At present, storage capacities of single tank and tank farm have been greatly increasing. This change poses a real challenge for the applicability of current design standards. This article focuses on the applicability of safety spacing between tanks, which is one of the most important parameters of tank farm safety design. Taking PHAST and FDS as main research tools, the consequences of representative accidental scenarios were evaluated for different sizes of oil tanks to study the safety performance change caused by the increase of capability. The research results show that, when current standards are used to design the safety spacing between tanks, the safety performance increases as the capability increases. Considering the high property density, it is suggested that a higher safety performance objective has to be chosen when designing the safety spacing for ultra‐large oil tanks. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2012.

BACKGROUNDExtracapsular spread (ECS) of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck to regional lymph nodes is the most reliable predictor of poor treatment outcomes. Recently, the authors have shown that ECS is significantly associated with higher rates of locoregional recurrence, distant metastasis, and decreased survival in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue (SCCOT). The purpose of this review was to determine if the degree of ECS impacts distant metastasis rates and survival.METHODSTwo hundred sixty‐six patients treated for SCCOT with surgery +/− adjuvant radiotherapy from 1980–1995 were reviewed. The setting was a tertiary referral center. The extent of ECS on histopathologic review of involved lymph nodes was measured from the capsular margin to the farthest perinodal extension in mm. Extent of ECS and the number of pathologic lymph nodes with or without ECS were analyzed for disease‐free interval, survival rates, and distant metastases.RESULTSNo differences in the survival of patients with ECS of ≤ 2 mm or > 2 mm was found (P = 0.92). Patients with both ECS and multiple positive lymph nodes had decreased overall survival (P = 0.0003), disease‐specific survival (P = 0.0005), and a shorter disease‐free interval (P = 0.019) when compared with those with a single positive lymph node with ECS. Those with multiple ECS+ lymph nodes had the worst prognosis (P = 0.001).CONCLUSIONSBased on these findings, the authors recommended that all patients with SCCOT with ECS or multiple positive lymph nodes with or without ECS on pathologic review be considered for clinical trials that intensify regional and systemic adjuvant therapy. Cancer 2003;97:1464–70. © 2003 American Cancer Society.DOI 10.1002/cncr.11202

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The pathogenesis of chronic mountain sickness (CMS) may involve vasoactive peptides. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between CMS and levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). A total of 24 patients with CMS and 50 control subjects residing at 4,300 m participated in this study. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) was measured by echocardiography. Serum BNP, VEGF, ET-1, and eNOS were measured. Receiver operator characteristic curves to assess the balance of sensitivity and specificity for CMS were constructed. As a result, patients with CMS had significantly greater mPAP compared with controls and had lower arterial O(2) saturation (Sa(O(2))). Both BNP and ET-1 correlated positively with mPAP and negatively with Sa(O(2)), whereas serum VEGF levels were inversely correlated with Sa(O(2)); eNOS correlated negatively with mPAP and positively with Sa(O(2)). Median concentrations of BNP were greater in patients with CMS compared with those without CMS: 369 pg/ml [interquartile range (IQR) = 336-431] vs. 243 pg/ml (IQR = 216-279); P < 0.001. Similarly, concentrations of VEGF [543 pg/ml (IQR = 446-546) vs. 243 pg/ml (IQR = 216-279); P < 0.001] and ET-1 [14.7 pg/ml (IQR = 12.5-17.9) vs. 11.1 pg/ml (IQR = 8.7-13.9); P = 0.05] were higher in those with CMS compared with those without, whereas eNOS levels were lower in those with CMS [8.90 pg/ml (IQR 7.59-10.8) vs. 11.2 pg/ml (9.13-13.1); P < 0.001]. The areas under the receiver operator characteristic curves for diagnosis of CMS were 0.91, 0.93, 0.77, and 0.74 for BNP, VEGF, ET-1, and eNOS, respectively. In age- and biomarker-adjusted logistic regression, BNP and VEGF were positively predictive of CMS, whereas eNOS was inversely predictive. In conclusion, severe chronic hypoxemia and consequent pulmonary hypertension in patients with CMS may stimulate release of natriuretic peptides and angiogenic cytokines. These vasoactive peptides may play an important role in the pathogenesis and clinical expression of CMS and may indicate potential prognostic factors in CMS that could serve as targets for therapeutic trials or clinical decision making.

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