bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Post-Construction ILI Execution Planning Guidelines for Pipeline Quality Verification
Authors: Brooks Brian D. , Lindner Hubert 
Published: November 2018

Inline inspections following new pipeline construction completion as a means of ensuring specific quality requirements are fulfilled poses unique challenges when compared with inline inspections in operating pipelines. Construction contractors are often responsible for conducting a post-construction inline inspection as part of construction quality verification; however, construction contractors often lack expertise in planning and conducting inline inspections. Schedule constraints for conducting inline inspections, often introduced because of other prior construction delays, can contribute to poor planning and execution. The consequent undesirable outcome may be failed inspections further delaying pipeline construction completion, turnover to the Client, and final payments.
It is in the interest of all stakeholders to ensure inline inspections be completed in a timely manner and in a way that maximizes the likelihood that the needed pipeline data will be successfully acquired. It is crucial for post-construction inline inspection success, that all stakeholders poses basic knowledge of operational requirements and inspection proceedings. Additionally, adequate planning of the inline inspection proceedings can greatly mitigate the risks associated with the inline inspection.
To ensure necessary considerations and the division of responsibilities is clear and understood among all stakeholders; a Post-Construction ILI Execution Plan is prepared. The Inline Inspection Contractor is responsible for completion of the Post-Construction ILI Execution Plan in consultation with other stakeholders. The contents of the Post-Construction ILI Execution Plan include project information, run conditions, and stakeholder contact information. Moreover, it defines the assignment of stakeholder responsibilities and involvement for all inspection planning and execution aspects.
Formalizing Integrity Management Workflows: Towards Integrity Process Modelling
Authors: Reyes Alejandro , Huisman Otto 
Published: November 2018

Workflows are the fundamental building blocks of business processes in any organization today. These workflows have attributes and outputs that make up various Operational, Management and Supporting processes, which in turn produce a specific outcome in the form of business value. Risk Assessment and Direct Assessment are examples of such processes; they define the individual tasks integrity engineers should carry out.
According to ISO 55000, achieving excellence in Asset Management requires clearly defined objectives, transparent and consistent decision making, as well as a long-term strategic view. Specifically, it recommends well-defined policies and procedures (processes) to bring about performance and cost improvements, improved risk management, business growth and enhanced stakeholder confidence through compliance and improved reputation. In reality, such processes are interpreted differently all over the world, and the workflows that make up these processes are often defined by individual engineers and experts. An excellent example of this is Risk Assessment, where significant local variations in data sources, threat sources and other data elements, require the business to tailor its activities and models used.
Successful risk management is about enabling transparent decision-making through clearly defined process-steps, but in practice it requires maintaining a degree of flexibility to tailor the process to the specific organizational needs. In this paper, we introduce common building blocks that have been identified to make up a Risk Assessment process and further examine how these blocks can be connected to fulfill the needs of multiple stakeholders, including data administrators, integrity engineers and regulators. Moving from a broader Business Process view to a more focused Integrity Management view, this paper will demonstrate how to formalize Risk Assessment processes by describing the activities, steps and deliverables of each using Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) as the standard modeling technique and extending it with an integrity-specific notation we have called Integrity Modelling Language or IML.
It is shown that flexible modelling of integrity processes based on existing standards and best practices is possible within a structured approach; one which guides users and provides a transparent and auditable process inside the organization and beyond, based on commonalities defined by best practice guidelines, such as ISO 55000.
The Application of a Knowledge Transfer Taxonomy to Pipeline Construction Inspection Best Practices
Authors: Rappel Ritch , Dorscht Julian , Sahney Reena 
Published: November 2018

The pipeline sector is facing a multi-faceted challenge regarding its workforce. Valuable knowledge is being lost as increasing numbers of technical experts and long-term employees exit the industry (due to retirement). Concurrently, the public spotlight is focused on the environmental impact of the pipeline industry. Therefore, robust construction of new pipelines and effective maintenance of aging infrastructure is increasingly important. Herein lies the challenge — How does the industry transfer the knowledge required to ensure that personnel have suitable competency to maintain the integrity of the pipeline system? A scenario where new personnel efficiently gain knowledge through experience is critical.
An important aspect of achieving this is a more systematic and thoughtful approach to knowledge transfer. As part of its fundamental methodology for developing training and alternate methods for knowledge transfer, the team launched an initiative to review the literature and current industry approaches. This was done as a key input to developing a “Knowledge Taxonomy.” This tool simplifies the process for selecting the optimal method for effectively transferring key technical knowledge based on the desired level of competency (e.g., awareness building vs. mastery).
Specifically, the team identified a number of consistent themes and combined them with both sound educational theory and industry experience to develop a tool in the form of a practical framework. This Knowledge Transfer Taxonomy was then applied to a specific knowledge gap in industry as a case study. This paper will
1. Summarize, at a high level, the results of the literature review and current approaches;
2. Describe the framework (i.e., Knowledge Taxonomy) developed by the team;
3. Discuss a case study involving the application of this framework to a specific and real challenge; and
Through this work, the team identified and developed specific strategies and tactics to effectively overcome some of the barriers to knowledge transfer. These experiences will be shared in the context of a specific situation that typifies the current challenges industry is facing in effective knowledge transfer.
Development of Pinhole Corrosion Management Using MFL
Authors: Desjardins Guy , Falk Joel , Vorontsov Vitaly 
Published: November 2018

While In-line Inspection Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) tools have been used for many years to successfully manage corrosion related threats, small pinhole-sized metal-loss anomalies remain a significant concern to pipeline operators. These anomalies can grow undetected to develop leaks and cause significant consequences. The physical dimensions of these anomalies, their proximity to and/or interaction with other nearby anomalies can challenge MFL’s detection and sizing capabilities. Other factors such as tool speed, cleanliness of the line and incorrect assumptions have an impact as well. For pipeline operators to develop effective and efficient mitigation programs and to estimate risks to an asset, the underlying uncertainties in detection and sizing of pinholes need to be well understood.
By using magnetic modeling software, the MFL response of metal-loss anomalies can be determined, and the effect of a number of factors such as radial position, wall thickness, depth profile, pipe cleanliness and tool speed on MFL response and reporting accuracy can be determined. This paper investigates these factors to determine the leading causes of uncertainties involved in the detection and sizing of pinhole corrosion. The understanding of these uncertainties should lead to improvements in integrity management of pinhole for pipeline operators.
This paper first investigates the physical measurement methodology of MFL tools to understand the limitations of MFL technology. Then, comparisons of actual MFL data with field excavation results were studied, to understand the limitations of specific MFL technologies. Finally, recommendations are made on how to better use and assess MFL results.
Integration of Data From Multiple In-Line Inspection Systems to Improve Crack Detection and Characterization
Authors: Piazza Mark , Harkrader Justin , Guajardo Rogelio , Henning Thomas , Urrea Miguel , Krishnamurthy Ravi , Tandon Samarth , Gao Ming 
Published: November 2018

In-line inspection (ILI) systems continue to improve in the detection and characterization of cracks in pipelines, and are relied on substantially by pipeline operators to support Integrity Management Programs for continual assessment of conditions on operating pipelines that are susceptible to cracking as an integrity threat. Recent experience for some forms of cracking have shown that integration of data from multiple ILI systems can improve detection and characterization (depth sizing, crack orientation, and crack feature profile) performance. This paper will describe the approach taken by a liquids pipeline operator to integrate data from multiple ILI systems, namely Ultrasonic axial (UC) and circumferential (UCc) crack detection and Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) technologies, to improve detection and characterization of cracks and crack fields on a 42 miles long, 12-inch OD liquid pipeline with a 38-year operating history. ILI data has indicated a large number of crack features, including 4000+ crack features reported by UC, 1000+ crack features by UCc, and 2500+ metal loss features reported by MFL. Initial excavations demonstrated a unique pattern of blended circumferential-, oblique- and axial-orientated cracks along the entire extent of the 42-mile pipeline, requiring advanced methods of data integration and analysis. Applying individual technologies and their analysis approaches showed limitations in performance for identification and characterization of these blended features. The outcome of the study was the development of a feature classification approach to classify the cracks with respect to their orientation, and rank them based on the depth sizing by using multiple datasets.
Several sections of the 42-mile pipeline were cut-out and subjected to detailed examination using multiple non-destructive examination (NDE) methods and destructive testing to confirm the crack depths and profiles. These data were used as the basis for confirming the ILI tool performance and providing confirmation on the improvements made to crack detection and sizing through the data integration process.
An Approximation Algorithm for Threshold Voltage Optimization
Authors: Daboul Siad , Held Stephan , Vygen Jens , Wittke Sonja 
Published: November 2018

We present a primal-dual approximation algorithm for minimizing the leakage power of an integrated circuit by assigning gate threshold voltages. While most existing techniques do not provide a performance guarantee, we prove an upper bound on the power consumption.
The algorithm is practical and works with an industrial sign-off timer. It can be used for post-routing power reduction or for optimizing leakage power throughout the design flow.
We demonstrate the practical performance on recent microprocessor units. Our implementation obtains significant leakage power reductions of up to 8% on top of one of the most successful algorithms for gate sizing and threshold voltage optimization. After timing-aware global routing, we achieve leakage power reductions of up to 34%.
Antifibrotic Therapy Disrupts Stromal Barriers and Modulates the Immune Landscape in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Elahi-Gedwillo Kianna Y. , Carlson Marjorie , Zettervall Jon , Provenzano Paolo P. 
Published: November 2018

Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) remains one of the deadliest forms of cancer, in part, because it is largely refractory to current therapies. The failure of most standard therapies in PDA, as well as promising immune therapies, may be largely ascribed to highly unique and protective stromal microenvironments that present significant biophysical barriers to effective drug delivery, that are immunosuppressive, and that can limit the distribution and function of antitumor immune cells. Here, we utilized stromal reengineering to disrupt these barriers and move the stroma toward normalization using a potent antifibrotic agent, halofuginone. In an autochthonous genetically engineered mouse model of PDA, halofuginone disrupted physical barriers to effective drug distribution by decreasing fibroblast activation and reducing key extracellular matrix elements that drive stromal resistance. Concomitantly, halofuginone treatment altered the immune landscape in PDA, with greater immune infiltrate into regions of low hylauronan, which resulted in increased number and distribution of both classically activated inflammatory macrophages and cytotoxic T cells. In concert with a direct effect on carcinoma cells, this led to widespread intratumoral necrosis and reduced tumor volume. These data point to the multifunctional and critical role of the stroma in tumor protection and survival and demonstrate how compromising tumor integrity to move toward a more normal physiologic state through stroma-targeting therapy will likely be an instrumental component in treating PDA.

Significance:
This work demonstrates how focused stromal re-engineering approaches to move toward normalization of the stroma disrupt physical barriers to effective drug delivery and promote antitumor immunity.
See related commentary by Huang and Brekken, p. 328
Phase III Trial of Adjuvant Sunitinib in Patients with High-Risk Renal Cell Carcinoma: Exploratory Pharmacogenomic Analysis
Authors: George Daniel J. , Martini Jean-Francois , Staehler Michael , Motzer Robert J. , Magheli Ahmed , Donskov Frede , Escudier Bernard , Li Sherry , Casey Michelle , Valota Olga , Laguerre Brigitte , Pantuck Allan J. , Pandha Hardev S. , Patel Anup , Lechuga Maria , Ravaud Alain 
Published: November 2018

Abstract

Purpose:
In the S-TRAC trial, adjuvant sunitinib prolonged disease-free survival (DFS) versus placebo in patients with loco-regional renal cell carcinoma at high risk of recurrence after nephrectomy. An exploratory analysis evaluated associations between SNPs in several angiogenesis- or hypoxia-related genes and clinical outcomes in S-TRAC.

Patients and Methods:
Blood samples were genotyped for 10 SNPs and one insertion/deletion mutation using TaqMan assays. DFS was compared using log-rank tests for each genotype in sunitinib versus placebo groups and between genotypes within each of three (sunitinib, placebo, and combined sunitinib plus placebo) treatment groups. P values were unadjusted.

Results:
In all, 286 patients (sunitinib, n = 142; placebo, n = 144) were genotyped. Longer DFS [HR; 95% confidence interval (CI)] was observed with sunitinib versus placebo for VEGFR1 rs9554320 C/C (HR 0.44; 95% CI, 0.21–0.91; P = 0.023), VEGFR2 rs2071559 T/T (HR 0.46; 95% CI, 0.23–0.90; P = 0.020), and eNOS rs2070744 T/T (HR 0.53; 95% CI, 0.30–0.94; P = 0.028). Shorter DFS was observed for VEGFR1 rs9582036 C/A versus C/C with sunitinib, placebo, and combined therapies (P ≤ 0.05), and A/A versus C/C with sunitinib (P = 0.022). VEGFR1 rs9554320 A/C versus A/A was associated with shorter DFS in the placebo (P = 0.038) and combined (P = 0.006) groups.

Conclusions:
Correlations between VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 SNPs and longer DFS with sunitinib suggest germline SNPs are predictive of improved outcomes with adjuvant sunitinib in patients with renal cell carcinoma. Independent validation studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Intestinal Toxicity in Rats Following Administration of CDK4/6 Inhibitors Is Independent of Primary Pharmacology
Authors: Thibault Stephane , Hu Wenyue , Hirakawa Brad , Kalabat Dalia , Franks Tania , Sung Tae , Khoh-Reiter Su , Lu Shuyan , Finkelstein Martin , Jessen Bart , Sacaan Aida 
Published: November 2018

Abstract
Recently three different cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) dual inhibitors were approved for the treatment of breast cancer (palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib), all of which offer comparable therapeutic benefits. Their safety profiles, however, are different. For example, neutropenia is observed at varying incidences in patients treated with these drugs; however, it is the most common adverse event for palbociclib and ribociclib, whereas diarrhea is the most common adverse event observed in patients treated with abemaciclib. To understand the mechanism of diarrhea observed with these drugs and in an effort to guide the development of safer drugs, we compared the effects of oral administration of palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib on the gastrointestinal tract of rats using doses intended to produce comparable CDK4/6 inhibition. Rats administered abemaciclib, but not palbociclib or ribociclib, had fecal alterations, unique histopathologic findings, and distinctive changes in intestinal gene expression. Morphologic changes in the intestine were characterized by proliferation of crypt cells, loss of goblet cells, poorly differentiated and degenerating enterocytes with loss of microvilli, and mucosal inflammation. In the jejunum of abemaciclib-treated rats, downregulation of enterocyte membrane transporters and upregulation of genes associated with cell proliferation were observed, consistent with activation of the Wnt pathway and downstream transcriptional regulation. Among these CDK4/6 inhibitors, intestinal toxicity was unique to rats treated with abemaciclib, suggesting a mechanism of toxicity not due to primary pharmacology (CDK4/6 inhibition), but to activity at secondary pharmacologic targets.
Urethral pull-up operation for distal and mid-penile hypospadias: a new safe method
Authors: Jawale Sagar A. , Jesudian Gnanaraj , Nehete Rajendra 
Published: November 2018

This case series of 51 patients (age range = 11–17 years; 30-month follow-up) describes a new modified approach to treatment of distal and mid-penile hypospadias that has fewer complications. The meatal locations were sub-coronal (51%), coronal (45%) and mid-penile (4%). Forty patients had chordee. Urethra with the corpus spongiosum was dissected off the corpus cavernosum up to the peno-scrotal junction. The distal 5 mm stenotic and avascular part of the urethral tube was excised. The elastic urethra was then stretched and sutured to form a neo-meatus. The urethra was anchored to the Buck’s fascia at the glandular, sub-coronal and mid-penile levels. Meatal regression in one patient (2%), subcutaneous hematomas in two patients (4%) and wound dehiscence in two patients (4%) were the complications in the immediate postoperative period. None developed fistula, meatal stenosis or residual chordee in the 30-month follow-up.
Coculture with Clostridium difficile promotes apoptosis of human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells
Authors: Hui Liangliang , Zang Kui , Wang Min , Shang Futai , Zhang Guoxin 
Published: November 2018

Objective The clostridial triose-phosphate isomerase ( tpi) gene is a housekeeping gene that specifically distinguishes Clostridium difficile from other bacteria. This retrospective cohort study was performed to analyze and compare the TPI protein-positive rates in outpatients and hospitalized patients with and without diarrhea (control group). Methods Western blotting, methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and flow cytometry were used to investigate the pathogenic mechanism of C. difficile in the development and progression of diarrhea in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Results The TPI protein-positive rates were significantly higher in patients with diarrhea but without IBD than in the healthy control group as well as in patients with diarrhea and IBD than in patients with diarrhea but without IBD. Coculture with C. difficile inhibited aquaporin-1 protein expression in human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells, which significantly reduced the proliferation of these cells and promoted their apoptosis. Conclusions Clostridium difficile infection is associated with diarrhea and may be an important risk factor for diarrhea in patients with IBD. Coculture with C. difficile may inhibit the proliferation of intestinal mucosal cells and promote their apoptosis, reduce intestinal aquaporin-1 expression, and inhibit intestinal water uptake. Clostridium difficile is one cause of C. difficile-associated diarrhea.
Changes in the blood level, efficacy, and safety of tacrolimus in pregnancy and the lactation period in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Hiramatsu Y , Yoshida S , Kotani T , Nakamura E , Kimura Y , Fujita D , Nagayasu Y , Shabana K , Makino S , Takeuchi T , Arawaka S 
Published: November 2018

Objectives We investigated the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus (TAC) by monitoring its serum concentration for mothers and infants in pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods We measured trough concentrations of TAC in 25 pregnant patients with SLE to assess influence of TAC on the disease activity. Additionally, we measured the concentrations of TAC in umbilical arterial blood, breast milk, and breastfed infants to investigate the safety of TAC for the mothers and infants. Results The trough concentrations of TAC in the mothers significantly decreased in the second trimester as compared with those before pregnancy. However, the decrease in the trough concentrations of TAC did not lead to the deterioration of SLE. When examined, the doses of TAC were significantly lower in the second trimester and postpartum in the deteriorating group than those in the non-deteriorating group. There were no adverse events by TAC in mothers and fetuses. The concentrations of TAC in the umbilical cord blood were lower than those in the maternal blood. The relative infant dose in breastfed infants of TAC was < 1%. The level of TAC in infant bloods was below detectable limits. Conclusion These findings suggest that TAC is one of the most effective and safest immunosuppressive drugs for use in pregnant patients with SLE.