Pintavalunnan GIS-pohjainen mallintaminen:tapauksena topografialtaan tasainen metsäojitettu Jäälinjärven valuma-alue

Tiivistelmä. Tämän tutkielman aiheena on pintavalunnan mallintaminen paikkatietomenetelmillä. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on luoda yhtenäinen virtausverkko, joka kuvaa tutkimusalueen päävirtausreittejä, ja alivaluma-aluejaottelu, joka jakaa tutkimusalueen pienempiin alueellisiin tarkasteluyksiköihin. Tutkimuksen kohteena on Oulussa sijaitseva Jäälinjärven valuma-alue, joka on tunnistettu haitallisen rautakuormituksen lähteeksi sen alapuolisissa vesistöissä. Pintavaluntamallin pohja-aineistona käytettiin 2 m x 2 m resoluution digitaalista korkeusmallirasteria ja mallin uomaoptimointiin maastotietokannan vesistö- ja tiestöaineistoja. Uomaoptimointi tarkoittaa virtauksen kohdistamista uomaverkostoon. Alueen uomaverkosto poltettiin korkeusmalliin stream burning -menetelmällä sekä madaltamalla tiepenkereet teiden alittavien tierumpujen kohdilta. Hydrologinen eheytys toteutettiin breaching-menetelmällä ja pintavalunnan mallinnus yksisuuntaisella D8-virtaussuunta-algoritmilla. Valunnan kumuloitumisen mallinnuksella määritettiin virtausverkko muodostumaan yhden hehtaarin kokoisilta valuma-alueilta alkaen. Virtausverkko luokiteltiin yläpuolisen valuma-alueen koon mukaan kuuteen luokkaan. Alivaluma-alueet määritettiin virtaussuunta- ja valunnan kumuloitumisen tulosrasterin pohjalta sekä 14 purkupisteen mukaisesti. Mallinnusalgoritmit suoritettiin ArcGIS Pro -paikkatieto-ohjelmiston ja avoimen lähdekoodin GIS Whitebox Geospatial Analysis Tools -ohjelmiston työkaluilla. Virtausverkon avulla tunnistettiin tutkimusalueen päävirtausreitit. Mallin paikkansapitävyyttä tarkistettiin maastossa tehtyjen havaintojen avulla, ja virtausverkko muodostui todellisten päävirtausreittien mukaisesti alivaluma-aluejaottelin mittakaavassa. Uomaoptimoidun mallin lisäksi tuotettiin vertailumalli yksinkertaisemmilla mallinnusmenetelmillä, ilman uomaoptimointia. Mallien vertailun pohjalta tunnistettiin tekijöitä, jotka vaikuttavat mallin lopputulokseen, ja arvioitiin uomaoptimoidun mallin sopivuutta tutkimuksen tavoitteisiin nähden. Työssä mallinnetuilla aineistoilla voidaan toteuttaa valuma-aluesuunnittelua: rautakuormituksen kannalta haitallisten hydrologisten yhteyksien vähentämistä, veden pidätystä, vesiensuojelurakenteiden tarpeen arviointia ja soveltuvan vesiensuojelurakenteen suunnittelua. Aineistojen avulla voidaan kohdentaa vesiensuojelutoimia ja resursseja alueille, joilla siitä on eniten hyötyä

Solution composition and particle size effects on the dissolution and solubility of a ThO2 microstructural analogue for UO2 matrix of nuclear fuel

The objective of this study was to investigate the dissolution rate of ThO2 which was synthesised to approximate, as closely as possible, the microstructure of UO2 in a nuclear fuel matrix. The optimal sintering temperature for ThO2 pellets was found to be 1750 ℃, which produced pellets with a microstructure similar to UO2 nuclear fuel pellets, with randomly oriented grains ranging in size from 10 to 30 μm. Dissolution was conducted using ThO2 particles of different size fractions (80 to 160 μm and 2 to 4 mm) in the presence and absence of carbonate, in solutions with pH from 2 to 8 and at 80 ℃. Dissolution rates were calculated from Th released from the solid phase to solution. Particles of ThO2 were also leached with 1 M HNO3 at 80 ℃ in order to investigate the morphological changes at the particle surfaces. The concentration of Th was found to be ≥ 10–9 mol/L at pH ≤ 4, lower than the theoretical solubility of crystalline ThO2. At higher pH values, from 4 to 8, the measured concentrations (10−10 to 10–12 mol/L) were between the theoretical solubility of ThO2 and Th(OH)4. Grain boundaries were shown to exert an influence on the dissolution of ThO2 particles. Using high resolution aqueous solution analysis, these data presented here extend the current understanding of Th solubility in solutio

Robust high-dimensional precision matrix estimation

The dependency structure of multivariate data can be analyzed using the covariance matrix $\Sigma$. In many fields the precision matrix $\Sigma^{-1}$ is even more informative. As the sample covariance estimator is singular in high-dimensions, it cannot be used to obtain a precision matrix estimator. A popular high-dimensional estimator is the graphical lasso, but it lacks robustness. We consider the high-dimensional independent contamination model. Here, even a small percentage of contaminated cells in the data matrix may lead to a high percentage of contaminated rows. Downweighting entire observations, which is done by traditional robust procedures, would then results in a loss of information. In this paper, we formally prove that replacing the sample covariance matrix in the graphical lasso with an elementwise robust covariance matrix leads to an elementwise robust, sparse precision matrix estimator computable in high-dimensions. Examples of such elementwise robust covariance estimators are given. The final precision matrix estimator is positive definite, has a high breakdown point under elementwise contamination and can be computed fast

Globalization, Global Governance and the Social Determinants of Health: A review of the linkages and agenda for action

The Globalization Knowledge Network (GKN) was formed in 2005 with the purpose of examining how contemporary globalization was influencing social determinants of health. It was one of nine Knowledge Networks providing evidence-informed guidance to the work of the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2005-2008): like most of the Knowledge Networks, its operations were financed by an external funder (in this case, the International Affairs Directorate of Health Canada, Canada’s national ministry of health). The GKN conducted two face-to-face meetings to debate, discuss, outline and review its work, and produced thirteen background papers and a Final Report. These papers and the Final Report underwent extensive internal and external peer review to ensure that their findings and policy inferences accurately reflected available evidence and scholarship. This GKN publication series was prepared under the general editorship of Ronald Labonté, with assistance from Vivien Runnels and copy-editing provided by Wayne Harding. All views expressed are exclusively those of the authors. A complete list of titles in the publication series appears on the inside back cover of this monograph

Role of microstructure and surface defects on the dissolution kinetics of CeO2, a UO2 fuel analogue.

The release of radionuclides from spent fuel in a geological disposal facility is controlled by the surface mediated dissolution of UO2 in groundwater. In this study we investigate the influence of reactive surface sites on the dissolution of a synthesised CeO2 analogue for UO2 fuel. Dissolution was performed on: CeO2 annealed at high temperature, which eliminated intrinsic surface defects (point defects and dislocations); CeO2-x annealed in inert and reducing atmospheres to induce oxygen vacancy defects; and on crushed CeO2 particles of different size fractions. BET surface area measurements were used as an indicator of reactive surface site concentration. Cerium stoichiometry, determined using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and supported by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis, was used to determine oxygen vacancy concentration. Upon dissolution in nitric acid medium at 90°C, a quantifiable relationship was established between the concentration of high energy surface sites and CeO2 dissolution rate; the greater the proportion of intrinsic defects and oxygen vacancies, the higher the dissolution rate. Dissolution of oxygen vacancy-containing CeO2-x gave rise to rates that were an order of magnitude greater than for CeO2 with fewer oxygen vacancies. While enhanced solubility of Ce3+ influenced the dissolution, it was shown that replacement of vacancy sites by oxygen significantly affected the dissolution mechanism due to changes in the lattice volume and strain upon dissolution and concurrent grain boundary decohesion. These results highlight the significant influence of defect sites and grain boundaries on the dissolution kinetics of UO2 fuel analogues and reduce uncertainty in the long-term performance of spent fuel in geological disposal

Patterns of Local-Regional Management Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer: Results From ACOSOG Z1071 (Alliance)

AXXXXX ZXXXX was a prospective trial evaluating the false negative rate of sentinel node (SLN) surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients with initial node-positive disease. Radiation therapy (RT) decisions were at the discretion of treating physicians, providing an opportunity to evaluate variability in practice patterns following NAC

Associations of subjective and objective cognitive functioning after COVID-19 : A six-month follow-up of ICU, ward, and home-isolated patients

Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The AuthorsBackground: Subjective and objective cognitive dysfunction are reported after COVID-19 but with limited data on their congruence and associations with the severity of the acute disease. The aim of this cohort study is to describe the prevalence of subjective and objective cognitive dysfunction at three and six months after COVID-19 and the associations of subjective cognitive symptoms and psychological and disease-related factors. Methods: We assessed a cohort of 184 patients at three and six months after COVID-19: 82 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 53 admitted to regular hospital wards, and 49 isolated at home. A non-COVID control group of 53 individuals was included. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Subjective cognitive symptoms, objective cognitive impairment, and depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were assessed. Results: At six months, subjective cognitive impairment was reported by 32.3% of ICU-treated, 37.3% of ward-treated, and 33.3% of home-isolated patients and objective cognitive impairment was observed in 36.1% of ICU-treated, 34.7% of ward-treated, and 8.9% of home-isolated patients. Subjective cognitive symptoms were associated with depressive and PTSD symptoms and female sex, but not with objective cognitive assessment or hospital metrics. Conclusions: One-third of COVID-19 patients, regardless of the acute disease severity, reported high levels of subjective cognitive dysfunction which was not associated with results from objective cognitive screening but with psychological and demographic factors. Our study stresses the importance of thorough assessment of patients reporting long-term subjective symptoms, screening for underlying mental health related factors such as PTSD or depression.Peer reviewe

Bridging Endocrine Therapy for HR+/HER2- Resectable Breast Cancer: Is it Safe?

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has required new treatment paradigms to limit exposures and optimize hospital resources, including the use of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NAET) as bridging therapy for HR+/HER2-invasive tumors and DCIS. While this approach has been used in locally advanced disease, it is unclear how it may affect outcomes in resectable HR+/HER2- tumors. Methods: Women ≥18 years diagnosed with in situ (Tis) or non-metastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer from March-May 2019 and 2020 were included. Fisher’s exact test and two-sample t test were used to compare baseline characteristics and surgical outcomes between strata. Sub-analysis was performed between patients who received primary surgery vs a bridging NAET approach. Results: Despite similar clinical characteristics, patients in 2019 were more likely to have a surgery-first approach (75% vs 42%, P-value =.0007), receive surgery sooner (22 vs 29 days, P-value <.001), and within 60 days from diagnosis date (100% vs 85%, P-value =.0301). Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy was a more prevalent approach in 2020 (48% vs 7%, P-value <.0001). Rates of clinical to pathologic up-staging remained consistent across primary surgery vs bridging NAET subgroups (P-value =.9253). Discussion: Pandemic-driven treatment protocols provide a unique opportunity to assess the utility of bridging endocrine therapy for resectable HR+/HER2- tumors. Differences in clinical and pathologic staging were similar across groups and did not appear to be affected by receipt of NAET. Our limited cohort demonstrates this strategic therapeutic avenue can optimize health care utilization and may be a reasonable approach when delaying surgery is preferred

Utility of TERT Promoter Mutations for Cutaneous Primary Melanoma Diagnosis

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations are commonly found in malignant melanomas but rare in melanocytic nevi. To assess its potential diagnostic utility for the distinction of melanoma from nevus, we determined the TERT promoter mutation status of 86 primary melanomas, 72 melanocytic nevi, and 40 diagnostically problematic melanocytic proliferations. Of the 86 melanomas, 67 (77.9%) were TERT-positive, defined as harboring a hotspot TERT promoter mutation at positions -124C>T, -124_125CC>TT, -138_139CC>TT, or -146C>T. Of the 72 nevi, only 1 (1.4%) was TERT-positive. Of the 40 diagnostically uncertain melanocytic proliferations, 2 (5.0%) were TERT-positive. TERT positivity as a test for melanoma versus nevus had an accuracy of 87.3% [95% confidence interval (CI), 81.1-92.1], a sensitivity of 77.9% (95% CI, 68.9-85.4), a specificity of 98.6% (95% CI, 95.8-100), a positive predictive value of 98.5% (95% CI, 95.6-100), and a negative predictive value of 78.9% (95% CI, 72.6-85.4). Our results indicate that hotspot TERT promoter mutation status may be a useful ancillary parameter for the diagnosis of melanoma. In particular, the high specificity of these mutations for melanoma indicates the presence of a TERT promoter mutation in a melanocytic neoplasm associated with diagnostic controversy, or uncertainty should increase concern for a melanoma

Robot-assisted laparoscopic transperitoneal pelvic lymphadenectomy and metastasectomy for melanoma: initial report of two cases

Robotic pelvic lymphadenectomy is a well established procedure in the urologic and gynecologic literature. To our knowledge robotic pelvic lymphadectomy for metastatic melanoma has yet to be described. Herein we present the first report of robot-assisted pelvic lymphadenectomy in malignant melanoma. After placement of six laparoscopic ports (12 mm camera, three 8-mm robotic ports, 12-mm and 5-mm assistant ports) the DaVinci S robot (Intuitive Surgical, CA, USA) was docked in standard fashion with the patient in low lithotomy. In both cases the patients had enlarged pelvic lymph nodes on computed tomography and complete excision of these masses was accomplished along with complete lymphadenectomy extending from Cooper’s ligament to just below the hypogastric artery in case 1 and to level of the bifurcation of aorta in case 2. A PK Maryland Dissector and monopolar scissors were used for dissection. Both patients were discharged on postoperative day #1. Robotic pelvic lymphadenectomy can be safely used for management of patients with metastatic melanoma involving the pelvic lymph nodes. Compared with the standard open procedure, pelvic lymphadenectomy with robotic assistance is associated with excellent vision and minimum morbidity