Uncontrolled Extraction Research Articles

Adaptive management of borehole heat exchanger fields under transient groundwater flow conditions

Uncontrolled heat extraction by multiple interacting borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) in high-density energy-use districts can lead to undesirable thermal conditions in the subsurface which can affect both system performance and regulatory compliance. The difficulty in controlling heat extraction arises in particular from predictive uncertainties, such as when forecasting trends in energy demand or groundwater flow. In this study, a combined simulation-calibration-optimization framework is introduced to consider BHE fields with the presence of a transient groundwater flow regime. In the first part, a semi-analytical modeling technique is proposed based on temporal superpositioning of variable flow conditions. Two synthetic case studies verify its accuracy under different groundwater fluctuation patterns. The mean absolute error of the proposed model in comparison to numerical calculation does not exceed 0.18 K over ten years of operation. In the second part, the model is augmented by a parameter estimation algorithm that is employed for continuous model updating. The benefit of resolving transient flow conditions is demonstrated by using this approach for monthly optimization of individual BHE heat extraction. The result of dynamic optimization compared to a synthetic case without calibration shows a 10 % lower imposed temperature change in the subsurface.

Spatiotemporal characterization of the subsidence and change detection in Tehran plain (Iran) using InSAR observations and Landsat 8 satellite imagery

Urban areas worldwide are increasingly facing challenges related to land subsidence, a phenomenon exacerbated by uncontrolled groundwater extraction and urban expansion. This research focuses on the Tehran plain, Iran's capital city, where significant subsidence has been observed due to uncontrolled migrations influenced by various economic and political factors. This expansion has increased demand for energy, notably water, leading to irregular water withdrawals from underground sources and, consequently, land subsidence. Monitoring this subsidence, particularly its effects on urban infrastructure, has become a critical challenge. This research first reviewed the existing body of knowledge related to subsidence measurement in the Tehran plain with an emphasis on their findings and limitations and then used radar images to study the subsidence patterns in the Tehran plain from 2016 to the end of 2020. Finally, the results collaborated by optical imagery analysis to find the relationship between surface change detection and spatiotemporal distribution of subsidence. As a result, through processing Sentinel-1A SAR images, consistent vertical displacements (subsidence) were observed, especially in areas heavily reliant on groundwater from wells, with some areas experiencing a rate of more than −20 mm/year. Horizontal displacement, however, was approximately about ±8 mm/year. Also, our results show that the subsidence rate in this plain has decreased in recent years. Therefore, the study integrated multispectral satellite data to clarify this issue and compensate for missing groundwater level data, specifically the Normalized-Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized-Difference Moisture Index (NDMI). These datasets were used to monitor changes in vegetation cover distribution and moisture in response to the variations of groundwater depth over time. The results of this research can be beneficial in adequately managing groundwater resource utilization to reduce the potential damage to infrastructure and the environment.

Triggering of Land Subsidence in and Surrounding the Hangjiahu Plain Based on Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar Monitoring

In the early stages, uncontrolled groundwater extraction led to the Hangjiahu (HJH) Plain becoming one of the areas with the most severe land subsidence in China. Since the beginning of this century, comprehensive measures have been taken to control the continuous aggravation of large land subsidence patterns in some areas; however, urban land subsidence issues, influenced by various factors, still persist and exhibit complex geographical distribution characteristics. In this study, we utilized Sentinel-1A images and the SBAS-InSAR technique to capture surface deformation over the HJH Plain in Zhejiang from 16 March 2017 to 20 January 2023. Through a comparative analysis with geological conditions, changes in surface mass loading, rainfall and groundwater, and land use types, we discussed the contributions of natural and anthropogenic factors to land subsidence. Augmented with optical remote sensing images and field investigations, we conducted a correlation analysis of the land subsidence status. The preliminary findings suggest that changes in surface mass loading and short-term heavy rainfall under extreme weather conditions can lead to periodic land subsidence changes in the region. Additionally, extensive infrastructure construction triggered by urbanization has resulted in significant and sustained land subsidence deformation. The research findings play an important guiding role in formulating scientifically effective strategies for land subsidence prevention and control, as well as urban planning and construction.

Savanna chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) crop feeding at Dindefelo, Senegal: challenges and implications for conservation.

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are categorized as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and habitat loss due to conversion of land for agriculture is one of the major threats to wild populations of this species. This challenging scenario can lead to negative human-chimpanzee interactions, includingcrop feeding. Chimpanzees consume crops across their geographical range, although little is known about this behavior in savanna habitats. Here we provide new evidence of crop feeding by savanna chimpanzees. We conducted our observations at Dindefelo, a community nature reserve in southeastern Senegal. The chimpanzees were observed to feed on mango (Mangifera indica) and also on baobab (Adansonia digitata), a wild species considered a crop by local people when found in and around villages. Although local people use the fruits of these species for food and income, they tolerated crop-feeding events until recently. In 2023, a case of harassment of a crop-feeding chimpanzee in a mango orchard was witnessed, and four days later a chimpanzee corpse was found at the same place. We conclude that habitat conversion into agricultural fields, uncontrolled bush fires and extraction of wild fruits are the important factors influencing crop-feeding events at Dindefelo. Our findings highlight the need to better understand human-chimpanzee interactions in the anthropogenic landscape of Dindefelo to help mitigate negative attitudes and behaviors towards chimpanzees.

Groundwater Management in Coastal Area of Batang Regency to Anticipate Sea Water Intrusion

Of the water sources that exist on earth, almost all of human’s daily water needs such as drinking, bathing and washing are sourced from groundwater. Uncontrolled extraction of groundwater can cause various impacts on the environment, such as lowering of the groundwater level and seawater intrusion. Efforts to manage groundwater need to be carried out so that its availability is always maintained. The initial step of this effort is to formulate a management model as a basis for policy determination. For this reason, in this study a dynamic modeling simulation was carried out using dinamic program. The results of the research show that the priority for groundwater management efforts in the coastal area of Batang Regency is to reduce the use of groundwater for the domestic sector which can be done through saving groundwater use or by increasing the capacity of the local water company. Besides that, management through artificial recharge by making infiltration wells or biopore holes is also effective in maintaining the availability of groundwater in this area.

How does top-down water unified allocation and regulation decelerate water utilization? Insights from the Yellow River, China

Understanding changes in human water utilization under the policy environment of the national top-down water unified allocation and regulation (TWAR) is crucial for promoting river health, sustainable resource utilization, and high-quality socioeconomic development along the whole Yellow River, a congenitally water-deficient river in China. This study assessed the TWAR policy effects on the total/sectoral/per capita water uses using the canonical difference-in-difference (DID) model, synthetic control method (SCM), and generalized synthetic control method (GSCM). The net effects of TWAR were assumed to be spatially heterogeneous and associated with variations in water-conserving efficiency, described by two indicators: water-conserving irrigation (WCI) and industrial recycled water (IRW). The suitable threshold intervals of WCI and IRW for benefiting decelerating water utilization were analyzed using a linear mediating effect (ME) model and panel smoothing transformation regression (PSTR) model, to explain the rebound effect in water use under the impact of the prevailing TWAR. The results show that TWAR initially had sustained positive effects on curbing water use growth, with the highest contribution to per capita agricultural water use in the lower section and high-quota region of the Yellow River Basin, but these effects decreased after a decade. Only when the WCI shifted within the threshold interval [0.283, 0.771] and the IRW did not exceed 0.962 could TWAR restrain water use. Emphasizing the conservation-oriented improvement of water use efficiency may necessitate extra attention to regions where water-conserving practices already reach high levels beyond the maximum WCI or IRW thresholds. These regions might be inclined to overutilize saved water to boost economic benefits and thereby potentially exacerbate the undesirable rebound effect from new uncontrolled water extraction.

THE LEGAL POLICY ROLE OF GROUNDWATER TAX ON WATER RESOURCES CONSERVATION IN INDONESIA

Purpose: This study discusses the role of legal politics in collecting groundwater taxes on water resource conservation and how earmarking taxes in groundwater taxes is an effort to conserve water resources. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework for this research is anchored in the intersection of legal and political dimensions within the context of groundwater taxation for water resource conservation in Indonesia. The study recognizes that taxation, as a regulatory instrument, currently falls short in effectively curbing excessive and uncontrolled extraction and utilization of groundwater, primarily due to the comparatively low tax rate in relation to the PDAM clean water tariff. Method: The study employed a normative juridical method with analytical descriptive specifications, utilizing library materials as primary data, categorized as readily available secondary data. Analytical descriptive research was employed to comprehensively analyze legal facts through a systematic examination of primary and secondary data. Result and Conclusion: Environmental conservation matters are the scope of local government, which must be regulated in local government taxation politics through regulations for collecting groundwater taxes on water resource conservation. In earmarking, there is a relationship between taxpayers and the benefits obtained from these taxpayers. Earmarking groundwater tax on water resource conservation can overcome environmental damage and benefit taxpayers. Originality/Value: This research investigates the legal dynamics of groundwater taxation in Indonesia, emphasizing the need for effective conservation measures. Utilizing a normative juridical approach, it explores the role of local government taxation policies and proposes earmarking groundwater taxes to bridge the gap between environmental preservation and taxpayer benefits, offering innovative solutions for sustainable water resource management.

A numerical modelling approach to investigate the fate of brine reject of farm scale desalination plants on groundwater aquifers in arid environments

Farm-scale desalination units are gaining popularity for agricultural irrigation in arid countries, such as Kuwait to meet freshwater demands. However, less attention has been given to the management of environmentally hazardous brine reject water they produce. In this study we investigated the fate of brine water produced by the inland desalination units on the underlying aquifers using numerical modelling and field investigations. The methodology involved developing groundwater flow and solute transport models using Flex VMF-SEAWAT to simulate the movement of reject brine. The field investigations included collecting 150 water samples and conducting pumping tests on newly drilled wells. This numerical simulation considered advection, dispersion, and adsorption processes with variable groundwater density following rigorous validation and calibration of the developed numerical models. The results show that the RO reject brine will significantly increase groundwater salinity, exceeding 10,000 mg/L when accounting for advection, dispersion, and adsorption processes. The sustainable yield of the aquifer, with a salinity of <10,000 mg/L, averages 500 Mm3 but is expected to be depleted within 16 years with the current extraction rate. The resulting hydraulic properties are favourable with K about 100 m/d, T > 1000 m2/day, and Sy just >0.1. The adopted values for dispersivity and adsorption coefficients for chloride and sulphate salts in the aquifer were 10 m and 1 × 10−7 [mg/L]−1 respectively. Chemical and numerical analyses indicate a mixing ratio between the reject brine and groundwater in the study area of approximately 10 %. Uncontrolled groundwater extraction, combined with the surface disposal of RO reject brine, has led to a significant decline in groundwater levels and an increase in the salinity. The adsorption ratio of simulated brine plume was 13 %. The authors recommend to dispose the RO reject water in a safe location or transfer it to the nearest wastewater treatment plant for proper treatment and reuse.

Differences in the genomic diversity, structure, and inbreeding patterns in wild and managed populations of Agave potatorum Zucc. used in the production of Tobalá mezcal in Southern Mexico.

Agave potatorum Zucc. locally known as Tobalá, is an important species for mezcal production. It is a perennial species that takes 10 to 15 years to reach reproductive age. Because of high demand of Tobalá mezcal and the slow maturation of the plants, its wild populations have been under intense anthropogenic pressure. The main objective of this study was to estimate the genome-wide diversity in A. potatorum and determine if the type of management has had any effect on its diversity, inbreeding and structure. We analyzed 174 individuals (105 wild, 42 cultivated and 27 from nurseries) from 34 sites with a reduced representation genomic method (ddRADseq), using 14,875 SNPs. The diversity measured as expected heterozygosity was higher in the nursery and wild plants than in cultivated samples. We did not find private alleles in the cultivated and nursery plants, which indicates that the individuals under management recently derived from wild populations, which was supported by higher gene flow estimated from wild populations to the managed plants. We found low but positive levels of inbreeding (FIS = 0.082), probably related to isolation of the populations. We detected low genetic differentiation among populations (FST = 0.0796), with positive and significant isolation by distance. The population genetic structure in the species seems to be related to elevation and ecology, with higher gene flow among populations in less fragmented areas. We detected an outlier locus related to the recognition of pollen, which is also relevant to self-incompatibility protein (SI). Due to seed harvest and long generation time, the loss of diversity in A. potatorum has been gradual and artificial selection and incipient management have not yet caused drastic differences between cultivated and wild plants. Also, we described an agroecological alternative to the uncontrolled extraction of wild individuals.

Spatial and temporal evaluation of groundwater hydrochemistry in an active phreatic zone of developed basin in selangor, Malaysia

Groundwater provides freshwater supply for multiple purposes such as drinking water, irrigation, and industrial processes. Due to intensive developments, contaminants from various land use practices infiltrate into the groundwater system and jeopardized the existing quality. Besides, uncontrolled groundwater extraction exacerbate the existing issue due to improper management and uncontrolled extraction; especially in developing areas. This study centralized in Kuala Langat; an urbanized basin with mix of land use practices (residential, industrial, and agricultural) with the aim to observe the impacts of land use activities towards groundwater hydrochemistry on seasonal and temporal scale. A total of 30 groundwater samples were collected along Langat River Basin to assess the physicochemical parameters, concentration of major ions and heavy metals. Application of multivariate and graphical analysis as well as pollution indices were incorporated in this study to evaluate the degree of heavy metals contamination. The order of cations concentration evaluated in pre- and post-monsoon seasons are Na > Ca > K > Mg and Na > Mg > Ca > K, respectively while the order of anions concentration is HCO3>Cl > SO4 for both monsoon seasons. Both calculated HPI and Cd value suggested that agricultural activity is the main contributor for groundwater pollution. Overall, most of the stations are potable to be consumed as stated from HPI and Cd results except for station SSG10. It is suggested that for a better precaution, the groundwater in Langat River Basin shall undergo prior treatment before further consumption.

Material stock analysis of urban road from nighttime light data based on a bottom-up approach

In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on the dynamics of material stock, that is, the basis of material flow in the entire ecosystem. With the gradual improvement of the global road network encryption project, the uncontrolled extraction, processing, and transportation of raw materials impose serious resource concerns and environmental pressure. Quantifying material stocks enable governments to formulate scientific policies because socio-economic metabolism, including resource allocation, use, and waste recovery, can be systematically assessed. In this study, OpenStreetMap road network data were used to extract the urban road skeleton, and nighttime light images were divided by watershed to construct regression equations based on geographical location attributes. Resultantly, a generic road material stock estimation model was developed and applied to Kunming. We concluded that (1) the top three stocks are stone chips, macadam, and grit (total weight is 380 million tons), (2) the proportion of asphalt, mineral powder, lime, and fly ash is correspondingly similar, and (3) the unit area stock decreases as the road grade declines; therefore, the branch road has the lowest unit stock.

Environmental and economic prerequisites of amber mining in Ukraine

The negative consequences of illegal amber mining lead to damage to the country's economy and the destruction of the ecosystem in those regions where intensive mining is conducted. The article is devoted to a comprehensive consideration of the issue of illegal amber mining. The ecological and economic prerequisites for the emergence of the problem of illegal mining are given, and its main ecological, economic and social consequences are also determined. It is argued that the illegal actions of prospectors and their consequences continue to be a painful issue in the socio-economic life of Ukraine, from which not only the natural environment, but also the economy of Ukraine suffers. As a result of the uncontrolled extraction of precious stones, the actions of criminal groups smuggling them abroad, the state will not receive millions of hryvnias from the state budget. The calculation of Ukraine's annual losses from illegal amber mining and sales is presented. The distribution of reserves and extraction of amber by administrative regions of Ukraine was analyzed. It is noted that there are two direct payments related to amber mining: a fee for a special permit for the development of the site and mining, as well as rent - a share of the income from the sale of precious stones. Generalized data on the formation of amber deposits and mining taxation processes in Lithuania and Poland are provided. The dynamics of selling prices of Ukrainian and Polish amber is presented, a significant drop in the price of Ukrainian raw amber compared to 2016 was established. The problem of illegal mining in forest areas in the north-west of Poland has been studied. It is noted that amber prices are constantly changing depending on the fractions, but the introduction of a single fixed rate will contribute to the development of this industry.

METALLOGRAPHIC STUDIES OF IRAN'S IRON AGE: CASE STUDY BRONZE PIECES FROM JEYRĀN TEPE, OZBAKI

This study is a report of the results of metallographic study of 5 bronze pieces found in Jeyrān Tepe dating back to the Iron Age II. Jeyrān Tepe is located 250 m southwest of Ozbaki as one of its hills. The obtained metal pieces included bracelets, necklaces and hairpins, which were used for decoration. The objective of this article was to identify the process of bronze production and study the structure and composition of the components of metal pieces, Iron Age in Jeyrān Tepe, based on laboratory studies that have addressed questions in the field of elemental compositions and the method of bronze production in the study area. For this purpose, five bronze pieces were studied using vegetative electron microscope with scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis, metallographic studies at 200 × magnification and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) to identify the chemical composition, metal production technique and type of alloy. The results of XSEM-EDS on the metal background of the samples showed that the constituent elements of these metals are oxygen, copper, tin, silicon, chlorine, sulfur, aluminum, magnesium and carbon. The main reported elements are copper and tin, so metals are made of pure copper and copper-tin alloys. The different amount of tin in bronze pieces of Jeyrān Tepe could be due to uncontrolled extraction and alloying methods.

The ‘Bald’ Ecosystem: Indigenous Resource Governance and Restoration of Kivaa Forest, Kenya

The Kivaa ecosystem was rich in biodiversity until the late 1940s. Following human-induced conversion through logging and uncontrolled extraction of trees for charcoal, timber, and herbal medicine, the ecosystem changed progressively between the 1950s and the early 2000s, culminating in a ‘bare’ landscape. For over 50 years, the hill resembled a baldhead, thus befitting its name Kivaa (Kamba for baldhead). Natural springs dried and could no longer supply fresh water. Increased human action completely decimated vegetation cover, and the remaining wildlife migrated in search of habitat. Conversion of the ecosystem coincided with an increase in poverty, diseases, and social problems, which the local community associated with supernatural punishment. Since the last decade, however, community-led efforts to restore the ecosystem using indigenous resource governance mechanisms have witnessed a form of landscape reorganisation. The ecosystem is increasingly regaining its former glory. In this research article, we examine the local adoption of eco-cultural beliefs and practices for the conservation of nature. Further, we interrogate questions of commitment and enforcement of traditional rules against the backdrop of rising demand for forest resources. A qualitative study under the cross-sectional research design and qualitative data collection methods were utilised in ascertaining the conservation methods used in conserving the Kivaa Indigenous Forest from purposively and non-probability sampled respondents of 100. The study revealed that some of the eco-cultural beliefs and practices adopted include the use of shrines, taboos and myths, customary laws, rules and regulations and rituals. Adherence to traditional norms and values for the conservation of nature obtains favour because the governance system builds on traditional systems. The questions of commitment and enforcement, though linked to supernatural power, remain rather problematic, particularly due to generational problems, immigration, population increase, growing demands for natural resources, and changing attitudes.

Land subsidence and groundwater storage investigation with multi sensor and extended Kalman filter

More than 90% of Iran's provinces are facing land subsidence due to uncontrolled groundwater extraction. In 2016, a sinkhole was created in Eij region of Estahban city. In this study, interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) from 2014 to 2020, gravity recovery and climate experiment (GRACE) and GRACE-Follow on (GRACE-FO) from 2002 to 2020 and piezometric well (PW) from 1993 to 2015 were used to study subsidence and groundwater storage (GWS). Various scenarios have been considered for GWS signal reconstruction with an extended Kalman filter (EKF). The scenario that has the most correlation with the observations of other sensors was selected as the best scenario. GWS has a downward trend of 0.263 gigaton/year. The maximum Eij subsidence is 16 cm/year and the subsidence around the sinkhole is evaluated at 8 cm/year. The PW has a decreasing linear trend of 1.91 m/year. All 3 sensors have an average correlation of 0.81. Continuous wavelet transform was used to determine InSAR, GRACE and PW periods. The period of about 3 years PW is compatible with GRACE. The detected periods of InSAR and GRACE are well compatible.

Assessments of ground subsidence along the railway in the Kashan plain, Iran, using Sentinel-1 data and NSBAS algorithm

The 110-kilometer-long Qom-Kashan railway is one of the busiest lines in Iran, passing through the Kashan plain. The majority of Iran's plains have subsided in recent years as a result of uncontrolled groundwater extraction, and the Kashan plain is no exception. In this study, ground surface displacement in the Kashan plain region and its impact on the railway were investigated using New Small Baseline Subset (NSBAS) in up-down and east–west directions using descending and ascending Sentinel-1 data collected between 2015 and 2021. Our results indicate that the Kashan plain is subsiding more than 90 mm/year. The study of the local areas around the railway which passes through the study area revealed that the rate of vertical velocity in some locations reaches –23 mm/year, while the rate of east–west velocity is insignificant and is approximately ±2 mm/year. Additionally, a method for analyzing the railway's stability based on longitudinal profiles along the railway is presented. Our findings suggest that more than 60% of the railway line is subject to variable amounts of subsidence. Additionally, a region of approximately one kilometer of the railway has been classified as a risk zone due to relatively fast local deformation. After examining the effect of various factors, it was determined that uncontrolled groundwater extraction in agricultural areas contributed to the subsidence in this area. Our results show that the presented stability control approach in this study is highly reliable for creating hazard profiles for linear structures, such as railways.

Simulating the effect of injection well on groundwater table in unconfined aquifer using numerical model of isogeometric analysis and optimization of injection rate with PSO algorithm

Currently, one of the solutions to improve the decline in the water table of aquifers owing to their uncontrolled extraction is artificial recharge schemes, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. The present study applies a nonuniform rational B-spline functions (NURBS) based isogeometric method to investigate the effects of an injection well on the rise of water table, unconfined aquifer hydrodynamic parameters and injection rate. Also, the best injection rate was determined by linking the isogeometric analysis (IGA) simulation model to the particle swarm optimization (PSO) model. Initially, the IGA method was implemented to simulate a water table over an unconfined aquifer with two extraction wells with discharges of 1142.85 and 1428.57 m 3 day −1 for 210 days and was compared with the Modflow model. The model was tuned and run by constructing an injection well with 8214.28 m 3 day −1 injection rate for 1500 days. The IGA simulation results with ME = −0.0096, MAE = 0.0111 and RMSE = 0.0146 indicated the accuracy of the model in water table simulation compared with the Modflow model with ME = −0.0188, MAE = 0.023 and RMSE = 0.0284. The findings revealed that the use of an injection well has a positive impact on raising the water table, with a rise of 1.24 m in the observation well. Investigating the effect of the parameters on the water table changes indicated that the injection rate directly affects changes in the water table. The water table rises by more than 43% with a 50% increase in the injection rate. Also, compared with the effect of the injection rate on the water table, the transmissivity and specific yield effects were not substantial. The results of IGA–PSO showed that the best value of injection rate is 2000 m 3 day −1 , whereby the aquifer water table rises by an average of 37.12 cm.

Abdominal stab wounds with retained knife: 15 years of experience from a major trauma centre in South Africa.

This study reviews our cumulative experience with the management of patients presenting with a retained knife following an abdominal stab wound (SW). A retrospective study was conducted at a major trauma centre in South Africa over a 15-year period from July 2006 to December 2020 including all patients who presented with a retained knife in the abdomen following a SW. A total of 42 cases were included: 37 males (93%) with a mean age of 26 years. A total of 18 knives (43%) were in the anterior abdomen and 24 were posterior abdomen. Plain radiography was performed in 88% (37/42) of cases and computed tomography was performed in 81% (34/42); 90% (38/42) underwent extraction in the operating theatre. Laparotomy was performed in 62% (26/42). Of all the laparotomies performed, 77% (20/26) were positive for intra-abdominal organ or visceral injury. Overall morbidity was 31%. There were two mortalities (5%). Laparotomy was less commonly required for the posterior abdomen (33% (8/24) vs 100% (18/18), p<0.001). For retained knives in the anterior abdomen, 72% (13/18) of the laparotomies were positive for intra-abdominal organ or visceral injury. For the posterior abdomen, 7 of the 8 (88%) were positive for intra-abdominal organ or visceral injury. There were no differences in the need for intensive care unit admission, length of hospital stay, morbidities or mortalities. Uncontrolled extraction of a retained knife in the abdomen outside of the operating theatre must be avoided. Retained knives in the anterior abdomen usually require formal laparotomy, but this is generally not required for posterior abdomen.

Nanoprocessing of Industrial Rejects for Controlling Operational Energy of Buildings

This study investigates the pozzolanic potential of industrial waste, which fails to meet the chemical composition as defined by the various international standards, e.g., IS: 3812 (Part 1): 2017 and ASTM C618‐19 to adopt as a supplementary cementitious material. The effects of mechanical nanoprocessing on pozzolanic reaction efficiency, impact on energy efficiency, and construction affordability were studied. The result of mechanical milling shows the improvement in pozzolanicity, and the physicomechanical characteristics of novel concrete incorporated with identified industrial waste are comparable with control concrete. The building energy simulation was carried out using the BIM software for the house, modelled with controlled concrete, and novel concrete incorporating the identified milled industrial waste. The peak cooling load and building material cost of a novel concrete model house were 34% and 9.09% less than the conventional concrete. The study reveals that the chemical characterization provided in international standards shall not be the only criteria to decide the suitability of the materials to use as supplementary cementitious material, whereas the same can be examined and improved through various treatments, and mechanical nanoprocessing may be one of the best options. Cement production and utilization affect the environment. To reduce the concern, pozzolanic investigation of industrial waste is necessary, which can address the issue of uncontrolled extraction of natural resources, emission, disposal, and pollution globally.

The Management of Penetrating Neck Injury With Retained Knife: 15-Year Experience From a Major Trauma Center in South Africa.

This study reviews our cumulative experience with the management of patients presenting with a retained knife following a penetrating neck injury (PNI). A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a major trauma center in South Africa over a 15-year period from July 2006 to December 2020. All patients who presented with a retained knife in the neck following a stab wound (SW) were included. Twenty-two cases were included: 20 males (91%), mean age: 29 years. 77% (17/22) were retained knives and 23% (5/22) were retained blades. Eighteen (82%) were in the anterior neck, and the remaining 4 cases were in the posterior neck. Plain radiography was performed in 95% (21/22) of cases, and computed tomography (CT) was performed in 91% (20/22). Ninety-five percent (21/22) had the knife or blade extracted in the operating room (OR). Formal neck exploration (FNE) was undertaken in 45% (10/22) of cases, and the remaining 55% (12/22) underwent simple extraction (SE) only. Formal neck exploration was more commonly performed for anterior neck retained knives than the posterior neck, although not statistically significant [56% (10/18) vs 0% (0/18), P = .096]. There were no significant differences in the need for intensive care admission, length of hospital stay, morbidities, or mortalities between anterior and posterior neck retained knives. Uncontrolled extraction of a retained knife in the neck outside of the operating room may be dangerous. Retained knives in the anterior neck commonly required formal neck exploration but not for posterior neck retained knives.