interior, Xinjiang is a crucial region for the development of the western region and the Belt and Road Initiative. Its agricultural resources are exported to numerous foreign nations. In the context of the new development pattern, this paper first examines the foreign trade issues in Xinjiang. Second, this paper analyzes the current state of Sino-Kazakhstani trade, in particular the current state of trade in agricultural products. In addition, the growth potential of Xinjiang's agricultural international trade is analyzed utilizing the gravity model and fuzzy algorithm. Finally, countermeasures for the mode of development of Xinjiang's international trade are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The area rate of the toll road network is designed to influence the regional road network traffic flow configuration and an important factor of goods vehicle path selection, transportation, and other related departments in formulating the related standard. The toll rate is usually combined with the local passenger and cargo loading conditions. Adjusting and optimizing the charge policy, optimization of processes and methods is still facing many difficulties. In this paper, the model parameters and toll status of various goods vehicles are considered, and an optimization algorithm of toll rates for different vehicles in a large-scale road network is proposed. By constructing a traffic demand prediction model based on multiple truck classification, this paper analyzes the distribution status of network trucks and the final charging under the influence of different rates. At the bottom of the algorithm is an analytical model composed of nonlinear equations whose dimensions scale linearly with the scale of the road network. The scale of the road network is independent of the path set and link attribute. The model is verified and the parameters are calibrated by a small network. Finally, the Road network is selected for empirical analysis in Xinjiang Autonomous Region. A case study shows that the analytical structure information provided by the analytic network model enables the algorithm to quickly identify high quality solutions, and the algorithm has better simulation accuracy and premium rate design advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the spillover effect of urbanization on rural land transfer, this paper uses the panel data of various regions and cities in Xinjiang from 2008 to 2018. Moran's I method is used to test and analyze the spatial correlation between urbanization and farmland transfer. Intelligent computing SDM is used to analyze the spillover effect of urbanization on farmland transfer. The results show that there is spatial correlation between farmland transfers in Xinjiang. There is spatial heterogeneity in the spatial agglomeration of urbanization and farmland transfer in northern and southern Xinjiang. The content of this paper can provide some reference and ideas for follow-up research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adopts a real-time high-temperature triaxial seepage test system to study the permeability evolution of oil shale in the Jimusar area, Xinjiang, with the temperature, pore pressure, and volumetric stress. The results indicate that (1) the variation process of the oil shale permeability with the temperature can be divided into three stages: slow growth stage from 20 to 350°C, rapid growth stage from 350 to 500°C with a threshold temperature of 400°C, and growth deceleration stage from 500 to 600°C. (2) With increasing pore pressure, the permeability gradually decreases. Under a volumetric stress of 17 MPa, the permeability decreases the most rapidly from 1 to 2 MPa, and under a volumetric stress of 34 MPa, the permeability decreases the fastest from 1 to 3 MPa. (3) The oil shale permeability decreases with increasing volumetric stress. At room temperature, the decrease magnitude of the permeability is small and increases with increasing temperature. The results can provide a theoretical reference for the analysis of the seepage process of thermal fluids and pyrolysis oil and gas in oil shale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of formation has always been a challenge for field development. In this paper, we evaluate the reservoir parameters and gas well productivity based on production data. The model of nonuniform conductivity of fractures in multistage fracturing horizontal wells (MFHW) is used to interpret the transient pressure data. Binomial and exponential deliverability equations and pressure dimensionless productivity formula are combined to evaluate the gas well productivity. After that, the key factors that influence gas well production are analyzed, and the gas rate vs. oil nozzle is presented. Results show that the fracture half-length and conductivity for high- and low-conductivity fractures, respectively, are obtained, apart from the reservoir pressure, permeability, skin factor, etc. The test time in each oil nozzle is recommended to extend to achieve stability and to obtain a more accurate absolute open flow potential. The findings of this study provides a guidance for the production data analysis of nonuniform conductivity of fractures in MFHW in the future work. And it can help for the better understanding of predicting gas production rates in MFHW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Run-of-mine fragmentation is an important aspect of mine productivity optimization, as it affects all mine-to-mill processes. The current blasting fragmentation calculation methods do not consider the 3D geometric information. Therefore, their calculation results are imprecise. 3D laser scanning is a technique for extracting the 3D geometric information of an object by constructing a 3D point cloud model, with which extra information on the geometrical characteristics of an object could be captured than with the technique of 2D image processing. In this paper, 3D laser scanning technology was utilized for the calculation of the rock blocks on the surface of a muck pile, and the information about the surface blocks was utilized as the samples for the statistical estimation of blasting fragmentation of muck pile (BFMP). Monte Carlo simulation was utilized as the statistical estimation method for the BFMP. In the lab experiment, results from 2D image processing technique and from 3D laser scanning technique combined with statistical estimate were compared with the physical measurements utilizing a water tank, which show that results with 3D laser scanning are more similar to the physical measurement. Finally, the applicability of 3D laser scanning technology combined with statistical methods to the calculation of blast fragmentation was estimated through field tests in Biesikuduke and Santanghu mine, two open-pit coal mines in Xinjiang Province of western China. Results show that the accuracy of the statistical estimation results of BFMP has a particle size deviation of 1–3 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural environment and geographical environment provide the possibility for human survival and development and are also the premise of the formation of music culture. When studying the style characteristics and cultural types of music, more comprehensive and correct conclusions can be drawn only when considering various regional factors such as geography and topographic environment. If we want to explore the music of Xinjiang, we must understand the regional culture. The special geographical location of the Silk Road gives Xinjiang a foreign style compatible with Chinese and Western cultures. At the same time, because of the geographical environment of the Gobi Desert, the music style of Xinjiang is unique. This paper explores the relationship between the traditional music of Xinjiang and the Gobi desert, through the investigation and study of Xinjiang and various musical styles, which have certain reference significance for the study of the Chinese traditional culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital revolution changes the perception of the economy and business. The emergence of the industrial internet of things (IIoT) poses a large impact on established business models of manufacturing companies. As an important economic partner of China in South Asia, Pakistan plays an important role in the Belt and Road Initiative. This paper based on the three models: trade specialization coefficient (TSC) index, revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index, and trade complementarity (TC) index, analyzes the competitiveness and complementarity of Chinese Fruit and Vegetable (F&V) trade between China and Pakistan. The results showed that China-Pakistan had their own comparative advantages in F&V export, and there was a big difference in the types of F&V, and the competitiveness of F&V export between them was weak. The import and export structure of F&V between China and Pakistan is consistent, and there is strong trade complementarity. Therefore, it is suggested that China-Xinjiang and Pakistan should establish an import and export cooperation mechanism for F&V and export F&V with strong complementarity to each other. We should build a well-connected logistics network, which relies on the geographical advantages of Xinjiang, and comprehensively upgrade the level and quality of agricultural cooperation with Pakistan to enhance the agricultural cooperation between China and Pakistan. At the same time, China-Pakistan should strengthen cooperation in agricultural technology, trade, and equipment so as to achieve win-win results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is aimed at studying the influence of composition and microstructure on the Jurassic weakly cemented rock mechanical properties. No. 1802 tailentry was used as the engineering background, located in the Danan Lake No. 5 mine in Xinjiang, China. The weakly cemented sandstone compositions were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction instrument. And the microstructure was observed by using a scanning electron microscope. The uniaxial compression experiment was carried out to investigate the mechanical characteristics by using MTS mechanics experimental system, and the uniaxial compressive strength, Poisson's ratio, and elastic modulus were obtained. The relationships between the mechanical parameters that include the mineral composition, microstructural characteristics, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), elastic modulus, cohesion, and friction angle of the weakly cemented sandstone and the water content were obtained. The attenuation of the anchorage force of the weakly cemented surrounding rock under different water-rich conditions was studied. The key reason of No. 1802 tailentry surrounding rock structure deterioration and roof fall was found. The model of a single anchor structure was established based on FLAC3D to study the mechanical response of a single anchor structure under different water contents and the distribution and evolution laws of bearing stress field, effective compressive stress, and anchor axial force. The influences of parameters such as water content, pretightening force, and anchor length on the preload diffusion effect of weakly cemented surrounding rock anchorage structures are obtained. The key to controlling the deterioration of the surrounding rock structure of the weakly cemented entry is to reduce the water content of the roof. The research results provide reference for the control of the entry surrounding rock under similar stratum conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bridging plugging is the most used method of plugging in unconventional oil reservoirs, and many factors affect the effect of bridging and plugging. Since the laboratory cannot simulate the actual leakage size of the lost formation and the corresponding leakage plugging process at the drilling site, the laboratory experiment results cannot reflect the actual leakage plugging construction effect. Aiming at the problem of frequent fracture leakage during drilling in Chepaizi block, Xinjiang, China, this paper proposes a set of machine learning methods based on a neural network. Three types of factors and 14 parameters with a strong correlation with the leakage control effect were screened out. Three categories of factors include construction parameters, choice of plugging material, and fluid properties of the carrier fluid. The training was carried out based on the collected field data, the appropriate activation function was set, and the deep well network structure was optimized. By improving the field plugging measures in the later period, the model was verified by these actual cases, and the results showed that the established model produced the highest R 2 of 0.974, has a good fit, and predicts well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional inequality in western China has been rarely examined and has risen as an important issue in the Chinese academic circle. This study, taking Xinjiang as a case, investigated regional inequality in Xinjiang since the 1990s. The results show that the interregional inequality became more prominent, while the overall regional disparities among counties and cities have experienced an inverted U-shape path and have been mainly caused by the inequality of the intra-north part of the province. Counties with high economic development levels were mainly located in northern Xinjiang and had a high probability of further moving economic levels. We further found that the regional development pattern in Xinjiang was significantly associated with spatial accessibility, followed by population density and urbanization factors. This paper deepens our understanding of the complex pattern and mechanism of regional inequality in western China, and local specific policies, therefore, are needed to solve the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquiclude stability is vital for the realization of water-preserving coal mining. And its evaluation, influencing factors, and their significance analysis are quite topical for the ecosystem conservation. The purpose of this paper was to establish an evaluation index system of weakly cemented aquiclude stability. An evaluation index system was built based on three evaluation factors (subsidence, seepage, and deformation), three subfactors (subsidence gradient, seepage rate, and horizontal deformation), and four evaluation criteria (unstable, weakly stable, medium stable, and stable). The evaluation method was applied to evaluate the index for the case study of Yili No. 4 Coal Mine in Xinjiang, China. Based on the geological conditions of the close-distance coal seams in the mine under study, the main influencing factors and subordinate functions of evaluation index S t a were analyzed. The above three factors' weights were assessed as 0.1095, 0.3090, and 0.5815, respectively, and the proposed evaluation method's feasibility was verified by the water level variation in the observation hole. The range and variance analyses were performed to assess the significance of the mining heights of the upper and lower coal seams and the coal seam spacing. The results showed that the aquiclude stability negatively correlated with the mining heights and positively correlated with the coal seam spacing. The decreasing order of influence significance on the aquiclude stability was as follows: upper coal seam mining height, lower coal seam mining height, and coal seam spacing. Water protection mining was an effective measure to control the S t a , and the findings provided a reference value and academic significance for the ecosystem conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lanzhou-Xinjiang (Lan-Xin) high-speed railway is one of the principal sections of the railway network in western China, and signal equipment is of great importance in ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the high-speed railway. Over a long period, in the railway operation and maintenance process, the railway signaling and communications department has recorded a large amount of unstructured text information about equipment faults in the form of natural language. However, due to irregularities in the recording methods of these data, it is difficult to use directly. In this paper, a method based on natural language processing (NLP) was adopted to analyze and classify this information. First, the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic model was used to extract the semantic features of the text, which were then expressed in the corresponding topic feature space. Next, the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm was used to construct a signal equipment fault diagnostic model that reduced the impact of sample data imbalance on the classification accuracy. This was compared and analyzed with the traditional Naive Bayes (NB), Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithms. This study used signal equipment failure text data from the Lan-Xin high-speed railway to conduct experimental analysis and verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Experiments showed that the accuracy of the SVM classification algorithm could reach 0.84 after being combined with the LDA topic model, which verifies that the natural language processing method can effectively realize the fault diagnosis of signal equipment and has certain guiding significance for the maintenance of field signal equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low embankment is an important technique for road development in subgrade engineering due to its small fill height and applicability to the natural landscape in the oasis desert area of Xinjiang, China. A reasonable development of the gravel soil low embankment design requires the study of its dynamic response under a long-time dynamic loading. In the paper, a 1 : 1 full-scale low embankment model was established and tests of 100000 loading cycles with 50 kN peak value were carried out, taking into account three kinds of foundation moisture contents: 18%, 23%, and 28%. The test results show that the dynamic stress in the gravel soil low embankment attenuates nonlinearly with the increase in depth. The dynamic stress at each depth is the smallest for the water content value of 28% in the foundation. The stress attenuation rate is inversely proportional to the loading cycles and directly proportional to the water content of the foundation. The dynamic stress and dynamic strain in the gravel soil low embankment show cumulative effects with an increase of the loading cycles. The rate of stress and strain accumulation is faster for low loading cycles. The strain accumulation effect of each structural layer in the foundation is the largest for the water content value of 28%. The strain accumulation rate at the top layer of the foundation reaches 2.648. Based on the model test results, the dynamic stress calculation model for the gravel soil low embankment under dynamic loading is proposed. The calculation model was experimentally verified. The research results are important for the application of gravel soil low embankment in the oasis desert area of Xinjiang, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the arid climate and fragile ecological environment in Xinjiang, China, land reclamation should be carried out after mining. The core of land reclamation is the water content of the surface covering soil. In this paper, the law of water distribution in reclamation reconstructed soil of nonmetal mines in Xinjiang was studied. In order to obtain the law of water distribution in reconstructed soil, we set up an observation system of the neutron probe and tensiometer. The neutron probe was used to monitor the soil water content. The tensiometers were used to obtain the matrix potential of soil for verifying the water distribution in reconstructed soil. Volumetric water content and matrix potential of reconstructed soil during 1-year period of management and irrigation were obtained by long-term monitoring. After one year's field in situ test, 2424 sets of neutron probe data and 1368 sets of tensiometer data were obtained. By studying the above parameters, we summarized the law of water distribution in reconstructed soil of variable thickness and degree of compaction with nonmetallic waste rock filling. The results showed that covering soil was helpful to retain water content. Whether the soil was compacted or uncompacted, the soil water content at the depth of 10 cm was less than that at other depth of reconstructed soil because it was greatly affected by meteorological factors. The water content of reconstructed soil at 30 cm depth was greater than that at other depths. Under the influence of factors such as the thickness and compaction of the soil, the response time of soil water content and matrix potential to each irrigation infiltration was different. According to the characteristics of reclamation-vegetation such as alfalfa growth in Xinjiang, the thickness of surface reconstructed soil should be not less than 50 cm. Over time, soil that was compacted once was better for the vegetation. The research results could provide a reference for the land reclamation of nonmetallic mines in Xinjiang, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, there is insufficient research on the refinement of the vertical structure of winter snowstorm systems in arid areas, and, compared with the central and eastern China, the observation sites in arid areas of northwestern China are scarce. To deepen the understanding of dynamics and microphysical processes and improve the level of forecasting and warning of snowstorms in northwestern China, the Institute of Desert Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Urumqi, carried out the Central Asia Extreme Precipitation Observation Test (CAEPOT) in Yili, Xinjiang, a typical arid region in China in February 2020. This paper uses multiple fine detection datasets obtained from the CAEPOT, including radar wind profiler, ground-based microwave radiometer, and millimeter-wave cloud radar to analyze macroscopic characteristics and microphysical changes of snowstorm system in Xinjiang. Studies have shown that the low trough with sufficient moisture, heat, power conditions, and weakening banded cloud system, which moved eastward from the Aral Sea to the west of Xinjiang during the snowstorm, were the key influencing system of this snowstorm. Before the snowstorm, the vertical shear of the horizontal wind field was severe, which aggravated the instability of the atmosphere, and there was upward motion in the lower atmosphere. A variety of physical quantities related to moisture showed a tendency to increase at the lower level and could be used as an early warning signal for snowstorm about 8 hours in advance, and the cloud and snow particles observed by millimeter-wave cloud radar were simultaneously developing upward and downward from 4 km, providing snowstorm warning 12 hours in advance. During the snowstorm, the horizontal wind speed and vertical speed were obviously enhanced, and the physical quantities related to moisture further increased, and, with the blocking and uplifting of the Tianshan Mountains, the snowstorm increased. The particles collided and grew while falling, resulting in a decrease in particle concentration and an increase in particle radius from high altitude to the ground, eventually resulting in near-ground reflectivity factor up to 30 dBz. In addition, reflectivity factor, physical quantities related to moisture, wind field, particle concentration, and particle radius all had a good correspondence with the beginning, end, and intensity of snowstorm, so when the physical quantities mentioned above weakened and stopped, snowstorm also weakened and stopped. In a word, this research is an important and meaningful work that provides more backgrounds and references for the forecast and warning of snowstorm in northwestern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radio telescopes play an important role in lunar exploration projects, manned space flight projects, and navigation systems. China is constructing a giant 110 m aperture ground-based fully steerable radio telescope in Qitai County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In this paper, a 110 m aperture fully steerable radio telescope prestressed back frame structure is proposed and optimized to improve the reflector accuracy and to reduce the weight of the telescope. First, prestressed cables are introduced into the back frame structure, and three innovative cable layout schemes are presented. Second, for stress state analysis, the wind pressure distribution on the main reflector is explored using wind tunnel experiments. Third, some improvements in genetic algorithms for addressing computational complexity are explained. Finally, the effects of prestressed cables on the weight reduction and reflector accuracy improvement are analysed. Additionally, in order to evaluate the safety of the prestressed back frame structure, its strength has been checked, and the internal force and displacement under static conditions and in earthquakes are interpreted in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive study of the stress distribution and stability analysis of a uniquely shaped roadway having a steeply dipping hard roof. The coal seam and its roof have a certain impact tendency, which is the internal condition of rock burst. The syncline tectonic stress causes the original rock stress to reach a higher level. The large amount of coal produced in the coal mine and the large movement range of the upper strata cause the huge mining additional stress around the stope. The impact load caused by "cantilever beam" fracture of hard roof can induce and strengthen rock burst. Its engineering geological setting encompasses the mining process and surrounding rock conditions of No. 6 Coal Seam in the 2130 coal mine of Xinjiang. Numerical simulations with theoretical analysis and field measurements investigated a proposed new truss combined support scheme for implementation. A comparison was made of the differences in the state parameters of the road under the new and old support conditions. The application of the new combined support technology changed the form of the stress distribution around the road. Apart from the displacements of the two coal sidewalls, the new support system notably reduced the displacement of roof and floor by 67.8% and 83.6%, respectively. After the implementation of the new support scheme, the frequency of the original rock burst in the working face is greatly reduced, the surrounding rock control and field application effects also remained good, and personnel and equipment safety and production plan have a good guarantee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the primary threats to coal mine safety production is the sudden extensive fracturing and collapse of thick and hard roof strata. A range of uniaxial compression experiments with acoustic emission (AE) monitoring was performed for studying the mechanical properties and crack evolution of thick and hard roof sandstone specimens. AE temporal response analysis revealed that the damage process of thick and hard roof sandstone specimens exhibited distinct stages. Additionally, AE event localization indicated that microcracks within the thick and hard roof sandstone specimens propagated from the ends to the middle of the specimens during the loading process, eventually leading to severe failure. The b-value analysis demonstrated that during the early loading stage, the scale of internal microcracks within the thick and hard roof sandstone specimens gradually decreased with the optimization of the load-bearing structure. In the later loading stage, the scale of microcracks increased with the deterioration of the load-bearing structure. Furthermore, RA–AF analysis revealed that the specimens experienced combined tensile–shear failure, primarily dominated by tensile failure throughout. The AE characteristics observed during the deformation of thick and hard sandstone can provide references for the monitoring of roof stability and early warning of potential disasters in thick and hard sandstone conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ROP is an important index to evaluate the efficiency of oil and gas drilling. In order to accurately predict the ROP of an oilfield in Xinjiang working area, a ROP prediction model based on the historical drilling data of this working area was established based on stacking ensemble learning. This model integrates the K -nearest neighbor algorithm and support vector machine algorithm by stacking ensemble strategy and uses genetic algorithm to optimize model parameters, forming a new method of ROP prediction suitable for this oilfield. The prediction results show that the accuracy of ROP prediction by this method is up to 92.5%, and the performance is stable, which can provide reference for the optimization of drilling parameters in this oilfield and has specific guiding significance for improving the efficiency of drilling operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnic music has too many expectations due to its significance to the national culture. It serves as a mirror, reflecting all the true characteristics of many geographical areas and ethnic groupings. Instilling national self-confidence and fostering national unity are essential outcomes of this. The optimal design plan for Xinjiang folk music inheritance and environmental monitoring based on big data technology is presented in this study from the standpoint of cultural ecology. Big data technology can categorize users who are interested in Xinjiang ethnic music, and after that, through customized recommendation filtering, consumers may be presented with Xinjiang ethnic music that meets their interests. Last but not least, a simulation test and analysis are performed. The algorithm's accuracy is 7.86% higher than that of the conventional algorithm, according to the simulation data. By studying and calculating the user's behavioral traits and interests, this result demonstrates in detail how the recommender system can display the user's content efficiently. However, there are numerous possibilities and varied contexts for the use of clustering techniques in recommender systems. It is crucially vital for directing the protection of ethnic music and fostering the inheritance and development of ethnic culture to conduct design study on the Xinjiang region's ethnic music heritage and development with cultural ecology as the central guiding principle. This article is from "A comprehensive study of Uygur Muqam music art with Chinese characteristics," which aims to improve the data reserve of the world and Southeast Asia on the research of Chinese Uighur Muqam art. Improve the inheritance and development of music in Xinjiang, China, and provide more detailed data to more scholars. This study adopts qualitative research methods and field survey data. The author proposes to focus on the perspective of cultural ecology, based on the use of big data technology, to improve the inheritance and development of Xinjiang national music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variation of solar radiation has a profound effect on the surface energy balance and hydrological cycle. Although the relationship between solar radiation variation and its influencing factors has been extensively studied, they are seldom used in Xinjiang, the largest province in China. In this study, we investigated the spatial distribution and temporal variation in global radiation (Eg), water vapor content (WVC), aerosol optical depth (AOD), total cloud cover (TCC), and low-level cloud cover (LCC) in Xinjiang, northwestern China, between 1961 and 2015. The annual average Eg reported at all stations was 5126.3–6252.8 MJ·m−2 with a mean of 5672 MJ·m−2. The highest annual mean Eg of 6252.8 MJ·m−2 occurred in Hami, eastern Xinjiang, whereas the lowest annual mean Eg of 5126.3 MJ·m−2 occurred in Urumqi, northern Xinjiang. The annual Eg variation was mainly affected by WVC, AOD, TCC, and LCC. Decreases in annual, spring, summer, autumn, and winter Eg trends were recorded in Xinjiang at rates of −33.88 × 10−2, −1.92 × 10−2, −1.89 × 10−2, −3.47 × 10−2, and −3.56 × 10−2 MJ·m−2·decade−1, respectively, with decreasing ratios of 9.43%, 5.85%, 0.14%, 8%, and 20.55%, respectively. Increasing trends in annual WVC, AOD, TCC, and LCC were noted in Xinjiang at rates of 7.12 × 10−5 mm·decade−1, 2.74 × 10−6 decade−1, 8.77 × 10−5 % decade−1, and 5.73 × 10−5% decade−1, respectively. In addition, increasing trends in the annual Eg at Yining and Yanqi stations were observed. The Eg spatial distribution was complex in Xinjiang at the stations observed in this study, which were divided into six groups. Eg at group 1 showed an increasing trend associated with decreases in the WVC and TCC, whereas decreases in Eg were observed at groups 2–6, which could have been influenced by increases in AOD, TCC, and LCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to illustrate the various characteristics of gale disaster loss in typical arid and semiarid areas and to divide the classification of disaster loss. Based on 1399 gale disasters in 48 counties (or cities) of Southern Xinjiang, the typical arid and semiarid lands, during 1980–2019, the disaster loss index, which comprehensively expresses six disaster factors, is constructed through mathematical statistics. The percentile method is used to divide the disaster loss index into four levels: mild (level I), moderate (level II), severe (level III), and very severe (level IV). The geographical distribution, annual variation, and interannual variation characteristics of the frequency and intensity of gale disasters in Southern Xinjiang were analyzed from the overall and different levels. The results show that the most frequent and hardest-hit areas in Southern Xinjiang are concentrated in Turpan and Aksu. The gale disasters have their peak occurrence in April with the most vigorous intensity. The frequency of gale disasters in Southern Xinjiang has increased yearly, but the intensity did not show a fluctuation trend. The frequency and intensity of level I to III gale disasters increased yearly, but the frequency and intensity of level IV gale disasters did not fluctuate. Identifying high-risk areas and periods of gale disaster loss is conducive to the policy formulation and hierarchical management of disaster prevention and control in arid and semiarid lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Permian strata in the southwest Tarim Basin contain organic reefs with good exploration prospects. Based on observations of outcrops and thin section examination of the Permian Keziliqiman Formation reef in the Sangzhu section of Pishan County, Xinjiang, northwest China, the basic characteristics of the reef are studied. This organic reef, as a point reef which grew along the platform margin, has a complete subfacies system of base, core, front, back, and cap. The lithology of the lower zone of the core is mainly sponge bafflestone, while that of the upper zone is coral framestone. The development of reefs was controlled by the rise and fall of sea level. It was when the sea level rose in southwest Tarim Basin that the Keziliqiman reef gradually came into existence. Later, with rapid decline of sea level in that area, the Sangzhu section turned into a hot and dry supratidal zone, where algae began to flourish, dolomitization intensified, reef building organisms died en masse, and eventually the reef died. Paleontological and geochemical characteristics of the Sangzhu reef indicate that the sea-level decline in southwest Tarim Basin may be related to the Early Permian glaciers. Since then, the reef began to be transformed by diagenesis. But on the whole, its effect was not significant. Furthermore, its diagenetic process had more to do with marine fluids than with nonmarine fluids, for nonmarine fluids was powerful enough to affect bioclasts but powerless to affect micritic matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on extreme precipitation changes in Xinjiang Province of Northwest China, which has experienced an increase in climate disasters in recent years. This paper investigates extreme precipitation events in Xinjiang, using 54 stations with daily precipitation records from the period 1961–2008. Different statistical tests and approaches were used to check the significance of trends of single and Xinjiang regionally aggregated precipitation series for intensity and in frequency. There were predominantly positive trends in annual maximum precipitation and a remarkable increment in the frequency of extreme precipitation over certain thresholds (from 10 to 40 mm). Although the series of frequencies exceeding thresholds had positive trends, only a minority were statistically significant. This lack of significance is because of the high variability of extreme precipitation in space and time. Thus, significant trends were evident when we assessed the extreme precipitation indicators of intensity and frequency at the regional level, both in intensity and frequency over thresholds, with a clearer signal in Xinjiang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the pyrolysis characteristics of oil shale, an important strategic resource, is of great significance for oil shale refining and in situ underground mining. In this study, using the oil shale from Jimsar region of Xinjiang, in combination with thermogravimetric analyzer (TG), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and mass spectrometry (MS) techniques, the pyrolysis characteristics and mechanism of the oil shale are analyzed according to the experimental results and explored the effect of its pyrolysis on the development of the pore. The results, the pyrolysis with three stages, show the following: (1) The first stage is 23-390°C. The precipitation of adsorbed water within the oil shale and the dehydration of gypsum are mainly at 100°C or so, appearing some microcapillary pores and other temperature sections change little. (2) The second stage is 390-527°C. The organic matter pyrolysis of Jimsar oil shale accounts for 71.1% of the total weight loss of oil shale. This stage has the greatest impact on the evolution of pore structure, and there are two weight loss peaks at 458°C and 506°C, respectively, in the thermogravimetric curve. Combined with FTIR-MS, the main products of its pyrolysis gas are H2, H2O, CO2, CH4, and CnHm and will change the original pore surface of oil shale, create new pore volume, and produce complex and irregular pore structure. (3) In third stage (527-800°C), the formation of H2, CO2, and hydrocarbon gases suggests that this stage includes not only the decomposition of major inorganic components like carbonate and clay but also the degradation process of some organic matter. At this stage, the CO2 generated in the precipitation process will lead to a large number of pores in oil shale. Crack grids will appear, due to the melting and recrystallization of some clay minerals. Once the interaction between the two is particularly intense, the mineral skeleton may rupture and collapse. The pyrolysis characteristics above provide a basis for the analysis of the pore structure evolution of oil shale and are of implications and practical application value to the exploitation of shale oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of big data and the Internet of Things, the development of the Chinese nation is changing with each passing day, and the regional economic development has also shown a long-handed trend. With the development of the diversity of the Chinese nation, it has become more and more prosperous, which drives the sustainable development of the regional economy, but in the process of regional economic development, it also reflects the various contradictions and problems of my country's economy in the ethnic minority regional economy. By studying the current status of Chinese nation diversity and regional economic development under the background of big data and the Internet of Things, this article pointed out the problems and contradictions in the development of national diversity and regional economic development, through the use of thermodynamic computing models for data analysis, and based the status quo of the economic development of Xinjiang region is an example, and it proposes measures to promote the coordinated development of the Chinese nation's diversity and regional economic coordinated development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The longissimus dorsi muscle of Xinjiang brown cattle and Angus cattle at the age of 3, 7, 12, and 24 months under the same feeding and management conditions were selected to explore the differences of muscle 4 fiber types in this study. The muscle histological and molecular biological reasons for the quality difference between Xinjiang brown cattle and Angus beef were discussed. The morphology of the muscle was compared by ATP enzyme staining and SDH enzyme staining, and its gene expression was detected by qRT-PCR. The mRNA expression levels of Myhc-I in 3-month-old Xinjiang brown cattle were significantly higher than those in Angus cattle of the same age (P < 0.01). The 4 fiber types of 7-month-old Xinjiang brown cattle were significantly lower than those of Angus cattle of the same age (P < 0.01). The expression level of type I and IIb in 12-month-old Xinjiang brown cattle was significantly higher than that in 12-month-old Angus cattle (P < 0.05). Type I and IIa of 24-month-old Xinjiang brown cattle were significantly lower than those of Angus cattle of the same age (P < 0.05). However, in our study, the basic characteristics of longissimus dorsi of Xinjiang brown cattle and Angus cattle, such as color, pH, shearing force, and other characteristics were not detected, which is lacking in this aspect. Overall, with the increase of age, the growth trend of muscle fiber morphology of Xinjiang brown cattle and Angus cattle is roughly the same, but from the point of view of muscle fiber types, the Xinjiang brown cattle are more suitable for the production of early fat calves and to make some reference for improving the quality of beef cattle in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) V06 product has been widely studied, but the errors and the source of the errors within IMERG over diverse climate regions still need to be quantified. To this end, the final run gauge-calibrated IMERG V06 (V06C) and uncalibrated IMERG V06 (V06UC) products are comprehensively evaluated here against 2088 precipitation gauges acquired between March 2014 and June 2018 over China. Moreover, V06C and V06UC rainfall estimates are compared against the Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Imagery using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN)-Climate Data Record (CDR) and the Climate Prediction Center morphing technique (CMORPH) gauge-satellite blended (BLD) products. Continuous statistical indices and two error decomposition schemes are used to quantify their performance. Key results are as follows. (1) Except for V06UC's relatively high underestimation over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and high overestimation over Xinjiang (XJ), Northeastern China (DB), and Northern China (HB) and CDR's severe overestimation over TP, all four satellite-based precipitation products can generally capture the spatial pattern of precipitation over China. Moreover, the satellite-based precipitation estimates agree better with gauge observations over humid regions than over semi-humid, semi-arid, and arid regions. (2) All the statistical indicators show that CDR has the worst performance, whereas BLD is the best precipitation product. As for the two IMERG products, V06C has improved V06UC's precipitation estimate. Results show that the gauge calibration algorithm (GCA) used in IMERG has active effect in terms of r, POD, and CSI. (3) Within all subregions, all four satellite-based precipitation products demonstrate their worst performance over the arid XJ region which exhibits the highest FAR and lowest POD and CSI values among all regions. (4) In terms of intensity distribution, for summer over China, the four satellite-based precipitation products generally overestimate the frequency of moderate precipitation and light precipitation events (<25 mm/day) and underestimate heavy precipitation events (>42 mm/day). (5) The relative bias ratio (RBR) analysis shows that the contribution of missed precipitation tends to be lower over wetter regions. In addition, for the same climate region, the contribution of missed precipitation is clearly lower in summer than in winter. In summer, false precipitation dominates the total error, whereas missed and false precipitation are the two leading error sources in winter. Future algorithm refinement efforts should focus on decreasing FAR in summer and winter and improving missed snow events during the winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high moisture content of seeds during harvesting results in a large amount of grain that breaks during mechanical harvesting, which becomes a key problem that hampers the promotion of mechanical grain harvesting technology. Maize in southern Xinjiang physiologically matures from early September to early October. In this study, 52 varieties of maize at different maturity stages were studied in 2019-2020 and were categorized in the order of physiological maturity time: early September (PD1), mid-September (PD2), late September (PD3), and early October (PD4). The goal of this study was to analyze the differences in content of kernel moisture at physiological maturity and the rate of dehydration after physiological maturity of varieties at different stages of maturity, so as to determine the suitable period for mechanical grain harvesting of maize at different stages of maturity. The results showed that the content of seed moisture at different maturity stages varied in a two-stage linear model, with periods of fast and slow dehydration. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the content of seed moisture at different stages of physiological maturity did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture big data can use the advantages of information technology to provide data support and technical support for improving the level of farmland transfer and labor transfer. And the coupling and coordinated development of the two is an essential way to ensure the effective promotion of the rural revitalization strategy and complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in an all-round path. First, aided by the coupling coordination model and exploratory spatial data analysis, a detailed analysis of the spatiotemporal patterns and dynamics of farmland transfer and labor transfer was conducted. The driving factors were quantitatively examined using the gray correlation model. The results indicate that the degree of coupling and coordination between Xinjiang's farmland transfer and labor transfer ranges from 0.50 to 0.70, basically on the between of slight and primary coordination, and the degree of coordination among the regions varies greatly. The labor resource endowment, agricultural equipment level, farmland ownership confirmation, nonagricultural industry development level, and urbanization level are significantly impacting the degree of coupling and coordination between Xinjiang's farmland transfer and labor transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in the depth of large-scale open-pit mining, many mines have to face problems such as what is the effect of open-pit blasting on the rock slope and how to ensure the stability of a high-steep slope. The east slope of the Beizhan iron mine in Hejing County, Xinjiang, belongs to the typical open-pit high and steep slope of mined hanging-wall ore. To study the effect of open-pit blasting vibrations on hanging-wall slope stability, the intelligent blasting vibration detector was used to monitor the open-pit blasting wave of the Beizhan iron mine and the corresponding numerical model was established. We fitted the transmission law of slope blasting vibration by Sodev's regression formula and calculated stress, strain, and vibration velocity of the whole slope by numerical simulation. The result showed that the fitting functional relationship was correct and could be the basic rule of predicting the maximum charge amount per delay interval and minimum safe distance for this area. The estimated open-pit blasting charge weight was reasonable and blasting vibrations would have little effect on the hanging-wall slope. The research method and conclusions in this article have numerous reference values for studying the hanging-wall slope's kinetic stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pore characteristics of coal have an important influence on the coal adsorption of methane. The liquid nitrogen adsorption method was used to study the pore structure of low- and middle-rank coal samples from two aspects: pore specific surface area and pore shape. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology was used to study the difference in methane adsorption of coal samples under the same adsorption conditions. The influence and mechanism of the pore structure of middle- and low-rank coal samples on gas adsorption are discussed and analyzed. The results show the following: (1) There are differences in the adsorption capacity of medium- and low-rank coal samples. Within 1 h of methane inflation, the methane adsorption capacity of middle-rank coals such as Henan Pingdingshan (PDS) and Shanxi Wangzhuang (WZ) and Xinjiang low-rank coals (XJ) increases by 36.4%, 31.7%, and 35.8%, respectively, and as the inflation time is extended to the cumulative inflation of 10 h, the order of the increase in methane adsorption capacity is still PDS>XJ>WZ. (2) The pore types of the experimental coal samples are mostly wedge-shaped pores and ink bottle-shaped pores. The order of the BET specific surface area of the coal samples is in the order of WZ>PDS> XJ, which means that the WZ samples can provide more adsorption sites for gas molecule adsorption, but under the same adsorption conditions, the WZ sample has the least amount of gas adsorbed. Further analysis shows that the order of the tortuosity of the coal sample is WZ>XJ>PDS, which means that the WZ sample has a large pore tortuosity, a long channel for methane molecules to diffuse into the internal pores of the coal sample, and large diffusion resistance. It is the main reason why the methane adsorption capacity of WZ coal samples is less than that of PDS and XJ coal samples in the same adsorption conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation focused on the three-dimensional (3D) seepage field simulation of an asphaltic concrete core rockfill dam (ACRD) under the design water level conditions. At first, the finite element theory of seepage is introduced in the arid area; then, a hydro-junction projection on the Nuer River in Xinjiang is selected as engineering background, the finite element model of a seepage field of an asphaltic and concrete core rockfill dam under the design water level condition is established, and a boundary condition is determined, and the next distribution of a seepage field of different profiles are plotted, and the monitoring value of different points is compared with the finite element solution; conclusions can be drawn that when the antiseepage system of the dam foundation is good, the water level at the downstream side of the core wall is greatly reduced; for the dam foundation, the effects of reducing head of the cutoff wall are rather obvious, and for the dam body, certain leakage defects at the joint of an impermeable body in the cross sections 0 + 456.5 m and 0 + 540 m can exist. For the dam-around seepage, the hydrogeological condition conforms to the actual conditions. These conclusions can provide great significance for the future design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social-bots-mediated information manipulation is influencing the public opinion environment, and their role and behavior patterns in news proliferation are worth exploring. Based on the analysis of bots' posting frequency, influence, and retweeting relationship, we take the diffusion of The New York Times' coverage of Xinjiang issue on the overseas social platform Twitter as an example and employ the two-step flow model. It is found that in the role of second-step diffusion, unlike posting news indiscriminately in first-step diffusion, social bots are more inclined to postcontroversial information in second-step diffusion; in terms of diffusion patterns, although social bots are more engaged in first-step diffusion than in second-step diffusion and can trigger human users to retweet, they are still inferior to humans in terms of influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the effective stress factor of proppants during the multi-stage hydraulic fracturing operation in horizontal wells and select the appropriate proppant type, the analysis of the effective stress characteristics of proppants is carried out. This analysis considers the geomechanics and long-term production characteristics of multi-stage fractured horizontal wells in reservoirs like Xinjiang Mahu shale oil and Southwest China shale gas. The analysis of influencing factors is also carried out. The results show that, during the multi-stage hydraulic fracturing operation in horizontal wells, the stress on proppants is not only related to geological factors such as reservoir closure stress, but also closely related to total injection volume, cluster spacing, liquid type, injection displacement and post fracture management. First, increasing injection intensity, reducing fracture spacing, using low viscosity fracturing fluid, adopting high injection displacement and utilizing reasonable flowback system can effectively supplement reservoir energy, postpone the effective stress peak of proppants, and increase the effective conductivity of proppants. Second, the production performance analysis results of nearly 300 horizontal wells (from Xinjiang oil field, Erdos tight oil reservoir, Sichuan shale gas reservoir, etc.) shows that: the effective stress of proppants in horizontal wells is only 50–60% of that in vertical wells, which results in a different proppant selection criterion in the volume stimulation of horizontal wells and provides the geomechanics basis of replacing ceramsite proppant with quartz sand to reduce cost and increase efficiency. Based on the above conclusions, the field test of replacing ceramsite proppant with quartz sand was carried out. The proportion of quartz sand increased from less than 30% in 2014 to 69% in 2019. Without any impact on production, the annual investment cost was decreased by more than 1 billion yuan, which set a great example for the promoted low-cost development of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs under low oil price background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies on the technique for using the remaining oil are incomplete and inaccurate according to the position of the interlayer of the Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) technique, and comparative studies of infilled horizontal wells are lacking. In this study, the SAGD well pair in the superheavy oil reservoir in the Z block in the Xinjiang Oilfield, China, was taken as an example. According to the reservoir's geological parameters and production parameters, a typical well group geological model was created for the first time. The model divided the well groups in block Z into three categories according to the position of the interlayer, the production degree of the horizontal section, the oil recovery ratio, and the available degree of reserve control. According to the geological classification results, different typical well groups without an interlayer, with an interlayer located above the steam injection well, and with an interlayer located between the well pairs were classified and analyzed using numerical simulations. This was the first time the infilled horizontal well technique was compared with the infilled vertical well-assisted SAGD technique. In addition, the steam chamber connection law of the infilled vertical well-assisted SAGD was clarified. The results show that for reservoirs without an interlayer, the use of infilled horizontal well-assisted SAGD could speed up the lateral connection of the steam chambers and reduce the residual oil saturation. For reservoirs with a low production degree in the horizontal section and that are affected by an interlayer, an infilled vertical injector could be used with the assisted SAGD technique to increase the oil recovery by 5%–13%. The results of this study provided strong guidance for the next step in using enhanced oil recovery techniques to achieve traditional SAGD production from superheavy oil reservoirs with an interlayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a coupling relationship between surrounding rock stress, deformation, and fracture evolution, especially in the microdynamics of the crust caused by mining activities and earthquakes. Previous research has investigated many cases regarding the coseismal water level responses and proposed a method to calculate the aquifer parameters by tidal analysis. However, to date, measurement of the degree of rock damage in the field has not been reported. Quantifying the fracture characteristics is essential for accurate evaluation of rock stability. This study has analyzed the relationship between the seismograms and hydroseismograms in response to the Mw 7.8 Solomon Islands earthquake and the Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake, both events occurring in 2016. The calculated and measured changes in water level in the X10 well were fitted in order to study the relationships among the volumetric strain, the deviatoric strain, and the oscillations in the pore pressure. Then, we further estimate the degree of rock damage and the hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer. The results showed that the values for the rock damage parameter, 0.662 < αD < 0.754, and the Skempton coefficient, −0.100 < A < 0.026, estimated for the Solomon Islands earthquake signified higher damage and dilatancy in the X10 well. Also, the respective values for the parameters, 0.293 < αD < 0.363 and 0.226 < A < 0.251, calculated for the Kaikōura earthquake signified a lower degree of rock damage. It is concluded that the changes in the pore pressure were influenced by both the volumetric strain and the deviatoric strain. The degree of rock damage and the hydraulic properties of the aquifer estimated from the water level fluctuations in the wells which were induced by the seismic waves represent the actual aquifer characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field test in the Xinjiang oilfield in China shows that the viscosity of heavy oil has a certain influence on the combustion dynamics and injection-production performance of fire flooding. The experiment in this study uses a one-dimensional combustion tube to study the temperature, gas composition, and air injection pressure and the production performance of the fire flooding of heavy oil with different viscosities. The results show that the oil viscosities of 1180–22500 mPa·s can achieve stable combustion, and the O2 content of the gas produced during the stable combustion stage is <0.5%. The higher the viscosity of the heavy oil, the higher the temperature in the burned zone and the smaller the range of the temperature increase in the unburned zone. The air injection pressure will increase rapidly until a stable seepage channel is formed, and then, it will drop to a level close to the formation pressure. High-viscosity heavy oil requires a higher air injection pressure and will remain in the high-pressure stage for a longer period of time. Low-viscosity heavy oil has a low water cut in the early stage of fire flooding, a large oil production rate, and a low and stable air–oil ratio. The water cut of high-viscosity heavy oil increases rapidly in the early stage of fire flooding and then decreases gradually, so a good air–oil ratio can only be obtained in the middle and late stages of fire flooding. Thus, fire flooding may be more suitable for application in common heavy oil and some extra heavy oil reservoirs with lower viscosities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dananhu coalfield, at the southern margin of Turpan-Hami Basin, Xinjiang, has good coal-forming geological conditions. Due to the low research level on the depositional environment and coal accumulation, the comprehensive coal mining is restricted. Based on drilling and sectioning outcrop data, the depositional characteristics, lithofacies, paleogeography, and coal accumulation of the coal-bearing formations in western Dananhu coalfield are analyzed. The middle member of the Xishanyao Formation is the major coal-bearing strata of the Dananhu coalfield, composed of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, and combustible organic rock, which can be further subdivided into 14 lithofacies according to substance composition, sediment texture, and structure. During the early Middle Jurassic coal-accumulating period, alluvial fan, fluvial plain, fluvial delta, and shallow lacustrine deposits were developed from northeast to southwest in the western Dananhu mining area. Coal accumulation was most developed in the center regions of the study area extending from northeast to southwest, which were primarily concentrated in margin fans, floodplains, interdeltaic bays, and lakeshore environments, especially the transitional zone between the fluvial plain and the delta plain in the west of No. 1 mining area. This coal accumulation was mainly controlled by synsedimentary tectonic subsidence and clastic sediments supply or sedimentary environment, where tectonic subsidence was the primary controlling factor and the source supply was the secondary controlling factor for coal accumulation, which provided theoretical support for the coal prediction and geological exploration in western Dananhu coalfield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is challenging to enhance heavy oil recovery in the late stages of steam flooding. This challenge is due to reduced residual oil saturation, high steam-oil ratio, and lower profitability. A field test of the CO2-assisted steam flooding technique was carried out in the steam-flooded heavy oil reservoir in the J6 block of the Xinjiang oil field (China). In the field test, a positive response to the CO2-assisted steam flooding treatment was observed, including a gradually increasing heavy oil production, an increase in the formation pressure, and a decrease in the water cut. The production wells in the test area mainly exhibited four types of production dynamics, and some of the production wells exhibited production dynamics that were completely different from those during steam flooding. After being flooded via CO2-assisted steam flooding, these wells exhibited a gravity drainage pattern without steam channeling issues, and hence, they yielded stable oil production. In addition, emulsified oil and CO2 foam were produced from the production well, which agreed well with the results of laboratory-scale tests. The reservoir-simulation-based prediction for the test reservoir shows that the CO2-assisted steam flooding technique can reduce the steam-oil ratio from 12 m3 (CWE)/t to 6 m3 (CWE)/t and can yield a final recovery factor of 70%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Man-machine efficacy evaluations of typical work in the safe mining of high-altitude alpine metal mines are associated with fuzziness, multiple indexes, and large subjective components. This results in difficulties in the prediction of the typical work efficiency in high-altitude alpine metal mining areas. In this study, ergonomic theory was applied to establish the evaluation index system of typical work efficiency in high-altitude alpine metal mining areas by studying the cooperative relationship between operators, working machines, working environment, and design variables. First, we investigated the collaborative relationship between workers, operating machinery, operating environment, and design variables in order to establish the evaluation index system of typical work efficiency in high-altitude alpine metal mining areas. Second, principal component analysis (PCA) was integrated with the fusion entropy weight method to (i) analyze the coupling correlation and overlapping effects between the factors influencing efficiency at different altitudes and (ii) to determine the key influencing factors. Third, a model based on the sequence generative adversarial network genetic algorithm backpropagation (SeqGAN-GABP) hybrid algorithm was established to predict the trends in the operating efficiency of typical work types in high-altitude alpine metal mining areas. Finally, three high-altitude alpine metal mines in Xinjiang were selected as representative examples to verify the proposed framework by comparing it with other state-of the art models (multiple linear regression prediction model, backpropagation (BP) neural network model, and genetic algorithm back propagation (GA-BP) neural network model). Results determine the average relative error of each model as 2.74%, 1.97%, 1.29%, and 1.02%, respectively, indicating the greater accuracy of our proposed method in predicting the efficiency of typical work types in high-altitude alpine mining areas. This study can provide a scientific basis for the establishment of mining safety judgment standards in high-altitude alpine areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stray current generated by subway running into the ground makes the main transformer in the urban area in a direct current (DC) bias state. First, the mathematical model of the metro stray current field is established and the Galerkin finite element method is applied to calculate the model. Then, the dynamic model of the stray current-induced geoelectric field under different working conditions is established by using ANSYS software, and the three-dimensional numerical simulation study of the stray current-induced geoelectric field of the subway is carried out. Finally, taking the Urumqi subway in Xinjiang as an example, the stray current-induced geoelectric field is calculated and simulated, and the correctness of the model is verified by comparing with the measured data of DC magnetic bias in the urban substation. The research can provide useful reference for the calculation and treatment of DC bias of the main transformer in the urban area under the action of stray current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive gases (O3, CO, NO2, and SO2) were collected hourly at the Akedala regional background station in northwestern China during September 2017 to August 2018. Wind rose, cluster analysis, potential source contribution function (PSCF), and concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) methods were adopted for identifying the transport pathways and potential source regions of these atmosphere components at Akedala. The average O3, CO, NO2, and SO2 mixing ratios detected were 29.65 ± 11.44 ppb, 123.78 ± 73.35 ppb, 3.79 ± 0.98 ppb, and 4.59 ± 0.88 ppb during the observation period, and the statistical results of the monthly mean values revealed that there were differences during the highest pollution period, with O3 and CO mainly peaking in February, with mixing ratios of 38.03 ± 7.10 ppb and 208.50 ± 106.50 ppb, respectively. Meanwhile, NO2 peaked in March (4.51 ± 0.54 ppb) and SO2 in January (5.70 ± 1.92 ppb). The most obvious diurnal variation of CO and SO2 was observed in the winter, with maximum levels reaching between 13 : 00 and 14 : 00. The diurnal variations of O3 exhibited low values during the night and maximum values in the afternoon (16 : 00–18 : 00). Diurnal variation was not significant in the case of NO2. Cluster analysis showed that six main paths affected the Akedala atmosphere. In turn, the PSCF and CWT analysis results indicated that the Akedala reactive gas was affected by both local and foreign sources. The high PSCF value of the reactive gas potential source areas appeared in eastern Kazakhstan, northern Xinjiang, Western Mongolia, and Southern Russia. The WCWT (weighted concentration-weight trajectory) values of CO and SO2 in winter were the highest, totaling 180–240 ppb and 5–6.5 ppb, respectively. The WCWT value of O3 in the spring and summer was higher than that in the autumn and winter. The main source area of O3 was about 32–36 ppb in the spring and summer, and the main source area of NO2 in the summer had a low WCWT value of 3–3.5 ppb, whereas the NO2 WCWT value was concentrated at 4–4.5 ppb in the other seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are water resource shortages and frequent drought disasters in the arid region of northwestern China (ARNC). The purpose of this study is to understand the spatiotemporal variations of the droughts in this region and to further estimate future changes. Multiple drought indexes such as the standardized precipitation index (SPI), the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), and the self-calibrated Palmer drought severity index (SC-PDSI) are used to investigate the temporal and spatial characteristics of the ARNC drought from 1950 to 2012. Our results indicate the following: (1) The drought indexes exhibit significant increasing trends, and the highest drought frequency occurred in the 1960s, followed by a decreasing trend during the next few decades. All four seasons exhibit a wet trend, with a higher drought frequency in summer than in the other seasons. (2) The changes of the drought indexes in the ARNC also exhibit distinct spatial variations, with a wet trend in the subregions of North Xinjiang (NXJ), the Tianshan Mountains (TS), South Xinjiang (SXJ), and the Qilian Mountains (QL), but with a dry trend in the subregions of the Hexi Corridor (HX) and the western part of Inner Mongolia (WIM). (3) There was a major climate variability in the ARNC that occurred in the 1980s, and there were dry and wet climate oscillation periods of 8a, 17a, and >20a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We monitored the production process of Xinjiang dry‐cured mutton ham, and recorded changes in physicochemical and sensory quality such as appearance, texture, and aroma using E‐nose, texture profile analysis (TPA), and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometer (GC‐MS). During dry‐cured mutton ham processing, the moisture content decreased from 76% to 34%, while the NaCl content increased from 0.18% to 9.85%. Lipid oxidation was observed throughout the processing of dry‐cured mutton ham. Moreover, the nitrite content rapidly declined and reaching a minimum value of 1.58 mg/kg. During processing, the hardness of ham increased and its texture becomes tight, the chewability and gumminess improved over time. The muscle appeared rosy red, and the surface fat gradually became yellowish. Notably, seven classes of volatile compounds were identified among which aldehydes were the highest. Correlation analysis revealed that unsaturated fatty acids have a significant contribution to the composition of volatile compounds. PCA and cluster analysis results showed that the separation trend of the overall aroma profile of the dry‐cured mutton ham is obvious at different processing times. The quality of dry‐cured mutton ham changed the most during fermentation which was the key process stage of quality stabilization and improvement in the processing of dry‐cured mutton ham. These results provide information regarding the changes in aroma and quality of dry‐cured mutton ham during processing and are important for promoting the industrial processing of dry‐cured mutton ham. Practical applications: This study monitored the quality changes during the production of Xinjiang dry‐cured mutton ham. These results provide a basis for improving the quality of dry‐cured mutton ham and are important for promoting the industrial production of dry‐cured mutton ham. Developing high‐quality dry‐cured mutton ham will have a positive effect on promoting the added value of the mutton processing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ice-driven mechanical weathering in cold regions is considered a main factor impacting the stability of rock mass. In this work, the response surface method (RSM) was employed to evaluate and optimize the multiple frost heaving parameters to seek the maximum frost heaving force (FHF), in combination with experimental modeling based on a specially designed frost heaving force measurement system. Three kinds of rocks were prepared with parallel flaws in it having different flaw width, length, and cementation type, and these factors were used to fit an optimal response of the maximum FHF. The experimental results reveal five distinguished stages from the frost heaving force curve, and they are inoculation stage, explosive stage, decline to steady stage, recovery stage, and sudden drop stage. The sensitivity analysis reveals the influential order of the considered factors to peak FHF, which is the rock lithology, flaw width, flaw cement type, and flaw length. For low-porosity hard rock, increasing flaw width, flaw length, and flaw cement strength can improve the probability of frost heaving failure. It is suggested that rock lithology determines the water migration ability and influences the water-ice phase transformation a lot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Large fish species are at high risk of extinction because of life cycle characteristics and migratory fishes are often vulnerable to river modifications and overexploitation. The freshwater fish family Cyprinidae has the highest diversity in species, varied morphological and behavioral properties, and a wide range of habitat requirements. This study included an analysis of the conservation attention on large, migratory cyprinid species, a summary of threats jeopardizing the endangered species in this group, and a case study on little known species from northwest China. About 1% of all cyprinid species exceed 1 m in total length, and most of these fishes have migratory behaviors. Most of these species (79%) have not been evaluated for conservation attention, and a minor portion that have been evaluated were considered endangered. The threats to large migratory cyprinids include all the common threats to freshwater biodiversity: overexploitation, habitat alteration, water pollution, flow modification, and species invasion. The first two threats explain most of the decline in abundance and range of large, migratory cyprinids, and the others are sometimes important. The case of the Xinjiang datou fish ( Aspiorhynchus laticeps) illustrates how an impressive species can be lost without much scientific or public attention. The analysis of conservation attention, threats, and the case study support the conclusion that large, migratory cyprinids are not receiving conservation efforts that should be focused on fish species that are especially vulnerable to human impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]