Industry views on water resources planning methods – prospects for change in England and Wales

This paper describes a qualitative study of practitioner perspectives on regulated water resources planning practice in England and Wales. The study focuses on strengths and weaknesses of existing practice and the case for change towards a risk-based approach informed by stochastic modelling assessments. In-depth, structured interviews were conducted to capture the views of planners, regulators and consultants closely involved in the planning process. We found broad agreement that the existing water availability assessment methods are fallible; they lack transparency, are often highly subjective and may fail to adequately expose problems of resilience. While most practitioners believe these issues warrant a more detailed examination of risk in the planning process, few believe there is a strong case for a fundamental shift towards risk-based planning informed by stochastic modelling assessments. The study identifies perceived business risks associated with change and exposes widespread scepticism of stochastic methods

Direct Current Electrical Stimulation Increases the Fusion Rate of Spinal Fusion Cages

Study Design. A randomized experimental evaluation of direct current stimulation in a validated animal model with an experimental control group, using blinded radiographic, biomechanical, histologic, and statistical measures. Objectives. To evaluate the efficacy of the adjunctive use of direct current stimulation on the fusion rate and speed of healing of titanium interbody fusion cages packed with autograft in a sheep lumbar interbody fusion model. Summary of Background Data. Titanium lumbar interbody spinal fusion cages have been reported to be 90% effective for single-level lumbar interbody fusion. However, fusion rates are reported to be between 70% and 80% in patients with multilevel fusions or with risk factors such as obesity, tobacco use, or metabolic disorders. The authors hypothesized that direct current stimulation would increase the fusion rate of titanium interbody fusion cages packed with autograft in a sheep lumbar interbody fusion model. Methods. Twenty-two sheep underwent lumbar discectomy and fusion at L4–L5 with an 11- × 20-mm Bagby and Kuslich (BAK) cage packed with autograft. Seven sheep received a BAK cage and no current. Seven sheep had a cage and a 40-μA current applied with a direct current stimulator. Eight sheep had a BAK cage and a 100-μA current applied. All sheep were killed 4 months after surgery. The efficacy of electrical stimulation in promoting interbody fusion was assessed by performing radiographic, biomechanical, and histologic analyses in a blinded fashion. Results. The histologic fusion rate increased as the direct current dose increased from 0 μA to 40 μA to 100 μA (P \u3c 0.009). Histologically, all animals in the 100-μA group had fusions in both the right and left sides of the cage. Direct current stimulation had a significant effect on increasing the stiffness of the treated motion segment in right lateral bending (P \u3c 0.120), left lateral bending (P \u3c 0.017), right axial rotation (P \u3c 0.004), left axial rotation (P \u3c 0.073), extension (P \u3c 0.078), and flexion (P \u3c 0.029) over nonstimulated levels. Conclusion. Direct current stimulation increased the histologic and biomechanical fusion rate and the speed of healing of lumbar interbody spinal fusion cages in an ovine model at 4 months

Predicting the response of a submillimeter bolometer to cosmic rays

Bolometers designed to detect. submillimeter radiation also respond to cosmic, gamma, and x rays. Because detectors cannot be fully shielded from such energy sources, it is necessary to understand the effect of a photon or cosmic-ray particle being absorbed. The resulting signal (known as a glitch) can then be removed from raw data. We present measurements using an Americium-241 gamma radiation source to irradiate a prototype bolometer for the High Frequency Instrument in the Planck Surveyor satellite. Our measurements showed no variation in response depending on where the radiation was absorbed, demonstrating that the bolometer absorber and thermistor thermalize quickly. The bolometer has previously been fully characterized both electrically and optically. We find that using optically measured time constants underestimates the time taken for the detector to recover from a radiation absorption event. However, a full thermal model for the bolometer, with parameters taken from electrical and optical measurements, provides accurate time constants. Slight deviations from the model were seen at high energies; these can be accounted for by use of an extended model

Deep Learning for Neuroimaging: a Validation Study

Deep learning methods have recently made notable advances in the tasks of classification and representation learning. These tasks are important for brain imaging and neuroscience discovery, making the methods attractive for porting to a neuroimager’s toolbox. Success of these methods is, in part, explained by the flexibility of deep learning models. However, this flexibility makes the process of porting to new areas a difficult parameter optimization problem. In this work we demonstrate our results (and feasible parameter ranges) in application of deep learning methods to structural and functional brain imaging data. These methods include deep belief networks and their building block the restricted Boltzmann machine. We also describe a novel constraint-based approach to visualizing high dimensional data. We use it to analyze the effect of parameter choices on data transformations. Our results show that deep learning methods are able to learn physiologically important representations and detect latent relations in neuroimaging data

Low cost titanium--myth or reality

In 1998, approximately 57,000 tons of titanium metal was consumed in the form of mill products (1). Only about 5% of the 4 million tons of titanium minerals consumed each year is used to produce titanium metal, with the remainder primarily used to produce titanium dioxide pigment. Titanium metal production is primarily based on the direct chlorination of rutile to produce titanium tetrachloride, which is then reduced to metal using the Kroll magnesium reduction process. The use of titanium is tied to its high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. Aerospace is the largest application for titanium, and titanium cost has prevented its use in non-aerospace applications including the automotive and heavy vehicle industries

Functional MRI Evaluation of Multiple Neural Networks Underlying Auditory Verbal Hallucinations in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders.

Functional MRI studies have identified a distributed set of brain activations to be asso­ ciated with auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH). However, very little is known about how activated brain regions may be linked together into AVH-generating networks. Fifteen volunteers with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder pressed buttons to indicate onset and offset of AVH during fMRI scanning. When a general linear model was used to compare blood oxygenation level dependence signals during periods in which subjects indicated that they were versus were not experiencing AVH ( AVH-on versus AVH-off ), it revealed AVH-related activity in bilateral inferior frontal and superior temporal regions; the right middle temporal gyrus; and the left insula, supramarginal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and extranuclear white matter. In an effort to identify AVH-related networks, the raw data were also processed using independent component analyses (ICAs). Four ICA components were spatially consistent with an a priori network framework based upon published meta-analyses of imaging correlates of AVH. Of these four components, only a network involving bilateral auditory cortices and posterior receptive language areas was significantly and positively correlated to the pattern of AVH-on versus AVH-off. The ICA also identified two additional networks (occipital-temporal and medial prefrontal), not fully matching the meta-analysis framework, but nevertheless containing nodes reported as active in some studies of AVH. Both networks showed significant AVH-related profiles, but both were most active during AVH-off periods. Overall, the data suggest that AVH generation requires specific and selective activation of auditory cortical and posterior language regions, perhaps coupled to a release of indirect influence by occipital and medial frontal structures

PAR1 (Protease-Activated Receptor 1) Pepducin Therapy Targeting Myocardial Necrosis in Coronary Artery Disease and Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients Undergoing Cardiac Catheterization: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 2 Study

OBJECTIVE: Arterial thrombosis leading to ischemic injury worsens the prognosis of many patients with cardiovascular disease. PZ-128 is a first-in-class pepducin that reversibly inhibits PAR1 (protease-activated receptor 1) on platelets and other vascular cells by targeting the intracellular surface of the receptor. The TRIP-PCI (Thrombin Receptor Inhibitory Pepducin in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) trial was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of PZ-128 in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization with intent to perform percutaneous coronary intervention. Approach and Results: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial, 100 patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive PZ-128 (0.3 or 0.5 mg/kg), or placebo in a 2-hour infusion initiated just before the start of cardiac catheterization, on top of standard oral antiplatelet therapy. Rates of the primary end point of bleeding were not different between the combined PZ-128 doses (1.6%, 1/62) and placebo group (0%, 0/35). The secondary end points of major adverse coronary events at 30 and 90 days did not significantly differ but were numerically lower in the PZ-128 groups (0% and 2% in the PZ-128 groups, 6% and 6% with placebo, p=0.13, p=0.29, respectively). In the subgroup of patients with elevated baseline cardiac troponin I, the exploratory end point of 30-day major adverse coronary events + myocardial injury showed 83% events in the placebo group versus 31% events in the combined PZ-128 drug groups, an adjusted relative risk of 0.14 (95% CI, 0.02-0.75); P=0.02. CONCLUSIONS: In this first-in-patient experience, PZ-128 added to standard antiplatelet therapy appeared to be safe, well tolerated, and potentially reduced periprocedural myonecrosis, thus providing the basis for further clinical trials. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02561000

Effects of demineralization on the stable isotope analysis of bone samples

Rationale: The sampling of sequential, annually formed bone growth layers for stable carbon (δ¹³C values) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N values) isotope analysis (SIA) can provide a time series of foraging ecology data. To date, no standard protocol exists for the pre-SIA treatment of cortical samples taken from fresh, modern, bones. Methods: Based on the SIA of historical bone, it is assumed that fresh bone samples must be pre-treated with acid prior to SIA. Using an elemental analyzer coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer to measure stable carbon and nitrogen ratios, we tested the need to acidify cortical bone powder with 0.25 M HCl prior to SIA to isolate bone collagen for the determination of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵ values. We also examined the need for lipid extraction to remove potential biases related to δ¹³C analysis, based on a C:N ratio threshold of 3.5. Results: It was found that acidification of micromilled cortical bone samples from marine turtles does not affect their δ¹⁵N values, and the small effect acidification has on δ¹³C values can be mathematically corrected for, thus eliminating the need for pre-SIA acidification of cortical bone. The lipid content of the cortical bone samples was low, as measured by their C:N ratios, indicating that lipid extracting cortical bone samples from modern marine turtles is unnecessary. Conclusions: We present a standard protocol for testing fresh, modern cortical bone samples prior to SIA, facilitating direct comparison of future studies. Based on the results obtained from marine turtle bones, pre-acidification and lipid removal of cortical bone are not recommended. This is especially useful as there is frequently not enough bone material removed via micromilling of sequential growth layers to accommodate both acid treatment and SIA

Apparatus and Method for Increasing the Diameter of Metal Alloy Wires Within a Molten Metal Pool

In a dip forming process the core material to be coated is introduced directly into a source block of coating material eliminating the need for a bushing entrance component. The process containment vessel or crucible is heated so that only a portion of the coating material becomes molten, leaving a solid portion of material as the entrance port of, and seal around, the core material. The crucible can contain molten and solid metals and is especially useful when coating core material with reactive metals. The source block of coating material has been machined to include a close tolerance hole of a size and shape to closely fit the core material. The core material moves first through the solid portion of the source block of coating material where the close tolerance hole has been machined, then through a solid/molten interface, and finally through the molten phase where the diameter of the core material is increased. The crucible may or may not require water-cooling depending upon the type of material used in crucible construction. The system may operate under vacuum, partial vacuum, atmospheric pressure, or positive pressure depending upon the type of source material being used