Research Progress of Agricultural Genetically Modified Crop Safety Evaluation

The commercial cultivation of genetically modified(GM)crops has eased the global food crisis and brought considerable economic and social benefits to countries.Because of the potential safety problems,it is necessary to make clear the molecular genetic characteristics,edible safety,planting,processing,and other aspects of the safety evaluation of GM crops.The safety problems existing in the cultivation of GM crops,safety evaluation and detection of GM crops were introduced in this paper,which provided the basis for safety evaluation and effective supervision of GM crops and their products.Commercial cultivation and reasonable supervision based on safety evaluation have far-reaching significance for ensuring consumer safety,enhancing the credibility of the national political system and enhancing citizens'confidence in the safety of GM crop products for consumption.

Probability evaluation method for cable safety of long-span cable-stayed bridges

A method of cable safety analysis is proposed for safety evaluation of long-span cable-stayed bridges. The Daniels＇ effect and the probability of broken wires in the cable are introduced to develop the cable strength model and the reliability assessment technique for long-span cable-stayed bridges based on the safety factors analysis of stay cables in service. As an application of the proposed model, the cable safety reliability of the cable No. 25 of Zhaobaoshan cable-stayed bridge in China is calculated. The effects of various parameters on the estimated cable safety reliability are investigated. The results indicate that the proposed method can be used to assess the safety level of stay cables in cable-stayed bridges effectively. The Daniels＇ effect should be taken into account for assessment, and the probability of broken wires can be used to simulate the deterioration of stay cables in service.

Biological Safety Evaluation of White Insect Tea in Guizhou

[Objective] The biological safety of white insect tea in Xifeng County of Guizhou Province was evaluated in order to provide a scientific basis for the development of white insect tea. [Method] Acute toxicity test in mice, Ames microbiological test and mouse bone marrow polychromatic erythrocyte micronucleus test were done with wild white inset tea produced in Xifeng County. At the same time, the contents of six kinds of limit pollutants were determined, including Pb,Cr,Cd,Hg,As,and F-. [Result] The results showed that white insect tea had LD505.0 g/kg（BW）in acute toxicity test, negative response in Ames test and microkernel test. In addition, the contents of Pb,Cr,Cd,Hg,As,and F- in the white inset tea were 2.20,1.06,0.46,0.09,0.71,21.50 mg/kg, much less than the national standard of tea （GB2762-2005,NY 659-2003）. [Conclusion] The white insect tea produced in Xifeng County of Guizhou Province is non-toxic, and good for human as beverage.

Safety Evaluation of Myricetin and Crude Extract from Myrica rubra Leaves on Non-target Organisms

[ Objective] The study aimed to supply important basis for developing environment-friendly pesticides with myricetin and crude extract of Myrica rubra leaves as effective components. [ Method] According to ＂Test guidelines for environmental safety evaluation on chemical pesticides＂, the toxicity of myricetin and crude extract of M. rubra leaves on non-target organisms was determined and the safety evaluation was carried out. [Result] MyriceUn and crude extract of M. rubra leaves had low toxicity on non-target organisms, such as earthworm, silkworm and soil microbes. Myricetin showed low toxicity and the crude extract of M. rubra leaves showed middle toxicity on tadpole. The high-concentration crude extract of M. rubra leaves had some antifeedant effect on silkworm. [ Conclusion] Myricetin and crude extract of M. rubra leaves had low toxicity on non-tar- get organisms in environment and they were relatively safe.

Safety evaluation for railway vehicles using an improved indirect measurement method of wheel–rail forces

The wheel-rail force measurement is of great importance to the condition monitoring and safety evaluation of railway vehicles. In this paper, an improved indirect method for wheel-rail force measurement is proposed to evaluate the running safety of railway vehicles. In this method, the equilibrium equations of a suspended wheelset are derived and the wheel-rail forces are then be obtained from measured suspension and inertia forces. This indirect method avoids structural modifications to the wheelset and is applicable to the long-term operation of railway vehicles. As the wheel-rail lateral forces at two sides of the wheelset are difficult to separate, a new derailment criterion by combined use of wheelset derailment coefficient and wheel unloading ratio is proposed. To illustrate its effectiveness, the indirect method is applied to safety evaluation of rail- way vehicles in different scenarios, such as the cross wind safety of a high-speed train and the safety of a metro vehicle with hunting motions. Then, the feasibility of using this method to identify wheel-rail forces for low-floor light rail vehicles with resilient wheels is discussed. The values identified by this method is compared with that by Simpack simulation for the same low-floor vehicle, which shows a good coincidence between them in the time domain of the wheelset lateral force and the wheel-rail vertical force. In addition, use of the method to determine the high-frequency wheel-rail interaction forces reveals that it is possible to identify the high-frequency wheel-rail forces through the accelerations on the axle box.

Design and development of safety evaluation system of buildings on a seismic field based on the network platform

This paper describes a set of on-site earthquake safety evaluation systems for buildings, which were developed based on a network platform. The system embedded into the quantitative research results which were completed in accordance with the provisions from Post-earthquake Field Works, Part 2： Safety Assessment of Buildings, GB18208.2 -2001, and was further developed into an easy-to-use software platform. The system is aimed at allowing engineering professionals, civil engineeing technicists or earthquake-affected victims on site to assess damaged buildings through a network after earthquakes. The authors studied the function structure, process design of the safety evaluation module, and hierarchical analysis algorithm module of the system in depth, and developed the general architecture design, development technology and database design of the system. Technologies such as hierarchical architecture design and Java EE were used in the system development, and MySQL5 was adopted in the database development. The result is a complete evaluation process of information collection, safety evaluation, and output of damage and safety degrees, as well as query and statistical analysis of identified buildings. The system can play a positive role in sharing expert post-earthquake experience and promoting safety evaluation of buildings on a seismic field.

Safety Evaluation of Diacylglycerol Microemulsion in Rats/Mice

The objective of the present study was to evaluate potential adverse effects of diacylglycerol microemulsion （DAGM） in rats/mice. Acute safety evaluation was carried out by giving intragastrically with 20 mL 25% DAG kg-1 body weight of DAGM or water with two groups of mice. Chronic safety evaluation with 40 male and 40 female Sprague-Dawley rats was carried out by setting a control group and 3 different dose groups （n=10 male＋10 female） administered with DAGM with 6.7, 10 and 20 mL kg-1 body weight per day. Relevant parameters of liver and kidney function and biochemistry were determined by standard methods at end point. Acute toxicity study revealed the maximum tolerated dose （MTD） of DAGM was 20 mL kg-1 body weight in mice. No death was observed at the dose of 20 mL kg-1 body weight per day. Chronic safety evaluation did not show significant changes on hematological, histopathologic, clinical, and biochemical tests when administered at levels of 6.7, 10 and 20 mL kg-1 body weight per day to rats for 30 d. No significant body weight changes were observed in different dosages in both male and female rats. Our results suggested that acute and chronic adverse effects were not observed in histology and clinical parameters in both mice and rats. The results suggested that DAGM is safe at the experimental levels.

Pre-clinical study of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for the treatment of traumatic brain injury: safety evaluation from immunogenic and oncogenic perspectives

Stem cell therapy is a promising strategy for the treatment of traumatic brain injury(TBI). However, animal experiments are needed to evaluate safety;in particular, to examine the immunogenicity and tumorigenicity of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(hu MSCs) before clinical application. In this study, hu MSCs were harvested from human amniotic membrane and umbilical cord vascular tissue. A rat model of TBI was established using the controlled cortical impact method. Starting from the third day after injury, the rats were injected with 10 μL of 5 × 10^(6)/m L hu MSCs by cerebral stereotaxis or with 500 μL of 1 × 10^(6)/m L hu MSCs via the tail vein for 3 successive days. hu MSC transplantation decreased the serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines in rats with TBI and increased the serum levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, thereby exhibiting good immunoregulatory function. The transplanted hu MSCs were distributed in the liver, lung and brain injury sites. No abnormal proliferation or tumorigenesis was found in these organs up to 12 months after transplantation. The transplanted hu MSCs negligibly proliferated in vivo, and apoptosis was gradually observed at later stages. These findings suggest that hu MSC transplantation for the treatment of traumatic brain injury displays good safety. In addition, hu MSCs exhibit good immunoregulatory function, which can help prevent and reduce secondary brain injury caused by the rapid release of inflammatory factors after TBI. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Wuhan General Hospital of PLA(approval No. 20160054) on November 1, 2016.

Ecological Safety Evaluation of Land Use in Ji'an City Based on the Principal Component Analysis

According to the ecological safety evaluation index data of land-use change in Ji'an City from 1999 to 2008,positive treatment on selected reverse indices is conducted by Reciprocal Method.Meanwhile,Index Method is used to standardize the selected indices,and Principal Component Analysis is applied by using year as a unit.FB is obtained,which is related with the ecological safety of land-use change from 1999 to 2008.According to the scientific,integrative,hierarchical,practical and dynamic principles,ecological safety evaluation index system of land-use change in Ji'an City is established.Principal Component Analysis and evaluation model are used to calculate four parameters,including the natural resources safety index of land use,the socio-economic safety indicators of land use,the eco-environmental safety index of land use,and the ecological safety degree of land use in Ji'an City.Result indicates that the ecological safety degree of land use in Ji'an City shows a slow upward trend as a whole.At the same time,ecological safety degree of land-use change is relatively low in Ji'an City with the safety value of 0.645,which is at a weak safety zone and needs further monitoring and maintenance.

Safety evaluation of donors for living-donor liver transplantation in Chinese mainland:A single-center report

AIM： To discuss the safety of donors during living donor liver transplantation （LDLT） and the authors＇ experience with 50 cases. METHODS： Between January 1995 and March 2006, 50 patients with end-stage liver disease received LDLT in our department. Donors （at the age of 27-58 years） were healthy and antibody （ABO）-compatible. The protocol of evaluation and selection of donors, choice of surgical methods and strategy applied in the safety evaluation of donors were analyzed. RESULTS： A total of 115 candidate donors were evaluated for LDLT at our center. Of these, 50 underwent successful hepatectomy for living donation. The elimination rate for donors was 43.5%. Positive hepatitis serology and ABO incompatibility were the main factors for excluding candidates. All donors recovered uneventfully. The follow-up time ranged from 3 to 135 too. The incidence of major and minor medical complications was 12.0% and 28.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION： LDLT provides an excellent approach to the problem of donor shortage in China. With a thorough and complete preoperative workup and meticulous intra-and postoperative management, LDLT can be performed with minimal donor morbidity.

Impact and Friction Sensitivity of Energetic Materials：Methodical Evaluation of Technological Safety Features

Key methods developed and used in the USSR and in the Russian Federation to determine the impact and friction sensitivity of energetic materials and explosives have been discussed.Experimental methodologies and instruments that underlie the assessment of their production and handling safety have been described.Studies of a large number of compounds have revealed relationships between their sensitivity parameters and structure of individual compounds and compositions.The range of change of physical and chemical characteristics for the compounds we examined covers the entire region of their existence.Theoretical methodology and equations have been formulated to estimate the impact and friction sensitivity parameters of energetic materials and to evaluate the technological safety in use.The developed methodology is characterized by high-accuracy calculations and prediction of sensitivity parameters.

Research on Evaluation of Degree of Complexity of Mining Fault Network Based on GIS

A large number of spatial and attribute data are involved in coal resource evaluation. Database is a relatively advanced data management technology, but its Major defects are the poor graphic and spatial data functions, from which it is difficult to realize scientific management of evaluation data with spatial characteristics and evaluation result maps. On account of these deficiencies, the evaluation of degree of complexity of mining fault network, based on GIS, is proposed, which integrates management of spatial and attribute data. Fractal is an index which can reflect the comprehensive information of faults' number, density, size, composition and dynamics mechanism. Fractal dimension is used as the quantitative evaluation index. Evaluation software has been developed based on a component GIS-MapX, with which the degree of complexity of fault network is evaluated quantitatively using the quantitative index of fractal dimensions in Liuqiao No.2 coal mine as an example. Results show that it is effective in acquiring model parameters and enhancing the definition of data and evaluation results with the application of GIS technology. The fault network is a system with fractal structure and its complexity can be described reasonably and accurately by fractal dimension, which provides an effective method for coal resource evaluation.

Safety evaluation system for hydraulic metal structures based on knowledge engineering

A comprehensive safety evaluation system taking the most influential factors into account has been developed to evaluate the reliability of hydraulic metal structures. Applying the techniques of AI and DB, the idea of a one-machine and three-base system is proposed. The framework of the three-base system has been designed and the structural framework constructed in turn. A practical example is given to illustrate the process of using this system and it can be used for comparison and analysis purposes. The key technology of the system is its ability to reorganize and improve the expert system＇s knowledge base by establishing the expert system. This system utilizes the computer technology inference process, making safety evaluation conclusions more reasonable and applicable to the actual situation. The system is not only advanced, but also feasible, reliable, artificially intelligent, and has the capacity to constantly grow.

Evaluation on safety performance of a millimetre wave radar-based autonomous vehicle

This paper presents a method using range deception jamming to evaluate the safety performance of the autonomous vehicle with millimetre wave(MMW)radar.The working principle of this method is described.Combined with a waveform edition software,an experimental platform is developed to generate a deceptive signal that contains false distance information.According to related theories and its principle,the configuration parameters of the experimental setup are calculated and configured.The MMW radar of evaluated vehicle should identify an objective when it receives the deceptive signal from the experimental setup.Even if no obstacle,the evaluated vehicle can immediately brake in order that its braking distance is measured.The experimental results show that the proposed method can meet the requirements of the safety performance evaluation for the autonomous vehicle with MMW radar,and it also overcomes some deficiencies of previous methods.

Analysis on evaluation ability of nonlinear safety assessment model of coal mines based on artificial neural network

Based on the integration analysis of goods and shortcomings of various methods used in safety assessment of coal mines, combining nonlinear feature of mine safety sub-system, this paper establishes the neural network assessment model of mine safety, analyzes the ability of artificial neural network to evaluate mine safety state, and lays the theoretical foundation of artificial neural network using in the systematic optimi- zation of mine safety assessment and getting reasonable accurate safety assessment result.

The productivity evaluation model and its application for finite conductivity horizontal wells in fault block reservoirs

It is very difficult to evaluate the productivity of horizontal wells in fault block reservoirs due to the influence of fault sealing.On the basis of the method of images and source-sink theory,a semianalytical model coupling reservoir and finite conductivity horizontal wellbore flow dynamics was built,in which the influence of fault sealing was taken into account.The distribution of wellbore flow and radial inflow profiles along the horizontal interval were also obtained.The impact of the distance between the horizontal well and the fault on the well productivity was quantitatively analyzed.Based on this analysis,the optimal distance between the horizontal well and the fault in banded fault block reservoirs could be determined.According to the field application,the relative error calculated by the model proposed in this paper is within ±15%.It is an effective evaluation method for the productivity of horizontal wells in fault block reservoirs.The productivity of the horizontal well increases logarithmically as the distance between the horizontal well and the fault increases.The optimal distance between the horizontal well and the fault is 0.25-0.3 times the horizontal well length.

Safety evaluation of replacement reinforcement quality in abutment contact zones of ultra-high arch dam in first impoundment period based on prototype monitoring

Reinforcement quality evaluation at the abutment is an important research direction. Prototype monitoring and theoretical derivation were integrated to study the replacement reinforcement quality in abutment contact zones of the Xiaowan ultra-high arch dam. The principles of monitoring layout and design are introduced in detail. Prototype monitoring shows that the increment of the interfacial compressive stress is much larger in the impoundment stage than in the regulating stage. The water pressure and time-effect are two main factors affeeting the interfacial stress. The time-effect is the key factor in the initial impoundment stage, and the water pressure is the key factor after impoundment. The contact properties are significantly improved by grouting. This study shows that there are three typical stages in the joint opening hydrographs, namely the compression stage, opening stage, and stable stage. There is a nonlinear relationship between the joint opening and temperature, which can be well described by the S-function. In conclusion, the reinforcement effect is satisfying, and the abutment is safe.

Safety Evaluation of Stacked Genetically Modified Corn Event (MON89034 ×MON88017) Using Zebrafish as an Animal Model

This study assessed the effect of feeding stacked genetically modified (GM) corn event (MON89034 × MON88017) on embryonic development, adult tissue histology and assessed the possibility of transgenic DNA transfer, using zebrafish as an animal model. Adult zebrafish were separated into male and female groups. After 3 weeks of feeding with experimental diets, males and females were paired once a week and fertilized embryos were collected, then the male and female fish were re-turned to their sex-specific groups. This fertilization and embryo collection process were repeated 3 times. Embryonic morphological measurements were obtained on developing embryos up to 96 hours after fertilization, and then the embryos were fixed in 4% phosphate-buffered paraformal-dehyde for morphologic assessment. At the end of the feeding study, various adult zebrafish tissues were histologically examined for abnormalities. Both zebrafish tissues and embryos were analyzed for presence of plant specific genes and transgenic sequences. No changes or abnormalities were observed in embryonic morphology nor in any of the tissues examined histologically. In addition, no plant DNA reference genes or transgenic DNA were found in any of the analyzed samples. These results demonstrate that the safety and nutrition of MON89034 × MON88017 corn are similar to non-GM corn.

Patient safety culture and handoff evaluation of nurses in small and medium-sized hospitals

Objectives:This study was conducted to investigate the current status of handoffs,perception of patient safety culture,and degrees of handoff evaluation in small and medium-sized hospitals and identified factors that make a difference in handoff evaluation.Methods:This is a descriptive study.425 nurses who work at small and medium-sized hospitals in South Korea were included in our study.They completed a set of self-reporting questionnaires that evaluated demographic data,handoff-related characteristics,perception of patient safety culture,and handoff evaluation.Results:Results showed that the overall score of awareness of a patient safety culture was 3.65±0.45,the level was moderate.The score of handoff evaluation was 5.24±0.85.Most nurses experienced errors in handoff and most nurses had no guidelines and checklist in the ward.Handoff evaluation differed significantly according to the level of education,work patterns,duration of hospital employment,handoff method,degree of satisfaction with the current handoff method,errors occurring at the time of handoff,handoff guidelines,and appropriateness of handoff education time(P<0.05).Conclusion:For handoff improvement,guidelines and standards should be established.It is necessary to develop a structured handoff education system.And formal handoff education should be implemented to spread knowledge uniformly.

New methods of safety evaluation for rock/soil mass surrounding tunnel under earthquake

The objective of this work is to obtain the seismic safety coefficient and fracture surface and proceed with the seismic safety evaluation for the rock mass or soil mass surrounding a tunnel,and the limitation of evaluating seismic stability is considered using the pseudo-static strength reduction.By using the finite element software ANSYS and the strength reduction method,new methods of seismic safety evaluation for the rock mass or soil mass surrounding a tunnel are put forward,such as the dynamic finite element static shear strength reduction method and dynamic finite element shear strength reduction method.In order to prove the feasibility of the proposed methods,the results of numerical examples are compared with that of the pseudo-static strength reduction method.The results show that 1) the two methods are both feasible,and the plastic zone first appears near the bottom corners; 2) the safety factor of new method Ⅱ is smaller than that of new method I but generally,and the difference is very small.Therefore,in order to ensure the safety of the structure,two new methods are proposed to evaluate the seismic stability of the rock mass or soil mass surrounding a tunnel.A theoretical basis is provided for the seismic stability of the rock mass or soil mass and the lining surrounding a tunnel and also provided for the engineering application.