Development of a Remote Rock Fragmentation Size Distribution Measurement System for Surface Mines Using 3D Photogrammetry

One of the factors that can affect the efficiency of a mining operation is the fragmentation size distribution of blasted rock. A consistent fragmentation size allows the company to streamline its process, and more importantly, minimize costs. In order to maintain this fragmentation size, monitoring must be done regularly so that adjustments can be made. Traditional methods such as manual sieving and visual estimation are have been used for this purpose, but limitations on sampling procedure and bias make these methods relatively inefficient. One of the solutions that were developed was to use digital image-based particle size analysis. The study proposes a cloud-based 3D photogrammetry rock fragmentation size distribution system that will make use of multiple images to create 3D models that can then be analyzed and segmented to provide a fragmentation size distribution. Several pictures of a muckpile using a smartphone are taken from an angle and compiled into a dataset. This is used as input for a Structure-from-Motion algorithm, which can create a 3D point cloud from the image data. This point cloud is then subjected to clustering so that the individual fragments can be represented and their dimensions could be measured. Finally, from these dimensions, a fragmentation size distribution can be created. As the system requires a large amount of computing power, it can be implemented in a remote server so that it can be accessible in the field. This system could provide surface mine operators an easy way to estimate size distribution using only a smartphone

BFAR-CHED Philippine National Aquasilviculture Program (PNAP) in Bataan

Under the Philippine Aquasilviculture Program, the Bataan Peninsula State University (BSPU) rehabilitated denuded mangrove resources, established aquasilviculture technology demonstration projects as a livelihood option for fisherfolks (while caring for the mangroves they had planted) and established community-based multi-species hatcheries to increase endemic fish species in the area. The BPSU was able to (a) plant 183, 300 mangrove seedlings where 85.96% survival was noted a year after, (b) establish 16 units aquasilviculture projects for the livelihood of the beneficiaries (planting that earned the beneficiaries P1,338, 731.90); and (c) establish community-based multispecies hatcheries that already produced an estimated 1,030,502,400 eggs of various fish species, thus increasing the wild fishery resource in the area. The program is expected to bear potential impacts on our environment and to the lives of the marginalized people of our community through the collaborative efforts of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), BPSU, Local Government Units (LGUs) and the fisherfolks

Three Experimental Phases of Cornstarch-Based Biodegradable Plastic

Three Experimental Phases of Cornstarch-Based Biodegradable Plastic is the focus of this current study whose purpose was to create a bio-plastic from eco-friendly materials as a platform for an alternative commercial plastic. This study used a pre-experimental research design where three bio-plastic experiments were monitored to identify which among them was likely to produce the most efficient bio-plastic. At the end of the study, it was concluded that in terms of elasticity, tear resistance, appearance, texture, and odor, Experimental Two with four tablespoons of cornstarch, one cup of water, two tablespoons of vinegar, and two tablespoons of glycerin, is the most reliable among the three experiments.                 Hence, this study recommends to the biologists and scientists that may use this study to help them find ways to lessen biological problems caused by non-biodegradable plastics; to the producers that the study may help them to create and manufacture bio-plastics and to improve the study using other materials for the product to last longer indoors; to the consumers that the study may let them know the reliability and liability of the plastic they use in their everyday life; and to the future researchers who will want to conduct a further study about bio-plastics, this study may serve as a related study and think of an intervention to improve the results from the problem

Model Scaling in Smartphone GNSS-Aided Photogrammetry for Fragmentation Size Distribution Estimation

Fragmentation size distribution estimation is a critical process in mining operations that employ blasting. In this study, we aim to create a low-cost, efficient system for producing a scaled 3D model without the use of ground truth data, such as GCPs (Ground Control Points), for the purpose of improving fragmentation size distribution measurement using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)-aided photogrammetry. However, the inherent error of GNSS data inhibits a straight-forward application in Structure-from-Motion (SfM). To overcome this, the study proposes that, by increasing the number of photos used in the SfM process, the scale error brought about by the GNSS error will proportionally decrease. Experiments indicated that constraining camera positions to locations, relative or otherwise, improved the accuracy of the generated 3D model. In further experiments, the results showed that the scale error decreased when more images from the same dataset were used. The proposed method is practical and easy to transport as it only requires a smartphone and, optionally, a separate camera. In conclusion, with some modifications to the workflow, technique, and equipment, a muckpile can be accurately recreated in scale in the digital world with the use of positional data

Peptide-Pulsed Dendritic Cells Induce the Hepatitis C Viral Epitope-Specific Responses of Naïve Human T Cells

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease. Spontaneous resolution of infection is associated with broad, MHC class I- (CD8+) and class II-restricted (CD4+) T cell responses to multiple viral epitopes. Only 20% of patients clear infection spontaneously, however, most develop chronic disease. The response to chemotherapy varies; therapeutic vaccination offers an additional treatment strategy. To date, therapeutic vaccines have demonstrated only limited success in clinical trials. Vector-mediated vaccination with multi-epitope-expressing DNA constructs provides an improved approach. Highly-conserved, HLA-A2-restricted HCV epitopes and HLA-DRB1-restricted immunogenic consensus sequences (ICS, each composed of multiple overlapping and highly conserved epitopes) were predicted using bioinformatics tools and synthesized as peptides. HLA binding activity was determined in competitive binding assays. Immunogenicity and the ability of each peptide to stimulate naïve human T cell recognition and IFN-γ production were assessed in cultures of total PBMCs and in co-cultures composed of peptide-pulsed dendritic cells (DCs) and purified T lymphocytes, cell populations derived from normal blood donors. Essentially all predicted HLA-A2-restricted epitopes and HLA-DRB1-restricted ICS exhibited HLA binding activity and the ability to elicit immune recognition and IFN-γ production by naïve human T cells. The ability of DCs pulsed with these highly-conserved HLA-A2- and -DRB1-restricted peptides to induce naïve human T cell reactivity and IFN-γ production ex vivo demonstrates the potential efficacy of a multi-epitope-based HCV vaccine targeted to dendritic cells