Bedrock-soil layer slopes (BSLSs) are widely distributed in nature. The existence of the interface between bedrock and soil layer (IBSL) affects the failure modes of the BSLSs, and the seismic action makes the failure modes more complex. In order to accurately evaluate the safety and its corresponding main failure modes of BSLSs under seismic action, a system reliability method combined with the upper bound limit analysis method and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) is proposed. Four types of failure modes and their corresponding factors of safety (Fs) were calculated by MATLAB program coding and validated with case in existing literature. The results show that overburden layer soil's strength, the IBSL's strength and geometric characteristic, and seismic action have significant effects on BSLSs' system reliability, failure modes and failure ranges. In addition, as the cohesion of the inclination angle of the IBSL and the horizontal seismic action increase, the failure range of the BSLS gradually approaches the IBSL, which means that the damage range becomes larger. However, with the increase of overburden layer soil's friction angle, IBSL's depth and strength, and vertical seismic actions, the failure range gradually approaches the surface of the BSLS, which means that the failure range becomes smaller.

On December 18, 2023, a magnitude MS6.2 earthquake struck Jishishan County, Gansu Province, triggering over 40 seismic subsidence sites within a seismic intensity VI zone, 32 km from the epicenter.The earthquake caused tens of millions in economic losses to mountain photovoltaic power stations. Extensive geological surveys and comparisons with similar landslides (such as soil loosening, widespread cracks, and stepped displacements) triggered by the 1920 Haiyuan MS8.5 earthquake and the 1995 Yongdeng MS5.8 earthquake, this study preliminarily identifies one subsidence sites as a seismic-collapsed loess landslide. To investigate its disaster-causing mechanism: the dynamic triaxial test was conducted to assess the seismic subsidence potential of the loess at the site, and the maximum subsidence amount under different seismic loads were calculated by combining actual data from nearby bedrock stations with site amplification data from the active source; simulation of the destabilization evolution of seismic-collapsed loess landslides by large-scale shaking table tests; and a three-dimensional slope model was developed using finite element method to study the complex seismic conditions responsible for site damage. The research findings provide a theoretical foundation for further investigations into the disaster mechanisms of seismic-collapsed loess landslides.

Tobacco is a significant economic crop cultivated in various regions of China. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can establish a symbiotic relationship with tobacco and regulate its growth. However, the influences of indigenous AMF on the growth and development of tobacco and their symbiotic mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, a pot inoculation experiment was conducted, revealing that six inoculants - Acaulospora bireticulata(Ab), Septoglomus viscosum(Sv), Funneliformis mosseae(Fm), Claroideoglomus etunicatum(Ce), Rhizophagus intraradices(Ri), and the mixed inoculant (H) - all formed stable symbiotic relationships with tobacco. These inoculants were found to enhance the activities of SOD, POD, PPO, and PAL in tobacco leaves, increase chlorophyll content, IAA content, CTK content, soluble sugars, and proline levels while reducing malondialdehyde content. Notably, among these inoculants, Fm exhibited significantly higher mycorrhizal infection density, arbuscular abundance, and soil spore density in the root systems of tobacco plants compared to other treatments. Membership function analysis confirmed that Fm had the most pronounced growth-promoting effect on tobacco. The transcriptome analysis results of different treatments of CK and inoculation with Fm revealed that 3,903 genes were upregulated and 4,196 genes were downregulated in the roots and stems of tobacco. Enrichment analysis indicated that the majority of these genes were annotated in related pathways such as biological processes, molecular functions, and metabolism. Furthermore, differentially expressed genes associated with auxin, cytokinin, antioxidant enzymes, and carotenoids were significantly enriched in their respective pathways, potentially indirectly influencing the regulation of tobacco plant growth. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the development and application of AMF inoculants to enhance tobacco growth.

There has been a growing interest in controlled low strength material CLSM due to its engineering features, such as self-leveling and early strength development, as well as it potential for utilizing industrial waste. Still, the dynamic properties on CLSM are rarely studied. This study evaluates the feasibility of red mud as a partial aggregate replacement in foamed-lightweight CLSM, incorporating high-carbon fly ash and preformed foam. We varied both the red mud contents RMc and foam volume ratio FVR within the mixtures and examined their impact on unconfined compressive strength and dynamic properties including shear modulus G and damping ratio D. The results reveal that the red mud enhances foam stability, leading to more uniform pore structures and increased porosity, which reduces bulk densities. Despite higher porosity, red mud serves as a strong alkaline activator, enhancing geopolymer reactions of high-carbon fly ash and thereby increasing both compressive strength and initial shear modulus G0. Interestingly, increasing FVR had minimal impact on the D, while higher RMcnotably increased D, highlighting its distinct role in energy dissipation. The red mud-incorporated foamed CLSM exhibits strain-dependent normalized shear modulus G/G0 comparable to that of gravel, while its D is 40-100 % higher than gravel or gravelly soil at shear strain of 1.10-5, which corresponds to typical traffic-induced vibration levels. Moreover, theoretical volumetric-gravimetric relationships are introduced to account for the combined effects of FVR and RMcon CLSM behavior. These findings demonstrate that the red mud included foamed CLSM can be utilized as advanced structural backfill material capable of effectively mitigating the vibrations induced by traffic, low-amplitude seismic events, and mechanical sources.

Earthquakes are common geological disasters, and slopes under seismic loading can trigger coseismic landslides, while also becoming unstable due to accumulated damage caused by the seismic activity. Reinforced soil slopes are widely used as seismic-resistant geotechnical systems. However, traditional geosynthetics cannot sense internal damage in reinforced soil systems, and existing in-situ distributed monitoring technologies are not suitable for seismic conditions, thus limiting accurate post-earthquake stability assessments of slopes. This study presents, for the first time, the use of a batch molding process to fabricate self-sensing piezoelectric geogrids (SPGG) for distributed monitoring of soil behavior under seismic conditions. The SPGG's reinforcement and damage sensing abilities were verified through model experiments. Results show that SPGG significantly enhances soil seismic resistance and can detect soil failure locations through voltage distortions. Additionally, the tensile deformation of the reinforcement material can be quantified with sub-centimeter precision by tracking impedance changes, enabling high-precision distributed monitoring of reinforced soil under seismic conditions. Notably, when integrated with wireless transmission technology, the SPGG-based monitoring system offers a promising solution for real-time monitoring and early warning in road infrastructure, where rapid detection and response to seismic hazards are critical for mitigating catastrophic outcomes.

Subsequent crops are often sensitive to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicide residues, particularly in alkaline soils. The main objective of this study was to compare the impact of different ALS-inhibiting residual herbicides on growth of oil-seed rape (Brassica napus L. subsp. napus) and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in alkaline soil. In this regard, three experiments were conducted in Prague, Czech Republic, during 2021-2023. In spring, six herbicides (amidosulfuron, chlorsulfuron, imazamox, propoxycarbazone, pyroxsulam, sulfosulfuron) were applied at three application rates (1N - full, 0.5N - half, and 0.05N - 5 % of full). One and four months after application, half of each plot was sown with oilseed rape, and the other half was sown with sugar beet. Herbicide phytotoxicity and aboveground biomass were assessed four weeks after crop emergence. Weather conditions during experimental years, herbicides used, herbicide application rates and the period between herbicide application and crop sowing affected herbicide phytotoxicity and aboveground biomass of both crops. The most damaging effects were recorded with the application of chlorsulfuron for oilseed rape (phytotoxicity was 96-98 % at one month after 1N application) and sulfosulfuron and chlorsulfuron for sugar beet (phytotoxicity was 97-100 % and 90-100 %, respectively). Pyroxsulam caused the least damage to both the crops (average phytotoxicity was 18 %). Herbicide phytotoxicity was 3-times higher, and crop biomass was almost half as much as at the first assessment compared to the second assessment. Sugar beet was more sensitive than oilseed rape to chlorsulfuron and sulfosulfuron, especially in dry conditions, where 0.05 N rates caused biomass reduction of 20-60 % in sugar beet. Most of the tested herbicides could have residual effect that likely damages crops in rotation, particularly if a dry period occurs after the application of herbicides and/or sowing of crops.

Root-knot nematodes (RKN) severely reduce watermelon yields worldwide, despite its nutraceutical value. This study investigated the effects of rock dust (RD) and poultry manure (PM) amendments, applied singly or in combination, on RKN suppression and watermelon fruit yield enhancement. A two-trial field experiment was conducted utilizing a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The treatments included RD and PM each applied at 0, 2.5, or 5 t/ha and combined applications of RD and PM at 2.5 or 5 t/ha each. At 60-66 days post-inoculation, root galling and RKN population density were assessed alongside root-shoot weight. The results indicated that root galling in watermelons was reduced by 60-85 % and 67-89 % in the combined RD- and PMtreated plots across the 1st and 2nd trials, respectively, in contrast to the control plots. Likewise, the RKN population was suppressed by 94-99 % in treated plots in both trials, differing from the control plots. Notably, watermelon fruit yield was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in combined RD and PM treated plots, ranging from 24.7 to 33.7 t/ha and 34.6-46.5 t/ha in the 1st and 2nd trials, respectively, compared to control plots with 13.5 t/ha in the 1st trial compared to and 20.9 t/ha yield in the 2nd trial. In conclusion, our study indicates that coapplication of RD and PM effectively reduced RKN damage and enhanced watermelon fruit yield, providing a sustainable strategy for watermelon production.

Evaluating petroleum contamination risk and implementing remedial measures in agricultural soil rely on indicators such as soil metal(loid)s and microbiome alterations. However, the response of these indicators to petroleum contamination remains under-investigated. The present study investigated the soil physicochemical features, metal(loid)s, microbial communities and networks, and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) community structures in soil samples collected from long-(LC) and short-term (SC) petroleum-contaminated oil fields. The results showed that petroleum contamination increased the levels of soil total petroleum hydrocarbon, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, calcium, copper, manganese, lead, and zinc, and decreased soil pH, microbial biomass, bacterial and fungal diversity. Petroleum led to a rise in the abundances of soil Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, Oleibacter, and Fusarium. Network analyses showed that the number of network links (Control vs. SC, LC = 1181 vs. 700, 1021), nodes (Control vs. SC, LC = 90 vs. 71, 83) and average degree (Control vs. SC, LC = 26.244 vs. 19.718, 24.602) recovered as the duration of contamination increased. Petroleum contamination also reduced the concentration of soil PLFAs, especially bacterial. These results demonstrate that brief exposure to high levels of petroleum contamination alters the physicochemical characteristics of the soil as well as the composition of soil metal(loid)s and microorganisms, leading to a less diverse soil microbial network that is more susceptible to damage. Future research should focus on the culturable microbiome of soil under petroleum contamination to provide a theoretical basis for further remediation. (c) 2025 The Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V.

This study systematically investigated the pore structure response of kaolin and illite/smectite mixed-layer rich clay in a reconstituted state to one-dimensional (1D) compression by first performing oedometer tests on saturated clay slurries, followed by characterising their pore structure using multi-scale characterisation techniques, with the primary objective of advancing the current understanding of the microstructural mechanisms underlying the macroscopic deformation of such clays. Under 1D loading, the volume reduction observed at the macro level essentially represented the macroscopic manifestation of changes in inter-aggregate porosity at the pore scale. It was the inter-particle pores that were compressed, despite the interlayer pores remaining stable. Two distinct pore collapse mechanisms were identified: kaolin exhibited a progressive collapse of particular larger pore population in an ordered manner, whereas illite/smectite mixed-layer rich clay demonstrated overall compression of inter-aggregate pores. Accordingly, mathematical relationships between the porosity and compressibility parameters for these two soils were proposed, with the two exhibiting opposite trends arising from their distinct microstructural features. Approaching from the unique perspective of pore structure, quantitative analysis of pore orientation and morphology on the vertical and horizontal planes demonstrated some progressively increasing anisotropy during compression. These findings provide important insights into porescale mechanisms governing clay compression behaviour and enrich the limited microporosity database in soil mechanics.

The development of biodegradable and recyclable food packaging materials derived from biomass is a promising solution to mitigate resource depletion and minimize ecological contamination. In this study, lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) were effectively produced from bamboo powder using an eco-friendly recyclable acid hydrotrope (RAH) strategy. A sustainable CA/LNPs nanocomposite film was then designed by incorporating these LNPs into a casein (CA) matrix. The LNPs served as nucleation templates, inducing ordered hydrogen bonding and close packing of the CA chains. The addition of 5 wt% LNPs significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the film, with tensile strength enhanced to 21.42 MPa (219.7 % improvement) and elastic modulus rising to 354.88 MPa (220.3 % enhancement) compared to pure CA film. Notably, the resultant CA/LNPs nanocomposite film exhibited recyclable recasting characteristics, maintaining a reasonable mechanical strength even after three recasting cycles. The incorporation of LNPs also decreased the water solubility of the pure CA film from 31.65 % to 24.81 % indicating some interactions are taking place, while endowing the film with superior UV-blocking ability, achieving nearly complete absorption in the 200-400 nm range. Moreover, the inherent properties of LNPs imparted improved antibacterial and antioxidant activities to the CA/LNPs nanocomposite film. Owing to its comprehensive properties, the CA/LNPs nanocomposite film effectively extended the storage life of strawberries. A soil burial degradation test confirmed over 100 % mass loss within 45 days, highlighting excellent degradability of the films. Therefore, the simple extraction of LNPs and the easily recovery of p-TsOH provide significant promise and feasibility for extending the developed methodologies in this work to rapidly promote the produced films in fields such as degradable and packaging materials.