TECHNOLOGY MODERNIZATION IN THE MINING SECTOR: MODELS AND EFFECTS

Amidst the current shift towards sustainable development and a low-carbon economy, it is important to assess the preparedness of mining companies for implementing large-scale technology modernization programs. The extent of modernization and the level of the company’s involvement are the factors determining the nature of modernization transformations. Major modernization of production makes it possible to address the challenges of improving corporate social and environmental responsibility, including industrial safety issues in mining operations. When implementing technology modernization programs, it is important to focus on environmentally-oriented objectives while improving operational efficiency. The mining industry, characterized by unique technological solutions, often necessitates unconventional modernization measures, entailing substantial investments in research and development (R & D). In Arctic deposit development, a higher level of technological advancement, including digital technologies and automated control systems, is imperative. Digital solutions, automation, and robotization should be integrated into modernization programs in the mining sector. Our research methodology is based on the summary and synthesis of theoretical and methodological approaches to assessing the effectiveness of modernization measures and developing a typology of technology modernization models. This study aims to refine conceptual approaches to the typology of organizational and economic models of technology modernization and to assess the effectiveness of modernization programs in the context of mining in the Arctic. The article delineates the fundamental principles of technology modernization and substantiates the effects arising from modernization measures, using mining companies functioning in the Arctic economic zone as an illustrative case study. The article proposes a typology of technology modernization models based on criteria developed by the authors, among which are key technology, management effects, and key approaches to efficiency assessment. It is emphasized that advanced technology modernization models should holistically reflect both economic and socio-ecological effects

Photothermal Nanotherapeutics and Nanodiagnostics for Selective Killing of Bacteria Targeted with Gold Nanoparticles

We describe a new method for selective laser killing of bacteria targeted with light-absorbing gold nanoparticles conjugated with specific antibodies. The multifunctional photothermal (PT) microscope/spectrometer provides a real-time assessment of this new therapeutic intervention. In this integrated system, strong laser-induced overheating effects accompanied by the bubble-formation phenomena around clustered gold nanoparticles are the main cause of bacterial damage. PT imaging and time-resolved monitoring of the integrated PT responses assessed these effects. Specifically, we used this technology for selective killing of the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus by targeting the bacterial surface using 10-, 20-, and 40-nm gold particles conjugated with anti-protein A antibodies. Labeled bacteria were irradiated with focused laser pulses (420–570 nm, 12 ns, 0.1–5 J/cm(2), 100 pulses), and laser-induced bacterial damage observed at different laser fluences and nanoparticle sizes was verified by optical transmission, electron microscopy, and conventional viability testing

Flow cytometry with gold nanoparticles and their clusters as scattering contrast agents: FDTD simulation of light-cell interaction

The formulation of the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) approach is presented in the framework of its potential applications to in-vivo flow cytometry based on light scattering. The consideration is focused on comparison of light scattering by a single biological cell alone in controlled refractive-index matching conditions and by cells labeled by gold nanoparticles. The optical schematics including phase contrast (OPCM) microscopy as a prospective modality for in-vivo flow cytometry is also analyzed. The validation of the FDTD approach for the simulation of flow cytometry may open up a new avenue in the development of advanced cytometric techniques based on scattering effects from nanoscale targets