The emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a global threat to human health. An accurate antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) before initiating the treatment is paramount in the treatment and bacterial resistance control. However, the current AST methods either are complex, use chemical and biological labels, lack multiplexing, are expensive, or are too slow to be used for routine screening. The primary objective of the current study is to develop an automated electrochemical microfluidic chip (EMC) for simple and rapid AST. The microfluidic channels and gold microelectrodes were designed for the automation of antibiotic mixing and distribution in multiple test chambers and for electrical signal measurements. The designed chip was tested for AST with E. coli samples, and the results were compared with conventional broth microdilution. The presented EMC provided rapid bacterial count and AST in 170 and 150 min, respectively, while the conventional broth microdilution evaluates in 450 and 240 min, respectively. The rapid AST capability of the EMC was further demonstrated with the artificial urine samples, and the results were obtained in 270 min, which was 90 min faster than the broth microdilution method. Additionally, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was evaluated on the EMC and compared with the results from an AlamarBlue assay. The experimental results indicate the sensitivity of the chip, minimum loss of antibiotics, and eventually, reduction in the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Cumulatively, we have developed an automated, label-free, economical, rapid, robust, and user-friendly EMC for the evaluation of AST in urine samples.

Urban design between buildings has a strong impact on people who use outdoor spaces. It is directly linked to the configuration of the street axes, orientation, and canopy ratio. This study investigates the impact of urban geometry between residential buildings in Assiut city, Egypt with a ratio of (H/W) 4 as a common design concept of big complexes, on residences thermal comfort and flats indoor environment. Thermal comfort for outdoor spaces in the urban canyon was evaluated based on field measurement in a different location using different parameters (Temperature, relative humidity, CO2, and wind speed) during the hot months of the summer season. Also evaluation for indoor environment of different flats overlooking the urban canyon. The results indicated that the quality of outdoor spaces, in deep canyons of the El-Ebrahimia complex, affects residents thermal comfort with a significant reduction of canyon temperature is achieved with a temperature difference range from 7 to 10 Kelvin (K) between outdoor temperature and canyon temperature and 10 K for flats overlooking the canyon due to canyon design and (H/W) ratio. Temperature reduction of canyon temperature causes thermal comfort for residents to practice social activities with a temperature range between 26 °C to 30 °C for the Standard Effective Temperature (SET*). The study provided information to use deep urban canyons as multiple designs in residential complexes of the Assiut hot arid climate.

Rock support systems have become widely dominant components in underground hard rock mines. They are used to maintain the stability of underground openings and reinforce disturbed rock masses after creating an excavation or starting mining activity. Thus, the objective of this study is to examine the effect of support types on the performance stability of underground tunnels that exist in hard rock mines, in terms of deformation, the extent of failure zones and the strength of the rock mass surrounding the tunnel. This, in turn, will help in the selection of an appropriate support system that mitigates the stress-deformation conditions around the tunnel. Herein, four models have been built using the RS2D program, simulated and introduced to evaluate the behaviour of an underground tunnel with different rock support systems. The first model is simulated without any support system, whereas, rock bolts have been installed in the second model. The third model applied only shotcrete, while rock bolts and shotcrete are combined together in the fourth model. The results are presented and discussed in terms of strength factor, the extent of yielding zones and rock mass displacement/convergence. The results show that tunnel stability suffers when there is no rock support at all, while, it is significantly improved when the rock support system is installed. The optimum improvement is obtained when both shotcrete and rock bolts are employed together.

Rock support systems have become widely dominant components in underground hard rock mines. They are used to maintain the stability of underground openings and reinforce disturbed rock masses after creating an excavation or starting mining activity. Thus, the objective of this study is to examine the effect of support types on the performance stability of underground tunnels that exist in hard rock mines, in terms of deformation, the extent of failure zones and the strength of the rock mass surrounding the tunnel. This, in turn, will help in the selection of an appropriate support system that mitigates the stress-deformation conditions around the tunnel. Herein, four models have been built using the RS2D program, simulated and introduced to evaluate the behaviour of an underground tunnel with different rock support systems. The first model is simulated without any support system, whereas, rock bolts have been installed in the second model. The third model applied only shotcrete, while rock bolts and shotcrete are combined together in the fourth model. The results are presented and discussed in terms of strength factor, the extent of yielding zones and rock mass displacement/convergence. The results show that tunnel stability suffers when there is no rock support at all, while, it is significantly improved when the rock support system is installed. The optimum improvement is obtained when both shotcrete and rock bolts are employed together.

Rock support systems have become widely dominant components in underground hard rock mines. They are used to maintain the stability of underground openings and reinforce disturbed rock masses after creating an excavation or starting mining activity. Thus, the objective of this study is to examine the effect of support types on the performance stability of underground tunnels that exist in hard rock mines, in terms of deformation, the extent of failure zones and the strength of the rock mass surrounding the tunnel. This, in turn, will help in the selection of an appropriate support system that mitigates the stress-deformation conditions around the tunnel. Herein, four models have been built using the RS2D program, simulated and introduced to evaluate the behaviour of an underground tunnel with different rock support systems. The first model is simulated without any support system, whereas, rock bolts have been installed in the second model. The third model applied only shotcrete, while rock bolts and shotcrete are combined together in the fourth model. The results are presented and discussed in terms of strength factor, the extent of yielding zones and rock mass displacement/convergence. The results show that tunnel stability suffers when there is no rock support at all, while, it is significantly improved when the rock support system is installed. The optimum improvement is obtained when both shotcrete and rock bolts are employed together.

Unplanned ore dilution negatively affects overall mine profitability by increasing operating costs (e.g., mucking, haulage, crushing, hoisting, milling, waste treatment, and low-grade ore upgrading). Eliminating ore dilution requires identifying and controlling the major causal factors, which are related to in-situ stress regimes, depth of stope undercut, ore dip/orientation, stope geometry, and quality of the host rock mass. In-situ stress regimes and depth of stope undercut were examined in a previous publication (see Part I). The results showed that the stability of the stope hanging wall significantly deteriorates when in situ stress regimes and depth of stope undercutting of the access drift increase. Conversely, the extent of plastic zones increases with such an increase. Also, the depth of stope undercutting has no impact on the deformation development of the rock mass. The objective of this paper is to assess stope hanging wall (HW) stability and ore dilution with respect to ore inclination and stope geometry in sublevel, open stoping, narrow-vein mines. A series of two-dimensional elasto-plastic numerical models was built to examine the effect of ore dip angle and stope geometry (height and width) on stope HW stability and ore dilution in a highly stressed environment (in-situ stress ratio = 2.5). The results are presented, discussed, and compared in terms of depth of relaxation zones, extent of plastic failure zones, and total displacement with respect to four stope dip angles (45°, 60°, 75°, and 85°), three stope widths (5, 7.5, and 10 m), and three stope heights (20, 30, and 40 m). Results show that stope HW stability improves when ore dip angle increases (i.e., steeply dipping ore deposits) because the depth of relaxation zones and extent of failure zones decreases. Dip angle had a negligible effect on HW deformation. Less dilution occurred at very steep (85°) inclination angles. At different ore dip angles, stope HW stability greatly deteriorated with increasing stope width and improved with decreasing stope height.

Abstract Purpose. This study aims to evaluate the slope stability of open pit comprising massive and jointed rock mass. Methods. Mohr-Coulomb yield function (MC) with shear strength reduction technique (SSRT) are incorporated in finite element analysis (FEA) and four different slopes with varying geometry and geological structural features with an ultimate slope angle of 34° are analyzed using the two-dimensional FEA Program RS2D. The first slope comprises blocky rock mass; the second slope has a network of joints parallel to slope face; the third slope has a parallel joint networks dip out the slope face, and the last slope has a cross-joints network. Findings. The critical strength reduction factor (CSRF) indicates whether the slope face is stable (if CSRF ≥ 1) or not. The minimum CSRF of 0.53 (e.g. compared to 0.55 for parallel joints dip out to the slope face, 0.58 for joints parallel to slope face and 0.65 with no joint existed) is obtained with cross-joints network existed. The CSRF (e.g., CSRF = 0.49) reduces when the MC slip criterion is adopted with the jointed rock mass. Originality. This study attempts new stability indicator namely critical strength reduction factor (CSRF) embedded in shear strength reduction technique (SSRT), based on finite element (FEM) to assess the slope of open pit with respect to presence of geological discontinuities. Practical implications. The slope stability of rock mass is significant to design parameters in open pit mines. Unexpected instability is eventually costly, hazardous to personnel/machinery, disrupted to the mining operation and time-consuming. Therefore, this study Provides a methodology for the application of shear strength reduction technique (SSRT) when evaluating the slope stability of open pit mines with respect to existence of geological features. As a result, the mine planners and engineers will be able to know a head of time when and where necessary support is needed.

Abstract Purpose. This study aims to evaluate the slope stability of open pit comprising massive and jointed rock mass. Methods. Mohr-Coulomb yield function (MC) with shear strength reduction technique (SSRT) are incorporated in finite element analysis (FEA) and four different slopes with varying geometry and geological structural features with an ultimate slope angle of 34° are analyzed using the two-dimensional FEA Program RS2D. The first slope comprises blocky rock mass; the second slope has a network of joints parallel to slope face; the third slope has a parallel joint networks dip out the slope face, and the last slope has a cross-joints network. Findings. The critical strength reduction factor (CSRF) indicates whether the slope face is stable (if CSRF ≥ 1) or not. The minimum CSRF of 0.53 (e.g. compared to 0.55 for parallel joints dip out to the slope face, 0.58 for joints parallel to slope face and 0.65 with no joint existed) is obtained with cross-joints network existed. The CSRF (e.g., CSRF = 0.49) reduces when the MC slip criterion is adopted with the jointed rock mass. Originality. This study attempts new stability indicator namely critical strength reduction factor (CSRF) embedded in shear strength reduction technique (SSRT), based on finite element (FEM) to assess the slope of open pit with respect to presence of geological discontinuities. Practical implications. The slope stability of rock mass is significant to design parameters in open pit mines. Unexpected instability is eventually costly, hazardous to personnel/machinery, disrupted to the mining operation and time-consuming. Therefore, this study Provides a methodology for the application of shear strength reduction technique (SSRT) when evaluating the slope stability of open pit mines with respect to existence of geological features. As a result, the mine planners and engineers will be able to know a head of time when and where necessary support is needed.

Abstract Purpose. This study aims to evaluate the slope stability of open pit comprising massive and jointed rock mass. Methods. Mohr-Coulomb yield function (MC) with shear strength reduction technique (SSRT) are incorporated in finite element analysis (FEA) and four different slopes with varying geometry and geological structural features with an ultimate slope angle of 34° are analyzed using the two-dimensional FEA Program RS2D. The first slope comprises blocky rock mass; the second slope has a network of joints parallel to slope face; the third slope has a parallel joint networks dip out the slope face, and the last slope has a cross-joints network. Findings. The critical strength reduction factor (CSRF) indicates whether the slope face is stable (if CSRF ≥ 1) or not. The minimum CSRF of 0.53 (e.g. compared to 0.55 for parallel joints dip out to the slope face, 0.58 for joints parallel to slope face and 0.65 with no joint existed) is obtained with cross-joints network existed. The CSRF (e.g., CSRF = 0.49) reduces when the MC slip criterion is adopted with the jointed rock mass. Originality. This study attempts new stability indicator namely critical strength reduction factor (CSRF) embedded in shear strength reduction technique (SSRT), based on finite element (FEM) to assess the slope of open pit with respect to presence of geological discontinuities. Practical implications. The slope stability of rock mass is significant to design parameters in open pit mines. Unexpected instability is eventually costly, hazardous to personnel/machinery, disrupted to the mining operation and time-consuming. Therefore, this study Provides a methodology for the application of shear strength reduction technique (SSRT) when evaluating the slope stability of open pit mines with respect to existence of geological features. As a result, the mine planners and engineers will be able to know a head of time when and where necessary support is needed.

This paper presents a three-dimensional Finite Element Analysis (3D FEA) on reinforced concrete beams tested experimentally by other researcher for investigating the effectiveness of hybrid reinforcement (FRP bars and steel bars) as a main reinforcement to enhance the flexural behavior of concrete beams. To provide a new model which can simulate the performance of concrete beam reinforced with steel and FRP bars accurately, all of the beam components were included in the model and element which composing the model and mesh size were chosen carefully. The user-programmable features in ANSYS 13.0 were used for model analysis. The developed model showed a good agreement with the corresponding experimental result. A parametric study is carried out to investigate the influence of FRP to steel reinforcement ratio, FRP bars type, Location of FRP and steel bars and concrete strength in the behavior of hybrid FRP-RC beams.