Integrity Assessment of Pipelines Failures

The proactive maintenance of pipelines through condition based monitoring, plays an essential role in improving their overall reliability and availability. Their criticality can also be assessed by conducting reliability analysis such as FMECA, which helps in identifying relevant failure modes and averting catastrophic failures to sustain economic growth. This paper will focus on an integrity assessment set up for pipelines and the potential failure modes associated are evaluated and mitigated by determining the risk triggers. The outcome of this research has shown the various threats associated with pipelines, having an effective integrity assessment program will help mitigate such threats. Keywords: Risk Assessment, Corrosion, FMECA, Risk Priority, Failure, Inspection, Regulations, Pipelines, Monitoring

Diagnostic assessment program for prostate cancer: Lessons learned after 2 years and degree of compliance to Canadian guidelines

Background: In 2018, our Institute launched the Diagnostic Assessment Program (DAP) for prostate cancer. It enabled quick access to a urologist for patients presented to family physician with elevated PSA and allowed fast multidisciplinary patient care. We aim to document our data over 2 years in comparison to data before implementation of DAP and its impact on the degree of adherence to Canadian guidelines. Methods: From April 2016 to April 2020, 880 patients who were evaluated for prostate cancer at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) were included in this study. Patients’ characteristics, clinical data, waiting times and line of treatment before and after implementation of DAP were calculated and statistically analysed. Results: The median waiting time to urology consultation was significantly reduced from 68 (IQR 27-168) days to 34 (23-44) days (p < 0.001). The time from patient’s referral to prostate biopsy decreased substantially from 34 (20-66) days to 18(11- 25) days after DAP (p < 0.001). After DAP, the percentage of Gleason 6 detected prostate cancers were significantly increased (19.7% to 30%) (p = 0.02). After DAP, rate for intermediate-risk patients elected for external beam radiotherapy (from 53.5% to 57.9%, p = 0.53) and radical prostatectomy (from 34.5% to 39.4%, p = 0.47) increased. More compliance to Canadian guidelines was observed in intermediate risk patients (88% vs 97.3%, p =.008). Conclusions: Implementation of DAP has led to a notable reduction of waiting time to urology consult and prostate biopsy. There is significant increase in Gleason 6 detected prostate cancer. Increased compliance to Canadian guidelines was detected in intermediate risk patients.

Evaluation of upper extremity ataxia through image processing in individuals with multiple sclerosis

ABSTRACT Background: Impaired dexterity is a frequently reported disability among people with ataxic multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: To quantify and standardize the evaluation of upper extremity coordination disorder among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), using the Tablet Ataxia Assessment Program (TAAP). Methods: The X and Y axis movements of 50 MS patients and 30 healthy individuals who were evaluated using the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) were also assessed using TAAP. The functional times of the participants’ right and left hands were recorded using the nine-hole peg test (NHPT). The upper extremity coordination of individuals with MS was evaluated using the upper extremity kinetic functions section of ICARS. Results: The deviations for the X and Y axis movements of the MS group were greater than those of the control group (p<0.05). Significant correlations were shown between TAAP scores and NHPT and ICARS scores. The strongest correlation was found between NHPT and ICARS in the dominant hand (rnhpt=0.356, pnhpt=0.001; ricars=0.439, picars=0.000). In correlating the Y axis with ICARS, the deviations in the Y axis were found to be greater in the non-dominant hand than those in the X axis (ryright=0.402, pyright=0.004; ryleft=0.691, pyleft=0.000). Conclusion: Measurement using TAAP is more sensitive than other classical and current methods for evaluating ataxia. We think that TAAP is an objective tool that will allow neurorehabilitation professionals and clinicians to evaluate upper extremity coordination.

Screening for Giftedness Using a Reading Curriculum Based Measure

The psychometric integrity of a curriculum-based measure to screen for academic giftedness (Monitoring Instructional Responsiveness: Reading [MIR:R]) was evaluated by examining its ceiling, item gradient, and predictive capacity using 460 fourth grade students. Eighty fourth graders (17.39%) scored one standard deviation above the MIR:R mean. Ten fourth graders (2.17%) scored two or more standard deviations above the mean, indicating an adequate ceiling. Item gradients were sufficient, that is, one raw score change produced less than one-third of a standard deviation change in standard deviation units. The MIR:R accurately screened students who performed in the “advanced” range on an end-of-the-year measure (i.e., Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program [TCAP]). Results of a chi-square indicated that 78.3% were identified as non-gifted by both the TCAP and MIR:R and 5.9% were identified as gifted.

API Process Safety Site Assessment Program PSSAP®: Significant Program Updates and Future Focus

The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the U.S. oil and natural gas industry have long been committed to protecting the health and safety of our workers, contractors and neighbors. For more the 75 years, API has led the development of industry standards, sharing lessons learned as well as the establishment of training and certification programs. In recent years, despite safety improvements by the refining industry, incidents have increased attention on process safety by industry, governments, non-government organizations (NGOs), and the media. Recognizing these concerns, API and our memebrs are working collectively to improve or develop new programs improve process safety performance. As part of the industry's ongoing commitment, API, in collaboration with industry partners, has developed a Process Safety Site Assessment Program (PSSAP®), an assessment program focused on evaluating higher risk activities in a refining, petrochemical, or chemical facility. This program is intended to: Promote process safety performance improvement industry wide; Promote learnings from industry practices; Provide benchmarking through the consistent use of industry-developed good practice protocols; Serve as a feedback mechanism for an analysis of industry performance; and, Encourage safety collaboration among participating sites and industry experts. PSSAP benchmarking, a key aspect of the program, allows sites to judge their performance against that of their peers in a blinded fashion. In addition to this benchmarking, the consistent use of our good-practice protocols enables API to analyze where companies may still be working to improve. Taking that information, API has implemented other programs to assist industry in those areas. Further, it has allowed API to quantify PSSAP protocol scoring improvements across the industry, seeing positive momentum in benchmarking scoring across the life of the program. PSSAP® is also a primary resource to support API Energy Excellence® implementation. API Energy Excellence is another critical API program in which all API members commit to enhance the integrity of operations across the industry by applying standards, implementing workforce training programs, and participating in performance initiatives. Downstream and petrochemical operators can use these PSSAP protocols to help demonstrate conformance to their API Energy Excellence requirements. PSSAP® is flexible so that sites can tailor assessments to specific needs and operations. It provides options for smaller sites that do not have on-site internal assessment capabilities or do not think a full PSSAP General Assessment is warranted. It is intended that assessments focus on higher risk activities and includes an evaluation of both the quality of written programs at a site and the effectiveness of field implementation of those programs.

API Pipeline Safety Management System PSMS Third-Party Assessment Program: A Valuable Tool to Help Industry Implement PSMS

The American Petroleum Institute (API) represents all segments of the natural gas and oil industry, aiming to accelerate safety and environmental progress across operations while meeting global demand for affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy. Through API and in partnership with the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), state pipeline regulators, and other interested stakeholders, pipeline operators developed API Recommended Practice (RP) 1173: Pipeline Safety Management Systems. API RP 1173 users understand how to systematically manage pipeline safety and continuously measure progress to improve overall pipeline safety performance. The core principle of API RP 1173 is the "Plan-Do-Check-Act" cycle. It requires the operator to determine the goals, objectives, and targets needed to be undertaken, complete those initiatives, and periodically review the Pipeline Safety Management System (PSMS) on an operator's determined cycle or at a minimum of a three-year cycle. API RP 1173 and the Pipeline SMS Maturity Model and Tools are primary resources to support API Energy Excellence® implementation. API Energy Excellence (launched in 2021) is another critical API program in which all API members commit to enhance the integrity of operations across the industry by applying standards, implementing workforce training programs, and participating in performance initiatives. Ultimately, these conditions drive the industry towards its zero-incident goal by ensuring that the PSMS's various components are regularly reviewed and continually evolving. To that point and as part of the industry's ongoing commitment to continuous pipeline safety improvements, API, in collaboration with industry partners, developed a not-for-profit Pipeline SMS Assessment Program in 2019 and fully launched the offering in January 2020. Unlike most Pipeline Safety or SMS assessments, the API Third-Party Assessment Program utilizes a diverse set of assessors with multiple affiliations, ranging from traditional SMS firms to retired industry executives who wish to give back to the industry by sharing their experience with others. API has conducted many assessments to date, and the benchmarking from these assessments helps operators gauge how their implementation is relative to their peers. Also, because API is the custodian of RP 1173, learnings from these assessments can naturally be fed back into the standards development process to ensure the next version of RP 1173 is an even better Plan-Do-Check-Act Process. The API Pipeline SMS Assessment (PSMS Assessment) program gives the operator access to the most experienced and knowledgeable assessors. It provides the operator with the opportunity to learn notable practices utilized across the pipeline industry. In 2021 and beyond, API looks forward to taking the assessment program worldwide, increasing industry lessons learned, cataloging good practices, looking for opportunities to increase effectiveness, and giving industry valuable benchmarking, all aimed at our shared goal of zero incidents

Computerized Dynamic Assessment (C-DA) on Reading Comprehension for L2 Learners of Vocational High Schools

<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>This study focuses on developing a prototype of an assessment program on reading comprehension based on computerized dynamic assessment. The reading skills to be measure include identifying topic, main idea, the detail of the text, logical inference, an assumption, word meaning and synonym, and a conclusion. The assessment consists of two types of tests including multiple choice type and cloze procedures. Those tests contain prompts as the characteristic of dynamic assessment. The participants in this study were 316 eleventh grade students of vocational high schools. The result reveals that the product was positively agreed by most of the subjects despite the fact that they were not familiar with this assessment program. This indicates that the developed product was acceptable by eleventh grade students on vocational high schools.</p><p><strong>Abstrak:</strong> Penelitian ini fokus pada pengembangan prototipe program penilaian pada membaca komprehensif yang berdasarkan pada <em>computerized dynamic assessment</em>. Kemampuan membaca yang akan diukur pada tes ini, meliputi identifikasi topik, ide pokok, informasi rinci dalam teks, referensi, identifikasi anggapan, memahami makna persamaan kata, dan menyimpulkan. Produk asesmen ini terdiri dari dua tipe teS, yaitu pilihan ganda dan <em>cloze procedures</em>. Tes tersebut mengandung petunjuk/saran sebagai karakteristik dari <em>dynamic assessment</em>. Peserta yang terlibat pada penelitian ini terdiri dari 316 siswa kelas sebelas sekolah menengah kejuruan. Hasil dari pengembangan produk program penilaian <em>computerized dynamic assessment</em> sangat diterima dengan baik dan hampir dari seluruh peserta tidak mengenal program penilaian <em>computerized dynamic assessment.</em> Hal ini mengindikasikan bahwa pengembangan produk ini diterima oleh siswa terutama pada sekolah menengah kejuruan. </p>

Dialysis Adequacy and Risk of Dementia in Elderly Hemodialysis Patients

Objective: Dementia is prevalent among elderly patients undergoing hemodialysis. However, the association between dialysis adequacy and the risk of dementia is uncertain.Methods: A total of 10,567 patients aged &gt;65 years undergoing maintenance hemodialysis who participated in a national hemodialysis quality assessment program were analyzed. The patients were classified into quartile groups based on single-pool Kt/V levels. The associations between single-pool Kt/V and the development of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VD) were examined.Results: The mean age of the patients was 72.9 years, and 43.4% were female. The mean baseline single-pool Kt/V level was 1.6 ± 0.3. During a median follow-up of 45.6 (45.6–69.9) months, there were 27.6, 23.9, and 2.8 events/1,000 person-years of overall dementia, AD, and VD, respectively. The incidences of overall dementia, AD, and VD were lowest in the highest single-pool Kt/V quartile group. Compared with the lowest single-pool Kt/V quartile, the risks of incident overall dementia and AD were significantly lower in the highest quartile [sub-distribution hazard ratio (sHR): 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.58–0.82 for overall dementia; sHR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.57–0.84 for AD]. Inverse relationships were found between the risks of developing overall dementia and AD, and single-pool Kt/V. However, no significant relationship was observed between single-pool Kt/V levels and VD development.Conclusions: Increased dialysis clearance was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia in elderly hemodialysis patients.

Self-Assessment Adaptive Capacity Indicators of Health Risks from Air Pollution

This research proposes a set of 12 self-assessed air pollution adaptive capacity (APAC) indicators to determine and mitigate individual-level air pollution-related health risks. In the study, the APAC indicators were first statistically validated based on data from panels of experts using structural equation modeling. The validated indicators were subsequently transformed into a questionnaire to measure the individual-level APAC index. For ease of interpretation, the APAC index was converted into an APAC grade. The APAC grade was compared against the grading criteria based on Air Quality Index (AQI) levels to assess the individual-level health risks from air pollution. The proposed APAC-based self-assessment program to determine the individual-level health impacts from air pollution could be adopted as an economical and efficient alternative to costly and complicated clinical assessment.

Trust, Risk, and Power in Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Collaborations

In events and discussions about transboundary aquifer assessment, trust is often cited as an essential component of collaborative efforts. However, there is little discussion of what trust is, how it is built, what diminishes trust, and why it is so important. This study uses ethnographic research carried out between 2019 and 2021 with the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP) to examine the role and significance of trust in U.S./Mexico TAAP collaborations. This study demonstrates that trust is best understood in relationship to power and risk. It examines the strengths and weaknesses of the TAAP program in managing asymmetrical relationships of power and unequal levels of risk in participation. In TAAP collaborations, the insistence on establishing trust should signal participants to consider and address the underlying issues of risk and power.