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Qiongzhou Strait subsea tunnel is a challenging project with a long-distance, large investment, and long construction period. Scientific location planning is the key to this project construction. Therefore, we attempted to establish a new evaluation method for the Qiongzhou Strait subsea tunnel site selection. By analyzing the geological data of the Qiongzhou Strait and combining it with previous literature research results, we selected nine first-level and seventeen second-level evaluation indicators. We employed an analytic hierarchy process to calculate the weight of each indicator and evaluated each alternative route using the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and the cloud model method. We obtained an accurate and reliable optimal route through mutual verification and the final results of the two methods. This research can provide guidance or reference for the evaluation and decision-making of complex system engineering problems, and indicate a direction for further research on site selection and decision-making issues of major projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fault fracture zones have always been a key problem in the construction of submarine tunnels. To efficiently summarize the safety impact of different construction schemes on a submarine tunnel crossing a fault fracture, a theoretical model using numerical simulation has been established via the benching tunnelling construction method, three-step method, Center Diaphragm method (CD method), both sides heading method, Cross Diaphragm method (CRD method) and two kinds of supporting methods: pre-grouting and shotcreting. Numerical simulation studies on the excavation and support of submarine tunnels crossing fault fracture zones have been carried out. The research indicates: the fracture zone is the main area where sedimentation instability occurs; the CRD method has the lowest horizontal convergence under the support of the diaphragm; increasing the grouting strength is more effective in controlling the deformation of the surrounding rock than increasing the range of the pre-grouting and the thickness of the shotcrete in the initial support is increased, and its resulting effect is obvious. To optimize the construction scheme, we compared the settlement, horizontal convergence and surrounding rock stress of the tunnel according to the simulation results of different excavation support methods, which could provide theoretical guidance for better on-site construction techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an eco-friendly management method, biological control of postharvest diseases, utilizing antagonistic yeasts, is a research topic receiving considerable attention. Detailed knowledge on the biology of yeast antagonists is crucial when considering their potential application and development as biocontrol products. Changes in the growth form, such as single-cell to pseudohyphae, have been associated with the mode of action in postharvest biocontrol yeasts. In this study, the antagonistic yeast, Candida diversa, reversibly shifted from a single-cell morphology on yeast peptone dextrose (YPD) medium with 2 % agar to a pseudohyphal morphology on YPD with 0.3 % agar. The tolerance of the pseudohyphal form to heat and oxidative stresses, as well as the biocontrol efficacy against Botrytis cinerea on apple and kiwifruit stored at 25 and 4 °C, was significantly higher as compared to the single-cell form. This study provides new information on the ability of C. diversa to change its morphology and the impact of the morphology shift on stress tolerance and biocontrol performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]