Safety Criteria Research Articles

Industrial safety monitoring in iron ore mining in the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly

The mining facilities of Lebedinsky GOK, Stoilensky GOK, Mikhailovsky GOK, Yakovlevsky GOK and KMAruda in the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly annually produce more than 170 Mt of iron ore, which is more than 60% of total iron ore production in Russia. Mining operations in KMA are the hazardous production facilities. High-rate mineral mining, as well as difficult geotechnical and hydrogeological conditions govern disequilibrium in the stress–strain behavior of rock mass. For preventing emergency situations at hazardous production facilities and in accordance with the federal legislation, it is required to carry out permanent geomechanical monitoring. Researchers of the Belgorod State University propose a geomechanical safety monitoring algorithm of iron ore mining in KMA. The monitoring of stability in mined-out voids in Gubkin Mine of KMAruda company is discussed. The recommendations are given for geomechanical monitoring using modern electron-optical and scanning systems. For the slope stability estimation of pitwall and dumps, the Belgorod State University has developed a package of programs OtkosKRUG, Otkos.log, Otkos1 and Slope Stability Calculator, which have passed the state certification. After updating for a few years, the programs include the recent achievement in programming, and enable calculation of safety parameters and stability factor (safety criterion) for slopes by the method of algebraic addition of forces, as is recommended by the Safety Rules for Pitwall and Dump Slopes in effect since 2021.

Environmentally Friendly Building Materials with Beneficial Potential for Indoor Air Quality

Following the obvious increasingly interest for environmental protection and pollution reduction, worldwide, there is a strong orientation for identification and use in buildings some materials that require low power consumption and to determine a pollution low level in all stages of their production and exploitation. These energy and environmental protection criteria can be met successfully by a combination of unburned masonry bodies made of clay, mixed with various other natural materials, and sheep wool thermal insulation mattresses. These construction elements have a beneficial influence on the air quality of the interior space, ensuring, through the permeability to water vapor, the regulation of the relative humidity of the air and, through ability to store thermal energy in warm periods and release it in the cold ones, a uniform temperature distribution inside and avoiding high temperature fluctuations between seasons. Based on the experimental research results, we can identify solutions for achieving a vernacular housing (resistance walls, partition walls, floors, plasters, water protection, thermal insulation and finishing) in terms of safety, comfort and current aesthetic criteria. Keywords: adobe bricks, clay, hemp fibers, straw, sheep wool

Comparative Internal Pressure Evolution at Interfaces of Activated Carbon for Supercapacitors Containing Electrolytes Based on Linear and Cyclic Ammonium Tetrafluoroborate Salts in Acetonitrile

AbstractIn this study, the real‐time increase in pressure of the accumulated gases at the electrode/electrolyte interface serves as a safety criterion for four conductive electrolytes comprising acetonitrile (ACN) and organic salts. They include tetrafluoroborate as an anion and cyclic 1,1‐dimethylpyrrolidinium (Pyr11+), spiro‐(1,1′)‐bipyrrolidinium (SBP+), acyclic methyl triethyl ammonium (Et3MeN+) or standard tetraethylammonium (Et4N+) as cations. The main focus lies on the SPBF4/ACN system. While the concentrated Pyr11BF4/ACN exhibits a minimal pressure evolution (≈25 Pa) under ambient conditions at 3.0 V, its electrochemical stability is inferior to SPBF4 at high operating voltage. The electrolytes with acyclic tetrafluoroborate salts (1.0 mol L−1) reveal a 20‐fold increase in pressure due to the weak salt‐ACN interactions and the subsequent high solvent evaporation. The pressure evolution at the interface of activated carbon/electrolyte in electrochemical double layer capacitor (EDLCs) is merely related to the operating voltage and cation nature, viz. Pyr11+ < SBP+ < Et4N+ < Et3MeN+. The fixed specific capacity of 109 F g−1, volumetric capacity of 76 F cm−3, and moderate gas generation (≈190 Pa at 3.0 V, that shifts to ≈400 Pa at 3.4 V) confirm the safe character of the SPBF4/ACN electrolyte for such energy storage devices.

Investigation of the various properties of several candidate additives as buffer materials

Bentonite buffer material is a critical component in an engineered barrier system (EBS) for disposing high-level radioactive waste (HLW). The bentonite buffer material protects the disposal canister from groundwater penetration and releases decay heat to the surrounding rock mass; thus, it should possess high thermal conductivity, low hydraulic conductivity, and moderate swelling pressure to safely dispose the HLWs. Bentonite clay is a suitable buffer material because it satisfies the safety criteria. Several additives have been suggested as mixtures with bentonite to increase the thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical (THMC) properties of bentonite buffer materials. Therefore, this study investigated the geotechnical, mineralogical, and THMC properties of several candidate additives such as sand, graphite, granite, and SiC powders. Datasets obtained in this study can be used to select adequate additives to improve the THMC properties of the buffer material.

Safety management of offshore structures: overview

Safety management is a highly crucial process implemented in offshore structures for meeting safety criteria by eliminating potential risks. Accordingly, safety indicators are utilised to monitor systems and assess safety performance by meeting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely, evaluated and reviewed (Smarter) criteria. Partly, the historical development of reliability and risk assessment methods is extensively discussed along with their advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, this paper focuses on the review of safety-management processes and their elements, including safety indicators, and it also discusses the process of optimising maintenance strategies using reliability and risk assessment approaches for offshore structures. The results in this paper show that utilising Smarter criteria for monitoring and evaluating the safety performance of offshore structures produced the most adequate safety system. For instance, the safety performance evaluation framework displayed functionality for benchmarking and constant enhancement of Malaysian offshore oil and gas platforms by conducting a comparison between 14 safety factors using a scoring system to determine fully the mechanisms and interactions of the factors with safety performance. Lastly, safety performance is established as a reference for the improvement of safety practices in offshore structures where the risk indicator system can provide a scientific benchmark for risk mitigation and investment decisions.

The Train-Bridge Coupled Vibration Analysis of a Long-Span Prestressed Concrete Continuous Beam Bridge under Creep Deformation Effect

The track smoothness of high-speed railroads is severely limited to ensure train performance. The concrete continuous girder bridge is deformed to influence the smoothness of the bridge decks and track caused by creep bulge. There is a need to research the impact of beam creep on the dynamical response of bridge and train operation safety. This paper used Midas software to calculate the long-term deformation of large-span prestressed concrete continuous beam bridges under concrete creep and shrinkage. The train-bridge coupled system was established by adopting self-programming software. Thereafter, the large-term deformation results of the main girder are considered as track irregularity input into the vibration equation of the train-bridge system. The safety of the train operation was evaluated by calculating the dynamic response of the bridge and analyzing the criteria of train running safety. It was shown that the indicators of the large-span bridge are within the allowable code values under all working conditions. The bridge deformation under creep has an impact on the displacement and acceleration response of the bridge when a high-speed train passes through. There is no noticeable impact of creep deformation on the operational performance of trains. Nevertheless, the criteria for assessing the safety of trains’ operation, such as derailment factor, wheel load differences, lateral wheel forces, and vehicle acceleration, have been increased.

Recent Advantages on Waste Management in Hydrogen Industry.

The turn to hydrogen as an energy source is a fundamentally important task facing the global energetics, aviation and automotive industries. This step would reduce the negative man-made impact on the environment on the one hand, and provide previously inaccessible power modes and increased resources for technical systems, predetermining the development of an absolutely new life cycle for important areas of technology, on the other. The most important aspect in this case is the development of next-generation technologies for hydrogen industry waste management that will definitely reduce the negative impact of technology on the environment. We consider the approaches and methods related to new technologies in the area of hydrogen storage (HS), which requires the use of specialized equipment equipped with efficient and controlled temperature control systems, as well as the involvement of innovative materials that allow HS in solid form. Technologies for controlling hydrogen production and storage systems are of great importance, and can be implemented using neural networks, making it possible to significantly improve all technological stages according to the criteria of energy efficiency reliability, safety, and eco-friendliness. The recent advantages in these directions are also reviewed.

Making Anti-CD19 CAR-T Cell Therapy Accessible and Affordable: First-in-Human Phase I Clinical Trial Experience from India

Background: Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cells therapy has shown remarkable success in haematological malignancies. However, complexity of the manufacturing platform and exorbitant costs of the available therapy limits their accessibility in limited resource settings including India. Recently, we developed a novel humanized anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy (HCAR19) and showed its efficacy in preclinical models (Dwivedi et al, Mol Cancer Ther. 2021). Here we report our experience of HCAR19 manufacturing in an integrated platform for first-in-human Phase-I clinical trial. Further, we performed the cost analysis of CAR-T delivery from development to clinic. Methods: Lymphocytes were collected from 17 patients of r/r B cell malignancies (DLBCL, transformed follicular lymphoma, PMBCL and B-ALL) through apheresis (Fresenius Fomtek or Spectra Optia) upon receiving the regulatory approvals from central and local agencies. CD3+ T cells were enriched and activated using CTS™Dynabeads™ CD3/CD28 for 36-48 hours followed by consecutive double transduction with CD19 encoding lentivirus vector. Final product was harvested, cryopreserved and stored in ultra-low temperature until further use. All steps were carried out in closed gas permeable bags. Final product quality control (QC) assays were performed by flowcytometry, ELISA, analytical and cell-based assays. The cost of CAR T cell manufacturing was calculated for unit economics on fully scale production model by standard costing methodology. The final unit economics included cost of goods and services (COGS), overhead costs, financing costs of infrastructure, R&D and clinical trials costs. The model was scaled towards a 200 patient per annum in a centralized manufacturing facility. Results: Of the 19 patients enrolled in the study, only 17 patients underwent apheresis procedure for harvest of total 5-10 X 109 mononuclear cells. HCAR19 cells from all 17 patients were manufactured successfully in functionally closed integrated manufacturing platform. The required HCAR19 dose was achieved within 8 days of culture (dosage range: 1.78 x 106 - 17 x 106 viable HCAR19/kg). The transduction efficiency of HCAR19 in r/r DLBCL, r/r PMBCL and r/r B-ALL was 37.7 ± 6.64%, 28.8 ± 8.81% and 34.6 ± 9.72% (Mean ± SEM) respectively . The HCAR19 showed a robust expansion (~20-fold) ex vivo and maintained the presence of potent anti-tumor subsets like naïve and central memory T cells (Figure 1a). Final product from all 17 patients qualified the QC release criteria for safety, identity, purity and potency as per specifications. Finally, the unit economics in fully-scaled production model indicated the estimated cost of CAR-T cell delivery was approximately 30,000 USD (or 25,00,000 INR) per dosage including logistics, lentiviral vector cost and quality control (Figure 1b). The major costs incurred were towards consumables, overhead and financing costs of clinical trials and infrastructure. There was very minor components of logistics and utility costs. More importantly, the major contributors of overall low cost of CAR-T delivery in our settings were frugal R&D costs in an academic setting, scalable integrated manufacturing platform, and highly qualified yet economical manpower. Conclusions: We developed a robust, scalable and highly affordable CAR-T cell therapy platform (product and process development, and first-in-human clinical study), and proven its clinical delivery successfully with our first indigenous HCAR19 product. Given the benefit of affordable platform to broader socio-economic base of patients, the cell and gene therapy will be poised for a transformational change as a mass therapy. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Final Results of Ruxopeg, a Phase 1/2 Adaptive Randomized Trial of Ruxolitinib (Rux) and Pegylated Interferon Alpha (IFNa) 2a in Patients with Myelofibrosis (MF)

Background MF is characterized by splenomegaly, anemia, debilitating symptoms and bone marrow (BM) fibrosis. Rux is the current standard of care improving symptoms and splenomegaly but with little impact on the malignant clone and BM fibrosis. IFNa can reduce mutant allele burden and fibrosis but is poorly tolerated in highly symptomatic patients (pts). The RUXOPEG study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of different doses combinations of Rux + pegylated IFNa 2a in both JAK inhibitor and IFNa-naïve MF pts (NCT02742324). Methods RUXOPEG is a multi-center Bayesian Phase 1/2 adaptive trial. Phase 1 (P1) evaluated 9 possible combinations of doses of Rux, and IFNa (10, 15 and 20 mg BID, and 45, 90 and 135 mcg/week, respectively) and included 6 cohorts of 3 pts. Phase 2 (P2) randomized the 2 best dose combinations selected from P1. Primary tolerance criterion was the occurrence of dose limiting toxicities (DLT) within 45 days in P1. Primary efficacy criterion was >50% reduction in spleen length (SL) by palpation within 24 weeks (W). Secondary objectives included molecular response, quality of life and symptoms evolution, reduction of BM fibrosis, event-free and overall survival. Key inclusion criteria: diagnosis of MF (WHO), Intermediate (Int) or high risk (HR) (IPSS), need of active therapy. Key exclusion criteria: prior treatment with Rux or IFNa, eligibility for stem cell transplantation, autoimmune disease, history of depression. Enrolment in P1 was completed in Nov 2018 and in P2 in Nov 2020. We report the data collected after last pt last visit after 12 months in the study (Nov 2021). Results A total of 37 pts (18 in P1, 19 in P2) were included from 6 centers. Median (range) age was 63.5 years (37-71), 21 had primary MF, 16 post ET or post PV MF. Median (range) SL was 9 cm (0-20) by palpation and 19.5 cm (10.6-30) by imaging. Mean (range) hemoglobin was 12.2 g/dL (7.8-16.2), WBC 12.2 G/L (3.5- 36.1), platelets 372 G/L (150-1304). IPSS at inclusion: Int-1 in 23, Int-2 or HR in 14 pts. Mean number of mutations (mut) per pt was 3.4.; 21 pts had JAK2V617F, 11 CALR and 4 MPL mut; NGS identified 90 additional mut in 17 genes in 33 pts, including mut in HR genes: ASXL1 (n= 21), EZH2 (5), SRSF2 (2), IDH1 (1), and TP53 (5). Safety: No DLT occurred among the 18 pts included in 6 cohorts of P1 (primary safety criterion), and 19 pts were randomized between the 2 dose combinations selected for P2: IFNa 135 mcg/w + Rux 15 (level 6, 9 pts) or 20 (level 9, 10 pts) mg BID. Over 24W, a total of 363 AEs (59% gr1, 33% gr2, 7.5% gr3, 0.5% gr4) including 6 SAE (2 skin cancers, 2 anemias, 1 urinary infection, 1 Raynaud's phenomenon) were reported. Only 2.5% of them resulted in treatment interruption. Most frequent AEs were anemia (18.7%), thrombocytopenia (13.7%), GI (7%), musculoskeletal (6.8%) and asthenia (6.6%). During the 12-month period of the study, 1 patient died of AML transformation after 10.4 months. Efficacy: Primary efficacy endpoint (reduction by at least 50% of SL within 24 W) was reached in 70% (IC95%: 53;84) of pts (26/37 pts in ITT, 67% in P1, 74% in P2) with a clear decrease in SL at W24 (median 3.5 cm by palpation, range 0-12) (Fig 1), maintained at 12 months (median SL of 3 cm, range 0-12) (Fig 2) including complete resolution of palpable splenomegaly in 38% of pts. The best response rate (83%) was seen in patients receiving dose level 6. JAK2V617F allele burden decreased from a median (range) of 84% (23-96) at baseline to 65% (16-95), and 53% (16-92) after 6, and 12 months. Genotyping of progenitor-derived colonies performed in 10 patients showed that the combination of drugs clearly targets in 12 months committed (CD34+CD38+), immature (CD34+CD38-) and HSC-enriched progenitors (CD90+CD34+CD38-) carrying homozygous or heterozygous JAK2V617F. BM biopsies at inclusion and after 12 months are currently centrally reviewed (preliminary results show reduction of BM cellularity and grade of fibrosis in selected pts), and results of additional exploratory endpoints including evolution of clonal architecture with single cell and NGS sequencing, cytokine array and changes in immune effector cells will be presented. Conclusion RUXOPEG is the first study to formally assess the safety and efficacy of Rux + pegylated IFNa 2a combination in patients with MF never exposed to either drug before. Final results show that the combination provided high rates of important reductions in SL and JAK2V617F allele burden due to selective targeting of mutated progenitors. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

LOCA advanced failure criteria: Implementation in the mechanistic fuel performance code and practical applications

The advanced Chung-Kassner criteria for the capability of fuel rods to withstand thermal shock during LOCA reflooding and to withstand post-quench fuel handling, as well as the complementary cladding embrittlement criteria of KAERI and KIT, are compared to the traditional LOCA safety criterion of 17% ECR oxidation. The advanced failure criteria were implemented in the mechanistic thermomechanical code SVECHA/QUENCH (S/Q) and successfully applied to predict fuel rod failure behaviour in postulated LOCA scenarios and high temperature (1400 °C) pre-oxidation and quenching tests performed with fresh and irradiated fuel rod simulators. The extension of the advanced failure criteria to coated Zr alloy claddings is discussed.

Effects of Blasting Vibrations on an Arch in the Jiaohuayu Tunnel Described by Energy Response Spectrum Analysis

The vibrations caused by tunnel blasting strongly affects the construction safety and progress of the tunnel itself. The arch vibration attenuation law, structural energy response, and safety criterion were systematically investigated using blasting vibration monitoring in the Jiaohuayu Tunnel. The peak particle velocity (PPV) at the vault was always larger than that at the arch waist and was greater than that at the sidewall, regardless of the direction. The arch waist was where the initial lining had the highest risk of damage. Existing safety criteria can be supplemented and improved using the maximum instantaneous input energy to measure the first passage damage, the hysteretic energy consumption to measure the cumulative damage, and the input-hysteretic energy criterion to judge the structural failure. The energy threshold of the first passage damage of the initial lining structure was 200 J, and the plastic cumulative damage was 3000 J of the test section. This study is important when evaluating the safety of a tunnel’s initial lining structure.

Development of a model for the disposal of space debris during combustion in the atmosphere

Due to the increasing use of outer space, the issue of space debris disposal (SD) is becoming an urgent problem. Of the known disposal methods (using a solar sail, atmospheric resistance, electrodynamic cable system, laser, ion flow, gravitational cleaner, contact method), the article focuses on the method of burning up space debris in the Earth’s atmosphere by engaging it with a special device for collecting SD and impulse emitting by a debris collector to deorbit with certain parameters. Based on the methodologies of computing the trajectories of the object descent via the extra-atmospheric and atmospheric areas, as well as heat calculation, a mathematical model was developed in the Mathcad system to calculate the timespan required for the complete destruction of SD in the Earth's atmosphere. A comparative analysis was carried out on the accumulated heat flux, as well as on the duration and altitude at which SD, containing aluminum or refractory metals such as titanium and tungsten, will burn up. The altitudes optimal for burning up SD were determined and evaluated. They are acceptable according to the criterion of public safety. The conducted computational experiment revealed that SD made of an aluminum alloy weighing 10 kg burns up at an altitude of 94.9 km, a 17 kg titanium piece burns at an altitude of 94.7 km, a 73 kg tungsten piece does at an altitude of 97.7 km. Thus, this model allows us to classify the existing SD objects into those that can burn up in the atmosphere before reaching a given altitude (not reaching the Earth’s surface), and those that require the employment of other methods to clean space from debris.

Exploring the sustainable siting of floating wind farms in the Cretan coastline

Most wind potential is located at sea and mainly in areas with significant depth, where the installation of fixed wind turbines is unfeasible. Floating wind farms, deployable in deep waters, could take advantage of this high potential to produce clean energy. This study aims to define the most suitable areas for the installation of floating wind farms in the Cretan Sea and to evaluate them according to their energy characteristics by developing a Geographic Information System-based methodology. The available candidate areas were initially determined after excluding areas based on legislation criteria and state-of-the-art. Available areas were further evaluated on energy, techno-economical, environmental, safety, and project nuisance criteria in order to determine the most suitable areas for their sustainable siting. Three areas were ranked as the most suitable, and the energy characteristics of these areas were energy evaluated. The study quantifies and ranks the suitability of all marine areas nearby Crete. In addition, the critical energy role that floating wind farms can play in the case of Crete is emphasised, as the use of only the most suitable areas can cover up to 56% of the island's energy needs and provide electricity for 396,000 dwellings annually.

Psilocybin for alcohol use disorder: Rationale and design considerations for a randomized controlled trial

Several lines of evidence suggest that classic psychedelics (5-HT2A receptor agonists or partial agonists) such as psilocybin might facilitate behavior change in individuals with substance use disorders. We conducted a multi-site, double-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the effects of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in alcohol-dependent volunteers. In addition to a structured 12-week psychotherapy platform, participants (n = 96) were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either oral psilocybin or an active placebo (oral diphenhydramine) in each of two dosing sessions (at weeks 4 and 8). Initial doses were 25 mg/70 kg psilocybin or 50 mg diphenhydramine, which could be increased in the second session depending on initial response. The psychotherapy platform combined evidence-based, manualized therapy for alcohol dependence with a supportive context for the dosing sessions. All participants were followed in the RCT through week 36. At the end of the RCT, participants who still met safety criteria were offered an open-label psilocybin session. Data collected at screening, baseline and throughout the study included: demographics, measures of alcohol use, subjective response to psilocybin and diphenhydramine, and safety measures. The primary outcome was the proportion of heavy drinking days during the 32 weeks after the first dosing session (i.e., between week 4 and week 36). Secondary outcomes included safety, additional measures of drinking (e.g., abstinence, drinking days, etc.), craving, self-efficacy, and acute effects. We will also explore moderators and mediators of the primary outcome. The primary outcomes will be published elsewhere. In this paper, we describe the protocol and rationale for our design decisions.

Exponential-Alpha Safety Criteria of a Class of Dynamic Systems With Barrier Functions

A classic kind of researches about the operational safety criterion for dynamic systems with barrier function can be roughly summarized as functional relationship, denoted by <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\oplus$</tex> , between the barrier function and its first derivative for time <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$t$</tex> , where <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\oplus$</tex> can be “=”, “<”, or “>”, etc. This article draws on the form of the stable condition expression for finite time stability to formulate a novel kind of relaxed safety judgement criteria called exponential-alpha safety criteria. Moreover, we initially explore to use the control barrier function under exponential-alpha safety criteria to achieve the control for the dynamic system operational safety. In addition, derived from the actual process systems, we propose multi-hypersphere methods which are used to construct barrier functions and improved them for three types of special spatial relationships between the safe state set and the unsafe state set, where both of them can be spatially divided into multiple subsets. And the effectiveness of the proposed safety criteria are demonstrated by simulation examples.

Evaluation of the drone-human collision consequences

The operational safety assessment of the unmanned vehicles is crucial for their subsequent practical use. The safety limit criteria used for the operation assessment, especially values closely related to the safety of persons and their vulnerability to collision with these vehicles, represent nowadays a significant limitation. This contribution presents the currently discussed and proposed human safety criteria for the UAS, evaluates the available data from the collision dynamic tests and computer modelling and provides the possibility to compare and evaluate these criteria on a validated set of data. A total of five small UAS, three multi-rotor quadcopters and two fixed-wing aircrafts were used to verify the current methods and serve as a basis for the assessment. The results of the measurements obtained through the crash tests demonstrate the excessive restrictiveness of the currently used kinetic energy threshold values and the limited value of some proposed criterions, e.g. the blunt criterion. On the contrary, they point to the appropriateness of the application of car vulnerability criterions. The UAS mass or kinetic energy tests represent an easily definable threshold value, however, the available data sets and the tests performed showed limitations of its applicability for the deformable and fragile UAS structures. The article aims to verify, based on its own impact tests, the adequacy of the evaluation of the safety criteria of the UAS operation in relation to the development of the current legislation that defines the conditions of use of these machines.

Ship routing optimisation based on forecasted weather data and considering safety criteria

AbstractA weather routing tool is presented based on forecasted weather data along the route and considering safety aspects. The tool aims to determine the optimal path for the minimisation of the fuel oil consumption, ensuring a safe passage. It is developed in MATLAB and considers detailed ship characteristics. Specifically, ship's motions and fuel oil consumption of the main engine during a potential path are estimated. For the latter, a physics-based model for a specific vessel is developed where tools of different level of detail are utilised to calculate the various resistance components. A speed management strategy along the route is specified as well as safety criteria representing acceptable limits of ship's responses. When the set criteria and constraints have been set, a genetic algorithm is used to find the optimal route by means of ship's heading or by considering both heading and ship's power settings as variables to minimise the fuel oil consumption. The search space of the algorithm lies within a predefined envelop, but still the evolutionary optimisation approach used has no pre-assigned values to any possible candidate waypoint.

Modeling traveler’s speed-route joint choice behavior with heterogeneous safety concern

In this study, a speed-route joint choice model considering traveler’s safety concerns is proposed to concurrently model traveler’s safety-oriented travel speed and route choice behavior. Specifically, the safe-speed choice behavior is modeled as a trade-off process between perceived traffic safety and efficiency using a disutility function. The safe-route choice behavior is described by the proposed Mean-excess Crash Risk Cost model, where the route safety is modeled as a random variable following a specific distribution, and traveler’s concerns about both reliability and unreliability aspects of safety variability are considered. The model is accommodative to account for the random nature and the traveler’s perception of traffic safety. Also, the travel time cost is considered, which is depicted as a parallel criterion of travel safety in the route choice model. Moreover, the heterogeneities of travelers’ safety concerns in both the choices of speed and route are considered in the proposed joint model. Then, the study formulated the equilibrium problem with the two behavior elements (speed and route) and two choice criteria (safety and time), based on the assumption that all travelers tend to maximize their disutility when choosing speed while minimizing their travel safety variability and travel time. To illustrate the model, Nguyen and Dupuis, Sioux falls, and Changsha arterial networks are conducted as numerical studies. The result demonstrates the model’s capability in depicting travelers’ trade-off between safety and time when selecting the optimal travel speed. Considering the impact of route safety unreliability makes the model sensible to describe travelers’ safety-concerned route choice behavior. The model is also flexible to account for travelers’ crash risk aversion heterogeneity.

Requirements for the Preliminary Design of Innovative Temporary Edge Protection Systems (TEPS) for Construction Works

At present, it is striking that a large percentage of occupational accidents in the construction sector are still caused by falls from height. Therefore, curbing the severe personal, social and economic consequences of these events is not only a commitment but an obligation for all stakeholders in the construction sector. After a review of current fall protection systems on construction sites, the purpose of this study is to establish the preliminary requirements for the design, development and prototyping of a new system which can be used as an auxiliary means to prevent occupational accidents in the construction sector caused by fall hazards at height. Based on the design science research (DSR) methodology, this paper tests the capability of alternative materials (metals, plastics and composites) to withstand the loads required by the regulatory standard UNE-EN 13374:2013+A1:2019 and looks at the improvements they can offer. The results obtained enable new metals and composite materials to be put forward, based on their suitability to the parameters of the risks of falling from height, ensuring that the greatest number of potential situations are addressed. Then, the needs to be satisfied and requirements to be met are listed, prioritised and considered for new temporary edge protection systems (TEPS). Next, the attributes that increase user satisfaction and/or reduce user dissatisfaction are filtered by means of a Kano model, which is applied thanks to the responses of construction designers, coordinators and supervisors. Once these questions are solved, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is performed by a focus group, weighing the Kano contributions and ranking the materials to be selected for the preliminary design of innovative TEPS for construction works. After considering safety, ergonomics, adaptability, sustainability, efficiency, manufacturability and flexibility criteria, the basis for the design of a new temporary edge protection system is established.

Review of Best Practices for an Environmental Laboratory

Key TakeawaysUtilities with environmental laboratories can monitor water and wastewater treatment plant processes and water quality from source, through distribution, and to the consumer's tap.“Best laboratory practices” are criteria intended to ensure that environmental laboratories produce reliable and defensible water quality data that comply with regulatory requirements.Accreditation and robust quality control and quality assurance, ethics, safety, and other laboratory program criteria support data integrity and protection of public health.