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PubMed2003

[Relationship of the hair content of rare earth elements in young children aged 0 to 3 years to that in their mothers living in a rare earth mining area of Jiangxi].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship of hair content of rare earth elements (REEs) in the young children aged 0 - 3 years to that in their mothers living in a rare earth mining area of Jiangxi Province. METHODS: Content of five kinds of REEs, i.e., lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd) and samarium (Sm) were determined for the hair-root samples collected from 71 young children and 62 of their mothers by inductively coupled plasma source mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). RESULTS: The mean hair content of REEs (e.g., La) was the highest (2,202.90 ng/g) in the young children living in the place nearest to the REE mining area, next (471.72 ng/g) was in those nearer to the REE mining area, and the lowest (97.37 ng/g) was in those in the control area. And, the hair content of REEs in the mothers was the same as that in their children, i.e, the mean content of La was the highest (1,510.21 ng/g) in high-exposure area, next (241.63 ng/g) was that in the low-exposure area, and the lowest (59.15 ng/g) was that in the control area, with P < 0.001. Pair-comparison analysis for the means showed that the average hair level of five kinds of REEs in the young children was two times high as their mothers' (P < 0.001). For example, the hair level of La was 533.83 ng/g in the young children and 279.78 ng/g in their mothers, respectively. Simple linear regression analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between the hair levels of each kind of REEs in the young children and those in their mothers, with a correlation coefficient of more than 0.75, e.g., that of La was 0.878 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The hair level of REEs can be used as a bio-marker to reflect body's level of exposure to REEs. The hair level of REEs in young children and their mothers decreased with the increase of the distance from their home to rare earth mining area. Young children living in the area with REEs mining may be the high-exposure population, and their hair level of REEs was significantly higher than that in their mothers and more attention should be paid to them.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed2005

Impacts of gold mining and land use alterations on the water quality of central Mongolian rivers.

Conservation of water quality is inherently tied to watershed management. Efforts to proect Lake Baikal have increasingly focused on the Selenge River, a major tributary, with more than half its watershed area in Mongolia. Placer gold mining in Mongolia has the potential to load total suspended sediment (TSS), and total phosphorus (TP) into Lake Baikal and destroy spawning areas for the endangered Taimen salmon (Hucho taimen taimen). This work describes water quality assessments performed from 2001 to 2003 on Mongolian tributaries to the Selenge River. Of 7 rivers sampled, rivers with proximal mining had the worst water quality. Elevated loading of TSS and TP was observed below mining regions on the Tuul River. Flooding could breach thin strips of land separating dredge pits from river channels, resulting in massive sediment loading. Extensive disturbance of the river terrace was apparent for many square kilometers. In the mountainous headwaters of the Yeroo River, tributary drainages undergoing mining had TP concentrations 8 to 15 times higher than the main stem. TSS was 7 to 12 times higher, and turbidity was 8 times higher. Alternative mining technologies exist that could minimize impact and improve the possibility for reclamation.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗

PubMed2004

Assessment of air pollution indices in opencast coal mining complex--an Indian case study.

India is world's third largest coal-producing country and to meet the future energy demand it will have to produce coal at a faster rate. The coal by opencast mining has been about 80% of the total production. This paper focuses on some of the key air pollution problems arising from increased use of opencast mining. It examines the utility of an Air Pollution Index (API) for tackling air pollution problems. A fact-finding survey was conducted to evaluate the status of air pollution due to opencast coal mining in Jharia Coalfield of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. The approach for the selection of air monitoring stations, its monitoring programme, data analysis and results are discussed. The Oak Ridge Air Quality Index (ORAQI) was used to evaluate the relative ranking of overall air quality different locations within the mining complex. The paper recommends the use of API data rather than individual air pollution level data when attempting to develop effective air pollution control strategies for mining areas.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed1990

[Current problems of teaching hygiene to students of vocational coal mining schools].

Proceeding from the study of organization of the teaching and production process among students of secondary vocational mining schools it was established that students' physical adaptation, developed to the end of theoretical studies, was rather unstable. Exposure to a number of occupational factors of mines caused stress of regulatory mechanisms at the initial stage of probation that was succeeded by adaptative reconstruction when working in rather shallow mines and by its absence when working in deep mines. Thus, the necessity of hygienic corrections in the teaching process of students of vocational mining schools was underlined.

Coal Mining↗

PubMed1985

Underground mining, smoking, and lung cancer: a case-control study in the iron ore municipalities in northern Sweden.

A case-control study of lung cancer in males was performed in two municipalities in northern Sweden with large iron ore mines. Previous studies had revealed an increased lung cancer risk for underground workers in these mines, with all probability related to radon daughter exposure. Data concerning underground mining and smoking were obtained from questionnaires. All analyses suggested an interaction of a multiplicative type between underground mining and smoking in the causation of lung cancer in this population. The calculated population etiologic fraction was about 45% for underground mining and about 80% for smoking.

Aged↗

PubMed1994

[Classification of mines in Poland by group radiation exposure of miners].

The computer data base on individual occupational exposure to ionizing radiation among miners (established at the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz) was used to classify all Polish non-uranium mines (coal, copper, lead-zinc and chemical raw material mines) according to values of the so-called group radiation exposure (in man-sivert units). In total 72 coal mines, 13 chemical raw material mines and 10 metal ore mines employing 246,580, 3,080, 17,820 miners, respectively, were assessed. The analysis of individual annual miners exposures indicated the highest exposure to ionizing radiation in this group of workers in comparison with other occupational groups in Poland. An equivalent occupational group dose in Poland amounts to 1,480 man-siverts. Out of this dose 96.4% is received by miners, 2.5% by X-ray workers, 0.7% by workers of isotope laboratories and 0.1% by physiotherapeutists working in health resorts.

Environmental Monitoring↗

PubMed1993

[Determination of natural ionizing radiation exposure near copper mines in Poland].

The results of preliminary tests of natural ionising radiation performed in the area of mining plants and their surroundings have been presented. The survey included measurements of radon concentration and gamma-ray dose rate in free air at 25 locations, 40K, 226Ra and 228Th determination in 48 samples of ore, ore concentrate, floatation tailings, rock and soil as well as 226Ra determination in 11 samples of mine water and river. It was found that the natural radioactivity of ore, rock, concentrate and tailings from mine is higher than the environmental background. For that reason a technologically enhanced natural radiation may occur at some places of mining plants and surrounding areas. Those places must undergo full dosimetric investigation and be under control. It was impossible to estimate how much the environment is contaminated by radon and water coming from mine. However one can say that generally the gamma ray background and radon concentration in free air of this region are at the level considered as a normal.

Air Pollution, Radioactive↗

PubMed1993

[Social and health conditions in a former coal mining area in Fukuoka, Japan].

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the residual effect of the former coal mining industry upon the social and health conditions of an area that was the side of a once prospering coal mining industry. The area was partitioned into two types of districts according to the percentage of residential housing that was for coal miners. The first district consisted predominantly of tenant homes for the coal miners (coal miner district) and the remaining area made up the second district (other district). Health conditions in the two districts were compared by standard mortality rates (SMR), and age-specific death rates for all disease and non-disease related deaths. Social conditions were compared based upon sex, age, employment stauts, and job type. The results were as follows: (1) Total unemployment rate, the percentage of households with no income earner, and single-family households, was higher in the coal miner district than in the other district. (2) The SMRs for all deaths in the coal miner district were significantly higher than in the other district. (3) While not significant the SMRs for disease related deaths were higher in the coal miner district. (4) Even in the younger age group (both male and female), while having no direct relationship with the coal mining industry, the SMRs were higher in the coal mine district. (5) The SMRs for suicides and homicides that occurred among the men residing in the coal miner district were higher. In conclusion, the social and health conditions in this former coal mining residential area were poorer than in the other area.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Historical total and respirable silica dust exposure levels in mines and pottery factories in China.

Historical exposure estimates of total dust and respirable silica were made in a recent nested case-referent study of lung cancer among mine and pottery workers in China. Exposure to total dust and respirable silica was assessed in 20 mines and 9 pottery factories. The average total dust concentration was 7.26 mg center dot m-3, with a range from 17.68 mg center dot m-3 in the 1950s to 3.85 mg center dot m-3 in the 1980s, while the average respirable silica dust was 1.22 mg center dot m-3, with a range from 3.89 mg center dot m-3 in the 1950s to 0.43 mg center dot m-3 in the 1980s. The highest respirable silica dust occurred in the underground mining operations (1.43 mg center dot m-3), particularly for manual drillers (9.03 mg center dot m-3). Among all facility types, tungsten mines had the highest respirable silica dust exposure (1.75 mg center dot m-3), while the lowest exposure occurred in copper-iron mines (0.32 mg center dot m-3).

Ceramics↗

PubMed1997

Predictors of smoking in a cross section of novice mine workers.

OBJECTIVE: To determine demographic predictors of smoking status amongst novice mine workers. SETTING: Prospective mine workers undergoing fitness examination at the Medical Bureau for Occupational Diseases. DESIGN: Cross sectional study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Current smoking status. RESULTS: Smoking status is significantly linked to age, race group, nationality and previous employment status. Education is also a predictor of smoking status, but the association is weak. Smoking prevalence in subgroups of novice mine workers varies from less than 10% to nearly 75%. CONCLUSION: Assumptions of very high smoking rates amongst all mine workers are too simplistic. Smoking cannot be regarded globally as a major confounder of occupational exposure and occupational lung disease for all groups of mine workers.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Industry Response to the Challenge of Sustainability: The Case of the Canadian Nonferrous Mining Sector

/ The paper investigates how the Canadian nonferrous sector is tackling the challenge of sustainable development. Although there is no consensus as to what sustainable development means in practice for management in the sector, at least three dimensions must be taken into account: (1) metals are recyclable, the availability of this resource is not a concern for the foreseeable future; (2) the need to minimize environmental impacts of metals exploration, extraction, transformation, consumption, and recycling; and (3) production activities should not be socially or culturally disruptive. The nonferrous mining industry faces several environmental problems. Some of the most significant are acid mine drainage, sulfur emissions, recycling, and metals toxicity. The industry has developed a number of responses to address these specific concerns as well as other more general challenges. Six strategies are described and analyzed: (1) research and development, (2) an effort of consensus building among stakeholders known as the Whitehorse Mining Initiative, (3) international networking, (4) active involvement in the development of environmental management standards, (5) management reorganization and (6) voluntary agreements. The importance of external factors in the shaping of corporate environmental management practices is discussed, in particular the role of government. Progress has been achieved in three areas: (1) managerial practices and organization, (2) reducing the impacts of ongoing operations and (3) minimizing future liabilities, but two significant fields of conflict remain, namely mining in wilderness areas and projects on aboriginal lands.KEY WORDS: Canada; Environmental management; Minerals industry; Nonferrous metals; Sustainable development; Whitehorse Mining Initiative

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Transposition of MINE, a composite retrotransposon, in the avirulence gene ACE1 of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea.

The ACE1 avirulence gene allele from the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea was characterized in virulent isolate 2/0/3, revealing the insertion of a 1.9 kb MINE retrotransposon in the last ACE1 exon. MINE is a novel chimeric element composed of a transcribed non-coding sequence of 1.1 kb (WEIRD) fused to a 5'-truncated MGL retrotransposon. MINEs were found in high copy number in M. grisea isolates from rice (68 copies) and as a single copy in isolate CD156 from Eleusine. MINEs vary in size (1.3-6.7 kb) with conserved 5' WEIRD sequences and variable 3' MGL sequences. MGLs fused to WEIRDs correspond to different 5'-truncated MGLs with conserved 3' ends. The organization and diversity of MINEs suggest that these retrotransposons result from independent fusions between WEIRD and 5'-truncated MGLs. Such chimera could be formed during MGL reverse transcription as proposed for human U6-LINE1 chimeric retrotransposons and integrated into M. grisea genome using MGL machinery.

DNA, Fungal↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A conserved polar region in the cell division site determinant MinD is required for responding to MinE-induced oscillation but not for localization within coiled arrays.

A region in the cell division site determinant MinD required for stimulation by MinE and which determines MinD topological specificity along coil-like structures has been identified. Structural modeling of dimeric MinD and sequence alignment of 24 MinD proteins revealed a conserved polar region in Gram-negative bacterial MinD proteins, corresponding to residues 92-94 of Neisseria gonorrhoeae MinD (MinD(Ng)). Using MinD(Ng) as a paradigm for MinD functionality in Gram-negative organisms, mutation of these conserved residues did not abrogate MinD(Ng) self-association, nor its interaction with MinE(Ng) and the cell division inhibitor MinC. Although the MinD(Ng) mutant dimerized in the presence of ATP, its ATPase activity was not stimulated by MinE(Ng), unlike wild-type MinD(Ng). GFP fusions to either MinD(Ng) or to Escherichia coli MinD bearing simultaneous or individual mutations to residues 92-94 localized within coiled arrays along the E. coli inner cell periphery, similar to wild-type GFP-MinD. However, unlike wild-type GFP-fusions, the mutant proteins were distributed uniformly throughout the array, despite the presence of MinE, which normally imparts topological specificity to MinD by inducing the latter to oscillate from pole-to-pole and away from midcell. Hence, despite localizing along the inner cell periphery as a polymeric structure, the mutant MinD proteins in this study have lost the ability to be efficiently stimulated by MinE(Ng), resulting in a loss of distinct pole-to-pole oscillation.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

PubMed1997

Spatial and temporal patterns of acidity and heavy metals in predicting the potential for ecological impact on the Le An river polluted by acid mine drainage.

Integration and comparison of metal contamination from acid mine drainage and an assessment of the potential for ecological impact was conducted in the aquatic ecosystems of the Le An river. The results indicated low acidity, high levels of suspended solids containing a high content of copper in river water and sediment in the upstream region of the Le An river due to the pollution from the Dexing copper mine, and high concentrations of zinc and copper in surface water and sediments, high release potential and ready bioavailability of heavy metals in sediments downstream (after site A07) due to the pollution from the Jishui river. The pollution from acid mine drainage in the Le An river potentially effects an ecological impact on the aquatic ecosystem, mainly between sites A04 and A08. The management strategy should, therefore be mainly applied to acid mine drainage from the Dexing copper mine and heavy metal discharges from the Jishui river.

Acids↗

PubMed1995

Deaths and injuries caused by land mines in Mozambique.

Land mines in Mozambique are still causing death and injuries years after the initial dispute. Since 1980, 3400 people have had an amputation because of land mine injuries. However, there are no direct estimates of the number of deaths or casualties which are not treated in hospitals. In March, 1994, a medical team assembled by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) conducted household surveys in the province of Manica and in the sub-district of Metuchira, province of Sofala. The object was to assess the frequency and severity of injuries and mortality caused by land mines in the civilian population. We found ratios of 8.1 and 16.7 casualties per 1000 living people in Manica and Metuchira, respectively. The prevalence of amputees was 3.2 per 1000 in Manica, and 2.3 in Metuchira. These figures are several folds higher than suggested by hospital data. The case fatality rate was 48%. Most of the victims were civilians (68%) and were injured by antipersonnel mines (81%). 16% of victims were women, and 7% were under 15 years of age. Our results suggest that the impact of land mines is substantially higher than originally thought.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Data mining in the US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS): early detection of intussusception and other events after rotavirus vaccination.

The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is the US passive surveillance system monitoring vaccine safety. A major limitation of VAERS is the lack of denominator data (number of doses of administered vaccine), an element necessary for calculating reporting rates. Empirical Bayesian data mining, a data analysis method, utilizes the number of events reported for each vaccine and statistically screens the database for higher than expected vaccine-event combinations signaling a potential vaccine-associated event. This is the first study of data mining in VAERS designed to test the utility of this method to detect retrospectively a known side effect of vaccination-intussusception following rotavirus (RV) vaccine. From October 1998 to December 1999, 112 cases of intussusception were reported. The data mining method was able to detect a signal for RV-intussusception in February 1999 when only four cases were reported. These results demonstrate the utility of data mining to detect significant vaccine-associated events at early date. Data mining appears to be an efficient and effective computer-based program that may enhance early detection of adverse events in passive surveillance systems.

Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Learning from the data: mining of large high-throughput screening databases.

High-throughput screening (HTS) campaigns in pharmaceutical companies have accumulated a large amount of data for several million compounds over a couple of hundred assays. Despite the general awareness that rich information is hidden inside the vast amount of data, little has been reported for a systematic data mining method that can reliably extract relevant knowledge of interest for chemists and biologists. We developed a data mining approach based on an algorithm called ontology-based pattern identification (OPI) and applied it to our in-house HTS database. We identified nearly 1500 scaffold families with statistically significant structure-HTS activity profile relationships. Among them, dozens of scaffolds were characterized as leading to artifactual results stemming from the screening technology employed, such as assay format and/or readout. Four types of compound scaffolds can be characterized based on this data mining effort: tumor cytotoxic, general toxic, potential reporter gene assay artifact, and target family specific. The OPI-based data mining approach can reliably identify compounds that are not only structurally similar but also share statistically significant biological activity profiles. Statistical tests such as Kruskal-Wallis test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) can then be applied to the discovered scaffolds for effective assignment of relevant biological information. The scaffolds identified by our HTS data mining efforts are an invaluable resource for designing SAR-robust diversity libraries, generating in silico biological annotations of compounds on a scaffold basis, and providing novel target family specific scaffolds for focused compound library design.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2001

Delayed triggering of the 1999 Hector Mine earthquake by viscoelastic stress transfer.

Stress changes in the crust due to an earthquake can hasten the failure of neighbouring faults and induce earthquake sequences in some cases. The 1999 Hector Mine earthquake in southern California (magnitude 7.1) occurred only 20 km from, and 7 years after, the 1992 Landers earthquake (magnitude 7.3). This suggests that the Hector Mine earthquake was triggered in some fashion by the earlier event. But uncertainties in the slip distribution and rock friction properties associated with the Landers earthquake have led to widely varying estimates of both the magnitude and sign of the resulting stress change that would be induced at the location of the Hector Mine hypocentre-with estimates varying from -1.4 bar (ref. 6) to +0.5 bar (ref. 7). More importantly, coseismic stress changes alone cannot satisfactorily explain the delay of 7 years between the two events. Here we present the results of a three-dimensional viscoelastic model that simulates stress transfer from the ductile lower crust and upper mantle to the brittle upper crust in the 7 years following the Landers earthquake. Using viscoelastic parameters that can reproduce the observed horizontal surface deformation following the Landers earthquake, our calculations suggest that lower-crustal or upper-mantle flow can lead to postseismic stress increases of up to 1-2 bar at the location of the Hector Mine hypocentre during this time period, contributing to the eventual occurrence of the 1999 Hector Mine earthquake. These results attest to the importance of considering viscoelastic processes in the assessment of seismic hazard.

Journal Article↗