scholarly journals How Do Observable Characteristics of Post-Mining Forests Affect Their Attractiveness for Recreation?

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 910
Author(s):  
Markéta Braun Kohlová ◽  
Petra Nepožitková ◽  
Jan Melichar
Keyword(s):  
Mining District ◽  
Perceived Safety ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
After Care ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Lower Permeability ◽  
Successional Forests ◽  
Respective Type ◽  
And Control

Afforestation is a popular practice of the recovery of landscape affected by open-cast coal mining. We investigated what impact the observable characteristics of restored forests have on their attractiveness for recreation framed as a one hour walk in a respective type of forest. In this study, we elaborate on some of the observable characteristics which have been previously found in the literature to affect the perceived attractiveness of outdoor environments. Environmental preference data were collected online using a quasi-representative sample of affected and control populations of the Czech Republic (N = 869). The questionnaire employed visual representations of typical reclaimed forest sites on spoil heaps in the Sokolov mining district. A mediation analysis revealed that forests growing in post-mining areas are perceived more negatively than the typical commercial spruce forest due to their lower permeability, lower level of stewardship, and perceived low safety. However, there are differences in observed characteristics also between different types of restored forests, even when controlling the effect of forest age. The results show for forestry practice that while some of the observed characteristics change by themselves with the increasing age of the forest (permeability, perceived safety, and naturalness of successional forests), improvement in others requires targeted after-care (perceived stewardship). In any case, our results are promising in that they imply that the recreational value of restored forests in post-mining areas may further increase in the future.

Innovative Design of Indoor-Outdoor Powerchair

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Violet Cunningham ◽  
Alexander Tilton ◽  
Dylon Maertens ◽  
Shawn Duan
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Load ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Battery Life ◽  
Linear Actuator ◽  
Time Restrictions ◽  
Failure Theory ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Turning Radius ◽  
Available Technology ◽  
And Control

Abstract People with disabilities often struggle with mobility issues, so there is a strong desire for devices such as powerchairs, which can provide more freedom. Currently, wheelchair demand in the US is increasing due to an upsurge in the elderly population. Often electric powerchairs suitable for outdoor use are extremely expensive, cannot be used indoors, and are not covered by medical insurance. In this project, these problems are addressed through the design of a chair which is suitable for both rough outdoor terrain and indoor use. This project is based on a request for a powerchair which our client’s son, who has cerebral palsy, can use on family trips in outdoor environments including grass, gravel, and sand. A photo of a previous nonfunctional prototype was provided to the team as a reference, and a full redesign was performed to resolve the problems identified. Before proceeding with the design, various sources were consulted to gain a thorough understanding of currently available technology and design methods. Many different adjustment methods and features were considered, including an adjustable frame, tracks, and a lifting system for curb mounting. The overall design selected is a welded sheet metal frame with wheels, and it was determined that the chair should have an adjustable wheelbase width to provide both outdoor stability and indoor maneuverability. Key considerations for the design include battery life, motor torque, maximum load, seat size, door width, and cost. The final specifications are based on the needs of the client, Kevin Sample, as well as an analysis of the wider consumer market. The width adjustment design uses an axle above the driving wheels, which are connected to it by sliding sleeves. Automatic adjustment is accomplished using a linear actuator. The drive wheels are large and run at low pressure to surmount obstacles and damp vibrations. Differential steering combined with rear caster wheels gives the chair a small turning radius, and its length is comparable to that of standard manual wheelchairs. The seat can be easily removed to access the battery and control system or to load the chair into a vehicle. A joystick is used to control the speed and direction of the chair, while a separate momentary switch is used for the linear actuator. Throughout the modeling process, stress analysis was performed using simulations in Inventor. Any necessary adjustments were made to ensure that none of the parts will fail, considering both failure theory and fatigue. Various grades of aluminum were selected for the majority of the manufactured parts, due to their corrosion resistance and light weight. The device is currently in the prototype manufacturing stage. If it is later marketed, a curb mounting device may also be included; this was decided against mainly due to cost and time restrictions. Space has also been left for a carrying basket, which will likely be added to the first prototype. The initial goal is to produce a single chair for our client, although the design may later be submitted for Medicare and ADA approval.

scholarly journals Analysis of Modular Stator PMSM Manufactured Using Oriented Steel

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (20) ◽  
pp. 6583
Author(s):  
Anmol Aggarwal ◽  
Matthew Meier ◽  
Elias Strangas ◽  
John Agapiou
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Properties ◽  
Interpolation Method ◽  
Core Loss ◽  
Rolling Direction ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Machine Performance ◽  
Core Losses ◽  
Lower Permeability ◽  
Improved Model ◽  
And Control

Oriented steel has higher permeability and lower losses in the direction of orientation (the rolling direction) than non-oriented steel. However, in the transverse direction, oriented steel typically has lower permeability and higher losses. The strategic use of oriented steel in a modular Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine (PMSM) stator can improve machine performance, particularly when compared to a machine designed with non-oriented steel, by increasing both torque and efficiency. Typically, steel manufacturers provide magnetic properties only in the rolling and transverse directions. Furthermore, in modern Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software, the magnetic properties between the rolling and transverse directions are interpolated using an intrinsic mathematical model. However, this interpolation method has proven to be inaccurate; to resolve this issue, an improved model was proposed in the literature. This model requires the magnetic properties of the oriented steel in between the rolling and transverse directions. Therefore, a procedure for extracting the magnetic properties of oriented steel is required. The objective of this work is to propose a method of determining the magnetic properties of oriented steel beyond just the oriented and transverse directions. In this method, flux-injecting probes, also known as sensors, are used to inject and control the flux density in an oriented steel segmented stator in order to extract the properties of the oriented steel. These extracted properties are then used to model an oriented steel modular stator PMSM. The machine’s average torque and core losses are compared with conventional, non-modular, non-oriented steel stator PMSM, and modular, non-oriented steel stator PMSM. It is shown that both the average torque and the core loss of the oriented steel modular stator PMSM have better performance at the selected number of segments than either of the two non-oriented steel stators.

scholarly journals Identifying The Key Variables for Assessing The Reclamation Success on Early Growth Vegetation in Ex-exploration of Oil and Gas Mining Areas

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 222-232
Author(s):  
T Negara ◽  
◽  
C Kusmana ◽  
I Mansur ◽  
N A Santi
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Chloride Content ◽  
Biological Indicator ◽  
Cophenetic Correlation ◽  
Error Matrix ◽  
Variance Matrix ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Vector Difference ◽  
Key Indicators

This paper examines the identification of key indicators that could be used to measure the success of reclamation plants in post-exploration oil and gas mining areas. The main objective of this research was to find key indicators or variables for evaluating the level success of reclamation results in the post-mining of oil and gas area. In this study, 44 environmental variables of the physical, biological, soil, water and air indicators were analyzed from 70 field plots of 6 reclamation and 2 natural forest sites. The analysis methods included (1) cluster analysis using the Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering method with the Ward's method, and (2) quadratic discriminant analysis. The results of the clustering analysis showed that there were some clusters due to variation of biomass, water, soil and air conditions. The three clusters developed based on water and/or air variables provided high cophenetic correlation (0.80) with low within-cluster (14.5%) and high between-cluster variations (85.5%). Based on the multicollinearity analysis, average vector difference test, variance matrix variance test, unidimensional test of each variable and quadratic discriminant function, this study found that there were 3 key indicators determining variations of the quality of the reclamation plantations within the study sites, namely, biological indicator of biomass volume (Bio_B); soil indicator of P content in the soil (Tnh_P), saturation base of soil (Tnh_Kb), Manganese (Mn) content in the soil (Tnh_Mn), Sulfur content in the soil (Tnh_S), percentage of ash in the soil (Tnh_Ab), percentage of clay in the soil (Tnh_Li), and water indicator of chloride content in the surface water (Air_Cl). The examination on four classes of the reclamation quality showed that the classes were successfully classified having excellent cross-validation error matrix with overall accuracy more than 90%.

scholarly journals Metagenomic Analysis of the Virome in Lung Tissues and Guts of Wild Mice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai chang Yin ◽  
Hong yan Chen ◽  
Li li Zhao ◽  
Tao feng Lu
Keyword(s):  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Dna Virus ◽  
Wild Mice ◽  
Animal Pathogens ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
And Control ◽  
Old Mice ◽  
Insect Viruses

Abstract Background Mice, as host animals of a variety of pathogens, can spread 60 kinds of human diseases including more than ten families of viruses including Poxviridae, Herpesviridae, and so on. Methods In this study, lung tissues and gut samples of 7-week-old mice from outdoor environments were sequenced using metagenomics, and an abundance of virome information was acquired. Results A total of 82 families of mammalian viruses, plant viruses, insect viruses, and phages were detected. Among the top 10 most abundant families were the RNA viruses Orthomyxoviridae, Picornaviridae, Bunyaviridae, and Arenaviridae, the DNA virus Herpesviridae, the insect viruses Nodaviridae and Baculoviridae, the plant virus Tombusviridae, and the phage Myoviridae. Except for Myoviridae, whose abundance in guts was higher than in lung tissues, the abundance of viruses in the lung tissues and guts showed no significant difference. Conclusions The data obtained in this study provided an overview of the viral community present in these mice samples, revealing some mouse-associated viruses closely related to known human or animal pathogens. Strengthening our understanding of unclassified viruses in mice in the natural environment could provide scientific guidance for the prevention and control of new viral outbreaks that can spread via rodents.

scholarly journals Alto da Cerca (Valpaços, Portugal): um assentamento militar romano na Serra da Padrela e sua relação com o distrito mineiro de Tresminas

2016 ◽  
pp. 39-58
Author(s):  
João Fonte ◽  
José Manuel Costa-García
Keyword(s):  
Mining District ◽  
Eastern Slope ◽  
Roman Army ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Administrative Planning ◽  
Territorial Organization ◽  
Roman Military ◽  
Roman Mining

Pretendemos com este trabalho dar a conhecer um possível assentamento militar romano localizado na vertente Oriental da serra da Padrela: o Alto da Cerca (Valpaços, Portugal). O uso de uma metodologia não-invasiva permitiunos caracterizar arqueologicamente este sítio e diferenciá-lo em relação à rede de povoamento local. Tendo em consideração que o exército romano estaria directamente envolvido em tarefas de controlo e proteção das zonas mineiras, mas também com questões logísticas e técnico-administrativas de planificação, administração e organização territorial, procuramos contextualizar este assentamento em relação ao distrito mineiro romano de Tresminas. Alto da Cerca (Valpaços, Portugal): a Roman military settlement in the Padrela Mountain and its relation to the mining district of Tresminas - In this work, we study a possible Roman military settlement located on the eastern slope of the Padrela Mountain, named Alto da Cerca (Valpaços, Portugal). The use of a non-invasive methodology allowed us to characterise the site archaeologically and to differentiate it in relation to the local settlement network. Considering that the Roman army was directly involved in control tasks and protection of mining areas, but also in logistical issues and technical and administrative planning, as well as administration and territorial organization, we seek to contextualize the settlement in relation to the Roman mining district of Tresminas.

scholarly journals Assessment of mining soil improvement after construction and demolition wastes amendment additions evaluated by microbiological analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-228
Keyword(s):  
Soil Improvement ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Mining District ◽  
Microbiological Analysis ◽  
Toxic Heavy Metals ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Organism Growth ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
Mining Soils

Major environmental problems in metallic mining areas come from the hazard of metal pollution of surrounding areas. Therefore, an appropriated management of these soils is necessary for minimizing the associated risks. Some properties of mining soils, such as elevated metal concentrations, pH and shortage of essential nutrients make them a poor medium for organism growth. Therefore, in order to make a stabilization of these mining areas, it is necessary to solve previously some adverse physical and chemical soil factors mainly associated to toxic heavy metals and soil structure. Thus, some wastes such as carbonate, demolition wastes and sewage sludge, were added to soils to provide the needed conditions for improving soil conditions. The aim of this research was to assess the soil evolution after amendments addition in a research area placed in the Cartagena-La Unión Mining District, SE Spain. This assessment was carried out by means of microbial community evolution and variation as an indicator of soil changes. Mining soils showed, in general, low numbers of microorganisms, and significant increases in microbial populations were observed after soil treatment.

scholarly journals MEASURING THE PERCEPTION OF SAFETY AMONG TAIWAN CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Tong Chen ◽  
Chun Sheng Lu ◽  
Shu-Shun Liu ◽  
Min-Shun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Human Error ◽  
Public Works ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Perceived Safety ◽  
Perception Of Safety ◽  
The Social ◽  
Construction Accidents ◽  
And Control ◽  
And Training

Using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), this study develops a model to evaluate construction managers’ perception of safety as relates to six aspects: human error (HE), safety resource and application (SRA), safety equipment and training (SET), site culture and external factors (SCF), safety inspection and audit (SIA), and accident medium and activities (AMA). The model was used to identify and compare the level of safety perceived by Taiwanese construction managers including safety managers, contractor managers, public works managers, design and audit managers, owner audit and control managers, and others. Analysis reveals that safety managers have the highest perception of safety while owner audit and control managers have the lowest. Surprisingly, public works managers and design and audit managers have lower levels of perceived safety than do contractor managers. Apparently, reinforcing the perception of safety between these two types of construction personnel is important to reducing construction accidents in Taiwan.

scholarly journals Competitive Inhibitory Effect of Calcium Polypeptides on Cd Enrichment of Brassia campestris L.

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (22) ◽  
pp. 4472
Author(s):  
Hongbing Chen ◽  
Fangfang Shu ◽  
Sheng Yang ◽  
Yadong Li ◽  
Shilin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Inhibition ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Control ◽  
Fertilizer Effect

Most cadmium-polluted farmland and land surrounding mining areas are difficult to repair and control, seriously threatening the food safety of the crops planted in these regions. As an essential element for plant growth, calcium plays an important role in stress-resistance regulation. In this study, Brassia campestris L. was used as the experimental material and polluted soil with cadmium was used as the experimental soil sample, to explore the competition inhibition of calcium polypeptide application on the absorption of Cd2+ by Brassia campestris L. in the growth process, as well as the effect of calcium application on the growth. Results showed that the application of calcium polypeptides significantly promoted the growth of Brassia campestris L. Calcium polypeptides could be used as high-quality fertilizer, alleviating the effect of Cd2+ stress on the growth of Brassia campestris L., and promoting the absorption of K+, Ca2+, and other nutrients by Brassia campestris L. Under different calcium polypeptide application conditions, the effective state of Cd2+ in the soil showed less significant difference, indicating that the calcium polypeptide had weak or limited passivation effects on Cd2+. There was a significantly negative correlation between Cd concentration in Brassia campestris L. and calcium application (r = −0.99, p < 0.01) when calcium polypeptide was over-applied, which indicates that the inhibition effect of Cd2+ absorption on Brassia campestris L. is mainly through competitive inhibition rather than passivation. The results showed that calcium polypeptide has dual functions on the competitive inhibition of heavy metals and a good fertilizer effect, providing a new technology for in situ remediation of heavy-metal pollution, and a new approach for the treatment of cadmium-contaminated farmland and surrounding mining land.

Toxic Heavy Metals in Vegetables and Forage Grasses in Missouri’s Lead Belt

1973 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 994-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delbert D Hemphill ◽  
Carl J Marienfeld ◽  
Ravula S Reddy ◽  
Walter D Heidlage ◽  
James O Pierce
Keyword(s):  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Toxic Metal ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Mining Area ◽  
Forage Grasses ◽  
Toxic Heavy Metals ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Radish Root ◽  
And Control

Abstract Missouri supplies approximately 75% of the U.S. production of lead. Lead poisoning of horses in the vicinity of one smelter alarmed local residents about the possible hazards of consuming their fruits and vegetables. County Extension Directors selected cooperators in 7 counties in the lead mining and smelting area and 3 “control” counties in N.C. Missouri to grow lettuce, radishes, and greenbeans for toxic metal analysis. Seed and cultural instructions were furnished all cooperators. All samples were washed in distilled water. Atomic absorption analyses detected the following maximum levels of Pb in μg/g dry weight: lettuce leaf 1324, radish root 518, and greenbean pods 136. Cd levels in μg/g dry weight were as follows: lettuce leaf 34.5, radish root 13.7, and greenbean pods 8.5. Vegetables from control counties contained markedly lower levels of Pb and Cd. Only one smelter is located in the new mining area and considerable Pb ore (essentially powdered PbS) is transported by rail or truck to smelters in older mining areas of S.E. Missouri. Forage grasses (Festuca arundinacea and Tridens flavus) were collected along ore truck and control routes. Maximum levels of Pb (4350 μg/g dry weight, unwashed) and Cd (4.32 μg/g) were detected in samples along highway rights-of-way of ore truck routes. Considerably lower levels were detected along control routes.

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