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At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Extended workdays in an underground mine: a work performance analysis.

Many companies in different industrial sectors are exploring alternative work schedules to deal with diverse problems associated with shiftwork. The use of extended workday schedules (regular shift lengths exceeding 8 h with compressed workweeks) is attracting growing interest in many industries that use continuous operations. To address concerns regarding possible fatigue effects on safety and work performance associated with such schedules, the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted a two-phase study at an underground metal mine in western Canada. Data were collected before and after a group of workers employed at the mine changed from an 8- to a 12-h schedule. Results indicate nearly unanimous acceptance and improved sleep quality associated with the new schedule. In general, fatigue-sensitive behavioral and physiological performance measures show either no change or improvement with 12-h shifts. We conclude that the extended workday schedule should be retained but periodically reevaluated.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

RESEARCH: Assessment of Nonpoint Source Pollution from Inactive Mines Using a Watershed-Based Approach

/ A watershed-based approach for screening-level assessment of nonpoint source pollution from inactive and abandoned metal mines was developed and illustrated. The methodology was designed to use limited stream discharge and chemical data from synoptic surveys to derive key information required for targeting impaired waterbodies and critical source areas for detailed investigation and remediation. The approach was formulated based on the required attributes of an assessment methodology, information goals for targeting, attributes of data that are typical of basins with inactive mines, and data analysis methods that were useful for the case study. The methodology is presented as steps in a framework including evaluation of existing data/information and identification of data gaps; definition of assessment information goals for targeting and monitoring design; data collection, management, and analysis; and information reporting and use for targeting. Information generated includes the type and extent of and critical conditions for water-quality impairment, concentrations in and loadings to streams, differences between concentrations in and loadings to streams, and risks of exceeding target concentrations and loadings. Data from the Cement Creek Basin, located in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, USA, were used to help develop and illustrate application of the methodology. The required information was derived for Cement Creek and used for preliminary targeting of locations for detailed investigation and remediation. Application of the approach to Cement Creek was successful in terms of cost-effective generation of information and use for targeting.KEY WORDS: Water quality assessment; Nonpoint source pollution; Inactive mines; Watershed

Journal Article↗
PubMed1991

Radiological classification of Polish underground mines and recommendations of surveillance.

The paper presents the most recent data, collected 1987-1989, on concentrations of 222Rn products in the air of all Polish underground non-uranium mines, and data on the exposure of the miners employed there. The concentrations and exposure of miners were evaluated by using 'passive' dosimeters, based on the track-etch solid state nuclear track detector, worn as small individual cassettes on helmets of representative groups in every mine for one month, four times a year (once in each season of the year). The paper contains the average annual exposure of miners in coal-, metal-ore-, and chemical raw materials oremines. The paper, also presents expected 'frequency' distributions of individual miners' exposure in particular types of mines, as well as the computer simulations of 'relative frequency' distributions of expected miner's exposure when the Annual Limit of Exposure would be adopted at the level 17, 12, 8.6, 6.9 and 3.4.10(-3) Jhm-3 (5.0, 3.5, 2.5, 2 and 1 WLM). The concept and criteria of classification of mines according to the radiation hazards are presented and discussed. According to that concept, all mines in Poland have been considered and classified into four classes of mines with a different level of radiation hazard. The appropriate radiological surveillance to the respective class of mine is proposed and discussed.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed2026

scBaseCount: An AI agent-curated, standardized, auto-updated single-cell data repository.

Single-cell RNA sequencing has transformed cell biology by enabling precise transcriptomic measurements of individual cells. The Sequence Read Archive (SRA) is the largest public repository of sequencing reads, yet much of it remains underutilized due to unstandardized metadata. Here, we introduce scBaseCount, a database that leverages an AI agent to automate discovery and metadata extraction and standardize data processing. Built by mining all 10x Genomics datasets, scBaseCount is the largest public repository of single-cell gene expression data, comprising over 502 million cells across 27 organisms and 75 tissues. It offers an unbiased view of the data landscape within the SRA and enables the training of more performant computational models through access to broader phenotypic diversity. Uniform processing enables measurement of both intronic and exonic reads and non-coding gene expression and improves alignment across experiments. Moreover, scBaseCount provides a blueprint for how AI can be leveraged to autonomously curate biological data repositories.

Single-Cell Analysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A re-evaluation of radiological evidence from a study of U.S. strip coal miners.

In 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service examined 1438 workers employed at seven bituminous and one anthracite U.S. strip coal mines. One conclusion from the study was that workers without previous dust exposures were not at risk of category 2 or higher pneumoconiosis from their strip coal mining environment. Because of recent concerns for silicosis among strip coal miners, the radiographs were reinterpreted and the data re-evaluated. In addition, data from respirable coal mine dust samples collected from 1972 to 1979 in all surface coal mines were analyzed. The results showed that category 2 or higher pneumoconiosis was prevalent among strip coal miners with experience in an underground coal mine. Among those without underground coal mine experience, category 2 or higher was prevalent among anthracite strip miners, but not among bituminous strip miners. Average respirable coal mine dust exposures in the anthracite mine were less than 1 mg/m3 prior to 1975 and, coupled with the radiographic findings, suggest further study of the efficacy of the 2 mg/m3 U.S. Federal surface coal mine dust standard in anthracite coal mines.

Coal Mining↗
PubMed1998

[The characteristics of mine-blast wounds in shoals].

The data obtained in experiments on shoal using plastic charges of 100-50-25 g of equivalent power of antipersonnel mines showed that injuring action on shoal was four times greater than that on land and resulted in considerably graver skeletal traumas and distant injuries. Of special significance in pathogenesis of mine-explosive wounds on shoal is pneumonia followed by arterial air embolism and encephalopathy. Although the undermining on land and on shoal have many common etiopathogenetic features, there are substantial differences first of all due to different mechanisms of their appearance. It must be taken into account while performing evacuatory, diagnostic and medical measures in such patients.

Animals↗
PubMed2025

Identification and classification of ion-channels across the tree of life provide functional insights into understudied CALHM channels.

The ion channel (IC) genes encoded in the human genome play fundamental roles in cellular functions and disease and are one of the largest classes of druggable proteins. However, limited knowledge of the diverse molecular and cellular functions carried out by ICs presents a major bottleneck in developing selective chemical probes for modulating their functions in disease states. The wealth of sequence data available on ICs from diverse organisms provides a valuable source of untapped information for illuminating the unique modes of channel regulation and functional specialization. However, the extensive diversification of IC sequences and the lack of a unified resource present a challenge in effectively using existing data for IC research. Here, we perform integrative mining of available sequence, structure, and functional data on 419 human ICs across disparate sources, including extensive literature mining by leveraging advances in large language models to annotate and curate the full complement of the "channelome". We employ a well-established orthology inference approach to identify and extend the IC orthologs across diverse organisms to above 48,000. We show that the depth of conservation and taxonomic representation of IC sequences can further be translated to functional similarities by clustering them into functionally relevant groups, which can be used for downstream functional prediction on understudied members. We demonstrate this by delineating co-conserved patterns characteristic of the understudied family of the Calcium Homeostasis Modulator (CALHM) family of ICs. Through mutational analysis of co-conserved residues altered in human diseases and electrophysiological studies, we show that these evolutionarily-constrained residues play an important role in channel gating functions. Thus, by providing new tools and resources for performing large comparative analyses on ICs, this study addresses the unique needs of the IC community and provides the groundwork for accelerating the functional characterization of dark channels for therapeutic intervention.

CALHM1↗
PubMed2000

Integrative analysis of protein interaction data.

We have developed a method for the integrative analysis of protein interaction data. It comprises clustering, visualization and data integration components. The method is generally applicable for all sequenced organisms. Here, we describe in detail the combination of protein interaction data in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae with the functional classification of all yeast proteins. We evaluate the utility of the method by comparison with experimental data and deduce hypotheses about the functional role of so far uncharacterized proteins. Further applications of the integrative analysis method are discussed. The method presented here is powerful and flexible. We show that it is capable of mining large-scale data sets.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Malaria among gold miners in southern Pará, Brazil: estimates of determinants and individual costs.

As malaria grows more prevalent in the Amazon frontier despite increased expenditures by disease control authorities, national and regional tropical disease control strategies are being called into question. The current crisis involving traditional control/eradication methods has broadened the search for feasible and effective malaria control strategies--a search that necessarily includes an investigation of the roles of a series of individual and community-level socioeconomic characteristics in determining malaria prevalence rates, and the proper methods of estimating these links. In addition, social scientists and policy makers alike know very little about the economic costs associated with malarial infections. In this paper, I use survey data from several Brazilian gold mining areas to (a) test the general reliability of malaria-related questionnaire response data, and suggest categorization methods to minimize the statistical influence of exaggerated responses, (b) estimate three statistical models aimed at detecting the socioeconomic determinants of individual malaria prevalence rates, and (c) calculate estimates of the average cost of a single bout of malaria. The results support the general reliability of survey response data gathered in conjunction with malaria research. Once the effects of vector exposure were controlled for, individual socioeconomic characteristics were only weakly linked to malaria prevalence rates in these very special miners' communities. Moreover, the socioeconomic and exposure links that were significant did not depend on the measure of malaria adopted. Finally, individual costs associated with malarial infections were found to be a significant portion of miners' incomes.

Brazil↗
PubMed2025

Discovery of diverse anellovirus sequences in Thai human sequencing data.

UNLABELLED: Anelloviruses are part of the normal human viral flora. Although their diversity in humans has been investigated in many countries, and despite their initial detection in Thailand in 1999, knowledge of Thai anelloviruses remains very limited. This study analyzed 1,175 whole-genome sequencing data sets from Thai individuals to mine for potential anellovirus sequences. Our analyses detected anellovirus sequences in 149 data sets (12.68%), uncovering 434 partial anellovirus sequences and 77 complete genome sequences, characterized by the presence of terminal redundancy, complete orf1, and the conserved untranslated region upstream of the orf1 gene. Sequence analyses indicated that these viruses belong to seven genera, including Alphatorquevirus, Betatorquevirus, Gammatorquevirus, Hetorquevirus, Lamedtorquevirus, Samektorquevirus, and Yodtorquevirus. Notably, Hetorquevirus, Lamedtorquevirus, Samektorquevirus, and Yodtorquevirus had not previously been reported in Thailand. Phylogenetic analysis of ORF1 protein sequences showed that Thai anelloviruses form multiple phylogenetic clusters with non-Thai anelloviruses, indicating frequent cross-country transmission and multiple origins of the virus in Thailand. Furthermore, sequence similarity network analysis identified 33 potentially novel anellovirus species in our data set. Our findings greatly expand the knowledge of anellovirus diversity in Thailand and demonstrate the potential of human whole-genome sequencing data as a valuable resource for viral discovery. Lastly, we highlight and discuss some challenges with the use of the current pairwise sequence similarity-based classification scheme, in particular, how gaps can influence similarity calculation and potentially lead to inconsistencies with a phylogenetic-based classification scheme. IMPORTANCE: Anelloviruses are widespread in humans, yet their diversity remains poorly characterized in many regions, including Thailand. Here, we demonstrate that human sequencing data sets, originally generated without the intention for virome research, can be effectively mined for anellovirus sequences, including complete genomes. Our findings reveal a substantial number of previously unreported anelloviruses in Thailand, significantly expanding the known diversity of the virus. We also highlight potential limitations of the current anellovirus species classification scheme, which is based on pairwise orf1 sequence similarity analysis with a hard threshold cutoff at 69%. Our results reveal that the current scheme can sometimes yield taxonomic groupings that are inconsistent with phylogenetic relationships, particularly when significant alignment gaps are present. Overall, our results show that existing human sequencing data can be effectively repurposed for virus discovery research and suggest the need for more robust and phylogenetically informed classification frameworks as viral sequence databases continue to expand.

Humans↗
PubMed1995

East German uranium miners (Wismut)--exposure conditions and health consequences.

Underground uranium mining was performed in East Germany after World War II on a large scale. East Germany was the main supplier of uranium for the Soviet Union. This review gives a historical summary and describes the broad spectrum of exposure to potential health hazards and the health consequences. Working conditions were very poor during the postwar years from approximately 1946-1955: there was drilling with air floating and a lack of forced ventilation. Dust levels were very high and there was a significant inhalative incorporation of alpha-radiating substances, mostly from short-lived radon progeny. However, long-lived alpha-radiating substances such as uranium-238 contributed considerably to the radiation dose. There was also exposure to toxic chemicals, such as arsenic (in some mines) or crystalline silica, and a variety of other health hazards. From approximately 1956-1970, mining conditions improved: there was drilling with the addition of water and forced ventilation of the mines. As of approximately 1970, compliance with rules of industrial hygiene and international standards of radiation protection was evident. In 1990, uranium production was generally stopped. To date, more than 5,000 cases of bronchial carcinoma are accepted as compensable occupational diseases and more are expected. The extensive data from Wismut uranium mining could improve our understanding of a complex exposure situation resulting in a variety of health impairments other than lung cancer.

Germany↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Does coal mine dust present a risk for lung cancer? A case-control study of U.S. coal miners.

This paper evaluates the relationship between the risk of lung cancer mortality and coal mine dust exposure under control by cigarette smoking status. Two case-control studies based on 317 white male lung cancer mortality cases are presented. A one-to-one matched-case design allows examination of the risk of coal mine dust exposure and cigarette smoking. A two-to-one matched-case design was employed to examine the lung cancer risk of coal mine dust exposure independent of cigarette smoking. Based upon these data, no evidence of a coal mine dust exposure-lung cancer risk was found, although the expected increased risk for lung cancer in cigarette smokers was observed. There was no evidence of an interactive effect between cigarette smoking and coal mine dust exposure.

Coal Mining↗
PubMed2000

Distribution, speciation, and transport of mercury in stream-sediment, stream-water, and fish collected near abandoned mercury mines in southwestern Alaska, USA.

Concentrations of total Hg, Hg (II), and methylmercury were measured in stream-sediment, stream-water, and fish collected downstream from abandoned mercury mines in southwestern Alaska to evaluate environmental effects to surrounding ecosystems. These mines are found in a broad belt covering several tens of thousands of square kilometers, primarily in the Kuskokwim River basin. Mercury ore is dominantly cinnabar (HgS), but elemental mercury (Hg degrees) is present in ore at one mine and near retorts and in streams at several mine sites. Approximately 1400 t of mercury have been produced from the region, which is approximately 99% of all mercury produced from Alaska. These mines are not presently operating because of low prices and low demand for mercury. Stream-sediment samples collected downstream from the mines contain as much as 5500 microg/g Hg. Such high Hg concentrations are related to the abundance of cinnabar, which is highly resistant to physical and chemical weathering, and is visible in streams below mine sites. Although total Hg concentrations in the stream-sediment samples collected near mines are high, Hg speciation data indicate that concentrations of Hg (II) are generally less than 5%, and methylmercury concentrations are less than 1% of the total Hg. Stream waters below the mines are neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 6.8-8.4), which is a result of the insolubility of cinnabar and the lack of acid-generating minerals such as pyrite in the deposits. Unfiltered stream-water samples collected below the mines generally contain 500-2500 ng/l Hg; whereas, corresponding stream-water samples filtered through a 0.45-microm membrane contain less than 50 ng/l Hg. These stream-water results indicate that most of the Hg transported downstream from the mines is as finely-suspended material rather than dissolved Hg. Mercury speciation data show that concentrations of Hg (II) and methylmercury in stream-water samples are typically less than 22 ng/l, and generally less than 5% of the total Hg. Muscle samples of fish collected downstream from mines contain as much as 620 ng/g Hg (wet wt.), of which 90-100% is methylmercury. Although these Hg concentrations are several times higher than that in fish collected from regional baseline sites, the concentration of Hg in fish is below the 1000 ng/g action level for edible fish established by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Salmon contain less than 100 ng/g Hg, which are among the lowest Hg contents observed for fish in the study, and well below the FDA action level.

Alaska↗
PubMed1994

The assessment of exposure in terms of fibres.

The membrane filter (MF) method for evaluating asbestos fibre concentrations was introduced in the 1960s. Before that time the midget impinger (MI) was used in North America, while the long running (LRTP) and regular thermal precipitator (TP) were used in the U.K. All studies from which estimates of long-term health risks can be derived (i.e. those with individual cumulative lifetime exposure estimates) were based on the now obsolete methods. The reliability of converting these indices of exposure to MF equivalent concentrations was reviewed. It was concluded that no overall single factor could be derived for the Quebec mining and milling industry. However, it has been possible to derive conversion factors at the individual mill and work area level. Applying these in one Quebec mortality study analysis based on all jobs held by persons in the cohort gave an overall MF/MI ratio of 3.6. An examination of the confidence intervals surrounding the Quebec data, ratios derived for other chrysotile mines by other investigators, and measurements of fibre concentrations in the 1970s suggest that this was probably not unreasonable. Side-by-side and other measurements were used to convert MI concentrations in the U.S. textile industry to MF fibre concentrations. While conversions involve considerable uncertainty, independent measurements of fibres in the lung tissues of workers from the U.S. textile plant and Quebec mills show that in lungs the ratios of the concentrations of chrysotile to those of tremolite are quite consistent with the ratio of assessed exposures to these fibres in the two industries. There is an apparently higher risk of mesothelioma in one Quebec mining area (Thetford Mines) than in another (Asbestos). A high concentration of fibrous tremolite has been found in the lungs of workers in Thetford. A method of evaluating the extent to which mesothelioma risk in the chrysotile mining industry might be explained by tremolite exposures was proposed. The slope of the lung cancer dose-response relationship for the textile industry is approximately 50 times that for the mining and milling industry. Available data on the length distributions of fibres from Quebec mines and mills (up to 5% > 5 microns) and the Charleston textile plant (up to 21% > 5 microns) and some marginal indication of longer fibres in tissues from Charleston workers suggest that further work specifically addressing differences in the size distributions of long fibres in these industries is needed.

Asbestos, Serpentine↗
PubMed1993

Monitoring genotoxic exposure in uranium miners.

Recent data from deep uranium mines in Czechoslovakia indicated that in addition to radon daughter products, miners are also exposed to chemical mutagens. Mycotoxins were identified as a possible source of mutagenicity present in the mines. Various methods of biomonitoring were used to examine three groups of miners from different uranium mines. Cytogenetic analysis of peripheral lymphocytes, unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in lymphocytes, and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in both plasma and lymphocytes were studied on 66 exposed miners and 56 controls. Throat swabs were taken from 116 miners and 78 controls. Significantly increased numbers of aberrant cells were found in all groups of miners, as well as decreased UDS values in lymphocytes and increased LPO plasma levels in comparison to controls. Molds were detected in throat swabs from 27% of miners, and 58% of these molds were embryotoxic. Only 5% of the control samples contained molds and none of them was embryotoxic. The following mycotoxins were isolated from miners' throat swab samples: rugulosin, sterigmatocystin, mycophenolic acid, brevianamid A, citreoviridin, citrinin, penicilic acid, and secalonic acid. These data suggest that mycotoxins are a genotoxic factor affecting uranium miners.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

An improved inventory of methane emissions from coal mining in the United States.

Past efforts to estimate methane emissions from underground mines, surface mines, and other coal mine operations have been hampered, to different degrees, by a lack of direct emissions data. Direct measurements have been completely unavailable for several important coal mining operations. A primary goal of this study was to collect new methane emissions measurements and other data for the most poorly characterized mining operations and use these data to develop an improved methane emission inventory for the U.S. coal mining industry. This required the development and verification of measurement methods for surface mines, coal handling operations, and abandoned underground mines and the use of these methods at about 30 mining sites across the United States. Although the study's focus was on surface mines, abandoned underground mines, and coal handling operations, evaluations were also conducted to improve our understanding of underground mine emission trends and to develop improved national data sets of coal properties. Total U.S. methane emissions are estimated to be 4.669 million tons, and as expected, emissions from underground mine ventilation and methane drainage systems dominate (74% of the total emissions). On the other hand, emissions from coal handling, abandoned underground mines, and surface mines are significant, and collectively they represent approximately 26% of the total emissions.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Discovery of a new focus of human onchocerciasis in central Brazil.

An autochthonous case of human onchocerciasis was reported 13 years ago in the town of Minaçu, northern Goiás (Brazil), but a subsequent survey of the population using the traditional technique of examining skin biopsies with the light microscope failed to detect other cases. Recent surveys using more sensitive diagnostic techniques (serodiagnosis, DNA probes, Mazzotti test) that are detailed in this paper revealed the presence of other cases of the disease in Minaçu, the nearby town of Formoso and at the Buracão gold mine near Paranã. The data show that transmission of the disease has occurred to local people living in town and on farms and that gold miners (garimpeiros) are a likely source of infection.

Adolescent↗