Defending the Wrist Deviation Test for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Screening: A Comparison of Vibration Thresholds and Distal Motor Latency

This research used distal motor latency (DML) and vibration thresholds (VT) to evaluate 84 hand activity and wrist deviation combinations to determine the best association with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Female volunteers, 2 healthy and 2 CTS diagnosed, were age matched and operated a keyboard for 4 hrs a day. Room temperature was 28°C(±2). Beginning DML and VT were taken with a relaxed neutral posture hand. The wrist was deviated in a randomly selected combination, and determinations were taken at 5-min intervals. The trial ended at 20 min or when discomfort was felt. The CTS conditions were discriminated by pain four times, DML once, and VT 14 times. Vibrometry was the most consistent CTS discriminator. The best VT results for wrist positions were obtained with wrist extension and extended extension, whereas the unclenched, clenched, and loaded power grip activities proved to be the most consistent hand activities.     

Assessment of an accidental vapour cloud explosion: Lessons from the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. accident at Jaipur,India

On 29 October 2009, at 19:30 IST, a devastating vapour cloud explosion occurred in a large fuel storage area at the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Depot in Jaipur, India, generating significant blast pressure. As a consequence of this explosion, the entire installation was destroyed, buildings in the immediate vicinity were heavily damaged, and windowpane breakages were found up to 2 km from the terminal. The IOC estimated that the total loss from the fire and explosion was approximately INR 2800 million.Ironically, as a storage site, the Jaipur terminal was not highly congested, and thus was not considered to have adequate potential for a vapour cloud explosion (VCE). Nevertheless, the prima facie evidences indicate that this was a case of VCE. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to quantify the potential overpressures due to vapour cloud explosions (VCEs) using the Process Hazard Analysis DNV Norway based PHAST 6.51 Software. The results are validated by the extent of the damage that had occurred. The estimation of the VCE shows that a maximum 1.0 bar overpressure was generated in the surrounding area. The initial assessment of the accident data roughly estimates the release mode, time, and amount of vaporized fuel. A more accurate estimate has been obtained by modelling the dispersion of vapour clouds in the surrounding atmosphere, which reveals trends and relationships for the occurrence of vapour cloud explosions.     

Small-scale physical explosions in shock tubes in comparison with condensed high explosive detonations

A series of small-scale experiments involving physical explosions in a 1.6 l pressure vessel was carried out. Explosions were initiated by spontaneous rupture of an aluminium membrane on one side of the vessel at a pressure in the range 1–1.2 MPa. The pressure waves released were measured at different distances along two separate shock tubes, one 10 m long and 200 mm in diameter (closed at one end by the high pressure vessel) and the other 15 m long and 100 mm in diameter.TNT equivalency was used for predicting the blast wave characteristics after vessel rupture. TNT equivalency was used because equations for prediction of peak pressure and impulse of the blast wave in 1-D geometry after detonations of condensed explosives are known. Some experiments with an equivalent amount of real explosive were carried out for comparison with the theoretical and experimental data obtained. The applicability of the TNT equivalency method presented for calculations of maximum pressure and shock wave impulse generated after rupture of the pressure vessel in 1-D geometry is discussed.     

Environmental risk mapping of accidental pollution and its zonal prevention in a city

Accidental releases of pollution can have severe environmental, societal, economic, and institutional consequences. This paper considers the use of risk mapping of accidental pollution events, and zonal prevention measures for alleviating the impact on large urban areas. An Environmental Pollution Accident Risk Mapping (EPARM) model is constructed according to a mapping index system supported by quantitative sub-models dedicated to evaluating the risk arising from different sources of potential accidental pollution. The EPARM approach consists of identifying suitable indexes, assessment of environmental risk at regional and national scales based on information on previous pollution accidents and the prevailing environmental and social conditions, and use of GIS to map the overall risk. A case study of pollution accidents in Minghang District, Shanghai, China is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model. The paper also proposes a systemic framework for accidental environmental pollution risk prevention, and detailed countermeasures for specific risk zones.     

基于灰色聚类法的地铁运营安全趋势分析

为评估地铁运营安全水平,掌握地铁运营风险变化趋势,采用灰色聚类法对某地铁线路运营一年以来每个月份的安全水平进行了分级评价。选取对地铁日常运营具有重要影响的设备设施故障作为评价指标,评价方法挖掘地铁运营以来的历史数据信息,体现了设备设施故障变化的时间特性,减少了安全评价中的主观性。将地铁运营安全水平分为五个安全等级,选取15%、35%、50%、65%、85%作为各安全等级的累积百分频率特征点,建立白化权函数得到各评价指标的灰类白化值。结合各设备设施的指标权重,得到了地铁线路运营一年来每个月份的安全等级情况。该方法为分析地铁运营安全趋势提供了参考。     

改性PbO2电极电催化氧化直接绿废水的研究

采用表面活性剂聚乙二醇200改性自制不锈钢基PbO2电极。通过SEM、XRD等分析方法对改性PbO2电极表面形貌及晶体结构进行表征。利用直接绿模拟废水脱色实验考察电极的电催化氧化特性。考察了粒子电极的投加量、电解质的浓度及使用次数等条件对直接绿废水降解效率的影响。结果表明,改性后的电极表面颗粒明显细化,β-PbO2纯度提高。电催化时间3 min,粒子电极投加量13 g/L,电解质质量浓度为0.06 g/L,对50mg/L直接绿废水的去除率可达94.98%。     

地铁车站及隧道全尺寸火灾实验研究(3)—车站隧道火灾

为了研究烟气在地铁车站隧道内的蔓延特征,及在车站隧道通风排烟系统、区间隧道通风排烟系统及车站公共区通风排烟系统联合排烟情况下烟气控制效果,在一地铁车站隧道内开展了全尺寸火灾实验.实验研究了车站隧道顶部横向排烟作用下的烟气扩散规律,及烟气的温度变化,分析了屏蔽门开关状态下烟气与空气的卷吸混合特性,及区间风机的气流组织对通风排烟的影响.实验结果对于地铁车站隧道火灾防排烟设计提供了数据支持.     

小流域土地利用结构对氮素输出的影响

以丹江口库区的胡家山小流域为研究区,以资源二号卫星影像图为底图,通过实地调查获取胡家山小流域土地利用图,利用ArcGIS的水文模拟、空间分析模块提取15个集水区,并分析其土地利用结构.根据2008年1～12月各个集水区的出口的总氮、硝态氮浓度的监测数据,定量地分析土地利用结构对氮素输出时空变化的影响.结果表明,胡家山小流域内旱地、居民地对氮素输出起显著源作用,与TN、NO-3-N的Pearson相关系数分别为0.869、0.856和0.826、0.867.林地、疏林地、草地等对氮素输出起汇作用,其中林地、草地汇作用显著,与TN、NO-3-N的Pearson相关系数分别为-0.820、-0.851和-0.602、-0.518.土地利用结构是氮素输出空间变化的关键因素,土地利用类型的空间分布使得汇土地利用类型旱地、居民地对小流域氮素输出影响最大;在不同时间尺度上,土地利用结构对氮素输出浓度影响有所不同.年度上,对氮素输出影响最大的是旱地,季节上,春、夏、秋、冬四季对氮素输出影响最大的分别是旱地、居民地、居民地、旱地;土地利用结构对氮素输出浓度的影响受到降雨、气温、人为等因素的作用.     

日本森林大气中过氧化物的浓度及其对森林植物的影响

为了研究森林衰退的原因,于2000,2001和2002年的8月,分别选择出现森林衰退的日本奥日光白根山落叶树森林和未出现森林衰退的长野县大芝高原红松森林设立监测点,对光化学氧化剂臭氧(O3)和过氧化物的浓度进行监测,同时利用人工气候室对森林植物山毛榉和白桦进行了50′10-9O3、100′10-9O3和50′10-9O3+2′10-9~3′10-9过氧化物(过氧化氢(H2O2)及甲基过氧化氢(MHP))的暴露实验.野外监测结果表明,监测期间奥日光和长野的O3平均浓度相同,奥日光的H2O2及MHP平均浓度均高于长野;大气中的H2O2和MHP总是与O3共存,并且其浓度随O3浓度的增加而增加.暴露实验结果表明,暴露于50′10-9O3+2′10-9~3′10-9过氧化物的山毛榉和白桦出现了不同于O3暴露的叶片伤害症状;与100′10-9O3相比,50′10-9O3+2′10-9~3′10-9过氧化物导致植物出现了严重的叶片伤害和显著的光合速率下降.研究结果表明,除O3外,大气中的过氧化物也是导致森林衰退的原因之一.