title: Strata Movement Study Using a 250 m Deep Inclinometer Borehole, Huntly East Coalmine, New Zealand

authors: Du, Zhaodong

subjects: strata movement

abstract: Strata movement has adverse impacts on structures located on the surface and in the subsurface within a subsidence basin or affected area. Damages to a mine shaft may result from lateral movement and/ or vertical subsidence of the strata at a depth when the resultant stress is larger than the strength of the lining.

My study was developed in collaboration with Solid Energy NZ Limited. My research concentrated on monitoring a 250 m deep borehole to assess changes of strata movement that occurred as underground mining approached the inclinometer borehole. The borehole was a simulation of a proposed shaft. The objectives of my research were to study strata movement characteristics above and adjacent to the North 5 coal mining area by monitoring the inclinometer and interpreting the reading data collected from the inclinometer borehole as the underground mining advanced; develop a model of subsidence using Phase2 software; then compare the modelling subsidence with what we have measured to identify any correlation or difference.

The inclinometer borehole was located west of Te Ohaki Road, 300 m from the location of a proposed shaft in the adjacent panel in the Huntly East Mine. A total of 13 sets of inclinometer measurements were undertaken over two years from March 2009. Measurement stopped on 11 March 2011 because the probe could not be lowered through a depth of approximately 38 m in the borehole.
 
My study uses ‘extraction vector’, and ‘movement trajectory of the borehole’ for analysing and interpreting the deep borehole movement in underground mining, and addresses the far field subsidence movement as to its potential impact on structures on the surface or in the subsurface. This thesis also introduces the concept of negative vertical additional friction, developed in China, which is a potentially helpful concept for this study, and the proposed shaft project. 

Three major movement zones were identified, two ‘shear zones’ from 135.0 to 135.5 m and from 166 to 170 m, and one ‘creeping zone’ from the surface to 115 m. The borehole movement was presented by the trajectory of the intersection of the borehole at depths of surface (1 m), 135 m, and 166 m. The two shear zones occurred on the bedding planes in Te Kuiti Group, the creeping zone occurred in the weak strata of the Tauranga Group and upper Te Kuiti Group. The borehole movements were non-linear, and the borehole lateral movement trajectories varied with depth. Three polynomial equations were developed from regression and modelling for indicating the relationship and predication between the nearest extraction distance and the induced lateral movement.

The installation of an inclinometer borehole deeper than 120 m was not found in around 100 literature articles reviewed. No reports of use of inclinometer monitoring of ground movement induced by underground extraction were found in the literature reviewed. According to ASTM (2005), no standards are available yet for evaluation against precision and bias issues arising from use of borehole inclinometer. Therefore, the inclinometer borehole in this study may be one of the most complicated cases for monitoring and measurement of strata movement induced by the underground extraction in New Zealand.

text: Strata Movement Study Using a 250 m Deep Inclinometer Borehole, Huntly East Coalmine, New Zealand Strata movement has adverse impacts on structures located on the surface and in the subsurface within a subsidence basin or affected area. Damages to a mine shaft may result from lateral movement and/ or vertical subsidence of the strata at a depth when the resultant stress is larger than the strength of the lining.

My study was developed in collaboration with Solid Energy NZ Limited. My research concentrated on monitoring a 250 m deep borehole to assess changes of strata movement that occurred as underground mining approached the inclinometer borehole. The borehole was a simulation of a proposed shaft. The objectives of my research were to study strata movement characteristics above and adjacent to the North 5 coal mining area by monitoring the inclinometer and interpreting the reading data collected from the inclinometer borehole as the underground mining advanced; develop a model of subsidence using Phase2 software; then compare the modelling subsidence with what we have measured to identify any correlation or difference.

The inclinometer borehole was located west of Te Ohaki Road, 300 m from the location of a proposed shaft in the adjacent panel in the Huntly East Mine. A total of 13 sets of inclinometer measurements were undertaken over two years from March 2009. Measurement stopped on 11 March 2011 because the probe could not be lowered through a depth of approximately 38 m in the borehole.
 
My study uses ‘extraction vector’, and ‘movement trajectory of the borehole’ for analysing and interpreting the deep borehole movement in underground mining, and addresses the far field subsidence movement as to its potential impact on structures on the surface or in the subsurface. This thesis also introduces the concept of negative vertical additional friction, developed in China, which is a potentially helpful concept for this study, and the proposed shaft project. 

Three major movement zones were identified, two ‘shear zones’ from 135.0 to 135.5 m and from 166 to 170 m, and one ‘creeping zone’ from the surface to 115 m. The borehole movement was presented by the trajectory of the intersection of the borehole at depths of surface (1 m), 135 m, and 166 m. The two shear zones occurred on the bedding planes in Te Kuiti Group, the creeping zone occurred in the weak strata of the Tauranga Group and upper Te Kuiti Group. The borehole movements were non-linear, and the borehole lateral movement trajectories varied with depth. Three polynomial equations were developed from regression and modelling for indicating the relationship and predication between the nearest extraction distance and the induced lateral movement.

The installation of an inclinometer borehole deeper than 120 m was not found in around 100 literature articles reviewed. No reports of use of inclinometer monitoring of ground movement induced by underground extraction were found in the literature reviewed. According to ASTM (2005), no standards are available yet for evaluation against precision and bias issues arising from use of borehole inclinometer. Therefore, the inclinometer borehole in this study may be one of the most complicated cases for monitoring and measurement of strata movement induced by the underground extraction in New Zealand.

year: 2012

title: Victimes oubliées: La vie féminine sous l’occupation 14-18

authors: Connell, Lucy

subjects: French

abstract: La Première Guerre Mondiale marque l’apparition de la guerre totale, où l’effort de guerre nécessite la volonté de la population entière . L’ampleur de la violence touche consciemment la population civile pour la première fois ; plus de douze millions d’habitants en Belgique et dans le nord de la France, dont la majorité sont des femmes, passent quatre années de guerre en zones occupées. Pourtant, l’expérience de cette population traditionnellement non-combattante manque d’une représentation dans l’histoire de la guerre. Malgré les histoires d’atrocités qui se produisent pendant la guerre, les premiers historiens de la guerre ignorent les témoins civils. Cette méfiance de l’expérience civile est la conséquence de la propagande ainsi que des opinions rigides concernant la position de civils dans l’historiographie de la guerre. Afin de décrire la vie des femmes en zones occupées, ce mémoire utilise leurs journaux intimes écrits lors de l’occupation.

text: Victimes oubliées: La vie féminine sous l’occupation 14-18 La Première Guerre Mondiale marque l’apparition de la guerre totale, où l’effort de guerre nécessite la volonté de la population entière . L’ampleur de la violence touche consciemment la population civile pour la première fois ; plus de douze millions d’habitants en Belgique et dans le nord de la France, dont la majorité sont des femmes, passent quatre années de guerre en zones occupées. Pourtant, l’expérience de cette population traditionnellement non-combattante manque d’une représentation dans l’histoire de la guerre. Malgré les histoires d’atrocités qui se produisent pendant la guerre, les premiers historiens de la guerre ignorent les témoins civils. Cette méfiance de l’expérience civile est la conséquence de la propagande ainsi que des opinions rigides concernant la position de civils dans l’historiographie de la guerre. Afin de décrire la vie des femmes en zones occupées, ce mémoire utilise leurs journaux intimes écrits lors de l’occupation.

year: 2012

title: Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Surfactant Protein A and D with Otitis Media.

authors: Barnett, Catherine Margaret Eleanor

subjects: otitis media

abstract: Otitis Media is one of the most common childhood diseases. Recurrent acute otitis media RAOM is characterized by repeated episodes of inflammation of the middle ear in conjunction with middle ear fluid, and often with an inflamed or bulging eardrum. Defective clearance by the Eustachian tube results in mucus build-up and is characteristic of otitis media with effusion (OME). Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinovirus are the most common contributors to otitis media pathogenesis. In New Zealand, OME has been implicated with conductive hearing loss in childhood and has been shown to significantly impact on speech and language development. New Zealand Māori and Polynesian children have displayed significantly higher hearing test failure rates than European-Caucasian children.

The collectins, Surfactant Protein (SP)-A and -D are encoded by three genes (SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D) and are host defense proteins present in the middle ear and Eustachian tube. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SP-A1 and SP-A2 have been associated with increased or decreased susceptibility to otitis media, meningococcal disease, and range of respiratory diseases. Using allele-specific primers and real-time PCR with SYBR  Green I melting curve analysis, four groups of individuals were genotyped for eleven SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D SNPs: European-Caucasian individuals with RAOM/OME; New Zealand Māori/Polynesian individuals with RAOM/OME; individuals with meningococcal disease; and a control group. The computer program, Haploview, was employed to perform χ2 analyses and identify statistically significant associations of alleles/haplotypes with RAOM/OME or meningococcal disease.

In the European-Caucasian population, two SP-A1 alleles, one SP-A2 allele, and four haplotypes (CGAGC, 1A3, 1A9, and 1A10) were found to be associated with increased risk of RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). Conversely, haplotypes 6A2 and 1A2 were found to be protective against susceptibility to RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). In New Zealand Māori and Polynesian individuals, two SP-A1 alleles, three SP-A2 alleles, one SP-D allele, and four haplotypes (6A8, 6A10, 1A3, and 1A10) were found to be associated with increased risk of RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). An additional four haplotypes (6A2, 1A0, 1A2, and TA) were determined to be protective against susceptibility to RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). However, protective SPA1/SPA2/SPD haplotype 6A2-1A0-TA was significantly under-represented in the New Zealand Māori and Polynesian population (P lt; 0.05). A single allele and haplotype were associated with increased risk of meningococcal disease (P lt; 0.05).

The findings of this study confirm that specific genetic variants of SP-A and SP-D are associated with either increased or decreased risk of developing RAOM and/or OME. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that New Zealand Māori and Polynesian individuals appear to exhibit more haplotypes susceptible to RAOM/OME. This may provide a partial explanation for the higher RAOM/OME-related failure rates of hearing tests in New Zealand Māori and Polynesian children. However, there are numerous socio-economic and environmental factors that also contribute to otitis media pathogenesis which were not considered in this study. The effects of the SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D alleles and haplotypes on the bacterial/viral binding efficiencies of SP-A and SP-D need to be investigated by further research, using a large population, to confirm the association with susceptibility or resistance with RAOM/OME.

text: Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Surfactant Protein A and D with Otitis Media. Otitis Media is one of the most common childhood diseases. Recurrent acute otitis media RAOM is characterized by repeated episodes of inflammation of the middle ear in conjunction with middle ear fluid, and often with an inflamed or bulging eardrum. Defective clearance by the Eustachian tube results in mucus build-up and is characteristic of otitis media with effusion (OME). Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinovirus are the most common contributors to otitis media pathogenesis. In New Zealand, OME has been implicated with conductive hearing loss in childhood and has been shown to significantly impact on speech and language development. New Zealand Māori and Polynesian children have displayed significantly higher hearing test failure rates than European-Caucasian children.

The collectins, Surfactant Protein (SP)-A and -D are encoded by three genes (SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D) and are host defense proteins present in the middle ear and Eustachian tube. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SP-A1 and SP-A2 have been associated with increased or decreased susceptibility to otitis media, meningococcal disease, and range of respiratory diseases. Using allele-specific primers and real-time PCR with SYBR  Green I melting curve analysis, four groups of individuals were genotyped for eleven SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D SNPs: European-Caucasian individuals with RAOM/OME; New Zealand Māori/Polynesian individuals with RAOM/OME; individuals with meningococcal disease; and a control group. The computer program, Haploview, was employed to perform χ2 analyses and identify statistically significant associations of alleles/haplotypes with RAOM/OME or meningococcal disease.

In the European-Caucasian population, two SP-A1 alleles, one SP-A2 allele, and four haplotypes (CGAGC, 1A3, 1A9, and 1A10) were found to be associated with increased risk of RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). Conversely, haplotypes 6A2 and 1A2 were found to be protective against susceptibility to RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). In New Zealand Māori and Polynesian individuals, two SP-A1 alleles, three SP-A2 alleles, one SP-D allele, and four haplotypes (6A8, 6A10, 1A3, and 1A10) were found to be associated with increased risk of RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). An additional four haplotypes (6A2, 1A0, 1A2, and TA) were determined to be protective against susceptibility to RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). However, protective SPA1/SPA2/SPD haplotype 6A2-1A0-TA was significantly under-represented in the New Zealand Māori and Polynesian population (P lt; 0.05). A single allele and haplotype were associated with increased risk of meningococcal disease (P lt; 0.05).

The findings of this study confirm that specific genetic variants of SP-A and SP-D are associated with either increased or decreased risk of developing RAOM and/or OME. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that New Zealand Māori and Polynesian individuals appear to exhibit more haplotypes susceptible to RAOM/OME. This may provide a partial explanation for the higher RAOM/OME-related failure rates of hearing tests in New Zealand Māori and Polynesian children. However, there are numerous socio-economic and environmental factors that also contribute to otitis media pathogenesis which were not considered in this study. The effects of the SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D alleles and haplotypes on the bacterial/viral binding efficiencies of SP-A and SP-D need to be investigated by further research, using a large population, to confirm the association with susceptibility or resistance with RAOM/OME.

year: 2007