Bed Conditions Research Articles

PMU6 EFFECTIVENESS OF A NATIVE TYPE I COLLAGEN MATRIX PLUS POLYHEXAMETHYLENE BIGUANIDE ANTIMICROBIAL (PHMB) FOR THE TREATMENT OF CUTANEOUS WOUNDS IN A REAL WORLD SETTING

This was a 28 site registry (RESPOND) examining the “real-world” effectiveness of purified native Type I collagen matrix plus PHMB antimicrobial (PCMP) on chronic and acute wounds. PCMP is intended for the management of partial and full thickness wounds (with the exception of third degree burns) and as an effective barrier to reduce microbes penetrating through the dressings. All patients (n=307) in RESPOND received PCMP for up to 24 weeks or until wound closure and were followed for up to 36 weeks. Male and female patients ≥18 years with wounds ≥0.2 and <200 cm2 were included. Third degree burns were excluded. The analyses included 68 (22%) Venous Leg Ulcers (VLUs); 61 (20%) Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs); 46 (15%) Pressure Ulcers (PRUs); 55 (18%) Post-Surgical Wounds (PSWs); and 77 (25%) wounds of Other etiologies. Mean baseline area, duration, depth, and volume (n=307) were 12.9 cm2, 3.2 months, 0.5 cm, and 5.7 cm3 respectively. Kaplan-Meier time to event analyses showed that for All wounds (n=307), the median time to and frequency of wound closure were 17 weeks and 72% wound closure respectively. For PRUs, VLUs, DFUs, PSWs, and Other etiologies the median times to wound closure were 32, 22, 31, 12, and 14 weeks respectively. The proportions of wounds closed were 62% (PRUs), 73% (VLUs), 49% (DFUs), 100% (PSWs), and 67% (Other etiologies). Achieving treatment goals was designated as a co-primary endpoint and was prospectively defined as improvement in wound bed condition such as increase in healthy granulation tissue, reduced exudate, and readiness for grafting or treatment with other advanced skin substitutes. 86% of all PCMP-treated patients met clinicians’ treatment goals. The use of PCMP demonstrated clinically meaningful benefits to patients and comparable wound closure rates for various types of non-healing wounds.

Наукові засади відновлення парку імені Івана Франка у м. Львові

Ancient parks, located in the settlements of our state, make up a significant part of the cultural, historical, ecological and socio-economic value of natural resources. That is why the issue of their preservation, protection and restoration is extremely important today. The object of study is the oldest city park in Ukraine. Long-term studies using conventional techniques have made it possible to study the stages of formation of the park, its taxonomic, age and spatial structure, to assess the quality of plantations. It has been found that 76 species of trees and shrubs are growing in the park, with deciduous plants predominantly. Most woody plants are aged 20-60 years, but specimens have been found that have been growing in the park since its establishment (over 300 years). There is a lack of differentiated vertical structure and park edges in the park, as well as the poor condition of flower beds and lawns. The problem of excessive recreational load, which is manifested in soil compaction and deterioration of the qualitative state of woody plants, remains urgent. The basic conceptual provisions for the restoration of the park, which presuppose the preservation of ancient trees as monuments of nature and history, the introduction of reconstruction, restoration and conservation measures, which will improve the general condition of the plantations of the park and increase its aesthetic appeal.

Investigation of rough rice drying in fixed and fluidized bed dryers utilizing dehumidified air as a drying agent

ABSTRACT* The high initial moisture content of freshly harvested rice accompanied by high relative humidity ambient air as well as no external heating source utilized for on-farm in-bin drying increase the risk of rice deterioration. Air dehumidification could be among the best management practices for rice drying in the high relative humidity environment. The current study aimed to explore the possibility of using silica gel to dehumidify the humid ambient air for drying rice in a fixed bed and fluidized bed. A dehumidification unit was added to the previously developed lab-scale fluidized bed dryer before the blower inlet to help dehumidify the moist inlet air. The effects of bed conditions, i.e., fixed or fluidized, dehumidification environment, i.e., with and without dehumidification, and air temperature; i.e., 40 °C or 60 °C on the dryer performance, were investigated. The fluidized bed dryer removed more moisture from rough rice as compared with a fixed bed dryer. Explicitly, under the conditions of a fluidized bed, no dehumidification and at 60 °C, the moisture removed was 1.5% moisture points more than under the same conditions for fixed bed. Dehumidifying the humid air removed between 0.2% and 1.6% moisture points from rough rice more than the environment of no dehumidification. Moisture content profile showed that about 87% to 90% of the moisture was removed during the first 30 minutes of the drying process. The maximum head rice yield achieved 66.7% during the drying in a fixed bed and with no dehumidification at 40 °C. However, it achieved its maximum of 64.6% during the drying in fluidized with dehumidification, and under 40 °C. The maximum rice whiteness of 41.8 was attained for fluidized with no dehumidification, and at 60 °C. The dryer energy consumption decreased with the use of air dehumidification techniques. Through this study, ambient air dehumidification using desiccant showed the noticeable potential to be used for on-farm in-bin ambient air drying, particularly during humid conditions. Highlights A fluidized bed drying system was modified to allow utilizing natural or dehumidified air as drying agents. The fluidized bed dryer removed more moisture from rough rice as compared with a fixed bed dryer. Dehumidification of the drying air had a positive effect on moisture removal. No clear trend was observed when rough rice was dried in a fixed bed or a fluidized bed as measured by head rice yield.

SPH modelling of turbulent open channel flow over and within natural gravel beds with rough interfacial boundaries

Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) is brought to a level that can be applied to simulate turbulent open channel flows over and within natural porous gravel beds. For this, improvements have been made with regards to i) turbulence modelling, ii) open boundaries (inflow and outflow), and iii) treatment of the rough interface boundary between the porous bed and the overlying free-flow. Flow through the porous bed is simulated macroscopically, and the coefficients of the drag closure model are carefully determined for different layers of the flow; the effect of turbulence is taken into account using a three-layer mixing-length model; and a porous inflow boundary at the inlet as well as an imaginary pressure wall at the outlet are introduced to obtain the required steady and uniform flow conditions. The developed model is then used to simulate eight test cases with two bed conditions, each with four flow conditions. Through a velocity analysis, a nearly S-shaped profile is observed within the roughness layer for the present test cases. The comparison of the results of the velocity and shear stress with a set of experimental data for the test cases reveals that the SPH model with the present drag and turbulence closure models as well as the proposed inflow/outflow boundary techniques is capable of simulating complex turbulent channel flows over highly sheared natural porous gravel beds.

Plasma RANTES level is correlated with cardio-cerebral atherosclerosis burden in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease

BackgroundRegulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed, and secreted (RANTES) is a chemokine actively involved in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis (AS), which is the major cause of ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD). This study aimed to determine the associations between circulating RANTES level and overall AS conditions of cardiac and cerebral vessel beds in patients with ICVD. MethodsPatients with ICVD admitted to the department of neurology of Xuanwu Hospital from April 1, 2019 to June 30, 2019 were prospectively enrolled in the study. Plasma RANTES level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to represent the circulating RANTES level. The integrated AS burden of the cervicocephalic and coronary arteries was examined using computed tomography angiography and reflected by “cardio-cerebral AS burden (CCAB)” as a continuous variable. Then, the relationship of plasma RANTES level and CCAB in patients with ICVD was analyzed by correlation analyses and general linear models. ResultsA total of 40 patients with ICVD were included in the study. There was a significant positive correlation between CCAB and plasma RANTES level in ICVD (r = 0.786, P < 0.001), independent of age, sex, acute or chronic phase of ICVD, and mono or dual antiplatelet therapy (adjusted B for ln RANTES, 12.063; 95% confidence interval, 7.572–16.533). The association of plasma RANTES level with AS conditions (burden, severity, and extent) in single cardiac or cerebral vessel bed was similar to that with CCAB, but the correlation coefficient for CCAB was higher (increment ranged from 0.126 to 0.397). ConclusionsPlasma RANTES level was an independent indicator for the integrated AS burden of the cervicocephalic and coronary arteries in ICVD. Comprehensive evaluation of AS conditions using the novel continuous index CCAB might be important in revealing the systematic relationship between circulating RANTES and AS in patients with ICVD.

How bacterial biofilms affect chronic wound healing: a narrative review

Bacterial biofilm is a formidable influencing factor affecting healing of chronic wound. The mechanisms are as diverse as the bacterial species contained in the biofilm. In an altered environment the biofilm accommodates polymicrobial colonies in which micro-organisms undergo phenotypic and genetic changes to sustain adverse environmental influence. Biofilm bacteria inhibits cell proliferation, prevents cell migration and cause cell kill in a number of ways. It is believed that different bacterium has different mode of action through elaboration of various bioactive factors leading to persistence of low-grade inflammation in the wound bed which is predominantly bacteria-centric. Their ability to survive in low oxygen tension allows them to persist in relatively hypoxic conditions in the wound bed and in presence of increased bioburden. Although the biochemical mechanisms of biofilm influence on chronic wound healing are unfolding slowly, it is difficult to develop clinical studies due to ethical concerns. Therefore, most of the accumulated evidence are based on animal models and in vitro studies. This narrative review attempts to focus on the various mechanisms responsible for delayed healing in presence of bacterial biofilms.

Habitability in Berthing Compartments and Well-Being of Sailors Working on U.S. Navy Surface Ships.

The study had two objectives: (a) to assess the prevalence of sleep-related habitability concerns in the berthing compartments of U.S. Navy surface ships and (b) to assess whether habitability issues in berthing compartments affected the sleep and well-being of crew members. The importance of habitability for human well-being is recognized. Little is known, however, about the association between habitability factors in the sleeping/berthing compartments and sailor well-being in operational conditions. Fit-for-duty sailors (N = 1,269; from six ships) participated in this naturalistic and longitudinal study. Sailors reported habitability factors affecting their sleep and completed four standardized questionnaires to assess daytime sleepiness, insomnia, sleep quality, and mood. Sleep was assessed through wrist-worn actigraphy and activity logs. Noise, ambient temperature, poor bedding conditions, and ambient light were the most frequently reported factors of concern. Compared to their peers with fewer complaints, sailors with more habitability-related complaints were more likely to have elevated daytime sleepiness (by 23%) and to report insomnia symptoms (145%) and lower sleep quality (21%). Sailors who reported more habitability-related issues also tended to sleep longer. Individuals with more complaints about habitability also tended to report worse mood (total mood disturbance, tension/anxiety, depression, fatigue, and confusion/bewilderment). Habitability-related complaints are associated with sailor well-being and sleep. Future studies should expound on the various detrimental factors that degrade conditions in berthing compartments and negatively impact crew well-being. Habitability in berthing compartments of surface ships is associated with sailors' daytime sleepiness, insomnia severity, mood, and sleep attributes. Ship designers should take these findings into consideration and investigate viable and cost-effective methods to mitigate the problems we identified.

Effect of O2/CO2 atmospheres on coal fragmentation

Recently, a single particle pyrolysis-combustion fragmentation model has been developed (Senneca et al., 2013, 2017) [1,2] to predict the propensity of coal particles to fragment under a wide range of heating conditions as a consequence of mechanical failure of the particle. Stress inside the particle arises from thermal shock, associated to particles’ heat up, as well as from overpressure generated by volatiles release upon devolatilization.The model is now used to calculate the propensity of coal particles to undergo fragmentation in the early stages of oxy-combustion, with gaseous atmospheres of 5–30% O2 in CO2 in entrained flow and fluidized beds reactors. Accordingly particles size of 0.1–10 mm are assumed, temperatures of 1123 and 2073 K, heating rates of 100 and 10,000 K/s.Results show that under entrained flow reactor conditions the particles break in the first 20–30 ms, producing a bimodal particle-size distribution. Under fluidized bed conditions, the particles undergo explosive fragmentation after 1–2 s, before pyrolysis is complete, generating broad particle size distribution. In both cases fragmentation occurs over short timescales compared to char combustion and gasification.Operative conditions where fragmentation occurs before or in parallel with char combustion or gasification are inferred by comparing on an Arrhenius plot the timescale of fragmentation and heterogeneous reactions for a larger array of operating conditions. The figure reveals that for high reaction temperatures, more reactive coals, larger particles size, gasification reactions can have an important role and maybe enhance porosity and percolative fragmentation.

Non-deposition self-cleansing models for large sewer pipes.

Multiple models from the literature and experimental datasets have been developed and collected to predict sediment transport in sewers. However, all these models were developed for smaller sewer pipes, i.e. using experimental data collected on pipes with diameters smaller than 500 mm. To address this issue, new experimental data were collected on a larger, 595 mm pipe located in a laboratory at the University of los Andes. Two new self-cleansing models were developed using this dataset. Both models predict the sewer self-cleansing velocity for the cases of non-deposition with and without deposited bed. The newly developed and existing models were then evaluated and compared on the basis of the most recently collected and previously published datasets. Models were compared in terms of prediction accuracy measured by the root mean squared error and mean absolute percentage error. The results obtained show that in the existing literature, self-cleansing models tend to be overfitted, i.e. have a rather high prediction accuracy when applied to the data collected by the authors, but this accuracy deteriorates quickly when applied to the datasets collected by other authors. The newly developed models can be used for designing both small and large sewer pipes with and without deposited bed condition.

Effect of chest compression with kneeling on the bed in clinical situations.

AimCardiopulmonary resuscitation is vital for survival after cardiac arrest, and chest compressions are an important aspect of this. When performing chest compression in a hospital setting, the rescuer often has to kneel on the bed to overcome inconvenient differences in height between the rescuer and the bed. However, as yet no study has evaluated the quality of chest compressions in this position. The aim of this study was to examine the impact on the quality of chest compressions while kneeling on the bed.MethodsFifteen female students performed 2‐min chest compressions on a manikin placed on the floor and a bed. Measurement parameters included compression depth, heart rate, integrated electromyogram, and a visual analog scale. The parameters were measured every 30 s and were statistically compared between the conditions.ResultsCompression depth at 30, 60, 90, and 120 s differed significantly between the conditions. Heart rate values at 150 and 210 s of recovery significantly differed between the conditions. Integrated electromyogram values for the trapezius, rectus femoris, and biceps femoris differed between the floor and bed conditions during 2‐min chest compressions, whereas the external oblique muscle significantly differed at 60 and 120 s. Visual analog scales for fatigue, effectiveness, and stability significantly differed between the conditions.ConclusionKneeling on the bed does not enable grounding of the toe, causing the upper body to be unstable and limiting generation of the power required for chest compression. Our results suggest that rotation every minute is necessary to maintain effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation while kneeling on the bed.

Modeling Bed Shear Stress Distribution in Rectangular Channels Using the Entropic Parameter.

The evaluation of bed shear stress distribution is fundamental to predicting the transport of sediments and pollutants in rivers and to designing successful stable open channels. Such distribution cannot be determined easily as it depends on the velocity field, the shape of the cross section, and the bed roughness conditions. In recent years, information theory has been proven to be reliable for estimating shear stress along the wetted perimeter of open channels. The entropy models require the knowledge of the shear stress maximum and mean values to calculate the Lagrange multipliers, which are necessary to the resolution of the shear stress probability distribution function. This paper proposes a new formulation which stems from the maximization of the Tsallis entropy and simplifies the calculation of the Lagrange coefficients in order to estimate the bed shear stress distribution in open-channel flows. This formulation introduces a relationship between the dimensionless mean shear stress and the entropic parameter which is based on the ratio between the observed mean and maximum velocity of an open-channel cross section. The validity of the derived expression was tested on a large set of literature laboratory measurements in rectangular cross sections having different bed and sidewall roughness conditions as well as various water discharges and flow depths. A detailed error analysis showed good agreement with the experimental data, which allowed linking the small-scale dynamic processes to the large-scale kinematic ones.

Performance of electric arc furnace slag as oxygen carrier in chemical-looping combustion process

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of an electric arc furnace slag (EAFS) sample from Turkey as oxygen carrier (OC) in syngas-fueled chemical-looping combustion (CLC) process. The CLC tests were performed at 800 °C fluidized bed conditions for 50 cycles using CO and H2 gases to constitute fuel atmospheres. EAFS exhibited an “activation behavior” which was characterized by a substantial increase on reactivity throughout the first 15 cycles of all tests. After that point, the reactivity of the OC became almost stable and more than 85% mean fuel gas conversion was obtained in all tests. Considering the abovementioned fuel conversion efficiency and the low cost of the EAFS it is concluded that, provided that the iron content can be increased by means of floating or magnetic separation techniques, the utilization of EAFS as OC may be both environmentally benign and favorable in terms of CLC technology.

Co-conversion of methanol and n-hexane into aromatics using intergrown ZSM-5/ZSM-11 as a catalyst

The conversion of n-hexane and methanol into value-added aromatic compounds is a promising method for their industrially relevant utilization. In this study, intergrown ZSM-5/ZSM-11 crystals were synthesized and their resulting catalytic performance was investigated and compared to those of the isolated ZSM-5 and ZSM-11 zeolites. The physicochemical properties of ZSM-5/ZSM-11 intergrown zeolite were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, N2 isothermal adsorption-desorption, the temperature-programmed desorption of ammonium, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectra of adsorbed pyridine, and nuclear magnetic resonance of 27Al, and compared with those of the ZSM-5 and ZSM-11 zeolites. The catalytic performances of the materials were evaluated during the co-feeding reaction of methanol and n-hexane under the fixed bed conditions of 400°C, 0.5 MPa (N2), methanol:n-hexane = 7:3 (mass ratio), and weight hourly space velocity = 1 h−1 (methanol). Compared to the ZSM-5 and ZSM-11 zeolites, the ZSM-5/ZSM-11 zeolite exhibited the largest specific surface area, a unique crystal structure, moderate acidity, and suitable Bronsted/Lewis acid ratio. The evaluation results showed that ZSM-5/ZSM-11 catalyst exhibited better catalytic reactivity than the ZSM-5 and ZSM-11 catalysts in terms of methanol conversion rate, n-hexane conversion rate, and aromatic selectivity. The outstanding catalytic property of the intergrown ZSM-5/ZSM-11 was attributed to the enhanced diffusion associated with its unique crystal structure. The benefit of using zeolite intergrowth in the co-conversion of methanol and alkanes offers a novel route for future catalyst development.

Labor safety and control of the working area state in the penals while mining steep coal seams by shield aggregates

In this article, circumstances and factors which can lead to a degraded labour protection and occurrence of emergency in a district are reviewed and analyzed on the example of an accident occurred at sudden coal-and-gas outburst in the panel face № 42-1146 m of the Tovstyi-Zakhid seam m3 in the Central Mine of the Toretsvukhillia Mining Company. In this article, state of equipment and its location in the district in accordance with the requirements of the safety rules, records of devices which monitor gas-dynamic state of the coal seam and operation of the shield aggregate are considered. Mining and geological conditions of the seam bedding and technological conditions of the district location within the working horizon; methane content in the air of the roadways in the district; change of coal physical and mechanical properties in the area of possible geological disturbance; results of control of the coal seam gas-dynamic state analyzed by acoustic emission parameters; and other risk factors that led to emergencies were studied. The decisions made for controlling possible area with geological disturbance impact which was detected in the horizons of 916 m and 1026 m on the basis of mining-graphic materials and data of geological study in the mining roadways adjacent to the panel No. 14 in the district 42-1146 m were analyzed. The order and sequence of the works established for eliminating consequences of the coal and gas sudden outburst and detecting zone with disturbed coal and outburst cavity were considered. On the basis of the results obtained, conclusions were made and actions were elaborated on preventing accidents at mining steep prone-to-outburst coal seams by the shield aggregates. It is recommended to continue the scientific research for the purpose of detecting zone with possible impact of discontinuous geological disturbance and plicate disturbed zones in the coal seams by the changed hardness of coal in the adjacent panel, and developing certain local measures on preventing gas-dynamic phenomena at mining steep prone-to-outburst seams by the shield aggregates. The objective of this work was to analyze state of the working area and labor protection and to study the conditions and factors which had led to the accident with serious consequences and emergency condition of the panel.

A Study of Flow Structure Topology in the Vicinity of a Concave Bed Sill Using Numerical Model

Stabilization of the banks and bed of the river is an important problem in river engineering works. River bed scouring is a major environmental problem for fish and aquatic habitat resources. Using a bed sill is one approach that can be used to prevent waterway bed scouring. In this study, a concave bed sill was tested in an experimental program with movable bed condition. In addition to the experimental program, numerical simulations were undertaken to explore the flow characteristic around concave bed sill. In experiment the results showed that most scouring occurred at the channel sides, while deposition occurred in the middle of channel downstream of the concave bed sill. During the experiment two dimensional flow velocity was measured using particle image velocimetry (PIV). It was found that a vortex formed at the sides and downstream of the concave bed sill and then stretched to the middle of the channel. The results also indicated that there was minimum flow vorticity intensity at the center of the channel where deposition occurred. The numerical results were compared with this experimental data to validate the numerical simulations. The numerical results confirmed that for a concave bed sill, similarly a vortex formed at the side of the channel which created the maximum scouring depth at the side wall and with following deposition of sediment particles in the centerline of the channel.

Numerical study of shallow-water equations using three explicit schemes application to dam break flood wave

The numerical method to solve dam break problem on regular bathymetry was developed. Two cases of dam break wave propagation on wet and dry bottoms were selected to verify the numerical model elaborated. Three numerical schemes of Lax-Friedrichs, Adams-Bashforth and Adams-Bashforth-Adams-Moulton are applied to simulate this phenomenon using the 1D Saint-Venant equations. An artificial viscosity is added to these numerical schemes to provide stability and reduce numerical diffusion. This viscosity makes the numerical scheme robust (very powerful) for the simulation of this phenomenon. The results obtained show that these developed models are able to simulate dam break wave propagation process. The relative error in the L1 norm between the computed results and analytical solutions is calculated. The L1 norm indicates that the Adams-Bashforth-Adams-Moulton scheme has better accuracy than the other two schemes. It is shown that the technique used is simple, accurate, robust and stable for the simulation of the dam break wave propagation on wet and dry bed conditions.

A flume experiment study of energy lose at downstream of a sluice gate

A sluice gate is a controllable barrier that controlling the elevation of the water at the channel. Generally, energy change occurs at the upstream and downstream of watergate, caused by the impact of the water flow at watergate upstream. This study aims to analyze the energy change at Watergate and to compare the value of energy change that occurs at the channel with or without sediment. This research was carried out by the Civil Engineering Hydraulics Laboratory of the Faculty of Engineering, Hasanuddin University, which runs from December 2018 to March 2019. In this research, we use some variables that are channel bed condition, flume slope, debit, and watergate openings. The result of this research shows that debit and watergate openings really affect the value of the energy change, while the flume slope is not really affected it. The energy change that occurs at the flume without sediment is bigger than the energy change that occurs at the flume with sediment in it.

Emplacement of massive deposits by sheet flow

AbstractTurbidity current and coastal storm deposits are commonly characterized by a basal sandy massive (structureless) unit overlying an erosional surface and underlying a parallel or cross‐laminated unit. Similar sequences have been recently identified in fluvial settings as well. Notwithstanding field, laboratory and numerical studies, the mechanisms for emplacement of these massive basal units are still under debate. It is well accepted that the sequence considered here can be deposited by waning‐energy flows, and that the parallel‐laminated units are deposited under transport conditions corresponding to upper plane bed at the dune–antidune transition. Thus, transport conditions that are more intense than those at the dune–antidune transition should deposit massive units. This study presents experimental, open‐channel flow results showing that sandy massive units can be the result of gradual deposition from a thick bedload layer of colliding grains called sheet flow layer. When this layer forms with relatively coarse sand, the non‐dimensional bed shear stress associated with skin friction, the Shields number, is larger than a threshold value approximately equal to 0·4. For values of the Shields number smaller than 0·4 the sheet flow layer disappeared, sediment was transported by a standard bedload layer one or two grain diameters thick, and the bed configuration was characterized by downstream migrating antidunes and washed out dunes. Parallel laminae were found in deposits emplaced with standard bedload transport demonstrating that the same dilute flow can gradually deposit the basal and the parallel‐laminated unit in presence of traction at the depositional boundary. Further, the experiments suggested that two different types of upper plane bed conditions can be defined, one associated with standard bedload transport at the dune–antidune transition, and the other associated with bedload transport in sheet flow mode at the transition between upstream and downstream migrating antidunes.

MONITORING OF KARST PROCESS IN THE SOUTH URALS AND CIS-URALS (CURRENT STATUS, PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT METHODS)

The territory of Southern Ural and Cis-Urals is a classic region of development of sulfate and carbonate karst. Within it, karst rocks are spread over 50% of the territory, almost 30% of the area is affected by surface karst forms, 45% of the urban and at least 20% of the rural population live in karst development areas. For the region, it is very relevant to predict the development of this process in order to assess danger and risk, to prevent its impact on engineering facilities and socio-economic facilities in a prompt and timely manner. Forecasting of karst activation is possible on the basis of monitoring data, which is not properly organized and conducted in the territory of Southern Ural and Cis-Urals today, there is no scientifically based observational network. On the basis of modern typification of the territory by conditions of ground water nutrition and moistening intensity, landform, bedding conditions and composition of karst rocks, the nature and degree of their overlap by non-karst rocks, as well as karst danger of the region taking into account its economic development, a regional scheme of the karst monitoring network has been developed. It consists of 16 observation sites, which cover all the types of karst found in the territory of Bashkortostan. Methods of monitoring at the regional level are defined. The proposed network for monitoring the development karst at the regional level is recommended for implementation in the Republic of Bashkortostan as part of the monitoring subsystem of dangerous exogenous geological processes, which is an integral part of the system of monitoring the state of the subsoil of the Russian Federation. It is planned to store and process the data of mode observations using the GIS Map 2011domestic software product.

Relevance of rock slope deformations in local seismic response and microzonation: Insights from the Accumoli case-study (central Apennines, Italy)

Based on a National Government Decree, detailed seismic microzonation studies were carried out after the seismic sequence of Central Italy (2016–2017) in support of post-earthquake reconstruction. During these activities mass rock creep deformations of slopes were observed in the municipality of Accumoli (Latium Region), involving two urbanized areas on the left bank of the Tronto River. The geological and geomorphological surveys as well as the geomechanical characterization of rock masses revealed a deformation process of flexural toppling which involves the sub-vertical thick sandstone layers down to 50 m of depth. Geophysical investigations, consisting of downhole tests, active surface-wave testing and seismic ambient noise measurements, were carried out in the areas involved in the deformational processes. The results highlighted that the rock mass involved in the flexural toppling exhibits peaks of the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios (HVSR) in a frequency band ranging from 1.5 up to 2.5 Hz. In one of the two areas, H/V calculated on weak-motions recorded during the seismic sequence within the deforming rock mass, showed a clear peak in the H/V frequency range 1.5–2.0 Hz, the same range pointed out by the ambient vibration analysis. Due to local morphological, lithological and bedding conditions, such an evidence cannot be related to a simple 1D resonance due to the seismic impedance contrasts originated from the local stratigraphy. Nevertheless, it seems more reliable that the HVSR peaks can be related to the 3D volume of intensely jointed rock mass, in agreement with the field evidence of flexural toppling, as these peaks result confined within the deforming mass. In addition, the lack of a clear polarization of the particle motion in the seismic ambient noise dataset suggests that the observed effect should not be linked to the interaction of seismic surface waves with persistent discontinuities in an anisotropic rock mass. According to the National guidelines for seismic microzonation studies, these rock masses have not been identified as unstable, i.e. involved in conventional landslide processes, but have been identified as seismic amplification prone microzones with associated amplification factors of at least 1.5 in the period range 0.1–0.5 s. The identification of such microzones within areas involved in gravity-induced slope deformations is a significant prerequisite for planning strategies of post-earthquake reconstruction.