Improved Semi-Quantitative Reliability-Based Method for Assessment of Pipeline Dents With Stress Risers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amandeep Singh Virk ◽  
Doug Langer ◽  
Janine Woo ◽  
Nader Yoosef-Ghodsi ◽  
Muntaseer Kainat
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Radius Of Curvature ◽  
Pressure Cycling ◽  
Stress Risers ◽  
Fitting Method ◽  
Quantitative Analysis Method ◽  
Comprehensive Reliability ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Improved Model ◽  
Integrity Analysis

Abstract Dents, especially those interacting with stress risers, can pose integrity threats to pipeline systems. Regulations in Canada and the United States mandate the repair of dents based on depth and interaction with stress risers, however, there have been cases in the past where dents that have passed these criteria have ended up in loss of containment. Recent industry’s recommendations regarding dent integrity analysis are predominantly based on strain, and the dent-fatigue models have been proven to be limited in their application. Additionally, these models or methodologies are generally deterministic which may not fully account for uncertainties associated with pipe properties and in-line inspection (ILI) tool measurement. Enbridge Liquid Pipelines Inc. had previously presented a framework to support system wide dent assessment with an efficient probabilistic-based calibrated semi-quantitative analysis method for dents (SQuAD), which elicits potentially injurious features from thousands of features within a system in a reasonable analysis timeframe. This paper expands on the authors’ previous work and presents several improvements that have since been made to the SQuAD model to address the limitations in the initial version of the model. The previous version of SQuAD was strain-based and did not explicitly account for pressure-cycling induced, fatigue-based failure quantitatively. An approximate circle fitting method was adopted for estimating the dent’s radii of curvature in order to calculate strains. In the improved model, filtering techniques have been employed to reduce the noise in the ILI-reported data while preserving the dent shape. Furthermore, a simplified FEA process has been developed to calculate the stresses within a dent due to pressure cycles, thus the fatigue-based Probability of Failure (PoF) of a dent can now be estimated using S-N approach. The filtered data allows for better accuracy in quantifying the radius of curvature of dents as reported by ILI tools, which are used for calculating dent strain as recommended in the updated version of ASME B31.8, Appendix R. Finally, the feasibility of applying this improved SQuAD model is discussed from an operator’s perspective. The improvements allow the enhanced SQuAD model to be used as an effective screening tool on a system-wide basis as part of a comprehensive, reliability-based dent assessment framework.

scholarly journals State Legislatures Have the Courage to Pass Antiabortion Laws and Test the Ideology of the “New” United States Supreme Court

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-150
Author(s):  
Jill Oeding
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Supreme Court ◽  
State Legislatures ◽  
United States Supreme Court ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
Undue Burden ◽  
Constitutional Right ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
The Right

Many state legislatures are racing to pass antiabortion laws that will give the current Supreme Court the opportunity to review its stance on the alleged constitutional right to have an abortion. While the number of abortions reported to be performed annually in the United States has declined over the last decade, according to the most recent government-reported data, the number of abortions performed on an annual basis is still over 600,000 per year. Abortion has been legal in the United States since 1973, when the Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to have an abortion prior to viability (i.e. the time when a baby could possibly live outside the mother’s womb). States currently have the right to forbid abortions after viability.  However, prior to viability, states may not place an “undue burden” in the path of a woman seeking an abortion. The recent appointments of two new Supreme Court justices, Neil Gorsich and Brett Kavanaugh, give pro-life states the best chance in decades to overrule the current abortion precedent. The question is whether these two new justices will shift the ideology of the court enough to overrule the current abortion precedent.

The Development and Initial Findings of A Study of a Prospective Adult Research Cohort with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SPARC IBD)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E Raffals ◽  
Sumona Saha ◽  
Meenakshi Bewtra ◽  
Cecile Norris ◽  
Angela Dobes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽  
Clinical Data ◽  
Bowel Disease ◽  
Patient Reported Outcomes ◽  
Data Entry ◽  
The United States ◽  
Predictors Of Response ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel ◽  
Reported Data

Abstract Background Clinical and molecular subcategories of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are needed to discover mechanisms of disease and predictors of response and disease relapse. We aimed to develop a study of a prospective adult research cohort with IBD (SPARC IBD) including longitudinal clinical and patient-reported data and biosamples. Methods We established a cohort of adults with IBD from a geographically diverse sample of patients across the United States with standardized data and biosample collection methods and sample processing techniques. At enrollment and at time of lower endoscopy, patient-reported outcomes (PRO), clinical data, and endoscopy scoring indices are captured. Patient-reported outcomes are collected quarterly. The quality of clinical data entry after the first year of the study was assessed. Results Through January 2020, 3029 patients were enrolled in SPARC, of whom 66.1% have Crohn’s disease (CD), 32.2% have ulcerative colitis (UC), and 1.7% have IBD-unclassified. Among patients enrolled, 990 underwent colonoscopy. Remission rates were 63.9% in the CD group and 80.6% in the UC group. In the quality study of the cohort, there was 96% agreement on year of diagnosis and 97% agreement on IBD subtype. There was 91% overall agreement describing UC extent as left-sided vs extensive or pancolitis. The overall agreement for CD behavior was 83%. Conclusion The SPARC IBD is an ongoing large prospective cohort with longitudinal standardized collection of clinical data, biosamples, and PROs representing a unique resource aimed to drive discovery of clinical and molecular markers that will meet the needs of precision medicine in IBD.

scholarly journals Improvements for the Eastern North Pacific ADCIRC Tidal Database (ENPAC15)

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Szpilka ◽  
Kendra Dresback ◽  
Randall Kolar ◽  
T. Massey
Keyword(s):  
North Pacific ◽  
The United States ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Regional Models ◽  
Tidal Constituents ◽  
Improved Model ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
Ocean Boundary

This research details the development and validation of the updated Eastern North Pacific (ENPAC) constituent tidal database, referred to as ENPAC15. The database was last updated in 2003 and was developed using the two-dimensional, depth integrated form of the ADvanced CIRCulation coastal hydrodynamic model, ADCIRC. Regional databases, such as ENPAC15, are capable of providing higher resolution near the coast, allowing users to more accurately define tidal forcing for smaller sub-regions. This study follows the same methodology as the EC2015 updates for the eastern coast of the United States and six main areas of improvement in the modeling configurations are examined: (1) placement of the open ocean boundary; (2) higher coastal resolution; (3) updated global bathymetry; (4) updated boundary forcing using two global tidal databases; (5) updated bottom friction formulations; and (6) improved model physics by incorporating the advective terms in ADCIRC. The skill of the improved database is compared to that of its predecessor and is calculated using harmonic data from three sources. Overall, the ENPAC15 database significantly (52% globally) reduces errors in the ENPAC03 database and improves the quality of tidal constituents available for sub-regional models in the ENPAC region.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Fistulizing Crohn’s Disease in the United States: Estimate From a Systematic Literature Review Attempt and Population-Based Database Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 1773-1779 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A Schwartz ◽  
Ignacio Tagarro ◽  
Mary Carmen Díez ◽  
William J Sandborn
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Crohn’S Disease ◽  
Crohn's Disease ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
The United States ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Reported Data

Abstract Background Fistulas may arise as a relevant complication of Crohn’s disease (CD). Despite their clinical significance and the substantial burden imposed on patients, limited data are available on the epidemiology of fistulizing CD in the United States. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted to identify data published between 1970 and 2017 on the epidemiology of fistulas in patients with CD, with the aim to estimate the number of prevalent cases in the United States. Retrieved titles and abstracts were screened by 2 independent researchers for inclusion criteria (US population-based studies reporting data on the epidemiology of fistulizing CD). To validate the literature-based estimate, data from a US claims database (Truven Health MarketScan database) were analyzed. This database has broad geographic coverage, with health care data for >60 million patients during the period of the analysis. Results The literature search retrieved 7 articles for full-text review, and only 1 met the criteria for inclusion. This study described the cumulative incidence of fistulas in a CD population from Minnesota over 20 years. From the reported data, the estimated number of prevalent cases with fistulizing CD in the United States was ~76,600 in 2017 (~52,900 anal, ~7400 rectovaginal, ~2300 enterocutaneous, and ~14,100 internal). Analysis from the US health care database resulted in an estimated number of ~75,700 patients, confirming the robustness of the original estimate from the literature. Conclusions Based on 2 separate analyses, the estimated number of patients with fistulizing CD in the United States is ~77,000 patients.

scholarly journals Cleaning and disinfecting protocols for hospital environmental surfaces: A systematic review of the literature

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Keyanna P. Taylor ◽  
Debra D Harris
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Research Question ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mechanical Action ◽  
Chemical Application ◽  
Environmental Surfaces ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Cleaning Methods ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Hospital Acquired

Background: Healthcare associated infections are a leading cause of illness and death in the United States and across the world. Environmental surfaces are considered non-critical, although recent evidence suggests that the built environment may contribute to the transmission of pathogens. Ineffective cleaning and disinfecting of environmental non-critical surfaces may increase risk of transmitting nosocomial pathogens leading to hospital acquired infections among hospital patients.Objective: This systematic review identifies elements of cleaning and disinfecting protocols, synthesizing the evidence to evaluate cleaning protocols that effectively reduce surface contamination and minimize risk of hospital acquired illness.Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted with a clearly formulated research question and systematic approach to identify publications, select relevant studies, critically appraise the research through analysis of reported data, and reported the results according to the Cochrane methodology.Results: In total, 245 studies were initially identified with 19 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Emerging categories include chemical application methods, chemical application time, cleaning type and frequency, and interventions for training and monitoring.Conclusions: Establishing adequate cleaning protocols for hospital environments is a complex process which requires consideration of multiple components including mechanical action, chemical application materials, types of cleaning, chemical contact times, education and training of EVS staff, cleaning monitoring and feedback, no-contact cleaning methods, and self-disinfecting surfaces. Recommendations for protocol development based on the study results are provided.

Theory of Mind Performance in Middle Childhood: Australian Normative and Validation Data

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-153
Author(s):  
Larry Cashion
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
The United States ◽  
Order Theory ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Validation Data ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Higher Order Theory ◽  
Reported Data

AbstractTheory of mind tests are regularly used in childhood research and clinical practice for autism spectrum disorders in Australia. Despite this, there is little empirical evidence that the tests used in the United Kingdom and the United States have validity for Australian children. Furthermore, many tests believed to assess ‘advanced’ or ‘higher-order’ theory of mind have not had their reliability or validity rigorously evaluated. In the current study, seven theory of mind tasks were administered to 216 Australian children aged 6 to 12 years as part of a larger research project. While Australian children performed similarly to previous research samples on some tasks, there were marked discrepancies on others. Despite these differences, the validity of using a three-factor structure of first-, second-, and higher-order theory of mind tasks was supported by subsequent confirmatory factor analysis. Methodological issues accounted for some differences between the Australian and previously reported data. However, there were also some cross-cultural aspects of the results that require further investigation.

scholarly journals COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations averted by case investigation and contact tracing in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Rainisch ◽  
Seonghye Jeon ◽  
Danielle Pappas ◽  
Kimberly Spencer ◽  
Leah S Fischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Federally Funded ◽  
Us States ◽  
Incidence Data ◽  
Case Investigation ◽  
The Us ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
The Impact

Importance: Evidence of the impact of COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing (CICT) programs is lacking. Policymakers need this evidence to assess its value. Objective: Estimate COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations averted nationwide by US states' CICT programs. Design: We combined data from US CICT programs (e.g., proportion of cases interviewed, contacts notified or monitored, and days to case and contact notification) with incidence data to model CICT impacts over 60 days period (November 25, 2020 to January 23, 2021) during the height of the pandemic. We estimated a range of impacts by varying assumed compliance with isolation and quarantine recommendations. Setting: US States and Territories Participants: Fifty-nine state and territorial health departments that received federal funding supporting COVID-19 pandemic response activities were eligible for inclusion. Of these, 22 states and 1 territory reported all measures necessary for the analysis. These 23 jurisdictions covered 42.5% of the US population (140 million persons), spanned all 4 census regions, and reported data that reflected all 59 federally funded CICT programs. Intervention: Public health case investigation and contact tracing Main Outcomes and Measures: Cases and hospitalizations averted; percent of cases averted among cases not prevented by vaccination and other non-pharmaceutical interventions (other NPIs). Results: We estimated 1.11 million cases and 27,231 hospitalizations were averted by CICT programs under a scenario where 80% of interviewed cases and monitored contacts, and 30% of notified contacts fully complied with isolation and quarantine guidance, eliminating their contributions to future transmission. As many as 1.36 million cases and 33,527 hospitalizations could have been prevented if all interviewed cases and monitored contacts had entered into and fully complied with isolation and quarantine guidelines upon being interviewed or notified. Across all scenarios and jurisdictions, CICT averted a median of 21.2% (range: 1.3% - 65.8%) of the cases not prevented by vaccination and other NPIs. Conclusions and Relevance: CICT programs likely had a substantial role in curtailing the pandemic in most jurisdictions during the winter 2020-2021 peak. Differences in impact across jurisdictions indicate an opportunity to further improve CICT effectiveness. These estimates demonstrate the potential benefits from sustaining and improving these programs.

scholarly journals Management of Pediatric Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-345
Author(s):  
Justin P. Reinert ◽  
O'Neill Niyamugabo ◽  
Kiersi S. Harmon ◽  
Norman E. Fenn
Keyword(s):  
Pediatric Population ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Definitive Treatment ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome ◽  
Legislative Changes ◽  
Topical Capsaicin ◽  
Reported Data

With significant increases noted in adolescent marijuana use across the United States, perhaps as a result of legislative changes over the past half-decade, clinicians must be increasingly aware of the potential negative health effects. One such effect that warrants concern is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) in the pediatric population. A systematic review of the literature was performed to determine the safety and efficacy of management strategies for CHS using PubMed, Scopus, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. Search terms used in each database were “pediatric OR child OR children OR adolescent” AND “cannabinoid OR marijuana” AND “hyperemesis OR cyclic vomiting OR vomiting” NOT “seizure OR chemotherapy OR pregnancy OR cancer OR AIDS OR HIV.” Fourteen pieces of literature that described either effective, ineffective, or supportive management strategies for pediatric CHS were included in this review. Benzodiazepines were the most reported efficacious agents, followed by topical capsaicin cream and haloperidol. A total of 9 of the 14 studies described intravenous fluid resuscitation and hot bathing rituals as supportive measures, and 7 cases reported traditional antiemetics were ineffective for CHS. The heterogenicity of reported data, combined with the limited number of encounters, make it difficult to ascertain whether a definitive treatment strategy exists. Clinicians should be cognizant of pharmacotherapy agents that are efficacious, and perhaps more importantly, avoid using traditional antiemetic therapies that do not provide benefit.

scholarly journals Unlicensed GS-441524-Like Antiviral Therapy Can Be Effective for at-Home Treatment of Feline Infectious Peritonitis

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2257
Author(s):  
Sarah Jones ◽  
Wendy Novicoff ◽  
Julie Nadeau ◽  
Samantha Evans
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Drug Distribution ◽  
The United States ◽  
Feline Infectious Peritonitis ◽  
Legal Risks ◽  
Noticeable Improvement ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Design Bias ◽  
Mean Cost ◽  
At Home

The goal of this study was to formally evaluate the administration of unlicensed, crowd-sourced antiviral GS-441524-like therapy for cats suspected to have feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a previously fatal disease. Members of a large social media support and GS-441524-like drug distribution group were surveyed via the Internet. The survey was targeted toward owners who had treated their cats for at least 12 weeks with unlicensed GS-441524-like drugs. Of the 393 analyzed surveys which met inclusion criteria, 73.7% of owners utilizing this therapy were from the United States. Only 8.7% of owners reported receiving help from their veterinarian in administering the treatment to their cat. The mean cost of treatment was USD 4920. A majority of owners (88.2%) reported noticeable improvement in clinical signs within one week of initiating therapy. At the time of the survey, 96.7% (380 cats) were alive, with 54.0% of them considered cured and another 43.3% being monitored in the 12-week observation period. A total of 12.7% of the cats suffered a relapse of clinical signs of FIP, and 3.3% of the cats died despite GS-441524-like therapy. Reported complications were mostly related to owner administration of subcutaneous injections of the acidic GS-441525-like therapy, such as vocalization, pain, struggling, and injection-site wounds. Limitations of this study include a retrospective design, bias in case selection, reliance on owner-reported data, and inability to confirm the contents of unlicensed pharmaceuticals; however, important lessons can be learned from the experiences of these owners. While unconventional, and certainly not free from medical and legal risks, unlicensed, at-home GS-441524-like therapy, according to owner reports, can apparently offer benefits in the treatment of cats suspected of FIP.

scholarly journals Where Virtual Care Was Already a Reality: Experiences of a Nationwide Telehealth Service Provider During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori Uscher-Pines ◽  
James Thompson ◽  
Prentiss Taylor ◽  
Kristin Dean ◽  
Tony Yuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Service Provider ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
The United States ◽  
Respiratory Illnesses ◽  
Telehealth Service ◽  
Virtual Visits ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Total Visit

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the use of and demand for telehealth services. OBJECTIVE Here, we describe the utilization of telehealth services provided by Doctor On Demand, Inc., a well-known telehealth company in the United States, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explore how the number of virtual visits, reasons for visits, and patients served changed over time. METHODS We reported data as a percentage change from the baseline week during 2 distinct time periods: February-June 2019 and February-June 2020 based on 4 categories of visits: respiratory illness, unscheduled behavioral health, scheduled behavioral health, and chronic illness. RESULTS In 2020, the total visit volume increased considerably from March through April 7, 2020 (59% above the baseline) and then declined through the week of June 2 (15% above the baseline). Visits for respiratory illnesses increased through the week of March 24 (30% above the baseline) and then steadily declined through the week of June 2 (65% below the baseline). Higher relative increases were observed for unscheduled behavioral health and chronic illness visits through April (109% and 131% above the baseline, respectively) before a decline through the week of June 2 (69% and 37% above the baseline, respectively). Increases in visit volume among rural residents were slightly higher than those among urban residents (peak at 64% vs 58% above the baseline, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Although this telehealth service provider observed a substantial increase in the volume of visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is interesting to note that this growth was not fueled by COVID-19 concerns but by visits for behavioral health and chronic illness. Telehealth services may play a role as a “safety valve” for patients who have difficulty accessing care during a public health emergency.

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