Mobile application for utility domains

This research, a collaboration between MIT and ABB/Ventyx, is focused on the development of a mobile interface for field workers in power repair settings and field service delivery. A Human Systems Engineering (HSE) approach of Plan, Analyze, and Design was utilized to develop the interface, which included a Hybrid Cognitive Task Analysis (hCTA) that identified requirements for the envisioned interface. This paper overviews the results of the HSE process and presents a preliminary design for the mobile interface that emerged during initial display prototyping.CPS Energy (Firm)DTE Energy CompanyComcast Corporatio

Interactive Information Visualization for Sensemaking in Power Grid Supervisory Systems

Operators of power grid supervisory control systems have to gather information from a wide variety of views to build situation awareness. Findings from a conducted field study show that this task is challenging and cogni-tively demanding. Visualization research for power grid supervisory control systems has focused on developing new visualization techniques for representing one aspect of the power system data. Little work has been done to demon-strate how information visualization techniques can sup-port the operator in the sensemaking process to achieve situation awareness. To fill this gap, and with support from a field study, we propose solutions based on multiple and coordinated views, visual interactive filtering and parallel coordinates

Clarification of the taxonomic status of Acanthochitona discrepans (Brown, 1827) with new data for the North-East Atlantic Acanthochitona (Polyplacophora, Acanthochitonidae)

The genus Acanthochitona can be easily distinguished from other chitons by having eighteen tufts of bristles on the dorsal side of the densely spiculose girdle. In the North-East Atlantic, five species of this genus have been recognised so far: A. crinita (Pennant, 1777), A. discrepans (Brown, 1827), A. fascicularis (Linnaeus, 1767), A. oblonga Leloup, 1968 and A. pilosa Schmidt-Petersen, Schwabe et Haszprunar, 2015. The nomenclature of A. crinita, A. discrepans and A. fascicularis was confused for a very long time until Kaas (1985) designated type specimens for them and provided a brief key. However, his work lacked detailed descriptions of the three species and some authors doubted that A. discrepans constitutes a separate species. Subsequently, the taxonomic status of A. discrepans has remained unclear.Here, we implemented an integrative approach which combined morphology and molecular evidence to show that Acanthochitona discrepans is, indeed, a valid species and we present re-descriptions for A. crinita, A. discrepans and A. fascicularis

Project SoL-A Community-Based, Multi-Component Health Promotion Intervention to Improve Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Practices among Danish Families with Young Children Part 2:Evaluation

Project SoL is implemented over a period of four years with the aim to promote healthy eating and physical activity among children aged 3–8 years by targeting the families in a Danish municipality based on the multi-component, supersetting strategy. Interventions are implemented in childcare centres, schools and supermarkets in three local communities as well as in local mass media and social media during a 19 months period in the Municipality of Bornholm. The matching Municipality of Odsherred serves as a control site based on its similarity to Bornholm regarding several socio-demographic and health indicators. The present paper gives an account of the design used for the summative and formative evaluation based on a realistic evaluation and a mixed methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Summative studies are conducted on changes of health behaviours among the involved families and within the municipalities in general, changes in community awareness of the project, changes in purchase patterns, changes in overweight and obesity among the targeted children and changes in knowledge and preferences among children due to sensory education workshops. The formative research comprises studies on children’s perceptions of health, perceptions of staff at supermarkets and media professionals on their roles in supporting the health promotion agenda, and motivations and barriers of community stakeholders to engage in health promotion at community level. The paper discusses operational issues and lessons learnt related to studying complex community interventions, cross-disciplinarily, interfaces between practice and research and research capacity strengthening; and suggests areas for future research. The development and implementation of the intervention and its theoretical foundation is described in a separate paper

A decade of monitoring micropollutants in urban wet-weather flows: What did we learn?

Urban wet-weather discharges from combined sewer overflows (CSO) and stormwater outlets (SWO) are a potential pathway for micropollutants (trace contaminants) to surface waters, posing a threat to the environment and possible water reuse applications. Despite large efforts to monitor micropollutants in the last decade, the gained information is still limited and scattered. In a metastudy we performed a data-driven analysis of measurements collected at 77 sites (683 events, 297 detected micropollutants) over the last decade to investigate which micropollutants are most relevant in terms of 1) occurrence and 2) potential risk for the aquatic environment, 3) estimate the minimum number of data to be collected in monitoring studies to reliably obtain concentration estimates, and 4) provide recommendations for future monitoring campaigns. We highlight micropollutants to be prioritized due to their high occurrence and critical concentration levels compared to environmental quality standards. These top-listed micropollutants include contaminants from all chemical classes (pesticides, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and industrial and household chemicals). Analysis of over 30,000 event mean concentrations shows a large fraction of measurements (> 50%) were below the limit of quantification, stressing the need for reliable, standard monitoring procedures. High variability was observed among events and sites, with differences between micropollutant classes. The number of events required for a reliable estimate of site mean concentrations (error bandwidth of 1 around the “true" value) depends on the individual micropollutant. The median minimum number of events is 7 for CSO (2 to 31, 80%-interquantile) and 6 for SWO (1 to 25 events, 80%-interquantile). Our analysis indicates the minimum number of sites needed to assess global pollution levels and our data collection and analysis can be used to estimate the required number of sites for an urban catchment. Our data-driven analysis demonstrates how future wet-weather monitoring programs will be more effective if the consequences of high variability inherent in urban wet-weather discharges are considered

Two cilengitide regimens in combination with standard treatment for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma and unmethylated MGMT gene promoter: results of the open-label, controlled, randomized phase II CORE study

Background Survival outcomes for patients with glioblastoma remain poor, particularly for patients with unmethylated O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene promoter. This phase II, randomized, open-label, multicenter trial investigated the efficacy and safety of 2 dose regimens of the selective integrin inhibitor cilengitide combined with standard chemoradiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma and an unmethylated MGMT promoter. Methods Overall, 265 patients were randomized (1:1:1) to standard cilengitide (2000 mg 2×/wk; n = 88), intensive cilengitide (2000 mg 5×/wk during wk 1−6, thereafter 2×/wk; n = 88), or a control arm (chemoradiotherapy alone; n = 89). Cilengitide was administered intravenously in combination with daily temozolomide (TMZ) and concomitant radiotherapy (RT; wk 1−6), followed by TMZ maintenance therapy (TMZ/RT→TMZ). The primary endpoint was overall survival; secondary endpoints included progression-free survival, pharmacokinetics, and safety and tolerability. Results Median overall survival was 16.3 months in the standard cilengitide arm (hazard ratio [HR], 0.686; 95% CI: 0.484, 0.972; P = .032) and 14.5 months in the intensive cilengitide arm (HR, 0.858; 95% CI: 0.612, 1.204; P = .3771) versus 13.4 months in the control arm. Median progression-free survival assessed per independent review committee was 5.6 months (HR, 0.822; 95% CI: 0.595, 1.134) and 5.9 months (HR, 0.794; 95% CI: 0.575, 1.096) in the standard and intensive cilengitide arms, respectively, versus 4.1 months in the control arm. Cilengitide was well tolerated. Conclusions Standard and intensive cilengitide dose regimens were well tolerated in combination with TMZ/RT→TMZ. Inconsistent overall survival and progression-free survival outcomes and a limited sample size did not allow firm conclusions regarding clinical efficacy in this exploratory phase II stud

Investigation of the micro- and nano-scale architecture of cellulose hydrogels with plant cell wall polysaccharides: a combined USANS/SANS study

The structure of protiated, deuterated and composite cellulose hydrogels with plant cell wall (PCW) polysaccharides has been investigated by combined USANS/SANS experiments, complemented with spectroscopy and microscopy. The broad size range covered by the USANS/SANS experiments enabled the identification of cellulose architectural features in the cross-sectional and longitudinal directions. In the cross-sectional direction, cellulose ribbons are modelled as core-shell structures. Xyloglucan and mixed linkage glucans interfere with the cellulose crystallisation process, reducing the crystallinity and establishing cross-bridges between ribbons. However, only xyloglucan is able to establish strong interactions with the cellulose microfibrils, affecting the properties of the ribbons' core. Longitudinally, the ribbons are hypothesised to present a ca. 1.4-1.5 μm periodic twist with a crystallite length of ca. 140-180 nm for the individual microfibrils. These results highlight the potential of USANS/SANS techniques to investigate the multi-scale architecture of cellulose hydrogels as well as the interaction mechanism between cellulose and PCW polysaccharides

Long-term detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after infection and risk of re-infection

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate long-term sensitivity for detection of total antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 METHODS: From week 41, 2020, through week 26, 2021, all Danish blood donations were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with the Wantai assay. The results were linked with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results from the Danish Microbiological Database (MiBa). RESULTS: During the study period, 105,646 non-vaccinated Danish blood donors were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and 3,806 (3.6%) had a positive PCR test before the blood donation. Among the donors with a positive PCR test, 94.2% subsequently also had a positive antibody test. The time between the positive PCR test and the antibody test was up to 15 months and there was no evidence of a decline in proportion with detectable antibodies over time. A negative serological result test was associated with a higher incidence of re-infection (Incidence Rate Ratio = 0.102 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.039–0.262)). CONCLUSION: Among healthy blood donors, 94.2% developed SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after infection, and a lack of detectable antibodies was associated with re-infection