Grouping Minerals by Their Formulas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulvey, Bridget

2018-01-01

Minerals are commonly taught in ways that emphasize mineral identification for its own sake or maybe to help identify rocks. But how do minerals fit in with other science content taught? The author uses mineral formulas to help Earth science students wonder about the connection between elements, compounds, mixtures, minerals, and mineral formulas.…

A Practical Method for Identifying Significant Change Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cascio, Wayne F.; Kurtines, William M.

1977-01-01

A test of significance for identifying individuals who are most influenced by an experimental treatment as measured by pre-post test change score is presented. The technique requires true difference scores, the reliability of obtained differences, and their standard error of measurement. (Author/JKS)

Identification of provenance rocks based on EPMA analyses of heavy minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, M.; Sano, N.; Ueki, T.; Yonaga, Y.; Yasue, K. I.; Masakazu, N.

2017-12-01

Information on mountain building is significant in the field of geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, because this affects long-term stability in groundwater flow system. Provenance analysis is one of effective approaches for understanding building process of mountains. Chemical compositions of heavy minerals, as well as their chronological data, can be an index for identification of provenance rocks. The accurate identification requires the measurement of as many grains as possible. In order to achieve an efficient provenance analysis, we developed a method for quick identification of heavy minerals using an Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA). In this method, heavy mineral grains extracted from a sample were aligned on a glass slide and mounted in a resin. Concentration of 28 elements was measured for 300-500 grains per sample using EPMA. To measure as many grains as possible, we prioritized swiftness of measurement over precision, configuring measurement time of about 3.5 minutes for each grain. Identification of heavy minerals was based on their chemical composition. We developed a Microsoft® Excel® spread sheet input criteria of mineral identification using a typical range of chemical compositions for each mineral. The grains of <80 wt.% or >110 wt.% total were rejected. The criteria of mineral identification were revised through the comparison between mineral identification by optical microscopy and chemical compositions of grains classified as "unknown minerals". Provenance rocks can be identified based on abundance ratio of identified minerals. If no significant difference of the abundance ratio was found among source rocks, chemical composition of specific minerals was used as another index. This method was applied to the sediments of some regions in Japan where provenance rocks had lithological variations but similar formation ages. Consequently, the provenance rocks were identified based on chemical compositions of heavy minerals

Mineral Dissolution and Precipitation due to Carbon Dioxide-Water-Rock Interactions: The Significance of Accessory Minerals in Carbonate Reservoirs (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaszuba, J. P.; Marcon, V.; Chopping, C.

2013-12-01

Accessory minerals in carbonate reservoirs, and in the caprocks that seal these reservoirs, can provide insight into multiphase fluid (CO2 + H2O)-rock interactions and the behavior of CO2 that resides in these water-rock systems. Our program integrates field data, hydrothermal experiments, and geochemical modeling to evaluate CO2-water-rock reactions and processes in a variety of carbonate reservoirs in the Rocky Mountain region of the US. These studies provide insights into a wide range of geologic environments, including natural CO2 reservoirs, geologic carbon sequestration, engineered geothermal systems, enhanced oil and gas recovery, and unconventional hydrocarbon resources. One suite of experiments evaluates the Madison Limestone on the Moxa Arch, Southwest Wyoming, a sulfur-rich natural CO2 reservoir. Mineral textures and geochemical features developed in the experiments suggest that carbonate minerals which constitute the natural reservoir will initially dissolve in response to emplacement of CO2. Euhedral, bladed anhydrite concomitantly precipitates in response to injected CO2. Analogous anhydrite is observed in drill core, suggesting that secondary anhydrite in the natural reservoir may be related to emplacement of CO2 into the Madison Limestone. Carbonate minerals ultimately re-precipitate, and anhydrite dissolves, as the rock buffers the acidity and reasserts geochemical control. Another suite of experiments emulates injection of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery in the Desert Creek Limestone (Paradox Formation), Paradox Basin, Southeast Utah. Euhedral iron oxyhydroxides (hematite) precipitate at pH 4.5 to 5 and low Eh (approximately -0.1 V) as a consequence of water-rock reaction. Injection of CO2 decreases pH to approximately 3.5 and increases Eh by approximately 0.1 V, yielding secondary mineralization of euhedral pyrite instead of iron oxyhydroxides. Carbonate minerals also dissolve and ultimately re-precipitate, as determined by experiments in the

Vitamin D and calcium supplementation for three years in postmenopausal osteoporosis significantly alters bone mineral and organic matrix quality.

PubMed

Paschalis, E P; Gamsjaeger, S; Hassler, N; Fahrleitner-Pammer, A; Dobnig, H; Stepan, J J; Pavo, I; Eriksen, E F; Klaushofer, K

2017-02-01

Prospective, controlled clinical trials in postmenopausal osteoporosis typically compare effects of an active drug with placebo in addition to vitamin D and calcium supplementation in both treatment arms. While clinical benefits are documented, the effect of this supplementation in the placebo arm and in clinical practice on bone material composition properties is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate these bone quality indices (specifically mineral/matrix, nanoporosity, glycosaminoglycan content, mineral maturity/crystallinity, and pyridinoline content) in patients that either received long-term vitamin D (400-1200IU) and calcium (1.0-1.5g) supplementation, or did not. We have analyzed by Raman microspectroscopy the bone forming trabecular surfaces of iliac crest in pre-treatment samples of a teriparatide study and the endpoint biopsies of the control arm obtained from the HORIZON trial. In general, the mineral/matrix ratio and the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content was higher while nanoporosity, (a surrogate for tissue water content), the mineral maturity/crystallinity (MMC) and the pyridinoline (Pyd) content was lower in patients without long-term supplementation. Moreover, all indices were significantly dependent on tissue age. In conclusion, vitamin D and calcium supplementation is associated with altered mineral and organic matrix properties. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Loss of DMP1 causes rickets and osteomalacia and identifies a role for osteocytes in mineral metabolism

PubMed Central

Feng, Jian Q; Ward, Leanne M; Liu, Shiguang; Lu, Yongbo; Xie, Yixia; Yuan, Baozhi; Yu, Xijie; Rauch, Frank; Davis, Siobhan I; Zhang, Shubin; Rios, Hector; Drezner, Marc K; Quarles, L Darryl; Bonewald, Lynda F; White, Kenneth E

2007-01-01

The osteocyte, a terminally differentiated cell comprising 90%–95% of all bone cells1,2, may have multiple functions, including acting as a mechanosensor in bone (re)modeling3. Dentin matrix protein 1 (encoded by DMP1) is highly expressed in osteocytes4 and, when deleted in mice, results in a hypomineralized bone phenotype5. We investigated the potential for this gene not only to direct skeletal mineralization but also to regulate phosphate (Pi) homeostasis. Both Dmp1- null mice and individuals with a newly identified disorder, autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets, manifest rickets and osteomalacia with isolated renal phosphate-wasting associated with elevated fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) levels and normocalciuria. Mutational analyses showed that autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets family carried a mutation affecting the DMP1 start codon, and a second family carried a 7-bp deletion disrupting the highly conserved DMP1 C terminus. Mechanistic studies using Dmp1-null mice demonstrated that absence of DMP1 results in defective osteocyte maturation and increased FGF23 expression, leading to pathological changes in bone mineralization. Our findings suggest a bone-renal axis that is central to guiding proper mineral metabolism. PMID:17033621

Significance of serum levels of vitamin D and some related minerals in breast cancer patients

PubMed Central

Abdelgawad, Iman A; El-Mously, Rawya H; Saber, Magdy M; Mansour, Ossama A; Shouman, Samia A

2015-01-01

Vitamin D and calcium are involved in a wide range of proliferation, apoptosis and cell signaling activities in the body. Suboptimal concentrations may lead to cancer development. The role of phosphate in cancer metabolism is particularly relevant in breast cancer while, magnesium deficiency favors DNA mutations leading to carcinogenesis. Objectives: To determine serum levels of vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and parathormone in female breast cancer patients and to assess their association with some prognostic factors in breast cancer. Design and methods: This study is done on 98 newly diagnosed female breast cancer patients and 49 age matched apparently healthy female volunteers as controls. Serum samples from all patients and controls were subjected to 25-OH Vit D, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and parathormone measurements. Results: In the breast cancer group, the median serum levels of 25-OH Vit D were 15 ng/ml, while it was 21 ng/ml in the control group. Levels of 25-OH Vit D and other tested minerals were significantly lower while calcium:magnesium (Ca:Mg) ratio, and calcium:phosphorus (Ca:P) ratio were significantly higher in the breast cancer group. Significant negative correlation was detected between phosphorus and calcium, ionized calcium , calcium magnesium ratio, and calcium phosphorus ratio. Conclusion: It is not only the deficient levels of Vit D and other related minerals, but the combination of the abnormal levels of all the studied parameters that might contribute to the development of cancer. Further studies with larger number of patient are needed. PMID:26097595

Quantitative Measures of Mineral Supply Risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, K. R.

2009-12-01

Almost all metals and many non-metallic minerals are traded internationally. An advantage of global mineral markets is that minerals can be obtained from the globally lowest-cost source. For example, one rare-earth element (REE) mine in China, Bayan Obo, is able to supply most of world demand for rare earth elements at a cost significantly less than its main competitors. Concentration of global supplies at a single mine raises significant political risks, illustrated by China’s recent decision to prohibit the export of some REEs and severely limit the export of others. The expected loss of REE supplies will have a significant impact on the cost and production of important national defense technologies and on alternative energy programs. Hybrid vehicles and wind-turbine generators, for example, require REEs for magnets and batteries. Compact fluorescent light bulbs use REE-based phosphors. These recent events raise the general issue of how to measure the degree of supply risk for internationally sourced minerals. Two factors, concentration of supply and political risk, must first be addressed. Concentration of supply can be measured with standard economic tools for measuring industry concentration, using countries rather than firms as the unit of analysis. There are many measures of political risk available. That of the OECD is a measure of a country’s commitment to rule-of-law and enforcement of contracts, as well as political stability. Combining these measures provides a comparative view of mineral supply risk across commodities and identifies several minerals other than REEs that could suddenly become less available. Combined with an assessment of the impact of a reduction in supply, decision makers can use these measures to prioritize risk reduction efforts.

Significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Long, K.R.; DeYoung, J.H.; Ludington, S.

2000-01-01

Approximately 99 percent of past production and remaining identified resources of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States are accounted for by deposits that originally contained at least 2 metric tonnes (t) gold, 85 t silver, 50,000 t copper, 30,000 t lead, or 50,000 t zinc. The U.S. Geological Survey, beginning with the 1996 National Mineral Resource Assessment, is systematically compiling data on these deposits, collectively known as 'significant' deposits. As of December 31, 1996, the significant deposits database contained 1,118 entries corresponding to individual deposits or mining districts. Maintaining, updating and analyzing a database of this size is much easier than managing the more than 100,000 records in the Mineral Resource Data System and Minerals Availability System/Minerals Industry Location System, yet the significant deposits database accounts for almost all past production and remaining identified resources of these metals in the United States. About 33 percent of gold, 22 percent of silver, 42 percent of copper, 39 percent of lead, and 46 percent of zinc are contained in or were produced from deposits discovered after World War II. Even within a database of significant deposits, a disproportionate share of past production and remaining resources is accounted for by a very small number of deposits. The largest 10 producers for each metal account for one third of the gold, 60 percent of the silver, 68 percent of the copper, 85 percent of the lead, and 75 percent of the zinc produced in the United States. The 10 largest deposits in terms of identified remaining resources of each of the five metals contain 43 percent of the gold, 56 percent of the silver, 48 percent of the copper, 94 percent of the lead, and 72 percent of the zinc. Identified resources in significant deposits for each metal are less than the mean estimates of resources in undiscovered deposits from the 1996 U.S. National Mineral Resource Assessment. Identified

Assessment of critical minerals: Updated application of an early-warning screening methodology

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCullough, Erin A.; Nassar, Nedal

2017-01-01

Increasing reliance on non-renewable mineral resources reinforces the need for identifying potential supply constraints before they occur. The US National Science and Technology Council recently released a report that outlines a methodology for screening potentially critical minerals based on three indicators: supply risk (R), production growth (G), and market dynamics (M). This early-warning screening was initially applied to 78 minerals across the years 1996 to 2013 and identified a subset of minerals as “potentially critical” based on the geometric average of these indicators—designated as criticality potential (C). In this study, the screening methodology has been updated to include data for 2014, as well as to incorporate revisions and modifications to the data, where applicable. Overall, C declined in 2014 for the majority of minerals examined largely due to decreases in production concentration and price volatility. However, the results vary considerably across minerals, with some minerals, such as gallium, recording increases for all three indicators. In addition to assessing magnitudinal changes, this analysis also examines the significance of the change relative to historical variation for each mineral. For example, although mined nickel’s R declined modestly in 2014 in comparison to that of other minerals, it was by far the largest annual change recorded for mined nickel across all years examined and is attributable to Indonesia’s ban on the export of unprocessed minerals. Based on the 2014 results, 20 minerals with the highest C values have been identified for further study including the rare earths, gallium, germanium, rhodium, tantalum, and tungsten.

A GIS and statistical approach to identify variables that control water quality in hydrothermally altered and mineralized watersheds, Silverton, Colorado, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yager, Douglas B.; Johnson, Raymond H.; Rockwell, Barnaby W.; Caine, Jonathan S.; Smith, Kathleen S.

2013-01-01

Hydrothermally altered bedrock in the Silverton mining area, southwest Colorado, USA, contains sulfide minerals that weather to produce acidic and metal-rich leachate that is toxic to aquatic life. This study utilized a geographic information system (GIS) and statistical approach to identify watershed-scale geologic variables in the Silverton area that influence water quality. GIS analysis of mineral maps produced using remote sensing datasets including Landsat Thematic Mapper, advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer, and a hybrid airborne visible infrared imaging spectrometer and field-based product enabled areas of alteration to be quantified. Correlations between water quality signatures determined at watershed outlets, and alteration types intersecting both total watershed areas and GIS-buffered areas along streams were tested using linear regression analysis. Despite remote sensing datasets having varying watershed area coverage due to vegetation cover and differing mineral mapping capabilities, each dataset was useful for delineating acid-generating bedrock. Areas of quartz–sericite–pyrite mapped by AVIRIS have the highest correlations with acidic surface water and elevated iron and aluminum concentrations. Alkalinity was only correlated with area of acid neutralizing, propylitically altered bedrock containing calcite and chlorite mapped by AVIRIS. Total watershed area of acid-generating bedrock is more significantly correlated with acidic and metal-rich surface water when compared with acid-generating bedrock intersected by GIS-buffered areas along streams. This methodology could be useful in assessing the possible effects that alteration type area has in either generating or neutralizing acidity in unmined watersheds and in areas where new mining is planned.

AbMiner: a bioinformatic resource on available monoclonal antibodies and corresponding gene identifiers for genomic, proteomic, and immunologic studies.

PubMed

Major, Sylvia M; Nishizuka, Satoshi; Morita, Daisaku; Rowland, Rick; Sunshine, Margot; Shankavaram, Uma; Washburn, Frank; Asin, Daniel; Kouros-Mehr, Hosein; Kane, David; Weinstein, John N

2006-04-06

Monoclonal antibodies are used extensively throughout the biomedical sciences for detection of antigens, either in vitro or in vivo. We, for example, have used them for quantitation of proteins on "reverse-phase" protein lysate arrays. For those studies, we quality-controlled > 600 available monoclonal antibodies and also needed to develop precise information on the genes that encode their antigens. Translation among the various protein and gene identifier types proved non-trivial because of one-to-many and many-to-one relationships. To organize the antibody, protein, and gene information, we initially developed a relational database in Filemaker for our own use. When it became apparent that the information would be useful to many other researchers faced with the need to choose or characterize antibodies, we developed it further as AbMiner, a fully relational web-based database under MySQL, programmed in Java. AbMiner is a user-friendly, web-based relational database of information on > 600 commercially available antibodies that we validated by Western blot for protein microarray studies. It includes many types of information on the antibody, the immunogen, the vendor, the antigen, and the antigen's gene. Multiple gene and protein identifier types provide links to corresponding entries in a variety of other public databases, including resources for phosphorylation-specific antibodies. AbMiner also includes our quality-control data against a pool of 60 diverse cancer cell types (the NCI-60) and also protein expression levels for the NCI-60 cells measured using our high-density "reverse-phase" protein lysate microarrays for a selection of the listed antibodies. Some other available database resources give information on antibody specificity for one or a couple of cell types. In contrast, the data in AbMiner indicate specificity with respect to the antigens in a pool of 60 diverse cell types from nine different tissues of origin. AbMiner is a relational database that

Quantitatively and Kinetically Identifying Binding Motifs of Amelogenin Proteins to Mineral Crystals Through Biochemical and Spectroscopic Assays

PubMed Central

Zhu, Li; Hwang, Peter; Witkowska, H. Ewa; Liu, Haichuan; Li, Wu

2014-01-01

Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in vertebrate animals. Consisting of millions of carbonated hydroxyapatite crystals, this highly mineralized tissue develops from a protein matrix in which amelogenin is the predominant component. The enamel matrix proteins are eventually and completely degraded and removed by proteinases to form mineral-enriched tooth enamel. Identification of the apatite-binding motifs in amelogenin is critical for understanding the amelogenin–crystal interactions and amelogenin–proteinases interactions during tooth enamel biomineralization. A stepwise strategy is introduced to kinetically and quantitatively identify the crystal-binding motifs in amelogenin, including a peptide screening assay, a competitive adsorption assay, and a kinetic-binding assay using amelogenin and gene-engineered amelogenin mutants. A modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on crystal surfaces is also applied to compare binding amounts of amelogenin and its mutants on different planes of apatite crystals. We describe the detailed protocols for these assays and provide the considerations for these experiments in this chapter. PMID:24188774

Interspecies synteny mapping identifies a quantitative trait locus for bone mineral density on human chromosome Xp22.

PubMed

Parsons, Claire A; Mroczkowski, H Joel; McGuigan, Fiona E A; Albagha, Omar M E; Manolagas, Stavros; Reid, David M; Ralston, Stuart H; Shmookler Reis, Robert J

2005-11-01

Bone mineral density (BMD) is a complex trait with a strong genetic component and an important predictor of osteoporotic fracture risk. Here we report the use of a cross-species strategy to identify genes that regulate BMD, proceeding from quantitative trait mapping in mice to association mapping of the syntenic region in the human genome. We identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on the mouse X-chromosome for post-maturity change in spine BMD in a cross of SAMP6 and AKR/J mice and conducted association mapping of the syntenic region on human chromosome Xp22. We studied 76 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from the human region in two sets of DNA pools prepared from individuals with lumbar spine-BMD (LS-BMD) values falling into the top and bottom 13th percentiles of a population-based study of 3100 post-menopausal women. This procedure identified a region of significant association for two adjacent SNP (rs234494 and rs234495) within the Xp22 locus (P<0.001). Individual genotyping for rs234494 in the BMD pools confirmed the presence of an association for alleles (P=0.018) and genotypes (P=0.008). Analysis of rs234494 and rs234495 in 1053 women derived from the same population who were not selected for BMD values showed an association with LS-BMD for rs234495 (P=0.01) and for haplotypes defined by both SNP (P=0.002). Our study illustrates that interspecies synteny can be used to identify and refine QTL for complex traits and represents the first example where a human QTL for BMD regulation has been mapped using this approach.

Mineral Losses During Extreme Environmental Conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Advisory groups that make recommendations for mineral intakes continue to identify accurate determinations of sweat mineral losses during physical activity as a critical void in their deliberations. Although estimates of sweat mineral concentrations are available, they are highly variable. Practica...

The life cycle of a mineral deposit: a teacher's guide for hands-on mineral education activities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frank, Dave; Galloway, John; Assmus, Ken

2005-01-01

This teacher's guide defines what a mineral deposit is and how a mineral deposit is identified and measured, how the mineral resources are extracted, and how the mining site is reclaimed; how minerals and mineral resources are processed; and how we use mineral resources in our every day lives. Included are 10 activitybased learning exercises that educate students on basic geologic concepts; the processes of finding, identifying, and extracting the resources from a mineral deposit; and the uses of minerals. The guide is intended for K through 12 Earth science teachers and students and is designed to meet the National Science Content Standards as defined by the National Research Council (1996). To assist in the understanding of some of the geology and mineral terms, see the Glossary (appendix 1) and Minerals and Their Uses (appendix 2). The process of finding or exploring for a mineral deposit, extracting or mining the resource, recovering the resource, also known as beneficiation, and reclaiming the land mined can be described as the “life cycle” of a mineral deposit. The complete process is time consuming and expensive, requiring the use of modern technology and equipment, and may take many years to complete. Sometimes one entity or company completes the entire process from discovery to reclamation, but often it requires multiple groups with specialized experience working together. Mineral deposits are the source of many important commodities, such as copper and gold, used by our society, but it is important to realize that mineral deposits are a nonrenewable resource. Once mined, they are exhausted, and another source must be found. New mineral deposits are being continuously created by the Earth but may take millions of years to form. Mineral deposits differ from renewable resources, such as agricultural and timber products, which may be replenished within a few months to several years.

Identifying sex-specific risk factors for low bone mineral density in adolescent runners.

PubMed

Tenforde, Adam Sebastian; Fredericson, Michael; Sayres, Lauren Carter; Cutti, Phil; Sainani, Kristin Lynn

2015-06-01

Adolescent runners may be at risk for low bone mineral density (BMD) associated with sports participation. Few prior investigations have evaluated bone health in young runners, particularly males. To characterize sex-specific risk factors for low BMD in adolescent runners. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Training characteristics, fracture history, eating behaviors and attitudes, and menstrual history were measured using online questionnaires. A food frequency questionnaire was used to identify dietary patterns and measure calcium intake. Runners (female: n = 94, male: n = 42) completed dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure lumbar spine (LS) and total body less head (TBLH) BMD and body composition values, including android-to-gynoid (A:G) fat mass ratio. The BMD was standardized to Z-scores using age, sex, and race/ethnicity reference values. Questionnaire values were combined with DXA values to determine risk factors associated with differences in BMD Z-scores in LS and TBLH and low bone mass (defined as BMD Z-score ≤-1). In multivariable analyses, risk factors for lower LS BMD Z-scores in girls included lower A:G ratio, being shorter, and the combination of (interaction between) current menstrual irregularity and a history of fracture (all P < .01). Later age of menarche, lower A:G ratio, lower lean mass, and drinking less milk were associated with lower TBLH BMD Z-scores (P < .01). In boys, lower body mass index (BMI) Z-scores and the belief that being thinner improves performance were associated with lower LS and TBLH BMD Z-scores (all P < .05); lower A:G ratio was additionally associated with lower TBLH Z-scores (P < .01). Thirteen girls (14%) and 9 boys (21%) had low bone mass. Girls with a BMI ≤17.5 kg/m(2) or both menstrual irregularity and a history of fracture were significantly more likely to have low bone mass. Boys with a BMI ≤17.5 kg/m(2) and belief that thinness improves performance were significantly more likely to have

Mineral accumulation in vegetative and reproductive tissues during seed development in Medicago truncatula

PubMed Central

Garcia, Christina B.; Grusak, Michael A.

2015-01-01

Enhancing nutrient density in legume seeds is one of several strategies being explored to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply. In order to develop crop varieties with increased seed mineral concentration, a more detailed understanding of mineral translocation within the plant is required. By studying mineral accumulation in different organs within genetically diverse members of the same species, it may be possible to identify variable traits that modulate seed mineral concentration. We utilized two ecotypes (A17 and DZA315.16) of the model legume, Medicago truncatula, to study dry mass and mineral accumulation in the leaves, pod walls, and seeds during reproductive development. The pod wall dry mass was significantly different between the two ecotypes beginning at 12 days after pollination, whereas there was no significant difference in the average dry mass of individual seeds between the two ecotypes at any time point. There were also no significant differences in leaf dry mass between ecotypes; however, we observed expansion of A17 leaves during the first 21 days of pod development, while DZA315.16 leaves did not display a significant increase in leaf area. Mineral profiling of the leaves, pod walls, and seeds highlighted differences in accumulation patterns among minerals within each tissue as well as genotypic differences with respect to individual minerals. Because there were differences in the average seed number per pod, the total seed mineral content per pod was generally higher in A17 than DZA315.16. In addition, mineral partitioning to the seeds tended to be higher in A17 pods. These data revealed that mineral retention within leaves and/or pod walls might attenuate mineral accumulation within the seeds. As a result, strategies to increase seed mineral content should include approaches that will enhance export from these tissues. PMID:26322063

Clay Mineral Crystal Structure Tied to Composition

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-13

This diagram illustrates how the dimensions of clay minerals' crystal structure are affected by which ions are present in the composition of the mineral. Different clay minerals were identified this way at two sites in Mars' Gale Crater: "Murray Buttes" and "Yellowknife Bay." In otherwise identical clay minerals, a composition that includes aluminum and ferric iron ions (red dots) results in slightly smaller crystalline unit cells than one that instead includes magnesium and ferrous iron ions (green dots). Ferric iron is more highly oxidized than ferrous iron. Crystalline cell units are the basic repeating building blocks that define minerals. X-ray diffraction analysis, a capability of the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover, identifies minerals from their crystalline structure. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21148

Singularity analysis based on wavelet transform of fractal measures for identifying geochemical anomaly in mineral exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Guoxiong; Cheng, Qiuming

2016-02-01

Multi-resolution and scale-invariance have been increasingly recognized as two closely related intrinsic properties endowed in geofields such as geochemical and geophysical anomalies, and they are commonly investigated by using multiscale- and scaling-analysis methods. In this paper, the wavelet-based multiscale decomposition (WMD) method was proposed to investigate the multiscale natures of geochemical pattern from large scale to small scale. In the light of the wavelet transformation of fractal measures, we demonstrated that the wavelet approximation operator provides a generalization of box-counting method for scaling analysis of geochemical patterns. Specifically, the approximation coefficient acts as the generalized density-value in density-area fractal modeling of singular geochemical distributions. Accordingly, we presented a novel local singularity analysis (LSA) using the WMD algorithm which extends the conventional moving averaging to a kernel-based operator for implementing LSA. Finally, the novel LSA was validated using a case study dealing with geochemical data (Fe2O3) in stream sediments for mineral exploration in Inner Mongolia, China. In comparison with the LSA implemented using the moving averaging method the novel LSA using WMD identified improved weak geochemical anomalies associated with mineralization in covered area.

Identifying areas of high economic-potential copper mineralization using ASTER data in the Urumieh-Dokhtar Volcanic Belt, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pour, Amin Beiranvand; Hashim, Mazlan

2012-02-01

This study investigates the application of spectral image processing methods to ASTER data for mapping hydrothermal alteration zones associated with porphyry copper mineralization and related host rock. The study area is located in the southeastern segment of the Urumieh-Dokhtar Volcanic Belt of Iran. This area has been selected because it is a potential zone for exploration of new porphyry copper deposits. Spectral transform approaches, namely principal component analysis, band ratio and minimum noise fraction were used for mapping hydrothermally altered rocks and lithological units at regional scale. Spectral mapping methods, including spectral angle mapper, linear spectral unmixing, matched filtering and mixture tuned matched filtering were applied to differentiate hydrothermal alteration zones associated with porphyry copper mineralization such as phyllic, argillic and propylitic mineral assemblages.Spectral transform methods enhanced hydrothermally altered rocks associated with the known porphyry copper deposits and new identified prospects using shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands of ASTER. These methods showed the discrimination of quartz rich igneous rocks from the magmatic background and the boundary between igneous and sedimentary rocks using the thermal infrared (TIR) bands of ASTER at regional scale. Spectral mapping methods distinguished the sericitically- and argillically-altered rocks (the phyllic and argillic alteration zones) that surrounded by discontinuous to extensive zones of propylitized rocks (the propylitic alteration zone) using SWIR bands of ASTER at both regional and district scales. Linear spectral unmixing method can be best suited for distinguishing specific high economic-potential hydrothermal alteration zone (the phyllic zone) and mineral assemblages using SWIR bands of ASTER. Results have proven to be effective, and in accordance with the results of field surveying, spectral reflectance measurements and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis

Pleural plaques and their effect on lung function in Libby vermiculite miners.

PubMed

Clark, Kathleen A; Flynn, J Jay; Goodman, Julie E; Zu, Ke; Karmaus, Wilfried J J; Mohr, Lawrence C

2014-09-01

Multiple studies have investigated the relationship between asbestos-related pleural plaques (PPs) and lung function, with disparate and inconsistent results. Most use chest radiographs to identify PPs and simple spirometry to measure lung function. High-resolution CT (HRCT) scanning improves the accuracy of PP identification. Complete pulmonary function tests (PFTs), including spirometry, lung volumes, and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide, provide a more definitive assessment of lung function. The goal of this study was to determine, using HRCT scanning and complete PFTs, the effect of PPs on lung function in Libby vermiculite miners. The results of HRCT scanning and complete PFTs performed between January 2000 and August 2012 were obtained from the medical records of 166 Libby vermiculite miners. Multivariate regression analyses with Tukey multivariate adjustment were used to assess statistical associations between the presence of PPs and lung function. Adjustments were made for age, BMI, smoking history, duration of employment, and years since last occupational asbestos exposure. Nearly 90% of miners (n = 149) had evidence of PPs on HRCT scan. No significant differences in spirometry results, lung volumes, or diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide were found between miners with PPs alone and miners with normal HRCT scans. Miners with both interstitial fibrosis and the presence of PPs had a significantly decreased total lung capacity in comparison with miners with normal HRCT scans (P = .02). Age, cumulative smoking history, and BMI were significant covariates that contributed to abnormal lung function. Asbestos-related PPs alone have no significant effect on lung function in Libby vermiculite miners.

Bone mineral content and bone mineral density are lower in older than in younger females with Rett syndrome

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Although bone mineral deficits have been identified in Rett syndrome (RTT), the prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD) and its association with skeletal fractures and scoliosis has not been characterized fully in girls and women with RTT. Accordingly, we measured total body bone mineral conten...

CisMiner: Genome-Wide In-Silico Cis-Regulatory Module Prediction by Fuzzy Itemset Mining

PubMed Central

Navarro, Carmen; Lopez, Francisco J.; Cano, Carlos; Garcia-Alcalde, Fernando; Blanco, Armando

2014-01-01

Eukaryotic gene control regions are known to be spread throughout non-coding DNA sequences which may appear distant from the gene promoter. Transcription factors are proteins that coordinately bind to these regions at transcription factor binding sites to regulate gene expression. Several tools allow to detect significant co-occurrences of closely located binding sites (cis-regulatory modules, CRMs). However, these tools present at least one of the following limitations: 1) scope limited to promoter or conserved regions of the genome; 2) do not allow to identify combinations involving more than two motifs; 3) require prior information about target motifs. In this work we present CisMiner, a novel methodology to detect putative CRMs by means of a fuzzy itemset mining approach able to operate at genome-wide scale. CisMiner allows to perform a blind search of CRMs without any prior information about target CRMs nor limitation in the number of motifs. CisMiner tackles the combinatorial complexity of genome-wide cis-regulatory module extraction using a natural representation of motif combinations as itemsets and applying the Top-Down Fuzzy Frequent- Pattern Tree algorithm to identify significant itemsets. Fuzzy technology allows CisMiner to better handle the imprecision and noise inherent to regulatory processes. Results obtained for a set of well-known binding sites in the S. cerevisiae genome show that our method yields highly reliable predictions. Furthermore, CisMiner was also applied to putative in-silico predicted transcription factor binding sites to identify significant combinations in S. cerevisiae and D. melanogaster, proving that our approach can be further applied genome-wide to more complex genomes. CisMiner is freely accesible at: http://genome2.ugr.es/cisminer. CisMiner can be queried for the results presented in this work and can also perform a customized cis-regulatory module prediction on a query set of transcription factor binding sites provided by

Modified algorithm for mineral identification in LWIR hyperspectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yousefi, Bardia; Sojasi, Saeed; Liaigre, Kévin; Ibarra Castanedo, Clemente; Beaudoin, Georges; Huot, François; Maldague, Xavier P. V.; Chamberland, Martin

2017-05-01

The applications of hyperspectral infrared imagery in the different fields of research are significant and growing. It is mainly used in remote sensing for target detection, vegetation detection, urban area categorization, astronomy and geological applications. The geological applications of this technology mainly consist in mineral identification using in airborne or satellite imagery. We address a quantitative and qualitative assessment of mineral identification in the laboratory conditions. We strive to identify nine different mineral grains (Biotite, Diopside, Epidote, Goethite, Kyanite, Scheelite, Smithsonite, Tourmaline, Quartz). A hyperspectral camera in the Long Wave Infrared (LWIR, 7.7-11.8 ) with a LW-macro lens providing a spatial resolution of 100 μm, an infragold plate, and a heating source are the instruments used in the experiment. The proposed algorithm clusters all the pixel-spectra in different categories. Then the best representatives of each cluster are chosen and compared with the ASTER spectral library of JPL/NASA through spectral comparison techniques, such as Spectral angle mapper (SAM) and Normalized Cross Correlation (NCC). The results of the algorithm indicate significant computational efficiency (more than 20 times faster) as compared to previous algorithms and have shown a promising performance for mineral identification.

LitMiner and WikiGene: identifying problem-related key players of gene regulation using publication abstracts.

PubMed

Maier, Holger; Döhr, Stefanie; Grote, Korbinian; O'Keeffe, Sean; Werner, Thomas; Hrabé de Angelis, Martin; Schneider, Ralf

2005-07-01

The LitMiner software is a literature data-mining tool that facilitates the identification of major gene regulation key players related to a user-defined field of interest in PubMed abstracts. The prediction of gene-regulatory relationships is based on co-occurrence analysis of key terms within the abstracts. LitMiner predicts relationships between key terms from the biomedical domain in four categories (genes, chemical compounds, diseases and tissues). Owing to the limitations (no direction, unverified automatic prediction) of the co-occurrence approach, the primary data in the LitMiner database represent postulated basic gene-gene relationships. The usefulness of the LitMiner system has been demonstrated recently in a study that reconstructed disease-related regulatory networks by promoter modelling that was initiated by a LitMiner generated primary gene list. To overcome the limitations and to verify and improve the data, we developed WikiGene, a Wiki-based curation tool that allows revision of the data by expert users over the Internet. LitMiner (http://andromeda.gsf.de/litminer) and WikiGene (http://andromeda.gsf.de/wiki) can be used unrestricted with any Internet browser.

Sodium-bicarbonated mineral water decreases aldosterone levels without affecting urinary excretion of bone minerals.

PubMed

Schoppen, Stefanie; Pérez-Granados, Ana M; Carbajal, Angeles; Sarriá, Beatriz; Navas-Carretero, Santiago; Pilar Vaquero, M

2008-06-01

AIM To assess in healthy postmenopausal women the influence of consuming sodium-bicarbonated mineral water on postprandial evolution of serum aldosterone and urinary electrolyte excretion. Eighteen postmenopausal women consumed 500 ml of two sodium-bicarbonated mineral waters (sodium-bicarbonated mineral water 1 and sodium-bicarbonated mineral water 2) and a low-mineral water with a standard meal. Postprandial blood samples were taken at 60, 120, 240, 360 and 420 min and aldosterone concentrations were measured. Postprandial urinary minerals were determined. Urinary and total mineral excretion and urinary mineral concentrations did not differ except for sodium concentration, which was significantly higher with sodium-bicarbonated mineral water 1 than with low-mineral water (P = 0.005). There was a time effect (P = 0.003) on the aldosterone concentration. At 120 min, aldosterone concentrations were lower with sodium-bicarbonated mineral water 1 (P = 0.021) and sodium-bicarbonated mineral water 2 (P = 0.030) compared with low-mineral water. Drinking a sodium-rich bicarbonated mineral water with a meal increases urinary sodium concentration excretion without changes in the excretion of potassium and bone minerals.

Carbon K-edge spectra of carbonate minerals.

PubMed

Brandes, Jay A; Wirick, Sue; Jacobsen, Chris

2010-09-01

Carbon K-edge X-ray spectroscopy has been applied to the study of a wide range of organic samples, from polymers and coals to interstellar dust particles. Identification of carbonaceous materials within these samples is accomplished by the pattern of resonances in the 280-320 eV energy region. Carbonate minerals are often encountered in the study of natural samples, and have been identified by a distinctive resonance at 290.3 eV. Here C K-edge and Ca L-edge spectra from a range of carbonate minerals are presented. Although all carbonates exhibit a sharp 290 eV resonance, both the precise position of this resonance and the positions of other resonances vary among minerals. The relative strengths of the different carbonate resonances also vary with crystal orientation to the linearly polarized X-ray beam. Intriguingly, several carbonate minerals also exhibit a strong 288.6 eV resonance, consistent with the position of a carbonyl resonance rather than carbonate. Calcite and aragonite, although indistinguishable spectrally at the C K-edge, exhibited significantly different spectra at the Ca L-edge. The distinctive spectral fingerprints of carbonates provide an identification tool, allowing for the examination of such processes as carbon sequestration in minerals, Mn substitution in marine calcium carbonates (dolomitization) and serpentinization of basalts.

A monoclinic, pseudo-orthorhombic Au-Hg mineral of potential economic significance in Pleistocene Snake River alluvial deposits of southeastern Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Desborough, G.A.; Foord, E.E.

1992-01-01

A mineral with the approximate composition of Au94Hg6 - Au88Hg12 (atomic %) has been identified in Pleistocene Snake River alluvial deposits. The gold-mercury mineral occurs as very small grains or as polycrystalline masses composed of subhedral to nearly euhedral attached crystals. Vibratory cold-polishing techniques with 0.05-??m alumina abrasive for polished sections revealed a porous internal texture for most subhedral crystals after 48-72 hours of treatment. Thus, optical character (isotropic or anisotropic) could not be determined by reflected-light microscopy, and pore-free areas were too small for measurement of reflectance. X-ray-diffraction lines rather than individual reflections (spots), on powder camera X-ray films of unrotated spindles of single grains that morphologically appear to be single crystals, indicate that individual subhedral or euhedral crystals are composed of domains in random orientation. Thus, no material was found suitable for single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. -from Authors

Efficiently Identifying Significant Associations in Genome-wide Association Studies

PubMed Central

Eskin, Eleazar

2013-01-01

Abstract Over the past several years, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated hundreds of genes in common disease. More recently, the GWAS approach has been utilized to identify regions of the genome that harbor variation affecting gene expression or expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs). Unlike GWAS applied to clinical traits, where only a handful of phenotypes are analyzed per study, in eQTL studies, tens of thousands of gene expression levels are measured, and the GWAS approach is applied to each gene expression level. This leads to computing billions of statistical tests and requires substantial computational resources, particularly when applying novel statistical methods such as mixed models. We introduce a novel two-stage testing procedure that identifies all of the significant associations more efficiently than testing all the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In the first stage, a small number of informative SNPs, or proxies, across the genome are tested. Based on their observed associations, our approach locates the regions that may contain significant SNPs and only tests additional SNPs from those regions. We show through simulations and analysis of real GWAS datasets that the proposed two-stage procedure increases the computational speed by a factor of 10. Additionally, efficient implementation of our software increases the computational speed relative to the state-of-the-art testing approaches by a factor of 75. PMID:24033261

Recent advances in clay mineral-containing nanocomposite hydrogels.

PubMed

Zhao, Li Zhi; Zhou, Chun Hui; Wang, Jing; Tong, Dong Shen; Yu, Wei Hua; Wang, Hao

2015-12-28

Clay mineral-containing nanocomposite hydrogels have been proven to have exceptional composition, properties, and applications, and consequently have attracted a significant amount of research effort over the past few years. The objective of this paper is to summarize and evaluate scientific advances in clay mineral-containing nanocomposite hydrogels in terms of their specific preparation, formation mechanisms, properties, and applications, and to identify the prevailing challenges and future directions in the field. The state-of-the-art of existing technologies and insights into the exfoliation of layered clay minerals, in particular montmorillonite and LAPONITE®, are discussed first. The formation and structural characteristics of polymer/clay nanocomposite hydrogels made from in situ free radical polymerization, supramolecular assembly, and freezing-thawing cycles are then examined. Studies indicate that additional hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, coordination bonds, hydrophobic interaction, and even covalent bonds could occur between the clay mineral nanoplatelets and polymer chains, thereby leading to the formation of unique three-dimensional networks. Accordingly, the hydrogels exhibit exceptional optical and mechanical properties, swelling-deswelling behavior, and stimuli-responsiveness, reflecting the remarkable effects of clay minerals. With the pivotal roles of clay minerals in clay mineral-containing nanocomposite hydrogels, the nanocomposite hydrogels possess great potential as superabsorbents, drug vehicles, tissue scaffolds, wound dressing, and biosensors. Future studies should lay emphasis on the formation mechanisms with in-depth insights into interfacial interactions, the tactical functionalization of clay minerals and polymers for desired properties, and expanding of their applications.

Minimotif Miner 3.0: database expansion and significantly improved reduction of false-positive predictions from consensus sequences.

PubMed

Mi, Tian; Merlin, Jerlin Camilus; Deverasetty, Sandeep; Gryk, Michael R; Bill, Travis J; Brooks, Andrew W; Lee, Logan Y; Rathnayake, Viraj; Ross, Christian A; Sargeant, David P; Strong, Christy L; Watts, Paula; Rajasekaran, Sanguthevar; Schiller, Martin R

2012-01-01

Minimotif Miner (MnM available at http://minimotifminer.org or http://mnm.engr.uconn.edu) is an online database for identifying new minimotifs in protein queries. Minimotifs are short contiguous peptide sequences that have a known function in at least one protein. Here we report the third release of the MnM database which has now grown 60-fold to approximately 300,000 minimotifs. Since short minimotifs are by their nature not very complex we also summarize a new set of false-positive filters and linear regression scoring that vastly enhance minimotif prediction accuracy on a test data set. This online database can be used to predict new functions in proteins and causes of disease.

21 CFR 177.2355 - Mineral reinforced nylon resins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Mineral reinforced nylon resins. 177.2355 Section... Repeated Use § 177.2355 Mineral reinforced nylon resins. Mineral reinforced nylon resins identified in... accordance with the following prescribed conditions: (a) For the purpose of this section the mineral...

A Developed Spectral Identification Tree for Mineral Mapping using Hyperspectral Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, Fuping; Wang, Runsheng; Yan, Bokun; Shang, Kun

2016-04-01

The relationship between the spectral features and the composition of minerals are the basis of mineral identification using hyperspectral data. The reflectance spectrum of minerals results from the systematic combination of several modes of interaction between electromagnetic energy and mineral particles in the form of reflection and absorption. Minerals tend to have absorbing features at specific wavelengths with a characteristic shape, which can be used as diagnostic indicators for identification. The spectral identification tree (SIT) method for mineral identification is developed in our research to map minerals accurately and applied in some typical mineral deposits in China. The SIT method is based on the diagnostic absorption features of minerals through comparing and statistically analyzing characteristic spectral data of minerals. We establish several levels of identification rules for the type, group and species of minerals using IF-THEN rule according to the spectral identification criteria so that the developed SIT can be further used to map minerals at different levels of detail from mineral type to mineral species. Identifiable minerals can be grouped into six types: Fe2+-bearing, Fe3+-bearing, Mn2+-bearing, Al-OH-bearing, Mg-OH-bearing and carbonate minerals. Each type can be further divided into several mineral groups. Each group contains several mineral species or specific minerals. A mineral spectral series, therefore, can be constructed as "type-group-species-specific mineral (mineral variety)" for mineral spectral identification. It is noted that the mineral classification is based mainly on spectral reflectance characteristics of minerals which may not be consistent with the classification in mineralogy. We applied the developed SIT method to the datasets acquired at the Eastern Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang (HyMap data) and the Qulong district of Xizang (Hyperion data). In Xinjiang, the two major classes of Al-OH and Mg-OH minerals were

The mineral sector and economic development in Ghana: A computable general equilibrium analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Addy, Samuel N.

A computable general equilibrium model (CGE) model is formulated for conducting mineral policy analysis in the context of national economic development for Ghana. The model, called GHANAMIN, places strong emphasis on production, trade, and investment. It can be used to examine both micro and macro economic impacts of policies associated with mineral investment, taxation, and terms of trade changes, as well as mineral sector performance impacts due to technological change or the discovery of new deposits. Its economywide structure enables the study of broader development policy with a focus on individual or multiple sectors, simultaneously. After going through a period of contraction for about two decades, mining in Ghana has rebounded significantly and is currently the main foreign exchange earner. Gold alone contributed 44.7 percent of 1994 total export earnings. GHANAMIN is used to investigate the economywide impacts of mineral tax policies, world market mineral prices changes, mining investment, and increased mineral exports. It is also used for identifying key sectors for economic development. Various simulations were undertaken with the following results: Recently implemented mineral tax policies are welfare increasing, but have an accompanying decrease in the output of other export sectors. World mineral price rises stimulate an increase in real GDP; however, this increase is less than real GDP decreases associated with price declines. Investment in the non-gold mining sector increases real GDP more than investment in gold mining, because of the former's stronger linkages to the rest of the economy. Increased mineral exports are very beneficial to the overall economy. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in mining increases welfare more so than domestic capital, which is very limited. Mining investment and the increased mineral exports since 1986 have contributed significantly to the country's economic recovery, with gold mining accounting for 95 percent of the

Global nonfuel mineral exploration trends 2001-2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karl, Nick; Wilburn, David R.

2017-01-01

The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Minerals Information Center (NMIC) is to collect, analyze and disseminate information on the domestic and international supply of and demand for minerals and mineral materials essential to the U.S. economy and national security. Understanding mineral exploration activities and trends assists government policy makers, minerals industry decision makers and research entities in identifying where future sources of mineral supply are likely to be discovered, the amount and type of these resources and factors that may affect exploration and development.

Decorin modulates matrix mineralization in vitro

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mochida, Yoshiyuki; Duarte, Wagner R.; Tanzawa, Hideki; Paschalis, Eleftherios P.; Yamauchi, Mitsuo

2003-01-01

Decorin (DCN), a member of small leucine-rich proteoglycans, is known to modulate collagen fibrillogenesis. In order to investigate the potential roles of DCN in collagen matrix mineralization, several stable osteoblastic cell clones expressing higher (sense-DCN, S-DCN) and lower (antisense-DCN, As-DCN) levels of DCN were generated and the mineralized nodules formed by these clones were characterized. In comparison with control cells, the onset of mineralization by S-DCN clones was significantly delayed; whereas it was markedly accelerated and the number of mineralized nodules was significantly increased in As-DCN clones. The timing of mineralization was inversely correlated with the level of DCN synthesis. In these clones, the patterns of cell proliferation and differentiation appeared unaffected. These results suggest that DCN may act as an inhibitor of collagen matrix mineralization, thus modulating the timing of matrix mineralization.

Evaluation of commercial utility of ERTS-A imagery in structural reconnaissance for minerals and petroleum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saunders, D. F. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Initial analytical results in Area 3 have been very encouraging. Not only have new major lineaments been detected but many of the intersections of those lineaments correlate with the general location of known mineral deposits while others appear to outline petroleum-bearing basins and uplifts. If later analyses confirm these results the economic impact of ERTS type imagery could be very significant in worldwide mineral and petroleum reconnaissance.

The source and significance of argon isotopes in fluid inclusions from areas of mineralization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, S.; Turner, G.; Butterfield, A. W.; Shepherd, T. J.

1986-09-01

Argon isotopes in fluid inclusions in quartz veins associated with granite-hosted tungsten mineralization in the southwest and north of England have been investigated in detail by the 40Ar- 39Ar technique. The natural argon is present as a number of discrete components which can be identified through correlations with 39Ar, 38Ar and 37Ar induced by neutron bombardment of potassium, chlorine and calcium. The potassium-correlated component arises principally from in situ decay of potassium in solid phases in the inclusions. In the case of the Hemerdon tungsten deposit of southwest England the phases responsible are small (≈ 25 μm) captive authigenic micas which are shown to have been deposited from a fluid 268 ± 20 Ma ago, shortly after the emplacement of the host granite. The chlorine-correlated component is present in the brines which constitute the fluid phase of the inclusions. The argon in these hydrothermal fluids is made up in part of "parentless" or "excess" 40Ar leached from surrounding crustal rocks, and in part of dissolved ancient atmospheric argon. Absolute concentrations of both atmospheric and excess components in the brine can be estimated from ( 40ArCl ) ratios and independent determinations of the salinity of the inclusions. The absolute concentrations of the atmospheric argon are close to those found in modern meteoric water, while those of the excess component can be interpreted in terms of the degree of interaction betwen the circulating fluids and country rock. A calcium-correlated component, with a much higher ratio of excess to atmospheric argon than that in the brine, was found to be a dominant phase in one sample from the Hemerdon deposit, indicating the presence of a solid phase (probably a CaSO 4 daughter mineral). Inclusions of this composition represent fluids which have had a more prolonged interaction- with crustal rocks. The results obtained from this study provide a systematization and a framework for future multi-component argon

Mineral resources of the Mormon Mountains Wilderness Study Area, Lincoln County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shawe, D.R.; Blank, H.R. Jr.; Wernicke, B.P.

1988-01-01

The U.S. Bureau of Mines and the U.S. Geological Survey conducted investigations to appraise the identified resources and to assess the potential for undiscovered resources of the Mormon Mountains Wilderness Study Area, southeastern Nevada. There are no identified resources in or near the study area; however, there are no occurrences of commercial-grade limestones and sand gravel. The study area has high mineral resource potential for copper, lead, zinc, silver, and (or) gold in its southern part and copper, lead, zinc, silver, gold, arsenic, and (or) antimony in its northern part. Part of the study area has moderate mineral resource potentialmore » for antimony. Two areas in the central part of the study area have moderate mineral resource potential for molybdenum, tungsten, and (or) tin. The study area has moderate energy resource potential for oil and gas, except for areas of low potential where significant hydrothermal activity has occurred. It has low mineral and energy resource potential for manganese, barite, vermiculite, coal, and geothermal energy.« less

The Place of Rock and Mineral Identification in Geoscience Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicholls, J.

2011-12-01

Geoscience programs traditionally required a significant amount of class and laboratory time for students to learn to identify Earth materials: minerals, rocks, soils, and fossils. Two decades ago, courses devoted to the mineral sciences, mineralogy and petrology, constituted approximately 20% of a geoscience program. Today, they make up between 5% and 10% of the courses in such a program. Two decades ago students spent their laboratory time learning to identify Earth materials. Today, they do the same thing, even though the time set aside for students to achieve proficiency is limited. A typical learning objective for a geoscience program reads: Identify common Earth materials and interpret their composition, origin and uses. The three underlined words convey the essence of the objective: We ask students to identify and interpret common Earth materials, which begs the questions: Do the common Earth materials provide adequate information for interpreting the composition, origin, and use of Earth materials? Do modern curricula contain enough laboratory time for students to learn to identify Earth materials? Do all geoscientists need to be able to identify Earth materials? The assemblage kyanite plus sillimanite is crucial for interpreting metamorphic history yet they are not common minerals. The IUGS classification contains 179 rock names yet we expect students to identify only a handful of them. The upper mantle is dominated by peridotite yet do geophysicists need to be able to identify peridotite in order to study the upper mantle? All geoscientists should be able to interpret Earth materials, at least at some level, and deduce the information Earth materials provide about Earth history and processes. Only a subset of geoscientists needs to learn how to identify them. Identification skills can be learned in upper level courses designed for those who will become mineral scientists. Many of the interpretations derived from Earth materials can be

Platinum-group elements in southern Africa: mineral inventory and an assessment of undiscovered mineral resources: Chapter Q in Global mineral resource assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zientek, Michael L.; Causey, J. Douglas; Parks, Heather L.; Miller, Robert J.

2014-01-01

The large layered intrusions in southern Africa—the Bushveld Complex and the Great Dyke—are now and will continue to be a major source of the world’s supply of PGE. Mining will not deplete the identified mineral resources and reserves or potential undiscovered mineral resources for many decades; however, in the near-term, PGE supply could be affected by social, environmental, political, and economic factors.

Using ASD data to identify the altered minerals for exploring of gold deposit in the Beishan area, North China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, G. L.; Yi, H.; Yang, M.; Liang, N.; Li, J. Q.; Yang, J. L.

2016-11-01

Hyperspectral information of altered minerals plays an important role in the identifications of mineralized zones. In this study, the altered minerals of two gold deposits from Fangshankou-Laojinchang regions of Beishan metallogenic belt were measured by ASD field Spectrometer. Many gold deposits would have a close relationship with Variscan magma intrusion, which have been found in study region. The alteration minerals have been divided six types by the spectral results, i.e. sericite, limonite, dolomite, chlorite, epidote and calcite. The distribution characteristics and formations of altered minerals were discussed here. By the ASD, the spectral curve of different geological units in the Jintanzi and Fangshankou gold deposits were analysed and summarized. The results show that the sericite and limonite are mainly related with the gold mineralization and widely occurred in the gold deposits. Therefore, we proposed that the sericite and limonite are the iconic alteration mineral assemblages for gold mineralization and the models of altered minerals for gold deposits could be established in this region.

Exploiting mineral data: applications to the diversity, distribution, and social networks of copper mineral

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrison, S. M.; Downs, R. T.; Golden, J. J.; Pires, A.; Fox, P. A.; Ma, X.; Zednik, S.; Eleish, A.; Prabhu, A.; Hummer, D. R.; Liu, C.; Meyer, M.; Ralph, J.; Hystad, G.; Hazen, R. M.

2016-12-01

We have developed a comprehensive database of copper (Cu) mineral characteristics. These data include crystallographic, paragenetic, chemical, locality, age, structural complexity, and physical property information for the 689 Cu mineral species approved by the International Mineralogical Association (rruff.info/ima). Synthesis of this large, varied dataset allows for in-depth exploration of statistical trends and visualization techniques. With social network analysis (SNA) and cluster analysis of minerals, we create sociograms and chord diagrams. SNA visualizations illustrate the relationships and connectivity between mineral species, which often form cliques associated with rock type and/or geochemistry. Using mineral ecology statistics, we analyze mineral-locality frequency distribution and predict the number of missing mineral species, visualized with accumulation curves. By assembly of 2-dimensional KLEE diagrams of co-existing elements in minerals, we illustrate geochemical trends within a mineral system. To explore mineral age and chemical oxidation state, we create skyline diagrams and compare trends with varying chemistry. These trends illustrate mineral redox changes through geologic time and correlate with significant geologic occurrences, such as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) or Wilson Cycles.

Mineral Composition of Organically Grown Wheat Genotypes: Contribution to Daily Minerals Intake

PubMed Central

Hussain, Abrar; Larsson, Hans; Kuktaite, Ramune; Johansson, Eva

2010-01-01

In this study, 321 winter and spring wheat genotypes were analysed for twelve nutritionally important minerals (B, Cu, Fe, Se, Mg, Zn, Ca, Mn, Mo, P, S and K). Some of the genotypes used were from multiple locations and years, resulting in a total number of 493 samples. Investigated genotypes were divided into six genotype groups i.e., selections, old landraces, primitive wheat, spelt, old cultivars and cultivars. For some of the investigated minerals higher concentrations were observed in selections, primitive wheat, and old cultivars as compared to more modern wheat material, e.g., cultivars and spelt wheat. Location was found to have a significant effect on mineral concentration for all genotype groups, although for primitive wheat, genotype had a higher impact than location. Spring wheat was observed to have significantly higher values for B, Cu, Fe, Zn, Ca, S and K as compared to winter wheat. Higher levels of several minerals were observed in the present study, as compared to previous studies carried out in inorganic systems, indicating that organic conditions with suitable genotypes may enhance mineral concentration in wheat grain. This study also showed that a very high mineral concentration, close to daily requirements, can be produced by growing specific primitive wheat genotypes in an organic farming system. Thus, by selecting genotypes for further breeding, nutritional value of the wheat flour for human consumption can be improved. PMID:20948934

Mechanical Characteristics of Hardened Concrete with Different Mineral Admixtures: A Review

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The available literature identifies that the addition of mineral admixture as partial replacement of cement improves the microstructure of the concrete (i.e., porosity and pore size distribution) as well as increasing the mechanical characteristics such as drying shrinkage and creep, compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity; however, no single document is available in which review and comparison of the influence of the addition of these mineral admixtures on the mechanical characteristics of the hardened pozzolanic concretes are presented. In this paper, based on the reported results in the literature, mechanical characteristics of hardened concrete partially containing mineral admixtures including fly ash (FA), silica fume (SF), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), metakaolin (MK), and rice husk ash (RHA) are discussed and it is concluded that the content and particle size of mineral admixture are the parameters which significantly influence the mechanical properties of concrete. All mineral admixtures enhance the mechanical properties of concrete except FA and GGBS which do not show a significant effect on the strength of concrete at 28 days; however, gain in strength at later ages is considerable. Moreover, the comparison of the mechanical characteristics of different pozzolanic concretes suggests that RHA and SF are competitive. PMID:24688443

Mechanical characteristics of hardened concrete with different mineral admixtures: a review.

PubMed

Ayub, Tehmina; Khan, Sadaqat Ullah; Memon, Fareed Ahmed

2014-01-01

The available literature identifies that the addition of mineral admixture as partial replacement of cement improves the microstructure of the concrete (i.e., porosity and pore size distribution) as well as increasing the mechanical characteristics such as drying shrinkage and creep, compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity; however, no single document is available in which review and comparison of the influence of the addition of these mineral admixtures on the mechanical characteristics of the hardened pozzolanic concretes are presented. In this paper, based on the reported results in the literature, mechanical characteristics of hardened concrete partially containing mineral admixtures including fly ash (FA), silica fume (SF), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), metakaolin (MK), and rice husk ash (RHA) are discussed and it is concluded that the content and particle size of mineral admixture are the parameters which significantly influence the mechanical properties of concrete. All mineral admixtures enhance the mechanical properties of concrete except FA and GGBS which do not show a significant effect on the strength of concrete at 28 days; however, gain in strength at later ages is considerable. Moreover, the comparison of the mechanical characteristics of different pozzolanic concretes suggests that RHA and SF are competitive.

Phosphorylation-dependent mineral-type specificity for apatite-binding peptide sequences.

PubMed

Addison, William N; Miller, Sharon J; Ramaswamy, Janani; Mansouri, Ahmad; Kohn, David H; McKee, Marc D

2010-12-01

Apatite-binding peptides discovered by phage display provide an alternative design method for creating functional biomaterials for bone and tooth tissue repair. A limitation of this approach is the absence of display peptide phosphorylation--a post-translational modification important to mineral-binding proteins. To refine the material specificity of a recently identified apatite-binding peptide, and to determine critical design parameters (net charge, charge distribution, amino acid sequence and composition) controlling peptide affinity for mineral, we investigated the effects of phosphorylation and sequence scrambling on peptide adsorption to four different apatites (bone-like mineral, and three types of apatite containing initially 0, 5.6 and 10.5% carbonate). Phosphorylation of the VTKHLNQISQSY peptide (VTK peptide) led to a 10-fold increase in peptide adsorption (compared to nonphosphorylated peptide) to bone-like mineral, and a 2-fold increase in adsorption to the carbonated apatite, but there was no effect of phosphorylation on peptide affinity to pure hydroxyapatite (without carbonate). Sequence scrambling of the nonphosphorylated VTK peptide enhanced its specificity for the bone-like mineral, but scrambled phosphorylated VTK peptide (pVTK) did not significantly alter mineral-binding suggesting that despite the importance of sequence order and/or charge distribution to mineral-binding, the enhanced binding after phosphorylation exceeds any further enhancement by altered sequence order. Osteoblast culture mineralization was dose-dependently inhibited by pVTK and to a significantly lesser extent by scrambled pVTK, while the nonphosphorylated and scrambled forms had no effect, indicating that inhibition of osteoblast mineralization is dependent on both peptide sequence and charge. Computational modeling of peptide-mineral interactions indicated a favorable change in binding energy upon phosphorylation that was unaffected by scrambling. In conclusion

Critical mineral resources of the United States—An introduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schulz, Klaus J.; DeYoung, John H.; Seal, Robert R.; Bradley, Dwight C.; Schulz, Klaus J.; DeYoung,, John H.; Seal, Robert R.; Bradley, Dwight C.

2017-12-19

significant identified resources and is largely dependent on imports to meet its needs. As a result, the emphasis in this volume is on the global distribution and availability of each mineral commodity. The environmental issues related to production of each mineral commodity, including current mitigation and remediation approaches to deal with these challenges, are also addressed.This introductory chapter provides an overview of the mineral resource classifications, terms, and definitions used in this volume. A review of the history of the use and meaning of the term “critical” minerals (or materials) is included as an appendix to the chapter.

Spatial investigation of some uranium minerals using nuclear microprobe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valter, Anton A.; Knight, Kim B.; Eremenko, Gelij K.; Magilin, Dmitry V.; Ponomarov, Artem A.; Pisansky, Anatoly I.; Romanenko, Alexander V.; Ponomarev, Alexander G.

2018-01-01

In this work, several individual grains of uranium minerals—uraninite with high content of Ca, Ca-rich boltwoodite, growths of uranophane with β-uranophane, and weeksite—from different uranium deposits were studied by a scanning nuclear microprobe. Particle-induced X-ray emission technique provided by the microprobe (µ-PIXE) was carried out to obtain a concentration and 2D distribution of elements in these minerals. In addition, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) provided by a scanning electron microscope was used. The types of minerals were determined by X-ray diffraction methods. Results of this study improved the understanding of trace elemental composition of the uranium minerals depending on their origin. Obtained signatures could be linked then to the sample provenance. Such data are important for nuclear forensics to identify the ore types and even specific ore bodies, when only small samples may be available for analysis. In this study, the µ-PIXE technique was used for obtaining the 2D distribution of trace elements that are not commonly measured by SEM-EDS at the relevant concentrations. The detected levels and precisions of elements determination by µ-PIXE were also defined. Using µ-PIXE, several micro mineral inclusions such as phosphate with high level of V and Si were identified. The age of the uranium minerals was estimated due to a significant content of radiogenic Pb that provides an additional parameter for determination of the main attributive characteristics of the minerals. This work also showed that due to its high elemental sensitivity the nuclear microprobe can be a new analytical tool for creating a nuclear forensic database from the known uranium deposits and a subsequent analysis of the intercepted illicit materials.

Spatial investigation of some uranium minerals using nuclear microprobe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valter, Anton A.; Knight, Kim B.; Eremenko, Gelij K.; Magilin, Dmitry V.; Ponomarov, Artem A.; Pisansky, Anatoly I.; Romanenko, Alexander V.; Ponomarev, Alexander G.

2018-06-01

In this work, several individual grains of uranium minerals—uraninite with high content of Ca, Ca-rich boltwoodite, growths of uranophane with β-uranophane, and weeksite—from different uranium deposits were studied by a scanning nuclear microprobe. Particle-induced X-ray emission technique provided by the microprobe (µ-PIXE) was carried out to obtain a concentration and 2D distribution of elements in these minerals. In addition, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) provided by a scanning electron microscope was used. The types of minerals were determined by X-ray diffraction methods. Results of this study improved the understanding of trace elemental composition of the uranium minerals depending on their origin. Obtained signatures could be linked then to the sample provenance. Such data are important for nuclear forensics to identify the ore types and even specific ore bodies, when only small samples may be available for analysis. In this study, the µ-PIXE technique was used for obtaining the 2D distribution of trace elements that are not commonly measured by SEM-EDS at the relevant concentrations. The detected levels and precisions of elements determination by µ-PIXE were also defined. Using µ-PIXE, several micro mineral inclusions such as phosphate with high level of V and Si were identified. The age of the uranium minerals was estimated due to a significant content of radiogenic Pb that provides an additional parameter for determination of the main attributive characteristics of the minerals. This work also showed that due to its high elemental sensitivity the nuclear microprobe can be a new analytical tool for creating a nuclear forensic database from the known uranium deposits and a subsequent analysis of the intercepted illicit materials.

Atmospheric Processing and Iron Mobilization of Ilmenite: Iron-Containing Ternary Oxide in Mineral Dust Aerosol.

PubMed

Hettiarachchi, Eshani; Hurab, Omar; Rubasinghege, Gayan

2018-02-08

Over the last several decades, iron has been identified as a limiting nutrient in about half of the world's oceans. Its most significant source is identified as deposited iron-containing mineral dust that has been processed during atmospheric transportation. The current work focuses on chemical and photochemical processing of iron-containing mineral dust particles in the presence of nitric acid, and an organic pollutant dimethyl sulfide under atmospherically relevant conditions. More importantly, ilmenite (FeTiO 3 ) is evaluated as a proxy for the iron-containing mineral dust. The presence of titanium in its lattice structure provides higher complexity to mimic mineral dust, yet it is simple enough to study reaction pathways and mechanisms. Here, spectroscopic methods are combined with dissolution measurements to investigate atmospheric processing of iron in mineral dust, with specific focus on particle mineralogy, particle size, and their environmental conditions (i.e., pH and solar flux). Our results indicate that the presence of titanium elemental composition enhances iron dissolution from mineral dust, at least by 2-fold comparison with its nontitanium-containing counterparts. The extent of iron dissolution and speciation is further influenced by the above factors. Thus, our work highlights these important, yet unconsidered, factors in the atmospheric processing of iron-containing mineral dust aerosol.

A Modified Delphi to Identify the Significant Works Pertaining to the Understanding of Reading Comprehension and Content Analysis of the Identified Works

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zunker, Norma D.; Pearce, Daniel L.

2012-01-01

The first part of this study explored the significant works pertaining to the understanding of reading comprehension using a Modified Delphi Method. A panel of reading comprehension experts identified 19 works they considered to be significant to the understanding of reading comprehension. The panel of experts identified the reasons they…

21 CFR 177.2355 - Mineral reinforced nylon resins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Mineral reinforced nylon resins. 177.2355 Section... as Components of Articles Intended for Repeated Use § 177.2355 Mineral reinforced nylon resins. Mineral reinforced nylon resins identified in paragraph (a) of this section may be safely used as articles...

21 CFR 177.2355 - Mineral reinforced nylon resins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Mineral reinforced nylon resins. 177.2355 Section... as Components of Articles Intended for Repeated Use § 177.2355 Mineral reinforced nylon resins. Mineral reinforced nylon resins identified in paragraph (a) of this section may be safely used as articles...

21 CFR 177.2355 - Mineral reinforced nylon resins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Mineral reinforced nylon resins. 177.2355 Section... as Components of Articles Intended for Repeated Use § 177.2355 Mineral reinforced nylon resins. Mineral reinforced nylon resins identified in paragraph (a) of this section may be safely used as articles...

Spatial mapping of mineralization with manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chesnick, I.E.; Centeno, J.A.; Todorov, T.I.; Koenig, A.E.; Potter, K.

2011-01-01

Paramagnetic manganese can be employed as a calcium surrogate to sensitize the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to the processing of calcium during the bone formation process. At low doses, after just 48h of exposure, osteoblasts take up sufficient quantities of manganese to cause marked reductions in the water proton T1 values compared with untreated cells. After just 24h of exposure, 25??M MnCl2 had no significant effect on cell viability. However, for mineralization studies 100??M MnCl2 was used to avoid issues of manganese depletion in calvarial organ cultures and a post-treatment delay of 48h was implemented to ensure that manganese ions taken up by osteoblasts is deposited as mineral. All specimens were identified by their days in vitro (DIV). Using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), we confirmed that Mn-treated calvariae continued to deposit mineral in culture and that the mineral composition was similar to that of age-matched controls. Notably there was a significant decrease in the manganese content of DIV18 compared with DIV11 specimens, possibly relating to less manganese sequestration as a result of mineral maturation. More importantly, quantitative T1 maps of Mn-treated calvariae showed localized reductions in T1 values over the calvarial surface, indicative of local variations in the surface manganese content. This result was verified with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). We also found that ??R1 values, calculated by subtracting the relaxation rate of Mn-treated specimens from the relaxation rate of age-matched controls, were proportional to the surface manganese content and thus mineralizing activity. From this analysis, we established that mineralization of DIV4 and DIV11 specimens occurred in all tissue zones, but was reduced for DIV18 specimens because of mineral maturation with less manganese sequestration. In DIV25 specimens, active mineralization was observed for

Biologically controlled minerals as potential indicators of life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, D. E.; Mancinelli, R. L.; Kaneshiro, E.

1991-01-01

Minerals can be produced and deposited either by abiotic or biologic means. Regardless of their origin, mineral crystals reflect the environment conditions (e.g., temperature, pressure, chemical composition, and redox potential) present during crystal formation. Biologically-produced mineral crystals are grown or reworked under the control of their host organism and reflect an environment different from the abiotic environment. In addition, minerals of either biologic or abiotic origin have great longevities. For these reasons, biologically produced minerals have been proposed as biomarkers. Biomarkers are key morphological, chemical, and isotopic signatures of living systems that can be used to determine if life processes have occurred. Studies of biologically controlled minerals produced by the protist, Paramecium tetraurelia, were initiated since techniques have already been developed to culture them and isolate their crystalline material, and methods are already in place to analyze this material. Two direct crystalline phases were identified. One phase, whose chemical composition is high in Mg, was identified as struvite. The second phase, whose chemical composition is high in Ca, has not been previously found occurring naturally and may be considered a newly discovered material. Analyses are underway to determine the characteristics of these minerals in order to compare them with characteristics of these minerals in order to compare them with characteristics of minerals formed abiotically, but with the same chemical composition.

Near infrared detection of ammonium minerals.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krohn, M.D.; Altaner, S.P.

1987-01-01

Diagnostic near-infrared spectral features have been identified for minerals with ammonium (NH4+) bound in the crystal structure. Near-infrared detection of NH4-bearing minerals may provide useful information for prospecting for certain ore deposits and may provide a better understanding of the nitrogen cycle within geologic environments.-from Authors

Comparative mineral mapping in the Colorado Mineral Belt using AVIRIS and ASTER remote sensing data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rockwell, Barnaby W.

2013-01-01

This report presents results of interpretation of spectral remote sensing data covering the eastern Colorado Mineral Belt in central Colorado, USA, acquired by the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensors. This study was part of a multidisciplinary mapping and data integration project at the U.S. Geological Survey that focused on long-term resource planning by land-managing entities in Colorado. The map products were designed primarily for the regional mapping and characterization of exposed surface mineralogy, including that related to hydrothermal alteration and supergene weathering of pyritic rocks. Alteration type was modeled from identified minerals based on standard definitions of alteration mineral assemblages. Vegetation was identified using the ASTER data and subdivided based on per-pixel chlorophyll content (depth of 0.68 micrometer absorption band) and dryness (fit and depth of leaf biochemical absorptions in the shortwave infrared spectral region). The vegetation results can be used to estimate the abundance of fire fuels at the time of data acquisition (2002 and 2003). The AVIRIS- and ASTER-derived mineral mapping results can be readily compared using the toggleable layers in the GeoPDF file, and by using the provided GIS-ready raster datasets. The results relating to mineral occurrence and distribution were an important source of data for studies documenting the effects of mining and un-mined, altered rocks on aquatic ecosystems at the watershed level. These studies demonstrated a high correlation between metal concentrations in streams and the presence of hydrothermal alteration and (or) pyritic mine waste as determined by analysis of the map products presented herein. The mineral mapping results were also used to delineate permissive areas for various mineral deposit types.

Active Learning with Rationales for Identifying Operationally Significant Anomalies in Aviation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharma, Manali; Das, Kamalika; Bilgic, Mustafa; Matthews, Bryan; Nielsen, David Lynn; Oza, Nikunj C.

2016-01-01

A major focus of the commercial aviation community is discovery of unknown safety events in flight operations data. Data-driven unsupervised anomaly detection methods are better at capturing unknown safety events compared to rule-based methods which only look for known violations. However, not all statistical anomalies that are discovered by these unsupervised anomaly detection methods are operationally significant (e.g., represent a safety concern). Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) have to spend significant time reviewing these statistical anomalies individually to identify a few operationally significant ones. In this paper we propose an active learning algorithm that incorporates SME feedback in the form of rationales to build a classifier that can distinguish between uninteresting and operationally significant anomalies. Experimental evaluation on real aviation data shows that our approach improves detection of operationally significant events by as much as 75% compared to the state-of-the-art. The learnt classifier also generalizes well to additional validation data sets.

Physicochemical characterization of mineral (iron/zinc) bound caseinate and their mineral uptake in Caco-2 cells.

PubMed

Shilpashree, B G; Arora, Sumit; Kapila, Suman; Sharma, Vivek

2018-08-15

Milk proteins (especially caseins) are widely accepted as good vehicle for the delivery of various bioactive compounds including minerals. Succinylation is one of the most acceptable chemical modification techniques to enhance the mineral binding ability of caseins. Addition of minerals to succinylated proteins may alter their physicochemical and biochemical properties. Physicochemical characteristics of succinylated sodium caseinate (S.NaCN)-mineral (iron/zinc) complexes were elucidated. Chromatographic behaviour and fluorescence intensity confirmed the structural modification of S.NaCN upon binding with minerals. The bound mineral from protein complexes showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) in vitro bioavailability (mineral uptake) than mineral salts in Caco-2 cells. Also, iron bound S.NaCN showed higher cellular ferritin formation than iron in its free form. These mineral bound protein complexes with improved bioavailability could safely replace inorganic fortificants in various functional food formulations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mineral Surface Rearrangement at High Temperatures: Implications for Extraterrestrial Mineral Grain Reactivity.

PubMed

King, Helen E; Plümper, Oliver; Putnis, Christine V; O'Neill, Hugh St C; Klemme, Stephan; Putnis, Andrew

2017-04-20

Mineral surfaces play a critical role in the solar nebula as a catalytic surface for chemical reactions and potentially acted as a source of water during Earth's accretion by the adsorption of water molecules to the surface of interplanetary dust particles. However, nothing is known about how mineral surfaces respond to short-lived thermal fluctuations that are below the melting temperature of the mineral. Here we show that mineral surfaces react and rearrange within minutes to changes in their local environment despite being far below their melting temperature. Polished surfaces of the rock and planetary dust-forming silicate mineral olivine ((Mg,Fe) 2 SiO 4 ) show significant surface reorganization textures upon rapid heating resulting in surface features up to 40 nm in height observed after annealing at 1200 °C. Thus, high-temperature fluctuations should provide new and highly reactive sites for chemical reactions on nebula mineral particles. Our results also may help to explain discrepancies between short and long diffusion profiles in experiments where diffusion length scales are of the order of 100 nm or less.

Developing a molecular picture of soil organic matter–mineral interactions by quantifying organo–mineral binding

DOE PAGES

Newcomb, C. J.; Qafoku, N. P.; Grate, J. W.; ...

2017-08-30

Long residence times of soil organic matter have been attributed to reactive mineral surface sites that sorb organic species and cause inaccessibility due to isolation and chemical stabilization at the organic-mineral interface. Instrumentation for probing this interface is limited. As a result, much of the micron- and molecular-scale knowledge about organic-mineral interactions remains largely qualitative. We report the use of force spectroscopy to directly measure the binding between organic ligands with known chemical functionalities to soil minerals in aqueous environments. By systematically studying the role of organic functional group chemistry with model minerals, we demonstrate that the chemistry of bothmore » the organic ligand and mineral contribute to values of binding free energy and that changes in pH and ionic strength produce significant differences in binding energies. These direct measurements of molecular binding provide mechanistic insights into organo-mineral interactions, which could potentially inform land-carbon models that explicitly include mineral-bound C pools.« less

Developing a molecular picture of soil organic matter–mineral interactions by quantifying organo–mineral binding

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Newcomb, C. J.; Qafoku, N. P.; Grate, J. W.

Long residence times of soil organic matter have been attributed to reactive mineral surface sites that sorb organic species and cause inaccessibility due to isolation and chemical stabilization at the organic-mineral interface. Instrumentation for probing this interface is limited. As a result, much of the micron- and molecular-scale knowledge about organic-mineral interactions remains largely qualitative. We report the use of force spectroscopy to directly measure the binding between organic ligands with known chemical functionalities to soil minerals in aqueous environments. By systematically studying the role of organic functional group chemistry with model minerals, we demonstrate that the chemistry of bothmore » the organic ligand and mineral contribute to values of binding free energy and that changes in pH and ionic strength produce significant differences in binding energies. These direct measurements of molecular binding provide mechanistic insights into organo-mineral interactions, which could potentially inform land-carbon models that explicitly include mineral-bound C pools.« less

Use of electronic data and existing screening tools to identify clinically significant obstructive sleep apnea.

PubMed

Severson, Carl A; Pendharkar, Sachin R; Ronksley, Paul E; Tsai, Willis H

2015-01-01

To assess the ability of electronic health data and existing screening tools to identify clinically significant obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), as defined by symptomatic or severe OSA. The present retrospective cohort study of 1041 patients referred for sleep diagnostic testing was undertaken at a tertiary sleep centre in Calgary, Alberta. A diagnosis of clinically significant OSA or an alternative sleep diagnosis was assigned to each patient through blinded independent chart review by two sleep physicians. Predictive variables were identified from online questionnaire data, and diagnostic algorithms were developed. The performance of electronically derived algorithms for identifying patients with clinically significant OSA was determined. Diagnostic performance of these algorithms was compared with versions of the STOP-Bang questionnaire and adjusted neck circumference score (ANC) derived from electronic data. Electronic questionnaire data were highly sensitive (>95%) at identifying clinically significant OSA, but not specific. Sleep diagnostic testing-determined respiratory disturbance index was very specific (specificity ≥95%) for clinically relevant disease, but not sensitive (<35%). Derived algorithms had similar accuracy to the STOP-Bang or ANC, but required fewer questions and calculations. These data suggest that a two-step process using a small number of clinical variables (maximizing sensitivity) and objective diagnostic testing (maximizing specificity) is required to identify clinically significant OSA. When used in an online setting, simple algorithms can identify clinically relevant OSA with similar performance to existing decision rules such as the STOP-Bang or ANC.

Oxalate minerals on Mars?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Applin, D. M.; Izawa, M. R. M.; Cloutis, E. A.; Goltz, D.; Johnson, J. R.

2015-06-01

Small amounts of unidentified organic compounds have only recently been inferred on Mars despite strong reasons to expect significant concentrations and decades of searching. Based on X-ray diffraction and reflectance spectroscopic analyses we show that solid oxalic acid and its most common mineral salts are stable under the pressure and ultraviolet irradiation environment of the surface of Mars, and could represent a heretofore largely overlooked reservoir of organic carbon in the martian near-surface. In addition to the delivery to Mars by carbonaceous chondrites, oxalate minerals are among the predicted breakdown products of meteoritic organic matter delivered to the martian surface, as well as any endogenic organic carbon reaching the martian surface from the interior. A reinterpretation of pyrolysis experiments from the Viking, Phoenix, and Mars Science Laboratory missions shows that all are consistent with the presence of significant concentrations of oxalate minerals. Oxalate minerals could be important in numerous martian geochemical processes, including acting as a possible nitrogen sink (as ammonium oxalate), and contributing to the formation of “organic” carbonates, methane, and hydroxyl radicals.

Minerals Yearbook, volume I, Metals and Minerals

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2018-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcomed.

Planetary surface exploration using Raman spectroscopy for minerals and organics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blacksberg, J.; Alerstam, E.; Maruyama, Y.; Charbon, E.; Rossman, G. R.; Shkolyar, S.; Farmer, J. D.

2013-12-01

Raman spectroscopy has been identified as one of the primary techniques for planetary surface mineralogy. It is widely used as a laboratory technique since it can identify nearly all crystalline mineral phases. Using a small spot size on the surface (on the order of a micron), mineral phases can be mapped onto microscopic images preserving information about surface morphology. As a result, this technique has been steadily gaining support for in situ exploration of a variety of target bodies, for example Mars, the Moon, Venus, asteroids, and comets. In addition to in situ exploration, Raman spectroscopy has been identified as a feasible means for pre-selection of samples on Mars for subsequent return to Earth. This is in part due to the fact that Raman can detect many organics in addition to minerals. As a result, the most relevant rock samples containing organics (potentially fossil biosignatures) may potentially be selected for return to Earth. We present a next-generation instrument that builds on the widely used 532 nm Raman technique to provide a means for performing Raman spectroscopy without the background noise that is often generated by fluorescence of minerals and organics. We use time-resolved laser spectroscopy to eliminate this fluorescence interference that can often make it difficult or impossible to obtain Raman spectra. We will discuss significant advances leading to the feasibility of a compact time-resolved spectrometer, including the development of a new solid-state detector capable of sub-ns temporal resolution. We will address the challenges of analyzing surface materials, often organics, that exhibit short-lifetime fluorescence. We will present result on planetary analog samples to demonstrate the instrument performance including fluorescence rejection.

Beneath the minerals, a layer of round lipid particles was identified to mediate collagen calcification in compact bone formation.

PubMed

Xu, Shaohua; Yu, Jianqing J

2006-12-01

Astronauts lose 1-2% of their bone minerals per month during space flights. A systematic search for a countermeasure relies on a good understanding of the mechanism of bone formation at the molecular level. How collagen fibers, the dominant matrix protein in bones, are mineralized remains mysterious. Atomic force microscopy was carried out, in combination with immunostaining and Western blotting, on bovine tibia to identify unrecognized building blocks involved in bone formation and for an elucidation of the process of collagen calcification in bone formation. Before demineralization, tiles of hydroxyapatite crystals were found stacked along bundles of collagen fibers. These tiles were homogeneous in size and shape with dimensions 0.69 x 0.77 x 0.2 micro m(3). Demineralization dissolved these tiles and revealed small spheres with an apparent diameter around 145 nm. These spheres appeared to be lipid particles since organic solvents dissolved them. The parallel collagen bundles had widths mostly <2 micro m. Composition analysis of compact bones indicated a high content of apolar lipids, including triglycerides and cholesterol esters. Apolar lipids are known to form lipid droplets or lipoproteins, and these spheres are unlikely to be matrix vesicles as reported for collagen calcification in epiphyseal cartilages. Results from this study suggest that the layer of round lipid particles on collagen fibers mediates the mineral deposition onto the fibers. The homogeneous size of these lipid particles and the presence of apolipoprotein in demineralized bone tissue suggest the possibility that these particles might be of lipoprotein origin. More studies are needed to verify the last claim and to exclude the possibility that they are secreted lipid droplets.

30 CFR 281.8 - Rights to minerals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF General § 281.8 Rights to minerals. (a) Unless...; (2) Oil; (3) Gas; (4) Sulphur; (5) Minerals produced in direct association with oil, gas, or sulphur... deposits which are identified in the leasing notice as being reserved; and (8) Source materials essential...

Mineral Tells Tale of Watery Past

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This spectrum, taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's Moessbauer spectrometer, shows the presence of an iron-bearing mineral called jarosite in the collection of rocks dubbed 'El Capitan.' 'El Capitan' is located within the rock outcrop that lines the inner edge of the small crater where Opportunity landed. The pair of yellow peaks specifically indicates a jarosite phase, which contains water in the form of hydroxyl as a part of its structure. These data suggest water-driven processes exist on Mars. Three other phases are also identified in this spectrum: a magnetic phase (blue), attributed to an iron-oxide mineral; a silicate phase (green), indicative of minerals containing double-ionized iron (Fe 2+); and a third phase (red) of minerals with triple-ionized iron (Fe 3+).

A Cooperative Approach To Teaching Mineral Identification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Constantopoulos, Terri Lynn

1994-01-01

Describes Jigsaw Teaching, a cooperative learning approach, in relation to mineral identification. This technique may also be applied to rock identification. Students work in groups of four and learn to identify 20 minerals, becoming an "expert" on five of them. Helping to teach other students reinforces what each student has learned.…

30 CFR 281.8 - Rights to minerals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... OFFSHORE LEASING OF MINERALS OTHER THAN OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF General § 281... to rights granted by existing leases; (2) Oil; (3) Gas; (4) Sulphur; (5) Minerals produced in direct association with oil, gas, or sulphur; (6) Salt deposits which are identified in the leasing notice as being...

Current knowledge of US metal and nonmetal miner health: Current and potential data sources for analysis of miner health status

PubMed Central

Yeoman, K. M.; Halldin, C. N.; Wood, J.; Storey, E.; Johns, D.; Laney, A. S.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Little is known about the current health status of US metal and nonmetal (MNM) miners, in part because no health surveillance systems exist for this population. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is developing a program to characterize burden of disease among MNM miners. This report discusses current knowledge and potential data sources of MNM miner health. Recent national surveys were analyzed, and literature specific to MNM miner health status was reviewed. No robust estimates of disease prevalence were identified, and national surveys did not provide information specific to MNM miners. Because substantial gaps exist in the understanding of MNM miners' current health status, NIOSH plans to develop a health surveillance program for this population to guide intervention efforts to reduce occupational and personal risks for chronic illness. PMID:25658684

Espresso beverages of pure origin coffee: mineral characterization, contribution for mineral intake and geographical discrimination.

PubMed

Oliveira, Marta; Ramos, Sandra; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Morais, Simone

2015-06-15

Espresso coffee beverages prepared from pure origin roasted ground coffees from the major world growing regions (Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia, India, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Cuba, Timor, Mussulo and China) were characterized and compared in terms of their mineral content. Regular consumption of one cup of espresso contributes to a daily mineral intake varying from 0.002% (sodium; Central America) to 8.73% (potassium; Asia). The mineral profiles of the espresso beverages revealed significant inter- and intra-continental differences. South American pure origin coffees are on average richer in the analyzed elements except for calcium, while samples from Central America have generally lower mineral amounts (except for manganese). Manganese displayed significant differences (p<0.05) among the countries of each characterized continent. Intercontinental and inter-country discrimination between the major world coffee producers were achieved by applying canonical discriminant analysis. Manganese and calcium were found to be the best chemical descriptors for origin. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The accuracy of physical examination in identifying significant pathologies in penetrating thoracic trauma.

PubMed

Kong, V Y; Sartorius, B; Clarke, D L

2015-12-01

Accurate physical examination (PE) remains a key component in the assessment of penetrating thoracic trauma (PTT), despite the increasing availability of advanced radiological imaging. Evidence regarding the accuracy of PE in identifying significant pathology following PTT is limited. A retrospective review of 405 patients was undertaken over a twelve-month period to determine the accuracy of PE in identifying significant pathology (SP) subsequently confirmed on chest radiographs (CXRs) in patients who sustained stab injuries to the thorax. Ninety-seven per cent (372/405) of patients were males, and the mean age was 24 years. The weapons involved were knives in 98 % (398/405), screwdrivers in 1 % (3/405) and unknown in the remaining 1 %. Fifty-nine per cent (238/405) of all injuries were on the left side. There were 306 (76 %) SPs identified on CXR. Ninety-nine (24 %) CXRs were entirely normal. Based on PE alone, 223 (55 %) patients were thought to have SPs present, 182 (45 %) patients were thought to have no SPs. The overall sensitivity of PE in identifying SPs was 68 % (63-73, 95 % CI), with a specificity of 86 % (77-92, 95 % CI). The PPV of PE was 94 % (90-97, 95 % CI) and the NPV was 47 % (39-54, 95 % CI). The sensitivity of PE for identifying a pneumothorax was 59 % (51-66, 95 % CI), with a specificity of 96 % (89-99, 95 % CI) and the sensitivity of PE for identifying a haemothorax was 79 % (72-86, 95 % CI), with a specificity of 96 % (89-99, 95 % CI). PE is inaccurate in identifying SPs in PTT. The increased reliance on advanced radiological imaging and the subsequent reduced emphasis on PE may have contributed to rapid deskilling amongst surgical residents. The importance of PE must be repeatedly re-emphasised.

Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 56 bone mineral density loci and reveals 14 loci associated with risk of fracture

PubMed Central

Estrada, Karol; Styrkarsdottir, Unnur; Evangelou, Evangelos; Hsu, Yi-Hsiang; Duncan, Emma L; Ntzani, Evangelia E; Oei, Ling; Albagha, Omar M E; Amin, Najaf; Kemp, John P; Koller, Daniel L; Li, Guo; Liu, Ching-Ti; Minster, Ryan L; Moayyeri, Alireza; Vandenput, Liesbeth; Willner, Dana; Xiao, Su-Mei; Yerges-Armstrong, Laura M; Zheng, Hou-Feng; Alonso, Nerea; Eriksson, Joel; Kammerer, Candace M; Kaptoge, Stephen K; Leo, Paul J; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Wilson, Scott G; Wilson, James F; Aalto, Ville; Alen, Markku; Aragaki, Aaron K; Aspelund, Thor; Center, Jacqueline R; Dailiana, Zoe; Duggan, David J; Garcia, Melissa; Garcia-Giralt, Natàlia; Giroux, Sylvie; Hallmans, Göran; Hocking, Lynne J; Husted, Lise Bjerre; Jameson, Karen A; Khusainova, Rita; Kim, Ghi Su; Kooperberg, Charles; Koromila, Theodora; Kruk, Marcin; Laaksonen, Marika; Lacroix, Andrea Z; Lee, Seung Hun; Leung, Ping C; Lewis, Joshua R; Masi, Laura; Mencej-Bedrac, Simona; Nguyen, Tuan V; Nogues, Xavier; Patel, Millan S; Prezelj, Janez; Rose, Lynda M; Scollen, Serena; Siggeirsdottir, Kristin; Smith, Albert V; Svensson, Olle; Trompet, Stella; Trummer, Olivia; van Schoor, Natasja M; Woo, Jean; Zhu, Kun; Balcells, Susana; Brandi, Maria Luisa; Buckley, Brendan M; Cheng, Sulin; Christiansen, Claus; Cooper, Cyrus; Dedoussis, George; Ford, Ian; Frost, Morten; Goltzman, David; González-Macías, Jesús; Kähönen, Mika; Karlsson, Magnus; Khusnutdinova, Elza; Koh, Jung-Min; Kollia, Panagoula; Langdahl, Bente Lomholt; Leslie, William D; Lips, Paul; Ljunggren, Östen; Lorenc, Roman S; Marc, Janja; Mellström, Dan; Obermayer-Pietsch, Barbara; Olmos, José M; Pettersson-Kymmer, Ulrika; Reid, David M; Riancho, José A; Ridker, Paul M; Rousseau, François; Slagboom, P Eline; Tang, Nelson LS; Urreizti, Roser; Van Hul, Wim; Viikari, Jorma; Zarrabeitia, María T; Aulchenko, Yurii S; Castano-Betancourt, Martha; Grundberg, Elin; Herrera, Lizbeth; Ingvarsson, Thorvaldur; Johannsdottir, Hrefna; Kwan, Tony; Li, Rui; Luben, Robert; Medina-Gómez, Carolina; Palsson, Stefan Th; Reppe, Sjur; Rotter, Jerome I; Sigurdsson, Gunnar; van Meurs, Joyce B J; Verlaan, Dominique; Williams, Frances MK; Wood, Andrew R; Zhou, Yanhua; Gautvik, Kaare M; Pastinen, Tomi; Raychaudhuri, Soumya; Cauley, Jane A; Chasman, Daniel I; Clark, Graeme R; Cummings, Steven R; Danoy, Patrick; Dennison, Elaine M; Eastell, Richard; Eisman, John A; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Hofman, Albert; Jackson, Rebecca D; Jones, Graeme; Jukema, J Wouter; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Lehtimäki, Terho; Liu, Yongmei; Lorentzon, Mattias; McCloskey, Eugene; Mitchell, Braxton D; Nandakumar, Kannabiran; Nicholson, Geoffrey C; Oostra, Ben A; Peacock, Munro; Pols, Huibert A P; Prince, Richard L; Raitakari, Olli; Reid, Ian R; Robbins, John; Sambrook, Philip N; Sham, Pak Chung; Shuldiner, Alan R; Tylavsky, Frances A; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Wareham, Nick J; Cupples, L Adrienne; Econs, Michael J; Evans, David M; Harris, Tamara B; Kung, Annie Wai Chee; Psaty, Bruce M; Reeve, Jonathan; Spector, Timothy D; Streeten, Elizabeth A; Zillikens, M Carola; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Ohlsson, Claes; Karasik, David; Richards, J Brent; Brown, Matthew A; Stefansson, Kari; Uitterlinden, André G; Ralston, Stuart H; Ioannidis, John P A; Kiel, Douglas P; Rivadeneira, Fernando

2012-01-01

Bone mineral density (BMD) is the most important predictor of fracture risk. We performed the largest meta-analysis to date on lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD, including 17 genome-wide association studies and 32,961 individuals of European and East Asian ancestry. We tested the top-associated BMD markers for replication in 50,933 independent subjects and for risk of low-trauma fracture in 31,016 cases and 102,444 controls. We identified 56 loci (32 novel)associated with BMD atgenome-wide significant level (P<5×10−8). Several of these factors cluster within the RANK-RANKL-OPG, mesenchymal-stem-cell differentiation, endochondral ossification and the Wnt signalling pathways. However, we also discovered loci containing genes not known to play a role in bone biology. Fourteen BMD loci were also associated with fracture risk (P<5×10−4, Bonferroni corrected), of which six reached P<5×10−8 including: 18p11.21 (C18orf19), 7q21.3 (SLC25A13), 11q13.2 (LRP5), 4q22.1 (MEPE), 2p16.2 (SPTBN1) and 10q21.1 (DKK1). These findings shed light on the genetic architecture and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying BMD variation and fracture susceptibility. PMID:22504420

Socioeconomic Impacts Associated with Mineral Exploration: Louisiana Versus Other Mineral-Producing States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Donald W.

1990-01-01

Compares differences in resource exploitation and energy development in Louisiana and western mineral-producing states. Identifies socioeconomic impacts of Louisiana's offshore drilling and western coal, oil, and natural gas mining, noting the boom and bust cycles and "hyperurbanization" that attends both. Stresses the necessity of…

Genome-wide association study using extreme truncate selection identifies novel genes affecting bone mineral density and fracture risk.

PubMed

Duncan, Emma L; Danoy, Patrick; Kemp, John P; Leo, Paul J; McCloskey, Eugene; Nicholson, Geoffrey C; Eastell, Richard; Prince, Richard L; Eisman, John A; Jones, Graeme; Sambrook, Philip N; Reid, Ian R; Dennison, Elaine M; Wark, John; Richards, J Brent; Uitterlinden, Andre G; Spector, Tim D; Esapa, Chris; Cox, Roger D; Brown, Steve D M; Thakker, Rajesh V; Addison, Kathryn A; Bradbury, Linda A; Center, Jacqueline R; Cooper, Cyrus; Cremin, Catherine; Estrada, Karol; Felsenberg, Dieter; Glüer, Claus-C; Hadler, Johanna; Henry, Margaret J; Hofman, Albert; Kotowicz, Mark A; Makovey, Joanna; Nguyen, Sing C; Nguyen, Tuan V; Pasco, Julie A; Pryce, Karena; Reid, David M; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Roux, Christian; Stefansson, Kari; Styrkarsdottir, Unnur; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Tichawangana, Rumbidzai; Evans, David M; Brown, Matthew A

2011-04-01

Osteoporotic fracture is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Low bone mineral density (BMD) is a major predisposing factor to fracture and is known to be highly heritable. Site-, gender-, and age-specific genetic effects on BMD are thought to be significant, but have largely not been considered in the design of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of BMD to date. We report here a GWAS using a novel study design focusing on women of a specific age (postmenopausal women, age 55-85 years), with either extreme high or low hip BMD (age- and gender-adjusted BMD z-scores of +1.5 to +4.0, n = 1055, or -4.0 to -1.5, n = 900), with replication in cohorts of women drawn from the general population (n = 20,898). The study replicates 21 of 26 known BMD-associated genes. Additionally, we report suggestive association of a further six new genetic associations in or around the genes CLCN7, GALNT3, IBSP, LTBP3, RSPO3, and SOX4, with replication in two independent datasets. A novel mouse model with a loss-of-function mutation in GALNT3 is also reported, which has high bone mass, supporting the involvement of this gene in BMD determination. In addition to identifying further genes associated with BMD, this study confirms the efficiency of extreme-truncate selection designs for quantitative trait association studies.

META-ANALYSIS OF GENOME-WIDE STUDIES IDENTIFIES WNT16 AND ESR1 SNPS ASSOCIATED WITH BONE MINERAL DENSITY IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

PubMed Central

Koller, Daniel L.; Zheng, Hou-Feng; Karasik, David; Yerges-Armstrong, Laura; Liu, Ching-Ti; McGuigan, Fiona; Kemp, John P.; Giroux, Sylvie; Lai, Dongbing; Edenberg, Howard J.; Peacock, Munro; Czerwinski, Stefan A.; Choh, Audrey C.; McMahon, George; St Pourcain, Beate; Timpson, Nicholas J.; Lawlor, Debbie A; Evans, David M; Towne, Bradford; Blangero, John; Carless, Melanie A.; Kammerer, Candace; Goltzman, David; Kovacs, Christopher S.; Prior, Jerilynn C.; Spector, Tim D.; Rousseau, Francois; Tobias, Jon H.; Akesson, Kristina; Econs, Michael J.; Mitchell, Braxton D.; Richards, J. Brent; Kiel, Douglas P.; Foroud, Tatiana

2013-01-01

Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified common variants in genes associated with variation in bone mineral density (BMD), although most have been carried out in combined samples of older women and men. Meta-analyses of these results have identified numerous SNPs of modest effect at genome-wide significance levels in genes involved in both bone formation and resorption, as well as other pathways. We performed a meta-analysis restricted to premenopausal white women from four cohorts (n= 4,061 women, ages 20 to 45) to identify genes influencing peak bone mass at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. Following imputation, age- and weight-adjusted BMD values were tested for association with each SNP. Association of a SNP in the WNT16 gene (rs3801387; p=1.7 × 10−9) and multiple SNPs in the ESR1/C6orf97 (rs4870044; p=1.3 × 10−8) achieved genome-wide significance levels for lumbar spine BMD. These SNPs, along with others demonstrating suggestive evidence of association, were then tested for association in seven Replication cohorts that included premenopausal women of European, Hispanic-American, and African-American descent (combined n=5,597 for femoral neck; 4,744 for lumbar spine). When the data from the Discovery and Replication cohorts were analyzed jointly, the evidence was more significant (WNT16 joint p=1.3 × 10−11; ESR1/C6orf97 joint p= 1.4 × 10−10). Multiple independent association signals were observed with spine BMD at the ESR1 region after conditioning on the primary signal. Analyses of femoral neck BMD also supported association with SNPs in WNT16 and ESR1/C6orf97 (p< 1 × 10−5). Our results confirm that several of the genes contributing to BMD variation across a broad age range in both sexes have effects of similar magnitude on BMD of the spine in premenopausal women. These data support the hypothesis that variants in these genes of known skeletal function also affect BMD during the premenopausal period. PMID:23074152

Identifying significant environmental features using feature recognition.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-10-01

The Department of Environmental Analysis at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has expressed an interest in feature-recognition capability because it may help analysts identify environmentally sensitive features in the landscape, : including those r...

Mineralogy and Geochemical Processes of Carbonate Mineral-rich Sulfide Mine Tailings, Zimapan, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McClure, R. J.; Deng, Y.; Loeppert, R.; Herbert, B. E.; Carrillo, R.; Gonzalez, C.

2009-12-01

Mining for silver, lead, zinc, and copper in Zimapan, Hidalgo State, Mexico has been ongoing since 1576. High concentrations of heavy metals have been found in several mine tailing heaps in the Zimapan area, with concentrations of arsenic observed as high as 28,690 mg/kg and levels of Pb as high as 2772 mg/kg. Unsecured tailings heaps and associated acid mine drainage has presented tremendous problems to revegetation, water quality, and dust emission control in the Zimapan area. Although acid mine drainage problems related to weathering of sulfide minerals have been extensively studied and are well known, the weathering products of sulfides in areas with a significant presence of carbonate minerals and their effect on the mobility of heavy metals warrant further study. Carbonate minerals are expected to neutralize sulfuric acid produced from weathering of sulfide minerals, however, in the Zimapan area localized areas of pH as low as 1.8 were observed within carbonate mineral-rich tailing heaps. The objectives of this study are to characterize (1) the heavy metal-containing sulfide minerals in the initial tailing materials, (2) the intermediate oxidation products of sulfide minerals within the carbonate-rich tailings, (3) chemical species of heavy metals within pH gradients between 1.8 and 8.2, the approximate natural pH of limestone, and (4) the mobility of soluble and colloidal heavy metals and arsenic within the carbonate-rich tailings. Representative mine tailings and their intermediate oxidation products have been sampled from the Zimapan area. Mineralogical characterization will be conducted with X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopes and microprobes, and chemical methods. Chemical species will be extracted by selective dissolution methods. Preliminary results have identified calcite as the dominant mineral in the tailing heaps with a pH of 7, suggesting non-equilibrium with the acidic weathering products. Other minerals identified in

CO2 Driven Mineral Transformations in Fractured Reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaef, T.

2015-12-01

Engineering fracture systems in low permeable formations to increase energy production, accelerate heat extraction, or to enhance injectivity for storing anthropogenic CO2, is a challenging endeavor. To complicate matters, caprocks, essential components of subsurface reservoirs, need to maintain their sealing integrity in this modified subsurface system. Supercritical CO2 (scCO2), a proposed non-aqueous based working fluid, is capable of driving mineral transformations in fracture environments. Water dissolution in scCO2 significantly impacts the reactivity of this fluid, largely due to the development of thin adsorbed H2O films on the surfaces of exposed rocks and minerals. Adsorbed H2O films are geochemically complex microenvironments that host mineral dissolution and precipitation processes that could be tailored to influence overall formation permeability. Furthermore, manipulating the composition of injected CO2 (e.g., moisture content and/or reactive gases such as O2, NOx, or SOx) could stimulate targeted mineral transformations that enhance or sustain reservoir performance. PNNL has developed specialized experimental techniques that can be used to characterize chemical reactions occurring between minerals and pressurized gases. For example, hydration of a natural shale sample (Woodford Shale) has been characterized by an in situ infrared spectroscopic technique as water partitions from the scCO2 onto the shale. Mineral dissolution and carbonate precipitation reactions were tracked by monitoring changes of Si-O and C-O stretching bands, respectively Structural changes indicated expandable clays in the shale such as montmorillonite are intercalated with scCO2, a process not observed with the non-expandable kaolinite component. Extreme scale ab initio molecular dynamics simulations were used in conjunction with model mineral systems to identify the driving force and mechanism of water films. They showed that the film nucleation and formation on minerals is

43 CFR 19.8 - Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest Wilderness. 19.8 Section 19.8 Public Lands: Interior... § 19.8 Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest... locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest Wilderness are contained in parts...

43 CFR 19.8 - Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest Wilderness. 19.8 Section 19.8 Public Lands: Interior... § 19.8 Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest...

43 CFR 19.8 - Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest Wilderness. 19.8 Section 19.8 Public Lands: Interior... § 19.8 Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest...

43 CFR 19.8 - Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2012-10-01 2011-10-01 true Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest Wilderness. 19.8 Section 19.8 Public Lands: Interior... § 19.8 Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest...

43 CFR 19.8 - Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest Wilderness. 19.8 Section 19.8 Public Lands: Interior... § 19.8 Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest...

A novel mineral flotation process using Thiobacillus ferrooxidans.

PubMed

Nagaoka, T; Ohmura, N; Saiki, H

1999-08-01

Oxidative leaching of metals by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans has proven useful in mineral processing. Here, we report on a new use for T. ferrooxidans, in which bacterial adhesion is used to remove pyrite from mixtures of sulfide minerals during flotation. Under control conditions, the floatabilities of five sulfide minerals tested (pyrite, chalcocite, molybdenite, millerite, and galena) ranged from 90 to 99%. Upon addition of T. ferrooxidans, the floatability of pyrite was significantly suppressed to less than 20%. In contrast, addition of the bacterium had little effect on the floatabilities of the other minerals, even when they were present in relatively large quantities: their floatabilities remained in the range of 81 to 98%. T. ferrooxidans thus appears to selectively suppress pyrite floatability. As a consequence, 77 to 95% of pyrite was removed from mineral mixtures while 72 to 100% of nonpyrite sulfide minerals was recovered. The suppression of pyrite floatability was caused by bacterial adhesion to pyrite surfaces. When normalized to the mineral surface area, the number of cells adhering to pyrite was significantly larger than the number adhering to other minerals. These results suggest that flotation with T. ferrooxidans may provide a novel approach to mineral processing in which the biological functions involved in cell adhesion play a key role in the separation of minerals.

Mineral exploration and fracture trends in Utah and Nevada, by ERTS-1 imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, M. L. (Principal Investigator); Smith, M. R.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Major structural trends have been compiled on five separate maps, at a scale of 1:1,000,000, of Utah and Nevada from ERTS-1 imagery. An arbitrary length of ten kilometers has been chosen as a minimum length of the trends. The selection is based upon: (1) obvious displacement of structures; (2) continuity or persistence of trends across structures; (3) line-up of outcrop patterns, drainage, erosional features or vegetation; and (4) near-linear trends. Several recognizable trend directions have noted, viz., N 10-15 deg W, N 35 deg W, N 80 deg W, N 30 deg E, and E-W. More than 1500 structural trends have been identified, some of which are mineralized and extend into pediment or shallow alluvial cover. Those fracture trends that exhibit mineralization in exposed bedrock will be assayed for mercury content with a soil-gas analyzer and similar collection will be done over alluvial posture blankets by the same technique with the hope of discovering blind mineralized zones that are not exposed on the surface.

Assessment of mineral resource tracts in the Chugach National Forest, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Steven W.; Miller, Marti L.

2000-01-01

Locatable minerals have been produced from the Chugach National Forest (CNF) for nearly 100 years. Past gold production has come from the Kenai Peninsula and the Girdwood, Port Wells, and Valdez areas. Copper and by-product gold and silver have been produced from mines at Ellamar, on Latouche Island, and near Valdez. Many of the past-producing properties were not mined out and contain significant inferred reserves of gold, copper, lead, zinc, and silver. This report outlines mineral resource areas (tracts) that contain both identified and undiscovered mineral resources. These tracts were drawn on the basis of one or more of the following criteria: (1) geochemical anomalies, (2) favorable geologic units, (3) presence of mines, prospects or mineral occurrences, and (4) geophysical anomalies. Bliss (1989) used six mineral deposit models to describe the types of deposits known from the CNF. Of these deposit types, only four are sufficiently known and defined in the CNF to be suitable for consideration in outlining and ranking of mineral resource tracts; these deposit types are: (1) Cyprus-type massive sulfide, (2) Chugach-type low-sulfide goldquartz veins, (3) placer gold, and (4) polymetallic vein. The U.S. Bureau of Mines indicated that most of the inferred mineral reserves in the CNF would not be economic to produce under current prices. Small-scale placer gold operations are a possible exception. Other known resources that have recorded past production (oil, coal, rock, sand, and gravel) are not addressed in this report.

Defining reactive sites on hydrated mineral surfaces: Rhombohedral carbonate minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villegas-Jiménez, Adrián; Mucci, Alfonso; Pokrovsky, Oleg S.; Schott, Jacques

2009-08-01

Despite the success of surface complexation models (SCMs) to interpret the adsorptive properties of mineral surfaces, their construct is sometimes incompatible with fundamental chemical and/or physical constraints, and thus, casts doubts on the physical-chemical significance of the derived model parameters. In this paper, we address the definition of primary surface sites (i.e., adsorption units) at hydrated carbonate mineral surfaces and discuss its implications to the formulation and calibration of surface equilibria for these minerals. Given the abundance of experimental and theoretical information on the structural properties of the hydrated (10.4) cleavage calcite surface, this mineral was chosen for a detailed theoretical analysis of critical issues relevant to the definition of primary surface sites. Accordingly, a single, generic charge-neutral surface site ( tbnd CaCO 3·H 2O 0) is defined for this mineral whereupon mass-action expressions describing adsorption equilibria were formulated. The one-site scheme, analogous to previously postulated descriptions of metal oxide surfaces, allows for a simple, yet realistic, molecular representation of surface reactions and provides a generalized reference state suitable for the calculation of sorption equilibria for rhombohedral carbonate minerals via Law of Mass Action (LMA) and Gibbs Energy Minimization (GEM) approaches. The one-site scheme is extended to other rhombohedral carbonate minerals and tested against published experimental data for magnesite and dolomite in aqueous solutions. A simplified SCM based on this scheme can successfully reproduce surface charge, reasonably simulate the electrokinetic behavior of these minerals, and predict surface speciation agreeing with available spectroscopic data. According to this model, a truly amphoteric behavior is displayed by these surfaces across the pH scale but at circum-neutral pH (5.8-8.2) and relatively high ΣCO 2 (⩾1 mM), proton/bicarbonate co

Mineral Commodity Summaries 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2008-01-01

Each chapter of the 2008 edition of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Commodity Summaries (MCS) includes information on events, trends, and issues for each mineral commodity as well as discussions and tabular presentations on domestic industry structure, Government programs, tariffs, 5-year salient statistics, and world production and resources. The MCS is the earliest comprehensive source of 2007 mineral production data for the world. More than 90 individual minerals and materials are covered by two-page synopses. National reserves and reserve base information for most mineral commodities found in this report, including those for the United States, are derived from a variety of sources. The ideal source of such information would be comprehensive evaluations that apply the same criteria to deposits in different geographic areas and report the results by country. In the absence of such evaluations, national reserves and reserve base estimates compiled by countries for selected mineral commodities are a primary source of national reserves and reserve base information. Lacking national assessment information by governments, sources such as academic articles, company reports, common business practice, presentations by company representatives, and trade journal articles, or a combination of these, serve as the basis for national reserves and reserve base information reported in the mineral commodity sections of this publication. A national estimate may be assembled from the following: historically reported reserves and reserve base information carried for years without alteration because no new information is available; historically reported reserves and reserve base reduced by the amount of historical production; and company reported reserves. International minerals availability studies conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, before 1996, and estimates of identified resources by an international collaborative effort (the International Strategic Minerals

Hyperspectral analysis of clay minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janaki Rama Suresh, G.; Sreenivas, K.; Sivasamy, R.

2014-11-01

A study was carried out by collecting soil samples from parts of Gwalior and Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh in order to assess the dominant clay mineral of these soils using hyperspectral data, as 0.4 to 2.5 μm spectral range provides abundant and unique information about many important earth-surface minerals. Understanding the spectral response along with the soil chemical properties can provide important clues for retrieval of mineralogical soil properties. The soil samples were collected based on stratified random sampling approach and dominant clay minerals were identified through XRD analysis. The absorption feature parameters like depth, width, area and asymmetry of the absorption peaks were derived from spectral profile of soil samples through DISPEC tool. The derived absorption feature parameters were used as inputs for modelling the dominant soil clay mineral present in the unknown samples using Random forest approach which resulted in kappa accuracy of 0.795. Besides, an attempt was made to classify the Hyperion data using Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) algorithm with an overall accuracy of 68.43 %. Results showed that kaolinite was the dominant mineral present in the soils followed by montmorillonite in the study area.

Mineral Selection for Multicomponent Equilibrium Geothermometry

DOE PAGES

Plamer, C. D.; Ohly, S. R.; Smith, R. W.; ...

2015-04-01

Multicomponent geothermometry requires knowledge of the mineral phases in the reservoir with which the geothermal fluids may be equilibrated. These minerals phases are most often alteration products rather than primary minerals. We have reviewed the literature on geothermal systems representing most major geologic environments typically associated with geothermal activity and identified potential alteration products in various environments. We have included this information in RTEst, a code we have developed to estimate reservoir conditions (temperature, CO 2 fugacity) from the geochemistry of near-surface geothermal waters. The information has been included in RTEst through the addition of filters that decrease the potentialmore » number of minerals from all possibilities based on the basis species to those that are more relevant to the particular conditions in which the user is interested. The three groups of filters include host rock type (tholeiitic, calc-alkaline, silicic, siliciclastic, carbonate), water type (acidic, neutral), and the temperature range over which the alteration minerals were formed (low, medium, high). The user-chosen mineral assemblage is checked to make sure that it does not violate the Gibbs phase rule. The user can select one of three mineral saturation weighting schemes that decrease the chance the optimization from being skewed by reaction stoichiometry or analytical uncertainty.« less

Mineral Content Comparison at Two Gale Crater Sites

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-13

This graphic shows proportions of minerals identified in mudstone exposures at the "Yellowknife Bay" location where NASA's Curiosity Mars rover first analyzed bedrock, in 2013, and at the "Murray Buttes" area investigated in 2016. Minerals were identified by X-ray diffraction analysis of sample powder from the rocks. The samples were acquired by drilling and delivered to the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument inside the rover. Two key differences in the Murray Buttes mudstone include hematite rather than magnetite, and far less abundance of crystalline mafic minerals, compared to the Yellowknife Bay mudstone composition. Hematite and magnetite are both iron oxide minerals, with hematite as a more oxidized one. That difference could result from the Murray Buttes mudstone layer experiencing more weathering than the Yellowknife Bay mudstone. More weathering could also account for the lower abundance of crystalline mafics, which are volcanic-origin minerals such as pyroxene and olivine. The Yellowknife Bay site is on the floor of Gale Crater. The Murray Buttes site is on lower Mount Sharp, the layered mound in the center of the crater. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21149

Mineral density volume gradients in normal and diseased human tissues

DOE PAGES

Djomehri, Sabra I.; Candell, Susan; Case, Thomas; ...

2015-04-09

Clinical computed tomography provides a single mineral density (MD) value for heterogeneous calcified tissues containing early and late stage pathologic formations. The novel aspect of this study is that, it extends current quantitative methods of mapping mineral density gradients to three dimensions, discretizes early and late mineralized stages, identifies elemental distribution in discretized volumes, and correlates measured MD with respective calcium (Ca) to phosphorus (P) and Ca to zinc (Zn) elemental ratios. To accomplish this, MD variations identified using polychromatic radiation from a high resolution micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) benchtop unit were correlated with elemental mapping obtained from a microprobe X-raymore » fluorescence (XRF) using synchrotron monochromatic radiation. Digital segmentation of tomograms from normal and diseased tissues (N=5 per group; 40-60 year old males) contained significant mineral density variations (enamel: 2820-3095mg/cc, bone: 570-1415mg/cc, cementum: 1240-1340mg/cc, dentin: 1480-1590mg/cc, cementum affected by periodontitis: 1100-1220mg/cc, hypomineralized carious dentin: 345-1450mg/cc, hypermineralized carious dentin: 1815-2740mg/cc, and dental calculus: 1290-1770mg/cc). A plausible linear correlation between segmented MD volumes and elemental ratios within these volumes was established, and Ca/P ratios for dentin (1.49), hypomineralized dentin (0.32-0.46), cementum (1.51), and bone (1.68) were observed. Furthermore, varying Ca/Zn ratios were distinguished in adapted compared to normal tissues, such as in bone (855-2765) and in cementum (595-990), highlighting Zn as an influential element in prompting observed adaptive properties. Hence, results provide insights on mineral density gradients with elemental concentrations and elemental footprints that in turn could aid in elucidating mechanistic processes for pathologic formations.« less

Mineral density volume gradients in normal and diseased human tissues

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Djomehri, Sabra I.; Candell, Susan; Case, Thomas

Clinical computed tomography provides a single mineral density (MD) value for heterogeneous calcified tissues containing early and late stage pathologic formations. The novel aspect of this study is that, it extends current quantitative methods of mapping mineral density gradients to three dimensions, discretizes early and late mineralized stages, identifies elemental distribution in discretized volumes, and correlates measured MD with respective calcium (Ca) to phosphorus (P) and Ca to zinc (Zn) elemental ratios. To accomplish this, MD variations identified using polychromatic radiation from a high resolution micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) benchtop unit were correlated with elemental mapping obtained from a microprobe X-raymore » fluorescence (XRF) using synchrotron monochromatic radiation. Digital segmentation of tomograms from normal and diseased tissues (N=5 per group; 40-60 year old males) contained significant mineral density variations (enamel: 2820-3095mg/cc, bone: 570-1415mg/cc, cementum: 1240-1340mg/cc, dentin: 1480-1590mg/cc, cementum affected by periodontitis: 1100-1220mg/cc, hypomineralized carious dentin: 345-1450mg/cc, hypermineralized carious dentin: 1815-2740mg/cc, and dental calculus: 1290-1770mg/cc). A plausible linear correlation between segmented MD volumes and elemental ratios within these volumes was established, and Ca/P ratios for dentin (1.49), hypomineralized dentin (0.32-0.46), cementum (1.51), and bone (1.68) were observed. Furthermore, varying Ca/Zn ratios were distinguished in adapted compared to normal tissues, such as in bone (855-2765) and in cementum (595-990), highlighting Zn as an influential element in prompting observed adaptive properties. Hence, results provide insights on mineral density gradients with elemental concentrations and elemental footprints that in turn could aid in elucidating mechanistic processes for pathologic formations.« less

Mineral density volume gradients in normal and diseased human tissues.

PubMed

Djomehri, Sabra I; Candell, Susan; Case, Thomas; Browning, Alyssa; Marshall, Grayson W; Yun, Wenbing; Lau, S H; Webb, Samuel; Ho, Sunita P

2015-01-01

Clinical computed tomography provides a single mineral density (MD) value for heterogeneous calcified tissues containing early and late stage pathologic formations. The novel aspect of this study is that, it extends current quantitative methods of mapping mineral density gradients to three dimensions, discretizes early and late mineralized stages, identifies elemental distribution in discretized volumes, and correlates measured MD with respective calcium (Ca) to phosphorus (P) and Ca to zinc (Zn) elemental ratios. To accomplish this, MD variations identified using polychromatic radiation from a high resolution micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) benchtop unit were correlated with elemental mapping obtained from a microprobe X-ray fluorescence (XRF) using synchrotron monochromatic radiation. Digital segmentation of tomograms from normal and diseased tissues (N=5 per group; 40-60 year old males) contained significant mineral density variations (enamel: 2820-3095 mg/cc, bone: 570-1415 mg/cc, cementum: 1240-1340 mg/cc, dentin: 1480-1590 mg/cc, cementum affected by periodontitis: 1100-1220 mg/cc, hypomineralized carious dentin: 345-1450 mg/cc, hypermineralized carious dentin: 1815-2740 mg/cc, and dental calculus: 1290-1770 mg/cc). A plausible linear correlation between segmented MD volumes and elemental ratios within these volumes was established, and Ca/P ratios for dentin (1.49), hypomineralized dentin (0.32-0.46), cementum (1.51), and bone (1.68) were observed. Furthermore, varying Ca/Zn ratios were distinguished in adapted compared to normal tissues, such as in bone (855-2765) and in cementum (595-990), highlighting Zn as an influential element in prompting observed adaptive properties. Hence, results provide insights on mineral density gradients with elemental concentrations and elemental footprints that in turn could aid in elucidating mechanistic processes for pathologic formations.

Mineral Density Volume Gradients in Normal and Diseased Human Tissues

PubMed Central

Djomehri, Sabra I.; Candell, Susan; Case, Thomas; Browning, Alyssa; Marshall, Grayson W.; Yun, Wenbing; Lau, S. H.; Webb, Samuel; Ho, Sunita P.

2015-01-01

Clinical computed tomography provides a single mineral density (MD) value for heterogeneous calcified tissues containing early and late stage pathologic formations. The novel aspect of this study is that, it extends current quantitative methods of mapping mineral density gradients to three dimensions, discretizes early and late mineralized stages, identifies elemental distribution in discretized volumes, and correlates measured MD with respective calcium (Ca) to phosphorus (P) and Ca to zinc (Zn) elemental ratios. To accomplish this, MD variations identified using polychromatic radiation from a high resolution micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) benchtop unit were correlated with elemental mapping obtained from a microprobe X-ray fluorescence (XRF) using synchrotron monochromatic radiation. Digital segmentation of tomograms from normal and diseased tissues (N=5 per group; 40-60 year old males) contained significant mineral density variations (enamel: 2820-3095mg/cc, bone: 570-1415mg/cc, cementum: 1240-1340mg/cc, dentin: 1480-1590mg/cc, cementum affected by periodontitis: 1100-1220mg/cc, hypomineralized carious dentin: 345-1450mg/cc, hypermineralized carious dentin: 1815-2740mg/cc, and dental calculus: 1290-1770mg/cc). A plausible linear correlation between segmented MD volumes and elemental ratios within these volumes was established, and Ca/P ratios for dentin (1.49), hypomineralized dentin (0.32-0.46), cementum (1.51), and bone (1.68) were observed. Furthermore, varying Ca/Zn ratios were distinguished in adapted compared to normal tissues, such as in bone (855-2765) and in cementum (595-990), highlighting Zn as an influential element in prompting observed adaptive properties. Hence, results provide insights on mineral density gradients with elemental concentrations and elemental footprints that in turn could aid in elucidating mechanistic processes for pathologic formations. PMID:25856386

Identification of Minerals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allison, Diane

2005-01-01

The lab described in this article was developed to satisfy two major goals. First, the activity is designed to show students the proper techniques used to identify the seven characteristics of all minerals. Second, the lab gives students a glimpse into the life of a professional field geologist. The author has students complete this lab at the end…

Investigation of sorption interactions between oil shale principal mineral phases and organic compounds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowen, J.M.

1988-09-01

The interactions between minerals representative of the bulk composition of oil shales and organic compounds that have been found in oil shale leachates were investigated. The method used to directly determine the type of interactions that could take place between organic compounds and oil shale mineral phases was Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) using several advanced detection methods, including diffuse reflectance (DRIFT) and photoacoustics (PAS). The minerals that were investigated include quartz, calcite, and dolomite, which are known to figure significantly in the composition of processed oil shales. The organic chemical compounds used were chosen from a list of compoundsmore » identified in spent oil shale leachates, and they include pyridine, phenol, p-cresol, and acetone. The sorption interactions for the study were prepared by exposing each of the minerals to the organic compounds by three different methods. These were vapor deposition, direct application, and immersion in an aqueous solution at pH 12. 41 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Microorganisms meet solid minerals: interactions and biotechnological applications.

PubMed

Ng, Daphne H P; Kumar, Amit; Cao, Bin

2016-08-01

In natural and engineered environments, microorganisms often co-exist and interact with various minerals or mineral-containing solids. Microorganism-mineral interactions contribute significantly to environmental processes, including biogeochemical cycles in natural ecosystems and biodeterioration of materials in engineered environments. In this mini-review, we provide a summary of several key mechanisms involved in microorganism-mineral interactions, including the following: (i) solid minerals serve as substrata for biofilm development; (ii) solid minerals serve as an electron source or sink for microbial respiration; (iii) solid minerals provide microorganisms with macro or micronutrients for cell growth; and (iv) (semi)conductive solid minerals serve as extracellular electron conduits facilitating cell-to-cell interactions. We also highlight recent developments in harnessing microbe-mineral interactions for biotechnological applications.

42 CFR 137.22 - May the Secretary consider uncorrected significant and material audit exceptions identified...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... and material audit exceptions identified regarding centralized financial and administrative functions... Tribes for Participation in Self-Governance Planning Phase § 137.22 May the Secretary consider uncorrected significant and material audit exceptions identified regarding centralized financial and...

Effects of washed platelets vs platelet-rich plasma on the proliferation and mineralization of rat dental pulp cells.

PubMed

Zhang, L; Xie, Y H; Lin, B R

2015-08-14

We examined the effects of washed platelets (WPLTs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the proliferation and mineralization of rat dental pulp cells. Rat dental pulp cells were separated, cultured, and identified. Medium containing 1, 10, 100, or 500 mL/L PRP or WPLTs was added to 4th generation cells. The MTS method was used to determine cell proliferation. Alizarin red staining was used to observe the formation of mineralized nodules after cell mineralization and induction for 10 and 20 days under different culture conditions, and the areas of the mineralized nodules formed 20 days after induction were computed. The addition of 1, 10, and 100 mL/L WPLTs or PRP significantly promoted rat dental pulp cell proliferation (P < 0.05) whereas 500 mL/L WPLTs or PRP had no significant effect (P > 0.05). Under the same concentrations, no significant differences on cell proliferation were observed between WPLT and PRP treatments (P > 0.05 in all groups). After 10 days mineralization and culture, the 100 and 500 mL/L WPLT and PRP group positive nodule rates were significantly higher than those of the low concentration and the control groups (P < 0.05). After 20 days, the areas of the mineralized nodules formed in the 100 and 500 mL/L WPLT and PRP groups were significantly larger than those in the control group (P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that both WPLTs and PRP are equally able to significantly promote the proliferation and calcification of rat dental pulp cells under a certain range of concentrations.

Impact-Induced Clay Mineral Formation and Distribution on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rivera-Valentin, E. G.; Craig, P. I.

2015-01-01

Clay minerals have been identified in the central peaks and ejecta blankets of impact craters on Mars. Several studies have suggested these clay minerals formed as a result of impact induced hydrothermalism either during Mars' Noachian era or more recently by the melting of subsurface ice. Examples of post-impact clay formation is found in several locations on Earth such as the Mjolnir and Woodleigh Impact Structures. Additionally, a recent study has suggested the clay minerals observed on Ceres are the result of impact-induced hydrothermal processes. Such processes may have occurred on Mars, possibly during the Noachian. Distinguishing between clay minerals formed preor post-impact can be accomplished by studying their IR spectra. In fact, showed that the IR spectra of clay minerals is greatly affected at longer wavelengths (i.e. mid-IR, 5-25 micron) by impact-induced shock deformation while the near-IR spectra (1.0-2.5 micron) remains relatively unchanged. This explains the discrepancy between NIR and MIR observations of clay minerals in martian impact craters noted. Thus, it allows us to determine whether a clay mineral formed from impact-induced hydrothermalism or were pre-existing and were altered by the impact. Here we study the role of impacts on the formation and distribution of clay minerals on Mars via a fully 3-D Monte Carlo cratering model, including impact- melt production using results from modern hydrocode simulations. We identify regions that are conducive to clay formation and the location of clay minerals post-bombardment.

A Novel Mineral Flotation Process Using Thiobacillus ferrooxidans

PubMed Central

Nagaoka, Toru; Ohmura, Naoya; Saiki, Hiroshi

1999-01-01

Oxidative leaching of metals by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans has proven useful in mineral processing. Here, we report on a new use for T. ferrooxidans, in which bacterial adhesion is used to remove pyrite from mixtures of sulfide minerals during flotation. Under control conditions, the floatabilities of five sulfide minerals tested (pyrite, chalcocite, molybdenite, millerite, and galena) ranged from 90 to 99%. Upon addition of T. ferrooxidans, the floatability of pyrite was significantly suppressed to less than 20%. In contrast, addition of the bacterium had little effect on the floatabilities of the other minerals, even when they were present in relatively large quantities: their floatabilities remained in the range of 81 to 98%. T. ferrooxidans thus appears to selectively suppress pyrite floatability. As a consequence, 77 to 95% of pyrite was removed from mineral mixtures while 72 to 100% of nonpyrite sulfide minerals was recovered. The suppression of pyrite floatability was caused by bacterial adhesion to pyrite surfaces. When normalized to the mineral surface area, the number of cells adhering to pyrite was significantly larger than the number adhering to other minerals. These results suggest that flotation with T. ferrooxidans may provide a novel approach to mineral processing in which the biological functions involved in cell adhesion play a key role in the separation of minerals. PMID:10427053

Mineral Tells Tale of Watery Past-2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This spectrum, taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's Moessbauer spectrometer, shows the presence of an iron-bearing mineral called jarosite in the collection of rocks dubbed 'El Capitan.' 'El Capitan' is located within the outcrop that lines the inner edge of the small crater where Opportunity landed. The pair of yellow peaks specifically indicates a jarosite phase, which contains water in the form of hydroxyl as a part of its structure. These data suggest water-driven processes exist on Mars. Three other phases are also identified in this spectrum: a magnetic phase (blue), attributed to an iron-oxide mineral; a silicate phase (green), indicative of minerals containing double-ionized iron (Fe 2+); and a third phase (red) of minerals with triple-ionized iron (Fe 3+).

An Expert System for Identification of Minerals in Thin Section.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donahoe, James Louis; And Others

1989-01-01

Discusses a computer database which includes optical properties of 142 minerals. Uses fuzzy logic to identify minerals from incomplete and imprecise information. Written in Turbo PASCAL for MS-DOS with 128K. (MVL)

Protection of mineral deposits - a way towards difficult compromises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radwanek-Bąk, Barbara; Nieć, Marek

2014-05-01

Mineral deposits are non-renewable natural resources. Their protection and reasonable exploitation are crucial requests resulting from sustainable development principles. Those are also fundamental issues in frame of the intergeneration justice and fairness concept. Protection of mineral resources should be based on interrelated activities: maintaining the possibility of economic use of the identified mineral resources, reduced consumption of mineral resources and ensuring satisfactory results of new prospecting and development of innovative technologies for the mineral resources base. The main problem with guarantee to the use of mineral resources is the accessibility to sites with documented deposits and prospective areas of their occurrence. Often, this contradicts with the interests of residents, planners and needs of the biotic environment protection, thus is often a source of conflicts. Legislative regulations are necessary to mitigate such arguable matters. SWOT analysis carried out with respect to introducing such legal regulations serves to identify the sources of conflicts and difficulties associated with their solution. Consensus reaching is a difficult task, so all decision makers are required to show their mutual understanding and willingness to achieve the goals taking into consideration all benefits for the population (including future generations). Foundations for finding the middle ground are: making the communities aware of their demands on minerals and of indispensable conditions for satisfying these demands; providing complete and accessible information; factual, non-emotional negotiations between decision makers and the public.

Effects of antiepileptic drugs on bone mineral density and bone metabolism in children: a meta-analysis*

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ying; Zheng, Yu-xin; Zhu, Jun-ming; Zhang, Jian-min; Zheng, Zhe

2015-01-01

Objective: The aim of our meta-analysis was to assess the effects of antiepileptic drugs on bone mineral density and bone metabolism in epileptic children. Methods: Searches of PubMed and Web of Science were undertaken to identify studies evaluating the association between antiepileptic drugs and bone mineral density and bone metabolism. Results: A total of 22 studies with 1492 subjects were included in our research. We identified: (1) a reduction in bone mineral density at lumbar spine (standardized mean difference (SMD)=−0.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) [−0.61, −0.05]), trochanter (mean difference (MD)=−0.07, 95% CI [−0.10, −0.05]), femoral neck (MD=−0.05, 95% CI [−0.09, −0.02]), and total body bone mineral density (MD=−0.33, 95% CI [−0.51, −0.15]); (2) a reduction in 25-hydroxyvitamin D (MD=−3.37, 95% CI [−5.94, −0.80]) and an increase in serum alkaline phosphatase (SMD=0.71, 95% CI [0.38, 1.05]); (3) no significant changes in serum parathyroid hormone, calcium, or phosphorus. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggests that treatment with antiepileptic drugs may be associated with decreased bone mineral density in epileptic children. PMID:26160719

In Brief: Assessing Afghanistan's mineral resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2007-12-01

Afghanistan has significant amounts of undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources, with copper and iron ore having the most potential for extraction, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment. The assessment, done cooperatively with the Afghanistan Geological Survey of the Afghanistan Ministry of Mines, also found indications of significant deposits of colored stones and gemstones (including emeralds, rubies, and sapphires), gold, mercury, sulfur, chromite, and other resources. ``Mineral resource assessments provide government decision-makers and potential private investors with objective, unbiased information on where undiscovered mineral resources may be located, what kinds of resources are likely to occur, and how much of each mineral commodity may exist in them,'' said USGS director Mark Myers. The USGS, in cooperation with the Afghan government, released an oil and gas resources assessment in March 2006 and an earthquake hazards assessment in May 2007. For more information, visit the Web sites: http://afghanistan.cr.usgs.gov and http://www.bgs.ac.uk/afghanminerals/.

Alpine lakes preserve mineral dust signatures: Implications for long-range mineral dust transport and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) tornado frequency in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, A.; Lora, J. M.; Pollen, A.; Vollmer, T.; Thomas, M.; Leithold, E. L.; Mitchell, J.; Tripati, A.

2016-12-01

The net amount of mineral dust accumulation in arid and semi-arid regions might not be entirely sourced locally or even regionally; in fact, new evidence suggests that there could be significant contributions from distal sources. The contribution from the distal sources needs to be identified, and accounted for, in order to accurately understand the meteorological and climatologic factors, both regional and global, that control mineral dust accumulation in arid and semi-arid regions. Most importantly, if identified, the two components of mineral dust accumulation- fine fraction (typically <4 microns) and coarse fraction (typically >25 microns)- could provide critical information about regional as well as global climate. There are large-scale climatological controls on the finer fraction of mineral dust, while the coarser fraction is related to intense invents (i.e., the occurrence of cyclones). However, studies attempting to separate these two size fractions in terrestrial archives have been limited. Here we separate the two size fractions using grain size analysis, and use trace element analysis in each size fraction to identify contributing source regions. We apply this technique to well-dated cores collected from three lakes that are distributed across the western, southwestern and Great Plains in the United States: Pear Lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains (CA), Senator Beck Lake in the San Juan Mountains (CO), and North Lake (WY). These lakes are uniquely situated to monitor dust fluxes; previous studies have demonstrated that sedimentation in these lakes are dominated by mineral dust accumulation; there is also evidence of remotely and locally sourced dust in these lakes, and of textural differences between the two types of dust fractions. We compare our results with previously published data on dust from loess deposits in the United States, and isotopic modeling (LMDZ). We find evidence that the finer-grain size fraction in alpine lake cores could be of

[Pneumoconiosis in bauxite miners].

PubMed

Molinini, R; Pesola, M; Digennaro, M A; Carino, M; Nuzzaco, A; Coviello, F

1985-01-01

The authors examined a group of 40 miners who were being working at an Apulian bauxite mine, presently inactive. Radiographic findings of pulmonary micronodulation without significant reduction of lung functions were showed in 15 miners. Mineralogical analysis of mine dust samples excluded any presence of more than 1% free silica. As a result of this study hypotheses have been formulated about pathogenesis of this moderated and non-invasive pneumoconiosis, showed in long exposed subjects to low silica content dusts.

Geology and Nonfuel Mineral Deposits of Africa and the Middle East

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, Cliff D.; Schulz, Klaus J.; Doebrich, Jeff L.; Orris, Greta; Denning, Paul; Kirschbaum, Michael J.

2009-01-01

A nation's endowment of nonfuel mineral resources, relative to the world's endowment, is a fundamental consideration in decisions related to a nation's economic and environmental well being and security. Knowledge of the worldwide abundance, distribution, and general geologic setting of mineral commodities provides a framework within which a nation can make decisions about economic development of its own resources, and the economic and environmental consequences of those decisions, in a global perspective. The information in this report is part of a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) endeavor to evaluate the global endowment of both identified and undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources. The results will delineate areas of the world that are geologically permissive for the occurrence of undiscovered selected nonfuel mineral resources together with estimates of the quantity and quality of the resources. The results will be published as a series of regional reports; this one provides basic data on the identified resources and geologic setting, together with a brief appraisal of the potential for undiscovered mineral resources in Africa and the Middle East. Additional information, such as production statistics, economic factors that affect the mineral industries of the region, and historical information, is available in U.S. Geological Survey publications such as the Minerals Yearbook and the annual Mineral Commodity Summaries (available at http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals).

Minerals

MedlinePlus

Minerals are important for your body to stay healthy. Your body uses minerals for many different jobs, including keeping your bones, muscles, heart, and brain working properly. Minerals are also important for making enzymes and hormones. ...

Genome-Wide Association Study Using Extreme Truncate Selection Identifies Novel Genes Affecting Bone Mineral Density and Fracture Risk

PubMed Central

Duncan, Emma L.; Danoy, Patrick; Kemp, John P.; Leo, Paul J.; McCloskey, Eugene; Nicholson, Geoffrey C.; Eastell, Richard; Prince, Richard L.; Eisman, John A.; Jones, Graeme; Sambrook, Philip N.; Reid, Ian R.; Dennison, Elaine M.; Wark, John; Richards, J. Brent; Uitterlinden, Andre G.; Spector, Tim D.; Esapa, Chris; Cox, Roger D.; Brown, Steve D. M.; Thakker, Rajesh V.; Addison, Kathryn A.; Bradbury, Linda A.; Center, Jacqueline R.; Cooper, Cyrus; Cremin, Catherine; Estrada, Karol; Felsenberg, Dieter; Glüer, Claus-C.; Hadler, Johanna; Henry, Margaret J.; Hofman, Albert; Kotowicz, Mark A.; Makovey, Joanna; Nguyen, Sing C.; Nguyen, Tuan V.; Pasco, Julie A.; Pryce, Karena; Reid, David M.; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Roux, Christian; Stefansson, Kari; Styrkarsdottir, Unnur; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Tichawangana, Rumbidzai; Evans, David M.; Brown, Matthew A.

2011-01-01

Osteoporotic fracture is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Low bone mineral density (BMD) is a major predisposing factor to fracture and is known to be highly heritable. Site-, gender-, and age-specific genetic effects on BMD are thought to be significant, but have largely not been considered in the design of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of BMD to date. We report here a GWAS using a novel study design focusing on women of a specific age (postmenopausal women, age 55–85 years), with either extreme high or low hip BMD (age- and gender-adjusted BMD z-scores of +1.5 to +4.0, n = 1055, or −4.0 to −1.5, n = 900), with replication in cohorts of women drawn from the general population (n = 20,898). The study replicates 21 of 26 known BMD–associated genes. Additionally, we report suggestive association of a further six new genetic associations in or around the genes CLCN7, GALNT3, IBSP, LTBP3, RSPO3, and SOX4, with replication in two independent datasets. A novel mouse model with a loss-of-function mutation in GALNT3 is also reported, which has high bone mass, supporting the involvement of this gene in BMD determination. In addition to identifying further genes associated with BMD, this study confirms the efficiency of extreme-truncate selection designs for quantitative trait association studies. PMID:21533022

Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 56 bone mineral density loci and reveals 14 loci associated with risk of fracture.

PubMed

Estrada, Karol; Styrkarsdottir, Unnur; Evangelou, Evangelos; Hsu, Yi-Hsiang; Duncan, Emma L; Ntzani, Evangelia E; Oei, Ling; Albagha, Omar M E; Amin, Najaf; Kemp, John P; Koller, Daniel L; Li, Guo; Liu, Ching-Ti; Minster, Ryan L; Moayyeri, Alireza; Vandenput, Liesbeth; Willner, Dana; Xiao, Su-Mei; Yerges-Armstrong, Laura M; Zheng, Hou-Feng; Alonso, Nerea; Eriksson, Joel; Kammerer, Candace M; Kaptoge, Stephen K; Leo, Paul J; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Wilson, Scott G; Wilson, James F; Aalto, Ville; Alen, Markku; Aragaki, Aaron K; Aspelund, Thor; Center, Jacqueline R; Dailiana, Zoe; Duggan, David J; Garcia, Melissa; Garcia-Giralt, Natàlia; Giroux, Sylvie; Hallmans, Göran; Hocking, Lynne J; Husted, Lise Bjerre; Jameson, Karen A; Khusainova, Rita; Kim, Ghi Su; Kooperberg, Charles; Koromila, Theodora; Kruk, Marcin; Laaksonen, Marika; Lacroix, Andrea Z; Lee, Seung Hun; Leung, Ping C; Lewis, Joshua R; Masi, Laura; Mencej-Bedrac, Simona; Nguyen, Tuan V; Nogues, Xavier; Patel, Millan S; Prezelj, Janez; Rose, Lynda M; Scollen, Serena; Siggeirsdottir, Kristin; Smith, Albert V; Svensson, Olle; Trompet, Stella; Trummer, Olivia; van Schoor, Natasja M; Woo, Jean; Zhu, Kun; Balcells, Susana; Brandi, Maria Luisa; Buckley, Brendan M; Cheng, Sulin; Christiansen, Claus; Cooper, Cyrus; Dedoussis, George; Ford, Ian; Frost, Morten; Goltzman, David; González-Macías, Jesús; Kähönen, Mika; Karlsson, Magnus; Khusnutdinova, Elza; Koh, Jung-Min; Kollia, Panagoula; Langdahl, Bente Lomholt; Leslie, William D; Lips, Paul; Ljunggren, Östen; Lorenc, Roman S; Marc, Janja; Mellström, Dan; Obermayer-Pietsch, Barbara; Olmos, José M; Pettersson-Kymmer, Ulrika; Reid, David M; Riancho, José A; Ridker, Paul M; Rousseau, François; Slagboom, P Eline; Tang, Nelson L S; Urreizti, Roser; Van Hul, Wim; Viikari, Jorma; Zarrabeitia, María T; Aulchenko, Yurii S; Castano-Betancourt, Martha; Grundberg, Elin; Herrera, Lizbeth; Ingvarsson, Thorvaldur; Johannsdottir, Hrefna; Kwan, Tony; Li, Rui; Luben, Robert; Medina-Gómez, Carolina; Palsson, Stefan Th; Reppe, Sjur; Rotter, Jerome I; Sigurdsson, Gunnar; van Meurs, Joyce B J; Verlaan, Dominique; Williams, Frances M K; Wood, Andrew R; Zhou, Yanhua; Gautvik, Kaare M; Pastinen, Tomi; Raychaudhuri, Soumya; Cauley, Jane A; Chasman, Daniel I; Clark, Graeme R; Cummings, Steven R; Danoy, Patrick; Dennison, Elaine M; Eastell, Richard; Eisman, John A; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Hofman, Albert; Jackson, Rebecca D; Jones, Graeme; Jukema, J Wouter; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Lehtimäki, Terho; Liu, Yongmei; Lorentzon, Mattias; McCloskey, Eugene; Mitchell, Braxton D; Nandakumar, Kannabiran; Nicholson, Geoffrey C; Oostra, Ben A; Peacock, Munro; Pols, Huibert A P; Prince, Richard L; Raitakari, Olli; Reid, Ian R; Robbins, John; Sambrook, Philip N; Sham, Pak Chung; Shuldiner, Alan R; Tylavsky, Frances A; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Wareham, Nick J; Cupples, L Adrienne; Econs, Michael J; Evans, David M; Harris, Tamara B; Kung, Annie Wai Chee; Psaty, Bruce M; Reeve, Jonathan; Spector, Timothy D; Streeten, Elizabeth A; Zillikens, M Carola; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Ohlsson, Claes; Karasik, David; Richards, J Brent; Brown, Matthew A; Stefansson, Kari; Uitterlinden, André G; Ralston, Stuart H; Ioannidis, John P A; Kiel, Douglas P; Rivadeneira, Fernando

2012-04-15

Bone mineral density (BMD) is the most widely used predictor of fracture risk. We performed the largest meta-analysis to date on lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD, including 17 genome-wide association studies and 32,961 individuals of European and east Asian ancestry. We tested the top BMD-associated markers for replication in 50,933 independent subjects and for association with risk of low-trauma fracture in 31,016 individuals with a history of fracture (cases) and 102,444 controls. We identified 56 loci (32 new) associated with BMD at genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10(-8)). Several of these factors cluster within the RANK-RANKL-OPG, mesenchymal stem cell differentiation, endochondral ossification and Wnt signaling pathways. However, we also discovered loci that were localized to genes not known to have a role in bone biology. Fourteen BMD-associated loci were also associated with fracture risk (P < 5 × 10(-4), Bonferroni corrected), of which six reached P < 5 × 10(-8), including at 18p11.21 (FAM210A), 7q21.3 (SLC25A13), 11q13.2 (LRP5), 4q22.1 (MEPE), 2p16.2 (SPTBN1) and 10q21.1 (DKK1). These findings shed light on the genetic architecture and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying BMD variation and fracture susceptibility.

40 CFR 721.2175 - Salt of cyclodiamine and mineral acid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Salt of cyclodiamine and mineral acid... Substances § 721.2175 Salt of cyclodiamine and mineral acid. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses... mineral acid (PMN P-91-838) is subject to reporting under this section for the significant new uses...

40 CFR 721.2175 - Salt of cyclodiamine and mineral acid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Salt of cyclodiamine and mineral acid... Substances § 721.2175 Salt of cyclodiamine and mineral acid. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses... mineral acid (PMN P-91-838) is subject to reporting under this section for the significant new uses...

40 CFR 721.2175 - Salt of cyclodiamine and mineral acid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Salt of cyclodiamine and mineral acid... Substances § 721.2175 Salt of cyclodiamine and mineral acid. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses... mineral acid (PMN P-91-838) is subject to reporting under this section for the significant new uses...

40 CFR 721.2175 - Salt of cyclodiamine and mineral acid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Salt of cyclodiamine and mineral acid... Substances § 721.2175 Salt of cyclodiamine and mineral acid. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses... mineral acid (PMN P-91-838) is subject to reporting under this section for the significant new uses...

Miners, masculinity and the "Bataille du Charbon" in France, 1944-1948.

PubMed

Diamond, Hanna

2011-01-01

In 1944, the French provisional government, backed by the Parti communiste français and the Confédération générale du travail, undertook an aggressive propaganda campaign to persuade miners to embark upon a 'battle for coal' which raised their efforts in extracting coal to that of a national endeavour. At the same time, miners had great hopes that nationalisation of the coal industry, under discussion at this time, would bring significant improvement to their working lives. In identifying the ways in which publicists posited miners as an ideal of working-class manhood, this article will argue that "la bataille du charbon" marks a crucial moment in the celebration of working-class masculinity and that the "statut des mineurs" which was passed in 1946 as a part of nationalisation enshrined many of the existing gender assumptions about mining life. What does an incorporation of gender to an analysis of the treatment of miners in the years 1944-1948 add to our understandings of the various economic, political and social dynamics around "la bataille du charbon"? How do these insights inform our perceptions of French coalfield societies in the mid-twentieth century?

Spatial mapping of mineralization with manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging☆☆☆

PubMed Central

Chesnick, Ingrid E.; Centeno, Jose A.; Todorov, Todor I.; Koenig, Alan E.; Potter, Kimberlee

2011-01-01

Paramagnetic manganese can be employed as a calcium surrogate to sensitize the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to the processing of calcium during the bone formation process. At low doses, after just 48 h of exposure, osteoblasts take up sufficient quantities of manganese to cause marked reductions in the water proton T1 values compared with untreated cells. After just 24 h of exposure, 25 μM MnCl2 had no significant effect on cell viability. However, for mineralization studies 100 μM MnCl2 was used to avoid issues of manganese depletion in calvarial organ cultures and a post-treatment delay of 48 h was implemented to ensure that manganese ions taken up by osteoblasts is deposited as mineral. All specimens were identified by their days in vitro (DIV). Using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), we confirmed that Mn-treated calvariae continued to deposit mineral in culture and that the mineral composition was similar to that of age-matched controls. Notably there was a significant decrease in the manganese content of DIV18 compared with DIV11 specimens, possibly relating to less manganese sequestration as a result of mineral maturation. More importantly, quantitative T1 maps of Mn-treated calvariae showed localized reductions in T1 values over the calvarial surface, indicative of local variations in the surface manganese content. This result was verified with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). We also found that ΔR1 values, calculated by subtracting the relaxation rate of Mn-treated specimens from the relaxation rate of age-matched controls, were proportional to the surface manganese content and thus mineralizing activity. From this analysis, we established that mineralization of DIV4 and DIV11 specimens occurred in all tissue zones, but was reduced for DIV18 specimens because of mineral maturation with less manganese sequestration. In DIV25 specimens, active mineralization was

Identification of genetic loci associated with crude protein and mineral concentrations in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) using association mapping.

PubMed

Jia, Congjun; Wu, Xinming; Chen, Min; Wang, Yunqi; Liu, Xiqiang; Gong, Pan; Xu, Qingfang; Wang, Xuemin; Gao, Hongwen; Wang, Zan

2017-06-06

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is one of the most important legume forage species in China and many other countries of the world. It provides a quality source of proteins and minerals to animals. Genetic underpinnings for these important traits, however, are elusive. An alfalfa (M. sativa) association mapping study for six traits, namely crude protein (CP), rumen undegraded protein (RUP), and four mineral elements (Ca, K, Mg and P), was conducted in three consecutive years using a large collection encompassing 336 genotypes genotyped with 85 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. All the traits were significantly influenced by genotype, environment, and genotype × environment interaction. Eight-five significant associations (P < 0.005) were identified. Among these, five associations with Ca were repeatedly observed and six co-localized associations were identified. The identified marker alleles significantly associated with the traits provided important information for understanding genetic controls of alfalfa quality. The markers could be used in assisting selection for the individual traits in breeding populations for developing new alfalfa cultivars.

Bioleaching of serpentine group mineral by fungus Talaromyces flavus: application for mineral carbonation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Z.; Lianwen, L.; Zhao, L.; Teng, H.

2011-12-01

Many studies of serpentine group mineral dissolution for mineral carbonation have been published in recent years. However, most of them focus mainly on either physical and chemical processes or on bacterial function, rather than fungal involvement in the bioleaching of serpentine group mineral. Due to the excessive costs of the magnesium dissolution process, finding a lower energy consumption method will be meaningful. A fungal strain Talaromyces flavus was isolated from serpentinic rock of Donghai (China). No study of its bioleaching ability is currently available. It is thus of great significance to explore the impact of T. flavus on the dissolution of serpentine group mineral. Serpentine rock-inhabiting fungi belonging to Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Botryotinia, Cladosporium, Clavicipitaceae, Cosmospora, Fusarium, Monascus, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Talaromyces, Trichoderma were isolated. These strains were chosen on the basis of resistance to magnesium and nickel characterized in terms of minimum inhibiting concentration (MIC). Specifically, the strain Talaromyces flavus has a high tolerance to both magnesium (1 mol/L) and nickel (10 mM/L), and we examine its bioleaching ability on serpentine group mineral. Contact and separation experiments (cut-off 8 000-14 000 Da), as well as three control experiments, were set up for 30 days. At least three repeated tests were performed for each individual experiment. The results of our experiments demonstrate that the bioleaching ability of T. flavus towards serpentine group mineral is evident. 39.39 wt% of magnesium was extracted from lizardite during the bioleaching period in the contact experiment, which showed a dissolution rate at about a constant 0.126 mM/d before reaching equilibrium in 13 days. The amount of solubilized Mg from chrysotile and antigorite were respectively 37.79 wt% and 29.78 wt% in the contact experiment. These results make clear the influence of mineral structure on mineral bioleaching

Heavy mineral analyses as a powerful tool in fluvial geomorphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Suchodoletz, Hans; Gärtner, Andreas; Faust, Dominik

2014-05-01

The Marneuli depression is a tectonic sub-basin of the Transcaucasian depression in eastern Georgia, filled with several decametres of fluvial, lacustrine and aeolian Quaternary sediments. In order to reconstruct past landscape evolution of the region we studied Late Quaternary fluvial sediments found along several rivers that flow through that depression. Whereas Holocene river sediments could generally easily be assigned to corresponding rivers, this was not always the case for older fluvial sediments. For this reason, we studied the heavy mineral contents of five recent rivers and of four sedimentary deposits of potential precursors. A total of 4088 analysed heavy mineral grains enabled us to set up the characteristic heavy mineral distribution pattern for each sample. Using these data, we were able to reconstruct the most likely source areas of the Late Pleistocene fluvial sediments and to link them with the catchment areas of recent rivers. This allowed us to identify and to substantiate significant Late Quaternary river diversions that could at least partly be assigned to ongoing tectonic processes.

Exploration of geo-mineral compounds in granite mining soils using XRD pattern data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koteswara Reddy, G.; Yarakkula, Kiran

2017-11-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the major minerals present in granite mining waste and agricultural soils near and away from mining areas. The mineral exploration of representative sub-soil samples are identified by X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD) pattern data analysis. The morphological features and quantitative elementary analysis was performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersed Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).The XRD pattern data revealed that the major minerals are identified as Quartz, Albite, Anorthite, K-Feldspars, Muscovite, Annite, Lepidolite, Illite, Enstatite and Ferrosilite in granite waste. However, in case of agricultural farm soils the major minerals are identified as Gypsum, Calcite, Magnetite, Hematite, Muscovite, K-Feldspars and Quartz. Moreover, the agricultural soils neighbouring mining areas, the minerals are found that, the enriched Mica group minerals (Lepidolite and Illite) the enriched Orthopyroxene group minerals (Ferrosilite and Enstatite). It is observed that the Mica and Orthopyroxene group minerals are present in agricultural farm soils neighbouring mining areas and absent in agricultural farm soils away from mining areas. The study demonstrated that the chemical migration takes place at agricultural farm lands in the vicinity of the granite mining areas.

Mineral resources of the East Fork High Rock Canyon Wilderness Study Area, Washoe and Humboldt counties, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ach, Jay A.; Plouff, Donald; Turner, R.L.; Schmauch, S.W.

1987-01-01

The part of the East Fork High Rock Canyon Wilderness Study Area (CA-020-914/NV-020-006A) included in this study encompasses 33,460 acres in the northwestern part of Nevada. Throughout this report, "wilderness study area" and "study area" refertothe 33,460 acres for which mineral surveys were requested. The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted geological, geophysical, and geochemical surveys to assess the mineral resources (known) and the mineral resource potential (undiscovered) of the study area. Fieldwork for this report was carried out in 1985 and 1986. No mines, significant prospects, or mining claims are located inside the study area, and no identified resources were found. The wilderness study area has moderate mineral resource potential for gold, silver, and mercury and for zeolite minerals. A low potential also exists for geothermal energy resources, and potential for oil and gas is unknown.

Risk factors for low bone mineral density in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed

Lopes, Letícia Helena Caldas; Sdepanian, Vera Lucia; Szejnfeld, Vera Lúcia; de Morais, Mauro Batista; Fagundes-Neto, Ulysses

2008-10-01

To evaluate bone mineral density of the lumbar spine in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease, and to identify the clinical risk factors associated with low bone mineral density. Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine was evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 40 patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Patients were 11.8 (SD = 4.1) years old and most of them were male (52.5%). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify potential associations between bone mineral density Z-score and age, height-for-age Z-score, BMI Z-score, cumulative corticosteroid dose in milligrams and in milligrams per kilogram, disease duration, number of relapses, and calcium intake according to the dietary reference intake. Low bone mineral density (Z-score bellow -2) was observed in 25% of patients. Patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis had equivalent prevalence of low bone mineral density. Multiple linear regression models demonstrated that height-for-age Z-score, BMI Z-score, and cumulative corticosteroid dose in mg had independent effects on BMD, respectively, beta = 0.492 (P = 0.000), beta = 0.460 (P = 0.001), beta = - 0.014 (P = 0.000), and these effects remained significant after adjustments for disease duration, respectively, beta = 0.489 (P = 0.013), beta = 0.467 (P = 0.001), and beta = - 0.005 (P = 0.015). The model accounted for 54.6% of the variability of the BMD Z-score (adjusted R2 = 0.546). The prevalence of low bone mineral density in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease is considerably high and independent risk factors associated with bone mineral density are corticosteroid cumulative dose in milligrams, height-for-age Z-score, and BMI Z-score.

Thermodynamic Aspects of the Formation of Sulfate Minerals from Hot Gaseous Phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giere, R.; Majzlan, J.

2006-12-01

Minerals may form by solid-state reactions or by dissolution and precipitation from a fluid phase, be it magma, aqueous medium, or gas. The latter phase was traditionally not considered as important as the other ones, although it may be essential in some geological environments. Components of minerals (e.g., sulfur) are commonly transported by hot gases in volcanoes. Others may form in burning coal dumps or by burning fossil fuels for energy production. We have identified a number of minerals which precipitated from the hot gases escaping into the atmosphere from the smoke stack of a coal-fired power plant. This power plant uses coal or a mixture of coal and used tires to produce electricity. The phases identified by TEM are anglesite (PbSO4), gunningite (ZnSO4?H2O), anhydrite (CaSO4), and yavapaiite (KFe(SO4)2). In addition to these crystalline phases, amorphous sulfate materials and soot have been identified. All these materials were captured by filtering the escaping gases beyond the last filters intended to remove any particles from the gas stream. Therefore, they must have formed by precipitation from the hot gas and may present a significant pollution load in the vicinity of power plants. Verhulst et al. (1996) have shown that several metals are most likely transported as chloride complexes in the gas phase. Their assumption correlates well with the finding that the chloride-richer coal+tire mixture increases considerably amounts of emitted metals. Using thermodynamic data for these and other sulfate minerals, we are trying to understand and model the precipitation process of these minerals from hot gases at ambient pressures. In this contribution, we focus on the mineral mikasaite (trigonal Fe2(SO4)3). This mineral has been reported only from burning coal dumps (Miura et al. 1994). Using acid-solution calorimetry, we have determined the enthalpy of formation of mikasaite from elements at T = 298.15 K. We have further estimated the standard entropy of this

Fe-Impregnated Mineral Colloids for Peroxide Activation: Effects of Mineral Substrate and Fe Precursor.

PubMed

Li, Yue; Machala, Libor; Yan, Weile

2016-02-02

Heterogeneous iron species at the mineral/water interface are important catalysts for the generation of reactive oxygen species at circumneutral pH. One significant pathway leading to the formation of such species arises from deposition of dissolved iron onto mineral colloids due to changes in redox conditions. This study investigates the catalytic properties of Fe impregnated on silica, alumina, and titania nanoparticles (as prototypical mineral colloids). Fe impregnation was carried out by immersing the mineral nanoparticles in dilute Fe(II) or Fe(III) solutions at pH 6 and 3, respectively, in an aerobic environment. The uptake of iron per unit surface area follows the order of nTiO2 > nAl2O3 > nSiO2 for both types of Fe precursors. Impregnation of mineral particles in Fe(II) solutions results in predominantly Fe(III) species due to efficient surface-mediated oxidation. The catalytic activity of the impregnated solids to produce hydroxyl radical (·OH) from H2O2 decomposition was evaluated using benzoic acid as a probe compound under dark conditions. Invariably, the rates of benzoic acid oxidation with different Fe-laden particles increase with the surface density of Fe until a critical density above which the catalytic activity approaches a plateau, suggesting active Fe species are formed predominantly at low surface loadings. The critical surface density of Fe varies with the mineral substrate as well as the aqueous Fe precursor. Fe impregnated on TiO2 exhibits markedly higher activity than its Al2O3 and SiO2 counterparts. The speciation of interfacial Fe is analyzed with diffuse reflectance UV-vis analysis and interpretation of the data in the context of benzoic oxidation rates suggests that the surface activity of the solids for ·OH generation correlates strongly with the isolated (i.e., mononuclear) Fe species. Therefore, iron dispersed on mineral colloids is a significant form of reactive iron surfaces in the aquatic environment.

Application of standard photogeologic techniques to LANDSAT imagery for mineral exploration in the basin and range province of Utah and Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lattman, L. H. (Principal Investigator)

1977-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Standard photogeologic techniques were applied to LANDSAT imagery of the basin and range province of Utah and Nevada to relate linear, tonal, textural, drainage, and geomorphic features to known mineralized areas in an attempt to develop criteria for the location of mineral deposits. No consistent correlation was found between lineaments, mapped according to specified criteria, and locations of mines, mining districts, or intrusive outcrops. Tonal and textural patterns were more closely related to geologic outcrop patterns than to mineralization. A statistical study of drainage azimuths of various length classes as measured on LANDSAT showed significant correlation with mineralized districts in the length class of 3-6 km. Alignments of outcrops of basalt, a rock type highly visible on LANDSAT imagery, appear to be colinear with acidic and intermediate intrusive centers in some areas and may assist on the recognition of regional fracture systems for mineral exploration.

36 CFR 293.14 - Mineral leases and mineral permits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Mineral leases and mineral... AGRICULTURE WILDERNESS-PRIMITIVE AREAS § 293.14 Mineral leases and mineral permits. (a) All laws pertaining to mineral leasing shall extend to each National Forest Wilderness for the period specified in the Wilderness...

36 CFR 293.14 - Mineral leases and mineral permits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Mineral leases and mineral... AGRICULTURE WILDERNESS-PRIMITIVE AREAS § 293.14 Mineral leases and mineral permits. (a) All laws pertaining to mineral leasing shall extend to each National Forest Wilderness for the period specified in the Wilderness...

36 CFR 293.14 - Mineral leases and mineral permits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Mineral leases and mineral... AGRICULTURE WILDERNESS-PRIMITIVE AREAS § 293.14 Mineral leases and mineral permits. (a) All laws pertaining to mineral leasing shall extend to each National Forest Wilderness for the period specified in the Wilderness...

36 CFR 293.14 - Mineral leases and mineral permits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Mineral leases and mineral... AGRICULTURE WILDERNESS-PRIMITIVE AREAS § 293.14 Mineral leases and mineral permits. (a) All laws pertaining to mineral leasing shall extend to each National Forest Wilderness for the period specified in the Wilderness...

36 CFR 293.14 - Mineral leases and mineral permits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Mineral leases and mineral... AGRICULTURE WILDERNESS-PRIMITIVE AREAS § 293.14 Mineral leases and mineral permits. (a) All laws pertaining to mineral leasing shall extend to each National Forest Wilderness for the period specified in the Wilderness...

Spatial variation of sediment mineralization supports differential CO2 emissions from a tropical hydroelectric reservoir.

PubMed

Cardoso, Simone J; Vidal, Luciana O; Mendonça, Raquel F; Tranvik, Lars J; Sobek, Sebastian; Fábio, Roland

2013-01-01

Substantial amounts of organic matter (OM) from terrestrial ecosystems are buried as sediments in inland waters. It is still unclear to what extent this OM constitutes a sink of carbon, and how much of it is returned to the atmosphere upon mineralization to carbon dioxide (CO2). The construction of reservoirs affects the carbon cycle by increasing OM sedimentation at the regional scale. In this study we determine the OM mineralization in the sediment of three zones (river, transition, and dam) of a tropical hydroelectric reservoir in Brazil as well as identify the composition of the carbon pool available for mineralization. We measured sediment organic carbon mineralization rates and related them to the composition of the OM, bacterial abundance and pCO2 of the surface water of the reservoir. Terrestrial OM was an important substrate for the mineralization. In the river and transition zones most of the OM was allochthonous (56 and 48%, respectively) while the dam zone had the lowest allochthonous contribution (7%). The highest mineralization rates were found in the transition zone (154.80 ± 33.50 mg C m(-) (2) d(-) (1)) and the lowest in the dam (51.60 ± 26.80 mg C m(-) (2) d(-) (1)). Moreover, mineralization rates were significantly related to bacterial abundance (r (2) = 0.50, p < 0.001) and pCO2 in the surface water of the reservoir (r (2) = 0.73, p < 0.001). The results indicate that allochthonous OM has different contributions to sediment mineralization in the three zones of the reservoir. Further, the sediment mineralization, mediated by heterotrophic bacteria metabolism, significantly contributes to CO2 supersaturation in the water column, resulting in higher pCO2 in the river and transition zones in comparison with the dam zone, affecting greenhouse gas emission estimations from hydroelectric reservoirs.

Comparative transcriptional profiling of two wheat genotypes, with contrasting levels of minerals in grains, shows expression differences during grain filling.

PubMed

Singh, Sudhir P; Jeet, Raja; Kumar, Jitendra; Shukla, Vishnu; Srivastava, Rakesh; Mantri, Shrikant S; Tuli, Rakesh

2014-01-01

Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops in the world. To identify the candidate genes for mineral accumulation, it is important to examine differential transcriptome between wheat genotypes, with contrasting levels of minerals in grains. A transcriptional comparison of developing grains was carried out between two wheat genotypes- Triticum aestivum Cv. WL711 (low grain mineral), and T. aestivum L. IITR26 (high grain mineral), using Affymetrix GeneChip Wheat Genome Array. The study identified a total of 580 probe sets as differentially expressed (with log2 fold change of ≥2 at p≤0.01) between the two genotypes, during grain filling. Transcripts with significant differences in induction or repression between the two genotypes included genes related to metal homeostasis, metal tolerance, lignin and flavonoid biosynthesis, amino acid and protein transport, vacuolar-sorting receptor, aquaporins, and stress responses. Meta-analysis revealed spatial and temporal signatures of a majority of the differentially regulated transcripts.

Comparative Transcriptional Profiling of Two Wheat Genotypes, with Contrasting Levels of Minerals in Grains, Shows Expression Differences during Grain Filling

PubMed Central

Singh, Sudhir P.; Jeet, Raja; Kumar, Jitendra; Shukla, Vishnu; Srivastava, Rakesh; Mantri, Shrikant S.; Tuli, Rakesh

2014-01-01

Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops in the world. To identify the candidate genes for mineral accumulation, it is important to examine differential transcriptome between wheat genotypes, with contrasting levels of minerals in grains. A transcriptional comparison of developing grains was carried out between two wheat genotypes- Triticum aestivum Cv. WL711 (low grain mineral), and T. aestivum L. IITR26 (high grain mineral), using Affymetrix GeneChip Wheat Genome Array. The study identified a total of 580 probe sets as differentially expressed (with log2 fold change of ≥2 at p≤0.01) between the two genotypes, during grain filling. Transcripts with significant differences in induction or repression between the two genotypes included genes related to metal homeostasis, metal tolerance, lignin and flavonoid biosynthesis, amino acid and protein transport, vacuolar-sorting receptor, aquaporins, and stress responses. Meta-analysis revealed spatial and temporal signatures of a majority of the differentially regulated transcripts. PMID:25364903

Mineral deposit densities for estimating mineral resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Singer, Donald A.

2008-01-01

Estimates of numbers of mineral deposits are fundamental to assessing undiscovered mineral resources. Just as frequencies of grades and tonnages of well-explored deposits can be used to represent the grades and tonnages of undiscovered deposits, the density of deposits (deposits/area) in well-explored control areas can serve to represent the number of deposits. Empirical evidence presented here indicates that the processes affecting the number and quantity of resources in geological settings are very general across many types of mineral deposits. For podiform chromite, porphyry copper, and volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit types, the size of tract that geologically could contain the deposits is an excellent predictor of the total number of deposits. The number of mineral deposits is also proportional to the type’s size. The total amount of mineralized rock is also proportional to size of the permissive area and the median deposit type’s size. Regressions using these variables provide a means to estimate the density of deposits and the total amount of mineralization. These powerful estimators are based on analysis of ten different types of mineral deposits (Climax Mo, Cuban Mn, Cyprus massive sulfide, Franciscan Mn, kuroko massive sulfide, low-sulfide quartz-Au vein, placer Au, podiform Cr, porphyry Cu, and W vein) from 108 permissive control tracts around the world therefore generalizing across deposit types. Despite the diverse and complex geological settings of deposit types studied here, the relationships observed indicate universal controls on the accumulation and preservation of mineral resources that operate across all scales. The strength of the relationships (R 2=0.91 for density and 0.95 for mineralized rock) argues for their broad use. Deposit densities can now be used to provide a guideline for expert judgment or used directly for estimating the number of most kinds of mineral deposits.

Vitamin, Mineral, and Drug Absorption Following Bariatric Surgery

PubMed Central

Sawaya, Ronald Andari; Jaffe, Jane; Friedenberg, Lindsay; Friedenberg, Frank K.

2013-01-01

The prevalence of obesity continues to rise throughout the world. Increasingly, bariatric surgery is used for those with morbid obesity as a pivotal approach to achieve weight loss. Along with substantial weight loss, malabsorption of essential vitamins, minerals, and drugs also occurs. Therefore, more than ever, a better understanding of the physiology and mechanisms by which these deficiencies occur is essential. We review the normal physiology of vitamin, mineral, and drug absorption. This is followed by a description of currently performed bariatric surgeries in the United States. A detailed review of specific nutrient and mineral deficiency states is presented, based on the most significant studies published in the last two decades. Of note, screening and supplementation recommendations have been included. Drug absorption data after these procedures is presented and discussed. Studies were identified by searching the Cochrane Registry and MEDLINE using relevant search terms, as well as through review of the reference section of included manuscripts. Conclusions Bariatric surgery can be effectively used to achieve sustainable weight-loss in morbidly obese patients. It simultaneously brings forth important functional consequences on nutrient deficiencies and drug absorption that clinician’s must be aware of. Further prospective, randomized research on specific procedures and deficiencies is required. PMID:22746302

30 CFR 1206.113 - How will ONRR identify market centers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false How will ONRR identify market centers? 1206.113 Section 1206.113 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Oil § 1206.113 How will ONRR identify market centers? ONRR...

30 CFR 1206.113 - How will ONRR identify market centers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false How will ONRR identify market centers? 1206.113 Section 1206.113 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Oil § 1206.113 How will ONRR identify market centers? ONRR...

30 CFR 1206.113 - How will ONRR identify market centers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false How will ONRR identify market centers? 1206.113 Section 1206.113 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Oil § 1206.113 How will ONRR identify market centers? ONRR...

Mineral metabolism in isolated mouse long bones: Opposite effects of microgravity on mineralization and resorption

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veldhuijzen, Jean Paul; Vanloon, Jack J. W. A.

1994-01-01

An experiment using isolated skeletal tissues under microgravity, is reported. Fetal mouse long bones (metatarsals) were cultured for 4 days in the Biorack facility of Spacelab during the IML-1 (International Microgravity Laboratory) mission of the Space Shuttle. Overall growth was not affected, however glucose consumption was significantly reduced under microgravity. Mineralization of the diaphysis was also strongly reduced under microgravity as compared to the on-board 1 g group. In contrast, mineral resorption by osteoclasts was signficantly increased. These results indicate that these fetal mouse long bones are a sensitive and useful model to further study the cellular mechanisms involved in the changed mineral metabolism of skeletal tissues under microgravity.

Mineral oil metal working fluids (MWFs)-development of practical criteria for mist sampling.

PubMed

Simpson, A T; Groves, J A; Unwin, J; Piney, M

2000-05-01

Not all mineral oil metalworking fluids (MWFs) in common use form stable airborne mists which can be sampled quantitatively onto a filter. This much has been known for some time but no simple method of identifying oils too volatile for customary filter sampling has been developed. Past work was reviewed and experiments were done to select simple criteria which would enable such oils to be identified. The sampling efficiency for a range of commercial mineral oil MWF were assessed by drawing clean air through spiked filters at 2 l. min(-1) for periods up to 6 h before analysis. The physical properties of MWF are governed by their composition and kinematic viscosity was found to be the most practical and easily available index of the potential for sample loss from the filter. Oils with viscosities greater that 18 cSt (at 40 degrees C) lost less than 5% of their weight, whereas those with viscosities less than 18 cSt gave losses up to 71%. The losses from the MWF were mostly aliphatic hydrocarbons (C(10)-C(18)), but additives such as alkyl benzenes, esters, phenols and terpene odorants were also lost. The main recommendation to arise from the work is that filter sampling can be performed on mineral oils with viscosities of 18 cSt (at 40 degrees C) or more with little evaporative losses from the filter. However, sampling oils with viscosities less than 18 cSt will produce results which may significantly underestimate the true value. Over a quarter of UK mineral oil MWFs are formulated from mineral oils with viscosities less than 18 cSt (at 40 degrees C). The problem of exposure under-estimation and inappropriate exposure sampling could be widespread. Further work is being done on measurement of mixed phase mineral oil mist exposure.

Low bone mineral mass is associated with decreased bone formation and diet in girls with Rett syndrome.

PubMed

Motil, Kathleen J; Barrish, Judy O; Neul, Jeffrey L; Glaze, Daniel G

2014-09-01

The aim of the present study was to characterize biomarkers of bone turnover and their relation with bone mineral mass in a cross-sectional cohort of girls with Rett syndrome (RTT) and to examine the role of dietary, biochemical, hormonal, and inflammatory factors on bone mineral mass and bone biomarkers in this disorder. Total body bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) were determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Dietary nutrient intakes were determined from 3-day food records. Biomarkers of bone turnover, bone metabolites, vitamin D metabolites, hormones, and inflammatory markers were measured by standard clinical laboratory methods. Serum osteocalcin, bone alkaline phosphatase, and C-telopeptide showed significant inverse relations with age in the RTT cohort. Mean osteocalcin concentrations were significantly lower and mean bone alkaline phosphatase concentrations were significantly higher for individual age groups in the RTT cohort than mean values for their respective age ranges in the reference population. Significant inverse associations were identified between urinary calcium losses, expressed as calcium:creatinine ratios, and total body BMC and BMD z scores. Dietary protein, calcium, and phosphorus intakes, expressed as a proportion of Dietary Reference Intakes for age and sex, showed significant positive associations with total body BMD z scores. The present study suggests decreased bone formation instead of increased bone resorption may explain in part the deficits in bone mineral mass in RTT and that attention to the adequacy of dietary protein, calcium, and phosphorus intakes may offer an opportunity to improve bone health in RTT.

Exogenic and endogenic Europa minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maynard-Casely, H. E.; Brand, H. E. A.; Wilson, S. A.

2016-12-01

The Galileo Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) identified a significant `non-ice' component upon the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. Current explanations invoke both endogenic and exogenic origins for this material. It has long been suggested that magnesium and sodium sulfate minerals could have leached from the rock below a putative ocean (endogenic) 1 and that sulfuric acid hydrate minerals could have been radiologically produced from ionised sulfur originally from Io's volcanoes (exogenic) 2. However, a more recent theory proposes that the `non-ice' component could be radiation damaged NaCl leached from Europa's speculative ocean 3. What if the minerals are actually from combination of both endogenic and exogenic sources? To investigate this possibility we have focused on discovering new minerals that might form in the combination of the latter two cases, that is a mixture of leached sulfates hydrates with radiologically produced sulfuric acid. To this end we have explored a number of solutions in the MgSO4-H2SO4-H2O and Na2SO4-H2SO4-H2O systems, between 80 and 280 K with synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction. We report a number of new materials formed in this these ternary systems. This suggests that it should be considered that the `non-ice' component of the Europa's surface could be a material derived from endogenic and exogenic components. 1 Kargel, J. S. Brine volcanism and the interior structures of asteroids and icy satellites. Icarus 94, 368-390 (1991). 2 Carlson, R. W., Anderson, M. S., Mehlman, R. & Johnson, R. E. Distribution of hydrate on Europa: Further evidence for sulfuric acid hydrate. Icarus 177, 461-471, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.03.026 (2005). 3 Hand, K. P. & Carlson, R. W. Europa's surface color suggests an ocean rich with sodium chloride. Geophysical Research Letters, 2015GL063559, doi:10.1002/2015gl063559 (2015).

X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) to identify chemical analysis of minerals in Buton island, SE Sulawesi, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamaluddin; Darwis, A.; Massinai, M. A.

2018-02-01

Asbuton as natural rock asphalt consists of a granular material; usually limestone or sandstone. In its natural state, it contains bitumen intimately dispersed throughout its mass, while the remainder of the material is a solid mineral matter. This research was conducted in Sorowalio, Buton Regency, Southeast Sulawesi province, Indonesia. This study aims to determine the content and the percentage of minerals contained in the rocks by using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF). The method of research is a preliminary survey, sampling and laboratory analysis. XRF reports chemical composition, including Si (quartz) and Ca (calcite). The results indicate the content and the percentage of element dominate the rock sample is Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, and SiO2. Research results using XRF show that there are four metal oxide dominant elements. Hematite (Fe2O3) is dominant in all locations of sampling. Magnesium oxide (MgO) has the highest levels found in sample number six and the lowest is in sample number five. Silicates (SiO) has the highest levels at sample number six and the lowest in sample number seven. Calcium oxide (CaO) is dominant in all sampling locations. The sample of asbuton contains 37.90% asphalt, 43.28% carbonate, and18.82% other minerals.

30 CFR 206.113 - How will MMS identify market centers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Section 206.113 Mineral Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS REVENUE MANAGEMENT PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Oil § 206.113 How will MMS identify market centers? MMS periodically will publish in the Federal Register a list of market centers. MMS will monitor market activity and, if...

U.S. Geological Survey energy and minerals science strategy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferrero, Richard C.; Kolak, Jonathan J.; Bills, Donald J.; Bowen, Zachary H.; Cordier, Daniel J.; Gallegos, Tanya J.; Hein, James R.; Kelley, Karen D.; Nelson, Philip H.; Nuccio, Vito F.; Schmidt, Jeanine M.; Seal, Robert R.

2012-01-01

The economy, national security, and standard of living of the United States depend heavily on adequate and reliable supplies of energy and mineral resources. Based on current population and consumption trends, the Nation's use of energy and minerals can be expected to grow, driving the demand for ever broader scientific understanding of resource formation, location, and availability. In addition, the increasing importance of environmental stewardship, human health, and sustainable growth place further emphasis on energy and mineral resources research and understanding. Collectively, these trends in resource demand and the interconnectedness among resources will lead to new challenges and, in turn, require cutting-edge science for the next generation of societal decisions. The contributions of the U.S. Geological Survey to energy and minerals research are well established. Based on five interrelated goals, this plan establishes a comprehensive science strategy. It provides a structure that identifies the most critical aspects of energy and mineral resources for the coming decade. * Goal 1. - Understand fundamental Earth processes that form energy and mineral resources. * Goal 2. - Understand the environmental behavior of energy and mineral resources and their waste products. * Goal 3. - Provide inventories and assessments of energy and mineral resources. * Goal 4. - Understand the effects of energy and mineral development on natural resources. * Goal 5. - Understand the availability and reliability of energy and mineral resource supplies. Within each goal, multiple, scalable actions are identified. The level of specificity and complexity of these actions varies, consistent with the reality that even a modest refocus can yield large payoffs in the near term whereas more ambitious plans may take years to reach fruition. As such, prioritization of actions is largely dependent on policy direction, available resources, and the sequencing of prerequisite steps that will

Mineral exploration potential of ERTS-1 data. [porphyry copper deposits in Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brewer, W. A. (Principal Investigator); Erskine, M. C., Jr.; Prindle, R. O.; Haenggi, W. T.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS-1 imagery of an area approximately 15,000 square miles in Arizona was interpreted for regional structure and tectonic units. Eight fault systems were identified by trend, of which two, northeast and northwest, are considered to be related to porphyry copper mineralization. Nine tectonic units can be identified on the imagery as distinct geological identities. The boundaries between these units can be correlated with theoretical shear directions related to the San Andreas stress system. Fourier analysis of the N 50 W fault trend indicates a fundamental spacing between Fourier energy maxima that can be related to distances between copper deposits.

Integrated Spectroscopic Studies of Hydrous Sulfate Minerals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyar, M. D.; Lane, M. D.; Bishop, J. L.; OConnor, V.; Cloutis, E.; Hiroi, T.

2005-01-01

Sulfate minerals have been identified in Martian meteorites and on Mars using a suite of instruments aboard the MER rovers. These results have confirmed previous groundbased observations and orbital measurements that suggested their presence. The orbiting OMEGA instrument on Mars Express is also finding evidence for sulfate. In order to better interpret remote-sensing data, we present here the results of a coordinated visible/near infrared (VNIR) reflectance, Moussbauer (MB), and thermal emittance study of wellcharacterized hydrous sulfate minerals.

The mineral economy of Brazil--Economia mineral do Brasil

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gurmendi, Alfredo C.; Barboza, Frederico Lopes; Thorman, Charles H.

1999-01-01

This study depicts the Brazilian government structure, mineral legislation and investment policy, taxation, foreign investment policies, environmental laws and regulations, and conditions in which the mineral industry operates. The report underlines Brazil's large and diversified mineral endowment. A total of 37 mineral commodities, or groups of closely related commodities, is discussed. An overview of the geologic setting of the major mineral deposits is presented. This report is presented in English and Portuguese in pdf format.

Degradation and mineralization of DDT by the ectomycorrhizal fungi, Xerocomus chrysenteron.

PubMed

Huang, Yi; Wang, Jie

2013-08-01

One strain of ectomycorrhizal fungi, Xerocomus chrysenteron, had been investigated for its ability to degrade 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophe-nyl) ethane (DDT) by measuring unlabeled DDT and identifying its metabolites, and determining the mineralization of [(13)C]DDT in pure cultures. After 45d incubation, about 55% of the added DDT disappeared from the culture system, less than 5% remained in the nutrient solution, and about 44% was retained in the mycelium. Inoculation with mycelium enhanced the degradation of DDT in soil, and alleviated enrichment of DDT in plants. The metabolites identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDD), 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE), and 4,4'-dichlorobenzophenone (DBP). There were significant differences in the δ(13)C of released CO2 between [(13)C]DDT and DDT cultures, which indicated X. chrysenteron was able to mineralize DDT to CO2. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Natural mineral waters: chemical characteristics and health effects

PubMed Central

Quattrini, Sara; Pampaloni, Barbara; Brandi, Maria Luisa

2016-01-01

Summary Water contributes significantly to health and a daily intake of 1.5 to 2 liters of water should be guaranteed, because a good hydration is essential to maintain the body water equilibrium, although needs may vary among people. However, worldwide population is far from the Recommended Allowance for water intake. Among the waters for human uses, there are ‘waters (treated or not), intended for drinking, used for the food and beverages preparation or for other domestic purposes’ and natural mineral waters, that are ‘originated from an aquifer or underground reservoir, spring from one or more natural or bore sources and have specific hygienic features and, eventually, healthy properties’. According to the European Legislation (2009/54/EC Directive), physical and chemical characterization is used to make a classification of the different mineral waters, basing on the analysis of main parameters. Mineral composition enables to classify natural mineral waters as bicarbonate mineral waters, sulphate mineral waters, chloride mineral waters, calcic mineral waters, magnesiac mineral waters, fluorurate mineral waters, ferrous mineral waters and sodium-rich mineral waters. Although the concerns about bottled mineral waters (due to plasticizers and endocrine disruptors), many are the health effects of natural mineral waters and several studies explored their properties and their role in different physiological and pathological conditions. PMID:28228777

Work conditions and morbidity among coal miners in Guachetá, Colombia: The miners' perspective.

PubMed

Jiménez-Forero, Claudia P; Zabala, Ivonne T; Idrovo, Álvaro J

2015-08-01

Investigations in Colombia about work and health conditions in coal mining are scarce and few have focused on the perception of the exposed population and their behaviors in response to inherent risks. To determine the association between work conditions and the perception of morbidity among coal miners in Guachetá, Cundinamarca. A cross-sectional study was performed with 154 workers selected randomly from the total registered with the municipality. Information about social and demographic characteristics and work and health conditions in the mines was gathered. The prevalence was estimated for respiratory, musculoskeletal and auditory disorders. The associations between certain work conditions, and events with a prevalence over 30% were explored using bivariate and multivariate analyses with Poisson regressions with robust variance. Workers were mostly men. Ages ranged from 18 to 77 years. Most frequently reported health problems were: back pain (46.1 %), pain in an upper limb (40.3%), pain in a lower limb (34.4 %), and respiratory (17.5 %) and auditory problems (13.6 %). Significant differences in perception were found depending on time on the job and underground or ground work conditions. The most recognized risks were those associated with musculoskeletal disorders since they were closer in time to the work performed (time discount). Some actions to identify psychological traits are proposed in order to improve risk perception among coal miners.

Continental geodynamics and mineral exploration - the Western Australian perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gessner, Klaus; Murdie, Ruth; Yuan, Huaiyu; Brisbout, Lucy; Sippl, Christian; Tyler, Ian; Kirkland, Chris; Wingate, Michael; Johnson, Simon; Spaggiari, Catherine; Smithies, Hugh; Lu, Yongjun; Gonzalez, Chris; Jessell, Mark; Holden, Eun-Jung; Gorczyk, Weronika; Occhipinti, Sandra

2017-04-01

The exploration for mineral resources and their extraction has been a fundamental human activity since the dawn of civilisation: Geology is everywhere - ore deposits are rare. Most deposits were found at or near Earth's surface, often by chance or serendipity. To meet the challenge of future demand, successful exploration requires the use of advanced technology and scientific methods to identify targets at depth. Whereas the use and development of high-tech exploration, extraction and processing methods is of great significance, understanding how, when and where dynamic Earth systems become ore-forming systems is a difficult scientific challenge. Ore deposits often form by a complex interplay of coupled physical processes with evolving geological structure. The mineral systems approach states that understanding the geodynamic and tectonic context of crustal scale hydrothermal fluid flow and magmatism can help constrain the spatial extent of heat and mass transport and therefore improve targeting success in mineral exploration. Tasked with promoting the geological assets of one of the World's largest and most resource-rich jurisdictions, the Geological Survey of Western Australia is breaking new ground by systematically collecting and integrating geophysical, geological and geochemical data with the objective to reveal critical ties between lithospheric evolution and mineral deposits. We present examples where this approach has led to fundamental reinterpretations of Archean and Proterozoic geodynamics and the nature of tectonic domains and their boundaries, including cases where geodynamic modelling has played an important role in testing hypotheses of crustal evolution.

[The determination of molecular sulphur in Matsesta mineral water and its analog Novonukutskaya mineral water].

PubMed

Khutorianskiĭ, V A; Smirnov, A I; Matveev, D A

2014-01-01

The method of microcolumn reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (rp-HPLC) was employed to determine the content of elemental sulphur in mineral waters. The study envisaged the analysis of the samples of sulphide-containing mineral waters Novonukutskaya and Matsesta obtained by the solid phase extraction technique. Based on these data, the authors discuss the origin and the circulation of sulphur in the hydrogen sulphide sources. The elution conditions selected in this study ensured the high-resolution separation of the octasulphur peak from the peaks of allotropic components of the extract whereas the two-wave detection technique allowed to identify the peaks of molecular sulphur.

Summaries of important areas for mineral investment and production opportunities of nonfuel minerals in Afghanistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, Stephen G.; King, Trude V.V.; Mack, Thomas J.; Chornack, Michael P.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO) entered into an agreement with the Afghanistan Geological Survey to study and assess the fuel and nonfuel mineral resources of Afghanistan from October 2009 to September 2011 so that these resources could be economically extracted to expand the economy of Afghanistan. This report summarizes the results of joint studies on 24 important areas of interest (AOIs) of nonfuel mineral resources that were identified for mineral investment and production opportunities in Afghanistan. This report is supported by digital data and archival and non-USGS reports on each AOI, and these data are available from the Afghanistan Geological Survey Data Center in Kabul (http://mom.gov.af/en/ and http://www.bgs.ac.uk/afghanminerals/) and for viewing and download on the USGS public Web site and in a separate viewer at http://mapdss2.er.usgs.gov/.

Demarcation of potentially mineral-deficient areas in central and northern Namibia by means of natural classification systems.

PubMed

Grant, C C; Biggs, H C; Meissner, H H

1996-06-01

Mineral deficiencies that lead to production losses often occur concurrently with climatic and management changes. To diagnose these deficiencies in time to prevent production losses, long-term monitoring of mineral status is advisable. Different classification systems were examined to determine whether areas of possible mineral deficiencies could be identified, so that those which were promising could then be selected for further monitoring purposes. The classification systems addressed differences in soil, vegetation and geology, and were used to define the cattle-ranching areas in the central and northern districts of Namibia. Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and cobalt (Co) concentrations were determined in cattle livers collected at abattoirs. Pooled faecal grab samples and milk samples were collected by farmers, and used to determine phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca), and iodine (I) status, respectively. Areas of low P concentrations could be identified by all classification systems. The lowest P concentrations were recorded in samples from the Kalahari-sand area, whereas faecal samples collected from cattle on farms in the more arid areas, where the harder soils are mostly found, rarely showed low P concentrations. In the north of the country, low iodine levels were found in milk samples collected from cows grazing on farms in the northern Kalahari broad-leaved woodland. Areas supporting animals with marginal Cu status, could be effectively identified by the detailed soil-classification system of irrigation potential. Copper concentrations were lowest in areas of arid soils, but no indication of Co, Fe, Zn, or Mn deficiencies were found. For most minerals, the geological classification was the best single indicator of areas of lower concentrations. Significant monthly variation for all minerals could also be detected within the classification system. It is concluded that specific classification systems can be useful as indicators of areas with

Prospector II: Towards a knowledge base for mineral deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCammon, R.B.

1994-01-01

What began in the mid-seventies as a research effort in designing an expert system to aid geologists in exploring for hidden mineral deposits has in the late eighties become a full-sized knowledge-based system to aid geologists in conducting regional mineral resource assessments. Prospector II, the successor to Prospector, is interactive-graphics oriented, flexible in its representation of mineral deposit models, and suited to regional mineral resource assessment. In Prospector II, the geologist enters the findings for an area, selects the deposit models or examples of mineral deposits for consideration, and the program compares the findings with the models or the examples selected, noting the similarities, differences, and missing information. The models or the examples selected are ranked according to scores that are based on the comparisons with the findings. Findings can be reassessed and the process repeated if necessary. The results provide the geologist with a rationale for identifying those mineral deposit types that the geology of an area permits. In future, Prospector II can assist in the creation of new models used in regional mineral resource assessment and in striving toward an ultimate classification of mineral deposits. ?? 1994 International Association for Mathematical Geology.

Mineral distributions at the developing tendon enthesis.

PubMed

Schwartz, Andrea G; Pasteris, Jill D; Genin, Guy M; Daulton, Tyrone L; Thomopoulos, Stavros

2012-01-01

Tendon attaches to bone across a functionally graded interface, "the enthesis". A gradient of mineral content is believed to play an important role for dissipation of stress concentrations at mature fibrocartilaginous interfaces. Surgical repair of injured tendon to bone often fails, suggesting that the enthesis does not regenerate in a healing setting. Understanding the development and the micro/nano-meter structure of this unique interface may provide novel insights for the improvement of repair strategies. This study monitored the development of transitional tissue at the murine supraspinatus tendon enthesis, which begins postnatally and is completed by postnatal day 28. The micrometer-scale distribution of mineral across the developing enthesis was studied by X-ray micro-computed tomography and Raman microprobe spectroscopy. Analyzed regions were identified and further studied by histomorphometry. The nanometer-scale distribution of mineral and collagen fibrils at the developing interface was studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A zone (∼20 µm) exhibiting a gradient in mineral relative to collagen was detected at the leading edge of the hard-soft tissue interface as early as postnatal day 7. Nanocharacterization by TEM suggested that this mineral gradient arose from intrinsic surface roughness on the scale of tens of nanometers at the mineralized front. Microcomputed tomography measurements indicated increases in bone mineral density with time. Raman spectroscopy measurements revealed that the mineral-to-collagen ratio on the mineralized side of the interface was constant throughout postnatal development. An increase in the carbonate concentration of the apatite mineral phase over time suggested possible matrix remodeling during postnatal development. Comparison of Raman-based observations of localized mineral content with histomorphological features indicated that development of the graded mineralized interface is linked to endochondral

Mineral Abundances in Martian Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martel, L. M. V.

2011-01-01

Using traditional geochemical calculations with in situ Martian cosmochemical data researchers Harry (Hap) McSween Jr. and Ian McGlynn (University of Tennessee) and Deanne Rogers (SUNY at Stony Brook) have developed a method for identifying the major and minor minerals in soils at the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) landing sites. The team used information from the MER Athena instrument package operating on Mars since January, 2004. They created two models using MiniTES spectra, Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) data, and Mossbauer spectrometer data to calculate the mineralogy of average dark soils on the Gusev crater plains and on Meridiani Planum, located on opposite sides of Mars. Soils at both locations are similarly composed of minerals derived from the comminution of basalts (about three quarters by weight) and other minerals derived from rocks altered by chemical weathering (about one quarter by weight). This mixture of possibly unrelated materials (primary and altered) might mean that the alteration of soil did not occur in place and that the basaltic and alteration suites of minerals came from different sources. The nearly identical modal mineralogy at two widely-separated locations on the planet supports a previous hypothesis based on comparable chemical compositions that soils have been homogenized, if not globally then at least over large areas of the Martian surface. Yet, global maps of orbital remote sensing data have not shown surface abundances of alteration minerals as high as those in the Martian soils.

TAGCNA: A Method to Identify Significant Consensus Events of Copy Number Alterations in Cancer

PubMed Central

Yuan, Xiguo; Zhang, Junying; Yang, Liying; Zhang, Shengli; Chen, Baodi; Geng, Yaojun; Wang, Yue

2012-01-01

Somatic copy number alteration (CNA) is a common phenomenon in cancer genome. Distinguishing significant consensus events (SCEs) from random background CNAs in a set of subjects has been proven to be a valuable tool to study cancer. In order to identify SCEs with an acceptable type I error rate, better computational approaches should be developed based on reasonable statistics and null distributions. In this article, we propose a new approach named TAGCNA for identifying SCEs in somatic CNAs that may encompass cancer driver genes. TAGCNA employs a peel-off permutation scheme to generate a reasonable null distribution based on a prior step of selecting tag CNA markers from the genome being considered. We demonstrate the statistical power of TAGCNA on simulated ground truth data, and validate its applicability using two publicly available cancer datasets: lung and prostate adenocarcinoma. TAGCNA identifies SCEs that are known to be involved with proto-oncogenes (e.g. EGFR, CDK4) and tumor suppressor genes (e.g. CDKN2A, CDKN2B), and provides many additional SCEs with potential biological relevance in these data. TAGCNA can be used to analyze the significance of CNAs in various cancers. It is implemented in R and is freely available at http://tagcna.sourceforge.net/. PMID:22815924

Natural mineral bottled waters available on the Polish market as a source of minerals for the consumers. Part 1. Calcium and magnesium.

PubMed

Gątarska, Anna; Tońska, Elżbieta; Ciborska, Joanna

2016-01-01

Natural mineral waters may be an essential source of calcium, magnesium and other minerals. In bottled waters, minerals occur in an ionized form which is very well digestible. However, the concentration of minerals in underground waters (which constitute the material for the production of bottled waters) varies. In view of the above, the type of water consumed is essential. The aim of the study was to estimate the calcium and magnesium contents in products available on the market and to evaluate calcium and magnesium consumption with natural mineral water by different consumer groups with an assumed volume of the consumed product. These represented forty different brands of natural mineral available waters on Polish market. These waters were produced in Poland or other European countries. Among the studied products, about 30% of the waters were imported from Lithuania, Latvia, Czech Republic, France, Italy and Germany. The content of calcium and magnesium in mineral waters was determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry in an acetylene-air flame. Further determinations were carried out using atomic absorption spectrometer--ICE 3000 SERIES-THERMO-England, equipped with a GLITE data station, background correction (a deuterium lamp) as well as other cathode lamps. Over half of the analysed natural mineral waters were medium-mineralized. The natural mineral waters available on the market can be characterized by a varied content of calcium and magnesium and a high degree of product mineralization does not guarantee significant amounts of these components. Among the natural mineral waters available on the market, only a few feature the optimum calcium-magnesium proportion (2:1). Considering the mineralization degree of the studied products, it can be stated that the largest percentage of products with significant calcium and magnesium contents can be found in the high-mineralized water group. For some natural mineral waters, the consumption of 1 litre daily may

Oxalate secretion by ectomycorrhizal Paxillus involutus is mineral-specific and controls calcium weathering from minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmalenberger, A.; Duran, A. L.; Bray, A. W.; Bridge, J.; Bonneville, S.; Benning, L. G.; Romero-Gonzalez, M. E.; Leake, J. R.; Banwart, S. A.

2015-07-01

Trees and their associated rhizosphere organisms play a major role in mineral weathering driving calcium fluxes from the continents to the oceans that ultimately control long-term atmospheric CO2 and climate through the geochemical carbon cycle. Photosynthate allocation to tree roots and their mycorrhizal fungi is hypothesized to fuel the active secretion of protons and organic chelators that enhance calcium dissolution at fungal-mineral interfaces. This was tested using 14CO2 supplied to shoots of Pinus sylvestris ectomycorrhizal with the widespread fungus Paxillus involutus in monoxenic microcosms, revealing preferential allocation by the fungus of plant photoassimilate to weather grains of limestone and silicates each with a combined calcium and magnesium content of over 10 wt.%. Hyphae had acidic surfaces and linear accumulation of weathered calcium with secreted oxalate, increasing significantly in sequence: quartz, granite < basalt, olivine, limestone < gabbro. These findings confirmed the role of mineral-specific oxalate exudation in ectomycorrhizal weathering to dissolve calcium bearing minerals, thus contributing to the geochemical carbon cycle.

Activated mineral powders for asphalt concrete mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsov, D. A.; Lukash, E. A.

2018-03-01

Possibilities of activation of disperse mineral powders from the technogenic raw materials of KMA by ultraviolet irradiation are considered in this article. The optimum time of ultraviolet exposure for each material is determined during which the concentration of exchange centers is increased, the rate of rehydration is slowed down and the moisture absorption is significantly reduced. It is shown that both physical and mechanical characteristics, as well as durability of asphalt concrete prepared on the basis of modified mineral powders are significantly increased.

Fibre fortification of wheat bread: impact on mineral composition and bioaccessibility.

PubMed

Martins, Zita E; Pinto, Edgar; Almeida, Agostinho A; Pinho, Olívia; Ferreira, Isabel M P L V O

2017-05-24

In this work, wheat bread was fortified with fibre enriched extracts recovered from agroindustry by-products, namely, elderberry skin, pulp and seeds (EE); orange peel (OE); pomegranate peel and interior membranes (PE); and spent yeast (YE). The impact of this fortification on the total and bioaccessible mineral composition of wheat breads, estimated mineral daily intake, and the relationship between bioaccessibility and dietary fibre was evaluated. Fortification with OE, EE, and PE improved the content of essential minerals in bread when compared to control bread. The exception was bread fortified with YE, which presented a mineral content similar to control bread, but its mineral bioaccessibility was significantly higher than in all the other bread formulations. The opposite was observed for PE bread, which presented a significant reduction of bioaccessible minerals. We concluded that the origin of the fibre rich extract must be carefully selected, to avoid potential negative impact on mineral bioaccessibility.

Nonfuel mineral resources in the United States-Mexico border region; a progress report on information available from the Center for Inter-American Mineral Resource Investigations (CIMRI)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orris, G.J.; Page, N.J.; Staude, J.G.; Bolm, K.S.; Carbonaro, M.M.; Gray, Floyd; Long, K.R.

1993-01-01

The exploitation of minerals has played a significant role in population growth and development of the U.S.Mexico border region. Recent proposed changes in regulations related to mining in the United States and changes in mining and investment regulations in Mexico have led to increased mineral exploration and development in Mexico, especially in the border region. As a preliminary step in the study of the mineral industry of this area, the Center for Inter-American Mineral Resource Investigations (CIMRI) of the U.S. Geological Survey has compiled mine and occurrence data for nonfuel minerals in the border region. Analysis of this information indicates that a wide variety of metallic and industrial mineral commodities are present which can be used in agriculture, infrastructure, environmental improvement, and other industries. Therefore, mining will continue to play a significant role in the economy of this region.

Shock Wave Propagation in Functionally Graded Mineralized Tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelms, Matthew; Hodo, Wayne; Livi, Ken; Browning, Alyssa; Crawford, Bryan; Rajendran, A. M.

2017-06-01

In this investigation, the effects of shock wave propagation in bone-like biomineralized tissue was investigated. The Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) exoskeleton is comprised of many disparate scales that provide a biological analog for potential design of flexible protective material systems. The gar scale is identified as a two-phase, (1) hydroxyapatite mineral and (2) collagen protein, biological composite with two distinct layers where a stiff, ceramic-like ganoine overlays a soft, highly ductile ganoid bone. Previous experimentations has shown significant softening under compressive loading and an asymmetrical stress-strain response for analogous mineralized tissues. The structural features, porosity, and elastic modulus were determined from high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, 3D micro-tomography, and dynamic nanoindentation experiments to develop an idealized computational model for FE simulations. The numerical analysis employed Gurson's yield criterion to determine the influence of porosity and pressure on material strength. Functional gradation of elastic moduli and certain structural features, such as the sawtooth interface, are explicitly modeled to study the plate impact shock profile for a full 3-D analysis using ABAQUS finite element software.

Identification of geostructures of continental crust, particularly as they relate to mineral-resource evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gryc, G. (Principal Investigator); Lathram, E. H.

1972-01-01

The authors have identified the following significant results. As a precursor to the ERTS-1 investigation, the spatial relationship of geostructures seen on Nimbus IDCS photographs to the distribution of mineralized areas in Alaska and western Canada was analyzed to determine the possible metallogenic significance of the geostructures. In Canada, mercury and porphyry molybdenum deposits are closely associated with strong northwest-trending fault systems; the development of mineralized regions seems related to major crustal zones or fractures trending southwestward across the Cordillera from the Precambrian shield. In Alaska, comparison of the northeast- and northwest-trending set of possible crustal structures shown on the Nimbus photo, with the distribution of known mineral deposits suggests a similar relationship. The mineralized region of massive sulfides in Prince William Sound and upper Copper River areas and of porphyry coppers in the Nabesna area forms a broad northeast-trending belt possibly related to the Minto Arch on the Shield. The belt of metalliferous deposits in the western Alaska Range follows a comparable northeast trend. Mercury deposits, suggested by many to be fault-controlled, together with most tin and tungsten deposits, occupy a northeast-trending belt between the Bristol Bay-Mackenzie Bay linear and extensions of a linear along the lower Yukon River. This belt intersects the northwest-trending Canadian belt of similar deposits in the Fairbanks area.

Causes of coal-miner absenteeism. Information Circular/1987

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peters, R.H.; Randolph, R.F.

The Bureau of Mines report describes several significant problems associated with absenteeism among underground coal miners. The vast empirical literature on employee absenteeism is reviewed, and a conceptual model of the factors that cause absenteeism among miners is presented. Portions of the model were empirically tested by performing correlational and multiple regression analyses on data collected from a group of 64 underground coal miners. The results of these tests are presented and discussed.

Platelet Lysate: The Better Choice for Jaw Periosteal Cell Mineralization

PubMed Central

Wanner, Yvonne; Umrath, Felix; Waidmann, Marc; Reinert, Siegmar

2017-01-01

Previously, we demonstrated a high quality of minerals formed by serum-free cultured jaw periosteal cells (JPCs) by Raman spectroscopy but the mineralization extent was not satisfactory. In the present study, we analyzed the proliferation and mineralization potential of human platelet lysate- (hPL-) cultured JPCs in comparison to that of FCS-cultured JPCs. By cell impedance measurements, we detected significantly higher population doubling times of PL-cultured JPCs in comparison to FCS-cultured JPCs. However, this result was not based on lower proliferation activities but on diminished cell sizes which JPCs develop under PL cultivation. The measurements of the metabolic activities clearly showed significantly higher cell proliferation rates under PL culturing. Equivalent levels of the mesenchymal cell markers CD29, CD45, CD73, CD90, and CD105 were detected, but there were significantly increased MSCA-1 levels under PL cultivation. While JPCs only occasionally mineralize under FCS culture conditions, the mineralization potential was significantly stronger under PL cultivation. Moreover, in 4 of 5 analyzed patient cells, the addition of dexamethasone was proved no longer necessary for strong mineralization of PL-cultured JPCs. We conclude that in vitro cultivation of JPCs with platelet lysate is a suitable alternative to FCS culture conditions and a powerful tool for the development of high-quality TE constructs using jaw periosteal cells. PMID:29391870

Platelet Lysate: The Better Choice for Jaw Periosteal Cell Mineralization.

PubMed

Wanner, Yvonne; Umrath, Felix; Waidmann, Marc; Reinert, Siegmar; Alexander, Dorothea

2017-01-01

Previously, we demonstrated a high quality of minerals formed by serum-free cultured jaw periosteal cells (JPCs) by Raman spectroscopy but the mineralization extent was not satisfactory. In the present study, we analyzed the proliferation and mineralization potential of human platelet lysate- (hPL-) cultured JPCs in comparison to that of FCS-cultured JPCs. By cell impedance measurements, we detected significantly higher population doubling times of PL-cultured JPCs in comparison to FCS-cultured JPCs. However, this result was not based on lower proliferation activities but on diminished cell sizes which JPCs develop under PL cultivation. The measurements of the metabolic activities clearly showed significantly higher cell proliferation rates under PL culturing. Equivalent levels of the mesenchymal cell markers CD29, CD45, CD73, CD90, and CD105 were detected, but there were significantly increased MSCA-1 levels under PL cultivation. While JPCs only occasionally mineralize under FCS culture conditions, the mineralization potential was significantly stronger under PL cultivation. Moreover, in 4 of 5 analyzed patient cells, the addition of dexamethasone was proved no longer necessary for strong mineralization of PL-cultured JPCs. We conclude that in vitro cultivation of JPCs with platelet lysate is a suitable alternative to FCS culture conditions and a powerful tool for the development of high-quality TE constructs using jaw periosteal cells.

[The relationship between the parameters of mineral density of bone tissue and somatotype in women residing in the Republic of Karelia].

PubMed

Pashkova, I G; Gaivoronskiy, I V; Aleksina, L A; Kornev, M A

2014-01-01

Comprehensive anthropometric and densitometric study using the dual x-ray absorptiometry was conducted to determine the relationship between the mineral density of bone tissue and somatotype in 360 women aged 20 to 87 years, permanently residing in the Republic of Karelia. Significant direct correlation was detected between the somatotype and the amount of mineral substances in the vertebrae, bone mineral density and the area of the lumbar vertebrae. Bone mineral density level of the lumbar vertebrae was higher in women with europlastic and athletic somatotypes, which were characterized by high values of body mass and length, body muscle and fat mass. Low values of bone mineral density of vertebrae were identified in women belonging to subathletic, mesoplastic and stenoplastic somatotypes. The risk of developing osteopenia and osteoporosis is increased in women with low body muscle mass.

43 CFR 3873.1 - Segregation of mineral from non-mineral land.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Segregation of mineral from non-mineral...) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) ADVERSE CLAIMS, PROTESTS AND CONFLICTS Segregation § 3873.1 Segregation of mineral from non-mineral land. Where a survey is...

43 CFR 3873.1 - Segregation of mineral from non-mineral land.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Segregation of mineral from non-mineral...) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) ADVERSE CLAIMS, PROTESTS AND CONFLICTS Segregation § 3873.1 Segregation of mineral from non-mineral land. Where a survey is...

43 CFR 3873.1 - Segregation of mineral from non-mineral land.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Segregation of mineral from non-mineral...) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) ADVERSE CLAIMS, PROTESTS AND CONFLICTS Segregation § 3873.1 Segregation of mineral from non-mineral land. Where a survey is...

Mineral target areas in Nevada from geological analysis of LANDSAT-1 imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abdel-Gawad, M.; Tubbesing, L.

1975-01-01

Geological analysis of LANDSAT-1 Scene MSS 1053-17540 suggests that certain known mineral districts in east-central Nevada frequently occur near faults or at faults or lineament intersections and areas of complex deformation and flexures. Seventeen (17) areas of analogous characteristics were identified as favorable targets for mineral exploration. During reconnaissance field trips eleven areas were visited. In three areas evidence was found of mining and/or prospecting not known before the field trips. In four areas favorable structural and alteration features were observed which call for more detailed field studies. In one of the four areas limonitic iron oxide samples were found in the regolith of a brecciated dolomite ridge. This area contains quartz veins, granitic and volcanic rocks and lies near the intersection of two linear fault structures identified in the LANDSAT-1 imagery. Semiquantitative spectroscopic analysis of selected portions of the samples showed abnormal contents of arsenic, molybdenum, copper, lead, zinc, and silver. These limonitic samples found were not in situ and further field studies are required to assess their source and significance.

Digital data base application to porphyry copper mineralization in Alaska; case study summary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trautwein, Charles M.; Greenlee, David D.; Orr, Donald G.

1982-01-01

The purpose of this report is to summarize the progress in use of digital image analysis techniques in developing a conceptual model for assessing porphyry copper mineral potential. The study area consists of approximately the southern one-half of the 1? by 3? Nabesna quadrangle in east-central Alaska. The digital geologic data base consists of data compiled under the Alaskan Mineral Resource Assessment Program (AMRAP) as well as digital elevation data and Landsat spectral reflectance data from the Multispectral Scanner System. The digital data base used to develop and implement a conceptual model for porphyry-type copper mineralization consisted of 16 original data types and 18 derived data sets formatted in a grid-cell (raster) structure and registered to a map base in the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection. Minimum curvature and inverse distance squared interpolation techniques were used to generate continuous surfaces from sets of irregularly spaced data points. Processing requirements included: (1) merging or overlaying of data sets, (2) display and color coding of maps and images, (3) univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, and (4) compound overlaying operations. Data sets were merged and processed to create stereoscopic displays of continuous surfaces. The ratio of several data sets were calculated to evaluate relative variations and to enhance the display of surface alteration (gossans). Factor analysis and principal components analysis techniques were used to determine complex relationships and correlations between data sets. The resultant model consists of 10 parameters that identify three areas most likely to contain porphyry copper mineralization; two of these areas are known occurrences of mineralization and the third is not well known. Field studies confirmed that the three areas identified by the model have significant copper potential.

Mineral composition of urinary calculi from miniature schnauzer dogs.

PubMed

Klausner, J S; Osborne, C A; Clinton, C W; Stevens, J B; Griffith, D P

1981-05-15

The mineral composition of 150 calculi from the urinary tracts of Miniature Schnauzer dogs was determined by qualitative and quantitative methods. Struvite was the predominant mineral in 92% of the calculi. Other calculi contained predominantly apatite, calcium oxalate, ammonium urate, or silica. Most calculi were from the urinary bladder or urethra, or both. Four were from the renal pelves. Struvite calculi were more frequently encountered in females than males. The mean age of the dogs at the time of detection of calculi was 4.8 years. Qualitative analysis failed to detect some minerals that were identified by quantitative analysis.

Sonophotocatalytic mineralization of Norflurazon in aqueous environment.

PubMed

Sathishkumar, Panneerselvam; Mangalaraja, Ramalinga Viswanathan; Rozas, Oscar; Vergara, Carola; Mansilla, Héctor D; Gracia-Pinilla, M A; Anandan, Sambandam

2016-03-01

Norflurazon (4-chloro-5-(methylamino)-2-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]pyridazin-3(2H)-one; C12H9ClF3N3O) is an excellent weed controlling agent being practiced in the agricultural lands. The excessive addition or the undissolved Norflurazon (maximum solubility 28 mg/L at 25 °C) enters into the aquatic environment and causes the adverse effects associated with its high concentration. To avoid the perilous effects, visible light assisted photocatalysis set-up coupled with the 42 kHz ultrasound producing bath type sonicator is used to completely mineralize the Norflurazon. TiO2, ZnO and gold loaded zinc oxide nanocatalysts were utilized to study the mineralization of Norflurazon. Au-ZnO shows the greater efficiency for the sonophotocatalytic removal of Norflurazon among the various nanocatalysts employed to study the mineralization. The order of Norflurazon mineralization was sonophotocatalysis > sonocatalysis > photocatalysis. The additive effect was achieved for the sonophotocatalytic degradation. The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric (LCMS) analyses were employed to identify the various intermediates produced during the mineralization. The identification of four pseudo molecular ions and various intermediates using the LCMS analysis evidently suggests the sonophotocatalytic degradation was preceded in various decay pathways. A suitable mechanism has been proposed for the sonophotocatalytic mineralization of Norflurazon. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Minerals, Tobacco and Smoking-Related Disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, W. E.

2003-12-01

As much as 8% (by dry weight) of commercial tobacco is mineral, and the view that minerals are inert, playing no more than a passive role in smoking-related disease, is challenged. An inventory of minerals in tobacco is presented and an interpretation of their sources given. Using elemental abundances the relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic sources to the commercial product is quantitatively modelled relative to average crustal abundances. A framework is presented for investigating the potential ways in which minerals with, or acquire, toxic properties behave in the smoking environment. In order to represent a potential hazard any mineral (or mineral reaction product) with suspected toxic properties must partition into smoke and be respirable. For inhalation a significant proportion of the particles must be smaller than 10 microns. Three categories of potential hazard are recognised: 1. Minerals with intrinsic toxic properties. Quartz can amount to 1% or more in some cigarettes and is defined as a human carcinogen by the IARC. It is not likely to represent a hazard as its grain size is probably too coarse to be respirable. However talc, also a Type 1 carcinogen when it is contaminated with asbestos, is a common constituent of cigarette paper and may be of respirable size. Some other minerals also fall into this category. 2. Minerals that generate toxic products on combustion. Examples are the biominerals calcium oxalate monohydrate (whewellite) and dihydrate (weddellite), which amount to about 5 wt% of popular UK brands. These minerals decompose at tobacco combustion temperatures yielding large quantities of carbon monoxide. A substantial fraction of the CO budget of UK cigarettes may derive from this source. 3. Minerals that acquire toxic properties on combustion. Little is known about free radical generation on mineral surfaces during tobacco combustion, but the devolatilisation of calcic phases (carbonates and oxalates) creates oxide particles

Nontronite mineral identification in nilgiri hills of tamil nadu using hyperspectral remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vigneshkumar, M.; Yarakkula, Kiran

2017-11-01

Hyperspectral Remote sensing is a tool to identify the minerals along with field investigation. Tamil Nadu has abundant minerals like 30% titanium, 52% molybdenum, 59% garnet, 69% dunite, 75% vermiculite and 81% lignite. To enhance the user and industry requirements, mineral extraction is required. To identify the minerals properly, sophisticated tools are required. Hyperspectral remote sensing provides continuous extraction of earth surface information in an accurate manner. Nontronite is an iron-rich mineral mainly available in Nilgiri hills, Tamil Nadu, India. Due to the large number of bands, hyperspectral data require various preprocessing steps such as bad bands removal, destriping, radiance conversion and atmospheric correction. The atmospheric correction is performed using FLAASH method. The spectral data reduction is carried out with minimum noise fraction (MNF) method. The spatial information is reduced using pixel purity index (PPI) with 10000 iterations. The selected end members are compared with spectral libraries like USGS, JPL, and JHU. In the Nontronite mineral gives the probability of 0.85. Finally the classification is accomplished using spectral angle mapper (SAM) method.

Genome-wide association study for rotator cuff tears identifies two significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms.

PubMed

Tashjian, Robert Z; Granger, Erin K; Farnham, James M; Cannon-Albright, Lisa A; Teerlink, Craig C

2016-02-01

The precise etiology of rotator cuff disease is unknown, but prior evidence suggests a role for genetic factors. Limited data exist identifying specific genes associated with rotator cuff tearing. The purpose of this study was to identify specific genes or genetic variants associated with rotator cuff tearing by a genome-wide association study with an independent set of rotator cuff tear cases. A set of 311 full-thickness rotator cuff tear cases genotyped on the Illumina 5M single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) platform were used in a genome-wide association study with 2641 genetically matched white population controls available from the Illumina iControls database. Tests of association were performed with GEMMA software at 257,558 SNPs that compose the intersection of Illumina SNP platforms and that passed general quality control metrics. SNPs were considered significant if P < 1.94 × 10(-7) (Bonferroni correction: 0.05/257,558). Tests of association revealed 2 significantly associated SNPs, one occurring in SAP30BP (rs820218; P = 3.8E-9) on chromosome 17q25 and another occurring in SASH1 (rs12527089; P = 1.9E-7) on chromosome 6q24. This study represents the first attempt to identify genetic factors influencing rotator cuff tearing by a genome-wide association study using a dense/complete set of SNPs. Two SNPs were significantly associated with rotator cuff tearing, residing in SAP30BP on chromosome 17 and SASH1 on chromosome 6. Both genes are associated with the cellular process of apoptosis. Identification of potential genes or genetic variants associated with rotator cuff tearing may help in identifying individuals at risk for the development of rotator cuff tearing. Copyright © 2016 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oxalate secretion by ectomycorrhizal Paxillus involutus is mineral-specific and controls calcium weathering from minerals

PubMed Central

Schmalenberger, A.; Duran, A. L.; Bray, A. W.; Bridge, J.; Bonneville, S.; Benning, L. G.; Romero-Gonzalez, M. E.; Leake, J. R.; Banwart, S. A.

2015-01-01

Trees and their associated rhizosphere organisms play a major role in mineral weathering driving calcium fluxes from the continents to the oceans that ultimately control long-term atmospheric CO2 and climate through the geochemical carbon cycle. Photosynthate allocation to tree roots and their mycorrhizal fungi is hypothesized to fuel the active secretion of protons and organic chelators that enhance calcium dissolution at fungal-mineral interfaces. This was tested using 14CO2 supplied to shoots of Pinus sylvestris ectomycorrhizal with the widespread fungus Paxillus involutus in monoxenic microcosms, revealing preferential allocation by the fungus of plant photoassimilate to weather grains of limestone and silicates each with a combined calcium and magnesium content of over 10 wt.%. Hyphae had acidic surfaces and linear accumulation of weathered calcium with secreted oxalate, increasing significantly in sequence: quartz, granite < basalt, olivine, limestone < gabbro. These findings confirmed the role of mineral-specific oxalate exudation in ectomycorrhizal weathering to dissolve calcium bearing minerals, thus contributing to the geochemical carbon cycle. PMID:26197714

Fracture trends identified by ERTS-1 imagery in Utah and Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, M. L. (Principal Investigator); Erickson, M. P.; Smith, M. R.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. In the Utah-Nevada area, linear structural trends recorded on ERTS-1 imagery conform in part to previously recognized structures. In addition, the ERTS-1 imagery reveals cryptic structures not previously identified and not readily apparent in other imagery. These structures are illustrated by prominent east-west trending structures which appear to be concentrated in pre-volcanic rocks. This suggests that the structures are older than many of those with other trends which are equally prominent in volcanic and non-volcanic terrain. Since the older east-west structures may have controlled early Tertiary emplacement of magma or the ascent of mineralizing fluids, their recognition is important in minerial exploration. Soil-gas sampling and analysis for mercury content is being continued over structures, and projected trends of buried structures which appear, from studies of ERTS-1 imagery, to be favorable to mineralization. Comparison of ERTS-1 and Skylab imagery indicated that ERTS-1 imagery records more previously unrecognized linear structures than the Skylab imagery. In differentiating and identifying different rock types, the Skylab imagery appears to be more effective.

Citrate bridges between mineral platelets in bone

PubMed Central

Davies, Erika; Müller, Karin H.; Wong, Wai Ching; Pickard, Chris J.; Reid, David G.; Skepper, Jeremy N.; Duer, Melinda J.

2014-01-01

We provide evidence that citrate anions bridge between mineral platelets in bone and hypothesize that their presence acts to maintain separate platelets with disordered regions between them rather than gradual transformations into larger, more ordered blocks of mineral. To assess this hypothesis, we take as a model for a citrate bridging between layers of calcium phosphate mineral a double salt octacalcium phosphate citrate (OCP-citrate). We use a combination of multinuclear solid-state NMR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and first principles electronic structure calculations to propose a quantitative structure for this material, in which citrate anions reside in a hydrated layer, bridging between apatitic layers. To assess the relevance of such a structure in native bone mineral, we present for the first time, to our knowledge, 17O NMR data on bone and compare them with 17O NMR data for OCP-citrate and other calcium phosphate minerals relevant to bone. The proposed structural model that we deduce from this work for bone mineral is a layered structure with thin apatitic platelets sandwiched between OCP-citrate–like hydrated layers. Such a structure can explain a number of known structural features of bone mineral: the thin, plate-like morphology of mature bone mineral crystals, the presence of significant quantities of strongly bound water molecules, and the relatively high concentration of hydrogen phosphate as well as the maintenance of a disordered region between mineral platelets. PMID:24706850

THz Spectroscopic Identification of Red Mineral Pigments in Ancient Chinese Artworks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yuping; Zhai, Dongwei; Zhang, Zhenwei; Zhang, Cunlin

2017-10-01

Nondestructive analysis of historical objects is of significance for cultural heritage conservation. In this paper, terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) was used to distinguish seven red mineral pigments used in ancient Chinese artworks. Two absorption features of natural minerals HgS and four highly resolved spectral features of mineral pigment Pb3O4 were observed and identified as their fingerprints in the range 0.2 to 3.0 THz, based on which the spatial distribution of individual chemical substances including cinnabar, vermilion, and red lead were clearly revealed at various frequencies using terahertz spectroscopy imaging. Moreover, a noncontact evaluation of thickness changing and dehydration of a wet painting was monitored by inferring time delay as well as signal amplitude of THz pulses transmitted through the painting. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of THz-TDS and THz imaging for authentic artworks detection, a complete set of THz analysis of two nineteenth century wall paintings discovered in the Fuchen Temple of the Forbidden City, Beijing, was performed and the results indicate that THz measurement techniques provide a noninvasive and nondestructive solution for the care, preservation, and restoration of cultural relics.

Characterization of Minerals: From the Classroom to Soils to Talc Deposits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNamee, Brittani D.

2013-01-01

This dissertation addresses different methods and challenges surrounding characterizing and identifying minerals in three environments: in the classroom, in soils, and in talc deposits. A lab manual for a mineralogy and optical mineralogy course prepares students for mineral characterization and identification by giving them the methods and tools…

Radiographic outcomes among South African coal miners.

PubMed

Naidoo, Rajen N; Robins, Thomas G; Solomon, A; White, Neil; Franzblau, Alfred

2004-10-01

This study, the first to document the prevalence of pneumoconiosis among a living South African coal mining cohort, describes dose-response relationships between coal workers' pneumoconiosis and respirable dust exposure, and relationships between pneumoconiosis and both lung function deterioration and respiratory symptoms. A total of 684 current miners and 188 ex-miners from three bituminous-coal mines in Mpumalanga, South Africa, was studied. Chest radiographs were read according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) classification by two experienced readers, one an accredited National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) "B" reader. Interviews were conducted to assess symptoms, work histories (also obtained from company records), smoking, and other risk factors. Spirometry was performed by trained technicians. Cumulative respirable dust exposure (CDE) estimates were constructed from historical company-collected sampling and researcher-collected personal dust measurements. kappa-Statistics compared the radiographic outcomes predicted by the two readers. An average profusion score was used in the analysis for the outcomes of interest. Because of possible confounding by employment status, most analyses were stratified on current and ex-miner status. The overall prevalence of pneumoconiosis was low (2%-4%). The degree of agreement between the two readers for profusion was moderate to high (kappa=0.58). A significant association (P<0.001) and trend (P<0.001) was seen for pneumoconiosis with increasing categories of CDE among current miners only. A significant (P<0.0001) additional 58 mg-years/m3 CDE was seen among those with pneumoconiosis compared to those without. CDE contributed to a statistically significant 0.19% and 0.11% greater decline in the percent predicted 1-second forced expiration volume (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), respectively, among current miners with pneumoconiosis than among those without. Logistic regression

Low Bone Mineral Mass Is Associated with Decreased Bone Formation and Diet in Females with Rett Syndrome

PubMed Central

Motil, Kathleen J.; Barrish, Judy O.; Neul, Jeffrey L.; Glaze, Daniel G.

2014-01-01

Objective To characterize biomarkers of bone turnover and their relation with bone mineral mass in a cross-sectional cohort of females with Rett syndrome (RTT) and to examine the role of dietary, biochemical, hormonal, and inflammatory factors on bone mineral mass and bone biomarkers in this disorder. Methods Total body bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) were determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Dietary nutrient intakes were determined from 3-day food records. Biomarkers of bone turnover, bone metabolites, vitamin D metabolites, hormones, and inflammatory markers were measured by standard clinical laboratory methods. Results Serum osteocalcin, bone alkaline phosphatase, and C-telopeptide showed significant inverse relations with age in the RTT cohort. Mean osteocalcin concentrations were significantly lower and mean bone alkaline phosphatase concentrations were significantly higher for individual age groups in the RTT cohort than mean values for their respective age ranges in the reference population. Significant inverse associations were identified between urinary calcium losses, expressed as calcium:creatinine ratios, and total body BMC and BMD z-scores. Dietary protein, calcium, and phosphorus intakes, expressed as a proportion of Dietary Reference Intakes for age and gender, showed significant positive associations with total body BMD z-scores. Conclusion This study suggests decreased bone formation rather than increased bone resorption may explain in part the deficits in bone mineral mass in RTT and that attention to the adequacy of dietary protein, calcium and phosphorus intakes may offer an opportunity to improve bone health in RTT. PMID:25144778

40 CFR 141.723 - Requirements to respond to significant deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by EPA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by EPA. 141.723 Section 141.723 Protection of Environment... REGULATIONS Enhanced Treatment for Cryptosporidium Requirements for Sanitary Surveys Performed by Epa § 141.723 Requirements to respond to significant deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by...

40 CFR 141.723 - Requirements to respond to significant deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by EPA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by EPA. 141.723 Section 141.723 Protection of Environment... REGULATIONS Enhanced Treatment for Cryptosporidium Requirements for Sanitary Surveys Performed by Epa § 141.723 Requirements to respond to significant deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by...

40 CFR 141.723 - Requirements to respond to significant deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by EPA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by EPA. 141.723 Section 141.723 Protection of Environment... REGULATIONS Enhanced Treatment for Cryptosporidium Requirements for Sanitary Surveys Performed by Epa § 141.723 Requirements to respond to significant deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by...

40 CFR 141.723 - Requirements to respond to significant deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by EPA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by EPA. 141.723 Section 141.723 Protection of Environment... REGULATIONS Enhanced Treatment for Cryptosporidium Requirements for Sanitary Surveys Performed by Epa § 141.723 Requirements to respond to significant deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by...

40 CFR 141.723 - Requirements to respond to significant deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by EPA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by EPA. 141.723 Section 141.723 Protection of Environment... REGULATIONS Enhanced Treatment for Cryptosporidium Requirements for Sanitary Surveys Performed by Epa § 141.723 Requirements to respond to significant deficiencies identified in sanitary surveys performed by...

Heavy minerals in the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami deposits—insights into sediment sources and hydrodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagodziński, Robert; Sternal, Beata; Szczuciński, Witold; Chagué-Goff, Catherine; Sugawara, Daisuke

2012-12-01

The 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami left sand and mud deposits more than 4 km inland on the coastal plain of Sendai, Japan. The tsunami deposits, pre-tsunami soils and beach sediments were analysed for grain size, and heavy mineral content and assemblages to test the applicability of heavy mineral analyses in the identification of tsunami deposits and interpretation of associated sedimentation processes. Heavy minerals comprised on average 35% of the tsunami deposit in the 0.125-0.25 mm grain size fraction. The most common were orthopyroxenes, clinopyroxenes, amphiboles, limonites and opaque minerals. Heavy mineral concentrations and assemblages were similar in the tsunami deposits, beach and pre-tsunami soils and sediments and thus tsunami deposits could not simply be identified based on their heavy minerals. Sediment provenance analysis revealed that tsunami deposits left within 1.5 km of the shoreline were mostly eroded from the beach, dune and local soils, while deposits farther inland (> 1.5 km) were mostly derived from local soil erosion. No evidence was found for a significant contribution of offshore sediments. Detailed analyses revealed that the lowermost portion of tsunami deposits was mostly of local origin, while the sediment source of the upper portion was variable. A comparison with a previous study of heavy minerals in 2004 IOT deposits confirms that heavy minerals in tsunami deposits are mostly source-dependent and may represent a useful supplementary tool in studies of tsunami deposits. However, the interpretation must always be placed in the local geological context and corroborated with other "tsunami proxies".

Estimation of the geochemical threshold and its statistical significance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miesch, A.T.

1981-01-01

A statistic is proposed for estimating the geochemical threshold and its statistical significance, or it may be used to identify a group of extreme values that can be tested for significance by other means. The statistic is the maximum gap between adjacent values in an ordered array after each gap has been adjusted for the expected frequency. The values in the ordered array are geochemical values transformed by either ln(?? - ??) or ln(?? - ??) and then standardized so that the mean is zero and the variance is unity. The expected frequency is taken from a fitted normal curve with unit area. The midpoint of an adjusted gap that exceeds the corresponding critical value may be taken as an estimate of the geochemical threshold, and the associated probability indicates the likelihood that the threshold separates two geochemical populations. The adjusted gap test may fail to identify threshold values if the variation tends to be continuous from background values to the higher values that reflect mineralized ground. However, the test will serve to identify other anomalies that may be too subtle to have been noted by other means. ?? 1981.

Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Long, Keith R.; DeYoung,, John H.; Ludington, Stephen

1998-01-01

It has long been recognized that the largest mineral deposits contain most of the known mineral endowment (Singer and DeYoung, 1980). Sometimes called giant or world-class deposits, these largest deposits account for a very large share of historic and current mineral production and resources in industrial society (Singer, 1995). For example, Singer (1995) shows that the largest 10 percent of the world’s gold deposits contain 86 percent of the gold discovered to date. Many mineral resource issues and investigations are more easily addressed if limited to the relatively small number of deposits that contain most of the known mineral resources. An estimate of known resources using just these deposits would normally be sufficient, because considering smaller deposits would not add significantly to the total estimate. Land-use planning should treat mainly with these deposits due to their relative scarcity, the large share of known resources they contain, and the fact that economies of scale allow minerals to be produced much more cheaply from larger deposits. Investigation of environmental and other hazards that result from mining operations can be limited to these largest deposits because they account for most of past and current production.The National Mineral Resource Assessment project of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled a database on the largest known deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States to complement the 1996 national assessment of undiscovered deposits of these same metals (Ludington and Cox, 1996). The deposits in this database account for approximately 99 percent of domestic production of these metals and probably a similar share of identified resources. These data may be compared with results of the assessment of undiscovered resources to characterize the nation’s total mineral endowment for these metals. This database is a starting point for any national or regional mineral-resource or mineral

Bone mineral measurement: Skylab experiment M-078.

PubMed

Vogel, J M

1975-01-01

The observation that bone mineral is lost in patients who are either immobilized or remain in bed for extended periods of time formed the basis for the concern that large amounts of bone mineral may be lost during long periods of weightlessness. This concern was magnified when early X-ray densitometry studies suggested that rather large amounts of mineral could be lost during rather short periods of weightlessness (4-14 days). Even though these Gemini results have recently been modified, they still reflect substantial losses in the upper extremity. This led to a series of prolonged bed-rest studies (30-36 weeks) which, in addition to careful calcium balance, also employed a newer, more precise method of estimating bone mineral in the radius, ulna, and os calcis. It employed an essentially monoenergetic photon source (125I) and a scintillation detector operating in a rectilinear scanning mode to measure bone mineral by the absorptiometric technique. Bed-rest studies revealed variable mineral losses but suggested that little if any is lost during 4-6 weeks, with variable amounts being lost in 8 weeks. Losses up to 40% were noted in the os calcis after 9 months, with essentially none in the radius and ulna. When this technique was employed during the Apollo 14, 15, and 16 missions, only one crewman (CMP Apollo 15) showed significant losses in the os calcis and none in the radius or ulna. These results were, therefore, in concert with the bed-rest data but at variance with the earlier Gemini data. The variability observed during bed rest was reconciled when it was observed that the rate of loss could be correlated with the initial 24-hour urinary hydroxyproline excretion and the initial os calcis mineral content. Prediction terms were established. Measurements of the SL-II crew after 28 days of weightlessness revealed no significant bone mineral losses. The Skylab data lie within the predicted limits obtained from the bed-rest data. The relevance of the prediction

Remote sensing applied to geological mapping; comparative geomorphology and identification of mineral zones of zinc and lead in the region of Vazante, MG. [Brazil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nascimento, F. S. D. (Principal Investigator); Nascimento, M. A. L. S. D.

1977-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Results showed that the black and white aerial photographs and the color infrared transparencies were efficient for mapping of three lithological units of the Paraopeba formation and for mineralized zones identification, respectively. Multispectral transparencies of I2S made it easier to separate dolomites, which were the rocks conditioning zinc and lead mineralization. Statistical analysis of morphometric indexes obtained from black and white photographs and topographic charts showed significant difference among three lithological units of Paraopeba formation which can be defined as Crest, Hilly, and Karstic reliefs.

Fission-track dating applied to mineral exploration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Naeser, C.W.

1984-01-01

The partial to total resetting of fission-track ages of minerals in country rock near a mineralized area can be used to (1) locate a thermal anomaly, and (2) date the mineralizing event. Two mining districts in Colorado have been studied - Rico and Gilman. Rico is a precious- and base-metal mining district. Initial fission-track dating of a sill located about 6 km from the center of the district gave ages of 20 Myr and 65 Myr for apatite and zircon, respectively. The Eagle Mine in the Gilman District is the largest producer of zinc in the state of Colorado. Fission-track dating of zircon from a 70 Myr-old sill shows partial resetting of the zircon (45 Myr). The thermal anomaly identified by fission-track dating is seen in both districts far outside the area affected by obvious alteration. Based on the results of these two pilot studies, fission-track dating can be a useful exploration method for thermal anomalies associated with buried or otherwise poorly expressed mineral deposits.

Cobalt mineral exploration and supply from 1995 through 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilburn, David R.

2011-01-01

The global mining industry has invested a large amount of capital in mineral exploration and development over the past 15 years in an effort to ensure that sufficient resources are available to meet future increases in demand for minerals. Exploration data have been used to identify specific sites where this investment has led to a significant contribution in global mineral supply of cobalt or where a significant increase in cobalt production capacity is anticipated in the next 5 years. This report provides an overview of the cobalt industry, factors affecting mineral supply, and circumstances surrounding the development, or lack thereof, of key mineral properties with the potential to affect mineral supply. Of the 48 sites with an effective production capacity of at least 1,000 metric tons per year of cobalt considered for this study, 3 producing sites underwent significant expansion during the study period, 10 exploration sites commenced production from 1995 through 2008, and 16 sites were expected to begin production by 2013 if planned development schedules are met. Cobalt supply is influenced by economic, environmental, political, and technological factors affecting exploration for and production of copper, nickel, and other metals as well as factors affecting the cobalt industry. Cobalt-rich nickel laterite deposits were discovered and developed in Australia and the South Pacific and improvements in laterite processing technology took place during the 1990s and early in the first decade of the 21st century when mining of copper-cobalt deposits in Congo (Kinshasa) was restricted because of regional conflict and lack of investment in that country's mining sector. There was also increased exploration for and greater importance placed on cobalt as a byproduct of nickel mining in Australia and Canada. The emergence of China as a major refined cobalt producer and consumer since 2007 has changed the pattern of demand for cobalt, particularly from Africa and

Integrated Spectroscopic Studies of Anhydrous Sulfate Minerals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lane, M. D.; Bishop, J. L.; Dyar, M. D.; Cloutis, E.; Forray, F. L.; Hiroi, T.

2005-01-01

Sulfates have been identified in Martian soils and bedrock and are emerging as an important indicator for aqueous activity on Mars. Sulfate minerals can form in a variety of low-temperature (evaporitic; chemical-weathering) and high-temperature (volcanic/fumarolic; hydrothermal) environments and their formational environments can range from alkaline to acidic. Although sulfates generally form in the presence of water, not all sulfates are hydrous or contain water in their structures. Many of these anhydrous sulfates (Dana group 28; Strunz class 67A) are minerals that form as accompanying phases to the main minerals in ore deposits or as replacement deposits in sedimentary rocks. However, some form from thermal decomposition of OH or H2O-bearing sulfates, such as from the reaction [1]: jarosite = yavapaiite + Fe2O3 + H2O. Where known, the stability fields of these minerals all suggest that they would be stable under martian surface conditions [2]. Thus, anhydrous sulfate minerals may contribute to martian surface mineralogy, so they must be well-represented in spectral libraries used for interpretation of the Martian surface. We present here the preliminary results of an integrated study of emittance, reflectance, and Mossbauer spectroscopy of a suite of wel-lcharacterized anhydrous sulfates.

Characterizing regional soil mineral composition using spectroscopyand geostatistics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mulder, V.L.; de Bruin, S.; Weyermann, J.; Kokaly, Raymond F.; Schaepman, M.E.

2013-01-01

This work aims at improving the mapping of major mineral variability at regional scale using scale-dependent spatial variability observed in remote sensing data. Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data and statistical methods were combined with laboratory-based mineral characterization of field samples to create maps of the distributions of clay, mica and carbonate minerals and their abundances. The Material Identification and Characterization Algorithm (MICA) was used to identify the spectrally-dominant minerals in field samples; these results were combined with ASTER data using multinomial logistic regression to map mineral distributions. X-ray diffraction (XRD)was used to quantify mineral composition in field samples. XRD results were combined with ASTER data using multiple linear regression to map mineral abundances. We testedwhether smoothing of the ASTER data to match the scale of variability of the target sample would improve model correlations. Smoothing was donewith Fixed Rank Kriging (FRK) to represent the mediumand long-range spatial variability in the ASTER data. Stronger correlations resulted using the smoothed data compared to results obtained with the original data. Highest model accuracies came from using both medium and long-range scaled ASTER data as input to the statistical models. High correlation coefficients were obtained for the abundances of calcite and mica (R2 = 0.71 and 0.70, respectively). Moderately-high correlation coefficients were found for smectite and kaolinite (R2 = 0.57 and 0.45, respectively). Maps of mineral distributions, obtained by relating ASTER data to MICA analysis of field samples, were found to characterize major soil mineral variability (overall accuracies for mica, smectite and kaolinite were 76%, 89% and 86% respectively). The results of this study suggest that the distributions of minerals and their abundances derived using FRK-smoothed ASTER data more closely match the spatial

Mineralization/Anti-Mineralization Networks in the Skin and Vascular Connective Tissues

PubMed Central

Li, Qiaoli; Uitto, Jouni

2014-01-01

Ectopic mineralization has been linked to several common clinical conditions with considerable morbidity and mortality. The mineralization processes, both metastatic and dystrophic, affect the skin and vascular connective tissues. There are several contributing metabolic and environmental factors that make uncovering of the precise pathomechanisms of these acquired disorders exceedingly difficult. Several relatively rare heritable disorders share phenotypic manifestations similar to those in common conditions, and, consequently, they serve as genetically controlled model systems to study the details of the mineralization process in peripheral tissues. This overview will highlight diseases with mineral deposition in the skin and vascular connective tissues, as exemplified by familial tumoral calcinosis, pseudoxanthoma elasticum, generalized arterial calcification of infancy, and arterial calcification due to CD73 deficiency. These diseases, and their corresponding mouse models, provide insight into the pathomechanisms of soft tissue mineralization and point to the existence of intricate mineralization/anti-mineralization networks in these tissues. This information is critical for understanding the pathomechanistic details of different mineralization disorders, and it has provided the perspective to develop pharmacological approaches to counteract the consequences of ectopic mineralization. PMID:23665350

A Novel Hydrolase Identified by Genomic-Proteomic Analysis of Phenylurea Herbicide Mineralization by Variovorax sp. Strain SRS16▿†

PubMed Central

Bers, Karolien; Leroy, Baptiste; Breugelmans, Philip; Albers, Pieter; Lavigne, Rob; Sørensen, Sebastian R.; Aamand, Jens; De Mot, René; Wattiez, Ruddy; Springael, Dirk

2011-01-01

The soil bacterial isolate Variovorax sp. strain SRS16 mineralizes the phenylurea herbicide linuron. The proposed pathway initiates with hydrolysis of linuron to 3,4-dichloroaniline (DCA) and N,O-dimethylhydroxylamine, followed by conversion of DCA to Krebs cycle intermediates. Differential proteomic analysis showed a linuron-dependent upregulation of several enzymes that fit into this pathway, including an amidase (LibA), a multicomponent chloroaniline dioxygenase, and enzymes associated with a modified chlorocatechol ortho-cleavage pathway. Purified LibA is a monomeric linuron hydrolase of ∼55 kDa with a Km and a Vmax for linuron of 5.8 μM and 0.16 nmol min−1, respectively. This novel member of the amidase signature family is unrelated to phenylurea-hydrolyzing enzymes from Gram-positive bacteria and lacks activity toward other tested phenylurea herbicides. Orthologues of libA are present in all other tested linuron-degrading Variovorax strains with the exception of Variovorax strains WDL1 and PBS-H4, suggesting divergent evolution of the linuron catabolic pathway in different Variovorax strains. The organization of the linuron degradation genes identified in the draft SRS16 genome sequence indicates that gene patchwork assembly is at the origin of the pathway. Transcription analysis suggests that a catabolic intermediate, rather than linuron itself, acts as effector in activation of the pathway. Our study provides the first report on the genetic organization of a bacterial pathway for complete mineralization of a phenylurea herbicide and the first report on a linuron hydrolase in Gram-negative bacteria. PMID:22003008

Microbial mineralization of dichloroethene and vinyl chloride under hypoxic conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradley, Paul M.; Chapelle, Francis H.

2011-01-01

Mineralization of 14C-radiolabled vinyl chloride ([1,2-14C] VC) and cis-dichloroethene ([1,2-14C] cis-DCE) under hypoxic (initial dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations about 0.1 mg/L) and nominally anoxic (DO minimum detection limit = 0.01 mg/L) was examined in chloroethene-exposed sediments from two groundwater and two surface water sites. The results show significant VC and dichloroethene (DCE) mineralization under hypoxic conditions. All the sample treatments exhibited pseudo-first-order kinetics for DCE and VC mineralization over an extended range of substrate concentrations. First-order rates for VC mineralization were approximately 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher in hypoxic groundwater sediment treatments and at least three times higher in hypoxic surface water sediment treatments than in the respective anoxic treatments. For VC, oxygen-linked processes accounted for 65 to 85% of mineralization at DO concentrations below 0.1 mg/L, and 14CO2 was the only degradation product observed in VC treatments under hypoxic conditions. Because the lower detection limit for DO concentrations measured in the field is typically 0.1 to 0.5 mg/L, these results indicate that oxygen-linked VC and DCE biodegradation can be significant under field conditions that appear anoxic. Furthermore, because rates of VC mineralization exceeded rates of DCE mineralization under hypoxic conditions, DCE accumulation without concomitant accumulation of VC may not be evidence of a DCE degradative “stall” in chloroethene plumes. Significantly, mineralization of VC above the level that could reasonably be attributed to residual DO contamination was also observed in several nominally anoxic (DO minimum detection limit = 0.01 mg/L) microcosm treatments.

Hen uterine gene expression profiling during eggshell formation reveals putative proteins involved in the supply of minerals or in the shell mineralization process

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The chicken eggshell is a natural mechanical barrier to protect egg components from physical damage and microbial penetration. Its integrity and strength is critical for the development of the embryo or to ensure for consumers a table egg free of pathogens. This study compared global gene expression in laying hen uterus in the presence or absence of shell calcification in order to characterize gene products involved in the supply of minerals and / or the shell biomineralization process. Results Microarrays were used to identify a repertoire of 302 over-expressed genes during shell calcification. GO terms enrichment was performed to provide a global interpretation of the functions of the over-expressed genes, and revealed that the most over-represented proteins are related to reproductive functions. Our analysis identified 16 gene products encoding proteins involved in mineral supply, and allowed updating of the general model describing uterine ion transporters during eggshell calcification. A list of 57 proteins potentially secreted into the uterine fluid to be active in the mineralization process was also established. They were classified according to their potential functions (biomineralization, proteoglycans, molecular chaperone, antimicrobials and proteases/antiproteases). Conclusions Our study provides detailed descriptions of genes and corresponding proteins over-expressed when the shell is mineralizing. Some of these proteins involved in the supply of minerals and influencing the shell fabric to protect the egg contents are potentially useful biological markers for the genetic improvement of eggshell quality. PMID:24649854

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Welsh slate miners.

PubMed

Reynolds, C J; MacNeill, S J; Williams, J; Hodges, N G; Campbell, M J; Newman Taylor, A J; Cullinan, P

2017-01-01

Exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) causes emphysema, airflow limitation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Slate miners are exposed to slate dust containing RCS but their COPD risk has not previously been studied. To study the cumulative effect of mining on lung function and risk of COPD in a cohort of Welsh slate miners and whether these were independent of smoking and pneumoconiosis. The study was based on a secondary analysis of Medical Research Council (MRC) survey data. COPD was defined as forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (FEV 1 /FVC) ratio <0.7. We created multivariable models to assess the association between mining and lung function after adjusting for age and smoking status. We used linear regression models for FEV 1 and FVC and logistic regression for COPD. In the original MRC study, 1255 men participated (726 slate miners, 529 unexposed non-miners). COPD was significantly more common in miners (n = 213, 33%) than non-miners (n = 120, 26%), P < 0.05. There was no statistically significant difference in risk of COPD between miners and non-miners when analysis was limited to non-smokers or those without radiographic evidence of pneumoconiosis. After adjustment for smoking, slate mining was associated with a reduction in %predicted FEV 1 [β coefficient = -3.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) -6.65, -1.29] and FVC (β coefficient = -2.32, 95% CI -4.31, -0.33) and increased risk of COPD (odds ratio: 1.38, 95% CI 1.06, 1.81). Slate mining may reduce lung function and increase the incidence of COPD independently of smoking and pneumoconiosis. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mineral lung burden of an urban population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paoletti, L.; Falchi, M.; Batisti, D.; Carrieri, M. P.; Petrelli, M. G.; Ciallella, C.; Donelli, G.

A study was carried out on mineral lung burden in 85 autopsy cases who died accidentally. Subjects of both sexes aged from 15 to 70 years were selected from all the autopsies performed at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Rome. These subjects were living in an urban area and were not affected by neoplasm diseases. All selected subjects were residing in Rome at the time of their death. Information on years of legal residence in urban areas, smoking habits and occupational history were obtained by interviews with relatives. Lung parenchyma samples were obtained from the right upper lobe. The mineral particulate matter present in the tissue samples was studied by means of analytical transmission electron microscopy (ATEM) techniques: 16 mineral varieties and 22 metallic elements were identified. Smoke, age and residence seem to have influence on the lung burden.

Mineralization and growth of cultured embryonic skeletal tissue in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klement, B. J.; Spooner, B. S.

1999-01-01

Microgravity provides a unique environment in which to study normal and pathological phenomenon. Very few studies have been done to examine the effects of microgravity on developing skeletal tissue such as growth plate formation and maintenance, elongation of bone primordia, or the mineralization of growth plate cartilage. Embryonic mouse premetatarsal triads were cultured on three space shuttle flights to study cartilage growth, differentiation, and mineralization, in a microgravity environment. The premetatarsal triads that were cultured in microgravity all formed cartilage rods and grew in length. However, the premetatarsal cartilage rods cultured in microgravity grew less in length than the ground control cartilage rods. Terminal chondrocyte differentiation also occurred during culture in microgravity, as well as in the ground controls, and the matrix around the hypertrophied chondrocytes was capable of mineralizing in both groups. The same percentage of premetatarsals mineralized in the microgravity cultures as mineralized in the ground control cultures. In addition, the sizes of the mineralized areas between the two groups were very similar. However, the amount of 45Ca incorporated into the mineralized areas was significantly lower in the microgravity cultures, suggesting that the composition or density of the mineralized regions was compromised in microgravity. There was no significant difference in the amount of 45Ca liberated from prelabeled explants in microgravity or in the ground controls.

Bone mineral measurement, experiment M078. [space flight effects on human bone composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rambaut, P. C.; Vogel, J. M.; Ullmann, J.; Brown, S.; Kolb, F., III

1973-01-01

Measurement tests revealed few deviations from baseline bone mineral measurements after 56 days in a Skylab-type environment. No mineral change was observed in the right radius. One individual, however, showed a possible mineral loss in the left os calcis and another gained mineral in the right ulna. The cause of the gain is unclear but may be attributable to the heavy exercise routines engaged in by the crewmember in question. Equipment problems were identified during the experiment and rectified.

Geologic and mineral and water resources investigations in western Colorado using ERTS-1 data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knepper, D. H., Jr. (Principal Investigator); Hutchinson, R. M.; Sawatzky, D. L.; Trexler, D. W.; Bruns, D. L.; Nicolais, S. M.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Topography was found to be the most important factor defining folds on ERTS-1 imagery of northwestern Colorado; tonal variations caused by rock reflectance and vegetation type and density are the next most important factors. Photo-linears mapped on ERTS-1 imagery of central Colorado correlate well with ground-measured joint and fracture trends. In addition, photo-linears have been successfully used to determine the location and distribution of metallic mineral deposits in the Colorado Mineral Belt. True color composites are best for general geologic analysis and false color composites prepared with positive/negative masks are useful for enhancing local geologic phenomena. During geologic analysis of any given area, ERTS-1 imagery from several different dates should be studied.

Mineral resources of the Mount Tipton Wilderness Study Area, Mohave County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Greene, Robert C.; Turner, Robert L.; Jachens, Robert C.; Lawson, William A.; Almquist, Carl L.

1989-01-01

The Mount Tipton Wilderness Study Area (AZ-020-012/ 042) comprises 33,950 acres in Mohave County, Ariz. At the request of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, this area was evaluated for identified mineral resources (known) and mineral resource potential (undiscovered). This work was carried out by the U.S. Bureau of Mines and the U.S. Geological Survey in 1984-87. In this report, the area studied is referred to as the "wilderness study area" or simply "the study area." There are no identified mineral resources in the study area. The southernmost part of the study area is adjacent to the Wallapai (Chloride) mining district and has low mineral resource potential for gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and molybdenum in hydrothermal veins. This area also has a low mineral resource potential for tungsten in vein deposits and for uranium in vein deposits or pegmatites. In the central part of the wilderness study area, one small area has low mineral resource potential for uranium in vein deposits or pegmatites and another small area has low resource potential for thorium in vein deposits. The entire study area has low resource potential for geothermal energy but no potential for oil or gas resources.

The parasitoids of the asparagus miner (Diptera: Agromyzidae): field parasitism and the influence of food resources on life history.

PubMed

Morrison, William R; Gibson, Gary A P; Szendrei, Zsofia

2014-12-01

The goals of this study were to identify pupal parasitoids of the asparagus miner, Ophiomyia simplex Loew (Diptera: Agromyzidae), and examine the effect of different diets and floral resources on the lifespan of adult asparagus miners and their parasitoids. We also measured the effect of parasitism on stem damage caused by the asparagus miner. The identity and abundance of the parasitoids of the asparagus miner were determined in asparagus fields in Michigan from weekly asparagus miner pupal collections during the 2010-2013 seasons. Twelve species of hymenopterous parasitoids were reared from asparagus miner pupae, including Chorebus rondanii (Giard) (Ichneumonoidea: Braconidae), 10 species in three families of Chalcidoidea, and one species of Bethylidae (Chrysidoidea), that represent new host records for the asparagus miner. C. rondanii and Thinodytes cephalon (Walker) (Pteromalidae) were the most common parasitoids. The effects of different diets and flowers on the lifespan of the pest and parasitoid adults were also evaluated. Buckwheat resulted in the shortest life span for the asparagus miner, whereas Riddell's goldenrod significantly increased its lifespan relative to the control. Parasitoid lifespan was doubled when individuals were fed sugar-rich diets. In the field, parasitoids preferred stems that contained more pupae and damage. The two most commonly reared parasitoids should be considered as targets for future conservation biological control efforts of the asparagus miner.

Genomic Characterization of Vulvar (Pre)cancers Identifies Distinct Molecular Subtypes with Prognostic Significance.

PubMed

Nooij, Linda S; Ter Haar, Natalja T; Ruano, Dina; Rakislova, Natalia; van Wezel, Tom; Smit, Vincent T H B M; Trimbos, Baptist J B M Z; Ordi, Jaume; van Poelgeest, Mariette I E; Bosse, Tjalling

2017-11-15

Purpose: Vulvar cancer (VC) can be subclassified by human papillomavirus (HPV) status. HPV-negative VCs frequently harbor TP53 mutations; however, in-depth analysis of other potential molecular genetic alterations is lacking. We comprehensively assessed somatic mutations in a large series of vulvar (pre)cancers. Experimental Design: We performed targeted next-generation sequencing (17 genes), p53 immunohistochemistry and HPV testing on 36 VC and 82 precursors (sequencing cohort). Subsequently, the prognostic significance of the three subtypes identified in the sequencing cohort was assessed in a series of 236 VC patients (follow-up cohort). Results: Frequent recurrent mutations were identified in HPV-negative vulvar (pre)cancers in TP53 (42% and 68%), NOTCH1 (28% and 41%), and HRAS (20% and 31%). Mutation frequency in HPV-positive vulvar (pre)cancers was significantly lower ( P = 0.001). Furthermore, a substantial subset of the HPV-negative precursors (35/60, 58.3%) and VC (10/29, 34.5%) were TP53 wild-type (wt), suggesting a third, not-previously described, molecular subtype. Clinical outcomes in the three different subtypes (HPV + , HPV - /p53wt, HPV - /p53abn) were evaluated in a follow-up cohort consisting of 236 VC patients. Local recurrence rate was 5.3% for HPV + , 16.3% for HPV - /p53wt and 22.6% for HPV - /p53abn tumors ( P = 0.044). HPV positivity remained an independent prognostic factor for favorable outcome in the multivariable analysis ( P = 0.020). Conclusions: HPV - and HPV + vulvar (pre)cancers display striking differences in somatic mutation patterns. HPV - /p53wt VC appear to be a distinct clinicopathologic subgroup with frequent NOTCH1 mutations. HPV + VC have a significantly lower local recurrence rate, independent of clinicopathological variables, opening opportunities for reducing overtreatment in VC. Clin Cancer Res; 23(22); 6781-9. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Have a Nutritionally Significant Impact on Micronutrient Intakes of Older Adults Attending Senior Centers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Older adults frequently report use of vitamin and mineral (VM) supplements, though the impact of supplements on dietary adequacy remains largely unknown. Despite possible improvements in dietary intake, concern remains over potential excessive nutrient consumption from VM supplement us...

Identifying Protein-Calorie Malnutrition Workshop.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Susan S.; Barker, Ellen M.

Instructional materials are provided for a workshop to enable participants to assist in identifying patients at risk with protein-calorie malnutrition and in corrrecting this nutritional deficiency. Representative topics are nutrients; protein, mineral, and vitamin sources, functions, and deficiency symptoms; malnutrition; nutritional deficiency…

30 CFR 47.21 - Identifying hazardous chemicals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Identifying hazardous chemicals. 47.21 Section... TRAINING HAZARD COMMUNICATION (HazCom) Hazard Determination § 47.21 Identifying hazardous chemicals. The operator must evaluate each chemical brought on mine property and each chemical produced on mine property...

30 CFR 47.21 - Identifying hazardous chemicals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Identifying hazardous chemicals. 47.21 Section... TRAINING HAZARD COMMUNICATION (HazCom) Hazard Determination § 47.21 Identifying hazardous chemicals. The operator must evaluate each chemical brought on mine property and each chemical produced on mine property...

30 CFR 47.21 - Identifying hazardous chemicals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Identifying hazardous chemicals. 47.21 Section... TRAINING HAZARD COMMUNICATION (HazCom) Hazard Determination § 47.21 Identifying hazardous chemicals. The operator must evaluate each chemical brought on mine property and each chemical produced on mine property...

30 CFR 47.21 - Identifying hazardous chemicals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Identifying hazardous chemicals. 47.21 Section... TRAINING HAZARD COMMUNICATION (HazCom) Hazard Determination § 47.21 Identifying hazardous chemicals. The operator must evaluate each chemical brought on mine property and each chemical produced on mine property...

30 CFR 47.21 - Identifying hazardous chemicals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Identifying hazardous chemicals. 47.21 Section... TRAINING HAZARD COMMUNICATION (HazCom) Hazard Determination § 47.21 Identifying hazardous chemicals. The operator must evaluate each chemical brought on mine property and each chemical produced on mine property...

Targeted Investigation of Base Metal Mineralization beneath Glacial Cover using Magnetic Field Methods, Petrophysics, and Petrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veglio, E.; Ugalde, H. A.; Lenauer, I.; Milkereit, B.

2017-12-01

Magnetic anomalies near areas of known base metal sulphide mineralization were seen in regional airborne data from the Bay of Chaleur in northern New Brunswick, Canada. A ground magnetic investigation was performed over this area to better characterize the source of these regional anomalies and to investigate their relation to the sulphide mineralization. The mineralization is hosted in Late Silurian to Early Devonian volcano-sedimentary stratigraphy and has been identified in several boreholes. This volcano-sedimentary stratigraphy was deposited in a half-graben shallow marine setting, where hydrothermal fluids transported sulphide mineralization through a fault network. The ground magnetic surveys show that two anomalous regions characterized by a total magnetic field of 54,100 nT and 55,500 nT, whereas the shallow alteration associated with mineralized zones are approximately 53,450 nT. These are significant magnetic anomalies are close to 700 nT and 2,000 nT greater than the surrounding area. In order to compare the ground data to the existing airborne, the ground magnetic data was upward continued to a height of 100 meters. The few occurrences of bedrock outcrops on the property confirm the occurrence of rhyolites and tuffs, as well as the presence of sulphide mineralization. However, much of the study area is densely vegetated and covered by glacial sediments of up to 25 meters thickness. Thus, to better interpret the geology and occurrence of the sulphide mineralization, several boreholes were examined on the basis of magnetic susceptibility and further correlated with the borehole logs and observations of lithologies in core. It was found that an individual mafic unit has several orders of magnitude higher magnetic susceptibility than the alteration zones and felsic tuffs where mineralization occurs. This indicates that the magnetic anomaly identified both in the regional magnetic survey and the ground survey is likely caused by the occurrence of this mafic

43 CFR 3873.1 - Segregation of mineral from non-mineral land.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Segregation of mineral from non-mineral... AND CONFLICTS Segregation § 3873.1 Segregation of mineral from non-mineral land. Where a survey is... satisfactorily established that there are existent prior unpatented mining claims, the segregation of the latter...

Molecular Characterization of Bacterial Respiration on Minerals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blake, Robert C.

2013-04-26

The overall aim of this project was to contribute to our fundamental understanding of proteins and biological processes under extreme environmental conditions. We sought to define the biochemical and physiological mechanisms that underlie biodegradative and other cellular processes in normal, extreme, and engineered environments. Toward that end, we sought to understand the substrate oxidation pathways, the electron transport mechanisms, and the modes of energy conservation employed during respiration by bacteria on soluble iron and insoluble sulfide minerals. In accordance with these general aims, the specific aims were two-fold: To identify, separate, and characterize the extracellular biomolecules necessary for aerobic respirationmore » on iron under strongly acidic conditions; and to elucidate the molecular principles whereby these bacteria recognize and adhere to their insoluble mineral substrates under harsh environmental conditions. The results of these studies were described in a total of nineteen manuscripts. Highlights include the following: 1. The complete genome of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 (type strain) was sequenced in collaboration with the DOE Joint Genome Institute; 2. Genomic and mass spectrometry-based proteomic methods were used to evaluate gene expression and in situ microbial activity in a low-complexity natural acid mine drainage microbial biofilm community. This was the first effort to successfully analyze a natural community using these techniques; 3. Detailed functional and structural studies were conducted on rusticyanin, an acid-stable electron transfer protein purified from cell-free extracts of At. ferrooxidans. The three-dimensional structure of reduced rusticyanin was determined from a combination of homonuclear proton and heteronuclear 15N- and 13C-edited NMR spectra. Concomitantly, the three-dimensional structure of oxidized rusticyanin was determined by X-ray crystallography to a resolution of 1.9 A by

U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program—Mineral resource science supporting informed decisionmaking

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkins, Aleeza M.; Doebrich, Jeff L.

2016-09-19

The USGS Mineral Resources Program (MRP) delivers unbiased science and information to increase understanding of mineral resource potential, production, and consumption, and how mineral resources interact with the environment. The MRP is the Federal Government’s sole source for this mineral resource science and information. Program goals are to (1) increase understanding of mineral resource formation, (2) provide mineral resource inventories and assessments, (3) broaden knowledge of the effects of mineral resources on the environment and society, and (4) provide analysis on the availability and reliability of mineral supplies.

Clay Minerals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mueller, Karl T.; Sanders, Rebecca L.; Washton, Nancy M.

2014-03-14

Clay minerals are important components of the environment and are involved or implicated in processes such as the uptake of pollutants and the release of nutrients and as potential platforms for a number of chemical reactions. Owing to their small particle sizes (typically, on the order of microns or smaller) and mixing with a variety of other minerals and soil components, advanced characterization methods are needed to study their structures, dynamics, and reactivities. In this article, we describe the use of solid-state NMR methods to characterize the structures and chemistries of clay minerals. Early one-pulse magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR studiesmore » of 27Al and 29Si have now been enhanced and extended with new studies utilizing advanced methodologies (such as Multiple Quantum MAS) as well as studies of less-sensitive nuclei. In additional work, the issue of reactivity of clay minerals has been addressed, including studies of reactive surface area in the environment. Utilizations of NMR-sensitive nuclides within the clay minerals themselves, and in molecules that react with specific sites on the clay mineral surfaces, have aided in understanding the reactivity of these complex aluminosilicate systems.« less

Mineral Surface Chemistry and Nanoparticle-aggregation Control Membrane Self-Assembly

PubMed Central

Sahai, Nita; Kaddour, Hussein; Dalai, Punam; Wang, Ziqiu; Bass, Garrett; Gao, Min

2017-01-01

The self-assembly of lipid bilayer membranes to enclose functional biomolecules, thus defining a “protocell,” was a seminal moment in the emergence of life on Earth and likely occurred at the micro-environment of the mineral-water interface. Mineral-lipid interactions are also relevant in biomedical, industrial and technological processes. Yet, no structure-activity relationships (SARs) have been identified to predict lipid self-assembly at mineral surfaces. Here we examined the influence of minerals on the self-assembly and survival of vesicles composed of single chain amphiphiles as model protocell membranes. The apparent critical vesicle concentration (CVC) increased in the presence of positively-charged nanoparticulate minerals at high loadings (mg/mL) suggesting unfavorable membrane self-assembly in such situations. Above the CVC, initial vesicle formation rates were faster in the presence of minerals. Rates were correlated with the mineral’s isoelectric point (IEP) and reactive surface area. The IEP depends on the crystal structure, chemical composition and surface hydration. Thus, membrane self-assembly showed rational dependence on fundamental mineral properties. Once formed, membrane permeability (integrity) was unaffected by minerals. Suggesting that, protocells could have survived on rock surfaces. These SARs may help predict the formation and survival of protocell membranes on early Earth and other rocky planets, and amphiphile-mineral interactions in diverse other phenomena. PMID:28266537

Mineral Surface Chemistry and Nanoparticle-aggregation Control Membrane Self-Assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahai, Nita; Kaddour, Hussein; Dalai, Punam; Wang, Ziqiu; Bass, Garrett; Gao, Min

2017-03-01

The self-assembly of lipid bilayer membranes to enclose functional biomolecules, thus defining a “protocell,” was a seminal moment in the emergence of life on Earth and likely occurred at the micro-environment of the mineral-water interface. Mineral-lipid interactions are also relevant in biomedical, industrial and technological processes. Yet, no structure-activity relationships (SARs) have been identified to predict lipid self-assembly at mineral surfaces. Here we examined the influence of minerals on the self-assembly and survival of vesicles composed of single chain amphiphiles as model protocell membranes. The apparent critical vesicle concentration (CVC) increased in the presence of positively-charged nanoparticulate minerals at high loadings (mg/mL) suggesting unfavorable membrane self-assembly in such situations. Above the CVC, initial vesicle formation rates were faster in the presence of minerals. Rates were correlated with the mineral’s isoelectric point (IEP) and reactive surface area. The IEP depends on the crystal structure, chemical composition and surface hydration. Thus, membrane self-assembly showed rational dependence on fundamental mineral properties. Once formed, membrane permeability (integrity) was unaffected by minerals. Suggesting that, protocells could have survived on rock surfaces. These SARs may help predict the formation and survival of protocell membranes on early Earth and other rocky planets, and amphiphile-mineral interactions in diverse other phenomena.

Iron Sulfide Minerals Record Microbe-Mineral Interactions in Anoxic Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picard, A.; Gartman, A.; Cosmidis, J.; Clarke, D. R.; Girguis, P. R.

2017-12-01

The precipitation of most minerals in low-temperature environments on Earth is directly or indirectly influenced by the presence of organic substances and/or microbial biomass. Notably, the influence of microorganisms on the formation of Mn and Fe oxides/oxyhydroxides at the surface of the Earth has been well characterized (Chan et al., 2011; Estes et al., 2017). However, an oxygenated atmosphere is a unique feature of planet Earth. It is therefore critical for the search of life on other planetary bodies to characterize microbe-mineral interactions that form in anoxic conditions. Here we explore the role of microorganisms on the formation of iron sulfide minerals, which form under anoxic conditions. On modern Earth, sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) are the major source of dissolved sulfide in low-temperature sedimentary environments. We experimentally demonstrate that SRM play a role in the nucleation and growth of iron sulfide minerals by acting as organic templates. The physical characteristics of the resulting minerals are different from those formed under abiotic conditions. Moreover, upon forming, iron sulfide minerals become associated with organic carbon, producing a potential organo-mineral signature. We also evaluate how the presence of various organic substances affect the formation of abiotic minerals and how this could produce false biosignatures that could be mistaken as biogenic minerals. Chan, C.S., Fakra, S.C., Emerson, D., Fleming, E.J. and Edwards, K.J. (2011) Lithotrophic iron-oxidizing bacteria produce organic stalks to control mineral growth: implications for biosignature formation. Isme Journal 5, 717-727. Estes, E.R., Andeer, P.F., Nordlund, D., Wankel, S.D. and Hansel, C.M. (2017) Biogenic manganese oxides as reservoirs of organic carbon and proteins in terrestrial and marine environments. Geobiology 15, 158-172.

Method of analysis of asbestiform minerals by thermoluminescence

DOEpatents

Fisher, Gerald L.; Bradley, Edward W.

1980-01-01

A method for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of asbestiform minerals, including the steps of subjecting a sample to be analyzed to the thermoluminescent analysis, annealing the sample, subjecting the sample to ionizing radiation, and subjecting the sample to a second thermoluminescent analysis. Glow curves are derived from the two thermoluminescent analyses and their shapes then compared to established glow curves of known asbestiform minerals to identify the type of asbestiform in the sample. Also, during at least one of the analyses, the thermoluminescent response for each sample is integrated during a linear heating period of the analysis in order to derive the total thermoluminescence per milligram of sample. This total is a measure of the quantity of asbestiform in the sample and may also be used to identify the source of the sample.

Physicochemical characterization of mineral deposits in human ligamenta flava.

PubMed

Orzechowska, Sylwia; Wróbel, Andrzej; Kozieł, Marcin; Łasocha, Wiesław; Rokita, Eugeniusz

2018-05-01

The aim of our study was the detailed characterization of calcium deposits in ligamenta flava. The use of microcomputed tomography allowed extending the routine medical investigations to characterize mineral grains in the microscopic scale. A possible connection between spinal stenosis and ligament mineralization was investigated. The studies were carried out on 24 surgically removed ligamentum flavum samples divided into control and stenosis groups. Physicochemical characterization of the inorganic material was performed using X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The minerals were present in 14 of 24 ligament samples, both in stenosis and control groups. The inorganic substance constitutes on average ~0.1% of the sample volume. The minerals are scattered in the soft tissue matrix without any regular pattern. It was confirmed that minerals possess an internal structure and consist of the organic material and small inorganic grains mixture. The physicochemical analyses show that the predominant crystalline phase was hydroxyapatite (HAP). In the stenosis group calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate (CPPD) was identified. Both structures were never present in a single sample. Two different crystal structures suggest two independent processes of mineralization. The formation of CPPD may be treated as a more intense process since CPPD minerals are characterized by bigger values of the structural parameters and higher density than HAP deposits. The formation of HAP minerals is a soft tissue degeneration process that begins, in some cases, at early age or may not occur at all. Various density and volume of mineral grains indicate that the mineralization process does not occur in a constant environment and proceeds with various speeds. The formation of minerals in ligamenta flava is not directly associated with diagnosed spinal canal stenosis.

Estimating mineral requirements of Nellore beef bulls fed with or without inorganic mineral supplementation and the influence on mineral balance.

PubMed

Zanetti, D; Godoi, L A; Estrada, M M; Engle, T E; Silva, B C; Alhadas, H M; Chizzotti, M L; Prados, L F; Rennó, L N; Valadares Filho, S C

2017-04-01

The objectives of this study were to quantify the mineral balance of Nellore cattle fed with and without Ca, P, and micromineral (MM) supplementation and to estimate the net and dietary mineral requirement for cattle. Nellore cattle ( = 51; 270.4 ± 36.6 kg initial BW and 8 mo age) were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: reference ( = 5), maintenance ( = 4), and performance ( = 42). The reference group was slaughtered prior to the experiment to estimate initial body composition. The maintenance group was used to collect values of animals at low gain and reduced mineral intake. The performance group was assigned to 1 of 6 treatments: sugarcane as the roughage source with a concentrate supplement composed of soybean meal and soybean hulls with and without Ca, P, and MM supplementation; sugarcane as the roughage source with a concentrate supplement composed of soybean meal and ground corn with and without Ca, P, and MM supplementation; and corn silage as the roughage source with a concentrate supplement composed of soybean meal and ground corn with and without Ca, P, and MM supplementation. Orthogonal contrasts were adopted to compare mineral intake, fecal and urinary excretion, and apparent retention among treatments. Maintenance requirements and true retention coefficients were generated with the aid of linear regression between mineral intake and mineral retention. Mineral composition of the body and gain requirements was assessed using nonlinear regression between body mineral content and mineral intake. Mineral intake and fecal and urinary excretion were measured. Intakes of Ca, P, S, Cu, Zn, Mn, Co, and Fe were reduced in the absence of Ca, P, and MM supplementation ( < 0.05). Fecal excretion of Ca, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Co was also reduced in treatments without supplementation ( < 0.01). Overall, excretion and apparent absorption and retention coefficients were reduced when minerals were not supplied ( < 0.05). The use of the true retention coefficient instead of the true

Mineralization induction effects of osteopontin, bone sialoprotein, and dentin phosphoprotein on a biomimetic collagen substrate.

PubMed

Zurick, Kevin M; Qin, Chunlin; Bernards, Matthew T

2013-06-01

Native bone tissue is composed of a matrix of collagen, noncollagenous proteins, and calcium phosphate minerals, which are primarily hydroxyapatite. The SIBLING (small integrin-binding ligand, N-linked glycoprotein) family of proteins is the primary noncollagenous protein group found in mineralized tissues. In this work, the mineralization induction capabilities of three of the SIBLING members, bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteopontin (OPN), and the calcium-binding subdomain of dentin sialophosphoprotein, dentin phosphoprotein (DPP), are directly compared on a biomimetic collagen substrate. A self-assembled, loosely aligned collagen fibril substrate was prepared, and then (125) I-radiolabeled adsorption isotherms were developed for BSP, OPN, and DPP. The results showed that BSP exhibited the highest binding capacity for collagen at lower concentrations, followed by DPP and OPN. However, at the highest concentrations, all three proteins had similar adsorption levels. The adsorption isotherms were then used to identify conditions that resulted in identical amounts of adsorbed protein. These substrates were prepared and placed in simulated body fluid for 5, 10, and 24 h at 37°C. The resulting mineral morphology was assessed by atomic force microscopy, and the composition was determined using photochemical assays. Mineralization was seen in the presence of all the proteins. However, DPP was seen to be the only protein that formed individual mineral nodules similar to those seen in developing bone. This suggests that DPP plays a significant role in the biomineralization process and that the incorporation of DPP into tissue engineering constructs may facilitate the induction of biomimetic mineral formation. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mineralization Induction Effects of Osteopontin, Bone Sialoprotein, and Dentin Phosphoprotein on a Biomimetic Collagen Substrate

PubMed Central

Zurick, Kevin M.; Qin, Chunlin; Bernards, Matthew T.

2012-01-01

Native bone tissue is composed of a matrix of collagen, non-collagenous proteins, and calcium phosphate minerals, which are primarily hydroxyapatite (HA). The SIBLING (small integrin-binding ligand, N-linked glycoprotein) family of proteins is the primary non-collagenous protein group found in mineralized tissues. In this work, the mineralization induction capabilities of three of the SIBLING members, bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteopontin (OPN), and the calcium binding subdomain of dentin sialophosphoprotein, dentin phosphoprotein (DPP), are directly compared on a biomimetic collagen substrate. A self-assembled, loosely aligned collagen fibril substrate was prepared and then 125I radiolabeled adsorption isotherms were developed for BSP, OPN, and DPP. The results showed that BSP exhibited the highest binding capacity for collagen at lower concentrations, followed by DPP and OPN. However, at the highest concentrations all three proteins had similar adsorption levels. The adsorption isotherms were then used to identify conditions that resulted in identical amounts of adsorbed protein. These substrates were prepared and placed in simulated body fluid for 5 hours, 10 hours, and 24 hours at 37°C. The resulting mineral morphology was assessed by atomic force microscopy and the composition was determined using photochemical assays. Mineralization was seen in the presence of all of the proteins. However, DPP was seen to be the only protein that formed individual mineral nodules similar to those seen in developing bone. This suggests that DPP plays a significant role in the biomineralization process and that the incorporation of DPP into tissue engineering constructs may facilitate the induction of biomimetic mineral formation. PMID:23161527

Validation of cortical bone mineral density distribution using micro-computed tomography.

PubMed

Mashiatulla, Maleeha; Ross, Ryan D; Sumner, D Rick

2017-06-01

Changes in the bone mineral density distribution (BMDD), due to disease or drugs, can alter whole bone mechanical properties such as strength, stiffness and toughness. The methods currently available for assessing BMDD are destructive and two-dimensional. Micro-computed tomography (μCT) has been used extensively to quantify the three-dimensional geometry of bone and to measure the mean degree of mineralization, commonly called the tissue mineral density (TMD). The TMD measurement has been validated to ash density; however parameters describing the frequency distribution of TMD have not yet been validated. In the current study we tested the ability of μCT to estimate six BMDD parameters: mean, heterogeneity (assessed by the full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) and the coefficient of variation (CoV)), the upper and lower 5% cutoffs of the frequency distribution, and peak mineralization) in rat sized femoral cortical bone samples. We used backscatter scanning electron microscopy (bSEM) as the standard. Aluminum and hydroxyapatite phantoms were used to identify optimal scanner settings (70kVp, and 57μA, with a 1500ms integration time). When using hydroxyapatite samples that spanned a broad range of mineralization levels, high correlations were found between μCT and bSEM for all BMDD parameters (R 2 ≥0.92, p<0.010). When using cortical bone samples from rats and various species machined to mimic rat cortical bone geometry, significant correlations between μCT and bSEM were found for mean mineralization (R 2 =0.65, p<0.001), peak mineralization (R 2 =0.61, p<0.001) the lower 5% cutoff (R 2 =0.62, p<0.001) and the upper 5% cutoff (R 2 =0.33, p=0.021), but not for heterogeneity, measured by FWHM (R 2 =0.05, p=0.412) and CoV (R 2 =0.04, p=0.469). Thus, while mean mineralization and most parameters used to characterize the BMDD can be assessed with μCT in rat sized cortical bone samples, caution should be used when reporting the heterogeneity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier

Formation of secondary minerals in a lysimeter approach - A mineral-microbe interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schäffner, F.; Merten, D.; De Giudici, G.; Beyer, A.; Akob, D. M.; Ricci, P. C.; Küsel, K.; Büchel, G.

2012-04-01

soil samples, supporting the fact that microorganisms may influence this natural attenuation process. Laser ablation ICP-MS data reveal accumulation of manganese in MOB biomass on Mn(II)-containing agar plates. Furthermore, it was possible to show the importance of iron on this process, as some MOB isolates were able to oxidize manganese independently from the iron content, whereas some are not. The latter isolates are only able to oxidize manganese if iron is present in the media. In the lysimeter, SEM-EDX data showed microorganisms in organic rich phases together with the occurrence of manganese, oxygen, and nickel, indicating manganese oxides enriched in nickel. Although this new mineral phases could not yet be identified microprobe EDX results from polished thin sections showed needle-like mineral structures that are similar to the birnessite and todorokite samples observed from field samples. Hence, the lysimeter experiment revealed that the formation of iron and manganese minerals that are involved in heavy metal natural attenuation is result of both abiotic and biotic processes.

Mineral resources of the Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, William P.

1984-01-01

Potential mineral resources of the Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone (including the Gulf of Mexico and US Caribbean areas) include petroleum, sand and gravel, phosphorite, placer deposits of heavy mineral sands, ferromanganese nodules, and fresh water. Although major efforts have been made to search for petroleum, the oil and gas resources of the region are well known only in the western Gulf Shelf and more exploration is under way. Heavy-mineral placer deposits, which may be sources of titanium, gold, rare earths, etc. , have been sampled, but the extent and, therefore, economic value of the deposits have not been identified. Sand and gravel, phosphorite, and ferromanganese nodules all are represented by fairly well established deposits, and only modified market conditions would be necessary to cause detailed exploration and mining.

Critical mineral resources of the United States—Economic and environmental geology and prospects for future supply

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schulz, Klaus J.; DeYoung,, John H.; Seal, Robert R.; Bradley, Dwight C.

2017-12-19

SummaryMineral commodities are vital for economic growth, improving the quality of life, providing for national defense, and the overall functioning of modern society. Minerals are being used in larger quantities than ever before and in an increasingly diverse range of applications. With the increasing demand for a considerably more diverse suite of mineral commodities has come renewed recognition that competition and conflict over mineral resources can pose significant risks to the manufacturing industries that depend on them. In addition, production of many mineral commodities has become concentrated in relatively few countries (for example, tungsten, rare-earth elements, and antimony in China; niobium in Brazil; and platinum-group elements in South Africa and Russia), thus increasing the risk for supply disruption owing to political, social, or other factors. At the same time, an increasing awareness of and sensitivity to potential environmental and health issues caused by the mining and processing of many mineral commodities may place additional restrictions on mineral supplies. These factors have led a number of Governments, including the Government of the United States, to attempt to identify those mineral commodities that are viewed as most “critical” to the national economy and (or) security if supplies should be curtailed.This book presents resource and geologic information on the following 23 mineral commodities currently among those viewed as important to the national economy and national security of the United States: antimony (Sb), barite (barium, Ba), beryllium (Be), cobalt (Co), fluorite or fluorspar (fluorine, F), gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), graphite (carbon, C), hafnium (Hf), indium (In), lithium (Li), manganese (Mn), niobium (Nb), platinum-group elements (PGE), rare-earth elements (REE), rhenium (Re), selenium (Se), tantalum (Ta), tellurium (Te), tin (Sn), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), and zirconium (Zr). For a number of these commodities�

Proximate, mineral, and antinutrient compositions of indigenous Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) pod accessions: implications for mineral bioavailability.

PubMed

Gemede, Habtamu Fekadu; Haki, Gulelat Desse; Beyene, Fekadu; Woldegiorgis, Ashagrie Z; Rakshit, Sudip Kumar

2016-03-01

The promotion and consumption of indigenous vegetables could help to mitigate food insecurity and alleviate malnutrition in developing countries. Nutrient and antinutrient compositions of eight accessions of Okra Pods were investigated. Molar ratios and mineral bioavailability of Okra pod accessions were also calculated and compared to the critical values to predict the implications for mineral bioavailability. Proximate and mineral composition of Okra pod accessions were determined using standard methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists. The result of the study revealed that the proximate composition (g/100 g) in dry weight basis was significantly (P < 0.05) varied and ranged: moisture/dry matter 9.69-13.33, crude protein 10.25-26.16, crude fat 0.56-2.49, crude fiber 11.97-29.93, crude ash 5.37-11.30, utilizable carbohydrate 36.66-50.97, and gross energy 197.26-245.55 kcal/100 g. The mineral concentrations (mg/100 g) were also significantly (P < 0.05) varied and ranged: calcium (111.11-311.95), Iron (18.30-36.68), potassium (122.59-318.20), zinc (3.83-6.31), phosphorus (25.62-59.72), and sodium (3.33-8.31) on dry weight bases. The Okra Pods of "OPA#6" accession contained significantly higher amounts of crude protein, total ash, crude fat, calcium, iron, and zinc than all other accessions evaluated in this study. The results of antinutrients analysis showed that, except phytate, tannin, and oxalate contents of all the accessions were significantly (P < 0.05) varied. The range of phytate, tannin, and oxalate contents (mg/100 g) for Okra pod accessions studied were as follows: 0.83-0.87, 4.93-9.90, and 0.04-0.53, respectively. The calculated molar ratios of phytate: calcium, phytate: iron, phytate: zinc, oxalate: calcium and [Phytate][Calcium]/[Zinc] were below the critical value and this indicate that the bioavailability of calcium, iron, and zinc in these accessions could be high. The results of the study revealed that Okra pod contain

Propham mineralization in aqueous medium by anodic oxidation using boron-doped diamond anode: influence of experimental parameters on degradation kinetics and mineralization efficiency.

PubMed

Ozcan, Ali; Sahin, Yücel; Koparal, A Savaş; Oturan, Mehmet A

2008-06-01

This study aims the removal of a carbamate herbicide, propham, from aqueous solution by direct electrochemical advanced oxidation process using a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode. This electrode produces large quantities of hydroxyl radicals from oxidation of water, which leads to the oxidative degradation of propham up to its total mineralization. Effect of operational parameters such as current, temperature, pH and supporting electrolyte on the degradation and mineralization rate was studied. The applied current and temperature exert a prominent effect on the total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate of the solutions. The mineralization of propham can be performed at any pH value between 3 and 11 without any loss in oxidation efficiency. The propham decay and its overall mineralization reaction follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics. The apparent rate constant value of propham oxidation was determined as 4.8 x 10(-4)s(-1) at 100 mA and 35 degrees C in the presence of 50mM Na(2)SO(4) in acidic media (pH: 3). A general mineralization sequence was proposed considering the identified oxidation intermediates.

U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program - Science Supporting Mineral Resource Stewardship

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kropschot, S.J.

2007-01-01

The United States is the world's largest user of mineral resources. We use them to build our homes and cities, fertilize our food crops, and create wealth that allows us to buy goods and services. Individuals rarely use nonfuel mineral resources in their natural state - we buy light bulbs, not the silica, soda ash, lime, coal, salt, tungsten, copper, nickel, molybdenum, iron, manganese, aluminum, and zinc used to convert electricity into light. The USGS Mineral Resources Program (MRP) is the sole Federal source of scientific information and unbiased research on nonfuel mineral potential, production, and consumption, as well as on the environmental effects of minerals. The MRP also provides baseline geochemical, geophysical, and mineral-deposit data used to understand environmental issues related to extraction and use of mineral resources. Understanding how minerals, water, plants, and organisms interact contributes to our understanding of the environment, which is essential for maintaining human and ecosystem health. To support creation of economic and national security policies in a global context, MRP collects and analyzes data on essential mineral commodities from around the world.

Determining coding CpG islands by identifying regions significant for pattern statistics on Markov chains.

PubMed

Singer, Meromit; Engström, Alexander; Schönhuth, Alexander; Pachter, Lior

2011-09-23

Recent experimental and computational work confirms that CpGs can be unmethylated inside coding exons, thereby showing that codons may be subjected to both genomic and epigenomic constraint. It is therefore of interest to identify coding CpG islands (CCGIs) that are regions inside exons enriched for CpGs. The difficulty in identifying such islands is that coding exons exhibit sequence biases determined by codon usage and constraints that must be taken into account. We present a method for finding CCGIs that showcases a novel approach we have developed for identifying regions of interest that are significant (with respect to a Markov chain) for the counts of any pattern. Our method begins with the exact computation of tail probabilities for the number of CpGs in all regions contained in coding exons, and then applies a greedy algorithm for selecting islands from among the regions. We show that the greedy algorithm provably optimizes a biologically motivated criterion for selecting islands while controlling the false discovery rate. We applied this approach to the human genome (hg18) and annotated CpG islands in coding exons. The statistical criterion we apply to evaluating islands reduces the number of false positives in existing annotations, while our approach to defining islands reveals significant numbers of undiscovered CCGIs in coding exons. Many of these appear to be examples of functional epigenetic specialization in coding exons.

Hair Mineral Content as a Predictor of Learning Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marlowe, Mike; And Others

1984-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between hair mineral elements and childhood learning disabilities and determined which minerals, if any, separated 26 learning disabled children with 24 normal controls. The learning disabled group had significantly raised hair-lead concentrations. There were also differences in the mean levels of 10 other…

Medical Geology in the Middle East: Potential Health Risks from Mineralized Dust Exposure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyles, M. B.; Fredrickson, H. L.; Bednar, A. J.; Fannin, H. B.; Griffin, D. W.; Sobecki, T. M.

2012-04-01

In the Middle East, dust and sand storms are a persistent problem delivering significant amounts of mineralized particulates via inhalation into the mouth, nasal pharynx, and lungs. The health risks of this dust inhalation are presently being studied but accurate characterization as to the potential health effects is still lacking. Experiments were designed to study the chemical composition, mineral content, and microbial flora of Kuwaiti and Iraqi dust particles for the potential to cause adverse human health effects both acute and chronic. Multiple site samples were collected and chemical and physical characterization including particle size distribution and inorganic analysis was conducted, followed by analysis and identification of biologic flora to include bacteria, fungi and viruses. Additionally, PM10 exposure data was collected hourly over a 12 day period (>10,000 ug/m3). Data indicates that the mineralized dust is composed of calcium carbonate and magnesium sulfate coating over a precipitated matrix of metallic silicate nanocrystals of various forms containing a variety of trace and heavy metals constituting ~3 % of the particles by weight. This includes ~ 1% by weight bioaccessible aluminum and reactive iron with the remaining 1% a mixture of bioaccessible trace and heavy metals. Microbial analysis reveals a significant biodiversity of bacteria of which ~25 % are known pathogens. Of the microbes identified, several have hemolytic properties and most have significant antibiotic resistance. Viral analysis indicates a tremendous amount of virons with a large percent of RNA viruses. The level of total suspended particle mass at PM10 constitutes an excessive exposure micro-particulates including PM 2.5 (~1,0000 ug/m3). Reported data on cell culture and animal studies have indicated a high level of toxicity to these dust particles. Taken together, these data suggest that at the level of dust exposure commonly found in the Middle East (i.e., Iraq, Kuwait, and

Earth Observation in Environmental and Societal Impacts of Mineral Resources Exploitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chevrel, Stephane

Several national and international initiatives, both from the private or the institutional sectors, arised to address the sustainable development of the extractive industry and the reduction of its environmental footprint. Meanwhile, the extractive industry is facing increasing environmental and societal pressures, being regulatory or not, during all phases of a project, from exploration to exploitation and closure. The social acceptability of a project is among the major key issues to be dealt with. The EO-MINERS project (Earth Observation for Monitoring and Observing Environmental and Societal Impacts of Mineral Resources Exploration and Exploitation) is a newly EU funded Research and Technological Development project started in February 2010. EO-MINERS scientific and technical objectives are to: i) assess policy requirements at macro (public) and micro (mining companies) levels and define environmental, socio-economic, societal and sustainable development criteria and indicators to be possibly dealt using EO (Earth Observation); ii) use existing EO knowledge and carry out new developments on demonstration sites to further demonstrate the capabilities of integrated EO-based methods and tools in monitoring, managing and contributing reducing the environmental and societal footprints of the extractive industry during all phases of a mining project, from the exploration to the exploitation and closure stages; iii) contribute making reliable and objective information about affected ecosystems, populations and societies, to serve as a basis for a sound "trialogue" between industrialists, governmental organisations and stakeholders. EO-MINERS also is designed to embed the outcomes of the project firmly in the GEO process through a review the existing GEO Tasks covering the 9 societal benefit and 5 transverse areas defined by GEO work plan 2007-2009. This analysis will be used to identify synergies and gaps between EO-MINERS and GEO, with the aim of mapping mining and

[The relationship between mine environment and hypertension in coal miners].

PubMed

Wang, Ming-xiao; Shang, Yun-xiao

2008-08-01

To investigate the relationship between mine environment and hypertension in miners. 1736 male miners who worked under the ground and 825 on the ground were recruited in this study. Prevalence of hypertension under the ground and on the ground miners was compared. Prevalence of hypertension of miners under the ground was 23.91% and on the ground was 15.52% (chi(2) = 23.56, P < 0.001). Compared to miners on the ground, the relative risk of hypertension under the ground workers was 1.71 (95%CI 1.38 - 2.13). Prevalence of hypertension was correlated to the years of ground working (chi(2) = 37.00, P < 0.001). The binary logistic regression showed significant relationship between mine environment and hypertension under the ground miners (OR = 1.05, 95%CI 1.02 - 1.08). The underground environment is an important risk factor hypertension to the miners.

43 CFR 3000.8 - Management of Federal minerals from reserved mineral estates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Management of Federal minerals from reserved mineral estates. 3000.8 Section 3000.8 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) MINERALS...

43 CFR 3000.8 - Management of Federal minerals from reserved mineral estates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Management of Federal minerals from reserved mineral estates. 3000.8 Section 3000.8 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) MINERALS...

43 CFR 3000.8 - Management of Federal minerals from reserved mineral estates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Management of Federal minerals from reserved mineral estates. 3000.8 Section 3000.8 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) MINERALS...

43 CFR 3000.8 - Management of Federal minerals from reserved mineral estates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Management of Federal minerals from reserved mineral estates. 3000.8 Section 3000.8 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) MINERALS...

Salivary mineral composition in patients with oral cancer.

PubMed

Dziewulska, Anna; Janiszewska-Olszowska, Joanna; Bachanek, Teresa; Grocholewicz, Katarzyna

2013-01-01

To analyse the mineral content of saliva in patients with oral cancer in order to identify possible markers that might aid the diagnosis of oral cancer. The study group consisted of 34 patients, aged 35-72 years with a diagnosis of oral cancer, including seven women and 27 men, before the start of treatment. Samples of unstimulated saliva were collected in plastic containers. The concentrations of sodium and potassium were assessed using ion selective electrodes, and the concentrations of calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus were assessed using colorimetric methods. Statistically significant differences between the study and control groups were found only for the concentration of sodium--higher concentrations were found in the study group. When comparing different cancer localisations, the highest levels of salivary sodium were found in cases of cancer of the floor of the oral cavity, and the lowest levels in tongue or parotid gland cancer. The highest calcium levels were found in cancer of the floor of the oral cavity, and the lowest levels in tongue cancer. The highest levels of magnesium were found in cancer of the floor of the oral cavity, and the lowest in tongue cancer. As regards the different histological types, higher sodium and calcium levels were found in squamous cell carcinomas than in other types. Salivary mineral content in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma is indicative of oral dehydration; however, we found no evidence of any salivary mineral markers that would be useful for the diagnosis of oral cancer.

Rocks and Minerals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naturescope, 1987

1987-01-01

Provides background information on rocks and minerals, including the unique characteristics of each. Teaching activities on rock-hunting and identification, mineral configurations, mystery minerals, and growing crystals are provided. Reproducible worksheets are included for two of the activities. (TW)

Mineralization of Surfactants by Microbiota of Aquatic Plants.

PubMed

Federle, Thomas W; Schwab, Burney S

1989-08-01

The biodegradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) and linear alcohol ethoxylate (LAE) by the microbiota associated with duckweed (Lemna minor) and the roots of cattail (Typha latifolia) was investigated. Plants were obtained from a pristine pond and a pond receiving wastewater from a rural laundromat. Cattail roots and duckweed plants were incubated in vessels containing sterile water amended with [C]LAS, [C]LAE, or C-labeled mixed amino acids (MAA). Evolution of CO(2) was determined over time. The microbiota of cattail roots from both ponds mineralized LAS, LAE, and MAA without lag periods, and the rates and extents of mineralization were not significantly affected by the source of the plants. Mineralization of LAS and LAE was more rapid in the rhizosphere than in nearby root-free sediments, which exhibited differences as a function of pond. The microbiota of duckweed readily mineralized LAE and MAA but not LAS. The rate and extent of mineralization were not affected by the source of the duckweed.

Role of light and heavy minerals on natural radioactivity level of high background radiation area, Kerala, India.

PubMed

Ramasamy, V; Sundarrajan, M; Suresh, G; Paramasivam, K; Meenakshisundaram, V

2014-02-01

Natural radionuclides ((238)U, (232)Th and (40)K) concentrations and eight different radiological parameters have been analyzed for the beach sediments of Kerala with an aim of evaluating the radiation hazards. Activity concentrations ((238)U and (232)Th) and all the radiological parameters in most of the sites have higher values than recommended values. The Kerala beach sediments pose significant radiological threat to the people living in the area and tourists going to the beaches for recreation or to the sailors and fishermen involved in their activities in the study area. In order to know the light mineral characterization of the present sediments, mineralogical analysis has been carried out using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic technique. The eight different minerals are identified and they are characterized. Among the various observed minerals, the minerals such as quartz, microcline feldspar, kaolinite and calcite are major minerals. The relative distribution of major minerals is determined by calculating extinction co-efficient and the values show that the amount of quartz is higher than calcite and much higher than microcline feldspar. Crystallinity index is calculated to know the crystalline nature of quartz present in the sediments. Heavy mineral separation analysis has been carried out to know the total heavy mineral (THM) percentage. This analysis revealed the presence of nine heavy minerals. The minerals such as monazite, zircon, magnetite and illmenite are predominant. Due to the rapid and extreme changes occur in highly dynamic environments of sandy beaches, quantities of major light and heavy minerals are widely varied from site to site. Granulometric analysis shows that the sand is major content. Multivariate statistical (Pearson correlation, cluster and factor) analysis has been carried out to know the effect of mineralogy on radionuclide concentrations. The present study concluded that heavy minerals induce the (238)U and (232)Th

Physical deposit measures and commercial potential: The case of titanium-bearing heavy-mineral deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Attanasi, E.D.; DeYoung, J.H.

1988-01-01

Physical measures of mineral deposit characteristics, such as grade and tonnage, long have been used in both subjective and analytic models to predict favorability of areas for the occurrence of mineral deposits of particular types. After a deposit has been identified, however, the explorationist must decide whether to continue data collection, begin an economic feasibility study, or abandon the prospect. The decision maker can estimate the probability that a deposit will be commercial by examining physical measures. The amount of sampling data required before such a probability estimate can be considered reliable can be determined. A logit probability model estimated from onshore titanium-bearing heavy-mineral deposit data identifies and quantifies the relative influence of a deposit's physical measures on the chances of the deposit becoming commercial. A principal conclusion that can be drawn from the analysis is that, along with a measure of deposit size, the characteristics most important in predicting commercial potential are grades of the constituent minerals. Total heavy-mineral-bearing sand grade or even total titanium grade (without data on constituent mineral grades) are poor predictors of the deposit's commercial potential. ?? 1988 International Association for Mathematical Geology.

Geochemistry and Minerality of Wine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oze, C.; Horton, T. W.; Beaman, M.

2010-12-01

Kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4) and gibbsite (Al(OH)3) are capable of forming in a variety of environments including anthropogenic solutions such as wine. Here, we evaluate the geochemistry of twelve white wines in order to assess the potential relationship between kaolinite/gibbsite saturation and minerality, a common wine descriptor used to express the rock and/or soil character in the aromas and flavors of wines. Aluminum and Si concentrations ranged from 228-1,281 µg L-1 and 6,583-19,746 µg L-1, respectively, where Si and Al are the only elements to demonstrate positive covariance with minerality scores. Sulfur levels varied from 25,013-167,383 µg L-1 and show the strongest negative covariance with minerality scores. However, like all of the elements studied (Al, Si, Na, Mg, S, K, Ca, and Fe), these trends were not significantly different than random at the 95% confidence level. In contrast, the relative degrees of gibbsite/kaolinite saturation display strong positive covariance with minerality scores and these trends are not random at the greater than 95% confidence level. Overall, our tasters were able to accurately assess the degree of gibbsite/kaolinite saturation amongst the twelve wines based on the objective of assessing minerality. Although the wines were undersaturated with respect to gibbsite/kaolinite, geochemical modeling reveals that increasing the wines’ pHs from ~3.3 to 4.1-4.6 (which is achievable on the palate where saliva has a pH of 7.4) results in gibbsite/kaolinite oversaturation. By considering that minerality is a function of gibbsite/kaolinite saturation and decreasing S, the origin of minerality’s taste and chemical origin in wine with known physical standards becomes increasingly crystalline.

A nonlinear controlling function of geological features on magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization.

PubMed

Zuo, Renguang

2016-06-03

This paper reports a nonlinear controlling function of geological features on magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization, and proposes an alternative method to measure the spatial relationships between geological features and mineral deposits using multifractal singularity theory. It was observed that the greater the proximity to geological controlling features, the greater the number of mineral deposits developed, indicating a nonlinear spatial relationship between these features and mineral deposits. This phenomenon can be quantified using the relationship between the numbers of mineral deposits N(ε) of a D-dimensional set and the scale of ε. The density of mineral deposits can be expressed as ρ(ε) = Cε(-(De-a)), where ε is the buffer width of geological controlling features, De is Euclidean dimension of space (=2 in this case), a is singularity index, and C is a constant. The expression can be rewritten as ρ = Cε(a-2). When a < 2, there is a significant spatial correlation between specific geological features and mineral deposits; lower a values indicate a more significant spatial correlation. This nonlinear relationship and the advantages of this method were illustrated using a case study from Fujian Province in China and a case study from Baguio district in Philippines.

A nonlinear controlling function of geological features on magmatic–hydrothermal mineralization

PubMed Central

Zuo, Renguang

2016-01-01

This paper reports a nonlinear controlling function of geological features on magmatic–hydrothermal mineralization, and proposes an alternative method to measure the spatial relationships between geological features and mineral deposits using multifractal singularity theory. It was observed that the greater the proximity to geological controlling features, the greater the number of mineral deposits developed, indicating a nonlinear spatial relationship between these features and mineral deposits. This phenomenon can be quantified using the relationship between the numbers of mineral deposits N(ε) of a D-dimensional set and the scale of ε. The density of mineral deposits can be expressed as ρ(ε) = Cε−(De−a), where ε is the buffer width of geological controlling features, De is Euclidean dimension of space (=2 in this case), a is singularity index, and C is a constant. The expression can be rewritten as ρ = Cεa−2. When a < 2, there is a significant spatial correlation between specific geological features and mineral deposits; lower a values indicate a more significant spatial correlation. This nonlinear relationship and the advantages of this method were illustrated using a case study from Fujian Province in China and a case study from Baguio district in Philippines. PMID:27255794

The effect of retained intramedullary nails on tibial bone mineral density.

PubMed

Allen, J C; Lindsey, R W; Hipp, J A; Gugala, Z; Rianon, N; LeBlanc, A

2008-07-01

Intramedullary nailing has become a standard treatment for adult tibial shaft fractures. Retained intramedullary nails have been associated with stress shielding, although their long-term effect on decreasing tibial bone mineral density is currently unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine if retained tibial intramedullary nails decrease tibial mineral density in patients with successfully treated fractures. Patients treated with statically locked intramedullary nails for isolated, unilateral tibia shaft fractures were studied. Inclusion required that fracture had healed radiographically and that the patient returned to the pre-injury activity level. Data on patient demographic, fracture type, surgical technique, implant, and post-operative functional status were tabulated. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure bone mineral density in selected regions of the affected tibia and the contralateral intact tibia. Image reconstruction software was employed to ensure symmetry of the studied regions. Twenty patients (mean age 43; range 22-77 years) were studied at a mean of 29 months (range 5-60 months) following intramedullary nailing. There was statistically significant reduction of mean bone mineral density in tibiae with retained intramedullary nails (1.02 g/cm(2) versus 1.06 g/cm(2); P=0.04). A significantly greater decrease in bone mineral density was detected in the reamed versus non-reamed tibiae (-7% versus +6%, respectively; P<0.05). The present study demonstrates a small, but statistically significant overall bone mineral density decrease in healed tibiae with retained nails. Intramedullary reaming appears to be a factor potentiating the reduction of tibia bone mineral density in long-term nail retention.

Assessment of gene-by-sex interaction effect on bone mineral density.

PubMed

Liu, Ching-Ti; Estrada, Karol; Yerges-Armstrong, Laura M; Amin, Najaf; Evangelou, Evangelos; Li, Guo; Minster, Ryan L; Carless, Melanie A; Kammerer, Candace M; Oei, Ling; Zhou, Yanhua; Alonso, Nerea; Dailiana, Zoe; Eriksson, Joel; García-Giralt, Natalia; Giroux, Sylvie; Husted, Lise Bjerre; Khusainova, Rita I; Koromila, Theodora; Kung, Annie Waichee; Lewis, Joshua R; Masi, Laura; Mencej-Bedrac, Simona; Nogues, Xavier; Patel, Millan S; Prezelj, Janez; Richards, J Brent; Sham, Pak Chung; Spector, Timothy; Vandenput, Liesbeth; Xiao, Su-Mei; Zheng, Hou-Feng; Zhu, Kun; Balcells, Susana; Brandi, Maria Luisa; Frost, Morten; Goltzman, David; González-Macías, Jesús; Karlsson, Magnus; Khusnutdinova, Elza K; Kollia, Panagoula; Langdahl, Bente Lomholt; Ljunggren, Osten; Lorentzon, Mattias; Marc, Janja; Mellström, Dan; Ohlsson, Claes; Olmos, José M; Ralston, Stuart H; Riancho, José A; Rousseau, François; Urreizti, Roser; Van Hul, Wim; Zarrabeitia, María T; Castano-Betancourt, Martha; Demissie, Serkalem; Grundberg, Elin; Herrera, Lizbeth; Kwan, Tony; Medina-Gómez, Carolina; Pastinen, Tomi; Sigurdsson, Gunnar; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Vanmeurs, Joyce Bj; Blangero, John; Hofman, Albert; Liu, Yongmei; Mitchell, Braxton D; O'Connell, Jeffrey R; Oostra, Ben A; Rotter, Jerome I; Stefansson, Kari; Streeten, Elizabeth A; Styrkarsdottir, Unnur; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Tylavsky, Frances A; Uitterlinden, Andre; Cauley, Jane A; Harris, Tamara B; Ioannidis, John Pa; Psaty, Bruce M; Robbins, John A; Zillikens, M Carola; Vanduijn, Cornelia M; Prince, Richard L; Karasik, David; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Kiel, Douglas P; Cupples, L Adrienne; Hsu, Yi-Hsiang

2012-10-01

Sexual dimorphism in various bone phenotypes, including bone mineral density (BMD), is widely observed; however, the extent to which genes explain these sex differences is unclear. To identify variants with different effects by sex, we examined gene-by-sex autosomal interactions genome-wide, and performed expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis and bioinformatics network analysis. We conducted an autosomal genome-wide meta-analysis of gene-by-sex interaction on lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) BMD in 25,353 individuals from 8 cohorts. In a second stage, we followed up the 12 top single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; p < 1 × 10(-5) ) in an additional set of 24,763 individuals. Gene-by-sex interaction and sex-specific effects were examined in these 12 SNPs. We detected one novel genome-wide significant interaction associated with LS-BMD at the Chr3p26.1-p25.1 locus, near the GRM7 gene (male effect = 0.02 and p = 3.0 × 10(-5) ; female effect = -0.007 and p = 3.3 × 10(-2) ), and 11 suggestive loci associated with either FN- or LS-BMD in discovery cohorts. However, there was no evidence for genome-wide significant (p < 5 × 10(-8) ) gene-by-sex interaction in the joint analysis of discovery and replication cohorts. Despite the large collaborative effort, no genome-wide significant evidence for gene-by-sex interaction was found to influence BMD variation in this screen of autosomal markers. If they exist, gene-by-sex interactions for BMD probably have weak effects, accounting for less than 0.08% of the variation in these traits per implicated SNP. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Who's on First? Part II: Bacterial and fungal colonization of fresh soil minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitman, T.; Neurath, R.; Zhang, P.; Yuan, T.; Weber, P. K.; Zhou, J.; Pett-Ridge, J.; Firestone, M. K.

2015-12-01

Soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization by soil minerals is an important mechanism influencing soil C cycling. Microbes make up only a few percent of total SOM, but have a disproportionate impact on SOM cycling. Their direct interactions with soil minerals, however, are not well characterized. We studied colonization of fresh minerals by soil microbes in an Avena barbata (wild oat) California grassland soil microcosm. Examining quartz, ferrihydrite, kaolinite, and the heavy fraction of the native soil, we asked: (1) Do different minerals select for different communities, or do random processes drive the colonization of fresh minerals? (2) What factors influence which taxa colonize fresh minerals? After incubating mesh bags (<18 μm) of minerals buried next to actively growing plant roots for 2 months, we used high-throughput sequencing of 16S and ITS2 genes to characterize the microbial communities colonizing the minerals. We found significant differences between the microbial community composition of different minerals and soil for both bacteria and fungi. We found a higher relative abundance of arbuscular mycorrhial fungi with ferrihydrite and quartz, and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) imaging of these minerals suggests that some fungal hyphae are moving C directly from roots to mineral surfaces. The enriched presence of both nematode-associated fungi (Pochonia sp.) and bacteria (Candidatus Xiphinematobacter) in the minerals suggests that these minerals may be a habitat for nematodes. Bacteria of the family Chitinophagaceae and genus Janthinobacterium were significantly enriched on both ferrihydrite and quartz minerals, both of which may interact with colonizing fungi. These findings suggest that: (1) Microbial colonization of fresh minerals is not a fully passive or neutral process. (2) Mineral exploration by plant-associated fungi and soil fauna transport may be factors in determining the initial colonization of minerals and subsequent C

CO2 adhesion on hydrated mineral surfaces.

PubMed

Wang, Shibo; Tao, Zhiyuan; Persily, Sara M; Clarens, Andres F

2013-10-15

Hydrated mineral surfaces in the environment are generally hydrophilic but in certain cases can strongly adhere CO2, which is largely nonpolar. This adhesion can significantly alter the wettability characteristics of the mineral surface and consequently influence capillary/residual trapping and other multiphase flow processes in porous media. Here, the conditions influencing adhesion between CO2 and homogeneous mineral surfaces were studied using static pendant contact angle measurements and captive advancing/receding tests. The prevalence of adhesion was sensitive to both surface roughness and aqueous chemistry. Adhesion was most widely observed on phlogopite mica, silica, and calcite surfaces with roughness on the order of ~10 nm. The incidence of adhesion increased with ionic strength and CO2 partial pressure. Adhesion was very rarely observed on surfaces equilibrated with brines containing strong acid or base. In advancing/receding contact angle measurements, adhesion could increase the contact angle by a factor of 3. These results support an emerging understanding of adhesion of, nonpolar nonaqueous phase fluids on mineral surfaces influenced by the properties of the electrical double layer in the aqueous phase film and surface functional groups between the mineral and CO2.

Remote sensing of ferric iron minerals as guides for gold exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taranik, Dan L.; Kruse, Fred A.; Goetz, Alexander F. H.; Atkinson, William W.

1991-01-01

The relationship between the surficial iron mineralogy and economic mineralization is investigated, using data from an airborne imaging spectrometer (the 63-channel Geophysical and Environmental Research Imaging Spectrometer) to map the distribution of iron minerals in the Cripple Creek mining district in Colorado. The airborne image data were coregistered with the field map data for the distribution of iron oxides in the district, in a geographic information computer system, in order to compare their information content. It is shown that the remote imagery was able to uniquely identify the mineral hematite, a mixture of goethite/jarosite, and a mixture of hematite/goethite.

Assessment of the geoavailability of trace elements from selected zinc minerals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driscoll, Rhonda L.; Hageman, Phillip L.; Benzel, William M.; Diehl, Sharon F.; Morman, Suzette; Choate, LaDonna M.; Lowers, Heather

2014-01-01

This assessment focused on five zinc-bearing minerals. The minerals were subjected to a number of analyses including quantitative X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, leaching tests, and bioaccessibility and toxicity studies. Like a previous comprehensive assessment of five copper-bearing minerals, the purpose of this assessment was to obtain structural and chemical information and to characterize the reactivity of each mineral to various simulated environmental and biological conditions. As in the copper minerals study, analyses were conducted consistent with widely accepted methods. Unless otherwise noted, analytical methods used for this study were identical to those described in the investigation of copper-bearing minerals. Two sphalerite specimens were included in the zinc-minerals set. One sphalerite was recovered from a mine in Balmat, New York; the second came from a mine in Creede, Colorado. The location and conditions of origin are significant because, as analyses confirmed, the two sphalerite specimens are quite different. For example, data acquired from a simulated gastric fluid (SGF) study indicate that the hydrothermally formed Creede sphalerite contains orders of magnitude higher arsenic, cadmium, manganese, and lead than the much older metamorphic Balmat sphalerite. The SGF and other experimental results contained in this report suggest that crystallizing conditions such as temperature, pressure, fluidization, or alteration processes significantly affect mineral properties—properties that, in turn, influence reactivity, solubility, and toxicity. The three remaining minerals analyzed for this report—smithsonite, hemimorphite, and hydrozincite—are all secondary minerals or alteration products of zinc-ore deposits. In addition, all share physical characteristics such as tenacity, density, streak, and cleavage. Similarities end there. The chemical composition, unit-cell parameters, acid-neutralizing potential, and other observable and

Utilization of Mineral Wools as Alkali-Activated Material Precursor

PubMed Central

Yliniemi, Juho; Kinnunen, Paivo; Karinkanta, Pasi; Illikainen, Mirja

2016-01-01

Mineral wools are the most common insulation materials in buildings worldwide. However, mineral wool waste is often considered unrecyclable because of its fibrous nature and low density. In this paper, rock wool (RW) and glass wool (GW) were studied as alkali-activated material precursors without any additional co-binders. Both mineral wools were pulverized by a vibratory disc mill in order to remove the fibrous nature of the material. The pulverized mineral wools were then alkali-activated with a sodium aluminate solution. Compressive strengths of up to 30.0 MPa and 48.7 MPa were measured for RW and GW, respectively, with high flexural strengths measured for both (20.1 MPa for RW and 13.2 MPa for GW). The resulting alkali-activated matrix was a composite-type in which partly-dissolved fibers were dispersed. In addition to the amorphous material, sodium aluminate silicate hydroxide hydrate and magnesium aluminum hydroxide carbonate phases were identified in the alkali-activated RW samples. The only crystalline phase in the GW samples was sodium aluminum silicate. The results of this study show that mineral wool is a very promising raw material for alkali activation. PMID:28773435

Underground mineral extraction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, C. G.; Stephens, J. B.

1980-01-01

A method was developed for extracting underground minerals such as coal, which avoids the need for sending personnel underground and which enables the mining of steeply pitched seams of the mineral. The method includes the use of a narrow vehicle which moves underground along the mineral seam and which is connected by pipes or hoses to water pumps at the surface of the Earth. The vehicle hydraulically drills pilot holes during its entrances into the seam, and then directs sideward jets at the seam during its withdrawal from each pilot hole to comminute the mineral surrounding the pilot hole and combine it with water into a slurry, so that the slurried mineral can flow to a location where a pump raises the slurry to the surface.

High Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Miners: A Case-Control Study in Rural Durango, Mexico.

PubMed

Alvarado-Esquivel, Cosme; Pacheco-Vega, Sandy Janet; Hernandez-Tinoco, Jesus; Berumen-Segovia, Luis Omar; Sanchez-Anguiano, Luis Francisco; Estrada-Martinez, Sergio; Sandoval-Carrillo, Ada Agustina; Salas-Pacheco, Jose Manuel; Liesenfeld, Oliver; Antuna-Salcido, Elizabeth Irasema

2016-12-01

Very little is known about the seroepidemiology of infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in miners. We determine the association of T. gondii infection and the occupation of miner, and the association of seropositivity for T. gondii with the socio-demographic, clinical, work and behavioral characteristics of the miners. Through a case-control study, 125 miners working in Durango State, Mexico and 250 age- and gender-matched non-miner subjects were examined for the presence of anti- T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies using enzyme-linked immunoassays. In addition, the presence of T. gondii DNA in miners was determined using polymerase chain reaction. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the association of socio-demographic, work, clinical and behavioral characteristics of miners with T. gondii infection. Anti- T. gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 75 (60.0%) of 125 miners and in 55 (22.0%) of 250 controls (odds ratio (OR) = 5.31; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.33 - 8.47; P < 0.001). Among IgG seropositive subjects, the frequency of anti- T. gondii IgM antibodies was significantly higher in miners (39/75, 52%) than in controls (8/55, 14.5%) (P < 0.001). All T. gondii seropositive miners referred themselves as healthy. Multivariate analysis of socio-demographic, housing, and behavioral characteristics of miners showed that T. gondii seropositivity was positively associated with being born in Durango State (OR = 3.44; 95% CI: 1.09 - 10.7; P = 0.03), consumption of boar meat (OR = 5.53; 95% CI: 1.49 - 20.3; P = 0.01), living in an overcrowded home (OR = 5.83; 95% CI: 1.49 - 22.8; P = 0.01), and was negatively associated with cleaning cat excrement (OR = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.11 - 0.90; P = 0.03) and consuming goat meat (OR = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.03 - 0.76; P = 0.02). Surprisingly, our results indicate that miners represent a risk group for T. gondii infection. This is the first age- and gender-matched case-control study on the

Bone mineral density in subjects using central nervous system-active medications.

PubMed

Kinjo, Mitsuyo; Setoguchi, Soko; Schneeweiss, Sebastian; Solomon, Daniel H

2005-12-01

Decreased bone mineral density defines osteoporosis according to the World Health Organization and is an important predictor of future fractures. The use of several types of central nervous system-active drugs, including benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and opioids, have all been associated with increased risk of fracture. However, it is unclear whether such an increase in risk is related to an effect of bone mineral density or to other factors, such as increased risk of falls. We sought to examine the relationship between bone mineral density and the use of benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and opioids in a representative US population-based sample. We analyzed data on adults aged 17 years and older from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988-1994). Total femoral bone mineral density of 7114 male and 7532 female participants was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Multivariable linear regression models were used to quantify the relation between central nervous system medication exposure and total femoral bone mineral density. Models controlled for relevant covariates, including age, sex, and body mass index. In linear regression models, significantly reduced bone mineral density was found in subjects taking anticonvulsants (0.92 g/cm2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.89 to 0.94) and opioids (0.92 g/cm2; 95% CI: 0.88 to 0.95) compared with nonusers (0.95 g/cm2; 95% CI: 0.95 to 0.95) after adjusting for several potential confounders. The other central nervous system-active drugs--benzodiazepines or antidepressants--were not associated with significantly reduced bone mineral density. In cross-sectional analysis of NHANES III, anticonvulsants and opioids (but not benzodiazepines or antidepressants) were associated with significantly reduced bone mineral density. These findings have implications for fracture-prevention strategies.

Repair of dentin defects from DSPP knockout mice by PILP mineralization

PubMed Central

Nurrohman, H.; Saeki, K.; Carneiro, K.; Chien, Y.C.; Djomehri, S.; Ho, S.P.; Qin, C.; Marshall, S.J.; Gower, L.B.; Marshall, G.W.; Habelitz, S.

2016-01-01

Dentinogenesis imperfecta type II (DGI-II) lacks intrafibrillar mineral with severe compromise of dentin mechanical properties. A Dspp knockout (Dspp−/−) mouse, with a phenotype similar to that of human DGI-II, was used to determine if poly-L-aspartic acid [poly(ASP)] in the “polymer-induced liquid-precursor” (PILP) system can restore its mechanical properties. Dentin from six-week old Dspp−/− and wild-type mice was treated with CaP solution containing poly(ASP) for up to 14 days. Elastic modulus and hardness before and after treatment were correlated with mineralization from Micro x-ray computed tomography (Micro-XCT). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) were used to compare matrix mineralization and crystallography. Mechanical properties of the Dspp−/− dentin were significantly less than wild-type dentin and recovered significantly (P < 0.05) after PILP-treatment, reaching values comparable to wild-type dentin. Micro-XCT showed mineral recovery similar to wild-type dentin after PILP-treatment. TEM/SAED showed repair of patchy mineralization and complete mineralization of defective dentin. This approach may lead to new strategies for hard tissue repair. PMID:27239097

Animal...Vegetable...or Mineral?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Eugene

1973-01-01

Outlines the problems facing the United States with mineral reserves being depleted, and the consumption of minerals outstripping production. Expresses concern about the deteriorating mineral position, and the ignorance and confusion of the public with respect to mineral production and supply, energy requirements, and environmental consequences.…

Cloud-based solution to identify statistically significant MS peaks differentiating sample categories.

PubMed

Ji, Jun; Ling, Jeffrey; Jiang, Helen; Wen, Qiaojun; Whitin, John C; Tian, Lu; Cohen, Harvey J; Ling, Xuefeng B

2013-03-23

Mass spectrometry (MS) has evolved to become the primary high throughput tool for proteomics based biomarker discovery. Until now, multiple challenges in protein MS data analysis remain: large-scale and complex data set management; MS peak identification, indexing; and high dimensional peak differential analysis with the concurrent statistical tests based false discovery rate (FDR). "Turnkey" solutions are needed for biomarker investigations to rapidly process MS data sets to identify statistically significant peaks for subsequent validation. Here we present an efficient and effective solution, which provides experimental biologists easy access to "cloud" computing capabilities to analyze MS data. The web portal can be accessed at http://transmed.stanford.edu/ssa/. Presented web application supplies large scale MS data online uploading and analysis with a simple user interface. This bioinformatic tool will facilitate the discovery of the potential protein biomarkers using MS.

Interactions Between Snow-Adapted Organisms, Minerals and Snow in a Mars-Analog Environment, and Implications for the Possible Formation of Mineral Biosignatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hausrath, E.; Bartlett, C. L.; Garcia, A. H.; Tschauner, O. D.; Murray, A. E.; Raymond, J. A.

2015-12-01

enhanced algal growth in the presence of nontronite, as well as a close physical association between the snow alga and mineral surfaces. We are presently examining the role of minerals and microorganisms in nutrient acquisition, and attempting to identify mineral biosignatures.

Characterization of Rare Earth Element Minerals in Coal Utilization Byproducts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montross, Scott N.; Verba, Circe A.; Collins, Keith

The United States currently produces over 100 million tons of coal utilization byproducts (CUB) per year in the form of fly ash, bottom ash, slag, and flue gas (American Coal Ash Association (ACCA), 2015). But this “waste material” also contains potentially useful levels of rare earth elements (REE). Rare earth elements are crucial for many existing and emerging technologies, but the U.S. lacks a domestic, sustainable REE source. Our project explored the possibility of developing a supply of REEs for U.S. technologies by extracting REEs from CUBs. This work offers the potential to reduce our dependence on other countries formore » supply of these critical elements (NETL, REE 2016 Project Portfolio). Geologic and diagenetic history, industrial preparation methods, and the specific combustion process all play major roles in the composition of CUB. During combustion, inorganic mineral phases of coal particles are fluidized at temperatures higher than 1400oC, so inorganic mineral materials are oxidized, fused, disintegrated, or agglomerated into larger spherical and amorphous (non-crystalline) particles. The original mineralogy of the coal-containing rock and heating/cooling of the material significantly affects the composition and morphology of the particles in the combustion byproduct (Kutchko and Kim, 2006). Thus, different types of coal/refuse/ash must be characterized to better understand mineral evolution during the combustion process. Our research focused on developing a working model to address how REE minerals behave during the combustion process: this research should help determine the most effective engineering methods for extracting REEs from CUBs. We used multimodal imaging and image processing techniques to characterize six rock and ash samples from different coal power plants with respect to morphology, grain size, presence of mineral phases, and elemental composition. The results of these characterization activities provided thresholds for

The geologic relationships of industrial mineral deposits and asbestos in the western united states

USGS Publications Warehouse

VanGosen, B.S.

2009-01-01

In recent years, U.S. regulatory agencies have placed emphasis on identifying and regulating asbestos dust exposures in the mining environment, with a particular focus upon industrial mineral deposits in which asbestos occurs as an accessory mineral. Because asbestos minerals form in specific geologic environments, only certain predictable types of industrial mineral deposits can potentially host asbestos mineralization. By applying a basic knowledge of asbestos geology, the costly and time consuming efforts of asbestos monitoring and analyses can be directed towards those mineral deposit types most likely to contain asbestos mineralogy, while saving efforts on the mineral deposits that are unlikely to contain asbestos. While the vast majority of industrial mineral deposits in the Western United States are asbestos-free, there are several types that can, in some instances, host asbestos mineralization, or be closely associated with it. These industrial mineral deposits include a few types of aggregate, dimension, and decorative stone, and some deposits of chromite-nickel, magnesite, nepheline syenite, olivine, rare earth elements, talc, vermiculite, and wollastonite.

Mineral-Ground Micro-Fibrillated Cellulose Reinforcement for Polymer Compounds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phipps, Jon; Ireland, Sean; Skuse, David

2017-01-01

ORNL worked with Imerys to demonstrate reinforcement of additive manufacturing feedstock materials using mineral-ground microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). Properly prepared/dried mineral-ground cellulose microfibrils significantly improved mechanical properties of both ABS and PLA resins. While tensile strength increases up to ~40% were observed, elastic modulus of the both resins doubled with the addition of 30% MFC.

Microbe-Clay Mineral Reactions and Characterization Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, H.; Zhang, G.; Ji, S.; Jaisi, D.; Kim, J.

2008-12-01

, solvents, explosives, and nitroaromatic and polychlorinated compounds. Inorganic contaminants include Cr(VI), U(VI), and Tc(VII). Despite significant efforts, our understanding of mechanisms of chemical and microbial reduction of ferric iron in clay minerals is still limited. While some studies have presented evidence for a solid-state reduction mechanism, others argue that the clay mineral structure dissolves when the extent of reduction is higher (greater than 30 percent). The electron transfer process is also dependent on the reducing agent. While chemical reduction of ferric iron appears to occur at the basal surfaces, bacteria appear to attack clay minerals at the edges.

The relationship between mineral contents, particle matter and bottom ash distribution during pellet combustion: molar balance and chemometric analysis.

PubMed

Jeguirim, Mejdi; Kraiem, Nesrine; Lajili, Marzouk; Guizani, Chamseddine; Zorpas, Antonis; Leva, Yann; Michelin, Laure; Josien, Ludovic; Limousy, Lionel

2017-04-01

This paper aims to identify the correlation between the mineral contents in agropellets and particle matter and bottom ash characteristics during combustion in domestic boilers. Four agrifood residues with higher mineral contents, namely grape marc (GM), tomato waste (TW), exhausted olive mill solid waste (EOMSW) and olive mill wastewater (OMWW), were selected. Then, seven different pellets were produced from pure residues or their mixture and blending with sawdust. The physico-chemical properties of the produced pellets were analysed using different analytical techniques, and a particular attention was paid to their mineral contents. Combustion tests were performed in 12-kW domestic boiler. The particle matter (PM) emission was characterised through the particle number and mass quantification for different particle size. The bottom ash composition and size distribution were also characterised. Molar balance and chemometric analyses were performed to identify the correlation between the mineral contents and PM and bottom ash characteristics. The performed analyses indicate that K, Na, S and Cl are released partially or completely during combustion tests. In contrast, Ca, Mg, Si, P, Al, Fe and Mn are retained in the bottom ash. The chemometric analyses indicate that, in addition to the operating conditions and the pellet ash contents, K and Si concentrations have a significant effect on the PM emissions as well as on the agglomeration of bottom ash.

Identification of hydrothermal alteration minerals for exploring of porphyry copper deposit using ASTER data, SE Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pour, Amin Beiranvnd; Hashim, Mazlan

2011-11-01

The NW-SE trending Central Iranian Volcanic Belt hosts many well-known porphyry copper deposits in Iran. It becomes an interesting area for remote sensing investigations to explore the new prospects of porphyry copper and vein type epithermal gold mineralization. Two copper mining districts in southeastern segment of the volcanic belt, including Meiduk and Sarcheshmeh have been selected in the present study. The performance of Principal Component Analysis, band ratio and Minimum Noise Fraction transformation has been evaluated for the visible and near infrared (VNIR) and, shortwave infrared (SWIR) subsystems of ASTER data. The image processing techniques indicated the distribution of iron oxides and vegetation in the VNIR subsystem. Hydrothermal alteration mineral zones associated with porphyry copper mineralization identified and discriminated based on distinctive shortwave infrared (SWIR) properties of the ASTER data in a regional scale. These techniques identified new prospects of porphyry copper mineralization in the study areas. The spatial distribution of hydrothermal alteration zones has been verified by in situ inspection, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and spectral reflectance measurements. Results indicated that the integration of the image processing techniques has a great ability to obtain significant and comprehensive information for the reconnaissance stages of porphyry copper exploration in a regional scale. The results of this research can assist exploration geologists to find new prospects of porphyry copper and gold deposits in the other virgin regions before costly detailed ground investigations. Consequently, the introduced image processing techniques can create an optimum idea about possible location of the new prospects.

Clay minerals in sediments of Portuguese reservoirs and their significance as weathering products from over-eroded soils: a comparative study of the Maranhão, Monte Novo and Divor Reservoirs (South Portugal)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fonseca, Rita M. F.; Barriga, Fernando J. A. S.; Conceição, Patrícia I. S. T.

2010-12-01

The Southern region of Portugal is subjected to several forms of over-erosion. Most leached products, mainly composed of fine particles containing nutrients, metals or pesticides, are easily transported by river flows. When these are hindered by a physical barrier such as a dam, the particulate load accumulates on the bottom of the reservoirs, often leading to a pronounced decrease of water quality. Bottom sediments from three reservoirs were subjected to grain-size analysis and a study of clay minerals by X-ray diffraction. Most sediments contain a diverse set of clay minerals, mostly illites, smectites, chlorites and kaolinites. The nature of the clay minerals reflects the nature of the parent rocks. During the cycles of transport and temporary deposition, they may undergo significant chemical and physical transformations, which lead to an increase of expandable properties and therefore, to a higher cationic exchange capacity, determining its important role as vehicles of environmental pollutants.

How rich is Australia's minerals endowment and is it adequate to sustain a major role in meeting international demand?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambert, I. B.

2012-04-01

Dr Ian Lambert, Geoscience Australia and Secretary General 34th International Geological Congress Australia has comparative advantages in production of mineral commodities compared to most other countries. These stem from its rich and diverse mineral endowment; availability of regional scale (pre-competitive) geoscience information to lower the risks of exploration; advances in exploration, mining and processing technologies; skilled work force; generally benign physical conditions; and low population density. Building on these strengths, Australia is a major producer and exporter of a wide range of mineral and energy commodities to global markets. Given that demand for most major commodities is likely to continue, and that there will be growing markets for some other commodities, Australia needs to have a strategic view of what is likely to be available for mining. Further, Australia (and the world) needs to be attuned to issues that need to be faced in meeting international demand for commodities in the long term. This presentation outlines how Australia's national minerals inventory is compiled. It discusses trends for Australia's identified mineral resources for major commodities, and how these compare with other major mining nations. It then considers some significant issues in relation to sustaining a strong mining sector - in the medium to long term this requires a strategic approach to achieve goals such as more effective/lower risk exploration particularly in greenfields regions; well-Informed decisions on mining proposals; ongoing significant improvements in efficiencies of energy, water and land use.

Mineralization of Surfactants by Microbiota of Aquatic Plants

PubMed Central

Federle, Thomas W.; Schwab, Burney S.

1989-01-01

The biodegradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) and linear alcohol ethoxylate (LAE) by the microbiota associated with duckweed (Lemna minor) and the roots of cattail (Typha latifolia) was investigated. Plants were obtained from a pristine pond and a pond receiving wastewater from a rural laundromat. Cattail roots and duckweed plants were incubated in vessels containing sterile water amended with [14C]LAS, [14C]LAE, or 14C-labeled mixed amino acids (MAA). Evolution of 14CO2 was determined over time. The microbiota of cattail roots from both ponds mineralized LAS, LAE, and MAA without lag periods, and the rates and extents of mineralization were not significantly affected by the source of the plants. Mineralization of LAS and LAE was more rapid in the rhizosphere than in nearby root-free sediments, which exhibited differences as a function of pond. The microbiota of duckweed readily mineralized LAE and MAA but not LAS. The rate and extent of mineralization were not affected by the source of the duckweed. PMID:16347999

Geologic and mineral and water resources investigations in western Colorado using ERTS-1 data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knepper, D. H. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Most of the geologic information in ERTS-1 imagery can be extracted from bulk processed black and white transparencies by a skilled interpreter using standard photogeologic techniques. In central and western Colorado, the detectability of lithologic contacts on ERTS-1 imagery is closely related to the time of year the imagery was acquired. Geologic structures are the most readily extractable type of geologic information contained in ERTS images. Major tectonic features and associated minor structures can be rapidly mapped, allowing the geologic setting of a large region to be quickly accessed. Trends of geologic structures in younger sedimentary appear to strongly parallel linear trends in older metamorphic and igneous basement terrain. Linears and color anomalies mapped from ERTS imagery are closely related to loci of known mineralization in the Colorado mineral belt.

Mineral carbonation of gaseous carbon dioxide using a clay-hosted cation exchange reaction.

PubMed

Kang, Il-Mo; Roh, Ki-Min

2013-01-01

The mineral carbonation method is still a challenge in practical application owing to: (1) slow reaction kinetics, (2) high reaction temperature, and (3) continuous mineral consumption. These constraints stem from the mode of supplying alkaline earth metals through mineral acidification and dissolution. Here, we attempt to mineralize gaseous carbon dioxide into calcium carbonate, using a cation exchange reaction of vermiculite (a species of expandable clay minerals). The mineralization is operated by draining NaCI solution through vermiculite powders and continuously dropping into the pool of NaOH solution with CO2 gas injected. The mineralization temperature is regulated here at 293 and 333 K for 15 min. As a result of characterization, using an X-ray powder diffractometer and a scanning electron microscopy, two types of pure CaCO3 polymorphs (vaterite and calcite) are identified as main reaction products. Their abundance and morphology are heavily dependent on the mineralization temperature. Noticeably, spindle-shaped vaterite, which is quite different from a typical vaterite morphology (polycrystalline spherulite), forms predominantly at 333 K (approximately 98 wt%).

Relating genes to function: identifying enriched transcription factors using the ENCODE ChIP-Seq significance tool.

PubMed

Auerbach, Raymond K; Chen, Bin; Butte, Atul J

2013-08-01

Biological analysis has shifted from identifying genes and transcripts to mapping these genes and transcripts to biological functions. The ENCODE Project has generated hundreds of ChIP-Seq experiments spanning multiple transcription factors and cell lines for public use, but tools for a biomedical scientist to analyze these data are either non-existent or tailored to narrow biological questions. We present the ENCODE ChIP-Seq Significance Tool, a flexible web application leveraging public ENCODE data to identify enriched transcription factors in a gene or transcript list for comparative analyses. The ENCODE ChIP-Seq Significance Tool is written in JavaScript on the client side and has been tested on Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox browsers. Server-side scripts are written in PHP and leverage R and a MySQL database. The tool is available at http://encodeqt.stanford.edu. abutte@stanford.edu Supplementary material is available at Bioinformatics online.

Effects of Chinese mineral strategies on the U.S. minerals industry

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCartan, L.; Menzie, W.D.; Morse, D.E.; Papp, J.F.; Plunkert, P.A.; Tse, P.-K.

2006-01-01

For more than two decades now, China has been undergoing rapid economic growth and industrialization. The industrialization and urbanization of the once rural, farming nation is leading to increased consumption of mineral commodities to build infrastructure and to make into consumer goods. This increased consumption has led to higher mineral prices, lower stocks and, in some cases, temporary shortages of minerals. Chinese mineral producers and manufacturers are responding by building capacity, restructuring and modernizing industrial sectors and establishing international network that compete with those of the United States and other nations.

Role of background ions in guar gum adsorption on oxide minerals and kaolinite.

PubMed

Ma, Xiaodong; Pawlik, Marek

2007-09-15

Adsorption of guar gum onto alumina, titania (rutile), hematite, quartz, and kaolinite was investigated as a function of pH, ionic strength (from distilled water to saturated NaCl and KCl), and the type of background electrolyte (0.01 mol/L LiCl, NaCl, KCl, and CsCl). It was demonstrated that the adsorption density of the polymer does not depend on pH for any of the tested minerals, so only hydrogen bonding was identified as the dominant adsorption mechanism. The minerals could, however, be divided into two groups depending on the effect of the salt type on polymer adsorption. Guar gum adsorption onto quartz and kaolinite significantly increased in the presence of even a small amount of KCl, while NaCl equally enhanced guar gum adsorption on these two minerals only at concentrations approaching saturation. In contrast, no significant differences between the effects of KCl and NaCl on polysaccharide adsorption were observed on titania, alumina, and hematite. The results were correlated with the chaotropic (KCl) and kosmotropic (NaCl) properties of the background salts, and-based on a review of the available literature data-with the presence (quartz) or absence (titania, alumina, hematite) of an extensive hydration layer on the oxide surfaces. It was concluded that the main role of background ions in the studied systems was to control the stability of the interfacial water layer on oxide particles whose presence serves as a barrier to guar gum adsorption.

A strategy for mineral and energy resource independence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, W.D.

1983-01-01

Data acquired by Landsats 1, 2, and 3, are beginning to provide the information on which an improved mineral and energy resource exploration strategy can be based. Landsat 4 is expected to augment this capability with its higher resolution (30 m) and additional spectral bands in the Thematic Mapper (TM) designed specifically to discriminate clay minerals associated with mineral alteration. In addition, a new global magnetic anomaly map, derived from the recent Magsat mission, has recently been compiled by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and others. Preliminary, extremely small-scale renditions of this map indicate that global coverage is nearly complete and that the map will improve upon a previous one derived from Polar Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (POGO) data. Digital processing of the Landsat image data and Magsat geophysical data can be used to create three-dimensional stereoscopic models for which Landsat images provide surface reference to deep structural anomalies. Comparative studies of national Landsat lineament maps, Magsat stereoscopic models, and metallogenic information derived from the Computerized Resources Information Bank (CRIB) inventory of U.S. mineral resources, provide a way of identifying and selecting exploration areas that have mineral resource potential. Landsat images and computer-compatible tapes can provide new and better mosaics and also provide the capability for a closer look at promising sites. ?? 1983.

Cancrinite-group minerals behavior at non-ambient conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lotti, Paolo; Gatta, G. Diego; Kahlenberg, Volker; Merlini, Marco; Alvaro, Matteo; Cámara, Fernando

2014-05-01

Cancrinite-group minerals occur in the late stages of alkaline (SiO2)-undersaturated magmatism and in related effusive or contact rocks. So far only few studies have been devoted to the description of the thermo-elastic behavior, phase-stability and P /T -structure evolution (at the atomic scale) of this mineral group. Cancrinite-group minerals have an open-framework structure characterized by the [CAN]-topology. The [CAN]-framework shows large 12-ring channels, parallel to the c crystallographic axis, bound by columns of cages, the so-called can units. While very limited chemical variation is observed in the framework composition (the composition is almost always [Si6Al6O24]) a remarkable chemical variability is reported for the extraframework components in the cancrinite-group minerals. Two subgroups can be identified according to the extraframework content of the can units: the cancrinite- and the davyne-subgroups, showing Na-H2O and Ca-Cl chains, respectively. The channels are stuffed by cations, anions and molecules. We aimed to model the thermo-elastic behavior and the mechanisms of the (P ,T)-induced structure evolution of cancrinite-group minerals, with special interest on the role played by the extraframework population. The study was restricted to the following (CO3)-rich and (SO4)-rich end-members: cancrinite sensu stricto {[(Na,Ca)6(CO3)1.2-1.7][Na2(H2O)2][Al6Si6O24]}, vishnevite {[(Na,Ca,K)6(SO4)][Na2(H2O)2][Al6Si6O24]}, balliranoite {[(Na,Ca)6(CO3)1.2-1.7][Ca2Cl2][Al6Si6O24]} and davyne {[(Na,Ca,K)6((SO4),Cl)][Ca2Cl2][Al6Si6O24]}. Their high-P and low-T (T < 293 K) behavior was investigated by means of in-situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction, using diamond-anvil cells and (N2)-cryosystems, respectively. The high-T behavior of cancrinite has also been studied by means of in-situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction with a resistive heater. Cancrinite minerals share a similar volume compressibility and thermal expansivity at ambient conditions (cancrinite

Mineral resources of the Gila Lower Box Wilderness Study Area, Grant and Hilalgo counties, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Richter, D.H.; Lawrence, V.A.; Barton, H.

1988-01-01

This report presents an investigation to appraise the identified resources and to assess the potential for undiscovered resources of the Gila Lower Box Wilderness Study Area, southwestern New Mexico. Identified resources of manganese occur within 0.25 mi of the study area boundary, but none are known within the study area. The eastern part of the study area has a high mineral resource potential for manganese, and the western part has a moderate mineral resource potential for manganese. The entire study area has a low mineral and energy resource potential for other metals, gemstone, geothermal energy, oil and gas.

43 CFR 3594.5 - Minerals soluble in water; brines; minerals taken in solution.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Minerals soluble in water; brines; minerals taken in solution. 3594.5 Section 3594.5 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) SOLID MINERALS (OTHER THAN COAL) EXPLORATION AND...

Cellular profile of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in Turkish miners

PubMed Central

Kayacan, O; Beder, S; Karnak, D

2003-01-01

Pneumoconiosis is still a health problem in Turkey and has a relatively high incidence. Retired underground miners were investigated to document alveolitis, and to observe the difference in the cellular profiles of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid with or without pneumoconiosis. Twenty nine retired male miners and 17 controls, eight non-smokers (four male, four female) and nine smokers (six male, three female), without any dust exposure were evaluated. According to the International Labor Office 1980 classification system, the miners were allocated to three subgroups: eight without pneumoconiosis, 11 with simple pneumoconiosis, and 10 with progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). Spirometric tests and arterial blood gases analysis were done and fibreoptic bronchoscopy and BAL were performed in all subjects. The study and the control subjects were comparable in respect to age, smoking habits, except the non-smoker controls, and the duration of dust exposure, except the controls. The amount of recovered BAL fluid was lower in all miners compared with the non-smoker controls (p<0.05). The amount of recovered BAL fluid and the total cell count correlated significantly (r = 0.48, p<0.01). The percentage of lymphocytes in the BAL fluid of miners without pneumoconiosis and with PMF (p<0.05) and that of simple pneumoconiosis (p<0.01) was significantly lower compared with the non-smoker controls. Alveolitis was not a representative feature of Turkish subjects with an occupational history of underground mining, and BAL fluid cellular profile did not seem to be different in miners with or without pneumoconiosis. PMID:13679550

Raman Spectroscopic Analyses of Jaw Periosteal Cell Mineralization

PubMed Central

Brauchle, Eva; Carvajal Berrio, Daniel; Rieger, Melanie; Schenke-Layland, Katja; Reinert, Siegmar

2017-01-01

To achieve safer patient treatments, serum-free cell culture conditions have to be established for cell therapies. In previous studies, we demonstrated that serum-free culture favored the proliferation of MSCA-1+ osteoprogenitors derived from the jaw periosteum. In this study, the in vitro formation of bone-specific matrix by MSCA-1+ jaw periosteal cells (JPCs, 3 donors) was assessed and compared under serum-free and serum-containing media conditions using the marker-free Raman spectroscopy. Based on a standard fluorescence assay, JPCs from one patient were not able to mineralize under serum-containing culture conditions, whereas the other cells showed similar mineralization levels under both conditions. Raman spectra from mineralizing MSCA-1+ JPCs revealed higher levels of hydroxyapatite formation and higher mineral to matrix ratios under serum-free culture conditions. Higher carbonate to phosphate ratios and higher crystallinity in JPCs cultured under serum-containing conditions indicated immature bone formation. Due to reduced collagen production under serum-free conditions, we obtained significant differences in collagen maturity and proline to hydroxyproline ratios compared to serum-free conditions. We conclude that Raman spectroscopy is a useful tool for the assessment and noninvasive monitoring of in vitro mineralization of osteoprogenitor cells. Further studies should extend this knowledge and improve JPC mineralization by optimizing culture conditions. PMID:28232849

In vitro dialyzability of essential minerals from white and whole grain pasta.

PubMed

Vignola, María Belén; Bustos, Mariela Cecilia; Pérez, Gabriela Teresa

2018-11-01

The aim of the present investigation was to study the in vitro mineral dialyzability of pasta made with white and whole-grain flours obtained from two genotypes (Klein Guerrero and Baguette Premium 11) with different mineral contents. Pasta samples were made from white flour (FP), and whole grain flour from cyclonic mill (WFAP) and blade mill (WFBP). Mineral content and in vitro digestion were determined on all samples to study starch variation and mineral dialyzability. Whole-grain pasta contained significantly higher amounts of minerals than FP, since bran and embryo are richer in minerals than endosperm. In addition to the low content of mineral composition observed in FP, the dialyzability of some minerals (Cu, Fe, Mg and Zn) was higher than whole-grain pasta even when the percentage of starch hydrolyzed after intestinal digestion was higher than FP. These results can also be useful for developing wheat-based products rich in the desired minerals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbial mineral colonization across a subsurface redox transition zone

DOE PAGES

Converse, Brandon J.; McKinley, James P.; Resch, Charles T.; ...

2015-08-28

Here our study employed 16S rRNA gene amplicon pyrosequencing to examine the hypothesis that chemolithotrophic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) would preferentially colonize the Fe(II)-bearing mineral biotite compared to quartz sand when the minerals were incubated in situ within a subsurface redox transition zone (RTZ) at the Hanford 300 Area site in Richland, WA, USA. The work was motivated by the recently documented presence of neutral-pH chemolithotrophic FeOB capable of oxidizing structural Fe(II) in primary silicate and secondary phyllosilicate minerals in 300 Area sediments and groundwater (Benzine et al., 2013). Sterilized portions of sand+biotite or sand alone were incubated in situ formore » 5 months within a multilevel sampling (MLS) apparatus that spanned a ca. 2-m interval across the RTZ in two separate groundwater wells. Parallel MLS measurements of aqueous geochemical species were performed prior to deployment of the minerals. Contrary to expectations, the 16S rRNA gene libraries showed no significant difference in microbial communities that colonized the sand+biotite vs. sand-only deployments. Both mineral-associated and groundwater communities were dominated by heterotrophic taxa, with organisms from the Pseudomonadaceae accounting for up to 70% of all reads from the colonized minerals. These results are consistent with previous results indicating the capacity for heterotrophic metabolism (including anaerobic metabolism below the RTZ) as well as the predominance of heterotrophic taxa within 300 Area sediments and groundwater. Although heterotrophic organisms clearly dominated the colonized minerals, several putative lithotrophic (NH 4 +, H 2, Fe(II), and HS - oxidizing) taxa were detected in significant abundance above and within the RTZ. Such organisms may play a role in the coupling of anaerobic microbial metabolism to oxidative pathways with attendant impacts on elemental cycling and redox-sensitive contaminant behavior in the vicinity of the

Mineral fiber problems and their management: UK 1890-1935.

PubMed

Greenberg, Morris

2004-09-01

The first intimation that mineral fibers other than asbestos were biologically active, is generally identified with reports of experimental studies by Stanton and Wrench, and Pott and Friedrichs, in the early 1970s. In 1890 however, man-made mineral fiber was recognized to present human health hazards; in 1912 experimental study confirmed asbestos to be fibrogenic, and by 1935 other mineral fibers came to notice as potential lung hazards. Published and archival sources have been reviewed to trace the emergence between 1890 and 1935 of the awareness of the health hazards of various fibrous minerals, and the development of strategies for their control. By the early 1900s there was evidence that the asbestos substituted for the man-made mineral fiber insulation material employed to improve the thermal efficiency of steam powered engines, presented a serious health problem. In the early 1930s, other mineral fibers came to be suspected of causing pneumoconiosis. Containment, local exhaust ventilation and personal respiratory protection were instituted for the amelioration of asbestosis, but because of the limitations of what was perceived to be reasonably practicable on economic grounds, and what was feasible technologically, their benefits were severely limited. Initial and periodic medical examination were introduced as precautionary measures, based on hope rather than on experience. When in the early 1930s, the investigation of coal mine dust and siliceous dust, threw up the hypothesis that fibrous natural mineral dusts other than asbestos might be fibrogenic, this was ignored and no further investigations were pursued and no precautionary measures were set in train.

Shielding biomolecules from effects of radiation by Mars analogue minerals and soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ertem, G.; Ertem, M. C.; McKay, C. P.; Hazen, R. M.

2017-07-01

Organic compounds have been delivered over time to Mars via meteorites, comets and interplanetary dust particles. The fate of organic material on the surface of Mars must be affected by the Martian environment, in particular by ultraviolet (UV) and other ionizing radiation. Penetration depth of UV radiation into soils is in the sub-millimetre to millimetre range and depends on the properties of the soil. The aim of this research is to study the possible protective role of Martian analogue minerals and soils for survivability of biomolecules against UV radiation and to compare their decomposition rates within a 1 mm-thick portion of the surface. Results demonstrated that minerals offer significant protection to biomolecules purine, pyrimidine and uracil against UV photolysis. In the absence of these minerals, organic compounds are completely degraded when subjected directly to UV photolysis equivalent to only 5 Martian day's exposure. However, similar UV exposure of organics dried from solution onto powdered calcium carbonate (calcite; CaCO3), calcium sulphate (anhydrite; CaSO4), clay-bearing Atacama dessert soil and 7 Å clay mineral kaolinite [Al2Si2O5(OH)4] results in only 1-2% loss of organics. Mixtures of purine and uracil with calcium carbonate exposed to gamma radiation of 3 Gy (3 Gray), which corresponds to approximately 15 000 days on Mars, results in up to 10% loss of organics. By contrast, these organic compounds completely decomposed upon mixing with iron oxide (Fe2O3) before UV irradiation. As the search for extinct or extant life on Mars has been identified as a goal of top priority in NASA's Mars Exploration Program and continues with several missions planned to the red planet by both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) in the next few decades, our findings may play a useful role in identifying optimal target sites on the Martian surface for future missions.

25 CFR 215.25 - Other minerals and deep-lying lead and zinc minerals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Other minerals and deep-lying lead and zinc minerals. 215.25 Section 215.25 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ENERGY AND MINERALS LEAD AND ZINC MINING OPERATIONS AND LEASES, QUAPAW AGENCY § 215.25 Other minerals and deep-lying lead...

25 CFR 215.25 - Other minerals and deep-lying lead and zinc minerals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true Other minerals and deep-lying lead and zinc minerals. 215.25 Section 215.25 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ENERGY AND MINERALS LEAD AND ZINC MINING OPERATIONS AND LEASES, QUAPAW AGENCY § 215.25 Other minerals and deep-lying lead...

25 CFR 215.25 - Other minerals and deep-lying lead and zinc minerals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Other minerals and deep-lying lead and zinc minerals. 215.25 Section 215.25 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ENERGY AND MINERALS LEAD AND ZINC MINING OPERATIONS AND LEASES, QUAPAW AGENCY § 215.25 Other minerals and deep-lying lead...

Hand-arm vibration syndrome in South African gold miners.

PubMed

Nyantumbu, Busi; Barber, Chris M; Ross, Mary; Curran, Andrew D; Fishwick, David; Dias, Belinda; Kgalamono, Spo; Phillips, James I

2007-01-01

Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is associated with the use of hand-held vibrating tools. Affected workers may experience symptoms of tingling, numbness, loss of grip strength and pain. Loss of dexterity may impair everyday activities, and potentially increase the risk of occupational accidents. Although high vibration levels (up to 31 m/s(2)) have been measured in association with rock drills, HAVS has not been scientifically evaluated in the South African mining industry. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of HAVS in South African gold miners, and to identify the tools responsible. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a single South African gold-mine. Participants were randomly selected from mineworkers returning from annual leave, comprising 156 subjects with occupational exposure to vibration, and 140 workers with no exposure. Miners who consented to participate underwent a clinical HAVS assessment following the UK Health and Safety Laboratory protocol. The prevalence of HAVS in vibration-exposed gold miners was 15%, with a mean latent period of 5.6 years. Among the non-exposed comparison group, 5% had signs and symptoms indistinguishable from HAVS. This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). All the cases of HAVS gave a history of exposure to rock drills. The study has diagnosed the first cases of HAVS in the South African mining industry. The prevalence of HAVS was lower than expected, and possible explanations for this may include a survivor population, and lack of vascular symptom reporting due to warm-ambient temperatures.

Significance of "stretched" mineral inclusions for reconstructing P- T exhumation history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashley, Kyle T.; Darling, Robert S.; Bodnar, Robert J.; Law, Richard D.

2015-06-01

Analysis of mineral inclusions in chemically and physically resistant hosts has proven to be valuable for reconstructing the P- T exhumation history of high-grade metamorphic rocks. The occurrence of cristobalite-bearing inclusions in garnets from Gore Mountain, New York, is unexpected because the peak metamorphic conditions reached are well removed (>600 °C too cold) from the stability field of this low-density silica polymorph that typically forms in high temperature volcanic environments. A previous study of samples from this area interpreted polymineralic inclusions consisting of cristobalite, albite and ilmenite as representing crystallized droplets of melt generated during a garnet-in reaction, followed by water loss from the inclusion to explain the reduction in inclusion pressure that drove the transformation of quartz to cristobalite. However, the recent discovery of monomineralic inclusions of cristobalite from the nearby Hooper Mine cannot be explained by this process. For these inclusions, we propose that the volume response to pressure and temperature changes during exhumation to Earth's surface resulted in large tensile stresses within the silica phase that would be sufficient to cause transformation to the low-density (low-pressure) form. Elastic modeling of other common inclusion-host systems suggests that this quartz-to-cristobalite example may not be a unique case. The aluminosilicate polymorph kyanite also has the capacity to retain tensile stresses if exhumed to Earth's surface after being trapped as an inclusion in plagioclase at P- T conditions within the kyanite stability field, with the stresses developed during exhumation sufficient to produce a transformation to andalusite. These results highlight the elastic environment that may arise during exhumation and provide a potential explanation of observed inclusions whose stability fields are well removed from P- T paths followed during exhumation.

NCI-60 Whole Exome Sequencing and Pharmacological CellMiner Analyses

PubMed Central

Reinhold, William C.; Varma, Sudhir; Sousa, Fabricio; Sunshine, Margot; Abaan, Ogan D.; Davis, Sean R.; Reinhold, Spencer W.; Kohn, Kurt W.; Morris, Joel; Meltzer, Paul S.; Doroshow, James H.; Pommier, Yves

2014-01-01

Exome sequencing provides unprecedented insights into cancer biology and pharmacological response. Here we assess these two parameters for the NCI-60, which is among the richest genomic and pharmacological publicly available cancer cell line databases. Homozygous genetic variants that putatively affect protein function were identified in 1,199 genes (approximately 6% of all genes). Variants that are either enriched or depleted compared to non-cancerous genomes, and thus may be influential in cancer progression and differential drug response were identified for 2,546 genes. Potential gene knockouts are made available. Assessment of cell line response to 19,940 compounds, including 110 FDA-approved drugs, reveals ≈80-fold range in resistance versus sensitivity response across cell lines. 103,422 gene variants were significantly correlated with at least one compound (at p<0.0002). These include genes of known pharmacological importance such as IGF1R, BRAF, RAD52, MTOR, STAT2 and TSC2 as well as a large number of candidate genes such as NOM1, TLL2, and XDH. We introduce two new web-based CellMiner applications that enable exploration of variant-to-compound relationships for a broad range of researchers, especially those without bioinformatics support. The first tool, “Genetic variant versus drug visualization”, provides a visualization of significant correlations between drug activity-gene variant combinations. Examples are given for the known vemurafenib-BRAF, and novel ifosfamide-RAD52 pairings. The second, “Genetic variant summation” allows an assessment of cumulative genetic variations for up to 150 combined genes together; and is designed to identify the variant burden for molecular pathways or functional grouping of genes. An example of its use is provided for the EGFR-ERBB2 pathway gene variant data and the identification of correlated EGFR, ERBB2, MTOR, BRAF, MEK and ERK inhibitors. The new tools are implemented as an updated web-based CellMiner

Evolution of ribozymes in the presence of a mineral surface

PubMed Central

Stephenson, James D.; Popović, Milena; Bristow, Thomas F.

2016-01-01

Mineral surfaces are often proposed as the sites of critical processes in the emergence of life. Clay minerals in particular are thought to play significant roles in the origin of life including polymerizing, concentrating, organizing, and protecting biopolymers. In these scenarios, the impact of minerals on biopolymer folding is expected to influence evolutionary processes. These processes include both the initial emergence of functional structures in the presence of the mineral and the subsequent transition away from the mineral-associated niche. The initial evolution of function depends upon the number and distribution of sequences capable of functioning in the presence of the mineral, and the transition to new environments depends upon the overlap between sequences that evolve on the mineral surface and sequences that can perform the same functions in the mineral's absence. To examine these processes, we evolved self-cleaving ribozymes in vitro in the presence or absence of Na-saturated montmorillonite clay mineral particles. Starting from a shared population of random sequences, RNA populations were evolved in parallel, along separate evolutionary trajectories. Comparative sequence analysis and activity assays show that the impact of this clay mineral on functional structure selection was minimal; it neither prevented common structures from emerging, nor did it promote the emergence of new structures. This suggests that montmorillonite does not improve RNA's ability to evolve functional structures; however, it also suggests that RNAs that do evolve in contact with montmorillonite retain the same structures in mineral-free environments, potentially facilitating an evolutionary transition away from a mineral-associated niche. PMID:27793980

A case study for the integration of predictive mineral potential maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Saro; Oh, Hyun-Joo; Heo, Chul-Ho; Park, Inhye

2014-09-01

This study aims to elaborate on the mineral potential maps using various models and verify the accuracy for the epithermal gold (Au) — silver (Ag) deposits in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment assuming that all deposits shared a common genesis. The maps of potential Au and Ag deposits were produced by geological data in Taebaeksan mineralized area, Korea. The methodological framework consists of three main steps: 1) identification of spatial relationships 2) quantification of such relationships and 3) combination of multiple quantified relationships. A spatial database containing 46 Au-Ag deposits was constructed using GIS. The spatial association between training deposits and 26 related factors were identified and quantified by probabilistic and statistical modelling. The mineral potential maps were generated by integrating all factors using the overlay method and recombined afterwards using the likelihood ratio model. They were verified by comparison with test mineral deposit locations. The verification revealed that the combined mineral potential map had the greatest accuracy (83.97%), whereas it was 72.24%, 65.85%, 72.23% and 71.02% for the likelihood ratio, weight of evidence, logistic regression and artificial neural network models, respectively. The mineral potential map can provide useful information for the mineral resource development.

Minerals in our environment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weathers, Judy; Galloway, John; Frank, Dave

2000-01-01

Minerals are found everywhere in our daily lives. This poster depicts numerous items found throughout a home, and the mineral(s) or mineral resources used in the ingredients of, or construction/manufacturing of those items. Designed for K-8 Teachers this poster can be scaled and is printable at 36" x 60" and legible at 11" x 17" in size.

Reactive transport modeling of CO2 mineral sequestration in basaltic rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aradottir, E. S.; Sonnenthal, E. L.; Bjornsson, G.; Jonsson, H.

2011-12-01

CO2 mineral sequestration in basalt may provide a long lasting, thermodynamically stable, and environmentally benign solution to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Multi-dimensional, field scale, reactive transport models of this process have been developed with a focus on the CarbFix pilot CO2 injection in Iceland. An extensive natural analog literature review was conducted in order to identify the primary and secondary minerals associated with water-basalt interaction at low and elevated CO2 conditions. Based on these findings, an internally consistent thermodynamic database describing the mineral reactions of interest was developed and validated. Hydrological properties of field scale mass transport models were properly defined by calibration to field data using iTOUGH2. Reactive chemistry was coupled to the models and TOUGHREACT used for running predictive simulations carried out with the objective of optimizing long-term management of injection sites, to quantify the amount of CO2 that can be mineralized, and to identify secondary minerals that compete with carbonates for cations leached from the primary rock. Calibration of field data from the CarbFix reservoir resulted in a horizontal permeability for lava flows of 300 mD and a vertical permeability of 1700 mD. Active matrix porosity was estimated to be 8.5%. The CarbFix numerical models were a valuable engineering tool for designing optimal injection and production schemes aimed at increasing groundwater flow. Reactive transport simulations confirm dissolution of primary basaltic minerals as well as carbonate formation, and thus indicate in situ CO2 mineral sequestration in basalts to be a viable option. Furthermore, the simulations imply that clay minerals are most likely to compete with magnesite-siderite solid solutions for Mg and Fe leached from primary minerals, whereas zeolites compete with calcite for dissolved Ca. In the case of the CarbFix pilot injection, which involves a continuous

25 CFR 215.25 - Other minerals and deep-lying lead and zinc minerals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Other minerals and deep-lying lead and zinc minerals. 215... LEAD AND ZINC MINING OPERATIONS AND LEASES, QUAPAW AGENCY § 215.25 Other minerals and deep-lying lead and zinc minerals. Except as provided in § 215.6(b), leases on Quapaw Indian lands, for mining...

25 CFR 215.25 - Other minerals and deep-lying lead and zinc minerals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Other minerals and deep-lying lead and zinc minerals. 215... LEAD AND ZINC MINING OPERATIONS AND LEASES, QUAPAW AGENCY § 215.25 Other minerals and deep-lying lead and zinc minerals. Except as provided in § 215.6(b), leases on Quapaw Indian lands, for mining...

Multi-Generational Drinking of Bottled Low Mineral Water Impairs Bone Quality in Female Rats

PubMed Central

Zeng, Hui; Wang, Lingqiao; Wang, Dahua; Luo, Jiaohua; Zhang, Liang; Huang, Yujing; Chen, Ji-an; Shu, Weiqun

2015-01-01

Background Because of reproductions and hormone changes, females are more sensitive to bone mineral loss during their lifetime. Bottled water has become more popular in recent years, and a large number of products are low mineral water. However, research on the effects of drinking bottled low mineral water on bone health is sparse. Objective To elucidate the skeletal effects of multi-generational bottled water drinking in female rats. Methods Rats continuously drank tap water (TW), bottled natural water (bNW), bottled mineralized water (bMW), or bottled purified water (bPW) for three generations. Results The maximum deflection, elastic deflection, and ultimate strain of the femoral diaphysis in the bNW, bMW, and bPW groups and the fracture strain in the bNW and bMW groups were significantly decreased. The tibiae calcium levels in both the bNW and bPW groups were significantly lower than that in the TW group. The tibiae and teeth magnesium levels in both the bNW and bPW groups were significantly lower than those in the TW group. The collagen turnover markers PICP (in both bNW and bPW groups) were significantly lower than that in the TW group. In all three low mineral water groups, the 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D levels were significantly lower than those in the TW group. Conclusion Long-term drinking of low mineral water may disturb bone metabolism and biochemical properties and therefore weaken biomechanical bone properties in females. Drinking tap water, which contains adequate minerals, was found to be better for bone health. To our knowledge, this is the first report on drinking bottled low mineral water and female bone quality on three generation model. PMID:25803851

Evaluation of commercial utility of ERTS-A imagery in structural reconnaissance for minerals and petroleum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saunders, D. F. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The only area that has been analyzed to date is Area 3 where results have already been reported. However, work progressing in Area 1 and 2 seem to indicate a good correlation between lineament zones previously reported, mineralized areas and lineaments currently being picked from ERTS-1 imagery. There also appear to be many lineaments on ERTS-1 imagery in these areas which have not been reported in any other literature.

Histologic healing following tooth extraction with ridge preservation using mineralized versus combined mineralized-demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Borg, Tyler D; Mealey, Brian L

2015-03-01

Mineralized and demineralized freeze-dried bone allografts (FDBAs) are used in alveolar ridge (AR) preservation; however, each material has advantages and disadvantages. Combinations of allografts aimed at capitalizing on the advantages each offers are available. To date, there is no evidence to indicate if a combination allograft is superior in this application. The primary objective of this study is to histologically evaluate and compare healing of non-molar extraction sites grafted with either mineralized FDBA or a 70:30 mineralized:demineralized FDBA combination allograft in AR preservation. The secondary objective is to compare dimensional changes in ridge height and width after grafting with these two materials. Forty-two patients randomized into two equal groups received ridge preservation with either 100% mineralized FDBA (active control group) or the combination 70% mineralized: 30% demineralized allograft (test group). Sites were allowed to heal for 18 to 20 weeks, at which time core biopsies were obtained and dental implants were placed. AR dimensions were evaluated at the time of extraction and at implant placement, including change in ridge width and change in buccal and lingual ridge height. Histomorphometric analysis was performed to determine percentage of vital bone, residual graft, and connective tissue/other non-bone components. There was no significant difference between groups in AR dimensional changes. Combination allograft produced increased vital bone percentage (36.16%) compared to the FDBA group (24.69%; P = 0.0116). The combination allograft also had a significantly lower mean percentage of residual graft particles (18.24%) compared to FDBA (27.04%; P = 0.0350). This study provides the first histologic evidence showing greater new bone formation with a combination mineralized/demineralized allograft compared to 100% mineralized FDBA in AR preservation in humans. Combination allograft results in increased vital bone formation while

Hyperspectral surveying for mineral resources in Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kokaly, Raymond F.; Graham, Garth E.; Hoefen, Todd M.; Kelley, Karen D.; Johnson, Michaela R.; Hubbard, Bernard E.

2016-07-07

Alaska is a major producer of base and precious metals and has a high potential for additional undiscovered mineral resources. However, discovery is hindered by Alaska’s vast size, remoteness, and rugged terrain. New methods are needed to overcome these obstacles in order to fully evaluate Alaska’s geology and mineral resource potential. Hyperspectral surveying is one method that can be used to rapidly acquire data about the distributions of surficial materials, including different types of bedrock and ground cover. In 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey began the Alaska Hyperspectral Project to assess the applicability of this method in Alaska. The primary study area is a remote part of the eastern Alaska Range where porphyry deposits are exposed. In collaboration with the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey is collecting and analyzing hyperspectral data with the goals of enhancing geologic mapping and developing methods to identify and characterize mineral deposits elsewhere in Alaska.

Bone mineral measurement using dual energy x ray densitometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Steven W.

1989-01-01

Bone mineral measurements before and after space missions have shown that weightlessness greatly accelerates bone demineralization. Bone mineral losses as high as 1 to 3 percent per month were reported. Highly precise instrumentation is required to monitor this loss and thereby test the efficacy of treatment. During the last year, a significant improvement was made in Dual-Photon Absorptiometry by replacing the radioactive source with an x ray tube. Advantages of this system include: better precision, lower patient dose, better spacial resolution, and shorter scan times. The high precision and low radiation dose of this technique will allow detection of bone mineral changes of less than 1 percent with measurements conducted directly at the sites of interest. This will allow the required bone mineral studies to be completed in a shorter time with greater confidence.

Reagan issues mineral policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The National Materials and Minerals Program plan and report that President Reagan sent to Congress on April 5 aims to ‘decrease America's minerals vulnerability’ while reducing future dependence on potentially unstable foreign sources of minerals. These goals would be accomplished by taking inventory of federal lands to determine mineral potential; by meeting the stockpile goals set by the Strategic and Critical Material Stockpiling Act; and by establishing a business and political climate that would encourage private-sector research and development on minerals.Now that the Administration has issued its plan, the Subcommittee on Mines and Mining of the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs will consider the National Minerals Security Act (NMSA), which was introduced 1 year ago by subcommittee chairman Jim Santini (D-Nev.) [Eos, May 19, 1981, p. 497]. The bill calls for establishing a three-member White-House-level council to coordinate the development of a national minerals policy; amending tax laws to assist the mining industry to make capital investments to locate and produce strategic materials; and creating a revolving fund for the sale and purchase of strategic minerals. In addition, the NMSA bill would allow the secretary of the interior to make previously withdrawn public lands available for mineral development. The subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Administration's plan on May 11. Interior Secretary James Watt has been invited to testify.

Comparison of Four Views to Single-view Ultrasound Protocols to Identify Clinically Significant Pneumothorax.

PubMed

Helland, Gregg; Gaspari, Romolo; Licciardo, Samuel; Sanseverino, Alexandra; Torres, Ulises; Emhoff, Timothy; Blehar, David

2016-10-01

Ultrasound (US) has been shown to be effective at identifying a pneumothorax (PTX); however, the additional value of adding multiple views has not been studied. Single- and four-view protocols have both been described in the literature. The objective of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of single-view versus four-view lung US to detect clinically significant PTX in trauma patients. This was a randomized, prospective trial on trauma patients. Adult patients with acute traumatic injury undergoing computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest were eligible for enrollment. Patients were randomized to a single view or four views of each hemithorax prior to any imaging. USs were performed and interpreted by credentialed physicians using a 7.5-Mhz linear array transducer on a portable US machine with digital clips recorded for later review. Attending radiologist interpretation of the chest CT was reviewed for presence or absence of PTX with descriptions of small foci of air or minimal PTX categorized as clinically insignificant. A total of 260 patients were enrolled over a 2-year period. A total of 139 patients received a single view of each chest wall and 121 patients received four views. There were a total of 49 patients that had a PTX (19%), and 29 of these were clinically significant (11%). In diagnosis of any PTX, both single-view and four-view techniques showed poor sensitivity (54.2 and 68%) but high specificity (99 and 98%). For clinically significant PTX, single-view US demonstrated a sensitivity of 93% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 64.1% to 99.6%) and a specificity of 99.2% (95% CI = 95.5% to 99.9%), with sensitivity of 93.3% (95% CI = 66% to 99.7%) and specificity of 98% (95% CI = 92.1% to 99.7%) for four views. Single-view and four-view chest wall USs demonstrate comparable sensitivity and specificity for PTX. The additional time to obtain four views should be weighed against the absence of additional diagnostic yield over a single view when

Magnetic susceptibilities of minerals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenblum, Sam; Brownfield, I.K.

2000-01-01

Magnetic separation of minerals is a topic that is seldom reported in the literature for two reasons. First, separation data generally are byproducts of other projects; and second, this study requires a large amount of patience and is unusually tedious. Indeed, we suspect that most minerals probably are never investigated for this property. These data are timesaving for mineralogists who concentrate mono-mineralic fractions for chemical analysis, age dating, and for other purposes. The data can certainly be used in the ore-beneficiation industries. In some instances, magnetic-susceptibility data may help in mineral identification, where other information is insufficient. In past studies of magnetic separation of minerals, (Gaudin and Spedden, 1943; Tille and Kirkpatrick, 1956; Rosenblum, 1958; Rubinstein and others, 1958; Flinter, 1959; Hess, 1959; Baker, 1962; Meric and Peyre, 1963; Rojas and others, 1965; and Duchesne, 1966), the emphasis has been on the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic ranges of extraction. For readers interested in the history of magnetic separation of minerals, Krumbein and Pettijohn (1938, p. 344-346) indicated nine references back to 1848. The primary purpose of this paper is to report the magnetic-susceptibility data on as many minerals as possible, similar to tables of hardness, specific gravity, refractive indices, and other basic physical properties of minerals. A secondary purpose is to demonstrate that the total and best extraction ranges are influenced by the chemistry of the minerals. The following notes are offered to help avoid problems in separating a desired mineral concentrate from mixtures of mineral grains.

New Minerals and Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birch, William D.

1997-01-01

Defines geodiversity, compares it to biodiversity, and discusses the mineral classification system. Charts the discovery of new minerals in Australia over time and focuses on uses of these minerals in technological advances. (DDR)

Musculoskeletal disorders, personality traits, psychological distress, and accident proneness of Chinese coal miners.

PubMed

Deng, Mingming; Wu, Feng; Wang, Jun; Sun, Linyan

2017-01-01

Human factors comprise one of the important reasons leading to the casualty accidents in coal mines. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships among musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), personality traits, psychological distress, and accident proneness of coal miners. There were 1500 Chinese coal miners surveyed in this study. Among these miners, 992 valid samples were obtained. The study surveyed the MSDs, personality traits, psychological distress, and accident proneness of coal miners with MSDs Likert scale, Eysenck personality questionnaire, Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) scale, and accident proneness questionnaire, respectively. The highest MSDs level was found in the waist. The increasing working age of the miners was connected with increased MSDs and psychological distress. Significant differences in MSDs and psychological distress of miners from different types of work were observed. Coal miners with higher MSDs had higher accident proneness. Coal miners with higher neuroticism dimension of Eysenck personality and more serious psychological distress had higher accident proneness. Phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism dimension of psychological distress were the three most important indicators that had significant positive relationships with accident proneness. The MSDs, neuroticism dimension, and psychological distress of the coal mine workers are important to work safety and require serious attention. Some implications concerning coal mine safety management in China were provided.

Mineral trioxide aggregate: part 2 - a review of the material aspects.

PubMed

Malhotra, Neeraj; Agarwal, Antara; Mala, Kundabala

2013-03-01

The purpose of this two-part series is to review the composition, properties, and products of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) materials. PubMed and MedLine electronic databases were used to identify scientific papers from January 1991 to May 2010. Based on the selected inclusion criteria, citations were referenced from the scientific peer-reviewed dental literature. Mineral trioxide aggregate is a refined form of the parent compound, Portland cement (PC), and demonstrates a strong biocompatibility due to the high pH level and the material's ability to form hydroxyapatite. Mineral trioxide aggregate materials provide better microleakage protection than traditional endodontic materials as observed in findings from dye-leakage, fluid-filtration, protein-leakage, and bacterial penetration-leakage studies and has been recognized as a bioactive material. Various MTA commercial products are available, including gray mineral trioxide aggregate (GMTA), white mineral trioxide aggregate (WMTA), and mineral trioxide aggregate-Angelus (AMTA). Although these materials are indicated for various dental uses and applications, long-term in-vivo clinical studies are needed. Part 1 of this article highlighted and discussed the composition and characteristics of the material. Part 2 provides an overview of commercially available MTA materials.

The three-dimensional distribution of minerals in potato tubers

PubMed Central

Subramanian, Nithya K.; White, Philip J.; Broadley, Martin R.; Ramsay, Gavin

2011-01-01

Background and Aims The three-dimensional distributions of mineral elements in potato tubers provide insight into their mechanisms of transport and deposition. Many of these minerals are essential to a healthy human diet, and characterizing their distribution within the potato tuber will guide the effective utilization of this staple foodstuff. Methods The variation in mineral composition within the tuber was determined in three dimensions, after determining the orientation of the harvested tuber in the soil. The freeze-dried tuber samples were analysed for minerals using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Minerals measured included those of nutritional significance to the plant and to human consumers, such as iron, zinc, copper, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur. Key Results The concentrations of most minerals were higher in the skin than in the flesh of tubers. The potato skin contained about 17 % of total tuber zinc, 34 % of calcium and 55 % of iron. On a fresh weight basis, most minerals were higher in tuber flesh at the stem end than the bud end of the tuber. Potassium, however, displayed a gradient in the opposite direction. The concentrations of phosphorus, copper and calcium decreased from the periphery towards the centre of the tuber. Conclusions The distribution of minerals varies greatly within the potato tuber. Low concentrations of some minerals relative to those in leaves may be due to their low mobility in phloem, whereas high concentrations in the skin may reflect direct uptake from the soil across the periderm. In tuber flesh, different minerals show distinct patterns of distribution in the tuber, several being consistent with phloem unloading in the tuber and limited onward movement. These findings have implications both for understanding directed transport of minerals in plants to stem-derived storage organs and for the dietary implications of different food preparation methods for potato tubers

Analysis of mineral matrices of planetary soil analogues from the Utah Desert

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotler, J. M.; Quinn, R. C.; Foing, B. H.; Martins, Z.; Ehrenfreund, P.

2011-07-01

Phyllosilicate minerals and hydrated sulphate minerals have been positively identified on the surface of Mars. Studies conducted on Earth indicate that micro-organisms influence various geochemical and mineralogical transitions for the sulphate and phyllosilicate minerals. These minerals in turn provide key nutrients to micro-organisms and influence microbial ecology. Therefore, the presence of these minerals in astrobiology studies of Earth-Mars analogue environments could help scientists better understand the types and potential abundance of micro-organisms and/or biosignatures that may be encountered on Mars. Bulk X-ray diffraction of samples collected during the EuroGeoMars 2009 campaign from the Mancos Shale, the Morrison and the Dakota formations near the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah show variable but common sedimentary mineralogy with all samples containing quantities of hydrated sulphate minerals and/or phyllosilicates. Analysis of the clay fractions indicate that the phyllosilicates are interstratified illite-smectites with all samples showing marked changes in the diffraction pattern after ethylene glycol treatment and the characteristic appearance of a solvated peak at ˜17 Å. The smectite phases were identified as montmorillonite and nontronite using a combination of the X-ray diffraction data and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The most common sulphate mineral in the samples is hydrated calcium sulphate (gypsum), although one sample contained detectable amounts of strontium sulphate (celestine). Carbonates detected in the samples are variable in composition and include pure calcium carbonate (calcite), magnesium-bearing calcium carbonate (dolomite), magnesium, iron and manganese-bearing calcium carbonate (ankerite) and iron carbonate (siderite). The results of these analyses when combined with organic extractions and biological analysis should help astrobiologists and planetary geologists better understand the potential relationships

Characterization of Italian honeys (Marche Region) on the basis of their mineral content and some typical quality parameters

PubMed Central

Conti, Marcelo Enrique; Stripeikis, Jorge; Campanella, Luigi; Cucina, Domenico; Tudino, Mabel Beatriz

2007-01-01

Background The characterization of three types of Marche (Italy) honeys (Acacia, Multifloral, Honeydew) was carried out on the basis of the their quality parameters (pH, sugar content, humidity) and mineral content (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, and Mn). Pattern recognition methods such as principal components analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were performed in order to classify honey samples whose botanical origins were different, and identify the most discriminant parameters. Lastly, using ANOVA and correlations for all parameters, significant differences between diverse types of honey were examined. Results Most of the samples' water content showed good maturity (98%) whilst pH values were in the range 3.50 – 4.21 confirming the good quality of the honeys analysed. Potassium was quantitatively the most relevant mineral (mean = 643 ppm), accounting for 79% of the total mineral content. The Ca, Na and Mg contents account for 14, 3 and 3% of the total mineral content respectively, while other minerals (Cu, Mn, Fe) were present at very low levels. PCA explained 75% or more of the variance with the first two PC variables. The variables with higher discrimination power according to the multivariate statistical procedure were Mg and pH. On the other hand, all samples of acacia and honeydew, and more than 90% of samples of multifloral type have been correctly classified using the LDA. ANOVA shows significant differences between diverse floral origins for all variables except sugar, moisture and Fe. Conclusion In general, the analytical results obtained for the Marche honeys indicate the products' high quality. The determination of physicochemical parameters and mineral content in combination with modern statistical techniques can be a useful tool for honey classification. PMID:17880749

Mineral transformations during the dissolution of uranium ore minerals by dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glasauer, S.; Weidler, P.; Fakra, S.; Tyliszczak, T.; Shuh, D.

2011-12-01

Carnotite minerals [X2(UO2)2(VO4)2]; X = K, Ca, Ba, Mn, Na, Cu or Pb] form the major ore of uranium in the Colorado Plateau. These deposits are highly oxidized and contain U(VI) and V(IV). The biotransformation of U(VI) bound in carnotite by bacteria during dissimilatory metal reduction presents a complex puzzle in mineral chemistry. Both U(VI) and V(V) can be respired by metal reducing bacteria, and the mineral structure can change depending on the associated counterion. We incubated anaerobic cultures of S. putrefaciens CN32 with natural carnotite minerals from southeastern Utah in a nutrient-limited defined medium. Strain CN32 is a gram negative bacterium and a terrestrial isolate from New Mexico. The mineral and metal transformations were compared to a system that contained similar concentrations of soluble U(VI) and V(V). Electron (SEM, TEM) microscopies and x-ray spectromicroscopy (STXM) were used in conjunction with XRD to track mineral changes, and bacterial survival was monitored throughout the incubations. Slow rates of metal reduction over 10 months for the treatment with carnotite minerals revealed distinct biotic and abiotic processes, providing insight on mineral transformation and bacteria-metal interactions. The bacteria existed as small flocs or individual cells attached to the mineral phase, but did not adsorb soluble U or V, and accumulated very little of the biominerals. Reduction of mineral V(V) necessarily led to a dismantling of the carnotite structure. Bioreduction of V(V) by CN32 contributed small but profound changes to the mineral system, resulting in new minerals. Abiotic cation exchange within the carnotite group minerals induced the rearrangement of the mineral structures, leading to further mineral transformation. In contrast, bacteria survival was poor for treatments with soluble U(VI) and V(V), although both metals were reduced completely and formed solid UO2 and VO2; we also detected V(III). For these treatments, the bacteria

Mineral resource of the month: Chromium

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schulte, Ruth

2018-01-01

Although chromium is a metal, it does not occur naturally in metallic form. Chromium can be found in many minerals, but the only economically significant chromium-bearing mineral is chromite. Chromite has been mined from four different deposit types: stratiform chromite, podiform chromite, placer chromite, and laterite deposits. Most of the world's resources, however, are located in stratiform chromite deposits, such as the Bushveld Complex in South Africa. The economic potential of chromite resources depends on the thickness and continuity of the deposit and on the grade of the ore. Many of the major stratiform chromite deposits also contain economic levels of platinum, paladium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, and ruthenium.

Petroleum and mineral resources of Antarctica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kovar, Karel; Behrendt, John Charles

1983-01-01

first report summarizes the information relevant to petroleum resources. Although uneconomic at present, petroleum is generally considered more likely to be exploited (if supergiant fields were ever found) in the next few decades than hard minerals. The second report reviews the reported occurrences of minerals in Antarctica and discusses their significance. The final report discusses the Dufek layered mafic intrusion, second only to the Bushveld Complex in size in the world; the Dufek intrusion might be considered as a potential target for mineral exploration. 

Enhanced production of mineralized nodules and collagenous proteins in vitro by calcium ascorbate supplemented with vitamin C metabolites.

PubMed

Rowe, D J; Ko, S; Tom, X M; Silverstein, S J; Richards, D W

1999-09-01

of mineralized tissue was significantly greater than in ascorbate-treated cultures, but was less than that observed in cultures treated with metabolite-supplemented ascorbate. In vitro treatment with ascorbate containing vitamin C metabolites enhanced the formation of mineralized nodules and collagenous proteins. Calcium threonate may be one of the metabolites influencing the mineralization process. Identifying factors which facilitate the formation of mineralized tissue has significant clinical ramifications in terms of wound healing and bone regeneration.

Mineral scale management. Part II, Fundamental chemistry

Treesearch

Alan W. Rudie; Peter W. Hart

2006-01-01

The mineral scale that deposits in digesters and bleach plants is formed by a chemical precipitation process.As such, it is accurately modeled using the solubility product equilibrium constant. Although solubility product identifies the primary conditions that must be met for a scale problem to exist, the acid-base equilibria of the scaling anions often control where...

Review of selected global mineral industries in 2011 and an outlook to 2017

USGS Publications Warehouse

Menzie, W. David; Soto-Viruet, Yadira; Bermúdez-Lugo, Omayra; Mobbs, Philip M.; Perez, Alberto Alexander; Taib, Mowafa; Wacaster, Susan; ,

2013-01-01

This report reviews the world production of selected mineral commodities in 2011 and includes output projections (based on planned capacity expansions) through 2017. It also includes brief discussions of several issues that are of importance to the mineral sector, including the world economy, the availability of strategic minerals, significant company mergers and acquisitions in 2011, exploration investment made during the year, and the moves towards resource nationalization and expropriation of mineral assets by national Governments.

Mineralized agar-based nanocomposite films: Potential food packaging materials with antimicrobial properties.

PubMed

Malagurski, Ivana; Levic, Steva; Nesic, Aleksandra; Mitric, Miodrag; Pavlovic, Vladimir; Dimitrijevic-Brankovic, Suzana

2017-11-01

New mineralized, agar-based nanocomposite films (Zn-carbonate and Zn-phosphate/agar) were produced by a combination of in situ precipitation and a casting method. The presence of minerals significantly influenced the morphology, properties and functionality of the obtained nanocomposites. Reinforcement with the Zn-mineral phase improved the mechanical properties of the carbonate-mineralized films, but had a negligible effect on the phosphate-mineralized samples. Both nanocomposites showed improved optical and thermal properties, better Zn(II) release potential in a slightly acidic environment and exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. These results suggest that Zn-mineralized agar nanocomposite films could be potentially used as affordable, eco-friendly and active food packaging materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategies for increasing student knowledge and understanding about conflict minerals in a mineralogy class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, G. W.

2014-12-01

Conflict minerals, including their uses and methods of extraction, are associated with significant societal and environmental issues in today's world. Minerals such as columbite-tantalite (also referred to as COLTAN), wolframite, cassiterite and gold are important in electronics manufacturing and have a wide variety of other usages. Mining practices are frequently unsustainable and have significant impacts on the environment; moreover, in many locations, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo—the epicenter of the conflict mineral trade—major human rights violations are associated with the extraction and production of these minerals. Because conflict minerals represent a relatively new issue, students in geology classes are frequently unfamiliar with the topic and commonly have little understanding of the concerns. In some cases they are completely unaware of the issues. In an introductory mineralogy class at the University of California, San Diego I have introduced a content module into my otherwise traditional curriculum that introduces students to conflict minerals, explains the issues, and delineates the problems our society will face with the continued uses of these natural resources. Most significantly, an assignment has been created and implemented in class that is paired with the content module and is designed to enhance and reinforce student learning. Its goal is to increase awareness of the societal and environmental issues surrounding conflict minerals. Initial results suggest (based on pre and post-tests) that our students have learned significantly from the combination of content, exercise, and assessment and that they are much better informed on the issues of conflict minerals. This model, including the exercise, can be modified and adapted for other introductory classes and learning settings.

Interaction of root exudates with the mineral soil constituents and their effect on mineral weathering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mimmo, T.; Terzano, R.; Medici, L.; Lettino, A.; Fiore, S.; Tomasi, N.; Pinton, R.; Cesco, S.

2012-04-01

Plants release significant amounts of high and low molecular weight organic compounds into the rhizosphere. Among these exudates organic acids (e.g. citric acid, malic acid, oxalic acid), phenolic compounds (e.g. flavonoids), amino acids and siderophores of microbial and/or plant origin strongly influence and modify the biogeochemical cycles of several elements, thus causing changes in their availability for plant nutrition. One class of these elements is composed by the trace elements; some of them are essential for plants even if in small concentrations and are considered micronutrients, such as Fe, Zn, Mn. Their solubility and bioavailability can be influenced, among other factors, by the presence in soil solution of low molecular weight root exudates acting as organic complexing agents that can contribute to the mineral weathering and therefore, to their mobilization in the soil solution. The mobilized elements, in function of the element and of its concentration, can be either important nutrients or toxic elements for plants. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of several root exudates (citric acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, genistein, quercetin and siderophores) on the mineralogy of two different soils (an agricultural calcareous soil and an acidic polluted soil) and to evaluate possible synergic or competitive behaviors. X-ray diffraction (XRD) coupled with Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA) was used to identify the crystalline and amorphous phases which were subjected to mineral alteration when exposed to the action of root exudates. Solubilization of trace metals such as Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd as well as of major elements such as Si, Al, Fe and Mn was assessed by means of Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Soil microorganisms have proven to decrease mineral weathering by reducing the concentration of active root exudates in solution. Results obtained are an important cornerstone to better understand the

Dissolution Rates and Mineral Lifetimes of Phosphate Containing Minerals and Implications for Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adcock, C. T.; Hausrath, E.

2011-12-01

The objectives of NASA's Mars Exploration Program include exploring the planet's habitability and the possibility of past, present, or future life. This includes investigating "possible supplies of bioessential elements" [1]. Phosphate is one such bioessential element for life as we understand it. Phosphate is also abundant on Mars [2], and the phosphate rich minerals chlorapatite, fluorapatite, and merrillite have been observed in Martian meteorites [3]. Surface rock analyses from the MER Spirit also show the loss of a phosphate rich mineral from the rocks Wishstone and Watchtower at Gusev Crater [4,5], implying mineral dissolution. Dissolution rates of phosphate containing minerals are therefore important for characterizing phosphate mobility and bioavailability on Mars. Previous studies have measured dissolution rates of fluorapatite [6-8]. However, chlorapatite and merrillite (a non-terrestrial mineral similar to whitlockite) are more common phosphate minerals found in Martian meteorites [3], and few dissolution data exist for these minerals. We have begun batch dissolution experiments on chlorapatite, synthesized using methods of [9], and whitlockite, synthesized using a method modified from [10]. Additionally, we are dissolving Durango fluorapatite to compare to dissolution rates in literature, and natural Palermo whitlockite to compare to dissolution rates of our synthesized whitlockite. Batch dissolution experiments were performed after [8], using a 0.01 molar KNO3 solution with 0.1500g-0.3000g mineral powders and starting solution volumes of 180ml in LDPE reaction vessels. HNO3 or KOH were used to adjust initial pH as required. Dissolution rates are calculated from the rate of change of elemental concentration in solution as a function of time, and normalized to the mineral surface area as measured by BET. Resulting rates will be used to calculate mineral lifetimes for the different phosphate minerals under potential Mars-like aqueous conditions, and in

Reduced bone mineral density is not associated with significantly reduced bone quality in men and women practicing long-term calorie restriction with adequate nutrition.

PubMed

Villareal, Dennis T; Kotyk, John J; Armamento-Villareal, Reina C; Kenguva, Venkata; Seaman, Pamela; Shahar, Allon; Wald, Michael J; Kleerekoper, Michael; Fontana, Luigi

2011-02-01

Calorie restriction (CR) reduces bone quantity but not bone quality in rodents. Nothing is known regarding the long-term effects of CR with adequate intake of vitamin and minerals on bone quantity and quality in middle-aged lean individuals. In this study, we evaluated body composition, bone mineral density (BMD), and serum markers of bone turnover and inflammation in 32 volunteers who had been eating a CR diet (approximately 35% less calories than controls) for an average of 6.8 ± 5.2 years (mean age 52.7 ± 10.3 years) and 32 age- and sex-matched sedentary controls eating Western diets (WD). In a subgroup of 10 CR and 10 WD volunteers, we also measured trabecular bone (TB) microarchitecture of the distal radius using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. We found that the CR volunteers had significantly lower body mass index than the WD volunteers (18.9 ± 1.2 vs. 26.5 ± 2.2 kg m(-2) ; P = 0.0001). BMD of the lumbar spine (0.870 ± 0.11 vs. 1.138 ± 0.12 g cm(-2) , P = 0.0001) and hip (0.806 ± 0.12 vs. 1.047 ± 0.12 g cm(-2) , P = 0.0001) was also lower in the CR than in the WD group. Serum C-terminal telopeptide and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase concentration were similar between groups, while serum C-reactive protein (0.19 ± 0.26 vs. 1.46 ± 1.56 mg L(-1) , P = 0.0001) was lower in the CR group. Trabecular bone microarchitecture parameters such as the erosion index (0.916 ± 0.087 vs. 0.877 ± 0.088; P = 0.739) and surface-to-curve ratio (10.3 ± 1.4 vs. 12.1 ± 2.1, P = 0.440) were not significantly different between groups. These findings suggest that markedly reduced BMD is not associated with significantly reduced bone quality in middle-aged men and women practicing long-term calorie restriction with adequate nutrition.

High Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Miners: A Case-Control Study in Rural Durango, Mexico

PubMed Central

Alvarado-Esquivel, Cosme; Pacheco-Vega, Sandy Janet; Hernandez-Tinoco, Jesus; Berumen-Segovia, Luis Omar; Sanchez-Anguiano, Luis Francisco; Estrada-Martinez, Sergio; Sandoval-Carrillo, Ada Agustina; Salas-Pacheco, Jose Manuel; Liesenfeld, Oliver; Antuna-Salcido, Elizabeth Irasema

2016-01-01

Background Very little is known about the seroepidemiology of infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in miners. We determine the association of T. gondii infection and the occupation of miner, and the association of seropositivity for T. gondii with the socio-demographic, clinical, work and behavioral characteristics of the miners. Methods Through a case-control study, 125 miners working in Durango State, Mexico and 250 age- and gender-matched non-miner subjects were examined for the presence of anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies using enzyme-linked immunoassays. In addition, the presence of T. gondii DNA in miners was determined using polymerase chain reaction. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the association of socio-demographic, work, clinical and behavioral characteristics of miners with T. gondii infection. Results Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 75 (60.0%) of 125 miners and in 55 (22.0%) of 250 controls (odds ratio (OR) = 5.31; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.33 - 8.47; P < 0.001). Among IgG seropositive subjects, the frequency of anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies was significantly higher in miners (39/75, 52%) than in controls (8/55, 14.5%) (P < 0.001). All T. gondii seropositive miners referred themselves as healthy. Multivariate analysis of socio-demographic, housing, and behavioral characteristics of miners showed that T. gondii seropositivity was positively associated with being born in Durango State (OR = 3.44; 95% CI: 1.09 - 10.7; P = 0.03), consumption of boar meat (OR = 5.53; 95% CI: 1.49 - 20.3; P = 0.01), living in an overcrowded home (OR = 5.83; 95% CI: 1.49 - 22.8; P = 0.01), and was negatively associated with cleaning cat excrement (OR = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.11 - 0.90; P = 0.03) and consuming goat meat (OR = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.03 - 0.76; P = 0.02). Conclusions Surprisingly, our results indicate that miners represent a risk group for T. gondii infection. This is the first age- and gender

COMPARATIVE DIVERSITY OF FECAL BACTERIA IN AGRICULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT ANIMALS TO IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVE TARGETS FOR MICROBIAL SOURCE TRACKING

EPA Science Inventory

Animals of agricultural significance contribute a large percentage of fecal pollution to waterways via runoff contamination. The premise of microbial source tracking is to utilize fecal bacteria to identify target populations which are directly correlated to specific animal feces...

A Large-Scale Multi-ancestry Genome-wide Study Accounting for Smoking Behavior Identifies Multiple Significant Loci for Blood Pressure.

PubMed

Sung, Yun J; Winkler, Thomas W; de Las Fuentes, Lisa; Bentley, Amy R; Brown, Michael R; Kraja, Aldi T; Schwander, Karen; Ntalla, Ioanna; Guo, Xiuqing; Franceschini, Nora; Lu, Yingchang; Cheng, Ching-Yu; Sim, Xueling; Vojinovic, Dina; Marten, Jonathan; Musani, Solomon K; Li, Changwei; Feitosa, Mary F; Kilpeläinen, Tuomas O; Richard, Melissa A; Noordam, Raymond; Aslibekyan, Stella; Aschard, Hugues; Bartz, Traci M; Dorajoo, Rajkumar; Liu, Yongmei; Manning, Alisa K; Rankinen, Tuomo; Smith, Albert Vernon; Tajuddin, Salman M; Tayo, Bamidele O; Warren, Helen R; Zhao, Wei; Zhou, Yanhua; Matoba, Nana; Sofer, Tamar; Alver, Maris; Amini, Marzyeh; Boissel, Mathilde; Chai, Jin Fang; Chen, Xu; Divers, Jasmin; Gandin, Ilaria; Gao, Chuan; Giulianini, Franco; Goel, Anuj; Harris, Sarah E; Hartwig, Fernando Pires; Horimoto, Andrea R V R; Hsu, Fang-Chi; Jackson, Anne U; Kähönen, Mika; Kasturiratne, Anuradhani; Kühnel, Brigitte; Leander, Karin; Lee, Wen-Jane; Lin, Keng-Hung; 'an Luan, Jian; McKenzie, Colin A; Meian, He; Nelson, Christopher P; Rauramaa, Rainer; Schupf, Nicole; Scott, Robert A; Sheu, Wayne H H; Stančáková, Alena; Takeuchi, Fumihiko; van der Most, Peter J; Varga, Tibor V; Wang, Heming; Wang, Yajuan; Ware, Erin B; Weiss, Stefan; Wen, Wanqing; Yanek, Lisa R; Zhang, Weihua; Zhao, Jing Hua; Afaq, Saima; Alfred, Tamuno; Amin, Najaf; Arking, Dan; Aung, Tin; Barr, R Graham; Bielak, Lawrence F; Boerwinkle, Eric; Bottinger, Erwin P; Braund, Peter S; Brody, Jennifer A; Broeckel, Ulrich; Cabrera, Claudia P; Cade, Brian; Caizheng, Yu; Campbell, Archie; Canouil, Mickaël; Chakravarti, Aravinda; Chauhan, Ganesh; Christensen, Kaare; Cocca, Massimiliano; Collins, Francis S; Connell, John M; de Mutsert, Renée; de Silva, H Janaka; Debette, Stephanie; Dörr, Marcus; Duan, Qing; Eaton, Charles B; Ehret, Georg; Evangelou, Evangelos; Faul, Jessica D; Fisher, Virginia A; Forouhi, Nita G; Franco, Oscar H; Friedlander, Yechiel; Gao, He; Gigante, Bruna; Graff, Misa; Gu, C Charles; Gu, Dongfeng; Gupta, Preeti; Hagenaars, Saskia P; Harris, Tamara B; He, Jiang; Heikkinen, Sami; Heng, Chew-Kiat; Hirata, Makoto; Hofman, Albert; Howard, Barbara V; Hunt, Steven; Irvin, Marguerite R; Jia, Yucheng; Joehanes, Roby; Justice, Anne E; Katsuya, Tomohiro; Kaufman, Joel; Kerrison, Nicola D; Khor, Chiea Chuen; Koh, Woon-Puay; Koistinen, Heikki A; Komulainen, Pirjo; Kooperberg, Charles; Krieger, Jose E; Kubo, Michiaki; Kuusisto, Johanna; Langefeld, Carl D; Langenberg, Claudia; Launer, Lenore J; Lehne, Benjamin; Lewis, Cora E; Li, Yize; Lim, Sing Hui; Lin, Shiow; Liu, Ching-Ti; Liu, Jianjun; Liu, Jingmin; Liu, Kiang; Liu, Yeheng; Loh, Marie; Lohman, Kurt K; Long, Jirong; Louie, Tin; Mägi, Reedik; Mahajan, Anubha; Meitinger, Thomas; Metspalu, Andres; Milani, Lili; Momozawa, Yukihide; Morris, Andrew P; Mosley, Thomas H; Munson, Peter; Murray, Alison D; Nalls, Mike A; Nasri, Ubaydah; Norris, Jill M; North, Kari; Ogunniyi, Adesola; Padmanabhan, Sandosh; Palmas, Walter R; Palmer, Nicholette D; Pankow, James S; Pedersen, Nancy L; Peters, Annette; Peyser, Patricia A; Polasek, Ozren; Raitakari, Olli T; Renström, Frida; Rice, Treva K; Ridker, Paul M; Robino, Antonietta; Robinson, Jennifer G; Rose, Lynda M; Rudan, Igor; Sabanayagam, Charumathi; Salako, Babatunde L; Sandow, Kevin; Schmidt, Carsten O; Schreiner, Pamela J; Scott, William R; Seshadri, Sudha; Sever, Peter; Sitlani, Colleen M; Smith, Jennifer A; Snieder, Harold; Starr, John M; Strauch, Konstantin; Tang, Hua; Taylor, Kent D; Teo, Yik Ying; Tham, Yih Chung; Uitterlinden, André G; Waldenberger, Melanie; Wang, Lihua; Wang, Ya X; Wei, Wen Bin; Williams, Christine; Wilson, Gregory; Wojczynski, Mary K; Yao, Jie; Yuan, Jian-Min; Zonderman, Alan B; Becker, Diane M; Boehnke, Michael; Bowden, Donald W; Chambers, John C; Chen, Yii-Der Ida; de Faire, Ulf; Deary, Ian J; Esko, Tõnu; Farrall, Martin; Forrester, Terrence; Franks, Paul W; Freedman, Barry I; Froguel, Philippe; Gasparini, Paolo; Gieger, Christian; Horta, Bernardo Lessa; Hung, Yi-Jen; Jonas, Jost B; Kato, Norihiro; Kooner, Jaspal S; Laakso, Markku; Lehtimäki, Terho; Liang, Kae-Woei; Magnusson, Patrik K E; Newman, Anne B; Oldehinkel, Albertine J; Pereira, Alexandre C; Redline, Susan; Rettig, Rainer; Samani, Nilesh J; Scott, James; Shu, Xiao-Ou; van der Harst, Pim; Wagenknecht, Lynne E; Wareham, Nicholas J; Watkins, Hugh; Weir, David R; Wickremasinghe, Ananda R; Wu, Tangchun; Zheng, Wei; Kamatani, Yoichiro; Laurie, Cathy C; Bouchard, Claude; Cooper, Richard S; Evans, Michele K; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Kardia, Sharon L R; Kritchevsky, Stephen B; Levy, Daniel; O'Connell, Jeff R; Psaty, Bruce M; van Dam, Rob M; Sims, Mario; Arnett, Donna K; Mook-Kanamori, Dennis O; Kelly, Tanika N; Fox, Ervin R; Hayward, Caroline; Fornage, Myriam; Rotimi, Charles N; Province, Michael A; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Tai, E Shyong; Wong, Tien Yin; Loos, Ruth J F; Reiner, Alex P; Rotter, Jerome I; Zhu, Xiaofeng; Bierut, Laura J; Gauderman, W James; Caulfield, Mark J; Elliott, Paul; Rice, Kenneth; Munroe, Patricia B; Morrison, Alanna C; Cupples, L Adrienne; Rao, Dabeeru C; Chasman, Daniel I

2018-03-01

Genome-wide association analysis advanced understanding of blood pressure (BP), a major risk factor for vascular conditions such as coronary heart disease and stroke. Accounting for smoking behavior may help identify BP loci and extend our knowledge of its genetic architecture. We performed genome-wide association meta-analyses of systolic and diastolic BP incorporating gene-smoking interactions in 610,091 individuals. Stage 1 analysis examined ∼18.8 million SNPs and small insertion/deletion variants in 129,913 individuals from four ancestries (European, African, Asian, and Hispanic) with follow-up analysis of promising variants in 480,178 additional individuals from five ancestries. We identified 15 loci that were genome-wide significant (p < 5 × 10 -8 ) in stage 1 and formally replicated in stage 2. A combined stage 1 and 2 meta-analysis identified 66 additional genome-wide significant loci (13, 35, and 18 loci in European, African, and trans-ancestry, respectively). A total of 56 known BP loci were also identified by our results (p < 5 × 10 -8 ). Of the newly identified loci, ten showed significant interaction with smoking status, but none of them were replicated in stage 2. Several loci were identified in African ancestry, highlighting the importance of genetic studies in diverse populations. The identified loci show strong evidence for regulatory features and support shared pathophysiology with cardiometabolic and addiction traits. They also highlight a role in BP regulation for biological candidates such as modulators of vascular structure and function (CDKN1B, BCAR1-CFDP1, PXDN, EEA1), ciliopathies (SDCCAG8, RPGRIP1L), telomere maintenance (TNKS, PINX1, AKTIP), and central dopaminergic signaling (MSRA, EBF2). Copyright © 2018 American Society of Human Genetics. All rights reserved.

Development of industrial minerals in Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arbogast, Belinda F.; Knepper, Daniel H.; Langer, William H.; Cappa, James A.; Keller, John W.; Widmann, Beth L.; Ellefsen, Karl J.; Klein, Terry L.; Lucius, Jeffrey E.; Dersch, John S.

2011-01-01

Technology and engineering have helped make mining safer and cleaner for both humans and the environment. Inevitably, mineral development entails costs as well as benefits. Developing a mine is an environmental, engineering, and planning challenge that must conform to many Federal, State, and local regulations. Community collaboration, creative design, and best management practices of sustainability and biodiversity can be positive indicators for the mining industry. A better understanding of aesthetics, culture, economics, geology, climate, vegetation and wildlife, topography, historical significance, and regional land planning is important in resolving land-use issues and managing mineral resources wisely. Ultimately, the consuming public makes choices about product use (including water, food, highways, housing, and thousands of other items) that influence operations of the mineral industry. Land planners, resource managers, earth scientists, designers, and public groups have a responsibility to consider sound scientific information, society's needs, and community appeals in making smart decisions concerning resource use and how complex landscapes should change. An effort to provide comprehensive geosciences data for land management agencies in central Colorado was undertaken in 2003 by scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Colorado Geological Survey. This effort, the Central Colorado Assessment Project, addressed a variety of land-use issues: an understanding of the availability of industrial and metallic rocks and minerals, the geochemical and environmental effects of historic mining activity on surface water and groundwater, and the geologic controls on the availability and quality of groundwater. The USDA Forest Service and other land management agencies have the opportunity to contribute to the sustainable management of natural aggregate and other mineral resources through the identification and selective development of mineral resources and the

Rare gases in cyclosilicates and cogenetic minerals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saito, K.; Alexander, E. C., Jr.; Dragon, J. C.; Zashu, S.

1984-01-01

The cyclosilicate minerals, beryl, tourmaline, and cordierite, typically contain large amounts of He-4 and Ar-40 which are not in situ radiogenic products. In the study of excess rare gases in cyclosilicates, one of the most enigmatic observations is the age effect, a qualitative tendency for geologically older samples to contain more excess He-4 and Ar-40 than younger samples. The present investigation is concerned with measurements regarding the abundance and isotopic composition of all five rare gases in a number of cyclosilicates as well as in their cogenetic minerals. The significance of the obtained data is discussed. The data indicate that cyclosilicates sample the rare gases present in the environment in which they crystallize. This 'sampling' involves major elemental fractionations which are variable but mineral specific. Cyclosilicates can, therefore, be used to probe the isotopic ratios and elemental compositions.

Kinetics of DCE and VC mineralization under methanogenic and Fe(III)- reducing conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradley, P.M.; Chapelle, F.H.

1997-01-01

The kinetics of anaerobic mineralization of DCE and VC under mathanogenic and Fe(III)-reducing conditions as a function of dissolved contaminant concentration were evaluated. Microorganisms indigenous to creek bed sediments, where groundwater contaminated with chlorinated ethenes continuously discharges, demonstrated significant mineralization of DCE and VC under methanogenic and Fe(III)- reducing conditions. Over 37 days, the recovery of [1,214C]VC radioactivity as 14CO2 ranged from 5% to 44% and from 8% to 100% under methanogenic and Fe(III)-reducing conditions, respectively. The recovery of [1,2-14C]DCE radioactivity as 14CO2 ranged from 4% to 14% and did not vary significantly between methanogenic and Fe(III)reducing conditions. VC mineralization was described by Michaelis- Menten kinetics. Under methanogenic conditions, V(max) was 0.19 ?? 0.01 ??mol L-1 d-1 and the half-saturation constant, k(m), was 7.6 ?? 1.7 ??M. Under Fe(III)-reducing conditions, V(max) was 0.76 ?? 0.07 ??mol L-1 d-1 and k(m) was 1.3 ?? 0.5 ??M. In contrast, DCE mineralization could be described by first-order kinetics. The first-order degradation rate constant for DCE mineralization was 0.6 ?? 0.2% d-1 under methanogenic and Fe(III)-reducing conditions. The results indicate that the kinetics of chlorinated ethane mineralization can vary significantly with the specific contaminant and the predominant redox conditions under which mineralization occurs.

The mineral industry of Ethiopia: present conditions and future prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assefa, Getaneh

Despite a record of mineral activity that dates back to Biblical times and the occurrence of a wide variety of minerals, as well as continuing efforts to discover major ore deposits, Ethiopia's mineral resources ahve remained of minor importance in the world economy. Mineral production in the last 20 years, for example, forms less than 1% of the estimated GDP. Well known minerals andmineral products available in the country in commercial quantities are: gold, platinum, manganese ore, natural agas, clays and clay products, feldspars, gypsum and anhydrite, slat, lime, limestone, cement, sand, structural and crushed stones, marble, mineral water and pumice. There are also vast reserves of water and geothermal power. Recently discovered deposits (over the last 20 years), with major reserves that may attain an important role in mineral production in the future, include potash salts, copper ore and diatomites. Minerals which are known to occur in Ethiopia, but of which supplies are deficient, or which have not yet been proved to exist in economic quantities are: nickel, iron, chromium, mineral fuels (oil, coal and uranium), sulphur, asbesttos, mica, talc, barytes, fluorites, borates, soda-ash, phosphates, wolframite, abrasives (garnet), molybdenite and vanadium. Within the last few years there has been an increasing appreciation of the economic significance of a mineral industry and a definite attempt to foster it. Mineral ownership is vested in the state are cotnrolled by the MInistry of Mines, Energy and Water Resources. The law relating to foreign investment in mines is liberal. The plans for the future have to provide for detailed and intensive exploration of the country's mineral resources, manufacture and fabrication.

Raman microspectroscopy for in situ examination of carbon-microbe-mineral interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creamer, C.; Foster, A. L.; Lawrence, C. R.; Mcfarland, J. W.; Waldrop, M. P.

2016-12-01

The changing paradigm of soil organic matter formation and turnover is focused at the nexus of microbe-carbon-mineral interactions. However, visualizing biotic and abiotic stabilization of C on mineral surfaces is difficult given our current techniques. Therefore we investigated Raman microspectroscopy as a potential tool to examine microbially mediated organo-mineral associations. Raman microspectroscopy is a non-destructive technique that has been used to identify microorganisms and minerals, and to quantify microbial assimilation of 13C labeled substrates in culture. We developed a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model to accurately quantify (within 5%) adsorption of four model 12C substrates (glucose, glutamic acid, oxalic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid) on a range of soil minerals. We also developed a PLSR model to quantify the incorporation of 13C into E. coli cells. Using these two models, along with measures of the 13C content of respired CO2, we determined the allocation of glucose-derived C into mineral-associated microbial biomass and respired CO2 in situ and through time. We observed progressive 13C enrichment of microbial biomass with incubation time, as well as 13C enrichment of CO2 indicating preferential decomposition of glucose-derived C. We will also present results on the application of our in situ chamber to quantify the formation of organo-mineral associations under both abiotic and biotic conditions with a variety of C and mineral substrates, as well as the rate of turnover and stabilization of microbial residues. Application of Raman microspectroscopy to microbial-mineral interactions represents a novel method to quantify microbial transformation of C substrates and subsequent mineral stabilization without destructive sampling, and has the potential to provide new insights to our conceptual understanding of carbon-microbe-mineral interactions.

SigTree: A Microbial Community Analysis Tool to Identify and Visualize Significantly Responsive Branches in a Phylogenetic Tree.

PubMed

Stevens, John R; Jones, Todd R; Lefevre, Michael; Ganesan, Balasubramanian; Weimer, Bart C

2017-01-01

Microbial community analysis experiments to assess the effect of a treatment intervention (or environmental change) on the relative abundance levels of multiple related microbial species (or operational taxonomic units) simultaneously using high throughput genomics are becoming increasingly common. Within the framework of the evolutionary phylogeny of all species considered in the experiment, this translates to a statistical need to identify the phylogenetic branches that exhibit a significant consensus response (in terms of operational taxonomic unit abundance) to the intervention. We present the R software package SigTree , a collection of flexible tools that make use of meta-analysis methods and regular expressions to identify and visualize significantly responsive branches in a phylogenetic tree, while appropriately adjusting for multiple comparisons.

Effect of soil metal contamination on glyphosate mineralization: role of zinc in the mineralization rates of two copper-spiked mineral soils.

PubMed

Kim, Bojeong; Kim, Young Sik; Kim, Bo Min; Hay, Anthony G; McBride, Murray B

2011-03-01

A systematic investigation into lowered degradation rates of glyphosate in metal-contaminated soils was performed by measuring mineralization of [(14)C]glyphosate to (14)CO(2) in two mineral soils that had been spiked with Cu and/or Zn at various loadings. Cumulative (14)CO(2) release was estimated to be approximately 6% or less of the amount of [(14)C]glyphosate originally added in both soils over an 80-d incubation. For all but the highest Cu treatments (400 mg kg(-1)) in the coarse-textured Arkport soil, mineralization began without a lag phase and declined over time. No inhibition of mineralization was observed for Zn up to 400 mg kg(-1) in either soil, suggesting differential sensitivity of glyphosate mineralization to the types of metal and soil. Interestingly, Zn appeared to alleviate high-Cu inhibition of mineralization in the Arkport soil. The protective role of Zn against Cu toxicity was also observed in the pure culture study with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, suggesting that increased mineralization rates in high Cu soil with Zn additions might have been due to alleviation of cellular toxicity by Zn rather than a mineralization specific mechanism. Extensive use of glyphosate combined with its reduced degradation in Cu-contaminated, coarse-textured soils may increase glyphosate persistence in soil and consequently facilitate Cu and glyphosate mobilization in the soil environment. Copyright © 2010 SETAC.

[Organic carbon and carbon mineralization characteristics in nature forestry soil].

PubMed

Yang, Tian; Dai, Wei; An, Xiao-Juan; Pang, Huan; Zou, Jian-Mei; Zhang, Rui

2014-03-01

Through field investigation and indoor analysis, the organic carbon content and organic carbon mineralization characteristics of six kinds of natural forest soil were studied, including the pine forests, evergreen broad-leaved forest, deciduous broad-leaved forest, mixed needle leaf and Korean pine and Chinese pine forest. The results showed that the organic carbon content in the forest soil showed trends of gradual decrease with the increase of soil depth; Double exponential equation fitted well with the organic carbon mineralization process in natural forest soil, accurately reflecting the mineralization reaction characteristics of the natural forest soil. Natural forest soil in each layer had the same mineralization reaction trend, but different intensity. Among them, the reaction intensity in the 0-10 cm soil of the Korean pine forest was the highest, and the intensities of mineralization reaction in its lower layers were also significantly higher than those in the same layers of other natural forest soil; comparison of soil mineralization characteristics of the deciduous broad-leaved forest and coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest found that the differences of litter species had a relatively strong impact on the active organic carbon content in soil, leading to different characteristics of mineralization reaction.

Genome-wide SNP identification, linkage map construction and QTL mapping for seed mineral concentrations and contents in pea (Pisum sativum L.).

PubMed

Ma, Yu; Coyne, Clarice J; Grusak, Michael A; Mazourek, Michael; Cheng, Peng; Main, Dorrie; McGee, Rebecca J

2017-02-13

Marker-assisted breeding is now routinely used in major crops to facilitate more efficient cultivar improvement. This has been significantly enabled by the use of next-generation sequencing technology to identify loci and markers associated with traits of interest. While rich in a range of nutritional components, such as protein, mineral nutrients, carbohydrates and several vitamins, pea (Pisum sativum L.), one of the oldest domesticated crops in the world, remains behind many other crops in the availability of genomic and genetic resources. To further improve mineral nutrient levels in pea seeds requires the development of genome-wide tools. The objectives of this research were to develop these tools by: identifying genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using genotyping by sequencing (GBS); constructing a high-density linkage map and comparative maps with other legumes, and identifying quantitative trait loci (QTL) for levels of boron, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorous, sulfur, and zinc in the seed, as well as for seed weight. In this study, 1609 high quality SNPs were found to be polymorphic between 'Kiflica' and 'Aragorn', two parents of an F 6 -derived recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. Mapping 1683 markers including 75 previously published markers and 1608 SNPs developed from the present study generated a linkage map of size 1310.1 cM. Comparative mapping with other legumes demonstrated that the highest level of synteny was observed between pea and the genome of Medicago truncatula. QTL analysis of the RIL population across two locations revealed at least one QTL for each of the mineral nutrient traits. In total, 46 seed mineral concentration QTLs, 37 seed mineral content QTLs, and 6 seed weight QTLs were discovered. The QTLs explained from 2.4% to 43.3% of the phenotypic variance. The genome-wide SNPs and the genetic linkage map developed in this study permitted QTL identification for pea seed mineral

Hair Mineral Analysis and Disruptive Behavior in Clinically Normal Young Men.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Struempler, Richard E.; And Others

1985-01-01

Forty young navy recruits were selected for hair mineral analysis on the basis of three criteria: mental test scores, demerits during training, and premature discharge from the navy. Statistical analysis revealed several significant relationships between behavioral criteria and mineral measures. Findings confirmed, in a nonclinical sample, hair…

Nanostructured Mineral Coatings Stabilize Proteins for Therapeutic Delivery.

PubMed

Yu, Xiaohua; Biedrzycki, Adam H; Khalil, Andrew S; Hess, Dalton; Umhoefer, Jennifer M; Markel, Mark D; Murphy, William L

2017-09-01

Proteins tend to lose their biological activity due to their fragile structural conformation during formulation, storage, and delivery. Thus, the inability to stabilize proteins in controlled-release systems represents a major obstacle in drug delivery. Here, a bone mineral inspired protein stabilization strategy is presented, which uses nanostructured mineral coatings on medical devices. Proteins bound within the nanostructured coatings demonstrate enhanced stability against extreme external stressors, including organic solvents, proteases, and ethylene oxide gas sterilization. The protein stabilization effect is attributed to the maintenance of protein conformational structure, which is closely related to the nanoscale feature sizes of the mineral coatings. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) released from a nanostructured mineral coating maintains its biological activity for weeks during release, while it maintains activity for less than 7 d during release from commonly used polymeric microspheres. Delivery of the growth factors bFGF and vascular endothelial growth factor using a mineral coated surgical suture significantly improves functional Achilles tendon healing in a rabbit model, resulting in increased vascularization, more mature collagen fiber organization, and a two fold improvement in mechanical properties. The findings of this study demonstrate that biomimetic interactions between proteins and nanostructured minerals provide a new, broadly applicable mechanism to stabilize proteins in the context of drug delivery and regenerative medicine. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mineral catalysis of a potentially prebiotic aldol condensation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

De Graaf, R. M.; Visscher, J.; Xu, Y.; Arrhenius, G.; Schwartz, A. W.

1998-01-01

Minerals may have played a significant role in chemical evolution. In the course of investigating the chemistry of phosphonoacetaldehyde (PAL), an analogue of glycolaldehyde phosphate, we have observed a striking case of catalysis by the layered hydroxide mineral hydrotalcite ([Mg2Al(OH)6][Cl.nH2O]). In neutral or moderately basic aqueous solutions, PAL is unreactive even at a concentration of 0.1 M. In the presence of a large excess of NaOH (2 M), the compound undergoes aldol condensation to produce a dimer containing a C3-C4 double-bond. In dilute neutral solutions and in the presence of the mineral, however, condensation takes place rapidly, to produce a dimer which is almost exclusively the C2-C3 unsaturated product.

[Acceptability of male circumcision among male miners in Baise of Guangxi].

PubMed

Luo, Hao; Liang, Xu; Chen, Jian; Yang, Xiao-bo; Jiang, Jun-jun; Deng, Wei; Zou, Yun-feng; Wei, Bo; Zhang, Zhi-yong; Liu, Zhi-hao; Liang, Hao

2011-06-01

To investigate the acceptability of male circumcision among male miners in Baise, Guangxi, China. A questionnaire-based survey on the willingness to be circumcised (WTC) and its influential factors were conducted among Guangxi male miners recruited by random cluster sampling. Of 569 subjects who were surveyed, 143 (25.13%) expressed their willingness to be circumcised. Univariate analysis showed that marital status, education level, and the awareness of the hazards of phimosis and redundant prepuce and reasons for circumcision were significantly different between WTC group and the non-WTC group (all P<0.05). Furthermore, the incidence of phimosis or redundant prepuce also significantly differed between these two groups (P=0.0001). Logistic regression analysis found marital status (OR=0.498ì95%CI=0.272-0.913), history of foreskin disease (OR=8.181, 95%CI=4.252-15.741), and awareness of the risk that a redundant prepuce may cause smegma (OR=1.713ì95%CI=1.090-2.693) were significantly correlated with the male miners WTC. Male miners in this area have low WTC. Education on the basic knowledge of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and circumcision may help promote the application of circumcision.

Glycosylation status of bone sialoprotein and its role in mineralization.

PubMed

Xu, Lan; Zhang, Zhenqing; Sun, Xue; Wang, Jingjing; Xu, Wei; Shi, Lv; Lu, Jiaojiao; Tang, Juan; Liu, Jingjing; Su, Xiong

2017-11-15

The highly glycosylated bone sialoprotein (BSP) is an abundant non-collagenous phosphoprotein in bone which enhances osteoblast differentiation and new bone deposition in vitro and in vivo. However, the structural details of its different glycosylation linkages have not been well studied and their functions in bone homeostasis are not clear. Previous studies suggested that the O-glycans, but not the N-glycans on BSP, are highly sialylated. Herein, we employed tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to demonstrate that the N-glycanson the recombinant human integrin binding sialoprotein (rhiBSP) are also enriched in sialic acids (SAs) at their termini. We also identified multiple novel sites of N-glycan modification. Treatment of rhiBSP enhances osteoblast differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells and this effect could be partially reversed by efficient enzymatic removal of its N-glycans. Removal of all terminal SAs has a greater effect in reversing the effect of rhiBSP on osteogenesis, especially on mineralization, suggesting that sialylation at the termini of both N-glycans and O-glycans plays an important role in this regulation. Moreover, BSP-conjugated SAs may affect mineralization via ERK activation of VDR expression. Collectively, our results identified novel N-glycans enriched in SAs on the rhiBSP and demonstrated that SAs at both N- and O-glycans are important for BSP regulation of osteoblast differentiation and mineralization in vitro. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kernel Density Surface Modelling as a Means to Identify Significant Concentrations of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem Indicators

PubMed Central

Kenchington, Ellen; Murillo, Francisco Javier; Lirette, Camille; Sacau, Mar; Koen-Alonso, Mariano; Kenny, Andrew; Ollerhead, Neil; Wareham, Vonda; Beazley, Lindsay

2014-01-01

The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 61/105, concerning sustainable fisheries in the marine ecosystem, calls for the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME) from destructive fishing practices. Subsequently, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) produced guidelines for identification of VME indicator species/taxa to assist in the implementation of the resolution, but recommended the development of case-specific operational definitions for their application. We applied kernel density estimation (KDE) to research vessel trawl survey data from inside the fishing footprint of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Regulatory Area in the high seas of the northwest Atlantic to create biomass density surfaces for four VME indicator taxa: large-sized sponges, sea pens, small and large gorgonian corals. These VME indicator taxa were identified previously by NAFO using the fragility, life history characteristics and structural complexity criteria presented by FAO, along with an evaluation of their recovery trajectories. KDE, a non-parametric neighbour-based smoothing function, has been used previously in ecology to identify hotspots, that is, areas of relatively high biomass/abundance. We present a novel approach of examining relative changes in area under polygons created from encircling successive biomass categories on the KDE surface to identify “significant concentrations” of biomass, which we equate to VMEs. This allows identification of the VMEs from the broader distribution of the species in the study area. We provide independent assessments of the VMEs so identified using underwater images, benthic sampling with other gear types (dredges, cores), and/or published species distribution models of probability of occurrence, as available. For each VME indicator taxon we provide a brief review of their ecological function which will be important in future assessments of significant adverse impact on these habitats here and

Kernel density surface modelling as a means to identify significant concentrations of vulnerable marine ecosystem indicators.

PubMed

Kenchington, Ellen; Murillo, Francisco Javier; Lirette, Camille; Sacau, Mar; Koen-Alonso, Mariano; Kenny, Andrew; Ollerhead, Neil; Wareham, Vonda; Beazley, Lindsay

2014-01-01

The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 61/105, concerning sustainable fisheries in the marine ecosystem, calls for the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME) from destructive fishing practices. Subsequently, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) produced guidelines for identification of VME indicator species/taxa to assist in the implementation of the resolution, but recommended the development of case-specific operational definitions for their application. We applied kernel density estimation (KDE) to research vessel trawl survey data from inside the fishing footprint of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Regulatory Area in the high seas of the northwest Atlantic to create biomass density surfaces for four VME indicator taxa: large-sized sponges, sea pens, small and large gorgonian corals. These VME indicator taxa were identified previously by NAFO using the fragility, life history characteristics and structural complexity criteria presented by FAO, along with an evaluation of their recovery trajectories. KDE, a non-parametric neighbour-based smoothing function, has been used previously in ecology to identify hotspots, that is, areas of relatively high biomass/abundance. We present a novel approach of examining relative changes in area under polygons created from encircling successive biomass categories on the KDE surface to identify "significant concentrations" of biomass, which we equate to VMEs. This allows identification of the VMEs from the broader distribution of the species in the study area. We provide independent assessments of the VMEs so identified using underwater images, benthic sampling with other gear types (dredges, cores), and/or published species distribution models of probability of occurrence, as available. For each VME indicator taxon we provide a brief review of their ecological function which will be important in future assessments of significant adverse impact on these habitats here and elsewhere.

Preservation of bone structure and function by Lithothamnion sp. derived minerals.

PubMed

Aslam, Muhammad Nadeem; Bergin, Ingrid; Jepsen, Karl; Kreider, Jaclynn M; Graf, Kristin H; Naik, Madhav; Goldstein, Steven A; Varani, James

2013-12-01

Progressive bone mineral loss and increasing bone fragility are hallmarks of osteoporosis. A combination of minerals isolated from the red marine algae, Lithothamnion sp. was examined for ability to inhibit bone mineral loss in female mice maintained on either a standard rodent chow (control) diet or a high-fat western diet (HFWD) for 5, 12, and 18 months. At each time point, femora were subjected to μ-CT analysis and biomechanical testing. A subset of caudal vertebrae was also analyzed. Following this, individual elements were assessed in bones. Serum levels of the 5b isoform of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and procollagen type I propeptide (P1NP) were also measured. Trabecular bone loss occurred in both diets (evident as early as 5 months). Cortical bone increased through month 5 and then declined. Cortical bone loss was primarily in mice on the HFWD. Inclusion of the minerals in the diet reduced bone mineral loss in both diets and improved bone strength. Bone mineral density was also enhanced by these minerals. Of several cationic minerals known to be important to bone health, only strontium was significantly increased in bone tissue from animals fed the mineral diets, but the increase was large (5-10 fold). Serum levels of TRAP were consistently higher in mice receiving the minerals, but levels of P1NP were not. These data suggest that trace minerals derived from marine red algae may be used to prevent progressive bone mineral loss in conjunction with calcium. Mineral supplementation could find use as part of an osteoporosis-prevention strategy.

Mineral Trioxide Aggregate and Portland Cement for Direct Pulp Capping in Dog: A Histopathological Evaluation

PubMed Central

Bidar, Maryam; Naghavi, Neda; Mohtasham, Nooshin; Sheik-Nezami, Mahshid; Fallahrastegar, Amir; Afkhami, Farzaneh; Attaran Mashhadi, Negin; Nargesi, Iman

2014-01-01

Background and aims. Mineral trioxide aggregate and calcium hydroxide are considered the gold standard pulp-capping materials. Recently, Portland cement has been introduced with properties similar to those of mineral trioxide aggregate. Histopathological effects of direct pulp capping using mineral trioxide aggregate and Portland cements on dog dental pulp tissue were evaluated in the present study. Materials and methods. This histopatological study was carried out on 64 dog premolars. First, the pulp was exposed with a sterile bur. Then, the exposed pulp was capped with white or gray mineral trioxide aggregates and white or gray Portland cements in each quadrant and sealed with glass-ionomer. The specimens were evaluated under a light microscope after 6 months. Statistical analysis was carried out using Kruskal-Wallis test. Statistical significance was defined at α=5%. Results. There was no acute inflammation in any of the specimens. Chronic inflammation in white and gray mineral trioxide aggregates and white and gray Portland cements was reported to be 45.5%, 27.3%, 57.1% and 34.1%, respectively. Although the differences were not statistically significant, severe inflammation was observed mostly adjacent to white mineral trioxide aggregate. The largest extent of increased vascularization (45%) and the least increase in fibrous tissue were observed adjacent to white mineral trioxide aggregate, with no significant differences. In addition, the least calcified tissue formed adjacent to white mineral trioxide aggregate, although the difference was not significant. Conclusion. The materials used in this study were equally effective as pulp protection materials following direct pulp capping in dog teeth. PMID:25346831

Metals, minerals and microbes: geomicrobiology and bioremediation.

PubMed

Gadd, Geoffrey Michael

2010-03-01

Microbes play key geoactive roles in the biosphere, particularly in the areas of element biotransformations and biogeochemical cycling, metal and mineral transformations, decomposition, bioweathering, and soil and sediment formation. All kinds of microbes, including prokaryotes and eukaryotes and their symbiotic associations with each other and 'higher organisms', can contribute actively to geological phenomena, and central to many such geomicrobial processes are transformations of metals and minerals. Microbes have a variety of properties that can effect changes in metal speciation, toxicity and mobility, as well as mineral formation or mineral dissolution or deterioration. Such mechanisms are important components of natural biogeochemical cycles for metals as well as associated elements in biomass, soil, rocks and minerals, e.g. sulfur and phosphorus, and metalloids, actinides and metal radionuclides. Apart from being important in natural biosphere processes, metal and mineral transformations can have beneficial or detrimental consequences in a human context. Bioremediation is the application of biological systems to the clean-up of organic and inorganic pollution, with bacteria and fungi being the most important organisms for reclamation, immobilization or detoxification of metallic and radionuclide pollutants. Some biominerals or metallic elements deposited by microbes have catalytic and other properties in nanoparticle, crystalline or colloidal forms, and these are relevant to the development of novel biomaterials for technological and antimicrobial purposes. On the negative side, metal and mineral transformations by microbes may result in spoilage and destruction of natural and synthetic materials, rock and mineral-based building materials (e.g. concrete), acid mine drainage and associated metal pollution, biocorrosion of metals, alloys and related substances, and adverse effects on radionuclide speciation, mobility and containment, all with immense social

MULTIPLE EPISODES OF IGNEOUS ACTIVITY, MINERALIZATION, AND ALTERATION IN THE WESTERN TUSHAR MOUNTAINS, UTAH.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cunningham, Charles G.; Steven, Thomas A.; Campbell, David L.; Naeser, Charles W.; Pitkin, James A.; Duval, Joseph S.

1984-01-01

The report outlines the complex history of igneous activity and associated alteration and mineralization in the western Tushar Mountains, Utah and pointss out implciations for minerals exploration. The area has been subjected to recurrent episodes of igneous intrusion, hydrothermal alteration, and mineralization, and the mineral-resource potential of the different mineralized areas is directly related to local geologic history. The mineral commodities to be expected vary from one hydrothermal system to another, and from one depth to another within any given system. Uranium and molybdenum seem likely to have the greatest economic potential, although significant concentrations of gold may also exist.

Blood mineral concentrations in manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris and Trichechus manatus manatus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Siegal-Willott, J.; Harr, Kendal E.; Hall, Jeffery O.; Hayek, Lee-Ann C.; Auil-Gomez, Nicole; Powell, James A.; Bonde, Robert K.; Heard, Darryl

2013-01-01

Limited information is available regarding the role of minerals and heavy metals in the morbidity and mortality of manatees. Whole-blood and serum mineral concentrations were evaluated in apparently healthy, free-ranging Florida (Trichechus manatus latirostris, n = 31) and Belize (Trichechus manatus manatus, n = 14) manatees. Toxicologic statuses of the animals and of their environment had not been previously determined. Mean mineral whole-blood (WB) and serum values in Florida (FL) and Belize (BZ) manatees were determined, and evaluated for differences with respect to geographic location, relative age, and sex. Mean WB and serum silver, boron, cobalt, magnesium, molybdenum, and WB cadmium concentrations were significantly higher in BZ versus FL manatees (P ≤ 0.05). Mean WB aluminum, calcium, manganese, sodium, phosphorus, vanadium, and serum zinc concentrations were significantly lower in BZ versus FL manatees. Adult manatees had significant and higher mean WB aluminum, manganese, sodium, antimony, vanadium, and serum manganese and zinc concentrations compared to juvenile animals. Significant and lower mean WB and serum silver, boron, cobalt, and serum copper and strontium concentrations were present in adults compared to juveniles (P ≤ 0.05). Females had significant and higher mean WB nickel and serum barium compared to males (P ≤ 0.05). Mean WB arsenic and zinc, and mean serum iron, magnesium, and zinc concentrations fell within toxic ranges reported for domestic species. Results reveal manatee blood mineral concentrations differ with location, age, and sex. Influence from diet, sediment, water, and anthropogenic sources on manatee mineral concentration warrant further investigation.

Blood mineral concentrations in manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris and Trichechus manatus manatus).

PubMed

Siegal-Willott, Jessica L; Harr, Kendal E; Hall, Jeffery O; Hayek, Lee-Ann C; Auil-Gomez, Nicole; Powell, James A; Bonde, Robert K; Heard, Darryl

2013-06-01

Limited information is available regarding the role of minerals and heavy metals in the morbidity and mortality of manatees. Whole-blood and serum mineral concentrations were evaluated in apparently healthy, free-ranging Florida (Trichechus manatus latirostris, n = 31) and Belize (Trichechus manatus manatus, n = 14) manatees. Toxicologic statuses of the animals and of their environment had not been previously determined. Mean mineral whole-blood (WB) and serum values in Florida (FL) and Belize (BZ) manatees were determined, and evaluated for differences with respect to geographic location, relative age, and sex. Mean WB and serum silver, boron, cobalt, magnesium, molybdenum, and WB cadmium concentrations were significantly higher in BZ versus FL manatees (P < 0.05). Mean WB aluminum, calcium, manganese, sodium, phosphorus, vanadium, and serum zinc concentrations were significantly lower in BZ versus FL manatees. Adult manatees had significant and higher mean WB aluminum, manganese, sodium, antimony, vanadium, and serum manganese and zinc concentrations compared to juvenile animals. Significant and lower mean WB and serum silver, boron, cobalt, and serum copper and strontium concentrations were present in adults compared to juveniles (P < or = 0.05). Females had significant and higher mean WB nickel and serum barium compared to males (P < or = 0.05). Mean WB arsenic and zinc, and mean serum iron, magnesium, and zinc concentrations fell within toxic ranges reported for domestic species. Results reveal manatee blood mineral concentrations differ with location, age, and sex. Influence from diet, sediment, water, and anthropogenic sources on manatee mineral concentration warrant further investigation.

Ultra-structural defects cause low bone matrix stiffness despite high mineralization in osteogenesis imperfecta mice☆

PubMed Central

Vanleene, Maximilien; Porter, Alexandra; Guillot, Pascale-Valerie; Boyde, Alan; Oyen, Michelle; Shefelbine, Sandra

2012-01-01

Bone is a complex material with a hierarchical multi-scale organization from the molecule to the organ scale. The genetic bone disease, osteogenesis imperfecta, is primarily caused by mutations in the collagen type I genes, resulting in bone fragility. Because the basis of the disease is molecular with ramifications at the whole bone level, it provides a platform for investigating the relationship between structure, composition, and mechanics throughout the hierarchy. Prior studies have individually shown that OI leads to: 1. increased bone mineralization, 2. decreased elastic modulus, and 3. smaller apatite crystal size. However, these have not been studied together and the mechanism for how mineral structure influences tissue mechanics has not been identified. This lack of understanding inhibits the development of more accurate models and therapies. To address this research gap, we used a mouse model of the disease (oim) to measure these outcomes together in order to propose an underlying mechanism for the changes in properties. Our main finding was that despite increased mineralization, oim bones have lower stiffness that may result from the poorly organized mineral matrix with significantly smaller, highly packed and disoriented apatite crystals. Using a composite framework, we interpret the lower oim bone matrix elasticity observed as the result of a change in the aspect ratio of apatite crystals and a disruption of the crystal connectivity. PMID:22449447

Ultra-structural defects cause low bone matrix stiffness despite high mineralization in osteogenesis imperfecta mice.

PubMed

Vanleene, Maximilien; Porter, Alexandra; Guillot, Pascale-Valerie; Boyde, Alan; Oyen, Michelle; Shefelbine, Sandra

2012-06-01

Bone is a complex material with a hierarchical multi-scale organization from the molecule to the organ scale. The genetic bone disease, osteogenesis imperfecta, is primarily caused by mutations in the collagen type I genes, resulting in bone fragility. Because the basis of the disease is molecular with ramifications at the whole bone level, it provides a platform for investigating the relationship between structure, composition, and mechanics throughout the hierarchy. Prior studies have individually shown that OI leads to: 1. increased bone mineralization, 2. decreased elastic modulus, and 3. smaller apatite crystal size. However, these have not been studied together and the mechanism for how mineral structure influences tissue mechanics has not been identified. This lack of understanding inhibits the development of more accurate models and therapies. To address this research gap, we used a mouse model of the disease (oim) to measure these outcomes together in order to propose an underlying mechanism for the changes in properties. Our main finding was that despite increased mineralization, oim bones have lower stiffness that may result from the poorly organized mineral matrix with significantly smaller, highly packed and disoriented apatite crystals. Using a composite framework, we interpret the lower oim bone matrix elasticity observed as the result of a change in the aspect ratio of apatite crystals and a disruption of the crystal connectivity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Recovery of decreased bone mineral mass after lower-limb fractures in adolescents.

PubMed

Ceroni, Dimitri; Martin, Xavier E; Delhumeau, Cécile; Farpour-Lambert, Nathalie J; De Coulon, Geraldo; Dubois-Ferrière, Victor; Rizzoli, René

2013-06-05

Loss of bone mineral mass, muscle atrophy, and functional limitations are predictable consequences of immobilization and subsequent weight-bearing restriction due to leg or ankle fractures. The aim of this study was to prospectively determine whether decreased bone mineral mass following lower-limb fractures recovers at follow-up durations of six and eighteen months in adolescents. In the present study, we included fifty adolescents who underwent cast immobilization for a leg or ankle fracture. Dual x-ray absorptiometry scans of four different sites (total hip, femoral neck, entire lower limb, and calcaneus) were performed at the time of the fracture, at cast removal, and at follow-ups of six and eighteen months. Patients with fractures were paired with healthy controls according to sex, age, and ethnicity. Dual x-ray absorptiometry values were compared between groups and between injured and non-injured legs in adolescents with fractures. Among those with fractures, lower-limb bone mineral variables were significantly lower at the injured side compared with the non-injured side at cast removal, with differences ranging from 6.2% to 31.7% (p < 0.0001). Similarly, injured adolescents had significantly lower bone mineral values at the level of the injured lower limb compared with healthy controls (p < 0.0001). At the six-month follow-up, there were still significant residual differences between injured and non-injured legs in adolescents with fractures (p < 0.0001). However, a significant residual difference between healthy controls and injured adolescents was present only for femoral neck bone mineral density (p = 0.011). At the eighteen-month follow-up, no significant difference was observed at any lower-limb site. Bone mineral loss following a fracture of the lower limb in adolescents is highly significant and affects the lower limb both proximal to and distal to the fracture site. In contrast to observations in adults, a rapid bone mass reversal occurs

The Erevan howardite: Petrology of glassy clasts and mineral chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nazarov, M. A.; Ariskin, A. A.

1993-01-01

The Erevan howardite is a polymict regolith breccia containing xenoliths of carbonaceous chondrites. In this work, we studied glassy clasts, which could be considered as primary quenched melts, and mineral chemistry of the breccia. The study reveals that the Erevan howardite consists of common rocks of the HED suite. However, unique glassy clasts, which are present in some eucritic melts, were identified. The mineral chemistry and the simulation of crystallization of the melts suggest that the compositions of the melts reflect those of some primary lithologies of EPB.

Binding of environmental carcinogens to asbestos and mineral fibres.

PubMed Central

Harvey, G; Pagé, M; Dumas, L

1984-01-01

A rapid method has been developed for measuring the binding capacity of asbestos and other mineral fibres for environmental carcinogens. Benzo(alpha)pyrene (B(alpha)P), nitrosonornicotine (NNN), and N-acetyl-2-aminofluorene (NAAF) were assayed in the presence of Canadian grade 4T30 chrysotile, chrysotile A, amosite, crocidolite, glass microfibres, glasswool, attapulgite, and titanium dioxide. Chrysotile binds significantly more carcinogens than the other mineral fibres. This binding assay is reproducible with coefficients of variation of less than 8% and 6% respectively for inter and intra assay. The influence of pH was also studied, and there is good correlation between the carcinogen binding and the charge of the tested mineral fibres. The in vitro cytotoxicity on macrophage like cell line P388D1 and the haemolytic activity of various mineral fibres were also measured; a good correlation was found between the binding capacity and the cytotoxicity of tested mineral fibres on P388D1 cells. These results give some explanations for the reported synergism between exposure to asbestos and the smoking habits of workers. PMID:6331497

[In vitro availability of minerals in infant foods with different protein source].

PubMed

Pérez-Llamas, F; Larqué, E; Marín, J F; Zamora, S

2001-01-01

As the result of the digestion process, it is produced at gastrointestinal level interactions between proteins-minerals and minerals-minerals that might modify the bioavailability of the nutrients initially designed for an adequate nutrition in infant formulas. The aim of the present study is to compare the in vitro availability of some minerals and trace elements (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc) in infant formulas of initiation elaborated with different protein sources: formulas based on cow milk protein (whey-casein) versus vegetal protein (soy-based infant formulas). Also, for evaluating the effects of the different mineral supplementation in the availability of minerals, it was used infant formulas from two different manufacturers. Milk-protein based infant formulas showed for both manufacturers higher dialysis percentage (%) of phosphorus and zinc than the soy-protein based formulas. The availability of iron in the soy formula of the manufacturer A lowered significantly (P < 0.05) respect to the whey-casein based formula (9.6 +/- 2.3 versus 4.6 +/- 0.8), but not respect to the whey-casein formula of manufacturer B (9.6 +/- 1.1 versus 9.0 +/- 0.7), which might be due to the lowest proportion of phytic acid in this last commercial formula. Dialysability of all the minerals analysed from soy-protein based formulas showed significant differences depending on the manufacturer. The purification processes of the soy protein have a high repercussion in the mineral availability of soy-based infant formulas. It could be more interesting to use soy proteins more purified, with low level of phytic acid, in the elaboration of soy infants formulas, than the supplementation them with high amounts of minerals.

Isotopic data for Late Cretaceous intrusions and associated altered and mineralized rocks in the Big Belt Mountains, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

du Bray, Edward A.; Unruh, Daniel M.; Hofstra, Albert H.

2017-03-07

The quartz monzodiorite of Mount Edith and the concentrically zoned intrusive suite of Boulder Baldy constitute the principal Late Cretaceous igneous intrusions hosted by Mesoproterozoic sedimentary rocks of the Newland Formation in the Big Belt Mountains, Montana. These calc-alkaline plutonic masses are manifestations of subduction-related magmatism that prevailed along the western edge of North America during the Cretaceous. Radiogenic isotope data for neodymium, strontium, and lead indicate that the petrogenesis of the associated magmas involved a combination of (1) sources that were compositionally heterogeneous at the scale of the geographically restricted intrusive rocks in the Big Belt Mountains and (2) variable contamination by crustal assimilants also having diverse isotopic compositions. Altered and mineralized rocks temporally, spatially, and genetically related to these intrusions manifest at least two isotopically distinct mineralizing events, both of which involve major inputs from spatially associated Late Cretaceous igneous rocks. Alteration and mineralization of rock associated with the intrusive suite of Boulder Baldy requires a component characterized by significantly more radiogenic strontium than that characteristic of the associated igneous rocks. However, the source of such a component was not identified in the Big Belt Mountains. Similarly, altered and mineralized rocks associated with the quartz monzodiorite of Mount Edith include a component characterized by significantly more radiogenic strontium and lead, particularly as defined by 207Pb/204Pb values. The source of this component appears to be fluids that equilibrated with proximal Newland Formation rocks. Oxygen isotope data for rocks of the intrusive suite of Boulder Baldy are similar to those of subduction-related magmatism that include mantle-derived components; oxygen isotope data for altered and mineralized equivalents are slightly lighter.

Field Integration of Worldview-3 as new Frontier of Mineral Exploration for Tropical Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahanta, P.; Maiti, S.

2017-12-01

Worldview-3 (WV-3) is a newly launched satellite program (2014) with total of 8 VNIR bands and 8 SWIR bands covering all possible absorption features of alteration minerals. Therefore integration of WV-3 dataset with conventional geological studies can be new frontier for mineral exploration. In the present study, we successfully accomplished that by identifying alteration mineral assemblage, field investigation, XRD, XRF and microscopic study etc. The chosen study area SPSZ, 120km long and 4-5km width corridor of highly sheared and deformed rock masses is unexplored in comparison to adjacent Singhbhum Shear Zone (SSZ). It demarcates the boundary between Proterozoic Chottanagpur Granite Gneissic Complex (CGGC) in north and Paleo proterozoic North Singhbhum Mobile belt (NSMB) in south. Discrete local studies indicated the presence of U, REE, Clay, Fe & Mn along with some Au and other polymetallic deposits of low concentration. Earlier attempts of remote sensing studies were hindered due to coarse spatial resolution, similarity between spectra of vegetation and alteration group of minerals like clay and mica, and lack of ground truthing with field spectra and laboratory analysis. Here involving WV-3, we identified and mapped alteration minerals kaolinite, montmorillonite, pyrophyllite, white mica, sericite, goethite, lemonite, hematite and quartz with better resolution and accuracy (78%). Further, field spectra and XRD analyses supports these results and confirm the presence of alterations. XRF analysis identified the presence of Cu (0.06±0.03), Ti (1.7±1), and V (0.03±0.02) anomaly pointing towards possible mineralization. Occurrences of alteration as vertically dipping and alternating with iron (red and black) and mica rich (white and gray) zones in hills as well as microscopic evidences of chloritization and sericitization of feldspars were collectively pointing towards their hydrothermal origin. Finally, we conclude that WV-3 will add a new direction to

Heterotopic mineralization (ossification or calcification) in tendinopathy or following surgical tendon trauma

PubMed Central

O'Brien, Etienne J O; Frank, Cyril B; Shrive, Nigel G; Hallgrímsson, Benedikt; Hart, David A

2012-01-01

Heterotopic tendon mineralization (ossification or calcification), which may be a feature of tendinopathy or which may develop following surgical trauma (repair or graft harvest), has not received much attention. The purpose of this article is to review the prevalence, mechanisms and consequences of heterotopic tendon mineralization and to identify the gaps in our current understanding. We focus on endochondral heterotopic ossification and draw on knowledge of the mechanisms of this process in other tissues and conditions. Finally, we introduce a novel murine Achilles tendon needle injury model, which will enable us to further study the mechanisms and biomechanical consequences of tendon mineralization. PMID:22974213

The Alaskan Mineral Resource Assessment Program; background information to accompany folio of geologic and mineral resource maps of the Circle quadrangle, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foster, Helen Laura; Menzie, W.D.; Cady, J.W.; Simpson, S.L.; Aleinikoff, J.N.; Wilson, Frederic H.; Tripp, R.B.

1987-01-01

overall gravity and local gravity lows over exposed granitic plutons. It is hypothesized that magnetic chlorite schist infolded with nonmagnetic quartzite and schist account for east-northeast-trending magnetic highs that approximately parallel the regional strike of the most prominent foliation in the metamorphic rocks. North of the Tintina fault zone, the Circle Volcanics are characterized by high gravity and east-west-trending magnetic highs. The Tintina fault zone has an intense magnetic high near the western margin of the Circle quadrangle overlying the magnetic granodiorite of the Victoria Mountain pluton. A magnetic high near Circle Hot Springs is less intense, but broader, and could reflect a buried magnetic pluton similar to that of the Victoria Mountain pluton. Computer-enhanced Landsat images of the Circle quadrangle show trends and patterns of concentrations of linear features. Features trending northeast-southwest predominate throughout the quadrangle; northwest-southeast-trending linear features are found mostly south of the Tintina fault zone. High concentrations of linear features were not found to correspond to areas of known mineralization in any consistent or significant way that could presently be used in locating areas of mineralization. Geochemical and mineralogical studies of stream sediment and heavy-mineral concentrates from the Circle quadrangle identify areas of anomalous concentrations of metallic elements, including gold, silver, tin, tungsten, lead, antimony, zinc, thorium, uranium, and beryllium. The data delineate areas of known mineral occurrences and areas that may contain undiscovered mineral resources. To date, placer gold has been the only significant metallic mineral resource from the Circle quadrangle, but the general geologic setting, especially the presence of post-orogenic plutons, is similar to that of regions that contain tin greisen deposits, tungsten skarn deposits, lode gold deposits in metasedimentary roc

Evaluation of trace mineral source and preharvest deletion of trace minerals from finishing diets on tissue mineral status in pigs

PubMed Central

Ma, Y. L.; Webb, S. F.; Rentfrow, G.

2018-01-01

Objective An experiment was conducted to evaluate dietary supplemental trace mineral source and deletion on mineral content in tissues. Methods Weanling crossbred pigs (n = 144; 72 barrows and 72 gilts; body weight [BW] = 7.4±1.05 kg) were used. A basal diet was prepared, and trace mineral premix containing either inorganic (ITM) or organic (OTM) trace minerals (Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) was added to the basal diet. Pigs were blocked by sex and BW and randomly allotted to 24 pens for a total of 6 pigs per pen, and fed a diet containing either ITM or OTM supplemented at the 1998 NRC requirement estimates for each of 5 BW phases (Phase I to V) from 7 to 120 kg. The trace mineral supplementation was deleted for 6, 4, 2, and 0 wk of Phase V; regarding nutrient adequacy during this phase, the indigenous dietary Fe and Mn was sufficient, Cu was marginal and Zn was deficient. Results At the end of Phase IV, Mn content (mg/kg on the dry matter basis) was greater (p<0.05) in heart (0.77 vs 0.68), kidney (6.32 vs 5.87), liver (9.46 vs 8.30), and longissimus dorsi (LD; 0.30 vs 0.23) of pigs fed OTM. The pigs fed OTM were greater (p<0.05) in LD Cu (2.12 vs 1.89) and Fe (21.75 vs 19.40) and metacarpal bone Zn (141.86 vs 130.05). At the end of Phase V, increased length of deletion period (from 0 to 6 wk) resulted in a decrease (linear, p<0.01) in liver Zn (196.5 to 121.8), metacarpal bone Zn (146.6 to 86.2) and an increase (linear, p<0.01) in heart Mn (0.70 to 1.08), liver Mn (7.74 to 12.96), and kidney Mn (5.58 to 7.56). The only mineral source by deletion period interaction (p<0.05) was observed in LD Zn. Conclusion The results demonstrated differential effects of mineral deletion on tissue mineral content depending on both mineral assessed and source of the mineral. PMID:28728408

Mineral resource potential map of the Sugarloaf Roadless Area, San Bernardino County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, Robert E.; Matti, Jonathan C.; Cox, Brett F.; Oliver, Howard W.; Wagini, Alexander; Campbell, Harry W.

1983-01-01

Geologic, geochemical, and geophysical investigations and a survey of mines and prospects indicate that the Sugaloaf Roadless Area contains subeconomic graphite and magnesian marble resources. Parts of the area have a low potential for the occurrence of additional low-grade graphite resources, but there is no potential for additional magnesian marble resources within the roadless area. Sand, gravel, and construction stone other than carbonate rocks are found in the roadless area, but similar or better quality materials are abundant and more accessible outside the area. The roadless area has no identified energy mineral resources, but parts of the area have a low to moderate potential for low-grade uranium resources. There are no identified metallic mineral resources within the area, and there is no evidence of a potential for the occurrence of such resources. No previously unknown mineral occurrence was located during this study.

PubMedMiner: Mining and Visualizing MeSH-based Associations in PubMed.

PubMed

Zhang, Yucan; Sarkar, Indra Neil; Chen, Elizabeth S

2014-01-01

The exponential growth of biomedical literature provides the opportunity to develop approaches for facilitating the identification of possible relationships between biomedical concepts. Indexing by Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) represent high-quality summaries of much of this literature that can be used to support hypothesis generation and knowledge discovery tasks using techniques such as association rule mining. Based on a survey of literature mining tools, a tool implemented using Ruby and R - PubMedMiner - was developed in this study for mining and visualizing MeSH-based associations for a set of MEDLINE articles. To demonstrate PubMedMiner's functionality, a case study was conducted that focused on identifying and comparing comorbidities for asthma in children and adults. Relative to the tools surveyed, the initial results suggest that PubMedMiner provides complementary functionality for summarizing and comparing topics as well as identifying potentially new knowledge.

Subarctic weathering of mineral wastes provides a sink for atmospheric CO(2).

PubMed

Wilson, Siobhan A; Dipple, Gregory M; Power, Ian M; Barker, Shaun L L; Fallon, Stewart J; Southam, Gordon

2011-09-15

The mineral waste from some mines has the capacity to trap and store CO(2) within secondary carbonate minerals via the process of silicate weathering. Nesquehonite [MgCO(3)·3H(2)O] forms by weathering of Mg-silicate minerals in kimberlitic mine tailings at the Diavik Diamond Mine, Northwest Territories, Canada. Less abundant Na- and Ca-carbonate minerals precipitate from sewage treatment effluent deposited in the tailings storage facility. Radiocarbon and stable carbon and oxygen isotopes are used to assess the ability of mine tailings to trap and store modern CO(2) within these minerals in the arid, subarctic climate at Diavik. Stable isotopic data cannot always uniquely identify the source of carbon stored within minerals in this setting; however, radiocarbon isotopic data provide a reliable quantitative estimate for sequestration of modern carbon. At least 89% of the carbon trapped within secondary carbonate minerals at Diavik is derived from a modern source, either by direct uptake of atmospheric CO(2) or indirect uptake though the biosphere. Silicate weathering at Diavik is trapping 102-114 g C/m(2)/y within nesquehonite, which corresponds to a 2 orders of magnitude increase over the background rate of CO(2) uptake predicted from arctic and subarctic river catchment data.

Mineral Levels in Thalassaemia Major Patients Using Different Iron Chelators.

PubMed

Genc, Gizem Esra; Ozturk, Zeynep; Gumuslu, Saadet; Kupesiz, Alphan

2016-03-01

The goal of the present study was to determine the levels of minerals in chronically transfused thalassaemic patients living in Antalya, Turkey and to determine mineral levels in groups using different iron chelators. Three iron chelators deferoxamine, deferiprone and deferasirox have been used to remove iron from patients' tissues. There were contradictory results in the literature about minerals including selenium, zinc, copper, and magnesium in thalassaemia major patients. Blood samples from the 60 thalassaemia major patients (the deferoxamine group, n = 19; the deferiprone group, n = 20 and the deferasirox group, n = 21) and the controls (n = 20) were collected. Levels of selenium, zinc, copper, magnesium, and iron were measured, and all of them except iron showed no significant difference between the controls and the patients regardless of chelator type. Serum copper levels in the deferasirox group were lower than those in the control and deferoxamine groups, and serum magnesium levels in the deferasirox group were higher than those in the control, deferoxamine and deferiprone groups. Iron levels in the patient groups were higher than those in the control group, and iron levels showed a significant correlation with selenium and magnesium levels. Different values of minerals in thalassaemia major patients may be the result of different dietary intake, chelator type, or regional differences in where patients live. That is why minerals may be measured in thalassaemia major patients at intervals, and deficient minerals should be replaced. Being careful about levels of copper and magnesium in thalassaemia major patients using deferasirox seems to be beneficial.

Aerobic mineralization of MTBE and tert-butyl alcohol by stream-bed sediment microorganisms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradley, P.M.; Landmeyer, J.E.; Chapelle, F.H.

1999-01-01

Microorganisms indigenous to the stream-bed sediments at two gasoline- contaminated groundwater sites demonstrated significant mineralization of the fuel oxygenates, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). Up to 73% of [U-14C]-MTBE and 84% of [U-14C]-TBA were degraded to 14CO2 under mixed aerobic/anaerobic conditions. No significant mineralization was observed under strictly anaerobic conditions. The results indicate that, under the mixed aerobic/anaerobic conditions characteristic of stream-bed sediments, microbial processes may provide a significant environmental sink for MTBE and TBA delivered to surface water bodies by contaminated groundwater or by other sources.Microorganisms indigenous to the stream-bed sediments at two gasoline-contaminated groundwater sites demonstrated significant mineralization of the fuel oxygenates, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). Up to 73% of [U-14C]-MTBE and 84% of [U-14C]-TBA were degraded to 14CO2 under mixed aerobic/anaerobic conditions. No significant mineralization was observed under strictly anaerobic conditions. The results indicate that, under the mixed aerobic/anaerobic conditions characteristic of stream-bed sediments, microbial processes may provide a significant environmental sink for MTBE and TBA delivered to surface water bodies by contaminated groundwater or by other sources.

Using MicroFTIR to Map Mineral Distributions in Serpentinizing Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, A.; Kubo, M. D.; Cardace, D.

2016-12-01

Serpentinization, the water-rock reaction forming serpentine mineral assemblages from ultramafic precursors, can co-occur with the production of hydrogen, methane, and diverse organic compounds (McCollom and Seewald, 2013), evolving water appropriate for carbonate precipitation, including in ophiolite groundwater flow systems and travertine-producing seeps/springs. Serpentinization is regarded as a geologic process important to the sustainability of the deep biosphere (Schrenk et al., 2013) and the origin of life (Schulte et al., 2006). In this study, we manually polished wafers of ultramafic rocks/associated minerals (serpentinite, peridotite, pyroxenite, dunite; olivine, diopside, serpentine, magnetite), and travertine/constituent minerals (carbonate crusts; calcite, dolomite), and observed mineral boundaries and interfaces using µFTIR analysis in reflection mode. We used a Thermo Nicolet iS50 FTIR spectrometer coupled with a Continuum IR microscope to map minerals/boundaries. We identify, confirm, and document FTIR wavenumber regions linked to serpentinite- and travertine-associated minerals by referencing IR spectra (RRUFF) and aligning with x-ray diffraction. The ultramafic and carbonate samples are from the following field localities: McLaughlin Natural Reserve - a UC research reserve, Lower Lake, CA; Zambales, PH; Ontario, CA; Yellow Dog, MI; Taskesti, TK; Twin Sisters Range, WA; Sharon, MA; Klamath Mountains, CA; Dun Mountain, NZ; and Sussex County, NJ. Our goals are to provide comprehensive µFTIR characterization of mineral profiles important in serpentinites and related rocks, and evaluate the resolving power of µFTIR for the detection of mineral-encapsulated, residual organic compounds from biological activity. We report on µFTIR data for naturally occurring ultramafics and travertines and also estimate the limit of detection for cell membrane components in mineral matrices, impregnating increasing mass proportions of xanthan gum in a peridotite sand

Fungal biomineralization of montmorillonite and goethite to short-range-ordered minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Huan; Hu, Shuijin; Polizzotto, Matthew L.; Chang, Xiaoli; Shen, Qirong; Ran, Wei; Yu, Guanghui

2016-10-01

Highly reactive nano-scale minerals, e.g., short-range-ordered minerals (SROs) and other nanoparticles, play an important role in soil carbon (C) retention. Yet, the mechanisms that govern biomineralization from bulk minerals to highly reactive nano-scale minerals remain largely unexplored, which critically hinders our efforts toward managing nano-scale minerals for soil C retention. Here we report the results from a study that explores structural changes during Aspergillus fumigatus Z5 transformation of montmorillonite and goethite to SROs. We examined the morphology and structure of nano-scale minerals, using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, time-resolved solid-state 27Al and 29Si NMR, and Fe K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy combined with two dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D COS) analysis. Our results showed that after a 48-h cultivation of montmorillonite and goethite with Z5, new biogenic intracellular and extracellular reactive nano-scale minerals with a size of 3-5 nm became abundant. Analysis of 2D COS further suggested that montmorillonite and goethite were the precursors of the dominant biogenic nano-scale minerals. Carbon 1s near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra and their deconvolution results demonstrated that during fungus Z5 growth, carboxylic C (288.4-289.1 eV) was the dominant organic group, accounting for approximately 34% and 59% in the medium and aggregates, respectively. This result suggested that high percentage of the production of organic acids during the growth of Z5 was the driving factor for structural changes during biomineralization. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of the structural characterization of nano-scale minerals by 2D COS, highlighting its potential to elucidate biomineralization pathways and thus identify the precursors of nano-scale minerals.

Modern Trends of Additional Professional Education Development for Mineral Resource Extracting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borisova, Olga; Frolova, Victoria; Merzlikina, Elena

2017-11-01

The article contains the results of development of additional professional education research, including the field of mineral resource extracting in Russia. The paper describes the levels of education received in Russian Federation and determines the place and role of additional professional education among them. Key factors influencing the development of additional professional education are identified. As a result of the research, the authors proved the necessity of introducing additional professional education programs on educational Internet platforms for mineral resource extracting.

Mineralization dynamics in soil fertilized with seaweed-fish waste compost.

PubMed

Illera-Vives, Marta; López-Fabal, Adolfo; López-Mosquera, M Elvira; Ribeiro, Henrique M

2015-12-01

Seaweed and fish waste can be composted together to obtain fertilizer with high organic matter and nutrient contents. The nutrients, however, are mostly in organic form and must be mineralized to make them available to plants. The objective of this work was to establish a usage guideline for the compost by studying its mineralization dynamics. Also, the release of inorganic N and C from soil fertilized with the compost was monitored and modelled. C and N were released throughout the assay, to an extent significantly dependent on fertilizer rate. Mineralization of both elements fitted a first-order exponential model, and each fertilizer rate required using a specific fitting model. An increased rate favoured mineralization (especially of carbon). After 90 days, 2.3% of C and 7.7% of N were mineralized (and 23.3% of total nitrogen made plant available) with the higher rate. C mineralization was slow because organic matter in the compost was very stable. On the other hand, the relatively high initial content in mineral N of the compost increased gradually by the effect of mineralization. The amount of N available would suffice to meet the requirements of moderately demanding crops at the lower fertilizer rate, and even those of more demanding crops at the higher rate. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Inorganic, organic, and encapsulated minerals in vegetable meal based diets for Sparus aurata (Linnaeus, 1758)

PubMed Central

Rimoldi, Simona; Robaina, Lidia E.; Torrecillas, Silvia; Terova, Genciana; Zamorano, María J.; Karalazos, Vasileios; Hamre, Kristin; Izquierdo, Marisol

2017-01-01

Substituting fishmeal (FM) with vegetable meal (VM) can markedly affect the mineral composition of feeds, and may require additional mineral supplementation. Their bioavailability and optimal supplementation levels depend also on the form of delivery of minerals. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of different delivery forms of three major trace elements (Zn, Mn and Se) in a marine teleost. Gilthead sea bream juveniles of 22.5 g were fed a VM-based diet for 12 weeks that was either not supplemented with these minerals or supplemented with inorganic, organic, or encapsulated inorganic forms of minerals in triplicate and compared to a FM-based diet. Our results showed that mineral delivery form significantly affected the biochemical composition and morphology of posterior vertebrae. Supplementation of VM-based diets with inorganic forms of the target minerals significantly promoted growth, increased the vertebral weight and content of ash and Zn, enhanced bone mineralization and affected the vertebral shape. Conversely, encapsulation of inorganic minerals reduced fish growth and vertebral mineral content, whereas supplementation of organic minerals, enhanced bone osteogenesis by upregulating bone morphogenetic protein 2 (bmp2) gene and produced vertebrae with a larger length in relation to height. Furthermore, organic mineral forms of delivery downregulated the expression of oxidative stress related genes, such as Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn sod) and glutathione peroxidase 1 (gpx-1), suggesting thus that dietary minerals supplemented in the organic form could be reasonably considered more effective than the inorganic and encapsulated forms of supply. PMID:29093992

Bio-mineralization and potential biogeochemical processes in bauxite deposits: genetic and ore quality significance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laskou, Magdalini; Economou-Eliopoulos, Maria

2013-08-01

The Parnassos-Ghiona bauxite deposit in Greece of karst type is the 11th largest bauxite producer in the world. The mineralogical, major and trace-element contents and δ18O, δ12C, δ34S isotopic compositions of bauxite ores from this deposit and associated limestone provide valuable evidence for their origin and biogeochemical processes resulting in the beneficiation of low grade bauxite ores. The organic matter as thin coal layers, overlying the bauxite deposits, within limestone itself (negative δ12C isotopic values) and the negative δ34S values in sulfides within bauxite ores point to the existence of the appropriate circumstances for Fe bio-leaching and bio-mineralization. Furthermore, a consortium of microorganisms of varying morphological forms (filament-like and spherical to lenticular at an average size of 2 μm), either as fossils or presently living and producing enzymes, is a powerful factor to catalyze the redox reactions, expedite the rates of metal extraction and provide alternative pathways for metal leaching processes resulting in the beneficiation of bauxite ore.

Mineral resources of the Gila Lower Box Wilderness Study Area, Grant and Hidalgo counties, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Richter, D.H.; Lawrence, V.A.; Barton, H.

1988-01-01

The US Bureau of Mines and the US Geological Survey conducted a joint investigate to appraise the identified resources and to assess the potential for undiscovered resources of the Gila Lower Box Wilderness Study Area, southwestern New Mexico. Identified resources of manganese occur within 0.25 mi of the study area boundary, but none are known within the study area. The eastern part of the study area has a high mineral resource potential for manganese, and the western part has a moderate mineral resource potential for manganese. The entire study area has a low mineral and energy resource potential for othermore » metals, gemstone, geothermal energy, oil and gas.« less

Assessment of CO2 Mineralization and Dynamic Rock Properties at the Kemper Pilot CO2 Injection Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, F.; Kirkland, B. L.; Beckingham, L. E.

2017-12-01

CO2-brine-mineral reactions following CO2 injection may impact rock properties including porosity, permeability, and pore connectivity. The rate and extent of alteration largely depends on the nature and evolution of reactive mineral interfaces. In this work, the potential for geochemical reactions and the nature of the reactive mineral interface and corresponding hydrologic properties are evaluated for samples from the Lower Tuscaloosa, Washita-Fredericksburg, and Paluxy formations. These formations have been identified as future regionally extensive and attractive CO2 storage reservoirs at the CO2 Storage Complex in Kemper County, Mississippi, USA (Project ECO2S). Samples from these formations were obtained from the Geological Survey of Alabama and evaluated using a suite of complementary analyses. The mineral composition of these samples will be determined using petrography and powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Using these compositions, continuum-scale reactive transport simulations will be developed and the potential CO2-brine-mineral interactions will be examined. Simulations will focus on identifying potential reactive minerals as well as the corresponding rate and extent of reactions. The spatial distribution and accessibility of minerals to reactive fluids is critical to understanding mineral reaction rates and corresponding changes in the pore structure, including pore connectivity, porosity and permeability. The nature of the pore-mineral interface, and distribution of reactive minerals, will be determined through imaging analysis. Multiple 2D scanning electron microscopy (SEM) backscattered electron (BSE) images and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) images will be used to create spatial maps of mineral distributions. These maps will be processed to evaluate the accessibility of reactive minerals and the potential for flow-path modifications following CO2 injection. The "Establishing an Early CO2 Storage Complex in Kemper, MS" project is funded by

Laboratory manual: mineral X-ray diffraction data retrieval/plot computer program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hauff, Phoebe L.; VanTrump, George

1976-01-01

The Mineral X-Ray Diffraction Data Retrieval/Plot Computer Program--XRDPLT (VanTrump and Hauff, 1976a) is used to retrieve and plot mineral X-ray diffraction data. The program operates on a file of mineral powder diffraction data (VanTrump and Hauff, 1976b) which contains two-theta or 'd' values, and intensities, chemical formula, mineral name, identification number, and mineral group code. XRDPLT is a machine-independent Fortran program which operates in time-sharing mode on a DEC System i0 computer and the Gerber plotter (Evenden, 1974). The program prompts the user to respond from a time-sharing terminal in a conversational format with the required input information. The program offers two major options: retrieval only; retrieval and plot. The first option retrieves mineral names, formulas, and groups from the file by identification number, by the mineral group code (a classification by chemistry or structure), or by searches based on the formula components. For example, it enables the user to search for minerals by major groups (i.e., feldspars, micas, amphiboles, oxides, phosphates, carbonates) by elemental composition (i.e., Fe, Cu, AI, Zn), or by a combination of these (i.e., all copper-bearing arsenates). The second option retrieves as the first, but also plots the retrieved 2-theta and intensity values as diagrammatic X-ray powder patterns on mylar sheets or overlays. These plots can be made using scale combinations compatible with chart recorder diffractograms and 114.59 mm powder camera films. The overlays are then used to separate or sieve out unrelated minerals until unknowns are matched and identified.