Disaster Area Research Articles

Foot trajectory as a key factor for diverse gait patterns in quadruped robot locomotion

Four-legged robots are becoming increasingly pivotal in navigating challenging environments, such as construction sites and disaster zones. While substantial progress in robotic mobility has been achieved using reinforcement learning techniques, quadruped animals exhibit superior agility by employing fundamentally different strategies. Bio-inspired controllers have been developed to replicate and understand biological locomotion strategies. However, a comprehensive understanding of the influence of foot trajectories on gait patterns is still necessary. This study provides a groundbreaking perspective on the essential impact of these trajectory shapes on robotic gait patterns and overall performance. By employing the Unitree A1 robot model with a bio-inspired neural control system, our simulations demonstrate that specific trajectory shapes effectively replicate diverse and natural gait patterns, such as trotting, pacing, and galloping, thereby improving adaptability to diverse terrains. Specifically, trajectories designed for pacing exhibit superior performance on rough terrain, excelling in efficiency and adaptability over other gaits. This study highlights the significance of foot trajectory in augmenting robotic locomotion and establishes a new benchmark for developing advanced robots that operate effectively in unpredictable environments.

Impact of declared wildfire disasters on survival of lung cancer patients undergoing radiation.

Oncological treatments, such as radiotherapy, which requires consistent electricity, the presence of specialized clinical teams, and daily patient access to treatment facilities, are frequently disrupted by extreme weather events, posing several health hazards to patients. This study explores the association between declared wildfire disasters during radiotherapy and overall survival among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study population consisted of 202,935 adults with inoperable Stage III NSCLC, who initiated radiotherapy from 2004 through 2019. Exposure was defined as a wildfire disaster declaration in the county of the treatment facility within 12weeks of initiating radiotherapy. Overall survival was defined as the interval (months) between age at diagnosis and age at death, date of last contact, or study end. Cox proportional hazards was used to estimate crude and adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals with inverse probability weighting. Patients exposed to a wildfire disaster declaration during radiation treatment had worse overall survival (HR, 1.03; 95% CI 1.00-1.06; p = 0.02), compared to unexposed patients in adjusted models. Exposure to a wildfire disaster during radiotherapy is associated with worse overall survival among patients with stage III non-operable NSCLC. This finding underscores the critical need for developing adaptation strategies within the healthcare sector, especially in oncology.

The Maaloop Framework: Enabling a Systems‐Level Common Operating Picture in Multiagency Disaster Management

ABSTRACTEmergency management operations are a complex system involving multiagency hierarchical command structures requiring coordination of significant volumes of information, resourcing and effort across expansive disaster zones within restricted timeframes and with potentially catastrophic consequences. Within these environments establishing a timely and shared understanding among different levels of command and across agencies is crucial yet remains a significant challenge. The problem is subsequently framed as ʻhow can the establishment of a systems‐level common operating picture across hierarchical commands and different agencies be improved in the context of complex emergency management and disaster response?ʼ To address this, we present the Maaloop Framework which builds upon the insights gained from previous research within the context of threat assessment, sensemaking, and critical decision‐making in police, military, ambulance, and firefighting contexts. To the observer trained in its application, it aims to provide an instant, point‐in‐time, global and detailed visual intelligent product of (i) the amount of information identified by decision makers at each location; (ii) how confident those decision makers are in the information and its application to resolve an incident; (iii) how the decision maker in adjacent command levels are using the information being fed to them. In turn, it will assist in improving individual and collective understanding regardless of position within a command hierarchy or agency jurisdiction. We submit that the Maaloop Framework does no more than describe the common constructs and concepts identified in the literature describing decision‐making within these industries and the broader study of decision‐making in the field of psychology. Therefore, this framework is intended to provide a solution to provide systems‐level common operating picture and an initial basis for increased communication and understanding across complex crisis events.

Degree of housing damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and all-cause mortality in the community-based cohort study of the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project

BackgroundNatural disasters may have negative health effects on survivors. However, long-term observations on this are lacking. Therefore, this study investigated the association between the degree of housing damage caused by...

Factors ensuring healthy work environments for municipal office workers in the disaster area after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident: A qualitative analysis

Factors ensuring healthy work environments for municipal office workers in the disaster area after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident: A qualitative analysis

Point-of-Use technology for clean water treatment in disaster areas: Effectiveness of LDH plate in eliminating pathogenic bacteria

Point-of-Use technology for clean water treatment in disaster areas: Effectiveness of LDH plate in eliminating pathogenic bacteria

Effect of anxiolytic therapy on blood pressure in patients with hypertension in natural disaster area (Al Haouz-Morocco earthquake): The experience of a telemedicine unit

Effect of anxiolytic therapy on blood pressure in patients with hypertension in natural disaster area (Al Haouz-Morocco earthquake): The experience of a telemedicine unit

Updating Risk Level on Housing Resettlements of Mount Merapi Using a Visual Chart Examination

Permanent housing resettlement (Huntap) on the slopes of Merapi from the 2010 great eruption supposedly has experienced development progress. Undergoing adjustments due to environmental circumstances, hazard knowledge, and people's understanding are inevitable and affect the safety performance of the shelter against volcanic hazards. Many dwellings are still in the most dangerous area, while the hazards will strike again sooner or later. This research intends to update Merapi Huntap's safety risks to mitigate volcanic disasters. We assessed the safety of 15 settlements and focused on calculating five selected Huntaps for their spatial and formal configuration to the dwellers' awareness. Detailed observation by a proposed visual chart method based on the hazard and degree of vulnerability discovered from hazard-prone zones (KRB). Resilience factors to safety, including access for evacuation, the dwelling, and community consciousness of disaster, discovered the disaster risk level. We found that disaster risk in Merapi's resettlement is still high; thus, the people and stakeholders need to pay more attention to the need for precautions. Mitigation should address the potential safety threats related to (1) Hazard-prone levels, (2) Spatial confusion for up-to-date disaster zones, (3) less consideration of evacuation barracks and routes, and (4) people's lower understanding and awareness. Through this research, we also discovered the proposed simple and easy-use method suitable for classifying the risks. The research was limited to Mount Merapi's resettlement housing after the 2010 eruption by examining five Huntaps with higher hazard susceptibilities. This study contributes to reevaluating the risk-hazard-resilience by practical measures for driving higher disaster awareness in the future. The proposed method proved its appropriateness in testing the risks and has the prospect of being used in further applications in more massive cases.

Poverty in the Palu Koro Fault Hazard Area, Central Sulawesi and its Influencing Factors.

Disaster areas are important to study, especially the level of poverty and the factors that influence it, especially the Gross Regional Domestic Product factor, Income Inequality of people including the Population and the Length people took the study in the school within a period of 10 years, namely from 2014-2023. Poverty has always been a benchmark for the success of development in a region which is always associated with and has implications for low levels of education, health, physical security and reduces the quality of life of community. Government efforts continue to be made to reduce poverty levels, Of course studies from various institutions are needed as input for policy makers in the Region. The use of quantitative research methods was chosen by the author to analyze the problems in this study using multiple regression with time series data from three regions, namely Donggala Regency, Palu City and Sigi Regency. The data used in this study are secondary data from 2014-2023 obtained from the official publication of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). The results of the study show that the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in the Palu Koro fault disaster area does not have a significant effect on Poverty, while Income Inequality has a negative and significant effect on Poverty, as well as the Population has a negative and significant effect on Poverty while the variable of the Length people took the study in the school the area has a significant and positive effect on the increase in the Number of Poverty from 2018 to 2023.

Critical Analysis of Emergency Medical Services in Disaster Response: Preparedness, Execution, and Challenges

EMS is an important link in the chain of disaster management and outlines the approach to emergency healthcare and the number of people saved during large-scale disasters. Here, the preparedness, implementation, and issues connected with EMS in regard to disasters will be critiqued in this paper. The current paper is an exploratory study that looks at how efficient EMS systems are in disaster areas: training, coordination, resource management, and technological integration through the review of literature and analysis of recent global disasters. The study indicates that although EMS is central to disaster management, factors like lack of resources, inadequate communication channels, and pressure on personnel limit the effectiveness of disaster response. Given this, the paper recommends improvement in the personnel training about technology as well as in the area of communication. Moreover, it suggests introducing psychological traumatization for the staff of the EMs and pledging for better apparatus. The outcomes presented here are written as recommendations that practitioners may use to enhance the functioning of EMS systems, increase organizational coherence, improve system cooperation, improve professional care, facilitate material coordination, and improve communication aid.

Development of Battery-Independent Illumination Drones Integrated into Tethered UAVs for Extended Operations

This study presents the design of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) specifically developed for extended illumination in surveillance, search and rescue (SAR) operations, security enforcement, border surveillance, and other applications requiring lighting, particularly in disaster areas. Traditional battery-powered UAVs have limited operational time; therefore, a tethered drone design was implemented in this study to overcome flight duration constraints. The direct current (DC) energy required for the tethered drone is supplied by a Gold Series switch-mode power supply (SMPS) mounted on the drone. The alternating current (AC) energy needed for the SMPS is transmitted through a cable. Additionally, the light-emitting diode (LED) projector, operating on AC 220 volts, is powered by the same cable that supplies the drone, eliminating the need for an additional DC converter. This design choice reduces weight and ensures an optimized configuration. The projector is mounted on servos with dual-axis capability, allowing both horizontal and vertical movement to precisely illuminate the target area. Although studies on tethered and illumination drones exist in the literature, this work combines two distinct drone systems to create a more efficient UAV design. In the design process, considerations were made for various environmental conditions, particularly wind. Consequently, the thrust-to-weight (T/W) ratio was determined to be 1.54. For cable cross section, a 1.5% voltage drop was accounted for, yielding a required cross section of 1.16mm². However, to ensure safety and reliability, a cable with a cross section of 1.5mm² was selected. This proposed model, distinct from other studies in the literature, offers a practical design for field applications, particularly for night SAR operations in disaster zones such as earthquake sites, due to its point-focus illumination capability and extended flight duration.

Saliva Diagnostics in Spaceflight Virology Studies-A Review.

Many biological markers of normal and disease states can be detected in saliva. The benefits of saliva collection for research include being non-invasive, ease of frequent sample collection, saving time, and being cost-effective. A small volume (≈1 mL) of saliva is enough for these analyses that can be collected in just a few minutes. For "dry" saliva paper matrices, additional drying times (about 30 min) may be needed, but this can be performed at room temperature without the need for freezers and specialized equipment. Together, these make saliva an ideal choice of body fluid for many clinical studies from diagnosis to monitoring measurable biological substances in hospital settings, remote, and other general locations including disaster areas. For these reasons, we have been using saliva (dry as well as wet) from astronauts participating in short- and long-duration space missions for over two decades to conduct viral, stress, and immunological studies. We have also extended the use of saliva to space analogs including bed rest, Antarctica, and closed-chamber studies. Saliva is a biomarker-rich and easily accessible body fluid that could enable larger and faster public health screenings, earlier disease detection, and improved patient outcomes. This review summarizes our lessons learned from utilizing saliva in spaceflight research and highlights the advantages and disadvantages of saliva in clinical diagnostics.

Tethered Balloon Cluster Deployments and Optimization for Emergency Communication Networks.

Natural disasters can severely disrupt conventional communication systems, hampering relief efforts. High-altitude tethered balloon base stations (HATBBSs) are a promising solution to communication disruptions, providing wide communication coverage in disaster-stricken areas. However, a single HATBBS is insufficient for large disaster zones, and limited resources may restrict the number and energy capacity of available base stations. To address these challenges, this study proposes a cluster deployment of tethered balloons to form flying ad hoc networks (FANETs) as a backbone for post-disaster communications. A meta-heuristic-based multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm is employed to optimize the placement of balloons and power control to maximize target coverage and system energy efficiency. Comparative analysis with a stochastic algorithm (SA) demonstrates that MOPSO converges faster, with significant advantages in determining optimal balloon placement. The simulation results show that MOPSO effectively improves network throughput while reducing average delay and packet loss rate.

Failure Mechanism and Risk Assessment of Multi-Level Cliff in Jiaohua Perilous Rock Mass

Perilous rock mass disasters are typical forms of collapse disasters. Perilous rock masses are widely distributed in mountainous areas around the world and often pose a great threat to residents and line engineering. The correct evaluation of the stability and disaster-causing ability of perilous rock is important for the guarantee of sustainable development for human beings living in mountainous areas. The dynamic disaster effects of perilous rock collapse have always been a hot topic in the field of engineering geological disaster research. This study takes typical #WY8 and #WY47 perilous rock masses in a zone called the Jiaohua rock perilous rock zone in Chongqing, China, as a case study. The Jiaohua perilous rock mass is located in the Kaizhou District of the Three Gorges Reservoir area in China, which is mainly distributed in a ‘long strip’. The initial deformation and collapse of the perilous rock zone occurred in September 2004, and many local collapses have occurred since. In this study, the basic characteristics of the perilous rock belt of Jiaohua rock were first analyzed, and the failure mechanism of the perilous rock mass of Jiaohua rock was then summarized. Then, a numerical model of the perilous rock mass was established by DAN-W, and the disaster process of perilous rock collapse was analyzed. According to the characteristics of perilous rock and cliffs, considering the collapse partition, the collapse path of debris flow can be divided into three sections: the collapse section, slip section, and accumulation section. The calculation results show that the maximum velocity of the front edge of the #WY8 debris flow is 27.26 m/s, the maximum velocity of the trailing edge is 16.71 m/s, the maximum sliding distance is 437 m, and the impact force of the debris flow on the building is up to 52.29 kPa. The maximum velocity of the front edge of the #WY47 debris flow is 31.05 m/s, the maximum velocity of the trailing edge is 21.99 m/s, the maximum sliding distance is 194.31 m, and the impact force of the debris flow on the building is 241.15 kPa. Civil buildings within the scope of collapse are at risk of being completely destroyed. The research results of this study provide a certain theoretical basis for disaster prevention and mitigation work in the hidden danger area of rock avalanche disasters in the Three Gorges Reservoir area.

Amino Acid and Essential Fatty Acid in Evacuation Shelter Food in the Noto Peninsula Earthquake: Comparison with the 2024 Simultaneous National Survey in Japan.

On 1 January 2024, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula. We entered the disaster area to provide relief and set up a makeshift clinic in an evacuation center to evaluate the quality and quantity of food provided there. This cross-sectional study, of mainly older adults, was conducted to analyze the amino acid and fatty acid composition of evacuation shelter meals in comparison with the results of the Japan National Survey, mainly focused on older adults. (1) We analyzed 11 evacuation foods using the "Duplicated Combination" Model and the digestible amino acid score (DIAAS) in relation to the half-life determined by the N-terminal amino acid proteins. (2) Linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) levels were compared with European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommendations (3). The national survey of emergency food stocks in 198 hospitals and 189 social care institutions conducted in Jan 2024 was analyzed. (1) DIAAS was less than 1.00 for all 11 foods provided and was considered inadequate, (2) the half-life of the protein, whose N-terminal valine has a half-life of 100 h, must be considered a possible deficiency when living in a shelter for more than a week, (3) LA and ALA levels were less than 40% of EFSA recommended, (4) the nationwide survey found that 80% of people have a three-day supply and data on amino acids and fatty acids were not available due to a lack of questionnaires. Analysis of food in evacuation shelters after the Noto Peninsula earthquake revealed the quality of amino acids involved in shelter meals using DIAAS and the lack of LA and ALA for older adults. The "Duplicated Combination" model used in this analysis could be beneficial for developing improved nutrition plans in similar future scenarios, mainly for older adults.

The differences historical abortion and hemoglobin between hazard volcano eruption

The disaster area volcano is priority for intervention through maternal health is vulnerable group. Previous study estimate severe bleeding /haemorrhage was up to 71.9%, anaemia 51%. The study aimed to know incident of history abortion and haemoglobin in zone hazard risk volcanic eruption after 10th. Study addressed with cross-sectional design. The data history abortion and haemoglobin were collected with medical record in Puskesmas Cangkringan. The hazard level adoption in National Disaster Management Agency/Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB) divide 3 zone hazard risks. Data analysis by Health Mapper version 4.3 software and analysis with analysis of variance (ANOVA). The incidence of history abortion higher in zone 2 compare zones 1 and 3 volcanic disaster. The average of haemoglobin higher in zone 1 as 12.54±1.67 compare zones 2 and 3 volcanic disaster. No significant differences history abortion and haemoglobin between zones 1 to 3 volcanic disaster. The study concluded that history of abortion higher in zone 3 compared zones 1 and 2 volcanic disaster. The average of haemoglobin higher in zone 1 compared zones 2 and 3 volcanic disaster. No differences significant of history abortion and average haemoglobin between zones 1 to 3.

Impact of soil conditions and seismic codes on collapsed structures during the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes: An in-depth study of 400 reinforced concrete buildings

Türkiye has a history full of devastating earthquakes from past to present. The February 6, 2023, earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş Pazarcık and Elbistan, with magnitudes of Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6, were among the most destructive in recent history, impacting 11 provinces and causing severe structural damage, especially in regions close to the fault line. Within the scope of this study, the 400 reinforced concrete buildings that collapsed due to the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in the provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Hatay, Gaziantep were examined in terms of seismic codes and soil conditions. The evolution of the Codes on Buildings to be Built in Disaster Areas (1975 and 1997-8), Code on Buildings to be Built in Earthquake Zones (2007) to which the relevant reinforced concrete buildings are subject, and Türkiye Building Earthquake Code (2018) were discussed. The differences between the local soil conditions in these codes were revealed and it was evaluated how these local soil properties affect the seismic vulnerability of buildings. This study's findings highlight the critical role of the soil conditions on seismic vulnerability of buildings in earthquake-prone regions. They also offer valuable insights into developing strategies to enhance the structural resilience of similar buildings in other earthquake regions against future seismic events.

Correction to: On Providing Energy Harvested Multi-Hop D2D Communication with UAV Bridge in Disaster Area

Correction to: On Providing Energy Harvested Multi-Hop D2D Communication with UAV Bridge in Disaster Area

Venture Capital and Vulnerability: Navigating Natural Disasters and Investment Resilience

ABSTRACTThis study examines the impact of natural disasters on venture capital (VC) investment decisions. Using 47 catastrophic natural disasters occurred in the United States from 1990 to 2019, our empirical analysis reveals a significant reduction in VC investments in disaster zones. Additionally, natural disasters negatively influence VC exit strategies, reducing the likelihood and extending the time to successful exits via IPOs. However, we find that green VCs are more likely to invest in disaster‐affected areas, indicating potential resilience through green technological innovation. Our findings emphasize sustainability and disaster mitigation, and offer valuable insights for policymakers and investors amidst rising climate uncertainties.

Local Sustainability Assessment of the Wonogiri Multipurpose Reservoir Catchment Area in Central Java Province, Indonesia

The sustainability of watershed management is a crucial issue that must be addressed to guarantee the persistence of watershed services including agriculture, food production, and energy supply. This issue has also been addressed in Presidential Regulation No. 18/2020 concerning the National Medium-Term Development Plans for 2020–2024, which stipulate the restoration of priority watersheds, including the Upstream Bengawan Solo Watershed. This study seeks to address this information gap by assessing the local sustainability of the watershed from a temporal dynamics perspective by calculating the Local Sustainability Index (LSI), Local Moran Index, and spatial associations. Measuring sustainable development indices locally is essential because each location has different characteristics, and using specific indicators at the local level is rarely done. The enactment of the national law on village autonomy in Indonesia necessitates the formulation of sustainable development indicators at the village level. These indicators serve as the metrics and frameworks for local government policies and initiatives. Our results show that village sustainability in the social and economic dimensions has increased from 2007 to 2021, especially in urban activity center areas that serve social and economic facilities. This seems different in the environmental dimension, where the sustainability value decreased from 2007 to 2021. The concentration of low sustainability values on ecological conditions occurred in pocket areas. Environmental problems were indicated by land-use conversion and disaster areas.