Search Results (1,160)

To increase the safety and efficiency of underground mining processes, it is important to advance automation. An important part of that is to achieve autonomous material loading using load–haul–dump (LHD) machines. To be able to autonomously load material from a muck pile, it is crucial to first detect and characterize it in terms of spatial configuration and geometry. Currently, the technologies available on the market that do not require an operator at the stope are only applicable in specific mine layouts or use 2D camera images of the surroundings that can be observed from a control room for teleoperation. However, due to missing depth information, estimating distances is difficult. This work presents a novel approach to muck pile detection developed as part of the EU-funded Next Generation Carbon Neutral Pilots for Smart Intelligent Mining Systems (NEXGEN SIMS) project. It uses a stereo camera mounted on an LHD to gather three-dimensional data of the surroundings. By applying a topological algorithm, a muck pile can be located and its overall shape determined. This system can detect and segment muck piles while driving towards them at full speed. The detected position and shape of the muck pile can then be used to determine an optimal attack point for the machine. This sensor solution was then integrated into a complete system for autonomous loading with an LHD. In two different underground mines, it was tested and demonstrated that the machines were able to reliably load material without human intervention. Full article

Reservoir sedimentation, a global challenge causing an annual loss of 0.8–1% of reservoir storage capacity, disrupts fluvial sediment continuity and impacts ecology and societal needs. This study focuses on the Pulangi IV reservoir in the Philippines, a shallow and wide reservoir facing significant sedimentation issues. The research aims to investigate drawdown flushing and dredging of a flushing channel for future sustainable drawdown sluicing. A test flushing event was conducted and monitoring data, including discharge, suspended sediment concentration, bathymetry, and grain size distribution, were collected. Laboratory analyses, such as critical shear stress tests, were performed for model calibration. A 3D reservoir model and a 1D sediment transport model were applied incorporating cohesive sediment behavior. Scenarios were simulated to assess drawdown flushing, dredging and downstream impacts. Results highlight the importance of drawdown level, with cohesive sediment properties playing a critical role. Sedimentation downstream of the dam, resulting from dumped or flushed sediments, was low. However, downstream ecological and morphodynamic monitoring was found to be essential for all modeled strategies. This study demonstrates potential for establishing a flushing channel enabling future sustainable drawdown sluicing during floods by conducting repeated drawdown flushing in combination with dredging in the upper reservoir. Full article

Background: Kigali, Rwanda’s rapidly growing capital, faces major challenges in household-level Fecal Sludge Management (FSM), with over 89% of households using pit latrines and only 48% accessing unshared sanitation. FSM services are limited, costly, and poorly executed, leading to frequent illegal dumping. Objective: This review analyzes the literature on sanitation in Kigali to identify key gaps, synergies, and recommendations for improvement. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 73 relevant publications were selected from various scientific and governmental sources. Publications were included only if they were published from 2013 to 2024 and had information on sanitation in Kigali. NOS and JBI tools were utilized to assess the quality of included publications. Results: Data were categorized into four themes, (1) access to sanitation, (2) FSM services, (3) public health, and (4) sanitation governance, and analyzed using thematic, narrative, and descriptive methods. Findings reveal a dysfunctional FSM service chain, weak policy enforcement due to overlapping responsibilities, underfunding, and limited private sector participation. These issues contribute to poor sanitation, inadequate hygiene, and prevalence of diarrheal diseases and Tropical Neglected Diseases, especially among young children. Conclusions: The review recommends strengthening governance and clarifying roles, enforcing adaptable regulations, promoting public–private partnerships, and managing the full FSM service chain more effectively. Future research should focus on developing context-specific technologies and financing strategies to support sustainable FSM solutions in Kigali. Full article

Background/Objectives: Advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment improved survivorship rates, but survivors’ long-term quality of life remains a critical concern. Survivors of esophageal and gastric cancer often undergo extensive curative surgery, which can have lasting impacts on nutritional status. This study aimed to assess the nutritional status, dietary challenges, and supportive care needs of this population of cancer survivors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, adults diagnosed with esophageal or gastric cancer were invited to complete an anonymous survey to assess their nutritional status, quality of life, and psychological well-being. Results: A total of 114 responses were analyzed. Although over 70% of participants were more than two years post-diagnosis, more than 30% remained at risk of malnutrition. Additionally, over 36% reported ongoing dietary complications such as swallowing difficulties, dumping syndrome, diarrhea, and reflux. Impaired quality of life was observed in 31.7% of respondents, defined as having a global health status score below 66.1 on the EORTC QLQ-C30. Psychological distress was also evident, with over 25% screening positive for anxiety or borderline anxiety, and more than 22% for depression or borderline depression. Conclusions: Malnutrition, gastrointestinal symptoms, impaired quality of life, and psychological distress remain prevalent among esophageal and gastric cancer survivors many years after diagnosis. These findings underscore the need for ongoing monitoring and the provision of targeted supportive care to improve long-term survivorship outcomes. Full article

Extreme damage poses a serious challenge to the safe operation of power grids. Optimizing the allocation of defense resources to improve the grid’s disaster resistance capabilities is the main concern of the power system. In this paper, a distributed robust optimal defense resource allocation method based on the defender–attacker–defender model is proposed to improve the disaster resilience of power grids. This method takes into account the uncertainty of restoration time due to different damage intensities and improves the efficiency of restoration resource scheduling in the restoration process. Meanwhile, a set covering-column and constraint generation (SC-C&CG) algorithm is proposed for the case that the mixed integer model does not satisfy the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) condition. A case study based on the IEEE 24-bus system is conducted, and the results verify that the proposed method can minimize the system dumping load under the uncertainty of the maintenance time involved. Full article

Both behavioral intentions and structural constraints shape household waste disposal in low-resource settings. This study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with Environmental Justice (EJ) to examine informal waste disposal in Vhembe District, South Africa, a region marked by infrastructural deficits and uneven municipal services. A cross-sectional survey of 399 households across four municipalities assessed five disposal behaviors, including river dumping and domestic burial. Only 8% of households used formal bins, while over 50% engaged in open or roadside dumping. Although education and income were inversely associated with harmful practices, inadequate service access was the most significant constraint on formal disposal. Logistic regression revealed that rural residents and households in underserved municipalities were significantly more likely to engage in hazardous methods, regardless of socioeconomic status. These findings extend TPB by showing that perceived behavioral control reflects not only psychological agency but also material and institutional limitations. By reframing informal disposal as a structurally conditioned response rather than a behavioral deficit, the study advances EJ theory and provides a transferable TPB–EJ framework for decentralized, justice-oriented waste governance. The results underscore the need for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-aligned interventions that integrate equitable infrastructure with context-sensitive behavioral strategies. Full article

Human activities and river course change have a complex reciprocal interaction. The river channel is altered by human activity, and these alterations have an impact on the activities and settlements along the riverbank. Understanding the relationship between urbanization and changes in river morphology is crucial for effective river management, safeguarding the urban environment, and mitigating flood hazards. In this context, this study has been conducted to investigate the interrelationship between morphological dynamics, built-up growth, and urban flood risk along the Manohara River in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The Sinuosity Index was used to analyze variation in river courses and instability from 1996 to 2023. Built-up change analysis is carried out using supervised maximum likelihood classification method and rate of change is calculated for built-up area growth (2003–2023) and building construction between 2003 and 2021. Flood hazard risk manning was carried out using flood frequency estimation method integrating HEC-GeoRAS modeling. Linear regression and spatial overlay analysis was carried out to examine the interrelationship between river morphology, urban growth, and fold hazed risk. In recent years (2016–2023), the Manohara River has straightened, particularly after 2011. Before 2011, it had significant meandering with pronounced curves and bends, indicating a mature river system. However, the SI value of 1.45 in 2023 and 1.80 in 2003 indicates a significant straightening of high meandering over 20 years. A flood hazard modeling carried out within the active floodplain of the Manohara River shows that 26.4% of the area is under high flood risk and 21% is under moderate risk. Similarly, over 10 years from 2006 to 2016, the rate of built-up change was found to be 9.11, while it was 7.9 between 2011 and 2021. The calculated R² value of 0.7918 at a significance level of 0.05 (with a p value of 0.0175, and a standard error value of 0.07877) indicates a strong positive relationship between decreasing sinuosity and increasing built-up, which demonstrates the effect of built-up expansion on river morphology, particularly the anthropogenic activities of encroachment and haphazard constructions, mining, dumping wastes, and squatter settlements along the active floodplain, causing instability on the river course and hence, lateral shift. The riverbank and active floodplain are not defined scientifically, which leads to the invasion of the river area. These activities, together with land use alteration in the floodplain, show an increased risk of flood hazards and other natural calamities. Therefore, sustainable protection measures must be prioritized in the active floodplain and flood risk areas, taking into account upstream–downstream linkages and chain effects caused by interaction between natural and adverse anthropogenic activities. Full article

This mini-review traces the evolution of axion searches at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS), beginning with the early proposal by Guido Barbiellini in 1982 and culminating in the recent advances of the NA62 and NA64 experiments. We discuss the experimental strategies employed in early beam dump searches, the current status of axion and axion-like particle (ALP) searches at the CERN SPS and future directions. This review serves as a tribute to Guido Barbiellini’s scientific legacy and his visionary contributions to this field. Full article

Recently, deep learning algorithms have been increasingly applied in construction for activity recognition, particularly for excavators, to automate processes and enhance safety and productivity through continuous monitoring of earthmoving activities. These deep learning algorithms analyze construction videos to classify excavator activities for earthmoving purposes. However, previous studies have solely focused on single-source external videos, which limits the activity recognition capabilities of the deep learning algorithm. This paper introduces a novel multi-modal deep learning-based methodology for recognizing excavator activities, utilizing multi-stream input data. It processes point clouds and RGB images using the two-stream long short-term memory convolutional neural network (CNN-LSTM) method to extract spatiotemporal features, enabling the recognition of excavator activities. A comprehensive dataset comprising 495,000 video frames of synchronized RGB and point cloud data was collected across multiple construction sites under varying conditions. The dataset encompasses five key excavator activities: Approach, Digging, Dumping, Idle, and Leveling. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed method, the performance of the two-stream CNN-LSTM architecture is compared with that of single-stream CNN-LSTM models on the same RGB and point cloud datasets, separately. The results demonstrate that the proposed multi-stream approach achieved an accuracy of 94.67%, outperforming existing state-of-the-art single-stream models, which achieved 90.67% accuracy for the RGB-based model and 92.00% for the point cloud-based model. These findings underscore the potential of the proposed activity recognition method, making it highly effective for automatic real-time monitoring of excavator activities, thereby laying the groundwork for future integration into digital twin systems for proactive maintenance and intelligent equipment management. Full article

In the process of the work of a coal power station is formed ash and slag, which, along with process water, are deposited in the dumps. Coal ash waste dumps significantly degrade the surrounding environment due to their unprotected surfaces, which are highly susceptible to wind and water erosion. This results in the dispersion of contaminants into adjacent ecosystems. Pollutants migrate into terrestrial and aquatic systems, compromising soil quality and water resources, and posing documented risks to the environment and human health. Primary succession on the coal ash dumps of the Apatity thermal power plant (Murmansk Region, NW Russia) was initiated by cyanobacterial colonization. We studied cyanobacterial communities inhabiting three spoil sites that varied in time since decommissioning. These sites are characterized by exceptionally high concentrations of calcium and magnesium oxides—levels approximately double those found in the region’s natural soils. A total of 18 cyanobacterial taxa were identified in disposal sites. Morphological analysis of visible surface crusts revealed 16 distinct species. Furthermore, 24 cyanobacterial strains representing 11 species were successfully isolated into unialgal culture and tested with a molecular genetic approach to confirm their identification from 16S rRNA. Three species were determined with molecular evidence. Cyanobacterial colonization of coal fly ash disposal sites begins immediately after deposition. Primary communities initially exhibit low species diversity (four taxa) and do not form a continuous ground cover in the early years. However, as succession progresses—illustrated by observations from a 30-year-old deposit—spontaneous surface revegetation occurs, accompanied by a marked increase in cyanobacterial diversity, reaching 12 species. Full article

Acid mine drainage, a consequence of exposure of sulfide mining waste to weathering processes, results in significant water, sediment, and soil contamination. This contamination results in acidophilic ecosystems, with low pH values and elevated concentrations of sulfate and potentially toxic elements. The São Domingos mine, an abandoned site in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, lacks remediation measures and has numerous waste dumps, which are a major source of contamination to local water systems. Therefore, this study examines sediment accumulation in five mine dams along the São Domingos stream that traverses the entire mine complex. Decades of sediment and waste transport since mine closure have resulted in dam-clogging processes. The geochemical, mineralogical, and magnetic properties of the sediments were analyzed to evaluate the mineralogical controls on the mobilization of potentially toxic elements. The sediments are dominated by iron oxides, oxyhydroxides, and hydroxysulfates, with jarosite playing a key role in binding high concentrations of iron and toxic elements. However, no considerable correlation was found between potentially toxic elements and magnetic parameters, highlighting the complex behavior of these contaminants in acid mine drainage-affected systems. Full article

A novel strategy has been developed for extracting value-added resources from iron-lean, high-alumina- and -silica-containing red muds (RMs). With little or no recycling, such RMs are generally destined for waste dumps. Detailed results are presented on the carbothermic reduction of 100% RM (29.3 wt.% Fe₂O₃, 22.2 wt.% Al₂O₃, 20.0 wt.% SiO₂, 1.2 wt.% CaO, 12.2 wt.% Na₂O) and its 2:1 blends with Fe₂O₃ and red mill scale (MS). Synthetic graphite was used as the reductant. Carbothermic reduction of RM and blends was carried out in a Tamman resistance furnace at 1650 °C for 20 min in an Ar atmosphere. Reduction residues were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), elemental mapping and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Small amounts of Fe₃Si alloys, alumina, SiC and other oxide-based residuals were detected in the carbothermic residue of 100% RM. A number of large metallic droplets of Fe–Si alloys were observed for RM/Fe₂O₃ blends; no aluminium was detected in these metallic droplets. A clear segregation of alumina was observed as a separate phase. For the RM/red MS blends, a number of metallic Fe–Si droplets were seen embedded in an alumina matrix in the form of a cermet. This study has shown the regeneration of alumina and the formation of alumina-based cermets, Fe–Si alloys and SiC during carbothermic reduction of RM and its blends. This innovative recycling strategy could be used for extracting value-added resources from iron-lean RMs, thereby enhancing process productivity, cost-effectiveness of alumina regeneration, waste utilization and sustainable developments in the field. Full article

Background/Objectives: Hot-melt extrusion (HME) has gained prominence for the manufacture of sustained-release oral dosage forms, yet the application of wax-based matrices and their resilience to alcohol-induced dose dumping (AIDD) remains underexplored. This study aimed to develop and characterise wax-based sustained-release felodipine formulations, with a particular focus on excipient functionality and robustness against AIDD. Methods: Felodipine sustained-release formulations were prepared via HME using Syncrowax HGLC as a thermally processable wax matrix. Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and lactose monohydrate were incorporated as functional fillers and processing aids. The influence of wax content and filler type on mechanical properties, wettability, and drug release behaviour was systematically evaluated. Ethanol susceptibility testing was conducted under simulated co-ingestion conditions (4%, 20%, and 40% v/v ethanol) to assess AIDD risk. Results: MCC-containing tablets demonstrated superior sustained-release characteristics over 24 h, showing better wettability and disintegration. In contrast, tablets formulated with lactose monohydrate remained structurally intact during dissolution, overly restricting drug release. This limitation was effectively addressed through granulation, where reduced particle size significantly improved surface accessibility, with 0.5–1 mm granules achieving a satisfactory release profile. Ethanol susceptibility testing revealed divergent behaviours between the two filler systems. Unexpectedly, MCC-containing tablets showed suppressed drug release in ethanolic media, likely resulting from inhibitory effect of ethanol on filler swelling and disintegration. Conversely, formulations containing lactose monohydrate retained their release performance in up to 20% v/v ethanol, with only high concentrations (40% v/v) compromising matrix drug-retaining functionality and leading to remarkably increased drug release. Conclusions: This study highlights the pivotal role of excipient type and constitutional ratios in engineering wax-based sustained-release formulations. It further contributes to the understanding of AIDD risk through in vitro assessment and offers a rational design strategy for robust, alcohol-resistant oral delivery systems for felodipine. Full article

This study addresses collision detection in the unmanned loading of ore from load-haul-dump (LHD) machines into mining trucks in underground metal mines. Such environments present challenges like heavy dust, confined spaces, sensor occlusions, and poor lighting. This work identifies two primary collision risks and proposes corresponding detection strategies. First, for collisions between the bucket and tunnel walls, LiDAR is used to collect 3D point cloud data. The point cloud is processed through filtering, downsampling, clustering, and segmentation to isolate the bucket and tunnel wall. A KD-tree algorithm is then used to compute distances to assess collision risk. Second, for collisions between the bucket and the mining truck, a kinematic model of the LHD’s working device is established using the Denavit–Hartenberg (DH) method. Combined with inclination sensor data and geometric parameters, a formula is derived to calculate the pose of the bucket’s tip. Key points from the bucket and truck are then extracted to perform collision detection using the oriented bounding box (OBB) and the separating axis theorem (SAT). Simulation results confirm that the derived pose estimation formula yields a maximum error of 0.0252 m, and both collision detection algorithms demonstrate robust performance. Full article

Unionid mussel populations in a section of the Clinch River in Virginia, USA, has declined substantially, but the causes of the decline remain unknown. To investigate this zone of decline (ZOD), we deployed juvenile freshwater mussels (Villosa iris in 2012 and Lampsilis fasciola in 2013) in both cages and silos at sites within the Clinch River System. We analyzed mussel tissues for trace element and organic contaminant concentrations, shells for trace elements, and environmental media (total water, dissolved water, particulate sediment, and bedload sediment) for both inorganic and organic contaminants. We found a few differences between mussels deployed in cages and those deployed in silos: survival was slightly lower in cages due to periodic sedimentation. Our results identified the ZOD based on the accumulation of trace elements (notably As, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Sr), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and δ¹⁵N enrichment, with especially high concentrations found in the human-impacted tributaries, Dumps Creek and Guest River. Some correlations were found between environmental media and both mussel tissues and shells. In particular, PAHs and Mn had several significant relationships between bioaccumulated concentrations and environmental concentrations. Finally, Co, Cu, Fe, and V in soft tissues negatively correlated with mussel growth, whereas bioaccumulated PAH concentrations correlated negatively with resident mussel densities. Full article