Recent studies have suggested that species-specific pit properties such as pit membrane thickness, pit membrane porosity, torus-to-aperture diameter ratio and pit chamber depth influence xylem vulnerability to cavitation. Despite the indisputable importance of using mean pit characteristics, considerable variability in pit structure within a single species or even within a single pit field shou...

Sulfate-reducing bioreactors are a promising option for the treatment of acid mine drainage. We studied the structure and function of a biofilm in a methanol-fed fixed-bed in-lake reactor for the treatment of an acidic pit lake by a combination of laboratory incubations, chemical and molecular analyses and confocal laser scanning microscopy to determine whether competition by different groups o...

Abstract Pit lakes may present significant risks to ecological and human receiving environments but can also provide beneficial end use opportunities. The understanding of many processes that influence the magnitude these opportunities remains limited, even where our is adequate, application knowledge not consistently applied. From initial planning long-term closure, regulation corporate manage...

One of the main concerns of the mining industry is to determine ultimate pit limits. Final pit is a collection of blocks, which can be removed with maximum profit while following restrictions on the slope of the mine’s walls. The size, location and final shape of an open-pit are very important in designing the location of waste dumps, stockpiles, processing plants, access roads and other surfac...

Pavlovian conditioned stimuli can influence instrumental responding, an effect called Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT). During the last decade, PIT has been subdivided into two types: specific PIT and general PIT, each having its own neural substrates. Specific PIT happens when a conditioned stimulus (CS) associated with a reward enhances an instrumental response directed to the same rewar...

Sungun Copper Mine is located in an area with a high level of seismic hazard. Most recently, the Ahar-Varzeqan earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 on Richter scale occurred on August 11, 2012; at a distance about 40 kilometers away from the mine. Nevertheless, the seismic stability of the final pit wall has not been comprehensively reviewed. In this research, the southwestern wall of the final p...