bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extended multilevel flow model-based dynamic risk assessment for cybersecurity protection in industrial production systems
Authors: Zhu Qianxiang , Qin Yuanqing , Zhou Chunjie , Gao Weiwei
Published: June 2018

Cybersecurity protection becomes an essential requirement for industrial production systems, while industrial production systems are moving from isolation to interconnection with the development of information and communication technology. Dynamic risk assessment plays an important role in cybersecurity protection, providing the real-time security situation to the industrial production systems managers. Currently, few researches in this domain focus on the physical process of industrial production systems, let alone considering the combination of attack propagation in cyber space and the abnormal events happening in physical space for risk assessment. In this article, an extended multilevel flow model-based dynamic risk assessment approach for industrial production systems is proposed, where the extended multilevel flow model models the production process graphically and describes the relationships among devices, functions, and flows quantitatively. Based on the extended multilevel flow model of industrial production systems, a Bayesian network is built to analyze the attack propagation over time, and the consequences of cyber attack in production process are assessed quantitatively. Some simulations on a chemical process system are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The results demonstrate that this approach can assess the dynamic cybersecurity risk of industrial production systems in a quantitative way.
Water conservancy monitoring based on visual sensor networks
Authors: Jia Kebin , Wei Zhihao
Published: June 2018

Aiming at the complexity of the network transmission environment and the decentralization of the monitoring sites in the middle route of the South to North Water Diversion Project, this article presents a water conservancy monitoring architecture based on the visual sensor networks. First, a network assessment method is proposed to evaluate the sensor networks condition, and the encoder is adjusted with the result of the sensor networks condition evaluation. Then, based on distributed database architecture and visualization system construction, a three-level structure of the water conservancy monitoring system is designed and built. The experiment results show that the water conservancy monitoring system proposed in this article meets the transmission requirement under the complex sensor networks condition of water conservancy project. The water conservancy monitoring system has been applied to the middle route of the South to North Water Diversion Project, which achieves the needs of engineering applications.
A case of delayed distal coil migration after coil embolization of an unruptured distal azygos anterior cerebral artery aneurysm: A case report and literature review
Authors: Maeda Kazushi , Motoie Ryota , Karashima Satoshi , Otsuji Ryosuke , Ren Nice , Nagaoka Shintaro , Ikai Yoshiaki , Uno Junji , Gi Hidefuku
Published: June 2018

Intraprocedural coil migration during endovascular treatment for an aneurysm that might carry serious ischemic complications is well known. On the other hand, delayed coil migration after endovascular treatment for an aneurysm is very rare. A 77-year-old woman was incidentally diagnosed with unruptured aneurysm associated with distal azygos anterior cerebral artery (ACA). The aneurysm was located at the distal bifurcation of the azygos ACA and was wide necked (approximately 7 mm in diameter). Endovascular coil embolization was selected and the aneurysm was occluded successfully, but 29 days after endovascular therapy, follow-up computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography revealed distal coil migration in the peripheral portion of the ACA. In addition, CT on day 57 after therapy revealed the migrated coil had moved more distally. Fortunately, in the course of these events, the patient remained asymptomatic. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first case of delayed distal coil migration associated with relatively rare azygos ACA aneurysm, and also the first report confirming more distal coil movement over time. In the future, a large number of patients could develop this complication as more aneurysms are aggressively treated with endovascular treatment. Knowledge regarding the possibility of delayed coil migration is thus important.
A study on the heat dissipation and thermal environment of a novel heated bed
Authors: Wang Dengjia , Wang Xiaowen , Liu Yanfeng , Chen Penghao , Liu Jiaping
Published: June 2018

This study proposes a novel heated bed that can heat the whole room in the daytime and heat the surroundings of the bed at night. The conditions of conversion between the daytime and nighttime are achieved by the opening and closing of the fan and vents. The simplified calculation method of heat dissipation of the bed was obtained via the flow and heat transfer process analysis in two heating modes. Numerical simulations of heat dissipation and indoor thermal environment under different conditions in the daytime and nighttime were performed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to master the indoor temperature distribution characteristics. The simulation results were compared with the experimental results and show good agreement. The results show that the maximum of heat dissipation can reach 1300 W in the daytime and the indoor thermal environment can meet the human thermal comfort requirement. At night, the bed can create a high-temperature circle around it, which can ensure the sleep thermal comfort of the human body at a cooler indoor thermal environment, whose temperature can be 5°C lower than normal conditions. The heated bed can achieve the time-sharing district heating of room and reduce the heating energy consumption significantly. This study can provide the design and selection basis for the heated bed.
Sudden Death Due to Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Stoppacher Robert
Published: June 2018

Acute pancreatitis can present as sudden, expected death and, therefore, fall under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner/coroner (ME/C). Although its etiologies are varied, alcohol abuse, trauma, and drugs are important to consider in the forensic setting. It is therefore important for the forensic pathologist to have an understanding of these and other etiologies, to have a functional knowledge of the pancreatic anatomy and physiology, and to be able to diagnose acute pancreatitis and distinguish it from postmortem artifact. This review will highlight the forensic aspects of acute pancreatitis, with particular focus on acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis. This will include an overview of the developmental anatomy and normal physiology of the pancreas, the various causes of pancreatitis that may result in deaths coming to the attention of the ME/C, the underlying pathophysiology of the disease, the postmortem diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, and ancillary studies that support the diagnosis. Acad Forensic Pathol. 2018 8(2): 239-255
Differential Diagnosis of Hepatic Necrosis Encountered at Autopsy
Authors: Butler Daniel C. , Lewin David N. , Batalis Nicholas I.
Published: June 2018

The liver is subject to a variety of extrinsic and intrinsic insults that manifest with both specific and nonspecific patterns of necrosis. In the autopsy setting, these patterns are often encountered as incidental findings or even causes of death. There are several etiologies of hepatic necrosis, including toxins, drug injuries, viral infections, ischemic injuries, and metabolic disease, all of which possess overlapping gross and histologic presentations. Nonetheless, patterned necrosis in the context of clinical and demographic history allows for the forensic pathologist to develop a differential diagnosis, which may then be pruned into a specific or likely cause. The aim of the following review is to elucidate these patterns in the context of the liver diseases from which they arise with the goal developing a differential diagnosis and ultimate determination of etiology. Acad Forensic Pathol. 2018 8(2): 256-295
Experimentally validated predictive finite element modeling of the V0-V100 probabilistic penetration response of a Kevlar fabric against a spherical projectile
Authors: Nilakantan Gaurav
Published: June 2018

This work presents the first fully validated and predictive finite element modeling framework to generate the probabilistic penetration response of an aramid woven fabric subjected to ballistic impact. This response is defined by a V0-V100 curve that describes the probability of complete fabric penetration as a function of projectile impact velocity. The exemplar case considered in this article comprises a single-layer, fully clamped, plain-weave Kevlar fabric impacted at the center by a 0.22 cal spherical steel projectile. The fabric finite element model comprises individually modeled three-dimensional warp and fill yarns and is validated against the experimental material microstructure. Sources of statistical variability including yarn strength and modulus, inter-yarn friction, and precise projectile impact location are mapped into the finite element model. A series of impact simulations at varying projectile impact velocities is executed using LS-DYNA on the fabric models, each comprising unique mappings. The impact velocities and outcomes (penetration, non-penetration) are used to generate the numerical V0-V100 curve which is then validated against the experimental V0-V100 curve obtained from ballistic impact testing and shown to be in excellent agreement. The experimental data and its statistical analysis used for model input and validation, namely, the Kevlar yarn tensile strengths and moduli, inter-yarn friction, and fabric ballistic impact testing, are also reported.
Determinants of participation and risk factor control according to attendance in cardiac rehabilitation programmes in coronary patients in Europe: EUROASPIRE IV survey
Authors: Kotseva Kornelia , Wood David , De Bacquer Dirk
Published: June 2018

Aim

The purpose of this study was to describe the proportions of patients referred to and attending cardiac rehabilitation programmes in Europe and to compare lifestyle and risk factor targets achieved according to participation in a cardiac rehabilitation programme.

Methods

The EUROASPIRE IV cross-sectional survey was undertaken in 78 centres from 24 European countries. Consecutive patients aged <80 years with acute coronary syndromes and/or revascularization procedures were interviewed at least six months after their event.

Results

A total of 7998 patients (24% females) were interviewed. Overall, 51% were advised to participate in a cardiac rehabilitation programme and 81% of them attended at least half of the sessions; being 41% of the study population. Older patients, women, those at low socio-economic status or enrolled with percutaneous coronary intervention and unstable angina, as well as those with a previous history of coronary disease, heart failure, hypertension or dysglycaemia were less likely to be advised to follow a cardiac rehabilitation programme. People smoking prior to the recruiting event were less likely to participate. The proportions of patients achieving lifestyle targets were higher in the cardiac rehabilitation programme group as compared to the non-cardiac rehabilitation programme group: stopping smoking (57% vs 47%, p < 0.0001), recommended physical activity levels (47% vs 38%, p < 0.0001) and body mass index<30 kg/m2(65% vs 61%, p=0.0007). However, there were no differences in the blood pressure, lipids and glucose control. Patients who attended a cardiac rehabilitation programme had significantly lower anxiety and depression scores and better medication adherence.

Conclusions

Only half of all coronary patients were referred and a minority attended a cardiac rehabilitation programme. Those attending were more likely to achieve lifestyle targets, had lower depression and anxiety, and better medication adherence. There is still considerable potential to further reduce cardiovascular risk by increasing uptake and fully integrating secondary prevention and cardiac rehabilitation to provide a modern preventive cardiology programme.
Effectiveness and safety of sofosbuvir/ledipasvir ± ribavirin treatment in liver and/or renal transplant patients with chronic hepatitis C: A single-center experience
Authors: Akin Mete , Buldukoglu Osman Cagin , Adanir Haydar , Suleymanlar Inci , Dincer Dinc , Yildirim Bulent
Published: June 2018

Objective:

Successful treatment is possible with novel direct-acting oral antiviral agents in solid organ transplant patients with hepatitis C. In this study, the effectiveness and safety of sofosbuvir/ledipasvir ± ribavirin treatment in liver and/or renal transplant patients with chronic hepatitis C were evaluated.

Materials and methods:

A total of 23 liver and/or renal transplant patients who received sofosbuvir/ledipasvir ± ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C over 12 or 24 weeks were enrolled in the study. The treatment response, clinical and laboratory adverse effects, and effect on immunosuppressive drug levels were assessed.

Results:

A total of 12 patients had undergone renal transplantation and 11 had undergone liver transplantation. All of the renal transplant patients and 91% of liver transplant patients had genotype 1. In total, 10 renal transplant patients and 4 liver transplant patients had treatment experience. Two renal transplant patients and one liver transplant patient had compensated cirrhosis. Nine renal transplant patients were on tacrolimus, and two were on cyclosporine; all of the liver transplant patients were on tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive therapy. While hepatitis C RNA was negative in 75% of renal transplant patients and 91% of liver transplant patients at week 4, it was negative in all of the patients at the end of treatment and 12 weeks after treatment. Significantly reduced hemoglobin levels were observed in patients administered ribavirin during treatment (p = 0.01). There were no significant differences between the baseline and treatment period values of mean creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, bilirubin, and tacrolimus levels. There were no adverse effects leading to treatment discontinuation.

Conclusion:

Sofosbuvir/ledipasvir ± ribavirin is quite safe and effective in hepatitis C treatment after liver and/or renal transplantation.
Human Cells Grown With or Without Substitutes for Fetal Bovine Serum
Authors: Piletz John E. , Drivon Jennifer , Eisenga John , Buck Will , Yen Sabrina , McLin Megan , Meruvia William , Amaral Carolina , Brue Kellie
Published: June 2018

Safety concerns over cell-derived pharmaceutical products being manufactured in supplements of fetal bovine serum (FBS) have ignited pleas to replace FBS. Herein, four newly marketed alternatives to FBS were compared: a xeno-free product called Cell-Ess®, a human platelet lysate marketed as GroPro®, and two mixtures of adult bovine serum varying in their proportions of neonatal growth factors, called Liporo® and FetalGro®. An endothelial cell line (C2BBe1) and a neuronal cell line (SHSY5Y) near confluency in media with 10% FBS were selectively scraped and taken through a 25-day step-wise algorithm to replace FBS, and another human endothelial cell line (HRA-19) was studied to replicate C2BBe1. Cells were stained, counted, and compared for viability, migration, and spheroids. The C2BBe1 and HRA-19 cell lines failed to proliferate in 10% Cell-Ess® but grew in 10% GroPro® or 10% FetalGro® reasonably well compared to reference 10% FBS. With SH-SY5Y, only FetalGro® approached FBS's efficacy. These were all inferior to 11 different branded lots of FBS (positive controls), but five days into switching just amongst the FBS brands, 4 of 11 supported less proliferation than reference FBS in endothelial HRA-19 ( p < 0.004). Moreover, neurospheres were enriched in two branded lots of FBS and FetalGro® (each p < 0.004), neurospheres being an unwanted phenotype for any neuronal cell application. Because platelet-derived GroPro® stood out amongst the non-FBS growth supplements to allow proliferation without inducing spheroids, it seems the best (mindful that the cells still grew slower in it compared to FBS). While no perfect replacement was found amongst the alternatives to FBS, the algorithm for switching should be useful in future testing of new alternatives to FBS as the need arises to switch from FBS and expand pharmaceutical products with safety for human use.
M-Kopa Solar: Lighting up the Dark Continent
Authors: Rastogi Charu
Published: June 2018

M-Kopa Solar is a pay-as-you-go provider of solar home systems, catering to low-income, off-grid customers in East Africa. The company goes by the tagline, ‘Power for Everyone’. Using mobile payments system and an innovative approach to energy delivery, M-Kopa succeeded in building a business which solved a grave problem for the poorest of the poor and has the potential to become a billion dollar enterprise.

The case begins with a description of the background in which M-Kopa is operating. It goes on to explain how M-Kopa used the infrastructure gap in sub-Saharan Africa as an opportunity and propagated solar power as an alternative to traditional energy. Finally, it lays out the challenges M-Kopa may face on its expansion spree.
Impact of fracture clustering on the seismic signatures of porous rocks containing aligned fractures
Authors: Barbosa Nicolás D. , Rubino J. Germán , Caspari Eva , Holliger Klaus
Published: June 2018

The presence of fractures in a reservoir can have a significant impact on its effective mechanical and hydraulic properties. Many researchers have explored the seismic response of fluid-saturated porous rocks containing aligned planar fractures through the use of analytical models. However, these approaches are limited to the extreme cases of regular and uniform random distributions of fractures. The purpose of this work is to consider more realistic distributions of fractures and to analyze whether and how the frequency-dependent anisotropic seismic properties of the medium can provide information on the characteristics of the fracture network. Particular focus is given to fracture clustering effects resulting from commonly observed fracture distributions. To do so, we have developed a novel hybrid methodology combining the advantages of 1D numerical oscillatory tests, which allows us to consider arbitrary distributions of fractures, and an analytical solution that permits extending these results to account for the effective anisotropy of the medium. A corresponding numerical analysis indicates that the presence of clusters of fractures produces an additional attenuation and velocity dispersion regime compared with that predicted by analytical models. The reason for this is that a fracture cluster behaves as an effective layer and the contrast with respect to the unfractured background produces an additional fluid pressure diffusion length scale. The characteristic frequency of these effects depends on the size and spacing between clusters, the latter being much larger than the typical spacing between individual fractures. Moreover, we find that the effects of fracture clustering are more pronounced in attenuation anisotropy than velocity anisotropy data. Our results indicate that fracture clustering effects on fluid pressure diffusion can be described by two-layer models. This, in turn, provides the basis for extending current analytical models to account for these effects in inversion schemes designed to characterize fractured reservoirs from seismic data.
Lower Palaeozoic petroleum systems of the Baltic Basin in northern Poland: A 3D basin modeling study of selected areas (onshore and offshore)
Authors: Sowiżdżał Krzysztof , Słoczyński Tomasz , Stadtműller Marek , Kaczmarczyk Weronika
Published: June 2018

We have developed a Lower Palaeozoic petroleum systems analysis in the selected zones of the Polish section of the Baltic Basin (onshore and offshore), which we carried out to assess the potential of shale rock formations as unconventional reservoirs. The areas of the Baltic Basin, which we analyzed represent a diversity of shale formations burial depths and thus different advancement of sediments compaction and organic matter transformation. Methods of dynamic petroleum systems modeling were applied with a 3D modeling workflow (PetroMod suite software). We considered an extensive array of data, including results of geochemical and petrophysical laboratory measurements, geophysical borehole data and, in selected locations — 3D seismic data. Five potentially perspective shale rock intervals (Silurian [2], Ordovician [2], and Upper Cambrian [1]) are identified and interpreted in terms of their geochemical and petrophysical properties. We calibrated the petroleum system models in terms of proper reproduction of diagenetic processes (pore pressure and porosity), thermal conditions (vitrinite reflectance, temperature), and kerogen kinetic model (organic matter transformation ratio, types of hydrocarbons generated). The results of the petroleum system simulations reveal that for the predominant part of the analyzed area, the achieved level of kerogen thermal maturity determines the generation of liquid hydrocarbons, which results in the present-day saturation of shale formations mainly with crude oil. We concluded that the highest generation yields as well as present-day hydrocarbons in place are observed for Ordovician Sasino Formation (onshore and offshore), Silurian/Llandovery Jantar member (onshore), and Upper Cambrian (alum shales) formation. Furthermore, a significant variation in the mass/volumes of accumulated hydrocarbons is observed within each of the shale formations being considered.
Estimating microseismic detectability of the surface-monitoring network using downhole-monitoring array
Authors: Wandycz Paweł , Święch Eryk , Eisner Leo , Pasternacki Andrzej , Anikiev Denis , Maćkowski Tomasz
Published: June 2018

We have analyzed microseismic monitoring data sets obtained from the surface and downhole-monitoring arrays recorded during the first experiment of hydraulic fracturing in Poland. Using the downhole-monitoring network, we were able to record and locate 844 microseismic events, including 10 perforation shots from six stages of the stimulation. We detected 2 perforation shots and no microseismic events using the surface array, which was operational only during the first two stages of the stimulation. To explain the poor detectability of the surface array, we analyzed the spectral content of the events from the downhole-monitoring array. We found that the detectability of the perforation shots on the surface array was consistent with the low-frequency part of the signal on the downhole recordings. Our observation is in agreement with the fact that microseismic events with low-frequency signal weaker than the two detected perforation shots were not detected by the surface-monitoring array. Using the low-frequency part of the spectra of the events recorded by the downhole array, we predicted the surface-array detection threshold. We found that some events from the later stages could have been detected if only the surface array had been operational during that time.
Interpretation pitfalls to avoid in void interpretation from ground-penetrating radar imaging
Authors: Nobes David C.
Published: June 2018

Voids are features that occur commonly in near-surface geophysical imaging. They are usually readily identified in ground penetrating radar (GPR) imaging because of the strong reflection amplitudes, akin to the “bright spot” in oil and gas exploration. However, voids are often misidentified. Some voids are missed, and other anomalous features are misinterpreted as voids, when in fact they are not. We evaluate s ome examples of features will be presented from glacial imaging and engineering geophysics that were misinterpreted as voids, compare them with real voids, and we determine the differences that separate them. Another example from archaeology was identified as a void based on incomplete data, and was only coincidentally coincident with a void. In particular, in addition to strong top and bottom reflections, voids may have multiple reflections but will not have internal reflections. Voids will also tend to be limited in extent, and won’t, in general, underlie an entire GPR profile.
Geomechanical characterization of a caprock-reservoir system in the Northern Appalachian Basin: Estimating spatial variation of in situ stress magnitude and orientation
Authors: Raziperchikolaee Samin , Kelley Mark , Gupta Neeraj
Published: June 2018

Assessing the mechanical integrity of the caprock-reservoir system is necessary to evaluate the practical storage capacity for geologic [Formula: see text] storage. We used a combination of well-log and experimental data to estimate the statistical distribution (mean and variance) of rock mechanical properties of Cambrian-Ordovician strata within the Northern Appalachian region of Ohio and studied their heterogeneity throughout the study area. Empirical correlations between static-dynamic moduli of carbonate and sandstone formations of the Northern Appalachian Basin were developed. The state of stress (the orientation and magnitude of the maximum horizontal stress) for caprock and reservoir formations in the Cambrian-Ordovician sequence was determined at multiple well locations to understand the regional variability of these properties throughout the study area. The maximum horizontal stress ([Formula: see text]) azimuth was estimated from image logs for six wells and S-wave anisotropy data for five wells. The [Formula: see text] magnitude was estimated by analytical and numerical modeling of stresses around the wellbore calibrated to the occurrence of wellbore breakouts and drilling-induced fractures in three wells as a function of depth. The results of assessing the [Formula: see text] magnitude and stress regime in the caprock and reservoirs in the Cambrian-Ordovician sequence using rock mechanical data acquired in this study, well-log data, and drilling data indicate that both parameters vary throughout the study area. In this work, we determined how integrating different types of data from multiple wells allowed us to estimate mechanical properties and characterize the spatial variability (laterally and vertically) of in situ stress for Cambrian-Ordovician caprock and reservoirs throughout the study area. A combination of different methods — numerical, analytical, and stress polygon — is used to estimate the in situ stress magnitude, especially [Formula: see text], regionally on a formation-by-formation basis. The results of this work can be used to improve our understanding the complex nature of stress in the Northern Appalachian Basin.
Generation of ground truth images to validate micro-CT image-processing pipelines
Authors: Berg Steffen , Saxena Nishank , Shaik Majeed , Pradhan Chaitanya
Published: June 2018

Digital rock technology and pore-scale physics have become increasingly relevant topics in a wide range of porous media with important applications in subsurface engineering. This technology relies heavily on images of pore space and pore-level fluid distribution determined by X-ray microcomputed tomography (micro-CT). Digital images of pore space (or pore-scale fluid distribution) are typically obtained as gray-level images that first need to be processed and segmented to obtain the binary images that uniquely represent rock and pore (including fluid phases). This processing step is not trivial. Rock complexity, image quality, noise, and other artifacts prohibit the use of a standard processing workflow. Instead, an array of strategies of increasing sophistication has been developed. Typical processing pipelines consist of filtering, segmentation, and postprocessing steps. For each step, various choices and different options exist. This makes selection and validation of an optimum processing pipeline difficult. Using Darcy-scale quantities as a benchmark is not a good option because of rock heterogeneity and different scales of observation. Here, we present a conceptual workflow where noisy images are derived from a ground truth by systematically including typical image artifacts and noise. Artifacts and noise are not simply added to the images. Instead, tomographic forward projection and reconstruction steps are used to incorporate the artifacts in a physically correct way. A proof of concept of this workflow is demonstrated by comparing seven different image-segmentation pipelines ranging from absolute thresholding to a machine-learning approach (Trainable Weka Segmentation). The Trainable Weka Segmentation showed the best performance of the tested methods.
Multiresolution analysis and learning for computational seismic interpretation
Authors: Alfarraj Motaz , Alaudah Yazeed , Long Zhiling , AlRegib Ghassan
Published: June 2018

We explore the use of multiresolution analysis techniques as texture attributes for seismic image characterization, especially in representing subsurface structures in large migrated seismic data. Namely, we explore the Gaussian pyramid, the discrete wavelet transform, Gabor filters, and the curvelet transform. These techniques are examined in a seismic structure labeling case study on the Netherlands offshore F3 block. In seismic structure labeling, a seismic volume is automatically segmented and classified according to the underlying subsurface structure using texture attributes. Our results show that multiresolution attributes improve the labeling performance compared to using seismic amplitude alone. Moreover, directional multiresolution attributes, such as the curvelet transform, are more effective than the nondirectional attributes in distinguishing different subsurface structures in large seismic data sets and can greatly help the interpretation process.
Global Echoes: reflection on the use of interpretation in consultations in the UK
Authors: Cunliffe Jonathan
Published: June 2018

Working as a foundation doctor in psychiatry I quickly noted the value of two things: the development of a strong therapeutic relationship and the importance of a detailed history. These two things are made much harder when your patient does not speak English and you do not speak their language. I present a reflection on my experiences with two patients who did not speak English, the role of interpreters and some common pitfalls when working with them.
Cerebrovascular Incidence and Death Rates in a Cohort of Workers Occupationally Exposed to Radiation
Authors: Мосеева М. , Moseeva M. , Азизова Т. , Azizova T. , Григорьева Е. , Grigor'eva E.
Published: June 2018

Purpose: Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality rates were estimated in the cohort of nuclear workers occupationally exposed to radiation over a long period at the Mayak PA. Material and methods: Study cohort included 22377 workers (25 % females) of the Mayak Production Association employed during 1948–1982 and was based on “Clinic” medical dosimetry database and “Dosimetry system for Mayak workers 2008”. Statistica 6.0 software was used for statistical treatment and data analysis. Intensive (crude) and standardised incidence and mortality rates were calculated per 100 000 workers. Results: Number of cases and deaths from CVD were 8910 and 930 respectively. The greatest number of CVD cases (84 % of males and 87 % of females) was among workers of 50–69 years old, and the greatest number of CVD deaths (85 % of males and 94 % of females) was among workers of 60 years old and older. Conclusion: The present study showed that CVD incidence and mortality in the studied cohort of the Mayak nuclear workers occupationally exposed to radiation depended on the gender, age and calendar period. Statistically significant decreasing trends in CVD incidence and mortality over 1948–2013 period were not revealed.
Levels of Trace Elements in the Affected Area of Bone in The Diagnosis of Osteomyelitis and Osteogenic Sarcoma
Authors: Зайчик В. , Zaychik V.
Published: June 2018

Purpose: Childhood bone cancer is often difficult to detect in its early stages. One of the most important differential diagnostics is between osteomyelitis (OM) and osteosarcoma (OS). To clarify the possible role of trace elements (TE) as osteosarcoma markers, a nondestructive neutron activation analysis were performed. Material and methods: The Ag, Co, Cr, Fe, Hg, Rb, Sb, Se, and Zn contents were measured in three groups of samples: normal bone samples from 27 persons with intact bone, and also in samples, obtained from open biopsies or after operation of 10 patients with OM and 27 patients with OS. The difference in the results between TE contents in the three groups was evaluated by the parametric Student’s t-test and non-parametric Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney U-test. Results: In the OS tissue the mean mass fractions of Co, Fe, Se, and Zn are significantly higher (2.6, 2.6, 6.2, and 1.6 times, respectively) and the mean mass fraction of Rb is more than 2 times lower than in the inflamed bone. Different combinations of these TE mass fractions were checked as tumor markers. Conclusion: It was shown that the level of SeZn mass fraction multiplication is the best tumor marker and can be recommended as an additional high informative test for differential diagnosis between OS and a normal or inflamed bone.
The Professional Retraining Program in Radiotherapy for Medical Physicists
Authors: Черняев А. , Chernyaev A. , Борщеговская П. , Borschegovskaya P. , Варзарь С. , Varzar' S. , Желтоножская М. , Zheltonozhskaya M. , Лыкова Е. , Lykova E. , Нисимов С. , Nisimov S. , Розанов В. , Rozanov V.
Published: June 2018

The article assesses the personnel situation in the field of domestic radiation therapy and nuclear medicine. Despite the fact that in recent years there has been a significant re-equipping of Russian medical centers with the latest devices, the quantitative indicators of medical equipment normalized for the number of residents of the country are still significantly inferior to the indexes other countries. And this problem is greatly aggravated by the insufficient number of specialists who can work on the equipment supplied. First and foremost, this refer to medical physicists who are responsible not only for ensuring the required accuracy when applying a dose of ionizing radiation to the tumor, but also for ensuring radiation safety when working with sources of ionizing radiation.

A continuing vocational educational retraining program covering development, operation and application of high-tech systems for radiotherapy is being proposed. This program was developed and tested at the Department of Physics of Accelerators and Radiation Medicine of the Physical Faculty of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University with the support of the Rusnano Foundation for Educational Programs.

The co-executors in the development and approbation of the Program were the National Medical Research Center of Radiology, A.I. Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center of the FMBA of Russia. Invited experts in the process of developing the Program were scientists and specialists of the Bauman MSTU, Tomsk Polytechnic University, NRNU MEPhI, N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology. As a result of a professional educational program, the necessary professional skills for working as specialists in radiotherapy units and nuclear medicine centers are formed, which will successfully solve the problem of professional human resources for the clinical centers of Russia.

The program was developed and successfully implemented at the Department of Physics of Accelerators and Radiation Medicine of the Physics Department of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University.

The need to develop a program of assessment of medical physicists, which are working at the moment, is being considered. This will guarantee a high level of knowledge necessary for full participation in the medical process and making responsible decisions on the therapeutic use of radiation devices and ensuring radiation safety of patients and personnel.
Problems of Population Radiation Safety Support in Case of Radiation Accidents
Authors: Гончаров С. , Goncharov S. , Аветисов Г. , Avetisov G.
Published: June 2018

The article presents the results of 25-old activity of the head agency of the Service for Disaster Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation – All Russian Centre for Disaster Medicine «Zaschita» (ARCDM «Zaschita») of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in the sphere of medical support of population in case of radiation accidents. The Service is a functional subsystem of the Unified State system of prevention and liquidation of emergency situations, intended for elimination of medical and sanitary consequences of emergency situation. In Russia, it is legally established that in case of radiation accident the Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia (the FMBA of Russia) is responsible for radiation safety of the population living in the NPP surveillance zone (approximately 25 km). Responsibility for the radiation safety of the rest of the population living outside the surveillance zone is assigned to the Service for disaster medicine. In accordance with the current document “Model content of the protection plan of the population in case of an accident at the radiation facility” developed by the Ministry of Emergency Situations, mandatory protective measures are provided in the territory that radius is 25 km around the radiation object (planning zones of preventive and emergency measures). Early planning in the restrictive planning zone is not envisaged, and protective measures outside the 100-kilometer zone are considered inappropriate. The article presents the concept developed by the specialists of ARCDM «Zaschita» for drafting protection of the subjects of the Russian Federation for the nuclear power plants operating on the territory of Russia. The concept is based on experience of consequences of the Chernobyl NPP accident. The concept argues that the outer boundary of the planning area for protective measures around nuclear power plants should have an outer radius of 1000 km. Radius of the emergency planning area is 100 km. The problems of preparedness for radiation safety of population support in case of radiation accidents are discussed. They are: the need for elaboration of regulatory and normative documents of the federal level on obligatory advance planning of protective measures against the possibility of radiation accidents on radiation-hazardous objects from the nuclear power plants on the territory of Russia for the population, not supervised by the FMBA of Russia (living both in the observation zone and abroad) and regulating the need and procedure of planning, organization and carrying out in case of necessity iodine prophylaxis for the population on territories up to 1000 km from operating NPPs of Russia. Same approaches to the solution of the considered problems are suggested.
Geoecology
Authors: Короновский Николай , Koronovskiy Nikolay , Брянцева Галина , Bryantseva Galina , Ясаманов Николай , Yasamanov Nikolay
Published: June 2018

The textbook was created in accordance with the Federal state educational standard in the field of "Ecology and environmental management" (qualification "bachelor").
The book presents the basics of modern knowledge in the field of Geoecology; methods of research, which are used to study the interrelated Geosphere in integration with the social sphere, highlighted the natural and socio-economic consequences of changes in the Geosphere under the influence of anthropogenic factors; evaluated the current state and stability of the biosphere with geoecological positions.
Significant areas of the territory of Russia with undisturbed or weakly disturbed ecosystems, preserved to the present time, are not so much the result of proper and environmentally oriented management, as associated with huge undeveloped territories. It is the preservation of areas with undisturbed ecosystems that can play a positive role in the global environmental balance and help to bring the world system out of the global environmental crisis.
The normal, sustainable functioning of natural systems is now severely disrupted for various reasons: mining, electricity generation by various methods, deforestation and other reasons. If earlier these processes were affected only by certain areas, in our time they covered almost not only the entire territory of the Earth, but also the nearest space, which now rotates so much "debris" that it is already a danger to orbital ships. Science "Geoecology" is devoted to the problems of normal interaction between man and the environment, which is now broken
Inverse Optimization: Closed-Form Solutions, Geometry, and Goodness of Fit
Authors: Chan Timothy C. Y. , Lee Taewoo , Terekhov Daria
Published: June 2018

In classical inverse linear optimization, one assumes that a given solution is a candidate to be optimal. Real data are imperfect and noisy, so there is no guarantee that this assumption is satisfied. Inspired by regression, this paper presents a unified framework for cost function estimation in linear optimization comprising a general inverse optimization model and a corresponding goodness-of-fit metric. Although our inverse optimization model is nonconvex, we derive a closed-form solution and present the geometric intuition. Our goodness-of-fit metric, ρ, the coefficient of complementarity, has similar properties to R2 from regression and is quasi-convex in the input data, leading to an intuitive geometric interpretation. While ρ is computable in polynomial time, we derive a lower bound that possesses the same properties, is tight for several important model variations, and is even easier to compute. We demonstrate the application of our framework for model estimation and evaluation in production planning and cancer therapy.

This paper was accepted by Yinyu Ye, optimization.
Fit for the Task: Complementarity, Asymmetry, and Partner Selection in Alliances
Authors: Furlotti Marco , Soda Giuseppe
Published: June 2018

Most existing theories of relationship formation imply that organizations establish ties to procure complementary resources, and that doing so adroitly generates relational rents. Although this entails a responsibility for organizations to recognize and harness complementarity, most theories struggle with ambiguity around the concept of resource complementarity, neglect its power implications, and rely on rules of thumb that assign no role to managers’ intentions. To explain the formation of ties that successfully combine critical resources, we propose that a positive interplay among resources exists only insofar as organizations use task requirements to guide their combination. As such, a well-matched tie is one that manages task resource interdependence while offsetting imbalances in task-related resources. We test our theory on project-based, interorganizational partnerships for public construction in Italy. We find that (1) the probability of tie formation increases with the quality of the match between the task and actors’ resources; (2) there are two distinct, task-related dimensions along which this happens: depth and scope; (3) the effect of these dimensions dwarfs the effect found by measures that assess complementarity irrespective of task; and (4) the probability of tie formation decreases when a task calls for resources that potential partners possess in unequal amounts.
Signal Incongruence and Its Consequences: A Study of Media Disapproval and CEO Overcompensation
Authors: Vergne JP , Wernicke Georg , Brenner Steffen
Published: June 2018

We draw on the signaling and infomediary literature to examine how media evaluations of CEO overcompensation (a negative cue associated with selfishness and greed) are affected by the presence of corporate philanthropy (a positive cue associated with altruism and generosity). In line with our theory on signal incongruence, we find that firms engaged in philanthropy receive more media disapproval when they overcompensate their CEO, but they are also more likely to decrease CEO overcompensation as a response. Our study contributes to the signaling literature by theorizing about signal incongruence and to infomediary and corporate governance research by showing that media disapproval can lead to lower executive compensation. We also reconcile two conflicting views on firm prosocial behavior by showing that, in the presence of incongruent cues, philanthropy can simultaneously enhance and damage media evaluations of firms and CEOs. Taken together, these findings shed new light on the media as agents of external corporate governance for firms and open new avenues for research on executive compensation.

The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2018.1209 .
Paying to be a midwife
Authors: Bond Kathryn
Published: June 2018

Midwifery shortages have long been in the news, but it appears that steps are finally being taken to address the issue. Kathryn Bond explains the new initiatives and how this could affect staffing
Prophylactic antibiotics in soft-tissue procedures in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Perotti L. R. , Abousamra O. , Rogers K. J. , Miller F. , Sees J. P.
Published: June 2018

Purpose

Data on the benefits of perioperative prophylactic antibiotics in the paediatric population are lacking. In this study, we aimed to assess the rate of infection after isolated soft-tissue procedures in patients with cerebral palsy with and without preoperative prophylactic antibiotics between 2009 and 2015.

Methods

We reviewed the records of all children with cerebral palsy who underwent isolated soft-tissue procedures (on the upper and lower limb) at our hospital between 2009 and 2015. Children with at least 30-day postoperative follow-up were included. Children who had groin incisions were excluded.

Results

Two groups were identified: the antibiotic group (77 children with 203 incisions and 343 procedures) had one surgical site infection; the no-antibiotic group (48 children with 102 incisions and 177 procedures) had no surgical site infections.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the use of preoperative antibiotics does not change the rate of postoperative surgical site infections.

Level of Evidence

Level III therapeutic study