Other Prospecting Strategies

An investigation of the uranium content in the plant material covering the surface of a lake area in Labrador, Canada, was reported (Nyade et al. 2013). Several vegetation samples (black spruce, Labrador tea stem and humus) were collected, ashed at 450°C, and analyzed by ICPMS. Uranium content in humus samples varied between 0.05 and 885 pg U g and some soil samples that were also analyzed showed concentrations of 50-405 pg U g . The spruce twigs had a better correlation with radio-metric measurements than the humus and soil samples. 

The interaction between uranium and certain types of microorganisms is interesting, as shown in Frame 2.1, but will not be discussed in detail here. 

Highlights. Uranium prospecting has come a long way from the days when prospectors looked for yellow deposits, as so vividly described (Zoellner 2010). Surface or superficial uranium deposits can be located by aerial surveys that are deployed 

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Chalmers has clearly restated the principles on which meta-analysis is based and discussed some of the empirical evidence that enables the validity of the technique to be considered. In particular, meta-analysis uses objective statistical procedures, specifies how the choice of studies to include was made, and describes the results of the studies on which the analysis was based. Sometimes, studies are designed with the specific intention of being combinable with each other, a strategy that can be referred to as a prospective meta-analysis. This is sometimes the case in drug development. However, when a meta-analysis is retrospective , that is a search has to be carried out to identify studies which address a particular question, the problem of publication bias has to be considered, in that studies with positive results may be more likely to be submitted and accepted for publication. Hence, meta-analyses based solely on published work may be biased in favour of finding an effect. 

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