Monitoring alkylphenols in water using the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS): determining sampling rates via the extraction of PES membranes and Oasis beads

Polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) have previously been used to monitor alkylphenol (AP) contamination in water and produced water. However, only the sorbent receiving phase of the POCIS (Oasis beads) is traditionally analyzed, thus limiting the use of POCIS for monitoring a range of APs with varying hydrophobicity. Here a “pharmaceutical” POCIS was calibrated in the laboratory using a static renewal setup for APs (from 2-ethylphenol to 4-n-nonylphenol) with varying hydrophobicity (log Kow between 2.47 and 5.76). The POCIS sampler was calibrated over its 28 day integrative regime and sampling rates (Rs) were determined. Uptake was shown to be a function of AP hydrophobicity where compounds with log Kow < 4 were preferentially accumulated in Oasis beads, and compounds with log Kow > 5 were preferentially accumulated in the PES membranes. A lag phase (over a 24 h period) before uptake in to the PES membranes occurred was evident. This work demonstrates that the analysis of both POCIS phases is vital in order to correctly determine environmentally relevant concentrations owing to the fact that for APs with log Kow ≤ 4 uptake, to the PES membranes and the Oasis beads, involves different processes compared to APs with log Kow ≥ 4. The extraction of both the POCIS matrices is thus recommended in order to assess the concentration of hydrophobic APs (log Kow ≥ 4), as well as hydrophilic APs, most effectively. © 2017 Elsevier Lt

Concepts, Design and Implementation of the ATLAS New Tracking (NEWT)

The track reconstruction of modern high energy physics experiments is a very complex task that puts stringent requirements onto the software realisation. The ATLAS track reconstruction software has been in the past dominated by a collection of individual packages, each of which incorporating a different intrinsic event data model, different data flow sequences and calibration data. Invoked by the Final Report of the Reconstruction Task Force, the ATLAS track reconstruction has undergone a major design revolution to ensure maintainability during the long lifetime of the ATLAS experiment and the flexibility needed for the startup phase. The entire software chain has been re-organised in modular components and a common Event Data Model has been deployed during the last three years. A complete new track reconstruction that concentrates on common tools aimed to be used by both ATLAS tracking devices, the Inner Detector and the Muon System, has been established. It has been already used during many large scale tests with data from Monte Carlo simulation and from detector commissioning projects such as the combined test beam 2004 and cosmic ray events. This document concentrates on the technical and conceptual details of the newly developed track reconstruction, also known as New Tracking

Next Generation Sequencing Analysis of Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Via Support Vector Regression

In this paper, we analyze next generation sequencing (NGS) data of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the North Water facility for revealing the role of 1236 different genera of microorganisms in the aeration basin to the measured process data. Both the time-series data of NGS and process parameters are pre-processed and analyzed using support vector regression technique and is compared with the deep neural network approach. Local sensitivity analysis is performed on the resulting models. Both machine learning analyses show the importance of a subset of genera to the WWTP process and can be used to enrich / to adapt the well-studied activated sludge model (ASM)

MEMS practice, from the lab to the telescope

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology can provide for deformable mirrors (DMs) with excellent performance within a favorable economy of scale. Large MEMS-based astronomical adaptive optics (AO) systems such as the Gemini Planet Imager are coming on-line soon. As MEMS DM end-users, we discuss our decade of practice with the micromirrors, from inspecting and characterizing devices to evaluating their performance in the lab. We also show MEMS wavefront correction on-sky with the "Villages" AO system on a 1-m telescope, including open-loop control and visible-light imaging. Our work demonstrates the maturity of MEMS technology for astronomical adaptive optics.Comment: 14 pages, 15 figures, Invited Paper, SPIE Photonics West 201

Updates of the ATLAS Tracking Event Data Model (Release 13)

In a previous document we have presented the ATLAS tracking Event Data Model (EDM) that has been developed during the recent restructuring of the ATLAS offline track reconstruction. The tracking EDM has become a cornerstone of the new modular track reconstruction algorithms of both tracking devices of the ATLAS detector, the Inner Detector and the Muon System. Recently, some components have undergone yet another design evolution targeted at completing missing modules and at establishing anticipated functionality for the startup of the ATLAS experiment. One particular aspect of the EDM is that is does not only have to fulfill the requirements of today's algorithmic modules, but has to provide the flexibility for future developments. This document is based on ATLAS software release 13.0.0

Machine learning based natural language processing of radiology reports in orthopaedic trauma

OBJECTIVES: To compare different Machine Learning (ML) Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods to classify radiology reports in orthopaedic trauma for the presence of injuries. Assessing NLP performance is a prerequisite for downstream tasks and therefore of importance from a clinical perspective (avoiding missed injuries, quality check, insight in diagnostic yield) as well as from a research perspective (identification of patient cohorts, annotation of radiographs). METHODS: Datasets of Dutch radiology reports of injured extremities (n = 2469, 33% fractures) and chest radiographs (n = 799, 20% pneumothorax) were collected in two different hospitals and labeled by radiologists and trauma surgeons for the presence or absence of injuries. NLP classification was applied and optimized by testing different preprocessing steps and different classifiers (Rule-based, ML, and Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT)). Performance was assessed by F1-score, AUC, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. RESULTS: The deep learning based BERT model outperforms all other classification methods which were assessed. The model achieved an F1-score of (95 ± 2)% and accuracy of (96 ± 1)% on a dataset of simple reports (n= 2469), and an F1 of (83 ± 7)% with accuracy (93 ± 2)% on a dataset of complex reports (n= 799). CONCLUSION: BERT NLP outperforms traditional ML and rule-base classifiers when applied to Dutch radiology reports in orthopaedic trauma

Правове життя та правова активність: співвідношення понять

В статті розкрито теоретичний аспект пізнання двох юридичних категорій: «правове життя» і «правова активність», а також проаналізовано поняття «активність», «соціальна активність», «правова активність», їх взаємозвязок та взаємозалежність. Ключові слова: правове життя, активність, соціальна активність, правова активність, позитивна правова активність, негативна правова активність.В статье раскрыт теоретический аспект познания двух юридических категорий: «правовая жизнь» и «правовая активность», а также проанализировано понятия «активность», «социальная активность», «правовая активность», их взаимосвязь и взаимозависимость. Ключевые слова: правовая жизнь, активность, социальная активность, правовая активность, позитивная правовая активность, негативная правовая активность.The theoretical aspect of two legal categories «legal life» and «legal activity» cognition were researched in this article, the conception of "activity", «social activity», «legal activity, their interrelation and interdependence were analyzed. Key words: a legal life, activity, social activity, legal activity, positive legal activity, negative legal activit

Refitting of combined inner detector and muon spectrometer tracks from Monte Carlo samples by using the Kalman fitter and the STEP algorithm in the ATLAS experiment

In this paper we refit combined muon tracks using the Kalman fitter and the simultaneous track and error propagation (STEP) algorithm of the ATLAS tracking software. The muon tracks are simulated by GEANT4 in the full detector description, reconstructed by MUID, and refitted by the Kalman fitter in the ATLAS TrackingGeometry. The relative transverse momentum resolution of the refitted tracks is compared to the resolution of the refits done by the global chi-square track fitter, along with the resolution found by the MUID and STACO muon combination algorithms. Reconstructed invariant masses are compared in a similar way

High-dose posaconazole for azole-resistant aspergillosis and other difficult-to-treat mould infections

Background: Oral follow-up therapy is problematic in moulds with reduced azole-susceptibility, such as azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus infection. Currently, only intravenous liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) is advocated by guidelines for the treatment of azole-resistant aspergillosis infections. Preclinical research indicates that high-dose posaconazole (HD-POS) might be a feasible option provided that high drug exposure (ie POS serum through levels >3 mg/L) can be achieved and is safe. Objectives: To describe our experience with the use of oral HD-POS as treatment strategies for patients infected with pathogens with a POS MIC close to the clinical breakpoint. Patients/Methods: We review evidence supporting the use of HD-POS and describe our experience on safety and efficacy in 16 patients. In addition, we describe the adverse events (AE) observed in 25 patients with POS concentrations at the higher end of the population distribution during treatment with the licensed dose. Results: Sixteen patients were treated intentionally with HD-POS for voriconazoleresistant invasive aspergillosis (7/16), mucormycosis (4/16), salvage therapy for IA (4/16) and IA at a sanctuary site (spondylodiscitis) in 1. Grade 3- 4 AEs were observed in 6, and all of them were considered at least possibly related. Grade 3- 4 AEs were observed in 5 of the 25 patients with spontaneous high POS serum through levels considered at least possibly related using Naranjo scale. Conclusions: High-dose posaconazole is a treatment option if strict monitoring for both exposure and for AE is possible