Adapting to climate risks and extreme weather: guide for mining - minerals industry professionals

AbstractExtreme weather events in Australia over recent years have highlighted the costs for Australian mining and mineral processing operations of being under-prepared for adapting to climate risk. For example, the 2010/2011 Queensland floods closed or restricted production of about forty out of Queensland’s fifty coal mines costing more than $2 billion in lost production.Whilst mining and mineral professionals have experience with risk management and managing workplace health and safety, changes to patterns of extreme weather events and future climate impacts are unpredictable. Responding to these challenges requires planning and preparation for events that many people have never experienced before. With increasing investor and public concern for the impact of such events, this guide is aimed at assisting a wide range of mining and mineral industry professionals to incorporate planning and management of extreme weather events and impacts from climate change into pre-development, development and construction, mining and processing operations and post-mining phases. The guide should be read in conjunction with the research  final report which describes the research process for developing the guide and reflects on challenges and lessons for adaptation research from the project.The Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) led the development of the guide with input from the Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, University of Queensland and a Steering Committee from the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy’s Sustainability Committee and individual AusIMM members, who volunteered their time and experience. As the situation of every mining and mineral production operation is going to be different, this guide has been designed to provide general information about the nature of extreme weather events, and some specific examples of how unexpectedly severe flooding, storm, drought, high temperature and bushfire events have affected mining and mineral processing operations. A number of case studies used throughout the guide also illustrate the ways forward thinking operations have tackled dramatically changing climatic conditions.Each section of the guide outlines a range of direct and indirect impacts from a different type of extreme weather, and provides a starting point for identifying potential risks and adaptation options that can be applied in different situations. The impacts and adaptation sections provide guidance on putting the key steps into practice by detailing specific case examples of leading practice and how a risk management approach can be linked to adaptive planning. More information about specific aspects of extreme weather, planning and preparation for the risks presented by these events, and tools for undertaking climate related adaptation is provided in the ‘Additional Resources’ section

The Effect of Cell Size and Surface Roughness on the Compressive Properties of ABS Lattice Structures Fabricated by Fused Deposition Modeling

Researchers looking to improve the surface roughness of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) parts fabricated by fused deposition modeling (FDM) have determined that acetone smoothing not only achieves improved surface roughness but increases compressive strength as well. However, the sensitivity of ABS parts to acetone smoothing has not been explored. In this study we investigated FDM-fabricated ABS lattice structures of various cell sizes subjected to cold acetone vapor smoothing to determine the combined effect of cell size and acetone smoothing on the compressive properties of the lattice structures. The acetone-smoothed specimens performed better than the as-built specimens in both compression modulus and maximum load, and there was a decrease in those compressive properties with decreasing cell size. The difference between as-built and acetone-smoothed specimens was found to increase with decreasing cell size for the maximum load

Accuracy and Applicability of Resting Metabolic Rate Prediction Equations Differ for Women Across the Lifespan

Background: Nutrition clinicians need accurate and reliable resting metabolic rate (RMR) assessments to determine energy needs and an appropriate nutrition care plan. Material/Methods: This cross-sectional study compared the accuracy of eight RMR prediction equations (Harris-Benedict, Robertson and Reid, Cunningham 1980, FAO/WHO/UNU, Owen, Mifflin-St. Jeor, Cunningham 1991, and Nelson) to measured RMR by indirect calorimetry among young (n=57; age: 25±3 years), midlife (n=57; age: 44±3 years), and older (n=46; age: 68±5 years) women. Paired t-tests examined differences between predicted and measured RMR. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS (version 21), with significance defined as p<0.05. Bland-Altman plots displayed prediction bias and agreement. Prediction accuracy was defined when predicted RMR was ±10% of measured RMR. Serum thyroid stimulating hormone and follicle stimulating hormone concentrations were measured to assess thyroid function and ovarian reserve, respectively. Results: The difference between predicted and measured RMR ranged from +0.6% (Owen) to +17.7% (Cunningham 1980) for the young, -2.8% (Nelson) to +18.1% (Cunningham 1980) midlife, and +2.8 (Nelson) to +26.7% (Cunningham 1980) older women. For the young women, only the Owen equation predicted RMR similar to measured RMR (p=0.905). For the older women, only the Nelson equation predicted RMR similar to measured RMR (p=0.051). All estimates using prediction equations were significantly different from measured values for midlife women. Conclusion: Many RMR prediction equations have limited applicability for women at difference stages of the lifespan, thus impacting patient outcomes. Additional research is necessary to determine the appropriateness of RMR prediction equations among women of all ages

Mineral futures discussion paper: Sustainability issues, challenges and opportunities.

Minerals and metals will continue to play an important role in underpinning the future prosperity of our society. However, to confront the challenge of sustainability, the way in which resources are currently used, and might usefully be used in future, merits serious and broad discussion. This paper explores the background issues relating to mineral futures as a first step in the three-year research program of the Mineral Futures Collaboration Cluster – a collaborative program between the Australian CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation); The University of Queensland; The University of Technology, Sydney; Curtin University of Technology; CQ University; and The Australian National University

A systematic review of quality of life of adults on the autism spectrum

Autism spectrum disorder is associated with co-existing conditions that may adversely affect an individual’s quality of life. No systematic review of quality of life of adults on the autism spectrum has been conducted. Our objectives were as follows: (1) review the evidence about quality of life for adults on the autism spectrum; (2) critically appraise current practice in assessing quality of life of adults on the autism spectrum. We searched bibliographic databases and other literature to identify studies using a direct measure of quality of life of adults on the autism spectrum. Hand searching of reference lists, citation searching and personal communication with field experts were also undertaken. In total, 827 studies were identified; 14 were included. Only one quality of life measure designed for use with the general autism spectrum population was identified. Quality of life of adults on the autism spectrum is lower than that of typically developing adults, when measured with tools designed for the general population. There are no comprehensive autism spectrum disorder–specific quality of life measurement tools validated for use with representative samples of adults on the autism spectrum. There is a pressing need to develop robust measures of quality of life of autistic adults

Building menstrual health and hygiene-supportive environments: exploring teachers’ experience in rural Western Kenya

Introduction: Existing school environments and staff play a critical role in Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) for school aged girls in middle and low-income countries. This paper leverages teachers’ perspectives on menstruation and the impact of the Menstrual Solutions (MS) study, an open cluster randomized controlled feasibility study to determine the impact of puberty education, nurses support, and menstrual product provision on girls’ academic performance and emotional well-being. Methods: Seventeen focus group discussions were conducted from October 2012 through November 2013 with teachers at six participating schools, held at three different time points during the study period. Results: Key themes that emerged were emotions and blood, absenteeism, the role of teachers in MHH, and the impact of sensitization. Teachers noted that poor MHH had an impact on school attendance, transparency and openness with teachers, and student behavior in class. It was reported that adolescent girls would absent themselves for 3–5 days during their menstrual cycle depending on what materials they could use, and they would often shy away from teachers, when possible, only speaking to them about their menses if it was urgent or they needed to go home. Emotions such as fear and embarrassment were commonly associated with bleeding. At the midpoint and end of the study, teachers noted that the puberty education and menstrual product provision (where applicable) had a positive impact on girls’ attendance, attention, and comfort in the classroom. Girls became more open with both male and female teachers about their menses, and more comfortable and confident in the classroom among all classmates. Discussion: This research highlights the importance of building an MHH-supportive environment with multiple school personnel within schools to develop a gender-equitable environment for girls to learn confidently without undue interference. Teachers are key adults in adolescent girls’ lives, having the potential to foster an environment that empowers girls with greater autonomy to manage their menses. This highlights a need to consider their perspectives in intervention development. Sensitization of teachers and puberty education across both genders are key components to developing the MHH-supportive environment in schools

Expression of mitochondrial protein genes encoded by nuclear and mitochondrial genomes correlate with energy metabolism in dairy cattle

Background Mutations in the mitochondrial genome have been implicated in mitochondrial disease, often characterized by impaired cellular energy metabolism. Cellular energy metabolism in mitochondria involves mitochondrial proteins (MP) from both the nuclear (NuMP) and mitochondrial (MtMP) genomes. The expression of MP genes in tissues may be tissue specific to meet varying specific energy demands across the tissues. Currently, the characteristics of MP gene expression in tissues of dairy cattle are not well understood. In this study, we profile the expression of MP genes in 29 adult and six foetal tissues in dairy cattle using RNA sequencing and gene expression analyses: particularly differential gene expression and co-expression network analyses. Results MP genes were differentially expressed (DE; over-expressed or under-expressed) across tissues in cattle. All 29 tissues showed DE NuMP genes in varying proportions of over-expression and under-expression. On the other hand, DE of MtMP genes was observed in < 50% of tissues and notably MtMP genes within a tissue was either all over-expressed or all under-expressed. A high proportion of NuMP (up to 60%) and MtMP (up to 100%) genes were over-expressed in tissues with expected high metabolic demand; heart, skeletal muscles and tongue, and under-expressed (up to 45% of NuMP, 77% of MtMP genes) in tissues with expected low metabolic rates; leukocytes, thymus, and lymph nodes. These tissues also invariably had the expression of all MtMP genes in the direction of dominant NuMP genes expression. The NuMP and MtMP genes were highly co-expressed across tissues and co-expression of genes in a cluster were non-random and functionally enriched for energy generation pathway. The differential gene expression and co-expression patterns were validated in independent cow and sheep datasets. Conclusions The results of this study support the concept that there are biological interaction of MP genes from the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes given their over-expression in tissues with high energy demand and co-expression in tissues. This highlights the importance of considering MP genes from both genomes in future studies related to mitochondrial functions and traits related to energy metabolism

The 8th Annual School of Music Collage Concert

Kennesaw State University School of Music presents The 8th Annual School of Music Collage Concert.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1370/thumbnail.jp

Ripe to be Heard: Worker Voice in the Fair Food Programme

The Fair Food Program (FFP) provides a mechanism through which agricultural workers’ collective voice is expressed, heard and responded to within global value chains. The FFP's model of worker-driven social responsibility presents an alternative to traditional corporate social responsibility. This article identifies the FFP's key components and demonstrates its resilience by identifying the ways in which the issues faced by a new group of migrant workers – recruited through a “guest-worker” scheme – were incorporated and dealt with. This case study highlights the important potential presented by the programme to address labour abuses across transnationalized labour markets while considering early replication possibilities