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The identification and assessment of project risks among potential risks can be considered a multi-attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problem including both quantitative and qualitative criteria. We extend the concept of safety to risk identification and assessment; this is to emphasize that the focus should not only be on the time and cost criteria, but also on the health, safety and environment (HSE) criterion. Conventional approaches to risk identification and risk assessment separately tend to be less effective in dealing with the imprecise of the risk assessment individually. The aim of this paper is to present a new methodology for identifying and assessing risks simultaneously by applying MAGDM technique. This paper includes a new procedure for classifying potential risks which it is named potential risk breakdown structure (PRBS) based on project work breakdown structure (WBS). Nominal group technique (NGT) is utilized for gathering potential risks. Obtained results have been applied in gas refinery plant construction successfully.

Milkweed (Asclepias) is a new crop being produced for its fiber in pillows and comforters. Cardiac glycosides (cardenolides), are endemic in milkweed and may hinder utilization of its seed as an animal feed. In an ongoing effort to develop new coproducts for milkweed fiber, we found that the defatted seedmeal is an effective nematicide and pesticide for army worms. A procedure for separating the cardenolides from milkweed seedmeal has also been developed.

Sicklepod ( Cassia obtusifolia ) is a leguminous weed species that has become a severe problem in soybean production throughout the Southern United States. Economic incentives, such as premiums for low levels of foreign matter from cleaning soybeans prior to sale, could generate a large source of sicklepod seed in that area. This study was undertaken to evaluate C. obtusifolia seed for potential applications. As much as 41% of the seed was extractable. Some extracts were strong inhibitors of wheat, velvetleaf and sicklepod root growth, causing discoloration of the root meristems in a manner similar to that caused by naphthoquinones such as juglone and plumbagin. Some extracts increased weight gain in fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda ) causing them to grow to 50–100% larger than controls in a 7-day trial. Survival of Columbia root-knot nematode ( Meloidogyne chitwoodi ) in the soil was inversely correlated to the amount of ground whole sicklepod amendment. No phytotoxic effects of the meal amendment on tomato plants or inhibition of germination for several crop seeds was observed at the levels tested.