WorldWideScience

Sample records for mining spatial association

  1. Object-oriented spatial-temporal association rules mining on ocean remote sensing imagery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xue, C J; Dong, Q; Ma, W X

    2014-01-01

    Using the long term marine remote sensing imagery, we develop an object-oriented spatial-temporal association rules mining framework to explore the association rules mining among marine environmental elements. Within the framework, two key issues are addressed. They are how to effectively deal with the related lattices and how to reduce the related dimensions? To deal with the first key issues, this paper develops an object-oriented method for abstracting marine sensitive objects from raster pixels and for representing them with a quadruple. To deal with the second key issues, by embedding the mutual information theory, we construct the direct association pattern tree to reduce the related elements at the first step, and then the Apriori algorithm is used to discover the spatio-temporal associated rules. Finally, Pacific Ocean is taken as a research area and multi- marine remote sensing imagery in recent three decades is used as a case study. The results show that the object-oriented spatio-temporal association rules mining can acquire the associated relationships not only among marine environmental elements in same region, also among the different regions. In addition, the information from association rules mining is much more expressive and informative in space and time than traditional spatio-temporal analysis

  2. Spatial distribution of environmental risk associated to a uranium abandoned mine (Central Portugal)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antunes, I. M.; Ribeiro, A. F.

    2012-04-01

    The abandoned uranium mine of Canto do Lagar is located at Arcozelo da Serra, central Portugal. The mine was exploited in an open pit and produced about 12430Kg of uranium oxide (U3O8), between 1987 and 1988. The dominant geological unit is the porphyritic coarse-grained two-mica granite, with biotite>muscovite. The uranium deposit consists of two gaps crushing, parallel to the coarse-grained porphyritic granite, with average direction N30°E, silicified, sericitized and reddish jasperized, with a width of approximately 10 meters. These gaps are accompanied by two thin veins of white quartz, 70°-80° WNW, ferruginous and jasperized with chalcedony, red jasper and opal. These veins are about 6 meters away from each other. They contain secondary U-phosphates phases such as autunite and torbernite. Rejected materials (1000000ton) were deposited on two dumps and a lake was formed in the open pit. To assess the environmental risk of the abandoned uranium mine of Canto do Lagar, were collected and analysed 70 samples on stream sediments, soils and mine tailings materials. The relation between samples composition were tested using the Principal Components Analysis (PCA) (multivariate analysis) and spatial distribution using Kriging Indicator. The spatial distribution of stream sediments shows that the probability of expression for principal component 1 (explaining Y, Zr, Nb, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Hf, Th and U contents), decreases along SE-NW direction. This component is explained by the samples located inside mine influence. The probability of expression for principal component 2 (explaining Be, Na, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cs, Ba, Tl and Bi contents), increases to middle stream line. This component is explained by the samples located outside mine influence. The spatial distribution of soils, shows that the probability of expression for principal component 1 (explaining Mg, P, Ca, Ge, Sr, Y, Zr, La, Ce, Pr

  3. Sustainable mineral resources management: from regional mineral resources exploration to spatial contamination risk assessment of mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jordan, Gyozo

    2009-07-01

    Wide-spread environmental contamination associated with historic mining in Europe has triggered social responses to improve related environmental legislation, the environmental assessment and management methods for the mining industry. Mining has some unique features such as natural background contamination associated with mineral deposits, industrial activities and contamination in the three-dimensional subsurface space, problem of long-term remediation after mine closure, problem of secondary contaminated areas around mine sites, land use conflicts and abandoned mines. These problems require special tools to address the complexity of the environmental problems of mining-related contamination. The objective of this paper is to show how regional mineral resources mapping has developed into the spatial contamination risk assessment of mining and how geological knowledge can be transferred to environmental assessment of mines. The paper provides a state-of-the-art review of the spatial mine inventory, hazard, impact and risk assessment and ranking methods developed by national and international efforts in Europe. It is concluded that geological knowledge on mineral resources exploration is essential and should be used for the environmental contamination assessment of mines. Also, sufficient methodological experience, knowledge and documented results are available, but harmonisation of these methods is still required for the efficient spatial environmental assessment of mine contamination.

  4. Socioeconomic inequality of cancer mortality in the United States: a spatial data mining approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lam Nina SN

    2006-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The objective of this study was to demonstrate the use of an association rule mining approach to discover associations between selected socioeconomic variables and the four most leading causes of cancer mortality in the United States. An association rule mining algorithm was applied to extract associations between the 1988–1992 cancer mortality rates for colorectal, lung, breast, and prostate cancers defined at the Health Service Area level and selected socioeconomic variables from the 1990 United States census. Geographic information system technology was used to integrate these data which were defined at different spatial resolutions, and to visualize and analyze the results from the association rule mining process. Results Health Service Areas with high rates of low education, high unemployment, and low paying jobs were found to associate with higher rates of cancer mortality. Conclusion Association rule mining with geographic information technology helps reveal the spatial patterns of socioeconomic inequality in cancer mortality in the United States and identify regions that need further attention.

  5. RADSS: an integration of GIS, spatial statistics, and network service for regional data mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Haitang; Bao, Shuming; Lin, Hui; Zhu, Qing

    2005-10-01

    Regional data mining, which aims at the discovery of knowledge about spatial patterns, clusters or association between regions, has widely applications nowadays in social science, such as sociology, economics, epidemiology, crime, and so on. Many applications in the regional or other social sciences are more concerned with the spatial relationship, rather than the precise geographical location. Based on the spatial continuity rule derived from Tobler's first law of geography: observations at two sites tend to be more similar to each other if the sites are close together than if far apart, spatial statistics, as an important means for spatial data mining, allow the users to extract the interesting and useful information like spatial pattern, spatial structure, spatial association, spatial outlier and spatial interaction, from the vast amount of spatial data or non-spatial data. Therefore, by integrating with the spatial statistical methods, the geographical information systems will become more powerful in gaining further insights into the nature of spatial structure of regional system, and help the researchers to be more careful when selecting appropriate models. However, the lack of such tools holds back the application of spatial data analysis techniques and development of new methods and models (e.g., spatio-temporal models). Herein, we make an attempt to develop such an integrated software and apply it into the complex system analysis for the Poyang Lake Basin. This paper presents a framework for integrating GIS, spatial statistics and network service in regional data mining, as well as their implementation. After discussing the spatial statistics methods involved in regional complex system analysis, we introduce RADSS (Regional Analysis and Decision Support System), our new regional data mining tool, by integrating GIS, spatial statistics and network service. RADSS includes the functions of spatial data visualization, exploratory spatial data analysis, and

  6. Study on Association between Spatial Distribution of Metal Mines and Disease Mortality: A Case Study in Suxian District, South China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Daping; Jiang, Dong; Wang, Yong; Chen, Wei; Huang, Yaohuan; Zhuang, Dafang

    2013-01-01

    Metal mines release toxic substances into the environment and can therefore negatively impact the health of residents in nearby regions. This paper sought to investigate whether there was excess disease mortality in populations in the vicinity of the mining area in Suxian District, South China. The spatial distribution of metal mining and related activities from 1985 to 2012, which was derived from remote sensing imagery, was overlapped with disease mortality data. Three hotspot areas with high disease mortality were identified around the Shizhuyuan mine sites, i.e., the Dengjiatang metal smelting sites, and the Xianxichong mine sites. Disease mortality decreased with the distance to the mining and smelting areas. Population exposure to pollution was estimated on the basis of distance from town of residence to pollution source. The risk of dying according to disease mortality rates was analyzed within 7–25 km buffers. The results suggested that there was a close relationship between the risk of disease mortality and proximity to the Suxian District mining industries. These associations were dependent on the type and scale of mining activities, the area influenced by mining and so on. PMID:24135822

  7. Spatial database of mining-related features in 2001 at selected phosphate mines, Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, and Caribou Counties, Idaho

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moyle, Phillip R.; Kayser, Helen Z.

    2006-01-01

    This report describes the spatial database, PHOSMINE01, and the processes used to delineate mining-related features (active and inactive/historical) in the core of the southeastern Idaho phosphate resource area. The spatial data have varying degrees of accuracy and attribution detail. Classification of areas by type of mining-related activity at active mines is generally detailed; however, for many of the closed or inactive mines the spatial coverage does not differentiate mining-related surface disturbance features. Nineteen phosphate mine sites are included in the study, three active phosphate mines - Enoch Valley (nearing closure), Rasmussen Ridge, and Smoky Canyon - and 16 inactive (or historical) phosphate mines - Ballard, Champ, Conda, Diamond Gulch, Dry Valley, Gay, Georgetown Canyon, Henry, Home Canyon, Lanes Creek, Maybe Canyon, Mountain Fuel, Trail Canyon, Rattlesnake, Waterloo, and Wooley Valley. Approximately 6,000 hc (15,000 ac), or 60 km2 (23 mi2) of phosphate mining-related surface disturbance are documented in the spatial coverage. Spatial data for the inactive mines is current because no major changes have occurred; however, the spatial data for active mines were derived from digital maps prepared in early 2001 and therefore recent activity is not included. The inactive Gay Mine has the largest total area of disturbance, 1,900 hc (4,700 ac) or about 19 km2 (7.4 mi2). It encompasses over three times the disturbance area of the next largest mine, the Conda Mine with 610 hc (1,500 ac), and it is nearly four times the area of the Smoky Canyon Mine, the largest of the active mines with about 550 hc (1,400 ac). The wide range of phosphate mining-related surface disturbance features (141) from various industry maps were reduced to 15 types or features based on a generic classification system used for this study: mine pit; backfilled mine pit; waste rock dump; adit and waste rock dump; ore stockpile; topsoil stockpile; tailings or tailings pond; sediment

  8. Spatial unmixing for environmental impact monitoring of mining using UAS and WV-2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delalieux, S.; Livens, S.; Goossens, M.; Reusen, I.; Tote, C.

    2012-04-01

    The three principal activities of the mineral resources mining industry - mining, mineral processing and metallurgical extraction - all produce waste. The environmental impact of these activities depends on many factors, in particular, the type of mining and the size of the operation. The effects of the mining (extraction) stage tend to be mainly local, associated with surface disturbance, the production of large amounts of solid waste material, and the spread of chemically reactive particulate matter to the atmosphere and hydrosphere. Many studies have shown the potential of remote sensing for environmental impact monitoring, e.g., [1]. However, its applicability has been limited due to the inherent spatial-spectral and temporal trade-off of most sensors. More recently, miniaturization of sensors makes it possible to capture color images from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with a very high spatial resolution. In addition, the UAS can be deployed in a very flexible manner, allowing high temporal resolution imaging. More detailed spectral information is available from multispectral images, albeit at lower spatial resolution. Combining both types of images using image fusion can help to overcome the spatial-spectral trade-off and provide a new tool for more detailed monitoring of environmental impacts. Within the framework of the ImpactMin project, funded by the Framework Programme 7 of the European Commission, the objective of this study is to implement and apply the spatial unmixing algorithm, as proposed by [2], on images of the 'Vihovici Coal Mine' area, located in the Mostar Valley, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A WorldView2 (WV2) satellite image will be employed, which provides 8-band multispectral data at a spatial resolution of 2m. High spatial resolution images, obtained by a SmartPlanes UAS, will provide RGB data with 0.05m spatial resolution. The spatial unmixing technique is based on the idea that a linear mixing model can be used to perform the downscaling of

  9. Mining Co-Location Patterns with Clustering Items from Spatial Data Sets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, G.; Li, Q.; Deng, G.; Yue, T.; Zhou, X.

    2018-05-01

    The explosive growth of spatial data and widespread use of spatial databases emphasize the need for the spatial data mining. Co-location patterns discovery is an important branch in spatial data mining. Spatial co-locations represent the subsets of features which are frequently located together in geographic space. However, the appearance of a spatial feature C is often not determined by a single spatial feature A or B but by the two spatial features A and B, that is to say where A and B appear together, C often appears. We note that this co-location pattern is different from the traditional co-location pattern. Thus, this paper presents a new concept called clustering terms, and this co-location pattern is called co-location patterns with clustering items. And the traditional algorithm cannot mine this co-location pattern, so we introduce the related concept in detail and propose a novel algorithm. This algorithm is extended by join-based approach proposed by Huang. Finally, we evaluate the performance of this algorithm.

  10. Is there an association of circulatory hospitalizations independent of mining employment in coal-mining and non-coal-mining counties in west virginia?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talbott, Evelyn O; Sharma, Ravi K; Buchanich, Jeanine; Stacy, Shaina L

    2015-04-01

    Exposures associated with coal mining activities, including diesel fuel exhaust, products used in coal processing, and heavy metals and other forms of particulate matter, may impact the health of nearby residents. We investigated the relationships between county-level circulatory hospitalization rates (CHRs) in coal and non-coal-mining communities of West Virginia, coal production, coal employment, and sociodemographic factors. Direct age-adjusted CHRs were calculated using West Virginia hospitalizations from 2005 to 2009. Spatial regressions were conducted to explore associations between CHR and total, underground, and surface coal production. After adjustment, neither total, nor surface, nor underground coal production was significantly related to rate of hospitalization for circulatory disease. Our findings underscore the significant role sociodemographic and behavioral factors play in the health and well-being of coal mining communities.

  11. A Study on Environmental Research Trends Using Text-Mining Method - Focus on Spatial information and ICT -

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, M. J.; Oh, K. Y.; Joung-ho, L.

    2016-12-01

    Recently there are many research about analysing the interaction between entities by text-mining analysis in various fields. In this paper, we aimed to quantitatively analyse research-trends in the area of environmental research relating either spatial information or ICT (Information and Communications Technology) by Text-mining analysis. To do this, we applied low-dimensional embedding method, clustering analysis, and association rule to find meaningful associative patterns of key words frequently appeared in the articles. As the authors suppose that KCI (Korea Citation Index) articles reflect academic demands, total 1228 KCI articles that have been published from 1996 to 2015 were reviewed and analysed by Text-mining method. First, we derived KCI articles from NDSL(National Discovery for Science Leaders) site. And then we pre-processed their key-words elected from abstract and then classified those in separable sectors. We investigated the appearance rates and association rule of key-words for articles in the two fields: spatial-information and ICT. In order to detect historic trends, analysis was conducted separately for the four periods: 1996-2000, 2001-2005, 2006-2010, 2011-2015. These analysis were conducted with the usage of R-software. As a result, we conformed that environmental research relating spatial information mainly focused upon such fields as `GIS(35%)', `Remote-Sensing(25%)', `environmental theme map(15.7%)'. Next, `ICT technology(23.6%)', `ICT service(5.4%)', `mobile(24%)', `big data(10%)', `AI(7%)' are primarily emerging from environmental research relating ICT. Thus, from the analysis results, this paper asserts that research trends and academic progresses are well-structured to review recent spatial information and ICT technology and the outcomes of the analysis can be an adequate guidelines to establish environment policies and strategies. KEY WORDS: Big data, Test-mining, Environmental research, Spatial-information, ICT Acknowledgements: The

  12. A Statistical Toolbox For Mining And Modeling Spatial Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D’Aubigny Gérard

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Most data mining projects in spatial economics start with an evaluation of a set of attribute variables on a sample of spatial entities, looking for the existence and strength of spatial autocorrelation, based on the Moran’s and the Geary’s coefficients, the adequacy of which is rarely challenged, despite the fact that when reporting on their properties, many users seem likely to make mistakes and to foster confusion. My paper begins by a critical appraisal of the classical definition and rational of these indices. I argue that while intuitively founded, they are plagued by an inconsistency in their conception. Then, I propose a principled small change leading to corrected spatial autocorrelation coefficients, which strongly simplifies their relationship, and opens the way to an augmented toolbox of statistical methods of dimension reduction and data visualization, also useful for modeling purposes. A second section presents a formal framework, adapted from recent work in statistical learning, which gives theoretical support to our definition of corrected spatial autocorrelation coefficients. More specifically, the multivariate data mining methods presented here, are easily implementable on the existing (free software, yield methods useful to exploit the proposed corrections in spatial data analysis practice, and, from a mathematical point of view, whose asymptotic behavior, already studied in a series of papers by Belkin & Niyogi, suggests that they own qualities of robustness and a limited sensitivity to the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP, valuable in exploratory spatial data analysis.

  13. Value of spatial planning for large mining and energy complexes. [Yugoslavia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matko, Z; Spasic, N

    1982-01-01

    In the example of the Kosovo complex (Socialist Federated Republic of Yugoslovia) an examination is made of the value of developing a spatial plan for the territory of large mining-energy complexes. The goals and expected results of spatial planning are discussed. The open method of working lignite, fuel shale and other fossil energy raw material fields at the modern level of development of technology, in addition to large-volume physical interferences in space, causes considerable structural changes of functional-economic, socioeconomic and psychological-sociological nature in the direct zone of influence of the mining-energy complex. Improvement in technology of working a lignite field does not guarantee in the near future any solutions in developing the mining-energy complexes, and therefore it is necessary to count on considerable volume of degradation of space which is governed by the existing technology. Under these conditions detailed planning and regulation of space is especially important, if one views them as a component part of long term policy for development of the mining energy complex and the zones of its influence.

  14. Spatial Conflict of Mining Land in Tolitoli District -Province of Central Sulawesi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suwarno, Y.; Windiastuti, R.

    2018-05-01

    Spatial planning is supposed to be applied in the use of space, so there will be no overlapping space utilization. In fact, there are still overlapping uses of land, between the area of mining and plantation, as well as with forest areas. The purpose of this study was to find out the conflicts that occured due to overlapping permits given to mining and plantation companies, and also to forest status. The method used was by overlaying the maps of Mining Business Permit with that of Plantation Business Permit, and also with Forest Area Map. In Tolitoli District there were 23 mining business permit holders with 7 types of mining commodities, covering total areaof 81,503.54 Hectare. In addition, there were 5 companies holding plantation business permits, mostly on palm oil, and only 2 companies with rubber and sengon wood business commodities, with a total area of 80,005.35 Hectare. From the result of spatial analysis, it was found that there was an overlapping area of 22,869.70 Hectare, while the area of 118,072.93 Hectare did not overlap. The Mining Business Permit overlapped with the Plantation Business Permit covering an area of 18,853.32 Hectare, and 4,301.77 Hectare were located in Forest Protected Area and Nature Reserve.

  15. Mine-associated wetlands as avian habitat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horstman, A.J.; Nawrot, J.R.; Woolf, A.

    1998-01-01

    Surveys for interior wetland birds at mine-associated emergent wetlands on coal surface mines in southern Illinois detected one state threatened and two state endangered species. Breeding by least bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) and common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) was confirmed. Regional assessment of potential wetland bird habitat south of Illinois Interstate 64 identified a total of 8,109 ha of emergent stable water wetlands; 10% were associated with mining. Mine-associated wetlands with persistent hydrology and large expanses of emergent vegetation provide habitat that could potentially compensate for loss of natural wetlands in Illinois

  16. Automating an integrated spatial data-mining model for landfill site selection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abujayyab, Sohaib K. M.; Ahamad, Mohd Sanusi S.; Yahya, Ahmad Shukri; Ahmad, Siti Zubaidah; Aziz, Hamidi Abdul

    2017-10-01

    An integrated programming environment represents a robust approach to building a valid model for landfill site selection. One of the main challenges in the integrated model is the complicated processing and modelling due to the programming stages and several limitations. An automation process helps avoid the limitations and improve the interoperability between integrated programming environments. This work targets the automation of a spatial data-mining model for landfill site selection by integrating between spatial programming environment (Python-ArcGIS) and non-spatial environment (MATLAB). The model was constructed using neural networks and is divided into nine stages distributed between Matlab and Python-ArcGIS. A case study was taken from the north part of Peninsular Malaysia. 22 criteria were selected to utilise as input data and to build the training and testing datasets. The outcomes show a high-performance accuracy percentage of 98.2% in the testing dataset using 10-fold cross validation. The automated spatial data mining model provides a solid platform for decision makers to performing landfill site selection and planning operations on a regional scale.

  17. Support-Less Association Rule Mining Using Tuple Count Cube

    OpenAIRE

    Qin Ding; William Perrizo

    2007-01-01

    Association rule mining is one of the important tasks in data mining and knowledge discovery (KDD). The traditional task of association rule mining is to find all the rules with high support and high confidence. In some applications, we are interested in finding high confidence rules even though the support may be low. This type of problem differs from the traditional association rule mining problem; hence, it is called support-less association rule mining. Existing algorithms for association...

  18. Spatial and Temporal Analysis of the Microbial Community in the Tailings of a Pb-Zn Mine Generating Acidic Drainage ▿ †

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Li-Nan; Zhou, Wen-Hua; Hallberg, Kevin B.; Wan, Cai-Yun; Li, Jie; Shu, Wen-Sheng

    2011-01-01

    Analysis of spatial and temporal variations in the microbial community in the abandoned tailings impoundment of a Pb-Zn mine revealed distinct microbial populations associated with the different oxidation stages of the tailings. Although Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum spp. were consistently present in the acidic tailings, acidophilic archaea, mostly Ferroplasma acidiphilum, were predominant in the oxidized zones and the oxidation front, indicating their importance to generation of acid mine drainage. PMID:21705549

  19. Spatial forecast of landslides in three gorges based on spatial data mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xianmin; Niu, Ruiqing

    2009-01-01

    The Three Gorges is a region with a very high landslide distribution density and a concentrated population. In Three Gorges there are often landslide disasters, and the potential risk of landslides is tremendous. In this paper, focusing on Three Gorges, which has a complicated landform, spatial forecasting of landslides is studied by establishing 20 forecast factors (spectra, texture, vegetation coverage, water level of reservoir, slope structure, engineering rock group, elevation, slope, aspect, etc). China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (Cbers) images were adopted based on C4.5 decision tree to mine spatial forecast landslide criteria in Guojiaba Town (Zhigui County) in Three Gorges and based on this knowledge, perform intelligent spatial landslide forecasts for Guojiaba Town. All landslides lie in the dangerous and unstable regions, so the forecast result is good. The method proposed in the paper is compared with seven other methods: IsoData, K-Means, Mahalanobis Distance, Maximum Likelihood, Minimum Distance, Parallelepiped and Information Content Model. The experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper has a high forecast precision, noticeably higher than that of the other seven methods.

  20. A partition enhanced mining algorithm for distributed association rule mining systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.O. Ogunde

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The extraction of patterns and rules from large distributed databases through existing Distributed Association Rule Mining (DARM systems is still faced with enormous challenges such as high response times, high communication costs and inability to adapt to the constantly changing databases. In this work, a Partition Enhanced Mining Algorithm (PEMA is presented to address these problems. In PEMA, the Association Rule Mining Coordinating Agent receives a request and decides the appropriate data sites, partitioning strategy and mining agents to use. The mining process is divided into two stages. In the first stage, the data agents horizontally segment the databases with small average transaction length into relatively smaller partitions based on the number of available sites and the available memory. On the other hand, databases with relatively large average transaction length were vertically partitioned. After this, Mobile Agent-Based Association Rule Mining-Agents, which are the mining agents, carry out the discovery of the local frequent itemsets. At the second stage, the local frequent itemsets were incrementally integrated by the from one data site to another to get the global frequent itemsets. This reduced the response time and communication cost in the system. Results from experiments conducted on real datasets showed that the average response time of PEMA showed an improvement over existing algorithms. Similarly, PEMA incurred lower communication costs with average size of messages exchanged lower when compared with benchmark DARM systems. This result showed that PEMA could be efficiently deployed for efficient discovery of valuable knowledge in distributed databases.

  1. Spatial distribution and sources of heavy metals in natural pasture soil around copper-molybdenum mine in Northeast China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhiqiang; Hong, Chen; Xing, Yi; Wang, Kang; Li, Yifei; Feng, Lihui; Ma, Silu

    2018-06-15

    The characterization of the content and source of heavy metals are essential to assess the potential threat of metals to human health. The present study collected 140 topsoil samples around a Cu-Mo mine (Wunugetushan, China) and investigated the concentrations and spatial distribution pattern of Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu, Mo and Cd in soil using multivariate and geostatistical analytical methods. Results indicated that the average concentrations of six heavy metals, especially Cu and Mo, were obviously higher than the local background values. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis divided these metals into three groups, including Cr and Ni, Cu and Mo, Zn and Cd. Meanwhile, the spatial distribution maps of heavy metals indicated that Cr and Ni in soil were no notable anthropogenic inputs and mainly controlled by natural factors because their spatial maps exhibited non-point source contamination. The concentrations of Cu and Mo gradually decreased with distance away from the mine area, suggesting that human mining activities may be crucial in the spreading of contaminants. Soil contamination of Zn were associated with livestock manure produced from grazing. In addition, the environmental risk of heavy metal pollution was assessed by geo-accumulation index. All the results revealed that the spatial distribution of heavy metals in soil were in agreement with the local human activities. Investigating and identifying the origin of heavy metals in pasture soil will lay the foundation for taking effective measures to preserve soil from the long-term accumulation of heavy metals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. A Collaborative Educational Association Rule Mining Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Enrique; Romero, Cristobal; Ventura, Sebastian; de Castro, Carlos

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes a collaborative educational data mining tool based on association rule mining for the ongoing improvement of e-learning courses and allowing teachers with similar course profiles to share and score the discovered information. The mining tool is oriented to be used by non-expert instructors in data mining so its internal…

  3. Spatial Data Mining for Estimating Cover Management Factor of Universal Soil Loss Equation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, F.; Lin, T. C.; Chiang, S. H.; Chen, W. W.

    2016-12-01

    Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is a widely used mathematical model that describes long-term soil erosion processes. Among the six different soil erosion risk factors of USLE, the cover-management factor (C-factor) is related to land-cover/land-use. The value of C-factor ranges from 0.001 to 1, so it alone might cause a thousandfold difference in a soil erosion analysis using USLE. The traditional methods for the estimation of USLE C-factor include in situ experiments, soil physical parameter models, USLE look-up tables with land use maps, and regression models between vegetation indices and C-factors. However, these methods are either difficult or too expensive to implement in large areas. In addition, the values of C-factor obtained using these methods can not be updated frequently, either. To address this issue, this research developed a spatial data mining approach to estimate the values of C-factor with assorted spatial datasets for a multi-temporal (2004 to 2008) annual soil loss analysis of a reservoir watershed in northern Taiwan. The idea is to establish the relationship between the USLE C-factor and spatial data consisting of vegetation indices and texture features extracted from satellite images, soil and geology attributes, digital elevation model, road and river distribution etc. A decision tree classifier was used to rank influential conditional attributes in the preliminary data mining. Then, factor simplification and separation were considered to optimize the model and the random forest classifier was used to analyze 9 simplified factor groups. Experimental results indicate that the overall accuracy of the data mining model is about 79% with a kappa value of 0.76. The estimated soil erosion amounts in 2004-2008 according to the data mining results are about 50.39 - 74.57 ton/ha-year after applying the sediment delivery ratio and correction coefficient. Comparing with estimations calculated with C-factors from look-up tables, the soil erosion

  4. Spatial Forecast of Landslides in Three Gorges Based On Spatial Data Mining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianmin Wang

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available The Three Gorges is a region with a very high landslide distribution density and a concentrated population. In Three Gorges there are often landslide disasters, and the potential risk of landslides is tremendous. In this paper, focusing on Three Gorges, which has a complicated landform, spatial forecasting of landslides is studied by establishing 20 forecast factors (spectra, texture, vegetation coverage, water level of reservoir, slope structure, engineering rock group, elevation, slope, aspect, etc. China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (Cbers images were adopted based on C4.5 decision tree to mine spatial forecast landslide criteria in Guojiaba Town (Zhigui County in Three Gorges and based on this knowledge, perform intelligent spatial landslide forecasts for Guojiaba Town. All landslides lie in the dangerous and unstable regions, so the forecast result is good. The method proposed in the paper is compared with seven other methods: IsoData, K-Means, Mahalanobis Distance, Maximum Likelihood, Minimum Distance, Parallelepiped and Information Content Model. The experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper has a high forecast precision, noticeably higher than that of the other seven methods.

  5. The Spatial Assessment of the Current Seismic Hazard State for Hard Rock Underground Mines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wesseloo, Johan

    2018-06-01

    Mining-induced seismic hazard assessment is an important component in the management of safety and financial risk in mines. As the seismic hazard is a response to the mining activity, it is non-stationary and variable both in space and time. This paper presents an approach for implementing a probabilistic seismic hazard assessment to assess the current hazard state of a mine. Each of the components of the probabilistic seismic hazard assessment is considered within the context of hard rock underground mines. The focus of this paper is the assessment of the in-mine hazard distribution and does not consider the hazard to nearby public or structures. A rating system and methodologies to present hazard maps, for the purpose of communicating to different stakeholders in the mine, i.e. mine managers, technical personnel and the work force, are developed. The approach allows one to update the assessment with relative ease and within short time periods as new data become available, enabling the monitoring of the spatial and temporal change in the seismic hazard.

  6. Mining and sustainable development: environmental policies and programmes of mining industry associations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, C.G.

    1997-01-01

    Mining industry policies and practices have evolved rapidly in the environmental area, and more recently in the social area as well. Mining industry associations are using a variety of methods to stimulate and assist their member companies as they improve their environmental, social and economic performance. These associations provide opportunities for companies to use collaborative approaches in developing and applying improved technology, systems and practices (author)

  7. Global direct pressures on biodiversity by large-scale metal mining: Spatial distribution and implications for conservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murguía, Diego I; Bringezu, Stefan; Schaldach, Rüdiger

    2016-09-15

    Biodiversity loss is widely recognized as a serious global environmental change process. While large-scale metal mining activities do not belong to the top drivers of such change, these operations exert or may intensify pressures on biodiversity by adversely changing habitats, directly and indirectly, at local and regional scales. So far, analyses of global spatial dynamics of mining and its burden on biodiversity focused on the overlap between mines and protected areas or areas of high value for conservation. However, it is less clear how operating metal mines are globally exerting pressure on zones of different biodiversity richness; a similar gap exists for unmined but known mineral deposits. By using vascular plants' diversity as a proxy to quantify overall biodiversity, this study provides a first examination of the global spatial distribution of mines and deposits for five key metals across different biodiversity zones. The results indicate that mines and deposits are not randomly distributed, but concentrated within intermediate and high diversity zones, especially bauxite and silver. In contrast, iron, gold, and copper mines and deposits are closer to a more proportional distribution while showing a high concentration in the intermediate biodiversity zone. Considering the five metals together, 63% and 61% of available mines and deposits, respectively, are located in intermediate diversity zones, comprising 52% of the global land terrestrial surface. 23% of mines and 20% of ore deposits are located in areas of high plant diversity, covering 17% of the land. 13% of mines and 19% of deposits are in areas of low plant diversity, comprising 31% of the land surface. Thus, there seems to be potential for opening new mines in areas of low biodiversity in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. SPATIAL CLUSTER AND OUTLIER IDENTIFICATION OF GEOCHEMICAL ASSOCIATION OF ELEMENTS: A CASE STUDY IN JUIRUI COPPER MINING AREA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tien Thanh NGUYEN

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Spatial clusters and spatial outliers play an important role in the study of the spatial distribution patterns of geochemical data. They characterize the fundamental properties of mineralization processes, the spatial distribution of mineral deposits, and ore element concentrations in mineral districts. In this study, a new method for the study of spatial distribution patterns of multivariate data is proposed based on a combination of robust Mahalanobis distance and local Moran’s Ii. In order to construct the spatial matrix, the Moran's I spatial correlogram was first used to determine the range. The robust Mahalanobis distances were then computed for an association of elements. Finally, local Moran’s Ii statistics was used to measure the degree of spatial association and discover the spatial distribution patterns of associations of Cu, Au, Mo, Ag, Pb, Zn, As, and Sb elements including spatial clusters and spatial outliers. Spatial patterns were analyzed at six different spatial scales (2km, 4 km, 6 km, 8 km, 10 km and 12 km for both the raw data and Box-Cox transformed data. The results show that identified spatial cluster and spatial outlier areas using local Moran’s Ii and the robust Mahalanobis accord the objective reality and have a good conformity with known deposits in the study area.

  9. Applications of Geomatics in Surface Mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blachowski, Jan; Górniak-Zimroz, Justyna; Milczarek, Wojciech; Pactwa, Katarzyna

    2017-12-01

    In terms of method of extracting mineral from deposit, mining can be classified into: surface, underground, and borehole mining. Surface mining is a form of mining, in which the soil and the rock covering the mineral deposits are removed. Types of surface mining include mainly strip and open-cast methods, as well as quarrying. Tasks associated with surface mining of minerals include: resource estimation and deposit documentation, mine planning and deposit access, mine plant development, extraction of minerals from deposits, mineral and waste processing, reclamation and reclamation of former mining grounds. At each stage of mining, geodata describing changes occurring in space during the entire life cycle of surface mining project should be taken into consideration, i.e. collected, analysed, processed, examined, distributed. These data result from direct (e.g. geodetic) and indirect (i.e. remote or relative) measurements and observations including airborne and satellite methods, geotechnical, geological and hydrogeological data, and data from other types of sensors, e.g. located on mining equipment and infrastructure, mine plans and maps. Management of such vast sources and sets of geodata, as well as information resulting from processing, integrated analysis and examining such data can be facilitated with geomatic solutions. Geomatics is a discipline of gathering, processing, interpreting, storing and delivering spatially referenced information. Thus, geomatics integrates methods and technologies used for collecting, management, processing, visualizing and distributing spatial data. In other words, its meaning covers practically every method and tool from spatial data acquisition to distribution. In this work examples of application of geomatic solutions in surface mining on representative case studies in various stages of mine operation have been presented. These applications include: prospecting and documenting mineral deposits, assessment of land accessibility

  10. An efficient communication strategy for mobile agent based distributed spatial data mining application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Guodong; Wang, Jiazhen

    2005-11-01

    An efficient communication strategy is proposed in this paper, which aims to improve the response time and availability of mobile agent based distributed spatial data mining applications. When dealing with decomposed complex data mining tasks or On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP), mobile agents authorized by the specified user need to coordinate and cooperate with each other by employing given communication method to fulfill the subtasks delegated to them. Agent interactive behavior, e.g. messages passing, intermediate results exchanging and final results merging, must happen after the specified path is determined by executing given routing selection algorithm. Most of algorithms exploited currently run in time that grows approximately quadratic with the size of the input nodes where mobile agents migrate between. In order to gain enhanced communication performance by reducing the execution time of the decision algorithm, we propose an approach to reduce the number of nodes involved in the computation. In practice, hosts in the system are reorganized into groups in terms of the bandwidth between adjacent nodes. Then, we find an optimal node for each group with high bandwidth and powerful computing resources, which is managed by an agent dispatched by agent home node. With that, the communication pattern can be implemented at a higher level of abstraction and contribute to improving the overall performance of mobile agent based distributed spatial data mining applications.

  11. Developing an open source-based spatial data infrastructure for integrated monitoring of mining areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lahn, Florian; Knoth, Christian; Prinz, Torsten; Pebesma, Edzer

    2014-05-01

    In all phases of mining campaigns, comprehensive spatial information is an essential requirement in order to ensure economically efficient but also safe mining activities as well as to reduce environmental impacts. Earth observation data acquired from various sources like remote sensing or ground measurements is important e.g. for the exploration of mineral deposits, the monitoring of mining induced impacts on vegetation or the detection of ground subsidence. The GMES4Mining project aims at exploring new remote sensing techniques and developing analysis methods on various types of sensor data to provide comprehensive spatial information during mining campaigns (BENECKE et al. 2013). One important task in this project is the integration of the data gathered (e.g. hyperspectral images, spaceborne radar data and ground measurements) as well as results of the developed analysis methods within a web-accessible data source based on open source software. The main challenges here are to provide various types and formats of data from different sensors and to enable access to analysis and processing techniques without particular software or licensing requirements for users. Furthermore the high volume of the involved data (especially hyperspectral remote sensing images) makes data transfer a major issue in this use case. To engage these problems a spatial data infrastructure (SDI) including a web portal as user frontend is being developed which allows users to access not only the data but also several analysis methods. The Geoserver software is used for publishing the data, which is then accessed and visualized in a JavaScript-based web portal. In order to perform descriptive statistics and some straightforward image processing techniques on the raster data (e.g. band arithmetic or principal component analysis) the statistics software R is implemented on a server and connected via Rserve. The analysis is controlled and executed directly by the user through the web portal and

  12. Class association rules mining from students’ test data (Abstract)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Romero, C.; Ventura, S.; Vasilyeva, E.; Pechenizkiy, M.; Baker, de R.S.J.; Merceron, A.; Pavlik Jr., P.I.

    2010-01-01

    In this paper we propose the use of a special type of association rules mining for discovering interesting relationships from the students’ test data collected in our case with Moodle learning management system (LMS). Particularly, we apply Class Association Rule (CAR) mining to different data

  13. Mining algorithm for association rules in big data based on Hadoop

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Chunhua; Wang, Xiaojing; Zhang, Lijun; Qiao, Liying

    2018-04-01

    In order to solve the problem that the traditional association rules mining algorithm has been unable to meet the mining needs of large amount of data in the aspect of efficiency and scalability, take FP-Growth as an example, the algorithm is realized in the parallelization based on Hadoop framework and Map Reduce model. On the basis, it is improved using the transaction reduce method for further enhancement of the algorithm's mining efficiency. The experiment, which consists of verification of parallel mining results, comparison on efficiency between serials and parallel, variable relationship between mining time and node number and between mining time and data amount, is carried out in the mining results and efficiency by Hadoop clustering. Experiments show that the paralleled FP-Growth algorithm implemented is able to accurately mine frequent item sets, with a better performance and scalability. It can be better to meet the requirements of big data mining and efficiently mine frequent item sets and association rules from large dataset.

  14. Spatial data mining of pipeline data provides new wave of O and M capital cost optimization opportunities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richardson, D. [QM4 Engineering Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada)

    2010-07-01

    This paper discussed the cost optimization benefits of spatial data mining in upstream oil and gas pipeline operations. The data mining method was used to enhance the characterization and management of internal corrosion risk and to optimize pipeline corrosion inhibition, as well as to identify pipeline network hydraulic bottlenecks. The data mining method formed part of a quality-based pipeline integrity management program. Results of the data mining study highlighted trends in well operational data and historical pipeline failure events. Use of the methodology resulted in significant savings. It was demonstrated that the key to a successful pipeline management model is a complete inventory characterization and determination of failure susceptibility profiles through the application of rigorous data standards. 4 tabs., 8 figs.

  15. Investigating the Relation Between Prevalence of Asthmatic Allergy with the Characteristics of the Environment Using Association Rule Mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanani Sadat, Y.; Karimipour, F.; Kanani Sadat, A.

    2014-10-01

    The prevalence of allergic diseases has highly increased in recent decades due to contamination of the environment with the allergy stimuli. A common treat is identifying the allergy stimulus and, then, avoiding the patient to be exposed with it. There are, however, many unknown allergic diseases stimuli that are related to the characteristics of the living environment. In this paper, we focus on the effect of air pollution on asthmatic allergies and investigate the association between prevalence of such allergies with those characteristics of the environment that may affect the air pollution. For this, spatial association rule mining has been deployed to mine the association between spatial distribution of allergy prevalence and the air pollution parameters such as CO, SO2, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and O3 (compiled by the air pollution monitoring stations) as well as living distance to parks and roads. The results for the case study (i.e., Tehran metropolitan area) indicates that distance to parks and roads as well as CO, NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 is related to the allergy prevalence in December (the most polluted month of the year in Tehran), while SO2 and O3 have no effect on that.

  16. DISEASES: text mining and data integration of disease-gene associations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pletscher-Frankild, Sune; Pallejà, Albert; Tsafou, Kalliopi; Binder, Janos X; Jensen, Lars Juhl

    2015-03-01

    Text mining is a flexible technology that can be applied to numerous different tasks in biology and medicine. We present a system for extracting disease-gene associations from biomedical abstracts. The system consists of a highly efficient dictionary-based tagger for named entity recognition of human genes and diseases, which we combine with a scoring scheme that takes into account co-occurrences both within and between sentences. We show that this approach is able to extract half of all manually curated associations with a false positive rate of only 0.16%. Nonetheless, text mining should not stand alone, but be combined with other types of evidence. For this reason, we have developed the DISEASES resource, which integrates the results from text mining with manually curated disease-gene associations, cancer mutation data, and genome-wide association studies from existing databases. The DISEASES resource is accessible through a web interface at http://diseases.jensenlab.org/, where the text-mining software and all associations are also freely available for download. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Geo-Spatial Characterization of Soil Mercury and Arsenic at a High-Altitude Bolivian Gold Mine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Glen D; Pavilonis, Brian; Caravanos, Jack; Grassman, Jean

    2018-02-01

    Soil mercury concentrations at a typical small-scale mine site in the Bolivian Andes were elevated (28-737 mg/kg or ppm) in localized areas where mercury amalgams were either formed or vaporized to release gold, but was not detectable beyond approximately 10 m from its sources. Arsenic was measurable, exceeding known background levels throughout the mine site (77-137,022 ppm), and was also measurable through the local village of Ingenio (36-1803 ppm). Although arsenic levels were high at all surveyed locations, its spatial pattern followed mercury, being highest where mercury was high.

  18. A Bayesian method to mine spatial data sets to evaluate the vulnerability of human beings to catastrophic risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lianfa; Wang, Jinfeng; Leung, Hareton; Zhao, Sisi

    2012-06-01

    Vulnerability of human beings exposed to a catastrophic disaster is affected by multiple factors that include hazard intensity, environment, and individual characteristics. The traditional approach to vulnerability assessment, based on the aggregate-area method and unsupervised learning, cannot incorporate spatial information; thus, vulnerability can be only roughly assessed. In this article, we propose Bayesian network (BN) and spatial analysis techniques to mine spatial data sets to evaluate the vulnerability of human beings. In our approach, spatial analysis is leveraged to preprocess the data; for example, kernel density analysis (KDA) and accumulative road cost surface modeling (ARCSM) are employed to quantify the influence of geofeatures on vulnerability and relate such influence to spatial distance. The knowledge- and data-based BN provides a consistent platform to integrate a variety of factors, including those extracted by KDA and ARCSM to model vulnerability uncertainty. We also consider the model's uncertainty and use the Bayesian model average and Occam's Window to average the multiple models obtained by our approach to robust prediction of the risk and vulnerability. We compare our approach with other probabilistic models in the case study of seismic risk and conclude that our approach is a good means to mining spatial data sets for evaluating vulnerability. © 2012 Society for Risk Analysis.

  19. Comparison of the common spatial interpolation methods used to analyze potentially toxic elements surrounding mining regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Qian; Wang, Yong; Zhuang, Dafang

    2018-04-15

    The appropriate spatial interpolation methods must be selected to analyze the spatial distributions of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs), which is a precondition for evaluating PTE pollution. The accuracy and effect of different spatial interpolation methods, which include inverse distance weighting interpolation (IDW) (power = 1, 2, 3), radial basis function interpolation (RBF) (basis function: thin-plate spline (TPS), spline with tension (ST), completely regularized spline (CRS), multiquadric (MQ) and inverse multiquadric (IMQ)) and ordinary kriging interpolation (OK) (semivariogram model: spherical, exponential, gaussian and linear), were compared using 166 unevenly distributed soil PTE samples (As, Pb, Cu and Zn) in the Suxian District, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province as the study subject. The reasons for the accuracy differences of the interpolation methods and the uncertainties of the interpolation results are discussed, then several suggestions for improving the interpolation accuracy are proposed, and the direction of pollution control is determined. The results of this study are as follows: (i) RBF-ST and OK (exponential) are the optimal interpolation methods for As and Cu, and the optimal interpolation method for Pb and Zn is RBF-IMQ. (ii) The interpolation uncertainty is positively correlated with the PTE concentration, and higher uncertainties are primarily distributed around mines, which is related to the strong spatial variability of PTE concentrations caused by human interference. (iii) The interpolation accuracy can be improved by increasing the sample size around the mines, introducing auxiliary variables in the case of incomplete sampling and adopting the partition prediction method. (iv) It is necessary to strengthen the prevention and control of As and Pb pollution, particularly in the central and northern areas. The results of this study can provide an effective reference for the optimization of interpolation methods and parameters for

  20. Mining Hesitation Information by Vague Association Rules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, An; Ng, Wilfred

    In many online shopping applications, such as Amazon and eBay, traditional Association Rule (AR) mining has limitations as it only deals with the items that are sold but ignores the items that are almost sold (for example, those items that are put into the basket but not checked out). We say that those almost sold items carry hesitation information, since customers are hesitating to buy them. The hesitation information of items is valuable knowledge for the design of good selling strategies. However, there is no conceptual model that is able to capture different statuses of hesitation information. Herein, we apply and extend vague set theory in the context of AR mining. We define the concepts of attractiveness and hesitation of an item, which represent the overall information of a customer's intent on an item. Based on the two concepts, we propose the notion of Vague Association Rules (VARs). We devise an efficient algorithm to mine the VARs. Our experiments show that our algorithm is efficient and the VARs capture more specific and richer information than do the traditional ARs.

  1. Hospitalization patterns associated with Appalachian coal mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hendryx, Michael; Ahern, Melissa M; Nurkiewicz, Timothy R

    2007-12-01

    The goal of this study was to test whether the volume of coal mining was related to population hospitalization risk for diseases postulated to be sensitive or insensitive to coal mining by-products. The study was a retrospective analysis of 2001 adult hospitalization data (n = 93,952) for West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, merged with county-level coal production figures. Hospitalization data were obtained from the Health Care Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample. Diagnoses postulated to be sensitive to coal mining by-product exposure were contrasted with diagnoses postulated to be insensitive to exposure. Data were analyzed using hierarchical nonlinear models, controlling for patient age, gender, insurance, comorbidities, hospital teaching status, county poverty, and county social capital. Controlling for covariates, the volume of coal mining was significantly related to hospitalization risk for two conditions postulated to be sensitive to exposure: hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The odds for a COPD hospitalization increased 1% for each 1462 tons of coal, and the odds for a hypertension hospitalization increased 1% for each 1873 tons of coal. Other conditions were not related to mining volume. Exposure to particulates or other pollutants generated by coal mining activities may be linked to increased risk of COPD and hypertension hospitalizations. Limitations in the data likely result in an underestimate of associations.

  2. Seasonal and spatial patterns of metals at a restored copper mine site. I. Stream copper and zinc

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bambic, Dustin G.; Alpers, Charles N.; Green, Peter G.; Fanelli, Eileen; Silk, Wendy K.

    2006-01-01

    Seasonal and spatial variations in metal concentrations and pH were found in a stream at a restored copper mine site located near a massive sulfide deposit in the Foothill copper-zinc belt of the Sierra Nevada, California. At the mouth of the stream, copper concentrations increased and pH decreased with increased streamflow after the onset of winter rain and, unexpectedly, reached extreme values 1 or 2 months after peaks in the seasonal hydrographs. In contrast, aqueous zinc and sulfate concentrations were highest during low-flow periods. Spatial variation was assessed in 400 m of reach encompassing an acidic, metal-laden seep. At this seep, pH remained low (2-3) throughout the year, and copper concentrations were highest. In contrast, the zinc concentrations increased with downstream distance. These spatial patterns were caused by immobilization of copper by hydrous ferric oxides in benthic sediments, coupled with increasing downstream supply of zinc from groundwater seepage. - Seasonal hydrology and benthic sediments control copper and zinc concentrations in a stream through a restored mine site

  3. SPATIAL DATA MINING TOOLBOX FOR MAPPING SUITABILITY OF LANDFILL SITES USING NEURAL NETWORKS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. K. M. Abujayyab

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Mapping the suitability of landfill sites is a complex field and is involved with multidiscipline. The purpose of this research is to create an ArcGIS spatial data mining toolbox for mapping the suitability of landfill sites at a regional scale using neural networks. The toolbox is constructed from six sub-tools to prepare, train, and process data. The employment of the toolbox is straightforward. The multilayer perceptron (MLP neural networks structure with a backpropagation learning algorithm is used. The dataset is mined from the north states in Malaysia. A total of 14 criteria are utilized to build the training dataset. The toolbox provides a platform for decision makers to implement neural networks for mapping the suitability of landfill sites in the ArcGIS environment. The result shows the ability of the toolbox to produce suitability maps for landfill sites.

  4. Revealing Significant Relations between Chemical/Biological Features and Activity: Associative Classification Mining for Drug Discovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Pulan

    2012-01-01

    Classification, clustering and association mining are major tasks of data mining and have been widely used for knowledge discovery. Associative classification mining, the combination of both association rule mining and classification, has emerged as an indispensable way to support decision making and scientific research. In particular, it offers a…

  5. Interestingness of association rules in data mining: Issues relevant ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

    mental changes in many spheres of our daily life. .... concentrate on association rule mining since it features as one of the main data mining tech- ..... years, a lot of work has been done in defining and quantifying 'interestingness. .... a critical effect on both, selection of interesting events and variation of interestingness thresh-.

  6. A study of trends in occupational risks associated with coal mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amoudru, C.

    1980-01-01

    The coal industry is well known as a major source of specific types of risk and harmful effects including, for instance, harm to the environment, pollution from various surface installations and hazards associated with the actual task of mining. We shall confine our attention to the third group and discuss only the occupational risks facing miners and ex-miners. Unlike the nuclear and oil industries, coal-mines employ very large work-forces, and the risks associated with mining therefore have a considerable impact. Mining is also a highly integrated industry: a mine's own work-force carries out all the underground engineering work (preparatory excavations, installation work, etc.) as well as maintenance. In this narrow field, a distinction should immediately be drawn between two main areas: industrial accidents; and occupational diseases, which include silicosis or, more precisely, coal-miner's pneumoconiosis

  7. Morphological response to a North Sea bed depression induced by gas mining

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fluit, C.C.J.M.; Hulscher, Suzanne J.M.H.

    2002-01-01

    Gas mining leads to saucer-like surface depressions. In the North Sea, gas is currently mined at several offshore locations. The associated bed depression has a similar spatial extent as offshore tidal sandbanks, which are large-scale bed patterns covering a significant part of the North Sea bottom.

  8. Mining rare associations between biological ontologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benites, Fernando; Simon, Svenja; Sapozhnikova, Elena

    2014-01-01

    The constantly increasing volume and complexity of available biological data requires new methods for their management and analysis. An important challenge is the integration of information from different sources in order to discover possible hidden relations between already known data. In this paper we introduce a data mining approach which relates biological ontologies by mining cross and intra-ontology pairwise generalized association rules. Its advantage is sensitivity to rare associations, for these are important for biologists. We propose a new class of interestingness measures designed for hierarchically organized rules. These measures allow one to select the most important rules and to take into account rare cases. They favor rules with an actual interestingness value that exceeds the expected value. The latter is calculated taking into account the parent rule. We demonstrate this approach by applying it to the analysis of data from Gene Ontology and GPCR databases. Our objective is to discover interesting relations between two different ontologies or parts of a single ontology. The association rules that are thus discovered can provide the user with new knowledge about underlying biological processes or help improve annotation consistency. The obtained results show that produced rules represent meaningful and quite reliable associations.

  9. Mining rare associations between biological ontologies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Benites

    Full Text Available The constantly increasing volume and complexity of available biological data requires new methods for their management and analysis. An important challenge is the integration of information from different sources in order to discover possible hidden relations between already known data. In this paper we introduce a data mining approach which relates biological ontologies by mining cross and intra-ontology pairwise generalized association rules. Its advantage is sensitivity to rare associations, for these are important for biologists. We propose a new class of interestingness measures designed for hierarchically organized rules. These measures allow one to select the most important rules and to take into account rare cases. They favor rules with an actual interestingness value that exceeds the expected value. The latter is calculated taking into account the parent rule. We demonstrate this approach by applying it to the analysis of data from Gene Ontology and GPCR databases. Our objective is to discover interesting relations between two different ontologies or parts of a single ontology. The association rules that are thus discovered can provide the user with new knowledge about underlying biological processes or help improve annotation consistency. The obtained results show that produced rules represent meaningful and quite reliable associations.

  10. Digital database of mining-related features at selected historic and active phosphate mines, Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, and Caribou counties, Idaho

    Science.gov (United States)

    Causey, J. Douglas; Moyle, Phillip R.

    2001-01-01

    This report provides a description of data and processes used to produce a spatial database that delineates mining-related features in areas of historic and active phosphate mining in the core of the southeastern Idaho phosphate resource area. The data have varying degrees of accuracy and attribution detail. Classification of areas by type of mining-related activity at active mines is generally detailed; however, the spatial coverage does not differentiate mining-related surface disturbance features at many of the closed or inactive mines. Nineteen phosphate mine sites are included in the study. A total of 5,728 hc (14,154 ac), or more than 57 km2 (22 mi2), of phosphate mining-related surface disturbance are documented in the spatial coverage of the core of the southeast Idaho phosphate resource area. The study includes 4 active phosphate mines—Dry Valley, Enoch Valley, Rasmussen Ridge, and Smoky Canyon—and 15 historic phosphate mines—Ballard, Champ, Conda, Diamond Gulch, Gay, Georgetown Canyon, Henry, Home Canyon, Lanes Creek, Maybe Canyon, Mountain Fuel, Trail Canyon, Rattlesnake Canyon, Waterloo, and Wooley Valley. Spatial data on the inactive historic mines is relatively up-to-date; however, spatially described areas for active mines are based on digital maps prepared in early 1999. The inactive Gay mine has the largest total area of disturbance: 1,917 hc (4,736 ac) or about 19 km2 (7.4 mi2). It encompasses over three times the disturbance area of the next largest mine, the Conda mine with 607 hc (1,504 ac), and it is nearly four times the area of the Smoky Canyon mine, the largest of the active mines with 497 hc (1,228 ac). The wide range of phosphate mining-related surface disturbance features (approximately 80) were reduced to 13 types or features used in this study—adit and pit, backfilled mine pit, facilities, mine pit, ore stockpile, railroad, road, sediment catchment, tailings or tailings pond, topsoil stockpile, water reservoir, and disturbed

  11. Deconstructing the deconstruction of Appalachia: Mountaintop mining effects on hydrology across temporal and spatial scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nippgen, F.; Ross, M. R. V.; Bernhardt, E. S.; McGlynn, B. L.

    2017-12-01

    Mountaintop mining (MTM) is an especially destructive form of surface coal mining. It is widespread in Central Appalachia and is practiced around the world. In the process of accessing coal seams up to several hundred meters below the surface, mountaintops and ridges are removed via explosives and heavy machinery with the resulting overburden pushed into nearby valleys. This broken up rock and soil material represents a largely unknown amount of storage for incoming precipitation that facilitates enhanced chemical weathering rates and increased dissolved solids exports to streams. However, assessing the independent impact of MTM can be difficult in the presence of other forms of mining, especially underground mining. Here, we evaluate the effect of MTM on water quantity and quality on annual, seasonal, and event time scales in two sets of paired watersheds in southwestern West Virginia impacted by MTM. On an annual timescale, the mined watersheds sustained baseflow throughout the year, while the first order watersheds ceased flowing during the latter parts of the growing season. In fractionally mined watersheds that continued to flow, the water in the stream was exclusively generated from mined portions of the watersheds, leading to elevated total dissolved solids in the stream water. On the event time scale, we analyzed 50 storm events over a water year for a range of hydrologic response metrics. The mined watersheds exhibited smaller runoff ratios and longer response times during the wet dormant season, but responded similarly to rainfall events during the growing season or even exceeded the runoff magnitude of the reference watersheds. Our research demonstrates a clear difference in hydrologic response between mined and unmined watersheds during the growing season and the dormant season that are detectable at annual, seasonal, and event time scales. For larger spatial scales (up to 2,000km2) the effect of MTM on water quantity is not as easily detectable. At

  12. Spatial Variation and Assessment of Heavy Metal and Radioactive Risk in Farmland around a Retired Uranium Mine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Jie; Shi, Chen-hao; Zeng, Guang-ming; Zhong, Min-zhou; Yuan, Yu-jie

    2017-07-01

    In recent years, heavy metal contamination in the environment has been attracted worldwide attention due to their toxicity, persistence,extensive sources and non-biodegradable properties. We herein investigate variation trend and risk of heavy metal and radiation distribution in the former mine stope, former mineral ore stockyard, and mine road with surface soils of a retired uranium mine in the mid-south of China. The mean concentrations (mg/kg) of Pb,Cd,Cu,Zn,As,Hg,Cr,Mn,Ni,U, and 232Th were analyzed according to the corresponding background values in Hunan, China. The Geo-accumulation index (Igeo ) were used for the assessment of pollution level of heavy metals and the radioactive elements of U and 232Th. Then, Pollution load index (PLI) and GIS techniquewere integrated to assess spatial distribution of heavy metal contamination and radioactive contamination. Results confirmed that three areas in the retired uranium mine was a primary source of pollution, which showed anthropogenic origin mainly from agricultural runoff, hydrometallurgy from chemical industries, radioactive tailings, and electroplating industriesfinally drained into Zishui River and Xiangjiang River. Based on the actual situation, some suggestions were put forward for the treatment of the retired uranium mine in conclusion.

  13. EOQ estimation for imperfect quality items using association rule mining with clustering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mandeep Mittal

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Timely identification of newly emerging trends is needed in business process. Data mining techniques like clustering, association rule mining, classification, etc. are very important for business support and decision making. This paper presents a method for redesigning the ordering policy by including cross-selling effect. Initially, association rules are mined on the transactional database and EOQ is estimated with revenue earned. Then, transactions are clustered to obtain homogeneous clusters and association rules are mined in each cluster to estimate EOQ with revenue earned for each cluster. Further, this paper compares ordering policy for imperfect quality items which is developed by applying rules derived from apriori algorithm viz. a without clustering the transactions, and b after clustering the transactions. A numerical example is illustrated to validate the results.

  14. [Environment spatial distribution of mercury pollution in Songhua River upstream gold mining areas].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Ting-Ting; Wang, Ning; Zhang, Gang; Zhao, Dan-Dan

    2010-09-01

    Using Zeeman mercury spectrometer RA915+ monitoring the total gaseous mercury concentration were collected from gold mining area in Huadian, in the upper reaches of the Songhua River, during summer and autumn of 2008, where we simultaneously collected samples of air, water, sediment and soil. The research is focused on analyzing of the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of atmospheric mercury pollution and the correlation with other environmental factors. The results show that: the concentration of atmospheric mercury in summer is higher than that in autumn and in the evening is higher than at noon, and it present a gradual decay with the distance to the gold mining area as the center point increasing. The distribution rule of mercury pollution of environmental factors in the gold mining area is: in sediment > in soil > in plant > in water, the characteristics of mercury pollution distribution in plant is: root > stem and leaf, and the content of mercury in plant in autumn is commonly higher than that in summer. This is thought due to the accumulation of pollutant element from soil during the growth of plant. The atmospheric mercury has a significant correlation with the root of plant, respectively 0.83 in summer and 0.97 in autumn.

  15. Assessment of metal pollution in a former mining area in the NW Tunisia: spatial distribution and fraction of Cd, Pb and Zn in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Othmani, Mohamed Ali; Souissi, Fouad; Durães, Nuno; Abdelkader, Moussi; da Silva, Eduardo Ferreira

    2015-08-01

    This study aims to evaluate the impact of the former mining Touiref district (NW Tunisia) on the spatial distribution of metal contamination. In order to characterize the metal content of the tailings and to assess how far the soils from the district could be impacted by metals, a sampling campaign was conducted. According to the spatial distribution concentration maps of potential toxic elements (PTE), the highest concentrations occur near the flotation tailings and in mining facilities and decrease abruptly with distance. These results confirm that wind is the main agent capable of dispersing metals in a W-E direction, with concentrations exceeding the standards of soil quality for Cd, Pb and Zn over several hundred metres away from the source, facilitated by the small-size fraction and low cohesion of tailings particles. Chemical fractionation showed that Pb and Cd were mainly associated with the acid-soluble fraction (carbonates) and Fe-(oxy) hydroxides, while Zn was mainly associated with Fe-(oxy) hydroxides but also with sulphides. Thus, the immobilization of metals in solution may be favoured by the alkaline conditions, promoted by carbonates dissolution. However, being carbonate important-bearing phases of Cd and Pb (but also for Zn), the dissolution facility of these minerals may enhance the release of metals, particularly far away from the mine where the physicochemical conditions can be different. Also, the metal uptake by plants in these alkaline conditions may be favoured, especially if secondary phases with high sorption ability are reduced at this site. A remediation plan to this area is needed, with particularly attention in the confinement of the tailings.

  16. Hazards associated with stage one-mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1975-01-01

    Radiation hazards in uranium mining arise from the presence of radon-222, a gas which can escape from exposed rock surfaces into the air. Radon daughter products have been associated with an increased incidence of respiratory lung cancer. Other hazards include the tailings which arise from the extraction of uranium ores. The tailings still contain most of the original radium and emit gamma rays and radon gas. The hazards associated with uranium enrichment and fuel manufacture are also discussed. (R.L.)

  17. Improvement of the Prediction of Drugs Demand Using Spatial Data Mining Tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, M Isabel; Cubillas, Juan José; Feito, Francisco R

    2016-01-01

    The continued availability of products at any store is the major issue in order to provide good customer service. If the store is a drugstore this matter reaches a greater importance, as out of stock of a drug when there is high demand causes problems and tensions in the healthcare system. There are numerous studies of the impact this issue has on patients. The lack of any drug in a pharmacy in certain seasons is very common, especially when some external factors proliferate favoring the occurrence of certain diseases. This study focuses on a particular drug consumed in the city of Jaen, southern Andalucia, Spain. Our goal is to determine in advance the Salbutamol demand. Advanced data mining techniques have been used with spatial variables. These last have a key role to generate an effective model. In this research we have used the attributes that are associated with Salbutamol demand and it has been generated a very accurate prediction model of 5.78% of mean absolute error. This is a very encouraging data considering that the consumption of this drug in Jaen varies 500% from one period to another.

  18. Multilevel Association Rule Mining for Bridge Resource Management Based on Immune Genetic Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Ou

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper is concerned with the problem of multilevel association rule mining for bridge resource management (BRM which is announced by IMO in 2010. The goal of this paper is to mine the association rules among the items of BRM and the vessel accidents. However, due to the indirect data that can be collected, which seems useless for the analysis of the relationship between items of BIM and the accidents, the cross level association rules need to be studied, which builds the relation between the indirect data and items of BRM. In this paper, firstly, a cross level coding scheme for mining the multilevel association rules is proposed. Secondly, we execute the immune genetic algorithm with the coding scheme for analyzing BRM. Thirdly, based on the basic maritime investigation reports, some important association rules of the items of BRM are mined and studied. Finally, according to the results of the analysis, we provide the suggestions for the work of seafarer training, assessment, and management.

  19. Quantum algorithm for association rules mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Chao-Hua; Gao, Fei; Wang, Qing-Le; Wen, Qiao-Yan

    2016-10-01

    Association rules mining (ARM) is one of the most important problems in knowledge discovery and data mining. Given a transaction database that has a large number of transactions and items, the task of ARM is to acquire consumption habits of customers by discovering the relationships between itemsets (sets of items). In this paper, we address ARM in the quantum settings and propose a quantum algorithm for the key part of ARM, finding frequent itemsets from the candidate itemsets and acquiring their supports. Specifically, for the case in which there are Mf(k ) frequent k -itemsets in the Mc(k ) candidate k -itemsets (Mf(k )≤Mc(k ) ), our algorithm can efficiently mine these frequent k -itemsets and estimate their supports by using parallel amplitude estimation and amplitude amplification with complexity O (k/√{Mc(k )Mf(k ) } ɛ ) , where ɛ is the error for estimating the supports. Compared with the classical counterpart, i.e., the classical sampling-based algorithm, whose complexity is O (k/Mc(k ) ɛ2) , our quantum algorithm quadratically improves the dependence on both ɛ and Mc(k ) in the best case when Mf(k )≪Mc(k ) and on ɛ alone in the worst case when Mf(k )≈Mc(k ) .

  20. An Efficient Association Rule Hiding Algorithm for Privacy Preserving Data Mining

    OpenAIRE

    Yogendra Kumar Jain,; Vinod Kumar Yadav,; Geetika S. Panday

    2011-01-01

    The security of the large database that contains certain crucial information, it will become a serious issue when sharing data to the network against unauthorized access. Privacy preserving data mining is a new research trend in privacy data for data mining and statistical database. Association analysis is a powerful toolfor discovering relationships which are hidden in large database. Association rules hiding algorithms get strong and efficient performance for protecting confidential and cru...

  1. Monitoring, analyzing and simulating of spatial-temporal changes of landscape pattern over mining area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Pei; Han, Ruimei; Wang, Shuangting

    2014-11-01

    According to the merits of remotely sensed data in depicting regional land cover and Land changes, multi- objective information processing is employed to remote sensing images to analyze and simulate land cover in mining areas. In this paper, multi-temporal remotely sensed data were selected to monitor the pattern, distri- bution and trend of LUCC and predict its impacts on ecological environment and human settlement in mining area. The monitor, analysis and simulation of LUCC in this coal mining areas are divided into five steps. The are information integration of optical and SAR data, LULC types extraction with SVM classifier, LULC trends simulation with CA Markov model, landscape temporal changes monitoring and analysis with confusion matrixes and landscape indices. The results demonstrate that the improved data fusion algorithm could make full use of information extracted from optical and SAR data; SVM classifier has an efficient and stable ability to obtain land cover maps, which could provide a good basis for both land cover change analysis and trend simulation; CA Markov model is able to predict LULC trends with good performance, and it is an effective way to integrate remotely sensed data with spatial-temporal model for analysis of land use / cover change and corresponding environmental impacts in mining area. Confusion matrixes are combined with landscape indices to evaluation and analysis show that, there was a sustained downward trend in agricultural land and bare land, but a continues growth trend tendency in water body, forest and other lands, and building area showing a wave like change, first increased and then decreased; mining landscape has undergone a from small to large and large to small process of fragmentation, agricultural land is the strongest influenced landscape type in this area, and human activities are the primary cause, so the problem should be pay more attentions by government and other organizations.

  2. RANWAR: rank-based weighted association rule mining from gene expression and methylation data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallik, Saurav; Mukhopadhyay, Anirban; Maulik, Ujjwal

    2015-01-01

    Ranking of association rules is currently an interesting topic in data mining and bioinformatics. The huge number of evolved rules of items (or, genes) by association rule mining (ARM) algorithms makes confusion to the decision maker. In this article, we propose a weighted rule-mining technique (say, RANWAR or rank-based weighted association rule-mining) to rank the rules using two novel rule-interestingness measures, viz., rank-based weighted condensed support (wcs) and weighted condensed confidence (wcc) measures to bypass the problem. These measures are basically depended on the rank of items (genes). Using the rank, we assign weight to each item. RANWAR generates much less number of frequent itemsets than the state-of-the-art association rule mining algorithms. Thus, it saves time of execution of the algorithm. We run RANWAR on gene expression and methylation datasets. The genes of the top rules are biologically validated by Gene Ontologies (GOs) and KEGG pathway analyses. Many top ranked rules extracted from RANWAR that hold poor ranks in traditional Apriori, are highly biologically significant to the related diseases. Finally, the top rules evolved from RANWAR, that are not in Apriori, are reported.

  3. Using an improved association rules mining optimization algorithm in web-based mobile-learning system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yin; Chen, Jianhua; Xiong, Shaojun

    2009-07-01

    Mobile-Learning (M-learning) makes many learners get the advantages of both traditional learning and E-learning. Currently, Web-based Mobile-Learning Systems have created many new ways and defined new relationships between educators and learners. Association rule mining is one of the most important fields in data mining and knowledge discovery in databases. Rules explosion is a serious problem which causes great concerns, as conventional mining algorithms often produce too many rules for decision makers to digest. Since Web-based Mobile-Learning System collects vast amounts of student profile data, data mining and knowledge discovery techniques can be applied to find interesting relationships between attributes of learners, assessments, the solution strategies adopted by learners and so on. Therefore ,this paper focus on a new data-mining algorithm, combined with the advantages of genetic algorithm and simulated annealing algorithm , called ARGSA(Association rules based on an improved Genetic Simulated Annealing Algorithm), to mine the association rules. This paper first takes advantage of the Parallel Genetic Algorithm and Simulated Algorithm designed specifically for discovering association rules. Moreover, the analysis and experiment are also made to show the proposed method is superior to the Apriori algorithm in this Mobile-Learning system.

  4. DrugQuest - a text mining workflow for drug association discovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papanikolaou, Nikolas; Pavlopoulos, Georgios A; Theodosiou, Theodosios; Vizirianakis, Ioannis S; Iliopoulos, Ioannis

    2016-06-06

    Text mining and data integration methods are gaining ground in the field of health sciences due to the exponential growth of bio-medical literature and information stored in biological databases. While such methods mostly try to extract bioentity associations from PubMed, very few of them are dedicated in mining other types of repositories such as chemical databases. Herein, we apply a text mining approach on the DrugBank database in order to explore drug associations based on the DrugBank "Description", "Indication", "Pharmacodynamics" and "Mechanism of Action" text fields. We apply Name Entity Recognition (NER) techniques on these fields to identify chemicals, proteins, genes, pathways, diseases, and we utilize the TextQuest algorithm to find additional biologically significant words. Using a plethora of similarity and partitional clustering techniques, we group the DrugBank records based on their common terms and investigate possible scenarios why these records are clustered together. Different views such as clustered chemicals based on their textual information, tag clouds consisting of Significant Terms along with the terms that were used for clustering are delivered to the user through a user-friendly web interface. DrugQuest is a text mining tool for knowledge discovery: it is designed to cluster DrugBank records based on text attributes in order to find new associations between drugs. The service is freely available at http://bioinformatics.med.uoc.gr/drugquest .

  5. A procedure for NEPA assessment of selenium hazards associated with mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemly, A Dennis

    2007-02-01

    This paper gives step-by-step instructions for assessing aquatic selenium hazards associated with mining. The procedure was developed to provide the U.S. Forest Service with a proactive capability for determining the risk of selenium pollution when it reviews mine permit applications in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The procedural framework is constructed in a decision-tree format in order to guide users through the various steps, provide a logical sequence for completing individual tasks, and identify key decision points. There are five major components designed to gather information on operational parameters of the proposed mine as well as key aspects of the physical, chemical, and biological environment surrounding it--geological assessment, mine operation assessment, hydrological assessment, biological assessment, and hazard assessment. Validation tests conducted at three mines where selenium pollution has occurred confirmed that the procedure will accurately predict ecological risks. In each case, it correctly identified and quantified selenium hazard, and indicated the steps needed to reduce this hazard to an acceptable level. By utilizing the procedure, NEPA workers can be confident in their ability to understand the risk of aquatic selenium pollution and take appropriate action. Although the procedure was developed for the Forest Service it should also be useful to other federal land management agencies that conduct NEPA assessments, as well as regulatory agencies responsible for issuing coal mining permits under the authority of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) and associated Section 401 water quality certification under the Clean Water Act. Mining companies will also benefit from the application of this procedure because priority selenium sources can be identified in relation to specific mine operating parameters. The procedure will reveal the point(s) at which there is a need to modify operating

  6. Using association rule mining to identify risk factors for early childhood caries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivančević, Vladimir; Tušek, Ivan; Tušek, Jasmina; Knežević, Marko; Elheshk, Salaheddin; Luković, Ivan

    2015-11-01

    Early childhood caries (ECC) is a potentially severe disease affecting children all over the world. The available findings are mostly based on a logistic regression model, but data mining, in particular association rule mining, could be used to extract more information from the same data set. ECC data was collected in a cross-sectional analytical study of the 10% sample of preschool children in the South Bačka area (Vojvodina, Serbia). Association rules were extracted from the data by association rule mining. Risk factors were extracted from the highly ranked association rules. Discovered dominant risk factors include male gender, frequent breastfeeding (with other risk factors), high birth order, language, and low body weight at birth. Low health awareness of parents was significantly associated to ECC only in male children. The discovered risk factors are mostly confirmed by the literature, which corroborates the value of the methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Study on structuring the supervision system of coal mine associated with radionuclides in Xinjiang

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng Guangwen; Jia Xiahui

    2012-01-01

    Xinjiang is one of China's rich coal provinces (areas) and it accounts for about 40% national coal reserves. In the long-term radioactive scientific research, monitoring and environmental impact assessment works, we found parts of Yili and Hetian's coal was associated with higher radionuclide, and parts of coal seam even reached nuclear mining level. However the laws and regulations about associated radioactive coal mine supervision were not perfect, and the supervision system is still in the exploration. This article mainly started with the coal mine enterprises' geological prospecting reports, radiation environmental impact assessment and monitoring report preparation for environment acceptance checking and supervisory monitoring, controlled the coal radioactive pollution from the sources, and carried out the research of building Xinjiang associated radioactive coal mine supervision system. The establishment of supervision system will provide technical guidance for the enterprises' coal exploitation and cinders using on the one hand, and on the other hand will provide decision-making basis for strengthening the associated radioactive coal mine supervision for Xinjiang environmental regulators. (authors)

  8. Data Mining Relationships Among Urban Socioeconomic, Land Cover, and Remotely Sensed Ecological Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mennis, J.; Wessman, C.; Golubiewski, N.

    2003-12-01

    This research investigates the relationships among socioeconomic character, land cover, and ecological function in a rapidly urbanizing region, the Front Range of Colorado. We use novel spatial geographic information systems- (GIS-) based data integration and data mining techniques to integrate and analyze diverse spatial data sets. These data include elevation data, transportation data, land cover data derived from aerial photography, block group-level U.S. Census data, and vegetation greenness (NDVI) data derived from Landsat imagery. These data are used to derive a variety of U.S. block group-level variables indicating demographic, geographic, ecological, and land cover characteristics. We employ spatial association rule mining, decision tree induction, and spatial on-line analytical processing (OLAP), in addition to more conventional multivariate statistical techniques, to investigate relationships among these variables.

  9. Gain ratio based fuzzy weighted association rule mining classifier for ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    association rule mining algorithm for extracting both association rules and member- .... The disadvantage of this work is in considering the generalization at each ... If the new attribute is entered, the generalization process does not consider the ...

  10. A Socio-Ecological Approach to GIS Least-Cost Modelling for Regional Mining Infrastructure Planning: A Case Study from South-East Sulawesi, Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alex M. Lechner

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Regional planning approaches to mining infrastructure aim to reduce the conflict associated with mining operations and existing land uses, such as urban areas and biodiversity conservation, as well as the cumulative impacts that occur offsite. In this paper, we describe a method for conducting Geographical Information System (GIS least-cost path and least-cost corridor analysis for linear mining infrastructure, such as roads. Least-cost path analysis identifies the optimal pathways between two locations as a function of the cost of traveling through different land use/cover types. In a case study from South-East Sulawesi, Indonesia, we identify potential linear networks for road infrastructure connecting mines, smelters, and ports. The method used interview data from government officials to characterise their orientation (perceived importance and positive/negative attitude toward the social and environmental factors associated with mining infrastructure. A cost-surface was constructed by integrating spatial layers representing the social and environmental factors to identify areas that should be avoided and areas that were compatible with linear infrastructure using the least-cost path analysis. We compared infrastructure scenario outputs from local and national government officials by the degree of spatial overlap and found broad spatial agreement for infrastructure corridors. We conclude by discussing this approach in relation to the wider social-ecological and mine planning literature and how quantitative approaches can reduce the conflict associated with infrastructure planning.

  11. Determination of possible radiation hazards associated with tin mining industry in West Malaysia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, S.J.

    1979-04-01

    A study was made in Malaysia under an IAEA research contract on the possible radiation hazards associated with tin mining industry in Malaysia. The study comprised of the measurement of external radiation levels in various mines, gamma-ray spectrometric analysis of various samples from mines, and measurements of radon and radon daughters concentrations. For radon daughters modified Tsivoglou and Kusnetz methods were used. The study showed that there is, in general, no radiation hazard associated with the tin mining industry in West Malaysia. However, the only likely source that might pose some external radiation hazard is the amang upgrading plant which invariably concentrates either or both 232 Th and 238 U in the final products of the upgrading process. A quantitative and thorough investigation of radiation levels in the amang upgrading industry is necessary to determine the degree of hazard. No significant radon or radon daughters concentrations were noted in the underground mines

  12. Mine Water Treatment in Hongai Coal Mines

    OpenAIRE

    Dang Phuong Thao; Dang Vu Chi

    2018-01-01

    Acid mine drainage (AMD) is recognized as one of the most serious environmental problem associated with mining industry. Acid water, also known as acid mine drainage forms when iron sulfide minerals found in the rock of coal seams are exposed to oxidizing conditions in coal mining. Until 2009, mine drainage in Hongai coal mines was not treated, leading to harmful effects on humans, animals and aquatic ecosystem. This report has examined acid mine drainage problem and techniques for acid mine ...

  13. Automating the Analysis of Spatial Grids A Practical Guide to Data Mining Geospatial Images for Human & Environmental Applications

    CERN Document Server

    Lakshmanan, Valliappa

    2012-01-01

    The ability to create automated algorithms to process gridded spatial data is increasingly important as remotely sensed datasets increase in volume and frequency. Whether in business, social science, ecology, meteorology or urban planning, the ability to create automated applications to analyze and detect patterns in geospatial data is increasingly important. This book provides students with a foundation in topics of digital image processing and data mining as applied to geospatial datasets. The aim is for readers to be able to devise and implement automated techniques to extract information from spatial grids such as radar, satellite or high-resolution survey imagery.

  14. Virtual prototype simulation of hydraulic shovel kinematics for spatial characterization in surface mining operations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    S. Frimpong; Y. Li [University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, MO (United States). Department of Mining and Nuclear Engineering

    2005-12-15

    Hydraulic shovels are large-capacity equipment for excavating and loading dump trucks in constrained surface mining environments. Kinematics simulation of such equipment allows mine planning engineers to plan, design and control their spatial environments to achieve operating safety and efficiency. In this study, a hydraulic shovel was modelled as a mechanical manipulator with five degrees of freedom comprising the crawler, upper, boom, stick, bucket and bucket door components. The model was captured in a schematic diagram consisting of a six-bar linkage using the symbolic notation of Denavit and Hartenberg (Ho and Sriwattanathmma 1989). Homogeneous transformation matrices were used to capture the spatial configuration between adjacent links. The forward kinematics method was used to formulate the kinematics equations by attaching Cartesian coordinates to the schematic shovel diagram. Based on the kinematics model, a 3D virtual prototype of the hydraulic shovel was built in the Automatic Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems (ADAMS) environment to simulate the motions of the hydraulic shovel with selected time steps. The simulator was validated using real-world data with animation and numerical analysis of the digging, swinging and dumping motions of the shovel machinery. The superimposed display of the deployment of the hydraulic shovel in three phases allows a detailed motion examination of the system. The numerical results of linear and angular displacements of the bucket tip and bucket door can be used to analyse the kinematics motion of the hydraulic shovel for its optimization. This simulator provides a solid foundation for further dynamics modelling and dynamic hydraulic shovel performance studies.

  15. Mine Water Treatment in Hongai Coal Mines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dang, Phuong Thao; Dang, Vu Chi

    2018-03-01

    Acid mine drainage (AMD) is recognized as one of the most serious environmental problem associated with mining industry. Acid water, also known as acid mine drainage forms when iron sulfide minerals found in the rock of coal seams are exposed to oxidizing conditions in coal mining. Until 2009, mine drainage in Hongai coal mines was not treated, leading to harmful effects on humans, animals and aquatic ecosystem. This report has examined acid mine drainage problem and techniques for acid mine drainage treatment in Hongai coal mines. In addition, selection and criteria for the design of the treatment systems have been presented.

  16. Unstable Malaria Transmission in the Southern Peruvian Amazon and Its Association with Gold Mining, Madre de Dios, 2001–2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez, Juan F.; Carnero, Andres M.; Rivera, Esteban; Rosales, Luis A.; Baldeviano, G. Christian; Asencios, Jorge L.; Edgel, Kimberly A.; Vinetz, Joseph M.; Lescano, Andres G.

    2017-01-01

    The reemergence of malaria in the last decade in Madre de Dios, southern Peruvian Amazon basin, was accompanied by ecological, political, and socioeconomic changes related to the proliferation of illegal gold mining. We conducted a secondary analysis of passive malaria surveillance data reported by the health networks in Madre de Dios between 2001 and 2012. We calculated the number of cases of malaria by year, geographic location, intensity of illegal mining activities, and proximity of health facilities to the Peru–Brazil Interoceanic Highway. During 2001–2012, 203,773 febrile cases were identified in Madre de Dios, of which 30,811 (15.1%) were confirmed cases of malaria; all but 10 cases were due to Plasmodium vivax. Cases of malaria rose rapidly between 2004 and 2007, reached 4,469 cases in 2005, and then declined after 2010 to pre-2004 levels. Health facilities located in areas of intense illegal gold mining reported 30-fold more cases than those in non-mining areas (ratio = 31.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 19.28, 51.60). Finally, health facilities located > 1 km from the Interoceanic Highway reported significantly more cases than health facilities within this distance (ratio = 16.20, 95% CI = 8.25, 31.80). Transmission of malaria in Madre de Dios is unstable, geographically heterogeneous, and strongly associated with illegal gold mining. These findings highlight the importance of spatially oriented interventions to control malaria in Madre de Dios, as well as the need for research on malaria transmission in illegal gold mining camps. PMID:27879461

  17. A STUDY OF TEXT MINING METHODS, APPLICATIONS,AND TECHNIQUES

    OpenAIRE

    R. Rajamani*1 & S. Saranya2

    2017-01-01

    Data mining is used to extract useful information from the large amount of data. It is used to implement and solve different types of research problems. The research related areas in data mining are text mining, web mining, image mining, sequential pattern mining, spatial mining, medical mining, multimedia mining, structure mining and graph mining. Text mining also referred to text of data mining, it is also called knowledge discovery in text (KDT) or knowledge of intelligent text analysis. T...

  18. Combined effects of spatially variable flow and mineralogy on the attenuation of acid mine drainage in groundwater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malmstroem, Maria E.; Berglund, Sten; Jarsjoe, Jerker

    2008-01-01

    Quantifications of the spreading of acid mine drainage (AMD) in groundwater are needed for risk assessments of mining sites. However, due to subsurface heterogeneity, available field data may prove insufficient for deterministic process descriptions, even at well-characterized sites. Here, the probabilistic LaSAR-PHREEQC model is used to consider multicomponent reactions and transport in heterogeneous (flow and geochemistry) groundwater surrounding a mine waste site, with specific focus on the spreading of Zn. Model results, using field data from a mill tailings impoundment in northern Sweden (including major component geochemistry), indicate that precipitation of smithsonite (ZnCO 3 ) may drastically delay the downstream arrival of Zn, but may also cause a peak concentration once the retained Zn is released. The amount of smithsonite formed is, however, minute and its spatial variation large, such that detection of smithsonite in soil samples may be difficult. Results further show that even a low degree of flow heterogeneity can effectively smooth otherwise distinctive temporal concentration changes attributed to the considered chemical reactions, and thereby mask the attenuation processes. By contrast, the existence of preferential flow paths can cause temporally separated concentration peaks in response to a single chemical reaction chain, even in a geochemically homogeneous domain, making the interpretation of the concentration curves non-trivial. The stochastic modelling results for Zn considering flow and/or mineralogical heterogeneity indicate a less efficient Zn attenuation than predicted by standard, deterministic reactive-transport models. In addition, in all considered probabilistic Zn and SO 4 2- scenarios, the spatial variability in downstream pollutant concentration was high, implying that a relatively large number of point samples are needed to determine field-scale mean concentrations

  19. Generation of Acid Mine Lakes Associated with Abandoned Coal Mines in Northwest Turkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanliyuksel Yucel, Deniz; Balci, Nurgul; Baba, Alper

    2016-05-01

    A total of five acid mine lakes (AMLs) located in northwest Turkey were investigated using combined isotope, molecular, and geochemical techniques to identify geochemical processes controlling and promoting acid formation. All of the investigated lakes showed typical characteristics of an AML with low pH (2.59-3.79) and high electrical conductivity values (1040-6430 μS/cm), in addition to high sulfate (594-5370 mg/l) and metal (aluminum [Al], iron [Fe], manganese [Mn], nickel [Ni], and zinc [Zn]) concentrations. Geochemical and isotope results showed that the acid-generation mechanism and source of sulfate in the lakes can change and depends on the age of the lakes. In the relatively older lakes (AMLs 1 through 3), biogeochemical Fe cycles seem to be the dominant process controlling metal concentration and pH of the water unlike in the younger lakes (AMLs 4 and 5). Bacterial species determined in an older lake (AML 2) indicate that biological oxidation and reduction of Fe and S are the dominant processes in the lakes. Furthermore, O and S isotopes of sulfate indicate that sulfate in the older mine lakes may be a product of much more complex oxidation/dissolution reactions. However, the major source of sulfate in the younger mine lakes is in situ pyrite oxidation catalyzed by Fe(III) produced by way of oxidation of Fe(II). Consistent with this, insignificant fractionation between δ(34) [Formula: see text] and δ(34) [Formula: see text] values indicated that the oxidation of pyrite, along with dissolution and precipitation reactions of Fe(III) minerals, is the main reason for acid formation in the region. Overall, the results showed that acid generation during early stage formation of an AML associated with pyrite-rich mine waste is primarily controlled by the oxidation of pyrite with Fe cycles becoming the dominant processes regulating pH and metal cycles in the later stages of mine lake development.

  20. Integrated approach to assess the environmental impact of mining activities: estimation of the spatial distribution of soil contamination (Panasqueira mining area, Central Portugal).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Candeias, Carla; Ávila, Paula F; Ferreira da Silva, Eduardo; Teixeira, João Paulo

    2015-03-01

    Through the years, mining and beneficiation processes in Panasqueira Sn-W mine (Central Portugal) produced large amounts of As-rich mine wastes laid up in huge tailings and open-air impoundments (Barroca Grande and Rio tailings) that are the main source of pollution in the surrounding area once they are exposed to the weathering conditions leading to the formation of acid mine drainage (AMD) and consequently to the contamination of the surrounding environments, particularly soils. The active mine started the exploration during the nineteenth century. This study aims to look at the extension of the soil pollution due to mining activities and tailing erosion by combining data on the degree of soil contamination that allows a better understanding of the dynamics inherent to leaching, transport, and accumulation of some potential toxic elements in soil and their environmental relevance. Soil samples were collected in the surrounding soils of the mine, were digested in aqua regia, and were analyzed for 36 elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Selected results are that (a) an association of elements like Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cu, W, and Zn strongly correlated and controlled by the local sulfide mineralization geochemical signature was revealed; (b) the global area discloses significant concentrations of As, Bi, Cd, and W linked to the exchangeable and acid-soluble bearing phases; and (c) wind promotes the mechanical dispersion of the rejected materials, from the milled waste rocks and the mineral processing plant, with subsequent deposition on soils and waters. Arsenic- and sulfide-related heavy metals (such as Cu and Cd) are associated to the fine materials that are transported in suspension by surface waters or associated to the acidic waters, draining these sites and contaminating the local soils. Part of this fraction, especially for As, Cd, and Cu, is temporally retained in solid phases by precipitation of soluble secondary minerals (through

  1. Spatial Distribution and Pollution Characteristics of Heavy Metals in Soil of Mentougou Mining Area of Beijing City, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    XING Yu-xin

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The pollution characteristics and spatial distribution of soil heavy metals around mine-concentrated area in Mentougou were comprehensive studied using ArcGIS carried by inverse distance weighted interpolation mathematical model and SPSS multivariate statistical analysis. The ecological risk assessment was carried out by the potential ecological risk index. The results showed that the spatial distribution of soil heavy metal concentrations increased gradually from the west to the east of study area. Harmful degrees of heavy metals decreased in the order of Hg > Cd > Pb > Cr > Zn > Cu > Ni > As. Combination of coal mining and human activity caused the strongest risk, while the risks caused by heavy metals from sandstone minerals was relatively weak. The potential ecological risk indexes(RI of eight heavy metals were between 67.81 and 668.53. The order of the potential ecological risk was Hg > Cd > As > Pb > Ni > Cu > Cr > Zn. In summary, the heavy metals in soil of the study area were harmful. Because the study area is located in the ecological conservation district of Beijing, the ecological harm should not be overlooked, and needs to be evaluated and repaired.

  2. Mine Water Treatment in Hongai Coal Mines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dang Phuong Thao

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Acid mine drainage (AMD is recognized as one of the most serious environmental problem associated with mining industry. Acid water, also known as acid mine drainage forms when iron sulfide minerals found in the rock of coal seams are exposed to oxidizing conditions in coal mining. Until 2009, mine drainage in Hongai coal mines was not treated, leading to harmful effects on humans, animals and aquatic ecosystem. This report has examined acid mine drainage problem and techniques for acid mine drainage treatment in Hongai coal mines. In addition, selection and criteria for the design of the treatment systems have been presented.

  3. Spatial variability and temporal changes in the trace metal content of soils: implications for mine restoration plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandra, Rachna; Prusty, B Anjan Kumar; Azeez, P A

    2014-06-01

    Trace metals in soils may be inherited from the parent materials or added to the system due to anthropogenic activities. In proposed mining areas, trace metals become an integral part of the soil system. Usually, researchers undertake experiments on plant species selection (for the restoration plan) only after the termination of mining activities, i.e. without any pre-mining information about the soil-plant interactions. Though not shown in studies, it is clear that several recovery plans remain unsuccessful while carrying out restoration experiments. Therefore, we hypothesize that to restore the area effectively, it is imperative to consider the pre-mining scenario of metal levels in parent material as well as the vegetation ecology of the region. With these specifics, we examined the concentrations of trace metals in parent soils at three proposed bauxite locations in the Eastern Ghats, India, and compared them at a spatio-temporal scale. Vegetation quantification and other basic soil parameters accounted for establishing the connection between soil and plants. The study recorded significant spatial heterogeneity in trace metal concentrations and the role of vegetation on metal availability. Oxidation reduction potential (ORP), pH and cation exchange capacity (CEC) directly influenced metal content, and Cu and Ni were lithogenic in origin. It implies that for effective restoration plant species varies for each geological location.

  4. Fuzzy OLAP association rules mining-based modular reinforcement learning approach for multiagent systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaya, Mehmet; Alhajj, Reda

    2005-04-01

    Multiagent systems and data mining have recently attracted considerable attention in the field of computing. Reinforcement learning is the most commonly used learning process for multiagent systems. However, it still has some drawbacks, including modeling other learning agents present in the domain as part of the state of the environment, and some states are experienced much less than others, or some state-action pairs are never visited during the learning phase. Further, before completing the learning process, an agent cannot exhibit a certain behavior in some states that may be experienced sufficiently. In this study, we propose a novel multiagent learning approach to handle these problems. Our approach is based on utilizing the mining process for modular cooperative learning systems. It incorporates fuzziness and online analytical processing (OLAP) based mining to effectively process the information reported by agents. First, we describe a fuzzy data cube OLAP architecture which facilitates effective storage and processing of the state information reported by agents. This way, the action of the other agent, not even in the visual environment. of the agent under consideration, can simply be predicted by extracting online association rules, a well-known data mining technique, from the constructed data cube. Second, we present a new action selection model, which is also based on association rules mining. Finally, we generalize not sufficiently experienced states, by mining multilevel association rules from the proposed fuzzy data cube. Experimental results obtained on two different versions of a well-known pursuit domain show the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed fuzzy OLAP mining based modular learning approach. Finally, we tested the scalability of the approach presented in this paper and compared it with our previous work on modular-fuzzy Q-learning and ordinary Q-learning.

  5. Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Mining Matters: A Model of Effective Outreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hymers, L.; Heenan, S.

    2009-05-01

    Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Mining Matters is a charitable organization whose mandate is to bring the wonders of Canada's geology and mineral resources to students, educators and industry. The organization provides current information about rocks, minerals, metals, and mining and offers exceptional educational resources, developed by teachers and for teachers that meet Junior, Intermediate and Senior Provincial Earth Science and Geography curriculum expectations. Since 1994, Mining Matters has reached more than 400,000 educators, students, industry representatives, and Aboriginal Youth through Earth Science resources. At the time of the program's inception, members of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) realized that their mining and mineral industry expertise could be of help to teachers and students. Consulting experts in education, government, and business, and the PDAC worked together to develop the first Mining Matters Earth Science curriculum kit for Grades 6 and 7 teachers in Ontario. PDAC Mining Matters became the official educational arm of the Association and a charitable organization in 1997. Since then, the organization has partnered with government, industry, and educators to develop bilingual Earth science teaching units for Grades 4 and 7, and senior High School. The teaching units consist of kits that contain curriculum correlated lesson plans, inform bulletins, genuine data sets, rock and mineral samples, equipment and additional instructional resources. Mining Matters offers instructional development workshops for the purposes of training pre-service and in- service educators to use our teaching units in the classroom. The workshops are meant to provide teachers with the knowledge and confidence they need to successfully employ the units in the classroom. Formal mechanisms for resource and workshop evaluations are in place. Overwhelmingly teacher feedback is positive, describing the excellence

  6. Set-Oriented Mining for Association Rules in Relational Databases

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Houtsma, M.A.W.; Houtsma, M.A.W.; Swami, A.

    1995-01-01

    Describe set-oriented algorithms for mining association rules. Such algorithms imply performing multiple joins and may appear to be inherently less efficient than special-purpose algorithms. We develop new algorithms that can be expressed as SQL queries, and discuss the optimization of these

  7. Radioactivity in groundwater associated with uranium and phosphate mining and processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaufmann, R.F.

    1981-01-01

    From 1975 to 1980 USEPA investigations of the uranium and phosphate mining and milling industries addressed associated changes in the radionuclide content of nearby water resources. Available data for 226 Ra in central Florida aquifers show no significant difference in phosphate mineralized vs. nonmineralized areas. Apparently neither mineralization nor the industry cause significant increase in the Ra content of groundwater. Uranium mining and milling in a number of Western States (e.g. New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, Washington) cause locally increased levels of U, Ra and Th in shallow groundwater, but potable water supplies have not been adversely affected. Contamination of deep aquifers does not appear to occur, although elevated levels of Ra and U are present in many mine water discharges as a result of ore body oxidation and leaching. Model underground and surface U mines were used to evaluate chemical loading of 238 U, 226 Ra, 210 Pb and 210 Po to local and regional hydrographic units. Infiltration of mine water to potable groundwater and suspension/solution of contaminants in flood water constitute the principal elements of the aqueous pathway

  8. Sustainable Remediation of Legacy Mine Drainage: A Case Study of the Flight 93 National Memorial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emili, Lisa A.; Pizarchik, Joseph; Mahan, Carolyn G.

    2016-03-01

    Pollution from mining activities is a global environmental concern, not limited to areas of current resource extraction, but including a broader geographic area of historic (legacy) and abandoned mines. The pollution of surface waters from acid mine drainage is a persistent problem and requires a holistic and sustainable approach to addressing the spatial and temporal complexity of mining-specific problems. In this paper, we focus on the environmental, socio-economic, and legal challenges associated with the concurrent activities to remediate a coal mine site and to develop a national memorial following a catastrophic event. We provide a conceptual construct of a socio-ecological system defined at several spatial, temporal, and organizational scales and a critical synthesis of the technical and social learning processes necessary to achieving sustainable environmental remediation. Our case study is an example of a multi-disciplinary management approach, whereby collaborative interaction of stakeholders, the emergence of functional linkages for information exchange, and mediation led to scientifically informed decision making, creative management solutions, and ultimately environmental policy change.

  9. Radon as a tracer of daily, seasonal and spatial air movements in the Underground Tourist Route "Coal Mine" (SW Poland).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tchorz-Trzeciakiewicz, Dagmara Eulalia; Parkitny, Tomasz

    2015-11-01

    The surveys of radon concentrations in the Underground Tourist Route "Coal Mine" were carried out using passive and active measurement techniques. Passive methods with application of Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors LR115 were used at 4 points in years 2004-2007 and at 21 points in year 2011. These detectors were exchanged at the beginning of every season in order to get information about seasonal and spatial changes of radon concentrations. The average radon concentration noted in this facility was 799 Bq m(-3) and is consistent with radon concentrations noted in Polish coal mines. Seasonal variations, observed in this underground tourist route, were as follows: the highest radon concentrations were noted during summers, the lowest during winters, during springs and autumns intermediate but higher in spring than in autumn. The main external factor that affected seasonal changes of radon concentrations was the seasonal variation of outside temperature. No correlation between seasonal variations of radon concentrations and seasonal average atmospheric pressures was found. Spatial variations of radon concentrations corresponded with air movements inside the Underground Tourist Route "Coal Mine". The most vivid air movements were noted along the main tunnel in adit and at the place located near no blinded (in the upper part) shaft. Daily variations of radon concentrations were recorded in May 2012 using RadStar RS-230 as the active measurement technique. Typical daily variations of radon concentrations followed the pattern that the highest radon concentrations were recorded from 8-9 a.m. to 7-8 p.m. and the lowest during nights. The main factor responsible for hourly variations of radon concentrations was the daily variation of outside temperatures. No correlations were found between radon concentration and other meteorological parameters such as atmospheric pressure, wind velocity or precipitation. Additionally, the influence of human factor on radon

  10. [Pollution Assessment and Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Heavy Metals in Soils of Coal Mining Area in Longkou City].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shuo; Wu, Quan-yuan; Cao, Xue-jiang; Wang, Ji-ning; Zhang, Long-long; Cai, Dong-quan; Zhou, Li-yuan; Liu, Na

    2016-01-15

    The present paper takes the coal mining area of Longkou City as the research area. Thirty-six topsoil (0-20 cm) samples were collected and the contents of 5 kinds of heavy metals were determined, including Cd, As, Ni, Ph, Cr. Geo-statistics analysis was used to analyze the spatial distribution of heavy metals. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to explore the pollution sources of heavy metals and the degree of heavy metals pollution was evaluated by weighted average comprehensive pollution evaluation method. The results showed that enrichment phenomenon was significant for the 5 kinds of heavy metals. Taking secondary standard of National Environment Quality Standard for Soil as the background value, their exceed standard rates were 72.22%, 100%, 100%, 91.67%, 100%, respectively. Average contents of heavy metals in the soil samples were all over the national standard level two and were 1.53, 11.86, 2.40, 1.31, 4.09 times of the background value. In addition, the average contents were much higher than the background value of the topsoil in the eastern part of Shandong Province and were 9.85, 39.98, 8.85, 4.29, 12.71 times of the background value. According to the semivariogram model, we obtained the nugget-effects of 5 kinds of heavy metals and their values were in the order of As (0.644) > Cd (0.627) > Cr (0.538) > Ni (0.411) > Pb (0.294), all belonging to moderate spatial correlation. On the whole, the central part of the Sangyuan Coal Mine and its surrounding areas were the most seriously polluted, while the pollution of heavy metals in the east and west of the study area was relatively light. Principal component analysis suggested that the enrichment of Cd, As, Ni, Cr was due to irrigation of wastewater, the discharge of industry and enterprise, and the industrial activity. Automobile exhaust and coal combustion were the main pollution sources of Pb. The single-factor assessment of heavy metals pollution showed that the degree of different heavy metals

  11. Metal speciation in agricultural soils adjacent to the Irankuh Pb-Zn mining area, central Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokhtari, Ahmad Reza; Roshani Rodsari, Parisa; Cohen, David R.; Emami, Adel; Dehghanzadeh Bafghi, Ali Akbar; Khodaian Ghegeni, Ziba

    2015-01-01

    Mining activities are a significant potential source of metal contamination of soils in surrounding areas, with particular concern for metals dispersed into agricultural area in forms that are bioavailable and which may affect human health. Soils in agricultural land adjacent to Pb-Zn mining operations in the southern part of the Irankuh Mountains contain elevated concentrations for a range of metals associated with the mineralization (including Pb, Zn and As). Total and partial geochemical extraction data from a suite of 137 soil samples is used to establish mineralogical controls on ore-related trace elements and help differentiate spatial patterns that can be related to the effects of mining on the agricultural land soils from general geological and environmental controls. Whereas the patterns for Pb, Zn and As are spatially related to the mining operations they display little correlation with the distribution of secondary Fe + Mn oxyhydroxides or carbonates, suggesting dispersion as dust and in forms with limited bioavailability.

  12. An assessment of microbial communities associated with surface mining-disturbed overburden.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poncelet, Dominique M; Cavender, Nicole; Cutright, Teresa J; Senko, John M

    2014-03-01

    To assess the microbiological changes that occur during the maturation of overburden that has been disturbed by surface mining of coal, a surface mining-disturbed overburden unit in southeastern Ohio, USA was characterized. Overburden from the same unit that had been disturbed for 37 and 16 years were compared to undisturbed soil from the same region. Overburden and soil samples were collected as shallow subsurface cores from each subregion of the mined area (i.e., land 16 years and 37 years post-mining, and unmined land). Chemical and mineralogical characteristics of overburden samples were determined, as were microbial respiration rates. The composition of microbial communities associated with overburden and soil were determined using culture-independent, nucleic acid-based approaches. Chemical and mineralogical evaluation of overburden suggested that weathering of disturbed overburden gave rise to a setting with lower pH and more oxidized chemical constituents. Overburden-associated microbial biomass and respiration rates increased with time after overburden disturbance. Evaluation of 16S rRNA gene libraries that were produced by "next-generation" sequencing technology revealed that recently disturbed overburden contained an abundance of phylotypes attributable to sulfur-oxidizing Limnobacter spp., but with increasing time post-disturbance, overburden-associated microbial communities developed a structure similar to that of undisturbed soil, but retained characteristics of more recently disturbed overburden. Our results indicate that over time, the biogeochemical weathering of disturbed overburden leads to the development of geochemical conditions and microbial communities that approximate those of undisturbed soil, but that this transition is incomplete after 37 years of overburden maturation.

  13. Integrated assessmet of the impacts associated with uranium mining and milling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parzyck, D.C.; Baes, C.F. III; Berry, L.G.

    1979-07-01

    The occupational health and safety impacts are assessed for domestic underground mining, open pit mining, and milling. Public health impacts are calculated for a population of 53,000 located within 88 km (55 miles) of a typical southwestern uranium mill. The collective annual dose would be 6.5 man-lung rem/year, 89% of which is from /sup 222/Rn emitted from mill tailings. The dose to the United States population is estimated to be 6 x 10/sup 4/ man-lung rem from combined mining and milling operations. This may be comparedd with 5.7 x 10/sup 5/ man-lung rem from domestic use of natural gas and 4.4 x 10/sup 7/ man-lung rem from building interiors. Unavoidable adverse environmental impacts appear to be severe in a 250 ha area surrounding a mill site but negligible in the entire potentially impacted area (500,000 ha). The contemporary uranium resource and supply industry and its institutional settings are described in relation to the socio-economic impacts likely to emerge from high levels of uranium mining and milling. Radon and radon daughter monitoring techniques associated with uranium mining and milling are discussed.

  14. Integrated assessmet of the impacts associated with uranium mining and milling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parzyck, D.C.; Baes, C.F. III; Berry, L.G.

    1979-07-01

    The occupational health and safety impacts are assessed for domestic underground mining, open pit mining, and milling. Public health impacts are calculated for a population of 53,000 located within 88 km (55 miles) of a typical southwestern uranium mill. The collective annual dose would be 6.5 man-lung rem/year, 89% of which is from 222 Rn emitted from mill tailings. The dose to the United States population is estimated to be 6 x 10 4 man-lung rem from combined mining and milling operations. This may be comparedd with 5.7 x 10 5 man-lung rem from domestic use of natural gas and 4.4 x 10 7 man-lung rem from building interiors. Unavoidable adverse environmental impacts appear to be severe in a 250 ha area surrounding a mill site but negligible in the entire potentially impacted area (500,000 ha). The contemporary uranium resource and supply industry and its institutional settings are described in relation to the socio-economic impacts likely to emerge from high levels of uranium mining and milling. Radon and radon daughter monitoring techniques associated with uranium mining and milling are discussed

  15. Analysis of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation in vitro using classification association rule mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Weiqi; Wang, Yanbo Justin; Bañares-Alcántara, René; Coenen, Frans; Cui, Zhanfeng

    2009-12-01

    In this paper, data mining is used to analyze the data on the differentiation of mammalian Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs), aiming at discovering known and hidden rules governing MSC differentiation, following the establishment of a web-based public database containing experimental data on the MSC proliferation and differentiation. To this effect, a web-based public interactive database comprising the key parameters which influence the fate and destiny of mammalian MSCs has been constructed and analyzed using Classification Association Rule Mining (CARM) as a data-mining technique. The results show that the proposed approach is technically feasible and performs well with respect to the accuracy of (classification) prediction. Key rules mined from the constructed MSC database are consistent with experimental observations, indicating the validity of the method developed and the first step in the application of data mining to the study of MSCs.

  16. Study on the Method of Association Rules Mining Based on Genetic Algorithm and Application in Analysis of Seawater Samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiuhong Sun

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Based on the data mining research, the data mining based on genetic algorithm method, the genetic algorithm is briefly introduced, while the genetic algorithm based on two important theories and theoretical templates principle implicit parallelism is also discussed. Focuses on the application of genetic algorithms for association rule mining method based on association rule mining, this paper proposes a genetic algorithm fitness function structure, data encoding, such as the title of the improvement program, in particular through the early issues study, proposed the improved adaptive Pc, Pm algorithm is applied to the genetic algorithm, thereby improving efficiency of the algorithm. Finally, a genetic algorithm based association rule mining algorithm, and be applied in sea water samples database in data mining and prove its effective.

  17. Regional scale selenium loading associated with surface coal mining, Elk Valley, British Columbia, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wellen, Christopher C; Shatilla, Nadine J; Carey, Sean K

    2015-11-01

    Selenium (Se) concentrations in surface water downstream of surface mining operations have been reported at levels in excess of water quality guidelines for the protection of wildlife. Previous research in surface mining environments has focused on downstream water quality impacts, yet little is known about the fundamental controls on Se loading. This study investigated the relationship between mining practices, stream flows and Se concentrations using a SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) model. This work is part of a R&D program examining the influence of surface coal mining on hydrological and water quality responses in the Elk Valley, British Columbia, Canada, aimed at informing effective management responses. Results indicate that waste rock volume, a product of mining activity, accounted for roughly 80% of the Se load from the Elk Valley, while background sources accounted for roughly 13%. Wet years were characterized by more than twice the Se load of dry years. A number of variables regarding placement of waste rock within the catchments, length of buried streams, and the construction of rock drains did not significantly influence the Se load. The age of the waste rock, the proportion of waste rock surface reclaimed, and the ratio of waste rock pile side area to top area all varied inversely with the Se load from watersheds containing waste rock. These results suggest operational practices that are likely to reduce the release of Se to surface waters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. From Intra-transaction to Generalized Inter-transaction: Landscaping Multidimensional Contexts in Association Rule Mining

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Li, Q; Feng, L.; Wong, A.K.Y.

    The problem of mining multidimensional inter-transactional association rules was recently introduced in [ACM Trans. Inform. Syst. 18(4) (2000) 423; Proc. of the ACM SIGMOD Workshop on Research Issues on Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, Seattle, Washington, June 1998, p. 12:1]. It extends the

  19. A Data Mining and Survey Study on Diseases Associated with Paraesophageal Hernia

    OpenAIRE

    Yang, Jianji; Logan, Judith

    2006-01-01

    Paraesophageal hernia is a severe form of hiatal hernia, characterized by the upward dislocation of the gastric fundus into the thoracic cavity. In this study, the 1999 National Inpatient Sample dataset of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project was analyzed using data mining techniques to explore disorders associated with paraesophageal hernia. The result of this data mining process was compared with a subsequent expert knowledge survey of 97 gastrointestinal tract surgeons. This two-ste...

  20. Mining Context-Aware Association Rules Using Grammar-Based Genetic Programming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luna, Jose Maria; Pechenizkiy, Mykola; Del Jesus, Maria Jose; Ventura, Sebastian

    2017-09-25

    Real-world data usually comprise features whose interpretation depends on some contextual information. Such contextual-sensitive features and patterns are of high interest to be discovered and analyzed in order to obtain the right meaning. This paper formulates the problem of mining context-aware association rules, which refers to the search for associations between itemsets such that the strength of their implication depends on a contextual feature. For the discovery of this type of associations, a model that restricts the search space and includes syntax constraints by means of a grammar-based genetic programming methodology is proposed. Grammars can be considered as a useful way of introducing subjective knowledge to the pattern mining process as they are highly related to the background knowledge of the user. The performance and usefulness of the proposed approach is examined by considering synthetically generated datasets. A posteriori analysis on different domains is also carried out to demonstrate the utility of this kind of associations. For example, in educational domains, it is essential to identify and understand contextual and context-sensitive factors that affect overall and individual student behavior and performance. The results of the experiments suggest that the approach is feasible and it automatically identifies interesting context-aware associations from real-world datasets.

  1. Attribute Index and Uniform Design Based Multiobjective Association Rule Mining with Evolutionary Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jie Zhang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In association rule mining, evaluating an association rule needs to repeatedly scan database to compare the whole database with the antecedent, consequent of a rule and the whole rule. In order to decrease the number of comparisons and time consuming, we present an attribute index strategy. It only needs to scan database once to create the attribute index of each attribute. Then all metrics values to evaluate an association rule do not need to scan database any further, but acquire data only by means of the attribute indices. The paper visualizes association rule mining as a multiobjective problem rather than a single objective one. In order to make the acquired solutions scatter uniformly toward the Pareto frontier in the objective space, elitism policy and uniform design are introduced. The paper presents the algorithm of attribute index and uniform design based multiobjective association rule mining with evolutionary algorithm, abbreviated as IUARMMEA. It does not require the user-specified minimum support and minimum confidence anymore, but uses a simple attribute index. It uses a well-designed real encoding so as to extend its application scope. Experiments performed on several databases demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has excellent performance, and it can significantly reduce the number of comparisons and time consumption.

  2. Attribute index and uniform design based multiobjective association rule mining with evolutionary algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jie; Wang, Yuping; Feng, Junhong

    2013-01-01

    In association rule mining, evaluating an association rule needs to repeatedly scan database to compare the whole database with the antecedent, consequent of a rule and the whole rule. In order to decrease the number of comparisons and time consuming, we present an attribute index strategy. It only needs to scan database once to create the attribute index of each attribute. Then all metrics values to evaluate an association rule do not need to scan database any further, but acquire data only by means of the attribute indices. The paper visualizes association rule mining as a multiobjective problem rather than a single objective one. In order to make the acquired solutions scatter uniformly toward the Pareto frontier in the objective space, elitism policy and uniform design are introduced. The paper presents the algorithm of attribute index and uniform design based multiobjective association rule mining with evolutionary algorithm, abbreviated as IUARMMEA. It does not require the user-specified minimum support and minimum confidence anymore, but uses a simple attribute index. It uses a well-designed real encoding so as to extend its application scope. Experiments performed on several databases demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has excellent performance, and it can significantly reduce the number of comparisons and time consumption.

  3. Assessment of pneumoconiosis hazards associated with mining operations in coal mines. [USSR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sukhanov, V V; Menyailo, N I; Petul' ko, S N

    1984-07-01

    Methods are discussed for evaluating hazards of pneumoconiosis in underground coal mines. Pneumoconiosis hazards are decisively influenced by: content of respirable dusts in mine air at a working place, dust composition, temperature and time of a miner's contact with dusts. The following classification of pneumoconiosis hazards is used in the USSR: low hazards when a miner is endangered by pneumoconiosis after 20 years or more, medium hazards when pneumoconiosis may occur after 10 to 20 years, high pneumoconiosis hazards when a miner is endangered by pneumoconiosis after less than 10 years of contact with dusts. High air temperature in deep coal mines increases pneumoconiosis hazards: when temperature exceeds 26 C a temperature increase of 1 C causes a 10% increase in dust chemical activity. Safety standards which describe the maximum permissible dust level in coal mine air in the USSR, the FRG, France and Poland are compared.

  4. Improved Density Based Spatial Clustering of Applications of Noise Clustering Algorithm for Knowledge Discovery in Spatial Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arvind Sharma

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available There are many techniques available in the field of data mining and its subfield spatial data mining is to understand relationships between data objects. Data objects related with spatial features are called spatial databases. These relationships can be used for prediction and trend detection between spatial and nonspatial objects for social and scientific reasons. A huge data set may be collected from different sources as satellite images, X-rays, medical images, traffic cameras, and GIS system. To handle this large amount of data and set relationship between them in a certain manner with certain results is our primary purpose of this paper. This paper gives a complete process to understand how spatial data is different from other kinds of data sets and how it is refined to apply to get useful results and set trends to predict geographic information system and spatial data mining process. In this paper a new improved algorithm for clustering is designed because role of clustering is very indispensable in spatial data mining process. Clustering methods are useful in various fields of human life such as GIS (Geographic Information System, GPS (Global Positioning System, weather forecasting, air traffic controller, water treatment, area selection, cost estimation, planning of rural and urban areas, remote sensing, and VLSI designing. This paper presents study of various clustering methods and algorithms and an improved algorithm of DBSCAN as IDBSCAN (Improved Density Based Spatial Clustering of Application of Noise. The algorithm is designed by addition of some important attributes which are responsible for generation of better clusters from existing data sets in comparison of other methods.

  5. Professional mathematicians differ from controls in their spatial-numerical associations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cipora, Krzysztof; Hohol, Mateusz; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph; Willmes, Klaus; Brożek, Bartosz; Kucharzyk, Bartłomiej; Nęcka, Edward

    2016-07-01

    While mathematically impaired individuals have been shown to have deficits in all kinds of basic numerical representations, among them spatial-numerical associations, little is known about individuals with exceptionally high math expertise. They might have a more abstract magnitude representation or more flexible spatial associations, so that no automatic left/small and right/large spatial-numerical association is elicited. To pursue this question, we examined the Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) effect in professional mathematicians which was compared to two control groups: Professionals who use advanced math in their work but are not mathematicians (mostly engineers), and matched controls. Contrarily to both control groups, Mathematicians did not reveal a SNARC effect. The group differences could not be accounted for by differences in mean response speed, response variance or intelligence or a general tendency not to show spatial-numerical associations. We propose that professional mathematicians possess more abstract and/or spatially very flexible numerical representations and therefore do not exhibit or do have a largely reduced default left-to-right spatial-numerical orientation as indexed by the SNARC effect, but we also discuss other possible accounts. We argue that this comparison with professional mathematicians also tells us about the nature of spatial-numerical associations in persons with much less mathematical expertise or knowledge.

  6. Association and Sequence Mining in Web Usage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Elena DINUCA

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Web servers worldwide generate a vast amount of information on web users’ browsing activities. Several researchers have studied these so-called clickstream or web access log data to better understand and characterize web users. Clickstream data can be enriched with information about the content of visited pages and the origin (e.g., geographic, organizational of the requests. The goal of this project is to analyse user behaviour by mining enriched web access log data. With the continued growth and proliferation of e-commerce, Web services, and Web-based information systems, the volumes of click stream and user data collected by Web-based organizations in their daily operations has reached astronomical proportions. This information can be exploited in various ways, such as enhancing the effectiveness of websites or developing directed web marketing campaigns. The discovered patterns are usually represented as collections of pages, objects, or re-sources that are frequently accessed by groups of users with common needs or interests. The focus of this paper is to provide an overview how to use frequent pattern techniques for discovering different types of patterns in a Web log database. In this paper we will focus on finding association as a data mining technique to extract potentially useful knowledge from web usage data. I implemented in Java, using NetBeans IDE, a program for identification of pages’ association from sessions. For exemplification, we used the log files from a commercial web site.

  7. Privacy Preserving Association Rule Mining Revisited: Privacy Enhancement and Resources Efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohaisen, Abedelaziz; Jho, Nam-Su; Hong, Dowon; Nyang, Daehun

    Privacy preserving association rule mining algorithms have been designed for discovering the relations between variables in data while maintaining the data privacy. In this article we revise one of the recently introduced schemes for association rule mining using fake transactions (FS). In particular, our analysis shows that the FS scheme has exhaustive storage and high computation requirements for guaranteeing a reasonable level of privacy. We introduce a realistic definition of privacy that benefits from the average case privacy and motivates the study of a weakness in the structure of FS by fake transactions filtering. In order to overcome this problem, we improve the FS scheme by presenting a hybrid scheme that considers both privacy and resources as two concurrent guidelines. Analytical and empirical results show the efficiency and applicability of our proposed scheme.

  8. Arsenic and antimony geochemistry of mine wastes, associated waters and sediments at the Giant Mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fawcett, Skya E.; Jamieson, Heather E.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; McCleskey, R. Blaine

    2015-01-01

    Sb were associated with organic material and appeared mobile in the root zone. In the zone below active plant growth, As and Sb were associated primarily with inorganic phases suggesting a release and reprecipitation of these elements upon plant death. The co-existence of reduced and oxidized As and Sb species, instability of some phases under changing redox conditions, and plant uptake and release pose challenges for remediation efforts at the mine.

  9. Social big data mining

    CERN Document Server

    Ishikawa, Hiroshi

    2015-01-01

    Social Media. Big Data and Social Data. Hypotheses in the Era of Big Data. Social Big Data Applications. Basic Concepts in Data Mining. Association Rule Mining. Clustering. Classification. Prediction. Web Structure Mining. Web Content Mining. Web Access Log Mining, Information Extraction and Deep Web Mining. Media Mining. Scalability and Outlier Detection.

  10. Ecological and human health risks associated with abandoned gold mine tailings contaminated soil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ngole-Jeme, Veronica Mpode; Fantke, Peter

    2017-01-01

    of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) in soil samples from the area varied with the highest contamination factors (expressed as ratio of metal or metalloid concentration in the tailings contaminated soil......Gold mining is a major source of metal and metalloid emissions into the environment. Studies were carried out in Krugersdorp, South Africa, to evaluate the ecological and human health risks associated with exposure to metals and metalloids in mine tailings contaminated soils. Concentrations......×10−2 for As and Ni respectively among children, and 5×10−3 and 4×10−3 for As and Ni respectively among adults. There is significant potential ecological and human health risk associated with metal and metalloid exposure from contaminated soils around gold mine tailings dumps. This could be a potential contributing...

  11. Legal instruments for controlling exposure of workers to ionizing radiations in mining and its associated industries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yusoff Ismail

    1994-01-01

    Briefly, the existing legal instruments for protection of workers in mining and its associated activities are given. Further, major provisions of the laws relevant to the protection of workers against ionizing radiations in mining and its associated activities are detailed. Finally, practical framework developed by the Atomic Energy Licensing Board, for implementation and enforcement is described

  12. Reduction of spatial distribution of risk factors for transportation of contaminants released by coal mining activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karan, Shivesh Kishore; Samadder, Sukha Ranjan

    2016-09-15

    It is reported that water-energy nexus composes two of the biggest development and human health challenges. In the present study we presented a Risk Potential Index (RPI) model which encapsulates Source, Vector (Transport), and Target risks for forecasting surface water contamination. The main aim of the model is to identify critical surface water risk zones for an open cast mining environment, taking Jharia Coalfield, India as the study area. The model also helps in feasible sampling design. Based on spatial analysis various risk zones were successfully delineated. Monthly RPI distribution revealed that the risk of surface water contamination was highest during the monsoon months. Surface water samples were analysed to validate the model. A GIS based alternative management option was proposed to reduce surface water contamination risk and observed 96% and 86% decrease in the spatial distribution of very high risk areas for the months June and July respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Arsenic and antimony geochemistry of mine wastes, associated waters and sediments at the Giant Mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fawcett, Skya E.; Jamieson, Heather E.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; McCleskey, R. Blaine

    2015-01-01

    Elevated levels of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in water and sediments are legacy residues found downstream from gold-mining activities at the Giant Mine in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. To track the transport and fate of As and Sb, samples of mine-waste from the mill, and surface water, sediment, pore-water, and vegetation downstream of the mine were collected. Mine waste, pore-water, and sediment samples were analyzed for bulk chemistry, and aqueous and solid-state speciation. Sediment and vegetation chemistry were evaluated using scanning electron microscope imaging, synchrotron-based element mapping and electron microprobe analysis. The distributions of As and Sb in sediments were similar, yet their distributions in the corresponding pore-waters were mostly dissimilar, and the mobility of As was greater than that of Sb. Competition for sorption sites is the most likely cause of elevated Sb concentrations in relatively oxidized pore-water and surface water. The aqueous and solid-state speciation of As and Sb also differed. In pore-water, As(V) dominated in oxidizing environments and As(III) in reducing environments. In contrast, the Sb(V) species dominated in all but one pore-water sample, even under reducing conditions. Antimony(III) appears to preferentially precipitate or adsorb onto sulfides as evidenced by the prevalence of an Sb(III)-S secondary solid-phase and the lack of Sb(III)(aq) in the deeper zones. The As(V)–O solid phase became depleted with depth below the sediment–water interface, and the Sb(V)–O phase persisted under relatively reducing conditions. In the surficial zone at a site populated by Equisetum fluviatile (common horsetail), As and Sb were associated with organic material and appeared mobile in the root zone. In the zone below active plant growth, As and Sb were associated primarily with inorganic phases suggesting a release and reprecipitation of these elements upon plant death. The co-existence of reduced

  14. A study of trends in occupational risks associated with coal mining

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amoundru, C.

    1980-10-01

    The occupational risks associated with underground coal mining can be categorized as either industrial accidents or occupational diseases. Since 1957, the number of fatal accidents per million tons of coal produced has dropped by a factor of four. The number of industrial accidents in general decreased by 30% during 1967-75. The main occupational diseases affecting miners are arthrosis, deafness, and pneumoconiosis. To make an objective comparison with the health hazards from other sources of energy, the probable risks facing workers in a modern mine should be compared with those currently confronting workers in other industries.

  15. Sustainable Mining Environment: Technical Review of Post-mining Plans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Restu Juniah

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The mining industry exists because humans need mining commodities to meet their daily needs such as motor vehicles, mobile phones, electronic equipment and others. Mining commodities as mentioned in Government Regulation No. 23 of 2010 on Implementation of Mineral and Coal Mining Business Activities are radioactive minerals, metal minerals, nonmetallic minerals, rocks and coal. Mineral and coal mining is conducted to obtain the mining commodities through production operations. Mining and coal mining companies have an obligation to ensure that the mining environment in particular after the post production operation or post mining continues. The survey research aims to examine technically the post-mining plan in coal mining of PT Samantaka Batubara in Indragiri Hulu Regency of Riau Province towards the sustainability of the mining environment. The results indicate that the post-mining plan of PT Samantaka Batubara has met the technical aspects required in post mining planning for a sustainable mining environment. Postponement of post-mining land of PT Samantaka Batubara for garden and forest zone. The results of this study are expected to be useful and can be used by stakeholders, academics, researchers, practitioners and associations of mining, and the environment.

  16. Respirable quartz hazard associated with coal mine roof bolter dust

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joy, G.J.; Beck, T.W.; Listak, J.M.

    2010-01-01

    Pneumoconiosis has been reported to be increasing among underground coal miners in the Southern Appalachian Region. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health conducted a study to examine the particle size distribution and quartz content of dust generated by the installation of roof bolts in mines. Forty-six bulk samples of roof bolting machine pre-cleaner cyclone dump dust and collector box dust were collected from 26 underground coal mines. Real-time and integrated airborne respirable dust concentrations were measured on 3 mining sections in 2 mines. The real-time airborne dust concentrations profiles were examined to identify any concentration changes that might be associated with pre-cleaner cyclone dust discharge events. The study showed that bolter dust is a potential inhalation hazard due to the fraction of dust less than 10 μm in size, and the quartz content of the dust. The pre-cleaner cyclone dust was significantly larger than the collector box dust, indicating that the pre-cleaner functioned properly in removing the larger dust size fraction from the airstream. However, the pre-cleaner dust still contained a substantial amount of respirable dust. It was concluded that in order to maintain the effectiveness of a roof bolter dust collector, periodic removal of dust is required. Appropriate work procedures and equipment are necessary to minimize exposure during this cleaning task. 13 refs., 3 tabs., 2 figs.

  17. Concentration-Discharge relationships in a mine-impacted catchment, New River, Tennessee: Comparison across spatial and temporal scales using time-series analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, J.; Hornberger, G. M.

    2009-12-01

    Concentration-discharge (c-Q) relationships are useful in indentifying physical and chemical processes affecting stream water chemistry. Frequently used as a diagnostic tool, c-Q relationships can be used to infer particular mixing patterns that may occur in a catchment. However, much work has shown c-Q relationships are highly variable and often inconclusive, suggesting the catchment behavior they indicate cannot be readily recognized without supporting knowledge of system dynamics. For example, drainage area and location, in addition to changes in land use over time, affect many processes in catchments including flow routing and solute concentrations. The effect of spatial and temporal scales on c-Q relationships are explored using recursive time-series analysis of historic and recent water quality data. The New River encompasses 400 square miles of remote land on the Cumberland Plateau in middle Tennessee and is a major component of the headwaters of the Cumberland River. Current and historic coal mining, oil and gas extraction, and timber harvesting have impaired water quality in the watershed. Historically, the highest magnitude of degradation probably occurred during the mid-1900s with severe acid mine drainage throughout the watershed. In 1975, 56% of all coal mined in Tennessee was derived from the New River watershed. Over the past three decades most of the New River system has rebounded though some small tributaries still experience acid mine drainage and elevated metal loads. Sediment, in terms of quantity and sorption of metals, is currently considered the largest pollutant by many. Water pH is circum-neutral in the system and coal-mining pollution is best identified by elevated specific conductance and sulfate concentration. A combination of historic and recently collected water quality data were obtained for the Indian Fork, a small 4 square mile upland catchment in the New River watershed, and the New River main-stem, approximately 25 miles

  18. Environmental impacts associated with an abandoned mine in the Witbank Coalfield, South Africa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bell, F.G.; Bullock, S.E.T.; Haelbich, T.F.J.; Lindsay, P.

    2001-01-01

    Mining at Middelburg Colliery in the Witbank Coalfield commenced at the turn of the last century. Initially, there was little environmental degradation associated with mining activities; however, in the late 1930s, a pillar-robbing programme commenced. This has had a marked effect on the environment. Some of the most notable primary effects include subsidence, the appearance of tension cracks at the surface and crownhole development. Secondary effects include spontaneous combustion of the coal worked, as air has been provided with ready access to the mine, accelerated subsidence due to the strength of many pillars being reduced by burning, and a marked deterioration of groundwater quality in the area due to the seepage of acid mine drainage from the mine. Spoil heaps also form blemishes on the landscape. These contain significant amounts of coal and have undergone spontaneous combustion. The deterioration in the quality of water has led to the decimation of vegetation in some areas and the eradication of aquatic flora and fauna in a nearby stream

  19. Arsenic associated with historical gold mining in the Sierra Nevada foothills: Case study and field trip guide for Empire Mine State Historic Park, California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alpers, Charles N.; Myers, Perry A; Millsap, Daniel; Regnier, Tamsen B; Bowell, Robert J.; Alpers, Charles N.; Jamieson, Heather E.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Majzlan, Juraj

    2014-01-01

    The Empire Mine, together with other mines in the Grass Valley mining district, produced at least 21.3 million troy ounces (663 tonnes) of gold (Au) during the 1850s through the 1950s, making it the most productive hardrock Au mining district in California history (Clark 1970). The Empire Mine State Historic Park (Empire Mine SHP or EMSHP), established in 1975, provides the public with an opportunity to see many well-preserved features of the historic mining and mineral processing operations (CDPR 2014a).A legacy of Au mining at Empire Mine and elsewhere is contamination of mine wastes and associated soils, surface waters, and groundwaters with arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and other metals. At EMSHP, As has been the principal contaminant of concern and the focus of extensive remediation efforts over the past several years by the State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Newmont USA, Ltd. In addition, the site is the main focus of a multidisciplinary research project on As bioavailability and bioaccessibility led by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA’s) Brownfields Program.This chapter was prepared as a guide for a field trip to EMSHP held on June 14, 2014, in conjunction with a short course on “Environmental Geochemistry, Mineralogy, and Microbiology of Arsenic” held in Nevada City, California on June 15–16, 2014. This guide contains background information on geological setting, mining history, and environmental history at EMSHP and other historical Au mining districts in the Sierra Nevada, followed by descriptions of the field trip stops.

  20. An improved Pearson's correlation proximity-based hierarchical clustering for mining biological association between genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Booma, P M; Prabhakaran, S; Dhanalakshmi, R

    2014-01-01

    Microarray gene expression datasets has concerned great awareness among molecular biologist, statisticians, and computer scientists. Data mining that extracts the hidden and usual information from datasets fails to identify the most significant biological associations between genes. A search made with heuristic for standard biological process measures only the gene expression level, threshold, and response time. Heuristic search identifies and mines the best biological solution, but the association process was not efficiently addressed. To monitor higher rate of expression levels between genes, a hierarchical clustering model was proposed, where the biological association between genes is measured simultaneously using proximity measure of improved Pearson's correlation (PCPHC). Additionally, the Seed Augment algorithm adopts average linkage methods on rows and columns in order to expand a seed PCPHC model into a maximal global PCPHC (GL-PCPHC) model and to identify association between the clusters. Moreover, a GL-PCPHC applies pattern growing method to mine the PCPHC patterns. Compared to existing gene expression analysis, the PCPHC model achieves better performance. Experimental evaluations are conducted for GL-PCPHC model with standard benchmark gene expression datasets extracted from UCI repository and GenBank database in terms of execution time, size of pattern, significance level, biological association efficiency, and pattern quality.

  1. Hyperspectral analysis for qualitative and quantitative features related to acid mine drainage at a remediated open-pit mine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, G.; Calvin, W. M.

    2015-12-01

    The exposure of pyrite to oxygen and water in mine waste environments is known to generate acidity and the accumulation of secondary iron minerals. Sulfates and secondary iron minerals associated with acid mine drainage (AMD) exhibit diverse spectral properties in the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The use of hyperspectral imagery for identification of AMD mineralogy and contamination has been well studied. Fewer studies have examined the impacts of hydrologic variations on mapping AMD or the unique spectral signatures of mine waters. Open-pit mine lakes are an additional environmental hazard which have not been widely studied using imaging spectroscopy. A better understanding of AMD variation related to climate fluctuations and the spectral signatures of contaminated surface waters will aid future assessments of environmental contamination. This study examined the ability of multi-season airborne hyperspectral data to identify the geochemical evolution of substances and contaminant patterns at the Leviathan Mine Superfund site. The mine is located 24 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe and contains remnant tailings piles and several AMD collection ponds. The objectives were to 1) distinguish temporal changes in mineralogy at a the remediated open-pit sulfur mine, 2) identify the absorption features of mine affected waters, and 3) quantitatively link water spectra to known dissolved iron concentrations. Images from NASA's AVIRIS instrument were collected in the spring, summer, and fall seasons for two consecutive years at Leviathan (HyspIRI campaign). Images had a spatial resolution of 15 meters at nadir. Ground-based surveys using the ASD FieldSpecPro spectrometer and laboratory spectral and chemical analysis complemented the remote sensing data. Temporal changes in surface mineralogy were difficult to distinguish. However, seasonal changes in pond water quality were identified. Dissolved ferric iron and chlorophyll

  2. Acid mine drainage: mining and water pollution issues in British Columbia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-12-31

    The importance of protecting water quality and some of the problems associated with mineral development are described. Negative impacts of mining operations such as sedimentation, water disturbances, and water pollution from waste rock and tailings are considered. Mining wastes, types of water pollution from mining, the legacy of acid mine drainage, predicting acid mine drainage, preventing and mitigating acid mine drainage, examples from the past, and cyanide heap-leaching are discussed. The real costs of mining at the Telkwa open pit coal mine are assessed. British Columbia mines that are known for or are potentially acid generating are shown on a map. 32 refs., 10 figs.

  3. Conflicts and limitations in spatial development of mining basins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Spasić Nenad

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available A relatively high degree of conflicts between development and developmental goals is an objective condition that one has to face in planning in large mining basins. Numerous conflicts exist: between wider public larger social interests (land occupation, removal-power production, short-term and long-term goals, specific and general aims, etc. Basic developmental conflicts exist in the relationship between the miming-energy-industrial system and its environment, and they are manifested in areas of regional development, incompatible production functions (mining-agriculture, lend use and organization, exploitation of natural resources, and environmental degradation. Thus, one of the most important planning task in large mining basins is to identify, evaluate, confront and compare development conflicts and developmental goals. The task of the planning process is to offer objective parameters (indices concerning the state of development, its potentials and limitations, as well as the concept of alternative strategies of future development, including their possible effects, conversion of larger social priorities into criteria for evaluating alternative strategies, i.e. to offer adequate analytical documents as a platform for the expression of goals and interests of numerous social subjects and their harmonization in the process of participation in planing decision making.

  4. Information mining in remote sensing imagery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jiang

    The volume of remotely sensed imagery continues to grow at an enormous rate due to the advances in sensor technology, and our capability for collecting and storing images has greatly outpaced our ability to analyze and retrieve information from the images. This motivates us to develop image information mining techniques, which is very much an interdisciplinary endeavor drawing upon expertise in image processing, databases, information retrieval, machine learning, and software design. This dissertation proposes and implements an extensive remote sensing image information mining (ReSIM) system prototype for mining useful information implicitly stored in remote sensing imagery. The system consists of three modules: image processing subsystem, database subsystem, and visualization and graphical user interface (GUI) subsystem. Land cover and land use (LCLU) information corresponding to spectral characteristics is identified by supervised classification based on support vector machines (SVM) with automatic model selection, while textural features that characterize spatial information are extracted using Gabor wavelet coefficients. Within LCLU categories, textural features are clustered using an optimized k-means clustering approach to acquire search efficient space. The clusters are stored in an object-oriented database (OODB) with associated images indexed in an image database (IDB). A k-nearest neighbor search is performed using a query-by-example (QBE) approach. Furthermore, an automatic parametric contour tracing algorithm and an O(n) time piecewise linear polygonal approximation (PLPA) algorithm are developed for shape information mining of interesting objects within the image. A fuzzy object-oriented database based on the fuzzy object-oriented data (FOOD) model is developed to handle the fuzziness and uncertainty. Three specific applications are presented: integrated land cover and texture pattern mining, shape information mining for change detection of lakes, and

  5. Mining for associations between text and brain activation in a functional neuroimaging database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Finn Årup; Hansen, Lars Kai; Balslev, D.

    2004-01-01

    We describe a method for mining a neuroimaging database for associations between text and brain locations. The objective is to discover association rules between words indicative of cognitive function as described in abstracts of neuroscience papers and sets of reported stereotactic Talairach...

  6. Mining Views : database views for data mining

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blockeel, H.; Calders, T.; Fromont, É.; Goethals, B.; Prado, A.; Nijssen, S.; De Raedt, L.

    2007-01-01

    We propose a relational database model towards the integration of data mining into relational database systems, based on the so called virtual mining views. We show that several types of patterns and models over the data, such as itemsets, association rules, decision trees and clusterings, can be

  7. Exposure to dust and particle-associated 1-nitropyrene of drivers of diesel-powered equipment in underground mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheepers, P T J; Micka, V; Muzyka, V; Anzion, R; Dahmann, D; Poole, J; Bos, R P

    2003-07-01

    A field study was conducted in two mines in order to determine the most suitable strategy for ambient exposure assessment in the framework of a European study aimed at validation of biological monitoring approaches for diesel exhaust (BIOMODEM). Exposure to dust and particle-associated 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) was studied in 20 miners of black coal by the long wall method (Czech Republic) and in 20 workers in oil shale mining by the room and pillar method (Estonia). The study in the oil shale mine was extended to include 100 workers in a second phase (main study). In each mine half of the study population worked underground as drivers of diesel-powered trains (black coal) and excavators (oil shale). The other half consisted of workers occupied in various non-diesel production assignments. Exposure to diesel exhaust was studied by measurement of inhalable and respirable dust at fixed locations and by personal air sampling of respirable dust. The ratio of geometric mean inhalable to respirable dust concentration was approximately two to one. The underground/surface ratio of respirable dust concentrations measured at fixed locations and in the breathing zones of the workers was 2-fold or greater. Respirable dust was 2- to 3-fold higher in the breathing zone than at fixed sampling locations. The 1-NP content in these dust fractions was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry and ranged from 0.003 to 42.2 ng/m(3) in the breathing zones of the workers. In mine dust no 1-NP was detected. In both mines 1-NP was observed to be primarily associated with respirable particles. The 1-NP concentrations were also higher underground than on the surface (2- to 3-fold in the coal mine and 10-fold or more in the oil shale mine). Concentrations of 1-NP in the breathing zones were also higher than at fixed sites (2.5-fold in the coal mine and 10-fold in the oil shale mine). For individual exposure assessment personal air sampling is preferred over air sampling

  8. Mining Views : database views for data mining

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blockeel, H.; Calders, T.; Fromont, É.; Goethals, B.; Prado, A.

    2008-01-01

    We present a system towards the integration of data mining into relational databases. To this end, a relational database model is proposed, based on the so called virtual mining views. We show that several types of patterns and models over the data, such as itemsets, association rules and decision

  9. Slope stability radar for monitoring mine walls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reeves, Bryan; Noon, David A.; Stickley, Glen F.; Longstaff, Dennis

    2001-11-01

    Determining slope stability in a mining operation is an important task. This is especially true when the mine workings are close to a potentially unstable slope. A common technique to determine slope stability is to monitor the small precursory movements, which occur prior to collapse. The slope stability radar has been developed to remotely scan a rock slope to continuously monitor the spatial deformation of the face. Using differential radar interferometry, the system can detect deformation movements of a rough wall with sub-millimeter accuracy, and with high spatial and temporal resolution. The effects of atmospheric variations and spurious signals can be reduced via signal processing means. The advantage of radar over other monitoring techniques is that it provides full area coverage without the need for mounted reflectors or equipment on the wall. In addition, the radar waves adequately penetrate through rain, dust and smoke to give reliable measurements, twenty-four hours a day. The system has been trialed at three open-cut coal mines in Australia, which demonstrated the potential for real-time monitoring of slope stability during active mining operations.

  10. Spatial Autocorrelation and Uncertainty Associated with Remotely-Sensed Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel A. Griffith

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Virtually all remotely sensed data contain spatial autocorrelation, which impacts upon their statistical features of uncertainty through variance inflation, and the compounding of duplicate information. Estimating the nature and degree of this spatial autocorrelation, which is usually positive and very strong, has been hindered by computational intensity associated with the massive number of pixels in realistically-sized remotely-sensed images, a situation that more recently has changed. Recent advances in spatial statistical estimation theory support the extraction of information and the distilling of knowledge from remotely-sensed images in a way that accounts for latent spatial autocorrelation. This paper summarizes an effective methodological approach to achieve this end, illustrating results with a 2002 remotely sensed-image of the Florida Everglades, and simulation experiments. Specifically, uncertainty of spatial autocorrelation parameter in a spatial autoregressive model is modeled with a beta-beta mixture approach and is further investigated with three different sampling strategies: coterminous sampling, random sub-region sampling, and increasing domain sub-regions. The results suggest that uncertainty associated with remotely-sensed data should be cast in consideration of spatial autocorrelation. It emphasizes that one remaining challenge is to better quantify the spatial variability of spatial autocorrelation estimates across geographic landscapes.

  11. G2D: a tool for mining genes associated with disease

    OpenAIRE

    Perez-Iratxeta, Carolina; Wjst, Matthias; Bork, Peer; Andrade, Miguel A

    2005-01-01

    Abstract Background Human inherited diseases can be associated by genetic linkage with one or more genomic regions. The availability of the complete sequence of the human genome allows examining those locations for an associated gene. We previously developed an algorithm to prioritize genes on a chromosomal region according to their possible relation to an inherited disease using a combination of data mining on biomedical databases and gene sequence analysis. Results We have implemented this ...

  12. Data mining theories, algorithms, and examples

    CERN Document Server

    Ye, Nong

    2013-01-01

    AN OVERVIEW OF DATA MINING METHODOLOGIESIntroduction to data mining methodologiesMETHODOLOGIES FOR MINING CLASSIFICATION AND PREDICTION PATTERNSRegression modelsBayes classifiersDecision treesMulti-layer feedforward artificial neural networksSupport vector machinesSupervised clusteringMETHODOLOGIES FOR MINING CLUSTERING AND ASSOCIATION PATTERNSHierarchical clusteringPartitional clusteringSelf-organized mapProbability distribution estimationAssociation rulesBayesian networksMETHODOLOGIES FOR MINING DATA REDUCTION PATTERNSPrincipal components analysisMulti-dimensional scalingLatent variable anal

  13. Physics Mining of Multi-Source Data Sets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helly, John; Karimabadi, Homa; Sipes, Tamara

    2012-01-01

    Powerful new parallel data mining algorithms can produce diagnostic and prognostic numerical models and analyses from observational data. These techniques yield higher-resolution measures than ever before of environmental parameters by fusing synoptic imagery and time-series measurements. These techniques are general and relevant to observational data, including raster, vector, and scalar, and can be applied in all Earth- and environmental science domains. Because they can be highly automated and are parallel, they scale to large spatial domains and are well suited to change and gap detection. This makes it possible to analyze spatial and temporal gaps in information, and facilitates within-mission replanning to optimize the allocation of observational resources. The basis of the innovation is the extension of a recently developed set of algorithms packaged into MineTool to multi-variate time-series data. MineTool is unique in that it automates the various steps of the data mining process, thus making it amenable to autonomous analysis of large data sets. Unlike techniques such as Artificial Neural Nets, which yield a blackbox solution, MineTool's outcome is always an analytical model in parametric form that expresses the output in terms of the input variables. This has the advantage that the derived equation can then be used to gain insight into the physical relevance and relative importance of the parameters and coefficients in the model. This is referred to as physics-mining of data. The capabilities of MineTool are extended to include both supervised and unsupervised algorithms, handle multi-type data sets, and parallelize it.

  14. Proximity to mining industry and respiratory diseases in children in a community in Northern Chile: A cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrera, Ronald; Radon, Katja; von Ehrenstein, Ondine S; Cifuentes, Stella; Muñoz, Daniel Moraga; Berger, Ursula

    2016-06-07

    In a community in northern Chile, explosive procedures are used by two local industrial mines (gold, copper). We hypothesized that the prevalence of asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis in the community may be associated with air pollution emissions generated by the mines. A cross-sectional study of 288 children (aged 6-15 years) was conducted in a community in northern Chile using a validated questionnaire in 2009. The proximity between each child's place of residence and the mines was assessed as indicator of exposure to mining related air pollutants. Logistic regression, semiparametric models and spatial Bayesian models with a parametric form for distance were used to calculate odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals. The prevalence of asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis was 24 and 34 %, respectively. For rhinoconjunctivitis, the odds ratio for average distance between both mines and child's residence was 1.72 (95 % confidence interval 1.00, 3.04). The spatial Bayesian models suggested a considerable increase in the risk for respiratory diseases closer to the mines, and only beyond a minimum distance of more than 1800 m the health impact was considered to be negligible. The findings indicate that air pollution emissions related to industrial gold or copper mines mainly occurring in rural Chilean communities might increase the risk of respiratory diseases in children.

  15. Mining-induced earthquakes monitored during pit closure in the Midlothian Coalfield

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Redmayne, D.W.; Richards, J.A.; Wild, P.W. [British Geological Survey, Edinburgh (United Kingdom). Global Seismology and Geomagnetism Group

    1998-06-01

    The British Geological Survey installed a seismometer network to monitor earthquakes around Rosslyn Chapel in the Midlothian Coalfield from November 1987 until January 1990. Accurate locations were obtained for 247 events and a close spatial and temporal association with concurrent coal mining, with a rapid decay of earthquake activity following pit closure, was demonstrated, indicating a mining-induced cause. Residual stress from past mining appears to have been an important factor in generating seismicity, and observations indicate that limiting the width of the workings or rate of extraction may significantly reduce or eliminate mining-induced earthquake activity. A frequency-magnitude analysis indicates a relatively high abundance of small events in this coalfield area. The maximum magnitude of a mining-induced earthquake likely to have been experienced during the life of the coalfield (maximum credible magnitude) was 3.0 M-L, although an extreme event (maximum possible magnitude) as large as 3.4 M-L was remotely possible. Significant seismic amplification was observed at Rosslyn Chapel, which is founded on sand and gravel, compared with a nearby bedrock site. As a consequence, relatively small magnitude events caused high, and occasionally damaging, seismic intensities at the chapel.

  16. Adverse health effects in Canada geese (Branta canadensis) associated with waste from zinc and lead mines in the Tri-State Mining District (Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, USA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Merwe, Deon; Carpenter, James W; Nietfeld, Jerome C; Miesner, John F

    2011-07-01

    Lead and zinc poisoning have been recorded in a variety of bird species, including migrating waterfowl such as Canada Geese (Branta canadensis), at sites contaminated with mine waste from lead and zinc mines in the Tri-State Mining District, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, USA. The adverse health impacts from mine waste on these birds may, however, be more extensive than is apparent from incidental reports of clinical disease. To characterize health impacts from mine waste on Canada Geese that do not have observable signs of poisoning, four to eight apparently healthy birds per site were collected from four contaminated sites and an uncontaminated reference site, and examined for physical and physiologic evidence of metals poisoning. Tissue concentrations of silver, aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, selenium, thallium, vanadium, and zinc were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Adverse health effects due to lead were characterized by assessing blood δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) enzyme activity. Adverse effects associated with zinc poisoning were determined from histologic examination of pancreas tissues. Elevated tissue lead concentrations and inhibited blood ALAD enzyme activities were consistently found in birds at all contaminated sites. Histopathologic signs of zinc poisoning, including fibrosis and vacuolization, were associated with elevated pancreatic zinc concentrations at one of the study sites. Adverse health effects associated with other analyzed elements, or tissue concentrations indicating potentially toxic exposure levels to these elements, were not observed.

  17. Mining and Integration of Environmental Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, V.; Hluchy, L.; Habala, O.; Ciglan, M.

    2009-04-01

    The project ADMIRE (Advanced Data Mining and Integration Research for Europe) is a 7th FP EU ICT project aims to deliver a consistent and easy-to-use technology for extracting information and knowledge. The project is motivated by the difficulty of extracting meaningful information by data mining combinations of data from multiple heterogeneous and distributed resources. It will also provide an abstract view of data mining and integration, which will give users and developers the power to cope with complexity and heterogeneity of services, data and processes. The data sets describing phenomena from domains like business, society, and environment often contain spatial and temporal dimensions. Integration of spatio-temporal data from different sources is a challenging task due to those dimensions. Different spatio-temporal data sets contain data at different resolutions (e.g. size of the spatial grid) and frequencies. This heterogeneity is the principal challenge of geo-spatial and temporal data sets integration - the integrated data set should hold homogeneous data of the same resolution and frequency. Thus, to integrate heterogeneous spatio-temporal data from distinct source, transformation of one or more data sets is necessary. Following transformation operation are required: • transformation to common spatial and temporal representation - (e.g. transformation to common coordinate system), • spatial and/or temporal aggregation - data from detailed data source are aggregated to match the resolution of other resources involved in the integration process, • spatial and/or temporal record decomposition - records from source with lower resolution data are decomposed to match the granularity of the other data source. This operation decreases data quality (e.g. transformation of data from 50km grid to 10 km grid) - data from lower resolution data set in the integrated schema are imprecise, but it allows us to preserve higher resolution data. We can decompose the

  18. COLLABORATIVE NETWORK SECURITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BASED ON ASSOCIATION MINING RULE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nisha Mariam Varughese

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Security is one of the major challenges in open network. There are so many types of attacks which follow fixed patterns or frequently change their patterns. It is difficult to find the malicious attack which does not have any fixed patterns. The Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS attacks like Botnets are used to slow down the system performance. To address such problems Collaborative Network Security Management System (CNSMS is proposed along with the association mining rule. CNSMS system is consists of collaborative Unified Threat Management (UTM, cloud based security centre and traffic prober. The traffic prober captures the internet traffic and given to the collaborative UTM. Traffic is analysed by the Collaborative UTM, to determine whether it contains any malicious attack or not. If any security event occurs, it will reports to the cloud based security centre. The security centre generates security rules based on association mining rule and distributes to the network. The cloud based security centre is used to store the huge amount of tragic, their logs and the security rule generated. The feedback is evaluated and the invalid rules are eliminated to improve the system efficiency.

  19. Mine subsidence control projects associated with solid waste disposal facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wood, R.M.

    1994-01-01

    Pennsylvania environmental regulations require applicant's for solid waste disposal permits to provide information regarding the extent of deep mining under the proposed site, evaluations of the maximum subsidence potential, and designs of measures to mitigate potential subsidence impact on the facility. This paper presents three case histories of deep mine subsidence control projects at solid waste disposal facilities. Each case history presents site specific mine grouting project data summaries which include evaluations of the subsurface conditions from drilling, mine void volume calculations, grout mix designs, grouting procedures and techniques, as well as grout coverage and extent of mine void filling evaluations. The case studies described utilized basic gravity grouting techniques to fill the mine voids and fractured strata over the collapsed portions of the deep mines. Grout mixtures were designed to achieve compressive strengths suitable for preventing future mine subsidence while maintaining high flow characteristics to penetrate fractured strata. Verification drilling and coring was performed in the grouted areas to determine the extent of grout coverage and obtain samples of the in-place grout for compression testing. The case histories presented in this report demonstrate an efficient and cost effective technique for mine subsidence control projects

  20. Development and application of an interaction network ontology for literature mining of vaccine-associated gene-gene interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hur, Junguk; Özgür, Arzucan; Xiang, Zuoshuang; He, Yongqun

    2015-01-01

    Literature mining of gene-gene interactions has been enhanced by ontology-based name classifications. However, in biomedical literature mining, interaction keywords have not been carefully studied and used beyond a collection of keywords. In this study, we report the development of a new Interaction Network Ontology (INO) that classifies >800 interaction keywords and incorporates interaction terms from the PSI Molecular Interactions (PSI-MI) and Gene Ontology (GO). Using INO-based literature mining results, a modified Fisher's exact test was established to analyze significantly over- and under-represented enriched gene-gene interaction types within a specific area. Such a strategy was applied to study the vaccine-mediated gene-gene interactions using all PubMed abstracts. The Vaccine Ontology (VO) and INO were used to support the retrieval of vaccine terms and interaction keywords from the literature. INO is aligned with the Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) and imports terms from 10 other existing ontologies. Current INO includes 540 terms. In terms of interaction-related terms, INO imports and aligns PSI-MI and GO interaction terms and includes over 100 newly generated ontology terms with 'INO_' prefix. A new annotation property, 'has literature mining keywords', was generated to allow the listing of different keywords mapping to the interaction types in INO. Using all PubMed documents published as of 12/31/2013, approximately 266,000 vaccine-associated documents were identified, and a total of 6,116 gene-pairs were associated with at least one INO term. Out of 78 INO interaction terms associated with at least five gene-pairs of the vaccine-associated sub-network, 14 terms were significantly over-represented (i.e., more frequently used) and 17 under-represented based on our modified Fisher's exact test. These over-represented and under-represented terms share some common top-level terms but are distinct at the bottom levels of the INO hierarchy. The analysis of these

  1. Natural radioactivity associated with bituminous coal mining in Nigeria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balogun, F.A.; Mokobia, C.E.; Fasasi, M.K.; Ogundare, F.O.

    2003-01-01

    Gamma spectroscopic method was used to determine the natural radioactivity associated with the mining of Nigerian bituminous coal for the purpose of determining the radiological implications of coal mining in the country. The activity concentrations of the radionuclides detected range from 0.20±0.002 to 48.42±5.32 Bq kg -1 . The overall natural radionuclide contribution to the radioactivity of the environment was found to be 404.16±23.44 Bq kg -1 . Of this, coal waste (tailing) alone contributed 49.5% representing the largest contribution. Coal contributed just 5.5%. A comparison of the concentrations obtained in this work for coal with those from other parts of the world indicates that the radioactivity content of the Nigerian bituminous coal is not significantly different. The outdoor and indoor exposure rates in air 1 m above the ground are estimated to be (6.31±1.20)x10 -8 and (7.57±1.20) x10 -8 Gy h -1 , respectively, for the mining environment. These values compare very well with the global values reported by UNSCEAR: 5x10 -8 and 6x10 -8 Gy h -1 , respectively. The resulting annual effective dose equivalent estimated is (4.49±0.74)x10 -4 Sv yr -1 . This also compares favourably with the global value -4x10 -4 Sv yr -1 , reported by UNSCEAR

  2. Arsenic pollution and fractionation in sediments and mine waste samples from different mine sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larios, Raquel; Fernández-Martínez, Rodolfo; Álvarez, Rodrigo; Rucandio, Isabel

    2012-01-01

    A characterization of arsenic pollution and its associations with solid mineral phases in sediments and spoil heap samples from four different abandoned mines in Spain is performed. Three of them were mercury mines located in the same mining district, in the province of Asturias, and the other one, devoted to arsenic mining, is in the province of León. A sequential extraction procedure, especially developed for arsenic, was applied for the study of arsenic partitioning. Very high total arsenic concentrations ranging 300–67,000 mg·kg −1 were found. Arsenic fractionation in each mine is broadly in accordance with the mineralogy of the area and the extent of the mine workings. In almost all the studied samples, arsenic appeared predominantly associated with iron oxyhydroxides, especially in the amorphous form. Sediments from cinnabar roasted piles showed a higher arsenic mobility as a consequence of an intense ore treatment, posing an evident risk of arsenic spread to the surroundings. Samples belonging to waste piles where the mining activity was less intense presented a higher proportion of arsenic associated with structural minerals. Nevertheless, it represents a long-term source of arsenic to the environment. - Highlights: ► Arsenic fractionation in sediments from different mining areas is evaluated. ► A sequential extraction scheme especially designed for arsenic partitioning is applied. ► As associations with mineral pools is in accordance to the mineralogy of each area. ► As distribution and mobility in each area depends on the extent of mining activity. ► As occurs mainly associated with amorphous iron oxyhydroxides in all samples.

  3. Arsenic pollution and fractionation in sediments and mine waste samples from different mine sites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Larios, Raquel; Fernandez-Martinez, Rodolfo [Unidad de Espectroscopia, Division de Quimica, Departamento de Tecnologia, CIEMAT. Av. Complutense, 40, E-28040 Madrid (Spain); Alvarez, Rodrigo [Dpto. de Explotacion y Prospeccion de Minas, Universidad de Oviedo, ETS de Ingenieros de Minas, C/Independencia, 13, E-33004 Oviedo (Spain); Rucandio, Isabel, E-mail: isabel.rucandio@ciemat.es [Unidad de Espectroscopia, Division de Quimica, Departamento de Tecnologia, CIEMAT. Av. Complutense, 40, E-28040 Madrid (Spain)

    2012-08-01

    A characterization of arsenic pollution and its associations with solid mineral phases in sediments and spoil heap samples from four different abandoned mines in Spain is performed. Three of them were mercury mines located in the same mining district, in the province of Asturias, and the other one, devoted to arsenic mining, is in the province of Leon. A sequential extraction procedure, especially developed for arsenic, was applied for the study of arsenic partitioning. Very high total arsenic concentrations ranging 300-67,000 mg{center_dot}kg{sup -1} were found. Arsenic fractionation in each mine is broadly in accordance with the mineralogy of the area and the extent of the mine workings. In almost all the studied samples, arsenic appeared predominantly associated with iron oxyhydroxides, especially in the amorphous form. Sediments from cinnabar roasted piles showed a higher arsenic mobility as a consequence of an intense ore treatment, posing an evident risk of arsenic spread to the surroundings. Samples belonging to waste piles where the mining activity was less intense presented a higher proportion of arsenic associated with structural minerals. Nevertheless, it represents a long-term source of arsenic to the environment. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Arsenic fractionation in sediments from different mining areas is evaluated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A sequential extraction scheme especially designed for arsenic partitioning is applied. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer As associations with mineral pools is in accordance to the mineralogy of each area. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer As distribution and mobility in each area depends on the extent of mining activity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer As occurs mainly associated with amorphous iron oxyhydroxides in all samples.

  4. Atmospheric particulate matter size distribution and concentration in West Virginia coal mining and non-mining areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurth, Laura M; McCawley, Michael; Hendryx, Michael; Lusk, Stephanie

    2014-07-01

    People who live in Appalachian areas where coal mining is prominent have increased health problems compared with people in non-mining areas of Appalachia. Coal mines and related mining activities result in the production of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) that is associated with human health effects. There is a gap in research regarding particle size concentration and distribution to determine respiratory dose around coal mining and non-mining areas. Mass- and number-based size distributions were determined with an Aerodynamic Particle Size and Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer to calculate lung deposition around mining and non-mining areas of West Virginia. Particle number concentrations and deposited lung dose were significantly greater around mining areas compared with non-mining areas, demonstrating elevated risks to humans. The greater dose was correlated with elevated disease rates in the West Virginia mining areas. Number concentrations in the mining areas were comparable to a previously documented urban area where number concentration was associated with respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

  5. Management of mining-related damages in abandoned underground coal mine areas using GIS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, U.J.; Kim, J.A.; Kim, S.S.; Kim, W.K.; Yoon, S.H.; Choi, J.K.

    2005-01-01

    The mining-related damages such as ground subsidence, acid mine drainage (AMD), and deforestation in the abandoned underground coal mine areas become an object of public concern. Therefore, the system to manage the mining-related damages is needed for the effective drive of rehabilitation activities. The management system for Abandoned Underground Coal Mine using GIS includes the database about mining record and information associated with the mining-related damages and application programs to support mine damage prevention business. Also, this system would support decision-making policy for rehabilitation and provide basic geological data for regional construction works in abandoned underground coal mine areas. (authors)

  6. The influence of the mining operation on the mine seismicity of Vorkuta coal deposit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zmushko, T.; Turuntaev, S. B.; Kulikov, V. I.

    2012-04-01

    The mine seismicity of Vorkuta coal deposit was analyzed. Seismic network consisting of 24 seismic sensors (accelerometers) cover the area of "Komsomolskaya" and "North" mines of Vorkuta deposit. Also there is seismic station of IDG RAS with three-component seismometer near this mines for better defining energy of the seismic events. The catalogs of seismic events contain 9000 and 7000 events with maximum magnitude M=2.3 for "Komsomolskaya" and "North" mines respectively and include the period from 01.09.2008 to 01.09.2011. The b-value of the magnitude-frequency relation was -1.0 and -1.15 respectively for the mines, meanwhile b-value for the nature seismicity was -0,9. It was found, that the number of seismic events per hour during mine combine operation is higher in 2.5 times than the number of seismic events during the break in the operation. Also, the total energy of the events per hour during the operation is higher in 3-5 times than during the break. The study showed, that the number and the energy of the seismic events relate with the hours of mine combine operation. The spatial distribution of the seismic events showed, that 80% of all events and 85% of strong events (M>1.6) were located in and near the longwall under development during the mine combine operations as well asduring the breaks. The isoclines of seismic event numbers proved that the direction of motion of the boundary of seismic events extension coincides with the direction of development, the maximum number of events for any period lies within the wall under operation. The rockburst with M=2.3 occurring at the North mine at July 16, 2011 was considered. The dependences of the energy and of the number of events with different magnitudes on the time showed that the number of events with M=1 and especially M=0.5 before the rockburst decreased, which corresponds to the prognostic seismic quietness, described in the research works. The spatial distribution of the events for the 6 month before the

  7. HIV preventive behavior and associated factors among mining workers in Sali traditional gold mining site Bench Maji zone, Southwest Ethiopia: a cross sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdissa, Hordofa Gutema; Lemu, Yohannes Kebede; Nigussie, Dejene Tilahun

    2014-09-26

    Prevalence of HIV and other STI is high among migrant mining workers due to factors such as dangerous working conditions, only masculine identities existence, living away from families, desolate and in hospitable place. This makes them known to be HIV and STI vulnerable group in different part of the world. But, in Ethiopia they were not thought as at risk group yet. So the aim of this study is to assess magnitude of HIV preventive behaviours and associated factors among gold miners in Sali traditional gold mining site. A cross sectional study was conducted to assess HIV preventive behavior of the mining worker. The data were collected using interviewer administered structured questionnaire adapted from other related behavioural studies. The data was entered using EPI data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 17. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess relationship of HIV preventive behavior with constructs of health belief model. A total of 393 respondents with response rate of 93.12% were participated. All of the study participants were male 393(100%), the mean age of the participant was 24.0 (± 5.13SD). Less than half of the respondents 187(47.6%) were engaged in HIV preventive behavior. Less than half (45.3%) of them have high perceived susceptibility to HIV/AIDS; majority (62.8%) of them has high perceived severity to HIV/AIDS. HIV preventive behavior is negatively associated with being in middle, higher and highest income [OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.74], [OR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.30, 0.98] and [OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.77] respectively and positively associated with Completing secondary, tertiary school and self efficacy [OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.11, 6.41], [OR = 5.40, 95% CI: 1.54, 19] and [OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.94] respectively. The HIV preventive behavior of the mining worker was low. Being engaged in sexual intercourse with one sexual partner is very low, Consistent condom use among these mining workers was low. Income, educational status

  8. Environmental risks associated to wind erosion in a metal mining area from SE Spain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia Fernandez, G.; Romero Diaz, A.

    2009-01-01

    Soils and mining wastes from the Mediterranean mining area placed in the Sierra Minera Mountains are highly enriched in heavy metals such as lead and zinc, but also other metals such as cadmium and arsenic. Wind erosion in this area could be considered extremely high and hazards associated to this eroded sediments seems to be high because the huge amount of metals present in this wastes. Therefore, combination of high erosion rates and high metal concentration in this mining waste, make those environmental risks can be considered high for the surrounding ecosystems, but also for public health of the nearby villages and towns. In order, to study these wind erosion processes over these mining materials, some experiments for the evaluation of the transportation of soil particles were carried out. Erosion rates in this realm is particularly important during spring months, when increased activity of the eastern winds brings intense soil dragging, with strong effects on the metals dispersion, including the massive removal of sediments. (Author) 16 refs.

  9. Environmental risks associated to wind erosion in a metal mining area from SE Spain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garcia Fernandez, G.; Romero Diaz, A.

    2009-07-01

    Soils and mining wastes from the Mediterranean mining area placed in the Sierra Minera Mountains are highly enriched in heavy metals such as lead and zinc, but also other metals such as cadmium and arsenic. Wind erosion in this area could be considered extremely high and hazards associated to this eroded sediments seems to be high because the huge amount of metals present in this wastes. Therefore, combination of high erosion rates and high metal concentration in this mining waste, make those environmental risks can be considered high for the surrounding ecosystems, but also for public health of the nearby villages and towns. In order, to study these wind erosion processes over these mining materials, some experiments for the evaluation of the transportation of soil particles were carried out. Erosion rates in this realm is particularly important during spring months, when increased activity of the eastern winds brings intense soil dragging, with strong effects on the metals dispersion, including the massive removal of sediments. (Author) 16 refs.

  10. Mining-induced fault reactivation associated with the main conveyor belt roadway and safety of the Barapukuria Coal Mine in Bangladesh: Constraints from BEM simulations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Islam, Md. Rafiqul; Shinjo, Ryuichi [Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, 903-0213 (Japan)

    2009-09-01

    Fault reactivation during underground mining is a critical problem in coal mines worldwide. This paper investigates the mining-induced reactivation of faults associated with the main conveyor belt roadway (CBR) of the Barapukuria Coal Mine in Bangladesh. The stress characteristics and deformation around the faults were investigated by boundary element method (BEM) numerical modeling. The model consists of a simple geometry with two faults (Fb and Fb1) near the CBR and the surrounding rock strata. A Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion with bulk rock properties is applied to analyze the stability and safety around the fault zones, as well as for the entire mining operation. The simulation results illustrate that the mining-induced redistribution of stresses causes significant deformation within and around the two faults. The horizontal and vertical stresses influence the faults, and higher stresses are concentrated near the ends of the two faults. Higher vertical tensional stress is prominent at the upper end of fault Fb. High deviatoric stress values that concentrated at the ends of faults Fb and Fb1 indicate the tendency towards block failure around the fault zones. The deviatoric stress patterns imply that the reinforcement strength to support the roof of the roadway should be greater than 55 MPa along the fault core zone, and should be more than 20 MPa adjacent to the damage zone of the fault. Failure trajectories that extend towards the roof and left side of fault Fb indicate that mining-induced reactivation of faults is not sufficient to generate water inflow into the mine. However, if movement of strata occurs along the fault planes due to regional earthquakes, and if the faults intersect the overlying Lower Dupi Tila aquiclude, then liquefaction could occur along the fault zones and enhance water inflow into the mine. The study also reveals that the hydraulic gradient and the general direction of groundwater flow are almost at right angles with the trends of

  11. Communications construction on mining grounds influenced by mining damage. Budownictwo komunikacyjne na terenach objetych szkodami gorniczymi

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosikon, A

    1979-01-01

    This book considers problems associated with construction of communication lines on grounds influenced by underground coal mining. It is stated that about 50% of coal mined in Poland comes from protective coal pillars. Improving methods of strata control and ground control after underground mining will influence perspectives of mining in protective pillars. The following problems associated with minimizing mining damage are analyzed: types of ground deformation caused by underground mining, continuous and discontinuous deformation, factors which influence formation of subsidence troughs, forecasting ground subsidence according to the Knothe and Budryk theory, horizontal and vertical ground dislocation, coefficients used for description of ground deformation, Kochmanski's theory of continuous deformation, effects of ground subsidence of foundations of buildings and industrial structures, construction of roads, railway tracks and other communication lines on ground influenced by discontinuous deformations caused by coal mining, problems associated with construction of bridges and tunnels, construction of sewage systems, effects of underground mining on maintenance and repair of communication lines and sewage systems. Ways of minimizing discontinuous ground deformation are analyzed.

  12. Restoring Forests and Associated Ecosystem Services on Appalachian Coal Surface Mines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zipper, Carl E.; Burger, James A.; Skousen, Jeffrey G.; Angel, Patrick N.; Barton, Christopher D.; Davis, Victor; Franklin, Jennifer A.

    2011-05-01

    Surface coal mining in Appalachia has caused extensive replacement of forest with non-forested land cover, much of which is unmanaged and unproductive. Although forested ecosystems are valued by society for both marketable products and ecosystem services, forests have not been restored on most Appalachian mined lands because traditional reclamation practices, encouraged by regulatory policies, created conditions poorly suited for reforestation. Reclamation scientists have studied productive forests growing on older mine sites, established forest vegetation experimentally on recent mines, and identified mine reclamation practices that encourage forest vegetation re-establishment. Based on these findings, they developed a Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) that can be employed by coal mining firms to restore forest vegetation. Scientists and mine regulators, working collaboratively, have communicated the FRA to the coal industry and to regulatory enforcement personnel. Today, the FRA is used routinely by many coal mining firms, and thousands of mined hectares have been reclaimed to restore productive mine soils and planted with native forest trees. Reclamation of coal mines using the FRA is expected to restore these lands' capabilities to provide forest-based ecosystem services, such as wood production, atmospheric carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and water quality protection to a greater extent than conventional reclamation practices.

  13. Heavy metal pollution associated with an abandoned lead-zinc mine in the Kirki region, NE Greece.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolaidis, Christos; Zafiriadis, Ilias; Mathioudakis, Vasileios; Constantinidis, Theodore

    2010-09-01

    The "Agios Philippos" mine in the Kirki region (NE Greece) has been abandoned in 1998 after half a century of ore exploration without a reclamation or remediation plan. This article aims at elucidating the potential environmental risks associated with this site by quantifying pollution in tailing basins, stream waters, stream sediments and agricultural fields. Concentrations of heavy metals in the abandoned mine tailings reached 12,567 mg/kg for Pb, 22,292 mg/kg for Zn, 174 mg/kg for Cd and 241 mg/kg for As. The geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor for these metals were indicative of extremely high contamination (I(geo) > 5) and extremely high enrichment (EF > 40), respectively. Stream waters in the proximity of the mine had an acidic pH equal to 5.96 and a high sulfate content (SO(4)(-2) = 545.5 mg/L), whereas concentrations of Mn, Zn and Cd reached 2,399 microg/L, 7,681 microg/L and 11.2 microg/L. High I(geo) and EF values for Cd, Zn and As in stream sediments indicates that surface water pollution has a historic background, which is typically associated with acid mine drainage. Agricultural fields in the proximity of the mine exhibited high I(geo) and EF values, which were in decreasing order Cd > Pb > Zn > As. These findings urge for an immediate remediation action of the afflicted area.

  14. Architectural Implications for Spatial Object Association Algorithms*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Vijay S.; Kurc, Tahsin; Saltz, Joel; Abdulla, Ghaleb; Kohn, Scott R.; Matarazzo, Celeste

    2013-01-01

    Spatial object association, also referred to as crossmatch of spatial datasets, is the problem of identifying and comparing objects in two or more datasets based on their positions in a common spatial coordinate system. In this work, we evaluate two crossmatch algorithms that are used for astronomical sky surveys, on the following database system architecture configurations: (1) Netezza Performance Server®, a parallel database system with active disk style processing capabilities, (2) MySQL Cluster, a high-throughput network database system, and (3) a hybrid configuration consisting of a collection of independent database system instances with data replication support. Our evaluation provides insights about how architectural characteristics of these systems affect the performance of the spatial crossmatch algorithms. We conducted our study using real use-case scenarios borrowed from a large-scale astronomy application known as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). PMID:25692244

  15. DiMeX: A Text Mining System for Mutation-Disease Association Extraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahmood, A S M Ashique; Wu, Tsung-Jung; Mazumder, Raja; Vijay-Shanker, K

    2016-01-01

    The number of published articles describing associations between mutations and diseases is increasing at a fast pace. There is a pressing need to gather such mutation-disease associations into public knowledge bases, but manual curation slows down the growth of such databases. We have addressed this problem by developing a text-mining system (DiMeX) to extract mutation to disease associations from publication abstracts. DiMeX consists of a series of natural language processing modules that preprocess input text and apply syntactic and semantic patterns to extract mutation-disease associations. DiMeX achieves high precision and recall with F-scores of 0.88, 0.91 and 0.89 when evaluated on three different datasets for mutation-disease associations. DiMeX includes a separate component that extracts mutation mentions in text and associates them with genes. This component has been also evaluated on different datasets and shown to achieve state-of-the-art performance. The results indicate that our system outperforms the existing mutation-disease association tools, addressing the low precision problems suffered by most approaches. DiMeX was applied on a large set of abstracts from Medline to extract mutation-disease associations, as well as other relevant information including patient/cohort size and population data. The results are stored in a database that can be queried and downloaded at http://biotm.cis.udel.edu/dimex/. We conclude that this high-throughput text-mining approach has the potential to significantly assist researchers and curators to enrich mutation databases.

  16. Seasonal and spatial variation of diffuse (non-point) source zinc pollution in a historically metal mined river catchment, UK

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gozzard, E., E-mail: emgo@ceh.ac.uk [Hydrogeochemical Engineering Research and Outreach Group, School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Mayes, W.M., E-mail: W.Mayes@hull.ac.uk [Hydrogeochemical Engineering Research and Outreach Group, School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Potter, H.A.B., E-mail: hugh.potter@environment-agency.gov.uk [Environment Agency England and Wales, c/o Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Jarvis, A.P., E-mail: a.p.jarvis@ncl.ac.uk [Hydrogeochemical Engineering Research and Outreach Group, School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom)

    2011-10-15

    Quantifying diffuse sources of pollution is becoming increasingly important when characterising river catchments in entirety - a prerequisite for environmental management. This study examines both low and high flow events, as well as spatial variability, in order to assess point and diffuse components of zinc pollution within the River West Allen catchment, which lies within the northern England lead-zinc Orefield. Zinc levels in the river are elevated under all flow regimes, and are of environmental concern. Diffuse components are of little importance at low flow, with point source mine water discharges dominating instream zinc concentration and load. During higher river flows 90% of the instream zinc load is attributed to diffuse sources, where inputs from resuspension of metal-rich sediments, and groundwater influx are likely to be more dominant. Remediating point mine water discharges should significantly improve water quality at lower flows, but contribution from diffuse sources will continue to elevate zinc flux at higher flows. - Highlights: > Zinc concentrations breach EU quality thresholds under all river flow conditions. > Contributions from point sources dominate instream zinc dynamics in low flow. > Contributions from diffuse sources dominate instream zinc dynamics in high flow. > Important diffuse sources include river-bed sediment resuspension and groundwater influx. > Diffuse sources would still create significant instream pollution, even with point source treatment. - Diffuse zinc sources are an important source of instream contamination to mine-impacted rivers under varying flow conditions.

  17. Ecosystem Services Mapping Uncertainty Assessment: A Case Study in the Fitzroy Basin Mining Region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhenyu Wang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Ecosystem services mapping is becoming increasingly popular through the use of various readily available mapping tools, however, uncertainties in assessment outputs are commonly ignored. Uncertainties from different sources have the potential to lower the accuracy of mapping outputs and reduce their reliability for decision-making. Using a case study in an Australian mining region, this paper assessed the impact of uncertainties on the modelling of the hydrological ecosystem service, water provision. Three types of uncertainty were modelled using multiple uncertainty scenarios: (1 spatial data sources; (2 modelling scales (temporal and spatial and (3 parameterization and model selection. We found that the mapping scales can induce significant changes to the spatial pattern of outputs and annual totals of water provision. In addition, differences in parameterization using differing sources from the literature also led to obvious differences in base flow. However, the impact of each uncertainty associated with differences in spatial data sources were not so great. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of uncertainty assessment and highlight that any conclusions drawn from ecosystem services mapping, such as the impacts of mining, are likely to also be a property of the uncertainty in ecosystem services mapping methods.

  18. Injury Profiles Associated with Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Tarkwa, Ghana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calys-Tagoe, Benedict N L; Ovadje, Lauretta; Clarke, Edith; Basu, Niladri; Robins, Thomas

    2015-07-10

    Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is inherently risky, but little is known about mining-associated hazards and injuries despite the tremendous growth worldwide of ASGM and the benefits it offers. The current study aimed to characterize the physical injuries associated with ASGM in Ghana to guide policy formulation. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in the Tarkwa mining district of the Western Region of Ghana in 2014. A total of 404 small-scale miners were recruited and interviewed regarding their occupational injury experiences over the preceding 10 years using a paper-based structured questionnaire. Nearly one-quarter (23.5%) of the miners interviewed reported getting injured over the previous 10 years, and the overall injury rate was calculated to be 5.39 per 100 person years. The rate was significantly higher for women (11.93 per 100 person years) and those with little mining experience (e.g., 25.31 per 100 person years for those with less than one year of work experience). The most injury-prone mining activities were excavation (58.7%) and crushing (23.1%), and over 70% of the injuries were reported to be due to miners being hit by an object. The majority of the injuries (57%) were lacerations, and nearly 70% of the injuries were to the upper or lower limbs. Approximately one-third (34.7%) of the injuries resulted in miners missing more than two weeks of work. One-quarter of the injured workers believed that abnormal work pressure played a role in their injuries, and nearly two-fifths believed that their injuries could have been prevented, with many citing personal protective equipment as a solution. About one-quarter of the employees reported that their employers never seemed to be interested in the welfare or safety of their employees. These findings greatly advance our understanding of occupational hazards and injuries amongst ASGM workers and help identify several intervention points.

  19. Text mining facilitates database curation - extraction of mutation-disease associations from Bio-medical literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravikumar, Komandur Elayavilli; Wagholikar, Kavishwar B; Li, Dingcheng; Kocher, Jean-Pierre; Liu, Hongfang

    2015-06-06

    Advances in the next generation sequencing technology has accelerated the pace of individualized medicine (IM), which aims to incorporate genetic/genomic information into medicine. One immediate need in interpreting sequencing data is the assembly of information about genetic variants and their corresponding associations with other entities (e.g., diseases or medications). Even with dedicated effort to capture such information in biological databases, much of this information remains 'locked' in the unstructured text of biomedical publications. There is a substantial lag between the publication and the subsequent abstraction of such information into databases. Multiple text mining systems have been developed, but most of them focus on the sentence level association extraction with performance evaluation based on gold standard text annotations specifically prepared for text mining systems. We developed and evaluated a text mining system, MutD, which extracts protein mutation-disease associations from MEDLINE abstracts by incorporating discourse level analysis, using a benchmark data set extracted from curated database records. MutD achieves an F-measure of 64.3% for reconstructing protein mutation disease associations in curated database records. Discourse level analysis component of MutD contributed to a gain of more than 10% in F-measure when compared against the sentence level association extraction. Our error analysis indicates that 23 of the 64 precision errors are true associations that were not captured by database curators and 68 of the 113 recall errors are caused by the absence of associated disease entities in the abstract. After adjusting for the defects in the curated database, the revised F-measure of MutD in association detection reaches 81.5%. Our quantitative analysis reveals that MutD can effectively extract protein mutation disease associations when benchmarking based on curated database records. The analysis also demonstrates that incorporating

  20. Mining PubMed for Biomarker-Disease Associations to Guide Discovery

    OpenAIRE

    Jessen, Walter; Landschulz, Katherine; Turi, Thomas; Reams, Rachel

    2012-01-01

    Biomedical knowledge is growing exponentially; however, meta-knowledge around the data is often lacking. PubMed is a database comprising more than 21 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE and additional life science journals dating back to the 1950s. To explore the use and frequency of biomarkers across human disease, we mined PubMed for biomarker-disease associations. We then ranked the top 100 linked diseases by relevance and mapped them to medical subject headings (MeSH)...

  1. Statistics for Time-Series Spatial Data: Applying Survival Analysis to Study Land-Use Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ninghua Nathan

    2013-01-01

    Traditional spatial analysis and data mining methods fall short of extracting temporal information from data. This inability makes their use difficult to study changes and the associated mechanisms of many geographic phenomena of interest, for example, land-use. On the other hand, the growing availability of land-change data over multiple time…

  2. Coding strategies in number space : Memory requirements influence spatial-numerical associations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lindemann, Oliver; Abolafia, Juan M.; Pratt, Jay; Bekkering, Harold

    The tendency to respond faster with the left hand to relatively small numbers and faster with the right hand to relatively large numbers (spatial numerical association of response codes, SNARC effect) has been interpreted as an automatic association of spatial and numerical information. We

  3. Monofractal or multifractal: a case study of spatial distribution of mining-induced seismic activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Eneva

    1994-01-01

    Full Text Available Using finite data sets and limited size of study volumes may result in significant spurious effects when estimating the scaling properties of various physical processes. These effects are examined with an example featuring the spatial distribution of induced seismic activity in Creighton Mine (northern Ontario, Canada. The events studied in the present work occurred during a three-month period, March-May 1992, within a volume of approximate size 400 x 400 x 180 m3. Two sets of microearthquake locations are studied: Data Set 1 (14,338 events and Data Set 2 (1654 events. Data Set 1 includes the more accurately located events and amounts to about 30 per cent of all recorded data. Data Set 2 represents a portion of the first data set that is formed by the most accurately located and the strongest microearthquakes. The spatial distribution of events in the two data sets is examined for scaling behaviour using the method of generalized correlation integrals featuring various moments q. From these, generalized correlation dimensions are estimated using the slope method. Similar estimates are made for randomly generated point sets using the same numbers of events and the same study volumes as for the real data. Uniform and monofractal random distributions are used for these simulations. In addition, samples from the real data are randomly extracted and the dimension spectra for these are examined as well. The spectra for the uniform and monofractal random generations show spurious multifractality due only to the use of finite numbers of data points and limited size of study volume. Comparing these with the spectra of dimensions for Data Set 1 and Data Set 2 allows us to estimate the bias likely to be present in the estimates for the real data. The strong multifractality suggested by the spectrum for Data Set 2 appears to be largely spurious; the spatial distribution, while different from uniform, could originate from a monofractal process. The spatial

  4. Impact of gold mining associated with mercury contamination in soil, biota sediments and tailings in Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odumo, Benjamin Okang'; Carbonell, Gregoria; Angeyo, Hudson Kalambuka; Patel, Jayanti Purshottam; Torrijos, Manuel; Rodríguez Martín, José Antonio

    2014-11-01

    This work considered the environmental impact of artisanal mining gold activity in the Migori-Transmara area (Kenya). From artisanal gold mining, mercury is released to the environment, thus contributing to degradation of soil and water bodies. High mercury contents have been quantified in soil (140 μg kg(-1)), sediment (430 μg kg(-1)) and tailings (8,900 μg kg(-1)), as expected. The results reveal that the mechanism for transporting mercury to the terrestrial ecosystem is associated with wet and dry depositions. Lichens and mosses, used as bioindicators of pollution, are related to the proximity to mining areas. The further the distance from mining areas, the lower the mercury levels. This study also provides risk maps to evaluate potential negative repercussions. We conclude that the Migori-Transmara region can be considered a strongly polluted area with high mercury contents. The technology used to extract gold throughout amalgamation processes causes a high degree of mercury pollution around this gold mining area. Thus, alternative gold extraction methods should be considered to reduce mercury levels that can be released to the environment.

  5. Arsenic partitioning among particle-size fractions of mine wastes and stream sediments from cinnabar mining districts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Veronica; Loredo, Jorge; Fernández-Martínez, Rodolfo; Larios, Raquel; Ordóñez, Almudena; Gómez, Belén; Rucandio, Isabel

    2014-10-01

    Tailings from abandoned mercury mines represent an important pollution source by metals and metalloids. Mercury mining in Asturias (north-western Spain) has been carried out since Roman times until the 1970s. Specific and non-specific arsenic minerals are present in the paragenesis of the Hg ore deposit. As a result of intensive mining operations, waste materials contain high concentrations of As, which can be geochemically dispersed throughout surrounding areas. Arsenic accumulation, mobility and availability in soils and sediments are strongly affected by the association of As with solid phases and granular size composition. The objective of this study was to examine phase associations of As in the fine grain size subsamples of mine wastes (La Soterraña mine site) and stream sediments heavily affected by acid mine drainage (Los Rueldos mine site). An arsenic-selective sequential procedure, which categorizes As content into seven phase associations, was applied. In spite of a higher As accumulation in the finest particle-size subsamples, As fractionation did not seem to depend on grain size since similar distribution profiles were obtained for the studied granulometric fractions. The presence of As was relatively low in the most mobile forms in both sites. As was predominantly linked to short-range ordered Fe oxyhydroxides, coprecipitated with Fe and partially with Al oxyhydroxides and associated with structural material in mine waste samples. As incorporated into short-range ordered Fe oxyhydroxides was the predominant fraction at sediment samples, representing more than 80% of total As.

  6. Synoptic sampling and principal components analysis to identify sources of water and metals to an acid mine drainage stream.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrne, Patrick; Runkel, Robert L; Walton-Day, Katherine

    2017-07-01

    Combining the synoptic mass balance approach with principal components analysis (PCA) can be an effective method for discretising the chemistry of inflows and source areas in watersheds where contamination is diffuse in nature and/or complicated by groundwater interactions. This paper presents a field-scale study in which synoptic sampling and PCA are employed in a mineralized watershed (Lion Creek, Colorado, USA) under low flow conditions to (i) quantify the impacts of mining activity on stream water quality; (ii) quantify the spatial pattern of constituent loading; and (iii) identify inflow sources most responsible for observed changes in stream chemistry and constituent loading. Several of the constituents investigated (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) fail to meet chronic aquatic life standards along most of the study reach. The spatial pattern of constituent loading suggests four primary sources of contamination under low flow conditions. Three of these sources are associated with acidic (pH mine water in the Minnesota Mine shaft located to the north-east of the river channel. In addition, water chemistry data during a rainfall-runoff event suggests the spatial pattern of constituent loading may be modified during rainfall due to dissolution of efflorescent salts or erosion of streamside tailings. These data point to the complexity of contaminant mobilisation processes and constituent loading in mining-affected watersheds but the combined synoptic sampling and PCA approach enables a conceptual model of contaminant dynamics to be developed to inform remediation.

  7. Neutralization and attenuation of metal species in acid mine drainage and mine leachates using magnesite: a batch experimental approach

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Masindi, Vhahangwele

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available International Mine Water Association Conference – An Interdisciplinary Response to Mine Water Challenges, China University of Mining and Technogy, China, China, 18-22 August 2014 Neutralization and Attenuation of Metal Species in Acid Mine Drainage and Mine...

  8. The South African mining industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langton, G.

    1982-01-01

    This paper covers six of the many mining and associated developments in South Africa. These are: (1) Deep level gold mining at Western Deep Levels Limited - (2) Palabora Mining Company Limited - SA's unique copper mine - (3) Production of steel and vanadium-rich slag at Highveld Steel and Vanadium Corporation - (4) Coal mining at Kriel and Kleinkopje Collieries - (5) A mass mining system for use below the Gabbro Sill at Premier Diamond Mine - (6) Uranium production - joint metallurgical scheme- Orange Free State Gold Mines. - For publication in this journal the original paper has been summarised. Should any reader wish to have the full text in English he should write to the author at the address below. (orig.) [de

  9. Transplantation of epiphytic bioaccumulators (Tillandsia capillaris) for high spatial resolution biomonitoring of trace elements and point sources deconvolution in a complex mining/smelting urban context

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goix, Sylvaine; Resongles, Eléonore; Point, David; Oliva, Priscia; Duprey, Jean Louis; de la Galvez, Erika; Ugarte, Lincy; Huayta, Carlos; Prunier, Jonathan; Zouiten, Cyril; Gardon, Jacques

    2013-12-01

    Monitoring atmospheric trace elements (TE) levels and tracing their source origin is essential for exposure assessment and human health studies. Epiphytic Tillandsia capillaris plants were used as bioaccumulator of TE in a complex polymetallic mining/smelting urban context (Oruro, Bolivia). Specimens collected from a pristine reference site were transplanted at a high spatial resolution (˜1 sample/km2) throughout the urban area. About twenty-seven elements were measured after a 4-month exposure, also providing new information values for reference material BCR482. Statistical power analysis for this biomonitoring mapping approach against classical aerosols surveys performed on the same site showed the better aptitude of T. Capillaris to detect geographical trend, and to deconvolute multiple contamination sources using geostatistical principal component analysis. Transplanted specimens in the vicinity of the mining and smelting areas were characterized by extreme TE accumulation (Sn > Ag > Sb > Pb > Cd > As > W > Cu > Zn). Three contamination sources were identified: mining (Ag, Pb, Sb), smelting (As, Sn) and road traffic (Zn) emissions, confirming results of previous aerosol survey.

  10. Process mining : overview and opportunities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aalst, van der W.M.P.

    2012-01-01

    Over the last decade, process mining emerged as a new research ¿eld that focuses on the analysis of processes using event data. Classical data mining techniques such as classi¿cation, clustering, regression, association rule learning, and sequence/episode mining do not focus on business process

  11. A Partial Join Approach for Mining Co-Location Patterns: A Summary of Results

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Yoo, Jin S; Shekhar, Shashi

    2005-01-01

    .... They propose a novel partial-join approach for mining co-location patterns efficiently. It transactionizes continuous spatial data while keeping track of the spatial information not modeled by transactions...

  12. Human mercury exposure associated with small-scale gold mining in Burkina Faso.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomicic, Catherine; Vernez, David; Belem, Tounaba; Berode, Michèle

    2011-06-01

    In Burkina Faso, gold ore is one of the main sources of income for an important part of the active population. Artisan gold miners use mercury in the extraction, a toxic metal whose human health risks are well known. The aim of the present study was to assess mercury exposure as well as to understand the exposure determinants of gold miners in Burkinabe small-scale mines. The examined gold miners' population on the different selected gold mining sites was composed by persons who were directly and indirectly related to gold mining activities. But measurement of urinary mercury was performed on workers most susceptible to be exposed to mercury. Thus, occupational exposure to mercury was evaluated among ninety-three workers belonging to eight different gold mining sites spread in six regions of Burkina Faso. Among others, work-related exposure determinants were taken into account for each person during urine sampling as for example amalgamating or heating mercury. All participants were medically examined by a local medical team in order to identify possible symptoms related to the toxic effect of mercury. Mercury levels were high, showing that 69% of the measurements exceeded the ACGIH (American Conference of Industrial Hygienists) biological exposure indice (BEI) of 35 μg per g of creatinine (μg/g-Cr) (prior to shift) while 16% even exceeded 350 μg/g-Cr. Basically, unspecific but also specific symptoms related to mercury toxicity could be underlined among the persons who were directly related to gold mining activities. Only one-third among the studied subpopulation reported about less than three symptoms possibly associated to mercury exposure and nearly half of them suffered from at least five of these symptoms. Ore washers were more involved in the direct handling of mercury while gold dealers in the final gold recovery activities. These differences may explain the overexposure observed in gold dealers and indicate that the refining process is the major source

  13. A novel understanding of land use characteristics caused by mining activities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Jianjun; Rao, Yongheng; Geng, Yuhuan

    2017-01-01

    An idea that which zones are the main disturbed areas in mining cities and what are the exact impacts in space concerns re-use and optimal allocation of land. Current research mostly concludes that mining activities impact land use greatly, but there is no definite spatial range of disturbance. T...

  14. Ecological and human health risks associated with abandoned gold mine tailings contaminated soil.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veronica Mpode Ngole-Jeme

    Full Text Available Gold mining is a major source of metal and metalloid emissions into the environment. Studies were carried out in Krugersdorp, South Africa, to evaluate the ecological and human health risks associated with exposure to metals and metalloids in mine tailings contaminated soils. Concentrations of arsenic (As, cadmium (Cd, chromium (Cr, cobalt (Co, copper (Cu, lead (Pb, manganese (Mn, nickel (Ni, and zinc (Zn in soil samples from the area varied with the highest contamination factors (expressed as ratio of metal or metalloid concentration in the tailings contaminated soil to that of the control site observed for As (3.5x102, Co (2.8x102 and Ni (1.1x102. Potential ecological risk index values for metals and metalloids determined from soil metal and metalloid concentrations and their respective risk factors were correspondingly highest for As (3.5x103 and Co (1.4x103, whereas Mn (0.6 presented the lowest ecological risk. Human health risk was assessed using Hazard Quotient (HQ, Chronic Hazard Index (CHI and carcinogenic risk levels, where values of HQ > 1, CHI > 1 and carcinogenic risk values > 1×10-4 represent elevated risks. Values for HQ indicated high exposure-related risk for As (53.7, Cr (14.8, Ni (2.2, Zn (2.64 and Mn (1.67. Children were more at risk from heavy metal and metalloid exposure than adults. Cancer-related risks associated with metal and metalloid exposure among children were also higher than in adults with cancer risk values of 3×10-2 and 4×10-2 for As and Ni respectively among children, and 5×10-3 and 4×10-3 for As and Ni respectively among adults. There is significant potential ecological and human health risk associated with metal and metalloid exposure from contaminated soils around gold mine tailings dumps. This could be a potential contributing factor to a setback in the health of residents in informal settlements dominating this mining area as the immune systems of some of these residents are already compromised by high

  15. Collaborative Data Mining Tool for Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Enrique; Romero, Cristobal; Ventura, Sebastian; Gea, Miguel; de Castro, Carlos

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes a collaborative educational data mining tool based on association rule mining for the continuous improvement of e-learning courses allowing teachers with similar course's profile sharing and scoring the discovered information. This mining tool is oriented to be used by instructors non experts in data mining such that, its…

  16. Integrated Text Mining and Chemoinformatics Analysis Associates Diet to Health Benefit at Molecular Level

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Kasper; Panagiotou, Gianni; Kouskoumvekaki, Irene

    2014-01-01

    , lipids and nutrients. In this work, we applied text mining and Naïve Bayes classification to assemble the knowledge space of food-phytochemical and food-disease associations, where we distinguish between disease prevention/amelioration and disease progression. We subsequently searched for frequently...

  17. Alkemio: association of chemicals with biomedical topics by text and data mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gijón-Correas, José A; Andrade-Navarro, Miguel A; Fontaine, Jean F

    2014-07-01

    The PubMed® database of biomedical citations allows the retrieval of scientific articles studying the function of chemicals in biology and medicine. Mining millions of available citations to search reported associations between chemicals and topics of interest would require substantial human time. We have implemented the Alkemio text mining web tool and SOAP web service to help in this task. The tool uses biomedical articles discussing chemicals (including drugs), predicts their relatedness to the query topic with a naïve Bayesian classifier and ranks all chemicals by P-values computed from random simulations. Benchmarks on seven human pathways showed good retrieval performance (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves ranged from 73.6 to 94.5%). Comparison with existing tools to retrieve chemicals associated to eight diseases showed the higher precision and recall of Alkemio when considering the top 10 candidate chemicals. Alkemio is a high performing web tool ranking chemicals for any biomedical topics and it is free to non-commercial users. http://cbdm.mdc-berlin.de/∼medlineranker/cms/alkemio. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  18. Examining health and well-being outcomes associated with mining activity in rural communities of high-income countries: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mactaggart, Fiona; McDermott, Liane; Tynan, Anna; Gericke, Christian

    2016-08-01

    It is recognised internationally that rural communities often experience greater barriers to accessing services and have poorer health outcomes compared to urban communities. In some settings, health disparities may be further exacerbated by mining activity, which can affect the social, physical and economic environment in which rural communities reside. Direct environmental health impacts are often associated with mining activity and are frequently investigated. However, there is evidence of broader, indirect health and well-being implications emerging in the literature. This systematic review examines these health and well-being outcomes in communities living in proximity to mining in high-income countries, and, in doing so, discusses their possible determinants. Four databases were systematically searched. Articles were selected if adult residents in mining communities were studied and outcomes were related to health or individual or community-level well-being. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Sixteen publications were included. Evidence of increased prevalence of chronic diseases and poor self-reported health status was reported in the mining communities. Relationship breakdown and poor family health, lack of social connectedness and decreased access to health services were also reported. Changes to the physical landscape; risky health behaviours; shift work of partners in the mine industry; social isolation and cyclical nature of 'boom and bust' activity contributed to poorer outcomes in the communities. This review highlights the broader health and well-being outcomes associated with mining activity that should be monitored and addressed in addition to environmental health impacts to support co-existence of mining activities and rural communities. © 2016 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

  19. Interestingness measures and strategies for mining multi-ontology multi-level association rules from gene ontology annotations for the discovery of new GO relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manda, Prashanti; McCarthy, Fiona; Bridges, Susan M

    2013-10-01

    The Gene Ontology (GO), a set of three sub-ontologies, is one of the most popular bio-ontologies used for describing gene product characteristics. GO annotation data containing terms from multiple sub-ontologies and at different levels in the ontologies is an important source of implicit relationships between terms from the three sub-ontologies. Data mining techniques such as association rule mining that are tailored to mine from multiple ontologies at multiple levels of abstraction are required for effective knowledge discovery from GO annotation data. We present a data mining approach, Multi-ontology data mining at All Levels (MOAL) that uses the structure and relationships of the GO to mine multi-ontology multi-level association rules. We introduce two interestingness measures: Multi-ontology Support (MOSupport) and Multi-ontology Confidence (MOConfidence) customized to evaluate multi-ontology multi-level association rules. We also describe a variety of post-processing strategies for pruning uninteresting rules. We use publicly available GO annotation data to demonstrate our methods with respect to two applications (1) the discovery of co-annotation suggestions and (2) the discovery of new cross-ontology relationships. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Radioecological situation in the area of the Priargun Production Mining and Chemical Association in Russian Zabaikalye Territory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shandala, N.K.; Titov, A.V.; Kiselev, S.M.; Akhromeev, S.V.; Semenova, M.P.

    2012-01-01

    'The Priargun Production Mining and Chemical Association' (hereinafter referred to as PPMCA) is a diversified mining company, which, in addition to underground mining of uranium ore, carries out refining of such ores in hydrometallurgical process to produce natural uranium oxide. The PPMCA facilities are sources of radiation and chemical contamination of the environment in the areas of their location. Contamination of local parts of the health protection zone results from discharges and releases, dust transport of radionuclides from the mine rock dumps containing uranium, radium, radon and its decay products, spillage of ore along highways, straits uraniferous pulp and mine water from the pool pump shaft station. The radionuclide migration results in groundwater contamination. In order to establish the strategy and develop criteria for the site remediation, independent radiation hygienic monitoring is being carried out over some years. The subjects of research include: soil, grass and media of open ponds (water, bottom sediments, water vegetation). We also measured the radon activity concentration inside surface workshops and auxiliaries. We determined the specific activity of natural radionuclides. The researches performed showed that in soil, vegetation, groundwater and local foods sampled in the vicinity of the uranium mines, there is a significant excess of 226 Ra and 2 32 Th content compared to areas outside the zone of influence of uranium mining.

  1. Chronic respiratory disease among the elderly in South Africa: any association with proximity to mine dumps?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nkosi, Vusumuzi; Wichmann, Janine; Voyi, Kuku

    2015-04-03

    There is increasing evidence that environmental factors such as air pollution from mine dumps, increase the risk of chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between proximity to mine dumps and prevalence of chronic respiratory disease in people aged 55 years and older. Elderly persons in communities 1-2 km (exposed) and 5 km (unexposed), from five pre-selected mine dumps in Gauteng and North West Province, in South Africa were included in a cross-sectional study. Structured interviews were conducted with 2397 elderly people, using a previously validated ATS-DLD-78 questionnaire from the British Medical Research Council. Exposed elderly persons had a significantly higher prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases than those who were unexposed., Results from the multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that living close to mine dumps was significantly associated with asthma (OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.20 - 2.05), chronic bronchitis (OR = 1.74; 95 CI: 1.25 - 2.39), chronic cough (OR = 2.02; 95% CI: 1.58 - 2.57), emphysema (OR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.11 - 2.77), pneumonia (OR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.07 - 1.77) and wheeze (OR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.73 - 2.54). Residing in exposed communities, current smoking, ex-smoking, use of paraffin as main residential cooking/heating fuel and low level of education emerged as independent significant risk factors for chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases. This study suggests that there is a high level of chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases among elderly people in communities located near to mine dumps in South Africa.

  2. Mineralogic and element association of coals from the Gevra mine, Korba coal field, Madhya Pradesh, India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hart, B.R.; Powell, M.A.; Fyfe, W.S.; Sahu, K.C.; Tripathy, S.

    1991-01-01

    As a part of a project to study the content and distribution of trace elements in coals and coal by-products from coal mining areas of India, the mineral and elemental composition of the whole coal and concentration of the selective elements in the whole coal mined from the Gevra mine of the Korba coal field in Madhya Pradesh are studied. The vertical trend of the selected elements are defined and possible relationships of these elements to the minerals present in or associated with the above coal are examined. The Gevra Coals have ash contact ( 3 times world average) and low sulphur content (1/4 of world average). Most elements are found to be positively correlated with ash indicating an inorganic association. Elements which show organic affinity include S, Cl, I and In. Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb occur in sulfide phases, the dominant Fe phase identified is siderite which also contain Mn and Mg. Th and U along with varying proportions of rare earths, Ce, Dy, La and Y have been identified with discrete phosphate minerals. Most trace elements have been found to be concentrated in the upper and lower portions of the coal seam exposed in Gevra mine and in partings. It is, therefore, suggested that selective mining and removal of high ash/inorganic material, particularly the upper and lower portion of the seam, will greatly reduce the mobilization of Al, As, Co, Fe, Hf, Sc, Si, Ti and to a lesser degree Cr, La, Mn, Th U and V during combustion of coal in power plants and consequently will reduce the influx of trace elements to the environment. (M.G.B.). 23 refs., 5 figs

  3. Radiation in mines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rose, H.J.M.

    1982-01-01

    Radiation in mines is primarily associated with, but not restricted to, the exploitation of uranium bearing orebodies. The intent of this chapter is to convey some aspects of radiation control in the mining industry, the behaviour of the parent radon and its daughter products. An attempt was made to demonstrate that anything less than complete diligence by the ventilation personnel could result in rapid deterioration of the mine environment, and consequently high exposure rates. When the maximum annual exposure limit is 4,0 WLM (Working level month exposure) the ventilation official is not allowed the privilege of making an error. Ventilation planning in uranium mines is of prime importance and is very much a group involvement

  4. Understanding the mobilisation of metal pollution associated with historical mining in a carboniferous upland catchment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valencia-Avellan, Magaly; Slack, Rebecca; Stockdale, Anthony; Mortimer, Robert John George

    2017-08-16

    Point and diffuse pollution from metal mining has led to severe environmental damage worldwide. Mine drainage is a significant problem for riverine ecosystems, it is commonly acidic (AMD), but neutral mine drainage (NMD) can also occur. A representative environment for studying metal pollution from NMD is provided by carboniferous catchments characterised by a circumneutral pH and high concentrations of carbonates, supporting the formation of secondary metal-minerals as potential sinks of metals. The present study focuses on understanding the mobility of metal pollution associated with historical mining in a carboniferous upland catchment. In the uplands of the UK, river water, sediments and spoil wastes were collected over a period of fourteen months, samples were chemically analysed to identify the main metal sources and their relationships with geological and hydrological factors. Correlation tests and principal component analysis suggest that the underlying limestone bedrock controls pH and weathering reactions. Significant metal concentrations from mining activities were measured for zinc (4.3 mg l -1 ), and lead (0.3 mg l -1 ), attributed to processes such as oxidation of mined ores (e.g. sphalerite, galena) or dissolution of precipitated secondary metal-minerals (e.g. cerussite, smithsonite). Zinc and lead mobility indicated strong dependence on biogeochemistry and hydrological conditions (e.g. pH and flow) at specific locations in the catchment. Annual loads of zinc and lead (2.9 and 0.2 tonnes per year) demonstrate a significant source of both metals to downstream river reaches. Metal pollution results in a large area of catchment having a depleted chemical status with likely effects on the aquatic ecology. This study provides an improved understanding of geological and hydrological processes controlling water chemistry, which is critical to assessing metal sources and mobilization, especially in neutral mine drainage areas.

  5. Sparse modeling of spatial environmental variables associated with asthma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Timothy S; Gangnon, Ronald E; David Page, C; Buckingham, William R; Tandias, Aman; Cowan, Kelly J; Tomasallo, Carrie D; Arndt, Brian G; Hanrahan, Lawrence P; Guilbert, Theresa W

    2015-02-01

    Geographically distributed environmental factors influence the burden of diseases such as asthma. Our objective was to identify sparse environmental variables associated with asthma diagnosis gathered from a large electronic health record (EHR) dataset while controlling for spatial variation. An EHR dataset from the University of Wisconsin's Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Departments was obtained for 199,220 patients aged 5-50years over a three-year period. Each patient's home address was geocoded to one of 3456 geographic census block groups. Over one thousand block group variables were obtained from a commercial database. We developed a Sparse Spatial Environmental Analysis (SASEA). Using this method, the environmental variables were first dimensionally reduced with sparse principal component analysis. Logistic thin plate regression spline modeling was then used to identify block group variables associated with asthma from sparse principal components. The addresses of patients from the EHR dataset were distributed throughout the majority of Wisconsin's geography. Logistic thin plate regression spline modeling captured spatial variation of asthma. Four sparse principal components identified via model selection consisted of food at home, dog ownership, household size, and disposable income variables. In rural areas, dog ownership and renter occupied housing units from significant sparse principal components were associated with asthma. Our main contribution is the incorporation of sparsity in spatial modeling. SASEA sequentially added sparse principal components to Logistic thin plate regression spline modeling. This method allowed association of geographically distributed environmental factors with asthma using EHR and environmental datasets. SASEA can be applied to other diseases with environmental risk factors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Uranium mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-01-01

    Full text: The economic and environmental sustainability of uranium mining has been analysed by Monash University researcher Dr Gavin Mudd in a paper that challenges the perception that uranium mining is an 'infinite quality source' that provides solutions to the world's demand for energy. Dr Mudd says information on the uranium industry touted by politicians and mining companies is not necessarily inaccurate, but it does not tell the whole story, being often just an average snapshot of the costs of uranium mining today without reflecting the escalating costs associated with the process in years to come. 'From a sustainability perspective, it is critical to evaluate accurately the true lifecycle costs of all forms of electricity production, especially with respect to greenhouse emissions, ' he says. 'For nuclear power, a significant proportion of greenhouse emissions are derived from the fuel supply, including uranium mining, milling, enrichment and fuel manufacture.' Dr Mudd found that financial and environmental costs escalate dramatically as the uranium ore is used. The deeper the mining process required to extract the ore, the higher the cost for mining companies, the greater the impact on the environment and the more resources needed to obtain the product. I t is clear that there is a strong sensitivity of energy and water consumption and greenhouse emissions to ore grade, and that ore grades are likely to continue to decline gradually in the medium to long term. These issues are critical to the current debate over nuclear power and greenhouse emissions, especially with respect to ascribing sustainability to such activities as uranium mining and milling. For example, mining at Roxby Downs is responsible for the emission of over one million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year and this could increase to four million tonnes if the mine is expanded.'

  7. Moment Tensor Inversion with 3D sensor configuration of Mining Induced Seismicity (Kiruna mine, Sweden)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Ju; Dineva, Savka; Cesca, Simone; Heimann, Sebastian

    2018-03-01

    Mining induced seismicity is an undesired consequence of mining operations, which poses significant hazard to miners and infrastructures and requires an accurate analysis of the rupture process. Seismic moment tensors of mining-induced events help to understand the nature of mining-induced seismicity by providing information about the relationship between the mining, stress redistribution and instabilities in the rock mass. In this work, we adapt and test a waveform-based inversion method on high frequency data recorded by a dense underground seismic system in one of the largest underground mines in the world (Kiruna mine, Sweden). Stable algorithm for moment tensor inversion for comparatively small mining induced earthquakes, resolving both the double couple and full moment tensor with high frequency data is very challenging. Moreover, the application to underground mining system requires accounting for the 3D geometry of the monitoring system. We construct a Green's function database using a homogeneous velocity model, but assuming a 3D distribution of potential sources and receivers. We first perform a set of moment tensor inversions using synthetic data to test the effects of different factors on moment tensor inversion stability and source parameters accuracy, including the network spatial coverage, the number of sensors and the signal-to-noise ratio. The influence of the accuracy of the input source parameters on the inversion results is also tested. Those tests show that an accurate selection of the inversion parameters allows resolving the moment tensor also in presence of realistic seismic noise conditions. Finally, the moment tensor inversion methodology is applied to 8 events chosen from mining block #33/34 at Kiruna mine. Source parameters including scalar moment, magnitude, double couple, compensated linear vector dipole and isotropic contributions as well as the strike, dip, rake configurations of the double couple term were obtained. The orientations

  8. Moment tensor inversion with three-dimensional sensor configuration of mining induced seismicity (Kiruna mine, Sweden)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Ju; Dineva, Savka; Cesca, Simone; Heimann, Sebastian

    2018-06-01

    Mining induced seismicity is an undesired consequence of mining operations, which poses significant hazard to miners and infrastructures and requires an accurate analysis of the rupture process. Seismic moment tensors of mining-induced events help to understand the nature of mining-induced seismicity by providing information about the relationship between the mining, stress redistribution and instabilities in the rock mass. In this work, we adapt and test a waveform-based inversion method on high frequency data recorded by a dense underground seismic system in one of the largest underground mines in the world (Kiruna mine, Sweden). A stable algorithm for moment tensor inversion for comparatively small mining induced earthquakes, resolving both the double-couple and full moment tensor with high frequency data, is very challenging. Moreover, the application to underground mining system requires accounting for the 3-D geometry of the monitoring system. We construct a Green's function database using a homogeneous velocity model, but assuming a 3-D distribution of potential sources and receivers. We first perform a set of moment tensor inversions using synthetic data to test the effects of different factors on moment tensor inversion stability and source parameters accuracy, including the network spatial coverage, the number of sensors and the signal-to-noise ratio. The influence of the accuracy of the input source parameters on the inversion results is also tested. Those tests show that an accurate selection of the inversion parameters allows resolving the moment tensor also in the presence of realistic seismic noise conditions. Finally, the moment tensor inversion methodology is applied to eight events chosen from mining block #33/34 at Kiruna mine. Source parameters including scalar moment, magnitude, double-couple, compensated linear vector dipole and isotropic contributions as well as the strike, dip and rake configurations of the double-couple term were obtained

  9. Synoptic sampling and principal components analysis to identify sources of water and metals to an acid mine drainage stream

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrne, Patrick; Runkel, Robert L.; Walton-Day, Katie

    2017-01-01

    Combining the synoptic mass balance approach with principal components analysis (PCA) can be an effective method for discretising the chemistry of inflows and source areas in watersheds where contamination is diffuse in nature and/or complicated by groundwater interactions. This paper presents a field-scale study in which synoptic sampling and PCA are employed in a mineralized watershed (Lion Creek, Colorado, USA) under low flow conditions to (i) quantify the impacts of mining activity on stream water quality; (ii) quantify the spatial pattern of constituent loading; and (iii) identify inflow sources most responsible for observed changes in stream chemistry and constituent loading. Several of the constituents investigated (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) fail to meet chronic aquatic life standards along most of the study reach. The spatial pattern of constituent loading suggests four primary sources of contamination under low flow conditions. Three of these sources are associated with acidic (pH metal and major ion) chemistry using PCA suggests a hydraulic connection between many of the left bank inflows and mine water in the Minnesota Mine shaft located to the north-east of the river channel. In addition, water chemistry data during a rainfall-runoff event suggests the spatial pattern of constituent loading may be modified during rainfall due to dissolution of efflorescent salts or erosion of streamside tailings. These data point to the complexity of contaminant mobilisation processes and constituent loading in mining-affected watersheds but the combined synoptic sampling and PCA approach enables a conceptual model of contaminant dynamics to be developed to inform remediation.

  10. The forecasting method of rock-burst and the application based on overlying multi-strata spatial structure theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cun-Wen Wang; Fu-Xing Jiang; Qing-Guo Sun; Chun-Jiang Sun; Ming Zhang; Zhen-Wen Ji; Xiu-Feng Zhang [University of Science and Technology, Beijing, Beijing (China). Civil & Environmental Engineering School

    2009-02-15

    Based on the overlying multi-strata spatial structure theory and mechanical analysis, the paper discusses the relationship between 'S' shape spatial strata structure movement and mining stress distribution. Coal out-burst forecasting based on 'S' shape spatial strata structure movement was studied. Microseismic monitoring in Huafeng Coal Mine in Shandong Province showed that coal out-burst will ocur when the advancing distance of the longwall face is equal to one, two or three times the length of the longwall face respectively. During these periods, the mined areas approach to square shape while the 'S' shape spatial strata structure acts strongly. Based on this, the time and position of coal out-burst in No. 1410 longwall face of Huafeng Coal Mine was predicted. By using large diameter and deep drill holes in the coal seam and deep drill holes with blasting in the roof at those danger areas, the No. 1410 longwall face safely advanced through those danger areas. During those periods the microseismic monitoring system detected very strong mine quakes. 15 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.

  11. Temporal and spatial changes of land use and landscape in a coal mining area in Xilingol grassland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Chunzhu; Zhang, Baolin; Li, Jiannan; Zhao, Junling

    2017-01-01

    Coal mining, particularly surface mining, inevitably disturbs land. According to Landsat images acquired over Xilingol grassland in 2005, 2009 and 2015, land uses were divided into seven classes, i. e., open stope, stripping area, waste-dump area, mine industrial area, farmland, urban area and the original landscape (grassland), using supervised classification and human-computer interactive interpretation. The overall classification accuracies were 97.72 %, 98.43 % and 96.73 %, respectively; the Kappa coefficients were 0.95, 0.97 and 0.95, respectively. Analysis on LUCC (Land Use and Cover Change) showed that surface coal mining disturbed grassland ecosystem: grassland decreased by 8661.15 hm2 in 2005-2015. The area and proportion of mining operation areas (open stope, stripping area, waste-dump area, mine industrial field) increased, but those of grassland decreased continuously. Transfer matrix of land use changes showed that waste-dump had the largest impacts in mining disturbance, and that effective reclamation of waste-dump areas would mitigate eco-environment destruction, as would be of great significance to protect fragile grassland eco-system. Six landscape index showed that landscape fragmentation increased, and the influences of human activity on landscape was mainly reflected in the expansion of mining area and urban area. Remote sensing monitoring of coal surface mining in grassland would accurately demonstrate the dynamics and trend of LUCC, providing scientific supports for ecological reconstruction in surface mining area.

  12. Mining the Relationship between Spatial Mobility Patterns and POIs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liping Huang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Passengers move between urban places for diverse interests and drive the metropolitan regions as the aggregation of urban places to group into network communities. This paper aims to examine the relationship between the spatial patterns (represented by the network communities of mobility flows and places of interest (POIs. Furtherly, it intends to identify the categories of POIs that play the most significant role in shaping the spatial patterns of mobility flows. To achieve these purposes, we partition the study area into disjoint regions and construct the network with each partitioned region as a node and connection between them as links weighted by the mobility flows. The community detection algorithm is implemented on the network to discover spatial mobility patterns, and the multiclass classification based on the logistic regression method is adopted to classify spatial communities featured by POIs. Taking the taxi systems of Shanghai and Beijing as examples, we detect spatial communities based on the movement strengths among regions. Then we investigate their correlations with POIs. It finds that communities’ modularity correlates linearly with POIs; particularly governments, hotels, and the traffic facilities are of the most significance for generating the mobility patterns. This study can provide valuable insight into understanding the spatial mobility patterns from the perspective of POIs.

  13. Ontology-based literature mining of E. coli vaccine-associated gene interaction networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hur, Junguk; Özgür, Arzucan; He, Yongqun

    2017-03-14

    Pathogenic Escherichia coli infections cause various diseases in humans and many animal species. However, with extensive E. coli vaccine research, we are still unable to fully protect ourselves against E. coli infections. To more rational development of effective and safe E. coli vaccine, it is important to better understand E. coli vaccine-associated gene interaction networks. In this study, we first extended the Vaccine Ontology (VO) to semantically represent various E. coli vaccines and genes used in the vaccine development. We also normalized E. coli gene names compiled from the annotations of various E. coli strains using a pan-genome-based annotation strategy. The Interaction Network Ontology (INO) includes a hierarchy of various interaction-related keywords useful for literature mining. Using VO, INO, and normalized E. coli gene names, we applied an ontology-based SciMiner literature mining strategy to mine all PubMed abstracts and retrieve E. coli vaccine-associated E. coli gene interactions. Four centrality metrics (i.e., degree, eigenvector, closeness, and betweenness) were calculated for identifying highly ranked genes and interaction types. Using vaccine-related PubMed abstracts, our study identified 11,350 sentences that contain 88 unique INO interactions types and 1,781 unique E. coli genes. Each sentence contained at least one interaction type and two unique E. coli genes. An E. coli gene interaction network of genes and INO interaction types was created. From this big network, a sub-network consisting of 5 E. coli vaccine genes, including carA, carB, fimH, fepA, and vat, and 62 other E. coli genes, and 25 INO interaction types was identified. While many interaction types represent direct interactions between two indicated genes, our study has also shown that many of these retrieved interaction types are indirect in that the two genes participated in the specified interaction process in a required but indirect process. Our centrality analysis of

  14. Fuelcell-Hybrid Mine loader (LHD)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    James L Dippo; Tim Erikson; Kris Hess

    2009-07-10

    The fuel cell hybrid mine loader project, sponsored by a government-industry consortium, was implemented to determine the viability of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells in underground mining applications. The Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored this project with cost-share support from industry. The project had three main goals: (1) to develop a mine loader powered by a fuel cell, (2) to develop associated metal-hydride storage and refueling systems, and (3) to demonstrate the fuel cell hybrid loader in an underground mine in Nevada. The investigation of a zero-emissions fuel cell power plant, the safe storage of hydrogen, worker health advantages (over the negative health effects associated with exposure to diesel emissions), and lower operating costs are all key objectives for this project.

  15. Geostatistical modeling of the gas emission zone and its in-place gas content for Pittsburgh-seam mines using sequential Gaussian simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karacan, C.O.; Olea, R.A.; Goodman, G.

    2012-01-01

    Determination of the size of the gas emission zone, the locations of gas sources within, and especially the amount of gas retained in those zones is one of the most important steps for designing a successful methane control strategy and an efficient ventilation system in longwall coal mining. The formation of the gas emission zone and the potential amount of gas-in-place (GIP) that might be available for migration into a mine are factors of local geology and rock properties that usually show spatial variability in continuity and may also show geometric anisotropy. Geostatistical methods are used here for modeling and prediction of gas amounts and for assessing their associated uncertainty in gas emission zones of longwall mines for methane control.This study used core data obtained from 276 vertical exploration boreholes drilled from the surface to the bottom of the Pittsburgh coal seam in a mining district in the Northern Appalachian basin. After identifying important coal and non-coal layers for the gas emission zone, univariate statistical and semivariogram analyses were conducted for data from different formations to define the distribution and continuity of various attributes. Sequential simulations performed stochastic assessment of these attributes, such as gas content, strata thickness, and strata displacement. These analyses were followed by calculations of gas-in-place and their uncertainties in the Pittsburgh seam caved zone and fractured zone of longwall mines in this mining district. Grid blanking was used to isolate the volume over the actual panels from the entire modeled district and to calculate gas amounts that were directly related to the emissions in longwall mines.Results indicated that gas-in-place in the Pittsburgh seam, in the caved zone and in the fractured zone, as well as displacements in major rock units, showed spatial correlations that could be modeled and estimated using geostatistical methods. This study showed that GIP volumes may

  16. A spatial assessment framework for evaluating flood risk under extreme climates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yun; Liu, Rui; Barrett, Damian; Gao, Lei; Zhou, Mingwei; Renzullo, Luigi; Emelyanova, Irina

    2015-12-15

    Australian coal mines have been facing a major challenge of increasing risk of flooding caused by intensive rainfall events in recent years. In light of growing climate change concerns and the predicted escalation of flooding, estimating flood inundation risk becomes essential for understanding sustainable mine water management in the Australian mining sector. This research develops a spatial multi-criteria decision making prototype for the evaluation of flooding risk at a regional scale using the Bowen Basin and its surroundings in Queensland as a case study. Spatial gridded data, including climate, hydrology, topography, vegetation and soils, were collected and processed in ArcGIS. Several indices were derived based on time series of observations and spatial modeling taking account of extreme rainfall, evapotranspiration, stream flow, potential soil water retention, elevation and slope generated from a digital elevation model (DEM), as well as drainage density and proximity extracted from a river network. These spatial indices were weighted using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and integrated in an AHP-based suitability assessment (AHP-SA) model under the spatial risk evaluation framework. A regional flooding risk map was delineated to represent likely impacts of criterion indices at different risk levels, which was verified using the maximum inundation extent detectable by a time series of remote sensing imagery. The result provides baseline information to help Bowen Basin coal mines identify and assess flooding risk when making adaptation strategies and implementing mitigation measures in future. The framework and methodology developed in this research offers the Australian mining industry, and social and environmental studies around the world, an effective way to produce reliable assessment on flood risk for managing uncertainty in water availability under climate change. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. Temporal associations for spatial events: the role of the dentate gyrus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Andrea M; Curtis, Brian J; Churchwell, John C; Maasberg, David W; Kesner, Raymond P

    2013-11-01

    Previous research suggests that the dorsal dentate gyrus (DG) hippocampal subregion mediates spatial processing functions. However, a novel role for the DG in temporal processing for spatial information has begun to emerge based on the development of a computational model of neurogenesis. According to this model, adult born granule cells in the DG contribute to a temporal associative integration process for events presented closer in time. Currently, there is a paucity of behavioral evidence to support the temporal integration theory. Therefore, we developed a novel behavioral paradigm to investigate the role of the dDG in temporal integration for proximal and distal spatial events. Male Long-Evans rats were randomly assigned to a control group or to receive bilateral intracranial infusions of colchicine into the dDG. Following recovery from surgery, each rat was tested on a cued-recall of sequence paradigm. In this task, animals were allowed to explore identical objects placed in designated spatial locations on a cheeseboard maze across 2 days (e.g., Day 1: A and B; Day 2: C and D). One week later, animals were given a brief cue (A or C) followed by a preference test between spatial location B and D. Control animals had a significant preference for the spatial location previously paired with the cue (the temporal associate) whereas dDG lesioned animals failed to show a preference. These findings suggest that selective colchicine-induced dDG lesions are capable of disrupting the formation of temporal associations between spatial events presented close in time. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Entomopathogenic nematode food webs in an ancient, mining pollution gradient in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campos-Herrera, Raquel; Rodríguez Martín, José Antonio; Escuer, Miguel; García-González, María Teresa; Duncan, Larry W; Gutiérrez, Carmen

    2016-12-01

    Mining activities pollute the environment with by-products that cause unpredictable impacts in surrounding areas. Cartagena-La Unión mine (Southeastern-Spain) was active for >2500years. Despite its closure in 1991, high concentrations of metals and waste residues remain in this area. A previous study using nematodes suggested that high lead content diminished soil biodiversity. However, the effects of mine pollution on specific ecosystem services remain unknown. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) play a major role in the biocontrol of insect pests. Because EPNs are widespread throughout the world, we speculated that EPNs would be present in the mined areas, but at increased incidence with distance from the pollution focus. We predicted that the natural enemies of nematodes would follow a similar spatial pattern. We used qPCR techniques to measure abundance of five EPN species, five nematophagous fungi species, two bacterial ectoparasites of EPNs and one group of free-living nematodes that compete for the insect-cadaver. The study comprised 193 soil samples taken from mining sites, natural areas and agricultural fields. The highest concentrations of iron and zinc were detected in the mined area as was previously described for lead, cadmium and nickel. Molecular tools detected very low numbers of EPNs in samples found to be negative by insect-baiting, demonstrating the importance of the approach. EPNs were detected at low numbers in 13% of the localities, without relationship to heavy-metal concentrations. Only Acrobeloides-group nematodes were inversely related to the pollution gradient. Factors associated with agricultural areas explained 98.35% of the biotic variability, including EPN association with agricultural areas. Our study suggests that EPNs have adapted to polluted habitats that might support arthropod hosts. By contrast, the relationship between abundance of Acrobeloides-group and heavy-metal levels, revealed these taxa as especially well suited bio

  19. Data mining in radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kharat, Amit T; Singh, Amarjit; Kulkarni, Vilas M; Shah, Digish

    2014-01-01

    Data mining facilitates the study of radiology data in various dimensions. It converts large patient image and text datasets into useful information that helps in improving patient care and provides informative reports. Data mining technology analyzes data within the Radiology Information System and Hospital Information System using specialized software which assesses relationships and agreement in available information. By using similar data analysis tools, radiologists can make informed decisions and predict the future outcome of a particular imaging finding. Data, information and knowledge are the components of data mining. Classes, Clusters, Associations, Sequential patterns, Classification, Prediction and Decision tree are the various types of data mining. Data mining has the potential to make delivery of health care affordable and ensure that the best imaging practices are followed. It is a tool for academic research. Data mining is considered to be ethically neutral, however concerns regarding privacy and legality exists which need to be addressed to ensure success of data mining

  20. DDMGD: the database of text-mined associations between genes methylated in diseases from different species

    KAUST Repository

    Raies, A. B.

    2014-11-14

    Gathering information about associations between methylated genes and diseases is important for diseases diagnosis and treatment decisions. Recent advancements in epigenetics research allow for large-scale discoveries of associations of genes methylated in diseases in different species. Searching manually for such information is not easy, as it is scattered across a large number of electronic publications and repositories. Therefore, we developed DDMGD database (http://www.cbrc.kaust.edu.sa/ddmgd/) to provide a comprehensive repository of information related to genes methylated in diseases that can be found through text mining. DDMGD\\'s scope is not limited to a particular group of genes, diseases or species. Using the text mining system DEMGD we developed earlier and additional post-processing, we extracted associations of genes methylated in different diseases from PubMed Central articles and PubMed abstracts. The accuracy of extracted associations is 82% as estimated on 2500 hand-curated entries. DDMGD provides a user-friendly interface facilitating retrieval of these associations ranked according to confidence scores. Submission of new associations to DDMGD is provided. A comparison analysis of DDMGD with several other databases focused on genes methylated in diseases shows that DDMGD is comprehensive and includes most of the recent information on genes methylated in diseases.

  1. Spatio-Temporal Rule Mining

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gidofalvi, Gyozo; Pedersen, Torben Bach

    2005-01-01

    Recent advances in communication and information technology, such as the increasing accuracy of GPS technology and the miniaturization of wireless communication devices pave the road for Location-Based Services (LBS). To achieve high quality for such services, spatio-temporal data mining techniques...... are needed. In this paper, we describe experiences with spatio-temporal rule mining in a Danish data mining company. First, a number of real world spatio-temporal data sets are described, leading to a taxonomy of spatio-temporal data. Second, the paper describes a general methodology that transforms...... the spatio-temporal rule mining task to the traditional market basket analysis task and applies it to the described data sets, enabling traditional association rule mining methods to discover spatio-temporal rules for LBS. Finally, unique issues in spatio-temporal rule mining are identified and discussed....

  2. False alarms and mine seismicity: An example from the Gentry Mountain mining region, Utah

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, S.R.

    1992-01-01

    Mining regions are a cause of concern for monitoring of nuclear test ban treaties because they present the opportunity for clandestine nuclear tests (i.e. decoupled explosions). Mining operations are often characterized by high seismicity rates and can provide the cover for excavating voids for decoupling. Chemical explosions (seemingly as part of normal mining activities) can be used to complicate the signals from a simultaneous decoupled nuclear explosion. Thus, most concern about mines has dealt with the issue of missed violations to a test ban treaty. In this study, we raise the diplomatic concern of false alarms associated with mining activities. Numerous reports and papers have been published about anomalous seismicity associated with mining activities. As part of a large discrimination study in the western US (Taylor et al., 1989), we had one earthquake that was consistently classified as an explosion. The magnitude 3.5 disturbance occurred on May 14, 1981 and was conspicuous in its lack of Love waves, relative lack of high- frequency energy, low Lg/Pg ratio, and high m b - M s . A moment-tensor solution by Patton and Zandt (1991) indicated the event had a large implosional component. The event occurred in the Gentry Mountain coal mining region in the eastern Wasatch Plateau, Utah. Using a simple source representation, we modeled the event as a tabular excavation collapse that occurred as a result of normal mining activities. This study raises the importance of having a good catalogue of seismic data and information about mining activities from potential proliferant nations

  3. Applying geochemical signatures of atmospheric dust to distinguish current mine emissions from legacy sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Chenyin; Taylor, Mark Patrick

    2017-07-01

    Resolving the source of environmental contamination is the critical first step in remediation and exposure prevention. Australia's oldest silver-zinc-lead mine at Broken Hill (>130 years old) has generated a legacy of contamination and is associated with persistent elevated childhood blood lead (Pb) levels. However, the source of environmental Pb remains in dispute: current mine emissions; remobilized mine-legacy lead in soils and dusts; and natural lead from geological weathering of the gossan ore body. Multiple lines of evidence used to resolve this conundrum at Broken Hill include spatial and temporal variations in dust Pb concentrations and bioaccessibility, Pb isotopic compositions, particle morphology and mineralogy. Total dust Pb loading (mean 255 μg/m2/day) and its bioaccessibility (mean 75% of total Pb) is greatest adjacent to the active mining operations. Unweathered galena (PbS) found in contemporary dust deposits contrast markedly to Pb-bearing particles from mine-tailings and weathered gossan samples. Contemporary dust particles were more angular, had higher sulfur content and had little or no iron and manganese. Dust adjacent to the mine has Pb isotopic compositions (208Pb/207Pb: 2.3197; 206Pb/207Pb: 1.0406) that are a close match (99%) to the ore body with values slightly lower (94%) at the edge of the city. The weight of evidence supports the conclusion that contemporary dust Pb contamination in Broken Hill is sourced primarily from current mining activities and not from weathering or legacy sources.

  4. Climatic factors associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a spatial analysis from Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Ching-Piao; Tzu-Chi Lee, Charles

    2013-11-01

    Few studies have assessed the spatial association of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) incidence in the world. The aim of this study was to identify the association of climatic factors and ALS incidence in Taiwan. A total of 1,434 subjects with the primary diagnosis of ALS between years 1997 and 2008 were identified in the national health insurance research database. The diagnosis was also verified by the national health insurance programme, which had issued and providing them with "serious disabling disease (SDD) certificates". Local indicators of spatial association were employed to investigate spatial clustering of age-standardised incidence ratios in the townships of the study area. Spatial regression was utilised to reveal any association of annual average climatic factors and ALS incidence for the 12-year study period. The climatic factors included the annual average time of sunlight exposure, average temperature, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, atmospheric pressure, rainfall, relative humidity and wind speed with spatial autocorrelation controlled. Significant correlations were only found for exposure to sunlight and rainfall and it was similar in both genders. The annual average of the former was found to be negatively correlated with ALS, while the latter was positively correlated with ALS incidence. While accepting that ALS is most probably multifactorial, it was concluded that sunlight deprivation and/or rainfall are associated to some degree with ALS incidence in Taiwan.

  5. Factors Associated With Healthcare-Acquired Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections: Analysis Using Multiple Data Sources and Data Mining Techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jung In; Bliss, Donna Z; Chi, Chih-Lin; Delaney, Connie W; Westra, Bonnie L

    The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with healthcare-acquired catheter-associated urinary tract infections (HA-CAUTIs) using multiple data sources and data mining techniques. Three data sets were integrated for analysis: electronic health record data from a university hospital in the Midwestern United States was combined with staffing and environmental data from the hospital's National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators and a list of patients with HA-CAUTIs. Three data mining techniques were used for identification of factors associated with HA-CAUTI: decision trees, logistic regression, and support vector machines. Fewer total nursing hours per patient-day, lower percentage of direct care RNs with specialty nursing certification, higher percentage of direct care RNs with associate's degree in nursing, and higher percentage of direct care RNs with BSN, MSN, or doctoral degree are associated with HA-CAUTI occurrence. The results also support the association of the following factors with HA-CAUTI identified by previous studies: female gender; older age (>50 years); longer length of stay; severe underlying disease; glucose lab results (>200 mg/dL); longer use of the catheter; and RN staffing. Additional findings from this study demonstrated that the presence of more nurses with specialty nursing certifications can reduce HA-CAUTI occurrence. While there may be valid reasons for leaving in a urinary catheter, findings show that having a catheter in for more than 48 hours contributes to HA-CAUTI occurrence. Finally, the findings suggest that more nursing hours per patient-day are related to better patient outcomes.

  6. Analysis of Occupational Accidents in Underground and Surface Mining in Spain Using Data-Mining Techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanmiquel, Lluís; Bascompta, Marc; Rossell, Josep M; Anticoi, Hernán Francisco; Guash, Eduard

    2018-03-07

    An analysis of occupational accidents in the mining sector was conducted using the data from the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Safety between 2005 and 2015, and data-mining techniques were applied. Data was processed with the software Weka. Two scenarios were chosen from the accidents database: surface and underground mining. The most important variables involved in occupational accidents and their association rules were determined. These rules are composed of several predictor variables that cause accidents, defining its characteristics and context. This study exposes the 20 most important association rules in the sector-either surface or underground mining-based on the statistical confidence levels of each rule as obtained by Weka. The outcomes display the most typical immediate causes, along with the percentage of accidents with a basis in each association rule. The most important immediate cause is body movement with physical effort or overexertion, and the type of accident is physical effort or overexertion. On the other hand, the second most important immediate cause and type of accident are different between the two scenarios. Data-mining techniques were chosen as a useful tool to find out the root cause of the accidents.

  7. Public health risk assessment associated with heavy metal and arsenic exposure near an abandoned mine (Kirki, Greece).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolaidis, Christos; Orfanidis, Moysis; Hauri, Dimitri; Mylonas, Stratos; Constantinidis, Theodore

    2013-12-01

    The 'Agios Philippos' lead-zinc mine in the Kirki region (NE Greece) is now closed, but its legacy of heavy metal contamination remains at the site. At present, management of the contaminated land is of major concern. The area is in a reclamation process and requires immediate remediation action, whereas human risks need to be carefully evaluated. In order to assess these risks, samples from around the mine were collected and analyzed and a scenario involving the oral, dermal, and inhaled doses of arsenic and heavy metals was formulated. A Monte Carlo approach was undertaken, in order to model the average daily dose and quantify the corresponding hazard index and cancer risk. A toxicological risk was associated with samples collected in the vicinity of the mine (floatation, mine tailings) and a pronounced carcinogenic risk for arsenic was evident at the broader occupational/environmental setting. These findings urge for immediate rehabilitation actions that will mitigate population exposures and promote long-term environmental safety in the area.

  8. Utilization of BSS-Safety Series 115 in facilities for mining ore with uranium and thorium associated to it

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matta, Luiz Ernesto S. de C.; Ferreira, Paulo R. Rocha; Mouco, Charles D. do C.L.

    1999-01-01

    During the year of 1995, the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission, started a investigation program called Mining Project. The main objective of this program was to create a integrated study of environmental and occupational conditions of mining ores with uranium and thorium associated to it. Several technical visits were done at four different types of mines: coal, phosphate, niobium and gold. This work presents the area monitoring results obtained by the occupational radiation protection group. The data found in these inspections were compared to limits established by national rules. A special assessment of the data obtained was done for a future adoption of the BSS-Safety Series 115 recommendations. (author)

  9. Assessing Water Risks in the Mining Industry using Life Cycle Assessment Based Approaches

    OpenAIRE

    STEPHEN ALAN NORTHEY

    2018-01-01

    Recent advances life cycle assessment methodology provide an opportunity to gain a more holistic understanding of how the mining industry interacts with water resources. A detailed review of assessment methodology and water management in the mining industry was undertaken to identify research needs. Global datasets of water use statistics for mining operations were also developed, and an exhaustive analysis of how global mineral resources and production are spatially distributed across local ...

  10. Interesting association rule mining with consistent and inconsistent rule detection from big sales data in distributed environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dinesh J. Prajapati

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, there is an increasing demand in mining interesting patterns from the big data. The process of analyzing such a huge amount of data is really computationally complex task when using traditional methods. The overall purpose of this paper is in twofold. First, this paper presents a novel approach to identify consistent and inconsistent association rules from sales data located in distributed environment. Secondly, the paper also overcomes the main memory bottleneck and computing time overhead of single computing system by applying computations to multi node cluster. The proposed method initially extracts frequent itemsets for each zone using existing distributed frequent pattern mining algorithms. The paper also compares the time efficiency of Mapreduce based frequent pattern mining algorithm with Count Distribution Algorithm (CDA and Fast Distributed Mining (FDM algorithms. The association generated from frequent itemsets are too large that it becomes complex to analyze it. Thus, Mapreduce based consistent and inconsistent rule detection (MR-CIRD algorithm is proposed to detect the consistent and inconsistent rules from big data and provide useful and actionable knowledge to the domain experts. These pruned interesting rules also give useful knowledge for better marketing strategy as well. The extracted consistent and inconsistent rules are evaluated and compared based on different interestingness measures presented together with experimental results that lead to the final conclusions.

  11. Identification of Antimony- and Arsenic-Oxidizing Bacteria Associated with Antimony Mine Tailing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamamura, Natsuko; Fukushima, Koh; Itai, Takaaki

    2013-01-01

    Antimony (Sb) is a naturally occurring toxic element commonly associated with arsenic (As) in the environment and both elements have similar chemistry and toxicity. Increasing numbers of studies have focused on microbial As transformations, while microbial Sb interactions are still not well understood. To gain insight into microbial roles in the geochemical cycling of Sb and As, soils from Sb mine tailing were examined for the presence of Sb- and As-oxidizing bacteria. After aerobic enrichment culturing with AsIII (10 mM) or SbIII (100 μM), pure cultures of Pseudomonas- and Stenotrophomonas-related isolates with SbIII oxidation activities and a Sinorhizobium-related isolate capable of AsIII oxidation were obtained. The AsIII-oxidizing Sinorhizobium isolate possessed the aerobic arsenite oxidase gene (aioA), the expression of which was induced in the presence of AsIII or SbIII. However, no SbIII oxidation activity was detected from the Sinorhizobium-related isolate, suggesting the involvement of different mechanisms for Sb and As oxidation. These results demonstrate that indigenous microorganisms associated with Sb mine soils are capable of Sb and As oxidation, and potentially contribute to the speciation and mobility of Sb and As in situ. PMID:23666539

  12. Persistent U(IV) and U(VI) following in-situ recovery (ISR) mining of a sandstone uranium deposit, Wyoming, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallegos, Tanya J.; Campbell, Kate M.; Zielinski, Robert A.; Reimus, P.W.; J.T. Clay,; N. Janot,; J. J. Bargar,; Benzel, William M.

    2015-01-01

    Drill-core samples from a sandstone-hosted uranium (U) deposit in Wyoming were characterized to determine the abundance and distribution of uranium following in-situ recovery (ISR) mining with oxygen- and carbon dioxide-enriched water. Concentrations of uranium, collected from ten depth intervals, ranged from 5 to 1920 ppm. A composite sample contained 750 ppm uranium with an average oxidation state of 54% U(VI) and 46% U(IV). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated rare high uranium (∼1000 ppm U) in spatial association with P/Ca and Si/O attributed to relict uranium minerals, possibly coffinite, uraninite, and autunite, trapped within low permeability layers bypassed during ISR mining. Fission track analysis revealed lower but still elevated concentrations of U in the clay/silica matrix and organic matter (several 10 s ppm) and yet higher concentrations associated with Fe-rich/S-poor sites, likely iron oxides, on altered chlorite or euhedral pyrite surfaces (but not on framboidal pyrite). Organic C (mining, the likely sequestration of uranium within labile iron oxides following mining and sensitivity to changes in redox conditions requires careful attention during groundwater restoration.

  13. Mine drivage in hydraulic mines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ehkber, B Ya

    1983-09-01

    From 20 to 25% of labor cost in hydraulic coal mines falls on mine drivage. Range of mine drivage is high due to the large number of shortwalls mined by hydraulic monitors. Reducing mining cost in hydraulic mines depends on lowering drivage cost by use of new drivage systems or by increasing efficiency of drivage systems used at present. The following drivage methods used in hydraulic mines are compared: heading machines with hydraulic haulage of cut rocks and coal, hydraulic monitors with hydraulic haulage, drilling and blasting with hydraulic haulage of blasted rocks. Mining and geologic conditions which influence selection of the optimum mine drivage system are analyzed. Standardized cross sections of mine roadways driven by the 3 methods are shown in schemes. Support systems used in mine roadways are compared: timber supports, roof bolts, roof bolts with steel elements, and roadways driven in rocks without a support system. Heading machines (K-56MG, GPKG, 4PU, PK-3M) and hydraulic monitors (GMDTs-3M, 12GD-2) used for mine drivage are described. Data on mine drivage in hydraulic coal mines in the Kuzbass are discussed. From 40 to 46% of roadways are driven by heading machines with hydraulic haulage and from 12 to 15% by hydraulic monitors with hydraulic haulage.

  14. Optimum sampling scheme for characterization of mine tailings

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Debba, Pravesh

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes a novice method for sampling geochemicals to characterize mine tailings. The author’s model the spatial relationships between a multi-element signature and, as covariates, abundance estimates of secondary iron-bearing minerals...

  15. Concentrations, spatial distribution, and risk assessment of soil heavy metals in a Zn-Pb mine district in southern China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Jianying; Zhang, Hailong; Li, Xiangping; Lu, Jian; Zhang, Gaosheng

    2016-07-01

    China is one of the largest producers and consumers of lead and zinc in the world. Lead and zinc mining and smelting can release hazardous heavy metals such as Cd, Pb, Zn, and As into soils, exerting health risks to human by chronic exposure. The concentrations of Cd, Zn, Pb, and As in soil samples collected from a Pb-Zn mining area with exploitation history of 60 years were investigated. Health risks of the heavy metals in soil were evaluated using US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) recommended method. A geo-statistical technique (Kriging) was used for the interpolation of heavy metals pollution and Hazard Index (HI). The results indicated that the long-term Pb/Zn mining activities caused the serious pollution in the local soil. The concentrations of Cd, As, Pb, and Zn in topsoil were 40.3 ± 6.3, 103.7 ± 37.3, 3518.4 ± 896.1, and 10,413 ± 2973.2 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. The spatial distribution of the four metals possessed similar patterns, with higher concentrations around Aayiken (AYK), Maseka (MSK), and Kuangshan (KS) area and more rapidly dropped concentrations at upwind direction than those at downwind direction. The main pollutions of Cd and Zn were found in the upper 60 cm, the Pb was found in the upper 40 cm, and the As was in the upper 20 cm. The mobility of metals in soil profile of study area was classed as Cd > Zn ≫ Pb > As. Results indicated that there was a higher health risk (child higher than adult) in the study area. Pb contributed to the highest Hazard Quotient (57.0 ~ 73.9 %) for the Hazard Index.

  16. Preexposure effects in spatial learning: From gestaltic to associative and attentional cognitive maps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edward S. Redhead

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper a series of studies and theoretical proposals about how preexposure to environmental cues affects subsequent spatial learning are reviewed. Traditionally, spatial learning had been thought to depend on gestaltic non-associative processes, and well established phenomena such as latent learning or instantaneous transfer have been taken to provide evidence for this sort of cognitive mapping. However, reviewing the literature examining these effects reveals that there is no need to advocate for gestaltic processes since standard associative learning theory provides an adequate framework for accounting for navigation skills. Recent studies reveal that attentional processes play a role in spatial learning. The need for an integrated attentional and associative approach to explain spatial learning is discussed.

  17. Wetland and waterbody restoration and creation associated with mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brooks, R.P.

    1990-01-01

    Published and unpublished reports are reviewed and the strategies and techniques used to facilitate the establishment of wetlands and waterbodies during mine reclamation are summarized. Although the emphasis is on coal, phosphate, and sand and gravel operations, the methods are relevant to other types of mining and mitigation activities. The following key points should receive attention during planning and mitigation processes: (1) development of site-specific objectives that are related to regional wetland trends; (2) integration of wetland mitigation plans with mining operations and reclamation at the beginning of any project; (3) wetland designs that mimic natural systems and provide flexibility for unforeseen events; (4) assurance that basin morphometry and control of the hydrologic regime are properly addressed before considering other aspects of a project; and (5) identification of mandatory monitoring as a known cost. Well-designed studies that use comparative approaches are needed to increase the database on wetland restoration technology. Meanwhile, regional success criteria for different classes of wetlands need to be developed by consensus agreement among professionals. The rationale for a particular mitigation strategy must have a sound, scientific basis if the needs of mining industries are to be balanced against the necessity of wetland operation. 93 refs., 3 figs

  18. Potential utility of the thematic mapper for surface mine monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Irons, J.R.; Lachowski, H.M.

    1981-01-01

    One of many potential applications of the thematic mapper (TM) is surface mine monitoring. To assess this potential, data acquired by an aircraft multispectral scanner over Pennsylvania surface mines were preprocessed to simulate the anticipated spectral, spatial, and radiometric characteristics of TM data. False color imagery and thematic maps were derived from the simulated data and compared to imagery and maps derived from LANDSAT multispectral scanner subsystems data. On the basis of this comparison, TM data should definitely increase the detail and accuracy of remotely acquired surface mine information and may enable the remote determination of compliance with reclamation regulations

  19. Mine surveying works for the purpose of excavating the remaining reserves of bauxite in the deposit of "Podbracan"

    OpenAIRE

    Milutinovic, Aleksandar; Ganic, Aleksandar; Diyab, Thamer Rayes; Tokalic, Rade; Ganic, Meri

    2015-01-01

    Mining projects for mineral resource mining contain in certain cases specific technical and technological solutions, these being the result of the mine’s characteristic spatial position and the geometry of the ore deposit, existing mining works, structures, and terrain relief etc. For the purpose of completion of the mining project, it is necessary to carry out a series of mining and surveying tasks during the pre-project and project stage of mining, as well as during the construction o...

  20. DDMGD: the database of text-mined associations between genes methylated in diseases from different species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bin Raies, Arwa; Mansour, Hicham; Incitti, Roberto; Bajic, Vladimir B

    2015-01-01

    Gathering information about associations between methylated genes and diseases is important for diseases diagnosis and treatment decisions. Recent advancements in epigenetics research allow for large-scale discoveries of associations of genes methylated in diseases in different species. Searching manually for such information is not easy, as it is scattered across a large number of electronic publications and repositories. Therefore, we developed DDMGD database (http://www.cbrc.kaust.edu.sa/ddmgd/) to provide a comprehensive repository of information related to genes methylated in diseases that can be found through text mining. DDMGD's scope is not limited to a particular group of genes, diseases or species. Using the text mining system DEMGD we developed earlier and additional post-processing, we extracted associations of genes methylated in different diseases from PubMed Central articles and PubMed abstracts. The accuracy of extracted associations is 82% as estimated on 2500 hand-curated entries. DDMGD provides a user-friendly interface facilitating retrieval of these associations ranked according to confidence scores. Submission of new associations to DDMGD is provided. A comparison analysis of DDMGD with several other databases focused on genes methylated in diseases shows that DDMGD is comprehensive and includes most of the recent information on genes methylated in diseases. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  1. Spatial variation in spoil and vegetative characteristics of pastures on reclaimed surface mined land

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teutsch, C.D.; Collins, M.; Ditsch, D.C.

    1999-01-01

    Kentucky has large areas of reclaimed surface mined land that could provide grazing for livestock. Research is needed to determine optimal stocking densities and to evaluate the sustainability of such grazing systems for this region. A long-term grazing study was initiated in 1997 on 151 ha of reclaimed land near Chavies, KY to determine spatial and temporal variation with stocking densities of 0, 0.28, 0.42, or 0.83 beef cow-calf units/ha. Global Positioning System and GIS technologies were used to establish pasture boundaries, locate permanent sampling markers at a density of 1 per 0.4 ha, and interpolate maps of physical, spoil, and vegetable pasture characteristics. Herbage and spoil samples were collected around the permanent markers in May of 1997. Stepwise regression was used to determine factors affecting the vegetative characteristics of the sites. Biomass density ranged from 0 to 2500 kg/ha with a mean of 570 kg/ha. Factors affecting biomass included legume and weed proportions in the sward, grazing activity, soil potassium, elevation, and potential acidity, cumulatively accounting for 32% of the variation. Ground cover ranged from 10 to 100% with an average of 74%. Soil pH, potassium, and grass in the sward accounted for 14% of the variation in ground cover. Legumes made up 0 to 61% of the sward with a mean of 13% over the pasture area. Variables affecting the amount of legume in the sward included biomass density, slope, elevation, pH, and stocking density, together accounting for 21% of the variation. Spatial variation in the physical, spoil, and vegetative characteristics of the pastures was large. Overall, regression accounted for a limited amount of the variation in the vegetative characteristics of the site indicating that other important variables exist

  2. [Vegetation spatial and temporal dynamic characteristics based on NDVI time series trajectories in grassland opencast coal mining].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Duo; Wang, Cang Jiao; Mu, Shou Guo; Zhao, Hua

    2017-06-18

    The spatiotemporal dynamic patterns of vegetation in mining area are still unclear. This study utilized time series trajectory segmentation algorithm to fit Landsat NDVI time series which generated from fusion images at the most prosperous period of growth based on ESTARFM algorithm. Combining with the shape features of the fitted trajectory, this paper extracted five vegetation dynamic patterns including pre-disturbance type, continuous disturbance type, stabilization after disturbance type, stabilization between disturbance and recovery type, and recovery after disturbance type. The result indicated that recovery after disturbance type was the dominant vegetation change pattern among the five types of vegetation dynamic pattern, which accounted for 55.2% of the total number of pixels. The follows were stabilization after disturbance type and continuous disturbance type, accounting for 25.6% and 11.0%, respectively. The pre-disturbance type and stabilization between disturbance and recovery type accounted for 3.5% and 4.7%, respectively. Vegetation disturbance mainly occurred from 2004 to 2009 in Shengli mining area. The onset time of stable state was 2008 and the spatial locations mainlydistributed in open-pit stope and waste dump. The reco-very state mainly started since the year of 2008 and 2010, while the areas were small and mainly distributed at the periphery of open-pit stope and waste dump. Duration of disturbance was mainly 1 year. The duration of stable period usually sustained 7 years. The duration of recovery state of the type of stabilization between disturbances continued 2 to 5 years, while the type of recovery after disturbance often sustained 8 years.

  3. Characterization of iron and manganese minerals and their associated microbiota in different mine sites to reveal the potential interactions of microbiota with mineral formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jin Hee; Kim, Bong-Soo; Chon, Chul-Min

    2018-01-01

    Different environmental conditions such as pH and dissolved elements of mine stream induce precipitation of different minerals and their associated microbial community may vary. Therefore, mine precipitates from various environmental conditions were collected and their associated microbiota were analyzed through metagenomic DNA sequencing. Various Fe and Mn minerals including ferrihydrite, schwertmannite, goethite, birnessite, and Mn-substituted δ-FeOOH (δ-(Fe 1-x , Mn x )OOH) were found in the different environmental conditions. The Fe and Mn minerals were enriched with toxic metal(loid)s including As, Cd, Ni and Zn, indicating they can act as scavengers of toxic metal(loid)s in mine streams. Under acidic conditions, Acidobacteria was dominant phylum and Gallionella (Fe oxidizing bacteria) was the predominant genus in these Fe rich environments. Manganese oxidizing bacteria, Hyphomicrobium, was found in birnessite forming environments. Leptolyngbya within Cyanobacteria was found in Fe and Mn oxidizing environments, and might contribute to Fe and Mn oxidation through the production of molecular oxygen. The potential interaction of microbial community with minerals in mine sites can be traced by analysis of microbial community in different Fe and Mn mineral forming environments. Iron and Mn minerals contribute to the removal of toxic metal(loid)s from mine water. Therefore, the understanding characteristics of mine precipitates and their associated microbes helps to develop strategies for the management of contaminated mine water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Assessment and distribution of antimony in soils around three coal mines, Anhui, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, C.; Liu, Gaisheng; Kang, Y.; Lam, P.K.S.; Chou, C.

    2011-01-01

    Thirty-three soil samples were collected from the Luling, Liuer, and Zhangji coal mines in the Huaibei and Huainan areas of Anhui Province, China. The samples were analyzed for antimony (Sb) by inductively coupled plasmaoptical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) method. The average Sb content in the 33 samples was 4 mg kg-1, which is lower than in coals from this region (6.2 mg kg-1). More than 75% of the soils sampled showed a significant degree of Sb pollution (enrichment factors [EFs] 5-20). The soils collected near the gob pile and coal preparation plant were higher in Sb content than those collected from residential areas near the mines. The gob pile and tailings from the preparation plant were high in mineral matter content and high in Sb. They are the sources of Sb pollution in surface soils in the vicinity of coal mines. The spatial dispersion of Sb in surface soil in the mine region shows that Sb pollution could reach out as far as 350 m into the local environment conditions. Crops in rice paddies may adsorb some Sb and reduce the Sb content in soils from paddyfields. Vertical distribution of Sb in two soil profiles indicates that Sb is normally relatively immobile in soils. ?? 2011 Air & Waste Management Association.

  5. Reclamation of slopes left after surface mining

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zmitko, J [Banske Projekty, Teplice (Czech Republic)

    1993-03-01

    Discusses land reclamation of abandoned slopes from brown coal surface mining in the North Bohemian brown coal basin in the Czech Republic. Problems associated with reclamation of landslide areas in two former coal mines are evaluated: the Otokar mine in Kostany (mining from 1956 to 1966) and the CSM mine in Pozorka (mining from 1955 to 1967). Land reclamation was introduced 25 years after damage occurred. The following aspects are analyzed: hydrogeologic conditions, range of landslides, types of rocks in landslide areas, water conditions, methods for stabilizing slopes, safety aspects.

  6. Health concerns associated with unconventional gas mining in rural Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haswell, Melissa R; Bethmont, Anna

    2016-01-01

    Many governments globally are investigating the benefits and risks associated with unconventional gas mining for shale, tight and coal seam gas (coalbed methane) to determine whether the industry should proceed in their jurisdiction. Most locations likely to be developed are in rural areas, with potential impact on farmers and small communities. Despite significant health concerns, public health knowledge and growing evidence are often overlooked in decision-making. It is difficult to gain a broad but accurate understanding of the health concerns for rural communities because the evidence has grown very recently and rapidly, is complex and largely based in the USA, where the industry is advanced. In 2016, a concerned South Australian beef and lamb farmer in an area targeted for potential unconventional gas development organised visits to homes in developed unconventional gas areas of Pennsylvania and forums with leading researchers and lawyers in Pennsylvania and New York. Guided by priorities identified during this trip, this communication concisely distils the research evidence on these key concerns, highlighting the Australian situation where evidence exists. It summarises key information of particular concern to rural regions, using Australia as an example, to assist rural health professionals to be better prepared to engage in decision-making and address the challenges associated with this new industry. Discussions with communities and experts, supported by the expanding research from the USA and Australia, revealed increasing health concerns in six key areas. These are absence of a safe solution to the toxic wastewater management problems, air pollution, land and water competition, mental health and psychosocial wellbeing risks, fugitive methane emissions and lack of proven regulatory regimes. Emerging epidemiological studies suggesting interference with foetal development and birth outcomes, and exacerbation of asthma conditions, are particularly concerning

  7. Flow dependent water quality impacts of historic coal and oil shale mining in the Almond River catchment, Scotland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haunch, Simon; MacDonald, Alan M.; Brown, Neil; McDermott, Christopher I.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • A GIS map of coal and oil shale mining in the Almond basin was constructed. • Water quality data confirms the continued detrimental impact of historic mining. • Oil shale mining is confirmed as a contributor to poor surface water quality. • Surface water flow affects mine contaminant chemistry, behaviour and transport. • River bed iron precipitate is re-suspended and transported downstream at high flow. - Abstract: The Almond River catchment in Central Scotland has experienced extensive coal mining during the last 300 years and also provides an example of enduring pollution associated with historic unconventional hydrocarbon exploitation from oil shale. Detailed spatial analysis of the catchment has identified over 300 abandoned mine and mine waste sites, comprising a significant potential source of mine related contamination. River water quality data, collected over a 15 year period from 1994 to 2008, indicates that both the coal and oil shale mining areas detrimentally impact surface water quality long after mine abandonment, due to the continued release of Fe and SO 4 2- associated with pyrite oxidation at abandoned mine sites. Once in the surface water environment Fe and SO 4 2- display significant concentration-flow dependence: Fe increases at high flows due to the re-suspension of river bed Fe precipitates (Fe(OH) 3 ); SO 4 2- concentrations decrease with higher flow as a result of dilution. Further examination of Fe and SO 4 loading at low flows indicates a close correlation of Fe and SO 4 2- with mined areas; cumulative low flow load calculations indicate that coal and oil shale mining regions contribute 0.21 and 0.31 g/s of Fe, respectively, to the main Almond tributary. Decreases in Fe loading along some river sections demonstrate the deposition and storage of Fe within the river channel. This river bed Fe is re-suspended with increased flow resulting in significant transport of Fe downstream with load values of up to 50 g/s Fe

  8. A Novel Method of Interestingness Measures for Association Rules Mining Based on Profit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chunhua Ju

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Association rules mining is an important topic in the domain of data mining and knowledge discovering. Some papers have presented several interestingness measure methods; the most typical are Support, Confidence, Lift, Improve, and so forth. But their limitations are obvious, like no objective criterion, lack of statistical base, disability of defining negative relationship, and so forth. This paper proposes three new methods, Bi-lift, Bi-improve, and Bi-confidence, for Lift, Improve, and Confidence, respectively. Then, on the basis of utility function and the executing cost of rules, we propose interestingness function based on profit (IFBP considering subjective preferences and characteristics of specific application object. Finally, a novel measure framework is proposed to improve the traditional one through experimental analysis. In conclusion, the new methods and measure framework are prior to the traditional ones in the aspects of objective criterion, comprehensive definition, and practical application.

  9. Efficient mining of association rules for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaves, R; Gorriz, J M; Ramirez, J; Illan, I A; Salas-Gonzalez, D; Gomez-RIo, M

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, a novel technique based on association rules (ARs) is presented in order to find relations among activated brain areas in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. In this sense, the aim of this work is to discover associations among attributes which characterize the perfusion patterns of normal subjects and to make use of them for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Firstly, voxel-as-feature-based activation estimation methods are used to find the tridimensional activated brain regions of interest (ROIs) for each patient. These ROIs serve as input to secondly mine ARs with a minimum support and confidence among activation blocks by using a set of controls. In this context, support and confidence measures are related to the proportion of functional areas which are singularly and mutually activated across the brain. Finally, we perform image classification by comparing the number of ARs verified by each subject under test to a given threshold that depends on the number of previously mined rules. Several classification experiments were carried out in order to evaluate the proposed methods using a SPECT database that consists of 41 controls (NOR) and 56 AD patients labeled by trained physicians. The proposed methods were validated by means of the leave-one-out cross validation strategy, yielding up to 94.87% classification accuracy, thus outperforming recent developed methods for computer aided diagnosis of AD.

  10. Efficient mining of association rules for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaves, R.; Górriz, J. M.; Ramírez, J.; Illán, I. A.; Salas-Gonzalez, D.; Gómez-Río, M.

    2011-09-01

    In this paper, a novel technique based on association rules (ARs) is presented in order to find relations among activated brain areas in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. In this sense, the aim of this work is to discover associations among attributes which characterize the perfusion patterns of normal subjects and to make use of them for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Firstly, voxel-as-feature-based activation estimation methods are used to find the tridimensional activated brain regions of interest (ROIs) for each patient. These ROIs serve as input to secondly mine ARs with a minimum support and confidence among activation blocks by using a set of controls. In this context, support and confidence measures are related to the proportion of functional areas which are singularly and mutually activated across the brain. Finally, we perform image classification by comparing the number of ARs verified by each subject under test to a given threshold that depends on the number of previously mined rules. Several classification experiments were carried out in order to evaluate the proposed methods using a SPECT database that consists of 41 controls (NOR) and 56 AD patients labeled by trained physicians. The proposed methods were validated by means of the leave-one-out cross validation strategy, yielding up to 94.87% classification accuracy, thus outperforming recent developed methods for computer aided diagnosis of AD.

  11. The N-terminal amphipathic helix of the topological specificity factor MinE is associated with shaping membrane curvature.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Ling Shih

    Full Text Available Pole-to-pole oscillations of the Min proteins in Escherichia coli are required for the proper placement of the division septum. Direct interaction of MinE with the cell membrane is critical for the dynamic behavior of the Min system. In vitro, this MinE-membrane interaction led to membrane deformation; however, the underlying mechanism remained unclear. Here we report that MinE-induced membrane deformation involves the formation of an amphipathic helix of MinE(2-9, which, together with the adjacent basic residues, function as membrane anchors. Biochemical evidence suggested that the membrane association induces formation of the helix, with the helical face, consisting of A2, L3, and F6, inserted into the membrane. Insertion of this helix into the cell membrane can influence local membrane curvature and lead to drastic changes in membrane topology. Accordingly, MinE showed characteristic features of protein-induced membrane tubulation and lipid clustering in in vitro reconstituted systems. In conclusion, MinE shares common protein signatures with a group of membrane trafficking proteins in eukaryotic cells. These MinE signatures appear to affect membrane curvature.

  12. Construction and modernization of underground and surface mines. [USSR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burshtein, N M

    1983-12-01

    Development of the Sredazugol' association in Soviet Central Asia from 1976 to 1985 is discussed. From 1976 to 1980 investment in the association amounted to 151 million rubles, 87.5 million of which fell on construction. Major development projects of the 1976-1980 period are reviewed: construction of new mining levels in underground coal mines, development of a number of operating surface mines, modernization of earthmoving and mining equipment, development of mine haulage by locomotives and railroad cars, improving occupational safety in coal mining, increasing slope stability in surface mining, especially in the area of the Atchinsk landslide in the Angren mine. From 1981 to 1985 investment in the Sredazugol' association should amount to 202 million rubles, of which 126 million rubles will be spent on construction. Investment will be 35% higher than in the 1976-1980 period and investment in mine construction 43% higher. The largest development project will be modernization of the Angren surface mine and increasing its targeted coal output from 5.2 Mt/y to 10.3 Mt/y by 1990. Modernization and reconstruction of the Angren mine will be carried out in 2 stages. Coal output of the mine will increase by 1.2 Mt/y in the current 5 year plan (by 1985), and by 3.9 Mt/y in the next 5 year period. Reconstruction and development of the Angren mine will cost approximately 254 million rubles. Mining and earthmoving equipment which will be used in the Angren mine is reviewed: EhRGV-630 bucket wheel excavators, EhSh-10/70 and EhSh-13/50 walking draglines, etc.

  13. Mining and mining authorities in Saarland 2016. Mining economy, mining technology, occupational safety, environmental protection, statistics, mining authority activities. Annual report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    The annual report of the Saarland Upper Mining Authority provides an insight into the activities of mining authorities. Especially, the development of the black coal mining, safety and technology of mining as well as the correlation between mining and environment are stressed.

  14. GWA study data mining and independent replication identify cardiomyopathy-associated 5 (CMYA5) as a risk gene for schizophrenia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chen, X.; Lee, G.; Maher, B. S.; Fanous, A. H.; Chen, J.; Zhao, Z.; Guo, A.; van den Oord, E.; Sullivan, P. F.; Shi, J.; Levinson, D. F.; Gejman, P. V.; Sanders, A.; Duan, J.; Owen, M. J.; Craddock, N. J.; O'Donovan, M. C.; Blackman, J.; Lewis, D.; Kirov, G. K.; Qin, W.; Schwab, S.; Wildenauer, D.; Chowdari, K.; Nimgaonkar, V.; Straub, R. E.; Weinberger, D. R.; O'Neill, F. A.; Walsh, D.; Bronstein, M.; Darvasi, A.; Lencz, T.; Malhotra, A. K.; Rujescu, D.; Giegling, I.; Werge, T.; Hansen, T.; Ingason, A.; Nöethen, M. M.; Rietschel, M.; Cichon, S.; Djurovic, S.; Andreassen, O. A.; Cantor, R. M.; Ophoff, R.; Corvin, A.; Morris, D. W.; Gill, M.; Pato, C. N.; Pato, M. T.; Macedo, A.; Gurling, H. M. D.; McQuillin, A.; Pimm, J.; Hultman, C.; Lichtenstein, P.; Sklar, P.; Purcell, S. M.; Scolnick, E.; St Clair, D.; Blackwood, D. H. R.; Kendler, K. S.; Kahn, René S.; Linszen, Don H.; van Os, Jim; Wiersma, Durk; Bruggeman, Richard; Cahn, Wiepke; de Haan, Lieuwe; Krabbendam, Lydia; Myin-Germeys, Inez; O'Donovan, Michael C.; Kirov, George K.; Craddock, Nick J.; Holmans, Peter A.; Williams, Nigel M.; Georgieva, Lyudmila; Nikolov, Ivan; Norton, N.; Williams, H.; Toncheva, Draga; Milanova, Vihra; Owen, Michael J.; Hultman, Christina M.; Lichtenstein, Paul; Thelander, Emma F.; Sullivan, Patrick; Morris, Derek W.; O'Dushlaine, Colm T.; Kenny, Elaine; Quinn, Emma M.; Gill, Michael; Corvin, Aiden; McQuillin, Andrew; Choudhury, Khalid; Datta, Susmita; Pimm, Jonathan; Thirumalai, Srinivasa; Puri, Vinay; Krasucki, Robert; Lawrence, Jacob; Quested, Digby; Bass, Nicholas; Gurling, Hugh; Crombie, Caroline; Fraser, Gillian; Kuan, Soh Leh; Walker, Nicholas; St Clair, David; Blackwood, Douglas H. R.; Muir, Walter J.; McGhee, Kevin A.; Pickard, Ben; Malloy, Pat; Maclean, Alan W.; van Beck, Margaret; Wray, Naomi R.; Macgregor, Stuart; Visscher, Peter M.; Pato, Michele T.; Medeiros, Helena; Middleton, Frank; Carvalho, Celia; Morley, Christopher; Fanous, Ayman; Conti, David; Knowles, James A.; Ferreira, Carlos Paz; Macedo, Antonio; Azevedo, M. Helena; Pato, Carlos N.; Stone, Jennifer L.; Ruderfer, Douglas M.; Kirby, Andrew N.; Ferreira, Manuel A. R.; Daly, Mark J.; Purcell, Shaun M.; Sklar, Pamela; Chambert, Kimberly; Kuruvilla, Finny; Gabriel, Stacey B.; Ardlie, Kristin; Moran, Jennifer L.; Scolnick, Edward M.

    2011-01-01

    We conducted data-mining analyses using the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) and molecular genetics of schizophrenia genome-wide association study supported by the genetic association information network (MGS-GAIN) schizophrenia data sets and performed

  15. Application of an empiric Bayesian data mining algorithm to reports of pancreatitis associated with atypical antipsychotics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauben, Manfred

    2004-09-01

    To compare the results from one frequently cited data mining algorithm with those from a study, which was published in a peer-reviewed journal, that examined the association of pancreatitis with selected atypical antipsychotics observed by traditional rule-based methods of signal detection. Retrospective pharmacovigilance study. The widely studied data mining algorithm known as the Multi-item Gamma Poisson Shrinker (MGPS) was applied to adverse-event reports from the United States Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System database through the first quarter of 2003 for clozapine, olanzapine, and risperidone to determine if a significant signal of pancreatitis would have been generated by this method in advance of their review or the addition of these events to the respective product labels. Data mining was performed by using nine preferred terms relevant to drug-induced pancreatitis from the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA). Results from a previous study on the antipsychotics were reviewed and analyzed. Physicians' Desk References (PDRs) starting from 1994 were manually reviewed to determine the first year that pancreatitis was listed as an adverse event in the product label for each antipsychotic. This information was used as a surrogate marker of the timing of initial signal detection by traditional criteria. Pancreatitis was listed as an adverse event in a PDR for all three atypical antipsychotics. Despite the presence of up to 88 reports/drug-event combination in the Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System database, the MGPS failed to generate a signal of disproportional reporting of pancreatitis associated with the three antipsychotics despite the signaling of these drug-event combinations by traditional rule-based methods, as reflected in product labeling and/or the literature. These discordant findings illustrate key principles in the application of data mining algorithms to drug safety

  16. Mine-induced seismicity at East-Rand proprietary mines

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Milev, AM

    1995-09-01

    Full Text Available Mining results in seismic activity of varying intensity, from small micro seismic events to larger seismic events, often associated with significant seismic induced damages. This work deals with the understanding of the present seismicity...

  17. Land use-based landscape planning and restoration in mine closure areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jianjun; Fu, Meichen; Hassani, Ferri P; Zeng, Hui; Geng, Yuhuan; Bai, Zhongke

    2011-05-01

    Landscape planning and restoration in mine closure areas is not only an inevitable choice to sustain mining areas but also an important path to maximize landscape resources and to improve ecological function in mine closure areas. The analysis of the present mine development shows that many mines are unavoidably facing closures in China. This paper analyzes the periodic impact of mining activities on landscapes and then proposes planning concepts and principles. According to the landscape characteristics in mine closure areas, this paper classifies available landscape resources in mine closure areas into the landscape for restoration, for limited restoration and for protection, and then summarizes directions for their uses. This paper establishes the framework of spatial control planning and design of landscape elements from "macro control, medium allocation and micro optimization" for the purpose of managing and using this kind of special landscape resources. Finally, this paper applies the theories and methods to a case study in Wu'an from two aspects: the construction of a sustainable land-use pattern on a large scale and the optimized allocation of typical mine landscape resources on a small scale.

  18. Land Use-Based Landscape Planning and Restoration in Mine Closure Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jianjun; Fu, Meichen; Hassani, Ferri P.; Zeng, Hui; Geng, Yuhuan; Bai, Zhongke

    2011-05-01

    Landscape planning and restoration in mine closure areas is not only an inevitable choice to sustain mining areas but also an important path to maximize landscape resources and to improve ecological function in mine closure areas. The analysis of the present mine development shows that many mines are unavoidably facing closures in China. This paper analyzes the periodic impact of mining activities on landscapes and then proposes planning concepts and principles. According to the landscape characteristics in mine closure areas, this paper classifies available landscape resources in mine closure areas into the landscape for restoration, for limited restoration and for protection, and then summarizes directions for their uses. This paper establishes the framework of spatial control planning and design of landscape elements from "macro control, medium allocation and micro optimization" for the purpose of managing and using this kind of special landscape resources. Finally, this paper applies the theories and methods to a case study in Wu'an from two aspects: the construction of a sustainable land-use pattern on a large scale and the optimized allocation of typical mine landscape resources on a small scale.

  19. Uranium mining sites - Thematic sheets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-01-01

    A first sheet proposes comments, data and key numbers about uranium extraction in France: general overview of uranium mining sites, status of waste rock and tailings after exploitation, site rehabilitation. The second sheet addresses the sources of exposure to ionizing radiations due to ancient uranium mining sites: discussion on the identification of these sources associated with these sites, properly due to mining activities or to tailings, or due to the transfer of radioactive substances towards water and to the contamination of sediments, description of the practice and assessment of radiological control of mining sites. A third sheet addresses the radiological exposure of public to waste rocks, and the dose assessment according to exposure scenarios: main exposure ways to be considered, studied exposure scenarios (passage on backfilled path and grounds, stay in buildings built on waste rocks, keeping mineralogical samples at home). The fourth sheet addresses research programmes of the IRSN on uranium and radon: epidemiological studies (performed on mine workers; on French and on European cohorts, French and European studies on the risk of lung cancer associated with radon in housing), study of the biological effects of chronic exposures. The last sheet addresses studies and expertises performed by the IRSN on ancient uranium mining sites in France: studies commissioned by public authorities, radioactivity control studies performed by the IRSN about mining sites, participation of the IRSN to actions to promote openness to civil society

  20. Data mining applications in healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Hian Chye; Tan, Gerald

    2005-01-01

    Data mining has been used intensively and extensively by many organizations. In healthcare, data mining is becoming increasingly popular, if not increasingly essential. Data mining applications can greatly benefit all parties involved in the healthcare industry. For example, data mining can help healthcare insurers detect fraud and abuse, healthcare organizations make customer relationship management decisions, physicians identify effective treatments and best practices, and patients receive better and more affordable healthcare services. The huge amounts of data generated by healthcare transactions are too complex and voluminous to be processed and analyzed by traditional methods. Data mining provides the methodology and technology to transform these mounds of data into useful information for decision making. This article explores data mining applications in healthcare. In particular, it discusses data mining and its applications within healthcare in major areas such as the evaluation of treatment effectiveness, management of healthcare, customer relationship management, and the detection of fraud and abuse. It also gives an illustrative example of a healthcare data mining application involving the identification of risk factors associated with the onset of diabetes. Finally, the article highlights the limitations of data mining and discusses some future directions.

  1. Granular-relational data mining how to mine relational data in the paradigm of granular computing ?

    CERN Document Server

    Hońko, Piotr

    2017-01-01

    This book provides two general granular computing approaches to mining relational data, the first of which uses abstract descriptions of relational objects to build their granular representation, while the second extends existing granular data mining solutions to a relational case. Both approaches make it possible to perform and improve popular data mining tasks such as classification, clustering, and association discovery. How can different relational data mining tasks best be unified? How can the construction process of relational patterns be simplified? How can richer knowledge from relational data be discovered? All these questions can be answered in the same way: by mining relational data in the paradigm of granular computing! This book will allow readers with previous experience in the field of relational data mining to discover the many benefits of its granular perspective. In turn, those readers familiar with the paradigm of granular computing will find valuable insights on its application to mining r...

  2. A real-time, wearable elemental carbon monitor for use in underground mines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takiff, L.; Aiken, G.

    2010-01-01

    A real-time, wearable elemental carbon monitor has been developed to determines the exposure of workers in underground mines to diesel particulate material (DPM). ICx Technologies designed the device in an effort to address the health hazards associated with DPM exposure. Occupational exposure to DPM in underground metal and nonmetal mines is regulated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration. The most common method of measuring exposure to elemental or total carbon nanoparticles involves capturing the particles on a filter followed by a thermo-optical laboratory analysis, which integrates the exposure spatially and in time. The ICx monitor is based on a design developed and tested by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The ICx monitor uses a real-time particle capture and light transmission method to yield elemental carbon values that are displayed for the wearer and are stored internally in a compact device. The ICx monitoring results were found to be in good agreement with the established laboratory method (NIOSH Method 5040) for elemental carbon emissions from a diesel engine. The monitors are compact and powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Examples of DPM monitoring in mines demonstrated how the real-time data can be more useful that time-averaged results. The information can be used to determine ventilation rates needed at any given location to lower the DPM concentrations.15 refs., 6 figs.

  3. A real-time, wearable elemental carbon monitor for use in underground mines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takiff, L. [ICx Technologies, Cambridge, MA (United States); Aiken, G. [ICx Technologies, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2010-07-01

    A real-time, wearable elemental carbon monitor has been developed to determines the exposure of workers in underground mines to diesel particulate material (DPM). ICx Technologies designed the device in an effort to address the health hazards associated with DPM exposure. Occupational exposure to DPM in underground metal and nonmetal mines is regulated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration. The most common method of measuring exposure to elemental or total carbon nanoparticles involves capturing the particles on a filter followed by a thermo-optical laboratory analysis, which integrates the exposure spatially and in time. The ICx monitor is based on a design developed and tested by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The ICx monitor uses a real-time particle capture and light transmission method to yield elemental carbon values that are displayed for the wearer and are stored internally in a compact device. The ICx monitoring results were found to be in good agreement with the established laboratory method (NIOSH Method 5040) for elemental carbon emissions from a diesel engine. The monitors are compact and powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Examples of DPM monitoring in mines demonstrated how the real-time data can be more useful that time-averaged results. The information can be used to determine ventilation rates needed at any given location to lower the DPM concentrations.15 refs., 6 figs.

  4. Locating previously unknown patterns in data-mining results: a dual data- and knowledge-mining method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Knaus William A

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Data mining can be utilized to automate analysis of substantial amounts of data produced in many organizations. However, data mining produces large numbers of rules and patterns, many of which are not useful. Existing methods for pruning uninteresting patterns have only begun to automate the knowledge acquisition step (which is required for subjective measures of interestingness, hence leaving a serious bottleneck. In this paper we propose a method for automatically acquiring knowledge to shorten the pattern list by locating the novel and interesting ones. Methods The dual-mining method is based on automatically comparing the strength of patterns mined from a database with the strength of equivalent patterns mined from a relevant knowledgebase. When these two estimates of pattern strength do not match, a high "surprise score" is assigned to the pattern, identifying the pattern as potentially interesting. The surprise score captures the degree of novelty or interestingness of the mined pattern. In addition, we show how to compute p values for each surprise score, thus filtering out noise and attaching statistical significance. Results We have implemented the dual-mining method using scripts written in Perl and R. We applied the method to a large patient database and a biomedical literature citation knowledgebase. The system estimated association scores for 50,000 patterns, composed of disease entities and lab results, by querying the database and the knowledgebase. It then computed the surprise scores by comparing the pairs of association scores. Finally, the system estimated statistical significance of the scores. Conclusion The dual-mining method eliminates more than 90% of patterns with strong associations, thus identifying them as uninteresting. We found that the pruning of patterns using the surprise score matched the biomedical evidence in the 100 cases that were examined by hand. The method automates the acquisition of

  5. Big data mining analysis method based on cloud computing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Qing Qiu; Cui, Hong Gang; Tang, Hao

    2017-08-01

    Information explosion era, large data super-large, discrete and non-(semi) structured features have gone far beyond the traditional data management can carry the scope of the way. With the arrival of the cloud computing era, cloud computing provides a new technical way to analyze the massive data mining, which can effectively solve the problem that the traditional data mining method cannot adapt to massive data mining. This paper introduces the meaning and characteristics of cloud computing, analyzes the advantages of using cloud computing technology to realize data mining, designs the mining algorithm of association rules based on MapReduce parallel processing architecture, and carries out the experimental verification. The algorithm of parallel association rule mining based on cloud computing platform can greatly improve the execution speed of data mining.

  6. Using redescription mining to relate clinical and biological characteristics of cognitively impaired and Alzheimer's disease patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mihelčić, Matej; Šimić, Goran; Babić Leko, Mirjana; Lavrač, Nada; Džeroski, Sašo; Šmuc, Tomislav

    2017-01-01

    Based on a set of subjects and a collection of attributes obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database, we used redescription mining to find interpretable rules revealing associations between those determinants that provide insights about the Alzheimer's disease (AD). We extended the CLUS-RM redescription mining algorithm to a constraint-based redescription mining (CBRM) setting, which enables several modes of targeted exploration of specific, user-constrained associations. Redescription mining enabled finding specific constructs of clinical and biological attributes that describe many groups of subjects of different size, homogeneity and levels of cognitive impairment. We confirmed some previously known findings. However, in some instances, as with the attributes: testosterone, ciliary neurotrophic factor, brain natriuretic peptide, Fas ligand, the imaging attribute Spatial Pattern of Abnormalities for Recognition of Early AD, as well as the levels of leptin and angiopoietin-2 in plasma, we corroborated previously debatable findings or provided additional information about these variables and their association with AD pathogenesis. Moreover, applying redescription mining on ADNI data resulted with the discovery of one largely unknown attribute: the Pregnancy-Associated Protein-A (PAPP-A), which we found highly associated with cognitive impairment in AD. Statistically significant correlations (p ≤ 0.01) were found between PAPP-A and clinical tests: Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale, Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes, Mini Mental State Examination, etc. The high importance of this finding lies in the fact that PAPP-A is a metalloproteinase, known to cleave insulin-like growth factor binding proteins. Since it also shares similar substrates with A Disintegrin and the Metalloproteinase family of enzymes that act as α-secretase to physiologically cleave amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the non-amyloidogenic pathway, it could be

  7. Using redescription mining to relate clinical and biological characteristics of cognitively impaired and Alzheimer's disease patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matej Mihelčić

    Full Text Available Based on a set of subjects and a collection of attributes obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database, we used redescription mining to find interpretable rules revealing associations between those determinants that provide insights about the Alzheimer's disease (AD. We extended the CLUS-RM redescription mining algorithm to a constraint-based redescription mining (CBRM setting, which enables several modes of targeted exploration of specific, user-constrained associations. Redescription mining enabled finding specific constructs of clinical and biological attributes that describe many groups of subjects of different size, homogeneity and levels of cognitive impairment. We confirmed some previously known findings. However, in some instances, as with the attributes: testosterone, ciliary neurotrophic factor, brain natriuretic peptide, Fas ligand, the imaging attribute Spatial Pattern of Abnormalities for Recognition of Early AD, as well as the levels of leptin and angiopoietin-2 in plasma, we corroborated previously debatable findings or provided additional information about these variables and their association with AD pathogenesis. Moreover, applying redescription mining on ADNI data resulted with the discovery of one largely unknown attribute: the Pregnancy-Associated Protein-A (PAPP-A, which we found highly associated with cognitive impairment in AD. Statistically significant correlations (p ≤ 0.01 were found between PAPP-A and clinical tests: Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale, Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes, Mini Mental State Examination, etc. The high importance of this finding lies in the fact that PAPP-A is a metalloproteinase, known to cleave insulin-like growth factor binding proteins. Since it also shares similar substrates with A Disintegrin and the Metalloproteinase family of enzymes that act as α-secretase to physiologically cleave amyloid precursor protein (APP in the non-amyloidogenic pathway

  8. The expansion of coal mining in the depression areas – a way to development?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stanislav Martinát

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The coal has been mined in the Karviná area for more than 150 years. During the course of time mining areas were continuously extended at the expense of the settled areas. At the beginnings the mining was limited, but later, namely under conditions of centrally planned economy in the period between 1950s and 1980s, it was heavily intensified. Then, as a result of economic restructuring of the Czech Republic mining was reduced in the region to be re-developed in the last decade again. The expansion of coal mining has been continuously affecting the socio-economic structure of local population (huge working immigration, industrialisation, construction of mass housing for miners – miners dormitories, later housing estates etc., displacement of settlements, surrounding landscape (subsidence of terrain, undermining, hydrological changes and formation of artificial lakes, occurrence of plenty of post-mining brownfields after the reduction of mining etc., but also contemporary outward, image and socio-spatial structure of cities (dominance housing in housing estates, effects of communists spatial urban planning etc.. Currently, negotiations about expansion of coal mining are in progress in this region, namely the city parts of Karviná (Staré Město and Orlová (Výhoda should be affected. In the introductory parts of this paper social, economical and environmental aspects of coal mining on the development of regions and connected problems are discussed and both cities are shortly presented. The questionnaire survey focused on perceptions of after-mining renewal and potential expansion of mining in the area of cities of Karviná and Orlová was conducted (n=1000. As the most important predictor that influences perception of mining and renewal, employment in mining companies has been identified. The higher education respondents achieved, the higher level of opposition against mining was manifested. The correlation was also found between the level of

  9. Testing contamination risk assessment methods for toxic elements from mine waste sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdaal, A.; Jordan, G.; Szilassi, P.; Kiss, J.; Detzky, G.

    2012-04-01

    Major incidents involving mine waste facilities and poor environmental management practices have left a legacy of thousands of contaminated sites like in the historic mining areas in the Carpathian Basin. Associated environmental risks have triggered the development of new EU environmental legislation to prevent and minimize the effects of such incidents. The Mine Waste Directive requires the risk-based inventory of all mine waste sites in Europe by May 2012. In order to address the mining problems a standard risk-based Pre-selection protocol has been developed by the EU Commission. This paper discusses the heavy metal contamination in acid mine drainage (AMD) for risk assessment (RA) along the Source-Pathway-Receptor chain using decision support methods which are intended to aid national and regional organizations in the inventory and assessment of potentially contaminated mine waste sites. Several recognized methods such as the European Environmental Agency (EEA) standard PRAMS model for soil contamination, US EPA-based AIMSS and Irish HMS-IRC models for RA of abandoned sites are reviewed, compared and tested for the mining waste environment. In total 145 ore mine waste sites have been selected for scientific testing using the EU Pre-selection protocol as a case study from Hungary. The proportion of uncertain to certain responses for a site and for the total number of sites may give an insight of specific and overall uncertainty in the data we use. The Pre-selection questions are efficiently linked to a GIS system as database inquiries using digital spatial data to directly generate answers. Key parameters such as distance to the nearest surface and ground water bodies, to settlements and protected areas are calculated and statistically evaluated using STATGRAPHICS® in order to calibrate the RA models. According to our scientific research results, of the 145 sites 11 sites are the most risky having foundation slope >20o, 57 sites are within distance 66 (class VI

  10. Is outdoor work associated with elevated rates of cerebrovascular disease mortality? : a cohort study based on iron-ore mining

    OpenAIRE

    Björ, Ove; Jonsson, Håkan; Damber, Lena; Burström, Lage; Nilsson, Tohr

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: A cohort study that examined iron ore mining found negative associations between cumulative working time employed underground and several outcomes, including mortality of cerebrovascular diseases. In this cohort study, and using the same group of miners, we examined whether work in an outdoor environment could explain elevated cerebrovascular disease rates. METHODS: This study was based on a Swedish iron ore mining cohort consisting of 13,000 workers. Poisson regression models wer...

  11. Soft measures and incremental gains in mines; Mesures douces et gains incrementaux : mines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laliberte, P. [Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada). CANMET Mining and Mineral Sciences Laboratories

    2008-07-01

    This paper presented a variety of measures that mine operators can adopt to save energy. Researchers at the CANMET Mining and Mineral Sciences Laboratories of Natural Resources Canada have conducted a joint study with Hydro-Quebec to investigate the impact of alternate energy technologies and control systems on energy savings. The impacts of a range of technologies were evaluated and rates of energy efficiency were compared. Technologies included hybrid vehicles; fuel cell-powered vehicles; automated ventilation control systems; heat recovery; compressed air; and electrical mining equipment. Energy profiles for various industrial applications were included. This paper also provided details of computerized simulations currently being conducted to estimate the potential incremental gains associated with the use of technology innovations in mining applications. 9 tabs., 3 figs.

  12. Application of EREP imagery to fracture-related mine safety hazards and environmental problems in mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wier, C. E.; Wobber, F. J.; Amato, R. V.; Russell, O. R. (Principal Investigator)

    1973-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. Numerous fracture traces were detected on both the color transparencies and black and white spectral bands. Fracture traces of value to mining hazards analysis were noted on the EREP imagery which could not be detected on either the ERTS-1 or high altitude aircraft color infrared photography. Several areas of mine subsidence occurring in the Busseron Creek area near Sullivan, Indiana were successfully identified using color photography. Skylab photography affords an increase over comparable scale ERTS-1 imagery in level of information obtained in mined lands inventory and reclamation analysis. A review of EREP color photography permitted the identification of a substantial number of non-fuel mines within the Southern Indiana test area. A new mine was detected on the EREP photography without prior data. EREP has definite value for estimating areal changes in active mines and for detecting new non-fuel mines. Gob piles and slurry ponds of several acres could be detected on the S-190B color photography when observed in association with large scale mining operations. Apparent degradation of water quality resulting from acid mine drainage and/or siltation was noted in several ponds or small lakes and appear to be related to intensive mining activity near Sullivan, Indiana.

  13. Soil heavy metal contamination and health risks associated with artisanal gold mining in Tongguan, Shaanxi, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Ran; Wang, Shuang; Li, Ronghua; Wang, Jim J; Zhang, Zengqiang

    2017-07-01

    Soil contamination with heavy metals due to mining activities poses risks to ecological safety and human well-being. Limited studies have investigated heavy metal pollution due to artisanal mining. The present study focused on soil contamination and the health risk in villages in China with historical artisanal mining activities. Heavy metal levels in soils, tailings, cereal and vegetable crops were analyzed and health risk assessed. Additionally, a botany investigation was conducted to identify potential plants for further phytoremediation. The results showed that soils were highly contaminated by residual tailings and previous mining activities. Hg and Cd were the main pollutants in soils. The Hg and Pb concentrations in grains and some vegetables exceeded tolerance limits. Moreover, heavy metal contents in wheat grains were higher than those in maize grains, and leafy vegetables had high concentrations of metals. Ingestion of local grain-based food was the main sources of Hg, Cd, and Pb intake. Local residents had high chronic risks due to the intake of Hg and Pb, while their carcinogenic risk associated with Cd through inhalation was low. Three plants (Erigeron canadensis L., Digitaria ciliaris (Retz.) Koel., and Solanum nigrum L.) were identified as suitable species for phytoremediation. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  14. Triggered surface slips in the Salton Trough associated with the 1999 Hector Mine, California, earthquake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rymer, M.J.; Boatwright, J.; Seekins, L.C.; Yule, J.D.; Liu, J.

    2002-01-01

    Surface fracturing occurred along the southern San Andreas, Superstition Hills, and Imperial faults in association with the 16 October 1999 (Mw 7.1) Hector Mine earthquake, making this at least the eighth time in the past 31 years that a regional earthquake has triggered slip along faults in the Salton Trough. Fractures associated with the event formed discontinuous breaks over a 39-km-long stretch of the San Andreas fault, from the Mecca Hills southeastward to Salt Creek and Durmid Hill, a distance from the epicenter of 107 to 139 km. Sense of slip was right lateral; only locally was there a minor (~1 mm) vertical component of slip. Dextral slip ranged from 1 to 13 mm. Maximum slip values in 1999 and earlier triggered slips are most common in the central Mecca Hills. Field evidence indicates a transient opening as the Hector Mine seismic waves passed the southern San Andreas fault. Comparison of nearby strong-motion records indicates several periods of relative opening with passage of the Hector Mine seismic wave-a similar process may have contributed to the field evidence of a transient opening. Slip on the Superstition Hills fault extended at least 9 km, at a distance from the Hector Mine epicenter of about 188 to 196 km. This length of slip is a minimum value, because we saw fresh surface breakage extending farther northwest than our measurement sites. Sense of slip was right lateral; locally there was a minor (~1 mm) vertical component of slip. Dextral slip ranged from 1 to 18 mm, with the largest amounts found distributed (or skewed) away from the Hector Mine earthquake source. Slip triggered on the Superstition Hills fault commonly is skewed away from the earthquake source, most notably in 1968, 1979, and 1999. Surface slip on the Imperial fault and within the Imperial Valley extended about 22 km, representing a distance from the Hector Mine epicenter of about 204 to 226 km. Sense of slip dominantly was right lateral; the right-lateral component of slip

  15. Spatial distribution and source identification of heavy metals in surface soils in a typical coal mine city, Lianyuan, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Jie; Feng, Chunting; Zeng, Guangming; Gao, Xiang; Zhong, Minzhou; Li, Xiaodong; Li, Xin; He, Xinyue; Fang, Yilong

    2017-06-01

    In this study, we investigated the pollution degree and spatial distribution of heavy metals and determined their sources in topsoil in a typical coal mine city, Lianyuan, Hunan Province, China. We collected 6078 soil surface samples in different land use types. And the concentrations of Zn, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sb, As, Mo, V, Mn, Fe and Cr were measured. The average contents of all heavy metals were lower than their corresponding Grade II values of Chinese Soil Quality Standard with the exception of Hg. However, average contents of twelve heavy metals, except for Mn, exceeded their background level in soils in Hunan Province. Based on one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), the contents of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg, Mo and V were related to the anthropogenic source and there were statistically significant differences in their concentrations among different land use patterns. The spatial variation of heavy metal was visualized by GIS. The PMF model was used to ascertain contamination sources of twelve heavy metals and apportion their source contributions in Lianyuan soils. The results showed that the source contributions of the natural source, atmospheric deposition, industrial activities and agricultural activities accounted for 33.6%, 26.05%, 23.44% and 16.91%, respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Using fuzzy association rule mining in cancer classification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahmoodian, Hamid; Marhaban, M.H.; Abdulrahim, Raha; Rosli, Rozita; Saripan, Iqbal

    2011-01-01

    Full text: The classification of the cancer tumors based on gene expression profiles has been extensively studied in numbers of studies. A wide variety of cancer datasets have been implemented by the various methods of gene selec tion and classification to identify the behavior of the genes in tumors and find the relationships between them and outcome of diseases. Interpretability of the model, which is developed by fuzzy rules and linguistic variables in this study, has been rarely considered. In addition, creating a fuzzy classifier with high performance in classification that uses a subset of significant genes which have been selected by different types of gene selection methods is another goal of this study. A new algorithm has been developed to identify the fuzzy rules and significant genes based on fuzzy association rule mining. At first, different subset of genes which have been selected by different methods, were used to generate primary fuzzy classifiers separately and then proposed algorithm was implemented to mix the genes which have been associated in the primary classifiers and generate a new classifier. The results show that fuzzy classifier can classify the tumors with high performance while presenting the relationships between the genes by linguistic variables

  17. Integrated post mining landscape for sustainable land use: A case study in South Sumatera, Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdul Kodir

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Damages to coal mined land must be restored through reclamation efforts to provide optimum benefits. In addition to environmental improvements through conservation and protection, coal mined land also has the potential for economic development and the ability to provide social benefits to the community. This study aimed to (1 formulate a spatial plan for coal mined land in order for it to become an integrated and multifunctional landscape by integrating protected areas, conservation areas and cultivated areas that contains a variety of land uses to support sustainable development of the coal mine of PT Bukit Asam, Tanjung Enim, South Sumatera province; and (2 calculate the economic potential of the coal mined land. The methods used for data analysis were the Geographical Information System (GIS, a land suitability evaluation and a feasibility study (Net Present Value, Internal Rate Return and Benefit/Cost Ratio. The results found that the integrated spatial planning of land that had been used as a coal mine that considered sustainability could be implemented. In addition, a variety of businesses in the area of cultivation, including: plantation forests, cultivation of cajuput crops, aquaculture, and cattle farming should be developed. The potential profitable, pre-tax income until the closing of the mine in 2043 amounted to USD 91,295,530 (1 USD = Rp 13,329. If there is a source of a new economy after mining ends, the social conditions and environmental sustainability can be maintained.

  18. Ontogenetic shifts and spatial associations in organ positions for snakes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Gretchen E; Secor, Stephen M

    2015-12-01

    Snakes possess an elongated body form and serial placement of organs which provides the opportunity to explore historic and adaptive mechanisms of organ position. We examined the influence of body size and sex on the position of, and spatial associations between, the heart, liver, small intestine, and right kidney for ten phylogenetically diverse species of snakes that vary in body shape and habitat. Snake snout-vent length explained much of the variation in the position of these four organs. For all ten species, the position of the heart and liver relative to snout-vent length decreased as a function of size. As body size increased from neonate to adult, these two organs shifted anteriorly an average of 4.7% and 5.7% of snout-vent length, respectively. Similarly, the small intestine and right kidney shifted anteriorly with an increase in snout-vent length for seven and five of the species, respectively. The absolute and relative positioning of these organs did not differ between male and female Burmese pythons (Python molurus). However, for diamondback water snakes (Nerodia rhombifer), the liver and small intestine were more anteriorly positioned in females as compared to males, whereas the right kidney was positioned more anteriorly for males. Correlations of residuals of organ position (deviation from predicted position) demonstrated significant spatial associations between organs for nine of the ten species. For seven species, individuals with hearts more anterior (or posterior) than predicted also tended to possess livers that were similarly anteriorly (or posteriorly) placed. Positive associations between liver and small intestine positions and between small intestine and right kidney positions were observed for six species, while spatial associations between the heart and small intestine, heart and right kidney, and liver and right kidney were observed in three or four species. This study demonstrates that size, sex, and spatial associations may have

  19. Analysis of Occupational Accidents in Underground and Surface Mining in Spain Using Data-Mining Techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanmiquel, Lluís; Bascompta, Marc; Rossell, Josep M.; Anticoi, Hernán Francisco; Guash, Eduard

    2018-01-01

    An analysis of occupational accidents in the mining sector was conducted using the data from the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Safety between 2005 and 2015, and data-mining techniques were applied. Data was processed with the software Weka. Two scenarios were chosen from the accidents database: surface and underground mining. The most important variables involved in occupational accidents and their association rules were determined. These rules are composed of several predictor variables that cause accidents, defining its characteristics and context. This study exposes the 20 most important association rules in the sector—either surface or underground mining—based on the statistical confidence levels of each rule as obtained by Weka. The outcomes display the most typical immediate causes, along with the percentage of accidents with a basis in each association rule. The most important immediate cause is body movement with physical effort or overexertion, and the type of accident is physical effort or overexertion. On the other hand, the second most important immediate cause and type of accident are different between the two scenarios. Data-mining techniques were chosen as a useful tool to find out the root cause of the accidents. PMID:29518921

  20. Analysis of Occupational Accidents in Underground and Surface Mining in Spain Using Data-Mining Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lluís Sanmiquel

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available An analysis of occupational accidents in the mining sector was conducted using the data from the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Safety between 2005 and 2015, and data-mining techniques were applied. Data was processed with the software Weka. Two scenarios were chosen from the accidents database: surface and underground mining. The most important variables involved in occupational accidents and their association rules were determined. These rules are composed of several predictor variables that cause accidents, defining its characteristics and context. This study exposes the 20 most important association rules in the sector—either surface or underground mining—based on the statistical confidence levels of each rule as obtained by Weka. The outcomes display the most typical immediate causes, along with the percentage of accidents with a basis in each association rule. The most important immediate cause is body movement with physical effort or overexertion, and the type of accident is physical effort or overexertion. On the other hand, the second most important immediate cause and type of accident are different between the two scenarios. Data-mining techniques were chosen as a useful tool to find out the root cause of the accidents.

  1. An association rule mining-based framework for understanding lifestyle risk behaviors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    So Hyun Park

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the prevalence and patterns of lifestyle risk behaviors in Korean adults. METHODS: We utilized data from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 14,833 adults (>20 years of age. We used association rule mining to analyze patterns of lifestyle risk behaviors by characterizing non-adherence to public health recommendations related to the Alameda 7 health behaviors. The study variables were current smoking, heavy drinking, physical inactivity, obesity, inadequate sleep, breakfast skipping, and frequent snacking. RESULTS: Approximately 72% of Korean adults exhibited two or more lifestyle risk behaviors. Among women, current smoking, obesity, and breakfast skipping were associated with inadequate sleep. Among men, breakfast skipping with additional risk behaviors such as physical inactivity, obesity, and inadequate sleep was associated with current smoking. Current smoking with additional risk behaviors such as inadequate sleep or breakfast skipping was associated with physical inactivity. CONCLUSION: Lifestyle risk behaviors are intercorrelated in Korea. Information on patterns of lifestyle risk behaviors could assist in planning interventions targeted at multiple behaviors simultaneously.

  2. Clustering with Obstacles in Spatial Databases

    OpenAIRE

    El-Zawawy, Mohamed A.; El-Sharkawi, Mohamed E.

    2009-01-01

    Clustering large spatial databases is an important problem, which tries to find the densely populated regions in a spatial area to be used in data mining, knowledge discovery, or efficient information retrieval. However most algorithms have ignored the fact that physical obstacles such as rivers, lakes, and highways exist in the real world and could thus affect the result of the clustering. In this paper, we propose CPO, an efficient clustering technique to solve the problem of clustering in ...

  3. Costs of abandoned coal mine reclamation and associated recreation benefits in Ohio.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishra, Shruti K; Hitzhusen, Frederick J; Sohngen, Brent L; Guldmann, Jean-Michel

    2012-06-15

    Two hundred years of coal mining in Ohio have degraded land and water resources, imposing social costs on its citizens. An interdisciplinary approach employing hydrology, geographic information systems, and a recreation visitation function model, is used to estimate the damages from upstream coal mining to lakes in Ohio. The estimated recreational damages to five of the coal-mining-impacted lakes, using dissolved sulfate as coal-mining-impact indicator, amount to $21 Million per year. Post-reclamation recreational benefits from reducing sulfate concentrations by 6.5% and 15% in the five impacted lakes were estimated to range from $1.89 to $4.92 Million per year, with a net present value ranging from $14.56 Million to $37.79 Million. A benefit costs analysis (BCA) of recreational benefits and coal mine reclamation costs provides some evidence for potential Pareto improvement by investing limited resources in reclamation projects. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Underground coal mine air quality in mines using disposable diesel exhaust filter control devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carlson, D.H.; Johnson, J.H.; Bagley, S.T.; Gratz, L.D. [Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI (United States). Dept. of Mining Engineering

    1996-07-01

    As part of a collaborative study with the US Bureau of Mines, in-mine studies have been conducted to assess the effects of a low temperature disposable diesel exhaust filter. The mines have been designed as mines R and S in US Bureau of Mines publications. Each mine operated three to four Jeffrey 4110 ramcar haulage vehicles in the test section. The ramcars were equipped with MWM D916-6 diesel engines, rated at 74.6 kW (100 hp), and were operated for 3 days with the disposal diesel exhaust filter and 2 days without in both mines. Average diesel particulate matter control efficiencies, as measured by samplers located on the coal haulage vehicle, were 80% in mine R and 76% in mine S. Diesel particulate matter average control efficiencies, as measured in the diesel engine tailpipe, were 52% for mine R (for two ramcar vehicles) and 86% for mine S (for four ramcar vehicles). The air quality index control efficiencies, as measured by samplers located on the coal haulage vehicle were 48% in mine R and 51% in mine S. The exhaust quality index control efficiencies from tailpipe measurements were 45% for mine R and 63% for mine S. As measured by a high volume sampler in mine S, diesel particulate matter and associated organics and mutagenic activity were reduced approximately 50% with the use of the disposal diesel exhaust filter. Similar results were found with modified personal samplers in mine R. Little effect was found on relative removal of semivolatile organics. The disposal diesel exhaust filter resulted in about a 50% reduction in the most volatile polynuclear hydrocarbons; however, there appeared to be little effect on the less volatile polynuclear hydrocarbons. The disposable diesel exhaust filter appears to be very effective in reducing the levels of all the diesel exhaust particulate components, while having minor effects on the relative breakdown of the individual components of the particulate. 30 refs., 13 figs., 4 tabs.

  5. [Spatial distribution and ecological significance of heavy metals in soils from Chatian mercury mining deposit, western Hunan province].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Hong-Fei; Li, Yong-Hu; Ji, Yan-Fang; Yang, Lin-Sheng; Wang, Wu-Yi

    2009-04-15

    Ores, waste tailings and slag, together with three typical soil profiles (natural soil profiles far from mine entrance and near mine entrance, soil profile under slag) in Chatian mercury mining deposit (CMD), western Hunan province were sampled and their concentrations of mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn) were determined by HG-ICP-AES and ICP-MS. Enrichment factor and correlation analysis were taken to investigate the origins, distribution and migration of Hg, as well as other heavy metals in the CMD. The results show that Hg is enriched in the bottom of the soil profile far from mine entrance but accumulated in the surface of soil profiles near mine entrance and under slag. The soil profiles near mine entrance and under slag are both contaminated by Hg, while the latter is contaminated more heavily. In the soil profile under slag, Hg concentration in the surface soil, Hg average concentration in the total profile, and the leaching depth of soil Hg are 640 microg x g(-1), (76.74 +/- 171.71) microg x g(-1), and more than 100 cm, respectively; while 6.5 microg x g(-1), (2.74 +/- 1.90) microg x g(-1), and 40 cm, respectively, are found in the soil profile near mine entrance. Soil in the mercury mine area is also polluted by Cd, As, Pb, Zn besides metallogenic element Hg, among which Cd pollution is relatively heavier than others. The mobility of the studied heavy metals in soil follows the order as Hg > Cd > As > Zn approximately equal to Pb. The leaching depth of the heavy metals is influenced by total concentration in the surface soil and soil physico-chemical parameters. The origins, distribution and migration of heavy metals in soil profile in the mining area are related to primary geological environment, and strongly influenced by human mining activities.

  6. Microbial communities associated with uranium in-situ recovery mining process are related to acid mine drainage assemblages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coral, Thomas; Descostes, Michaël; De Boissezon, Hélène; Bernier-Latmani, Rizlan; de Alencastro, Luiz Felippe; Rossi, Pierre

    2018-07-01

    A large fraction (47%) of the world's uranium is mined by a technique called "In Situ Recovery" (ISR). This mining technique involves the injection of a leaching fluid (acidic or alkaline) into a uranium-bearing aquifer and the pumping of the resulting solution through cation exchange columns for the recovery of dissolved uranium. The present study reports the in-depth alterations brought to autochthonous microbial communities during acidic ISR activities. Water samples were collected from a uranium roll-front deposit that is part of an ISR mine in operation (Tortkuduk, Kazakhstan). Water samples were obtained at a depth of ca 500 m below ground level from several zones of the Uyuk aquifer following the natural redox zonation inherited from the roll front deposit, including the native mineralized orebody and both upstream and downstream adjacent locations. Samples were collected equally from both the entrance and the exit of the uranium concentration plant. Next-generation sequencing data showed that the redox gradient shaped the community structures, within the anaerobic, reduced, and oligotrophic habitats of the native aquifer zones. Acid injection induced drastic changes in the structures of these communities, with a large decrease in both cell numbers and diversity. Communities present in the acidified (pH values acid mine drainage, with the dominance of Sulfobacillus sp., Leptospirillum sp. and Acidithiobacillus sp., as well as the archaean Ferroplasma sp. Communities located up- and downstream of the mineralized zone under ISR and affected by acidic fluids were blended with additional facultative anaerobic and acidophilic microorganisms. These mixed biomes may be suitable communities for the natural attenuation of ISR mining-affected subsurface through the reduction of metals and sulfate. Assessing the effect of acidification on the microbial community is critical to evaluating the potential for natural attenuation or active bioremediation strategies

  7. Human health risk from soil heavy metal contamination under different land uses near Dabaoshan Mine, Southern China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Huarong; Xia, Beicheng; Fan, Chen; Zhao, Peng; Shen, Shili

    2012-01-01

    Soil heavy metal contamination is a major environmental concern, and the ecological risk associated with heavy metals is increasing. In this paper, we investigated heavy metal contamination near Dabaoshan Mine by: using sequential indicator simulation to delineate the spatial patterns of soil data; fitting multiple linear regression models for heavy metal uptake by crops; interpreting land uses from remote sensing images and integrating the spatial patterns, uptake models and land uses into a dose–response model for human health risks from heavy metals. The areas with elevated soil heavy metal concentrations are mainly located at the Dabaoshan Mine site and in the watershed basins of the Hengshi, Tielong and Chuandu rivers. The average concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in soil in the study area are all above the natural soil background levels, but Cd is the major contributor to human health risk in the area. Areas of low soil pH are also found throughout the watershed basins of the Hengshi, Tielong and Chuandu rivers. Of the different land use types in the study area, agricultural and residential land uses have the highest human health risk because ingestion is the dominant exposure pathway for heavy metals. The spatial patterns of the heavy metal concentrations and soil pH indicate that the areas with the highest human health risk regions do not directly coincide with the areas of highest heavy metal concentrations, but do coincide with the areas of lower soil pH. The contamination with high concentrations of heavy metals provides the risk source, but the combination of high heavy metal concentrations, low pH and agricultural or residential land use is required for human health risks to be present. The spatial pattern of the hazard quotients indicates that Cd is the most important pollutant contributing to the human health risk. - Highlights: ►The distribution of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and pH in soil were analyzed near Dabaoshan Mine. ►Heavy metal uptake models in

  8. Economic impact of world mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walser, G.

    2002-01-01

    Mining plays a vital role in the economic development of many countries. The emerging economies are now major players in the production and availability of key commodities such as copper (70%), bauxite (40%), iron ore and precious metals. Mining also has a positive impact on the economy of many countries. Another impact of mining can be measured in terms of employment opportunities and income generation. Commercial scale mining provides employment and skills transfer to more than 2 million workers. The multiplier effect increases this benefit by a factor of between 2 and 5. The World Bank Mining Department has carried out an in-depth study on economic and social impact of mining at the community level in Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Papua New Guinea and Mali. This study demonstrates that there are substantial social and economic benefits to the community. The most positive cases are related to the growth of local small- and micro-enterprise activities. However, mining remains controversial, as true sustainable development is not only a matter of financial flows. Mining has also been associated with a number of economic and social problems. As a result there are questions about the sustainability of the economic outcome of mining. The contribution of mining to sustainable development needs to be considered in terms of economic and technical viability, ecological sustainability and social equity. To achieve this, governments, mining companies and local communities must work together to address these issues. (author)

  9. A Review of Extra-Terrestrial Mining Concepts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, R. P.; van Susante, P. J.

    2012-01-01

    Outer space contains a vast amount of resources that offer virtually unlimited wealth to the humans that can access and use them for commercial purposes. One of the key technologies for harvesting these resources is robotic mining of regolith, minerals, ices and metals. The harsh environment and vast distances create challenges that are handled best by robotic machines working in collaboration with human explorers. Humans will benefit from the resources that will be mined by robots. They will visit outposts and mining camps as required for exploration, commerce and scientific research, but a continuous presence is most likely to be provided by robotic mining machines that are remotely controlled by humans. There have been a variety of extra-terrestrial robotic mining concepts proposed over the last 40 years and this paper will attempt to summarize and review concepts in the public domain (government, industry and academia) to serve as an informational resource for future mining robot developers and operators. The challenges associated with these concepts will be discussed and feasibility will be assessed. Future needs associated with commercial efforts will also be investigated.

  10. Using redescription mining to relate clinical and biological characteristics of cognitively impaired and Alzheimer’s disease patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mihelčić, Matej; Šimić, Goran; Babić Leko, Mirjana; Lavrač, Nada; Džeroski, Sašo; Šmuc, Tomislav

    2017-01-01

    Based on a set of subjects and a collection of attributes obtained from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database, we used redescription mining to find interpretable rules revealing associations between those determinants that provide insights about the Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We extended the CLUS-RM redescription mining algorithm to a constraint-based redescription mining (CBRM) setting, which enables several modes of targeted exploration of specific, user-constrained associations. Redescription mining enabled finding specific constructs of clinical and biological attributes that describe many groups of subjects of different size, homogeneity and levels of cognitive impairment. We confirmed some previously known findings. However, in some instances, as with the attributes: testosterone, ciliary neurotrophic factor, brain natriuretic peptide, Fas ligand, the imaging attribute Spatial Pattern of Abnormalities for Recognition of Early AD, as well as the levels of leptin and angiopoietin-2 in plasma, we corroborated previously debatable findings or provided additional information about these variables and their association with AD pathogenesis. Moreover, applying redescription mining on ADNI data resulted with the discovery of one largely unknown attribute: the Pregnancy-Associated Protein-A (PAPP-A), which we found highly associated with cognitive impairment in AD. Statistically significant correlations (p ≤ 0.01) were found between PAPP-A and clinical tests: Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale, Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes, Mini Mental State Examination, etc. The high importance of this finding lies in the fact that PAPP-A is a metalloproteinase, known to cleave insulin-like growth factor binding proteins. Since it also shares similar substrates with A Disintegrin and the Metalloproteinase family of enzymes that act as α-secretase to physiologically cleave amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the non-amyloidogenic pathway, it could

  11. Role of spatial inhomogenity in GPCR dimerisation predicted by receptor association-diffusion models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deshpande, Sneha A.; Pawar, Aiswarya B.; Dighe, Anish; Athale, Chaitanya A.; Sengupta, Durba

    2017-06-01

    G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) association is an emerging paradigm with far reaching implications in the regulation of signalling pathways and therapeutic interventions. Recent super resolution microscopy studies have revealed that receptor dimer steady state exhibits sub-second dynamics. In particular the GPCRs, muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1 (M1MR) and formyl peptide receptor (FPR), have been demonstrated to exhibit a fast association/dissociation kinetics, independent of ligand binding. In this work, we have developed a spatial kinetic Monte Carlo model to investigate receptor homo-dimerisation at a single receptor resolution. Experimentally measured association/dissociation kinetic parameters and diffusion coefficients were used as inputs to the model. To test the effect of membrane spatial heterogeneity on the simulated steady state, simulations were compared to experimental statistics of dimerisation. In the simplest case the receptors are assumed to be diffusing in a spatially homogeneous environment, while spatial heterogeneity is modelled to result from crowding, membrane micro-domains and cytoskeletal compartmentalisation or ‘corrals’. We show that a simple association-diffusion model is sufficient to reproduce M1MR association statistics, but fails to reproduce FPR statistics despite comparable kinetic constants. A parameter sensitivity analysis is required to reproduce the association statistics of FPR. The model reveals the complex interplay between cytoskeletal components and their influence on receptor association kinetics within the features of the membrane landscape. These results constitute an important step towards understanding the factors modulating GPCR organisation.

  12. Effect of Temporal Relationships in Associative Rule Mining for Web Log Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohd Khairudin, Nazli; Mustapha, Aida

    2014-01-01

    The advent of web-based applications and services has created such diverse and voluminous web log data stored in web servers, proxy servers, client machines, or organizational databases. This paper attempts to investigate the effect of temporal attribute in relational rule mining for web log data. We incorporated the characteristics of time in the rule mining process and analysed the effect of various temporal parameters. The rules generated from temporal relational rule mining are then compared against the rules generated from the classical rule mining approach such as the Apriori and FP-Growth algorithms. The results showed that by incorporating the temporal attribute via time, the number of rules generated is subsequently smaller but is comparable in terms of quality. PMID:24587757

  13. The hydrogen mine introduction initiative

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Betournay, M.C.; Howell, B. [Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada). CANMET Mining and Mineral Sciences Laboratories

    2009-07-01

    In an effort to address air quality concerns in underground mines, the mining industry is considering the use fuel cells instead of diesel to power mine production vehicles. The immediate issues and opportunities associated with fuel cells use include a reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions; reduction in ventilation operating costs; reduction in energy consumption; improved health benefits; automation; and high productivity. The objective of the hydrogen mine introduction initiative (HMII) is to develop and test the range of fundamental and needed operational technology, specifications and best practices for underground hydrogen power applications. Although proof of concept studies have shown high potential for fuel cell use, safety considerations must be addressed, including hydrogen behaviour in confined conditions. This presentation highlighted the issues to meet operational requirements, notably hydrogen production; delivery and storage; mine regulations; and hydrogen behaviour underground. tabs., figs.

  14. Some health aspects of Canadian uranium mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myers, D.K.; Stewart, C.G.

    1979-03-01

    The radiological health hazards associated with uranium mining in Canada are reviewed. Radiation hazards to individual members of the general population currently living in the vicinity of the mines appear to be extremely low. The major health hazards are those associated with underground mining. Hazards associated with the inhalation of radon daughters in the mines were estimated from analyses of available data from the U.S.A. and Czechoslovakia. These data can be fitted by various mathematical models including quasi-threshold models. On the reasonable assumption of a linear relationship between dose and effect, the risk would appear to be about 6.1 induced lung cancers per million WLM per year, which, averaged over a period of incidence of 15 years, would be equivalent to a total of about 100 induced cancers per million WLM. This value may be too high for estimation of the most probable risk of radon daughters to the general public. (author)

  15. Lead exposure from soil in Peruvian mining towns: a national assessment supported by two contrasting examples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Geen, Alexander; Bravo, Carolina; Gil, Vladimir; Sherpa, Shaky; Jack, Darby

    2012-12-01

    To estimate the population of Peru living in the vicinity of active or former mining operations that could be exposed to lead from contaminated soil. Geographic coordinates were compiled for 113 active mines, 138 ore processing plants and 3 smelters, as well as 7743 former mining sites. The population living within 5 km of these sites was calculated from census data for 2000. In addition, the lead content of soil in the historic mining town of Cerro de Pasco and around a recent mine and ore processing plant near the city of Huaral was mapped in 2009 using a hand-held X-ray fluorescence analyser. Spatial analysis indicated that 1.6 million people in Peru could be living within 5 km of an active or former mining operation. Two thirds of the population potentially exposed was accounted for by 29 clusters of mining operations, each with a population of over 10 000 each. These clusters included 112 active and 3438 former mining operations. Soil lead levels exceeded 1200 mg/kg, a reference standard for residential soil, in 35 of 74 sites tested in Cerro de Pasco but in only 4 of 47 sites tested around the newer operations near Huaral. Soil contamination with lead is likely to be extensive in Peruvian mining towns but the level of contamination is spatially far from uniform. Childhood exposure by soil ingestion could be substantially reduced by mapping soil lead levels, making this information public and encouraging local communities to isolate contaminated areas from children.

  16. Injection of FGD Grout to Abate Acid Mine Drainage in Underground Coal Mines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mafi, S.; Damian, M.T.; Senita, R.E.; Jewitt, W.C.; Bair, S.; Chin, Y.C.; Whitlatch, E.; Traina, S.; Wolfe, W.

    1997-07-01

    Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) from abandoned underground coal mines in Ohio is a concern for both residents and regulatory agencies. Effluent from these mines is typically characterized by low pH and high iron and sulfate concentrations and may contaminate local drinking-water supplies and streams. The objective of this project is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of injecting cementitious alkaline materials, such as Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) material to mitigate current adverse environmental impacts associated with AMD in a small, abandoned deep mine in Coshocton County Ohio. The Flue Gas Desulfurization material will be provided from American Electric Power`s (AEP) Conesville Plant. It will be injected as a grout mix that will use Fixated Flue Gas Desulfurization material and water. The subject site for this study is located on the border of Coshocton and Muskingum Counties, Ohio, approximately 1.5 miles south-southwest of the town of Wills Creek. The study will be performed at an underground mine designated as Mm-127 in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources register, also known as the Roberts-Dawson Mine. The mine operated in the mid-1950s, during which approximately 2 million cubic feet of coal was removed. Effluent discharging from the abandoned mine entrances has low pH in the range of 2.8-3.0 that drains directly into Wills Creek Lake. The mine covers approximately 14.6 acres. It is estimated that 26,000 tons of FGD material will be provided from AEP`s Conesville Power Plant located approximately 3 miles northwest of the subject site.

  17. Injection of FGD Grout to Abate Acid Mine Drainage in Underground Coal Mines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mafi, S.; Damian, M.T.; Senita, R.E.; Jewitt, W.C.; Bair, S.; Chin, Y.C.; Whitlatch, E.; Traina, S.; Wolfe, W.

    1997-07-01

    Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) from abandoned underground coal mines in Ohio is a concern for both residents and regulatory agencies. Effluent from these mines is typically characterized by low pH and high iron and sulfate concentrations and may contaminate local drinking-water supplies and streams. The objective of this project is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of injecting cementitious alkaline materials, such as Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) material to mitigate current adverse environmental impacts associated with AMD in a small, abandoned deep mine in Coshocton County Ohio. The Flue Gas Desulfurization material will be provided from American Electric Power's (AEP) Conesville Plant. It will be injected as a grout mix that will use Fixated Flue Gas Desulfurization material and water. The subject site for this study is located on the border of Coshocton and Muskingum Counties, Ohio, approximately 1.5 miles south-southwest of the town of Wills Creek. The study will be performed at an underground mine designated as Mm-127 in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources register, also known as the Roberts-Dawson Mine. The mine operated in the mid-1950s, during which approximately 2 million cubic feet of coal was removed. Effluent discharging from the abandoned mine entrances has low pH in the range of 2.8-3.0 that drains directly into Wills Creek Lake. The mine covers approximately 14.6 acres. It is estimated that 26,000 tons of FGD material will be provided from AEP's Conesville Power Plant located approximately 3 miles northwest of the subject site

  18. Incorporating Dine' Perspectives in Assessing Temporal and Spatial Changes of Contaminants after the Gold King Mine Spill in Navajo Agricultural Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chief, K.; Beamer, P.; Ingram, J.; Billheimer, D.; Torabzadehkhorasani, E.; Settimo, A.; Ornelas, Y.

    2017-12-01

    On August 5, 2015, 3 million gallons of acid mine drainage was released from the Gold King Mine, eventually reaching the San Juan River on the Navajo Nation. Navajos have subsistence livelihoods and strong cultural and spiritual connections to the San Juan River. Building on established partnerships with the Navajo Nation, a team from the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University held three public listening sessions and a People's Teach-in in three Navajo communities. Navajo representatives also came to the university to share their perspectives. The university team immersed themselves in cultural learning through community advisors who taught on traditional knowledge and ways of knowing. One response at the People's Teach-In was "The San Juan represents a male river in Diné culture. To me the river is a life giving force to the Diné people and ecosystems." This traditional knowledge informed the team on how to address the communities' concern of assessing the spatial and temporal changes of lead and arsenic from the Spill within one year. Focus groups were held to understand how people used the San Juan River and it revealed over 40 different activities besides recreation. River water and sediment, irrigation water and sediment, agricultural soil and well water were collected in November 2015, March and June 2016 and household samples in August 2016. In this talk, we will present water quality and sediment results of water samples collected along the San Juan River on the Navajo Nation. The results of this investigation will be used in the future to develop a community-based intervention, designed to: a) prevent potentially harmful exposures based on actual measured risk, and/or b) effectively communicate long-term risks from the Gold King Mine.

  19. Mining with Rare Cases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Gary M.

    Rare cases are often the most interesting cases. For example, in medical diagnosis one is typically interested in identifying relatively rare diseases, such as cancer, rather than more frequently occurring ones, such as the common cold. In this chapter we discuss the role of rare cases in Data Mining. Specific problems associated with mining rare cases are discussed, followed by a description of methods for addressing these problems.

  20. Fusing Data Mining, Machine Learning and Traditional Statistics to Detect Biomarkers Associated with Depression

    OpenAIRE

    Dipnall, Joanna F.; Pasco, Julie A.; Berk, Michael; Williams, Lana J.; Dodd, Seetal; Jacka, Felice N.; Meyer, Denny

    2016-01-01

    Background Atheoretical large-scale data mining techniques using machine learning algorithms have promise in the analysis of large epidemiological datasets. This study illustrates the use of a hybrid methodology for variable selection that took account of missing data and complex survey design to identify key biomarkers associated with depression from a large epidemiological study. Methods The study used a three-step methodology amalgamating multiple imputation, a machine learning boosted reg...

  1. Frac Sand Mines Are Preferentially Sited in Unzoned Rural Areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Locke, Christina

    2015-01-01

    Shifting markets can cause unexpected, stochastic changes in rural landscapes that may take local communities by surprise. Preferential siting of new industrial facilities in poor areas or in areas with few regulatory restrictions can have implications for environmental sustainability, human health, and social justice. This study focuses on frac sand mining-the mining of high-quality silica sand used in hydraulic fracturing processes for gas and oil extraction. Frac sand mining gained prominence in the 2000s in the upper midwestern United States where nonmetallic mining is regulated primarily by local zoning. I asked whether frac sand mines were more commonly sited in rural townships without formal zoning regulations or planning processes than in those that undertook zoning and planning before the frac sand boom. I also asked if mine prevalence was correlated with socioeconomic differences across townships. After creating a probability surface to map areas most suitable for frac sand mine occurrence, I developed neutral landscape models from which to compare actual mine distributions in zoned and unzoned areas at three different spatial extents. Mines were significantly clustered in unzoned jurisdictions at the statewide level and in 7 of the 8 counties with at least three frac sand mines and some unzoned land. Subsequent regression analyses showed mine prevalence to be uncorrelated with land value, tax rate, or per capita income, but correlated with remoteness and zoning. The predicted mine count in unzoned townships was over two times higher than that in zoned townships. However, the county with the most mines by far was under a county zoning ordinance, perhaps indicating industry preferences for locations with clear, homogenous rules over patchwork regulation. Rural communities can use the case of frac sand mining as motivation to discuss and plan for sudden land-use predicaments, rather than wait to grapple with unfamiliar legal processes during a period of

  2. Heavy Metal Contamination Assessment and Partition for Industrial and Mining Gathering Areas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Guan

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Industrial and mining activities have been recognized as the major sources of soil heavy metal contamination. This study introduced an improved Nemerow index method based on the Nemerow and geo-accumulation index. Taking a typical industrial and mining gathering area in Tianjin (China as example, this study then analyzed the contamination sources as well as the ecological and integrated risks. The spatial distribution of the contamination level and ecological risk were determined using Geographic Information Systems. The results are as follows: (1 Zinc showed the highest contaminant level in the study area; the contamination levels of the other seven heavy metals assessed were relatively lower. (2 The combustion of fossil fuels and emissions from industrial and mining activities were the main sources of contamination in the study area. (3 The overall contamination level of heavy metals in the study area ranged from heavily contaminated to extremely contaminated and showed an uneven distribution. (4 The potential ecological risk showed an uneven distribution, and the overall ecological risk level ranged from low to moderate. This study also emphasized the importance of partition in industrial and mining areas, the extensive application of spatial analysis methods, and the consideration of human health risks in future studies.

  3. Heavy Metal Contamination Assessment and Partition for Industrial and Mining Gathering Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Yang; Shao, Chaofeng; Ju, Meiting

    2014-01-01

    Industrial and mining activities have been recognized as the major sources of soil heavy metal contamination. This study introduced an improved Nemerow index method based on the Nemerow and geo-accumulation index. Taking a typical industrial and mining gathering area in Tianjin (China) as example, this study then analyzed the contamination sources as well as the ecological and integrated risks. The spatial distribution of the contamination level and ecological risk were determined using Geographic Information Systems. The results are as follows: (1) Zinc showed the highest contaminant level in the study area; the contamination levels of the other seven heavy metals assessed were relatively lower. (2) The combustion of fossil fuels and emissions from industrial and mining activities were the main sources of contamination in the study area. (3) The overall contamination level of heavy metals in the study area ranged from heavily contaminated to extremely contaminated and showed an uneven distribution. (4) The potential ecological risk showed an uneven distribution, and the overall ecological risk level ranged from low to moderate. This study also emphasized the importance of partition in industrial and mining areas, the extensive application of spatial analysis methods, and the consideration of human health risks in future studies. PMID:25032743

  4. Geospatial analysis of residential proximity to open-pit coal mining areas in relation to micronuclei frequency, particulate matter concentration, and elemental enrichment factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Espitia-Pérez, Lyda; Arteaga-Pertuz, Marcia; Soto, José Salvador; Espitia-Pérez, Pedro; Salcedo-Arteaga, Shirley; Pastor-Sierra, Karina; Galeano-Páez, Claudia; Brango, Hugo; da Silva, Juliana; Henriques, João A P

    2018-05-03

    During coal surface mining, several activities such as drilling, blasting, loading, and transport produce large quantities of particulate matter (PM) that is directly emitted into the atmosphere. Occupational exposure to this PM has been associated with an increase of DNA damage, but there is a scarcity of data examining the impact of these industrial operations in cytogenetic endpoints frequency and cancer risk of potentially exposed surrounding populations. In this study, we used a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach and Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) methods to perform a spatial and statistical analysis to explore whether exposure to PM 2.5 and PM 10 pollution, and additional factors, including the enrichment of the PM with inorganic elements, contribute to cytogenetic damage in residents living in proximity to an open-pit coal mining area. Results showed a spatial relationship between exposure to elevated concentrations of PM 2.5, PM 10 and micronuclei frequency in binucleated (MNBN) and mononucleated (MNMONO) cells. Active pits, disposal, and storage areas could be identified as the possible emission sources of combustion elements. Mining activities were also correlated with increased concentrations of highly enriched elements like S, Cu and Cr in the atmosphere, corroborating its role in the inorganic elements pollution around coal mines. Elements enriched in the PM 2.5 fraction contributed to increasing of MNBN but seems to be more related to increased MNMONO frequencies and DNA damage accumulated in vivo. The combined use of GIS and IDW methods could represent an important tool for monitoring potential cancer risk associated to dynamically distributed variables like the PM. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  5. Identification of Social and Environmental Conflicts Resulting from Open-Cast Mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Górniak-Zimroz, Justyna; Pactwa, Katarzyna

    2016-10-01

    Open-cast mining is related to interference in the natural environment. It also affects human health and quality of life. This influence is, among others, dependent on the type of extracted materials, size of deposit, methods of mining and mineral processing, as well as, equally important, sensitivity of the environment within which mining is planned. The negative effects of mining include deformations of land surface or contamination of soils, air and water. What is more, in many cases, mining for minerals leads to clearing of housing and transport infrastructures located within the mining area, a decrease in values of the properties in the immediate vicinity of a deposit, and an increase in stress levels in local residents exposed to noise. The awareness of negative consequences of taking up open-cast mining activity leads to conflicts between a mining entrepreneur and self-government authorities, society or nongovernment organisations. The article attempts to identify potential social and environmental conflicts that may occur in relation to a planned mining activity. The results of the analyses were interpreted with respect to the deposits which were or have been mined. That enabled one to determine which facilities exclude mineral mining and which allow it. The research took the non-energy mineral resources into consideration which are included in the group of solid minerals located in one of the districts of Lower Silesian Province (SW Poland). The spatial analyses used the tools available in the geographical information systems

  6. Preliminary report on LLNL mine seismicity deployment at the Twentymile Coal Mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walter, W.R.; Hunter, S.L.; Glenn, L.A.

    1996-01-01

    This report summarizes the preliminary results of a just completed experiment at the Twentymile Coal Mine, operated by the Cyprus Amax Coal Company near Oak Creek, CO. The purpose of the experiment was to obtain local and regional seismic data from roof caves associated with long-wall mining activities and to use this data to help determine the effectiveness with which these events can be discriminated from underground nuclear explosions under a future Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

  7. Finding novel relationships with integrated gene-gene association network analysis of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 using species-independent text-mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreula, Sanna M; Kaewphan, Suwisa; Ginter, Filip; Jones, Patrik R

    2018-01-01

    The increasing move towards open access full-text scientific literature enhances our ability to utilize advanced text-mining methods to construct information-rich networks that no human will be able to grasp simply from 'reading the literature'. The utility of text-mining for well-studied species is obvious though the utility for less studied species, or those with no prior track-record at all, is not clear. Here we present a concept for how advanced text-mining can be used to create information-rich networks even for less well studied species and apply it to generate an open-access gene-gene association network resource for Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, a representative model organism for cyanobacteria and first case-study for the methodology. By merging the text-mining network with networks generated from species-specific experimental data, network integration was used to enhance the accuracy of predicting novel interactions that are biologically relevant. A rule-based algorithm (filter) was constructed in order to automate the search for novel candidate genes with a high degree of likely association to known target genes by (1) ignoring established relationships from the existing literature, as they are already 'known', and (2) demanding multiple independent evidences for every novel and potentially relevant relationship. Using selected case studies, we demonstrate the utility of the network resource and filter to ( i ) discover novel candidate associations between different genes or proteins in the network, and ( ii ) rapidly evaluate the potential role of any one particular gene or protein. The full network is provided as an open-source resource.

  8. International mining forum 2004, new technologies in underground mining, safety in mines proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jerzy Kicki; Eugeniusz Sobczyk (eds.)

    2004-01-15

    The book comprises technical papers that were presented at the International Mining Forum 2004. This event aims to bring together scientists and engineers in mining, rock mechanics, and computer engineering, with a view to explore and discuss international developments in the field. Topics discussed in this book are: trends in the mining industry; new solutions and tendencies in underground mines; rock engineering problems in underground mines; utilization and exploitation of methane; prevention measures for the control of rock bursts in Polish mines; and current problems in Ukrainian coal mines.

  9. The Spatial Association Between Federally Qualified Health Centers and County-Level Reported Sexually Transmitted Infections: A Spatial Regression Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owusu-Edusei, Kwame; Gift, Thomas L; Leichliter, Jami S; Romaguera, Raul A

    2018-02-01

    The number of categorical sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics is declining in the United States. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) have the potential to supplement the needed sexually transmitted infection (STI) services. In this study, we describe the spatial distribution of FQHC sites and determine if reported county-level nonviral STI morbidity were associated with having FQHC(s) using spatial regression techniques. We extracted map data from the Health Resources and Services Administration data warehouse on FQHCs (ie, geocoded health care service delivery [HCSD] sites) and extracted county-level data on the reported rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and, primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis (2008-2012) from surveillance data. A 3-equation seemingly unrelated regression estimation procedure (with a spatial regression specification that controlled for county-level multiyear (2008-2012) demographic and socioeconomic factors) was used to determine the association between reported county-level STI morbidity and HCSD sites. Counties with HCSD sites had higher STI, poverty, unemployment, and violent crime rates than counties with no HCSD sites (P < 0.05). The number of HCSD sites was associated (P < 0.01) with increases in the temporally smoothed rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and P&S syphilis, but there was no significant association between the number of HCSD per 100,000 population and reported STI rates. There is a positive association between STI morbidity and the number of HCSD sites; however, this association does not exist when adjusting by population size. Further work may determine the extent to which HCSD sites can meet unmet needs for safety net STI services.

  10. From left to right: Processing acronyms referring to names of political parties activates spatial associations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Elk, M. van; Schie, H.T. van; Bekkering, H.

    2010-01-01

    In line with previous studies, showing that abstract concepts like opowero or ogodo implicitly activate spatial associations, in the present study we hypothesized that spatial associations are coactivated during the processing of acronyms referring to names of political parties as well. In four

  11. Pre-mining trace element and radiation exposure to biota from a breccia pipe uranium mine in the Grand Canyon (Arizona, USA) watershed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinck, Jo Ellen; Cleveland, Danielle; Brumbaugh, William G; Linder, Greg; Lankton, Julia

    2017-02-01

    The risks to wildlife and humans from uranium (U) mining in the Grand Canyon watershed are largely unknown. In addition to U, other co-occurring ore constituents contribute to risks to biological receptors depending on their toxicological profiles. This study characterizes the pre-mining concentrations of total arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), selenium (Se), thallium (Tl), U, and zinc (Zn); radiation levels; and histopathology in biota (vegetation, invertebrates, amphibians, birds, and mammals) at the Canyon Mine. Gross alpha levels were below the reporting limit (4 pCi/g) in all samples, and gross beta levels were indicative of background in vegetation (<10-17 pCi/g) and rodents (<10-43.5 pCi/g). Concentrations of U, Tl, Pb, Ni, Cu, and As in vegetation downwind from the mine were likely the result of aeolian transport. Chemical concentrations in rodents and terrestrial invertebrates indicate that surface disturbance during mine construction has not resulted in statistically significant spatial differences in fauna concentrations adjacent to the mine. Chemical concentrations in egg contents and nestlings of non-aquatic birds were less than method quantification limits or did not exceed toxicity thresholds. Bioaccumulation of As, Pb, Se, Tl, and U was evident in Western spadefoot (Spea multiplicata) tadpoles from the mine containment pond; concentrations of As (28.9-31.4 μg/g) and Se (5.81-7.20 μg/g) exceeded toxicity values and were significantly greater than in tadpoles from a nearby water source. Continued evaluation of As and Se in biota inhabiting and forging in the mine containment pond is warranted as mining progresses.

  12. Bauxite Mining and Alumina Refining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frisch, Neale; Olney, David

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To describe bauxite mining and alumina refining processes and to outline the relevant physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial health risks. Methods: Review article. Results: The most important risks relate to noise, ergonomics, trauma, and caustic soda splashes of the skin/eyes. Other risks of note relate to fatigue, heat, and solar ultraviolet and for some operations tropical diseases, venomous/dangerous animals, and remote locations. Exposures to bauxite dust, alumina dust, and caustic mist in contemporary best-practice bauxite mining and alumina refining operations have not been demonstrated to be associated with clinically significant decrements in lung function. Exposures to bauxite dust and alumina dust at such operations are also not associated with the incidence of cancer. Conclusions: A range of occupational health risks in bauxite mining and alumina refining require the maintenance of effective control measures. PMID:24806720

  13. Impacts of phosphate mining on trophic level- and spatial variation of selenium and radium-226 on Florida waterbirds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myers, O.B.; O'Meara, T.E.

    1993-01-01

    More than 74,000 ha of the Florida landscape have been disturbed by phosphate mining operations. These operations redistribute radionuclides in the uranium-238 decay series and other potentially toxic trace elements contained in the ore matrix, making them more available for uptake by wetland birds. The authors inventoried levels of radium-226 and selenium in the tissue of wood ducks, mottled ducks, common moorhens, and double-crested cormorants collected from reference areas and from phosphate-mine wetlands. Bones of waterfowl contained from 3--4 times more radium-226 than in individuals collected at reference areas. Radium-226 in moorhen and cormorant bones were less strongly affected by mining. Waterfowl muscle tissue contained 1-2 orders of magnitude less radium-226 than in bone. Selenium concentrations were significantly higher in avian liver and kidney tissues collected from phosphate-mine wetlands compared to reference wetlands. Cormorants accumulated up to 80 ppm selenium in liver. As many as 20% of cormorants from phosphate-mine wetlands contained liver selenium concentrations at levels which have caused reproduction problems in other avian species. Waterfowl and moorhens tissues contained less selenium than cormorants, but phosphate-mine birds contained significantly more selenium than reference area birds

  14. Environmental effects of uranium exploration and mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tibbs, N.H.; Rath, D.L.; Donovan, T.K.

    1977-01-01

    Uranium exploration and mining is increasing as the Nation's demand for energy grows. The environmental impacts associated with this exploration and mining are not severe and compare favorably with impacts from the production of other energy resources

  15. Analysis of gas migration patterns in fractured coal rocks under actual mining conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gao Mingzhong

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Fracture fields in coal rocks are the main channels for gas seepage, migration, and extraction. The development, evolution, and spatial distribution of fractures in coal rocks directly affect the permeability of the coal rock as well as gas migration and flow. In this work, the Ji-15-14120 mining face at the No. 8 Coal Mine of Pingdingshan Tian’an Coal Mining Co. Ltd., Pingdingshan, China, was selected as the test site to develop a full-parameter fracture observation instrument and a dynamic fracture observation technique. The acquired video information of fractures in the walls of the boreholes was vectorized and converted to planarly expanded images on a computer-aided design platform. Based on the relative spatial distances between the openings of the boreholes, simultaneous planar images of isolated fractures in the walls of the boreholes along the mining direction were obtained from the boreholes located at various distances from the mining face. Using this information, a 3-D fracture network under mining conditions was established. The gas migration pattern was calculated using a COMSOL computation platform. The results showed that between 10 hours and 1 day the fracture network controlled the gas-flow, rather than the coal seam itself. After one day, the migration of gas was completely controlled by the fractures. The presence of fractures in the overlying rock enables the gas in coal seam to migrate more easily to the surrounding rocks or extraction tunnels situated relatively far away from the coal rock. These conclusions provide an important theoretical basis for gas extraction.

  16. False alarms and mine seismicity: An example from the Gentry Mountain mining region, Utah. Los Alamos Source Region Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taylor, S.R.

    1992-09-23

    Mining regions are a cause of concern for monitoring of nuclear test ban treaties because they present the opportunity for clandestine nuclear tests (i.e. decoupled explosions). Mining operations are often characterized by high seismicity rates and can provide the cover for excavating voids for decoupling. Chemical explosions (seemingly as part of normal mining activities) can be used to complicate the signals from a simultaneous decoupled nuclear explosion. Thus, most concern about mines has dealt with the issue of missed violations to a test ban treaty. In this study, we raise the diplomatic concern of false alarms associated with mining activities. Numerous reports and papers have been published about anomalous seismicity associated with mining activities. As part of a large discrimination study in the western US (Taylor et al., 1989), we had one earthquake that was consistently classified as an explosion. The magnitude 3.5 disturbance occurred on May 14, 1981 and was conspicuous in its lack of Love waves, relative lack of high- frequency energy, low Lg/Pg ratio, and high m{sub b} {minus} M{sub s}. A moment-tensor solution by Patton and Zandt (1991) indicated the event had a large implosional component. The event occurred in the Gentry Mountain coal mining region in the eastern Wasatch Plateau, Utah. Using a simple source representation, we modeled the event as a tabular excavation collapse that occurred as a result of normal mining activities. This study raises the importance of having a good catalogue of seismic data and information about mining activities from potential proliferant nations.

  17. Critical Review of Spatial Planning of CAT Watuputih, Rembang Zone, Central Java, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadi, Sudharto P.

    2018-02-01

    The Act 26 of 2007 on spatial planning stipulates that spatial planning at national, provincial and local level must be based on environmental carrying capacity and environmental carrying capability. Provincial governments generally finished its spatial planning in 2010 and the city and regency's governments in 2011.This paper reviews the spatial planning of Central Java and Rembang Regency regarding the use of CAT (ground water basin) Watuputih, Rembang Zone. Both spatial planning determined that CAT Watuputih was allocated for conservation and for mining. The mixed use zoning stimulates conflict between private sector and government on one side and local people along with academician and NGOs on another side. The SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) studies initiated by central government found that CAT Watuputih has strong indication to be KBAK (natural landscape area of karst) need to be conserved while at the moment there have been 21 mining permit holders operating since 1998. The lesson learned from the review is that formulation of spatial planning must be conducted participatory by involving relevant stakeholder, objective and accountable.

  18. Education Roadmap for Mining Professionals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    none,

    2002-12-01

    This document represents the roadmap for education in the U.S. mining industry. It was developed based on the results of an Education Roadmap Workshop sponsored by the National Mining Association in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Industrial Technologies. The Workshop was held February 23, 2002 in Phoenix, Arizona.

  19. Rethink potential risks of toxic emissions from natural gas and oil mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Qingmin

    2018-09-01

    Studies have showed the increasing environmental and public health risks of toxic emissions from natural gas and oil mining, which have become even worse as fracking is becoming a dominant approach in current natural gas extraction. However, governments and communities often overlook the serious air pollutants from oil and gas mining, which are often quantified lower than the significant levels of adverse health effects. Therefore, we are facing a challenging dilemma: how could we clearly understand the potential risks of air toxics from natural gas and oil mining. This short study aims at the design and application of simple and robust methods to enhance and improve current understanding of the becoming worse toxic air emissions from natural gas and oil mining as fracking is becoming the major approach. Two simple ratios, the min-to-national-average and the max-to-national-average, are designed and applied to each type of air pollutants in a natural gas and oil mining region. The two ratios directly indicate how significantly high a type of air pollutant could be due to natural gas and oil mining by comparing it to the national average records, although it may not reach the significant risks of adverse health effects according to current risk screening methods. The min-to-national-average and the max-to-national-average ratios can be used as a direct and powerful method to describe the significance of air pollution by comparing it to the national average. The two ratios are easy to use for governments, stakeholders, and the public to pay enough attention on the air pollutants from natural gas and oil mining. The two ratios can also be thematically mapped at sampled sites for spatial monitoring, but spatial mitigation and analysis of environmental and health risks need other measurements of environmental and demographic characteristics across a natural gas and oil mining area. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Proposed open-pit mine threatens Jasper National Park

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mikelcic, S.

    1996-12-31

    Concerns by the Sierra Club, the Alberta Wilderness Association, and other environmental groups about the proposed Cheviot Mine are discussed. Cardinal River Coals, which is owned by Luscar Ltd. and Consolidated Coals of Pittsburgh, is proposing the mining operation, which includes 26 deep open pit mines of which 14 will not be backfilled. The mine extends to within 2 km of Jasper National Park`s border. Concerns about the mine include: disruption of an environmentally sensitive area, interference with grizzly bear movement and bighorn sheep habitat and diet, destruction of flora and fauna, and pollution of two major watersheds. Hearings for the mine commence in January 1997.

  1. Mining Survey System (MSS) - innovative solution in Polish mines. (Polish Title: Mobilna Platforma Gurnicza (MPG) - nowatorskim rozwilazaniem w polskich kopalniach)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamek, A.

    2015-12-01

    Mobile laser scanning technology is developing rapidly also in mining. For several years research and tests are conducted on the use of that type of measurement in the inventory of the mine shafts. The company SKALA 3D in the project 1.4 POIG by PARP undertook to create Mobile automatic steering system of spatial geometry measurements mine shafts using laser scanning technology. Its main advantage is a faithful reflection of the object being measured in just a few hours. It is based on the data flowing from laser scanners and precision inertial unit. The main problem of the research was to determine the trajectory of the passing Mobile Platforms Mining (MPG) in the shaft as accurately as possible. Unable to receive signals from satellites in the pipe shaft prevented the use of solutions known for measuring terrestrial mobile systems. The company SKALA 3D has developed a methodology for determine the trajectory of the system, based on geometrical data coming from laser scanners and readings of accelerometers and gyroscopes of inertial unit. To improve the quality and accuracy of measurements MPG is also equipped with a set of anti-vibration parts prevent the transmission of vibrations ascending while cage is moving in the shaft on the measuring system. The whole forms a calibrated system, which in a short time is able to provide spatial measurement data from the measuring shaft. The accuracy of 2-3 mm in a single measurement horizon and a few centimeters determine the position of a point on the thousandth meter below ground make the system very accurate. During the project there have been numerous research problems, including the need to define the physical references, drift of IMU whether harsh weather conditions in the shaft. However, the company SKALA 3D solved these problems and making MPG unique in the world.

  2. Injection of alkaline ashes into underground coal mines for acid mine drainage abatement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aljoe, W.W.

    1996-01-01

    The injection of alkaline coal combustion waste products into abandoned underground coal mines for acid mine drainage (AMD) abatement has obvious conceptual appeal. This paper summarizes the findings of the baseline hydrogeologic and water quality evaluations at two sites--one in West Virginia and one in Maryland--where field demonstrations of the technique are being pursued in cooperative efforts among State and Federal agencies and/or private companies. The West Virginia site produces severe AMD from three to seven AMD sources that are spaced over about a 1.2 km stretch of the down-dip side of the mine workings. By completely filling the most problematic portion of the mine workings with coal combustion ashes, the State expects that the costs and problems associated with AMD treatment will be greatly reduced. At the Maryland site, it is expected that the AMD from a relatively small target mine will be eliminated completely by filling the entire mine void with a grout composed of a mixture of fly ash, fluidized-bed combustion ash, and flue gas desulfurization sludge. This project will also demonstrate the potential cost-effectiveness of the technique at other sites, both for the purpose of AMD remediation and control of land subsidence

  3. Contract Mining versus Owner Mining

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Owner

    mining companies can concentrate on their core businesses while using specialists for ... 2 Definition of Contract and Owner. Mining ... equipment maintenance, scheduling and budgeting ..... No. Region. Amount Spent on. Contract Mining. ($ billion). Percent of. Total. 1 ... cost and productivity data based on a large range.

  4. Optimization of mining design of Hongwei uranium mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Sanmao; Yuan Baixiang

    2012-01-01

    Combined with the mining conditions of Hongwei uranium mine, optimization schemes for hoisting cage, mine drainge,ore transport, mine wastewater treatment, power-supply system,etc are put forward in the mining design of the mine. Optimized effects are analyzed from the aspects of technique, economy, and energy saving and reducing emissions. (authors)

  5. Data mining methods

    CERN Document Server

    Chattamvelli, Rajan

    2015-01-01

    DATA MINING METHODS, Second Edition discusses both theoretical foundation and practical applications of datamining in a web field including banking, e-commerce, medicine, engineering and management. This book starts byintroducing data and information, basic data type, data category and applications of data mining. The second chapterbriefly reviews data visualization technology and importance in data mining. Fundamentals of probability and statisticsare discussed in chapter 3, and novel algorithm for sample covariants are derived. The next two chapters give an indepthand useful discussion of data warehousing and OLAP. Decision trees are clearly explained and a new tabularmethod for decision tree building is discussed. The chapter on association rules discusses popular algorithms andcompares various algorithms in summary table form. An interesting application of genetic algorithm is introduced inthe next chapter. Foundations of neural networks are built from scratch and the back propagation algorithm is derived...

  6. Fuel cell mining vehicles: design, performance and advantages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Betournay, M.C.; Miller, A.R.; Barnes, D.L.

    2003-01-01

    The potential for using fuel cell technology in underground mining equipment was discussed with reference to the risks associated with the operation of hydrogen vehicles, hydrogen production and hydrogen delivery systems. This paper presented some of the initiatives for mine locomotives and fuel cell stacks for underground environments. In particular, it presents the test results of the first applied industrial fuel cell vehicle in the world, a mining and tunneling locomotive. This study was part of an international initiative managed by the Fuel Cell Propulsion Institute which consists of several mining companies, mining equipment manufacturers, and fuel cell technology developers. Some of the obvious benefits of fuel cells for underground mining operations include no exhaust gases, lower electrical costs, significantly reduced maintenance, and lower ventilation costs. Another advantage is that the technology can be readily automated and computer-based for tele-remote operations. This study also quantified the cost and operational benefits associated with fuel cell vehicles compared to diesel vehicles. It is expected that higher vehicle productivity could render fuel cell underground vehicles cost-competitive. 6 refs., 1 tab

  7. A Review of Extra-Terrestrial Mining Robot Concepts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, Robert P.; Van Susante, Paul J.

    2011-01-01

    Outer space contains a vast amount of resources that offer virtually unlimited wealth to the humans that can access and use them for commercial purposes. One of the key technologies for harvesting these resources is robotic mining of regolith, minerals, ices and metals. The harsh environment and vast distances create challenges that are handled best by robotic machines working in collaboration with human explorers. Humans will benefit from the resources that will be mined by robots. They will visit outposts and mining camps as required for exploration, commerce and scientific research, but a continuous presence is most likely to be provided by robotic mining machines that are remotely controlled by humans. There have been a variety of extra-terrestrial robotic mining concepts proposed over the last 100 years and this paper will attempt to summarize and review concepts in the public domain (government, industry and academia) to serve as an informational resource for future mining robot developers and operators. The challenges associated with these concepts will be discussed and feasibility will be assessed. Future needs associated with commercial efforts will also be investigated.

  8. Surface structural damage associated with longwall mining near Tuscaloosa, Alabama: a case history

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isphording, W.C.

    1992-01-01

    Initially the paper examines the frequency of coal mine subsidence and the influence on surface subsidence of subsurface mining methods, i.e. room and pillar and longwall mining. A case study of the subsidence damage caused to a log house near Tuscaloosa, Alabama (USA), when a longwall panel passed beneath it is presented. The damage resulted in the homeowners suing the mining company for negligence. The article discusses information provided to the plaintiffs attorneys by the author. Aspects covered are: the subsidence and damage to the property; prediction of subsidence; the monitoring of subsidence; and the prevention of subsidence. An out-of-court settlement was agreed by the two parties. 15 refs., 5 figs

  9. Greenhouse gas emission from Australian coal mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, D.

    1998-01-01

    Since 1997, when the Australian Coal Association (ACA) signed a letter of Intent in respect of the governments Greenhouse Challenge Program, it has encouraged its member companies to participate. Earlier this year, the ACA commissioned an independent scoping study on greenhouse gas emissions in the black coal mining industry This was to provide background information, including identification of information gaps and R and D needs, to guide the formulation of a strategy for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the mining, processing and handling of black coals in Australia. A first step in the process of reducing emission levels is an appreciation of the source, quantity and type of emissions om nine sites. It is shown that greenhouse gas emissions on mine sites come from five sources: energy consumption during mining activities, the coal seam gas liberated due to the extraction process i.e. fugitive emissions, oxidation of carbonaceous wastes, land use, and embodied energy. Also listed are indications of the degree of uncertainty associated with each of the estimates

  10. An Incremental High-Utility Mining Algorithm with Transaction Insertion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gan, Wensheng; Zhang, Binbin

    2015-01-01

    Association-rule mining is commonly used to discover useful and meaningful patterns from a very large database. It only considers the occurrence frequencies of items to reveal the relationships among itemsets. Traditional association-rule mining is, however, not suitable in real-world applications since the purchased items from a customer may have various factors, such as profit or quantity. High-utility mining was designed to solve the limitations of association-rule mining by considering both the quantity and profit measures. Most algorithms of high-utility mining are designed to handle the static database. Fewer researches handle the dynamic high-utility mining with transaction insertion, thus requiring the computations of database rescan and combination explosion of pattern-growth mechanism. In this paper, an efficient incremental algorithm with transaction insertion is designed to reduce computations without candidate generation based on the utility-list structures. The enumeration tree and the relationships between 2-itemsets are also adopted in the proposed algorithm to speed up the computations. Several experiments are conducted to show the performance of the proposed algorithm in terms of runtime, memory consumption, and number of generated patterns. PMID:25811038

  11. An Incremental High-Utility Mining Algorithm with Transaction Insertion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerry Chun-Wei Lin

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Association-rule mining is commonly used to discover useful and meaningful patterns from a very large database. It only considers the occurrence frequencies of items to reveal the relationships among itemsets. Traditional association-rule mining is, however, not suitable in real-world applications since the purchased items from a customer may have various factors, such as profit or quantity. High-utility mining was designed to solve the limitations of association-rule mining by considering both the quantity and profit measures. Most algorithms of high-utility mining are designed to handle the static database. Fewer researches handle the dynamic high-utility mining with transaction insertion, thus requiring the computations of database rescan and combination explosion of pattern-growth mechanism. In this paper, an efficient incremental algorithm with transaction insertion is designed to reduce computations without candidate generation based on the utility-list structures. The enumeration tree and the relationships between 2-itemsets are also adopted in the proposed algorithm to speed up the computations. Several experiments are conducted to show the performance of the proposed algorithm in terms of runtime, memory consumption, and number of generated patterns.

  12. Action Rules Mining

    CERN Document Server

    Dardzinska, Agnieszka

    2013-01-01

    We are surrounded by data, numerical, categorical and otherwise, which must to be analyzed and processed to convert it into information that instructs, answers or aids understanding and decision making. Data analysts in many disciplines such as business, education or medicine, are frequently asked to analyze new data sets which are often composed of numerous tables possessing different properties. They try to find completely new correlations between attributes and show new possibilities for users.   Action rules mining discusses some of data mining and knowledge discovery principles and then describe representative concepts, methods and algorithms connected with action. The author introduces the formal definition of action rule, notion of a simple association action rule and a representative action rule, the cost of association action rule, and gives a strategy how to construct simple association action rules of a lowest cost. A new approach for generating action rules from datasets with numerical attributes...

  13. Occupational health and safety in underground mines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinson, M.J.

    1976-01-01

    An historical review of the health hazards associated with the inhalation of airborne radionuclides in uraniummines is given. A set of regulations regarding radiation standards for uranium mining was approved by the American President in 1967. Since then the hazard of uranium mining has been subjected to searching public enquiry at Congressional Hearings and been the subject of an unprecedented spate of regulatory standards. Design criteria for mine ventilation are described

  14. Chronic cardiovascular disease mortality in mountaintop mining areas of central Appalachian states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esch, Laura; Hendryx, Michael

    2011-01-01

    To determine if chronic cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rates are higher among residents of mountaintop mining (MTM) areas compared to mining and nonmining areas, and to examine the association between greater levels of MTM surface mining and CVD mortality. Age-adjusted chronic CVD mortality rates from 1999 to 2006 for counties in 4 Appalachian states where MTM occurs (N = 404) were linked with county coal mining data. Three groups of counties were compared: MTM, coal mining but not MTM, and nonmining. Covariates included smoking rate, rural-urban status, percent male population, primary care physician supply, obesity rate, diabetes rate, poverty rate, race/ethnicity rates, high school and college education rates, and Appalachian county. Linear regression analyses examined the association of mortality rates with mining in MTM areas and non-MTM areas and the association of mortality with quantity of surface coal mined in MTM areas. Prior to covariate adjustment, chronic CVD mortality rates were significantly higher in both mining areas compared to nonmining areas and significantly highest in MTM areas. After adjustment, mortality rates in MTM areas remained significantly higher and increased as a function of greater levels of surface mining. Higher obesity and poverty rates and lower college education rates also significantly predicted CVD mortality overall and in rural counties. MTM activity is significantly associated with elevated chronic CVD mortality rates. Future research is necessary to examine the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of MTM on health to reduce health disparities in rural coal mining areas. © 2011 National Rural Health Association.

  15. Applied data mining for business and industry

    CERN Document Server

    Giudici, Paolo

    2009-01-01

    The increasing availability of data in our current, information overloaded society has led to the need for valid tools for its modelling and analysis. Data mining and applied statistical methods are the appropriate tools to extract knowledge from such data. This book provides an accessible introduction to data mining methods in a consistent and application oriented statistical framework, using case studies drawn from real industry projects and highlighting the use of data mining methods in a variety of business applications. Introduces data mining methods and applications.Covers classical and Bayesian multivariate statistical methodology as well as machine learning and computational data mining methods.Includes many recent developments such as association and sequence rules, graphical Markov models, lifetime value modelling, credit risk, operational risk and web mining.Features detailed case studies based on applied projects within industry.Incorporates discussion of data mining software, with case studies a...

  16. Utilization of InSAR differential interferometry for surface deformation detection caused by mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, F.; Shao, Y.; Guichen, M.

    2010-01-01

    In China, the surface deformation of ground has been a significant geotechnical problem as a result of cracks in the ground surface, collapsing of house, and subsidence of roads. A powerful technology for detecting surface deformation in the ground is differential interferometry using synthetic aperture radar (INSAR). The technology enables the analysis from different phase of micro-wave between two observed data by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) of surface deformation of ground such as ground subsidence, land slide, and slope failure. In January 2006, the advanced land observing satellite was launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. This paper presented an analytical investigation to detect ground subsidence or change caused by mining, overuse of ground water, and disaster. Specifically, the paper discussed the INSAR monitoring technology of the mine slope, including INSAR data sources and processing software; the principle of synthetic aperture radar interferometry; principles of differential SAR interferometry; and INSAR technology to slope monitoring of the Haizhou open pit mine. The paper also discussed the Haizhou strip mine side slope INSAR monitoring results and tests. It was concluded that the use of synthetic aperture radar interferometer technique was the optimal technique to provide three-dimensional spatial information and minimal change from ground surface by spatial remote sensing device. 18 refs., 5 figs.

  17. Utilization of InSAR differential interferometry for surface deformation detection caused by mining

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, F. [Liaoning Technical Univ., Fuxin (China). School of Geomatics; Shao, Y. [Liaoning Technical Univ., Fuxin (China). Dept. of Foreign Language; Guichen, M. [Gifu Univ., Yanagido, Gifu (Japan). Dept. of Civil Engineering

    2010-07-01

    In China, the surface deformation of ground has been a significant geotechnical problem as a result of cracks in the ground surface, collapsing of house, and subsidence of roads. A powerful technology for detecting surface deformation in the ground is differential interferometry using synthetic aperture radar (INSAR). The technology enables the analysis from different phase of micro-wave between two observed data by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) of surface deformation of ground such as ground subsidence, land slide, and slope failure. In January 2006, the advanced land observing satellite was launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. This paper presented an analytical investigation to detect ground subsidence or change caused by mining, overuse of ground water, and disaster. Specifically, the paper discussed the INSAR monitoring technology of the mine slope, including INSAR data sources and processing software; the principle of synthetic aperture radar interferometry; principles of differential SAR interferometry; and INSAR technology to slope monitoring of the Haizhou open pit mine. The paper also discussed the Haizhou strip mine side slope INSAR monitoring results and tests. It was concluded that the use of synthetic aperture radar interferometer technique was the optimal technique to provide three-dimensional spatial information and minimal change from ground surface by spatial remote sensing device. 18 refs., 5 figs.

  18. Surface Mines, Other - Longwall Mining Panels

    Data.gov (United States)

    NSGIC Education | GIS Inventory — Coal mining has occurred in Pennsylvania for over a century. A method of coal mining known as Longwall Mining has become more prevalent in recent decades. Longwall...

  19. Environmental considerations in mine closure planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ricks, G.

    1997-01-01

    Mine closure planning considers the best ways to plan and manage the environmental changes and socio-economic effects associated with the closing of mines. While the criteria for judging successful closures may vary, it is particularly important for physical, chemical and biological stability to be achieved and for final land use to be appropriate. Trust funds are increasingly favoured as a practical means of fulfilling the requirement for a financial surety and of ensuring that financial provision is available at the end of the mine's life. (author)

  20. Integrating Industrial Ecology Thinking into the Management of Mining Waste

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Éléonore Lèbre

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Mining legacies are often dominated by large waste facilities and their associated environmental impacts. The most serious environmental problem associated with mine waste is heavy metals and acid leakage through a phenomenon called acid mine drainage (AMD. Interestingly, the toxicity of this leakage is partly due to the presence of valuable metals in the waste stream as a result of a diversity of factors influencing mining operations. A more preventive and recovery-oriented approach to waste management, integrated into mine planning and operations, could be both economically attractive and environmentally beneficial since it would: mitigate environmental impacts related to mine waste disposal (and consequently reduce the remediation costs; and increase the resource recovery at the mine site level. The authors argue that eco-efficiency and resilience (and the resulting increase in a mine’s lifetime are both critical—yet overlooked—characteristics of sustainable mining operations. Based on these arguments, this paper proposes a framework to assist with identification of opportunities for improvement and to measure this improvement in terms of its contribution to a mine’s sustainability performance.

  1. Application for trackless mining technique in Benxi uranium mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Bingguo

    1998-01-01

    The author narrates the circumstances achieving constructional target in Benxi Uranium Mine under relying on advance of science and technology and adopting small trackless mining equipment, presents the application of trackless mining equipment at mining small mine and complex mineral deposit and discusses the unique superiority of trackless mining technique in development work, mining preparation work and backstoping

  2. Effects of historical and modern mining on mercury deposition in southeastern Peru.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beal, Samuel A; Jackson, Brian P; Kelly, Meredith A; Stroup, Justin S; Landis, Joshua D

    2013-11-19

    Both modern anthropogenic emissions of mercury (Hg), primarily from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), and preindustrial anthropogenic emissions from mining are thought to have a large impact on present-day atmospheric Hg deposition. We study the spatial distribution of Hg and its depositional history over the past ∼400 years in sediment cores from lakes located regionally proximal (∼90-150 km) to the largest ASGM in Peru and distal (>400 km) to major preindustrial mining centers. Total Hg concentrations in surface sediments from fourteen lakes are typical of remote regions (10-115 ng g(-1)). Hg fluxes in cores from four lakes demonstrate preindustrial Hg deposition in southeastern Peru was spatially variable and at least an order of magnitude lower than previously reported fluxes in lakes located closer to mining centers. Average modern (A.D. 2000-2011) Hg fluxes in these cores are 3.4-6.9 μg m(-2) a(-1), compared to average preindustrial (A.D. 1800-1850) fluxes of 0.8-2.5 μg m(-2) a(-1). Modern Hg fluxes determined from the four lakes are on average 3.3 (±1.5) times greater than their preindustrial fluxes, similar to those determined in other remote lakes around the world. This agreement suggests that Hg emissions from ASGM are likely not significantly deposited in nearby down-wind regions.

  3. Mining engineer requirements in a German coal mine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rauhut, F J

    1985-10-01

    Basic developments in German coal mines, new definitions of working areas of mining engineers, and groups of requirements in education are discussed. These groups include: requirements of hard-coal mining at great depth and in extended collieries; application of process technology and information systems in semi-automated mines; thinking in processes and systems; organizational changes; future requirements of mining engineers; responsibility of the mining engineer for employees and society.

  4. Applications of Data Mining in Higher Education

    OpenAIRE

    Monika Goyal; Rajan Vohra

    2012-01-01

    Data analysis plays an important role for decision support irrespective of type of industry like any manufacturing unit and educations system. There are many domains in which data mining techniques plays an important role. This paper proposes the use of data mining techniques to improve the efficiency of higher education institution. If data mining techniques such as clustering, decision tree and association are applied to higher education processes, it would help to improve students performa...

  5. Proceedings of the Sudbury 2003 Mining and the Environment Conference

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spiers, G.; Beckett, P.; Conroy, H.

    2003-01-01

    Sudbury is considered to be the centre of the Canadian mining industry and has gained a reputation for environmentally sound mining practices that are being met through mine site rehabilitation and regional land reclamation. This international conference provided a forum to exchange ideas and information pertinent to mine reclamation activities. More than 400 delegates, including leading scientists and technical experts from around the world participated at the conference. Approximately 150 papers were presented on a wide range of topics related to mine site rehabilitation issues and environmental protection methods associated with mining. Both current and future challenges faced by the mining industry were discussed with particular reference to the long-term sustainability of the mining process. Topics of discussion included issues pertaining to reclamation and rehabilitation of disturbed lands and waterways as well as specific site reclamation challenges associated with the oil industry. Reclamation activities include a wide range of expertise including plant ecology, forestry, soil science, land use planning, civil and mine engineering, wildlife biology, and reclamation. Six papers from the conference have been processed separately for inclusion in this database. refs., tabs., figs

  6. Recovery of a mining-damaged stream ecosystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mebane, Christopher A.; Eakins, Robert J.; Fraser, Brian G.; Adams, William J.

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a 30+ year record of changes in benthic macroinvertebrate communities and fish populations associated with improving water quality in mining-influenced streams. Panther Creek, a tributary to the Salmon River in central Idaho, USA suffered intensive damage from mining and milling operations at the Blackbird Mine that released copper (Cu), arsenic (As), and cobalt (Co) into tributaries. From the 1960s through the 1980s, no fish and few aquatic invertebrates could be found in 40 km of mine-affected reaches of Panther Creek downstream of the metals contaminated tributaries, Blackbird and Big Deer Creeks.

  7. Molecular diversity of the methanotrophic bacteria communities associated with disused tin-mining ponds in Kampar, Perak, Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sow, S L S; Khoo, G; Chong, L K; Smith, T J; Harrison, P L; Ong, H K A

    2014-10-01

    In a previous study, notable differences of several physicochemical properties, as well as the community structure of ammonia oxidizing bacteria as judged by 16S rRNA gene analysis, were observed among several disused tin-mining ponds located in the town of Kampar, Malaysia. These variations were associated with the presence of aquatic vegetation as well as past secondary activities that occurred at the ponds. Here, methane oxidizing bacteria (MOB), which are direct participants in the nutrient cycles of aquatic environments and biological indicators of environmental variations, have been characterised via analysis of pmoA functional genes in the same environments. The MOB communities associated with disused tin-mining ponds that were exposed to varying secondary activities were examined in comparison to those in ponds that were left to nature. Comparing the sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the pmoA clone libraries at the different ponds (idle, lotus-cultivated and post-aquaculture), we found pmoA genes indicating the presence of type I and type II MOB at all study sites, but type Ib sequences affiliated with the Methylococcus/Methylocaldum lineage were most ubiquitous (46.7 % of clones). Based on rarefaction analysis and diversity indices, the disused mining pond with lotus culture was observed to harbor the highest richness of MOB. However, varying secondary activity or sample type did not show a strong variation in community patterns as compared to the ammonia oxidizers in our previous study.

  8. Frac Sand Mines Are Preferentially Sited in Unzoned Rural Areas.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina Locke

    Full Text Available Shifting markets can cause unexpected, stochastic changes in rural landscapes that may take local communities by surprise. Preferential siting of new industrial facilities in poor areas or in areas with few regulatory restrictions can have implications for environmental sustainability, human health, and social justice. This study focuses on frac sand mining-the mining of high-quality silica sand used in hydraulic fracturing processes for gas and oil extraction. Frac sand mining gained prominence in the 2000s in the upper midwestern United States where nonmetallic mining is regulated primarily by local zoning. I asked whether frac sand mines were more commonly sited in rural townships without formal zoning regulations or planning processes than in those that undertook zoning and planning before the frac sand boom. I also asked if mine prevalence was correlated with socioeconomic differences across townships. After creating a probability surface to map areas most suitable for frac sand mine occurrence, I developed neutral landscape models from which to compare actual mine distributions in zoned and unzoned areas at three different spatial extents. Mines were significantly clustered in unzoned jurisdictions at the statewide level and in 7 of the 8 counties with at least three frac sand mines and some unzoned land. Subsequent regression analyses showed mine prevalence to be uncorrelated with land value, tax rate, or per capita income, but correlated with remoteness and zoning. The predicted mine count in unzoned townships was over two times higher than that in zoned townships. However, the county with the most mines by far was under a county zoning ordinance, perhaps indicating industry preferences for locations with clear, homogenous rules over patchwork regulation. Rural communities can use the case of frac sand mining as motivation to discuss and plan for sudden land-use predicaments, rather than wait to grapple with unfamiliar legal processes

  9. Contamination of arctic Fjord sediments by Pb-Zn mining at Maarmorilik in central West Greenland

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Perner, Kerstin; Leipe, Thomas; Dellwig, O

    2010-01-01

    This study focuses on heavy metal contamination of arctic sediments from a small Fjord system adjacent to the Pb-Zn "Black Angel" mine (West Greenland) to investigate the temporal and spatial development of contamination and to provide baseline levels before the mines re-opening in January 2009....... Maximum contents were found at 12 cm depth in Affarlikassaa. After 17 years the mine last closed, specific local hydrographic conditions continue to disperse heavy metal enriched material derived from the Affarlikassaa into Qaumarujuk. Total Hg profiles from multi-cores along the transect clearly...

  10. Acid mine drainage as an important mechanism of natural radiation enhancement in mining areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandes, H.M.; Franklin, M.R.

    2002-01-01

    Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a world wide problem that occurs whenever sulfidic material is present in association to the mined ore. The acidic waters generated by the process of sulfide minerals oxidation can mobilize important amounts of pollutants and cause significant environmental impacts. The composition of the drainage will depend, on a very large extent, on the mineralogy of the rocks. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that acid mine drainage has the potential to enhance the natural levels of environmental radioactivity. The paper revises some strategies to be used in the diagnostic of the problem. General mathematical formulations that can assist on the prediction of the duration of the problem, and the definition of the size of the oxidizing zones in a waste dump are given. A study case on a waste dump of the Pocos de Caldas Uranium Mining Site, Brazil is also presented. (author)

  11. Uranium mining and milling work force characteristics in the western US

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rapp, D.A.

    1980-12-01

    This report presents the results of a survey of the socioeconomic characteristics associated with 11 uranium mine and mill operations in 5 Western States. Comparisons are made with the socioeconomic characteristics of construction and operating crews for coal mines and utility plants in eight Western States. Worker productivity also is compared with that in similar types of coal and uranium mining operations. We found that there existed no significant differences between the socioeconomic characteristics of construction and operating crews and the secondary employment impacts associated with uranium mines and mills when compared with those associated with coal mines and utility plants requiring similar skills at comparable locations. In addition, our survey includes a comparison of several characteristics associated with the households of basic and nonbasic work forces and concludes that significant changes have occurred in the last 5 yr. Accordingly, we recommend additional monitoring and updating of data used in several economic forecasting models to avoid unwarranted delays in achieving national energy goals

  12. African Mining, Gender and Local Employment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tolonen, A.; Kotsadam, A.

    2014-12-01

    . Further evidence using exogenous changes in world prices of minerals show that effects are stronger in boom times, but that the labor market effects are temporary and disappear with mine closing. The effects are highly spatially concentrated, and individuals living 50km away from a mine are not affected by it.

  13. Consequences of coal mining and burning in the North Bohemian Brown Coal Basin (2). Territorial consequences of coal mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stahlik, Z.

    1992-01-01

    Out of the 1450 km 2 of the North Bohemian Brown Coal Basin, the area of the coal-bearing territory is 850 km 2 . The area occupied by the open pits, spoil banks and mines is nearly 27O km 2 , out of which over 90 km 2 have already been recultivated. Predicted mining development scenarios for the region till 2035 are outlined. The extent of mining will decrease gradually, and land will be reclaimed. The abandoned pits will be filled with water and employed for recreation purposes. The specific features of the individual open pit mines are given. The ways to reduce the adverse environmental impacts of mining are outlined; these include, in particular, desulfurization of existing power plants on the one hand, and energy savings associated with a reduction in mining and power generation activities on the other hand. (J.B.)

  14. Mining and Risk of Tuberculosis in Sub-Saharan Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, Sanjay; McKee, Martin; Lurie, Mark

    2011-01-01

    Objectives. We estimated the relationship between mining and tuberculosis (TB) among countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. We used multivariate regression to estimate the contribution of mining activity to TB incidence, prevalence, and mortality, as well as rates of TB among people living with HIV, with control for economic, health system, and population confounders. Results. Mining production was associated with higher population TB incidence rates (adjusted b = 0.093; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.067, 0.120; with an increase of mining production of 1 SD corresponding to about 33% higher TB incidence or 760 000 more incident cases), after adjustment for economic and population controls. Similar results were observed for TB prevalence and mortality, as well as with alternative measures of mining activity. Independent of HIV, there were significant associations between mining production and TB incidence in countries with high HIV prevalence (≥ 4% antenatal HIV prevalence; HIV-adjusted B = 0.066; 95% CI = 0.050, 0.082) and between log gold mining production and TB incidence in all studied countries (HIV-adjusted B = 0.053; 95% CI = 0.032, 0.073). Conclusions. Mining is a significant determinant of countrywide variation in TB among sub-Saharan African nations. Comprehensive TB control strategies should explicitly address the role of mining activity and environments in the epidemic. PMID:20516372

  15. Data Mining for Identifying Novel Associations and Temporal Relationships with Charcot Foot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael E. Munson

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Charcot foot is a rare and devastating complication of diabetes. While some risk factors are known, debate continues regarding etiology. Elucidating other associated disorders and their temporal occurrence could lead to a better understanding of its pathogenesis. We applied a large data mining approach to Charcot foot for elucidating novel associations. Methods. We conducted an association analysis using ICD-9 diagnosis codes for every patient in our health system (n=1.6 million with 41.2 million time-stamped ICD-9 codes. For the current analysis, we focused on the 388 patients with Charcot foot (ICD-9 713.5. Results. We found 710 associations, 676 (95.2% of which had a P value for the association less than 1.0×10−5 and 603 (84.9% of which had an odds ratio > 5.0. There were 111 (15.6% associations with a significant temporal relationship P<1.0×10−3. The three novel associations with the strongest temporal component were cardiac dysrhythmia, pulmonary eosinophilia, and volume depletion disorder. Conclusion. We identified novel associations with Charcot foot in the context of pathogenesis models that include neurotrophic, neurovascular, and microtraumatic factors mediated through inflammatory cytokines. Future work should focus on confirmatory analyses. These novel areas of investigation could lead to prevention or earlier diagnosis.

  16. Mining international year book, 1978

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skinner, W.

    1978-01-01

    The 1978 issue of the Mining International Year Book marks the 91st year of publication and contains particulars of the principal and other international companies associated with the Mining Industry. The book is recognized as the foremost reference work of its kind with a coverage both wide and detailed. The many companies registered abroad are distinguished by an entry immediately beneath the title giving the date and place of incorporation; where the date of registration alone is mentioned, the company is registered in the United Kingdom. As in previous years each entry has been reviewed and, where necessary, revised in the light of additional information received since the previous volume. The information thus recorded is the latest available at the time of going to press. Special features of value and interest include cross-reference index to all principal, subsidiary and associated companies in this edition, geographical index, suppliers' directory and buyers' guide, world production table, mining areas of Australia, and professional services section

  17. Mining Together : Large-Scale Mining Meets Artisanal Mining, A Guide for Action

    OpenAIRE

    World Bank

    2009-01-01

    The present guide mining together-when large-scale mining meets artisanal mining is an important step to better understanding the conflict dynamics and underlying issues between large-scale and small-scale mining. This guide for action not only points to some of the challenges that both parties need to deal with in order to build a more constructive relationship, but most importantly it sh...

  18. Seismic monitoring of ground caving processes associated with longwall mining of coal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hatherly, P.; Luo, X.; Dixon, R.; McKavanagh, B.

    1997-01-01

    At the Gordonstone Coal Mine in Central Queensland, Australia, a microseismic monitoring study was undertaken to investigate the extent of ground failure caused by longwall mining. Twenty seven triaxial geophones were deployed in three vertical boreholes and over a six week period more than 1200 events were recorded. The seismicity correlated with periods of longwall production and occurred mainly within the 250 m wide mining panel. There was an arcuate zone of activity which extended from behind the face, at the sides of the panel and up to 70 m ahead of the face in the middle. There was lesser activity to a depth of about 30 m into the floor. The focal mechanisms show that reverse faulting was dominant. The presence of activity and reverse faulting ahead of the face was an unexpected result. However, piezometer readings at the time of the study and subsequent numerical modelling have supported this finding. This was the first detailed microseismic monitoring study of caving in an Australian underground coal mine. 9 refs., 6 figs

  19. Model for the prediction of subsurface strata movement due to underground mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Jianwei; Liu, Fangyuan; Li, Siyuan

    2017-12-01

    The problem of ground control stability due to large underground mining operations is often associated with large movements and deformations of strata. It is a complicated problem, and can induce severe safety or environmental hazards either at the surface or in strata. Hence, knowing the subsurface strata movement characteristics, and making any subsidence predictions in advance, are desirable for mining engineers to estimate any damage likely to affect the ground surface or subsurface strata. Based on previous research findings, this paper broadly applies a surface subsidence prediction model based on the influence function method to subsurface strata, in order to predict subsurface stratum movement. A step-wise prediction model is proposed, to investigate the movement of underground strata. The model involves a dynamic iteration calculation process to derive the movements and deformations for each stratum layer; modifications to the influence method function are also made for more precise calculations. The critical subsidence parameters, incorporating stratum mechanical properties and the spatial relationship of interest at the mining level, are thoroughly considered, with the purpose of improving the reliability of input parameters. Such research efforts can be very helpful to mining engineers’ understanding of the moving behavior of all strata over underground excavations, and assist in making any damage mitigation plan. In order to check the reliability of the model, two methods are carried out and cross-validation applied. One is to use a borehole TV monitor recording to identify the progress of subsurface stratum bedding and caving in a coal mine, the other is to conduct physical modelling of the subsidence in underground strata. The results of these two methods are used to compare with theoretical results calculated by the proposed mathematical model. The testing results agree well with each other, and the acceptable accuracy and reliability of the

  20. Determination of the spatial structure of vegetation on the repository of the mine “Fryderyk” in Tarnowskie Góry, based on airborne laser scanning from the ISOK project and digital orthophotomaps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Szostak Marta

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the spatial structure of vegetation on the repository of the mine “Fryderyk” in Tarnowskie Góry. Tested area was located in the Upper Silesian Industrial Region (a large industrial region in Poland. It was a unique refuge habitat – Natura2000; PLH240008. The main aspect of this elaboration was to investigate the possible use of geotechniques and generally available geodata for mapping LULC changes and determining the spatial structure of vegetation. The presented study focuses on the analysis of a spatial structure of vegetation in the research area. This exploration was based on aerial images and orthophotomaps from 1947, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2011 and airborne laser scanning data (2011, ISOK project. Forest succession changes which occurred between 1947 and 2011 were analysed. The selected features of vegetation overgrowing spoil heap “Fryderyk” was determined.

  1. A spatial application of a vegetation productivity equation for neo-soil reconstruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burley, J.B.

    1999-01-01

    Reclamation specialists are interested in the application of recently developed soil productivity equations for post-mining reclamation planning and design. This paper presents the application of one recently developed soil productivity equation to a surface coal mine site in Mercer County, North Dakota. Geographic information systems (GIS) technology (Map*Factory 1.1) was combined with a soil productivity equation developed by the author to generate a GIS script to calculate a site's pre-mining productivity per 10 meter grid cell and then summed to calculate the grand and the expected average soil productivity for the site, resulting in a pre-mining baseline numerical spatial scores. Several post-mining alternatives were evaluated to study various soil management strategies to restore post-mining soil productivity, including: an abandoned mine landscape treatment, a reconstructed topsoil treatment with graded gentile slopes, and a reconstructed topsoil treatment with soil improvements. The results indicated that the abandoned mine scenario was significantly different than the other three treatments (ple0.05), with the reconstructed topsoil treatment with soil amendments generating the greatest estimated productivity

  2. Spatial Inequalities in the Incidence of Colorectal Cancer and Associated Factors in the Neighborhoods of Tehran, Iran: Bayesian Spatial Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamyar Mansori

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with the spatial distribution of the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC in the neighborhoods of Tehran, Iran using Bayesian spatial models. Methods This ecological study was implemented in Tehran on the neighborhood level. Socioeconomic variables, risk factors, and health costs were extracted from the Equity Assessment Study conducted in Tehran. The data on CRC incidence were extracted from the Iranian population-based cancer registry. The Besag-York-Mollié (BYM model was used to identify factors associated with the spatial distribution of CRC incidence. The software programs OpenBUGS version 3.2.3, ArcGIS 10.3, and GeoDa were used for the analysis. Results The Moran index was statistically significant for all the variables studied (p<0.05. The BYM model showed that having a women head of household (median standardized incidence ratio [SIR], 1.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06 to 2.53, living in a rental house (median SIR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.96, not consuming milk daily (median SIR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.55 to 0.94 and having greater household health expenditures (median SIR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.68 were associated with a statistically significant elevation in the SIR of CRC. The median (interquartile range and mean (standard deviation values of the SIR of CRC, with the inclusion of all the variables studied in the model, were 0.57 (1.01 and 1.05 (1.31, respectively. Conclusions Inequality was found in the spatial distribution of CRC incidence in Tehran on the neighborhood level. Paying attention to this inequality and the factors associated with it may be useful for resource allocation and developing preventive strategies in atrisk areas.

  3. Public exposure to hazards associated with natural radioactivity in open-pit mining in Ghana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darko, E O; Faanu, A; Awudu, A R; Emi-Reynolds, G; Yeboah, J; Oppon, O C; Akaho, E H K

    2010-01-01

    The results of studies carried out on public exposure contribution from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMS) in two open-pit mines in the Western and Ashanti regions of Ghana are reported. The studies were carried out under International Atomic Energy Agency-supported Technical Co-operation Project GHA/9/005. Measurements were made on samples of water, soil, ore, mine tailings and air using gamma spectrometry. Solid-state nuclear track detectors were used for radon concentration measurements. Survey was also carried out to determine the ambient gamma dose rate in the vicinity of the mines and surrounding areas. The effective doses due to external gamma irradiation, ingestion of water and inhalation of radon and ore dusts were calculated for the two mines. The average annual effective dose was found to be 0.30 +/- 0.06 mSv. The result was found to be within the levels published by other countries. The study provides a useful information and data for establishing a comprehensive framework to investigate other mines and develop guidelines for monitoring and control of NORMS in the mining industry and the environment as a whole in Ghana.

  4. Mining industry in Republic of Macedonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vrentsovski, Angele

    1996-01-01

    Mining production has a special significance in the economy of the Republic of Macedonia. The mining comprises 6% of national earnings in the Republic of Macedonia and accounts for 16% of all people employed in industry. Mining products include coal which assures over 80% of all electrical energy as well as raw materials for metallurgy, the refractory and clay industry, decorative stones, etc. Given the conditions of the fixed economy in the former Yugoslavia, the State controlled the prices associated with mining. Following the break up of Yugoslavia and the independence of the Republic of Macedonia, a new period was entered, one dictated by a market economy and massive privatization - a period of transition. This new period was hindered by the blockades on both north and south borders and resulted in negative repercussions for mining production, especially raw materials which were intended for export. This paper intends to describe the current situation of mining production and to evaluate the realistic economic opportunities regarding the new market conditions. (author). 5 refs., 2 tabs

  5. Impact of mercury mine and smelter St. Ana – Podljubelj on spatial distribution of chemical elements in soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamara Teršič

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the research project was to establish the extension of Hg pollution as a consequence of mining and smelting activities in a narrow Alpine valley. The St. Ana mine was first exploited as early as in 1557 and was finally abandoned in 1902. The entire operating period yielded about 110.000 tons of ore, from which 360 tons of Hg was produced. By soil sampling it was established that on about 9 ha the Hg contents in soil exceed the Slovenian critical values for soil (10 mg/kg. The estimated mercury mean for the studied area is 1.3 mg/kg (0.17 – 718 mg/kg. The highest contents of mercury in soilswere found in the area of the mercury smelter.That is a consequence of former atmospheric emissions and technological losses. High values of Hg were found also in soil on the mine and smelter waste dump. The highest determined contents of Hg (108 mg/kg in this area are almost 7-times lower than thecontents of Hg in the area of the smelter. Mercury in soils generally decrease with depth and distance from the mine and smelter. Apart from the area around the former mine and smelter, mercury appear in higher concentrations also along the road that runs along thevalley, which is due to the use of Hg bearing mine tailings in road construction.

  6. Effect of mine tailing on the spatial variability of soil nematodes from lead pollution in La Union (Spain).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez Martín, José Antonio; Gutiérrez, Carmen; Escuer, Miguel; García-González, Ma Teresa; Campos-Herrera, Raquel; Aguila, Nancy

    2014-03-01

    The Cartagena-La Union mining district, exploited since the end of the 3rd century BC, was one of the world's largest lead producers in the 19th century. Although activity ceased in 1991, today mining residues pose a huge pollution problem. This study characterises lead contents (total and DPTA) and other soil parameters (N, P, K, pH, SOM, CaCO3, granulometric fraction, etc.) using multivariate geostatistical methods in relation to nematode diversity. In this work, trophic groups and metabolic footprints of soil nematodes were measured using 193 samples from the mining, natural and agricultural areas in this district. We explored the relationship between soil health and nematode communities. High lead concentrations were quantified: mean 8,500 mg kg(-1) for total and 340 mg kg(-1) for DPTA in this mining area. Although nematode diversity was broad (81 taxa), their diversity, abundance and metabolic footprints significantly reduced in the mining area. Significant differences in the nematode community structure were observed, and the relative abundance of predators was sensitive to mine and agricultural activities, whilst omnivores reduced only in the agricultural area, and bacterial feeders exhibited a differential response to both anthropogenic disturbances. The total abundance of nematodes, trophic groups and c-p groups correlated negatively with soil Pb contents, and a positive relationship was found with SOM and N, P and K contents. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Spatial association between malaria pandemic and mortality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B M Dansu

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Malaria pandemic (MP has been linked to a range of serious health problems including premature mortality. The main objective of this research is to quantify uncertainties about impacts of malaria on mortality. A multivariate spatial regression model was developed for estimation of the risk of mortality associated with malaria across Ogun State in Nigeria, West Africa. We characterize different local governments in the data and model the spatial structure of the mortality data in infants and pregnant women. A flexible Bayesian hierarchical model was considered for a space-time series of counts (mortality by constructing a likelihood-based version of a generalized Poisson regression model that combines methods for point-level misaligned data and change of support regression. A simple two-stage procedure for producing maps of predicted risk is described. Logistic regression modeling was used to determine an approximate risk on a larger scale, and geo-statistical ("Kriging" approaches were used to improve prediction at a local level. The results suggest improvement of risk prediction brought about in the second stage. The advantages and shortcomings of this approach highlight the need for further development of a better analytical methodology.

  8. Institutional challenges for mining and sustainability in Peru

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bebbington, Anthony J.; Bury, Jeffrey T.

    2009-01-01

    Global consumption continues to generate growth in mining. In lesser developed economies, this growth offers the potential to generate new resources for development, but also creates challenges to sustainability in the regions in which extraction occurs. This context leads to debate on the institutional arrangements most likely to build synergies between mining, livelihoods, and development, and on the socio-political conditions under which such institutions can emerge. Building from a multiyear, three-country program of research projects, Peru, a global center of mining expansion, serves as an exemplar for analyzing the effects of extractive industry on livelihoods and the conditions under which arrangements favoring local sustainability might emerge. This program is guided by three emergent hypotheses in human-environmental sciences regarding the relationships among institutions, knowledge, learning, and sustainability. The research combines in-depth and comparative case study analysis, and uses mapping and spatial analysis, surveys, in-depth interviews, participant observation, and our own direct participation in public debates on the regulation of mining for development. The findings demonstrate the pressures that mining expansion has placed on water resources, livelihood assets, and social relationships. These pressures are a result of institutional conditions that separate the governance of mineral expansion, water resources, and local development, and of relationships of power that prioritize large scale investment over livelihood and environment. A further problem is the poor communication between mining sector knowledge systems and those of local populations. These results are consistent with themes recently elaborated in sustainability science. PMID:19805172

  9. Beating Obesity: Factors Associated with Interest in Workplace Weight Management Assistance in the Mining Industry

    OpenAIRE

    Street, Tamara D.; Thomas, Drew L.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Rates of overweight and obese Australians are high and continue to rise, putting a large proportion of the population at risk of chronic illness. Examining characteristics associated with preference for a work-based weight-loss program will enable employers to better target programs to increase enrolment and benefit employees' health and fitness for work. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken at two Australian mining sites. The survey collected information on employe...

  10. Cognitive correlates of spatial navigation: Associations between executive functioning and the virtual Morris Water Task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korthauer, L E; Nowak, N T; Frahmand, M; Driscoll, I

    2017-01-15

    Although effective spatial navigation requires memory for objects and locations, navigating a novel environment may also require considerable executive resources. The present study investigated associations between performance on the virtual Morris Water Task (vMWT), an analog version of a nonhuman spatial navigation task, and neuropsychological tests of executive functioning and spatial performance in 75 healthy young adults. More effective vMWT performance (e.g., lower latency and distance to reach hidden platform, greater distance in goal quadrant on a probe trial, fewer path intersections) was associated with better verbal fluency, set switching, response inhibition, and ability to mentally rotate objects. Findings also support a male advantage in spatial navigation, with sex moderating several associations between vMWT performance and executive abilities. Overall, we report a robust relationship between executive functioning and navigational skill, with some evidence that men and women may differentially recruit cognitive abilities when navigating a novel environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Risk assessment of safety violations for coal mines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Megan Orsulaka; Vladislav Kecojevicb; Larry Graysona; Antonio Nietoa [Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (United States). Dept of Energy and Mineral Engineering

    2010-09-15

    This article presents an application of a risk assessment approach in characterising the risks associated with safety violations in underground bituminous mines in Pennsylvania using the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) citation database. The MSHA database on citations provides an opportunity to assess risks in mines through scrutiny of violations of mandatory safety standards. In this study, quantitative risk assessment is performed, which allows determination of the frequency of occurrence of safety violations (through associated citations) as well as the consequences of them in terms of penalty assessments. Focus is on establishing risk matrices on citation experiences of mines, which can give early indication of emerging potentially serious problems. The resulting frequency, consequence and risk rankings present valuable tools for prioritising resource allocations, determining control strategies, and could potentially contribute to more proactive prevention of incidents and injuries.

  12. Uranium mining: present indian scenario and future trends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gupta, Ramendra; Acharya, D.

    2003-01-01

    Mining industry has long been considered a high risk investment, tied down with long gestation periods. Large manpower deployment as also health and safety are other concerns associated with mining. Greater focus on sustainable development has seen metal prices falling worldwide. This has been largely due to greater recycling as well as development of alternate manmade material. Growing social concerns of the working environment as well as the impact of mining activity on ecology in its neighborhood are other areas drawing attention of the mining community. Uranium mining shares all these concerns besides issues related to its radioactive aspects. Technology continues to evolve in order to meet these challenges and make mining an attractive investment destination. Development of cleaner fuels, greater use of hydraulic power, microprocessor based fuel injection systems, flow of information, its efficient processing and a host of technology enabled systems are driving this evolution. These have influenced the entire gamut of mining activities from mine entries, mine layouts, mining methods to rock breakage and hoisting. Social concerns have prompted mine closure and related costs being factored in, at the mine opening stage itself. This paper describes some of these evolutions in India while looking at the emerging technologies and practices worldwide. (author)

  13. Groundwater-quality data associated with abandoned underground coal mine aquifers in West Virginia, 1973-2016: Compilation of existing data from multiple sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAdoo, Mitchell A.; Kozar, Mark D.

    2017-11-14

    This report describes a compilation of existing water-quality data associated with groundwater resources originating from abandoned underground coal mines in West Virginia. Data were compiled from multiple sources for the purpose of understanding the suitability of groundwater from abandoned underground coal mines for public supply, industrial, agricultural, and other uses. This compilation includes data collected for multiple individual studies conducted from July 13, 1973 through September 7, 2016. Analytical methods varied by the time period of data collection and requirements of the independent studies.This project identified 770 water-quality samples from 294 sites that could be attributed to abandoned underground coal mine aquifers originating from multiple coal seams in West Virginia.

  14. Methane emissions from coal mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, A.; Mitchell, C.

    1993-01-01

    This paper outlines some of the problems associated with the prediction of levels of methane emission from underground and surface coal mines. Current knowledge of coal mining emissions sources is outlined. On the basis of this information the methodology proposed by the IPCC/OECD Programme on National Inventories is critically examined and alternatives considered. Finally, the technical options for emissions control are examined together with their feasibility. 8 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs

  15. miRiaD: A Text Mining Tool for Detecting Associations of microRNAs with Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Samir; Ross, Karen E; Tudor, Catalina O; Wu, Cathy H; Schmidt, Carl J; Vijay-Shanker, K

    2016-04-29

    MicroRNAs are increasingly being appreciated as critical players in human diseases, and questions concerning the role of microRNAs arise in many areas of biomedical research. There are several manually curated databases of microRNA-disease associations gathered from the biomedical literature; however, it is difficult for curators of these databases to keep up with the explosion of publications in the microRNA-disease field. Moreover, automated literature mining tools that assist manual curation of microRNA-disease associations currently capture only one microRNA property (expression) in the context of one disease (cancer). Thus, there is a clear need to develop more sophisticated automated literature mining tools that capture a variety of microRNA properties and relations in the context of multiple diseases to provide researchers with fast access to the most recent published information and to streamline and accelerate manual curation. We have developed miRiaD (microRNAs in association with Disease), a text-mining tool that automatically extracts associations between microRNAs and diseases from the literature. These associations are often not directly linked, and the intermediate relations are often highly informative for the biomedical researcher. Thus, miRiaD extracts the miR-disease pairs together with an explanation for their association. We also developed a procedure that assigns scores to sentences, marking their informativeness, based on the microRNA-disease relation observed within the sentence. miRiaD was applied to the entire Medline corpus, identifying 8301 PMIDs with miR-disease associations. These abstracts and the miR-disease associations are available for browsing at http://biotm.cis.udel.edu/miRiaD . We evaluated the recall and precision of miRiaD with respect to information of high interest to public microRNA-disease database curators (expression and target gene associations), obtaining a recall of 88.46-90.78. When we expanded the evaluation to

  16. Midwest Joint Venture high-grade uranium mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fredrickson, H.K.

    1992-01-01

    Midwest Joint Venture (MJV) owns a high-grade uranium deposit in northern Saskatchewan. The deposit is located too deep below surface to be mined economically by open pit methods, and as a consequence, present plans are that it will be mined by underground methods. High-grade uranium ore of the type at MJV, encased in weak, highly altered ground and with radon-rich water inflows, has not before been mined by underground methods. The test mining phase of the project, completed in 1989, had three objectives: To evaluate radiation protection requirements associated with the handling of large quantities of radon-rich water and mining high-grade uranium ore in an underground environment; to investigate the quantity and quality of water inflows into the mine; and, to investigate ground conditions in and around the ore zone as an aid in determining the production mining method to be used. With information gained from the test mining project, a mining method for the production mine has been devised. Level plans have been drawn up, ventilation system designed, pumping arrangements made and methods of ore handling considered. All this is to be done in a manner that will be safe for those doing the work underground. Some of the mining methods planned are felt to be unique in that they are designed to cope with mining problems not known to have been encountered before. New problems underground have required new methods to handle them. Remote drilling, blasting, mucking and backfilling form the basis of the planned mining method

  17. Transport-location model of mine supply with timber. [Poland

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krause, E; Piasecki, B; Srutwa, J

    1981-01-01

    Underground black coal mines in Poland consume about 2 million m/sup 3/ of wood per year. Wood supply to coal mines will remain constant in spite of the planned coal output increase and assumed deterioration of mining conditions. An economic analysis of cost of rock strata control in coal mines is presented. The analysis concentrates on the proportion of wood cost in the total cost of strata control. Methods for reducing cost of wood supply to coal mines are analyzed using mathematical models. Transport system of wood to coal mines and within coal mines is analyzed. Site selection for storage facilities for wood, particularly wooden props, is evaluated. A mathematical model used for optimizing site selection is described. Economic effects associated with optimizing site selection of storage facilities for wood on mining cost and strata conrol cost in underground mining are described. (4 refs.)

  18. Behavioral states may be associated with distinct spatial patterns in electrocorticogram.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panagiotides, Heracles; Freeman, Walter J; Holmes, Mark D; Pantazis, Dimitrios

    2011-03-01

    To determine if behavioral states are associated with unique spatial electrocorticographic (ECoG) patterns, we obtained recordings with a microgrid electrode array applied to the cortical surface of a human subject. The array was constructed with the intent of extracting maximal spatial information by optimizing interelectrode distances. A 34-year-old patient with intractable epilepsy underwent intracranial ECoG monitoring after standard methods failed to reveal localization of seizures. During the 8-day period of invasive recording, in addition to standard clinical electrodes a square 1 × 1 cm microgrid array with 64 electrodes (1.25 mm separation) was placed on the right inferior temporal gyrus. Careful review of video recordings identified four extended naturalistic behaviors: reading, conversing on the telephone, looking at photographs, and face-to-face interactions. ECoG activity recorded with the microgrid that corresponded to these behaviors was collected and ECoG spatial patterns were analyzed. During periods of ECoG selected for analysis, no electrographic seizures or epileptiform patterns were present. Moments of maximal spatial variance are shown to cluster by behavior. Comparisons between conditions using a permutation test reveal significantly different spatial patterns for each behavior. We conclude that ECoG recordings obtained on the cortical surface with optimal high spatial frequency resolution reveal distinct local spatial patterns that reflect different behavioral states, and we predict that similar patterns will be found in many if not most cortical areas on which a microgrid is placed.

  19. Implementation of Paste Backfill Mining Technology in Chinese Coal Mines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Qingliang; Zhou, Huaqiang; Bai, Jianbiao

    2014-01-01

    Implementation of clean mining technology at coal mines is crucial to protect the environment and maintain balance among energy resources, consumption, and ecology. After reviewing present coal clean mining technology, we introduce the technology principles and technological process of paste backfill mining in coal mines and discuss the components and features of backfill materials, the constitution of the backfill system, and the backfill process. Specific implementation of this technology and its application are analyzed for paste backfill mining in Daizhuang Coal Mine; a practical implementation shows that paste backfill mining can improve the safety and excavation rate of coal mining, which can effectively resolve surface subsidence problems caused by underground mining activities, by utilizing solid waste such as coal gangues as a resource. Therefore, paste backfill mining is an effective clean coal mining technology, which has widespread application. PMID:25258737

  20. Software tool for data mining and its applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jie; Ye, Chenzhou; Chen, Nianyi

    2002-03-01

    A software tool for data mining is introduced, which integrates pattern recognition (PCA, Fisher, clustering, hyperenvelop, regression), artificial intelligence (knowledge representation, decision trees), statistical learning (rough set, support vector machine), computational intelligence (neural network, genetic algorithm, fuzzy systems). It consists of nine function models: pattern recognition, decision trees, association rule, fuzzy rule, neural network, genetic algorithm, Hyper Envelop, support vector machine, visualization. The principle and knowledge representation of some function models of data mining are described. The software tool of data mining is realized by Visual C++ under Windows 2000. Nonmonotony in data mining is dealt with by concept hierarchy and layered mining. The software tool of data mining has satisfactorily applied in the prediction of regularities of the formation of ternary intermetallic compounds in alloy systems, and diagnosis of brain glioma.

  1. Compass: A hybrid method for clinical and biobank data mining

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krysiak-Baltyn, Konrad; Petersen, Thomas Nordahl; Audouze, Karine Marie Laure

    2014-01-01

    We describe a new method for identification of confident associations within large clinical data sets. The method is a hybrid of two existing methods; Self-Organizing Maps and Association Mining. We utilize Self-Organizing Maps as the initial step to reduce the search space, and then apply...... Association Mining in order to find association rules. We demonstrate that this procedure has a number of advantages compared to traditional Association Mining; it allows for handling numerical variables without a priori binning and is able to generate variable groups which act as “hotspots” for statistically...... significant associations. We showcase the method on infertility-related data from Danish military conscripts. The clinical data we analyzed contained both categorical type questionnaire data and continuous variables generated from biological measurements, including missing values. From this data set, we...

  2. A new design concept for nodule mining system

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Janakiraman, G.; Venkatesan, R.; Rajaraman, V.S.

    An overview is presented on the hazards associated with various types of equipment to be used for the commercial mining of nodules from the seabed. The design of a suitable mining collector and the various options available are discussed. A novel...

  3. Leveraging Bibliographic RDF Data for Keyword Prediction with Association Rule Mining (ARM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nidhi Kushwaha

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The Semantic Web (Web 3.0 has been proposed as an efficient way to access the increasingly large amounts of data on the internet. The Linked Open Data Cloud project at present is the major effort to implement the concepts of the Seamtic Web, addressing the problems of inhomogeneity and large data volumes. RKBExplorer is one of many repositories implementing Open Data and contains considerable bibliographic information. This paper discusses bibliographic data, an important part of cloud data. Effective searching of bibiographic datasets can be a challenge as many of the papers residing in these databases do not have sufficient or comprehensive keyword information. In these cases however, a search engine based on RKBExplorer is only able to use information to retrieve papers based on author names and title of papers without keywords. In this paper we attempt to address this problem by using the data mining algorithm Association Rule Mining (ARM to develop keywords based on features retrieved from Resource Description Framework (RDF data within a bibliographic citation. We have demonstrate the applicability of this method for predicting missing keywords for bibliographic entries in several typical databases. −−−−− Paper presented at 1st International Symposium on Big Data and Cloud Computing Challenges (ISBCC-2014 March 27-28, 2014. Organized by VIT University, Chennai, India. Sponsored by BRNS.

  4. Genetic Diversity and Elite Allele Mining for Grain Traits in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) by Association Mapping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edzesi, Wisdom M; Dang, Xiaojing; Liang, Lijun; Liu, Erbao; Zaid, Imdad U; Hong, Delin

    2016-01-01

    Mining elite alleles for grain size and weight is of importance for the improvement of cultivated rice and selection for market demand. In this study, association mapping for grain traits was performed on a selected sample of 628 rice cultivars using 262 SSRs. Grain traits were evaluated by grain length (GL), grain width (GW), grain thickness (GT), grain length to width ratio (GL/GW), and 1000-grain weight (TGW) in 2013 and 2014. Our result showed abundant phenotypic and genetic diversities found in the studied population. In total, 2953 alleles were detected with an average of 11.3 alleles per locus. The population was divided into seven subpopulations and the levels of linkage disequilibrium (LD) ranged from 34 to 84 cM. Genome-wide association mapping detected 10 marker trait association (MTAs) loci for GL, 1MTAs locus for GW, 7 MTAs loci for GT, 3 MTAs loci for GL/GW, and 1 MTAs locus for TGW. Twenty-nine, 2, 10, 5, and 3 elite alleles were found for the GL, GW, GT, GL/GW, and TGW, respectively. Optimal cross designs were predicted for improving the target traits. The accessions containing elite alleles for grain traits mined in this study could be used for breeding rice cultivars and cloning the candidate genes.

  5. Is outdoor work associated with elevated rates of cerebrovascular disease mortality? A cohort study based on iron-ore mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Björ, Ove; Jonsson, Håkan; Damber, Lena; Burström, Lage; Nilsson, Tohr

    2016-01-01

    A cohort study that examined iron ore mining found negative associations between cumulative working time employed underground and several outcomes, including mortality of cerebrovascular diseases. In this cohort study, and using the same group of miners, we examined whether work in an outdoor environment could explain elevated cerebrovascular disease rates. This study was based on a Swedish iron ore mining cohort consisting of 13,000 workers. Poisson regression models were used to generate smoothed estimates of standardized mortality ratios and adjusted rate ratios, both models by cumulative exposure time in outdoor work. The adjusted rate ratio between employment classified as outdoor work ≥25 years and outdoor work 0-4 years was 1.62 (95 % CI 1.07-2.42). The subgroup underground work ≥15 years deviated most in occurrence of cerebrovascular disease mortality compared with the external reference population: SMR (0.70 (95 % CI 0.56-0.85)). Employment in outdoor environments was associated with elevated rates of cerebrovascular disease mortality. In contrast, work in tempered underground employment was associated with a protecting effect.

  6. GIS-based Analysis of LS Factor under Coal Mining Subsidence Impacts in Sandy Region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. Xiao

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Coal deposits in the adjacent regions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia province (SSI account for approximately two-thirds of coal in China; therefore, the SSI region has become the frontier of coal mining and its westward movement. Numerous adverse impacts to land and environment have arisen in these sandy, arid, and ecologically fragile areas. Underground coal mining activities cause land to subside and subsequent soil erosion, with slope length and slope steepness (LS as the key influential factor. In this investigation, an SSI mining site was chosen as a case study area, and 1 the pre-mining LS factor was obtained using a digital elevation model (DEM dataset; 2 a mining subsidence prediction was implemented with revised subsidence prediction factors; and 3 the post-mining LS factor was calculated by integrating the pre-mining DEM dataset and coal mining subsidence prediction data. The results revealed that the LS factor leads to some changes in the bottom of subsidence basin and considerable alterations at the basin’s edges of basin. Moreover, the LS factor became larger in the steeper terrain under subsidence impacts. This integrated method could quantitatively analyse LS changes and spatial distribution under mining impacts, which will benefit and provide references for soil erosion evaluations in this region

  7. The Northern Manitoba Mining Academy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexandre, Paul

    2017-04-01

    The Northern Manitoba Mining Academy (NMMA, miningacademy.ca) is a new educational institution located in Flin Flon, Manitoba. It is associated with the University College of the North and is specifically intended to serve the needs of the Northern Manitoban communities with regards to job creation by providing training in a variety of mining, construction, and exploration related areas. NMMA's mission is to provide innovative and responsible solutions for the creation of a knowledgeable, skilled, and sustainable workforce within a vibrant, mineral-rich resource industry. It facilitates strategic training initiatives and research activities in order to strengthen the social, economic, and environmental benefits of a robust mining and resources sector. In terms of education, NMMA offers its own programs, mostly short courses in health and safety, courses organized by the University College of the North (wilderness safety, prospecting, and exploration), and courses organized in association with provincial Industries-Based Safety Programs and Associations (a variety of construction-related trades). However, the programming is not limited to those courses already on the syllabus: the Academy operates on open-doors policy and welcomes people with their unique and diverse needs; it prides itself in its ability to tailor or create specific on-demand courses and deliver them locally in the North. The Northern Manitoba Mining Academy also provides access to its world-class facilities for field-based undergraduate courses, as well as graduate students and researchers doing field work. Full sample preparation facilities are offered to students and scientists in all natural and environmental sciences.

  8. Landfill mining in Austria: foundations for an integrated ecological and economic assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hermann, Robert; Baumgartner, Rupert J; Sarc, Renato; Ragossnig, Arne; Wolfsberger, Tanja; Eisenberger, Martin; Budischowsky, Andreas; Pomberger, Roland

    2014-09-01

    For the first time, basic technical and economic studies for landfill mining are being carried out in Austria on the basis of a pilot project. An important goal of these studies is the collection of elementary data as the basis for an integrated ecological and economic assessment of landfill mining projects with regard to their feasibility. For this purpose, economic, ecological, technical, organizational, as well as political and legal influencing factors are identified and extensively studied in the article. An important aspect is the mutual influence of the factors on each other, as this can significantly affect the development of an integrated assessment system. In addition to the influencing factors, the definition of the spatial and temporal system boundaries is crucial for further investigations. Among others, the quality and quantity of recovered waste materials, temporal fluctuations or developments in prices of secondary raw material and fuels attainable in the markets, and time and duration of dumping, play a crucial role. Based on the investigations, the spatial system boundary is defined in as much as all the necessary process steps, from landfill mining, preparing and sorting to providing a marketable material/product by the landfill operator, are taken into account. No general accepted definition can be made for the temporal system boundary because the different time-related influencing factors necessitate an individual project-specific determination and adaptation to the facts of the on-site landfill mining project. © The Author(s) 2014.

  9. Data Mining Approaches for Landslide Susceptibility Mapping in Umyeonsan, Seoul, South Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunmin Lee

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The application of data mining models has become increasingly popular in recent years in assessments of a variety of natural hazards such as landslides and floods. Data mining techniques are useful for understanding the relationships between events and their influencing variables. Because landslides are influenced by a combination of factors including geomorphological and meteorological factors, data mining techniques are helpful in elucidating the mechanisms by which these complex factors affect landslide events. In this study, spatial data mining approaches based on data on landslide locations in the geographic information system environment were investigated. The topographical factors of slope, aspect, curvature, topographic wetness index, stream power index, slope length factor, standardized height, valley depth, and downslope distance gradient were determined using topographical maps. Additional soil and forest variables using information obtained from national soil and forest maps were also investigated. A total of 17 variables affecting the frequency of landslide occurrence were selected to construct a spatial database, and support vector machine (SVM and artificial neural network (ANN models were applied to predict landslide susceptibility from the selected factors. In the SVM model, linear, polynomial, radial base function, and sigmoid kernels were applied in sequence; the model yielded 72.41%, 72.83%, 77.17% and 72.79% accuracy, respectively. The ANN model yielded a validity accuracy of 78.41%. The results of this study are useful in guiding effective strategies for the prevention and management of landslides in urban areas.

  10. Water budgets and groundwater volumes for abandoned underground mines in the Western Middle Anthracite Coalfield, Schuylkill, Columbia, and Northumberland Counties, Pennsylvania-Preliminary estimates with identification of data needs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goode, Daniel J.; Cravotta,, Charles A.; Hornberger, Roger J.; Hewitt, Michael A.; Hughes, Robert E.; Koury, Daniel J.; Eicholtz, Lee W.

    2011-01-01

    levels and stream base flow, the latter at many locations composed primarily of discharge from mines. Automatic parameter estimation used MODFLOW-2000 with manual adjustments to constrain parameter values to realistic ranges. The calibrated model supports the conceptual model of high-permeability MCUs separated by low-permeability barriers and streamflow losses and gains associated with mine infiltration and discharge. The simulated groundwater levels illustrate low groundwater gradients within an MCU and abrupt changes in water levels between MCUs. The preliminary model results indicate that the primary result of increased pumping from the mine would be reduced discharge from the mine to streams near the pumping wells. The intact barriers limit the spatial extent of mine dewatering. Considering the simulated groundwater levels, depth of mining, and assumed bulk porosity of 11 or 40 percent for the mined seams, the water volume in storage in the mines of the Western Middle Anthracite Coalfield was estimated to range from 60 to 220 billion gallons, respectively. Details of the groundwater-level distribution and the rates of some mine discharges are not simulated well using the preliminary model. Use of the model results should be limited to evaluation of the conceptual model and its simulation using porous-media flow methods, overall water budgets for the Western Middle Anthracite Coalfield, and approximate storage volumes. Model results should not be considered accurate for detailed simulation of flow within a single MCU or individual flooded mine. Although improvements in the model calibration were possible by introducing spatial variability in permeability parameters and adjusting barrier properties, more detailed parameterizations have increased uncertainty because of the limited data set. The preliminary identification of data needs includes continuous streamflow, mine discharge rate, and groundwater levels in the mines and adjacent areas. Data collected whe

  11. The Top Ten Algorithms in Data Mining

    CERN Document Server

    Wu, Xindong

    2009-01-01

    From classification and clustering to statistical learning, association analysis, and link mining, this book covers the most important topics in data mining research. It presents the ten most influential algorithms used in the data mining community today. Each chapter provides a detailed description of the algorithm, a discussion of available software implementation, advanced topics, and exercises. With a simple data set, examples illustrate how each algorithm works and highlight the overall performance of each algorithm in a real-world application. Featuring contributions from leading researc

  12. Evolution of Acid Mine Drainage Formation in Sulphidic Mine Tailings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernhard Dold

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Sulphidic mine tailings are among the largest mining wastes on Earth and are prone to produce acid mine drainage (AMD. The formation of AMD is a sequence of complex biogeochemical and mineral dissolution processes. It can be classified in three main steps occurring from the operational phase of a tailings impoundment until the final appearance of AMD after operations ceased: (1 During the operational phase of a tailings impoundment the pH-Eh regime is normally alkaline to neutral and reducing (water-saturated. Associated environmental problems include the presence of high sulphate concentrations due to dissolution of gypsum-anhydrite, and/or effluents enriched in elements such as Mo and As, which desorbed from primary ferric hydroxides during the alkaline flotation process. (2 Once mining-related operations of the tailings impoundment has ceased, sulphide oxidation starts, resulting in the formation of an acidic oxidation zone and a ferrous iron-rich plume below the oxidation front, that re-oxidises once it surfaces, producing the first visible sign of AMD, i.e., the precipitation of ferrihydrite and concomitant acidification. (3 Consumption of the (reactive neutralization potential of the gangue minerals and subsequent outflow of acidic, heavy metal-rich leachates from the tailings is the final step in the evolution of an AMD system. The formation of multi-colour efflorescent salts can be a visible sign of this stage.

  13. B-MINE, the balloon-borne microcalorimeter nuclear line explorer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silver, E.; Schnopper, H.; Jones, C.; Forman, W.; Bandler, S.; Murray, S.; Romaine, S.; Slane, P.; Grindlay, J.; Madden, N.; Beeman, J.; Haller, E.E.; Smith, D.; Barbera, M.; Collura, A.; Christensen, F.; Ramsey, B.; Woosley, S.; Diehl, R.; Tucker, G.

    2001-01-01

    B-MINE is a concept for a balloon mission designed to probe the deepest regions of a supernova explosion by detecting 44 Ti emission at 68 keV with spatial and spectral resolutions that are sufficient to determine the extent and velocity distribution of the 44 Ti emitting region. The payload introduces the concept of focusing optics and microcalorimeter spectroscopy to nuclear line emission astrophysics. B-MINE has a thin, plastic foil telescope multilayered to maximize the reflectivity in a 20 keV band centered at 68 keV and a microcalorimeter array optimized for the same energy band. This combination provides a reduced background, an energy resolution of 50 eV and a 3σ sensitivity in 10 6 s of 3.3x10 -7 ph cm -2 s -1 at 68 keV. During the course of a long duration balloon flight, B-MINE could carry out a detailed study of the 44 Ti emission line centroid and width in CAS A

  14. Mercury Exposure Assessment and Spatial Distribution in A Ghanaian Small-Scale Gold Mining Community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajaee, Mozhgon; Long, Rachel N; Renne, Elisha P; Basu, Niladri

    2015-09-01

    Mercury is utilized worldwide in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) and may pose a risk for miners and mining communities. While a number of studies have characterized mercury in ASGM communities, most have focused on a single media and few have taken a holistic approach. Here, a multiple media exposure assessment and cross-sectional study of mercury was conducted in 2010 through 2012 in northeast Ghana with a small-scale gold mining community, Kejetia, a subsistence farming community, Gorogo, and an urban ASGM gold refinery in Bolgatanga. The objective was to assess mercury in a range of human (urine and hair) and ecological (household soil, sediment, fish, and ore) samples to increase understanding of mercury exposure pathways. All participants were interviewed on demographics, occupational and medical histories, and household characteristics. Participants included 90 women of childbearing age and 97 adults from Kejetia and 75 adults from Gorogo. Median total specific gravity-adjusted urinary, hair, and household soil mercury were significantly higher in Kejetia miners (5.18 µg/L, 0.967 µg/g, and 3.77 µg/g, respectively) than Kejetia non-miners (1.18 µg/L, 0.419 µg/g, and 2.00 µg/g, respectively) and Gorogo participants (0.154 µg/L, 0.181 µg/g, and 0.039 µg/g) in 2011. Sediment, fish, and ore Hg concentrations were below guideline values. Median soil mercury from the Bolgatanga refinery was very high (54.6 µg/g). Estimated mean mercury ingestion for Kejetia adults from soil and dust exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference dose (0.3 µg Hg/kg·day) for pica (0.409 µg Hg/kg·day) and geophagy (20.5 µg Hg/kg·day) scenarios. Most participants with elevated urinary and household soil mercury were miners, but some non-miners approached and exceeded guideline values, suggesting a health risk for non-mining residents living within these communities.

  15. Mercury Exposure Assessment and Spatial Distribution in A Ghanaian Small-Scale Gold Mining Community

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mozhgon Rajaee

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Mercury is utilized worldwide in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM and may pose a risk for miners and mining communities. While a number of studies have characterized mercury in ASGM communities, most have focused on a single media and few have taken a holistic approach. Here, a multiple media exposure assessment and cross-sectional study of mercury was conducted in 2010 through 2012 in northeast Ghana with a small-scale gold mining community, Kejetia, a subsistence farming community, Gorogo, and an urban ASGM gold refinery in Bolgatanga. The objective was to assess mercury in a range of human (urine and hair and ecological (household soil, sediment, fish, and ore samples to increase understanding of mercury exposure pathways. All participants were interviewed on demographics, occupational and medical histories, and household characteristics. Participants included 90 women of childbearing age and 97 adults from Kejetia and 75 adults from Gorogo. Median total specific gravity-adjusted urinary, hair, and household soil mercury were significantly higher in Kejetia miners (5.18 µg/L, 0.967 µg/g, and 3.77 µg/g, respectively than Kejetia non-miners (1.18 µg/L, 0.419 µg/g, and 2.00 µg/g, respectively and Gorogo participants (0.154 µg/L, 0.181 µg/g, and 0.039 µg/g in 2011. Sediment, fish, and ore Hg concentrations were below guideline values. Median soil mercury from the Bolgatanga refinery was very high (54.6 µg/g. Estimated mean mercury ingestion for Kejetia adults from soil and dust exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference dose (0.3 µg Hg/kg·day for pica (0.409 µg Hg/kg·day and geophagy (20.5 µg Hg/kg·day scenarios. Most participants with elevated urinary and household soil mercury were miners, but some non-miners approached and exceeded guideline values, suggesting a health risk for non-mining residents living within these communities.

  16. Mercury Exposure Assessment and Spatial Distribution in A Ghanaian Small-Scale Gold Mining Community

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajaee, Mozhgon; Long, Rachel N.; Renne, Elisha P.; Basu, Niladri

    2015-01-01

    Mercury is utilized worldwide in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) and may pose a risk for miners and mining communities. While a number of studies have characterized mercury in ASGM communities, most have focused on a single media and few have taken a holistic approach. Here, a multiple media exposure assessment and cross-sectional study of mercury was conducted in 2010 through 2012 in northeast Ghana with a small-scale gold mining community, Kejetia, a subsistence farming community, Gorogo, and an urban ASGM gold refinery in Bolgatanga. The objective was to assess mercury in a range of human (urine and hair) and ecological (household soil, sediment, fish, and ore) samples to increase understanding of mercury exposure pathways. All participants were interviewed on demographics, occupational and medical histories, and household characteristics. Participants included 90 women of childbearing age and 97 adults from Kejetia and 75 adults from Gorogo. Median total specific gravity-adjusted urinary, hair, and household soil mercury were significantly higher in Kejetia miners (5.18 µg/L, 0.967 µg/g, and 3.77 µg/g, respectively) than Kejetia non-miners (1.18 µg/L, 0.419 µg/g, and 2.00 µg/g, respectively) and Gorogo participants (0.154 µg/L, 0.181 µg/g, and 0.039 µg/g) in 2011. Sediment, fish, and ore Hg concentrations were below guideline values. Median soil mercury from the Bolgatanga refinery was very high (54.6 µg/g). Estimated mean mercury ingestion for Kejetia adults from soil and dust exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference dose (0.3 µg Hg/kg·day) for pica (0.409 µg Hg/kg·day) and geophagy (20.5 µg Hg/kg·day) scenarios. Most participants with elevated urinary and household soil mercury were miners, but some non-miners approached and exceeded guideline values, suggesting a health risk for non-mining residents living within these communities. PMID:26340636

  17. Spatial variability of sediment erosion processes using GIS analysis within watersheds in a historically mined region, Patagonia Mountains, Arizona

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brady, Laura M.; Gray, Floyd; Wissler, Craig A.; Guertin, D. Phillip

    2001-01-01

    In this study, a geographic information system (GIS) is used to integrate and accurately map field studies, information from remotely sensed data, watershed models, and the dispersion of potentially toxic mine waste and tailings. The purpose of this study is to identify erosion rates and net sediment delivery of soil and mine waste/tailings to the drainage channel within several watershed regions to determine source areas of sediment delivery as a method of quantifying geo-environmental analysis of transport mechanisms in abandoned mine lands in arid climate conditions. Users of this study are the researchers interested in exploration of approaches to depicting historical activity in an area which has no baseline data records for environmental analysis of heavily mined terrain.

  18. 30 CFR 819.21 - Auger mining: Protection of underground mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Auger mining: Protection of underground mining. 819.21 Section 819.21 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT... STANDARDS-AUGER MINING § 819.21 Auger mining: Protection of underground mining. Auger holes shall not extend...

  19. A review of mortality associated with elongate mineral particle (EMP) exposure in occupational epidemiology studies of gold, talc, and taconite mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandel, Jeffrey H; Alexander, Bruce H; Ramachandran, Gurumurthy

    2016-12-01

    Mining of gold, taconite, and talc may involve exposure to elongate mineral particles (EMP). The involved EMPs are typically non-asbestiform, include dimensions that regulatory definitions exclude, and have been less studied. A review of the literature was undertaken for this exposure and occupational epidemiological studies that occur in gold, talc, and taconite mining. Quantitative EMP exposure information in these industries is incomplete. However, there are consistent findings of pneumoconiosis in each of these types of mining. A recent case-control study suggests a possible association between this exposure and mesothelioma. Lung cancer is inconsistently reported in these industries and is an unlikely outcome of non-asbestiform EMP exposure. There is evidence of cardiovascular mortality excess across all of these types of mining. Non-malignant respiratory disease and cardiovascular mortality have been consistently increased in these industries. Further investigation, including additional insights for the role of non-asbestiform EMP, is warranted. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:1047-1060, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Assessment of Mine Water Quality Using Heavy Metal Pollution Index in a Coal Mining Area of Damodar River Basin, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahato, Mukesh Kumar; Singh, Gurdeep; Singh, Prasoon Kumar; Singh, Abhay Kumar; Tiwari, Ashwani Kumar

    2017-07-01

    A total no. of 16 mine water (underground and opencast coal mine pump discharges) samples were collected from East Bokaro coalfield during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The concentrations of Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, As, Se, Al, Cd and Cr were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the assessment of spatio-temporal variations, source apportionment and heavy metal pollution indexing. The results demonstrated that concentrations of the metals showed significant seasonality and most variables exhibited higher levels in the pre-monsoon season. The principle component analysis for ionic source identification was synthesized into three factors with eigen values cut off at greater than unity and explained about 64.8% of the total variance. The extracted factors seemed to be associated to the geogenic, extensive mining and allied transportation sources of the elements. The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) of the mine water calculated for the individual locations varied from 7.1 to 49.5. Most of the locations fall under low to medium classes of HPI except few locations which are under the influence of surface mining and associated transportation.

  1. Contract Mining versus Owner Mining – The Way Forward | Suglo ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ghana Mining Journal ... By contracting out one or more of their mining operations, the mining companies can concentrate on their core businesses. This paper reviews ... The general trends in the mining industry show that contract mining will be the way forward for most mines under various circumstances in the future.

  2. THE SCENIC VALUE OF ABANDONED MINING AREAS IN POLAND

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    URSZULA MYGA-PIĄTEK

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abandoned Polish mining areas are commonly heavily transformed so that they endanger no longer the environment. A disadvantage is that the newly created areas commonly contribute to the monotonous urban-industrial landscape, rather than providing additional value. This is partly due to legislation that hampers a more diversified management of abandoned mining areas as potentially valuable landforms. One of the legal barriers that restricts the possibilities of making these areas more attractive, regards the utilization of remaining exploitation holes (i.e. land depressions of at least 2 m deep, formed as a result of open-pit mining of energy, chemical, building or metallurgical resources and waste heaps as important cultural and scenic elements. Such a new use of these old mininginduced phenomena is important if it is intended not only to involve the regional population in the process of exploring and exploiting the earth’s resources, but also to confront them with some negative consequences of these activities, including shaping the landscape in which these objects are situated. The current attitude towards a new architecture for abandoned mining areas should be reconsidered; particularly the present-day approach based on narrow specializations – for instance of experts in mineral exploitation, spatial planning or environmental protection – should be replaced by interdisciplinary action regarding shaping the landscape of abandoned mining areas.

  3. Thermo-hydrodynamical modelling of a flooded deep mine reservoir - Case of the Lorraine Coal Basin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reichart, Guillaume

    2015-01-01

    Since 2006, cessation of dewatering in Lorraine Coal Basin (France) led to the flooding of abandoned mines, resulting in a new hydrodynamic balance in the area. Recent researches concerning geothermal exploitation of flooded reservoirs raised new questions, which we propose to answer. Our work aimed to understand the thermos-hydrodynamic behaviour of mine water in a flooding or flooded system. Firstly, we synthesized the geographical, geological and hydrogeological contexts of the Lorraine Coal Basin, and we chose a specific area for our studies. Secondly, temperature and electric conductivity log profiles were measured in old pits of the Lorraine Coal Basin, giving a better understanding of the water behaviour at a deep mine shaft scale. We were able to build a thermos-hydrodynamic model and simulate water behaviour at this scale. Flow regime stability is also studied. Thirdly, a hydrodynamic spatialized meshed model was realized to study the hydrodynamic behaviour of a mine reservoir as a whole. Observed water-table rise was correctly reproduced: moreover, the model can be used in a predictive way after the flooding. Several tools were tested, improved or developed to ease the study of flooded reservoirs, as three-dimensional up-scaling of hydraulic conductivities and a coupled spatialized meshed model with a pipe network. (author) [fr

  4. Spatial distribution and interspecific associations of tree species in a tropical seasonal rain forest of China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guoyu Lan

    Full Text Available Studying the spatial pattern and interspecific associations of plant species may provide valuable insights into processes and mechanisms that maintain species coexistence. Point pattern analysis was used to analyze the spatial distribution patterns of twenty dominant tree species, their interspecific spatial associations and changes across life stages in a 20-ha permanent plot of seasonal tropical rainforest in Xishuangbanna, China, to test mechanisms maintaining species coexistence. Torus-translation tests were used to quantify positive or negative associations of the species to topographic habitats. The results showed: (1 fourteen of the twenty tree species were negatively (or positively associated with one or two of the topographic variables, which evidences that the niche contributes to the spatial pattern of these species. (2 Most saplings of the study species showed a significantly clumped distribution at small scales (0-10 m which was lost at larger scales (10-30 m. (3 The degree of spatial clumping deceases from saplings, to poles, to adults indicates that density-dependent mortality of the offspring is ubiquitous in species. (4 It is notable that a high number of positive small-scale interactions were found among the twenty species. For saplings, 42.6% of all combinations of species pairs showed positive associations at neighborhood scales up to five meters, but only 38.4% were negative. For poles and adults, positive associations at these distances still made up 45.5% and 29.5%, respectively. In conclusion, there is considerable evidence for the presence of positive interactions among the tree species, which suggests that species herd protection may occur in our plot. In addition, niche assembly and limited dispersal (likely contribute to the spatial patterns of tree species in the tropical seasonal rain forest in Xishuangbanna, China.

  5. Geotomography applied at the Stripa Mine in Sweden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okada, J.T.; Laine, E.F.; Lytle, R.J.; Daily, W.D.

    1980-01-01

    LLNL made ultrahigh-frequency (450-MHz) electromagnetic borehole-to-borehole transmissions in the Stripa Mine near Guldsmedshyttan, Sweden, in April 1979. Transmission loss measurements were made between four sets of 76-mm boreholes 30 m long, located at the end of a drift. Distances between the boreholes varied from 2 to 22 m. More than 25,000 data points were taken. A geotomograph was constructed to show the variation of attenuation between boreholes. The observed spatial variation of electromagnetic attenuation may be related to the expected stress relief created by the mine. Transmission loss measurements were also made between two converging boreholes drilled from the surface to points near the mine. Data taken at 21 MHz show a nearly uniform attenuation within this sampled region. These experiments demonstrate that geotomographic data collection/interpretation provides high-resolution images of the underground environment and can provide useful input to those charged with providing the detailed site characterizations needed for both short- and long-term monitoring of underground nuclear waste repositories

  6. Selection of mining method for No.3 uranium ore body in the independent mining area at a uranium mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding Fulong; Ding Dexin; Ye Yongjun

    2010-01-01

    Mining operation in the existed mining area at a uranium mine is near completion and it is necessary to mine the No.3 uranium ore body in another mining area at the mine. This paper, based on the geological conditions, used analogical method for analyzing the feasible methods and the low cost and high efficiency mining method was suggested for the No.3 ore body in the independent mining area at the uranium mine. (authors)

  7. Environmental management frameworks for offshore mining: the New Zealand approach

    KAUST Repository

    Ellis, Joanne

    2017-07-27

    The New Zealand region contains untapped natural mineral, oil, and gas resources while also supporting globally unique and diverse faunal communities that need to be managed sustainably. In this paper key information from the international literature is reviewed that can underpin an Environmental Mining Management System which includes elements of Environmental Risk Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Planning. This paper focuses on four developing areas of seafloor mining activities presently being undertaken or planned in the New Zealand region: hydrocarbons (oil and gas), minerals, ironsands and phosphorite nodules. A number of issues with the implementation of environmental management systems are identified including the difficulty of assessing new marine activities or technologies and the need for standardised reporting metrics. Finally, the development of ecosystem-based management and marine spatial planning is discussed which will be required to enhance environmental mining management frameworks in New Zealand.

  8. Data Mining and Statistics for Decision Making

    CERN Document Server

    Tufféry, Stéphane

    2011-01-01

    Data mining is the process of automatically searching large volumes of data for models and patterns using computational techniques from statistics, machine learning and information theory; it is the ideal tool for such an extraction of knowledge. Data mining is usually associated with a business or an organization's need to identify trends and profiles, allowing, for example, retailers to discover patterns on which to base marketing objectives. This book looks at both classical and recent techniques of data mining, such as clustering, discriminant analysis, logistic regression, generalized lin

  9. Uranium mining in the Canadian social environment in the eighties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dory, A.B.

    1981-11-01

    Factors considered by the author to be responsible for the image crisis being experienced by all types of mining are discussed. The additional problems introduced by the presence of radiation in uranium mining are detailed along with the associated regulatory concerns. The Canadian regulatory system as it pertains to uranium mining is outlined very generally, followed by the author's views on improving the image of both uranium mining and the nuclear industry as a whole

  10. Ground engineering principles and practices for underground coal mining

    CERN Document Server

    Galvin, J M

    2016-01-01

    This book teaches readers ground engineering principles and related mining and risk management practices associated with underground coal mining. It establishes the basic elements of risk management and the fundamental principles of ground behaviour and then applies these to the essential building blocks of any underground coal mining system, comprising excavations, pillars, and interactions between workings. Readers will also learn about types of ground support and reinforcement systems and their operating mechanisms. These elements provide the platform whereby the principles can be applied to mining practice and risk management, directed primarily to bord and pillar mining, pillar extraction, longwall mining, sub-surface and surface subsidence, and operational hazards. The text concludes by presenting the framework of risk-based ground control management systems for achieving safe workplaces and efficient mining operations. In addition, a comprehensive reference list provides additional sources of informati...

  11. ECG-derived spatial QRS-T angle is associated with ICD implantation, mortality and heart failure admissions in patients with LV systolic dysfunction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Gleeson

    Full Text Available Increased spatial QRS-T angle has been shown to predict appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrilIator (ICD therapy in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD. We performed a retrospective cohort study in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF 31-40% to assess the relationship between the spatial QRS-T angle and other advanced ECG (A-ECG as well as echocardiographic metadata, with all-cause mortality or ICD implantation for secondary prevention.534 patients ≤75 years of age with LVEF 31-40% were identified through an echocardiography reporting database. Digital 12-lead ECGs were retrospectively matched to 295 of these patients, for whom echocardiographic and A-ECG metadata were then generated. Data mining was applied to discover novel ECG and echocardiographic markers of risk. Machine learning was used to develop a model to predict possible outcomes.49 patients (17% had events, defined as either mortality (n = 16 or ICD implantation for secondary prevention (n = 33. 72 parameters (58 A-ECG, 14 echocardiographic were univariately different (p110° had an adjusted HR of 3.4 (95% CI 1.6 to 7.4 for secondary ICD implantation or all-cause death and adjusted HR of 4.1 (95% CI 1.2 to 13.9 for future heart failure admission. There was a loss of complexity between A-ECG and echocardiographic variables with an increasing degree of disease.Spatial QRS-T angle >110° was strongly associated with arrhythmic events and all-cause death. Deep analysis of global ECG and echocardiographic metadata revealed underlying relationships, which otherwise would not have been appreciated. Delivered at scale such techniques may prove useful in clinical decision making in the future.

  12. Role and tasks of the Mine Safety and Health Administration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bradecki, W. (Wyzszy Urzad Gorniczy, Katowice (Poland))

    1992-01-01

    Discusses the visit of 2 representatives of the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the West Mining Company from the United States to Poland in November 1991. During the visit, occupational safety in underground coal mines in Upper Silesia was evaluated. Selected aspects of experience and organization schemes of the Mine Safety and Health Administration are evaluated from the point of view of their use in Poland to increase occupational safety in coal mining. The following aspects are discussed: Mine Safety and Health Administration and its budget (US$ 186 million), personnel (2,700), research institutes that specialize in mine safety (the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Bureau of Mines), natural hazards associated with mining, mine safety in underground and surface coal mines in the USA in relation to number of coal miners and coal output, job safety analysis as a key to the success of the MSHA, increased hazards in small mines (Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky), problems of drug addiction and alcoholism among coal miners.

  13. Spatial variation of dung beetle assemblages associated with forest structure in remnants of southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Giovâni da Silva

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, and is currently highly fragmented and disturbed due to human activities. Variation in environmental conditions in the Atlantic Forest can influence the distribution of species, which may show associations with some environmental features. Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae are insects that act in nutrient cycling via organic matter decomposition and have been used for monitoring environmental changes. The aim of this study is to identify associations between the spatial distribution of dung beetle species and Atlantic Forest structure. The spatial distribution of some dung beetle species was associated with structural forest features. The number of species among the sampling sites ranged widely, and few species were found in all remnant areas. Principal coordinates analysis indicated that species composition, abundance and biomass showed a spatially structured distribution, and these results were corroborated by permutational multivariate analysis of variance. The indicator value index and redundancy analysis showed an association of several dung beetle species with some explanatory environmental variables related to Atlantic Forest structure. This work demonstrated the existence of a spatially structured distribution of dung beetles, with significant associations between several species and forest structure in Atlantic Forest remnants from Southern Brazil. Keywords: Beta diversity, Species composition, Species diversity, Spatial distribution, Tropical forest

  14. Canga biodiversity, a matter of mining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aleksandra eSkirycz

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Brazilian name canga refers to the ecosystem associated with superficial iron crusts typical for the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais (MG and some parts of Amazon (Flona de Carajas. Iron stone is associated with mountain plateaux and so, in addition to high metal concentrations (particularly iron and manganese, canga ecosystems, as other rock outcrops, are characterized by isolation and environmental harshness. Canga inselbergs, all together, occupy no more than 200km2 of area spread over thousands of km2 of the Iron Quadrangle (MG and the Flona de Carajas, resulting in considerable beta biodiversity. Moreover, the presence of different microhabitats within the iron crust is associated with high alpha biodiversity. Hundreds of angiosperm species have been reported so far across remote canga inselbergs and different micro-habitats. Among these are endemics such as the cactus Arthrocereus glaziovii and the medicinal plant Pilocarpus microphyllus. Canga is also home to iron and manganese metallophytes; species that evolved to tolerate high metal concentrations. These are particularly interesting to study metal homeostasis as both iron and manganese are essential plant micro-elements. Besides being models for metal metabolism, metallophytes can be used for bio-remediation of metal contaminated sites, and as such are considered among priority species for canga restoration.Biodiversity mining is not the only mining business attracted to canga. Open cast iron mining generates as much as 5-6% of Brazilian gross domestic product (GDP and dialogue between mining companies, government, society and ecologists, enforced by legal regulation, is ongoing to find compromise for canga protection, and where mining is unavoidable for ecosystem restoration. Environmental factors that shaped canga vegetation, canga biodiversity , physiological mechanisms to play a role, and ways to protect and restore canga will be reviewed.

  15. Canga biodiversity, a matter of mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skirycz, Aleksandra; Castilho, Alexandre; Chaparro, Cristian; Carvalho, Nelson; Tzotzos, George; Siqueira, Jose O

    2014-01-01

    Brazilian name canga refers to the ecosystems associated with superficial iron crusts typical for the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais (MG) and some parts of Amazon (Flona de Carajas). Iron stone is associated with mountain plateaux and so, in addition to high metal concentrations (particularly iron and manganese), canga ecosystems, as other rock outcrops, are characterized by isolation and environmental harshness. Canga inselbergs, all together, occupy no more than 200 km(2) of area spread over thousands of km(2) of the Iron Quadrangle (MG) and the Flona de Carajas, resulting in considerable beta biodiversity. Moreover, the presence of different microhabitats within the iron crust is associated with high alpha biodiversity. Hundreds of angiosperm species have been reported so far across remote canga inselbergs and different micro-habitats. Among these are endemics such as the cactus Arthrocereus glaziovii and the medicinal plant Pilocarpus microphyllus. Canga is also home to iron and manganese metallophytes; species that evolved to tolerate high metal concentrations. These are particularly interesting to study metal homeostasis as both iron and manganese are essential plant micro-elements. Besides being models for metal metabolism, metallophytes can be used for bio-remediation of metal contaminated sites, and as such are considered among priority species for canga restoration. "Biodiversity mining" is not the only mining business attracted to canga. Open cast iron mining generates as much as 5-6% of Brazilian gross domestic product and dialog between mining companies, government, society, and ecologists, enforced by legal regulation, is ongoing to find compromise for canga protection, and where mining is unavoidable for ecosystem restoration. Environmental factors that shaped canga vegetation, canga biodiversity, physiological mechanisms to play a role, and ways to protect and restore canga will be reviewed.

  16. Spatial and temporal patterns in trace element deposition to lakes in the Athabasca oil sands region (Alberta, Canada)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooke, Colin A.; Kirk, Jane L.; Muir, Derek C. G.; Wiklund, Johan A.; Wang, Xiaowa; Gleason, Amber; Evans, Marlene S.

    2017-12-01

    The mining and processing of the Athabasca oil sands (Alberta, Canada) has been occurring for decades; however, a lack of consistent regional monitoring has obscured the long-term environmental impact. Here, we present sediment core results to reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns in trace element deposition to lakes in the Athabasca oil sands region. Early mining operations (during the 1970s and 1980s) led to elevated V and Pb inputs to lakes located quality guidelines, and no spatial or temporal trends were observed in the frequency of guideline exceedence. Our results demonstrate that early mining efforts had an even greater impact on trace element cycling than has been appreciated previously, placing recent monitoring efforts in a critical long-term context.

  17. Estimation of spatial variability of lignite mine dumping ground soil properties using CPTu results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bagińska Irena

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with application of CPTu test results for the probabilistic modeling of dumping grounds. The statistical measures use results from 42 CPT test points located in the lignite mine dumping ground from the region of Central Europe. Both the tip resistance qc as well as local friction fs are tested. Based on the mean values and standard deviations of measured quantities the specific zones in the dumping site profile are distinguished. For three main zones standard deviations of linearly de-trended functions, distributions of normalized de-trended values for qc and fs are examined. Also the vertical scales of fluctuation for both measured quantities are estimated. The obtained result shows that lignite mine dumping site can be successfully described with the Random Field Theory. Additional use of fs values introduces supplementary statistical information.

  18. Stream-sediment geochemistry in mining-impacted streams: Prichard, Eagle, and Beaver creeks, northern Coeur d'Alene Mining District, northern Idaho

    Science.gov (United States)

    Box, Stephen E.; Wallis, John C.; Briggs, Paul H.; Brown, Zoe Ann

    2005-01-01

    This report presents the results of one aspect of an integrated watershed-characterization study that was undertaken to assess the impacts of historical mining and milling of silver-lead-zinc ores on water and sediment composition and on aquatic biota in streams draining the northern part of the Coeur d?Alene Mining District in northern Idaho. We present the results of chemical analyses of 62 samples of streambed sediment, 19 samples of suspended sediment, 23 samples of streambank soil, and 29 samples of mine- and mill-related artificial- fill material collected from the drainages of Prichard, Eagle, and Beaver Creeks, all tributaries to the North Fork of the Coeur d?Alene River. All samples were sieved into three grain-size fractions (Beaver Creek drainages has resulted in enrichments of lead, zinc, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, silver, copper, cobalt, and, to a lesser extent, iron and manganese in streambed sediment. Using samples collected from the relatively unimpacted West Fork of Eagle Creek as representative of background compositions, streambed sediment in the vicinity of the mines and millsites has Pb and Zn contents of 20 to 100 times background values, decreasing to 2 to 5 times background values at the mouth of the each stream, 15 to 20 km downstream. Lesser enrichments (<10 times background values) of mercury and arsenic also are generally associated with, and decrease downstream from, historical silver-lead-zinc mining in the drainages. However, enrichments of arsenic and, to a lesser extent, mercury also are areally associated with the lode gold deposits along Prichard Creek near Murray, which were not studied here. Metal contents in samples of unfractionated suspended sediment collected during a high-flow event in April 2000 are generally similar to, but slightly higher than, those in the fine (<0.063- mm grain size) fraction of streambed sediment from the same sampling site. Although metal enrichment in streambed sediment typically begins adjacent to

  19. Microseismic Precursory Characteristics of Rock Burst Hazard in Mining Areas Near a Large Residual Coal Pillar: A Case Study from Xuzhuang Coal Mine, Xuzhou, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, An-ye; Dou, Lin-ming; Wang, Chang-bin; Yao, Xiao-xiao; Dong, Jing-yuan; Gu, Yu

    2016-11-01

    Identification of precursory characteristics is a key issue for rock burst prevention. The aim of this research is to provide a reference for assessing rock burst risk and determining potential rock burst risk areas in coal mining. In this work, the microseismic multidimensional information for the identification of rock bursts and spatial-temporal pre-warning was investigated in a specific coalface which suffered high rock burst risk in a mining area near a large residual coal pillar. Firstly, microseismicity evolution prior to a disastrous rock burst was qualitatively analysed, and the abnormal clustering of seismic sources, abnormal variations in daily total energy release, and event counts can be regarded as precursors to rock burst. Secondly, passive tomographic imaging has been used to locate high seismic activity zones and assess rock burst hazard when the coalface passes through residual pillar areas. The results show that high-velocity or velocity anomaly regions correlated well with strong seismic activities in future mining periods and that passive tomography has the potential to describe, both quantitatively and periodically, hazardous regions and assess rock burst risk. Finally, the bursting strain energy index was further used for short-term spatial-temporal pre-warning of rock bursts. The temporal sequence curve and spatial contour nephograms indicate that the status of the danger and the specific hazardous zones, and levels of rock burst risk can be quantitatively and rapidly analysed in short time and in space. The multidimensional precursory characteristic identification of rock bursts, including qualitative analysis, intermediate and short-time quantitative predictions, can guide the choice of measures implemented to control rock bursts in the field, and provides a new approach to monitor and forecast rock bursts in space and time.

  20. Applicability of Earth Observation for Identifying Small-Scale Mining Footprints in a Wet Tropical Region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Celso M. Isidro

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The unpredictable climate in wet tropical regions along with the spatial resolution limitations of some satellite imageries make detecting and mapping artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM challenging. The objective of this study was to test the utility of Pleiades and SPOT imagery with an object-based support vector machine (OB-SVM classifier for the multi-temporal remote sensing of ASM and other land cover including a large-scale mine in the Didipio catchment in the Philippines. Historical spatial data on location and type of ASM mines were collected from the field and were utilized as training data for the OB-SVM classifier. The classification had an overall accuracy between 87% and 89% for the three different images—Pleiades-1A for the 2013 and 2014 images and SPOT-6 for the 2016 image. The main land use features, particularly the Didipio large-scale mine, were well identified by the OB-SVM classifier, however there were greater commission errors for the mapping of small-scale mines. The lack of consistency in their shape and their small area relative to pixel sizes meant they were often not distinguished from other land clearance types (i.e., open land. To accurately estimate the total area of each land cover class, we calculated bias-adjusted surface areas based on misclassification values. The analysis showed an increase in small-scale mining areas from 91,000 m2—or 0.2% of the total catchment area—in March 2013 to 121,000 m2—or 0.3%—in May 2014, and then a decrease to 39,000 m2—or 0.1%—in January 2016.

  1. Treatment of mine-water from decommissioning uranium mines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan Quanhui

    2002-01-01

    Treatment methods for mine-water from decommissioning uranium mines are introduced and classified. The suggestions on optimal treatment methods are presented as a matter of experience with decommissioned Chenzhou Uranium Mine

  2. Determining the spatial variability of personal sampler inlet locations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinson, Robert; Volkwein, Jon; McWilliams, Linda

    2007-09-01

    This article examines the spatial variability of dust concentrations within a coal miner's breathing zone and the impact of sampling location at the cap lamp, nose, and lapel. Tests were conducted in the National Institute for Safety and Health Pittsburgh Research Laboratory full-scale, continuous miner gallery using three prototype personal dust monitors (PDM). The dust masses detected by the PDMs were used to calculate the percentage difference of dust mass between the cap lamp and the nose and between the lapel and the nose. The calculated percentage differences of the masses ranged from plus 12% to minus 25%. Breathing zone tests were also conducted in four underground coal mines using the torso of a mannequin to simulate a miner. Coal mine dust was sampled with multi-cyclone sampling cans mounted directly in front of the mannequin near the cap lamp, nose, and lapel. These four coal mine tests found that the spatial variability of dust levels and imprecision of the current personal sampler is a greater influence than the sampler location within the breathing zone. However, a one-sample t-test of this data did find that the overall mean value of the cap lamp/nose ratio was not significantly different than 1 (p-value = 0.21). However, when applied to the overall mean value of the lapel/nose ratio there was a significant difference from 1 (p-value sampling location for coal mine dust samples. But these results suggest that the cap location is slightly more indicative of what is breathed through the nose area.

  3. Restudy on digital mine: characteristics, framework and key technologies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, L.; Yin, Z.; Zhong, Y. [China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing (China). Beijing Campus

    2003-02-01

    Based on analysing the problems associated with the promotion of mine digitization in China, the basic characteristics of a digital mine (DM) are described with respect to an intelligent transportation system: high speed intranet as the road-net; modular mining software as the vehicle; mine data and models as the fuel; 3D geoscience modelling (3DGM) and data mining as the filter; data collection and update as the safeguard, and mine GIS (MGIS) as the scheduler. Based on the four-layered structure of C/S and the work processes in a mine, the fundamental constituent diagram and a network framework of DM are designed. The nine key technologies for the implementation of DM strategy are discussed, which includes the data warehouse in mine; the data mining in mine; real 3DGM and visualization; 3D topological modelling and analysis in mine; modular application software and models; underground rapid positioning and automatic navigation; underground multimedia communication and wireless transmission; intelligent mining robot-groups and the integration of 3S (GIS, GPS, RS), office automation (OA) and command dispatch system (CDS). In addition, the recent progress of 'digital Kailuan' is introduced as an example of DM. 26 refs., 4 figs.

  4. A Stock Trading Recommender System Based on Temporal Association Rule Mining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Binoy B. Nair

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Recommender systems capable of discovering patterns in stock price movements and generating stock recommendations based on the patterns thus discovered can significantly supplement the decision-making process of a stock trader. Such recommender systems are of great significance to a layperson who wishes to profit by stock trading even while not possessing the skill or expertise of a seasoned trader. A genetic algorithm optimized Symbolic Aggregate approXimation (SAX–Apriori based stock trading recommender system, which can mine temporal association rules from the stock price data set to generate stock trading recommendations, is presented in this article. The proposed system is validated on 12 different data sets. The results indicate that the proposed system significantly outperforms the passive buy-and-hold strategy, offering scope for a layperson to successfully invest in capital markets.

  5. Decoding Metal Associations in an Arid Urban Environment with Active and Legacy Mining: the Case of Copiapó, Chile

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasten, P.; Moya, P.; Coquery, M.; Bonilla, C. A.; Vega, A.; Carkovic, A.; Calcagni, M.

    2015-12-01

    The urban and periurban area of Copiapó in the arid Atacama desert has more than 30 abandoned mine tailings, one active copper smelter, and 150,000 inhabitants. Fast development of the mining industry during the 19th century and unplanned growth has led to public concern about the presence of metals in soils and street dust. Recent floods and mud currents in the Copiapó watershed have introduced new solid material in about 40% of the urban area. We conducted a geochemical screening before and after the disaster in March 2015. We found concentrations as high as 1000 mg/kg of copper and 180 mg/kg of arsenic in urban soils. Since effective control measures require connecting sites of metal enrichment with the possible sources, we have performed a statistical analysis of metal association and complemented it with other analyses like x-ray diffraction. Cluster analyses of elemental compositions suggest that mud and tailing have different origins from the rest of the matrices, while soils and street dust have a similar one. Some clusters have a mix of matrices that suggest anthropogenic enrichment of some areas of Copiapó. Our initial results indicate that a correlation between observed enrichment and the copper smelter can be hypothesized for Cu, Pb, and Zn. Further spatial, statistical, and chemical analyses are needed to further confirm such findings, complemented with a thorough analysis of the baseline values that could be considered representative of the area. Future work include Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Positive matrix factorization (PMF) to test the link contaminant sources and metal occurrence, while scanning electron microscopy can be used to identify the presence of smelter-related particles. The information generated by this research will be a necessary input for defining urban planning strategies and land use guidelines, defining health risk assessment studies, and for future evaluation of intervention priorities. Acknowledgements: Proyecto

  6. Fusing Data Mining, Machine Learning and Traditional Statistics to Detect Biomarkers Associated with Depression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dipnall, Joanna F.

    2016-01-01

    Background Atheoretical large-scale data mining techniques using machine learning algorithms have promise in the analysis of large epidemiological datasets. This study illustrates the use of a hybrid methodology for variable selection that took account of missing data and complex survey design to identify key biomarkers associated with depression from a large epidemiological study. Methods The study used a three-step methodology amalgamating multiple imputation, a machine learning boosted regression algorithm and logistic regression, to identify key biomarkers associated with depression in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (2009–2010). Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and 67 biomarkers were analysed. Covariates in this study included gender, age, race, smoking, food security, Poverty Income Ratio, Body Mass Index, physical activity, alcohol use, medical conditions and medications. The final imputed weighted multiple logistic regression model included possible confounders and moderators. Results After the creation of 20 imputation data sets from multiple chained regression sequences, machine learning boosted regression initially identified 21 biomarkers associated with depression. Using traditional logistic regression methods, including controlling for possible confounders and moderators, a final set of three biomarkers were selected. The final three biomarkers from the novel hybrid variable selection methodology were red cell distribution width (OR 1.15; 95% CI 1.01, 1.30), serum glucose (OR 1.01; 95% CI 1.00, 1.01) and total bilirubin (OR 0.12; 95% CI 0.05, 0.28). Significant interactions were found between total bilirubin with Mexican American/Hispanic group (p = 0.016), and current smokers (p<0.001). Conclusion The systematic use of a hybrid methodology for variable selection, fusing data mining techniques using a machine learning algorithm with traditional statistical modelling, accounted for missing data and

  7. Fusing Data Mining, Machine Learning and Traditional Statistics to Detect Biomarkers Associated with Depression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanna F Dipnall

    Full Text Available Atheoretical large-scale data mining techniques using machine learning algorithms have promise in the analysis of large epidemiological datasets. This study illustrates the use of a hybrid methodology for variable selection that took account of missing data and complex survey design to identify key biomarkers associated with depression from a large epidemiological study.The study used a three-step methodology amalgamating multiple imputation, a machine learning boosted regression algorithm and logistic regression, to identify key biomarkers associated with depression in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (2009-2010. Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and 67 biomarkers were analysed. Covariates in this study included gender, age, race, smoking, food security, Poverty Income Ratio, Body Mass Index, physical activity, alcohol use, medical conditions and medications. The final imputed weighted multiple logistic regression model included possible confounders and moderators.After the creation of 20 imputation data sets from multiple chained regression sequences, machine learning boosted regression initially identified 21 biomarkers associated with depression. Using traditional logistic regression methods, including controlling for possible confounders and moderators, a final set of three biomarkers were selected. The final three biomarkers from the novel hybrid variable selection methodology were red cell distribution width (OR 1.15; 95% CI 1.01, 1.30, serum glucose (OR 1.01; 95% CI 1.00, 1.01 and total bilirubin (OR 0.12; 95% CI 0.05, 0.28. Significant interactions were found between total bilirubin with Mexican American/Hispanic group (p = 0.016, and current smokers (p<0.001.The systematic use of a hybrid methodology for variable selection, fusing data mining techniques using a machine learning algorithm with traditional statistical modelling, accounted for missing data and complex survey sampling

  8. The effect of the depth and groundwater on the formation of sinkholes or ground subsidence associated with abandoned room and pillar lignite mines under static and dynamic conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ö. Aydan

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available It is well known that some sinkholes or subsidence take place from time to time in the areas where abandoned room and pillar type mines exist. The author has been involved with the stability of abandoned mines beneath urbanized residential areas in Tokai region and there is a great concern about the stability of these abandoned mines during large earthquakes as well as in the long term. The 2003 Miyagi Hokubu and 2011 Great East Japan earthquakes caused great damage to abandoned mines and resulted in many collapses. The author presents the effect of the depth and groundwater on the formation of sinkholes or ground subsidence associated with abandoned room and pillar lignite mines under static and dynamic conditions and discusses the implications on the areas above abandoned lignite mines in this paper.

  9. 30 CFR 77.1712 - Reopening mines; notification; inspection prior to mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... to mining. 77.1712 Section 77.1712 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... prior to mining. Prior to reopening any surface coal mine after it has been abandoned or declared... an authorized representative of the Secretary before any mining operations in such mine are...

  10. Estimation of active rockburst prevention effectiveness during longwall mining under disadvantageous geological and mining conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Łukasz Wojtecki

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Underground longwall mining of coal seams in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin is currently being carried out under increasingly difficult geological and mining conditions. Mining depth, dislocations and mining remnants are the main factors responsible for the most significant rockburst hazard, which can be minimized via the use of active and passive rockburst prevention. Active rockburst prevention in longwalls is usually based on blasting, in order to either destress local stress concentrations in the rock mass or to fracture the thick layers of strong roof rocks to prevent or minimize the impact of high energy tremors on excavations. The accurate estimation of active rockburst prevention effectiveness is particularly important when mining under disadvantageous geological and mining conditions, which are associated with high levels of this hazard. The efficiency of blasting applied for this purpose is typically evaluated from the seismic effect, which is calculated based on seismic monitoring data and the weight of the charged explosive. This method, as used previously in the Czech Republic, was adopted in the present study to analyze conditions occurring in a Polish hard coal mine in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Parameters of long hole destress blastings in roof rocks (torpedo blastings from the face of the assigned longwall in coal seam no. 507 were correct a success according to the seismic effect method and corresponded to observations made in situ. The analytical method presented enables the rapid estimation of destress blasting effectiveness and could also be useful when determining appropriate active rockburst prevention.

  11. Environmental hazard assessment of a marine mine tailings deposit site and potential implications for deep-sea mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mestre, Nélia C; Rocha, Thiago L; Canals, Miquel; Cardoso, Cátia; Danovaro, Roberto; Dell'Anno, Antonio; Gambi, Cristina; Regoli, Francesco; Sanchez-Vidal, Anna; Bebianno, Maria João

    2017-09-01

    Portmán Bay is a heavily contaminated area resulting from decades of metal mine tailings disposal, and is considered a suitable shallow-water analogue to investigate the potential ecotoxicological impact of deep-sea mining. Resuspension plumes were artificially created by removing the top layer of the mine tailings deposit by bottom trawling. Mussels were deployed at three sites: i) off the mine tailings deposit area; ii) on the mine tailings deposit beyond the influence from the resuspension plumes; iii) under the influence of the artificially generated resuspension plumes. Surface sediment samples were collected at the same sites for metal analysis and ecotoxicity assessment. Metal concentrations and a battery of biomarkers (oxidative stress, metal exposure, biotransformation and oxidative damage) were measured in different mussel tissues. The environmental hazard posed by the resuspension plumes was investigated by a quantitative weight of evidence (WOE) model that integrated all the data. The resuspension of sediments loaded with metal mine tails demonstrated that chemical contaminants were released by trawling subsequently inducing ecotoxicological impact in mussels' health. Considering as sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) those indicated in Spanish action level B for the disposal of dredged material at sea, the WOE model indicates that the hazard is slight off the mine tailings deposit, moderate on the mine tailings deposit without the influence from the resuspension plumes, and major under the influence of the resuspension plumes. Portmán Bay mine tailings deposit is a by-product of sulphide mining, and despite differences in environmental setting, it can reflect the potential ecotoxic effects to marine fauna from the impact of resuspension of plumes created by deep-sea mining of polymetallic sulphides. A similar approach as in this study could be applied in other areas affected by sediment resuspension and for testing future deep-sea mining sites in

  12. Study on dose assessment in surrounding environment of the Tono Mine associated with closure activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sasao, Eiji

    2012-07-01

    Dose assessment associated with closure activity of the Tono Mine has been performed. In this assessment, exposure dose has been calculated on groundwater and surface water migration of radionuclide from 1) waste rock in the waste rock dump facility, 2) mining waste in the mining waste facility, and 3) uranium ore and waste rock backfilled in the shafts and galleries. Direct and skyshine gamma rays and exposure of exhalated radon from the waste rock dump has also been evaluated. An evaluation tool developed for safety assessment for sub-surface disposal of radioactive waste is utilized for this assessment. Localities for dose evaluation are selected at the Higashihoragawa and Hiyoshigawa based on the topography around the Tono Mine and groundwater flow simulation. Evaluation scenarios are classified into 'Scenario for intake of agricultural product' as the base scenario, and 'Scenario for intake of groundwater' as the alternative scenario. Parameters for dose assessment are set-up based on the existing data. But the range and uncertainty of parameters are taken into account in the 'alternative cases'. As the result of dose assessment, maximum exposure dose of the base scenario is 0.08mSv/year, and 0.09mSv/year including direct and skyshine gamma rays and exposure of exhalatedradon at the Higashihoragawa. Maximum exposure dose of the alternative scenario is 0.08mSv/year (0.09mSv/year including direct and skyshine gamma rays and exposure of exhalated radon). On the alternative cases, exposure doses are calculated as 0.05-0.14mSv/year in both of the base and alternative scenarios. At the Hiyoshigawa, maximum exposure dose is less than 0.001mSv/year (1x10 -6 mSv/year) for the base scenario, and 0.001mSv/year for the alternative scenario. On the alternative cases, maximum exposure doses are less than 0.001mSv/year for all cases of the base scenario and 0.0006-0.002mSv/year for the alternative scenario. (author)

  13. Mining Educational Data to Analyze the Student Motivation Behavior

    OpenAIRE

    Kunyanuth Kularbphettong; Cholticha Tongsiri

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this research aims to discover the knowledge for analysis student motivation behavior on e-Learning based on Data Mining Techniques, in case of the Information Technology for Communication and Learning Course at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. The data mining techniques was applied in this research including association rules, classification techniques. The results showed that using data mining technique can indicate the important variables that influenc...

  14. Radio-Ecological Situation in the Area of the Priargun Production Mining and Chemical Association - 13522

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semenova, M.P.; Seregin, V.A.; Kiselev, S.M.; Titov, A.V.; Zhuravleva, L.A.; Marenny, A.M.

    2013-01-01

    'The Priargun Production Mining and Chemical Association' (hereinafter referred to as PPMCA) is a diversified mining company which, in addition to underground mining of uranium ore, carries out refining of such ores in hydrometallurgical process to produce natural uranium oxide. The PPMCA facilities are sources of radiation and chemical contamination of the environment in the areas of their location. In order to establish the strategy and develop criteria for the site remediation, independent radiation hygienic monitoring is being carried out over some years. In particular, this monitoring includes determination of concentration of the main dose-forming nuclides in the environmental media. The subjects of research include: soil, grass and local foodstuff (milk and potato), as well as media of open ponds (water, bottom sediments, water vegetation). We also measured the radon activity concentration inside surface workshops and auxiliaries. We determined the specific activity of the following natural radionuclides: U-238, Th-232, K-40, Ra-226. The researches performed showed that in soil, vegetation, groundwater and local foods sampled in the vicinity of the uranium mines, there is a significant excess of 226 Ra and 232 Th content compared to areas outside the zone of influence of uranium mining. The ecological and hygienic situation is as follows: - at health protection zone (HPZ) gamma dose rate outdoors varies within 0.11 to 5.4 μSv/h (The mean value in the reference (background) settlement (Soktui-Molozan village) is 0.14 μSv/h); - gamma dose rate in workshops within HPZ varies over the range 0.14 - 4.3 μSv/h. - the specific activity of natural radionuclides in soil at HPZ reaches 12800 Bq/kg and 510 Bq/kg for Ra-226 and Th-232, respectively. - beyond HPZ the elevated values for 226 Ra have been registered near Lantsovo Lake - 430 Bq/kg; - the radon activity concentration in workshops within HPZ varies over the range 22 - 10800 Bq/m 3 . The seasonal dependence

  15. Radio-Ecological Situation in the Area of the Priargun Production Mining and Chemical Association - 13522

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Semenova, M.P.; Seregin, V.A.; Kiselev, S.M.; Titov, A.V. [FSBI SRC A.I. Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center of FMBA of Russia, Zhivopisnaya Street, 46, Moscow (Russian Federation); Zhuravleva, L.A. [FSHE ' Centre of Hygiene and Epidemiology no. 107' under FMBA of Russia (Russian Federation); Marenny, A.M. [Ltd ' Radiation and Environmental Researches' (Russian Federation)

    2013-07-01

    'The Priargun Production Mining and Chemical Association' (hereinafter referred to as PPMCA) is a diversified mining company which, in addition to underground mining of uranium ore, carries out refining of such ores in hydrometallurgical process to produce natural uranium oxide. The PPMCA facilities are sources of radiation and chemical contamination of the environment in the areas of their location. In order to establish the strategy and develop criteria for the site remediation, independent radiation hygienic monitoring is being carried out over some years. In particular, this monitoring includes determination of concentration of the main dose-forming nuclides in the environmental media. The subjects of research include: soil, grass and local foodstuff (milk and potato), as well as media of open ponds (water, bottom sediments, water vegetation). We also measured the radon activity concentration inside surface workshops and auxiliaries. We determined the specific activity of the following natural radionuclides: U-238, Th-232, K-40, Ra-226. The researches performed showed that in soil, vegetation, groundwater and local foods sampled in the vicinity of the uranium mines, there is a significant excess of {sup 226}Ra and {sup 232}Th content compared to areas outside the zone of influence of uranium mining. The ecological and hygienic situation is as follows: - at health protection zone (HPZ) gamma dose rate outdoors varies within 0.11 to 5.4 μSv/h (The mean value in the reference (background) settlement (Soktui-Molozan village) is 0.14 μSv/h); - gamma dose rate in workshops within HPZ varies over the range 0.14 - 4.3 μSv/h. - the specific activity of natural radionuclides in soil at HPZ reaches 12800 Bq/kg and 510 Bq/kg for Ra-226 and Th-232, respectively. - beyond HPZ the elevated values for {sup 226}Ra have been registered near Lantsovo Lake - 430 Bq/kg; - the radon activity concentration in workshops within HPZ varies over the range 22 - 10800 Bq

  16. Nuclear regulation of South African mines: An industry perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wymer, D.G.

    2001-01-01

    South African mines have become subject to a rigid and prescriptive system of nuclear regulation that has its roots in the past when South Africa embarked upon a period of nuclear development spanning the full nuclear fuel cycle, and in which the South African gold mining industry once played a major part in the supply of uranium as a low grade by-product. Radiation hazards in the mines are generally very moderate, even in the few gold mines associated with uranium by-product, and to not warrant the type of regulatory attention normally applied to nuclear installations, or even to uranium mines. The continued imposition of strict nuclear regulatory requirements has caused severe financial hardship and threatens the survival of certain mining operations, while seemingly having little or no health benefits to workers or the public. With the development of modern, comprehensive mine health and safety legislation, a more appropriate, effective, and far less costly vehicle for controlling radiation hazards in mines now exists, utilizing the resources of the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate. This approach is now being proposed, in the drafting of new legislation, as constituting a better alternative to the nuclear regulation of mines. (author)

  17. Environmental, Spatial, and Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Nonfatal Injuries in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sri Irianti

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The determinants of injuries and their reoccurrence in Indonesia are not well understood, despite their importance in the prevention of injuries. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the environmental, spatial, and sociodemographic factors associated with the reoccurrence of injuries among Indonesian people. Methods. Data from the 2013 round of the Indonesia Baseline Health Research (IBHR 2013 were analysed using a two-part hurdle regression model. A logit regression model was chosen for the zero-hurdle part, while a zero-truncated negative binomial regression model was selected for the counts part. Odds ratio (OR and incidence rate ratio (IRR were the measures of association, respectively. Results. The results suggest that living in a household with distant drinking water source, residing in slum areas, residing in Eastern Indonesia, having low educational attainment, being men, and being poorer are positively related to the likelihood of experiencing injury. Moreover, being a farmer or fishermen, having low educational attainment, and being men are positively associated with the frequency of injuries. Conclusion. This study would be useful to prioritise injury prevention programs in Indonesia based on the environmental, spatial, and sociodemographic characteristics.

  18. Responsible Mining: A Human Resources Strategy for Mine Development Project

    OpenAIRE

    Sampathkumar, Sriram (Ram)

    2012-01-01

    Mining is a global industry. Most mining companies operate internationally, often in remote, challenging environments and consequently frequently have respond to unusual and demanding Human Resource (HR) requirements. It is my opinion that the strategic imperative behind success in mining industry is responsible mining. The purpose of this paper is to examine how an effective HR strategy can be a competitive advantage that contributes to the success of a mining project in the global mining in...

  19. Research on Occupational Safety, Health Management and Risk Control Technology in Coal Mines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Lu-Jie; Cao, Qing-Gui; Yu, Kai; Wang, Lin-Lin; Wang, Hai-Bin

    2018-04-26

    This paper studies the occupational safety and health management methods as well as risk control technology associated with the coal mining industry, including daily management of occupational safety and health, identification and assessment of risks, early warning and dynamic monitoring of risks, etc.; also, a B/S mode software (Geting Coal Mine, Jining, Shandong, China), i.e., Coal Mine Occupational Safety and Health Management and Risk Control System, is developed to attain the aforementioned objectives, namely promoting the coal mine occupational safety and health management based on early warning and dynamic monitoring of risks. Furthermore, the practical effectiveness and the associated pattern for applying this software package to coal mining is analyzed. The study indicates that the presently developed coal mine occupational safety and health management and risk control technology and the associated software can support the occupational safety and health management efforts in coal mines in a standardized and effective manner. It can also control the accident risks scientifically and effectively; its effective implementation can further improve the coal mine occupational safety and health management mechanism, and further enhance the risk management approaches. Besides, its implementation indicates that the occupational safety and health management and risk control technology has been established based on a benign cycle involving dynamic feedback and scientific development, which can provide a reliable assurance to the safe operation of coal mines.

  20. Assessment of Quantitative Aftershock Productivity Potential in Mining-Induced Seismicity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozłowska, Maria; Orlecka-Sikora, Beata

    2017-03-01

    Strong mining-induced earthquakes exhibit various aftershock patterns. The aftershock productivity is governed by the geomechanical properties of rock in the seismogenic zone, mining-induced stress and coseismic stress changes related to the main shock's magnitude, source geometry and focal mechanism. In order to assess the quantitative aftershock productivity potential in the mining environment we apply a forecast model based on natural seismicity properties, namely constant tectonic loading and the Gutenberg-Richter frequency-magnitude distribution. Although previous studies proved that mining-induced seismicity does not obey the simple power law, here we apply it as an approximation of seismicity distribution to resolve the number of aftershocks, not considering their magnitudes. The model used forecasts the aftershock productivity based on the background seismicity level estimated from an average seismic moment released per earthquake and static stress changes caused by a main shock. Thus it accounts only for aftershocks directly triggered by coseismic process. In this study we use data from three different mines, Mponeng (South Africa), Rudna and Bobrek (Poland), representing different geology, exploitation methods and aftershock patterns. Each studied case is treated with individual parameterization adjusted to the data specifics. We propose the modification of the original model, i.e. including the non-uniformity of M 0, resulting from spatial correlation of mining-induced seismicity with exploitation. The results show that, even when simplified seismicity distribution parameters are applied, the modified model predicts the number of aftershocks for each analyzed case well and accounts for variations between these values. Such results are thus another example showing that coseismic processes of mining-induced seismicity reflect features of natural seismicity and that similar models can be applied to study the aftershock rate in both the natural and the

  1. Application of ERTS-A imagery to fracture related mine safety hazards in the coal mining industry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wier, C. E.; Wobber, F. J. (Principal Investigator)

    1973-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. The most important result to date is the demonstration of the special value of repetitive ERTS-1 multiband coverage for detecting previously unknown fracture lineaments despite the presence of a deep glacial overburden. The Illinois Basin is largely covered with glacial drift and few rock outcrops are present. A contribution to the geological understanding of Illinois and Indiana has been made. Analysis of ERTS-1 imagery has provided useful information to the State of Indiana concerning the surface mined lands. The contrast between healthy vegetation and bare ground as imaged by Band 7 is sharp and substantial detail can be obtained concerning the extent of disturbed lands, associated water bodies, large haul roads, and extent of mined lands revegetation. Preliminary results of analysis suggest a reasonable correlation between image-detected fractures and mine roof fall accidents for a few areas investigated. ERTS-1 applications to surface mining operations appear probable, but further investigations are required. The likelihood of applying ERTS-1 derived fracture data to improve coal mine safety in the entire Illinois Basin is suggested from studies conducted in Indiana.

  2. Extending mine life

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1984-01-01

    Mine layouts, new machines and techniques, research into problem areas of ground control and so on, are highlighted in this report on extending mine life. The main resources taken into account are coal mining, uranium mining, molybdenum and gold mining

  3. Analytical tools and functions of GIS in the process control and decision support of mining company

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Semrád Peter

    2001-12-01

    Full Text Available The development of computer techniques, the increase in demands for the professional and possible fastest data processing, as well as for the fluency and efficiency of information gaining, exchanging and providing has a strong influence on forming the new generation of information technologies - Geografic Information Systems (GIS that rose in the second half of the twentieth century.Advancement in this area is still progressing and GIS gradually find the enforcement in individual fields where they play a great role in the process control and decision support. Nowadays, there are applications in mining and geology, where are used especially at processing and evaluating of mining - geological documentation, optimalization of mining and technical processes, planning, distributing and managing of mining as well as economic analysis that are important in terms of investment decisions to mining business.GIS are the systems for the effective keeping, updating, processing, analysing, modelling, simulating and presenting geographically oriented information. We can identify them as computer systems helping to solve real problems that should be normally required to solve by human expert.Well equipped GIS have graphic ability and accordingly manage descriptive (attribute data. They are able to secure mutual connection between graphical and descriptive data and in addition to command countless number of functions that enable the execution of spatial analysis. This fact is very important in mining and geological application.There are exploited mostly geostatistical analysis (e. g. modelling of distribution valuable and harmful components of mineral resouce in a mineral deposit, surface modelling and surface model analysis (e. g. at modelling the subsidence of mining territory, different methods of creating spatial and attribute queries about database for seeking necessary data (e. g. to find all mining blocks of deposit that meet required conditions and to

  4. Patent data mining method and apparatus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyack, Kevin W.; Grafe, V. Gerald; Johnson, David K.; Wylie, Brian N.

    2002-01-01

    A method of data mining represents related patents in a multidimensional space. Distance between patents in the multidimensional space corresponds to the extent of relationship between the patents. The relationship between pairings of patents can be expressed based on weighted combinations of several predicates. The user can select portions of the space to perceive. The user also can interact with and control the communication of the space, focusing attention on aspects of the space of most interest. The multidimensional spatial representation allows more ready comprehension of the structure of the relationships among the patents.

  5. Logistics background study: underground mining

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hanslovan, J. J.; Visovsky, R. G.

    1982-02-01

    Logistical functions that are normally associated with US underground coal mining are investigated and analyzed. These functions imply all activities and services that support the producing sections of the mine. The report provides a better understanding of how these functions impact coal production in terms of time, cost, and safety. Major underground logistics activities are analyzed and include: transportation and personnel, supplies and equipment; transportation of coal and rock; electrical distribution and communications systems; water handling; hydraulics; and ventilation systems. Recommended areas for future research are identified and prioritized.

  6. Impact of shallowly deposited ore-bearing dolomites on local soil pollution aureoles of As, Cd, Pb, and Zn in an old mining area

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fabijanczyk, Piotr; Zawadzki, Jaroslaw [Warsaw Univ. of Technology (Poland). Environmental Engineering Faculty

    2012-10-15

    The study area, located in Upper Silesian Industrial Region, was rich in significant amounts of ores that were classified of Mississippi Valley type. Being these ores especially rich in Pb and Zn, an intense development of mining and ore extraction industry was verified in this area. The goal of this study was to investigate how local pollution aureoles of As, Cd, Pb, and Zn were influenced by the presence of shallowly deposited ore-bearing dolomites. Very extensive sampling campaign was carried out, and over 1,000 samples were collected in the area of about 150 km{sup 2}. Local aureoles of investigated metals were calculated for two soil layers. The first one covered the part of soil core from the soil surface to the depth of 20 cm and the second one from the depth of 40 cm to the depth of 60 cm. All spatial distributions of particular metals in soil were calculated by means of ordinary kriging using free softwares QGIS and SAGA. Maximum concentrations of Pb and Zn in soil in study area were very high, reaching over 24,000 and 77,000 mg/kg, respectively. Maximum concentrations of As and Cd were also very high, reaching about 1,000 mg/kg. Those maximum values were observed in the direct vicinity of the Boles?aw mine and its mine dumps. Almost all local aureoles were located within the range of ore-bearing dolomites. It was especially visible for Pb and Zn, minerals very common in ore deposits. Otherwise, local aureoles of As and Cd were more related with the vicinity of mines and other pollution sources, being more associated to the anthropogenic pollution than to the presence of ore-bearing dolomites. The aureoles of Pb and Zn, and in moderate degree of As, were associated with a mineral composition of ores. Differently, the location, the shape, and spatial pattern of Cd aureoles suggest that they were mostly influenced by anthropogenic pollution. Anthropogenic factors were dominating over the lithogenic ones and masking the influence of the shallowly deposited

  7. Ecosystem Health Assessment of Mining Cities Based on Landscape Pattern

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, W.; Liu, Y.; Lin, M.; Fang, F.; Xiao, R.

    2017-09-01

    Ecosystem health assessment (EHA) is one of the most important aspects in ecosystem management. Nowadays, ecological environment of mining cities is facing various problems. In this study, through ecosystem health theory and remote sensing images in 2005, 2009 and 2013, landscape pattern analysis and Vigor-Organization-Resilience (VOR) model were applied to set up an evaluation index system of ecosystem health of mining city to assess the healthy level of ecosystem in Panji District Huainan city. Results showed a temporal stable but high spatial heterogeneity landscape pattern during 2005-2013. According to the regional ecosystem health index, it experienced a rapid decline after a slight increase, and finally it maintained at an ordinary level. Among these areas, a significant distinction was presented in different towns. It indicates that the ecosystem health of Tianjijiedao town, the regional administrative centre, descended rapidly during the study period, and turned into the worst level in the study area. While the Hetuan Town, located in the northwestern suburb area of Panji District, stayed on a relatively better level than other towns. The impacts of coal mining collapse area, land reclamation on the landscape pattern and ecosystem health status of mining cities were also discussed. As a result of underground coal mining, land subsidence has become an inevitable problem in the study area. In addition, the coal mining subsidence area has brought about the destruction of the farmland, construction land and water bodies, which causing the change of the regional landscape pattern and making the evaluation of ecosystem health in mining area more difficult. Therefore, this study provided an ecosystem health approach for relevant departments to make scientific decisions.

  8. Text Mining of Journal Articles for Sleep Disorder Terminologies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Calvin Lam

    Full Text Available Research on publication trends in journal articles on sleep disorders (SDs and the associated methodologies by using text mining has been limited. The present study involved text mining for terms to determine the publication trends in sleep-related journal articles published during 2000-2013 and to identify associations between SD and methodology terms as well as conducting statistical analyses of the text mining findings.SD and methodology terms were extracted from 3,720 sleep-related journal articles in the PubMed database by using MetaMap. The extracted data set was analyzed using hierarchical cluster analyses and adjusted logistic regression models to investigate publication trends and associations between SD and methodology terms.MetaMap had a text mining precision, recall, and false positive rate of 0.70, 0.77, and 11.51%, respectively. The most common SD term was breathing-related sleep disorder, whereas narcolepsy was the least common. Cluster analyses showed similar methodology clusters for each SD term, except narcolepsy. The logistic regression models showed an increasing prevalence of insomnia, parasomnia, and other sleep disorders but a decreasing prevalence of breathing-related sleep disorder during 2000-2013. Different SD terms were positively associated with different methodology terms regarding research design terms, measure terms, and analysis terms.Insomnia-, parasomnia-, and other sleep disorder-related articles showed an increasing publication trend, whereas those related to breathing-related sleep disorder showed a decreasing trend. Furthermore, experimental studies more commonly focused on hypersomnia and other SDs and less commonly on insomnia, breathing-related sleep disorder, narcolepsy, and parasomnia. Thus, text mining may facilitate the exploration of the publication trends in SDs and the associated methodologies.

  9. Text Mining of Journal Articles for Sleep Disorder Terminologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Calvin; Lai, Fu-Chih; Wang, Chia-Hui; Lai, Mei-Hsin; Hsu, Nanly; Chung, Min-Huey

    2016-01-01

    Research on publication trends in journal articles on sleep disorders (SDs) and the associated methodologies by using text mining has been limited. The present study involved text mining for terms to determine the publication trends in sleep-related journal articles published during 2000-2013 and to identify associations between SD and methodology terms as well as conducting statistical analyses of the text mining findings. SD and methodology terms were extracted from 3,720 sleep-related journal articles in the PubMed database by using MetaMap. The extracted data set was analyzed using hierarchical cluster analyses and adjusted logistic regression models to investigate publication trends and associations between SD and methodology terms. MetaMap had a text mining precision, recall, and false positive rate of 0.70, 0.77, and 11.51%, respectively. The most common SD term was breathing-related sleep disorder, whereas narcolepsy was the least common. Cluster analyses showed similar methodology clusters for each SD term, except narcolepsy. The logistic regression models showed an increasing prevalence of insomnia, parasomnia, and other sleep disorders but a decreasing prevalence of breathing-related sleep disorder during 2000-2013. Different SD terms were positively associated with different methodology terms regarding research design terms, measure terms, and analysis terms. Insomnia-, parasomnia-, and other sleep disorder-related articles showed an increasing publication trend, whereas those related to breathing-related sleep disorder showed a decreasing trend. Furthermore, experimental studies more commonly focused on hypersomnia and other SDs and less commonly on insomnia, breathing-related sleep disorder, narcolepsy, and parasomnia. Thus, text mining may facilitate the exploration of the publication trends in SDs and the associated methodologies.

  10. A comparison between geostatistical analyses and sedimentological studies at the Hartbeestfontien gold mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Magri, E.J.

    1978-01-01

    For life-of-mine planning, as well as for short- and medium-term planning of grades and mine layouts, it is extremely important to have a clear understanding of the patterns followed by the distribution of gold and uranium within the mining area. This study is an attempt to reconcile the geostatistical approach to the determination of ore-shoot directions, via an analysis of the spatial distribution of gold and uranium values, with the sedimentological approach, which is based on the direct measurement of geological features. For the routine geostatistical estimation of ore reserves, the Hartebeestfontein gold mine was divided into ll sections. In each of these sections, the ore-shoot directions were calculated for gold and uranium from the anisotropies disclosed by geostatistical variogram analyses. This study presents a comparison of these results with those obtained from direct geological measurements of paleo-current directions. The results suggest that geological and geostatistical studies could be of significant mutual benefit [af

  11. Contextual Text Mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei, Qiaozhu

    2009-01-01

    With the dramatic growth of text information, there is an increasing need for powerful text mining systems that can automatically discover useful knowledge from text. Text is generally associated with all kinds of contextual information. Those contexts can be explicit, such as the time and the location where a blog article is written, and the…

  12. Application of Spaceborne Differential Radar Interferometry to Rockbursts, Mining Subsidence and Shallow Moderate Earthquakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eneva, M.; Baker, E.

    2002-12-01

    the use of 3D modeling methods in resolving discrepancies between seismically and geodetically based models. Other than contributing to the mining practice, our InSAR results are relevant to the identification of ground truth to be compared with seismically determined epicenters. The 1999 S. African event is our best example in this respect, with an interferogram showing a clear fringe pattern that is easy to compare with existing seismic locations. For the purpose of ground truth, we have also examined ERS SAR scenes over sites of moderate tectonic earthquakes in Algeria (northern Africa). Due to the configuration of the existing seismic networks, these events are commonly located much too to the north. So far we have identified a possible signal (~ 2 cm LOS) in the differential interferograms from descending and ascending interferometric pairs over the site of a December 1999 Mw5.6 earthquake, and are in the process of looking at additional SAR scenes over a site of a November 2000 Mw5.7 event. Our results show that differential InSAR can be effective in providing detailed spatial coverage of surface changes associated with mining activities, as well as in establishing ground truth for the seismic locations of moderate tectonic earthquakes. The main limitation of the technique for such purposes is the insufficient temporal coverage of sites of interest by the ERS satellites, resulting in extensive decorrelation in some of the study cases. ENVISAT data are likely to be more effective in the future, especially if regular data collection is supplemented with ordering of data acquisitions on as-needed basis.

  13. MONITORING OF MINING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Berislav Šebečić

    1996-12-01

    Full Text Available The way mining was monitored in the past depended on knowledge, interest and the existing legal regulations. Documentary evidence about this work can be found in archives, libraries and museums. In particular, there is the rich archival material (papers and books concerning the work of the one-time Imperial and Royal Mining Captaincies in Zagreb, Zadar, Klagenfurt and Split, A minor part of the documentation has not yet been transferred to Croatia. From mining handbooks and books we can also find out about mining in Croatia. In the context of Austro-Hungary. For example, we can find out that the first governorships in Zagreb and Zadar headed the Ban, Count Jelacic and Baron Mamula were also the top mining authorities, though this, probably from political motives, was suppressed in the guides and inventories or the Mining Captaincies. At the end of the 1850s, Croatia produced 92-94% of sea salt, up to 8.5% of sulphur, 19.5% of asphalt and 100% of oil for the Austro-Hungarian empire. From data about mining in the Split Mining Captaincy, prepared for the Philadephia Exhibition, it can be seen that in the exploratory mining operations in which there were 33,372 independent mines declared in 1925 they were looking mainly for bauxite (60,0%, then dark coal (19,0%, asphalts (10.3% and lignites (62%. In 1931, within the area covered by the same captaincy, of 74 declared mines, only 9 were working. There were five coal mines, three bauxite mines and one for asphalt. I suggest that within state institution, the Mining Captaincy or Authority be renewed, or that a Mining and Geological Authority be set ap, which would lead to the more complete affirmation of Croatian mining (the paper is published in Croatian.

  14. Locating and defining underground goaf caused by coal mining from space-borne SAR interferometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zefa; Li, Zhiwei; Zhu, Jianjun; Yi, Huiwei; Feng, Guangcai; Hu, Jun; Wu, Lixin; Preusse, Alex; Wang, Yunjia; Papst, Markus

    2018-01-01

    It is crucial to locate underground goafs (i.e., mined-out areas) resulting from coal mining and define their spatial dimensions for effectively controlling the induced damages and geohazards. Traditional geophysical techniques for locating and defining underground goafs, however, are ground-based, labour-consuming and costly. This paper presents a novel space-based method for locating and defining the underground goaf caused by coal extraction using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) techniques. As the coal mining-induced goaf is often a cuboid-shaped void and eight critical geometric parameters (i.e., length, width, height, inclined angle, azimuth angle, mining depth, and two central geodetic coordinates) are capable of locating and defining this underground space, the proposed method reduces to determine the eight geometric parameters from InSAR observations. Therefore, it first applies the Probability Integral Method (PIM), a widely used model for mining-induced deformation prediction, to construct a functional relationship between the eight geometric parameters and the InSAR-derived surface deformation. Next, the method estimates these geometric parameters from the InSAR-derived deformation observations using a hybrid simulated annealing and genetic algorithm. Finally, the proposed method was tested with both simulated and two real data sets. The results demonstrate that the estimated geometric parameters of the goafs are accurate and compatible overall, with averaged relative errors of approximately 2.1% and 8.1% being observed for the simulated and the real data experiments, respectively. Owing to the advantages of the InSAR observations, the proposed method provides a non-contact, convenient and practical method for economically locating and defining underground goafs in a large spatial area from space.

  15. Quantifying the link between crop production and mined groundwater irrigation in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grogan, Danielle S; Zhang, Fan; Prusevich, Alexander; Lammers, Richard B; Wisser, Dominik; Glidden, Stanley; Li, Changsheng; Frolking, Steve

    2015-04-01

    In response to increasing demand for food, Chinese agriculture has both expanded and intensified over the past several decades. Irrigation has played a key role in increasing crop production, and groundwater is now an important source of irrigation water. Groundwater abstraction in excess of recharge (which we use here to estimate groundwater mining) has resulted in declining groundwater levels and could eventually restrict groundwater availability. In this study we used a hydrological model, WBMplus, in conjunction with a process based crop growth model, DNDC, to evaluate Chinese agriculture's recent dependence upon mined groundwater, and to quantify mined groundwater-dependent crop production across a domain that includes variation in climate, crop choice, and management practices. This methodology allowed for the direct attribution of crop production to irrigation water from rivers and reservoirs, shallow (renewable) groundwater, and mined groundwater. Simulating 20 years of weather variability and circa year 2000 crop areas, we found that mined groundwater fulfilled 20%-49% of gross irrigation water demand, assuming all demand was met. Mined groundwater accounted for 15%-27% of national total crop production. There was high spatial variability across China in irrigation water demand and crop production derived from mined groundwater. We find that climate variability and mined groundwater demand do not operate independently; rather, years in which irrigation water demand is high due to the relatively hot and dry climate also experience limited surface water supplies and therefore have less surface water with which to meet that high irrigation water demand. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Data mining and visualization techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Pak Chung [Richland, WA; Whitney, Paul [Richland, WA; Thomas, Jim [Richland, WA

    2004-03-23

    Disclosed are association rule identification and visualization methods, systems, and apparatus. An association rule in data mining is an implication of the form X.fwdarw.Y where X is a set of antecedent items and Y is the consequent item. A unique visualization technique that provides multiple antecedent, consequent, confidence, and support information is disclosed to facilitate better presentation of large quantities of complex association rules.

  17. Discovery of Teleconnections Using Data Mining Technologies in Global Climate Datasets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fan Lin

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we apply data mining technologies to a 100-year global land precipitation dataset and a 100-year Sea Surface Temperature (SST dataset. Some interesting teleconnections are discovered, including well-known patterns and unknown patterns (to the best of our knowledge, such as teleconnections between the abnormally low temperature events of the North Atlantic and floods in Northern Bolivia, abnormally low temperatures of the Venezuelan Coast and floods in Northern Algeria and Tunisia, etc. In particular, we use a high dimensional clustering method and a method that mines episode association rules in event sequences. The former is used to cluster the original time series datasets into higher spatial granularity, and the later is used to discover teleconnection patterns among events sequences that are generated by the clustering method. In order to verify our method, we also do experiments on the SOI index and a 100-year global land precipitation dataset and find many well-known teleconnections, such as teleconnections between SOI lower events and drought events of Eastern Australia, South Africa, and North Brazil; SOI lower events and flood events of the middle-lower reaches of Yangtze River; etc. We also do explorative experiments to help domain scientists discover new knowledge.

  18. Thorium exposure in a niobium mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fonseca, Adelaide M. Gondin da

    1995-01-01

    The workers involved in the mineral process to obtain Nb-Fe alloy are exposure to thorium. Internal contamination with radioactive materials is a common problem. This is caused by presence of U and Th and their natural decay series associated with the mine ore. The examples are the workers at the niobium mine located in the state of Goias. Twenty mine workers were evaluated using in vitro bioassay techniques. Samples of urine and feces from occupationally exposed mine workers were analyzed for thorium isotopes. The fecal samples corresponding to one complete excretion and urine sample corresponding to a 24 hours collection were analyzed using alpha spectrometry. The results of thorium excretion (feces) have shown that in all the samples the 228 Th excretions in high than 232 Th. Thorium concentration in all the urine samples were below limit of detection that is approximately 1 mBq/l. (author). 3 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab

  19. Gold-Mining

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raaballe, J.; Grundy, B.D.

    2002-01-01

      Based on standard option pricing arguments and assumptions (including no convenience yield and sustainable property rights), we will not observe operating gold mines. We find that asymmetric information on the reserves in the gold mine is a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence...... of operating gold mines. Asymmetric information on the reserves in the mine implies that, at a high enough price of gold, the manager of high type finds the extraction value of the company to be higher than the current market value of the non-operating gold mine. Due to this under valuation the maxim of market...

  20. Raptor use of revegetated coal strip mine spoils in interior Alaska

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elliott, C.L.

    1994-01-01

    Raptors associated with reclaimed coal strip mine spoils on the Usibelli Coal Mine in southcentral Alaska were observed in 1981 and 1982. Of the 10 raptor species identified on the mine, 6 (red-tailed hawk, golden eagle, Northern harrier, American kestrel, hawk owl, and short-eared owl) were observed hunting on the reclaimed areas

  1. The mining methods at the Fraisse mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heurley, P.; Vervialle, J.P.

    1985-01-01

    The Fraisse mine is one of the four underground mines of the La Crouzille mining divisions of Cogema. Faced with the necessity to mechanize its workings, this mine also had to satisfy a certain number of stringent demands. This has led to concept of four different mining methods for the four workings at present in active operation at this pit, which nevertheless preserve the basic ideas of the methods of top slicing under concrete slabs (TSS) or horizontal cut-and-fill stopes (CFS). An electric scooptram is utilized. With this type of vehicle the stringent demands for the introduction of means for fire fighting and prevention are reduced to a minimum. Finally, the dimensions of the vehicles and the operation of these methods result in a net-to-gross tonnages of close to 1, i.e. a maximum output, combined with a minimum of contamination [fr

  2. Radiation protection in uranium mining and milling industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raghavayya, M.

    2005-01-01

    The first phase of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle is exploration for uranium and the next is mining and milling of uranium ore. This phase is mostly characterised by low levels of radioactivity and radiation exposure of the workers involved. Yet it is a paradoxical truth that incidence of cancer among the work force, especially miners, due to occupational radiation exposure (from radon and decay products) has been proved only in uranium mines in the entire Nuclear Fuel Cycle. Of course such incidence occurred before the detrimental effect of radiation exposure was realised and understood. Therefore it is important to familiarise oneself with the radiation hazards prevalent in the uranium mining and milling facilities so as to take appropriate remedial measures for the protection of not only the workers but also the public at large. There are both open cast and underground uranium mines around the world. Radiation hazards are considerably less significant in open cast mines than in underground mines unless the ore grade is very high. By default therefore the discussion which ensues relates mainly to radiation hazards in underground uranium mines and associated milling operations. The discussion gives a brief outline of typical uranium mine and mining and milling operations. This is followed by a description of the radiation hazards therein and protection measures that are to be taken to minimise radiation exposure. (author)

  3. Data mining and Pattern Recognizing Models for Identifying Inherited Diseases: Challenges and Implications

    OpenAIRE

    Lahiru Iddamalgoda; Partha Sarathi Das; Partha Sarathi Das; Achala Aponso; Vijayaraghava Seshadri Sundararajan; Prashanth Suravajhala; Prashanth Suravajhala; Prashanth Suravajhala; Jayaraman K Valadi

    2016-01-01

    Data mining and pattern recognition methods reveal interesting findings in genetic studies, especially on how genetic makeup is associated with inherited diseases. Although researchers have proposed various data mining models for biomedical approaches, there remains a challenge in accurately determining the responsible genetic factors for prioritizing the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) associated with the disease. In this commentary, we review the state-of-art data mining and pattern r...

  4. Data Mining and Pattern Recognition Models for Identifying Inherited Diseases: Challenges and Implications

    OpenAIRE

    Iddamalgoda, Lahiru; Das, Partha S.; Aponso, Achala; Sundararajan, Vijayaraghava S.; Suravajhala, Prashanth; Valadi, Jayaraman K.

    2016-01-01

    Data mining and pattern recognition methods reveal interesting findings in genetic studies, especially on how the genetic makeup is associated with inherited diseases. Although researchers have proposed various data mining models for biomedical approaches, there remains a challenge in accurately prioritizing the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) associated with the disease. In this commentary, we review the state-of-art data mining and pattern recognition models for identifying inherited ...

  5. Decision support methods for the environmental assessment of contamination at mining sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jordan, Gyozo; Abdaal, Ahmed

    2013-09-01

    Polluting mine accidents and widespread environmental contamination associated with historic mining in Europe and elsewhere has triggered the improvement of related environmental legislation and of the environmental assessment and management methods for the mining industry. Mining has some unique features such as natural background pollution associated with natural mineral deposits, industrial activities and contamination located in the three-dimensional sub-surface space, the problem of long-term remediation after mine closure, problem of secondary contaminated areas around mine sites and abandoned mines in historic regions like Europe. These mining-specific problems require special tools to address the complexity of the environmental problems of mining-related contamination. The objective of this paper is to review and evaluate some of the decision support methods that have been developed and applied to mining contamination. In this paper, only those methods that are both efficient decision support tools and provide a 'holistic' approach to the complex problem as well are considered. These tools are (1) landscape ecology, (2) industrial ecology, (3) landscape geochemistry, (4) geo-environmental models, (5) environmental impact assessment, (6) environmental risk assessment, (7) material flow analysis and (8) life cycle assessment. This unique inter-disciplinary study should enable both the researcher and the practitioner to obtain broad view on the state-of-the-art of decision support methods for the environmental assessment of contamination at mine sites. Documented examples and abundant references are also provided.

  6. A geographical information system-based analysis of cancer mortality and population exposure to coal mining activities in West Virginia, United States of America

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Hendryx

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Cancer incidence and mortality rates are high in West Virginia compared to the rest of the United States of America. Previous research has suggested that exposure to activities of the coal mining industry may contribute to elevated cancer mortality, although exposure measures have been limited. This study tests alternative specifications of exposure to mining activity to determine whether a measure based on location of mines, processing plants, coal slurry impoundments and underground slurry injection sites relative to population levels is superior to a previously-reported measure of exposure based on tons mined at the county level, in the prediction of age-adjusted cancer mortality rates. To this end, we utilize two geographical information system (GIS techniques – exploratory spatial data analysis and inverse distance mapping – to construct new statistical analyses. Total, respiratory and “other” age-adjusted cancer mortality rates in West Virginia were found to be more highly associated with the GIS-exposure measure than the tonnage measure, before and after statistical control for smoking rates. The superior performance of the GIS measure, based on where people in the state live relative to mining activity, suggests that activities of the industry contribute to cancer mortality. Further confirmation of observed phenomena is necessary with person-level studies, but the results add to the body of evidence that coal mining poses environmental risks to population health in West Virginia.

  7. Tridimensional modelling and resource estimation of the mining waste piles of São Domingos mine, Iberian Pyrite Belt, Portugal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieira, Alexandre; Matos, João; Lopes, Luis; Martins, Ruben

    2016-04-01

    Located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) northern sector, near the Portuguese/Spanish border, the outcropping São Domingos deposit was mined since Roman time. Between 1854 and 1966 the Mason & Barry Company developed open pit excavation until 120 m depth and underground mining until 420 m depth. The São Domingos subvertical deposit is associated with felsic volcanics and black shales of the IPB Volcano-Sedimentary Complex and is represented by massive sulphide and stockwork ore (py, cpy, sph, ga, tt, aspy) and related supergene enrichment ore (hematite gossan and covellite/chalcocite). Different mine waste classes were mapped around the old open pit: gossan (W1), felsic volcanic and shales (W2), shales (W3) and mining waste landfill (W4). Using the LNEG (Portuguese Geological Survey) CONASA database (company historical mining waste characterization based on 162 shafts and 160 reverse circulation boreholes), a methodology for tridimensional modelling mining waste pile was followed, and a new mining waste resource is presented. Considering some constraints to waste removal, such as the Mina de São Domingos village proximity of the wastes, the industrial and archaeological patrimony (e.g., mining infrastructures, roman galleries), different resource scenarios were considered: unconditioned resources (total estimates) and conditioned resources (only the volumes without removal constraints considered). Using block modelling (SURPAC software) a mineral inferred resource of 2.38 Mt @ 0.77 g/t Au and 8.26 g/t Ag is estimated in unconditioned volumes of waste. Considering all evaluated wastes, including village areas, an inferred resource of 4.0 Mt @ 0.64 g/t Au and 7.30 g/t Ag is presented, corresponding to a total metal content of 82,878 oz t Au and 955,753 oz t Ag. Keywords. São Domingos mine, mining waste resources, mining waste pile modelling, Iberian Pyrite Belt, Portugal

  8. Spatial variations in water composition at a northern Canadian lake impacted by mine drainage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moncur, M.C.; Ptacek, C.J.; Blowes, D.W.; Jambor, J.L.

    2006-01-01

    Release of acid drainage from mine-waste disposal areas is a problem of international scale. Contaminated surface water, derived from mine wastes, originates both as direct surface runoff and, indirectly, as subsurface groundwater flow. At Camp Lake, a small Canadian Shield lake that is in northern Manitoba and is ice-covered 6 months of the year, direct and indirect release of drainage from an adjacent sulfide-rich tailings impoundment has severely affected the quality of the lake water. Concentrations of the products from sulfide oxidation are extremely high in the pore waters of the tailings impoundment. Groundwater and surface water derived from the impoundment discharge into a semi-isolated shallow bay in Camp Lake. The incorporation of this aqueous effluent has altered the composition of the lake water, which in turn has modified the physical limnology of the lake. Geochemical profiles of the water column indicate that, despite its shallow depth (6 m), the bay is stratified throughout the year. The greatest accumulation of dissolved metals and SO 4 is in the lower portion of the water column, with concentrations up to 8500 mg L -1 Fe, 20,000 mg L -1 SO 4 , 30 mg L -1 Zn, 100 mg L -1 Al, and elevated concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb and Ni. Meromictic conditions and very high solute concentrations are limited to the bay. Outside the bay, solute concentrations are lower and some stratification of the water column exists. Identification of locations and composition of groundwater discharge relative to lake bathymetry is a fundamental aspect of understanding chemical evolution and physical stability of mine-impacted lakes

  9. In-Depth Analysis of Energy Efficiency Related Factors in Commercial Buildings Using Data Cube and Association Rule Mining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Byeongjoon Noh

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Significant amounts of energy are consumed in the commercial building sector, resulting in various adverse environmental issues. To reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings, it is necessary to develop effective methods for analyzing building energy use. In this study, we propose a data cube model combined with association rule mining for more flexible and detailed analysis of building energy consumption profiles using the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS dataset, which has accumulated over 6700 existing commercial buildings across the U.S.A. Based on the data cube model, a multidimensional commercial sector building energy analysis was performed based upon on-line analytical processing (OLAP operations to assess the energy efficiency according to building factors with various levels of abstraction. Furthermore, the proposed analysis system provided useful information that represented a set of energy efficient combinations by applying the association rule mining method. We validated the feasibility and applicability of the proposed analysis model by structuring a building energy analysis system and applying it to different building types, weather conditions, composite materials, and heating/cooling systems of the multitude of commercial buildings classified in the CBECS dataset.

  10. Text mining patents for biomedical knowledge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Esteban, Raul; Bundschus, Markus

    2016-06-01

    Biomedical text mining of scientific knowledge bases, such as Medline, has received much attention in recent years. Given that text mining is able to automatically extract biomedical facts that revolve around entities such as genes, proteins, and drugs, from unstructured text sources, it is seen as a major enabler to foster biomedical research and drug discovery. In contrast to the biomedical literature, research into the mining of biomedical patents has not reached the same level of maturity. Here, we review existing work and highlight the associated technical challenges that emerge from automatically extracting facts from patents. We conclude by outlining potential future directions in this domain that could help drive biomedical research and drug discovery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Dam-break studies for mine tailings impoundments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeyapalan, J.K.

    1982-01-01

    This paper describes simple procedures for performing dam-break analyses. Tailings from dam failures usually liquefy and flow for substantial distances as a viscous fluid. The prediction of the possible extent of flow slide movement is illustrated using two case histories. Topics considered include the flow behavior of liquefied talings, dimensionsless numbers for mine tailings and associated flow regimes, laminar flow, and turbulent flow. The potential inundation regions downstream of mine tailings dams are assessed. It is concluded that instances of flow slides of mine waste embankments indicate that the failure of these structures has considerable potential for damage to life and property in many cases

  12. Mined-out land

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reinsalu, Enno; Toomik, Arvi; Valgma, Ingo

    2002-01-01

    Estonian mineral resources are deposited in low depth and mining fields are large, therefore vast areas are affected by mining. There are at least 800 deposits with total area of 6,000 km 2 and about the same number of underground mines, surface mines, peat fields, quarries, and sand and gravel pits. The deposits cover more than 10% of Estonian mainland. The total area of operating mine claims exceeds 150 km 2 that makes 0.3 % of Estonian area. The book is written mainly for the people who are living or acting in the area influenced by mining. The observations and research could benefit those who are interested in geography and environment, who follow formation and look of mined-out landscapes. The book contains also warnings for careless people on and under the surface of the mined-out land. Part of the book contains results of the research made in 1968-1993 by the first two authors working at the Estonian branch of A.Skochinsky Institute of Mining. Since 1990, Arvi Toomik continued this study at the Northeastern section of the Institute of Ecology of Tallinn Pedagogical University. Enno Reinsalu studied aftereffects of mining at the Mining Department of Tallinn Technical University from 1998 to 2000. Geographical Information System for Mining was studied by Ingo Valgma within his doctoral dissertation, and this book is one of the applications of his study

  13. World Nuclear Association (WNA) internationally standardized reporting (checklist) on the sustainable development performance of uranium mining and processing sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harris, F.

    2014-01-01

    The World Nuclear Association (WNA) has developed internationally standardized reporting (‘Checklist’) for uranium mining and processing sites. This reporting is to achieve widespread utilities/miners agreement on a list of topics/indicators for common use in demonstrating miners’ adherence to strong sustainable development performance. Nuclear utilities are often required to evaluate the sustainable development performance of their suppliers as part of a utility operational management system. In the present case, nuclear utilities are buyers of uranium supplies from uranium miners and such purchases are often achieved through the utility uranium or fuel supply management function. This Checklist is an evaluation tool which has been created to collect information from uranium miners’ available annual reports, data series, and measurable indicators on a wide range of sustainable development topics to verify that best practices in this field are implemented throughout uranium mining and processing sites. The Checklist has been developed to align with the WNA’s policy document Sustaining Global Best Practices in Uranium Mining and Processing: Principles for Managing Radiation, Health and Safety, and Waste and the Environment which encompasses all applicable aspects of sustainable development to uranium mining and processing. The eleven sections of the Checklist are: 1. Adherence to Sustainable Development; 2. Health, Safety and Environmental Protection; 3. Compliance; 4. Social Responsibility and Stakeholder Engagement; 5. Management of Hazardous Materials; 6. Quality Management Systems; 7. Accidents and Emergencies; 8. Transport of Hazardous Materials; 9. Systematic Approach to Training; 10. Security of Sealed Radioactive Sources and Nuclear Substances; 11. Decommissioning and Site Closure. The Checklist benefits from many years of nuclear utility experience in verifying the sustainable development performance of uranium mining and processing sites. This

  14. Trust Mines

    Science.gov (United States)

    The United States and the Navajo Nation entered into settlement agreements that provide funds to conduct investigations and any needed cleanup at 16 of the 46 priority mines, including six mines in the Northern Abandoned Uranium Mine Region.

  15. Trust and safety in the coal mining sector

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neil Gunningham; Darren Sinclair [Gunningham and Associates (Australia)

    2008-08-15

    This report examines the relationship between trust (and mistrust) and occupational health and safety (OHS) in the Australian coal mining sector. Previous research in Australian coal mining companies indicated that mistrust is deep-seated at a number of mines, and that these mines are usually the worst performers in terms of OHS. Mistrust also handicaps the ability of inspectors to worker together with mines sites to improve OHS outcomes. Given this, there is a compelling need to understand how mistrust comes about, and to identify practical steps that can be adopted by companies, mines sites and the inspectorate to foster the development of trust. The report builds on these earlier findings by investigating trust in a much more detailed and sophisticated fashion, drawing on an in-depth analysis at mines, across a number of coal mining companies, and in two state jurisdictions. Research revealed that a 'cluster of characteristics' are associated with the formation and maintenance of mistrust at mines with a lower OHS track-record. These findings, together with an analysis of the characteristics of mines with better OHS outcomes, enabled the report to outline a variety of ways in which mines may build trust within and between management and the workforce. It also considers the at times fractious relationship between trade unions and management, and flags some of the challenges confronting these two groups in working together to improve OHS performance in the coal mining sector. Finally, the report examines the rise and impact of mistrust on the operations of the New South Wales and Queensland inspectorates, and suggests ways in which a fairer and more just enforcement policy may help foster greater trust between inspectors and mines.

  16. 76 FR 6110 - Mine Safety Disclosure

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-02-03

    .... Paper Comments Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary, Securities and.... \\2\\ See, e.g., National Mining Association (January 3, 2011); National Stone, Sand & Gravel...

  17. Web Mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fürnkranz, Johannes

    The World-Wide Web provides every internet citizen with access to an abundance of information, but it becomes increasingly difficult to identify the relevant pieces of information. Research in web mining tries to address this problem by applying techniques from data mining and machine learning to Web data and documents. This chapter provides a brief overview of web mining techniques and research areas, most notably hypertext classification, wrapper induction, recommender systems and web usage mining.

  18. Data mining, mining data : energy consumption modelling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dessureault, S. [Arizona Univ., Tucson, AZ (United States)

    2007-09-15

    Most modern mining operations are accumulating large amounts of data on production and business processes. Data, however, provides value only if it can be translated into information that appropriate users can utilize. This paper emphasized that a new technological focus should emerge, notably how to concentrate data into information; analyze information sufficiently to become knowledge; and, act on that knowledge. Researchers at the Mining Information Systems and Operations Management (MISOM) laboratory at the University of Arizona have created a method to transform data into action. The data-to-action approach was exercised in the development of an energy consumption model (ECM), in partnership with a major US-based copper mining company, 2 software companies, and the MISOM laboratory. The approach begins by integrating several key data sources using data warehousing techniques, and increasing the existing level of integration and data cleaning. An online analytical processing (OLAP) cube was also created to investigate the data and identify a subset of several million records. Data mining algorithms were applied using the information that was isolated by the OLAP cube. The data mining results showed that traditional cost drivers of energy consumption are poor predictors. A comparison was made between traditional methods of predicting energy consumption and the prediction formed using data mining. Traditionally, in the mines for which data were available, monthly averages of tons and distance are used to predict diesel fuel consumption. However, this article showed that new information technology can be used to incorporate many more variables into the budgeting process, resulting in more accurate predictions. The ECM helped mine planners improve the prediction of energy use through more data integration, measure development, and workflow analysis. 5 refs., 11 figs.

  19. Mining with communities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veiga, Marcello M.; Scoble, Malcolm; McAllister, Mary Louise

    2001-01-01

    To be considered as sustainable, a mining community needs to adhere to the principles of ecological sustainability, economic vitality and social equity. These principles apply over a long time span, covering both the life of the mine and post-mining closure. The legacy left by a mine to the community after its closure is emerging as a significant aspect of its planning. Progress towards sustainability is made when value is added to a community with respect to these principles by the mining operation during its life cycle. This article presents a series of cases to demonstrate the diverse potential challenges to achieving a sustainable mining community. These case studies of both new and old mining communities are drawn mainly from Canada and from locations abroad where Canadian companies are now building mines. The article concludes by considering various approaches that can foster sustainable mining communities and the role of community consultation and capacity building. (author)

  20. Ideate about building green mine of uranium mining and metallurgy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi Zuyuan

    2012-01-01

    Analysing the current situation of uranium mining and metallurgy; Setting up goals for green uranium mining and metallurgy, its fundamental conditions, Contents and measures. Putting forward an idea to combine green uranium mining and metallurgy with the state target for green mining, and keeping its own characteristics. (author)

  1. Mining and mining authorities in Saarland 2016. Mining economy, mining technology, occupational safety, environmental protection, statistics, mining authority activities. Annual report; Bergbau und Bergbehoerden im Saarland 2016. Bergwirtschaft, Bergtechnik, Arbeitsschutz, Umweltschutz, Statistiken, Taetigkeiten der Bergbehoerden. Jahresbericht

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2016-07-01

    The annual report of the Saarland Upper Mining Authority provides an insight into the activities of mining authorities. Especially, the development of the black coal mining, safety and technology of mining as well as the correlation between mining and environment are stressed.

  2. Assessment of radioactivity associated with a low ore grade open cast mine at Banduhurang, Jharkhand, India and estimation of occupational exposure to the miners

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rana, B.K.; Shukla, A.K.; Topno, R.; Tripathi, R.M.; Puranik, V.D.

    2010-01-01

    The study summarizes radiological characteristics of Banduhurang open cast mine which includes qualitative and quantitative behavior of 222 Rn concentration, external gamma radiation level over the mine pit as well as in its adjoining environment, long-lived alpha (LLα) activity concentration associated with the respirable size of ore dust and assessment of dose to the mine workers in 2006-2008. The investigations reveal that geometric means (χg) of measured radon concentration were 36.39, 38.69, 26.64 and 24 Bq m -3 with respective geometric standard deviations (σg) were 1.52, 1.55, 1.36 and 1.68 Bq m -3 and χg of gamma absorbed dose rates were 0.54, 0.64, 0. 45 and 0.15 μGy h -1 with respective σg were 1.63, 1.53, 1.52 and 1.72 μGy h -1 over the mine pit, ore yard, waste yard and in the surrounding environment within a 10 km radius to the mine, respectively. The χg of LLα activity was observed to be 16 mBq m-3 with σg of 1.9 mBq m -3 . The annual mean effective dose equivalent received by the member radiation workers of Banduhurang mine was estimated to 1.41 mSv y -1 , which is about 7% of the prescribed dose limits of 20 mSv y -1 . (author)

  3. Improving mine safety technology and training: establishing US global leadership

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2006-12-15

    In 2006, the USA's record of mine safety was interrupted by fatalities that rocked the industry and caused the National Mining Association and its members to recommit to returning the US underground coal mining industry to a global mine safety leadership role. This report details a comprehensive approach to increase the odds of survival for miners in emergency situations and to create a culture of prevention of accidents. Among its 75 recommendations are a need to improve communications, mine rescue training, and escape and protection of miners. Section headings of the report are: Introduction; Review of mine emergency situations in the past 25 years: identifying and addressing the issues and complexities; Risk-based design and management; Communications technology; Escape and protection strategies; Emergency response and mine rescue procedures; Training for preparedness; Summary of recommendations; and Conclusions. 37 refs., 3 figs., 5 apps.

  4. 75 FR 17529 - High-Voltage Continuous Mining Machine Standard for Underground Coal Mines

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-06

    ... High-Voltage Continuous Mining Machine Standard for Underground Coal Mines AGENCY: Mine Safety and... of high-voltage continuous mining machines in underground coal mines. It also revises MSHA's design...-- Underground Coal Mines III. Section-by-Section Analysis A. Part 18--Electric Motor-Driven Mine Equipment and...

  5. Personalized privacy-preserving frequent itemset mining using randomized response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Chongjing; Fu, Yan; Zhou, Junlin; Gao, Hui

    2014-01-01

    Frequent itemset mining is the important first step of association rule mining, which discovers interesting patterns from the massive data. There are increasing concerns about the privacy problem in the frequent itemset mining. Some works have been proposed to handle this kind of problem. In this paper, we introduce a personalized privacy problem, in which different attributes may need different privacy levels protection. To solve this problem, we give a personalized privacy-preserving method by using the randomized response technique. By providing different privacy levels for different attributes, this method can get a higher accuracy on frequent itemset mining than the traditional method providing the same privacy level. Finally, our experimental results show that our method can have better results on the frequent itemset mining while preserving personalized privacy.

  6. Text mining by Tsallis entropy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamaati, Maryam; Mehri, Ali

    2018-01-01

    Long-range correlations between the elements of natural languages enable them to convey very complex information. Complex structure of human language, as a manifestation of natural languages, motivates us to apply nonextensive statistical mechanics in text mining. Tsallis entropy appropriately ranks the terms' relevance to document subject, taking advantage of their spatial correlation length. We apply this statistical concept as a new powerful word ranking metric in order to extract keywords of a single document. We carry out an experimental evaluation, which shows capability of the presented method in keyword extraction. We find that, Tsallis entropy has reliable word ranking performance, at the same level of the best previous ranking methods.

  7. Mine water treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Komissarov, S V

    1980-10-01

    This article discusses composition of chemical compounds dissolved or suspended in mine waters in various coal basins of the USSR: Moscow basin, Kuzbass, Pechora, Kizelovsk, Karaganda, Donetsk and Chelyabinsk basins. Percentage of suspended materials in water depending on water source (water from water drainage system of dust suppression system) is evaluated. Pollution of mine waters with oils and coli bacteria is also described. Recommendations on construction, capacity of water settling tanks, and methods of mine water treatment are presented. In mines where coal seams 2 m or thicker are mined a system of two settling tanks should be used: in the upper one large grains are settled, in the lower one finer grains. The upper tank should be large enough to store mine water discharged during one month, and the lower one to store water discharged over two months. Salty waters from coal mines mining thin coal seams should be treated in a system of water reservoirs from which water evaporates (if climatic conditions permit). Mine waters from mines with thin coal seams but without high salt content can be treated in a system of long channels with water plants, which increase amount of oxygen in treated water. System of biological treatment of waste waters from mine wash-houses and baths is also described. Influence of temperature, sunshine and season of the year on efficiency of mine water treatment is also assessed. (In Russian)

  8. Assessment of rock mass characteristics and the excavation disturbed zone in the Lingxin Coal Mine beneath the Xitian river, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xingping Lai

    2006-01-01

    Safe production and induced hazard prevention in coal mines mainly concern problems in the excavation disturbed zone (EDZ), but coal mining can also make a significant impact on the environment. Comprehensive techniques using a borehole TV viewer system, electrical logging, and monitoring of drilling fluid leakage offer the ability to identify changing geological conditions and the location of any nearby abandoned mining workings. The inner collapsed zone and the expanding height of the crack zone transmitting water plus their spatial distribution after excavating the superincumbent coal seam stratum are determined at no. L3414 workings, Lingxin Coal Mine beneath the Xitian river, China. An integrated system of GIS-based on a stochastic model, which has been developed for the prediction of dynamic subsidence coupling the time function and probabilistic integral method, is verified through practice at the Lingxin Coal Mine. This development has greatly expanded the ability of the mine operator to characterize previously inaccessible areas of the mine, providing a reliable basis for safe mining and prevention of induced-hazards to ensure high production mining underneath the river bed. (author)

  9. Novel probabilistic models of spatial genetic ancestry with applications to stratification correction in genome-wide association studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhaskar, Anand; Javanmard, Adel; Courtade, Thomas A; Tse, David

    2017-03-15

    Genetic variation in human populations is influenced by geographic ancestry due to spatial locality in historical mating and migration patterns. Spatial population structure in genetic datasets has been traditionally analyzed using either model-free algorithms, such as principal components analysis (PCA) and multidimensional scaling, or using explicit spatial probabilistic models of allele frequency evolution. We develop a general probabilistic model and an associated inference algorithm that unify the model-based and data-driven approaches to visualizing and inferring population structure. Our spatial inference algorithm can also be effectively applied to the problem of population stratification in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), where hidden population structure can create fictitious associations when population ancestry is correlated with both the genotype and the trait. Our algorithm Geographic Ancestry Positioning (GAP) relates local genetic distances between samples to their spatial distances, and can be used for visually discerning population structure as well as accurately inferring the spatial origin of individuals on a two-dimensional continuum. On both simulated and several real datasets from diverse human populations, GAP exhibits substantially lower error in reconstructing spatial ancestry coordinates compared to PCA. We also develop an association test that uses the ancestry coordinates inferred by GAP to accurately account for ancestry-induced correlations in GWAS. Based on simulations and analysis of a dataset of 10 metabolic traits measured in a Northern Finland cohort, which is known to exhibit significant population structure, we find that our method has superior power to current approaches. Our software is available at https://github.com/anand-bhaskar/gap . abhaskar@stanford.edu or ajavanma@usc.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved

  10. Internet technologies in the mining industry. Towards unattended mining systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krzykawski, Michal [FAMUR Group, Katowice (Poland)

    2009-08-27

    Global suppliers of longwall systems focus mainly on maximising the efficiency of the equipment they manufacture. Given the fact that, since 2004, coal demand on world markets has been constantly on the increase, even during an economic downturn, this endeavour seems fully justified. However, it should be remembered that maximum efficiency must be accompanied by maximum safety of all underground operations. This statement is based on the belief that the mining industry, which exploits increasingly deep and dangerous coal beds, faces the necessity to implement comprehensive IT systems for managing all mining processes and, in the near future, to use unmanned mining systems, fully controllable from the mine surface. The computerisation of mines is an indispensable element of the development of the world mining industry, a belief which has been put into practice with e-mine, developed by the FAMUR Group. (orig.)

  11. Temporal and spatial analysis of psittacosis in association with poultry farming in the Netherlands, 2000-2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hogerwerf, Lenny; Holstege, Manon M C; Benincà, Elisa; Dijkstra, Frederika; van der Hoek, Wim

    2017-07-26

    Human psittacosis is a highly under diagnosed zoonotic disease, commonly linked to psittacine birds. Psittacosis in birds, also known as avian chlamydiosis, is endemic in poultry, but the risk for people living close to poultry farms is unknown. Therefore, our study aimed to explore the temporal and spatial patterns of human psittacosis infections and identify possible associations with poultry farming in the Netherlands. We analysed data on 700 human cases of psittacosis notified between 01-01-2000 and 01-09-2015. First, we studied the temporal behaviour of psittacosis notifications by applying wavelet analysis. Then, to identify possible spatial patterns, we applied spatial cluster analysis. Finally, we investigated the possible spatial association between psittacosis notifications and data on the Dutch poultry sector at municipality level using a multivariable model. We found a large spatial cluster that covered a highly poultry-dense area but additional clusters were found in areas that had a low poultry density. There were marked geographical differences in the awareness of psittacosis and the amount and the type of laboratory diagnostics used for psittacosis, making it difficult to draw conclusions about the correlation between the large cluster and poultry density. The multivariable model showed that the presence of chicken processing plants and slaughter duck farms in a municipality was associated with a higher rate of human psittacosis notifications. The significance of the associations was influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of farm density in the model. Our temporal and spatial analyses showed weak associations between poultry-related variables and psittacosis notifications. Because of the low number of psittacosis notifications available for analysis, the power of our analysis was relative low. Because of the exploratory nature of this research, the associations found cannot be interpreted as evidence for airborne transmission of psittacosis from

  12. Opportunities and Challenges in Deep Mining: A Brief Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pathegama G. Ranjith

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Mineral consumption is increasing rapidly as more consumers enter the market for minerals and as the global standard of living increases. As a result, underground mining continues to progress to deeper levels in order to tackle the mineral supply crisis in the 21st century. However, deep mining occurs in a very technical and challenging environment, in which significant innovative solutions and best practice are required and additional safety standards must be implemented in order to overcome the challenges and reap huge economic gains. These challenges include the catastrophic events that are often met in deep mining engineering: rockbursts, gas outbursts, high in situ and redistributed stresses, large deformation, squeezing and creeping rocks, and high temperature. This review paper presents the current global status of deep mining and highlights some of the newest technological achievements and opportunities associated with rock mechanics and geotechnical engineering in deep mining. Of the various technical achievements, unmanned working-faces and unmanned mines based on fully automated mining and mineral extraction processes have become important fields in the 21st century.

  13. Hydrological Networks and Associated Topographic Variation as Templates for the Spatial Organization of Tropical Forest Vegetation

    OpenAIRE

    Detto, Matteo; Muller-Landau, Helene C.; Mascaro, Joseph; Asner, Gregory P.

    2013-01-01

    An understanding of the spatial variability in tropical forest structure and biomass, and the mechanisms that underpin this variability, is critical for designing, interpreting, and upscaling field studies for regional carbon inventories. We investigated the spatial structure of tropical forest vegetation and its relationship to the hydrological network and associated topographic structure across spatial scales of 10-1000 m using high-resolution maps of LiDAR-derived mean canopy profile heigh...

  14. Effects of mining activities on the release of heavy metals(HMs) in the head water regions of the Heihe River.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, W., Sr.; Ma, R.; Sun, Z.; Bu, J.; Chang, Q.

    2017-12-01

    The head water regions of Heihe River were located in the Qilian orogenic belt, where belongs to the Qilian Mountains National Ecological Nature Protection and has fragile ecosystem. Previous surveys show that the regions were rich in various metal ores, and the mining activities have been intense.The environmental effect of mining activities will be going on several years, while Our field investigation show that there were 23 mines, of which 18 have been historical. This study collected water samples in main Heihe river and its tributaries, groundwaters and soil water, and the sediment samples near the ores. The concentration of HMs in both waters and sediments was measured for characterizing the spatial distribution of HMs, and determining the origin of the HMs in the river waters. Results of water quality assessment show that 67% of water samples failed to reach the Grade II environmental quality standard for surface water in China (GB3838-2002).The spatial distribution of HMs (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) is highly correlated with the geographical distribution of local mines, suggesting that various heavy metals(HMs) were released into the Heihe River via mining activities. The Be, Co, Sn, Bi, Th, U were mainly derived from aluminosilicate weathering crusts. And the acid mine wastewater was the main source for Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd. The Serpentine wreathing was the main source for Cr and Ni. Mn and Cs were enriched by agricultural activities.

  15. Status, Distribution, and Diversity of Birds in Mining Environment of Kachchh, Gujarat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikunj B. Gajera

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Opencast mining is one of the major reasons for the destruction of natural habitats for many wildlife including birds. The Kachchh region belongs to the arid part of India and is one of the rich areas of mineral resources in the country. In the recent time and after the 2001 earthquake, mining and other developmental activities are increased, and as a result, the natural habitats of birds are disturbed and fragmented. So, this study was conducted to assess the impact of mining and associated activities on the diversity and distribution of birds. Birds were studied by surveying 180 transects along 9 zones around three selected major mines, and each zone is made in every 2 km radius from the mine. Based on the record, it was found that the density and diversity of birds are highest in zone 5 and lowest in zone 1 and zone 2, respectively. The result indicates that the diversity and abundance of birds were less in zones which are located close to the mines in comparison to the zones far from the mines. In conclusion, mining and its associated activities have some impacts on the diversity and distribution of birds in Kachchh region in India.

  16. Mining association patterns of drug-interactions using post marketing FDA's spontaneous reporting data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibrahim, Heba; Saad, Amr; Abdo, Amany; Sharaf Eldin, A

    2016-04-01

    Pharmacovigilance (PhV) is an important clinical activity with strong implications for population health and clinical research. The main goal of PhV is the timely detection of adverse drug events (ADEs) that are novel in their clinical nature, severity and/or frequency. Drug interactions (DI) pose an important problem in the development of new drugs and post marketing PhV that contribute to 6-30% of all unexpected ADEs. Therefore, the early detection of DI is vital. Spontaneous reporting systems (SRS) have served as the core data collection system for post marketing PhV since the 1960s. The main objective of our study was to particularly identify signals of DI from SRS. In addition, we are presenting an optimized tailored mining algorithm called "hybrid Apriori". The proposed algorithm is based on an optimized and modified association rule mining (ARM) approach. A hybrid Apriori algorithm has been applied to the SRS of the United States Food and Drug Administration's (U.S. FDA) adverse events reporting system (FAERS) in order to extract significant association patterns of drug interaction-adverse event (DIAE). We have assessed the resulting DIAEs qualitatively and quantitatively using two different triage features: a three-element taxonomy and three performance metrics. These features were applied on two random samples of 100 interacting and 100 non-interacting DIAE patterns. Additionally, we have employed logistic regression (LR) statistic method to quantify the magnitude and direction of interactions in order to test for confounding by co-medication in unknown interacting DIAE patterns. Hybrid Apriori extracted 2933 interacting DIAE patterns (including 1256 serious ones) and 530 non-interacting DIAE patterns. Referring to the current knowledge using four different reliable resources of DI, the results showed that the proposed method can extract signals of serious interacting DIAEs. Various association patterns could be identified based on the relationships among

  17. Coseismic and aseismic deformations associated with mining-induced seismic events located in deep level mines in South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Milev, A

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Two underground sites in a deep level gold mine in South Africa were instrumented by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with tilt meters and seismic monitors. One of the sites was also instrumented by Japanese-German...

  18. Mercury and arsenic in the gold mining regions of the Ankobra River basin in Ghana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bannerman, W.; Potin-Gautier, M.; Amoureux, D.; Tellier, S.; Rambaud, A.; Babut, M.; Adimado, A.; Beinhoff, C.

    2003-05-01

    The river Ankobra flows through the principal gold mining centres in Western Ghana, draining a total area of 8272 km^2 to join the Atlantic ocean. Mercury is used by thousands of small-scale miners in the region to amalgamate gold. Ores mined in some deep shafts and surface mines are arsenopyrites and the region is marked by the presence of heaps of arsenic - rich mine tailings from both past and recent activities. This study was conducted to assess the impact of mining activities on the distribution and speciation of arsenic and mercury in the aquatic environment of the Ankobra River. In all, water (filtered and non-filtered) and bed sediments were collected from various locations within the watershed. Principal parameters investigated include total mercury, arsenic (III), arsenic (V), monomethylarsonic acid (MMAA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMAA). Seasonal and spatial variations of these parameters were investigated. Quality control systems were adopted at both the environmental and analytical stages of the study. ln general, areas close to the mining centres are the most pollilited. As (V)/As (III) ratios in water are reversed after the first 100-km of the river length with the onset of industrial influence downstream.

  19. Spatial distribution, temporal variation, and sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of a century-old nonferrous metal mining and smelting area in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Xing; Chen, Zhihua; Luo, Zhaohui

    2014-12-01

    This study first presents the spatial distribution, temporal variation, and sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of a nonferrous metal mine area in China. Unconfined groundwater was polluted by Pb, Zn, As, and Cu, in order, while confined karst water in the mines showed pollution in the following sequence: Zn, Cd, Cu, Pb, and As. Pollution by Pb was widespread, while Zn, As, Cu, and Cd were found to be high in the north-central industrial region and to decrease gradually with distance from smelters and tailings. Vertically, more Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd have accumulated in shallow Quaternary groundwater, while more As have migrated into the deeper fracture groundwater in the local discharge area. Zn, Cd, and Cu concentrations in groundwater along the riverside diminished owing to reduced wastewater drainage since 1977, while samples in the confluence area were found to have increasing contents of Pb, Zn, As, Cu, and Cd since industrialization began in the 1990s. Sources of heavy metals in groundwater were of anthropogenic origin except for Cr. Pb originated primarily from airborne volatile particulates, wastewater, and waste residues and deposited continuously, while Zn, Cd, and Cu were derived from the wastewater of smelters and leakage of tailings, which corresponded to the related soil and surface residue researches. Elevated As values around factories might be the result of chemical reactions. Flow patterns in different hydrogeological units and adsorption capability of from Quaternary sediments restricted their cross-border diffusion.

  20. Microanalysis of casuarina, Eucalyptus, Pine tissue and mycorrhizal mycelium collected from mines soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanchez-Viveros, G.; Zavaleta-Mancera, H. A.; Arenas-Alatorre, J.; Ruvalcaba-Sil, J. L.; Gonzalez-Chavez, C.

    2009-01-01

    Potentially toxic elements (PTE) deposition in soils due to mine exploitation has been recorded since XVI century for Mexico. Plants established in such environments have developed tolerance and adaption to PTE. The objective of this study was to determine the accumulation sites and spatial distribution of PTE. (Author)

  1. Mining lore : Chinese labourers in BC's coal mines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baldwin, C.

    2010-09-15

    This article presented a historical review of Chinese labourers in Canada's industries and how they were often exploited and treated poorly. The 1860 gold rush in British Columbia attracted the first labourers from China. More labourers followed, the majority male, to work in the coal mines around Nanaimo. More than half the employees at coal baron Robert Dunsmuir's Wellington mine on Vancouver Island were Chinese labourers who worked under conditions and wages that other miners would not accept. During a large strike at the Wellington Mine in 1883, the striking white miners were replaced with Chinese from Victoria, which contributed to a brewing anti-Chinese sentiment. The striking miners eventually withdrew their demand for higher wages, insisting only that Dunsmuir rid his mine of the Chinese. Dunsmuir refused, held out, and broke the strike. When an anti-immigration bill was passed in 1884 by the British Columbia (BC) Legislative Assembly, the Canadian government stepped in, only to hire thousands of Chinese labourers to work on the railway. Their low wages saved contractors $3 million, making construction economically feasible. However, just a few weeks after blocking BC's anti-immigration bill, the Canadian government passed a Chinese Immigration Act that would come into effect only after construction was completed. The Act restricted and regulated Chinese immigration, and imposed a head tax on any Chinese entering the country, making it unaffordable to bring a wife and family to Canada. When the railroad was completed, thousands of Chinese labourers were left unemployed with nowhere to go. In 1887, an explosion at a Nanaimo mine killed 150 employees. The miners blamed the Chinese, claiming that their lack of English made them a safety hazard. By the early 1920s, the Chinese community in Victoria formed the Chinese Benevolent Association to provide general welfare assistance and oppose discriminatory laws. In 2006, the Canadian government

  2. Iron oxides in acid mine drainage environments and their association with bacteria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferris, F G; Tazaki, K; Fyfe, W S

    1989-01-20

    A variety of iron oxides were identified by X-ray diffraction in sediments receiving acid drainage from mine tailing and coal refuse impoundments. Small amounts of goethite and hematite were found in the sediment samples. However, the major iron oxide species was ferrihydrite which gave diffuse diffraction bands at angles corresponding to d2.5, 2.2 and 1.5 Angstrom. Main core line binding energies in Fe (2p) and O (1s) X-ray photoelectron spectra were consistent with the hydrous nature and predominance of ferrihydrite. Electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy also showed that individual bacterial cells promoted the development of iron oxide mineralization. The bacterial associated iron oxides were similar to those in the bulk sediment samples, and exhibited structures conforming to the presence of chemisorbed sulfate or silicate anions. 23 refs., 3 figs.

  3. Targeting of Gold Deposits in Amazonian Exploration Frontiers using Knowledge- and Data-Driven Spatial Modeling of Geophysical, Geochemical, and Geological Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magalhães, Lucíola Alves; Souza Filho, Carlos Roberto

    2012-03-01

    This paper reports the application of weights-of-evidence, artificial neural networks, and fuzzy logic spatial modeling techniques to generate prospectivity maps for gold mineralization in the neighborhood of the Amapari Au mine, Brazil. The study area comprises one of the last Brazilian mineral exploration frontiers. The Amapari mine is located in the Maroni-Itaicaiúnas Province, which regionally hosts important gold, iron, manganese, chromite, diamond, bauxite, kaolinite, and cassiterite deposits. The Amapari Au mine is characterized as of the orogenic gold deposit type. The highest gold grades are associated with highly deformed rocks and are concentrated in sulfide-rich veins mainly composed of pyrrhotite. The data used for the generation of gold prospectivity models include aerogeophysical and geological maps as well as the gold content of stream sediment samples. The prospectivity maps provided by these three methods showed that the Amapari mine stands out as an area of high potential for gold mineralization. The prospectivity maps also highlight new targets for gold exploration. These new targets were validated by means of detailed maps of gold geochemical anomalies in soil and by fieldwork. The identified target areas exhibit good spatial coincidence with the main soil geochemical anomalies and prospects, thus demonstrating that the delineation of exploration targets by analysis and integration of indirect datasets in a geographic information system (GIS) is consistent with direct prospecting. Considering that work of this nature has never been developed in the Amazonian region, this is an important example of the applicability and functionality of geophysical data and prospectivity analysis in regions where geologic and metallogenetic information is scarce.

  4. Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Mountaintop Mining Areas of Central Appalachian States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esch, Laura; Hendryx, Michael

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To determine if chronic cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rates are higher among residents of mountaintop mining (MTM) areas compared to mining and nonmining areas, and to examine the association between greater levels of MTM surface mining and CVD mortality. Methods: Age-adjusted chronic CVD mortality rates from 1999 to 2006 for…

  5. When process mining meets bioinformatics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jagadeesh Chandra Bose, R.P.; Aalst, van der W.M.P.; Nurcan, S.

    2011-01-01

    Process mining techniques can be used to extract non-trivial process related knowledge and thus generate interesting insights from event logs. Similarly, bioinformatics aims at increasing the understanding of biological processes through the analysis of information associated with biological

  6. Profitability and occupational injuries in U.S. underground coal mines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asfaw, Abay; Mark, Christopher; Pana-Cryan, Regina

    2013-01-01

    Coal plays a crucial role in the U.S. economy yet underground coal mining continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations in the country. In addition, there are large variations in both profitability and the incidence of occupational injuries across mines. The objective of this study was to examine the association between profitability and the incidence rate of occupational injuries in U.S. underground coal mines between 1992 and 2008. We used mine-specific data on annual hours worked, geographic location, and the number of occupational injuries suffered annually from the employment and accident/injury databases of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and mine-specific data on annual revenue from coal sales, mine age, workforce union status, and mining method from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A total of 5669 mine-year observations (number of mines×number of years) were included in our analysis. We used a negative binomial random effects model that was appropriate for analyzing panel (combined time-series and cross-sectional) injury data that were non-negative and discrete. The dependent variable, occupational injury, was measured in three different and non-mutually exclusive ways: all reported fatal and nonfatal injuries, reported nonfatal injuries with lost workdays, and the 'most serious' (i.e. sum of fatal and serious nonfatal) injuries reported. The total number of hours worked in each mine and year examined was used as an exposure variable. Profitability, the main explanatory variable, was approximated by revenue per hour worked. Our model included mine age, workforce union status, mining method, and geographic location as additional control variables. After controlling for other variables, a 10% increase in real total revenue per hour worked was associated with 0.9%, 1.1%, and 1.6% decrease, respectively, in the incidence rates of all reported injuries, reported injuries with lost workdays, and the most serious injuries reported

  7. TCMGeneDIT: a database for associated traditional Chinese medicine, gene and disease information using text mining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Hsin-Hsi

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM, a complementary and alternative medical system in Western countries, has been used to treat various diseases over thousands of years in East Asian countries. In recent years, many herbal medicines were found to exhibit a variety of effects through regulating a wide range of gene expressions or protein activities. As available TCM data continue to accumulate rapidly, an urgent need for exploring these resources systematically is imperative, so as to effectively utilize the large volume of literature. Methods TCM, gene, disease, biological pathway and protein-protein interaction information were collected from public databases. For association discovery, the TCM names, gene names, disease names, TCM ingredients and effects were used to annotate the literature corpus obtained from PubMed. The concept to mine entity associations was based on hypothesis testing and collocation analysis. The annotated corpus was processed with natural language processing tools and rule-based approaches were applied to the sentences for extracting the relations between TCM effecters and effects. Results We developed a database, TCMGeneDIT, to provide association information about TCMs, genes, diseases, TCM effects and TCM ingredients mined from vast amount of biomedical literature. Integrated protein-protein interaction and biological pathways information are also available for exploring the regulations of genes associated with TCM curative effects. In addition, the transitive relationships among genes, TCMs and diseases could be inferred through the shared intermediates. Furthermore, TCMGeneDIT is useful in understanding the possible therapeutic mechanisms of TCMs via gene regulations and deducing synergistic or antagonistic contributions of the prescription components to the overall therapeutic effects. The database is now available at http://tcm.lifescience.ntu.edu.tw/. Conclusion TCMGeneDIT is a unique database

  8. Requirements and opportunities for mining engineers in the mining industry abroad

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Albrecht, E

    1987-04-09

    The decline of the German mining industry and the increasing industrialization of mining is forcing ever greater numbers of young German mining graduates to build their careers abroad. The requirements for this - apart from the technical qualifications are a good knowledge of foreign languages and a readiness to leave Germany for a long time, even for ever. If the young mining graduate accepts these conditions, numerous professional opportunities will open up for him, both with German mining companies with interests abroad, in mining supply companies and consultancy firms and with foreign companies. 6 references.

  9. A Remote Sensing Approach to Environmental Monitoring in a Reclaimed Mine Area

    OpenAIRE

    Rajchandar Padmanaban; Avit K. Bhowmik; Pedro Cabral

    2017-01-01

    Padmanaban, R., Bhowmik, A. K., & Cabral, P. (2017). A Remote Sensing Approach to Environmental Monitoring in a Reclaimed Mine Area. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 6(12), 1-14. [401]. DOI: 10.3390/ijgi6120401 Mining for resources extraction may lead to geological and associated environmental changes due to ground movements, collision with mining cavities, and deformation of aquifers. Geological changes may continue in a reclaimed mine area, and the deformed aquifers may en...

  10. Mining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khairullah Khan

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Opinion mining is an interesting area of research because of its applications in various fields. Collecting opinions of people about products and about social and political events and problems through the Web is becoming increasingly popular every day. The opinions of users are helpful for the public and for stakeholders when making certain decisions. Opinion mining is a way to retrieve information through search engines, Web blogs and social networks. Because of the huge number of reviews in the form of unstructured text, it is impossible to summarize the information manually. Accordingly, efficient computational methods are needed for mining and summarizing the reviews from corpuses and Web documents. This study presents a systematic literature survey regarding the computational techniques, models and algorithms for mining opinion components from unstructured reviews.

  11. Crime Pattern Analysis: A Spatial Frequent Pattern Mining Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-10

    econometrics. A companion to theoretical econometrics, pages 310-330, 1988. [5] L. Anselin, J. Cohen, D. Cook, W. Gorr, and G. Tita . Spatial analyses...52] G. Mohler, M. Short, P. Brantingham, F. Schoenberg, and G. Tita . Self-exciting point process modeling of crime. Journal of the American...Systems, 9:462, 2010. [69] M. Short, P. Brantingham, A. Bertozzi, and G. Tita . Dissipation and displacement of hotspots in reaction-diffusion models

  12. Hardening Stratum, the Bitcoin Pool Mining Protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Recabarren Ruben

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Stratum, the de-facto mining communication protocol used by blockchain based cryptocurrency systems, enables miners to reliably and efficiently fetch jobs from mining pool servers. In this paper we exploit Stratum’s lack of encryption to develop passive and active attacks on Bitcoin’s mining protocol, with important implications on the privacy, security and even safety of mining equipment owners. We introduce StraTap and ISP Log attacks, that infer miner earnings if given access to miner communications, or even their logs. We develop BiteCoin, an active attack that hijacks shares submitted by miners, and their associated payouts. We build BiteCoin on WireGhost, a tool we developed to hijack and surreptitiously maintain Stratum connections. Our attacks reveal that securing Stratum through pervasive encryption is not only undesirable (due to large overheads, but also ineffective: an adversary can predict miner earnings even when given access to only packet timestamps. Instead, we devise Bedrock, a minimalistic Stratum extension that protects the privacy and security of mining participants. We introduce and leverage the mining cookie concept, a secret that each miner shares with the pool and includes in its puzzle computations, and that prevents attackers from reconstructing or hijacking the puzzles.

  13. Research of the Space Clustering Method for the Airport Noise Data Minings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiwen Xie

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Mining the distribution pattern and evolution of the airport noise from the airport noise data and the geographic information of the monitoring points is of great significance for the scientific and rational governance of airport noise pollution problem. However, most of the traditional clustering methods are based on the closeness of space location or the similarity of non-spatial features, which split the duality of space elements, resulting in that the clustering result has difficult in satisfying both the closeness of space location and the similarity of non-spatial features. This paper, therefore, proposes a spatial clustering algorithm based on dual-distance. This algorithm uses a distance function as the similarity measure function in which spatial features and non-spatial features are combined. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can discover the noise distribution pattern around the airport effectively.

  14. PREVENTION OF ACID MINE DRAINAGE GENERATION FROM OPEN-PIT MINE HIGHWALLS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Exposed, open pit mine highwalls contribute significantly to the production of acid mine drainage (AMD) thus causing environmental concerns upon closure of an operating mine. Available information on the generation of AMD from open-pit mine highwalls is very limit...

  15. A direction of developing a mining method and mining complexes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gabov, V.V.; Efimov, I.A. [St. Petersburg State Mining Institute, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation). Vorkuta Branch

    1996-12-31

    The analyses of a mining method as a main factor determining the development stages of mining units is presented. The paper suggests a perspective mining method which differs from the known ones by following peculiarities: the direction selectivity of cuts with regard to coal seams structure; the cutting speed, thickness and succession of dusts. This method may be done by modulate complexes (a shield carrying a cutting head for coal mining), their mining devices being supplied with hydraulic drive. An experimental model of the module complex has been developed. 2 refs.

  16. Spatially characterizing visitor use and its association with informal trails in Yosemite Valley meadows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walden-Schreiner, Chelsey; Leung, Yu-Fai

    2013-07-01

    Ecological impacts associated with nature-based recreation and tourism can compromise park and protected area goals if left unrestricted. Protected area agencies are increasingly incorporating indicator-based management frameworks into their management plans to address visitor impacts. Development of indicators requires empirical evaluation of indicator measures and examining their ecological and social relevance. This study addresses the development of the informal trail indicator in Yosemite National Park by spatially characterizing visitor use in open landscapes and integrating use patterns with informal trail condition data to examine their spatial association. Informal trail and visitor use data were collected concurrently during July and August of 2011 in three, high-use meadows of Yosemite Valley. Visitor use was clustered at statistically significant levels in all three study meadows. Spatial data integration found no statistically significant differences between use patterns and trail condition class. However, statistically significant differences were found between the distance visitors were observed from informal trails and visitor activity type with active activities occurring closer to trail corridors. Gender was also found to be significant with male visitors observed further from trail corridors. Results highlight the utility of integrated spatial analysis in supporting indicator-based monitoring and informing management of open landscapes. Additional variables for future analysis and methodological improvements are discussed.

  17. Spatially Characterizing Visitor Use and Its Association with Informal Trails in Yosemite Valley Meadows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walden-Schreiner, Chelsey; Leung, Yu-Fai

    2013-07-01

    Ecological impacts associated with nature-based recreation and tourism can compromise park and protected area goals if left unrestricted. Protected area agencies are increasingly incorporating indicator-based management frameworks into their management plans to address visitor impacts. Development of indicators requires empirical evaluation of indicator measures and examining their ecological and social relevance. This study addresses the development of the informal trail indicator in Yosemite National Park by spatially characterizing visitor use in open landscapes and integrating use patterns with informal trail condition data to examine their spatial association. Informal trail and visitor use data were collected concurrently during July and August of 2011 in three, high-use meadows of Yosemite Valley. Visitor use was clustered at statistically significant levels in all three study meadows. Spatial data integration found no statistically significant differences between use patterns and trail condition class. However, statistically significant differences were found between the distance visitors were observed from informal trails and visitor activity type with active activities occurring closer to trail corridors. Gender was also found to be significant with male visitors observed further from trail corridors. Results highlight the utility of integrated spatial analysis in supporting indicator-based monitoring and informing management of open landscapes. Additional variables for future analysis and methodological improvements are discussed.

  18. Sediment pore-water interactions associated with arsenic and uranium transport from the North Cave Hills mining region, South Dakota, USA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larson, Lance N.; Kipp, Gregory G.; Mott, Henry V.; Stone, James J.

    2012-01-01

    The extent of historical U mining impacts is well documented for the North Cave Hills region of Harding County, South Dakota, USA. While previous studies reported watershed sediment and surface water As and U concentrations up to 90× established background concentrations, it was unclear whether or how localized changes in sediment redox behavior may influence contaminant remobilization. Five pore-water equilibration samplers (peepers) were spatially and temporally deployed within the study area to evaluate seasonal solid–liquid As and U distributions as a function of sediment depth. Pore-water and solid phase As and U concentrations, Fe speciation, Eh and pH were measured to ascertain specific geochemical conditions responsible for As and U remobilization and transport behavior. At a mine overburden sedimentation pond adjacent to the mine sites, high total aqueous As and U concentrations (4920 and 674 μg/L, respectively) were found within surface water during summer sampling; however pond dredging prior to autumn sampling resulted in significantly lower aqueous As and U concentrations (579 and 108 μg/L, respectively); however, both As and U still exceeded regional background concentrations (20 and 18 μg/L, respectively). At a wetlands-dominated deposition zone approximately 2 km downstream of the sedimentation pond, pore-water geochemical conditions varied seasonally. Summer conditions promoted reducing conditions in pore water, resulting in active release of As(III) to the water column. Autumn conditions promoted oxidizing conditions, decreasing pore-water As (As pw ) 5× and increasing U pw 10×. Peak U pore-water concentrations (781 μg/L) were 3.5× greater than determined for the surface water (226 μg/L), and approximately 40× background concentrations. At the Bowman–Haley reservoir backwaters 45 km downstream from the mine sites, As and U pore-water concentrations increased significantly between the summer and autumn deployments, attributed to

  19. Evaluation of the impact of mine activity on surrounding soils of Draa ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Heavy metal pollution is one of the most important problems in Morocco and causes serious effects to humans and animals. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of heavy metals in Draa Lasfar mine area in Marrakech city and understand the characteristics of the pollution generated by this ...

  20. Occupational respiratory diseases in the South African mining industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Gill

    2013-01-24

    Crystalline silica and asbestos are common minerals that occur throughout South Africa, exposure to either causes respiratory disease. Most studies on silicosis in South Africa have been cross-sectional and long-term trends have not been reported. Although much research has been conducted on the health effects of silica dust and asbestos fibre in the gold-mining and asbestos-mining sectors, little is known about their health effects in other mining sectors. The aims of this thesis were to describe silicosis trends in gold miners over three decades, and to explore the potential for diamond mine workers to develop asbestos-related diseases and platinum mine workers to develop silicosis. Mine workers for the three sub-studies were identified from a mine worker autopsy database at the National Institute for Occupational Health. From 1975 to 2007, the proportions of white and black gold mine workers with silicosis increased from 18 to 22% and from 3 to 32% respectively. Cases of diamond and platinum mine workers with asbestos-related diseases and silicosis, respectively, were also identified. The trends in silicosis in gold miners at autopsy clearly demonstrate the failure of the gold mines to adequately control dust and prevent occupational respiratory disease. The two case series of diamond and platinum mine workers contribute to the evidence for the risk of asbestos-related diseases in diamond mine workers and silicosis in platinum mine workers, respectively. The absence of reliable environmental dust measurements and incomplete work history records impedes occupational health research in South Africa because it is difficult to identify and/or validate sources of dust exposure that may be associated with occupational respiratory disease.