Search Results (12)

The gob-side roadway technique is extensively utilized in coal extraction due to its capacity to enhance coal resource recovery efficiency and mitigate mining sequence conflicts. Nevertheless, increasing mining depths lead to progressively intricate stress conditions, posing challenges for maintaining gob-adjacent roadway surrounding rock stability. Taking the belt haulage roadway 1513 (BHR 1513) at Xinyi Coal Mine as an engineering case, this research investigates the application of narrow-pillar gob-side roadway construction under remote working face mining conditions. By integrating field observations, analytical modeling, and computational simulations, the cross-goaf pressure transfer phenomenon and its formation mechanism in narrow-pillar roadways under distant mining operations are systematically examined. Key findings reveal that during the alternating extraction of wide and narrow working faces, the caving angle terminates roof collapse within the narrow working face goaf at the second key stratum (KS2). The subsequent mining of the adjacent wide working face induces stress accumulation in the overlying “T”-shaped strata zone, triggering the instability of the inter-working face island pillar. This pillar failure merges the two goafs into an expanded void, initiating sequential fracture, collapse, and rotational displacement across all overlying key strata (KS). Consequently, previously intact KS above the narrow working face goaf undergo fracturing and rotation, amplifying lateral main roof block subsidence toward the goaf. This kinematic process generates substantial deformation in the narrow-pillar gob-side roadway. Full article

The photocurrent across crystalline GaAs p-n junction induced by Nd:YAG laser radiation was investigated experimentally. It is established that the displacement current is dominant at reverse and low forward bias voltages in the case of pulsed excitation. This indicates that hot carriers do not have enough energy to overcome the p-n junction until the forward bias significantly reduces the potential barrier. At a sufficiently high forward bias, the photocurrent is determined by the diffusion of hot carriers across the p-n junction. The current–voltage (I-V) characteristics measured at different crystal lattice temperatures show that the heating of carriers by laser radiation increases with a drop in crystal lattice temperature. This study proposes a novel model for evaluating carrier temperature based on the temperature coefficient of the I-V characteristic. It is demonstrated that the heating of carriers by light diminishes the conversion efficiency of a solar cell, not only through thermalisation but also because of the conflicting interactions between the hot carrier and conventional photocurrents, which exhibit opposite polarities. These findings contribute to an understanding of hot carrier phenomena in photovoltaic devices and may prompt a revision of the intrinsic losses in solar cells. Full article

Armed conflicts and other types of violence are key drivers of human-induced landscape change. Since March 2011, Syria has been embroiled in a prolonged and devastating armed conflict causing immense human suffering and extensive destruction. As a result, over five million people have been forced to seek refuge outside the country’s borders, while more than six million have been internally displaced. This study focuses on examining the impact of this conflict on forest cover by identifying the drivers of forest change. To assess this change, Landsat and PALSAR imagery were used to differentiate between forested and non-forested areas. Spectral information was synthetized using the Tasseled Cap transformation and the time series data was simplified and despiked using the LandTrendr algorithm. Our results show that between 2010 and 2019 there was a substantial decrease of 19.3% in forest cover, predominantly concentrated in the northwestern region of Syria. This decline was induced by the armed conflict, with several key drivers contributing to the decline, such as illegal logging activities conducted by both locals and refugees living in nearby forest areas. Drivers such as proximity to refugee camps, roads, and settlements played an important role in producing this change by facilitating access to forests. In addition, the occurrence of explosive events such as bombings and shelling near forests also contributed to this decline by causing forest fires. To mitigate further deforestation and reduce dependence on forests for fuel, it is crucial for local governments in the post-conflict period to offer sustainable alternatives for heating and cooking to both the local populations and refugees. Additionally, governments are recommended to enforce strict laws and regulations to protect forests and combat illegal logging activities. These measures are essential for preserving and restoring forests, promoting environmental sustainability, and ensuring the well-being of both displaced populations and local communities. Full article

Megaproject-induced displacement of populations will now occur more frequently due to massive infrastructure investment in the post-COVID-19 era. The participatory process for megaprojects starts with those in the vicinity; local communities who are directly involved. However, few studies have attempted to map the global knowledge of local community participation in the planning stage of megaprojects. A systematic literature review of public participation in the context of megaproject-induced displacement was conducted to determine these features, and to provide local community insights which are useful for managing social issues around megaprojects and the effects of participation. A total of 32 journal publications were analyzed from the Web of Science (WoS) database, drawing from an initial group of 456 based on citations from 2012 to 2022 to identify the evolution of knowledge trends. It was found that the nonfulfillment participatory process always fails to recognize groups of residents and assess the impacts of megaproject-induced displacement caused to local communities. This lack of recognition at the governmental level contributes to conflict; placing the local community at risk of uncertain megaproject environments. Broader public participation involves local communities, who be harmed by the development strategies of megaprojects, catalyzing their willingness to participate and encourage greater inclusiveness in their interactions, as well as balancing the megaproject’s economic, ecologic, and social interests. The study results demonstrate a consensus was reached, and the effects of megaproject-induced displacement can be mediated. Full article

A cohesive society is not only characterised by the availability of basic services and facilities, but also promotes economic equality and inclusion, democracy, and social solidarity. Forced displacement due to disasters and conflict constantly disrupt the path to a sustainable and cohesive society. Displaced communities often struggle with a lack of access to livelihood and a lack of financial independence and social and family stability. With these challenges, a lack of provision of basic services and facilities will create a competition for housing, health, and education between the displaced and host communities. Additionally, the economic competition for jobs and the role of international aid in terms of fairness create social tension between the displaced and the host. Likewise, multiple aspects weaken the social cohesion between displaced and host communities. Within this context, we investigated approaches to enhance social cohesion following disaster-induced and conflict-induced displacement. With the identification of this research need, the research team of the project titled REGARD (REbuild-inG AfteR Displacement) conducted 47 in-depth interviews in four partner countries (U.K., Sweden, Estonia, and Sri Lanka) with community representatives, social support networks, agency networks, officials, etc. Moreover, focus group discussions were conducted with community members in Sri Lanka. The collected data were analysed through a qualitative data analysis procedure. The findings present eight approaches to strengthen the social cohesion between displaced and host communities. These eight approaches include the adequate provision of basic services and facilities without limiting the capacity of the host, support services aimed at local integration, economic integration between the displaced and host, and social cohesion through the built environment. Full article

North-East Nigeria is recovering from a decade of terrorism by Boko Haram during which the region collapsed socioeconomically and millions were displaced. The displaced live in various camps in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States, and serve as the primary source of data for this research. The Nigerian government has expressed their desire for the displaced to return home following peace restoration to the region. Their unwillingness to return despite the perceived gains of reintegration prompted this research to examine economic determinants of willingness for reintegration. Logistics regression results show a strong positive influence of having an assurance of finding employment back home on the willingness for reintegration. The results further suggest that displaced persons are 14 times more willing to return home when the government guarantees employment. To encourage willingness for reintegration, the authors recommend that displaced persons be empowered economically through the provision of jobs upon their return to their various home communities. Recommendations for the Nigerian government and interested parties are presented with suggestions to expand social institutions and their collaboration with the government. Full article

Maintenance of genome stability is crucial for cell survival and relies on accurate DNA replication. However, replication fork progression is under constant attack from different exogenous and endogenous factors that can give rise to replication stress, a source of genomic instability and a notable hallmark of pre-cancerous and cancerous cells. Notably, one of the major natural threats for DNA replication is transcription. Encounters or conflicts between replication and transcription are unavoidable, as they compete for the same DNA template, so that collisions occur quite frequently. The main harmful transcription-associated structures are R-loops. These are DNA structures consisting of a DNA–RNA hybrid and a displaced single-stranded DNA, which play important physiological roles. However, if their homeostasis is altered, they become a potent source of replication stress and genome instability giving rise to several human diseases, including cancer. To combat the deleterious consequences of pathological R-loop persistence, cells have evolved multiple mechanisms, and an ever growing number of replication fork protection factors have been implicated in preventing/removing these harmful structures; however, many others are perhaps still unknown. In this review, we report the current knowledge on how aberrant R-loops affect genome integrity and how they are handled, and we discuss our recent findings on the role played by two fork protection factors, the Werner syndrome protein (WRN) and the Werner helicase-interacting protein 1 (WRNIP1) in response to R-loop-induced genome instability. Full article

Armed conflict and internal displacement of persons create new health challenges for women in Africa. To outline the research literature on this population, we conducted a review of studies exploring the health of internally displaced persons (IDP) women in Africa. In collaboration with a health research librarian and a review team, a search strategy was designed that identified 31 primary research studies with relevant evidence. Studies on the health of displaced women have been conducted in South- Central Africa, including Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); and in Eastern, East central Africa, and Western Africa, including Eritrea, Uganda, and Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria. We identified violence, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, and malaria and as key health areas to explore, and observed that socioeconomic power shifts play a crucial role in predisposing women to challenges in all four categories. Access to reproductive health services was influenced by knowledge, geographical proximity to health services, spousal consent, and affordability of care. As well, numerous factors affect the mental health of internally displaced women in Africa: excessive care-giving responsibilities, lack of financial and family support to help them cope, sustained experiences of violence, psychological distress, family dysfunction, and men’s chronic alcoholism. National and regional governments must recommit to institutional restructuring and improved funding allocation to culturally appropriate health interventions for displaced women. Full article

Background: Non-invasive application of whole-body vibration (WBV) has the potential for inducing improvements in impaired peripheral circulation, cutaneous sensation and balance among older adults. However, relevant studies have frequently applied high magnitudes of vibration and show conflicting and inconclusive results. Therefore, we attempted to ascertain the acute responses in those parameters from exposure of thirty older subjects to WBV of three different magnitudes, defined according to ISO 2631-1 (1997). Methods: Each subject randomly underwent four sessions of intervention (three bouts of 1 min exposure with 1 min between-bout rests): WBV at 15, 20, or 25 Hz with a peak-to-peak displacement of 4 mm, or control condition. Results: Both during and after intervention, dorsal foot skin blood flow increased significantly under 20 and 25 Hz exposure conditions with greater responses under the latter condition, the magnitude of which slightly exceeded the recommended value. Plantar vibrotactile perception showed significant increases after WBV exposure with overall greater responses under higher frequencies of vibration. In contrast, no WBV-induced change in balance was observed. Conclusions: WBV at 20 Hz with a magnitude within the recommended limit can be effective in inducing enhancements in peripheral blood flow; however, the same magnitude of vibration seems insufficient in improving balance among older adults. Full article

Background: Virtual reality (VR) is becoming a widespread tool in rehabilitation, especially for postural stability. However, the impact of using VR in a “moving wall paradigm” (visual perturbation), specifically without and with anticipation of the perturbation, is unknown. Methods: Nineteen healthy subjects performed three trials of static balance testing on a force plate under three different conditions: baseline (no perturbation), unexpected VR perturbation, and expected VR perturbation. The statistical analysis consisted of a 1 × 3 repeated-measures ANOVA to test for differences in the center of pressure (COP) displacement, 95% ellipsoid area, and COP sway velocity. Results: The expected perturbation rendered significantly lower (p < 0.05) COP displacements and 95% ellipsoid area compared to the unexpected condition. A significantly higher (p < 0.05) sway velocity was also observed in the expected condition compared to the unexpected condition. Conclusions: Postural stability was lowered during unexpected visual perturbations compared to both during baseline and during expected visual perturbations, suggesting that conflicting visual feedback induced postural instability due to compensatory postural responses. However, during expected visual perturbations, significantly lowered postural sway displacement and area were achieved by increasing the sway velocity, suggesting the occurrence of postural behavior due to anticipatory postural responses. Finally, the study also concluded that VR could be used to induce different postural responses by providing visual perturbations to the postural control system, which can subsequently be used as an effective and low-cost tool for postural stability training and rehabilitation. Full article

The character, the motion and the proportion of environment-induced migration have radically changed in recent years. Environment-induced migration is an increasingly recognized fact and has become one of the main challenges of the 21st century, and needs to be focused on to ensure sustainable growth. This new stance is due to the changing character of environmental degradation. Global environmental issues, including climate change, loss of biodiversity, river and oceanic contamination, land degradation, drought, and the destruction of rainforests, are progressively stressing the earth’s ecosystems. Among these issues, climate change is one of the most severe threats. Climate change alone does not directly induce people to move but it generates harmful environmental effects and worsens present vulnerabilities. The current study aims to provide cornerstone links between the effects of climate change, migration decisions, displacement risk and conflicts in the example of Afghanistan, as a country that is extremely affected by both climate change and conflicts, and outline priority policy focuses to mitigate the current situation in the country. Full article

An influential underlying driver of human-induced landscape change is civil war and other forms of conflict that cause human displacement. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) increase environmental pressures at their destination locations while reducing them at their origins. This increased pressure presents an environment for increased land cover change (LCC) rates and landscape fragmentation. To test whether this hypothesis is correct, this research sought to understand LCC dynamics in the Western Area of Sierra Leone from 1976 to 2011, a period including pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict eras, using Landsat and SPOT satellite imagery. A trajectory analysis of classified images compared LCC trajectories before and during the war (1976–2000) with after the war (2003–2011). Over the 35-year period, the built-up land class rapidly increased, in parallel with an increase in urban and peri-urban agriculture. During the war, urban and peri-urban agriculture became a major livelihood activity for displaced rural residents to make the region food self-sufficient, especially when the war destabilised food production activities. The reluctance of IDPs to return to their rural homes after the war caused an increased demand for land driven by housing needs. Meanwhile, protected forest and other forest declined. A significant finding to emerge from this research is that landscape fragmentation increased in conjunction with declining forest cover while built-up areas aggregated. This has important implications for the region’s flora, fauna, and human populations given that other research has shown that landscape fragmentation affects the landscape’s ability to provide important ecosystem services. Full article