Dangerous Threshold Research Articles

Finite element simulation of cracks formation in parabolic flume above fixed service live

In the article, digital simulation data on influence of defect different characteristics on cracks formation in a parabolic flume are presented. The finite element method is based on general hypotheses of the theory of elasticity. The studies showed that the values of absolute movements satisfy the standards of design. The results of the digital simulation of stresses and strains for cracks formation in concrete parabolic flumes after long-term service above the fixed service life are described. Stressed and strained state of reinforced concrete bearing elements under different load combinations is considered. Intensive threshold of danger to form longitudinal cracks in reinforced concrete elements is determined.

ТУБЕРКУЛËЗ У РАБОТНИКОВ МЕДИЦИНСКИХ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЙ В КЫРГЫЗСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКЕ, 2015-2017 ГОДЫ

Objective: To study the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) among employees of medical organizations (EMO) of the Kyrgyz Republic (KR) in 2015-2017. Methods: The analysis is subject to the state reporting forms № 17 "On medical personnel" and № 8 "About diseases with active tuberculosis" for 2015-2017, the electronic database of new cases of TB in EMO in 2015-2017. The data processing was used the SPSS-16. Results: Morbidity rates of TB in EMO in the KR in 2015 and 2016 years exceeded the epidemic dangerous threshold for TB (50.0 per 100,000 people) by 37.4% and 13.4%, respectively. The incidence of TB in the EMO of the tuberculosis-care service in 2015 was 3.3 times higher than that of the EMO of the general treatment network, and in 2016 – 1.5 times. More commonly infected with TB the EMO, professionally closely contacting patients in the provision of medical care or in the care of them, or working in epidemically dysfunctional regions. The highest rates of TB morbidity were registered in Osh (2015 – 123.5, 2016 – 125.0 and 2017 – 92.6 per 100 thousand EMOs, respectively). Conclusion: The high rate of TB morbidity among RMS is due to: the unfavorable situation of TB in the Kyrgyz Republic, the high degree of risk of infection in the performance of their professional duties and the lack of adequate levels of alertness among employees, the insufficient level of their TB awareness, errors in compliance with the rules of infectious control regulations in medical organizations. Keywords: Tuberculosis, morbidity, employees of medical organizations.

Effect evaluation of choking risk assessment and intervention on the choking prevention of homeless inpatients with psychiatric

Objective To explore the effect evaluation of choking risk assessment and intervention on the choking prevention of homeless inpatients with psychiatricc. Methods Totally 163 homeless inpatients with psychiatric disorder were selected from July 2012 to June 2016, 56 cases from July 2012 to December 2013 were assigned to the control group, another 107 cases from January 2014 to June 2016 was set as the intervention group. The control group received routine nursing safety management, on the basis of it, the intervention group received choking risk assessment through choking risk assessment scales. To take choking risk intervention on the patients of reached choking danger threshold. The incidence of choking and choking ending were compared between the two groups and the choking risk levels and scores in the intervention group before and after intervention were also compared. Results The incidence of choking in the intervention group and the control group was 0.93% (1/107) and 10.71% (6/56) respectively. Choking ending: 2 heal, 3 aspiration pneumonia, 1 death of 6 cases in the control group and 1 case was cured, no death and aspiration pneumonia occurred in the intervention group, the statistical differences were significant (χ2=9.399,18.554, P < 0.01 or 0.05). There were 28.0% (30/107) reached levelⅠ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ choking threshold in the intervention group and rank mean of choking risk scores were 41.29. After interventions were 8.4% (9/107) and 25.50 respectively, the statistical differences were significant (χ2=10.231, P< 0.05; Z=7.511, P < 0.01). Conclusions The corresponding nursing intervention on the patients of choking risk can reduce and avoid choking accidents and protect the safety of homeless inpatients with psychiatric disorder effectively and improve the quality of care. Key words: Psychotic disorders; Nursing care; Homeless persons; Choking risk assessment

Edith Wharton in Washington, 2–4 June 2016

Edith Wharton in Washington, 2–4 June 2016

Influence of cultivation sites on sterol, nitrate, total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity in endive and stem chicory edible products

Chicories produce a wide range of vegetables with important nutritional value. We determined the variation of sterol, total polyphenol, nitrate contents and antioxidant capacity (SC, TPC, NC, AC) in endive leaves and stem-chicory novel vegetables, cultivated in two Italian regions. Within a given area, the SC was similar in smooth- and curly leafed endives (106.3–176.0 mg/kg FW); sitosterol and stigmasterol were major fractions (45–56 versus 38–43%). The stem SC was independent of landrace (101.5–118.6 mg/kg FW); sitosterol prevailed on stigmasterol and fucosterol (73–76 versus 12–14% versus 8–9%); the latter reached 15.7 mg/kg FW, conferring value as potential antidiabetes food. The planting site affected the AC and TPC of endives (893.1–1571.4 μmTE/100 g FW, 30.8–76.1 GAE100/g FW) and chicory stems (729.8–1152.5 μmTE/100 g FW; 56.2–124.4 GAE100/g FW), while the NC was recurrently below dangerous thresholds. PCA showed that environment was the major cause of variation, though it modestly affected these parameters.

Evolution of urban heat wave intensity for the Brussels Capital Region in the ARPEGE-Climat A1B scenario

Urban areas are particularly vulnerable to heat wave (HW). This paper will examine the important question on urban heat island (UHI) during HW and their interactions under present and future conditions. Therefore, a 1km-resolution urban dynamical downscaling technique has been applied over the Brussels Capital Region. Results from observations, ERA-Interim driven simulations (1981–2010), present (1990–1999) and future (2046–2055) climate simulations under the A1B scenario of the global climate model ARPEGE-Climat indicate that for the present climate: (i) observed nighttime UHI is enhanced under HW by 1.5°C (0.6°C ERA-Interim), (ii) due to a dry summer bias in ARPEGE-Climat, the control simulation was not able to reproduce the UHI intensification during HW, and (iii) in the ERA-Interim runs, HW affects urban and rural surface energy balance differently. Hereby, the HW definition and heat stress index are based upon the warnings issued by the Public Health of Belgium. For the 2050s, climate change increases, statistically significant, the intensity of HW for urban (rural) areas during the night (day). Under future HW, the biggest and statistically significant increase of the ratio of number of hours to number of days while the Humidex is above dangerous (>40) thresholds occurs over urban areas.

Chemical and Structural Characterization of Several Mid-Term Explanted Breast Prostheses.

The recent scandal of poly implant prostheses (PIP), which were found in some cases to be made of non-medical grade silicone (as reported by the European Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks), had a great social impact. Thousands of patients asked for implant removal with significant costs for public health care systems. We analysed, by a multidisciplinary approach, sixteen different breast implants after explantation by using several analytical and structural techniques, such as Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), mass spectrometry equipped by ion coupled plasma (ICP-MS), gas-chromatography (GC-MS), and tensile testing. Traces of organic (fatty acid) and inorganic (Fe, Cr, Pt, Na, and other metals) substances were found in all samples, and, even if these values are under danger threshold levels, our study results highlight the possibility of bioaccumulation and tissue contamination, implying the need for continuous medical surveillance and monitoring of material aging.

Effect of sewage-contaminated water on seed production, heavy metals accumulation and seedling emergence in oat

&lt;div&gt; &lt;p&gt;Two pot experiments were carried out to investigate effect of deficit irrigation with wastewater on seed yield, heavy metals and seedling emergence in oat (&lt;em&gt;Avena sativa&lt;/em&gt;). The research at seedling stage included different ratios of sewage-contaminated water (100% well water, 75% well water + 25% wastewater, 50% well water + 50% wastewater, 25% well water + 75% wastewater and 100% wastewater) and three irrigation intervals (1, 2 and 3 days). The research at complete plant stage included different ratios of sewage-contaminated water used at seedling stage and irrigation intervals of 2, 3 and 4 days. Results showed that at oat seedling stage, irrigation interval of 1 days and 100% wastewater produced the highest seedling weight. Irrigation interval of 3 days with 100% wastewater had the lowest seedling emergence. At complete plant stage, by increasing wastewater concentration, leaf chlorophyll content was increased, but relative water content was decreased. 100% wastewater produced the highest seed yield, 1000-seed weight, concentrations of zinc, copper and potassium. According to references, the concentration of studied heavy metals was lower than dangerous threshold.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

Emission of gas and atmospheric dispersion of SO2 during the December 2013 eruption at San Miguel volcano (El Salvador, Central America)

AbstractSan Miguel volcano, El Salvador, erupted on 29 December 2013, after a 46 year period characterized by weak activity. Prior to the eruption a trend of increasing SO2 emission rate was observed, with all values measured after mid‐November greater than the average value of the previous year (~310 t d−1). During the eruption, SO2 emissions increased from the level of ~330 t d−1 to 2200 t d−1, dropping after the eruption to an average level of 680 t d−1. Wind measurements and SO2 emission rates during the preeruptive, syneruptive, and posteruptive stages were used to model SO2 dispersion around the volcano. Atmospheric SO2 concentration exceeded the dangerous threshold of 5 ppm in the crater region and in some sectors with medium elevation of the highly visited volcanic cone. Combining the SO2 emission rate with measured CO2/SO2, HCl/SO2, and HF/SO2 plume gas ratios, we estimate the CO2, HCl, and HF outputs for the first time on this volcano.

Fluorescent analysis for bioindication of ozone on unicellular models.

Unicellular model plant systems (vegetative microspores of horsetail Equisetum arvense and pollen of six plant species Corylus avellana, Dolichothele albescens Populus balsamifera, Salix caprea, Saintpaulia ionantha, Tulipa hybridum, on which autofluorescence and fluorescence after histochemical treatment studied, have been represented as bioindicators of ozone. It has found that low doses of ozone 0.005 or 0.008μl/l did not affect or stimulate the autofluorescence of the samples with the ability to germinate in an artificial medium. In higher ozone concentrations (0.032μl/l) either the decrease in the intensity of the emission or changing in the position of the maxima in the fluorescence spectrum (new 515-520nm maximum characteristic for the green-and yellow area has appeared) were observed. In dose of 0.2μl/l, higher than above the threshold of danger to human health, autofluorescence in all samples fell down to up to zero, and there was no the ability to germinate. In this case the formation of lipofuscin-like compounds fluoresced in blue with maxima from 440 to 485nm was observed. Stress metabolites, known as neurotransmitters biogenic amines, were found in treated cells as determined on the characteristic fluorescence at 460-480nm in the samples after a specific histochemical reactions for catecholamines (with glyoxylic acid) or for histamine (with o-phthalic aldehyde). Increased intensity of the emission under the treatment with ozone (total doses from 0.012 to 0.032μl/l) was associated with an increase in the concentrations of catecholamines and histamine. The fluorescent analysis on undamaged cells-possible bioindicators of ozone can be useful in ecomonitoring for earlier warning about health hazardous concentrations of this compound in the air.

Estimating Spatially Varying Severity Thresholds of a Forest Fire Danger Rating System Using Max-Stable Extreme-Event Modeling

AbstractFire danger indices are used in many countries to estimate the potential fire danger and to issue warnings to local regions. The McArthur fire danger rating system is used in Australia. The McArthur forest fire danger index (FFDI) uses only meteorological elements. It combines information on wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, and recent rainfall to produce a weather index of fire potential. This index is converted into fire danger categories to serve as warnings to the local population and to estimate potential fire-suppression difficulty. FFDI values above the threshold of 75 are rated as extreme. The spatial behavior of large values of the FFDI is modeled to investigate whether a varying threshold across space may serve as a better guide for determining the onset of elevated fire danger. The authors modify and apply a statistical method that was recently developed for spatial extreme events, using a “max-stable” process to model FFDI data at approximately 17 000 data sites. The method that is described here produces a quantile map that can be employed as a spatially varying fire danger threshold. It is found that a spatially varying threshold may serve to more accurately represent high fire danger, and an adjustment is proposed that varies by local government area. Temporal change was also investigated, and evidence was found of a recent increase in extreme fire danger in southwestern Australia.

Development of a personal integrated environmental monitoring system.

Environmental pollution in the urban areas of Hong Kong has become a serious public issue but most urban inhabitants have no means of judging their own living environment in terms of dangerous threshold and overall livability. Currently there exist many low-cost sensors such as ultra-violet, temperature and air quality sensors that provide reasonably accurate data quality. In this paper, the development and evaluation of Integrated Environmental Monitoring System (IEMS) are illustrated. This system consists of three components: (i) position determination and sensor data collection for real-time geospatial-based environmental monitoring; (ii) on-site data communication and visualization with the aid of an Android-based application; and (iii) data analysis on a web server. This system has shown to be working well during field tests in a bus journey and a construction site. It provides an effective service platform for collecting environmental data in near real-time, and raises the public awareness of environmental quality in micro-environments.

TSP, PM10 and health risk assessment for heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) in the ambience of the production line for waste cathode ray tube recycling

Recently, a typical semi-automatic recycling line is proved to be a feasible method for resource recovery of raw material of waste CRTs. However, there are no relevant studies about health risk assessment of the particles and heavy metals diffused from this physical r ecycling process for CRTs. In this study, TSP, PM10 and heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in the ambience of the workshop have been evaluated. The mean concentrations of TSP and PM10 in the workshop were 481.5 and 316.9 μg/m3, respectively. Meanwhile, it can be seen that Zn (8.1 and 7.9 μg/m3, respectively) was the most enriched metal in TSP and PM10, followed by Pb (3.2 and 3.0 μg/m3, respectively). Health risk assessment showed that the total hazard index was 3.29, exceeding the danger threshold. The health risk of different metals was Cr > Cd > Ni. In short, the research results show that mechanical–physical process for e-waste recycling do exist the pollutant mission. So the effective measures should be taken to reduce the harm of pollutants on the workers’ health.

Mark Sussman: programming heart cells to heal.

As a boy in suburban Los Angeles, Mark Sussman’s mother used to tell him that scientists saved more lives than physicians because they were the ones who developed the treatments that doctors used. He has taken her words to heart. By deploying a wide range of tools gathered throughout a diverse 25-year career, Sussman is pursuing novel ways to encourage the replacement and repair of damaged tissue in heart failure, the leading cause of hospitalization in the elderly. After a postdoctoral fellowship in cytoskeletal biology, Sussman joined the molecular genetics laboratory of Larry Kedes, at the University of Southern California. There, he characterized the role of the tropomodulin, a protein that caps and regulates the length of actin fibers, in the heart.1 In his first faculty position, at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, he created a transgenic mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy resulting from the cardiac-specific overexpression of tropomodulin.2 Sussman’s research in the area of signaling networks in the heart led to the discovery of the role of Pim-1 kinase as a mediator of cardiomyocyte survival and proliferation.3 Using cells from patients with severe heart failure undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation, Sussman’s laboratory at the San Diego State University Heart Research Institute recently demonstrated that stem cells engineered with Pim-1 kinase can enhance the repair of damaged myocardium.4 In a recent interview with Circulation Research , Sussman described how a successful career can be like a pinball machine: you ricochet from one thing to another, accumulating skills and ideas, and by making the most of each opportunity, end up doing something valuable that you never anticipated. Mark Sussman My father was an accountant who had little interest in science. On the contrary, my mother almost died of polio as a teenager and she always …

An evaluation of risky sites for cattle production in northern Turkey based on temperature/humidity index calculated using GIS and indicator kriging

High temperatures and relative humidity can induce livestock stress and a subsequent decrease in productivity, making location and time period important elements to consider when planning cattle and dairy farming investments. Turkey has a diversity of geographical features that offer the potential for breeding of all types of animals. This study used the temperature/humidity index (THI) in conjunction with a Geographical Information System (GIS) and indicator kriging to identify risky sites for cattle production in 4 provinces in northern Turkey. Findings indicated that THI values at 0700 and 2100 local time (LST; UTC + 2 h) fell within the normal range for all months. However, daily maximum THI values were found to vary significantly by month, exceeding the alert threshold THI value = 75 at certain sites in June, July, August and September and the danger threshold THI value = 79 at certain sites in July and August. THI values at 1400 LST in July and August also exceeded the alert threshold at certain sites and the danger threshold at others. Once THI values were calculated, regression analysis was performed using THI values and selected topographical features. A significant correlation (at 1%) was found between THI values and elevation for all months except April and May. The study findings suggest that cattle producers should invest in physical improvements such as shade provision and cooling fans and shift feeding times to cooler hours of the day in June, July, August and September in order to mitigate the negative effects of high temperatures and relative humidity.

Radioprotection en médecine nucléaire : pourquoi et comment faire mieux ?

Radiation protection plays an important and growing role in nuclear medicine. Originally developed for exposed workers, it concerns more and more patients, relatives and environment. Most of procedures in nuclear imaging deal with low or very low doses of ionizing radiation, below the observed dangerous threshold. As a precaution and because of societal and administrative pressure is growing, legal and regulatory requirements are increasing. Quality approach is greatly urged within reasonable limits. Optimization is of great interest but not necessarily for decrease the dose exposure ad infinitum. Exams justification and a best communication on the subject seem to be better solutions for radiation protection taking into account the benefit/risk ratio.

The state of the autonomous (vegetative) nervous system and heart rhythm disorders under exercise conditions

Ingenious methods of exercise cardiac rhythmgram math simulation are used to study the autonomic regulation of the heart rate. Changes in a number of autonomic nervous system (ANS) - an increase in activity in general, and the manifestation of parasympathetic dominance reflects improved exercise tolerance. Supraventricular extrasystole, a typical heart beat disorder which is not observed at rest and manifesting under exercise conditions, is a consequence of its excess (overload) independently of the endurance development level. Improvement of adaptive mechanisms in the formation of endurance reduces the possibility of extrasystole due to the increase of a potentially dangerous load threshold, manifestation time and decrease in the number of extrasystole complexes. In turn, heart beat disorders have fundamental differences in the vegetative base depending on the endurance development level.

Effects of intensive scallop mariculture on macrobenthic assemblages in Sishili Bay, the northern Yellow Sea of China

To elucidate the effects of scallop mariculture on the macrobenthic community in a moderate energy system, bimonthly samples from four transects along a distance gradient in Sishili Bay, the northern Yellow Sea of China, were investigated. Differences in macrobenthic community structure along the distance gradient were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. The AZTI's Marine Biotic Index (AMBI) and multivariate-AMBI analyses indicated that the macrobenthic community suffered little disturbance from the scallop culture. Consistently, the results of two-way analysis of similarities demonstrated that macrobenthic communities showed no difference along the distance gradient, but were significantly affected by the sampling months and transects. This conclusion was also confirmed by other univariate and multivariate analyses. The concentration of total organic carbon was 17.27 +/- A 6.05 mg g(-1), which is below the dangerous threshold of 35 mg g(-1) toxic to benthic fauna. Combined results revealed that no detectable effects on the macrobenthic community were caused by intensive and long-term scallop culture in this moderate energy system. This is likely due to the influence of local hydrodynamics and it is recommended that intensive scallop farming be located in areas with strong tidal or current flows.

Climate negotiations under scientific uncertainty

How does uncertainty about "dangerous" climate change affect the prospects for international cooperation? Climate negotiations usually are depicted as a prisoners' dilemma game; collectively, countries are better off reducing their emissions, but self-interest impels them to keep on emitting. We provide experimental evidence, grounded in an analytical framework, showing that the fear of crossing a dangerous threshold can turn climate negotiations into a coordination game, making collective action to avoid a dangerous threshold virtually assured. These results are robust to uncertainty about the impact of crossing a threshold, but uncertainty about the location of the threshold turns the game back into a prisoners' dilemma, causing cooperation to collapse. Our research explains the paradox of why countries would agree to a collective goal, aimed at reducing the risk of catastrophe, but act as if they were blind to this risk.

Investigation of the influence of body weight index to the result of therapeutic erythrocytapheresis in patients with polycythemia vera

We investigated the correlation between body weight index (BWI) and the effective power of erythrocytapheresis in patients with polycythemia vera (PV) who received therapeutic erythrocytapheresis (TEA). Furthermore, the risk factors of the adverse events related to erythroapheresis therapy were analyzed. Two hundred and seventeen cycles of therapeutic erythrocytapheresis were carried out in 139 patients with PV (Hct). The correlation between the BWI and the difference of hematocrit before and after therapeutic erythrocytapheresis (ΔHct) was analyzed by the Pearson correlation analysis method. Logistic regression analysis was used to study the risk factors of adverse events for TEA. We observed a positive correlation between the BWI and ΔHct. BWI over 15ml/kg, inlet velocity of the apheresis procedure over 45ml/min and an age older than 50years were the risk factors of adverse events of TEA. The results suggested that BWI was a sensitive index to estimate the effective power and adverse events of TEA. The rate of adverse events of TEA might be reduced by maintaining the BWI below the dangerous threshold of 15ml/kg and the inlet velocity of the apheresis procedure below 45ml/min especially in patients older than 50years of age.