A proactive process risk assessment approach based on job hazard analysis and resilient engineering

Complex systems often experience a long period of incubation before accidents occur. Therefore, a proactive risk assessment is essential for process safety. The conventional job hazard analysis (JHA) method has been an effective tool to conduct a process risk assessment in the high-risk industrial field. However, the conventional JHA is inadequate for the proactive risk assessment since it is usually conducted during and before one specific operation process. Operations such as startup and maintenance are performed repeatedly on the lifecycle of a plant. Therefore, the risk reduction measures for the industrial process should include not only preventive actions obtained from the conventional JHA but also recovery ones. Resilience engineering (RE) has proven to be helpful for the recovery analysis of a complex system. The objective of this paper is to propose a proactive and comprehensive process risk assessment approach based on JHA and RE. The mechanism of applying RE to address operation process risk is illustrated. The integrated approach can provide guidelines to establish proactive risk reduction measures as well as maintain a low-risk level. Finally, a gas transmission startup process risk assessment case is presented to demonstrate its applicability.     

Prenatal prediction of childhood-onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in Turkish families

Childhood-onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is one of the most common neurodegenerative genetic disorders. SMN1 is the SMA-determining gene deleted or mutated in the majority of SMA cases. There is no effective cure or treatment for this disease yet. Thus, the availability of prenatal testing is important. Here we report prenatal prediction for 68 fetuses in 63 Turkish SMA families using direct deletion analysis of the SMN1 gene by restriction digestion. The genotype of the index case was known in 40 families (Group A) but unknown in the remaining 23 families (Group B). A total of ten fetuses were predicted to be affected. Eight of these fetuses were derived from Group A and two of these fetuses were from Group B families. Two fetuses from the same family in Group A had the SMNhyb1 gene in addition to homozygous deletion of the NAIP gene. One fetus from Group A was homozygously deleted for only exon 8 of the SMN2 gene, and further analysis showed the presence of both the SMN1 and SMNhyb1 genes but not the SMN2 gene. In addition, one carrier with a homozygous deletion of only exon 8 of the SMN1 gene was detected to have a SMNhyb2 gene, which was also found in the fetus. To our knowledge, these are the first prenatal cases with SMNhyb genes. Follow-up studies demonstrated that the prenatal predictions and the phenotype of the fetuses correlated well in 33 type I pregnancies demonstrating that a careful molecular analysis of the SMN genes is very useful in predicting the phenotype of the fetus in families at risk for SMA. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Split-hand/split-foot malformation with paternal mutation in the p63 gene

We report the prenatal diagnosis at 16 weeks' gestation of bilateral split-hand/split-foot malformation (SHSFM) with severe lobster claw deformity of hands and feet in a male fetus without associated malformations. A minor manifestation of SHSFM was present in the father with only mild bilateral foot involvement (syndactyly I–II; cleft II–III; left cutaneous syndactyly III–IV). Mutation analysis of the p63 gene on chromosome 3q27 showed a missense mutation 577A→G (predicting amino acid substitution K193E) in the father. This mutation has not been reported so far in SHSFM but resembles the previously reported 580A→G (predicting amino acid substitution K194E) in a family with SHSFM. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

四环素胁迫对Shigella flexneri细菌四环素抗性基因抗性表达的影响过程

四环素(TC)抗生素在不同环境介质中已被广泛检出,为研究其对四环素抗性基因(TC-ARGs)丰度变化及表达水平的影响过程,以从活性污泥中筛选和纯化分离获得的弗氏志贺氏菌(Shigella flexneri)为研究对象,考察了不同浓度TC对其生长过程的作用影响,采用荧光定量PCR和逆转录PCR方法定量检测了不同抗性机制TC-ARGs,包括tetC、tetO和tetX基因的丰度变化及表达水平,并探讨了TC浓度与TC-ARGs丰度及其表达水平之间的相关关系.结果表明,在培养周期内(24 h),TC胁迫对Shigella flexneri细菌的生长具有抑制作用,细菌细胞浓度增长速率随TC暴露浓度的升高而降低,但对TC-ARGs丰度变化影响较小.TC胁迫能够促进Shigella flexneri细菌TC-ARGs的转录表达,tetC、tetO和tetX基因表达水平在整个培养周期内均先升高后降低.由相关性分析可知,TC浓度与TC-ARGs丰度及其表达水平之间相关关系不显著,但tetC和tetO基因丰度与其转录表达水平之间存在显著的正相关关系,表明其基因丰度一定程度上可用来衡量和评价其抗性表达水平.     

海水中阴极极化对X80钢应力腐蚀及氢脆敏感性的影响

目的研究不同p H值海水中阴极极化对X80管线钢应力腐蚀及氢脆的抑制作用。方法采用慢应变速率拉伸试验、电化学测试、微观组织观察等分析方法。结果 X80钢在天然海水中的析氢电位约为-940m V(vs.SCE,下同),海水p H为3.5时析氢电位发生正移。其应力腐蚀敏感性与极化电位有很大关系,随着极化电位负移,X80钢的氢脆敏感性增加。天然海水中当极化电位负于-950 m V时,断口出现准解理断裂特征形貌。在-1050 m V极化电位下,钢材进入氢脆断裂区发生脆性断裂。海水p H为3.5时,-900 m V钢材有发生氢脆的危险。结论与天然海水相比,X80钢在p H为3.5的酸性海水中具有较高的应力腐蚀敏感性,两种海水介质中X80钢的应力腐蚀敏感性均随极化电位负移而增加。     

贵阳地区基本地质环境和主要岩土工程问题综述

本文系笔者对贵阳地区主要地质环境和工程地质特点进行的初步总结,内容为贵阳地区主要岩土构成情况、分布范围及与之相应的岩土工程地质特点和主要的岩土工程地质问题的描述,旨在给同行提供宏观性的了解和方向性的参考。     

地震安全性评价工作在城市建设中的重要作用

地震安全性评价工作在城市建设中起着非常重要的作用,为工程抗震提供精确的设计依据,提供科学合理的地震动参数,提出科学合理的设防要求,能够在一定程度上避免破坏性地震造成的损失,从而达到有效减灾的目的。     

Y5复合产絮菌及其产絮物絮凝特性试验研究

从含大量微生物菌群的土壤中筛选出了具有产絮效果的Y5菌液。比较不同培养条件下Y5菌液的絮凝率得出 :菌液絮凝性能是其中 3种复合菌株共同作用的结果 ;培养基初始pH值在 5 .0～ 9.0的范围内时 ,Y5菌液的生长量及其上清液的絮凝率都较高。