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The article provides a historical account of the struggle of mine workers in the U.S. in the Civil War era. Information is provided on the union organized by immigrant Illinois coal miners and their manifesto that called for emancipation of labor, the miners' marching strike following a pay cut, expansion of the miners union and the growing control of Belleville track operators of the coal market, and the collective counteroffensive of Illinois mine operators against the union.

Background: Coal mining involves heavy physical demand, which is associated with increased risk of injury and long‐term musculoskeletal health disorders and chronic pain. Management of chronic or recurrent pain is in turn associated with prescription opioid use and risk of opioid use disorder (OUD). Methods: We analyzed clinical data from 5463 coal miners evaluated between 2004 and 2015. Using an iterative text mining procedure, we analyzed structured clinical notes to extract information on occupational histories and clinical data. We evaluated associations along the causal chain using a series of multivariable logistic regression models to determine the relationship between (1) specific mining occupations and history of traumatic injury, (2) history of traumatic injury and current pain, and (3) current pain and current prescription opioid use. Results: Among these mostly‐former coal miners (mean age 62.4 years), the average coal mining tenure was 27.3 years; 88.4% reported being previously injured, 92.3% reported suffering from current pain and 39.2% reported current prescription opioid use. Occupations involving the most strenuous mining work were associated with a history of traumatic injury. A history of traumatic injury to body regions of the head/neck/back/spine was associated with current pain involving the head/neck/back/spine (adjusted OR = 5.04; CI 95%: 4.46, 5.70; p < 0.001). In a separate model, reported current pain of the head/neck/back/spine was associated with current prescription opioid use (aOR = 2.66; CI 95%: 2.35, 3.01; p < 0.001). Conclusions: These miners had a high prevalence of self‐reported current pain, and certain specific mining occupations were more strongly associated with a history of injury, pain, and prescription opioid use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the high-attention-demanding environment of underground coal mines, distraction is a major cause of unsafe behavior and decreased safety performance. Research on the cognitive neural mechanisms and monitoring of distraction in miners is limited. This study used an electroencephalogram (EEG) to examine the correlation between distraction and brain activity in coal miners, aiming to provide an objective method for monitoring distraction in coal miners. Thirty participants completed a simulated hazard recognition task, using the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) and noise to induce distraction. Brain activity was recorded and labeled as focused or distracted based on the correctness of the hazard recognition task. EEG features were extracted and selected, and a Random Forest model for distraction identification was constructed based on the selected features. In the focused state, delta power in the temporal region and theta power in the frontal region increased significantly. In the distracted state, alpha power in the temporal and occipital regions and beta power in the occipital and parietal regions increased. The selected EEG features could be used to identify distraction with 84% accuracy. This method can objectively identify distraction in coal miners, highlighting the potential of using EEG for real-time distraction monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the challenges faced by coal miners when encountering collapsed pillars in local hard rock formations, we researched ultra-deep hole loosening blasting technology. To overcome issues related to the inapplicability of existing blasting zoning theories and the lack of a solid foundation for borehole design in ultra-deep hole loosening blasting sites, we introduced a blasting zoning model and theoretical calculation formula based on thick-walled cylinder theory. Building on this foundation, we proposed coupled and uncoupled charge calculation methods that take into account strain rate variations and confining pressure effects. Furthermore, numerical simulations using the ANSYS/LS-DYNA software demonstrated that the results obtained from this theory were consistent with the simulation results. Ultimately, based on the blast zone results derived from both theory and simulation, we determined the blasting range of individual blast holes to design effective construction plans for ultra-deep hole blasting sites, achieving satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coal mine workplace environment is a significant factor in inducing occupational health issues, such as intestinal dysfunction in coal miners. However, the mechanism by which the coal mine workplace environment induces intestinal dysfunction is still unclear. Therefore, we applied the Coal Mine Workplace Environment Biological Simulation (CEBS) model which was previously constructed to detect the intestinal pathological manifestations and changes in the gut microbiota of mice from the perspectives of intestinal function, tissue morphology, and cell molecules. CEBS mice showed increased fecal water content, shortened colon length, significant activation of MPO+ and CD11b+ numbers, and significant changes in IL-1b, IL-6, and IL-12 expression levels. In addition, we also found an imbalance in the proportions of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus , and Parabacteroides in CEBS mice, resulting in significant changes in gut microbial diversity. After intervention with compound probiotics, the intestinal function of CEBS + Mix mice was improved and inflammation levels were reduced. Results indicated that stress in the coal mine workplace environment can lead to intestinal dysfunction and inflammatory damage of the colon and use of compound probiotics can improve intestinal dysfunction in CBES mice. In our study, we revealed that there is a correlation between coal mine workplace environment and diversity disorders of gut microbiota. This discovery has enhanced the relevant theories on the causes of intestinal dysfunction in coal miners and has suggested a new approach to intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the issue of low detection accuracy caused by low illumination and occlusion in underground coal mines, this study proposes an innovative miner detection method. A large dataset encompassing complex environments, such as low-light conditions, partial strong light interference, and occlusion, was constructed. The Efficient Channel Attention (ECA) mechanism was integrated into the YOLOv11 model to enhance the model's ability to focus on key features, thereby significantly improving detection accuracy. Additionally, a new weighted Complete Intersection over Union (CIoU) and adaptive confidence loss function were proposed to enhance the model's robustness in low-light and occlusion scenarios. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms various improved algorithms and state-of-the-art detection models in both detection performance and robustness, providing important technical support and reference for coal miner safety assurance and intelligent mine management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As of 2020, coal mines had created about 7.25 lakh direct coal jobs and number of indirect jobs in India. However, coal workers are at livelihood risk in India and would be out of jobs in few years. Adequate emphasis on skill based re-employment plans to generate suitable alternate livelihood for the miners is desired. This paper identifies open-cast clusters, arrives at potential job losses, and targets workers to suggest field-level rehabilitation challenges. It uses socio-geo-operational performance indicators to highlight the sub-optimal use of land, number of coal jobs to production, land use to rural population, coal jobs to land use, etc. We formulate a deployment matrix and highlight the employee-specific, location-specific, and market-specific factors for implementing rehabilitation framework for the transitioning coal miners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonstandard miner behavior can have adverse effects on coal mine safety production. Therefore, accurately capturing miner behavior in complex environments is particularly important. In the intelligent mine monitoring system, using visual perception to detect miner behavior is a challenging task due to high behavioral similarity and difficult temporal relationships. In this paper, a new deep learning framework is proposed to construct a coal miner behavior recognition model with a spatio-temporal dual-branch structure and transposed attention representation mechanism. The spatio-temporal dual-branch structure extracts rich spatial semantic information from intrinsic safety video sensor input video sequences while ensuring effective capture of rapidly changing human behavior. Subsequently, considering the discrimination of miner behavior similarity, a merged transposed weighted representation mechanism (TWR) is introduced to guide the model in extracting feature information more strongly related to the classification target, thereby effectively improving the model's ability to classify highly similar behaviors. Experiments were conducted on UCF101, HMDB51, and a self-built miner behavior dataset, achieving significant improvements compared to other state-of-the-art methods. This collaborative structure further creates a more discriminative behavior detection model, contributing to the reliability of miner behavior detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With the rapid low-carbon transformation in China, the industrial approach and labor structure of mining enterprises are undergoing constant changes, leading to an increasing psychological dilemma faced by coal miners. This study aims to reveal the relationship and mechanism of factors influencing the psychological dilemma of miners, and to provide optimal intervention strategies for the safety and sustainable development of employees and enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: To effectively address the complex issue of the psychological dilemma faced by miners, this study identifies and constructs five-dimensional elements, comprising 20 indicators, that influence psychological dilemmas. The relational mechanism of action of factors influencing psychological dilemma was then elucidated using an integration of interpretive structural modeling and cross-impact matrix multiplication. Findings: Industry dilemma perception is a "direct" factor with dependent attributes. The perceptions of management response and relationship dilemmas are "root" factors with driving attributes. Change adaptation dilemma perception is a "susceptibility" factor with linkage attributes. Work dilemma perception is a "blunt" factor with both dependent and autonomous attributes. Originality/value: The aforementioned findings offer a critical theoretical and practical foundation for developing systematic and cascading intervention strategies to address the psychological dilemma mining enterprises face, which contributes to advancing a high-quality coal industry and efficient energy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the relationship between noise kurtosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk while exploring the potential of kurtosis assessment in evaluating CVD risk associated with complex noise exposure in coal mines. Methods: This cross-sectional study started in April 2021 and ended in November 2022. It involved 705 coal miners selected from 1045 participants. The participants underwent questionnaire surveys, physical examinations and assessment of individual noise exposure levels in the form of L Aeq.8h. Individual CVD risk was evaluated by employing the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China (China-PAR). Logistic regression analyses were used to analyse the effect of noise kurtosis on the risk of developing CVD and adjust for confounders to determine independent effects. Stratified analyses were applied to examine the effect of different noise characteristics on risk. Results: In cardiovascular risk assessment using China-PAR, 637 and 68 individuals were classified as low and high risk, respectively. Notably, the group exposed to noise levels of 85–100 dB(A) exhibited a significantly higher risk than those exposed to noise levels of <85 dB(A). Regarding kurtosis (β), individuals with β < 3 had low cardiovascular risk, whereas those with β > 5 had high risk, with risk increasing alongside kurtosis. Correlation analysis indicated a strong association amongst noise kurtosis, cumulative noise exposure (CNE) and CVD risk after accounting for individual age and service duration. Logistic regression analysis identified kurtosis as the primary influencing factor for CVD risk (odds ratio = 3.46, 95% confidence interval: 1.68–7.13). Conclusions: Given the pervasive presence of complex noise in the coal mining industry, kurtosis can serve as a valuable supplementary parameter for adjusting CNE, thus facilitating the assessment of CVD risk associated with complex noise exposure in coal mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumoconiosis is the most common occupational disease among coal miners, which is a lung disease caused by long-term inhalation of coal dust and retention in the lungs. The early stage of this disease is highly insidious, and pulmonary fibrosis may occur in the middle and late stages, leading to an increase in patient pain index and mortality rate. Currently, there is a lack of effective treatment methods. The pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis is complex and has many influencing factors. Although the characteristics of coal dust have been considered the main cause of different mechanisms of pneumoconiosis, the effects of coal dust composition, particle size and shape, and coal dust concentration on the pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis have not been systematically elucidated. Meanwhile, considering the irreversibility of pneumoconiosis progression, early prediction for pneumoconiosis patients is particularly important. However, there is no early prediction standard for pneumoconiosis among coal miners. This review summarizes the relevant research on the pathogenesis and prediction of pneumoconiosis in coal miners in recent years. Firstly, the pathogenesis of coal worker pneumoconiosis and silicosis was discussed, and the impact of coal dust characteristics on pneumoconiosis was analyzed. Then, the early diagnostic methods for pneumoconiosis have been systematically introduced, with a focus on image collaborative computer-aided diagnosis analysis and biomarker detection. Finally, the challenge of early screening technology for miners with pneumoconiosis was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The US Department of Labor (DOL) does not fund diffusing capacity (DLCO) or metabolic measurements from cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for coal miners' disability evaluations. Although exercise arterial blood gas testing is covered, many miners are unable to perform maximal tests, and sampling at peak exercise can be challenging. We explored the relationship between resting DLCO, radiographic disease severity, and CPET abnormalities in former US coal miners. Methods: We analyzed data from miners evaluated between 2005 and 2015. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were used to examine relationships between percent predicted (pp) forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1pp), DLCOpp, VO2maxpp, A‐a oxygen gradient (A‐a)pp, dead space fraction (Vd/Vt), disabling oxygen tension (PO2), and radiographic findings of pneumoconiosis. Results: Data from 2015 male coal miners was analyzed. Mean tenure was 28 years (SD 8.6). Thirty‐twopercent had an abnormal A‐a gradient (>150 pp), 20% had elevated Vd/Vt (>0.33), and 34% a VO2max < 60 pp. DLCOpp strongly predicted a disabling PO2, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.33 [2.09−2.60], compared to 1.18 [1.08−1.29] for FEV1. Each increase in subcategory of small opacity (simple) pneumoconiosis increased the odds of a disabling PO2 by 42% [1.29−1.57], controlling for age, body mass index, pack‐years of tobacco smoke exposure, and years of coal mine employment. Conclusions: DLCO is the best resting pulmonary function test predictor of CPET abnormalities. Radiographic severity of pneumoconiosis was also associated with CPET abnormalities. These findings support funding DLCO testing for impairment and suggest the term "small opacity" should replace "simple" pneumoconiosis to reflect significant associations with impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Coal mining is a vital sector in Colombia, contributing significantly to the nation's economy and the development of its regions. However, despite its importance, it has led to a gradual decline in the health of mine workers and nearby residents. While the adverse health effects of open-pit coal mining on exposed individuals have been well-documented in Colombia and globally, studies investigating genetic damage in underground coal miners are lacking. Methods: The aim of our study was to evaluate chromosomal and genotoxic damage, in peripheral blood samples from a group of underground coal miners and residents of areas exposed to coal, in the town of Samacá, Boyacá-Colombia, and in a group of unexposed individuals by using banding and molecular cytogenetic techniques, as well as cytokinesis block micronucleus assays. Results: Our results suggest that occupational exposure to coal induces chromosomal and genotoxic damage in somatic cells of underground coal miners. Chromosomal and genotoxic damage is an important step in carcinogenesis and the development of many other diseases. Our findings provide valuable insights into the effects of coal dust exposure on chromosomal integrity and genetic stability. Conclusion: Our pilot study suggests that occupational exposure to coal induces chromosomal damage in underground coal miners, highlighting the importance of validating these findings with a larger sample size. Our results highlight the need to implement prevention and protection measures, as well as educational programs for underground coal miners. Characterizing and estimating exposure risks are extremely important for the safety of people exposed occupationally and environmentally to coal and its derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uncovers the life of Lionel Francis, one of the people who ousted Marcus Garvey from the leadership of the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and who would eventually lead the UNIA. Although described by Garvey's biographers as a medical doctor from Trinidad, this article reveals that Francis was never a doctor but began his working life as a miner and a preacher in the South Wales coalfields, enduring racism and personal struggles before emigrating to the United States following the 1919 racist riots in Wales. There he became a major leader of the interwar Pan-African movement in the United States and was centrally involved in the ousting of Garvey and the fragmentation of the UNIA. During the second world war, Francis moved to Belize and became a populist yet anti-independence politician. His life straddled Trinidad, Wales, the United States, and Belize, reflecting the shifting politics and migratory patterns of the African diaspora, making him an exemplar of the lived reality of the Black Atlantic in the first half of the twentieth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report presents a unique case of Caplan syndrome that mimicked accelerated progressive massive fibrosis. The patient, a former coal miner, had been diagnosed with coal worker's pneumoconiosis 15 years prior and had been treated for rheumatoid arthritis for over 20 years. Accelerated progressive massive fibrosis and the development of multiple nodules with cavitation in the basal lungs were subsequently observed on serial CT scans. Here, the CT manifestations of Caplan syndrome are highlighted in a case in which Caplan syndrome mimicked accelerated progressive massive fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundExposure to occupational metallic mixtures has a potential impact on olfactory function. However, research evidence is limited on the potential impact of exposure to metallic mixtures and olfactory dysfunction. Furthermore, the coal dust generated contains multiple various metals during coal mining, and no study yet has focus on the olfactory dysfunction of coal miners.ObjectivesIn this study, we evaluate the association between urinary metallic mixtures and olfactory function in coal miners, while also exploring the potential applicability of plasma olfactory marker protein (OMP) as a biomarker for assessing olfaction.MethodsFrom July to October 2023, coal workers from seven different coal mining enterprises were recruited for the survey when they come for the employee health checkup. Ultimately, 376 participants were met the inclusion criteria and, respectively, determined with the concentrations of urine (16 metals) and plasma (OMP). Meanwhile, applying UPSIT to access their olfactory function. Binary logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) model were used to estimate the association of individual metals with olfactory function. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and Quantile g-computation (QG-C) regression were employed to assess the overall association between metal mixtures and olfactory function and identify the major contributing elements.ResultsIn a single-metal model, two metals in urine were found to be significantly associated with olfactory function. RCS analysis further revealed that the association between Iron (Fe) and olfactory function was linear, while Lead (Pb) exhibited a non-linear. The BKMR model demonstrated a significant positive association between metal mixture concentration and olfactory function. Combined QG-C regression analysis suggested that metals Cr, Fe, Se, Sb, and Pb could impact the performance of the olfactory test (UPSIT), with Pb being identified as the most influential contributor. The correlation between plasma OMP protein levels and urinary metal concentrations was weak.ConclusionMultiple metals are associated with olfactory function in the coal miners. A significant positive association was observed between metal mixture concentrations and olfactory function, with Pb being the most important contributor. In this study, plasma OMP has not been demonstrated to serve as a biomarker for olfactory function.

Most coal mine accidents are caused by people’s unsafe behavior, and people’s unsafe behavior is caused by the low level of coal miners’ safety information cognition. In order to prevent and control coal mine safety accidents caused by coal miners’ failure of safety information cognition, through the analysis of typical coal mine accident cases in China in recent years, three first-level indicators and 15 second-level indicators affecting coal miners’ safety information cognition are determined, and the social network analysis method is used to construct the coal miners’ safety information cognition network. Through the overall network density analysis, individual network density analysis, node degree centrality analysis, node intermediate centrality analysis, key influencing factor analysis and important influencing path analysis of safety information cognitive factors, five key influencing factors such as identification understanding ability and safety knowledge are obtained, and the key influencing path is identified.

"Carbon Technocracy: Energy Regimes in Modern East Asia" by Victor Seow is a historical account that challenges the conventional narrative of fossil energy resources as positive forces in human history. Seow explores the concept of "carbon technocracy," a regime built on technological expertise and resource extraction, and its relationship with state formation in East Asia. The book focuses on the Fushun coal mine in Manchuria, which experienced political and military turmoil throughout the 20th century. Seow examines the impact of Japan's technocratic imperialism on carbon extraction in Manchuria and discusses China's perspective on the carbon economy. The book concludes with a cautionary epilogue about the contemporary relevance of the carbon technocracy and the need to avoid excessive reliance on technocratic solutions to the climate crisis. While the book provides valuable insights, some gaps in the historical narrative and a lack of clarity on the broader East Asian context are noted. Overall, "Carbon Technocracy" is considered an excellent and critical study in the field of energy history. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: Whether coal mine dust exposure increases cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risk was rarely explored. Our objective was to examine the association between coal mine dust exposure and cardiovascular risk. Methods: We estimated cumulative coal mine dust exposure (CDE) for 1327 coal miners by combining data on workplace dust concentrations and work history. We used brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV, a representative indicator of arterial stiffness) and ten-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk to assess potential CVD risk, exploring their associations with CDE. Results: Positive dose-response relationships of CDE with baPWV and ten-year ASCVD risk were observed after adjusting for covariates. Specifically, each 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in CDE was related to a 0.27 m/s (95% CI: 0.21, 0.34) increase in baPWV and a 1.29 (95% CI: 1.14, 1.46) elevation in OR (odds ratio) of risk of abnormal baPWV. Moreover, each 1 SD increase in CDE was associated with a 0.74% (95% CI: 0.63%, 0.85%) increase in scores of ten-year ASCVD and a 1.91 (95% CI: 1.62, 2.26) increase in OR of risk of ten-year ASCVD. When compared with groups unexposed to coal mine dust, significant increase in the risk of arterial stiffness and ten-year ASCVD in the highest CDE groups were detected. Conclusion: The study suggested that cumulative exposure to coal mine dust was associated with elevated arterial stiffness and ten-year ASCVD risk in a dose-response manner. These findings contribute valuable insights for cardiovascular risk associated with coal mine dust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the radio drama Danger (1924) by Richard Hughes. Danger, which is known as the world's first radio drama, was broadcast by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) in January 1924. The play's importance is not limited to its pioneering role in creating the genre of radio drama. Danger is set in a Welsh coal mine, a backdrop that invokes the social issues engaging Britain in the 1920s. By pursuing these issues, I would like to examine this work's mission as a public medium that appeals to the masses, as well as its innovation in drama broadcasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the connections between Switzerland and America that led to the development of the Vetterli infantry rifle. Using primary archival research, it shows why the Swiss Army was so keen to dispose of obsolete rifles and examines trade catalogues and other press resources to show how the Vetterli gained a 'second life' as a civilian weapon in North America. Finally, it uses recent archaeological evidence to show that the weapon became part of a wider 'firearms culture' and saw use in the largest armed revolt in America since the Civil War; the fight that became known as the 'Battle of Blair Mountain'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In coal mining, the myriad of factors influencing miners' attention to safety necessitates deeper exploration. Particularly, discerning the significance and interplay of these factors offers crucial insights into the actual disparities in miners' safety attentiveness. Yet, a limited number of comprehensive studies address this dimension. Thus, an advanced Decision Making Trial Evaluation Laboratory-Interpretive Structural Model (DEMATEL-ISM) has been employed to probe the determinants impacting coal miners' safety focus and the mechanisms underpinning these interactions. The objective is to provide strategies that could diminish the occurrence of minor accidents. Results revealed that there are 9 causative factors and 6 resultant factors shaping the coal miners' attention to safety. Within the structural model of these factors, three layers and seven levels were identified. Notably, the intricacy of relationships among these factors was found to be profound. Emphasis is recommended on the management of these intricate deep-level causative factors boasting high driving power, and mid-level resultant factors characterized by both substantial driving force and dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Indigenous populations in the United States face numerous health disparities, but the health of Indigenous workers is less well understood. In a recent surveillance study of active Indigenous coal miners, 3% had coal workers' pneumoconiosis/black lung, and 9% had respiratory impairment. However, occupational lung disease prevalence among Indigenous coal miners has not been directly compared with that among other race/ethnicity groups. Coal miners who are totally disabled from black lung may qualify for U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) compensation benefits, but it is unclear how current federal spirometry criteria affect qualification for Indigenous coal miners. Objectives: To compare findings of pneumoconiosis and respiratory impairment in Indigenous and non-Indigenous coal miners in the western United States and assess federal compensation qualification for Indigenous miners using different spirometry standards. Methods: We used voluntary medical surveillance data from 2002 to 2023 to compare the adjusted odds of pneumoconiosis and respiratory impairment between Indigenous/non-Indigenous coal miners. We examined the proportion of Indigenous miners meeting DOL criteria for federal compensation using different spirometry standards. Results: We identified 691 western U.S. coal miners with at least one year of coal mining employment, 289 Indigenous and 402 non-Indigenous (96% White/Hispanic). Indigenous miners had a greater odds ratio for pneumoconiosis for each additional decade of life (2.47 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.66–3.68]) compared with non-Indigenous coal miners (1.48 [95% CI, 1.19–1.85]). For each decade, Indigenous coal miners also had a greater adjusted odds ratio for respiratory impairment (1.67 [95% CI, 1.25–2.24]) than non-Indigenous miners (1.06 [95% CI, 0.90–1.25]). Indigenous miners had an additional decline of 71 ml (95% CI, 6–136 ml) in forced expiratory volume in 1 second for each decade of life compared with non-Indigenous coal miners. Using the DOL-mandated Knudson (1976) spirometry standard rather than an Indigenous-specific standard, 6 of 18 (33%) Indigenous miners would not qualify for federal compensation. Conclusions: Indigenous coal miners experience greater adjusted odds for pneumoconiosis and respiratory impairment per decade of life and greater decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second despite lower smoking rates. Structural inequities exist in federal spirometry requirements for Indigenous miners seeking DOL black lung benefits. Regulatory reform is needed to address barriers to compensation for these underrepresented workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface miner was introduced for coal extraction at Lakhanpur open cast project of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited in 1999 for the first time and owing to its success and benefits it offered like elimination of drilling and blasting, smooth and stable high wall, selective mining for quality control and uniform output fragment size (-100mm) etc. it was adopted in many open cast coal mines and now has become a disruptive mass production technology for coal mining in India. In terms of coal resources in the country, Odisha stands first with 88.104 BT resources but the coal seams in Odisha are characterized by its high ash content and interlaced dirt bands (10 cm to 1.5 m) often termed as rejects. For maintaining coal quality, these dirt bands predominantly of sandstone and shale are also cut by surface miners and are segregated at the time of loading and transported to reject dumps or overburden dumps. These dirt bands have a significant impact on the performance of surface miners and must be taken into account during their selection. The authors, based on the intensive field study undertaken at different opencast coal mines in Odisha highlighted the impact of in-seam dirt bands in coal seams on the performance indicators of surface miners which are normalized production rate, diesel and pick consumption for cutting 1000te of material in this paper. Pick consumption was found to vary linearly with the quantum of abrasive material cut. Empirical relations for estimating monthly normalized production, diesel consumption, and pick consumption of surface miners operating in coal seams with intermittent dirt bands with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.74, 0.84, and 0.73 respectively were also developed. The developed relations were validated with the field data and the % error was found to be within +20%. This study helps the coal mining companies in the selection of suitable surface miners for achieving targeted production and also for planning inventory of picks and diesel during its operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the formation path of unsafe behaviors of coal miners in the perspective of informal organizations, and to find out the factors influencing unsafe behaviors of coal miners, based on the existing research, the hypothesis that the relationship between organizational environment and social network is a guide to the unsafe behavior of coal miners is put forward, by using SPSS analysis software and AMOS modeling tool to process data and model fitting, the formation path of unsafe behavior of coal miners was determined. The results show that the organizational environment and social network directly or indirectly affect the unsafe behavior of coal miners, and there are two main paths for the formation of unsafe behavior, they are organizational influence → unsafe supervision → precondition of unsafe behavior → unsafe behavior of coal miners, degree of association → dependence → unsafe behavior of coal miners. It can effectively reduce the occurrence of unsafe behavior of coal miners by monitoring social network relationship and promoting informal organization atmosphere of coal miners through improving organizational environment and behavior, to provide new ideas for coal mine enterprise management decision-making.

To identify the key factors and potential moderating variables influencing coal miners’ unsafe behaviors in the intelligent change of China’s coal mines and to explore the reasons for inconsistent research findings, a quantitative literature analysis was conducted using meta-analysis on 24 empirical papers with 71 effect values to identify 12 key influencing factors and to test the moderating effects of four variables: sample size, survey area, type of literature, and year of publication. The results indicated that, in addition to leadership style and management system, insecurity psychology, work engagement, and safety supervision had high effect size, subjective well-being, organizational equity, safety attitudes, mental wandering, affective emotions, and interpersonal relationships had moderate effect size, and safety climate had low effect size. It was also found that using sample size, survey region, year of publication, and type of literature as moderating variables could partially reveal the differences between studies.

The current study investigated the perceived impact of informal coal mining on the environment of a rural community in Blaauwbosch, KwaZulu-Natal Province, in South Africa. Data was extracted through questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews targeting perceptions from community members, government officials, informal coal miners, learners and educators of a local school on the environmental impacts of informal coal mining. After stratifying the participants, community members aware of the environmental impacts of coal mining cited poor air quality as the most critical impact of coal mining, while educators and learners mentioned landscape transformation. Community members were generally not satisfied with government's interventions towards containing the impact of coal mining, while educators and learners were somewhat satisfied as they felt government response was slow and laboured. Therefore, in addition to awareness campaigns within the community to improve information access regarding the disadvantages of informal coal mining, the government should intensify its efforts by implementing effective follow-ups on proposed responses. The government should also design interventions to address the area's high poverty and unemployment levels to reduce community engagement in informal coal mining activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Depression is a serious public health problem in coal miners that not only affects their physical health and quality of life but also leads to a decline in productivity and a high economic burden. The primary purpose of the current study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale. The secondary aim was to investigate the prevalence of depression among coal miners in Shanxi Province, China. Methods: Coal miners (3314, 86.60% men) were selected and evaluated with the CES-D from February 1 to April 30, 2021. The factor structure of the CES-D scale was analyzed using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Cronbach's α and McDonald's Ω were calculated to evaluate the internal consistency of the CES-D. Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms among coal miners was 54.68%. The EFA results suggested that a three-factor structure model with 18 items was the best fit, including Depressed Affect, Interpersonal Problems, and Retarded Activity, which accounted for 54.37% of the total variance. The CFA indicated that this factor structure fit the data adequately (χ2 = 217.408, df = 87, CMIN/DF = 2.49, RMSEA = 0.055, CFI = 0.969, TLI = 0.962, IFI = 0.969). Additionally, the overall Cronbach's α and McDonald's Ω of the CES-D were 0.949 and 0.950, respectively. The CES-D had an excellent reliability and validity in the present sample of coal miners. Conclusion: The three-factor structure of CES-D with 18 items can best fit the data from coal miners living in Shanxi Province. The reliability and validity of the CES-D were in line with the requirements of psychometric test. The scale is suitable for screening depression among coal miners in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coal mining in India has a long history of nearly 200 years. Coal mining can also increase the risk of coal workers' pneumoconiosis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Objectives: This study was conducted with the objective of knowing the health effects of coal mining workers. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in an open-cast mine in Eastern India. Two hundred and fifty coal mine workers were included in the study. A questionnaire survey followed by a health examination of the study subjects was carried out. Workers actively involved in mining activity were included in this study. Results: The most common symptom complained by study subjects was musculoskeletal pain (16.8%). As far as the pulmonary function status of study subjects is concerned, about 7% of subjects had a restrictive type of abnormality. Obstructive type of abnormality was also present in a similar number of subjects. Conclusion: The current study has shown a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal pain than the national prevalence. Morbidity is more than the normal population. Health education was imparted among workers regarding chronic diseases and their risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of gateroad development, also known as preparatory works, and then ensuring their stability throughout their lifetime, is a very important issue from the point of view of mining (extraction) operations. This article attempts to develop an optimal strategy for the gateroad development process in coal mines, based on the assumptions of the value chain model used by companies. The model developed is aimed not only at increasing competitive advantage due to a reduction in the cost of coal mining, but primarily at changing the mentality of employees and their approach to the work performed allowing for improved mining efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancement of smart mines, the need for gesture recognition for remote interaction between underground workers and machines has become crucial. However, traditional gesture recognition techniques require complex models that are very difficult to be deployed to the edge. To address this challenge, a gesture recognition method based on knowledge distillation is proposed in this study. First, the CSI ratio model is used to eliminate phase error and environmental noise, followed by the application of discrete wavelet transform to eliminate hardware noise interference. Then, the processed data is adaptively segmented using the principal component analysis and local anomaly factor algorithm to eliminate redundant static components. After that the processed CSI data is transformed into images using the relative position matrix method. Finally, knowledge distillation is employed to migrate knowledge from a teacher model to a student model, reducing the number of model parameters. Experiments conducted on the proposed method showed that it can achieve a recognition accuracy of 94.2% for hand gesture detection, which meets the requirement for gesture recognition in the mining industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, coal miners are the primary workforce in coal mining, and among all patients with occupational diseases, 90% suffer from pneumoconiosis. Therefore, the psychological problems resulting from the dual pressures of occupational stress and the high risk of occupational diseases among coal miners are significant factors that affect the development of physical and mental health and even production safety. The Crown–Crisp Experience Index (CCEI) is a multidimensional questionnaire that assesses the psychological state of patients. This study aims to test reliability and validity of Chinese version of the CCEI questionnaire using factor analysis, and apply it to coal miners. We recruited a total of 900 participants from different occupational stages in coal mining, including active miners, Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (CWP) patients, and retired miners, to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the CCEI questionnaire. A questionnaire survey was conducted on three groups of 1000 individuals each, including active coal miners, retired coal miners, and pneumoconiosis patients, to determine the detection rate of psychological problems in each group. An analysis was performed for each group to explore the primary factors influencing anxiety. The exploratory factor analysis yielded six principal components that accounted for a total of 79.389% of variances. The confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Chi-square freedom ratio (χ2/df) was 1.843, the root mean square error approximation was less than 0.044, and the comparative fit index was 0.938 and Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) was 0.934. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.948, and the scale-level content validity index (S-CVI) was 0.88. Effective questionnaires were obtained from 98.5%, 96.9%, to 91.0% of pneumoconiosis patients, active miners, and retired miners, respectively, with the incidence rates of psychological problems being 21%, 35.8%, and 13.6%, respectively. Compared with retired miners, active miners showed higher levels of psychological problems in the dimensions of depressive symptoms, free-floating anxiety and somatic symptoms, whereas pneumoconiosis patients had higher levels of psychological problems in the dimensions of phobic anxiety and somatic symptoms. This study demonstrates that the Chinese version of the CCEI is highly reliable and valid and can be used as a screening tool to measure patients' anxiety and fear levels in coal minders. Miners face distinct psychological challenges at different stages and require targeted screening and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the prevalence and associations between occupational-related diseases, emotional exhaustion, and dust mask anxiety among coal miners in Northern China. The study sampled 506 miners from two coal mines in Northern China. Descriptive (frequency, percentages, and chi-square tests) and inferential (complementary log-log logistic regression) analyses were carried out to assess prevalence and associations. The prevalence of coal mining-related pulmonary diseases was 94%, with 40% and 37% reporting pneumoconiosis and bronchitis respectively. Emphysema and tuberculosis were less prevalent with a total prevalence of 5% while 12% of the miners reported two, three, or four of these diseases. For cardiovascular diseases, 66% of the miners reported 3H (hypertension, hyperlipemia, and hyperglycemia) while heart disease and cerebral infarction were reported by 6% and 2% of the miners respectively. Also, 5% and 2% of the miners reported two or all three of 3H, heart condition, and cerebral infarction. The overall prevalence of cardiovascular diseases was 81% while 82% and 63% of the miners reported experiencing some frequency of emotional exhaustion and dust mask anxiety respectively. The study also identified associations between mining-related diseases, emotional exhaustion, dust mask anxiety, and other demographic, personal habits and work-related factors. Miners with pulmonary diseases were more likely to experience emotional exhaustion and dust mask anxiety. Contrariwise, miners with cardiovascular diseases were less likely to experience dust mask anxiety. Factors such as age, engaging in physical exercises, rhinitis, source of pressure and shift system were also associated with emotional exhaustion and dust mask anxiety. These findings highlight the prevalence of occupational diseases, emotional exhaustion, and dust mask anxiety among coal miners in China. The study emphasizes the need for interventions to address health risks, improve work conditions, and support miners' well-being in the coal mining industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the behavior of coal companies and miners under the government's safety special rectification action is significant for maintaining social stability. In this paper, we constructed a dynamic evolutionary game model involving the government, coal companies, and miners. We analyzed the asymptotic stability conditions of the behavioral strategies of the participants in the game through phase diagrams and conducted a simulation analysis using Matlab R2021b to explore the impact of the key parameters in the model on the strategic choices of the game participants. The research findings indicated: (1) intricate interactive dynamics exist among the three stakeholders in safety rectification endeavors, with diverse intervention strategies manifesting varying impacts on participants' conduct and outcomes; (2) setting reasonable reward and punishment mechanisms for safety behaviors by the government toward coal companies and miners helps to increase the probability of both choosing proactive safety behaviors. Coal companies that set reasonable reward and punishment mechanisms for the safety behaviors of miners can promote miners' willingness to cooperate. Additionally, reducing safety rectification costs and enhancing the social reputation benefits of safety rectification can facilitate the optimal strategic choices of the three parties; and (3) the simulation analysis results corroborate the conclusions on the stability of strategies across all stakeholders, affirming the validity of the research outcomes and furnishing pertinent recommendations for enhancing the safety rectification framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]