Major Hazard Research Articles

Repeated failures of the giant Beshkiol Landslide and their impact on the long-term Naryn Basin floodings, Kyrgyz Tien Shan

Landslides are major hazards that lead to cataclysmic changes in regional physiography. Their consequences are particularly significant when they affect a river system, forming dammed-lake upstream that represents a high flood threat for the downstream region. The Naryn River is the largest river in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan and is of great economic importance. The Beshkiol Landslide, the largest one in Central Asia but of unknown age, has most likely blocked the Naryn River in the past during the Late Pleistocene, with evidence of thick lacustrine deposits as well as numerous paleo-shorelines preserved upstream. In this study, a detailed geomorphological and sedimentological analysis combined with luminescence and 14C dating provides a strong chronological framework to refine the dynamics between the Beshkiol landslides and dammed-lakes in the Naryn Basin. We propose that the Beshkiol Landslide was first triggered 51.9 ± 4.4 kyrs ago, with a 410 m-high dam that blocked the Naryn River. A first lake with a total volume of 121 ± 50 km3 lasted for >37.0 ± 5.1 kyrs, one of the longest landslide-dammed lake residence time ever documented in the world. Our sedimentological observations highlight a catastrophic lake outburst flood between 15.6 and 14.1 kyrs cal BP, likely related to a landslide dam breach. A short-lived phase of fluvial erosion impacted the whole Naryn Basin followed by a second landslide activation (280 m- high dam) and subsequent flooding by a second lake of 27 ± 10 km3. This second lake had a minimum residence time of 7.7 ± 1.3 kyrs before its final gradual drainage that was followed by a fluvial erosional phase still active today in the Naryn Basin. We also suggest that the distal unconsolidated part of the Beshkiol Landslide could be remobilized in the event of an earthquake and/or extreme rain episode, causing a potentially dam of the Naryn River, which would have strong regional economic impacts.

Biochar loaded with root exudates of hyperaccumulator Leersia hexandra Swartz facilitated Cr(VI) reduction by shaping soil functional microbial communities

Cr(VI) contamination is widely recognized as one of the major environmental hazards. To address the problem of remediation of soil Cr(VI) contamination and utilization of waste peanut shells, this study comprehensively investigated the effects of peanut shell-derived biochar loaded with root exudates of hyperaccumulator Leersia hexandra Swartz on Cr(VI) reduction and microbial community succession in soil. This study confirmed that root exudate-loaded peanut shell biochar reduced soil pH while simultaneously increasing DOC, sulfide, and Fe(II) concentrations, thereby facilitating the reduction of Cr(VI), achieving a reduction efficiency of 81.8%. Based on XPS and SEM elemental mapping analyses, Cr(VI) reduction occurred concurrently with the Fe and S redox cycles. Furthermore, the microbial diversity, abundance of the functional genera (Geobacter, Arthrobacter, and Desulfococcus) and the metabolic functions associated with Cr(VI) reduction were enhanced by root exudate-loaded biochar. Root exudate-loaded biochar can promote both direct Cr(VI) reduction mediated by the Cr(VI)-reducing bacteria Arthrobacter, and indirect Cr(VI) reduction through Cr/S/Fe co-transformation mediated by the sulfate-reducing bacteria Desulfococcus and Fe(III)-reducing bacteria Geobacter. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of peanut shell biochar loaded with root exudates of hyperaccumulator Leersia hexandra Swartz to promote soil Cr(VI) reduction, reveals the mechanism how root exudate-loaded biochar shapes functional microbial communities to facilitate Cr(VI) reduction, and proposes a viable strategy for Cr(VI) remediation and utilization of peanut shell.

QSAR Studies and Scaffold Optimization of Predicted Novel ACC 2 Inhibitors to Treat Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is one of the major non-communicable global health hazards of the modern world owing to its amplifying prevalence. Acetyl coenzyme-A carboxylase 2 (ACC 2) is one of the most crucial enzymes involved in the manifestation of this disease because of its regulatory role in fatty acid metabolism. To find novel potent ACC 2 inhibitors as therapeutic potential leads for combating metabolic syndrome. In the present study, a two-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (2D QSAR) approach was executed on biologically relevant thiazolyl phenyl ether derivatives as ACC 2 inhibitors for structural optimization. The physiochemical descriptors were calculated and thus a correlation was derived between the observed and predicted activity by the regression equation. The significant descriptors i.e. log P (Whole Molecule) and Number of H-bond Donors (Substituent 1) obtained under study were considered for the design of new compounds and their predicted biological activity was calculated from the regression equation of the developed model. The compounds were further validated by docking studies with the prepared ACC 2 receptor. The most promising predicted leads with the absence of an H-bond donor group at the substituted phenyl ether moiety yet increased overall lipophilicity exhibited excellent amino acid binding affinity with the receptor and showed predicted inhibitory activity of 0.0025 μM and 0.0027 μM. The newly designed compounds were checked for their novelty. Lipinski's rule of five was applied to check their druggability and no violation of this rule was observed. The compounds designed in the present study have tremendous potential to yield orally active ACC 2 inhibitors to treat metabolic syndrome.

Heat‐Resistant Air Filters Based on Self‐Sustained Electrostatic and Antibacterial Polyimide/Silver Fiber Mats

AbstractAir pollution containing microorganisms poses a major hazard to human health. It is critical to develop air filters that are both highly efficient for indoor use and suitable for use in industrial settings. Developing long‐lasting electrostatic force‐assisted filtration while keeping high‐temperature resistance and antibacterial qualities is still challenging. Here, centrifugal spinning is used to fabricate fiber mats consisting of polyimide with silver incorporation (PI/Ag). The electrostatic force remained over –700 V after 330 days. The strong electrostatic effect improves the filtration efficiency, resulting in a high PM0.3 removal efficiency of 99.1% with a low‐pressure drop of 103.67 Pa. The high filtration efficiency remains above 91.3% for PM0.3 after placing it for 330 days and heating it at 280 °C. The PI/Ag fiber mats also show antimicrobial properties against the E. coli (Gram‐negative) and S. aureus (Gram‐positive) with prominent bacteriostatic zones >1.2 mm. The PI/Ag fiber mat filters are expected to have great potential for multi‐scenario air filtration.

G-ACP: a machine learning approach to the prediction of therapeutic peptides for gastric cancer

Conventional Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer treatments are quite expensive and have major hazards. Nowadays, a different strategy places more emphasis on creating tiny biologically active peptides that do not cause severe poisoning. Anticancer peptides (ACPs) are found through experimental screening, which is time-dependent and frequently fraught with difficulties. Gastric ACPs are emerging as a promising GI cancer treatment in the current day. It is crucial to identify novel gastric ACPs to have an improved knowledge of their functioning processes and treatment of gastric cancer. As a result of the post-genomic era’s massive production of peptide sequences, rapid and effective ACPs using a computational method are essential. Several adaptive statistical techniques for distinguishing ACPs and non-ACPs have recently been developed. A variety of adapted statistically significant methods have been developed to differentiate between ACPs and non-ACPs. Despite significant progress, there is no specific model for the prediction of gastric ACPs because the specific model will predict a particular type of peptide more accurately and quickly. To overcome this, an initiative is taken for the creation of a reliable framework for the accurate identification of gastric ACPs. The current technique in particular contains four possible features along with one hybrid feature encoding mechanisms which are the target-class motif previously indicated by Amino Acid Composition, Dipeptide Composition, Tripeptide Composition (TPC), Pseudo Amino Acid Composition (PAAC), and their Hybrid. Machine Learning algorithms make high-performance and accurate prediction tools. Moreover, highly variable and ideal deep feature selection is done using an ANOVA-based F score for feature pruning. Experiments on a range of algorithms are carried out to identify the optimal operating strategy due to the diverse nature of learning. Following analysis of the empirical results, Naïve Bayes with TPC and Hybrid feature space outperforms other methods with 0.99 accuracy score on the testing dataset. To find the model generalization an external validation is carried out. In external datasets, the Extra Trees with PAAC features outperforms with the accuracy of 0.94. The comparison study shows that our suggested model will predict gastric ACPs more accurately and will be useful in drug development and gastric cancer. The predictive model can be freely accessed at https://github.com/humeraazad10/G-ACP.git. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

An informative short-term study on the impacts of a triclocarban/weathered multi-walled carbon nanotube-adsorbed complex to benthic organisms

Freshwater organisms are suitable models to study the fate of environmental pollutants. Due to their versatile and everyday use, many environmental pollutants such as triclocarban (TCC) or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) enter environmental compartments very easily. TCC is known as a disinfectant and is declared as a highly aquatic toxicant. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes are used, e.g., in the automotive industry to improve plastic properties. Both TCCs and MWCNTs can pose major pollution hazards to various organisms. In addition, these substances can bind to each other due to their tendency to interact via strong hydrophobic interactions. Therefore, a short-term test was conducted to investigate the effects of the individual chemicals TCC and weathered MWCNTs (wMWCNTs) on a benthic biofilm and a grazing organism, Lymnaea stagnalis. Furthermore, the two compounds were coupled by an adsorption experiment resulting in a coupled complex formation (TCC + wMWCNTs). L. stagnalis showed no effects in terms of mortality. For benthic biofilm, the coupling test (TCC + wMWCNTs) showed a decrease of 58% in chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration. The main effect could be attributed to the wMWCNTs’ exposure alone (decrease of 82%), but not to presence of TCC. The concentration range of Chl-a upon TCC exposure alone was comparable to that in the control group (32 and 37 µg/cm2). With respect to the particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration, very similar results were found for the solvent control, the TCC, and also for the TCC + wMWCNTs group (3, 2.9, and 2.9 mg/cm2). In contrast to the control, a significant increase in POC concentration (100%) was observed for wMWCNTs, but no synergistic effect of TCC + wMWCNTs was detected.

Environmental Refuges during Summertime Heat and Elevated Ozone Levels: A Preliminary Case Study of an Urban “Cool Zone” Building

The combination of extreme heat waves and ozone pollution is a major health hazard for urban populations in the summertime, particularly for the most sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, the unsheltered, and those with pre-existing health conditions. The “Cool Zone Program”, operated by the Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services, identifies areas in the county and Salt Lake City facilities where members of the public can escape the summer heat, hydrate, and learn about available programs. We measured indoor and outdoor temperature and ozone for a pilot study at a designated Cool Zone location during the 22 August–6 September 2019 period and found that the building provided substantial heat relief and protection from more than 75% of the outdoor ozone. We observed a nearly 35 min delay for the outdoor ozone to be reflected on the indoor readings, providing an action window for ventilation scheduling changes to protect against the highest ozone levels during the day. Our findings show that it is critical to re-think and formulate action plans to protect vulnerable populations from excessive heat and pollution events during the summer.

Efficiency of Persicaria salicifolia as a natural alternative antifungal against Aspergillus flavus infection in Oreochromis niloticus from Aswan Governorate, Egypt

Fungal diseases in fish cause economic losses all over the world, and knowledge about them is scarce and outdated in Aswan Governorate, Egypt, making interpretation, prevention, and treatment difficult. The necessity to find a fungicide that is natural, environmentally friendly, and does not emerge drug resistance is a must. Therefore, the current study aimed to isolate and diagnose fungal infection in farmed Oreochromis niloticus, causing mortalities, in Aswan Governorate. During 2021, 200 fresh O. niloticus samples were collected from the Sahary Fish Hatchery and Aswan General Authority for Fish Resources Development fish farm. Some fish showed hemorrhagic lesions all over the body, detachment of scales, and fin erosion. Collected tissue samples were cultured on potato dextrose agar and Sabouraud dextrose agar for phenotypic characterization. Macroscopic and microscopic analyses were used to identify the isolated fungi. A total of 18 fungal species and two varieties appertaining to ten fungal genera were recovered from 48 samples out of 200 examined O. niloticus (24%), with Aspergillus flavus being the most prevalent at a rate of 25.6%. The isolated A. flavus was proven to be pathogenic to farmed O. niloticus, as by experimental infection. The natural herb Persicaria salicifolia had an LC50 value of 41.68 mg/l in exposed O. niloticus and was used to treat A. flavus-infected O. niloticus. It can be concluded that A. flavus poses a major hazard to O. niloticus aquaculture and can be treated with 40 mg/kg in feed or 20 mg/l in water of P. salicifolia for 6 days.

Shallow structure and late quaternary slip rate of the Osaka Bay fault, western Japan

The Osaka Bay is situated at a seismically active region north of the Median Tectonic Line and east of Awaji Island in western Japan, known as part of the Kinki Triangle and the Niigata–Kobe Tectonic Zone. Dense distribution of active faults and high geodetic strain rates characterize the region, posing a major seismic hazard potential to the coastal and metropolitan areas of the Kansai region. To investigate the shallow structure and recent deformation history of active faults in the Osaka Bay, we acquired 15 high-resolution seismic profiles using a Mini-GI airgun and a Boomer as active sources, together with multi-beam bathymetry data across the Osaka Bay Fault. Our seismic sections image a ~ 0.1 to 3.7 km-wide asymmetric anticline forelimb above the Osaka Bay Fault at shallow depths, coupled with a ~ 2.6 km-wide syncline to the west, and a broad, ~ 11 km-wide syncline in the footwall to the east. The synclinal axial surface at shallow depths measured in this study ranges 75°–89°. We observe the vertical displacement of the Osaka Bay Fault increasing northwards along strike. The sediment thickness on the hanging wall, however, is variable, modified by non-tectonic processes such as by tidal currents, affecting the geometry of growth strata. The most recent deformation by the Osaka Bay Fault reaches to near the seafloor by active folding, with large vertical offsets of 8–14 m over the last ~ 11 ka, and 5–11 m over the last ~ 5 ka. By combining with previously reported borehole age data, the average uplift rate on the Osaka Bay Fault is estimated to be ~ 1.0 to 1.7 m/ka during the Latest Pleistocene to Holocene. The inferred slip of the Osaka Bay Fault during the Holocene is likely to account for > 5% of the regional geodetic strain accumulation within the Kinki Triangle. Further studies to evaluate the Holocene slip rates of regional faults are necessary to assess the seismic hazards and the internal strain budgets within the Kinki Triangle and the Niigata–Kobe Tectonic Zone.Graphical abstract

Mist-control of polyalphaolefin (PAO) lubricants using long pairwise end-associative polymers

Accidental release of pressurized hydrocarbon fuels and lubricants are a major fire hazard due to the formation of small droplet mists that can readily evaporate and ignite. Mist control through increasing droplet size and suppressing droplets has been previously demonstrated with high molecular weight polymer additives, but traditional long polymer additives do not survive the pumping that would usually precede accidental release. This constraint inspired associative polymer additives that can transiently form the high molecular weights needed for mist control, while reversibly breaking during pumping. A prior study demonstrated the efficacy of such a system in fuel: long telechelic polycyclooctadiene (PCOD) with pairwise associating acid and base end-groups. Here, we address an obstacle to applying this same polymeric system in a polyalphaolefin (PAO) solvent—its poorer solvent quality for PCOD than fuel. We measured the effects of the end-associative PCOD compared to a non-associative control on the rheological properties of solutions in both PAO (a common lubricant and heat transfer fluid) and decahydronapthalene (decalin, a solvent with PCOD solubility similar to fuel) in shear and extension, and connect those rheological modifications to observed changes in PAO spray under simulated accidental release conditions. The PCOD additives demonstrated substantial mist control in PAO, both in terms of reduced spray angle and droplet suppression. Despite the worse solubility in PAO and thus smaller effective coil size, these associative PCOD additives are effective at the low concentrations (¡0.1 wt %) necessary for practical use as a safety measure.

Exploring the Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture: The Case of Devastating Floods of 2022 in Balochistan, Pakistan

Climate change induced devastating floods are becoming more regular, especially in Pakistan. Especially the 2022 floods are an excellent example. Objective: The objective of this research is to determine how the 2022 flood have affected agriculture in the Qila Saifullah District of Balochistan, Pakistan. For this case study research, a quantitative approach was used. Through a household survey, primary data were collected from farmers. Result: The findings showed that floods 2022 has negatively affected the livestock and agricultural farms in the study area, eventually affected their livelihood. The maximum number of crops were five. Out of the total, 96.7% of the crops were fully damaged due to the flood. The farms having less than 20 trees were highly 73.9% damaged. Similarly, the farms with less than 30 trees were highly (88.5%) damaged due to floods. The data showed that small farmers had great losses. Conclusion: The finding demonstrates that flooding is often viewed as a major natural hazard due to its potential to cause disease, property damage, fatalities, infrastructure damage, and disruption of public services. Devastating floods of 2022 have caused severe losses to livestock and agricultural farms in Balochistan. The findings of this study suggest that preparedness and mitigation measures to climate change induced disasters such as floods can reduce the extent of losses in future.

A rationally designed antimicrobial peptide from structural and functional insights of Clostridioides difficile translation initiation factor 1.

A significant increase of hospital-acquired bacterial infections during the COVID-19 pandemic has become an urgent medical problem. Clostridioides difficile is an urgent antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogen and a leading causative agent of nosocomial infections. The increasing recurrence of C. difficile infection and antibiotic resistance in C. difficile has led to an unmet need for the discovery of new compounds distinctly different from present antimicrobials, while antimicrobial peptides as promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics have attracted growing interest recently. Protein synthesis is an essential metabolic process in all bacteria and a validated antibiotic target. Initiation factor 1 from C. difficile (Cd-IF1) is the smallest of the three initiation factors that acts to establish the 30S initiation complex to initiate translation during protein biosynthesis. Here, we report the solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structure of Cd-IF1 which adopts a typical β-barrel fold and consists of a five-stranded β-sheet and one short α-helix arranged in the sequential order β1-β2-β3-α1-β4-β5. The interaction of Cd-IF1 with the 30S ribosomal subunit was studied by NMR titration for the construction of a structural model of Cd-IF1 binding with the 30S subunit. The short α-helix in IF1 was found to be critical for IF1 ribosomal binding. A peptide derived from this α-helix was tested and displayed a high ability to inhibit the growth of C. difficile and other bacterial strains. These results provide a clue for the rational design of new antimicrobials.IMPORTANCEBacterial infections continue to represent a major worldwide health hazard due to the emergence of drug-resistant strains. Clostridioides difficile is a common nosocomial pathogen and the causative agent in many infections resulting in an increase in morbidity and mortality. Bacterial protein synthesis is an essential metabolic process and an important target for antibiotic development; however, the precise structural mechanism underlying the process in C. difficile remains unknown. This study reports the solution structure of C. difficile translation initiation factor 1 (IF1) and its interaction with the 30S ribosomal subunit. A short α-helix in IF1 structure was identified as critically important for ribosomal binding and function in regulating the translation initiation, which allowed a rational design of a new peptide. The peptide demonstrated a high ability to inhibit bacterial growth with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. This study provides a new clue for the rational design of new antimicrobials against bacterial infections.

Ammonia Retention in Biowaste via Low-Temperature-Plasma-Synthesized Nitrogen Oxyacids: Toward Sustainable Upcycling of Animal Waste.

Sustainable fertilizer production is a pressing challenge due to a growing human population. The manufacture of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer involves intensive emissions of greenhouse gases. The synthetic nitrogen that ends up in biowaste such as animal waste perturbs the nitrogen cycle through significant nitrogen losses in the form of ammonia volatilization, a major human health and environmental hazard. Low-temperature air-plasma treatment of animal waste holds promise for sustainable fertilizer production on farmlands by enabling nitrogen fixation via ionization, forming nitrogen oxyacids. Although the formation of nitrogen oxyacids in plasma treatment of water is well-established, the extent of nitrogen oxyanion enrichment in animal waste and its downstream effects on acidifying the waste remain elusive because many compounds found in complex biowaste media may interfere with absorbed NOx species. This work aims to establish that plasma treatment of dairy manure can suppress ammonia loss by volatilization via acidification of animal waste while enriching the waste in total nitrogen due to nitrogen retained in ammonia as well as adding nitrogen oxyacids by reacting NOx with the aqueous slurry. To this end, air-plasma effluent containing NOx is bubbled through dairy manure, which is then analyzed for changes in the nitrogen oxyanion content and pH. Increasing the plasma treatment time results in more acidic manure, reduced ammonium content in the downstream acid trap, and increased nitrogen oxyanion content, where the yield of nitrogen oxyanion from absorbed NOx species is approximately 100%. Increased plasma treatment also led to an increase in the total Kjeldahl nitrogen and the total nitrogen. These results indicate that plasma treatment of animal waste can significantly suppress ammonia pollution from animal husbandry facilities such as dairy farms while upcycling animal waste as a rich organic source of nitrogen.

In silico Exploration of Pharmacological and Molecular Descriptor Properties of Salacinol and Its Related Analogues

Salacinol and its related analogues have been known for their potent α-glucosidase inhibitor activity and making them interesting candidates for a new type of anti-diabetic agent. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the physicochemical properties, pharmacological parameters, and toxicity profile of these anti-diabetic agents. In this study, a comprehensive in-silico approach was used to explore the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity profiles of salacinol and its related analogues. In addition, to gain a better knowledge of structural and electrical characteristics, global and local reactivity descriptors, and molecular electrostatic potential were calculated and discussed by using DFT at the B3LYP/6–311++G (d, p) level of theory. The results explored that all the studied compounds have low GI absorption and are substrates for P-glycoprotein. None of the compounds can cross the BBB, and none of the compounds are inhibitors of cytochrome P450 isoenzymes. We also found that all compounds have various potential to interact with a wide range of biological targets, including GPCRs, enzymes, ion channels, kinases, and nuclear receptors. Additionally, all compounds have low toxicity and are unlikely to cause any major health hazards in terms of hepatotoxicity, mutagenicity, cardiotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and immunotoxicity. The molecular electrostatic potential map shows that the negative potential sites are in electronegative oxygen atoms, while the positive potential sites are around the hydrogen atoms. The present study concludes that salacinol and its analogues might be a promising safe and effective candidate for the development of therapeutic drugs derived from natural sources. However, some of their properties should be considered in the context of drug development and tissue protection strategies.

Cross-sectional analysis of risk factors associated with Mugil cephalus in retail fish markets concerning methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Aeromonas hydrophila.

Aeromonas hydrophila and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are potent bacterial pathogens posing major hazards to human health via consuming fish harboring these pathogens or by cross-contamination beyond the contaminated environment. The aim of this study was to determine risk variables associated with the presence of certain pathogenic bacteria from Mugil cephalus fish in retail markets in Egypt. The virulence genes of A. hydrophila and S. aureus were also studied. Furthermore, the antibiotic sensitivity and multidrug resistance of the microorganisms were evaluated. In a cross-sectional investigation, 370 samples were collected from mullet skin and muscle samples, washing water, fish handlers, knives, and chopping boards. Furthermore, fish handlers' public health implications were assessed via their response to a descriptive questionnaire. S. aureus and Aeromonas species dominated the investigated samples with percentages of 26.76% and 30.81%, respectively. Furthermore, A. hydrophila and MRSA were the predominant recovered bacterial pathogens among washing water and knives (53.85% and 46.66%, respectively). The virulence markers aerA and hlyA were found in 90.7% and 46.5% of A. hydrophila isolates, respectively. Moreover, the virulence genes nuc and mec were prevalent in 80% and 60% of S. aureus isolates, respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility results revealed that all A. hydrophila isolates were resistant to amoxicillin and all MRSA isolates were resistant to amoxicillin and ampicillin. Remarkably, multiple drug resistance (MDR) patterns were detected in high proportions in A. hydrophila (88.37%) and MRSA (100%) isolates. The prevalence of Aeromonas spp. and S. aureus had a positive significant correlation with the frequency of handwashing and use of sanitizer in cleaning of instruments. MRSA showed the highest significant prevalence rate in the oldest age category. The pathogenic bacteria recovered in this study were virulent and had a significant correlation with risk factors associated with improper fish handling. Furthermore, a high frequency of MDR was detected in these pathogenic bacteria, posing a significant risk to food safety and public health.

An investigation of fracture modes around a spherical cavity for understanding outburst propagation mechanism

AbstractOutburst of coal and gas is a major hazard in underground coal mining where coal seam gas content/pressure is high. A cone‐shaped cavity is often observed in the coal seam after bursting, implying the likely mechanical structure being formed during outburst propagation. Although the mechanism for outburst initiation and propagation is very complex, mining‐induced fracturing and damage of the coal material is an essential component. This paper investigates the mechanical conditions that are essential to initiate fractures around a spherical cavity, a simplified form of the cone‐shaped outburst cavity. The cavity is assumed to be situated in an infinite isotropic homogeneous elastic body under internal gas pressure and far‐field hydrostatic compressive stresses as a further simplification for analytical investigation. The analytical conditions under which circumferential and radial fractures can initiate around the cavity are formulated, based on extensional strain criterion for fracture initiation. Low internal pressure on the cavity surface and high far‐field compression lead to circumferential fractures. In contrast, high internal pressure and low far‐field compression lead to radial fractures. Subsequent numerical simulations with FRACOD3D and FRACOD, the 3D and 2D in‐house fracture simulation codes, were carried out to investigate fracture patterns around a cavity and inclusion. The simulation results confirmed the analytical results, including fracture shapes and the size of fractured zone. These results provide a new angle to understand the complex mechanism of outbursts.

Noise Exposure, Prevention, and Control in Agriculture and Forestry: A Scoping Review

Noise is a major physical hazard in agricultural activities, and numerous research activities have managed to detect its effects, resulting in surveys and measurements which help to define exposure limits, prevention methods, and control strategies. This review aims to collect and analyse the data from research studies and to provide a comprehensive overview on the subject. Thus, a set of 81 papers, gathered from the Scopus and PubMed scientific databases, has been analysed to provide information regarding the evolution of noise exposure levels over time, to highlight findings on noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), and to list strategies for noise prevention and control in agriculture. Bibliographic research showed that noise measurements between 1991 and 2022, included in scientific research on farming, forestry, and animal husbandry, mainly reported values beyond the threshold of 85 dB(A); furthermore, several research activities on NIHL showed that farmers’ family members and children are often exposed to high levels of noise. Lastly, an analysis of the prevention and control strategies over time is provided, focusing on prevention programmes, screening, and the use of hearing protection devices (HPD). The identified literature suggests that additional efforts are required in regards to machinery design relating to the socio-technical aspects of agricultural activities and that side-effects of NIHL, as well as the negative impact of noise on other risks, might deserve further investigation.

Understanding falls and its prevention among adults with visual impairment through behavior change models.

This study used behavior change models to understand the perspectives of falls among patients with visual impairment who are at greater risk of falls. Resulting themes on barriers and facilitators led to the identification of a "SMART" intervention strategy that remains to be tested as a fall-reducing behavior. This study explored the perspectives of adults with visual impairment on falls and proposed falls prevention strategies using behavior change models. Participants 18 years or older who were diagnosed with low vision or blindness from a tertiary eye hospital in India and had a history of falls in the previous year were recruited. "Reduction of falls" was defined as a behavior, and interview questions were designed to explore awareness, context, and consequences of falls to determine barriers and facilitators that could help reduce falls. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The results were linked to the Theoretical Domains Framework and the Behavior Change Wheel, under different levels of a The Socio-Ecological Model. Intervention functions from the Behavior Change Wheel were identified using the APEASE criteria (affordability, practicability, effectiveness/cost-effectiveness, acceptability, safety/side effects, and equity) to finalize behavior change techniques. Themes on barriers and facilitators at individual, family, and societal levels were identified from 36 semistructured telephone interviews. Key barriers were fear of falling, social stigma and lack of training in using assistive devices, not considering falls as a major concern, environmental hazards, and loss of support from caregivers. Key facilitators were consciously monitoring falls, undergoing orientation and mobility training, getting assistance for outdoor mobility, and self-confidence. This study proposed a five-step "SMART" intervention strategy for prevention of falls to be prospectively tested. SMART include Support from caregivers and use of assistive devices, Monitoring of falls, Awareness about falls, Reduction of hazards, and Training for safe mobility.

Efficient Removal of Trivalent Iron and Sulfate from Coal Mine Gushing Water Using Zero-Valent Iron Powder Combined with Hydrogen Peroxide

The high concentration of trivalent iron (Fe3+) and sulfate (SO4 2-) ions in coal mine gushing water is a major ecological hazard and difficult to treat industrially. In this paper, effective purification of coal mine gushing water was achieved by the two-step cyclic process using zero-valent iron (ZVI) powder and hydrogen peroxide. We investigated the effect of different doses of ZVI and hydrogen peroxide on the removal of Fe3+ and SO4 2-. Single-factor experiments indicated that as the dosage of ZVI increased, the removal of Fe3+ increased and then decreased, with the highest Fe3+ removal rate approaching 100% at the ZVI dosage of 100 mg/L, while the maximum removal rate of SO4 2- for sulphate was achieved at 400 ppm of hydrogen peroxide. The precipitate produced in the purification system was characterized and the results demonstrated that it was a typical secondary mineral, schwertmannite, and that it contained considerably more iron and sulfate than the precipitate formed by the natural sedimentation process in coal mine gushing water. Overall, after the two-step cycle process, Fe3+ and SO4 2- can be effectively removed via the formation of schwertmannite, and the ion concentrations all meet the discharge standards for Chinese mining industry wastewater.

Measures to Prevent and Reduce Healthcare Worker Burnout During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review.

In the COVID-19 era, burnout is a major occupational hazard among healthcare workers. This scoping review intended to investigate the pertinent literature concerning COVID-19 burnout among healthcare workers (HCWs) and the measures to prevent and reduce HCW burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. The databases CINAHL, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus were systematically searched and screened for relevant papers. Additionally, manual searching was employed to supplement the electronic database results. The researchers examined 21 publications to answer the research question, "What have been the measures to prevent and reduce healthcare worker burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic?" The PRISMA 2020 checklist was used to guide the reporting of this scoping review. It was found that to diminish healthcare workers' burnout, it is vital to use multilevel, evidence-based approaches. These interventions may include increasing awareness of the risks and preparing for potential occupational stress and burnout; promoting mindfulness and self-care practices to enhance mental well-being; enhancing organizational policies and procedures to address burnout among healthcare workers; and ensuring the availability of optimal mental health services, including the use of digital technologies to address workplace stress and facilitate mental health interventions. The interventions to prevent and reduce HCW burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic include supporting HCWs individually, improving work environments, and addressing health system factors contributing to burnout complemented by interventions aimed at enhancing work culture.