bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
INSIGHTS FROM A NEW STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE SETTLEMENTS FROM OIL SPILLS IN THE UNITED STATES
Authors: Dunford Richard W. , Challenger Greg E. , Gmur Stephan , Lynes Melissa K. , Dunford Michael A. 
Published: December 2017

2017-335 ABSTRACT
Major oil spills in the United States often result in some natural resource damages (NRD), which arise from injuries to natural resources and losses of their services. Other things being equal, larger spills lead to larger NRD. Previous research on NRD settlements using multiple-regression analysis identified several factors that predicted variations in damages, other than the number of gallons spilled (Dunford and Lynes 2014). Those factors included the geographic location of the spill, whether threatened and endangered species were injured, whether recreation closures occurred, and whether unvalued compensatory restoration was part of the settlement. The current paper extends the previous research by adding NRD settlements in the past three years, and by exploring a new multivariate statistical method. Specifically, the new method employs a binary division of sample observations to create tree-like regression models, which are used to determine the correlations among the settlement characteristics. The new approach is non-parametric, which means that it imposes no assumptions about the underlying distribution of the predictor variables. The model identifies multiple combinations of key explanatory variables, providing more insights on observed differences in NRD settlement amounts.
Evaluation of Oil Fate and Exposure from a Deep Water Blowout With and Without Subsea Dispersant Injection Treatment as Well as Traditional Response Activities
Authors: French-McCay Deborah , Crowley Deborah , Rowe Jill 
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACT
The goals of subsea dispersant injection (SSDI) into a deep water oil and gas blowout are to increase effectiveness of dispersant treatment over that achievable at the water surface; decrease the volume of oil that surfaces; reduce human and wildlife exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs); disperse the oil over a large water volume at depth; enhance biodegradation; and reduce surface, nearshore and shoreline exposure to floating and surface-water entrained/dissolved oil. Potential tradeoffs include increased water column and benthic resource exposures to oil at depth. In order to better understand the implications of SSDI use, we modeled a hypothetical blowout in the northern Gulf of Mexico to predict oil fate and compare the environmental exposure for no intervention to various response options (i.e., mechanical recovery, in-situ burning (ISB), surface dispersant application, and SSDI). Probabilistic modeling was used to evaluate the influence of variable metocean conditions (i.e., wind, currents, temperature). The results showed that even with a substantial capacity of equipment applied, mechanical and ISB removed only a small fraction of the oil that would otherwise be floating or evaporate. Compared to cases without use of SSDI, SSDI reduced the size of oil droplets by an order of magnitude, substantially decreased the amount of oil on the water surface and on the shoreline, increased dissolution and degradation rates of hydrocarbons at depth, increased weathering rate of rising oil such that floating oil contained much lower content of soluble and semi-soluble hydrocarbons, decreased surface water concentrations of dissolved hydrocarbons, and decreased VOC emissions to the atmosphere and, therefore, reduced human and wildlife exposures to VOCs. The tradeoff was that with SSDI there was greater exposure to hydrocarbons in deep water. However, densities of biota are much lower in deep water than near the water surface, where sensitive early life history stages of fish and invertebrates are most abundant. This approach provides decision makers with quantitative environmental exposures with which they may evaluate risk tradeoffs regarding appropriate response strategies for mitigating impacts from oil and gas released during a deep water blowout.
OIL SPILL PREPAREDNESS ASSURANCE IN A POST MACONDO WORLD
Authors: Cramer Martin , Varghese Geeva 
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACT
The increased public awareness of oil spills and their impacts following the 2010 Macondo oil spill incident along with the changing global landscape of regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations present numerous challenges to operators. Many of these challenges, as well as incorporation of lessons learned from Macondo, can be addressed through robust preparedness.
Oil spill preparedness programs generally include a combination of response plans, incident management and response teams, response equipment and personnel (resources), training and exercises. However, what constitutes a robust preparedness program is often open to interpretation. While acknowledging the availability of a few preparedness assessment/audit tools, such as RETOS, it was felt a fit for purpose assurance program that facilitated open communication, free exchange of ideas and sharing of best practices would result in a greater overall improvement to the company’s global level of preparedness. Consequently, ConocoPhillips retained Oil Spill Response Ltd. (OSRL) to assist in developing a process and methodology for evaluating ConocoPhillips’ existing oil spill preparedness programs. The evaluations were conducted at nine business units (BUs) in various countries whose operations ranged from deepwater exploration and production to onshore production to tanker operations. The main objective of this project was to achieve a high and consistent level of global preparedness through the identification of potential gaps in each BU’s preparedness program and implementation of associated improvement plans.
The preparedness assurance process consisted of several components including:Detailed review of the oil spill/emergency response plans to evaluate contents and identify improvement opportunities and best practices.Evaluation of each BU’s Incident Management and Emergency Response Team size, structure, competency and lines of communication and coordinationEvaluation and validation of training and exercise programsEvaluation of Tiers 1, 2 and 3 response resource availability including dispersant stockpiles
The results of the evaluations were shared with the BU emergency response leads and management and an improvement plan developed to address any identified gaps. Upon completion of the program, a report was prepared summarizing the preparedness evaluation results for each BU, highlighting best practices identified during the evaluations and providing a general assessment of what “good” looks like. This report was then shared with all BUs to, along with the individual improvement plans, enhance consistency and the level of spill preparedness across the company.
The primary objective of this paper is to explain the assurance process that was developed, share key lessons learned during the implementation and provide a summary of the general findings such that it can provide a blue-print for use by other companies to inform the development of similar oil spill preparedness assurance programs.
Standing Up a Comprehensive Training and Position Qualifications Program for a Response and Regulatory Organization
Authors: Gibson Lea , Westervel Jeff , Addassi Yvonne 
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACT:
The Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) is tasked with preventing, preparing for, and responding to oil spills impacting state waters throughout California. A key component of prevention and preparedness is a robust training program that ensures worker safety and provides the necessary skills to work effectively. As a response organization, OSPR must also verify that its staff is appropriately qualified to assume specified positions within the Incident Command System, in order to achieve the best protection of California’s natural resources, as well as to maintain credibility with stakeholders and partners within the Unified Command. To achieve these training and response objectives, OSPR established a program that includes a dedicated Response Qualifications and Certifications Unit, identification of training needs based on job classification, development of a tracking database, a comprehensive task book system consistent with the framework instituted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, succession planning, and ongoing evaluations to measure the effectiveness of OSPR’s training program. The Response Qualifications and Certifications Unit collaborates with local, State, and Federal agencies, as well as private entities, to develop and provide advanced online, classroom, and hands-on training courses. This paper will outline the successes, complications, and ongoing challenges in establishing OSPR’s training and qualifications program, as well as plans for the future of the program.
Long-Term Outcomes of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen–PET Imaging of Recurrent Prostate Cancer
Authors: Kunst Natalia , Long Jessica B. , Westvold Sarah , Sprenkle Preston C. , Kim Isaac Y. , Saperstein Lawrence , Rabil Maximilian , Ghaffar Umar , Karnes R. Jeffrey , Ma Xiaomei , Gross Cary P. , Wang Shi-Yi , Leapman Michael S. 
Published: October 2024

ImportanceAlthough prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (PSMA-PET) has shown improved sensitivity and specificity compared with conventional imaging for the detection of biochemical recurrent (BCR) prostate cancer, the long-term outcomes of a widespread shift in imaging are unknown.ObjectiveTo estimate long-term outcomes of integrating PSMA-PET into the staging pathway for recurrent prostate cancer.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis decision analytic modeling study simulated outcomes for patients with BCR following initial definitive local therapy. Inputs used were from the literature and a retrospective cohort study conducted at 2 institutions. The base case analysis assumed modest benefits of earlier detection and treatment, and scenario analyses considered prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level at imaging and different outcomes of earlier vs delayed treatment. The analysis was performed between April 1, 2023, and May 1, 2024.Exposures(1) Immediate PSMA-PET imaging, (2) conventional imaging (computed tomography and bone scan [CTBS]) followed by PSMA-PET if CTBS findings were negative or equivocal, and (3) CTBS alone.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe main outcomes were detection of metastases, deaths from prostate cancer, and life-years and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained.ResultsThe model estimated that per 1000 simulated patients with BCR (assumed median age, 66 years), PSMA-PET is expected to diagnose 611 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 565-656) patients with metastasis compared with 630 (95% UI, 586-675) patients diagnosed using CTBS followed by PSMA-PET and 297 (95% UI, 202-410) patients diagnosed using CTBS alone. Moreover, the estimated number of prostate cancer deaths was 512 (95% UI, 472-552 deaths) with PSMA-PET, 520 (95% UI, 480-559 deaths) with CTBS followed by PSMA-PET, and 587 (95% UI, 538-632 deaths) with CTBS alone. Imaging with PSMA-PET yielded the highest number of QALYs, which were 824 (95% UI, 698-885) higher than CTBS. These results differed by PSA level at the time of testing, with the highest incremental life-years and QALYs and lowest number of deaths from prostate cancer among patients with PSA levels of at least 5.0 ng/mL. Finally, the estimates were sensitive to the expected benefit of initiating therapy for recurrent prostate cancer earlier in the disease course.Conclusions and RelevanceThe results of this decision-analytic model suggest that upfront PSMA-PET imaging for the evaluation of BCR is expected to be associated with reduced cancer mortality and gains in life-years and QALYs compared with the conventional imaging strategy, assuming modest benefits of earlier detection and treatment.
Interferon‐β–Induced Injury During Pediatric Muscle Differentiation: Insight Into Juvenile Dermatomyositis Pathogenesis
Authors: Covert Lauren T. , Osman Alaa , Truskey George A. 
Published: October 2024

ObjectiveJuvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) involves up‐regulated type I interferons (IFNs), including IFNβ, yet pathologic mechanisms remain poorly understood. We aimed to characterize the functional and structural effects of IFNβ on in vitro human pediatric myoblast growth and differentiation in a three‐dimensional skeletal muscle model (myobundles).MethodsMyobundles fabricated from myoblasts of a healthy pediatric donor were exposed to IFNβ at 0 to 5,600 IU/mL during growth (days 1–4), differentiation (days 4–11), and/or mature (days 11–18) periods. To assess myobundle structure and function, contractile force, kinetics, and fatigue were measured at day 18 with subsequent immunohistochemistry.ResultsMyobundles were not functionally affected by IFNβ exposure during growth period alone. However, when IFNβ exposure continued through differentiation, myobundles became dysfunctional (P < 0.0001). IFNβ during differentiation or mature periods alone resulted in dose‐dependent decreases in contractility, with greater decrease in the differentiation alone group (P < 0.0001). Twitch kinetics and fatigue remained largely unchanged when myobundles were exposed to IFNβ only during growth, yet twitch time slowed (P < 0.005) and fatigue decreased (P < 0.002) when myobundles were exposed during differentiation or mature stages alone. Nuclei density and myofiber size and organization also decreased when IFNβ was added during differentiation period alone.ConclusionIFNβ decreases pediatric myobundle contractile function most significantly during differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes. Function is not affected when IFNβ exposure is limited to myoblast proliferation alone. These findings implicate a pathologic role for IFNβ in JDM by impairing myoblast differentiation, leading to subsequent loss of function and ongoing need for muscle regeneration and repair.
Direct Multi‐Thread Adaptive Control With Attracting Manifold Design
Authors: Hoobler Richard D. , Akella Maruthi R. 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTThis article presents a novel multi‐thread attracting manifold (MTAM) adaptive control scheme. The novel contribution of this new controller lies in how the attracting manifold design method is spread across multiple estimates of the truth while simultaneously weighting between said individual estimates to arrive at an adaptive composite estimate which outperforms single thread adaptive controllers. A notable benefit of this new formulation is that it allows for both the weighting of multiple threads and monotonic decrease of parameter error to aid the performance of transient error dynamics, without arbitrarily increasing adaptation gains. The benefits of the proposed controller over existing adaptive control schemes are analyzed through two aerospace flight control applications from the literature.
Enhancing the Performance of Oxide‐Based Transverse Thermoelectric Generators by Optimized Internal Geometry
Authors: Ibrahim Ahmed A. S. , Bochmann Arne , Löhnert Romy , Töpfer Jörg 
Published: October 2024

AbstractIn transverse thermoelectric generators (TTEGs), comprising an artificially anisotropic material formed by a layered and tilted structure of two materials, the induced thermoelectric voltage is generated perpendicular to the applied temperature gradient. The performance of TTEGs composed of alternate layers of La1.99Sr0.01CuO4 (LSCO) and silver (Ag), tilted at an angle φ, with metal‐to‐ceramic thickness ratio νt, is investigated. Improvement in performance is achieved by optimizing the internal geometry parameters, φ and νt of the tilted layered structure. The transverse power factor PFtr and figure‐of‐merit ZtrT of the artificially tilted material composite are analytically calculated and presented in color contours. Experimentally, a power output Pout of 14.5 mW at ΔT = 140 K is measured for a TTEG with φ = 66°, compared to 2.8 mW and 11 mW for generators with φ of 20° and 45°, respectively. Moreover, TTEGs with different values of νt are prepared. Furthermore, transverse multilayer thermoelectric generators (TMLTEG) with output power of 14.3 mW at ΔT = 225 K are fabricated utilizing the ceramic multilayer technology. It is demonstrated that the transverse thermoelectric effect using an artificial anisotropic material consisting of ceramic and metal can be explored for autonomous thermoelectric energy generation for low‐power applications.
Biomimetic Ambient‐Pressure‐Dried Aerogels with Oriented Microstructures for Enhanced Electromagnetic Shielding
Authors: Zhang Yu‐Chuan , Ding Rong , Su Peng‐Gang , Zeng Fu‐Rong , Jia Xu‐Xu , Hu Zai‐Yin , Wang Yu‐Zhong , Zhao Hai‐Bo 
Published: October 2024

AbstractOriented aerogels, emerging as a new generation of lightweight electromagnetic interference (EMI) materials, often face complex synthesis processes. While creating an orderly oriented microstructure for EMI aerogels through ambient pressure drying (APD) shows promise, it remains a significant challenge. Here, inspired by the directional grown structure of the plant, a new strategy that employs rapid precursor orientation followed by slow cross‐linking to achieve the APD of directional EMI aerogels is proposed. This approach demonstrates that low‐temperature oriented polymerization of polyaniline enables strong cross‐linking with poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) and alginate, forming a robust conductive directional skeleton and mitigating surface tension issues during mild drying. The resulting aerogel features high conductivity (48.84 S m−1), excellent flame retardancy, and impressive compressive strength. Notably, its sturdy frame allows for further enhancement with other functional materials, such as Mxene, through re‐processing and re‐drying. The tree‐branch‐like aerogel achieves a significantly improved EMI shielding effectiveness of 50.3 dB across an ultrawideband range of 8.2–40 GHz. This strategy offers a new idea for the straightforward preparation of functional aerogels with programmability and oriented microstructures using ambient drying.
Industry‐Scalable Reusable Textile Electrodes for Neurostimulation Applications
Authors: Al‐Rasheed Merwa , Lam Emily , Jambar Mohammad , Ilogon Jean Paul , Gardner Sandra , Eskandarian Ladan , Toossi Amirali 
Published: October 2024

AbstractNeurostimulation delivers electrical pulses to modulate neuromuscular activity. Commonly used in medical interventions from pain relief to rehabilitation, neurostimulation typically uses manually placed hydrogel electrodes over the treated region. However, this method limits interventions requiring frequent, long‐term daily use. To address this, novel fully textile electrodes are developed using industrial programmable knitting machines. These electrodes are designed to be washable, reusable, flexible, and breathable, with embedded interconnects. Textile electrodes are made of yarns with stainless steel and PEDOT‐coated stainless steel conductive components. The electrodes' performance are compared with gel electrodes, characterizing impedance, sensorimotor stimulation thresholds, recruitment of induced movements, sensation levels, and perceived sensations. The effects of residential wash cycles and continuous use duration are also investigated. The proposed electrodes are found to perform similarly to hydrogel electrodes in all characterized metrics. No degradation in electrode performance is found after at least 30 wash cycles. Electrodes remained functionally intact after 1000 cycles of stretch loading at 50% of break strain. The textile electrodes consistently induced comfortable sensorimotor responses for at least six hours after donning. The proposed textile electrodes offer a novel and effective solution for neurostimulation interventions, paving the way for integration into smart garments and long‐term wearable health technologies.
Enhancing Cytoplasmic Expression of Exogenous mRNA Through Dynamic Mechanical Stimulation
Authors: Chen Jiawen , Patel Aneri , Mir Mohammad , Hudock Maria R. , Pinezich Meghan R. , Guenthart Brandon , Bacchetta Matthew , Vunjak‐Novakovic Gordana , Kim Jinho 
Published: October 2024

AbstractIonizable lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are pivotal in combating COVID‐19, and numerous preclinical and clinical studies have highlighted their potential in nucleic acid‐based therapies and vaccines. However, the effectiveness of endosomal escape for the nucleic acid cargos encapsulated in LNPs is still low, leading to suboptimal treatment outcomes and side effects. Hence, improving endosomal escape is crucial for enhancing the efficacy of nucleic acid delivery using LNPs. Here, a mechanical oscillation (frequency: 65 Hz) is utilized to prompt the LNP‐mediated endosomal escape. The results reveal this mechanical oscillation can induce the combination and fusion between LNPs with opposite surface charges, enhance endosomal escape of mRNA, and increase the transfection efficiency of mRNA. Additionally, cell viability remains high at 99.3% after treatment with oscillation, which is comparable to that of untreated cells. Furthermore, there is no obvious damage to mitochondrial membrane potential and Golgi apparatus integrity. Thus, this work presents a user‐friendly and safe approach to enhancing endosomal escape of mRNA and boosting gene expression. As a result, this work can be potentially utilized in both research and clinical fields to facilitate LNP‐based delivery by enabling more effective release of LNP‐encapsulated cargos from endosomes.
Multifunctional ICG‐SB@Lip‐ZA Nanosystem Focuses on Remodeling the Inflammatory‐Immunosuppressive Microenvironment After Photothermal Therapy to Potentiate Cancer Photothermal Immunotherapy
Authors: Cao Yi , Wen E , Chen Qiaoqi , Li Xingsheng , Wang Zhigang 
Published: October 2024

AbstractAchieving full eradication of residual tumors post photothermal therapy (PTT) hinges on the immune system's activation and response. Nevertheless, the resultant local inflammation attracts a significant influx of aberrant immune cells and fibroblasts, such as tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) and cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs), following tumor PTT. This phenomenon exacerbates immune evasion and the persistence of residual tumor cells, culminating in tumor recurrence and advancement. To tackle this challenge, a combined therapeutic approach utilizing multifunctional ICG‐SB@Lip‐ZA nanosystem has been introduced. Indocyanine green (ICG) as a photothermal‐transducer ablated tumor cells, zoledronic acid (ZA) depletes TAMs recruited by the inflammatory tumor microenvironment (mostly M2‐like phenotype), SB‐505124 affects CAFs proliferation in the tumor microenvironment (TME) by inhibiting the transforming growth factor‐β （TGF‐β） pathway, thereby removing physical barriers to T cell infiltration. In a breast cancer model, these immunomodulatory nanoliposomes markedly decrease the population of M2‐like TAMs in the TME, eliminate physical barriers hindering T cell infiltration, reshape the inflammatory immune‐suppressive tumor microenvironment, eventually leading to a rate of tumor eradication of 94%. This multifunctional ICG‐SB@Lip‐ZA nanosystem (including photothermal conversion, TAM depletion, and TGF‐β pathway blockade) offers a promising strategy for mitigating the deteriorating tumor microenvironment following PTT and presents a more efficient approach for clinical photothermal‐immune combination therapy.