Analysis of safe separation distances from natural gas transmission pipelines

Accidental rupture of natural gas transmission pipelines with subsequent ignition of the escaping gas can result in the loss of life and property. In the United States, current means of protecting both the pipeline and the public include the establishment of class locations, in which specific pipeline design, construction and operation requirements must be attained. In addition, distances at which the pipelines can be safely set back from the community, called safe separation distances, have been developed in some European countries (e.g., Great Britain, the Netherlands) through use of risk assessment principles. However, to date there has been no simple, consistent method for determining these distances. A method for evaluating safe separation distances is proposed herein, in which the point source method for determining heat flux is coupled with relationships for predicting both the mass release rate from the rupture and the flame height of the ignited gas. The method is utilized to develop charts for predicting safe separation distances based on pipeline operating pressure and nominal pipeline diameter. The method is compared to information from both actual pipeline accidents reported upon by the National Transportation Safety Board and from the work of prior researchers utilizing other methodologies. The comparisons reveal that the method proposed in this thesis can produce results that are consistent with the above sets of data tested

Abnormal gel flotation in a patient with apperant pneumonia diagnosis: a case report

Introduction: Serum blood collection tubes with separator gel are widely used by many laboratories for chemistry analyses. We describe a case of a primary blood collection tube filled with blood sample and a floating separator gel. Materials and methods: The blood sample was collected from a 51 years old female in intensive care unit with the diagnosis of pneumonia into a BD Vacutainer SST tube (Becton Dickinson, NJ, USA) containing serum separator gel and conveyed to the core laboratory of Marmara University Hospital within 30 minutes from collection. Sample was immediately centrifuged at room temperature at 1500 x g for 10 minutes. Results: The analyses revealed a highly increased total protein concentration of 145 g/L (reference interval 64-83 g/L). The nephelometric analyses showed an elevated serum IgG concentration of 108 g/L (reference interval 6.5-16 g/L) and IgG lambda monoclonal band was determined by serum immunofixation electrophoresis. Conclusion: Limitation of the separator gel tubes in patients with a high plasma density and its possible effects on test results and laboratory costs should be remembered. The clinical diagnosis stated in the information system should also reveal known comorbid conditions besides the apparent admission reason. This information would avoid resampling, additional testing, and communication efforts with the clinicians

Smoking,serum antioxidant vitamin levels and age-related macular degeneration

AIM: To evaluate associations between the grades of age related macular degeneration(AMD)and serum levels of antioxidant vitamins(vitamin A, C and E)and smoking. <p>METHODS: Fifty-three AMD patients and 31 individuals having ages matching with the patient group were enrolled the study. Colored fundus photographs of the macula were used to place participants(<i>n</i>=84)into one of the five groups(Grade I-V)based on the frequency and severity of the lesions associated with AMD. Serum antioxidant vitamin levels were measured using High Performance Liquid Chromatography(HPLC). Smoking status was classified as non-smoker, ex-smoker and current smoker. Total number of packs smoked per year, was defined.<p>RESULTS: The distribution of vitamin A, E, and C levels were 0.874±0.326mg/L, 10.739±4.874mg/L, 1.737±0.447mg/L in control group and 0.880±0.305mg/L, 9.487±6.060mg/L, 1.870±2.191mg/L in AMD group, respectively. The difference between AMD and control group was not statistically significant for vitamin A, E and C levels(<i>P</i>>0.05). There were no significant differences between subgroups of AMD for vitamin A(<i>P</i>=0.881)and vitamin E(<i>P</i>=0.293)but there was a contradicting rise of vitamin C levels(<i>P</i>=0.044)with increasing levels of the disease. There were no significant differences between AMD and control group regarding smoking status, but there was a significant difference for total number of packs smoked per year(<i>P</i>=0.02). An increase of number of total packs smoked per year was determined along with the rising grade of AMD(<i>P</i>=0.007). <p>CONCLUSION: We found no relation between AMD and serum levels of vitamin A and E but vitamin C levels was increase with AMD grades unexpectedly. We found dose-response relationship between smoking and AMD

The Relationship Between Vitamin D Gene Polymorphisms and the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer in Patients with High Prostate-Specific Antigen Value

Objective: To investigate the effects of vitamin D levels and vitamin D receptor (VDR) BsmI, FokI, TaqI, and ApaI gene polymorphisms on prostate cancer (PCa)diagnosis in Turkish men with high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels during screening.Materials and Methods: Patients who were admitted to the outpatient clinic with elevated PSA levels and were scheduled for transrectal prostate biopsy wereincluded. Patients diagnosed with PCa were divided into two groups of either localized disease (low/intermediate/high risk) or metastatic disease for subgroupanalysis. The control group comprised patients whose biopsies revealed benign pathologies. Blood samples were collected from each patient after 12 hours offasting before the prostate biopsy. Vitamin D levels and VDR gene polymorphisms were determined by ECLIA method and restriction fragment length polymorphismanalysis, respectively.Results: A total of 77 patients (PCa, 39; benign, 38) were included in the study. The frequencies of BsmI, FokI, TaqI, and ApaI genotypes for PCa and benigngroups were evaluated. Vitamin D deficiency was detected in 88.6% and 94.9% of the benign and PCa groups, respectively (p=0.176). The FokI Ff and BsmI bbgenotypes, and FokI FF and BsmI Bb genotypes were found to be more common in the PCa and benign groups, respectively. ApaI Aa and TaqI Tt were found tobe more frequent in both groups. In patients with metastatic PCa; Bsml Bb genotype, Apal Aa genotype, and Taql Tt genotypes were found to be more common.Conclusion: Although Bsml Bb genotype, Apal Aa genotype, and Taql Tt genotypes were more commonly found in patients with metastatic PCa, further studieswith increased sample sizes are needed to support this relationship in the Turkish PCa population

Pathology Testing at the Point of Patient Care: Transformational Change for Rural Communities

Point-of-care (POC) testing is an innovative and revolutionary in vitro diagnostic (IVD) technology that enables the real-time conduct of pathology testing during a patient consultation, facilitating immediate clinical action. When conducted under a quality-assured framework, POC testing is an essential diagnostic tool, and is now well embedded, in primary health care settings in rural communities around the world. POC testing helps bridge the gap in health equity access that exists in geographically isolated rural communities and empowers patients to invest in understanding and improving their own health literacy. Using POC testing networks for chronic, acute and infectious diseases that are currently operating in rural and remote Australia, this chapter explores the operational, clinical and economic benefits that POC testing can deliver, and the lessons learned that have contributed to continuously improved quality of POC testing service delivery. Investment in POC testing and infrastructure by Australian governments, both federal and state, has reaped significant rewards for patients in rural communities. Additionally, translational research in this field has provided insight into how POC testing can be successfully scaled up for broad application in low- and middle-income countries

Different kinds of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species were detected in colon and breast tumors

Several studies have shown the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS; O2*-, hypochlorite, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide) in carcinogenesis. With certain pathologies, nitric oxide (NO) is formed and can interact with superoxide radical (O2*-) resulting in the propagation of the highly reactive species, peroxynitrite. In order to study the molecular mechanisms underlying the ability of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) to mediate carcinogenesis, we have measured ROS, NO, and peroxynitrite content of cancerous tissues obtained from colon and breast carcinoma cases by chemiluminescence technique. All ROS were significantly increased in cancerous colon tissues with hypochlorite making the most important contribution and suggesting the role of inflammatory cells. NO was also increased and the peroxynitrite concentration was higher in cancerous samples. For breast carcinoma cases, only O2*- was significantly increased. Hypochlorite was not detected excluding the contribution of inflammatory cells. NO concentrations were not significantly different, therefore, ROS might originate by change in the redox state of the tissue