Advanced Ground Systems Maintenance Prognostics Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harp, Janicce Leshay

2014-01-01

The project implements prognostics capabilities to predict when a component, system or subsystem will no longer meet desired functional or performance criteria, called the "end of life." The capability also provides an assessment of the "remaining useful life" of a hardware component.

A New Prognostic Staging System for Rectal Cancer

PubMed Central

Ueno, Hideki; Price, Ashley B.; Wilkinson, Kay H.; Jass, Jeremy R.; Mochizuki, Hidetaka; Talbot, Ian C.

2004-01-01

Objective: To clarify the appropriateness of tumor “budding,” a quantifiable histologic variable, as 1 parameter in the construction of a new prognostic grading system for rectal cancer. Summary Background Data: Patient division according to an accurate prognostic prediction could enhance the effectiveness of postoperative adjuvant therapy and follow-up. Patients and Methods: Tumor budding was defined as an isolated cancer cell or a cluster composed of fewer than 5 cells in the invasive frontal region, and was divided into 2 grades based on its number within a microscopic field of ×250. We analyzed 2 discrete cohorts comprising 638 and 476 patients undergoing potentially curative surgery. Results: In the first cohort, high-grade budding (10 or more foci in a field) was observed in 30% of patients and was significantly associated with a lower 5-year survival rate (41%) than low-grade budding (84%). Similarly, in the second cohort, the 5-year survival rate was 43% in high-grade budding patients and 83% in low-grade budding patients. In both cohorts, multivariate analyses verified budding to be an independent prognosticator, together with nodal involvement and extramural spread. These 3 variables were given weighted scores, and the score range was divided to provide 5 prognostic groups (97%; 86%; 61%; 39%; 17% 5-year survival). The model was tested on the second cohort, and similar prognostic results were obtained. Conclusions: We propose that because of its relevance to prognosis and its reproducibility, budding is an excellent parameter for use in a grading system to provide a confident prediction of clinical outcome. PMID:15492565

Multiple Damage Progression Paths in Model-Based Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew; Goebel, Kai Frank

2011-01-01

Model-based prognostics approaches employ domain knowledge about a system, its components, and how they fail through the use of physics-based models. Component wear is driven by several different degradation phenomena, each resulting in their own damage progression path, overlapping to contribute to the overall degradation of the component. We develop a model-based prognostics methodology using particle filters, in which the problem of characterizing multiple damage progression paths is cast as a joint state-parameter estimation problem. The estimate is represented as a probability distribution, allowing the prediction of end of life and remaining useful life within a probabilistic framework that supports uncertainty management. We also develop a novel variance control mechanism that maintains an uncertainty bound around the hidden parameters to limit the amount of estimation uncertainty and, consequently, reduce prediction uncertainty. We construct a detailed physics-based model of a centrifugal pump, to which we apply our model-based prognostics algorithms. We illustrate the operation of the prognostic solution with a number of simulation-based experiments and demonstrate the performance of the chosen approach when multiple damage mechanisms are active

Comparison of prognostic nomograms based on different nodal staging systems in patients with resected gastric cancer.

PubMed

Wang, Zi-Xian; Qiu, Miao-Zhen; Jiang, Yu-Ming; Zhou, Zhi-Wei; Li, Guo-Xin; Xu, Rui-Hua

2017-01-01

Purpose: Previous studies addressing the optimal nodal staging system in patients with resected gastric cancer have shown inconsistent results, and the optimal system for development of prognostic nomograms remains unclear. In this study, we compared prognostic nomograms based on the metastatic lymph node (MLN) count, lymph node ratio (LNR), and log odds of metastatic lymph nodes (LODDS) to predict the 5-year overall survival in patients with resected gastric cancer. Methods: We analysed 15,320 patients with resected gastric cancer in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 1988 and 2010. Missing data were handled using multiple imputation. When assessed as a continuous covariate with restricted cubic splines, each MLN, LNR, and LODDS variable was incorporated into a nomogram with other significant prognosticators to predict the 5-year overall survival. A two-centre Chinese dataset (1,595 cases) was used as external validation data. Results: The discriminatory abilities of the MLN-, LNR-, and LODDS-based nomograms were comparable (concordance indices: 0.744, 0.741, and 0.744, respectively, in the SEER set, P > 0.152 for all pairwise comparisons; 0.715, 0.712, and 0.713, respectively, in the Chinese set, P > 0.445 for all pairwise comparisons). The discriminatory abilities of the three nomograms were all superior to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM classification (concordance indices: 0.713, P < 0.001 for all in the SEER set; and 0.693, P < 0.001 for all in the Chinese set). The discriminatory abilities of the nomograms were comparable regardless of the number of nodes examined. Moreover, decision curve analyses indicated similar net benefits of using the nomograms. Conclusion: MLN-, LNR-, and LODDS should be considered equally in the development of multivariate prognostic models and nomograms to refine the prediction of survival among patients with resected gastric cancer.

Comparison of the prognostic utility of the revised International Prognostic Scoring System and the French Prognostic Scoring System in azacitidine-treated patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

PubMed

Zeidan, Amer M; Lee, Ju-Whei; Prebet, Thomas; Greenberg, Peter; Sun, Zhuoxin; Juckett, Mark; Smith, Mitchell R; Paietta, Elisabeth; Gabrilove, Janice; Erba, Harry P; Tallman, Martin S; Gore, Steven D

2014-08-01

The revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) was developed in a cohort of untreated myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients. A French Prognostic Scoring System (FPSS) was recently reported to identify differential survival among azacitidine-treated patients with high-risk MDS. We applied the FPSS and IPSS-R to 150 patients previously randomized to azacitidine monotherapy or a combination of azacitidine with entinostat (a histone deacetylase inhibitor). Neither score predicted response but both discriminated patients with different overall survival (OS; median OS, FPSS: 9·7, 14·7, and 25·3 months, P = 0·018; IPSS-R: 12·5, 11·3, 20·8, and 36 months, P = 0·005). Statistical analysis suggested no improvement in OS prediction for the FPSS over the IPSS-R in azacitidine-treated patients. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prognostics for Microgrid Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saxena, Abhinav

2012-01-01

Prognostics is the science of predicting future performance and potential failures based on targeted condition monitoring. Moving away from the traditional reliability centric view, prognostics aims at detecting and quantifying the time to impending failures. This advance warning provides the opportunity to take actions that can preserve uptime, reduce cost of damage, or extend the life of the component. The talk will focus on the concepts and basics of prognostics from the viewpoint of condition-based systems health management. Differences with other techniques used in systems health management and philosophies of prognostics used in other domains will be shown. Examples relevant to micro grid systems and subsystems will be used to illustrate various types of prediction scenarios and the resources it take to set up a desired prognostic system. Specifically, the implementation results for power storage and power semiconductor components will demonstrate specific solution approaches of prognostics. The role of constituent elements of prognostics, such as model, prediction algorithms, failure threshold, run-to-failure data, requirements and specifications, and post-prognostic reasoning will be explained. A discussion on performance evaluation and performance metrics will conclude the technical discussion followed by general comments on open research problems and challenges in prognostics.

GPU Accelerated Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorospe, George E., Jr.; Daigle, Matthew J.; Sankararaman, Shankar; Kulkarni, Chetan S.; Ng, Eley

2017-01-01

Prognostic methods enable operators and maintainers to predict the future performance for critical systems. However, these methods can be computationally expensive and may need to be performed each time new information about the system becomes available. In light of these computational requirements, we have investigated the application of graphics processing units (GPUs) as a computational platform for real-time prognostics. Recent advances in GPU technology have reduced cost and increased the computational capability of these highly parallel processing units, making them more attractive for the deployment of prognostic software. We present a survey of model-based prognostic algorithms with considerations for leveraging the parallel architecture of the GPU and a case study of GPU-accelerated battery prognostics with computational performance results.

[Neuroendocrine neoplasm of digestive system with different grades: a clinicopathologic and prognostic study].

PubMed

Zhang, Ming-hui; Liu, Yan-hui; Luo, Xin-lan; Lin, Xing-tao; Zhuang, Heng-guo

2012-07-01

To study the clinicopathologic and prognostic features of neuroendocrine neoplasm of digestive system with different grades. The clinicopathologic features of 139 cases of neuroendocrine neoplasm occurring in digestive system were retrospectively reviewed and graded according to the 2010 World Health Organization classification of tumours of the digestive system. Immunohistochemical study for synaptophysin, chromogranin A and Ki-67 was carried out. The follow-up and survival data were analysed using Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors were tested by Log-rank testing and independent risk factors were analysed using Cox regression model. Amongst the 139 cases studied, there were 88 cases (63.3%) of grade 1 tumors, 9 cases (6.5%) of grade 2 tumors and 42 cases (30.2%) of grade 3 tumors. There was diffusely positive staining for synaptophysin and chromogranin A in most of the grade 1 and grade 2 tumors. The staining in grade 3 tumors however was focal (P < 0.05). The differences in tumor size, depth of invasion, presence of tumor emboli, perineural permeation, nodal involvement, distant metastasis and survival rate amongst the three groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There is significant difference in the clinicopathologic and prognostic features of neuroendocrine neoplasm of digestive system with different grades. It is considered as an independent prognostic factor and represents a useful tool for prognostic evaluation of such tumors, both in clinical practice and research.

A Retrospective Survival Analysis of Anatomic and Prognostic Stage Group Based on the American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th Edition Cancer Staging Manual in Luminal B Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-negative Breast Cancer.

PubMed

Xu, Ling; Li, Jiang-Hong; Ye, Jing-Ming; Duan, Xue-Ning; Cheng, Yuan-Jia; Xin, Ling; Liu, Qian; Zhou, Bin; Liu, Yin-Hua

2017-08-20

Current understanding of tumor biology suggests that breast cancer is a group of diseases with different intrinsic molecular subtypes. Anatomic staging system alone is insufficient to provide future outcome information. The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) expert panel updated the 8th edition of the staging manual with prognostic stage groups by incorporating biomarkers into the anatomic stage groups. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the data from our center in China using the anatomic and prognostic staging system based on the AJCC 8th edition staging manual. We reviewed the data from January 2008 to December 2014 for cases with Luminal B Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer in our center. All cases were restaged using the AJCC 8th edition anatomic and prognostic staging system. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare the survival differences between different subgroups. SPSS software version 19.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used for the statistical analyses. This study consisted of 796 patients with Luminal B HER-negative breast cancer. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) of 769 Stage I-III patients was 89.7%, and the 5-year overall survival (OS) of all 796 patients was 91.7%. Both 5-year DFS and 5-year OS were significantly different in the different anatomic and prognostic stage groups. There were 372 cases (46.7%) assigned to a different group. The prognostic Stage II and III patients restaged from anatomic Stage III had significant differences in 5-year DFS (χ2 = 11.319, P= 0.001) and 5-year OS (χ2 = 5.225, P= 0.022). In addition, cases restaged as prognostic Stage I, II, or III from the anatomic Stage II group had statistically significant differences in 5-year DFS (χ2 = 6.510, P= 0.039) but no significant differences in 5-year OS (χ2 = 5.087, P= 0.079). However, the restaged prognostic Stage I and II cases from anatomic Stage I had no statistically significant

Joint Polar Satellite System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trenkle, Timothy; Driggers, Phillip

2011-01-01

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is a joint NOAA/NASA mission comprised of a series of polar orbiting weather and climate monitoring satellites which will fly in a sun-synchronous orbit, with a 1330 equatorial crossing time. JPSS resulted from the decision to reconstitute the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) into two separate programs, one to be run by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the other by NOAA. This decision was reached in early 2010, after numerous development issues caused a series of unacceptable delays in launching the NPOESS system.

Diagnostic Reasoning using Prognostic Information for Unmanned Aerial Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schumann, Johann; Roychoudhury, Indranil; Kulkarni, Chetan

2015-01-01

With increasing popularity of unmanned aircraft, continuous monitoring of their systems, software, and health status is becoming more and more important to ensure safe, correct, and efficient operation and fulfillment of missions. The paper presents integration of prognosis models and prognostic information with the R2U2 (REALIZABLE, RESPONSIVE, and UNOBTRUSIVE Unit) monitoring and diagnosis framework. This integration makes available statistically reliable health information predictions of the future at a much earlier time to enable autonomous decision making. The prognostic information can be used in the R2U2 model to improve diagnostic accuracy and enable decisions to be made at the present time to deal with events in the future. This will be an advancement over the current state of the art, where temporal logic observers can only do such valuation at the end of the time interval. Usefulness and effectiveness of this integrated diagnostics and prognostics framework was demonstrated using simulation experiments with the NASA Dragon Eye electric unmanned aircraft.

Agarose gel electrophoresis of joint fluid using Hyrys-Hydrasys SEBIA system as a new prognostic tool for periprosthetic osteolysisin revision arthroplasty

PubMed Central

Chiva, A

2013-01-01

Rationale. Prevention of wear-mediated osteolysis, the most common complication in total joint arthroplasty, is a great challenge for orthopedic surgery. Despite the diversity of current biomarkers of periprosthetic osteolysis (products of wear, bone turnover and inflammatory biomarkers), the major interferences and the great amount of sample necessary for analysis limit their use in clinical practice. Objective. The aim of this paper is to present three new electrophoretic methods using Hyrys-Hydrasys SEBIA system that have been used for the first time in Electrophoresis Laboratory of our hospital in the analysis of joint fluid for the prevention of periprosthetic osteolysis in revision arthroplasty. Methods and results. Analytical aspects of agarose gel electrophoresis of joint fluid proteins and lipoproteins as well as SDS-agarose gel electrophoresis of joint fluid proteins, their performances and clinical value are presented. The decreased level of albumin and increased level of alpha1 and alpha2 globulins were frequent changes detected on SEBIA electropherograms and good indicator for the presence of an inflammatory reaction generated by particle debris. In addition, a slightly increase of LDL mobility could provide good information about a high oxidative stress. Moreover, the Ig G assessed by using SDS-agarose gel electrophoresis could be a potential biomarker for an immunological reaction towards orthopedic implants. Discussion. Electrophoresis of joint fluid using Hyrys-Hydrasys SEBIA France system is a new analytical technique able to remove the most of current biomarkers disadvantages due to the determination of particular proteins (acute phase proteins, albumin, lipoproteins, and immunoglobulins) by using minimal amounts of joint fluid with minor interferences, minimal cost and rapid results. Abbreviations CTX, crosslinked C-telopeptide; IL- interleukins; Ig G, immunoglobulin G; LDL, low density lipoprotein; NTX, crosslinked N-telopeptide; PICP

A Comparison of Systemic Inflammation-Based Prognostic Scores in Patients on Regular Hemodialysis

PubMed Central

Kato, Akihiko; Tsuji, Takayuki; Sakao, Yukitoshi; Ohashi, Naro; Yasuda, Hideo; Fujimoto, Taiki; Takita, Takako; Furuhashi, Mitsuyoshi; Kumagai, Hiromichi

2013-01-01

Background/Aims Systemic inflammation-based prognostic scores have prognostic power in patients with cancer, independently of tumor stage and site. Although inflammatory status is associated with mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients, it remains to be determined as to whether these composite scores are useful in predicting clinical outcomes. Methods We calculated the 6 prognostic scores [Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), modified GPS (mGPS), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), prognostic index (PI) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which have been established as a useful scoring system in cancer patients. We enrolled 339 patients on regular HD (age: 64 ± 13 years; time on HD: 129 ± 114 months; males/females = 253/85) and followed them for 42 months. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve was used to determine which scoring system was more predictive of mortality. Results Elevated GPS, mGPS, NLR, PLR, PI and PNI were all associated with total mortality, independent of covariates. If GPS was raised, mGPS, NLR, PLR and PI were also predictive of all-cause mortality and/or hospitalization. GPS and PNI were associated with poor nutritional status. Using overall mortality as an endpoint, the area under the curve (AUC) was significant for a GPS of 0.701 (95% CI: 0.637-0.765; p < 0.01) and for a PNI of 0.616 (95% CI: 0.553-0.768; p = 0.01). However, AUC for hypoalbuminemia (<3.5 g/dl) was comparable to that of GPS (0.695, 95% CI: 0.632-0.759; p < 0.01). Conclusion GPS, based on serum albumin and highly sensitive C-reactive protein, has the most prognostic power for mortality prediction among the prognostic scores in HD patients. However, as the determination of serum albumin reflects mortality similarly to GPS, other composite combinations are needed to provide additional clinical utility beyond that of albumin alone in HD patients. PMID:24403910

Prognostic value of long noncoding RNA HOTAIR in digestive system malignancies.

PubMed

Wang, Shuai; Wang, Zhou

2015-07-01

HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR), a well-known long noncoding RNA, has been found to play significant roles in several tumors. However, the clinical application value of HOTAIR in digestive system malignancies remains to be clarified. We aimed to explore comprehensively the potential role of HOTAIR as a prognostic indicator in digestive system malignancies. Systematic search was performed in Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science until July 5, 2014. A quantitative meta-analysis was conducted with standard statistical methods for eligible papers on the prognostic value of HOTAIR in digestive system cancers. A total of 1059 patients from 13 studies were included in the meta-analysis. A significant association was found between HOTAIR abundance and poor overall survival (OS) of patients with digestive system malignancies, with pooled hazard ratio (HR) of 2.587 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.054-3.259, P < 0.001). By combining HRs from Cox multivariate analyses, we found HOTAIR was an independent prognostic factor for OS without obvious heterogeneity (HR: 2.405, 95% CI: 1.883-3.0722, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that tumor type, histology type, region, publication year, sample size, and quality score did not alter the predictive value of HOTAIR as an independent factor for survival. Meta-regression and sensitivity analysis both suggested the reliability of our findings. A slight publication bias was observed. After adjustment by nonparametric "trim-and-fill" method, the corrected HRs had no significant change. HOTAIR could be exploited as a novel prognostic biomarker for patients with digestive system malignancies. © 2015 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Application and Evaluation of an Explicit Prognostic Cloud-Cover Scheme in GRAPES Global Forecast System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Zhanshan; Liu, Qijun; Zhao, Chuanfeng; Shen, Xueshun; Wang, Yuan; Jiang, Jonathan H.; Li, Zhe; Yung, Yuk

2018-03-01

An explicit prognostic cloud-cover scheme (PROGCS) is implemented into the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System (GRAPES) for global middle-range numerical weather predication system (GRAPES_GFS) to improve the model performance in simulating cloud cover and radiation. Unlike the previous diagnostic cloud-cover scheme (DIAGCS), PROGCS considers the formation and dissipation of cloud cover by physically connecting it to the cumulus convection and large-scale stratiform condensation processes. Our simulation results show that clouds in mid-high latitudes arise mainly from large-scale stratiform condensation processes, while cumulus convection and large-scale condensation processes jointly determine cloud cover in low latitudes. Compared with DIAGCS, PROGCS captures more consistent vertical distributions of cloud cover with the observations from Atmospheric Radiation Measurements (ARM) program at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site and simulates more realistic diurnal cycle of marine stratocumulus with the ERA-Interim reanalysis data. The low, high, and total cloud covers that are determined via PROGCS appear to be more realistic than those simulated via DIAGCS when both are compared with satellite retrievals though the former maintains slight negative biases. In addition, the simulations of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) from PROGCS runs have been considerably improved as well, resulting in less biases in radiative heating rates at heights below 850 hPa and above 400 hPa of GRAPES_GFS. Our results indicate that a prognostic method of cloud-cover calculation has significant advantage over the conventional diagnostic one, and it should be adopted in both weather and climate simulation and forecast.

Analysis of Stage and Clinical/Prognostic Factors for Lung Cancer from SEER Registries: AJCC Staging and Collaborative Stage Data Collection System

PubMed Central

Chen, Vivien W.; Ruiz, Bernardo A.; Hsieh, Mei-Chin; Wu, Xiao-Cheng; Ries, Lynn; Lewis, Denise R.

2014-01-01

Introduction The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 7th edition introduced major changes in the staging of lung cancer, including Tumor (T), Node (N), Metastasis (M) (TNM) system and new stage/prognostic site-specific factors (SSFs), collected under the Collaborative Stage Version 2 (CSv2) Data Collection System. The intent was to improve the stage precision which could guide treatment options and ultimately lead to better survival. This report examines stage trends, the change in stage distributions from the AJCC 6th to the 7th edition, and findings of the prognostic SSFs for 2010 lung cancer cases. Methods Data were from the November 2012 submission of 18 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program population-based registries. A total of 344 797 cases of lung cancer, diagnosed in 2004–2010, were analyzed. Results The percentages of small tumors and early stage lung cancer cases increased from 2004 to 2010. The AJCC 7th edition, implemented for 2010 diagnosis year, subclassified tumor size and reclassified multiple tumor nodules, pleural effusions, and involvement of tumors in the contralateral lung, resulting in a slight decrease in stage IB and stage IIIB and a small increase in stage IIA and stage IV. Overall about 80% of cases remained the same stage group in AJCC 6th and 7th editions. About 21% of lung cancer patients had separate tumor nodules in the ipsilateral (same) lung, and 23% of the surgically resected patients had visceral pleural invasion, both adverse prognostic factors. Conclusion It is feasible for high quality population-based registries such as the SEER Program to collect more refined staging and prognostic SSFs that allows better categorization of lung cancer patients with different clinical outcomes and to assess their survival. PMID:25412390

Distilling the Verification Process for Prognostics Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roychoudhury, Indranil; Saxena, Abhinav; Celaya, Jose R.; Goebel, Kai

2013-01-01

The goal of prognostics and health management (PHM) systems is to ensure system safety, and reduce downtime and maintenance costs. It is important that a PHM system is verified and validated before it can be successfully deployed. Prognostics algorithms are integral parts of PHM systems. This paper investigates a systematic process of verification of such prognostics algorithms. To this end, first, this paper distinguishes between technology maturation and product development. Then, the paper describes the verification process for a prognostics algorithm as it moves up to higher maturity levels. This process is shown to be an iterative process where verification activities are interleaved with validation activities at each maturation level. In this work, we adopt the concept of technology readiness levels (TRLs) to represent the different maturity levels of a prognostics algorithm. It is shown that at each TRL, the verification of a prognostics algorithm depends on verifying the different components of the algorithm according to the requirements laid out by the PHM system that adopts this prognostics algorithm. Finally, using simplified examples, the systematic process for verifying a prognostics algorithm is demonstrated as the prognostics algorithm moves up TRLs.

New prognostic factors and scoring system for patients with skeletal metastasis.

PubMed

Katagiri, Hirohisa; Okada, Rieko; Takagi, Tatsuya; Takahashi, Mitsuru; Murata, Hideki; Harada, Hideyuki; Nishimura, Tetsuo; Asakura, Hirofumi; Ogawa, Hirofumi

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to update a previous scoring system for patients with skeletal metastases, that was proposed by Katagiri et al. in 2005, by introducing a new factor (laboratory data) and analyzing a new patient cohort. Between January 2005 and January 2008, we treated 808 patients with symptomatic skeletal metastases. They were prospectively registered regardless of their treatments, and the last follow-up evaluation was performed in 2012. There were 441 male and 367 female patients with a median age of 64 years. Of these patients, 749 were treated nonsurgically while the remaining 59 underwent surgery for skeletal metastasis. A multivariate analysis was conducted using the Cox proportional hazards model. We identified six significant prognostic factors for survival, namely, the primary lesion, visceral or cerebral metastases, abnormal laboratory data, poor performance status, previous chemotherapy, and multiple skeletal metastases. The first three factors had a larger impact than the remaining three. The prognostic score was calculated by adding together all the scores for individual factors. With a prognostic score of ≥7, the survival rate was 27% at 6 months, and only 6% at 1 year. In contrast, patients with a prognostic score of ≤3 had a survival rate of 91% at 1 year, and 78% at 2 years. Comparing the revised system with the previous one, there was a significantly lower number of wrongly predicted patients using the revised system. This revised scoring system was able to predict the survival rates of patients with skeletal metastases more accurately than the previous system and may be useful for selecting an optimal treatment. © 2014 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Survey of Attitudes towards the Clinical Application of Systemic Inflammation Based Prognostic Scores in Cancer.

PubMed

Watt, David G; Roxburgh, Campbell S; White, Mark; Chan, Juen Zhik; Horgan, Paul G; McMillan, Donald C

2015-01-01

The systemic inflammatory response (SIR) plays a key role in determining nutritional status and survival of patients with cancer. A number of objective scoring systems have been shown to have prognostic value; however, their application in routine clinical practice is not clear. The aim of the present survey was to examine the range of opinions internationally on the routine use of these scoring systems. An online survey was distributed to a target group consisting of individuals worldwide who have reported an interest in systemic inflammation in patients with cancer. Of those invited by the survey (n = 238), 65% routinely measured the SIR, mainly for research and prognostication purposes and clinically for allocation of adjuvant therapy or palliative chemotherapy. 40% reported that they currently used the Glasgow Prognostic Score/modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS/mGPS) and 81% reported that a measure of systemic inflammation should be incorporated into clinical guidelines, such as the definition of cachexia. The majority of respondents routinely measured the SIR in patients with cancer, mainly using the GPS/mGPS for research and prognostication purposes. The majority reported that a measure of the SIR should be adopted into clinical guidelines.

A Generic Software Architecture For Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teubert, Christopher; Daigle, Matthew J.; Sankararaman, Shankar; Goebel, Kai; Watkins, Jason

2017-01-01

Prognostics is a systems engineering discipline focused on predicting end-of-life of components and systems. As a relatively new and emerging technology, there are few fielded implementations of prognostics, due in part to practitioners perceiving a large hurdle in developing the models, algorithms, architecture, and integration pieces. As a result, no open software frameworks for applying prognostics currently exist. This paper introduces the Generic Software Architecture for Prognostics (GSAP), an open-source, cross-platform, object-oriented software framework and support library for creating prognostics applications. GSAP was designed to make prognostics more accessible and enable faster adoption and implementation by industry, by reducing the effort and investment required to develop, test, and deploy prognostics. This paper describes the requirements, design, and testing of GSAP. Additionally, a detailed case study involving battery prognostics demonstrates its use.

Sensor systems for prognostics and health management.

PubMed

Cheng, Shunfeng; Azarian, Michael H; Pecht, Michael G

2010-01-01

Prognostics and health management (PHM) is an enabling discipline consisting of technologies and methods to assess the reliability of a product in its actual life cycle conditions to determine the advent of failure and mitigate system risk. Sensor systems are needed for PHM to monitor environmental, operational, and performance-related characteristics. The gathered data can be analyzed to assess product health and predict remaining life. In this paper, the considerations for sensor system selection for PHM applications, including the parameters to be measured, the performance needs, the electrical and physical attributes, reliability, and cost of the sensor system, are discussed. The state-of-the-art sensor systems for PHM and the emerging trends in technologies of sensor systems for PHM are presented.

Sensor Systems for Prognostics and Health Management

PubMed Central

Cheng, Shunfeng; Azarian, Michael H.; Pecht, Michael G.

2010-01-01

Prognostics and health management (PHM) is an enabling discipline consisting of technologies and methods to assess the reliability of a product in its actual life cycle conditions to determine the advent of failure and mitigate system risk. Sensor systems are needed for PHM to monitor environmental, operational, and performance-related characteristics. The gathered data can be analyzed to assess product health and predict remaining life. In this paper, the considerations for sensor system selection for PHM applications, including the parameters to be measured, the performance needs, the electrical and physical attributes, reliability, and cost of the sensor system, are discussed. The state-of-the-art sensor systems for PHM and the emerging trends in technologies of sensor systems for PHM are presented. PMID:22219686

Early rheumatoid disease. II. Patterns of joint involvement.

PubMed Central

Fleming, A; Benn, R T; Corbett, M; Wood, P H

1976-01-01

Data from the first research clinic visit (Fleming and others, 1976) have been subjected to factor analysis to identify early patterns of joint involvement. Nine patterns emerged. Two patterns, if present early, were found to have prognostic significance. An eventually more severe disease was associated with a pattern of large joint involvement (shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee) and a pattern based on metatarsophalangeal joints I and III. PMID:970995

Toward IVHM Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walsh, Kevin; Venti, Mike

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the prognostics of Integrated Vehicle Health Management. The contents include: 1) Aircraft Operations-Today's way of doing business; 2) Prognostics; 3) NASA's instrumentation data-system rack; 4) Data mining for IVHM; 5) NASA GRC's C-MAPSS generic engine model; and 6) Concluding thoughts.

Evaluation of pipe-type cable joint restraint systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Silver, D.A.; Seman, G.W.

1990-03-01

the purpose of this project was to evaluate two systems for restraining the movement of 345kV high-pressure oil-filled (HPOF) cable joints during load cycling. Problems with joints and adjacent cables due to thermomechanical bending (TMB) experienced by the Consolidated Edison Company of New York and Public Service Electric Gas Company of New Jersey are reviewed. Some approaches to reducing or preventing TMB induced damage to HPOF pipe type cable joints are discussed. The design and operation of a special test apparatus for simulating TMB effects under laboratory conditions is described. One of the two joint restraint systems evaluated under thismore » project was developed by PSE G and employed wedging devices, which could be retrofitted into existing installations, that limited the longitudinal movement of the joints during load cycling. The other system developed by Pirelli Cable Corporation applied the restraining force to the cylindrical portion of the hand applied joint insulation by means of support spiders and steel rods attached to the reducer faces. The test results show that the PSE G restraint system can effectively limit joint longitudinal movement while causing a minimal amount of mechanical disturbance to the joint stress cones. The test results obtained with the PCC system are inconclusive and indicate that further refinement and testing are required to demonstrate the effectiveness of this promising joint restraint system.« less

An inflammation-based cumulative prognostic score system in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma in rituximab era.

PubMed

Sun, Feifei; Zhu, Jia; Lu, Suying; Zhen, Zijun; Wang, Juan; Huang, Junting; Ding, Zonghui; Zeng, Musheng; Sun, Xiaofei

2018-01-02

Systemic inflammatory parameters are associated with poor outcomes in malignant patients. Several inflammation-based cumulative prognostic score systems were established for various solid tumors. However, there is few inflammation based cumulative prognostic score system for patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We retrospectively reviewed 564 adult DLBCL patients who had received rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (R-CHOP) therapy between Nov 1 2006 and Dec 30 2013 and assessed the prognostic significance of six systemic inflammatory parameters evaluated in previous studies by univariate and multivariate analysis:C-reactive protein(CRP), albumin levels, the lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR), the platelet-lymphocyte ratio(PLR)and fibrinogen levels. Multivariate analysis identified CRP, albumin levels and the LMR are three independent prognostic parameters for overall survival (OS). Based on these three factors, we constructed a novel inflammation-based cumulative prognostic score (ICPS) system. Four risk groups were formed: group ICPS = 0, ICPS = 1, ICPS = 2 and ICPS = 3. Advanced multivariate analysis indicated that the ICPS model is a prognostic score system independent of International Prognostic Index (IPI) for both progression-free survival (PFS) (p < 0.001) and OS (p < 0.001). The 3-year OS for patients with ICPS =0, ICPS =1, ICPS =2 and ICPS =3 were 95.6, 88.2, 76.0 and 62.2%, respectively (p < 0.001). The 3-year PFS for patients with ICPS = 0-1, ICPS = 2 and ICPS = 3 were 84.8, 71.6 and 54.5%, respectively (p < 0.001). The prognostic value of the ICPS model indicated that the degree of systemic inflammatory status was associated with clinical outcomes of patients with DLBCL in rituximab era. The ICPS model was shown to classify risk groups more accurately than any single inflammatory prognostic parameters. These findings may be

A novel gene expression-based prognostic scoring system to predict survival in gastric cancer

DOE PAGES

Wang, Pin; Wang, Yunshan; Hang, Bo; ...

2016-07-11

Analysis of gene expression patterns in gastric cancer (GC) can help to identify a comprehensive panel of gene biomarkers for predicting clinical outcomes and to discover potential new therapeutic targets. Here, a multi-step bioinformatics analytic approach was developed to establish a novel prognostic scoring system for GC. We first identified 276 genes that were robustly differentially expressed between normal and GC tissues, of which, 249 were found to be significantly associated with overall survival (OS) by univariate Cox regression analysis. The biological functions of 249 genes are related to cell cycle, RNA/ncRNA process, acetylation and extracellular matrix organization. A networkmore » was generated for view of the gene expression architecture of 249 genes in 265 GCs. Finally, we applied a canonical discriminant analysis approach to identify a 53-gene signature and a prognostic scoring system was established based on a canonical discriminant function of 53 genes. The prognostic scores strongly predicted patients with GC to have either a poor or good OS. Our study raises the prospect that the practicality of GC patient prognosis can be assessed by this prognostic scoring system.« less

A novel gene expression-based prognostic scoring system to predict survival in gastric cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Pin; Wang, Yunshan; Hang, Bo

Analysis of gene expression patterns in gastric cancer (GC) can help to identify a comprehensive panel of gene biomarkers for predicting clinical outcomes and to discover potential new therapeutic targets. Here, a multi-step bioinformatics analytic approach was developed to establish a novel prognostic scoring system for GC. We first identified 276 genes that were robustly differentially expressed between normal and GC tissues, of which, 249 were found to be significantly associated with overall survival (OS) by univariate Cox regression analysis. The biological functions of 249 genes are related to cell cycle, RNA/ncRNA process, acetylation and extracellular matrix organization. A networkmore » was generated for view of the gene expression architecture of 249 genes in 265 GCs. Finally, we applied a canonical discriminant analysis approach to identify a 53-gene signature and a prognostic scoring system was established based on a canonical discriminant function of 53 genes. The prognostic scores strongly predicted patients with GC to have either a poor or good OS. Our study raises the prospect that the practicality of GC patient prognosis can be assessed by this prognostic scoring system.« less

Joint Online Thesis and Research System (JOTARS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited JOINT ONLINE ...September 2006 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: Joint Online Thesis and Research System (JOTARS) 6. AUTHOR...prototype website is the Joint Online Thesis and Research System (JOTARS). The specific functional objectives of JOTARS are to establish standard

Prognostic nutritional index as a prognostic biomarker for survival in digestive system carcinomas.

PubMed

Zhao, Yang; Xu, Peng; Kang, Huafeng; Lin, Shuai; Wang, Meng; Yang, Pengtao; Dai, Cong; Liu, Xinghan; Liu, Kang; Zheng, Yi; Dai, Zhijun

2016-12-27

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) has been reported to correlate with the prognosis in patients with various malignancies. We performed a meta-analysis to determine the predictive potential of PNI in digestive system cancers. Twenty-three studies with a total of 7,384 patients suffering from digestive system carcinomas were involved in this meta-analysis. A lower PNI was significantly associated with the shorter overall survival (OS) [Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.83, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.62-2.07], the poorer disease-free survival (DFS) (HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.19-2.89), and the higher rate of post-operative complications (HR 2.31, 95% CI 1.63-3.28). In conclusion, PNI was allowed to function as an efficient indicator for the prognosis of patients with digestive system carcinomas.

Prognostic value of two tumour staging classifications in patients with sinonasal mucosal melanoma.

PubMed

Houette, A; Gilain, L; Mulliez, A; Mom, T; Saroul, N

2016-11-01

Sinonasal mucosal melanoma is a rare disease associated with a very poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of the 2 staging systems published in the literature for these tumours: the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Cancer Staging Manual for mucosal melanoma of the head and neck published in 2009 (7th edition) and the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual for cancers of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses published in 2002 (6th edition) and the prognostic value of tumour site, either limited to the nasal cavities or with paranasal sinus invasion. A retrospective study was conducted on 18 patients treated between August 1998 and June 2014. Each lesion was staged according to the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual 2002 and 2009 and the following data were collected: age, sex, tumour site, initial symptoms, treatment modalities, follow-up, recurrences and overall survival. Patient survival, from the date of discovery of the melanoma until death, was analysed by Kaplan-Meier survival curves and between-group comparison of survival was performed with a log rank test. The mean age at diagnosis was 72 years (range: 54-94) and the cohort comprised 11 women and 7 men. The median overall survival was 80 months, the 1-year overall survival was 82.6% and the 5-year overall survival was 54.5%. The AJCC 2002 staging system presented a statistically significant prognostic value (P=0.0476), while no statistically significant prognostic value was observed for the AJCC 2009 staging system (P=0.108). Paranasal sinus invasion was significantly associated with a poor prognosis (P=0.0039). This study demonstrates the superiority of the non-specific AJCC 2002 Cancer Staging Manual. Medical and surgical management must take paranasal sinus invasion into account, as it constitutes a major prognostic factor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Adaptive Multi-scale Prognostics and Health Management for Smart Manufacturing Systems

PubMed Central

Choo, Benjamin Y.; Adams, Stephen C.; Weiss, Brian A.; Marvel, Jeremy A.; Beling, Peter A.

2017-01-01

The Adaptive Multi-scale Prognostics and Health Management (AM-PHM) is a methodology designed to enable PHM in smart manufacturing systems. In application, PHM information is not yet fully utilized in higher-level decision-making in manufacturing systems. AM-PHM leverages and integrates lower-level PHM information such as from a machine or component with hierarchical relationships across the component, machine, work cell, and assembly line levels in a manufacturing system. The AM-PHM methodology enables the creation of actionable prognostic and diagnostic intelligence up and down the manufacturing process hierarchy. Decisions are then made with the knowledge of the current and projected health state of the system at decision points along the nodes of the hierarchical structure. To overcome the issue of exponential explosion of complexity associated with describing a large manufacturing system, the AM-PHM methodology takes a hierarchical Markov Decision Process (MDP) approach into describing the system and solving for an optimized policy. A description of the AM-PHM methodology is followed by a simulated industry-inspired example to demonstrate the effectiveness of AM-PHM. PMID:28736651

Generic Software Architecture for Prognostics (GSAP) User Guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teubert, Christopher Allen; Daigle, Matthew John; Watkins, Jason; Sankararaman, Shankar; Goebel, Kai

2016-01-01

The Generic Software Architecture for Prognostics (GSAP) is a framework for applying prognostics. It makes applying prognostics easier by implementing many of the common elements across prognostic applications. The standard interface enables reuse of prognostic algorithms and models across systems using the GSAP framework.

Distributed Prognostics based on Structural Model Decomposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew J.; Bregon, Anibal; Roychoudhury, I.

2014-01-01

Within systems health management, prognostics focuses on predicting the remaining useful life of a system. In the model-based prognostics paradigm, physics-based models are constructed that describe the operation of a system and how it fails. Such approaches consist of an estimation phase, in which the health state of the system is first identified, and a prediction phase, in which the health state is projected forward in time to determine the end of life. Centralized solutions to these problems are often computationally expensive, do not scale well as the size of the system grows, and introduce a single point of failure. In this paper, we propose a novel distributed model-based prognostics scheme that formally describes how to decompose both the estimation and prediction problems into independent local subproblems whose solutions may be easily composed into a global solution. The decomposition of the prognostics problem is achieved through structural decomposition of the underlying models. The decomposition algorithm creates from the global system model a set of local submodels suitable for prognostics. Independent local estimation and prediction problems are formed based on these local submodels, resulting in a scalable distributed prognostics approach that allows the local subproblems to be solved in parallel, thus offering increases in computational efficiency. Using a centrifugal pump as a case study, we perform a number of simulation-based experiments to demonstrate the distributed approach, compare the performance with a centralized approach, and establish its scalability. Index Terms-model-based prognostics, distributed prognostics, structural model decomposition ABBREVIATIONS

A Comparison of Filter-based Approaches for Model-based Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew John; Saha, Bhaskar; Goebel, Kai

2012-01-01

Model-based prognostics approaches use domain knowledge about a system and its failure modes through the use of physics-based models. Model-based prognosis is generally divided into two sequential problems: a joint state-parameter estimation problem, in which, using the model, the health of a system or component is determined based on the observations; and a prediction problem, in which, using the model, the stateparameter distribution is simulated forward in time to compute end of life and remaining useful life. The first problem is typically solved through the use of a state observer, or filter. The choice of filter depends on the assumptions that may be made about the system, and on the desired algorithm performance. In this paper, we review three separate filters for the solution to the first problem: the Daum filter, an exact nonlinear filter; the unscented Kalman filter, which approximates nonlinearities through the use of a deterministic sampling method known as the unscented transform; and the particle filter, which approximates the state distribution using a finite set of discrete, weighted samples, called particles. Using a centrifugal pump as a case study, we conduct a number of simulation-based experiments investigating the performance of the different algorithms as applied to prognostics.

Minimally invasive arthrodesis for chronic sacroiliac joint dysfunction using the SImmetry SI Joint Fusion system.

PubMed

Miller, Larry E; Block, Jon E

2014-01-01

Chronic sacroiliac (SI) joint-related low back pain (LBP) is a common, yet under-diagnosed and undertreated condition due to difficulties in accurate diagnosis and highly variable treatment practices. In patients with debilitating SI-related LBP for at least 6 months duration who have failed conservative management, arthrodesis is a viable option. The SImmetry(®) SI Joint Fusion System is a novel therapy for SI joint fusion, not just fixation, which utilizes a minimally invasive surgical approach, instrumented fixation for immediate stability, and joint preparation with bone grafting for a secure construct in the long term. The purpose of this report is to describe the minimally invasive SI Joint Fusion System, including patient selection criteria, implant characteristics, surgical technique, postoperative recovery, and biomechanical testing results. Advantages and limitations of this system will be discussed.

Minimally invasive arthrodesis for chronic sacroiliac joint dysfunction using the SImmetry SI Joint Fusion system

PubMed Central

Miller, Larry E; Block, Jon E

2014-01-01

Chronic sacroiliac (SI) joint-related low back pain (LBP) is a common, yet under-diagnosed and undertreated condition due to difficulties in accurate diagnosis and highly variable treatment practices. In patients with debilitating SI-related LBP for at least 6 months duration who have failed conservative management, arthrodesis is a viable option. The SImmetry® SI Joint Fusion System is a novel therapy for SI joint fusion, not just fixation, which utilizes a minimally invasive surgical approach, instrumented fixation for immediate stability, and joint preparation with bone grafting for a secure construct in the long term. The purpose of this report is to describe the minimally invasive SI Joint Fusion System, including patient selection criteria, implant characteristics, surgical technique, postoperative recovery, and biomechanical testing results. Advantages and limitations of this system will be discussed. PMID:24851059

Prognostic scoring systems for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in a population-based setting: a report from the Swedish MDS register.

PubMed

Moreno Berggren, Daniel; Folkvaljon, Yasin; Engvall, Marie; Sundberg, Johan; Lambe, Mats; Antunovic, Petar; Garelius, Hege; Lorenz, Fryderyk; Nilsson, Lars; Rasmussen, Bengt; Lehmann, Sören; Hellström-Lindberg, Eva; Jädersten, Martin; Ejerblad, Elisabeth

2018-06-01

The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have highly variable outcomes and prognostic scoring systems are important tools for risk assessment and to guide therapeutic decisions. However, few population-based studies have compared the value of the different scoring systems. With data from the nationwide Swedish population-based MDS register we validated the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS), revised IPSS (IPSS-R) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification-based Prognostic Scoring System (WPSS). We also present population-based data on incidence, clinical characteristics including detailed cytogenetics and outcome from the register. The study encompassed 1329 patients reported to the register between 2009 and 2013, 14% of these had therapy-related MDS (t-MDS). Based on the MDS register, the yearly crude incidence of MDS in Sweden was 2·9 per 100 000 inhabitants. IPSS-R had a significantly better prognostic power than IPSS (P < 0·001). There was a trend for better prognostic power of IPSS-R compared to WPSS (P = 0·05) and for WPSS compared to IPSS (P = 0·07). IPSS-R was superior to both IPSS and WPSS for patients aged ≤70 years. Patients with t-MDS had a worse outcome compared to de novo MDS (d-MDS), however, the validity of the prognostic scoring systems was comparable for d-MDS and t-MDS. In conclusion, population-based studies are important to validate prognostic scores in a 'real-world' setting. In our nationwide cohort, the IPSS-R showed the best predictive power. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Thermal Protection System with Staggered Joints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Xavier D. (Inventor); Robinson, Michael J. (Inventor); Andrews, Thomas L. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

The thermal protection system disclosed herein is suitable for use with a spacecraft such as a reentry module or vehicle, where the spacecraft has a convex surface to be protected. An embodiment of the thermal protection system includes a plurality of heat resistant panels, each having an outer surface configured for exposure to atmosphere, an inner surface opposite the outer surface and configured for attachment to the convex surface of the spacecraft, and a joint edge defined between the outer surface and the inner surface. The joint edges of adjacent ones of the heat resistant panels are configured to mate with each other to form staggered joints that run between the peak of the convex surface and the base section of the convex surface.

QM-8 field joint protection system, volume 7

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hale, Elgie

1989-01-01

The pre-launch functioning data of the Field Joint Protection System (JPS) used on QM-8 are presented. Also included is the post fire condition of the JPS components following the test firing of the motor. The JPS components are: field joint heaters; field joint sensors; field joint moisture seal; moisture seal kevlar retaining straps; field joint external extruded cork insulation; vent valve; power cables; and igniter heater.

Development and validation of a prognostic scoring system for patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.

PubMed

Such, Esperanza; Germing, Ulrich; Malcovati, Luca; Cervera, José; Kuendgen, Andrea; Della Porta, Matteo G; Nomdedeu, Benet; Arenillas, Leonor; Luño, Elisa; Xicoy, Blanca; Amigo, Mari L; Valcarcel, David; Nachtkamp, Kathrin; Ambaglio, Ilaria; Hildebrandt, Barbara; Lorenzo, Ignacio; Cazzola, Mario; Sanz, Guillermo

2013-04-11

The natural course of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is highly variable but a widely accepted prognostic scoring system for patients with CMML is not available. The main aim of this study was to develop a new CMML-specific prognostic scoring system (CPSS) in a large series of 558 patients with CMML (training cohort, Spanish Group of Myelodysplastic Syndromes) and to validate it in an independent series of 274 patients (validation cohort, Heinrich Heine University Hospital, Düsseldorf, Germany, and San Matteo Hospital, Pavia, Italy). The most relevant variables for overall survival (OS) and evolution to acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) were FAB and WHO CMML subtypes, CMML-specific cytogenetic risk classification, and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion dependency. CPSS was able to segregate patients into 4 clearly different risk groups for OS (P < .001) and risk of AML evolution (P < .001) and its predictive capability was confirmed in the validation cohort. An alternative CPSS with hemoglobin instead of RBC transfusion dependency offered almost identical prognostic capability. This study confirms the prognostic impact of FAB and WHO subtypes, recognizes the importance of RBC transfusion dependency and cytogenetics, and offers a simple and powerful CPSS for accurately assessing prognosis and planning therapy in patients with CMML.

Accelerated Aging System for Prognostics of Power Semiconductor Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Celaya, Jose R.; Vashchenko, Vladislav; Wysocki, Philip; Saha, Sankalita

2010-01-01

Prognostics is an engineering discipline that focuses on estimation of the health state of a component and the prediction of its remaining useful life (RUL) before failure. Health state estimation is based on actual conditions and it is fundamental for the prediction of RUL under anticipated future usage. Failure of electronic devices is of great concern as future aircraft will see an increase of electronics to drive and control safety-critical equipment throughout the aircraft. Therefore, development of prognostics solutions for electronics is of key importance. This paper presents an accelerated aging system for gate-controlled power transistors. This system allows for the understanding of the effects of failure mechanisms, and the identification of leading indicators of failure which are essential in the development of physics-based degradation models and RUL prediction. In particular, this system isolates electrical overstress from thermal overstress. Also, this system allows for a precise control of internal temperatures, enabling the exploration of intrinsic failure mechanisms not related to the device packaging. By controlling the temperature within safe operation levels of the device, accelerated aging is induced by electrical overstress only, avoiding the generation of thermal cycles. The temperature is controlled by active thermal-electric units. Several electrical and thermal signals are measured in-situ and recorded for further analysis in the identification of leading indicators of failures. This system, therefore, provides a unique capability in the exploration of different failure mechanisms and the identification of precursors of failure that can be used to provide a health management solution for electronic devices.

Modeling joint restoration strategies for interdependent infrastructure systems

PubMed Central

Simonovic, Slobodan P.

2018-01-01

Life in the modern world depends on multiple critical services provided by infrastructure systems which are interdependent at multiple levels. To effectively respond to infrastructure failures, this paper proposes a model for developing optimal joint restoration strategy for interdependent infrastructure systems following a disruptive event. First, models for (i) describing structure of interdependent infrastructure system and (ii) their interaction process, are presented. Both models are considering the failure types, infrastructure operating rules and interdependencies among systems. Second, an optimization model for determining an optimal joint restoration strategy at infrastructure component level by minimizing the economic loss from the infrastructure failures, is proposed. The utility of the model is illustrated using a case study of electric-water systems. Results show that a small number of failed infrastructure components can trigger high level failures in interdependent systems; the optimal joint restoration strategy varies with failure occurrence time. The proposed models can help decision makers to understand the mechanisms of infrastructure interactions and search for optimal joint restoration strategy, which can significantly enhance safety of infrastructure systems. PMID:29649300

Modeling joint restoration strategies for interdependent infrastructure systems.

PubMed

Zhang, Chao; Kong, Jingjing; Simonovic, Slobodan P

2018-01-01

Life in the modern world depends on multiple critical services provided by infrastructure systems which are interdependent at multiple levels. To effectively respond to infrastructure failures, this paper proposes a model for developing optimal joint restoration strategy for interdependent infrastructure systems following a disruptive event. First, models for (i) describing structure of interdependent infrastructure system and (ii) their interaction process, are presented. Both models are considering the failure types, infrastructure operating rules and interdependencies among systems. Second, an optimization model for determining an optimal joint restoration strategy at infrastructure component level by minimizing the economic loss from the infrastructure failures, is proposed. The utility of the model is illustrated using a case study of electric-water systems. Results show that a small number of failed infrastructure components can trigger high level failures in interdependent systems; the optimal joint restoration strategy varies with failure occurrence time. The proposed models can help decision makers to understand the mechanisms of infrastructure interactions and search for optimal joint restoration strategy, which can significantly enhance safety of infrastructure systems.

Prognostics and health management system for hydropower plant based on fog computing and docker container

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Jian; Zhang, Mingqiang; Tian, Haiping; Huang, Bo; Fu, Wenlong

2018-02-01

In this paper, a novel prognostics and health management system architecture for hydropower plant equipment was proposed based on fog computing and Docker container. We employed the fog node to improve the real-time processing ability of improving the cloud architecture-based prognostics and health management system and overcome the problems of long delay time, network congestion and so on. Then Storm-based stream processing of fog node was present and could calculate the health index in the edge of network. Moreover, the distributed micros-service and Docker container architecture of hydropower plants equipment prognostics and health management was also proposed. Using the micro service architecture proposed in this paper, the hydropower unit can achieve the goal of the business intercommunication and seamless integration of different equipment and different manufacturers. Finally a real application case is given in this paper.

Solder Joint Health Monitoring Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delaney, Michael M.; Flynn, James; Browder, Mark

2009-01-01

A method of monitoring the health of selected solder joints, called SJ-BIST, has been developed by Ridgetop Group Inc. under a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract. The primary goal of this research program is to test and validate this method in a flight environment using realistically seeded faults in selected solder joints. An additional objective is to gather environmental data for future development of physics-based and data-driven prognostics algorithms. A test board is being designed using a Xilinx FPGA. These boards will be tested both in flight and on the ground using a shaker table and an altitude chamber.

Mechanical end joint system for structural column elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bush, H. G.; Wallsom, R. E. (Inventor)

1982-01-01

A mechanical end joint system, useful for the transverse connection of strut elements to a common node, comprises a node joint half with a semicircular tongue and groove, and a strut joint half with a semicircular tongue and groove. The two joint halves are engaged transversely and the connection is made secure by the inherent physical property characteristics of locking latches and/or by a spring-actioned shaft. A quick release mechanism provides rapid disengagement of the joint halves.

Pathohistological classification systems in gastric cancer: Diagnostic relevance and prognostic value

PubMed Central

Berlth, Felix; Bollschweiler, Elfriede; Drebber, Uta; Hoelscher, Arnulf H; Moenig, Stefan

2014-01-01

Several pathohistological classification systems exist for the diagnosis of gastric cancer. Many studies have investigated the correlation between the pathohistological characteristics in gastric cancer and patient characteristics, disease specific criteria and overall outcome. It is still controversial as to which classification system imparts the most reliable information, and therefore, the choice of system may vary in clinical routine. In addition to the most common classification systems, such as the Laurén and the World Health Organization (WHO) classifications, other authors have tried to characterize and classify gastric cancer based on the microscopic morphology and in reference to the clinical outcome of the patients. In more than 50 years of systematic classification of the pathohistological characteristics of gastric cancer, there is no sole classification system that is consistently used worldwide in diagnostics and research. However, several national guidelines for the treatment of gastric cancer refer to the Laurén or the WHO classifications regarding therapeutic decision-making, which underlines the importance of a reliable classification system for gastric cancer. The latest results from gastric cancer studies indicate that it might be useful to integrate DNA- and RNA-based features of gastric cancer into the classification systems to establish prognostic relevance. This article reviews the diagnostic relevance and the prognostic value of different pathohistological classification systems in gastric cancer. PMID:24914328

Evaluation of longitudinal joint tie bar system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-09-01

"An adequate longitudinal joint tie bar system is essential in the overall performance of concrete pavement. Excessive : longitudinal joint openings are believed to be caused by either inadequate tie bar size or spacing or improper tie bar : installa...

Elevated sacroilac joint uptake ratios in systemic lupus erythematosus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

De Smet, A.A.; Mahmood, T.; Robinson, R.G.

1984-08-01

Sacroiliac joint radiographs and radionuclide sacroiliac joint uptake ratios were obtained on 14 patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus. Elevated joint ratios were found unilaterally in two patients and bilaterally in seven patients when their lupus was active. In patients whose disease became quiescent, the uptake ratios returned to normal. Two patients had persistently elevated ratios with continued clinical and laboratory evidence of active lupus. Mild sacroiliac joint sclerosis and erosions were detected on pelvic radiographs in these same two patients. Elevated quantitative sacroiliac joint uptake ratios may occur as a manifestation of active systemic lupus erythematosus.

Prognostic value of long noncoding RNA MALAT1 in digestive system malignancies.

PubMed

Zhai, Hui; Li, Xiao-Mei; Maimaiti, Ailifeire; Chen, Qing-Jie; Liao, Wu; Lai, Hong-Mei; Liu, Fen; Yang, Yi-Ning

2015-01-01

MALAT1, a newly discovered long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), has been reported to be highly expressed in many types of cancers. This meta-analysis summarizes its potential prognostic value in digestive system malignancies. A quantitative meta-analysis was performed through a systematic search in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for eligible papers on the prognostic impact of MALAT1 in digestive system malignancies from inception to Apr. 25, 2015. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated to summarize the effect. Five studies were included in the study, with a total of 527 patients. A significant association was observed between MALAT1 abundance and poor overall survival (OS) of patients with digestive system malignancies, with pooled hazard ratio (HR) of 7.68 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.32-13.66, P<0.001). Meta sensitivity analysis suggested the reliability of our findings. No publication bias was observed. MALAT1 abundance may serve as a novel predictive factor for poor prognosis in patients with digestive system malignancies.

Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Prognostic Factors and Oncologic Outcome Analysis

PubMed Central

Magge, Deepa; Zenati, Mazen S.; Austin, Frances; Mavanur, Arun; Sathaiah, Magesh; Ramalingam, Lekshmi; Jones, Heather; Zureikat, Amer H.; Holtzman, Matthew; Ahrendt, Steven; Pingpank, James; Zeh, Herbert J.; Bartlett, David L.; Choudry, Haroon A.

2014-01-01

Background Most patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) present with late-stage, unresectable disease that responds poorly to systemic chemotherapy while, at the same time, effective targeted therapies are lacking. We assessed the efficacy of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC) in MPM. Methods We prospectively analyzed 65 patients with MPM undergoing CRS/HIPEC between 2001 and 2010. Kaplan–Meier survival curves and multivariate Cox-regression models identified prognostic factors affecting oncologic outcomes. Results Adequate CRS was achieved in 56 patients (CC-0 = 35; CC-1 = 21), and median simplified peritoneal cancer index (SPCI) was 12. Pathologic assessment revealed predominantly epithelioid histology (81 %) and biphasic histology (8 %), while lymph node involvement was uncommon (8 %). Major postoperative morbidity (grade III/IV) occurred in 23 patients (35 %), and 60-day mortality rate was 6 %. With median follow-up of 37 months, median overall survival was 46.2 months, with 1-, 2-, and 5-year overall survival probability of 77, 57, and 39 %, respectively. Median progression-free survival was 13.9 months, with 1-, 2-, and 5-year disease failure probability of 47, 68, and 83 %, respectively. In a multivariate Cox-regression model, age at surgery, SPCI >15, incomplete cytoreduction (CC-2/3), aggressive histology (epithelioid, biphasic), and postoperative sepsis were joint significant predictors of poor survival (chi square = 42.8; p = 0.00001), while age at surgery, SPCI >15, incomplete cytoreduction (CC-2/3), and aggressive histology (epithelioid, biphasic) were joint significant predictors of disease progression (Chi square = 30.6; p = 0.00001). Conclusions Tumor histology, disease burden, and the ability to achieve adequate surgical cytoreduction are essential prognostic factors in MPM patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC. PMID:24322529

The prognostic significance of UCA1 for predicting clinical outcome in patients with digestive system malignancies

PubMed Central

Zhu, Zheng-Ming

2017-01-01

Background Urothelial Carcinoma Associated 1 (UCA1) was an originally identified lncRNA in bladder cancer. Previous studies have reported that UCA1 played a significant role in various types of cancer. This study aimed to clarify the prognostic value of UCA1 in digestive system cancers. Results The meta-analysis of 15 studies were included, comprising 1441 patients with digestive system cancers. The pooled results of 14 studies indicated that high expression of UCA1 was significantly associated with poorer OS in patients with digestive system cancers (HR: 1.89, 95 % CI: 1.52–2.26). In addition, UCA1 could be as an independent prognostic factor for predicting OS of patients (HR: 1.85, 95 % CI: 1.45–2.25). The pooled results of 3 studies indicated a significant association between UCA1 and DFS in patients with digestive system cancers (HR = 2.50; 95 % CI = 1.30–3.69). Statistical significance was also observed in subgroup meta-analysis. Furthermore, the clinicopathological values of UCA1 were discussed in esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer. Materials and methods A comprehensive retrieval was performed to search studies evaluating the prognostic value of UCA1 in digestive system cancers. Many databases were involved, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang database. Quantitative meta-analysis was performed with standard statistical methods and the prognostic significance of UCA1 in digestive system cancers was qualified. Conclusions Elevated level of UCA1 indicated the poor clinical outcome for patients with digestive system cancers. It may serve as a new biomarker related to prognosis in digestive system cancers. PMID:28380443

The prognostic significance of UCA1 for predicting clinical outcome in patients with digestive system malignancies.

PubMed

Liu, Fang-Teng; Dong, Qing; Gao, Hui; Zhu, Zheng-Ming

2017-06-20

Urothelial Carcinoma Associated 1 (UCA1) was an originally identified lncRNA in bladder cancer. Previous studies have reported that UCA1 played a significant role in various types of cancer. This study aimed to clarify the prognostic value of UCA1 in digestive system cancers. The meta-analysis of 15 studies were included, comprising 1441 patients with digestive system cancers. The pooled results of 14 studies indicated that high expression of UCA1 was significantly associated with poorer OS in patients with digestive system cancers (HR: 1.89, 95 % CI: 1.52-2.26). In addition, UCA1 could be as an independent prognostic factor for predicting OS of patients (HR: 1.85, 95 % CI: 1.45-2.25). The pooled results of 3 studies indicated a significant association between UCA1 and DFS in patients with digestive system cancers (HR = 2.50; 95 % CI = 1.30-3.69). Statistical significance was also observed in subgroup meta-analysis. Furthermore, the clinicopathological values of UCA1 were discussed in esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer. A comprehensive retrieval was performed to search studies evaluating the prognostic value of UCA1 in digestive system cancers. Many databases were involved, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang database. Quantitative meta-analysis was performed with standard statistical methods and the prognostic significance of UCA1 in digestive system cancers was qualified. Elevated level of UCA1 indicated the poor clinical outcome for patients with digestive system cancers. It may serve as a new biomarker related to prognosis in digestive system cancers.

State of the art and taxonomy of prognostics approaches, trends of prognostics applications and open issues towards maturity at different technology readiness levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Javed, Kamran; Gouriveau, Rafael; Zerhouni, Noureddine

2017-09-01

Integrating prognostics to a real application requires a certain maturity level and for this reason there is a lack of success stories about development of a complete Prognostics and Health Management system. In fact, the maturity of prognostics is closely linked to data and domain specific entities like modeling. Basically, prognostics task aims at predicting the degradation of engineering assets. However, practically it is not possible to precisely predict the impending failure, which requires a thorough understanding to encounter different sources of uncertainty that affect prognostics. Therefore, different aspects crucial to the prognostics framework, i.e., from monitoring data to remaining useful life of equipment need to be addressed. To this aim, the paper contributes to state of the art and taxonomy of prognostics approaches and their application perspectives. In addition, factors for prognostics approach selection are identified, and new case studies from component-system level are discussed. Moreover, open challenges toward maturity of the prognostics under uncertainty are highlighted and scheme for an efficient prognostics approach is presented. Finally, the existing challenges for verification and validation of prognostics at different technology readiness levels are discussed with respect to open challenges.

Dynamic analysis of clamp band joint system subjected to axial vibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Z. Y.; Yan, S. Z.; Chu, F. L.

2010-10-01

Clamp band joints are commonly used for connecting circular components together in industry. Some of the systems jointed by clamp band are subjected to dynamic load. However, very little research on the dynamic characteristics for this kind of joint can be found in the literature. In this paper, a dynamic model for clamp band joint system is developed. Contact and frictional slip between the components are accommodated in this model. Nonlinear finite element analysis is conducted to identify the model parameters. Then static experiments are carried out on a scaled model of the clamp band joint to validate the joint model. Finally, the model is adopted to study the dynamic characteristics of the clamp band joint system subjected to axial harmonic excitation and the effects of the wedge angle of the clamp band joint and the preload on the response. The model proposed in this paper can represent the nonlinearity of the clamp band joint and be used conveniently to investigate the effects of the structural and loading parameters on the dynamic characteristics of this type of joint system.

A Distributed Prognostic Health Management Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhaskar, Saha; Saha, Sankalita; Goebel, Kai

2009-01-01

This paper introduces a generic distributed prognostic health management (PHM) architecture with specific application to the electrical power systems domain. Current state-of-the-art PHM systems are mostly centralized in nature, where all the processing is reliant on a single processor. This can lead to loss of functionality in case of a crash of the central processor or monitor. Furthermore, with increases in the volume of sensor data as well as the complexity of algorithms, traditional centralized systems become unsuitable for successful deployment, and efficient distributed architectures are required. A distributed architecture though, is not effective unless there is an algorithmic framework to take advantage of its unique abilities. The health management paradigm envisaged here incorporates a heterogeneous set of system components monitored by a varied suite of sensors and a particle filtering (PF) framework that has the power and the flexibility to adapt to the different diagnostic and prognostic needs. Both the diagnostic and prognostic tasks are formulated as a particle filtering problem in order to explicitly represent and manage uncertainties; however, typically the complexity of the prognostic routine is higher than the computational power of one computational element ( CE). Individual CEs run diagnostic routines until the system variable being monitored crosses beyond a nominal threshold, upon which it coordinates with other networked CEs to run the prognostic routine in a distributed fashion. Implementation results from a network of distributed embedded devices monitoring a prototypical aircraft electrical power system are presented, where the CEs are Sun Microsystems Small Programmable Object Technology (SPOT) devices.

Prognostic Stratification of Patients With Advanced Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

PubMed

De Paz, Dante; Kao, Huang-Kai; Huang, Yenlin; Chang, Kai-Ping

2017-08-10

Prognosis of advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma remains a challenge for clinicians despite progress in its diagnosis and treatment over the past decades. In this review, we assessed clinicopathological factors and potential biomarkers along with their prognostic relevance in an attempt to develop optimal treatment strategies for these patients. In addition to several pathologic factors that have been proposed to improve prognostic stratification and treatment planning in the eighth edition of the American Joint Committee staging manual on cancer, we reviewed some other imaging and clinicopathological parameters demonstrated to be closely associated with patient prognosis, along with the biomarkers related to novel target or immune therapy. Evaluation of current literature regarding the prognostic stratification used in contemporary clinicopathological studies and progress in the development of targeted or immune therapy may help these patients benefit from tailored and personalized treatment and obtain better oncological results.

Local-Level Prognostics Health Management Systems Framework for Passive AdvSMR Components. Interim Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Roy, Surajit; Hirt, Evelyn H.

2014-09-12

This report describes research results to date in support of the integration and demonstration of diagnostics technologies for prototypical AdvSMR passive components (to establish condition indices for monitoring) with model-based prognostics methods. The focus of the PHM methodology and algorithm development in this study is at the localized scale. Multiple localized measurements of material condition (using advanced nondestructive measurement methods), along with available measurements of the stressor environment, enhance the performance of localized diagnostics and prognostics of passive AdvSMR components and systems.

Distributed Prognostic Health Management with Gaussian Process Regression

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saha, Sankalita; Saha, Bhaskar; Saxena, Abhinav; Goebel, Kai Frank

2010-01-01

Distributed prognostics architecture design is an enabling step for efficient implementation of health management systems. A major challenge encountered in such design is formulation of optimal distributed prognostics algorithms. In this paper. we present a distributed GPR based prognostics algorithm whose target platform is a wireless sensor network. In addition to challenges encountered in a distributed implementation, a wireless network poses constraints on communication patterns, thereby making the problem more challenging. The prognostics application that was used to demonstrate our new algorithms is battery prognostics. In order to present trade-offs within different prognostic approaches, we present comparison with the distributed implementation of a particle filter based prognostics for the same battery data.

Integrated High-Speed Torque Control System for a Robotic Joint

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Donald R. (Inventor); Radford, Nicolaus A. (Inventor); Permenter, Frank Noble (Inventor); Valvo, Michael C. (Inventor); Askew, R. Scott (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A control system for achieving high-speed torque for a joint of a robot includes a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) having a collocated joint processor and high-speed communication bus. The PCBA may also include a power inverter module (PIM) and local sensor conditioning electronics (SCE) for processing sensor data from one or more motor position sensors. Torque control of a motor of the joint is provided via the PCBA as a high-speed torque loop. Each joint processor may be embedded within or collocated with the robotic joint being controlled. Collocation of the joint processor, PIM, and high-speed bus may increase noise immunity of the control system, and the localized processing of sensor data from the joint motor at the joint level may minimize bus cabling to and from each control node. The joint processor may include a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

Lifecycle Prognostics Architecture for Selected High-Cost Active Components

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

N. Lybeck; B. Pham; M. Tawfik

There are an extensive body of knowledge and some commercial products available for calculating prognostics, remaining useful life, and damage index parameters. The application of these technologies within the nuclear power community is still in its infancy. Online monitoring and condition-based maintenance is seeing increasing acceptance and deployment, and these activities provide the technological bases for expanding to add predictive/prognostics capabilities. In looking to deploy prognostics there are three key aspects of systems that are presented and discussed: (1) component/system/structure selection, (2) prognostic algorithms, and (3) prognostics architectures. Criteria are presented for component selection: feasibility, failure probability, consequences of failure,more » and benefits of the prognostics and health management (PHM) system. The basis and methods commonly used for prognostics algorithms are reviewed and summarized. Criteria for evaluating PHM architectures are presented: open, modular architecture; platform independence; graphical user interface for system development and/or results viewing; web enabled tools; scalability; and standards compatibility. Thirteen software products were identified and discussed in the context of being potentially useful for deployment in a PHM program applied to systems in a nuclear power plant (NPP). These products were evaluated by using information available from company websites, product brochures, fact sheets, scholarly publications, and direct communication with vendors. The thirteen products were classified into four groups of software: (1) research tools, (2) PHM system development tools, (3) deployable architectures, and (4) peripheral tools. Eight software tools fell into the deployable architectures category. Of those eight, only two employ all six modules of a full PHM system. Five systems did not offer prognostic estimates, and one system employed the full health monitoring suite but lacked

A new extranodal scoring system based on the prognostically relevant extranodal sites in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified treated with chemoimmunotherapy.

PubMed

Hwang, Hee Sang; Yoon, Dok Hyun; Suh, Cheolwon; Huh, Jooryung

2016-08-01

Extranodal involvement is a well-known prognostic factor in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). Nevertheless, the prognostic impact of the extranodal scoring system included in the conventional international prognostic index (IPI) has been questioned in an era where rituximab treatment has become widespread. We investigated the prognostic impacts of individual sites of extranodal involvement in 761 patients with DLBCL who received rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy. Subsequently, we established a new extranodal scoring system based on extranodal sites, showing significant prognostic correlation, and compared this system with conventional scoring systems, such as the IPI and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network-IPI (NCCN-IPI). An internal validation procedure, using bootstrapped samples, was also performed for both univariate and multivariate models. Using multivariate analysis with a backward variable selection, we found nine extranodal sites (the liver, lung, spleen, central nervous system, bone marrow, kidney, skin, adrenal glands, and peritoneum) that remained significant for use in the final model. Our newly established extranodal scoring system, based on these sites, was better correlated with patient survival than standard scoring systems, such as the IPI and the NCCN-IPI. Internal validation by bootstrapping demonstrated an improvement in model performance of our modified extranodal scoring system. Our new extranodal scoring system, based on the prognostically relevant sites, may improve the performance of conventional prognostic models of DLBCL in the rituximab era and warrants further external validation using large study populations.

Prognostic value of long noncoding RNA MALAT1 in digestive system malignancies

PubMed Central

Zhai, Hui; Li, Xiao-Mei; Maimaiti, Ailifeire; Chen, Qing-Jie; Liao, Wu; Lai, Hong-Mei; Liu, Fen; Yang, Yi-Ning

2015-01-01

Background: MALAT1, a newly discovered long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), has been reported to be highly expressed in many types of cancers. This meta-analysis summarizes its potential prognostic value in digestive system malignancies. Methods: A quantitative meta-analysis was performed through a systematic search in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for eligible papers on the prognostic impact of MALAT1 in digestive system malignancies from inception to Apr. 25, 2015. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated to summarize the effect. Results: Five studies were included in the study, with a total of 527 patients. A significant association was observed between MALAT1 abundance and poor overall survival (OS) of patients with digestive system malignancies, with pooled hazard ratio (HR) of 7.68 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.32-13.66, P<0.001). Meta sensitivity analysis suggested the reliability of our findings. No publication bias was observed. Conclusions: MALAT1 abundance may serve as a novel predictive factor for poor prognosis in patients with digestive system malignancies. PMID:26770406

Prognostic risk stratification derived from individual patient level data for men with advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma receiving first-line systemic therapy.

PubMed

Pond, Gregory R; Di Lorenzo, Giuseppe; Necchi, Andrea; Eigl, Bernhard J; Kolinsky, Michael P; Chacko, Raju T; Dorff, Tanya B; Harshman, Lauren C; Milowsky, Matthew I; Lee, Richard J; Galsky, Matthew D; Federico, Piera; Bolger, Graeme; DeShazo, Mollie; Mehta, Amitkumar; Goyal, Jatinder; Sonpavde, Guru

2014-05-01

Prognostic factors in men with penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) receiving systemic therapy are unknown. A prognostic classification system in this disease may facilitate interpretation of outcomes and guide rational drug development. We performed a retrospective analysis to identify prognostic factors in men with PSCC receiving first-line systemic therapy for advanced disease. Individual patient level data were obtained from 13 institutions to study prognostic factors in the context of first-line systemic therapy for advanced PSCC. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted to examine the prognostic effect of these candidate factors on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS): age, stage, hemoglobin, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, albumin, site of metastasis (visceral or nonvisceral), smoking, circumcision, regimen, ECOG performance status (PS), lymphovascular invasion, precancerous lesion, and surgery following chemotherapy. The effect of different treatments was then evaluated adjusting for factors in the prognostic model. The study included 140 eligible men. Mean age across all men was 57.0 years. Among them, 8.6%, 21.4%, and 70.0% of patients had stage 2, 3, and 4 diseases, respectively; 40.7% had ECOG PS ≥ 1, 47.4% had visceral metastases, and 73.6% received cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The multivariate model of poor prognostic factors included visceral metastases (P<0.001) and ECOG PS ≥ 1 (P<0.001) for both PFS and OS. A risk stratification model constructed with 0, 1, and both poor prognostic factors was internally validated and demonstrated moderate discriminatory ability (c-statistic of 0.657 and 0.677 for OS and PFS, respectively). The median OS for the entire population was 9 months. Median OS was not reached, 8, and 7 months for those with 0, 1, and both risk factors, respectively. Cisplatin-based regimens were associated with better OS (P = 0.017) but not PFS (P = 0.37) compared with noncisplatin

[Prognostic estimation in critical patients. Validation of a new and very simple system of prognostic estimation of survival in an intensive care unit].

PubMed

Abizanda, R; Padron, A; Vidal, B; Mas, S; Belenguer, A; Madero, J; Heras, A

2006-04-01

To make the validation of a new system of prognostic estimation of survival in critical patients (EPEC) seen in a multidisciplinar Intensive care unit (ICU). Prospective analysis of a patient cohort seen in the ICU of a multidisciplinar Intensive Medicine Service of a reference teaching hospital with 19 beds. Four hundred eighty four patients admitted consecutively over 6 months in 2003. Data collection of a basic minimum data set that includes patient identification data (gender, age), reason for admission and their origin, prognostic estimation of survival by EPEC, MPM II 0 and SAPS II (the latter two considered as gold standard). Mortality was evaluated on hospital discharge. EPEC validation was done with analysis of its discriminating capacity (ROC curve), calibration of its prognostic capacity (Hosmer Lemeshow C test), resolution of the 2 x 2 Contingency tables around different probability values (20, 50, 70 and mean value of prognostic estimation). The standardized mortality rate (SMR) for each one of the methods was calculated. Linear regression of the EPEC regarding the MPM II 0 and SAPS II was established and concordance analyses were done (Bland-Altman test) of the prediction of mortality by the three systems. In spite of an apparently good linear correlation, similar accuracy of prediction and discrimination capacity, EPEC is not well-calibrated (no likelihood of death greater than 50%) and the concordance analyses show that more than 10% of the pairs were outside the 95% confidence interval. In spite of its ease of application and calculation and of incorporating delay of admission in ICU as a variable, EPEC does not offer any predictive advantage on MPM II 0 or SAPS II, and its predictions adapt to reality worse.

A Model-Based Prognostics Approach Applied to Pneumatic Valves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew J.; Goebel, Kai

2011-01-01

Within the area of systems health management, the task of prognostics centers on predicting when components will fail. Model-based prognostics exploits domain knowledge of the system, its components, and how they fail by casting the underlying physical phenomena in a physics-based model that is derived from first principles. Uncertainty cannot be avoided in prediction, therefore, algorithms are employed that help in managing these uncertainties. The particle filtering algorithm has become a popular choice for model-based prognostics due to its wide applicability, ease of implementation, and support for uncertainty management. We develop a general model-based prognostics methodology within a robust probabilistic framework using particle filters. As a case study, we consider a pneumatic valve from the Space Shuttle cryogenic refueling system. We develop a detailed physics-based model of the pneumatic valve, and perform comprehensive simulation experiments to illustrate our prognostics approach and evaluate its effectiveness and robustness. The approach is demonstrated using historical pneumatic valve data from the refueling system.

Mechanical end joint system for connecting structural column elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bush, Harold G. (Inventor); Mikulas, Martin M., Jr. (Inventor); Wallsom, Richard E. (Inventor)

1990-01-01

A mechanical end joint system is presented that eliminates the possibility of free movements between the joint halves during loading or vibration. Both node joint body (NJB) and column end joint body (CEJB) have cylindrical engaging ends. Each of these ends has an integral semicircular tongue and groove. The two joint halves are engaged transversely - the tongue of the NJB mating with the groove of the CEJB and vice versa. The joint system employs a spring loaded internal latch mechanism housed in the CEJB. During mating, this mechanism is pushed away from the NJB and enters the NJB when mating is completed. In order to lock the joint and add a preload across the tongue and groove faces, an operating ring collar is rotated through 45 deg causing an internal mechanism to compress a Belleville washer preload mechanism. This causes an equal and opposite force to be exerted on the latch bolt and the latch plunger. This force presses the two joint halves tightly together. In order to prevent inadvertent disassembly, a secondary lock is also engaged when the joint is closed. Plungers are carried in the operating ring collar. When the joint is closed, the plungers fall into tracks on the CEJB, which allows the joint to be opened only when the operating ring collar and plungers are pushed directly away from the joining end. One application of this invention is the rapid assembly and disassembly of diverse skeletal framework structures which is extremely important in many projects involving the exploration of space.

Vehicle Integrated Prognostic Reasoner (VIPR) Metric Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cornhill, Dennis; Bharadwaj, Raj; Mylaraswamy, Dinkar

2013-01-01

This document outlines a set of metrics for evaluating the diagnostic and prognostic schemes developed for the Vehicle Integrated Prognostic Reasoner (VIPR), a system-level reasoner that encompasses the multiple levels of large, complex systems such as those for aircraft and spacecraft. VIPR health managers are organized hierarchically and operate together to derive diagnostic and prognostic inferences from symptoms and conditions reported by a set of diagnostic and prognostic monitors. For layered reasoners such as VIPR, the overall performance cannot be evaluated by metrics solely directed toward timely detection and accuracy of estimation of the faults in individual components. Among other factors, overall vehicle reasoner performance is governed by the effectiveness of the communication schemes between monitors and reasoners in the architecture, and the ability to propagate and fuse relevant information to make accurate, consistent, and timely predictions at different levels of the reasoner hierarchy. We outline an extended set of diagnostic and prognostics metrics that can be broadly categorized as evaluation measures for diagnostic coverage, prognostic coverage, accuracy of inferences, latency in making inferences, computational cost, and sensitivity to different fault and degradation conditions. We report metrics from Monte Carlo experiments using two variations of an aircraft reference model that supported both flat and hierarchical reasoning.

46 CFR 154.506 - Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system..., Construction and Equipment Cargo and Process Piping Systems § 154.506 Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system. Mechanical expansion joints in a piping system outside of a cargo tank: (a) May be...

46 CFR 154.506 - Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system..., Construction and Equipment Cargo and Process Piping Systems § 154.506 Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system. Mechanical expansion joints in a piping system outside of a cargo tank: (a) May be...

46 CFR 154.506 - Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system..., Construction and Equipment Cargo and Process Piping Systems § 154.506 Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system. Mechanical expansion joints in a piping system outside of a cargo tank: (a) May be...

46 CFR 154.506 - Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system..., Construction and Equipment Cargo and Process Piping Systems § 154.506 Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system. Mechanical expansion joints in a piping system outside of a cargo tank: (a) May be...

46 CFR 154.506 - Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system..., Construction and Equipment Cargo and Process Piping Systems § 154.506 Mechanical expansion joint: Limits in a piping system. Mechanical expansion joints in a piping system outside of a cargo tank: (a) May be...

Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) RCS: DD-A&T(Q&A)823-421 Airborne & Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS) As of FY 2017...Information Program Name Airborne & Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS) DoD Component Army Responsible Office References SAR...UNCLASSIFIED 5 Mission and Description Airborne & Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS) products are software programmable

Ultrasonic scanning system for in-place inspection of brazed tube joints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haynes, J. L.; Wages, C. G.; Haralson, H. S. (Inventor)

1973-01-01

A miniaturized ultrasonic scanning system for nondestructive in-place, non-immersion testing of brazed joints in stainless-steel tubing is described. The system is capable of scanning brazed tube joints, with limited clearance access, in 1/4 through 5/8 inch union, tee, elbow and cross configurations. The system has the capability to detect defective conditions now associated with material density changes in addition to those which are depended upon density variations. The system includes a miniaturized scanning head assembly that fits around a tube joint and rotates the transducer around and down the joint in a continuous spiral motion. The C-scan recorder is similar in principle to conventional models except that it was specially designed to track the continuous spiral scan of the tube joint. The scanner and recorder can be operated with most commercially available ultrasonic flaw detectors.

Joint design of QC-LDPC codes for coded cooperation system with joint iterative decoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shunwai; Yang, Fengfan; Tang, Lei; Ejaz, Saqib; Luo, Lin; Maharaj, B. T.

2016-03-01

In this paper, we investigate joint design of quasi-cyclic low-density-parity-check (QC-LDPC) codes for coded cooperation system with joint iterative decoding in the destination. First, QC-LDPC codes based on the base matrix and exponent matrix are introduced, and then we describe two types of girth-4 cycles in QC-LDPC codes employed by the source and relay. In the equivalent parity-check matrix corresponding to the jointly designed QC-LDPC codes employed by the source and relay, all girth-4 cycles including both type I and type II are cancelled. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations show that the jointly designed QC-LDPC coded cooperation well combines cooperation gain and channel coding gain, and outperforms the coded non-cooperation under the same conditions. Furthermore, the bit error rate performance of the coded cooperation employing jointly designed QC-LDPC codes is better than those of random LDPC codes and separately designed QC-LDPC codes over AWGN channels.

Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goebel, Kai; Vachtsevanos, George; Orchard, Marcos E.

2013-01-01

Knowledge discovery, statistical learning, and more specifically an understanding of the system evolution in time when it undergoes undesirable fault conditions, are critical for an adequate implementation of successful prognostic systems. Prognosis may be understood as the generation of long-term predictions describing the evolution in time of a particular signal of interest or fault indicator, with the purpose of estimating the remaining useful life (RUL) of a failing component/subsystem. Predictions are made using a thorough understanding of the underlying processes and factor in the anticipated future usage.

Towards Prognostics for Electronics Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saha, Bhaskar; Celaya, Jose R.; Wysocki, Philip F.; Goebel, Kai F.

2013-01-01

Electronics components have an increasingly critical role in avionics systems and in the development of future aircraft systems. Prognostics of such components is becoming a very important research field as a result of the need to provide aircraft systems with system level health management information. This paper focuses on a prognostics application for electronics components within avionics systems, and in particular its application to an Isolated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT). This application utilizes the remaining useful life prediction, accomplished by employing the particle filter framework, leveraging data from accelerated aging tests on IGBTs. These tests induced thermal-electrical overstresses by applying thermal cycling to the IGBT devices. In-situ state monitoring, including measurements of steady-state voltages and currents, electrical transients, and thermal transients are recorded and used as potential precursors of failure.

Requirements Flowdown for Prognostics and Health Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goebel, Kai; Saxena, Abhinav; Roychoudhury, Indranil; Celaya, Jose R.; Saha, Bhaskar; Saha, Sankalita

2012-01-01

Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) principles have considerable promise to change the game of lifecycle cost of engineering systems at high safety levels by providing a reliable estimate of future system states. This estimate is a key for planning and decision making in an operational setting. While technology solutions have made considerable advances, the tie-in into the systems engineering process is lagging behind, which delays fielding of PHM-enabled systems. The derivation of specifications from high level requirements for algorithm performance to ensure quality predictions is not well developed. From an engineering perspective some key parameters driving the requirements for prognostics performance include: (1) maximum allowable Probability of Failure (PoF) of the prognostic system to bound the risk of losing an asset, (2) tolerable limits on proactive maintenance to minimize missed opportunity of asset usage, (3) lead time to specify the amount of advanced warning needed for actionable decisions, and (4) required confidence to specify when prognosis is sufficiently good to be used. This paper takes a systems engineering view towards the requirements specification process and presents a method for the flowdown process. A case study based on an electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (e-UAV) scenario demonstrates how top level requirements for performance, cost, and safety flow down to the health management level and specify quantitative requirements for prognostic algorithm performance.

An Uncertainty Quantification Framework for Prognostics and Condition-Based Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sankararaman, Shankar; Goebel, Kai

2014-01-01

This paper presents a computational framework for uncertainty quantification in prognostics in the context of condition-based monitoring of aerospace systems. The different sources of uncertainty and the various uncertainty quantification activities in condition-based prognostics are outlined in detail, and it is demonstrated that the Bayesian subjective approach is suitable for interpreting uncertainty in online monitoring. A state-space model-based framework for prognostics, that can rigorously account for the various sources of uncertainty, is presented. Prognostics consists of two important steps. First, the state of the system is estimated using Bayesian tracking, and then, the future states of the system are predicted until failure, thereby computing the remaining useful life of the system. The proposed framework is illustrated using the power system of a planetary rover test-bed, which is being developed and studied at NASA Ames Research Center.

Prognostic Role of Phospho-STAT3 in Patients with Cancers of the Digestive System: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Li, Mu-xing; Bi, Xin-yu; Huang, Zhen; Zhao, Jian-jun; Han, Yue; Li, Zhi-Yu; Zhang, Ye-fan; Li, Yuan; Chen, Xiao; Hu, Xu-hui; Zhao, Hong; Cai, Jian-qiang

2015-01-01

The definite prognostic role of p-STAT3 has not been well defined. We performed a meta-analysis evaluating the prognostic role of p-STAT3 expression in patients with digestive system cancers. We searched the available articles reporting the prognostic value of p-STAT3 in patients with cancers of the digestive system, mainly including colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, esophagus cancer and pancreatic cancer. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were used to assess the prognostic role of p-STAT3 expression level in cancer tissues. And the association between p-STAT3 expression and clinicopathological characteristics was evaluated. A total of 22 studies with 3585 patients were finally enrolled in the meta-analysis. The results showed that elevated p-STAT3 expression level predicted inferior OS (HR = 1.809, 95% CI: 1.442-2.270, P < 0.001) and DFS (HR = 1.481, 95% CI: 1.028-2.133, P = 0.035) in patients with malignant cancers of the digestive system. Increased expression of p-STAT3 is significantly related with tumor cell differentiation (Odds ratio (OR) = 1.895, 95% CI: 1.364-2.632, P < 0.001) and lymph node metastases (OR = 2.108, 95% CI: 1.104-4.024, P = 0.024). Sensitivity analysis suggested that the pooled HR was stable and omitting a single study did not change the significance of the pooled HR. Funnel plots and Egger's tests revealed there was no significant publication bias in the meta-analysis. Phospho-STAT3 might be a prognostic factor of patients with digestive system cancers. More well designed studies with adequate follow-up are needed to gain a thorough understanding of the prognostic role of p-STAT3.

Autonomous diagnostics and prognostics of signal and data distribution systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blemel, Kenneth G.

2001-07-01

Wiring is the nervous system of any complex system and is attached to or services nearly every subsystem. Damage to optical wiring systems can cause serious interruptions in communication, command and control systems. Electrical wiring faults and failures due to opens, shorts, and arcing probably result in adverse effects to the systems serviced by the wiring. Abnormalities in a system usually can be detected by monitoring some wiring parameter such as vibration, data activity or power consumption. This paper introduces the mapping of wiring to critical functions during system engineering to automatically define the Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis. This mapping can be used to define the sensory processes needed to perform diagnostics during system engineering. This paper also explains the use of Operational Modes and Criticality Effects Analysis in the development of Sentient Wiring Systems as a means for diagnostic, prognostics and health management of wiring in aerospace and transportation systems.

Colorado River Sewer System Joint Venture to Upgrade Wastewater System

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

SAN FRANCISCO -Today, the Colorado River Sewer System Joint Venture, located in Parker, Ariz. entered into an agreement with the EPA to upgrade their wastewater treatment system to meet stringent water quality standards. The cost of the upgrade is ap

Virtual Passive Controller for Robot Systems Using Joint Torque Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aldridge, Hal A.; Juang, Jer-Nan

1997-01-01

This paper presents a control method based on virtual passive dynamic control that will stabilize a robot manipulator using joint torque sensors and a simple joint model. The method does not require joint position or velocity feedback for stabilization. The proposed control method is stable in the sense of Lyaponov. The control method was implemented on several joints of a laboratory robot. The controller showed good stability robustness to system parameter error and to the exclusion of nonlinear dynamic effects on the joints. The controller enhanced position tracking performance and, in the absence of position control, dissipated joint energy.

FE analysis of SMA-based bio-inspired bone-joint system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, S.; Seelecke, S.

2009-10-01

This paper presents the finite element (FE) analysis of a bio-inspired bone-joint system. Motivated by the BATMAV project, which aims at the development of a micro-air-vehicle platform that implements bat-like flapping flight capabilities, we study the actuation of a typical elbow joint, using shape memory alloy (SMA) in a dual manner. Micro-scale martensitic SMA wires are used as 'metal muscles' to actuate a system of humerus, elbow joint and radius, in concert with austenitic wires, which operate as flexible joints due to their superelastic character. For the FE analysis, the humerus and radius are modeled as standard elastic beams, while the elbow joint and muscle wires use the Achenbach-Muller-Seelecke SMA model as beams and cable elements, respectively. The particular focus of the paper is on the implementation of the above SMA model in COMSOL.

Field joint environmental protection system vibration/pressurization qualification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, M.

1989-01-01

The procedures used and results obtained from vibration testing the redesigned solid rocket motor (RSRM) field joint environmental protection system (FJEPS), hereafter referred to as the joint protection system (JPS) are documented. The major purposes were to certify that the flight-designed JPS will withstand the dynamic environmental conditions of the redesigned solid rocket booster, and to certify that the cartridge check valve (vent valve) will relieve pressure build-up under the JPS during the initial 120 sec of flight. Also, an evaluation of the extruded cork insulation bonding was performed after the vibration testing.

Prognostic Value of Ultrasound Grading Systems in Prenatally Diagnosed Unilateral Urinary Tract Dilatation.

PubMed

Scalabre, Aurélien; Demède, Delphine; Gaillard, Ségolène; Pracros, Jean-Pierre; Mouriquand, Pierre; Mure, Pierre-Yves

2017-04-01

We compared the prognostic value of anteroposterior intrasinus diameter of the renal pelvis, urinary tract dilatation and the Society for Fetal Urology grading system in children with prenatally diagnosed unilateral urinary tract dilatation. All newborns with prenatally diagnosed unilateral urinary tract dilatation, normal bladder and anteroposterior intrasinus diameter 10 mm or greater on the first postnatal ultrasonography were prospectively enrolled from January 2011 to February 2015. Indications for surgery were recurrent febrile urinary tract infections and/or decrease of relative renal function more than 10% on serial isotope studies and/or increasing anteroposterior intrasinus diameter greater than 20% on serial ultrasounds. Sensitivity, specificity and ROC curves were calculated to evaluate the accuracy of anteroposterior intrasinus diameter, urinary tract dilatation and Society for Fetal Urology grading system in determining which children would need surgery within 24 months. A total of 57 males and 13 females were included. Of the patients 33 required surgery at a median age of 5 months (IQR 3.8 to 6.4). Urinary tract dilatation remained stable in 14 cases and decreased in 23 with a median followup of 42 months (IQR 25 to 67). Anteroposterior intrasinus diameter, urinary tract dilatation and Society for Fetal Urology scores were all correlated with the need for surgery. Anteroposterior intrasinus diameter with a threshold of 20 mm had the best prognostic value, with a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 91.7%. Our study confirms that the prognostic value was comparable between anteroposterior intrasinus diameter of the renal pelvis, urinary tract dilatation and Society for Fetal Urology grading system in newborns with prenatally diagnosed unilateral urinary tract dilatation. Anteroposterior intrasinus diameter and abnormal parenchymal thickness are the most important ultrasound criteria to identify children at risk for requiring surgery

EUTOS CML prognostic scoring system predicts ELN-based 'event-free survival' better than Euro/Hasford and Sokal systems in CML patients receiving front-line imatinib mesylate.

PubMed

Uz, Burak; Buyukasik, Yahya; Atay, Hilmi; Kelkitli, Engin; Turgut, Mehmet; Bektas, Ozlen; Eliacik, Eylem; Isik, Ayşe; Aksu, Salih; Goker, Hakan; Sayinalp, Nilgun; Ozcebe, Osman I; Haznedaroglu, Ibrahim C

2013-09-01

The validity of the three currently used chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) scoring systems (Sokal CML prognostic scoring system, Euro/Hasford CML scoring system, and the EUTOS CML prognostic scoring system) were compared in the CML patients receiving frontline imatinib mesylate. One hundred and fourty-three chronic phase CML patients (71 males, 72 females) taking imatinib as frontline treatment were included in the study. The median age was 44 (16-82) years. Median total and on-imatinib follow-up durations were 29 (3.8-130) months and 25 (3-125) months, respectively. The complete hematological response (CHR) rate at 3 months was 95%. The best cumulative complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) rate at 24 months was 79.6%. Euro/Hasford scoring system was well-correlated with both Sokal and EUTOS scores (r = 0.6, P < 0.001 and r = 0.455, P < 0.001). However, there was only a weak correlation between Sokal and EUTOS scores (r = 0.2, P = 0.03). The 5-year median estimated event-free survival for low and high EUTOS risk patients were 62.6 (25.7-99.5) and 15.3 (7.4-23.2) months, respectively (P < 0.001). This performance was better than Sokal (P = 0.3) and Euro/Hasford (P = 0.04) scoring systems. Overall survival and CCyR rates were also better predicted by the EUTOS score. EUTOS CML prognostic scoring system, which is the only prognostic system developed during the imatinib era, predicts European LeukemiaNet (ELN)-based event-free survival better than Euro/Hasford and Sokal systems in CML patients receiving frontline imatinib mesylate. This observation might have important clinical implications.

Long-term outcome of 2920 patients with cancers of the esophagus and esophagogastric junction: evaluation of the New Union Internationale Contre le Cancer/American Joint Cancer Committee staging system.

PubMed

Gertler, Ralf; Stein, Hubert J; Langer, Rupert; Nettelmann, Marc; Schuster, Tibor; Hoefler, Heinz; Siewert, Joerg-Ruediger; Feith, Marcus

2011-04-01

We analyzed the long-term outcome of patients operated for esophageal cancer and evaluated the new seventh edition of the tumor-node-metastasis classification for cancers of the esophagus. Retrospective analysis and new classification. Data of a single-center cohort of 2920 patients operated for cancers of the esophagus according to the seventh edition are presented. Statistical methods to evaluate survival and the prognostic performance of the staging systems included Kaplan-Meier analyses and time-dependent receiver-operating-characteristic-analysis. Union Internationale Contre le Cancer stage, R-status, histologic tumor type and age were identified as independent prognostic factors for cancers of the esophagus. Grade and tumor site, additional parameters in the new American Joint Cancer Committee prognostic groupings, were not significantly correlated with survival. Esophageal adenocarcinoma showed a significantly better long-term prognosis after resection than squamous cell carcinoma (P < 0.0001). The new number-dependent N-classification proved superior to the former site-dependent classification with significantly decreasing prognosis with the increasing number of lymph node metastases (P < 0.001). The new subclassification of T1 tumors also revealed significant differences in prognosis between pT1a and pT1b patients (P < 0.001). However, the multiple new Union Internationale Contre le Cancer and American Joint Cancer Committee subgroupings did not prove distinctive for survival between stages IIA and IIB, between IIIA and IIIB, and between IIIC and IV. The new seventh edition of the tumor-node-metastasis classification improved the predictive ability for cancers of the esophagus; however, stage groups could be condensed to a clinically relevant number. Differences in patient characteristics, pathogenesis, and especially survival clearly identify adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus as 2 separate tumor entities requiring differentiated

Prognostics of Power Electronics, Methods and Validation Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, Chetan S.; Celaya, Jose R.; Biswas, Gautam; Goebel, Kai

2012-01-01

Abstract Failure of electronic devices is a concern for future electric aircrafts that will see an increase of electronics to drive and control safety-critical equipment throughout the aircraft. As a result, investigation of precursors to failure in electronics and prediction of remaining life of electronic components is of key importance. DC-DC power converters are power electronics systems employed typically as sourcing elements for avionics equipment. Current research efforts in prognostics for these power systems focuses on the identification of failure mechanisms and the development of accelerated aging methodologies and systems to accelerate the aging process of test devices, while continuously measuring key electrical and thermal parameters. Preliminary model-based prognostics algorithms have been developed making use of empirical degradation models and physics-inspired degradation model with focus on key components like electrolytic capacitors and power MOSFETs (metal-oxide-semiconductor-field-effect-transistor). This paper presents current results on the development of validation methods for prognostics algorithms of power electrolytic capacitors. Particularly, in the use of accelerated aging systems for algorithm validation. Validation of prognostics algorithms present difficulties in practice due to the lack of run-to-failure experiments in deployed systems. By using accelerated experiments, we circumvent this problem in order to define initial validation activities.

A Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Coordinate System Based on Articular Surface Geometry

PubMed Central

Halilaj, Eni; Rainbow, Michael J.; Got, Christopher; Moore, Douglas C.; Crisco, Joseph J.

2013-01-01

The thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint is a saddle-shaped articulation whose in vivo kinematics can be explored more accurately with computed tomography (CT) imaging methods than with previously used skin-based marker systems. These CT-based methods permit a detailed analysis of the morphology of the joint, and thus the prominent saddle-shaped geometry can be used to define a coordinate system that is inherently aligned with the primary directions of motion at the joint. The purpose of this study was to develop a CMC joint coordinate systems that is based on the computed principal directions of curvature on the trapezium and the first metacarpal. We evaluated the new coordinate system using bone surface models segmented from the CT scans of twenty-four healthy subjects. An analysis of sensitivity to the manual selection of articular surfaces resulted in mean orientation differences of 0.7±0.7° and mean location differences of 0.2±0.1mm. Inter-subject variability, which mostly emanates from anatomical differences, was evaluated with whole bone registration and resulted in mean orientation differences of 3.1±2.7° and mean location differences of 0.9±0.5mm. The proposed joint coordinate system addresses concerns of repeatability associated with bony landmark identification and provides a robust platform for describing the complex kinematics of the CMC joint. PMID:23357698

A photoacoustic tomography and ultrasound combined system for proximal interphalangeal joint imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Guan; Rajian, Justin R.; Girish, Gandikota; Wang, Xueding

2013-03-01

A photoacoustic (PA) and ultrasound (US) dual modality system for imaging human peripheral joints is introduced. The system utilizes a commercial US unit for both US control imaging and PA signal acquisition. Preliminary in vivo evaluation of the system on normal volunteers revealed that this system can recover both the structural and functional information of intra- and extra-articular tissues. Presenting both morphological and pathological information in joint, this system holds promise for diagnosis and characterization of inflammatory joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Impact of HPV Status on the Prognostic Potential of the AJCC Staging System for Larynx Cancer.

PubMed

Davidson, Stacey M; Ko, Huasing C; Harari, Paul M; Wieland, Aaron M; Chen, Shuai; Baschnagel, Andrew M; Kimple, Randall J; Witek, And Matthew E

2018-04-01

Objective We evaluated the ability of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) seventh edition staging system to prognosticate the overall survival of patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Study Design Retrospective analysis. Setting National Cancer Database. Subjects and Methods Patients diagnosed with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma who were treated with curative intent were identified in the National Cancer Database. Multivariate analysis was utilized to determine factors correlated with overall survival in the HPV-negative and HPV-positive cohorts. Unadjusted and propensity score-weighted Kaplan-Meier estimation was used to determine overall survival of HPV-negative and HPV-positive patients across AJCC stage groupings. Results We identified 3238 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, of which 2812 were HPV negative and 426 were HPV positive. Overall survival adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidity status confirmed significant differences among all consecutive stage groupings (I vs II, P < .001; II vs III, P < .05; III vs IVA, P < .001; IVA vs IVB, P < .05) in the HPV-negative cohort, whereas only stages IVAs and IVB ( P < .01) exhibited a significant difference in overall survival for HPV-positive patients. Conclusion The current AJCC staging system does not accurately distinguish risk of mortality for patients with HPV-positive disease. These data support the consideration of HPV status in estimating prognosis as well as clinical trial design and clinical decision making for patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Phosphohistone-H3 (PHH3) is prognostic relevant in Merkel cell carcinomas but Merkel cell polyomavirus is a more powerful prognostic factor than AJCC clinical stage, PHH3, Ki-67 or mitotic indices.

PubMed

Iwasaki, Takeshi; Matsushita, Michiko; Nonaka, Daisuke; Kato, Masako; Nagata, Keiko; Murakami, Ichiro; Hayashi, Kazuhiko

2015-08-01

Merkel cell carcinomas (MCCs) associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) have better prognosis than those without MCPyV. The relationship between mitotic index (MI) and MCC outcome has remained elusive because of the difficulty in differentiating mitotic cells from apoptotic ones. We evaluated the role of phosphohistone-H3 (PHH3) (Ser10), a new mitotic count biomarker, in MCPyV-positive or -negative MCC patients, and assessed its prognostic value in comparison to Ki-67 labeling index or MI using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. We compared the prognostic value of PHH3 mitotic index with that of MI by HE in 19 MCPyV-positive and 9 MCPyV-negative MCC patients. PHH3-positive immunoreactivity was mostly observed in mitotic figures. Multivariate analysis significantly showed that MCPyV status (HR, 0.004; 95% CI 0.0003-0.058) and the American Joint Committee of Cancer (AJCC) stage (HR, 5.02; 95% CI 1.23-20.51) were observed as significantly independent prognostic factors for OS. PHH3-positive cell counts/10 HPF was a slightly significant independent prognostic factor for OS (HR, 4.96; 95% CI 0.93-26.55). PHH3-positive MI and MCPyV status in MCC patients are useful in prognostication, although MCPyV-infection is a more powerful prognostic factor in MCCs than the AJCC scheme on proliferation or mitotic indices. © 2015 Japanese Society of Pathology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Neural joint control for Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atkins, Mark A.; Cox, Chadwick J.; Lothers, Michael D.; Pap, Robert M.; Thomas, Charles R.

1992-01-01

Neural networks are being used to control a robot arm in a telerobotic operation. The concept uses neural networks for both joint and inverse kinematics in a robotic control application. An upper level neural network is trained to learn inverse kinematic mappings. The output, a trajectory, is then fed to the Decentralized Adaptive Joint Controllers. This neural network implementation has shown that the controlled arm recovers from unexpected payload changes while following the reference trajectory. The neural network-based decentralized joint controller is faster, more robust and efficient than conventional approaches. Implementations of this architecture are discussed that would relax assumptions about dynamics, obstacles, and heavy loads. This system is being developed to use with the Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator System.

Design considerations for bridge deck joint-sealing systems : summary report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1992-07-01

This is a report summary which summarizes a three year research effort related to the study of bridge deck expansion joint movements. Bridge deck expansion joint systems often develop serious problems requiring extensive and expensive maintenance. Th...

Rational bases for the use of the Immunoscore in routine clinical settings as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in cancer patients

PubMed Central

Kirilovsky, Amos; Marliot, Florence; El Sissy, Carine; Haicheur, Nacilla; Galon, Jérôme

2016-01-01

The American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (AJCC/UICC) tumor, nodes, metastasis (TNM) classification system based on tumor features is used for prognosis estimation and treatment recommendations in most cancers. However, the clinical outcome can vary significantly among patients within the same tumor stage and TNM classification does not predict response to therapy. Therefore, many efforts have been focused on the identification of new markers. Multiple tumor cell-based approaches have been proposed but very few have been translated into the clinic. The recent demonstration of the essential role of the immune system in tumor progression has allowed great advances in the understanding of this complex disease and in the design of novel therapies. The analysis of the immune infiltrate by imaging techniques in large patient cohorts highlighted the prognostic impact of the in situ immune cell infiltrate in tumors. Moreover, the characterization of the immune infiltrates (e.g. type, density, distribution within the tumor, phenotype, activation status) in patients treated with checkpoint-blockade strategies could provide information to predict the disease outcome. In colorectal cancer, we have developed a prognostic score (‘Immunoscore’) that takes into account the distribution of the density of both CD3+ lymphocytes and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells in the tumor core and the invasive margin that could outperform TNM staging. Currently, an international retrospective study is under way to validate the Immunoscore prognostic performance in patients with colon cancer. The use of Immunoscore in clinical practice could improve the patients’ prognostic assessment and therapeutic management. PMID:27121213

The prevalence of sacroiliac joint degeneration in asymptomatic adults.

PubMed

Eno, Jonathan-James T; Boone, Christopher R; Bellino, Michael J; Bishop, Julius A

2015-06-03

Degenerative changes of the sacroiliac joint have been implicated as a cause of lower back pain in adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of sacroiliac joint degeneration in asymptomatic patients. Five hundred consecutive pelvic computed tomography (CT) scans, made at a tertiary-care medical center, of patients with no history of pain in the lower back or pelvic girdle were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed for degenerative changes of the sacroiliac joint. After exclusion criteria were applied, 373 CT scans (746 sacroiliac joints) were evaluated for degenerative changes. Regression analysis was used to determine the association between age and the degree of sacroiliac joint degeneration. The prevalence of sacroiliac joint degeneration was 65.1%, with substantial degeneration occurring in 30.5% of asymptomatic subjects. The prevalence steadily increased with age, with 91% of subjects in the ninth decade of life displaying degenerative changes. Radiographic evidence of sacroiliac joint degeneration is highly prevalent in the asymptomatic population and is associated with age. Caution must be exercised when attributing lower back or pelvic girdle pain to sacroiliac joint degeneration seen on imaging. Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. Copyright © 2015 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Non-hematologic predictors of mortality improve the prognostic value of the international prognostic scoring system for MDS in older adults†

PubMed Central

Fega, K. Rebecca; Abel, Gregory A.; Motyckova, Gabriela; Sherman, Alexander E.; DeAngelo, Daniel J.; Steensma, David P.; Galinsky, Ilene; Wadleigh, Martha; Stone, Richard M.; Driver, Jane A.

2016-01-01

Objectives The International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) is commonly used to predict survival and assign treatment for the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). We explored whether self-reported and readily available non-hematologic predictors of survival add independent prognostic information to the IPSS. Materials and Methods Retrospective cohort study of consecutive MDS patients ≥age 65 who presented to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute between 2006 and 2011 and completed a baseline quality of life questionnaire. Questions corresponding to functional status and symptoms and extracted clinical-pathologic data from medical records. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate survival. Results One hundred fourteen patients consented and were available for analysis. Median age was 73 years, and the majority of patients were White, were male, and had a Charlson comorbidity score of <2. Few patients (24%) had an IPSS score consistent with lower-risk disease and the majority received chemotherapy. In addition to IPSS score and history of prior chemotherapy or radiation, significant univariate predictors of survival included low serum albumin, Charlson score, performance status, ability to take a long walk, and interference of physical symptoms in family life. The multivariate model that best predicted mortality included low serum albumin (HR = 2.3; 95% CI: 1.06–5.14), therapy-related MDS (HR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.16–4.24), IPSS score (HR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.14–2.49), and ease taking a long walk (HR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.23–0.90). Conclusions In this study of older adults with MDS, we found that low serum albumin and physical function added important prognostic information to the IPSS score. Self-reported physical function was more predictive than physician-assigned performance status. PMID:26073533

A Testbed for Data Fusion for Helicopter Diagnostics and Prognostics

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-03-01

and algorithm design and tuning in order to develop advanced diagnostic and prognostic techniques for air craft health monitoring . Here a...and development of models for diagnostics, prognostics , and anomaly detection . Figure 5 VMEP Server Browser Interface 7 Download... detections , and prognostic prediction time horizons. The VMEP system and in particular the web component are ideal for performing data collection

Preloaded joint analysis methodology for space flight systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambers, Jeffrey A.

1995-01-01

This report contains a compilation of some of the most basic equations governing simple preloaded joint systems and discusses the more common modes of failure associated with such hardware. It is intended to provide the mechanical designer with the tools necessary for designing a basic bolted joint. Although the information presented is intended to aid in the engineering of space flight structures, the fundamentals are equally applicable to other forms of mechanical design.

Metrics for Offline Evaluation of Prognostic Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saxena, Abhinav; Celaya, Jose; Saha, Bhaskar; Saha, Sankalita; Goebel, Kai

2010-01-01

Prognostic performance evaluation has gained significant attention in the past few years. Currently, prognostics concepts lack standard definitions and suffer from ambiguous and inconsistent interpretations. This lack of standards is in part due to the varied end-user requirements for different applications, time scales, available information, domain dynamics, etc. to name a few. The research community has used a variety of metrics largely based on convenience and their respective requirements. Very little attention has been focused on establishing a standardized approach to compare different efforts. This paper presents several new evaluation metrics tailored for prognostics that were recently introduced and were shown to effectively evaluate various algorithms as compared to other conventional metrics. Specifically, this paper presents a detailed discussion on how these metrics should be interpreted and used. These metrics have the capability of incorporating probabilistic uncertainty estimates from prognostic algorithms. In addition to quantitative assessment they also offer a comprehensive visual perspective that can be used in designing the prognostic system. Several methods are suggested to customize these metrics for different applications. Guidelines are provided to help choose one method over another based on distribution characteristics. Various issues faced by prognostics and its performance evaluation are discussed followed by a formal notational framework to help standardize subsequent developments.

Inflammation-based prognostic score and number of lymph node metastases are independent prognostic factors in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Takashi; Teruya, Masanori; Kishiki, Tomokazu; Kaneko, Susumu; Endo, Daisuke; Takenaka, Yoshiharu; Miki, Kenji; Kobayashi, Kaoru; Morita, Koji

2010-08-01

Few studies have investigated whether the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), an inflammation-based prognostic score, is useful for postoperative prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. GPS was calculated on the basis of admission data as follows: patients with elevated C-reactive protein level (>10 mg/l) and hypoalbuminemia (<35 g/l) were assigned to GPS2. Patients with one or no abnormal value were assigned to GPS1 or GPS0. A new scoring system was constructed using independent prognostic variables and was evaluated on whether it could be used to dictate the choice of clinical options. 65 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled. GPS and the number of lymph node metastases were found to be independent prognostic variables. The scoring system comprising GPS and the number of lymph node metastases was found to be effective in the prediction of a long-term outcome (p < 0.0001). Preoperative GPS may be useful for postoperative prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. GPS and the number of lymph node metastases could be used to identify a subgroup of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who are eligible for radical resection but show poor prognosis.

Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) Mission System Increment 3 (JMS Inc 3)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

2016 Major Automated Information System Annual Report Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) Mission System Increment 3 (JMS Inc 3) Defense...1725 DSN Phone: DSN Fax: Date Assigned: May 16, 2014 Program Information Program Name Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) Mission System...approved program baseline; therefore, no Original Estimate has been established. JMS Inc 3 2016 MAR UNCLASSIFIED 4 Program Description The Joint Space

Artificial Intelligence Systems as Prognostic and Predictive Tools in Ovarian Cancer.

PubMed

Enshaei, A; Robson, C N; Edmondson, R J

2015-11-01

The ability to provide accurate prognostic and predictive information to patients is becoming increasingly important as clinicians enter an era of personalized medicine. For a disease as heterogeneous as epithelial ovarian cancer, conventional algorithms become too complex for routine clinical use. This study therefore investigated the potential for an artificial intelligence model to provide this information and compared it with conventional statistical approaches. The authors created a database comprising 668 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer during a 10-year period and collected data routinely available in a clinical environment. They also collected survival data for all the patients, then constructed an artificial intelligence model capable of comparing a variety of algorithms and classifiers alongside conventional statistical approaches such as logistic regression. The model was used to predict overall survival and demonstrated that an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm was capable of predicting survival with high accuracy (93 %) and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.74 and that this outperformed logistic regression. The model also was used to predict the outcome of surgery and again showed that ANN could predict outcome (complete/optimal cytoreduction vs. suboptimal cytoreduction) with 77 % accuracy and an AUC of 0.73. These data are encouraging and demonstrate that artificial intelligence systems may have a role in providing prognostic and predictive data for patients. The performance of these systems likely will improve with increasing data set size, and this needs further investigation.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of history-taking and physical examination in undifferentiated peripheral inflammatory arthritis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Kuriya, Bindee; Villeneuve, Edith; Bombardier, Claire

2011-03-01

To review the diagnostic and prognostic value of history/physical examination among patients with undifferentiated peripheral inflammatory arthritis (UPIA). We conducted a systematic review evaluating the association between history/physical examination features and a diagnostic or prognostic outcome. Nineteen publications were included. Advanced age, female sex, and morning stiffness were predictive of a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from UPIA. A higher number of tender and swollen joints, small/large joint involvement in the upper/lower extremities, and symmetrical involvement were associated with progression to RA. Similar features were associated with persistent disease and erosions, while disability at baseline and extraarticular features were predictive of future disability. History/physical examination features are heterogeneously reported. Several features predict progression from UPIA to RA or a poor prognosis. Continued measurements in the UPIA population are needed to determine if these features are valid and reliable predictors of outcomes, especially as new definitions for RA and disease states emerge.

The effects of load on system and lower-body joint kinetics during jump squats.

PubMed

Moir, Gavin L; Gollie, Jared M; Davis, Shala E; Guers, John J; Witmer, Chad A

2012-11-01

To investigate the effects of different loads on system and lower-body kinetics during jump squats, 12 resistance-trained men performed jumps under different loading conditions: 0%, 12%, 27%, 42%, 56%, 71%, and 85% of 1-repetition maximum (1-RM). System power output was calculated as the product of the vertical component of the ground reaction force and the vertical velocity of the bar during its ascent. Joint power output was calculated during bar ascent for the hip, knee, and ankle joints, and was also summed across the joints. System power output and joint power at knee and ankle joints were maximized at 0% 1-RM (p < 0.001) and followed the linear trends (p < 0.001) caused by power output decreasing as the load increased. Power output at the hip was maximized at 42% 1-RM (p = 0.016) and followed a quadratic trend (p = 0.030). Summed joint power could be predicted from system power (p < 0.05), while system power could predict power at the knee and ankle joints under some of the loading conditions. Power at the hip could not be predicted from system power. System power during loaded jumps reflects the power at the knee and ankle, while power at the hip does not correspond to system power.

[Development of polyaxial locking plate screw system of sacroiliac joint].

PubMed

Fan, Weijie; Xie, Xuesong; Zhou, Shuping; Zhang, Yonghu

2014-09-01

To develop an instrument for sacroiliac joint fixation with less injury and less complications. Firstly, 18 adult pelvic specimens (8 males and 10 females) were used to measure the anatomical data related to the locking plates and locking screws on the sacrum and ilium, and the polyaxial locking plate screw system of the sacroiliac joint was designed according to the anatomic data. This system was made of medical titanium alloy. Then 4 adult male plevic specimens were harvested and the experiment was divided into 3 groups: group A (normal pelvic), group B (the dislocated sacroiliac joint fixed with sacroiliac screws), and group C (the dislocated sacroiliac joint fixed with polyaxial locking plate screw system). The vertical displacement of sacroiliac joint under the condition of 0-700 N vertical load and the horizontal displacement on angle under the condition of 0-12 N·m torsional load were compared among the 3 groups by using the biological material test system. Finally, the simulated application test was performed on 1 adult male cadaveric specimen to observe soft tissue injury and the position of the locking plate and screw by X-ray films. According to the anatomic data of the sacrum and ilium, the polyaxial locking plate screw system of the sacroiliac joint was designed. The biomechanical results showed that the vertical displacement of the sacroiliac joint under the condition of 0-700 N vertical load in group A was significantly bigger than that in group B and group C (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between group B and group C (P > 0.05). The horizontal displacement on angle under the condition of 0-12 N·m torsional load in group A was significantly less than that in group B and group C (P < 0.05). The horizontal displacement on angle under the condition of 0-6 N·m torsional load in group B was bigger than that in group C, and the horizontal displacement on angle under the condition of 6-12 N·m torsional load in group B was less than

The association of sacroiliac joint bridging with other enthesopathies in the human body.

PubMed

Dar, Gali; Peleg, Smadar; Masharawi, Youssef; Steinberg, Nili; Rothschild, Bruce M; Hershkovitz, Israel

2007-05-01

A descriptive study of the association between sacroiliac joint (extra-articular) bridging and other enthesopathies. To examine the relationship between sacroiliac joint bridging with other entheseal reaction sites in the skeleton, and its prognostic value in spinal diseases. Sacroiliac joint bridging is considered a hallmark of spinal diseases (e.g., ankylosing spondylitis). Nevertheless, its association with other enthesopathies has never been quantified and analyzed. A total of 289 human male skeletons with sacroiliac joint bridging and 127 without (of similar demographic structure) were evaluated for the presence of entheseal ossification, cartilaginous calcification, and other axial skeleton joint fusion (a total of 18 anatomic sites). The presence of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and spondyloarthropathy was also recorded. Sacroiliac joint bridging was strongly associated with entheseal reactions in other parts of the body. Of the sacroiliac joint bridging group, 24.91% had diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, and 8.05% had spondyloarthropathy. The presence of sacroiliac joint bridging indicates an intensive general entheseal process in the skeleton.

Refining prognosis in lung cancer: A report on the quality and relevance of clinical prognostic tools

PubMed Central

Mahar, Alyson L.; Compton, Carolyn; McShane, Lisa M.; Halabi, Susan; Asamura, Hisao; Rami-Porta, Ramon; Groome, Patti A.

2015-01-01

Introduction Accurate, individualized prognostication for lung cancer patients requires the integration of standard patient and pathologic factors, biologic, genetic, and other molecular characteristics of the tumor. Clinical prognostic tools aim to aggregate information on an individual patient to predict disease outcomes such as overall survival, but little is known about their clinical utility and accuracy in lung cancer. Methods A systematic search of the scientific literature for clinical prognostic tools in lung cancer published Jan 1, 1996-Jan 27, 2015 was performed. In addition, web-based resources were searched. A priori criteria determined by the Molecular Modellers Working Group of the American Joint Committee on Cancer were used to investigate the quality and usefulness of tools. Criteria included clinical presentation, model development approaches, validation strategies, and performance metrics. Results Thirty-two prognostic tools were identified. Patients with metastases were the most frequently considered population in non-small cell lung cancer. All tools for small cell lung cancer covered that entire patient population. Included prognostic factors varied considerably across tools. Internal validity was not formally evaluated for most tools and only eleven were evaluated for external validity. Two key considerations were highlighted for tool development: identification of an explicit purpose related to a relevant clinical population and clear decision-points, and prioritized inclusion of established prognostic factors over emerging factors. Conclusions Prognostic tools will contribute more meaningfully to the practice of personalized medicine if better study design and analysis approaches are used in their development and validation. PMID:26313682

Joint digital signal processing for superchannel coherent optical communication systems.

PubMed

Liu, Cheng; Pan, Jie; Detwiler, Thomas; Stark, Andrew; Hsueh, Yu-Ting; Chang, Gee-Kung; Ralph, Stephen E

2013-04-08

Ultra-high-speed optical communication systems which can support ≥ 1Tb/s per channel transmission will soon be required to meet the increasing capacity demand. However, 1Tb/s over a single carrier requires either or both a high-level modulation format (i.e. 1024QAM) and a high baud rate. Alternatively, grouping a number of tightly spaced "sub-carriers" to form a terabit superchannel increases channel capacity while minimizing the need for high-level modulation formats and high baud rate, which may allow existing formats, baud rate and components to be exploited. In ideal Nyquist-WDM superchannel systems, optical subcarriers with rectangular spectra are tightly packed at a channel spacing equal to the baud rate, thus achieving the Nyquist bandwidth limit. However, in practical Nyquist-WDM systems, precise electrical or optical control of channel spectra is required to avoid strong inter-channel interference (ICI). Here, we propose and demonstrate a new "super receiver" architecture for practical Nyquist-WDM systems, which jointly detects and demodulates multiple channels simultaneously and mitigates the penalties associated with the limitations of generating ideal Nyquist-WDM spectra. Our receiver-side solution relaxes the filter requirements imposed on the transmitter. Two joint DSP algorithms are developed for linear ICI cancellation and joint carrier-phase recovery. Improved system performance is observed with both experimental and simulation data. Performance analysis under different system configurations is conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and robustness of the proposed joint DSP algorithms.

Breslow Density Is a Novel Prognostic Feature That Adds Value to Melanoma Staging.

PubMed

Saldanha, Gerald; Yarrow, Jeremy; Pancholi, Jay; Flatman, Katarina; Teo, Kah Wee; Elsheik, Somaia; Harrison, Rebecca; O'Riordan, Marie; Bamford, Mark

2018-06-01

Histomorphologic prognostic biomarkers that can be measured using only an hematoxylin and eosin stain are very attractive because they are simple and cheap. We conceived an entirely novel biomarker of this type, the Breslow density (BD), which measures invasive melanoma cell density at the site where Breslow thickness (BT) is measured. This study assessed BD's prognostic value. In this study, BD was measured in 1329 melanoma patients. Measurement accuracy and precision was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Survival was assessed with a primary end-point of melanoma-specific survival (MSS) and also overall survival and metastasis-free survival. We found that BD measurement was accurate compared with gold standard image analysis (ICC, 0.84). Precision was excellent for 3 observers with different experience (ICC, 0.93) and for an observer using only written instructions (ICC, 0.93). BD was a highly significant predictor in multivariable analysis for overall survival, MSS, and metastasis-free survival (each, P<0.001) and it explained MSS better than BT, but BT and BD together had best explanatory capability. A BD cut point of ≥65% was trained in 970 melanomas and validated in 359. This cut point showed promise as a novel way to upstage melanoma from T stage "a" to "b." BD was combined with BT to create a targeted burden score. This was a validated as an adjunct to American Joint Committee on Cancer stage. In summary, BD can be measured accurately and precisely. It demonstrated independent prognostic value and explained MSS better than BT alone. Notably, we demonstrated ways that BD could be used with American Joint Committee on Cancer version 8 staging.

Embedded Diagnostic/Prognostic Reasoning and Information Continuity for Improved Avionics Maintenance

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

enabling technologies such as built-in-test, advanced health monitoring algorithms, reliability and component aging models, prognostics methods, and...deployment and acceptance. This framework and vision is consistent with the onboard PHM ( Prognostic and Health Management) as well as advanced... monitored . In addition to the prognostic forecasting capabilities provided by monitoring system power, multiple confounding errors by electronic

System Wide Joint Position Sensor Fault Tolerance in Robot Systems Using Cartesian Accelerometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aldridge, Hal A.; Juang, Jer-Nan

1997-01-01

Joint position sensors are necessary for most robot control systems. A single position sensor failure in a normal robot system can greatly degrade performance. This paper presents a method to obtain position information from Cartesian accelerometers without integration. Depending on the number and location of the accelerometers. the proposed system can tolerate the loss of multiple position sensors. A solution technique suitable for real-time implementation is presented. Simulations were conducted using 5 triaxial accelerometers to recover from the loss of up to 4 joint position sensors on a 7 degree of freedom robot moving in general three dimensional space. The simulations show good estimation performance using non-ideal accelerometer measurements.

Cotton-type and joint invariants for linear elliptic systems.

PubMed

Aslam, A; Mahomed, F M

2013-01-01

Cotton-type invariants for a subclass of a system of two linear elliptic equations, obtainable from a complex base linear elliptic equation, are derived both by spliting of the corresponding complex Cotton invariants of the base complex equation and from the Laplace-type invariants of the system of linear hyperbolic equations equivalent to the system of linear elliptic equations via linear complex transformations of the independent variables. It is shown that Cotton-type invariants derived from these two approaches are identical. Furthermore, Cotton-type and joint invariants for a general system of two linear elliptic equations are also obtained from the Laplace-type and joint invariants for a system of two linear hyperbolic equations equivalent to the system of linear elliptic equations by complex changes of the independent variables. Examples are presented to illustrate the results.

Cotton-Type and Joint Invariants for Linear Elliptic Systems

PubMed Central

Aslam, A.; Mahomed, F. M.

2013-01-01

Cotton-type invariants for a subclass of a system of two linear elliptic equations, obtainable from a complex base linear elliptic equation, are derived both by spliting of the corresponding complex Cotton invariants of the base complex equation and from the Laplace-type invariants of the system of linear hyperbolic equations equivalent to the system of linear elliptic equations via linear complex transformations of the independent variables. It is shown that Cotton-type invariants derived from these two approaches are identical. Furthermore, Cotton-type and joint invariants for a general system of two linear elliptic equations are also obtained from the Laplace-type and joint invariants for a system of two linear hyperbolic equations equivalent to the system of linear elliptic equations by complex changes of the independent variables. Examples are presented to illustrate the results. PMID:24453871

A joint equalization algorithm in high speed communication systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Xin; Lin, Changxing; Wang, Zhaohui; Cheng, Binbin; Deng, Xianjin

2018-02-01

This paper presents a joint equalization algorithm in high speed communication systems. This algorithm takes the advantages of traditional equalization algorithms to use pre-equalization and post-equalization. The pre-equalization algorithm takes the advantage of CMA algorithm, which is not sensitive to the frequency offset. Pre-equalization is located before the carrier recovery loop in order to make the carrier recovery loop a better performance and overcome most of the frequency offset. The post-equalization takes the advantage of MMA algorithm in order to overcome the residual frequency offset. This paper analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of several equalization algorithms in the first place, and then simulates the proposed joint equalization algorithm in Matlab platform. The simulation results shows the constellation diagrams and the bit error rate curve, both these results show that the proposed joint equalization algorithm is better than the traditional algorithms. The residual frequency offset is shown directly in the constellation diagrams. When SNR is 14dB， the bit error rate of the simulated system with the proposed joint equalization algorithm is 103 times better than CMA algorithm, 77 times better than MMA equalization, and 9 times better than CMA-MMA equalization.

Background for Joint Systems Aspects of AIR 6000

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-04-01

Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology [7, 8,9]. The analytical techniques that are proposed for joint systems work are based on calculating probability...Supporting Global Interests 21 DSTO-CR-0155 SLMP Structural Life Management Plan SOW Stand-Off Weapon SSM Soft Systems Methodology UAV Uninhabited Aerial... Systems Methodology in Action, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 1990. [101 Pearl, Judea, Probabilistic Reasoning in Intelligent Systems: Networks of Plausible

A new Leukemia Prognostic Scoring System for refractory/relapsed adult acute myelogeneous leukaemia patients: a GOELAMS study.

PubMed

Chevallier, P; Labopin, M; Turlure, P; Prebet, T; Pigneux, A; Hunault, M; Filanovsky, K; Cornillet-Lefebvre, P; Luquet, I; Lode, L; Richebourg, S; Blanchet, O; Gachard, N; Vey, N; Ifrah, N; Milpied, N; Harousseau, J-L; Bene, M-C; Mohty, M; Delaunay, J

2011-06-01

A simplified prognostic score is presented based on the multivariate analysis of 138 refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients (median age 55 years, range: 19-70) receiving a combination of intensive chemotherapy+Gemtuzumab as salvage regimen. Overall, 2-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 29±4% and 36±4%, respectively. Disease status (relapse <12 months, including refractory patients), FLT3-ITD-positive status and high-risk cytogenetics were the three strongest independent adverse prognostic factors for OS and EFS in this series. We then defined three subgroups with striking different outcomes at 2 years: no adverse factor (favourable, N=36): OS 58%, EFS 45%; one adverse factor (intermediate, N=54): OS 37%, EFS 31%; two or three adverse factors (poor, N=43): OS 12%, EFS 12% (P<10(-4), P=0.001). This new simplified Leukemia Prognostic Scoring System was then validated on an independent cohort of 111 refractory/relapsed AML patients. This new simplified prognostic score, using three clinical and biological parameters routinely applied, allow to discriminate around two third of the patients who should benefit from a salvage intensive regimen in the setting of refractory/relapsed AML patients. The other one third of the patients should receive investigational therapy.

System Interdependency Modeling in the Design of Prognostic and Health Management Systems in Smart Manufacturing.

PubMed

Malinowski, M L; Beling, P A; Haimes, Y Y; LaViers, A; Marvel, J A; Weiss, B A

2015-01-01

The fields of risk analysis and prognostics and health management (PHM) have developed in a largely independent fashion. However, both fields share a common core goal. They aspire to manage future adverse consequences associated with prospective dysfunctions of the systems under consideration due to internal or external forces. This paper describes how two prominent risk analysis theories and methodologies - Hierarchical Holographic Modeling (HHM) and Risk Filtering, Ranking, and Management (RFRM) - can be adapted to support the design of PHM systems in the context of smart manufacturing processes. Specifically, the proposed methodologies will be used to identify targets - components, subsystems, or systems - that would most benefit from a PHM system in regards to achieving the following objectives: minimizing cost, minimizing production/maintenance time, maximizing system remaining usable life (RUL), maximizing product quality, and maximizing product output. HHM is a comprehensive modeling theory and methodology that is grounded on the premise that no system can be modeled effectively from a single perspective. It can also be used as an inductive method for scenario structuring to identify emergent forced changes (EFCs) in a system. EFCs connote trends in external or internal sources of risk to a system that may adversely affect specific states of the system. An important aspect of proactive risk management includes bolstering the resilience of the system for specific EFCs by appropriately controlling the states. Risk scenarios for specific EFCs can be the basis for the design of prognostic and diagnostic systems that provide real-time predictions and recognition of scenario changes. The HHM methodology includes visual modeling techniques that can enhance stakeholders' understanding of shared states, resources, objectives and constraints among the interdependent and interconnected subsystems of smart manufacturing systems. In risk analysis, HHM is often paired

System Interdependency Modeling in the Design of Prognostic and Health Management Systems in Smart Manufacturing

PubMed Central

Malinowski, M.L.; Beling, P.A.; Haimes, Y.Y.; LaViers, A.; Marvel, J.A.; Weiss, B.A.

2017-01-01

The fields of risk analysis and prognostics and health management (PHM) have developed in a largely independent fashion. However, both fields share a common core goal. They aspire to manage future adverse consequences associated with prospective dysfunctions of the systems under consideration due to internal or external forces. This paper describes how two prominent risk analysis theories and methodologies – Hierarchical Holographic Modeling (HHM) and Risk Filtering, Ranking, and Management (RFRM) – can be adapted to support the design of PHM systems in the context of smart manufacturing processes. Specifically, the proposed methodologies will be used to identify targets – components, subsystems, or systems – that would most benefit from a PHM system in regards to achieving the following objectives: minimizing cost, minimizing production/maintenance time, maximizing system remaining usable life (RUL), maximizing product quality, and maximizing product output. HHM is a comprehensive modeling theory and methodology that is grounded on the premise that no system can be modeled effectively from a single perspective. It can also be used as an inductive method for scenario structuring to identify emergent forced changes (EFCs) in a system. EFCs connote trends in external or internal sources of risk to a system that may adversely affect specific states of the system. An important aspect of proactive risk management includes bolstering the resilience of the system for specific EFCs by appropriately controlling the states. Risk scenarios for specific EFCs can be the basis for the design of prognostic and diagnostic systems that provide real-time predictions and recognition of scenario changes. The HHM methodology includes visual modeling techniques that can enhance stakeholders’ understanding of shared states, resources, objectives and constraints among the interdependent and interconnected subsystems of smart manufacturing systems. In risk analysis, HHM is often

Systems engineering in a joint program environment: the joint helmet-mounted cueing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkins, Donald F.

1999-07-01

The Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) is a design program involving two airframe companies (Boeing and Lockheed Martin), two services (USAF and USN) and four aircraft platforms: the F-22, the F-16, the F/A-18 and the F-15. Developing equipment requirements for the combined operational and environmental needs of these diverse communities is a significant challenge. In addition, the team is geographically dispersed which presented challenges in communication and coordination. This paper details the lessons learned in producing a cost-effective design within a short development schedule and makes recommendations for future development programs.

Rational bases for the use of the Immunoscore in routine clinical settings as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in cancer patients.

PubMed

Kirilovsky, Amos; Marliot, Florence; El Sissy, Carine; Haicheur, Nacilla; Galon, Jérôme; Pagès, Franck

2016-08-01

The American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (AJCC/UICC) tumor, nodes, metastasis (TNM) classification system based on tumor features is used for prognosis estimation and treatment recommendations in most cancers. However, the clinical outcome can vary significantly among patients within the same tumor stage and TNM classification does not predict response to therapy. Therefore, many efforts have been focused on the identification of new markers. Multiple tumor cell-based approaches have been proposed but very few have been translated into the clinic. The recent demonstration of the essential role of the immune system in tumor progression has allowed great advances in the understanding of this complex disease and in the design of novel therapies. The analysis of the immune infiltrate by imaging techniques in large patient cohorts highlighted the prognostic impact of the in situ immune cell infiltrate in tumors. Moreover, the characterization of the immune infiltrates (e.g. type, density, distribution within the tumor, phenotype, activation status) in patients treated with checkpoint-blockade strategies could provide information to predict the disease outcome. In colorectal cancer, we have developed a prognostic score ('Immunoscore') that takes into account the distribution of the density of both CD3(+) lymphocytes and CD8(+) cytotoxic T cells in the tumor core and the invasive margin that could outperform TNM staging. Currently, an international retrospective study is under way to validate the Immunoscore prognostic performance in patients with colon cancer. The use of Immunoscore in clinical practice could improve the patients' prognostic assessment and therapeutic management. © The Japanese Society for Immunology. 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Distributed Prognostics and Health Management with a Wireless Network Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goebel, Kai; Saha, Sankalita; Sha, Bhaskar

2013-01-01

A heterogeneous set of system components monitored by a varied suite of sensors and a particle-filtering (PF) framework, with the power and the flexibility to adapt to the different diagnostic and prognostic needs, has been developed. Both the diagnostic and prognostic tasks are formulated as a particle-filtering problem in order to explicitly represent and manage uncertainties in state estimation and remaining life estimation. Current state-of-the-art prognostic health management (PHM) systems are mostly centralized in nature, where all the processing is reliant on a single processor. This can lead to a loss in functionality in case of a crash of the central processor or monitor. Furthermore, with increases in the volume of sensor data as well as the complexity of algorithms, traditional centralized systems become for a number of reasons somewhat ungainly for successful deployment, and efficient distributed architectures can be more beneficial. The distributed health management architecture is comprised of a network of smart sensor devices. These devices monitor the health of various subsystems or modules. They perform diagnostics operations and trigger prognostics operations based on user-defined thresholds and rules. The sensor devices, called computing elements (CEs), consist of a sensor, or set of sensors, and a communication device (i.e., a wireless transceiver beside an embedded processing element). The CE runs in either a diagnostic or prognostic operating mode. The diagnostic mode is the default mode where a CE monitors a given subsystem or component through a low-weight diagnostic algorithm. If a CE detects a critical condition during monitoring, it raises a flag. Depending on availability of resources, a networked local cluster of CEs is formed that then carries out prognostics and fault mitigation by efficient distribution of the tasks. It should be noted that the CEs are expected not to suspend their previous tasks in the prognostic mode. When the

A Linearized Prognostic Cloud Scheme in NASAs Goddard Earth Observing System Data Assimilation Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holdaway, Daniel; Errico, Ronald M.; Gelaro, Ronald; Kim, Jong G.; Mahajan, Rahul

2015-01-01

A linearized prognostic cloud scheme has been developed to accompany the linearized convection scheme recently implemented in NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System data assimilation tools. The linearization, developed from the nonlinear cloud scheme, treats cloud variables prognostically so they are subject to linearized advection, diffusion, generation, and evaporation. Four linearized cloud variables are modeled, the ice and water phases of clouds generated by large-scale condensation and, separately, by detraining convection. For each species the scheme models their sources, sublimation, evaporation, and autoconversion. Large-scale, anvil and convective species of precipitation are modeled and evaporated. The cloud scheme exhibits linearity and realistic perturbation growth, except around the generation of clouds through large-scale condensation. Discontinuities and steep gradients are widely used here and severe problems occur in the calculation of cloud fraction. For data assimilation applications this poor behavior is controlled by replacing this part of the scheme with a perturbation model. For observation impacts, where efficiency is less of a concern, a filtering is developed that examines the Jacobian. The replacement scheme is only invoked if Jacobian elements or eigenvalues violate a series of tuned constants. The linearized prognostic cloud scheme is tested by comparing the linear and nonlinear perturbation trajectories for 6-, 12-, and 24-h forecast times. The tangent linear model performs well and perturbations of clouds are well captured for the lead times of interest.

Development of an On-board Failure Diagnostics and Prognostics System for Solid Rocket Booster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smelyanskiy, Vadim N.; Luchinsky, Dmitry G.; Osipov, Vyatcheslav V.; Timucin, Dogan A.; Uckun, Serdar

2009-01-01

We develop a case breach model for the on-board fault diagnostics and prognostics system for subscale solid-rocket boosters (SRBs). The model development was motivated by recent ground firing tests, in which a deviation of measured time-traces from the predicted time-series was observed. A modified model takes into account the nozzle ablation, including the effect of roughness of the nozzle surface, the geometry of the fault, and erosion and burning of the walls of the hole in the metal case. The derived low-dimensional performance model (LDPM) of the fault can reproduce the observed time-series data very well. To verify the performance of the LDPM we build a FLUENT model of the case breach fault and demonstrate a good agreement between theoretical predictions based on the analytical solution of the model equations and the results of the FLUENT simulations. We then incorporate the derived LDPM into an inferential Bayesian framework and verify performance of the Bayesian algorithm for the diagnostics and prognostics of the case breach fault. It is shown that the obtained LDPM allows one to track parameters of the SRB during the flight in real time, to diagnose case breach fault, and to predict its values in the future. The application of the method to fault diagnostics and prognostics (FD&P) of other SRB faults modes is discussed.

Optimised robot-based system for the exploration of elastic joint properties.

PubMed

Frey, M; Burgkart, R; Regenfelder, F; Riener, R

2004-09-01

Numerous publications provide measured biomechanical data relating to synovial joints. However, in general, they do not reflect the non-linear elastic joint properties in detail or do not consider all degrees of freedom (DOF), or the quantity of data is sparse. To perform more comprehensive, extended measurements of elastic joint properties, an optimised robot-based approach was developed. The basis was an industrial, high-precision robot that was capable of applying loads to the joint and measuring the joint displacement in 6 DOF. The system was equipped with novel, custom-made control hardware. In contrast to the commonly used sampling rates that are below 100 Hz, a rate of 4 kHz was realised for each DOF. This made it possible to implement advanced, highly dynamic, quasi-continuous closed-loop controllers. Thus oscillations of the robot were avoided, and measurements were speeded up. The stiffness of the entire system was greater than 44 kNm(-1) and 22 Nm deg(-1), and the maximum difference between two successive measurements was less than 0.5 deg. A sophisticated CT-based referencing routine facilitated the matching of kinematic data with the individual anatomy of the tested joint. The detailed detection of the elastic varus-valgus properties of a human knee joint is described, and the need for high spatial resolution is demonstrated.

Flight set 360L007 (STS-33R) field joint protection system, thermal protection system, and systems tunnel components, volume 7

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The performance of the thermal protection system, field joint protection system, and systems tunnel components of flight set 360L007 is presented as evaluated by postflight hardware inspection. The condition of both motors was similar to previous flights. Four aft edge strikes were noted on the ground environment instrumentation thermal protection system. The hits all left a clean substrate, indicating that the damage was caused by nozzle severance debris and/or water impact. No National Space Transportation System debris criteria for missing thermal protection system were violated. Two problem reports were written against the field joint protection system. The first concerned two cracks in the K5NA closeout over the trunnion/vent valve location on the left-hand aft field joint. A similar condition was observed on Flight 5 (360H005). The second problem report referred to a number of small surface cracks between two impact marks on the left-hand forward field joint. Neither area exhibited loose material or any abnormal heat effects, and they have no impact on flight safety.

Comparison of transplant-specific prognostic scoring systems in haploidentical transplantation for myelodysplastic syndrome.

PubMed

Shin, Seung-Hwan; Jeon, Young-Woo; Yoon, Jae-Ho; Yahng, Seung-Ah; Lee, Sung-Eun; Cho, Byung-Sik; Eom, Ki-Seong; Lee, Seok; Kim, Hee-Je; Min, Chang-Ki; Cho, Seok-Goo; Kim, Dong-Wook; Lee, Jong-Wook; Min, Woo-Sung; Kim, Yoo-Jin

2018-05-14

We intended to identify the predictive abilities of recently published transplant-specific prognostic scoring systems in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients receiving haploidentical transplantation. The outcomes of 73 MDS patients receiving haploidentical transplantation were analyzed, according to the MTPSS, the TRI, and the CIBMTR scoring systems. The median age of patients at transplantation was 50 (range, 19-69) years. The IPSS-R cytogenetic risks of very good/good, intermediate, and poor/very poor were respectively observed in 35 (48.0%), 25 (34.2%), and 13 (17.8%) patients, including 4 (5.5%) with a monosomal karyotype. Pre-transplant treatment failure and high (≥ 3) HCT-CI were observed in 30 (41.1%) and 35 (48.0%) patients, respectively. With survivor's median follow-up of 42.3 months, the overall survival rate at 4 years of all patients was 65.5% (95% CI, 52.4-75.9). The MTPSS (100%, 77.3%, 62.5%, and 42.0% at 4 years; P = 0.02) and the TRI (100%, 79.9%, 76.0%, and 17.1% at 4 years; P < 0.01) differentiate proportionally overall survival rates according to their 4 risk groups, whereas the CIBMTR scoring system did not (P = 0.17). Our results suggest the potential ability of the MPTSS and the TRI as prognostic tools for MDS patients receiving haploidentical transplantation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Dynamic modeling and optimal joint torque coordination of advanced robotic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Hee-Jun

The development is documented of an efficient dynamic modeling algorithm and the subsequent optimal joint input load coordination of advanced robotic systems for industrial application. A closed-form dynamic modeling algorithm for the general closed-chain robotic linkage systems is presented. The algorithm is based on the transfer of system dependence from a set of open chain Lagrangian coordinates to any desired system generalized coordinate set of the closed-chain. Three different techniques for evaluation of the kinematic closed chain constraints allow the representation of the dynamic modeling parameters in terms of system generalized coordinates and have no restriction with regard to kinematic redundancy. The total computational requirement of the closed-chain system model is largely dependent on the computation required for the dynamic model of an open kinematic chain. In order to improve computational efficiency, modification of an existing open-chain KIC based dynamic formulation is made by the introduction of the generalized augmented body concept. This algorithm allows a 44 pct. computational saving over the current optimized one (O(N4), 5995 when N = 6). As means of resolving redundancies in advanced robotic systems, local joint torque optimization is applied for effectively using actuator power while avoiding joint torque limits. The stability problem in local joint torque optimization schemes is eliminated by using fictitious dissipating forces which act in the necessary null space. The performance index representing the global torque norm is shown to be satisfactory. In addition, the resulting joint motion trajectory becomes conservative, after a transient stage, for repetitive cyclic end-effector trajectories. The effectiveness of the null space damping method is shown. The modular robot, which is built of well defined structural modules from a finite-size inventory and is controlled by one general computer system, is another class of evolving

TNM: evolution and relation to other prognostic factors.

PubMed

Sobin, Leslie H

2003-01-01

The TNM Classification describes the anatomic extent of cancer. TNM's ability to separately classify the individual tumor (T), node (N), and metastasis (M) elements and then group them into stages differs from other cancer staging classifications (e.g., Dukes), which are only concerned with summarized groups. The objectives of the TNM Classification are to aid the clinician in the planning of treatment, give some indication of prognosis, assist in the evaluation of the results of treatment, and facilitate the exchange of information. During the past 50 years, the TNM system has evolved under the influence of advances in diagnosis and treatment. Radiographic imaging (e.g., endoscopic ultrasound for the depth of invasion of esophageal and rectal tumors) has improved the accuracy of the clinical T, N, and M classifications. Advances in treatment have necessitated more detail in some T4 categories. Developments in multimodality therapy have increased the importance of the "y" symbol and the R (residual tumor) classification. New surgical techniques have resulted in the elaboration of the sentinel node (sn) symbol. The use of immunohistochemistry has resulted in the classification of isolated tumor cells and their distinction from micrometastasis. The most important challenge facing users of the TNM Classification is how it should interface with the large number of non-anatomic prognostic factors that are currently in use or under study. As non-anatomic prognostic factors become widely used, the TNM system provides an inviting foundation upon which to build a prognostic classification; however, this carries a risk that the system will be overwhelmed by a variety of prognostic data. An anatomic extent-of-disease classification is needed to aid practitioners in selecting the initial therapeutic approach, stratifying patients for therapeutic studies, evaluating non-anatomic prognostic factors at specific anatomic stages, comparing the weight of non-anatomic factors with

Selection of optimal multispectral imaging system parameters for small joint arthritis detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolenec, Rok; Laistler, Elmar; Stergar, Jost; Milanic, Matija

2018-02-01

Early detection and treatment of arthritis is essential for a successful outcome of the treatment, but it has proven to be very challenging with existing diagnostic methods. Novel methods based on the optical imaging of the affected joints are becoming an attractive alternative. A non-contact multispectral imaging (MSI) system for imaging of small joints of human hands and feet is being developed. In this work, a numerical simulation of the MSI system is presented. The purpose of the simulation is to determine the optimal design parameters. Inflamed and unaffected human joint models were constructed with a realistic geometry and tissue distributions, based on a MRI scan of a human finger with a spatial resolution of 0.2 mm. The light transport simulation is based on a weighted-photon 3D Monte Carlo method utilizing CUDA GPU acceleration. An uniform illumination of the finger within the 400-1100 nm spectral range was simulated and the photons exiting the joint were recorded using different acceptance angles. From the obtained reflectance and transmittance images the spectral and spatial features most indicative of inflammation were identified. Optimal acceptance angle and spectral bands were determined. This study demonstrates that proper selection of MSI system parameters critically affects ability of a MSI system to discriminate the unaffected and inflamed joints. The presented system design optimization approach could be applied to other pathologies.

2000 Worldwide Joint Lessons Learned Conference. Forging a Future Joint Lessons Learned System. (Joint Center for Lessons Learned Special Bulletin. Volume 3, Special Issue 1, January 2001)

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

Management System (JTIMS) followed, and generated spirited discussion regarding the respective roles of JTIMS and the JLLP. The discussion concluded...waiting for the Director, Joint Staff�s signature and should be in official distribution by January 2001. An update on the Joint Training Information

Evaluating Algorithm Performance Metrics Tailored for Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saxena, Abhinav; Celaya, Jose; Saha, Bhaskar; Saha, Sankalita; Goebel, Kai

2009-01-01

Prognostics has taken a center stage in Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) where it is desired to estimate Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of the system so that remedial measures may be taken in advance to avoid catastrophic events or unwanted downtimes. Validation of such predictions is an important but difficult proposition and a lack of appropriate evaluation methods renders prognostics meaningless. Evaluation methods currently used in the research community are not standardized and in many cases do not sufficiently assess key performance aspects expected out of a prognostics algorithm. In this paper we introduce several new evaluation metrics tailored for prognostics and show that they can effectively evaluate various algorithms as compared to other conventional metrics. Specifically four algorithms namely; Relevance Vector Machine (RVM), Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Polynomial Regression (PR) are compared. These algorithms vary in complexity and their ability to manage uncertainty around predicted estimates. Results show that the new metrics rank these algorithms in different manner and depending on the requirements and constraints suitable metrics may be chosen. Beyond these results, these metrics offer ideas about how metrics suitable to prognostics may be designed so that the evaluation procedure can be standardized. 1

Predictive value of seven preoperative prognostic scoring systems for spinal metastases.

PubMed

Leithner, Andreas; Radl, Roman; Gruber, Gerald; Hochegger, Markus; Leithner, Katharina; Welkerling, Heike; Rehak, Peter; Windhager, Reinhard

2008-11-01

Predicting prognosis is the key factor in selecting the proper treatment modality for patients with spinal metastases. Therefore, various assessment systems have been designed in order to provide a basis for deciding the course of treatment. Such systems have been proposed by Tokuhashi, Sioutos, Tomita, Van der Linden, and Bauer. The scores differ greatly in the kind of parameters assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of each score. Eight parameters were assessed for 69 patients (37 male, 32 female): location, general condition, number of extraspinal bone metastases, number of spinal metastases, visceral metastases, primary tumour, severity of spinal cord palsy, and pathological fracture. Scores according to Tokuhashi (original and revised), Sioutos, Tomita, Van der Linden, and Bauer were assessed as well as a modified Bauer score without scoring for pathologic fracture. Nineteen patients were still alive as of September 2006 with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. All other patients died after a mean period of 17 months after operation. The mean overall survival period was only 3 months for lung cancer, followed by prostate (7 months), kidney (23 months), breast (35 months), and multiple myeloma (51 months). At univariate survival analysis, primary tumour and visceral metastases were significant parameters, while Karnofsky score was only significant in the group including myeloma patients. In multivariate analysis of all seven parameters assessed, primary tumour and visceral metastases were the only significant parameters. Of all seven scoring systems, the original Bauer score and a Bauer score without scoring for pathologic fracture had the best association with survival (P < 0.001). The data of the present study emphasize that the original Bauer score and a modified Bauer score without scoring for pathologic fracture seem to be practicable and highly predictive preoperative scoring systems for patients with spinal metastases

Predictive value of seven preoperative prognostic scoring systems for spinal metastases

PubMed Central

Leithner, Andreas; Radl, Roman; Gruber, Gerald; Hochegger, Markus; Leithner, Katharina; Welkerling, Heike; Rehak, Peter

2008-01-01

Predicting prognosis is the key factor in selecting the proper treatment modality for patients with spinal metastases. Therefore, various assessment systems have been designed in order to provide a basis for deciding the course of treatment. Such systems have been proposed by Tokuhashi, Sioutos, Tomita, Van der Linden, and Bauer. The scores differ greatly in the kind of parameters assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of each score. Eight parameters were assessed for 69 patients (37 male, 32 female): location, general condition, number of extraspinal bone metastases, number of spinal metastases, visceral metastases, primary tumour, severity of spinal cord palsy, and pathological fracture. Scores according to Tokuhashi (original and revised), Sioutos, Tomita, Van der Linden, and Bauer were assessed as well as a modified Bauer score without scoring for pathologic fracture. Nineteen patients were still alive as of September 2006 with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. All other patients died after a mean period of 17 months after operation. The mean overall survival period was only 3 months for lung cancer, followed by prostate (7 months), kidney (23 months), breast (35 months), and multiple myeloma (51 months). At univariate survival analysis, primary tumour and visceral metastases were significant parameters, while Karnofsky score was only significant in the group including myeloma patients. In multivariate analysis of all seven parameters assessed, primary tumour and visceral metastases were the only significant parameters. Of all seven scoring systems, the original Bauer score and a Bauer score without scoring for pathologic fracture had the best association with survival (P < 0.001). The data of the present study emphasize that the original Bauer score and a modified Bauer score without scoring for pathologic fracture seem to be practicable and highly predictive preoperative scoring systems for patients with spinal

A Physics-Based Modeling Framework for Prognostic Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, Chetan S.

2014-01-01

Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) methodologies have emerged as one of the key enablers for achieving efficient system level maintenance as part of a busy operations schedule, and lowering overall life cycle costs. PHM is also emerging as a high-priority issue in critical applications, where the focus is on conducting fundamental research in the field of integrated systems health management. The term diagnostics relates to the ability to detect and isolate faults or failures in a system. Prognostics on the other hand is the process of predicting health condition and remaining useful life based on current state, previous conditions and future operating conditions. PHM methods combine sensing, data collection, interpretation of environmental, operational, and performance related parameters to indicate systems health under its actual application conditions. The development of prognostics methodologies for the electronics field has become more important as more electrical systems are being used to replace traditional systems in several applications in the aeronautics, maritime, and automotive fields. The development of prognostics methods for electronics presents several challenges due to the great variety of components used in a system, a continuous development of new electronics technologies, and a general lack of understanding of how electronics fail. Similarly with electric unmanned aerial vehicles, electrichybrid cars, and commercial passenger aircraft, we are witnessing a drastic increase in the usage of batteries to power vehicles. However, for battery-powered vehicles to operate at maximum efficiency and reliability, it becomes crucial to both monitor battery health and performance and to predict end of discharge (EOD) and end of useful life (EOL) events. We develop an electrochemistry-based model of Li-ion batteries that capture the significant electrochemical processes, are computationally efficient, capture the effects of aging, and are of suitable

A Systems Biology Approach to Synovial Joint Lubrication in Health, Injury, and Disease

PubMed Central

Hui, Alexander Y.; McCarty, William J.; Masuda, Koichi; Firestein, Gary S.; Sah, Robert L.

2013-01-01

The synovial joint contains synovial fluid (SF) within a cavity bounded by articular cartilage and synovium. SF is a viscous fluid that has lubrication, metabolic, and regulatory functions within synovial joints. SF contains lubricant molecules, including proteoglycan-4 and hyaluronan. SF is an ultrafiltrate of plasma with secreted contributions from cell populations lining and within the synovial joint space, including chondrocytes and synoviocytes. Maintenance of normal SF lubricant composition and function are important for joint homeostasis. In osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and joint injury, changes in lubricant composition and function accompany alterations in the cytokine and growth factor environment and increased fluid and molecular transport through joint tissues. Thus, understanding the synovial joint lubrication system requires a multi-faceted study of the various parts of the synovial joint and their interactions. Systems biology approaches at multiple scales are being used to describe the molecular, cellular, and tissue components and their interactions that comprise the functioning synovial joint. Analyses of the transcriptome and proteome of SF, cartilage, and synovium suggest that particular molecules and pathways play important roles in joint homeostasis and disease. Such information may be integrated with physicochemical tissue descriptions to construct integrative models of the synovial joint that ultimately may explain maintenance of health, recovery from injury, or development and progression of arthritis. PMID:21826801

A prognostic mutation panel for predicting cancer recurrence in stages II and III colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Sho, Shonan; Court, Colin M; Winograd, Paul; Russell, Marcia M; Tomlinson, James S

2017-12-01

Approximately 20-40% of stage II/III colorectal cancer (CRC) patients develop relapse. Clinicopathological factors alone are limited in detecting these patients, resulting in potential under/over-treatment. We sought to identify a prognostic tumor mutational profile that could predict CRC recurrence. Whole-exome sequencing data were obtained for 207 patients with stage II/III CRC from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Mutational landscape in relapse-free versus relapsed cohort was compared using Fisher's exact test, followed by multivariate Cox regression to identify genes associated with cancer recurrence. Bootstrap-validation was used to examine internal/external validity. We identified five prognostic genes (APAF1, DIAPH2, NTNG1, USP7, and VAV2), which were combined to form a prognostic mutation panel. Patients with ≥1 mutation(s) within this five-gene panel had worse prognosis (3-yr relapse-free survival [RFS]: 53.0%), compared to patients with no mutation (3-yr RFS: 84.3%). In multivariate analysis, the five-gene panel remained prognostic for cancer recurrence independent of stage and high-risk features (hazard ratio 3.63, 95%CI [1.93-6.83], P < 0.0001). Furthermore, its prognostic accuracy was superior to the American Joint Commission on Cancer classification (concordance-index: 0.70 vs 0.54). Our proposed mutation panel identifies CRC patients at high-risk for recurrence, which may help guide adjuvant therapy and post-operative surveillance protocols. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The prognostic value of the systemic inflammatory score in patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Shibutani, Masatsune; Maeda, Kiyoshi; Nagahara, Hisashi; Fukuoka, Tatsunari; Matsutani, Shinji; Kimura, Kenjiro; Amano, Ryosuke; Hirakawa, Kosei; Ohira, Masaichi

2018-07-01

Inflammation has been widely recognized as a contributor to cancer progression and several inflammatory markers have been reported as associated with the clinical outcomes in patients with various types of cancer. Recently, a novel inflammatory marker, the systemic inflammatory score (SIS), which is based on a combination of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and the serum albumin concentration has been reported as a useful prognostic marker. The aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic value of the SIS in patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The retrospective cohort study included 160 patients who underwent combination chemotherapy for unresectable mCRC between January 2008 and December 2016. The SIS was used to classify the patients into three groups based on their LMR and the serum albumin concentration. Patients with high-LMR and high serum albumin level were given a score of 0; patients with low-LMR or low serum albumin level were given a score of 1; patients with low-LMR and low serum albumin level were given a score of 2. There were significant differences in the overall survival among the three SIS groups and the SIS was an independent prognostic factor for the overall survival. Although the SIS was significantly associated with the overall survival rate even when using the original cut-off values, the SIS according to the new cut-off values had a more accurate prognostic value. The present study determined that the SIS was a useful biomarker for predicting the survival outcomes in patients with unresectable mCRC, although the optimum cut-off value of the SIS according to the patients' background needs to be examined in further studies.

Next-generation sequencing in systemic mastocytosis: Derivation of a mutation-augmented clinical prognostic model for survival.

PubMed

Pardanani, Animesh; Lasho, Terra; Elala, Yoseph; Wassie, Emnet; Finke, Christy; Reichard, Kaaren K; Chen, Dong; Hanson, Curtis A; Ketterling, Rhett P; Tefferi, Ayalew

2016-09-01

In routine practice, the World Health Organization classification of systemic mastocytosis (SM) is also the de facto prognostic system; a core value is distinguishing indolent (ISM) from advanced SM (includes aggressive SM [ASM], SM with associated hematological neoplasm [SM-AHN] and mast cell leukemia [MCL]). We sequenced 27 genes in 150 SM patients to identify mutations that could be integrated into a clinical-molecular prognostic model for survival. Forty four patients (29%) had ISM, 25 (17%) ASM, 80 (53%) SM-AHN and 1 (0.7%) MCL; overall KITD816V prevalence was 75%. In 87 patients, 148 non-KIT mutations were detected; the most frequently mutated genes were TET2 (29%), ASXL1 (17%), and CBL (11%), with significantly higher mutation frequency in SM-AHN > ASM > ISM (P < 0.0001). In advanced SM, ASXL1 and RUNX1 mutations were associated with inferior survival. In multivariate analysis, age > 60 years (HR = 2.4), hemoglobin < 10 g/dL or transfusion-dependence (HR = 1.7), platelet count < 150 × 10(9) /L (HR = 3.2), serum albumin < 3.5 g/dL (HR = 2.6), and ASXL1 mutation (HR = 2.3) were associated with inferior survival. A mutation-augmented prognostic scoring system (MAPSS) based on these parameters stratified advanced SM patients into high-, intermediate-, and low-risk groups with median survival of 5, 21 and 86 months, respectively (P < 0.0001). These data should optimize risk-stratification and treatment selection for advanced SM patients. Am. J. Hematol. 91:888-893, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The World Health Organization 1973 classification system for grade is an important prognosticator in T1 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

PubMed

van de Putte, Elisabeth E Fransen; Bosschieter, Judith; van der Kwast, Theo H; Bertz, Simone; Denzinger, Stefan; Manach, Quentin; Compérat, Eva M; Boormans, Joost L; Jewett, Michael A S; Stoehr, Robert; van Leenders, Geert J L H; Nieuwenhuijzen, Jakko A; Zlotta, Alexandre R; Hendricksen, Kees; Rouprêt, Morgan; Otto, Wolfgang; Burger, Maximilian; Hartmann, Arndt; van Rhijn, Bas W G

2018-04-10

To compare the prognostic value of the World Health Organization (WHO) 1973 and 2004 classification systems for grade in T1 bladder cancer (T1-BC), as both are currently recommended in international guidelines. Three uro-pathologists re-revised slides of 601 primary (first diagnosis) T1-BCs, initially managed conservatively (bacille Calmette-Guérin) in four hospitals. Grade was defined according to WHO1973 (Grade 1-3) and WHO2004 (low-grade [LG] and high-grade [HG]). This resulted in a lack of Grade 1 tumours, 188 (31%) Grade 2, and 413 (69%) Grade 3 tumours. There were 47 LG (8%) vs 554 (92%) HG tumours. We determined the prognostic value for progression-free survival (PFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in Cox-regression models and corrected for age, sex, multiplicity, size and concomitant carcinoma in situ. At a median follow-up of 5.9 years, 148 patients showed progression and 94 died from BC. The WHO1973 Grade 3 was negatively associated with PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 2.1) and CSS (HR 3.4), whilst WHO2004 grade was not prognostic. On multivariable analysis, WHO1973 grade was the only prognostic factor for progression (HR 2.0). Grade 3 tumours (HR 3.0), older age (HR 1.03) and tumour size >3 cm (HR 1.8) were all independently associated with worse CSS. The WHO1973 classification system for grade has strong prognostic value in T1-BC, compared to the WHO2004 system. Our present results suggest that WHO1973 grade cannot be replaced by the WHO2004 classification in non-muscle-invasive BC guidelines. © 2018 The Authors BJU International © 2018 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Flight Set 360L006 STS-34 field joint protection system, thermal protection system, and systems tunnel components, volume 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkinson, J. P.

1990-01-01

The performance of the thermal protection system, field joint protection system, and systems tunnel components of Flight Set 360L006, are documented, as evaluated by postflight hardware inspection. The condition of both motors was similar to previous flights. Sixteen aft edge hits were noted on the ground environment instrumentation thermal protection system. Each hit left a clean substrate, indicating that the damage was caused by nozzle severance debris and/or water impact. No National Space and Transporation System debris criteria for missing thermal protection system were violated. One 5.0 by 1.0 in. unbond was observed on the left hand center field joint K5NA closeout and was elevated to an in-flight anomaly (STS-34-M-4) by the NASA Ice/Debris team. Aft edge damage to the K5NA and an associated black streak indicate that burning debris from the nozzle severance system was the likely cause of the damage. Minor divots caused by debris were seen on previous flights, but this is the first occurrence of a K5NA unbond. Since the unbond occurred after booster separation there is no impact on flight safety and no corrective actions was taken. The right hand center field joint primary heater failed the dielectric withstanding voltage test after joint closeout. The heater was then disabled by opening the circuit breaker, and the redundant heater was used. The redundant heater performed nominally during the launch countdown. A similar condition occurred on Flight 4 when a secondary joint heater failed the dielectric withstanding voltage test.

Prognostic value of pretreatment albumin/globulin ratio in digestive system cancers: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Guo, Hui-Wen; Yuan, Tang-Zhan; Chen, Jia-Xi; Zheng, Yang

2018-01-01

The albumin/globulin ratio (AGR) has been widely reported to be a potential predictor of prognosis in digestive system cancers (DSCs), but convincing conclusions have not been made. Therefore, herein, we performed a meta-analysis of relevant studies regarding this topic to evaluate the prognostic value of AGR in patients with DSCs. Three databases, including PubMed, EMBase, and Web of science, were searched comprehensively for eligible studies through September 8, 2017. The outcomes of interest included overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS). In our meta-analysis, pooled analysis of 13 studies with 9269 patients showed that a low AGR was significantly correlated with poor OS (HR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.57-2.38; P <0.001). Five studies with 6538 participants involved DFS, and our pooled analysis of these studies also demonstrated that there was a significant association of a low AGR with worse DFS (HR = 1.49; 95% CI: 1.10 to 2.00; P < 0.001). In addition, only 2 studies referred to CSS, and we also detected a significant relationship between a low AGR and worse CSS from the results of our meta-analysis. In summary, a low pretreatment AGR was related to unfavorable survival in human digestive system cancers. A low pretreatment AGR may be a useful predictive prognostic biomarker in human digestive system cancers.

[Prognostic parameters in liver cirrhosis, varicose bleeding and sclerosing therapy. Prospective comparison of a prognostic system with the Child classification obtained by discriminant analysis].

PubMed

Sauerbruch, T; Ansari, H; Wotzka, R; Soehendra, N; Köpcke, W

1988-01-08

Prospective prognosis systems for predicting half-year death-rate after bleeding from oesophageal varices and sclerotherapy were tested on 129 patients. The receiver-operating-characteristic curves of three discriminant scores were compared with the Child-Pugh classification. It was found that the latter is still the best for prognosticating the course of the disease. A simplified discriminant score which contains as its only factors bilirubin and the Quick value does, however, give nearly as good information.

How weak values emerge in joint measurements on cloned quantum systems.

PubMed

Hofmann, Holger F

2012-07-13

A statistical analysis of optimal universal cloning shows that it is possible to identify an ideal (but nonpositive) copying process that faithfully maps all properties of the original Hilbert space onto two separate quantum systems, resulting in perfect correlations for all observables. The joint probabilities for noncommuting measurements on separate clones then correspond to the real parts of the complex joint probabilities observed in weak measurements on a single system, where the measurements on the two clones replace the corresponding sequence of weak measurement and postselection. The imaginary parts of weak measurement statics can be obtained by replacing the cloning process with a partial swap operation. A controlled-swap operation combines both processes, making the complete weak measurement statistics accessible as a well-defined contribution to the joint probabilities of fully resolved projective measurements on the two output systems.

Modified Denavit-Hartenberg parameters for better location of joint axis systems in robot arms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barker, L. K.

1986-01-01

The Denavit-Hartenberg parameters define the relative location of successive joint axis systems in a robot arm. A recent justifiable criticism is that one of these parameters becomes extremely large when two successive joints have near-parallel rotational axes. Geometrically, this parameter then locates a joint axis system at an excessive distance from the robot arm and, computationally, leads to an ill-conditioned transformation matrix. In this paper, a simple modification (which results from constraining a transverse vector between successive joint rotational axes to be normal to one of the rotational axes, instead of both) overcomes this criticism and favorably locates the joint axis system. An example is given for near-parallel rotational axes of the elbow and shoulder joints in a robot arm. The regular and modified parameters are extracted by an algebraic method with simulated measurement data. Unlike the modified parameters, extracted values of the regular parameters are very sensitive to measurement accuracy.

Accelerated Aging Experiments for Capacitor Health Monitoring and Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, Chetan S.; Celaya, Jose Ramon; Biswas, Gautam; Goebel, Kai

2012-01-01

This paper discusses experimental setups for health monitoring and prognostics of electrolytic capacitors under nominal operation and accelerated aging conditions. Electrolytic capacitors have higher failure rates than other components in electronic systems like power drives, power converters etc. Our current work focuses on developing first-principles-based degradation models for electrolytic capacitors under varying electrical and thermal stress conditions. Prognostics and health management for electronic systems aims to predict the onset of faults, study causes for system degradation, and accurately compute remaining useful life. Accelerated life test methods are often used in prognostics research as a way to model multiple causes and assess the effects of the degradation process through time. It also allows for the identification and study of different failure mechanisms and their relationships under different operating conditions. Experiments are designed for aging of the capacitors such that the degradation pattern induced by the aging can be monitored and analyzed. Experimental setups and data collection methods are presented to demonstrate this approach.

Analysis on Sealing Reliability of Bolted Joint Ball Head Component of Satellite Propulsion System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Tao; Fan, Yougao; Gao, Feng; Gu, Shixin; Wang, Wei

2018-01-01

Propulsion system is one of the important subsystems of satellite, and its performance directly affects the service life, attitude control and reliability of the satellite. The Paper analyzes the sealing principle of bolted joint ball head component of satellite propulsion system and discuss from the compatibility of hydrazine anhydrous and bolted joint ball head component, influence of ground environment on the sealing performance of bolted joint ball heads, and material failure caused by environment, showing that the sealing reliability of bolted joint ball head component is good and the influence of above three aspects on sealing of bolted joint ball head component can be ignored.

Flight Set 360L002 (STS-27) field joint protection system, volume 7

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hale, Elgie

1989-01-01

This report contains the pre-launch functioning data of the Field Joint Protection System (JPS) used on STS-27. Also included is the post flight condition of the JPS components following the launch and recovery of the two redesigned solid rocket motors (RSRM) boosters. The JPS components are: (1) field joint heaters; (2) field joint sensors; (3) field joint moisture seal; (4) moisture seal Kevlar retaining straps; (5) field joint external insulation; (6) vent valve; (7) power cables; and (8) igniter heater.

A Testbed for Data Fusion for Engine Diagnostics and Prognostics1

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-03-01

detected ; too late to be useful for prognostics development. Table 1. Table of acronyms ACRONYM MEANING AD Anomaly detector...strictly defined points. Determining where we are on the engine health curve is the first step in prognostics . Fault detection / diagnostic reasoning... Detection As described above the ability of the monitoring system to detect an anomaly is especially important for knowledge-based systems, i.e.,

Systems Engineering Processes for the Acquisition of Prognostic and Health Management Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

INTRODUCTION A. BACKGROUND Prior to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program, the A-7 Corsair II was the last single engine fighter in the Navy...first fielded on the A-7 Corsair to the CBM+ systems being developed for the F-35 JSF. It also identified the DoD directive that mandates the...LEFT BLANK 55 LIST OF REFERENCES [1] A-7 Corsair II. (2011, July 7). GlobalSecurity.org. [Online]. Available: http://www.globalsecurity.org

Image-Guided Surgical Robotic System for Percutaneous Reduction of Joint Fractures.

PubMed

Dagnino, Giulio; Georgilas, Ioannis; Morad, Samir; Gibbons, Peter; Tarassoli, Payam; Atkins, Roger; Dogramadzi, Sanja

2017-11-01

Complex joint fractures often require an open surgical procedure, which is associated with extensive soft tissue damages and longer hospitalization and rehabilitation time. Percutaneous techniques can potentially mitigate these risks but their application to joint fractures is limited by the current sub-optimal 2D intra-operative imaging (fluoroscopy) and by the high forces involved in the fragment manipulation (due to the presence of soft tissue, e.g., muscles) which might result in fracture malreduction. Integration of robotic assistance and 3D image guidance can potentially overcome these issues. The authors propose an image-guided surgical robotic system for the percutaneous treatment of knee joint fractures, i.e., the robot-assisted fracture surgery (RAFS) system. It allows simultaneous manipulation of two bone fragments, safer robot-bone fixation system, and a traction performing robotic manipulator. This system has led to a novel clinical workflow and has been tested both in laboratory and in clinically relevant cadaveric trials. The RAFS system was tested on 9 cadaver specimens and was able to reduce 7 out of 9 distal femur fractures (T- and Y-shape 33-C1) with acceptable accuracy (≈1 mm, ≈5°), demonstrating its applicability to fix knee joint fractures. This study paved the way to develop novel technologies for percutaneous treatment of complex fractures including hip, ankle, and shoulder, thus representing a step toward minimally-invasive fracture surgeries.

A self-cognizant dynamic system approach for prognostics and health management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Guangxing; Wang, Pingfeng; Hu, Chao

2015-03-01

Prognostics and health management (PHM) is an emerging engineering discipline that diagnoses and predicts how and when a system will degrade its performance and lose its partial or whole functionality. Due to the complexity and invisibility of rules and states of most dynamic systems, developing an effective approach to track evolving system states becomes a major challenge. This paper presents a new self-cognizant dynamic system (SCDS) approach that incorporates artificial intelligence into dynamic system modeling for PHM. A feed-forward neural network (FFNN) is selected to approximate a complex system response which is challenging task in general due to inaccessible system physics. The trained FFNN model is then embedded into a dual extended Kalman filter algorithm to track down system dynamics. A recursive computation technique used to update the FFNN model using online measurements is also derived. To validate the proposed SCDS approach, a battery dynamic system is considered as an experimental application. After modeling the battery system by a FFNN model and a state-space model, the state-of-charge (SoC) and state-of-health (SoH) are estimated by updating the FFNN model using the proposed approach. Experimental results suggest that the proposed approach improves the efficiency and accuracy for battery health management.

Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Common Ground System (CGS) Current Technical Performance Measures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cochran, S.; Panas, M.; Jamilkowski, M. L.; Miller, S. W.

2015-12-01

ABSTRACT The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are jointly acquiring the next-generation civilian weather and environmental satellite system: the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). The Joint Polar Satellite System will replace the afternoon orbit component and ground processing system of the current Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) managed by NOAA. The JPSS satellites will carry a suite of sensors designed to collect meteorological, oceanographic, climatological and geophysical observations of the Earth. The ground processing system for JPSS is known as the JPSS Common Ground System (JPSS CGS). Developed and maintained by Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS), the CGS is a multi-mission enterprise system serving NOAA, NASA and their national and international partners. The CGS has demonstrated its scalability and flexibility to incorporate multiple missions efficiently and with minimal cost, schedule and risk, while strengthening global partnerships in weather and environmental monitoring. The CGS architecture is being upgraded to Block 2.0 in 2015 to "operationalize" S-NPP, leverage lessons learned to date in multi-mission support, take advantage of more reliable and efficient technologies, and satisfy new requirements and constraints in the continually evolving budgetary environment. To ensure the CGS meets these needs, we have developed 49 Technical Performance Measures (TPMs) across 10 categories, such as data latency, operational availability and scalability. This paper will provide an overview of the CGS Block 2.0 architecture, with particular focus on the 10 TPM categories listed above. We will provide updates on how we ensure the deployed architecture meets these TPMs to satisfy our multi-mission objectives with the deployment of Block 2.0.

Field joint protection system rain qualification test report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, M.

1989-01-01

This report documents the procedures, performance, and results obtained from the Field Joint Protection System (FJPS) rain test. This test was performed to validate that the flight configuration FJPS prevents the accumulation of moisture in the redesigned solid rocket motor (RSRM) field joints when subjected to simulated prelaunch natural rain environments. The FJPS test article was exposed to rain simulation for approximately 50 minutes. During the test, water entered through the open upper end of the systems tunnel and was funneled down between the tunnel and case. A sealant void at the moisture seal butt splice allowed this water to flow underneath the FJPS. The most likely cause of voids was improper bondline preparation, particularly on the moisture seal surface. In total, water penetrated underneath approximately 60 percent of the FJPS circumference. Because the test article was substantially different from flight configuration (no systems tunnel closeout), results of this test will not affect current flight motors. Due to the omission of systems tunnel covers and systems tunnel floor plate closeout, the test assembly was not representative of flight hardware and resulted in a gross overtest. It is therefore recommended that the test be declared void. It is also recommended that the test be repeated with a complete closeout of the systems tunnel, sealed systems tunnel ends, and improved adhesive bondline preparation.

Health-related quality-of-life parameters as independent prognostic factors in advanced or metastatic bladder cancer.

PubMed

Roychowdhury, D F; Hayden, A; Liepa, A M

2003-02-15

This retrospective analysis examined prognostic significance of health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) parameters combined with baseline clinical factors on outcomes (overall survival, time to progressive disease, and time to treatment failure) in bladder cancer. Outcome and HRQoL (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30) data were collected prospectively in a phase III study assessing gemcitabine and cisplatin versus methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin in locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer. Prespecified baseline clinical factors (performance status, tumor-node-metastasis staging, visceral metastases [VM], alkaline phosphatase [AP] level, number of metastatic sites, prior radiotherapy, disease measurability, sex, time from diagnosis, and sites of disease) and selected HRQoL parameters (global QoL; all functional scales; symptoms: pain, fatigue, insomnia, dyspnea, anorexia) were evaluated using Cox's proportional hazards model. Factors with individual prognostic value (P <.05) on outcomes in univariate models were assessed for joint prognostic value in a multivariate model. A final model was developed using a backward selection strategy. Patients with baseline HRQoL were included (364 of 405, 90%). The final model predicted longer survival with low/normal AP levels, no VM, high physical functioning, low role functioning, and no anorexia. Positive prognostic factors for time to progressive disease were good performance status, low/normal AP levels, no VM, and minimal fatigue; for time to treatment failure, they were low/normal AP levels, minimal fatigue, and no anorexia. Global QoL was a significant predictor of outcome in univariate analyses but was not retained in the multivariate model. HRQoL parameters are independent prognostic factors for outcome in advanced bladder cancer; their prognostic importance needs further evaluation.

The US Navy’s Helicopter Integrated Diagnostics System (HIDS) Program: Power Drive Train Crack Detection Diagnostics and Prognostics Life Usage Monitoring and Damage Tolerance; Techniques, Methodologies, and Experiences

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-02-01

HIDS] Program: Power Drive Train Crack Detection Diagnostics and Prognostics ife Usage Monitoring and Damage Tolerance; Techniques, Methodologies, and...and Prognostics , Life Usage Monitoring , and Damage Tolerance; Techniques, Methodologies, and Experiences Andrew Hess Harrison Chin William Hardman...continuing program and deployed engine monitoring systems in fixed to evaluate helicopter diagnostic, prognostic , and wing aircraft, notably on the A

Distributed computer system enhances productivity for SRB joint optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, James L., Jr.; Young, Katherine C.; Barthelemy, Jean-Francois M.

1987-01-01

Initial calculations of a redesign of the solid rocket booster joint that failed during the shuttle tragedy showed that the design had a weight penalty associated with it. Optimization techniques were to be applied to determine if there was any way to reduce the weight while keeping the joint opening closed and limiting the stresses. To allow engineers to examine as many alternatives as possible, a system was developed consisting of existing software that coupled structural analysis with optimization which would execute on a network of computer workstations. To increase turnaround, this system took advantage of the parallelism offered by the finite difference technique of computing gradients to allow several workstations to contribute to the solution of the problem simultaneously. The resulting system reduced the amount of time to complete one optimization cycle from two hours to one-half hour with a potential of reducing it to 15 minutes. The current distributed system, which contains numerous extensions, requires one hour turnaround per optimization cycle. This would take four hours for the sequential system.

Double-button Fixation System for Management of Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation

PubMed Central

Torkaman, Ali; Bagherifard, Abolfazl; Mokhatri, Tahmineh; Haghighi, Mohammad Hossein Shabanpour; Monshizadeh, Siamak; Taraz, Hamid; Hasanvand, Amin

2016-01-01

Background: Surgical treatments for acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocation present with some complications. The present study was designed to evaluate the double-button fixation system in the management of acute acromioclavicular joint dislocation. Methods: This cross sectional study, done between February 2011 to June 2014, consisted of 28 patients who underwent surgical management by the double-button fixation system for acute AC joint dislocation. Age, sex, injury mechanism, dominant hand, side with injury, length of follow up, time before surgery, shoulder and hand (DASH), constant and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, and all complications of the cases during the follow up were recorded. Results: The mean age of patients was 33.23±6.7 years. Twenty four patients (85.71%) were male and four (14.28%) were female. The significant differences were observed between pre-operation VAS, constant shoulder scores and post-operation measurements. There were not any significant differences between right and left coracoclavicular, but two cases of heterotrophic ossifications were recorded. The mean follow-up time was 16.17±4.38 months. Conclusion: According to the results, the double-button fixation system for management of acute acromioclavicular joint dislocation has suitable results and minimal damage to the soft tissues surrounding the coracoclavicular ligaments. PMID:26894217

Space nuclear system expansion joints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, W. D.; Shimazki, T. T.

1973-01-01

The engineering, design, and fabrication status of the expansion joint unit (EJU) to be employed in the NaK primary coolant piping loop of the 5-kwe Reactor thermoelectric system are described. Four EJU's are needed in the NaK primary coolant piping loop. The four EJU's which will be identical, utilize bellows as the flexing member, are hermetically sealed, and provide double containment. The bellows are of a nested-formed design, and are to be constructed of 1-ply thickness of 0.010-in. Inconel 718. The EJU's provide a minimum piping load margin of safety of +0.22.

Comparative performances of staging systems for early hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Nathan, Hari; Mentha, Gilles; Marques, Hugo P; Capussotti, Lorenzo; Majno, Pietro; Aldrighetti, Luca; Pulitano, Carlo; Rubbia-Brandt, Laura; Russolillo, Nadia; Philosophe, Benjamin; Barroso, Eduardo; Ferrero, Alessandro; Schulick, Richard D; Choti, Michael A; Pawlik, Timothy M

2009-08-01

Several staging systems for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been proposed, but studies of their prognostic accuracy have yielded conflicting conclusions. Stratifying patients with early HCC is of particular interest because these patients may derive the greatest benefit from intervention, yet no studies have evaluated the comparative performances of staging systems in patients with early HCC. A retrospective cohort study was performed using data on 379 patients who underwent liver resection or liver transplantation for HCC at six major hepatobiliary centres in the USA and Europe. The staging systems evaluated were: the Okuda staging system, the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA) staging system, the Cancer of the Liver Italian Programme (CLIP) score, the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system, the Japanese Integrated Staging (JIS) score and the American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer (AJCC/UICC) staging system, 6th edition. A recently proposed early HCC prognostic score was also evaluated. The discriminative abilities of the staging systems were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models and the bootstrap-corrected concordance index (c). Overall survival of the cohort was 74% at 3 years and 52% at 5 years, with a median survival of 62 months. Most systems demonstrated poor discriminatory ability (P > 0.05 on Cox proportional hazards analysis, c approximately 0.5). However, the AJCC/UICC system clearly stratified patients (P < 0.001, c = 0.59), albeit only into two groups. The early HCC prognostic score also clearly stratified patients (P < 0.001, c = 0.60) and identified three distinct prognostic groups. The early HCC prognostic score is superior to the AJCC/UICC staging system (6th edition) for predicting the survival of patients with early HCC after liver resection or liver transplantation. Other major HCC staging systems perform poorly in patients with early HCC.

Prognostic Value of MACC1 in Digestive System Neoplasms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Wu, Zhenzhen; Zhou, Rui; Su, Yuqi; Sun, Li; Liao, Yulin; Liao, Wangjun

2015-01-01

Metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1), a newly identified oncogene, has been associated with poor survival of cancer patients by multiple studies. However, the prognostic value of MACC1 in digestive system neoplasms needs systematic evidence to verify. Therefore, we aimed to provide further evidence on this topic by systematic review and meta-analysis. Literature search was conducted in multiple databases and eligible studies analyzing survival data and MACC1 expression were included for meta-analysis. Hazard ratio (HR) for clinical outcome was chosen as an effect measure of interest. According to our inclusion criteria, 18 studies with a total of 2,948 patients were identified. Pooled HRs indicated that high MACC1 expression significantly correlates with poorer OS in patients with digestive system neoplasms (HR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.49–2.53) as well as poorer relapse-free survival (HR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.33–2.82). The results of subgroup studies categorized by methodology, anatomic structure, and cancer subtype for pooled OS were all consistent with the overall pooled HR for OS as well. No publication bias was detected according to test of funnel plot asymmetry and Egger's test. In conclusion, high MACC1 expression may serve as a prognostic biomarker to guide individualized management in clinical practice for digestive system neoplasms. PMID:26090393

Prognostic Value of MACC1 in Digestive System Neoplasms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Wu, Zhenzhen; Zhou, Rui; Su, Yuqi; Sun, Li; Liao, Yulin; Liao, Wangjun

2015-01-01

Metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1), a newly identified oncogene, has been associated with poor survival of cancer patients by multiple studies. However, the prognostic value of MACC1 in digestive system neoplasms needs systematic evidence to verify. Therefore, we aimed to provide further evidence on this topic by systematic review and meta-analysis. Literature search was conducted in multiple databases and eligible studies analyzing survival data and MACC1 expression were included for meta-analysis. Hazard ratio (HR) for clinical outcome was chosen as an effect measure of interest. According to our inclusion criteria, 18 studies with a total of 2,948 patients were identified. Pooled HRs indicated that high MACC1 expression significantly correlates with poorer OS in patients with digestive system neoplasms (HR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.49-2.53) as well as poorer relapse-free survival (HR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.33-2.82). The results of subgroup studies categorized by methodology, anatomic structure, and cancer subtype for pooled OS were all consistent with the overall pooled HR for OS as well. No publication bias was detected according to test of funnel plot asymmetry and Egger's test. In conclusion, high MACC1 expression may serve as a prognostic biomarker to guide individualized management in clinical practice for digestive system neoplasms.

Prognostic grouping of metastatic prostate cancer using conventional pretreatment prognostic factors.

PubMed

Mikkola, Arto; Aro, Jussi; Rannikko, Sakari; Ruutu, Mirja

2009-01-01

To develop three prognostic groups for disease specific mortality based on the binary classified pretreatment variables age, haemoglobin concentration (Hb), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), plasma testosterone and estradiol level in hormonally treated patients with metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). The present study comprised 200 Finnprostate 6 study patients, but data on all variables were not known for every patient. The patients were divided into three prognostic risk groups (Rgs) using the prognostically best set of pretreatment variables. The best set was found by backward stepwise selection and the effect of every excluded variable on the binary classification cut-off points of the remaining variables was checked and corrected when needed. The best group of variables was ALP, PSA, ESR and age. All data were known in 142 patients. Patients were given one risk point each for ALP > 180 U/l (normal value 60-275 U/l), PSA > 35 microg/l, ESR > 80 mm/h and age < 60 years. Three risk groups were formed: Rg-a (0-1 risk points), Rg-b (2 risk points) and Rg-c (3-4 risk points). The risk of death from PCa increased statistically significantly with advancing prognostic group. Patients with metastatic PCa can be divided into three statistically significantly different prognostic risk groups for PCa-specific mortality by using the binary classified pretreatment variables ALP, PSA, ESR and age.

Design and research on the two-joint mating system of underwater vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhong-lin; Wang, Li-quan

2013-03-01

In the 21st century, people have come to the era of ocean science and ocean economy. With the development of ocean science and technology and the thorough research on the ocean, underwater mating technique has been widely used in such fields as sunk ship salvage, deep ocean workstation, submarine lifesaving aid and military affairs. In this paper, researches are made home and abroad on mating technology. Two-joint mating system of underwater vehicle is designed including plane system, three-dimensional assembly system and control system in order to increase the capacity of adapting platform obliquity and adopting rotational skirt scheme. It is clear that the system fits the working space of underwater vehicle passageway and there is no interference phenomenon in assembly design. The finite element model of the system shell and the pressurization of the joint are established. The results of the finite element computing and the pressing test are accordant, and thus it can testify that the shell material meet the need of intension and joint pressurization is reliable. Modeling of the control system is accomplished, and simulation and analysis are made, which can provide directions for the controller design of mating system of underwater vehicles.

Flight set 360T004 (STS-30) field joint protection system, volume 7

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hale, Elgie

1989-01-01

The Redesigned Solid Rocket Motors (RSRM) of the Space Transportation System have three field joints that are protected by the Joint Protection Systems (JPS). The igniter heater was mounted on the igniter flange. This report documents the performance of the JPS and igniter heaters on the pad and the post-flight condition of the JPS components. All observations that were written up as Squawks and/or Problem Reports are also discussed. The primary heaters performed satisfactorily and maintained the field joint temperatures within the required temperature range. A secondary heater failed Dielectric Withstanding Voltage (DWV) test during the joint closeout prior to launch. This heater was not used, however, since the primary heater functioned properly. Post-test inspection revealed that pin A of the heater power cable was shorted to the connector shell. Design changes have been implemented to resolve the heater power cable problem. All field joint assemblies met all of the performance requirements.

Development of High Temperature Dissimilar Joint Technology for Fission Surface Power Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Locci, Ivan E.; Bowman, Cheryl L.; Gabb, Timothy P.

2009-01-01

NASA is developing fission surface power (FSP) system technology as a potential option for use on the surface of the moon or Mars. The goal is to design a robust system that takes full advantage of existing materials data bases. One of the key components of the power conversion system is the hot-side Heat Exchanger (HX). One possible design for this heat exchanger requires a joint of the dissimilar metals 316L stainless steel and Inconel 718, which must sustain extended operation at high temperatures. This study compares two joining techniques, brazing and diffusion bonding, in the context of forming the requisite stainless steel to superalloy joint. The microstructures produced by brazing and diffusion bonding, the effect of brazing cycle on the mechanical tensile properties of the alloys, and the strength of several brazed joints will be discussed.

Analysis of polyethylene terephthalate PET plastic bottle jointing system using finite element method (FEM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaidi, N. A.; Rosli, Muhamad Farizuan; Effendi, M. S. M.; Abdullah, Mohamad Hariri

2017-09-01

For almost all injection molding applications of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic was analyzed the strength, durability and stiffness of properties by using Finite Element Method (FEM) for jointing system of wood furniture. The FEM was utilized for analyzing the PET jointing system for Oak and Pine as wood based material of furniture. The difference pattern design of PET as wood jointing furniture gives the difference value of strength furniture itself. The results show the wood specimen with grooves and eclipse pattern design PET jointing give lower global estimated error is 28.90%, compare to the rectangular and non-grooves wood specimen of global estimated error is 63.21%.

Eye-Tracking as a Measure of Responsiveness to Joint Attention in Infants at Risk for Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navab, Anahita; Gillespie-Lynch, Kristen; Johnson, Scott P.; Sigman, Marian; Hutman, Ted

2012-01-01

Reduced responsiveness to joint attention (RJA), as assessed by the Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS), is predictive of both subsequent language difficulties and autism diagnosis. Eye-tracking measurement of RJA is a promising prognostic tool because it is highly precise and standardized. However, the construct validity of eye-tracking…

Using prognostic models in CLL to personalize approach to clinical care: Are we there yet?

PubMed

Mina, Alain; Sandoval Sus, Jose; Sleiman, Elsa; Pinilla-Ibarz, Javier; Awan, Farrukh T; Kharfan-Dabaja, Mohamed A

2018-03-01

Four decades ago, two staging systems were developed to help stratify CLL into different prognostic categories. These systems, the Rai and the Binet staging, depended entirely on abnormal exam findings and evidence of anemia and thrombocytopenia. Better understanding of biologic, genetic, and molecular characteristics of CLL have contributed to better appreciating its clinical heterogeneity. New prognostic models, the GCLLSG prognostic index and the CLL-IPI, emerged. They incorporate biologic and genetic information related to CLL and are capable of predicting survival outcomes and cases anticipated to need therapy earlier in the disease course. Accordingly, these newer models are helping develop better informed surveillance strategies and ultimately tailor treatment intensity according to presence (or lack thereof) of certain prognostic markers. This represents a step towards personalizing care of CLL patients. We anticipate that as more prognostic factors continue to be identified, the GCLLSG prognostic index and CLL-IPI models will undergo further revisions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modifying the criteria of the American Joint Commission on Cancer staging system in melanoma.

PubMed

Ross, M

1998-03-01

The currently used staging system in melanoma has not been significantly modified since 1988. While this four-stage system effectively stratifies patients into prognostic groups, additional discriminating criteria have been reported that is not presently incorporated in the staging system. The following additions and modifications are suggested based on a review of the recent literature: 1) for stage I and II patients, Clark's level of invasion is only predictive in patients with melanomas less than 1 mm, the best statistical fit for tumor thickness cutoffs are less than 1 mm, 1 to 2 mm, 2 to 4 mm, and greater than 4 mm, and ulceration should be included as part of the staging system; 2) in stage III patients, the presently used criteria of 3 cm in size needs to abandoned and replaced by the number of lymph nodes involved and the number of lymph node basins involved; and 3) local recurrence presenting as local metastases and satellite disease represent a biologic continuum of regional lymphatic dissemination and should both be classified in the stage III prognostic groups. These modifications, if accepted, should provide the ability to better stratify patients for future adjuvant therapy trials.

Application of Model-based Prognostics to a Pneumatic Valves Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew; Kulkarni, Chetan S.; Gorospe, George

2014-01-01

Pneumatic-actuated valves play an important role in many applications, including cryogenic propellant loading for space operations. Model-based prognostics emphasizes the importance of a model that describes the nominal and faulty behavior of a system, and how faulty behavior progresses in time, causing the end of useful life of the system. We describe the construction of a testbed consisting of a pneumatic valve that allows the injection of faulty behavior and controllable fault progression. The valve opens discretely, and is controlled through a solenoid valve. Controllable leaks of pneumatic gas in the testbed are introduced through proportional valves, allowing the testing and validation of prognostics algorithms for pneumatic valves. A new valve prognostics approach is developed that estimates fault progression and predicts remaining life based only on valve timing measurements. Simulation experiments demonstrate and validate the approach.

Glutamate Decarboxylase 1 Overexpression as a Poor Prognostic Factor in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

PubMed

Lee, Yi-Ying; Chao, Tung-Bo; Sheu, Ming-Jen; Tian, Yu-Feng; Chen, Tzu-Ju; Lee, Sung-Wei; He, Hong-Lin; Chang, I-Wei; Hsing, Chung-Hsi; Lin, Ching-Yih; Li, Chien-Feng

2016-01-01

Background : Glutamate decarboxylase 1 (GAD1) which serves as a rate-limiting enzyme involving in the production of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), exists in the GABAergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). Little is known about the relevance of GAD1 to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Through data mining on a data set derived from a published transcriptome database, this study first identified GAD1 as a differentially upregulated gene in NPC. We aimed to evaluate GAD1 expression and its prognostic effect on patients with early and locoregionally advanced NPC. Methods : We evaluated GAD1 immunohistochemistry and performed an H-score analysis on biopsy specimens from 124 patients with nonmetastasized NPC receiving treatment. GAD1 overexpression was defined as an H score higher than the median value. The findings of such an analysis are correlated with clinicopathological behaviors and survival rates, namely disease-specific survival (DSS), distant-metastasis-free survival (DMeFS), and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rates. Results : GAD1 overexpression was significantly associated with an increase in the primary tumor status ( p < 0.001) and American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stages III-IV ( p = 0.002) and was a univariate predictor of adverse outcomes of DSS ( p = 0.002), DMeFS ( p < 0.0001), and LRFS ( p = 0.001). In the multivariate comparison, in addition to advanced AJCC stages III-IV, GAD1 overexpression remained an independent prognosticator of short DSS ( p = 0.004, hazard ratio = 2.234), DMeFS ( p < 0.001, hazard ratio = 4.218), and LRFS ( p = 0.013, hazard ratio = 2.441) rates. Conclusions : Our data reveal that GAD1 overexpression was correlated with advanced disease status and may thus be a critical prognostic indicator of poor outcomes in NPC and a potential therapeutic target to facilitate the development of effective treatment modalities.

Comparison of the prognostic value of pretreatment measurements of systemic inflammatory response in patients undergoing curative resection of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Lucca, Ilaria; de Martino, Michela; Hofbauer, Sebastian L; Zamani, Nura; Shariat, Shahrokh F; Klatte, Tobias

2015-12-01

Pretreatment measurements of systemic inflammatory response, including the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) have been recognized as prognostic factors in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC), but there is at present no study that compared these markers. We evaluated the pretreatment GPS, NLR, MLR, PLR and PNI in 430 patients, who underwent surgery for clinically localized CCRCC (pT1-3N0M0). Associations with disease-free survival were assessed with Cox models. Discrimination was measured with the C-index, and a decision curve analysis was used to evaluate the clinical net benefit. On multivariable analyses, all measures of systemic inflammatory response were significant prognostic factors. The increase in discrimination compared with the stage, size, grade and necrosis (SSIGN) score alone was 5.8 % for the GPS, 1.1-1.4 % for the NLR, 2.9-3.4 % for the MLR, 2.0-3.3 % for the PLR and 1.4-3.0 % for the PNI. On the simultaneous multivariable analysis of all candidate measures, the final multivariable model contained the SSIGN score (HR 1.40, P < 0.001), the GPS (HR 2.32, P < 0.001) and the MLR (HR 5.78, P = 0.003) as significant variables. Adding both the GPS and the MLR increased the discrimination of the SSIGN score by 6.2 % and improved the clinical net benefit. In patients with clinically localized CCRCC, the GPS and the MLR appear to be the most relevant prognostic measures of systemic inflammatory response. They may be used as an adjunct for patient counseling, tailoring management and clinical trial design.

Validation of cytogenetic risk groups according to International Prognostic Scoring Systems by peripheral blood CD34+FISH: results from a German diagnostic study in comparison with an international control group.

PubMed

Braulke, Friederike; Platzbecker, Uwe; Müller-Thomas, Catharina; Götze, Katharina; Germing, Ulrich; Brümmendorf, Tim H; Nolte, Florian; Hofmann, Wolf-Karsten; Giagounidis, Aristoteles A N; Lübbert, Michael; Greenberg, Peter L; Bennett, John M; Solé, Francesc; Mallo, Mar; Slovak, Marilyn L; Ohyashiki, Kazuma; Le Beau, Michelle M; Tüchler, Heinz; Pfeilstöcker, Michael; Nösslinger, Thomas; Hildebrandt, Barbara; Shirneshan, Katayoon; Aul, Carlo; Stauder, Reinhard; Sperr, Wolfgang R; Valent, Peter; Fonatsch, Christa; Trümper, Lorenz; Haase, Detlef; Schanz, Julie

2015-02-01

International Prognostic Scoring Systems are used to determine the individual risk profile of myelodysplastic syndrome patients. For the assessment of International Prognostic Scoring Systems, an adequate chromosome banding analysis of the bone marrow is essential. Cytogenetic information is not available for a substantial number of patients (5%-20%) with dry marrow or an insufficient number of metaphase cells. For these patients, a valid risk classification is impossible. In the study presented here, the International Prognostic Scoring Systems were validated based on fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses using extended probe panels applied to cluster of differentiation 34 positive (CD34(+)) peripheral blood cells of 328 MDS patients of our prospective multicenter German diagnostic study and compared to chromosome banding results of 2902 previously published patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. For cytogenetic risk classification by fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses of CD34(+) peripheral blood cells, the groups differed significantly for overall and leukemia-free survival by uni- and multivariate analyses without discrepancies between treated and untreated patients. Including cytogenetic data of fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses of peripheral CD34(+) blood cells (instead of bone marrow banding analysis) into the complete International Prognostic Scoring System assessment, the prognostic risk groups separated significantly for overall and leukemia-free survival. Our data show that a reliable stratification to the risk groups of the International Prognostic Scoring Systems is possible from peripheral blood in patients with missing chromosome banding analysis by using a comprehensive probe panel (clinicaltrials.gov identifier:01355913). Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.

Validation of cytogenetic risk groups according to International Prognostic Scoring Systems by peripheral blood CD34+FISH: results from a German diagnostic study in comparison with an international control group

PubMed Central

Braulke, Friederike; Platzbecker, Uwe; Müller-Thomas, Catharina; Götze, Katharina; Germing, Ulrich; Brümmendorf, Tim H.; Nolte, Florian; Hofmann, Wolf-Karsten; Giagounidis, Aristoteles A. N.; Lübbert, Michael; Greenberg, Peter L.; Bennett, John M.; Solé, Francesc; Mallo, Mar; Slovak, Marilyn L.; Ohyashiki, Kazuma; Le Beau, Michelle M.; Tüchler, Heinz; Pfeilstöcker, Michael; Nösslinger, Thomas; Hildebrandt, Barbara; Shirneshan, Katayoon; Aul, Carlo; Stauder, Reinhard; Sperr, Wolfgang R.; Valent, Peter; Fonatsch, Christa; Trümper, Lorenz; Haase, Detlef; Schanz, Julie

2015-01-01

International Prognostic Scoring Systems are used to determine the individual risk profile of myelodysplastic syndrome patients. For the assessment of International Prognostic Scoring Systems, an adequate chromosome banding analysis of the bone marrow is essential. Cytogenetic information is not available for a substantial number of patients (5%–20%) with dry marrow or an insufficient number of metaphase cells. For these patients, a valid risk classification is impossible. In the study presented here, the International Prognostic Scoring Systems were validated based on fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses using extended probe panels applied to cluster of differentiation 34 positive (CD34+) peripheral blood cells of 328 MDS patients of our prospective multicenter German diagnostic study and compared to chromosome banding results of 2902 previously published patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. For cytogenetic risk classification by fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses of CD34+ peripheral blood cells, the groups differed significantly for overall and leukemia-free survival by uni- and multivariate analyses without discrepancies between treated and untreated patients. Including cytogenetic data of fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses of peripheral CD34+ blood cells (instead of bone marrow banding analysis) into the complete International Prognostic Scoring System assessment, the prognostic risk groups separated significantly for overall and leukemia-free survival. Our data show that a reliable stratification to the risk groups of the International Prognostic Scoring Systems is possible from peripheral blood in patients with missing chromosome banding analysis by using a comprehensive probe panel (clinicaltrials.gov identifier:01355913). PMID:25344522

State Space Formulation of Nonlinear Vibration Responses Collected from a Dynamic Rotor-Bearing System: An Extension of Bearing Diagnostics to Bearing Prognostics.

PubMed

Tse, Peter W; Wang, Dong

2017-02-14

Bearings are widely used in various industries to support rotating shafts. Their failures accelerate failures of other adjacent components and may cause unexpected machine breakdowns. In recent years, nonlinear vibration responses collected from a dynamic rotor-bearing system have been widely analyzed for bearing diagnostics. Numerous methods have been proposed to identify different bearing faults. However, these methods are unable to predict the future health conditions of bearings. To extend bearing diagnostics to bearing prognostics, this paper reports the design of a state space formulation of nonlinear vibration responses collected from a dynamic rotor-bearing system in order to intelligently predict bearing remaining useful life (RUL). Firstly, analyses of nonlinear vibration responses were conducted to construct a bearing health indicator (BHI) so as to assess the current bearing health condition. Secondly, a state space model of the BHI was developed to mathematically track the health evolution of the BHI. Thirdly, unscented particle filtering was used to predict bearing RUL. Lastly, a new bearing acceleration life testing setup was designed to collect natural bearing degradation data, which were used to validate the effectiveness of the proposed bearing prognostic method. Results show that the prediction accuracy of the proposed bearing prognostic method is promising and the proposed bearing prognostic method is able to reflect future bearing health conditions.

State Space Formulation of Nonlinear Vibration Responses Collected from a Dynamic Rotor-Bearing System: An Extension of Bearing Diagnostics to Bearing Prognostics

PubMed Central

Tse, Peter W.; Wang, Dong

2017-01-01

Bearings are widely used in various industries to support rotating shafts. Their failures accelerate failures of other adjacent components and may cause unexpected machine breakdowns. In recent years, nonlinear vibration responses collected from a dynamic rotor-bearing system have been widely analyzed for bearing diagnostics. Numerous methods have been proposed to identify different bearing faults. However, these methods are unable to predict the future health conditions of bearings. To extend bearing diagnostics to bearing prognostics, this paper reports the design of a state space formulation of nonlinear vibration responses collected from a dynamic rotor-bearing system in order to intelligently predict bearing remaining useful life (RUL). Firstly, analyses of nonlinear vibration responses were conducted to construct a bearing health indicator (BHI) so as to assess the current bearing health condition. Secondly, a state space model of the BHI was developed to mathematically track the health evolution of the BHI. Thirdly, unscented particle filtering was used to predict bearing RUL. Lastly, a new bearing acceleration life testing setup was designed to collect natural bearing degradation data, which were used to validate the effectiveness of the proposed bearing prognostic method. Results show that the prediction accuracy of the proposed bearing prognostic method is promising and the proposed bearing prognostic method is able to reflect future bearing health conditions. PMID:28216586

Localized primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B cell lymphoma received a surgical approach: an analysis of prognostic factors and comparison of staging systems in 101 patients from a single institution.

PubMed

Zhang, Shengting; Wang, Li; Yu, Dong; Shen, Yang; Cheng, Shu; Zhang, Li; Qian, Ying; Shen, Zhixiang; Li, Qinyu; Zhao, Weili

2015-08-15

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) represents the most common histological subtype of primary gastrointestinal lymphoma and is a heterogeneous group of disease. Prognostic characterization of individual patients is an essential prerequisite for a proper risk-based therapeutic choice. Clinical and pathological prognostic factors were identified, and predictive value of four previously described prognostic systems were assessed in 101 primary gastrointestinal DLBCL (PG-DLBCL) patients with localized disease, including Ann Arbor staging with Musshoff modification, International Prognostic Index (IPI), Lugano classification, and Paris staging system. Univariate factors correlated with inferior survival time were clinical parameters [age>60 years old, multiple extranodal/gastrointestinal involvement, elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase and β2-microglobulin, and decreased serum albumin], as well as pathological parameters (invasion depth beyond serosa, involvement of regional lymph node or adjacent tissue, Ki-67 index, and Bcl-2 expression). Major independent variables of adverse outcome indicated by multivariate analysis were multiple gastrointestinal involvement. In patients unfit for Rituximab but received surgery, radical surgery significantly prolonged the survival time, comparing with alleviative surgery. Addition of Rituximab could overcome the negative prognostic effect of alleviative surgery. Among the four prognostic systems, IPI and Lugano classification clearly separated patients into different risk groups. IPI was able to further stratify the early-stage patients of Lugano classification into groups with distinct prognosis. Radical surgery might be proposed for the patients unfit for Rituximab treatment, and a combination of clinical and pathological staging systems was more helpful to predict the disease outcome of PG-DLBCL patients.

Neuroendocrine tumors of colon and rectum: validation of clinical and prognostic values of the World Health Organization 2010 grading classifications and European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society staging systems.

PubMed

Shen, Chaoyong; Yin, Yuan; Chen, Huijiao; Tang, Sumin; Yin, Xiaonan; Zhou, Zongguang; Zhang, Bo; Chen, Zhixin

2017-03-28

This study evaluated and compared the clinical and prognostic values of the grading criteria used by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Neuroendocrine Tumors Society (ENETS). Moreover, this work assessed the current best prognostic model for colorectal neuroendocrine tumors (CRNETs). The 2010 WHO classifications and the ENETS systems can both stratify the patients into prognostic groups, although the 2010 WHO criteria is more applicable to CRNET patients. Along with tumor location, the 2010 WHO criteria are important independent prognostic parameters for CRNETs in both univariate and multivariate analyses through Cox regression (P<0.05). Data from 192 consecutive patients histopathologically diagnosed with CRNETs and had undergone surgical resection from January 2009 to May 2016 in a single center were retrospectively analyzed. Findings suggest that the WHO classifications are superior over the ENETS classification system in predicting the prognosis of CRNETs. Additionally, the WHO classifications can be widely used in clinical practice.

Prognostic nomogram for previously untreated adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia

PubMed Central

Zheng, Zhuojun; Li, Xiaodong; Zhu, Yuandong; Gu, Weiying; Xie, Xiaobao; Jiang, Jingting

2016-01-01

This study was designed to perform an acceptable prognostic nomogram for acute myeloid leukemia. The clinical data from 311 patients from our institution and 165 patients generated with Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network were reviewed. A prognostic nomogram was designed according to the Cox's proportional hazard model to predict overall survival (OS). To compare the capacity of the nomogram with that of the current prognostic system, the concordance index (C-index) was used to validate the accuracy as well as the calibration curve. The nomogram included 6 valuable variables: age, risk stratifications based on cytogenetic abnormalities, status of FLT3-ITD mutation, status of NPM1 mutation, expression of CD34, and expression of HLA-DR. The C-indexes were 0.71 and 0.68 in the primary and validation cohort respectively, which were superior to the predictive capacity of the current prognostic systems in both cohorts. The nomogram allowed both patients with acute myeloid leukemia and physicians to make prediction of OS individually prior to treatment. PMID:27689396

A Virtual Laboratory for Aviation and Airspace Prognostics Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, Chetan; Gorospe, George; Teubert, Christ; Quach, Cuong C.; Hogge, Edward; Darafsheh, Kaveh

2017-01-01

Integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), autonomy, spacecraft, and other aviation technologies, in the airspace is becoming more and more complicated, and will continue to do so in the future. Inclusion of new technology and complexity into the airspace increases the importance and difficulty of safety assurance. Additionally, testing new technologies on complex aviation systems and systems of systems can be challenging, expensive, and at times unsafe when implementing real life scenarios. The application of prognostics to aviation and airspace management may produce new tools and insight into these problems. Prognostic methodology provides an estimate of the health and risks of a component, vehicle, or airspace and knowledge of how that will change over time. That measure is especially useful in safety determination, mission planning, and maintenance scheduling. In our research, we develop a live, distributed, hardware- in-the-loop Prognostics Virtual Laboratory testbed for aviation and airspace prognostics. The developed testbed will be used to validate prediction algorithms for the real-time safety monitoring of the National Airspace System (NAS) and the prediction of unsafe events. In our earlier work1 we discussed the initial Prognostics Virtual Laboratory testbed development work and related results for milestones 1 & 2. This paper describes the design, development, and testing of the integrated tested which are part of milestone 3, along with our next steps for validation of this work. Through a framework consisting of software/hardware modules and associated interface clients, the distributed testbed enables safe, accurate, and inexpensive experimentation and research into airspace and vehicle prognosis that would not have been possible otherwise. The testbed modules can be used cohesively to construct complex and relevant airspace scenarios for research. Four modules are key to this research: the virtual aircraft module which uses the X

Real-Time Prognostics of a Rotary Valve Actuator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew

2015-01-01

Valves are used in many domains and often have system-critical functions. As such, it is important to monitor the health of valves and their actuators and predict remaining useful life. In this work, we develop a model-based prognostics approach for a rotary valve actuator. Due to limited observability of the component with multiple failure modes, a lumped damage approach is proposed for estimation and prediction of damage progression. In order to support the goal of real-time prognostics, an approach to prediction is developed that does not require online simulation to compute remaining life, rather, a function mapping the damage state to remaining useful life is found offline so that predictions can be made quickly online with a single function evaluation. Simulation results demonstrate the overall methodology, validating the lumped damage approach and demonstrating real-time prognostics.

Evaluation of Asphalt Bridge Deck Joint Systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-12-01

Asphaltic Plug Joint is an expansion joint that is used for new and rehabilitated bridges. It provides a smooth and watertight surface free of debris; and offers simple, easy and staged construction. Asphaltic plug joint can be repaired segmentally a...

14 CFR 23.693 - Joints.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Systems § 23.693 Joints. Control system joints (in push-pull systems) that are subject to angular motion... factor may be reduced to 2.0 for joints in cable control systems. For ball or roller bearings, the...

Immunization-based scores as independent prognostic predictors in soft tissue sarcoma patients

PubMed Central

Jiang, Shan-Shan; Jiang, Long; Weng, De-Sheng; Li, Yuan-fang; Pan, Qiu-Zhong; Zhao, Jing-Jing; Tang, Yan; Zhou, Zhi-Wei; Xia, Jian-Chuan

2017-01-01

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the prognostic value of different immunization-based scoring systems in patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study evaluating a cohort of 165 patients diagnosed with STS between July 2007 and July 2014. The relative Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) of these patients was calculated using 3 different systems: the traditional GPS system (tGPS), the modified GPS system 1 (m1GPS), and the modified GPS system 2 (m2GPS). Then, we evaluated the relationships between each GPS system and clinicopathological characteristics. The mean follow-up for survivors in the cohort was 73.7 months as of March 2015. Results: The most favorable overall survival (OS) rate was associated with the score 0 groups, and the poorest progression-free survival (PFS) rate was associated with the score 2 groups, regardless of which system was used to calculate the score. Specifically, the m1GPS provided the greatest accuracy in predicting OS and PFS. Moreover, the same effect was observed in a separate analysis restricted to patients with metastases. Remarkably, in patients with a score of 2 as measured by all 3 systems, local treatment resulted in a poorer prognosis compared to patients with a score of 2 who did not receive local treatment. Conclusion: The GPS is a valuable prognostic marker and has the capability to predict the appropriate treatment strategy for STS patients with metastases. The modified GPS systems demonstrated superior prognostic and predictive value compared with the traditional GPS system. PMID:28367240

Fully automated system for the quantification of human osteoarthritic knee joint effusion volume using magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Li, Wei; Abram, François; Pelletier, Jean-Pierre; Raynauld, Jean-Pierre; Dorais, Marc; d'Anjou, Marc-André; Martel-Pelletier, Johanne

2010-01-01

Joint effusion is frequently associated with osteoarthritis (OA) flare-up and is an important marker of therapeutic response. This study aimed at developing and validating a fully automated system based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the quantification of joint effusion volume in knee OA patients. MRI examinations consisted of two axial sequences: a T2-weighted true fast imaging with steady-state precession and a T1-weighted gradient echo. An automated joint effusion volume quantification system using MRI was developed and validated (a) with calibrated phantoms (cylinder and sphere) and effusion from knee OA patients; (b) with assessment by manual quantification; and (c) by direct aspiration. Twenty-five knee OA patients with joint effusion were included in the study. The automated joint effusion volume quantification was developed as a four stage sequencing process: bone segmentation, filtering of unrelated structures, segmentation of joint effusion, and subvoxel volume calculation. Validation experiments revealed excellent coefficients of variation with the calibrated cylinder (1.4%) and sphere (0.8%) phantoms. Comparison of the OA knee joint effusion volume assessed by the developed automated system and by manual quantification was also excellent (r = 0.98; P < 0.0001), as was the comparison with direct aspiration (r = 0.88; P = 0.0008). The newly developed fully automated MRI-based system provided precise quantification of OA knee joint effusion volume with excellent correlation with data from phantoms, a manual system, and joint aspiration. Such an automated system will be instrumental in improving the reproducibility/reliability of the evaluation of this marker in clinical application.

Prognostic Value of Late Gadolinium Enhancement CMR in Systemic Amyloidosis.

PubMed

Raina, Sameer; Lensing, Shelly Y; Nairooz, Ramez S; Pothineni, Naga Venkata K; Hakeem, Abdul; Bhatti, Sabha; Pandey, Tarun

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to access the prognostic implication of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in patients with systemic amyloidosis undergoing cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Cardiac amyloidosis confers significantly worse prognosis in patients with systemic amyloidosis. CMR imaging has emerged as an attractive noninvasive modality to diagnose cardiac involvement in patients with systemic amyloidosis. We performed a systemic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of LGE-CMR imaging in patients with systemic amyloidosis. Electronic databases MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were systematically searched to identify studies evaluating the association between LGE-CMR and prognosis in systemic amyloidosis with cardiac involvement. The present study was designed to systematically review and assess the association between LGE and the primary endpoint of all-cause mortality. A random effects model was used to calculate a pooled odds ratio using inverse-variance weighting. Data were included from 7 studies with a total of 425 patients and a mean follow-up of 25 months. Patients had a weighted average age of 64 years and left ventricular ejection fraction of 59.2%; 67% were male. Endomyocardial biopsy was positive for amyloidosis in 20%, whereas LGE was present in 73% of patients. LGE-positive patients had increased overall mortality compared with those without LGE (pooled odds ratio: 4.96; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.90 to 12.93; p = 0.001). For the LGE group, the pooled death rate was 0.07 (95% CI: 0.03 to 0.19) events per year and for the LGE+ group, the rate was 0.25 (95% CI: 0.16 to 0.39 per year; p = 0.001). The proportion of patients with cardiac biopsy within each study ranged from 3% to 68%, and the relationship between LGE status and death did not vary according to cardiac biopsy proportion across studies. LGE on CMR in patients with systemic amyloidosis with known or suspected cardiac amyloidosis is associated with increased

Improved decryption quality and security of a joint transform correlator-based encryption system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilardy, Juan M.; Millán, María S.; Pérez-Cabré, Elisabet

2013-02-01

Some image encryption systems based on modified double random phase encoding and joint transform correlator architecture produce low quality decrypted images and are vulnerable to a variety of attacks. In this work, we analyse the algorithm of some reported methods that optically implement the double random phase encryption in a joint transform correlator. We show that it is possible to significantly improve the quality of the decrypted image by introducing a simple nonlinear operation in the encrypted function that contains the joint power spectrum. This nonlinearity also makes the system more resistant to chosen-plaintext attacks. We additionally explore the system resistance against this type of attack when a variety of probability density functions are used to generate the two random phase masks of the encryption-decryption process. Numerical results are presented and discussed.

Development and Validation of a Lifecycle-based Prognostics Architecture with Test Bed Validation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hines, J. Wesley; Upadhyaya, Belle; Sharp, Michael

On-line monitoring and tracking of nuclear plant system and component degradation is being investigated as a method for improving the safety, reliability, and maintainability of aging nuclear power plants. Accurate prediction of the current degradation state of system components and structures is important for accurate estimates of their remaining useful life (RUL). The correct quantification and propagation of both the measurement uncertainty and model uncertainty is necessary for quantifying the uncertainty of the RUL prediction. This research project developed and validated methods to perform RUL estimation throughout the lifecycle of plant components. Prognostic methods should seamlessly operate from beginning ofmore » component life (BOL) to end of component life (EOL). We term this "Lifecycle Prognostics." When a component is put into use, the only information available may be past failure times of similar components used in similar conditions, and the predicted failure distribution can be estimated with reliability methods such as Weibull Analysis (Type I Prognostics). As the component operates, it begins to degrade and consume its available life. This life consumption may be a function of system stresses, and the failure distribution should be updated to account for the system operational stress levels (Type II Prognostics). When degradation becomes apparent, this information can be used to again improve the RUL estimate (Type III Prognostics). This research focused on developing prognostics algorithms for the three types of prognostics, developing uncertainty quantification methods for each of the algorithms, and, most importantly, developing a framework using Bayesian methods to transition between prognostic model types and update failure distribution estimates as new information becomes available. The developed methods were then validated on a range of accelerated degradation test beds. The ultimate goal of prognostics is to provide an accurate

Total-Body Irradiation Produces Late Degenerative Joint Damage in Rats

PubMed Central

Hutchinson, Ian D.; Olson, John; Lindburg, Carl A.; Payne, Valerie; Collins, Boyce; Smith, Thomas L.; Munley, Michael T.; Wheeler, Kenneth T.; Willey, Jeffrey S.

2014-01-01

Purpose Premature musculoskeletal joint failure is a major source of morbidity among childhood cancer survivors. Radiation effects on synovial joint tissues of the skeleton are poorly understood. Our goal was to assess long-term changes in the knee joint from skeletally mature rats that received total-body irradiation while skeletal growth was ongoing. Materials and Methods 14 week-old rats were irradiated with 1, 3 or 7 Gy total-body doses of 18 MV x-rays. At 53 weeks of age, structural and compositional changes in knee joint tissues (articular cartilage, subchondral bone, and trabecular bone) were characterized using 7T MRI, nanocomputed tomography (nanoCT), microcomputed tomography (microCT), and histology. Results T2 relaxation times of the articular cartilage were lower after exposure to all doses. Likewise, calcifications were observed in the articular cartilage. Trabecular bone microarchitecture was compromised in the tibial metaphysis at 7 Gy. Mild to moderate cartilage erosion was scored in the 3 and 7 Gy rats. Conclusions Late degenerative changes in articular cartilage and bone were observed after total body irradiation in adult rats exposed prior to skeletal maturity. 7T MRI, microCT, nanoCT, and histology identified potential prognostic indicators of late radiation-induced joint damage. PMID:24885745

Analysis of postmarket complaints database for the iFuse SI Joint Fusion System®: a minimally invasive treatment for degenerative sacroiliitis and sacroiliac joint disruption

PubMed Central

Miller, Larry E; Reckling, W Carlton; Block, Jon E

2013-01-01

Background The sacroiliac joint is a common but under-recognized source of low back and gluteal pain. Patients with degenerative sacroiliitis or sacroiliac joint disruption resistant to nonsurgical treatments may undergo open surgery with sacroiliac joint arthrodesis, although outcomes are mixed and risks are significant. Minimally invasive sacroiliac joint arthrodesis was developed to minimize the risk of iatrogenic injury and to improve patient outcomes compared with open surgery. Methods Between April 2009 and January 2013, 5319 patients were treated with the iFuse SI Joint Fusion System® for conditions including sacroiliac joint disruption and degenerative sacroiliitis. A database was prospectively developed to record all complaints reported to the manufacturer in patients treated with the iFuse device. Complaints were collected through spontaneous reporting mechanisms in support of ongoing mandatory postmarket surveillance efforts. Results Complaints were reported in 204 (3.8%) patients treated with the iFuse system. Pain was the most commonly reported clinical complaint (n = 119, 2.2%), with nerve impingement (n = 48, 0.9%) and recurrent sacroiliac joint pain (n = 43, 0.8%) most frequently cited. All other clinical complaints were rare (≤0.2%). Ninety-six revision surgeries were performed in 94 (1.8%) patients at a median follow-up of four (range 0–30) months. Revisions were typically performed in the early postoperative period for treatment of a symptomatic malpositioned implant (n = 46, 0.9%) or to correct an improperly sized implant in an asymptomatic patient (n = 10, 0.2%). Revisions in the late postoperative period were performed to treat symptom recurrence (n = 34, 0.6%) or for continued pain of undetermined etiology (n = 6, 0.1%). Conclusion Analysis of a postmarket product complaints database demonstrates an overall low risk of complaints with the iFuse SI Joint Fusion System in patients with degenerative sacroiliitis or sacroiliac joint

Analysis of postmarket complaints database for the iFuse SI Joint Fusion System®: a minimally invasive treatment for degenerative sacroiliitis and sacroiliac joint disruption.

PubMed

Miller, Larry E; Reckling, W Carlton; Block, Jon E

2013-01-01

The sacroiliac joint is a common but under-recognized source of low back and gluteal pain. Patients with degenerative sacroiliitis or sacroiliac joint disruption resistant to nonsurgical treatments may undergo open surgery with sacroiliac joint arthrodesis, although outcomes are mixed and risks are significant. Minimally invasive sacroiliac joint arthrodesis was developed to minimize the risk of iatrogenic injury and to improve patient outcomes compared with open surgery. Between April 2009 and January 2013, 5319 patients were treated with the iFuse SI Joint Fusion System® for conditions including sacroiliac joint disruption and degenerative sacroiliitis. A database was prospectively developed to record all complaints reported to the manufacturer in patients treated with the iFuse device. Complaints were collected through spontaneous reporting mechanisms in support of ongoing mandatory postmarket surveillance efforts. Complaints were reported in 204 (3.8%) patients treated with the iFuse system. Pain was the most commonly reported clinical complaint (n = 119, 2.2%), with nerve impingement (n = 48, 0.9%) and recurrent sacroiliac joint pain (n = 43, 0.8%) most frequently cited. All other clinical complaints were rare (≤0.2%). Ninety-six revision surgeries were performed in 94 (1.8%) patients at a median follow-up of four (range 0-30) months. Revisions were typically performed in the early postoperative period for treatment of a symptomatic malpositioned implant (n = 46, 0.9%) or to correct an improperly sized implant in an asymptomatic patient (n = 10, 0.2%). Revisions in the late postoperative period were performed to treat symptom recurrence (n = 34, 0.6%) or for continued pain of undetermined etiology (n = 6, 0.1%). Analysis of a postmarket product complaints database demonstrates an overall low risk of complaints with the iFuse SI Joint Fusion System in patients with degenerative sacroiliitis or sacroiliac joint disruption.

Advanced Methods for Determining Prediction Uncertainty in Model-Based Prognostics with Application to Planetary Rovers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew J.; Sankararaman, Shankar

2013-01-01

Prognostics is centered on predicting the time of and time until adverse events in components, subsystems, and systems. It typically involves both a state estimation phase, in which the current health state of a system is identified, and a prediction phase, in which the state is projected forward in time. Since prognostics is mainly a prediction problem, prognostic approaches cannot avoid uncertainty, which arises due to several sources. Prognostics algorithms must both characterize this uncertainty and incorporate it into the predictions so that informed decisions can be made about the system. In this paper, we describe three methods to solve these problems, including Monte Carlo-, unscented transform-, and first-order reliability-based methods. Using a planetary rover as a case study, we demonstrate and compare the different methods in simulation for battery end-of-discharge prediction.

A Review of Natural Joint Systems and Numerical Investigation of Bio-Inspired GFRP-to-Steel Joints

PubMed Central

Avgoulas, Evangelos I.; Sutcliffe, Michael P. F.

2016-01-01

There are a great variety of joint types used in nature which can inspire engineering joints. In order to design such biomimetic joints, it is at first important to understand how biological joints work. A comprehensive literature review, considering natural joints from a mechanical point of view, was undertaken. This was used to develop a taxonomy based on the different methods/functions that nature successfully uses to attach dissimilar tissues. One of the key methods that nature uses to join dissimilar materials is a transitional zone of stiffness at the insertion site. This method was used to propose bio-inspired solutions with a transitional zone of stiffness at the joint site for several glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) to steel adhesively bonded joint configurations. The transition zone was used to reduce the material stiffness mismatch of the joint parts. A numerical finite element model was used to identify the optimum variation in material stiffness that minimises potential failure of the joint. The best bio-inspired joints showed a 118% increase of joint strength compared to the standard joints. PMID:28773688

A Review of Natural Joint Systems and Numerical Investigation of Bio-Inspired GFRP-to-Steel Joints.

PubMed

Avgoulas, Evangelos I; Sutcliffe, Michael P F

2016-07-12

There are a great variety of joint types used in nature which can inspire engineering joints. In order to design such biomimetic joints, it is at first important to understand how biological joints work. A comprehensive literature review, considering natural joints from a mechanical point of view, was undertaken. This was used to develop a taxonomy based on the different methods/functions that nature successfully uses to attach dissimilar tissues. One of the key methods that nature uses to join dissimilar materials is a transitional zone of stiffness at the insertion site. This method was used to propose bio-inspired solutions with a transitional zone of stiffness at the joint site for several glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) to steel adhesively bonded joint configurations. The transition zone was used to reduce the material stiffness mismatch of the joint parts. A numerical finite element model was used to identify the optimum variation in material stiffness that minimises potential failure of the joint. The best bio-inspired joints showed a 118% increase of joint strength compared to the standard joints.

Evaluating biomarkers for prognostic enrichment of clinical trials.

PubMed

Kerr, Kathleen F; Roth, Jeremy; Zhu, Kehao; Thiessen-Philbrook, Heather; Meisner, Allison; Wilson, Francis Perry; Coca, Steven; Parikh, Chirag R

2017-12-01

A potential use of biomarkers is to assist in prognostic enrichment of clinical trials, where only patients at relatively higher risk for an outcome of interest are eligible for the trial. We investigated methods for evaluating biomarkers for prognostic enrichment. We identified five key considerations when considering a biomarker and a screening threshold for prognostic enrichment: (1) clinical trial sample size, (2) calendar time to enroll the trial, (3) total patient screening costs and the total per-patient trial costs, (4) generalizability of trial results, and (5) ethical evaluation of trial eligibility criteria. Items (1)-(3) are amenable to quantitative analysis. We developed the Biomarker Prognostic Enrichment Tool for evaluating biomarkers for prognostic enrichment at varying levels of screening stringency. We demonstrate that both modestly prognostic and strongly prognostic biomarkers can improve trial metrics using Biomarker Prognostic Enrichment Tool. Biomarker Prognostic Enrichment Tool is available as a webtool at http://prognosticenrichment.com and as a package for the R statistical computing platform. In some clinical settings, even biomarkers with modest prognostic performance can be useful for prognostic enrichment. In addition to the quantitative analysis provided by Biomarker Prognostic Enrichment Tool, investigators must consider the generalizability of trial results and evaluate the ethics of trial eligibility criteria.

Scoring System Prognostic of Outcome in Patients Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

PubMed

Shaffer, Brian C; Ahn, Kwang Woo; Hu, Zhen-Huan; Nishihori, Taiga; Malone, Adriana K; Valcárcel, David; Grunwald, Michael R; Bacher, Ulrike; Hamilton, Betty; Kharfan-Dabaja, Mohamed A; Saad, Ayman; Cutler, Corey; Warlick, Erica; Reshef, Ran; Wirk, Baldeep Mona; Sabloff, Mitchell; Fasan, Omotayo; Gerds, Aaron; Marks, David; Olsson, Richard; Wood, William Allen; Costa, Luciano J; Miller, Alan M; Cortes, Jorge; Daly, Andrew; Kindwall-Keller, Tamila L; Kamble, Rammurti; Rizzieri, David A; Cahn, Jean-Yves; Gale, Robert Peter; William, Basem; Litzow, Mark; Wiernik, Peter H; Liesveld, Jane; Savani, Bipin N; Vij, Ravi; Ustun, Celalettin; Copelan, Edward; Popat, Uday; Kalaycio, Matt; Maziarz, Richard; Alyea, Edwin; Sobecks, Ron; Pavletic, Steven; Tallman, Martin; Saber, Wael

2016-06-01

To develop a system prognostic of outcome in those undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo HCT) for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). We examined 2,133 patients with MDS undergoing HLA-matched (n = 1,728) or -mismatched (n = 405) allo HCT from 2000 to 2012. We used a Cox multivariable model to identify factors prognostic of mortality in a training subset (n = 1,151) of the HLA-matched cohort. A weighted score using these factors was assigned to the remaining patients undergoing HLA-matched allo HCT (validation cohort; n = 577) as well as to patients undergoing HLA-mismatched allo HCT. Blood blasts greater than 3% (hazard ratio [HR], 1.41; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.85), platelets 50 × 10(9)/L or less at transplantation (HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.61), Karnofsky performance status less than 90% (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.28), comprehensive cytogenetic risk score of poor or very poor (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.80), and age 30 to 49 years (HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.09 to 2.35) were associated with increased hazard of death and assigned 1 point in the scoring system. Monosomal karyotype (HR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.65 to 2.45) and age 50 years or older (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.36 to 2.83) were assigned 2 points. The 3-year overall survival after transplantation in patients with low (0 to 1 points), intermediate (2 to 3), high (4 to 5) and very high (≥ 6) scores was 71% (95% CI, 58% to 85%), 49% (95% CI, 42% to 56%), 41% (95% CI, 31% to 51%), and 25% (95% CI, 4% to 46%), respectively (P < .001). Increasing score was predictive of increased relapse (P < .001) and treatment-related mortality (P < .001) in the HLA-matched set and relapse (P < .001) in the HLA-mismatched cohort. The proposed system is prognostic of outcome in patients undergoing HLA-matched and -mismatched allo HCT for MDS. © 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Scoring System Prognostic of Outcome in Patients Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Myelodysplastic Syndrome

PubMed Central

Ahn, Kwang Woo; Hu, Zhen-Huan; Nishihori, Taiga; Malone, Adriana K.; Valcárcel, David; Grunwald, Michael R.; Bacher, Ulrike; Hamilton, Betty; Kharfan-Dabaja, Mohamed A.; Saad, Ayman; Cutler, Corey; Warlick, Erica; Reshef, Ran; Wirk, Baldeep Mona; Sabloff, Mitchell; Fasan, Omotayo; Gerds, Aaron; Marks, David; Olsson, Richard; Wood, William Allen; Costa, Luciano J.; Miller, Alan M.; Cortes, Jorge; Daly, Andrew; Kindwall-Keller, Tamila L.; Kamble, Rammurti; Rizzieri, David A.; Cahn, Jean-Yves; Gale, Robert Peter; William, Basem; Litzow, Mark; Wiernik, Peter H.; Liesveld, Jane; Savani, Bipin N.; Vij, Ravi; Ustun, Celalettin; Copelan, Edward; Popat, Uday; Kalaycio, Matt; Maziarz, Richard; Alyea, Edwin; Sobecks, Ron; Pavletic, Steven; Tallman, Martin; Saber, Wael

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop a system prognostic of outcome in those undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo HCT) for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Patients and Methods We examined 2,133 patients with MDS undergoing HLA-matched (n = 1,728) or -mismatched (n = 405) allo HCT from 2000 to 2012. We used a Cox multivariable model to identify factors prognostic of mortality in a training subset (n = 1,151) of the HLA-matched cohort. A weighted score using these factors was assigned to the remaining patients undergoing HLA-matched allo HCT (validation cohort; n = 577) as well as to patients undergoing HLA-mismatched allo HCT. Results Blood blasts greater than 3% (hazard ratio [HR], 1.41; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.85), platelets 50 × 109/L or less at transplantation (HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.61), Karnofsky performance status less than 90% (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.28), comprehensive cytogenetic risk score of poor or very poor (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.80), and age 30 to 49 years (HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.09 to 2.35) were associated with increased hazard of death and assigned 1 point in the scoring system. Monosomal karyotype (HR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.65 to 2.45) and age 50 years or older (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.36 to 2.83) were assigned 2 points. The 3-year overall survival after transplantation in patients with low (0 to 1 points), intermediate (2 to 3), high (4 to 5) and very high (≥ 6) scores was 71% (95% CI, 58% to 85%), 49% (95% CI, 42% to 56%), 41% (95% CI, 31% to 51%), and 25% (95% CI, 4% to 46%), respectively (P < .001). Increasing score was predictive of increased relapse (P < .001) and treatment-related mortality (P < .001) in the HLA-matched set and relapse (P < .001) in the HLA-mismatched cohort. Conclusion The proposed system is prognostic of outcome in patients undergoing HLA-matched and -mismatched allo HCT for MDS. PMID:27044940

Survival, causes of death, and prognostic factors in systemic sclerosis: analysis of 947 Brazilian patients.

PubMed

Sampaio-Barros, Percival D; Bortoluzzo, Adriana B; Marangoni, Roberta G; Rocha, Luiza F; Del Rio, Ana Paula T; Samara, Adil M; Yoshinari, Natalino H; Marques-Neto, João Francisco

2012-10-01

To analyze survival, prognostic factors, and causes of death in a large cohort of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). From 1991 to 2010, 947 patients with SSc were treated at 2 referral university centers in Brazil. Causes of death were considered SSc-related and non-SSc-related. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify prognostic factors. Survival at 5 and 10 years was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. One hundred sixty-eight patients died during the followup. Among the 110 deaths considered related to SSc, there was predominance of lung (48.1%) and heart (24.5%) involvement. Most of the 58 deaths not related to SSc were caused by infection, cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, and cancer. Male sex, modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) > 20, osteoarticular involvement, lung involvement, and renal crisis were the main prognostic factors associated to death. Overall survival rate was 90% for 5 years and 84% for 10 years. Patients presented worse prognosis if they had diffuse SSc (85% vs 92% at 5 yrs, respectively, and 77% vs 87% at 10 yrs, compared to limited SSc), male sex (77% vs 90% at 5 yrs and 64% vs 86% at 10 yrs, compared to female sex), and mRSS > 20 (83% vs 90% at 5 yrs and 66% vs 86% at 10 yrs, compared to mRSS < 20). Survival was worse in male patients with diffuse SSc, and lung and heart involvement represented the main causes of death in this South American series of patients with SSc.

Prognostic significance of pretreatment plasma fibrinogen level in patients with digestive system tumors: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ji, Rui; Ren, Qian; Bai, Suyang; Wang, Yuping; Zhou, Yongning

2018-06-01

High pretreatment levels of plasma fibrinogen have been widely reported to be a potential predictor of prognosis in digestive system tumors; however, the conclusions are not consistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to comprehensively assess the prognostic roles of high pretreatment plasma fibrinogen levels in digestive system tumors. We searched for eligible studies in the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science electronic databases for publications from the database inception to 1 September 2017. The endpoints of interest included overall survival, disease-free survival, and recurrence-free survival. We investigated the relationship between fibrinogenemia and overall survival in colorectal cancer (10 studies), gastric cancer (6), pancreatic cancer (6), hepatocellular carcinoma (7), and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (10); the pooled results indicated that fibrinogenemia was significantly related to a worse overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) 1.73; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.52, 1.97; P <0.001; HR 1.71; 95% CI 1.28, 2.28; P <0.001; HR 1.57; 95% CI 1.13, 2.17; P = 0.007; HR 1.89; 95% CI 1.57, 2.27; P <0.001, and HR 1.67; 95% CI 1.35, 2.07; P <0.001). Taken together, an increased pretreatment plasma fibrinogen level was related to worse survival in digestive system tumors, indicating that it could be a useful prognostic marker in these types of tumors.

The Fuhrman grading system has no prognostic value in patients with nonsarcomatoid chromophobe renal cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Steffens, Sandra; Janssen, Martin; Roos, Frederik C; Becker, Frank; Steinestel, Julie; Abbas, Mahmoud; Steinestel, Konrad; Wegener, Gerd; Siemer, Stefan; Thüroff, Joachim W; Hofmann, Rainer; Stöckle, Michael; Schrader, Mark; Hartmann, Arndt; Hasenfus, Andrea; Kuczyk, Markus A; Junker, Kerstin; Schrader, Andres J

2014-12-01

The prognostic value of the Fuhrman nuclear grading system has been questioned for chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) because this subtype frequently displays nuclear and nucleolar pleomorphism. The present study reevaluates this grading system in a series of patients with nonsarcomatoid chRCC. We identified 176 patients (3.6%) with nonsarcomatoid chRCC in a total of 4897 patients who underwent surgery for renal cell carcinoma at 5 centers in Germany between 1990 and 2010. The mean follow-up was 51.1 months. The 3 groups (G1 versus G2 versus G3/4) were comparable in terms of age, sex, tumor diameter, and lymph node metastasis. They only differed significantly in tumor stage (P = .01) and the incidence of synchronous visceral metastasis (P = .04). The 5-year cancer-specific survival rates were 84.4% for G1 (n = 32), 84.3% for G2 (n = 108), and 74.1% for G3/4 tumors (n = 33) (P = .58). Accordingly, multivariate analysis including age, sex, tumor stage, and metastatic disease did not identify Fuhrman grading as an independent predictor of cancer-specific survival in patients with chRCC (P = .4). We were able to demonstrate in a large multicenter cohort that the Fuhrman grading system does not qualify as a prognostic tool in patients with chRCC. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prognostic score to predict mortality during TB treatment in TB/HIV co-infected patients.

PubMed

Nguyen, Duc T; Jenkins, Helen E; Graviss, Edward A

2018-01-01

Estimating mortality risk during TB treatment in HIV co-infected patients is challenging for health professionals, especially in a low TB prevalence population, due to the lack of a standardized prognostic system. The current study aimed to develop and validate a simple mortality prognostic scoring system for TB/HIV co-infected patients. Using data from the CDC's Tuberculosis Genotyping Information Management System of TB patients in Texas reported from 01/2010 through 12/2016, age ≥15 years, HIV(+), and outcome being "completed" or "died", we developed and internally validated a mortality prognostic score using multiple logistic regression. Model discrimination was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). The model's good calibration was determined by a non-significant Hosmer-Lemeshow's goodness of fit test. Among the 450 patients included in the analysis, 57 (12.7%) died during TB treatment. The final prognostic score used six characteristics (age, residence in long-term care facility, meningeal TB, chest x-ray, culture positive, and culture not converted/unknown), which are routinely collected by TB programs. Prognostic scores were categorized into three groups that predicted mortality: low-risk (<20 points), medium-risk (20-25 points) and high-risk (>25 points). The model had good discrimination and calibration (AUC = 0.82; 0.80 in bootstrap validation), and a non-significant Hosmer-Lemeshow test p = 0.71. Our simple validated mortality prognostic scoring system can be a practical tool for health professionals in identifying TB/HIV co-infected patients with high mortality risk.

Sacroiliac joint involvement in systemic sclerosis.

PubMed

Arslan Tas, Didem; Yıldız, Fatih; Sakallı, Hakan; Kelle, Bayram; Ballı, Tuğsan; Erken, Eren

2015-01-01

One of the major problems for systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients is suggested to be articular involvement. Mostly involved joints in SSc were reported as wrist, carpometacarpal-interphalangeal, foot, knee, hip and shoulder; however, there has been little knowledge on the sacroiliac joint. Our aim was to evaluate sacroiliac joint involvement in SSc. Fifty-seven SSc patients, 54 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 64 healthy subjects were included. Anteroposterior pelvic radiographs were obtained and graded twice by three blinded rheumatologists. One competent radiologist has re-evaluated the X-ray results. The ASAS (Assessment of Spondylo Arthritis International Society) scoring method was applied for grading sacroiliac involvement. Inflammatory back pain was also evaluated. Other clinical and laboratory data were collected as proposed by the European Study Group. In the SSc group sacroiliitis was found in 13 patients (23%) and was significantly different from RA patients (two patients, 4%), P = 0.003; and the healthy control group (one participant, 2%), P < 0.001. The frequency of inflammatory back pain in SSc patients with sacroiliitis (8/13 patients, 62%) was significantly higher in SSc patients without sacroiliitis (4/44 patients, 9%), P < 0.001. The SSc patients with sacroiliitis and with inflammatory back pain (8/57 patients, 14%) were regarded as axial spondyloarthritis overlap. Male gender, diffuse subtype, inflammatory back pain and high C-reactive protein levels (odds ratio: 1.069, 1.059, 1.059 and 3.698, respectively) were found to be the significant risk factors for sacroiliitis. We suggest that, sacroiliitis may be a concern to be considered in SSc practice. © 2014 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

[Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of pulmonary tuberculosis with concurrent lung cancer].

PubMed

Gu, Yingchun; Song, Yelin; Liu, Yufeng

2014-09-30

To explore the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of pulmonary tuberculosis with concurrent lung cancer. Comprehensive analyses were conducted for 58 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis patients with lung cancer. Their clinical symptoms, signs and imaging results were analyzed between January 1998 and January 2005 at Qingdao Chest Hospital. Kaplan-Meier method was utilized to calculate their survival rates. Nine prognostic characteristics were analyzed. Single factor analysis was performed with Logrank test and multi-factor analysis with Cox regression model. The initial symptoms were cough, chest tightness, fever and hemoptysis. Chest radiology showed the coexistence of two diseases was 36 in the same lobe and 22 in different lobes. And there were pulmonary nodules (n = 24), cavities (n = 19), infiltration (n = 8) and atelectasis (n = 7). According to the pathological characteristics, there were squamous carcinoma (n = 33), adenocarcinoma (n = 17), small cell carcinoma (n = 4) and unidentified (n = 4) respectively. The TNM stages were I (n = 13), II(n = 22), III (n = 16) and IV (n = 7) respectively. The median survival period was 24 months. And the 1, 3, 5-year survival rates were 65.5%, 65.5% and 29.0% respectively. Single factor analysis showed that lung cancer TNM staging (P = 0.000) and tuberculosis activity (P = 0.024) were significantly associated with patient prognosis. And multi-factor analysis showed that lung cancer TNM staging (RR = 2.629, 95%CI: 1.759-3.928, P = 0.000) and tuberculosis activity (RR = 1.885, 95%CI: 1.023-3.471, P = 0.042) were relatively independent prognostic factors. The clinical and radiological characteristics contribute jointly to early diagnosis and therapy of tuberculosis with concurrent lung cancer. And TNM staging of lung cancer and activity of tuberculosis are major prognostic factors.

Improving the Prognostic Ability through Better Use of Standard Clinical Data - The Nottingham Prognostic Index as an Example

PubMed Central

Winzer, Klaus-Jürgen; Buchholz, Anika; Schumacher, Martin; Sauerbrei, Willi

2016-01-01

Background Prognostic factors and prognostic models play a key role in medical research and patient management. The Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) is a well-established prognostic classification scheme for patients with breast cancer. In a very simple way, it combines the information from tumor size, lymph node stage and tumor grade. For the resulting index cutpoints are proposed to classify it into three to six groups with different prognosis. As not all prognostic information from the three and other standard factors is used, we will consider improvement of the prognostic ability using suitable analysis approaches. Methods and Findings Reanalyzing overall survival data of 1560 patients from a clinical database by using multivariable fractional polynomials and further modern statistical methods we illustrate suitable multivariable modelling and methods to derive and assess the prognostic ability of an index. Using a REMARK type profile we summarize relevant steps of the analysis. Adding the information from hormonal receptor status and using the full information from the three NPI components, specifically concerning the number of positive lymph nodes, an extended NPI with improved prognostic ability is derived. Conclusions The prognostic ability of even one of the best established prognostic index in medicine can be improved by using suitable statistical methodology to extract the full information from standard clinical data. This extended version of the NPI can serve as a benchmark to assess the added value of new information, ranging from a new single clinical marker to a derived index from omics data. An established benchmark would also help to harmonize the statistical analyses of such studies and protect against the propagation of many false promises concerning the prognostic value of new measurements. Statistical methods used are generally available and can be used for similar analyses in other diseases. PMID:26938061

The Joint Lessons Learned System and Interoperability

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-02

Learned: 1988-1989 As mentioned in the introduction to this chaoter, the Organizacion of the JcinC Chiefs cf Staff .OJCS) ueren significant transformatioi...Organization and Functions Manual . Washington, D.C.: HQDA, Office of the Deputy Chief 0f Staff for Operations and Plans, June 1984. ’..S. Army. Concept...U.S. Department of Defense. Joint Universal Lessons Learned System (JULLS) User’s Manual . Orlando, Florida: University of Central Florida, Institute

Communication Optimizations for a Wireless Distributed Prognostic Framework

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saha, Sankalita; Saha, Bhaskar; Goebel, Kai

2009-01-01

Distributed architecture for prognostics is an essential step in prognostic research in order to enable feasible real-time system health management. Communication overhead is an important design problem for such systems. In this paper we focus on communication issues faced in the distributed implementation of an important class of algorithms for prognostics - particle filters. In spite of being computation and memory intensive, particle filters lend well to distributed implementation except for one significant step - resampling. We propose new resampling scheme called parameterized resampling that attempts to reduce communication between collaborating nodes in a distributed wireless sensor network. Analysis and comparison with relevant resampling schemes is also presented. A battery health management system is used as a target application. A new resampling scheme for distributed implementation of particle filters has been discussed in this paper. Analysis and comparison of this new scheme with existing resampling schemes in the context for minimizing communication overhead have also been discussed. Our proposed new resampling scheme performs significantly better compared to other schemes by attempting to reduce both the communication message length as well as number total communication messages exchanged while not compromising prediction accuracy and precision. Future work will explore the effects of the new resampling scheme in the overall computational performance of the whole system as well as full implementation of the new schemes on the Sun SPOT devices. Exploring different network architectures for efficient communication is an importance future research direction as well.

Fully automated system for the quantification of human osteoarthritic knee joint effusion volume using magnetic resonance imaging

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Introduction Joint effusion is frequently associated with osteoarthritis (OA) flare-up and is an important marker of therapeutic response. This study aimed at developing and validating a fully automated system based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the quantification of joint effusion volume in knee OA patients. Methods MRI examinations consisted of two axial sequences: a T2-weighted true fast imaging with steady-state precession and a T1-weighted gradient echo. An automated joint effusion volume quantification system using MRI was developed and validated (a) with calibrated phantoms (cylinder and sphere) and effusion from knee OA patients; (b) with assessment by manual quantification; and (c) by direct aspiration. Twenty-five knee OA patients with joint effusion were included in the study. Results The automated joint effusion volume quantification was developed as a four stage sequencing process: bone segmentation, filtering of unrelated structures, segmentation of joint effusion, and subvoxel volume calculation. Validation experiments revealed excellent coefficients of variation with the calibrated cylinder (1.4%) and sphere (0.8%) phantoms. Comparison of the OA knee joint effusion volume assessed by the developed automated system and by manual quantification was also excellent (r = 0.98; P < 0.0001), as was the comparison with direct aspiration (r = 0.88; P = 0.0008). Conclusions The newly developed fully automated MRI-based system provided precise quantification of OA knee joint effusion volume with excellent correlation with data from phantoms, a manual system, and joint aspiration. Such an automated system will be instrumental in improving the reproducibility/reliability of the evaluation of this marker in clinical application. PMID:20846392

Prognostic indicators of the outcome of arthrocentesis with and without sodium hyaluronate injection for the treatment of disc displacement without reduction: a magnetic resonance imaging study.

PubMed

Aktas, I; Yalcin, S; Sencer, S

2010-11-01

This study analysed the prognostic factors for successful arthrocentesis with and without sodium hyaluronate (SH) injection for the treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement without reduction (DDwoR) using clinical and radiological results. 29 TMJs in 25 patients with DDwoR were included. Patients were treated with arthrocentesis or arthrocentesis followed by intra-articular (i.a.) injection of SH. Treatment was evaluated for postoperative range of maximum mouth opening and the degree of postoperative pain on a VAS. Prognostic factors analysed were age, sex, duration of locking, trauma history, previous TMJ treatment, depression, bruxism, malocclusion and missing teeth. Degenerative changes were evaluated as probable prognostic factors. After treatment, 24 joints (83%) fulfilled the criteria for success. Duration of locking and present preoperative degenerative changes were the most significant factors for treatment outcome. The results suggest it is sufficient to use only arthrocentesis in patients without preoperative degenerative changes and arthrocentesis with SH in patients with degenerative changes on their preoperative MRIs, but because there were some significant differences between the two groups preventing the authors from comparing them statistically, they cannot come to that conclusion. To clarify the use of SH in such cases, standardized study groups are necessary for future studies. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Novel UAV Electric Propulsion Testbed for Diagnostics and Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorospe, George E., Jr.; Kulkarni, Chetan S.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a novel hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testbed for systems level diagnostics and prognostics of an electric propulsion system used in UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle). Referencing the all electric, Edge 540T aircraft used in science and research by NASA Langley Flight Research Center, the HIL testbed includes an identical propulsion system, consisting of motors, speed controllers and batteries. Isolated under a controlled laboratory environment, the propulsion system has been instrumented for advanced diagnostics and prognostics. To produce flight like loading on the system a slave motor is coupled to the motor under test (MUT) and provides variable mechanical resistance, and the capability of introducing nondestructive mechanical wear-like frictional loads on the system. This testbed enables the verification of mathematical models of each component of the propulsion system, the repeatable generation of flight-like loads on the system for fault analysis, test-to-failure scenarios, and the development of advanced system level diagnostics and prognostics methods. The capabilities of the testbed are extended through the integration of a LabVIEW-based client for the Live Virtual Constructive Distributed Environment (LVCDC) Gateway which enables both the publishing of generated data for remotely located observers and prognosers and the synchronization the testbed propulsion system with vehicles in the air. The developed HIL testbed gives researchers easy access to a scientifically relevant portion of the aircraft without the overhead and dangers encountered during actual flight.

Double density dynamics: realizing a joint distribution of a physical system and a parameter system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuda, Ikuo; Moritsugu, Kei

2015-11-01

To perform a variety of types of molecular dynamics simulations, we created a deterministic method termed ‘double density dynamics’ (DDD), which realizes an arbitrary distribution for both physical variables and their associated parameters simultaneously. Specifically, we constructed an ordinary differential equation that has an invariant density relating to a joint distribution of the physical system and the parameter system. A generalized density function leads to a physical system that develops under nonequilibrium environment-describing superstatistics. The joint distribution density of the physical system and the parameter system appears as the Radon-Nikodym derivative of a distribution that is created by a scaled long-time average, generated from the flow of the differential equation under an ergodic assumption. The general mathematical framework is fully discussed to address the theoretical possibility of our method, and a numerical example representing a 1D harmonic oscillator is provided to validate the method being applied to the temperature parameters.

Outcome and prognostic factors in critically ill patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Hsu, Chia-Lin; Chen, Kuan-Yu; Yeh, Pu-Sheng; Hsu, Yeong-Long; Chang, Hou-Tai; Shau, Wen-Yi; Yu, Chia-Li; Yang, Pan-Chyr

2005-06-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an archetypal autoimmune disease, involving multiple organ systems with varying course and prognosis. However, there is a paucity of clinical data regarding prognostic factors in SLE patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). From January 1992 to December 2000, all patients admitted to the ICU with a diagnosis of SLE were included. Patients were excluded if the diagnosis of SLE was established at or after ICU admission. A multivariate logistic regression model was applied using Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores and variables that were at least moderately associated (P < 0.2) with survival in the univariate analysis. A total of 51 patients meeting the criteria were included. The mortality rate was 47%. The most common cause of admission was pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that intracranial haemorrhage occurring while the patient was in the ICU (relative risk = 18.68), complicating gastrointestinal bleeding (relative risk = 6.97) and concurrent septic shock (relative risk = 77.06) were associated with greater risk of dying, whereas causes of ICU admission and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score were not significantly associated with death. The mortality rate in critically ill SLE patients was high. Gastrointestinal bleeding, intracranial haemorrhage and septic shock were significant prognostic factors in SLE patients admitted to the ICU.

14 CFR 23.693 - Joints.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... STANDARDS: NORMAL, UTILITY, ACROBATIC, AND COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 23.693 Joints. Control system joints (in push-pull systems) that are subject to angular motion... factor may be reduced to 2.0 for joints in cable control systems. For ball or roller bearings, the...

14 CFR 23.693 - Joints.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... STANDARDS: NORMAL, UTILITY, ACROBATIC, AND COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 23.693 Joints. Control system joints (in push-pull systems) that are subject to angular motion... factor may be reduced to 2.0 for joints in cable control systems. For ball or roller bearings, the...

14 CFR 23.693 - Joints.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... STANDARDS: NORMAL, UTILITY, ACROBATIC, AND COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 23.693 Joints. Control system joints (in push-pull systems) that are subject to angular motion... factor may be reduced to 2.0 for joints in cable control systems. For ball or roller bearings, the...

14 CFR 23.693 - Joints.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... STANDARDS: NORMAL, UTILITY, ACROBATIC, AND COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 23.693 Joints. Control system joints (in push-pull systems) that are subject to angular motion... factor may be reduced to 2.0 for joints in cable control systems. For ball or roller bearings, the...

Joint Symbol Timing and CFO Estimation for OFDM/OQAM Systems in Multipath Channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fusco, Tilde; Petrella, Angelo; Tanda, Mario

2009-12-01

The problem of data-aided synchronization for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems based on offset quadrature amplitude modulation (OQAM) in multipath channels is considered. In particular, the joint maximum-likelihood (ML) estimator for carrier-frequency offset (CFO), amplitudes, phases, and delays, exploiting a short known preamble, is derived. The ML estimators for phases and amplitudes are in closed form. Moreover, under the assumption that the CFO is sufficiently small, a closed form approximate ML (AML) CFO estimator is obtained. By exploiting the obtained closed form solutions a cost function whose peaks provide an estimate of the delays is derived. In particular, the symbol timing (i.e., the delay of the first multipath component) is obtained by considering the smallest estimated delay. The performance of the proposed joint AML estimator is assessed via computer simulations and compared with that achieved by the joint AML estimator designed for AWGN channel and that achieved by a previously derived joint estimator for OFDM systems.

The prognostic significance of HOTAIR for predicting clinical outcome in patients with digestive system tumors.

PubMed

Ma, Gaoxiang; Wang, Qiaoyan; Lv, Chunye; Qiang, Fulin; Hua, Qiuhan; Chu, Haiyan; Du, Mulong; Tong, Na; Jiang, Yejuan; Wang, Meilin; Zhang, Zhengdong; Wang, Jian; Gong, Weida

2015-12-01

Although some studies have assessed the prognostic value of HOTAIR in patients with digestive system tumors, the relationship between the HOTAIR and outcome of digestive system tumors remains unknown. The PubMed was searched to identify the eligible studies. Here, we performed a meta-analysis with 11 studies, including a total of 903 cases. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) of HOTAIR for cancer survival were calculated. We found that the pooled HR elevated HOTAIR expression in tumor tissues was 2.36 (95 % CI 1.88-2.97) compared with patients with low HOTAIR expression. Moreover, subgroup analysis revealed that HOTAIR overexpression was also markedly associated with short survival for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (HR 2.19, 95 % CI 1.62-2.94) and gastric cancer (HR 1.66, 95 % CI 1.02-2.68). In addition, up-regulated HOTAIR was significantly related to survival of digestive system cancer among the studies with more follow-up time (follow time ≥ 5 years) (HR 2.51, 95 % CI 1.99-3.17). When stratified by HR resource and number of patients, the result indicated consistent results with the overall analysis. Subgroup analysis on ethnicities did not change the prognostic influence of elevated HOTAIR expression. Additionally, we conducted an independent validation cohort including 71 gastric cancer cases, in which patients with up-regulated HOTAIR expression had an unfavorable outcome with HR of 2.10 (95 % CI 1.10-4.03). The results suggest that aberrant HOTAIR expression may serve as a candidate positive marker to predict the prognosis of patients with carcinoma of digestive system.

Prognostic Factors in the Midterm Results of Pullout Fixation for Posterior Root Tears of the Medial Meniscus.

PubMed

Chung, Kyu Sung; Ha, Jeong Ku; Ra, Ho Jong; Kim, Jin Goo

2016-07-01

To identify predictors of unfavorable clinical and radiologic outcomes a minimum of 5 years after pullout fixation for medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRTs). In total, 40 patients who were followed for >5 years after pullout fixation in MMPRT were recruited. The mean follow-up duration was 71.1 months. Clinical outcomes, including Lysholm score and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, and radiographic results, including Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L; 0/1/2/3/4) grade and medial joint space width, were evaluated preoperatively and at final follow-up. Preoperative prognostic factors, including age, sex, body mass index, degree of varus alignment, K-L grade, medial joint space width, meniscal extrusion, and cartilage status, by the modified Outerbridge classification (grades 1 or 2 v 3 or 4), for relatively unfavorable (fair or poor grade) Lysholm or IKDC score, and progression of K-L grade were investigated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The mean Lysholm score (52.1 ± 8.8 to 83.8 ± 11.9) and IKDC score (40.1 ± 7.6 to 73.3 ± 10.9) were improved significantly (P < .001), although the loss of medial joint space width (4.8 ± 1.1 to 3.9 ± 1.1 mm) and K-L grade (6/25/9/0/0 to 0/11/20/9/0) progressed significantly (P < .001). Unfavorable prognostic factors of the Lysholm score were grade ≥3 chondral lesions (odds ratio [OR] = 5.993; P = .028) and varus mechanical alignment (OR = 1.644; P = .017), for IKDC score were grade ≥3 chondral lesions (OR = 11.146; P = .038) and older age (OR = 1.200; P = .017). Preoperative chondral lesion grade ≥3 increased the risk of K-L grade progression (OR = 11.000; P = .031). Clinically, modified Outerbridge classification grade ≥3 chondral lesions, varus alignment, and older age were found to predict a poor prognosis after MMPRT fixation. In terms of radiographic K-L grade progression, grade ≥3 chondral lesions were identified as a poor prognostic factor. Level IV, case series

Wearable Vector Electrical Bioimpedance System to Assess Knee Joint Health

PubMed Central

Hersek, Sinan; Töreyin, Hakan; Teague, Caitlin N.; Millard-Stafford, Mindy L.; Jeong, Hyeon-Ki; Bavare, Miheer M.; Wolkoff, Paul; Sawka, Michael N.; Inan, Omer T.

2017-01-01

Objective We designed and validated a portable electrical bioimpedance (EBI) system to quantify knee joint health. Methods Five separate experiments were performed to demonstrate the: (1) ability of the EBI system to assess knee injury and recovery; (2) inter-day variability of knee EBI measurements; (3) sensitivity of the system to small changes in interstitial fluid volume; (4) reducing the error of EBI measurements using acceleration signals; (5) use of the system with dry electrodes integrated to a wearable knee wrap. Results (1) The absolute difference in resistance (R) and reactance (X) from the left to the right knee was able to distinguish injured and healthy knees (p<0.05); the absolute difference in R decreased significantly (p<0.05) in injured subjects following rehabilitation. (2) The average inter-day variability (standard deviation) of the absolute difference in knee R was 2.5Ω, and for X was, 1.2 Ω. (3) Local heating/cooling resulted in a significant decrease/increase in knee R (p<0.01). (4) The proposed subject position detection algorithm achieved 97.4% leave-one subject out cross-validated accuracy and 98.2% precision in detecting when the subject is in the correct position to take measurements. (5) Linear regression between the knee R and X measured using the wet electrodes and the designed wearable knee wrap were highly correlated (r2 = 0.8 and 0.9, respectively). Conclusion This work demonstrates the use of wearable EBI measurements in monitoring knee joint health. Significance The proposed wearable system has the potential for assessing knee joint health outside the clinic/lab and help guide rehabilitation. PMID:28026745

Wearable Vector Electrical Bioimpedance System to Assess Knee Joint Health.

PubMed

Hersek, Sinan; Toreyin, Hakan; Teague, Caitlin N; Millard-Stafford, Mindy L; Jeong, Hyeon-Ki; Bavare, Miheer M; Wolkoff, Paul; Sawka, Michael N; Inan, Omer T

2017-10-01

We designed and validated a portable electrical bioimpedance (EBI) system to quantify knee joint health. Five separate experiments were performed to demonstrate the: 1) ability of the EBI system to assess knee injury and recovery; 2) interday variability of knee EBI measurements; 3) sensitivity of the system to small changes in interstitial fluid volume; 4) reducing the error of EBI measurements using acceleration signals; and 5) use of the system with dry electrodes integrated to a wearable knee wrap. 1) The absolute difference in resistance ( R) and reactance (X) from the left to the right knee was able to distinguish injured and healthy knees (p < 0.05); the absolute difference in R decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in injured subjects following rehabilitation. 2) The average interday variability (standard deviation) of the absolute difference in knee R was 2.5 Ω and for X was 1.2 Ω. 3) Local heating/cooling resulted in a significant decrease/increase in knee R (p < 0.01). 4) The proposed subject position detection algorithm achieved 97.4% leave-one subject out cross-validated accuracy and 98.2% precision in detecting when the subject is in the correct position to take measurements. 5) Linear regression between the knee R and X measured using the wet electrodes and the designed wearable knee wrap were highly correlated ( R 2 = 0.8 and 0.9, respectively). This study demonstrates the use of wearable EBI measurements in monitoring knee joint health. The proposed wearable system has the potential for assessing knee joint health outside the clinic/lab and help guide rehabilitation.

Diagnosis and Prognostic of Wastewater Treatment System Based on Bayesian Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dan; Yang, Haizhen; Liang, XiaoFeng

2010-11-01

Wastewater treatment is a complicated and dynamic process. The treatment effect can be influenced by many variables in microbial, chemical and physical aspects. These variables are always uncertain. Due to the complex biological reaction mechanisms, the highly time-varying and multivariable aspects, the diagnosis and prognostic of wastewater treatment system are still difficult in practice. Bayesian network (BN) is one of the best methods for dealing with uncertainty in the artificial intelligence field. Because of the powerful inference ability and convenient decision mechanism, BN can be employed into the model description and influencing factor analysis of wastewater treatment system with great flexibility and applicability.In this paper, taking modified sequencing batch reactor (MSBR) as an analysis object, BN model was constructed according to the influent water quality, operational condition and effluent effect data of MSBR, and then a novel approach based on BN is proposed to analyze the influencing factors of the wastewater treatment system. The approach presented gives an effective tool for diagnosing and predicting analysis of the wastewater treatment system. On the basis of the influent water quality and operational condition, effluent effect can be predicted. Moreover, according to the effluent effect, the influent water quality and operational condition also can be deduced.

An evaluation of bridge deck joint sealing systems in Virginia.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-01-01

The design and fabrication of bridge expansion joint (or movement) systems comprise a rapidly evolving industry. New designs are constantly being presented for trial, often on a piecemeal basis. Occasionally, failures of products occur without suffic...

Prognostic Factors in Patients with Primary Hemangiopericytomas of the Central Nervous System: A Series of 103 Cases at a Single Institution.

PubMed

Zhu, Hongda; Duran, Daniel; Hua, Lingyang; Tang, Hailiang; Chen, Hong; Zhong, Ping; Zheng, Kang; Wang, Yongfei; Che, Xiaoming; Bao, Weimin; Wang, Yin; Xie, Qing; Gong, Ye

2016-06-01

Hemangiopericytoma (HPC) is a rare mesenchymal tumor that tends to affect the central nervous system and is associated with distant metastasis and a high recurrence rate. The purpose of this study was to analyze the prognostic factors in patients with primary HPC who received surgical treatment. This retrospective study reviewed all adult patients with primary HPC of the central nervous system treated from 2001 to 2009 at our institution. Clinical information, adjuvant radiation, and expression levels of Ki-67 and p53 were correlated with patient outcomes. The final analysis included 103 patients. The mean follow-up period was 75.9 months ± 36.5 (range, 1-165 months). There was a significant difference in progression-free survival (PFS) (P < 0.001) and overall survival (P = 0.014) between patients who underwent gross total resection versus subtotal resection. Expression of p53 was found in 48.5% of patients and showed utility as an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for PFS (P = 0.006). Multivariate analysis revealed that only extent of tumor resection (P = 0.004) and p53 expression (P = 0.024) were independent prognostic factors for PFS. Adjuvant radiation was found to extend PFS only in the p53-negative expression group (P = 0.044). Gross total resection significantly improves the outcome of patients with primary HPCs, whereas adjuvant radiation contributes significantly to PFS only in patients with negative p53 expression and in patients with incomplete resections. Extent of resection and p53 expression may serve as prognostic markers for the outcome of patients with primary HPC. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Grading of meningeal solitary fibrous tumors/hemangiopericytomas: analysis of the prognostic value of the Marseille Grading System in a cohort of 132 patients.

PubMed

Macagno, Nicolas; Vogels, Rob; Appay, Romain; Colin, Carole; Mokhtari, Karima; Küsters, Benno; Wesseling, Pieter; Figarella-Branger, Dominique; Flucke, Uta; Bouvier, Corinne

2018-03-30

The finding that meningeal solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) and meningeal hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) are both characterized by NAB2-STAT6 gene fusion has pushed their inclusion in the WHO 2016 Classification of tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) as different manifestations of the same entity. Given that the clinical behavior of the CNS SFT/HPC spectrum ranges from benign to malignant, it is presently unclear whether the grading criteria are still adequate. Here, we present the results of a study that analyzed the prognostic value of an updated version of the Marseille Grading System (MGS) in a retrospectively assembled cohort of 132 primary meningeal SFTs/HPCs with nuclear overexpression of STAT6. The median patient follow-up was 64 months (range 4-274 months); 73 cases (55%) were MGS I, 50 cases (38%) MGS II and 9 cases (7%) were MGS III. Progression-free survival (PFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were investigated using univariate analysis: the prognostic factors for PFS included MGS, extent of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and mitotic activity ≥5/10 high-power field (HPF). Moreover, MGS, radiotherapy, mitotic activity ≥5/10 HPF, and necrosis were the prognostic factors measured for DSS. In multivariate analysis, extent of surgery, mitotic activity ≥5/10 HPF, MGS I and MGS III were the independent prognostic factors measured for PFS while necrosis, MGS III and radiotherapy were the independent prognostic factors for DSS. In conclusion, our results show that assessing the malignancy risk of SFT/HPC should not rely on one single criterion like mitotic activity. Therefore, MGS is useful as it combines the value of different criteria. In particular, the combination of a high mitotic activity and necrosis (MGS III) indicates a particularly poor prognosis. © 2018 International Society of Neuropathology.

Using Cox's proportional hazards model for prognostication in carcinoma of the upper aero-digestive tract.

PubMed

Wolfensberger, M

1992-01-01

One of the major short comings of the traditional TNM system is its limited potential for prognostication. With the development of multifactorial analysis techniques, such as Cox's proportional hazards model, it has become possible to simultaneously evaluate a large number of prognostic variables. Cox's model allows both the identification of prognostically relevant variables and the quantification of their prognostic influence. These characteristics make it a helpful tool for analysis as well as for prognostication. The goal of the present study was to develop a prognostic index for patients with carcinoma of the upper aero-digestive tract which makes use of all prognostically relevant variables. To accomplish this, the survival data of 800 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx or larynx were analyzed. Sixty-one variables were screened for prognostic significance; of these only 19 variables (including age, tumor location, T, N and M stages, resection margins, capsular invasion of nodal metastases, and treatment modality) were found to significantly correlate with prognosis. With the help of Cox's equation, a prognostic index (PI) was computed for every combination of prognostic factors. To test the proposed model, the prognostic index was applied to 120 patients with carcinoma of the oral cavity or oropharynx. A comparison of predicted and observed survival showed good overall correlation, although actual survival tended to be better than predicted.

Clinical value of Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2 as a prognostic marker in patients with digestive system cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Gang; Wang, Qian; Li, Zhengyan; Liu, Chaoxu; He, Xianli

2018-01-01

Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2 (TPX2) is a microtubule-associated protein that plays an important role in spindle assembly and dynamics. However, the clinical and prognostic value of TPX2 in the digestive system cancers remains unclear. The objective of this review was to evaluate the association of TPX2 expression with disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and clinicopathological features of digestive system cancers. The software Stata 12.0 was used to analyze the outcomes, including OS, disease-free survival (DFS), and clinicopathological characteristics. A total of 10 eligible studies with 906 patients were included. Elevated TPX2 expression was significantly associated with poor DFS (pooled hazard ratio [HR] =2.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.96-3.13) and OS (pooled HR =2.66, 95% CI: 2.04-3.48) of digestive system malignancies. Subgroup analyses showed that cancer type, sample size, study quality, and laboratory detection methods did not alter the significant prognostic value of TPX2. Additionally, TPX2 expression was found to be an independent predictive factor for DFS (HR =2.31, 95% CI: 1.78-3.01). TPX2 expression might be associated with TNM stage and pathological grade in digestive system cancer. In conclusion, TPX2 is an independent prognostic factor for survival of patients with digestive system cancer. Furthermore, its overexpression is associated with TNM stage and pathological grade in digestive system cancer.

Clinical value of Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2 as a prognostic marker in patients with digestive system cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Liu, Chaoxu; He, Xianli

2018-01-01

Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2 (TPX2) is a microtubule-associated protein that plays an important role in spindle assembly and dynamics. However, the clinical and prognostic value of TPX2 in the digestive system cancers remains unclear. The objective of this review was to evaluate the association of TPX2 expression with disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and clinicopathological features of digestive system cancers. The software Stata 12.0 was used to analyze the outcomes, including OS, disease-free survival (DFS), and clinicopathological characteristics. A total of 10 eligible studies with 906 patients were included. Elevated TPX2 expression was significantly associated with poor DFS (pooled hazard ratio [HR] =2.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.96–3.13) and OS (pooled HR =2.66, 95% CI: 2.04–3.48) of digestive system malignancies. Subgroup analyses showed that cancer type, sample size, study quality, and laboratory detection methods did not alter the significant prognostic value of TPX2. Additionally, TPX2 expression was found to be an independent predictive factor for DFS (HR =2.31, 95% CI: 1.78–3.01). TPX2 expression might be associated with TNM stage and pathological grade in digestive system cancer. In conclusion, TPX2 is an independent prognostic factor for survival of patients with digestive system cancer. Furthermore, its overexpression is associated with TNM stage and pathological grade in digestive system cancer. PMID:29551902

Prognostic impact of MYC protein expression in central nervous system diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: comparison with MYC rearrangement and MYC mRNA expression.

PubMed

Son, Seung-Myoung; Ha, Sang-Yun; Yoo, Hae-Yong; Oh, Dongryul; Kim, Seok-Jin; Kim, Won-Seog; Ko, Young-Hyeh

2017-01-01

The prognostic role of MYC has been well documented in non-central nervous system diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; however, it remains controversial in central nervous system diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. To investigate the prognostic value of MYC, we analyzed the MYC protein expression by immunohistochemistry, mRNA expression by RNA in situ hybridization, and gene status by fluorescence in situ hybridization in 74 cases of central nervous system diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Moreover, we examined the correlation between MYC translocation, mRNA expression, and protein expression. The mean percentage of MYC immunopositive cells was 49%. Using a 44% cutoff value, 49 (66%) cases showed MYC protein overexpression. The result of mRNA in situ hybridization using the RNA scope technology was obtained using the H-scoring system; the median value was 34.2. Using the cutoff value of 63.5, 16 (22%) cases showed MYC mRNA overexpression. MYC gene rearrangement was detected in five out of 68 (7%) cases. MYC translocation showed no statistically significant correlation with mRNA expression; however, all MYC translocation-positive cases showed MYC protein overexpression, with a higher mean percentage of MYC protein expression than that of translocation-negative cases (78 vs 48%, P=0.001). The level of MYC mRNA expression was moderately correlated with the level of MYC protein expression (P<0.001). The mean percentage of MYC protein expression in the high MYC mRNA group was higher than that in the low MYC mRNA group (70 vs 47%, P<0.001). A univariate analysis showed that age over 60 years, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≥2 and MYC protein overexpression were significantly associated with an increased risk of death. MYC translocation and MYC mRNA expression had no prognostic significance. On multivariate analysis, MYC protein overexpression and ECOG score retained prognostic significance.

Prognostic value of left atrial function in systemic light-chain amyloidosis: a cardiac magnetic resonance study.

PubMed

Mohty, Dania; Boulogne, Cyrille; Magne, Julien; Varroud-Vial, Nicolas; Martin, Sylvain; Ettaif, Hind; Fadel, Bahaa M; Bridoux, Frank; Aboyans, Victor; Damy, Thibaud; Jaccard, Arnaud

2016-09-01

Cardiac involvement in systemic light-chain amyloidosis (AL) imparts an adverse impact on outcome. The left atrium (LA), by virtue of its anatomical location and muscular wall, is commonly affected by the amyloid process. Although LA infiltration by amyloid fibrils leads to a reduction in its pump function, the infiltration of the left ventricular (LV) myocardium results in diastolic dysfunction with subsequent increase in filling pressures and LA enlargement. Even though left atrial volume (LAV) is an independent prognostic marker in many cardiomyopathies, its value in amyloid heart disease remains to be determined. In addition, few data are available as to the prognostic value of LA function in systemic AL. Using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), the current study aims to assess the prognostic significance of the maximal LAV and total LA emptying fraction (LAEF) in patients with AL. Fifty-four consecutive patients (age 66 ± 10 years, 59% males) with confirmed systemic AL and mean LV ejection fraction of 60 ± 12% underwent CMR. As compared with patients with no or minimal cardiac involvement (Mayo Clinic [MC] stage I), those at moderate and high risk (MC stages II and III) had significantly larger indexed maximal LAV (36 ± 15 vs. 46 ± 13 vs. 52 ± 19 mL/m(2), P = 0.03) and indexed minimal LAV (20 ± 6 vs. 34 ± 11 vs. 44 ± 17 mL/m(2), P < 0.001), lower LAEF (42 ± 9 vs. 26 ± 13 vs. 16 ± 9%, P < 0.0001) but similar LVEF. Furthermore, myocardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was more frequent and significantly associated with lower LAEF. LAEF was also significantly lower in symptomatic (NHYA ≥ II, 22 ± 14%) as compared with asymptomatic patients (NYHA class I, 33 ± 13%, P = 0.006). Two-year survival rate was lower in patients with LAEF ≤ 16% as compared with those with LAEF > 16% (37 ± 11 vs. 94 ± 4%, P = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, lower LAEF remained independently associated with a higher risk of 2-year mortality (HR = 1.08 per 1% decrease

Independent validation of the prognostic capacity of the ISUP prostate cancer grade grouping system for radiation treated patients with long-term follow-up.

PubMed

Spratt, D E; Jackson, W C; Abugharib, A; Tomlins, S A; Dess, R T; Soni, P D; Lee, J Y; Zhao, S G; Cole, A I; Zumsteg, Z S; Sandler, H; Hamstra, D; Hearn, J W; Palapattu, G; Mehra, R; Morgan, T M; Feng, F Y

2016-09-01

There has been a recent proposal to change the grading system of prostate cancer into a five-tier grade grouping system. The prognostic impact of this has been demonstrated in regards only to biochemical recurrence-free survival (bRFS) with short follow-up (3 years). Between 1990 and 2013, 847 consecutive men were treated with definitive external beam radiation therapy at a single academic center. To validate the new grade grouping system, bRFS, distant metastases-free survival (DMFS) and prostate cancer-specific survival (PCSS) were calculated. Adjusted Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the independent impact of the new grade grouping system. Discriminatory analyses were performed to compare the commonly used three-tier Gleason score system (6, 7 and 8-10) to the new system. The median follow-up of our cohort was 88 months. The 5-grade groups independently validated differing risks of bRFS (group 1 as reference; adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.35, 2.16, 1.79 and 3.84 for groups 2-5, respectively). Furthermore, a clear stratification was demonstrated for DMFS (aHR 2.03, 3.18, 3.62 and 13.77 for groups 2-5, respectively) and PCSS (aHR 3.00, 5.32, 6.02 and 39.02 for groups 2-5, respectively). The 5-grade group system had improved prognostic discrimination for all end points compared with the commonly used three-tiered system (that is, Gleason score 6, 7 and 8-10). In a large independent radiotherapy cohort with long-term follow-up, we have validated the bRFS benefit of the proposed five-tier grade grouping system. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that the system is highly prognostic for DMFS and PCSS. Grade group 5 had markedly worse outcomes for all end points, and future work is necessary to improve outcomes in these patients.

The prognostic performance of the complement system in septic patients in emergency department: a cohort study.

PubMed

Zhao, Xin; Chen, Yun-Xia; Li, Chun-Sheng

2015-01-01

To investigate the prognostic performance of complement components in septic patients, complement 3, membrane attack complex (MAC) and mannose-binding lectin were measured and compared among adult patients with sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock, as well as between in-hospital nonsurvivors and survivors. The prognostic value of complement components was compared with mortality in emergency department sepsis (MEDS) score. Median complement 3, MAC and mannose-binding lectin increased directly with the sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock groups, and were significantly higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors. MEDS and MAC independently predicted in-hospital mortality. The prognostic performance of MAC was superior to MEDS as analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve.

Effect of joint mechanism on vehicle redirectional capability of water-filled road safety barrier systems.

PubMed

Thiyahuddin, M I; Thambiratnam, D P; Gu, Y T

2014-10-01

Portable water-filled barriers (PWFBs) are roadside appurtenances that prevent vehicles from penetrating into temporary construction zones on roadways. PWFBs are required to satisfy the strict regulations for vehicle re-direction in tests. However, many of the current PWFBs fail to re-direct the vehicle at high speeds due to the inability of the joints to provide appropriate stiffness. The joint mechanism hence plays a crucial role in the performance of a PWFB system at high speed impacts. This paper investigates the desired features of the joint mechanism in a PWFB system that can re-direct vehicles at high speeds, while limiting the lateral displacement to acceptable limits. A rectangular "wall" representative of a 30m long barrier system was modeled and a novel method of joining adjacent road barriers was introduced through appropriate pin-joint connections. The impact response of the barrier "wall" and the vehicle was obtained and the results show that a rotational stiffness of 3000kNm/rad at the joints seems to provide the desired features of the PWFB system to re-direct impacting vehicles and restrict the lateral deflection. These research findings will be useful to safety engineers and road barrier designers in developing a new generation of PWFBs for increased road safety. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strength Variation of Parachute Joints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mollmann, Catherine

2017-01-01

A parachute joint is defined as a location where a component is sewn or connected to another component. During the design and developmental phase of a parachute system, the joints for each structural component are isolated and tested through a process called seam and joint testing. The objective of seam and joint testing is to determine the degradation on a single component due to interaction with other components; this data is then used when calculating the margin of safety for that component. During the engineering developmental phase of CPAS (Capsule Parachute Assembly System), the parachute system for the NASA Orion Crew Module, testing was completed for every joint of the six subsystems: the four parachutes (main, drogue, pilot, and FBCP [forward bay cover parachute]), the retention release bridle, and the retention panels. The number of joint tests for these subsystems totaled 92, which provides a plethora of data and results for further analysis. In this paper, the data and results of these seam and joint tests are examined to determine the effects, if any, of different operators and sewing machines on the strength of parachute joints. Other variables are also studied to determine their effect on joint strength, such as joint complexity, joint strength magnitude, material type, and material construction. Findings reveal that an optimally-run seam and joint test program could result in an increased understanding of the structure of the parachute; this should lead to a parachute built with optimal components, potentially saving system weight and volume.

Joint involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus: From pathogenesis to clinical assessment.

PubMed

Ceccarelli, Fulvia; Perricone, Carlo; Cipriano, Enrica; Massaro, Laura; Natalucci, Francesco; Capalbo, Giuseppe; Leccese, Ilaria; Bogdanos, Dimitrios; Spinelli, Francesca Romana; Alessandri, Cristiano; Valesini, Guido; Conti, Fabrizio

2017-08-01

In the present review, the different phenotypes, clinimetric and imaging tools able to assess joint involvement in patients affected by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) have been described and summarized. Furthermore, the current knowledge about the pathogenic mechanism and the potential biomarkers of this feature is reported. A literature search was done in PubMed, accessed via the National Library of Medicine PubMed interface (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed). Firstly, PubMed was searched using the term "systemic lupus erythematosus" OR "lupus" in combination with (AND) "joint" OR "articular".Secondly, the same PubMed research was combined with other terms, such as "pathogenesis" OR "genetic" OR "antibodies" OR "biomarkers" OR "cytokines" OR "imaging" OR "ultrasonography" OR "magnetic resonance" OR "clinimetry". After a stringent selection, we evaluated in the present review 13 papers concerning clinical phenotypes of SLE joint involvement, 14 concerning clinimetric assessment, 20 concerning imaging, and finally, 28 concerning pathogenesis and biomarkers. Further relevant data were obtained from the reference lists of articles returned using these search terms and from authors own experience and knowledge of the literature. Despite the prevalence and severity of SLE joint involvement, more awareness and a deeper evaluation of the clinical heterogeneity of this manifestation are mandatory. Moreover, longitudinal studies are needed to assess the progression of this manifestation and to provide standard definitions and examination/recording protocols. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modification of the Grood and Suntay Joint Coordinate System equations for knee joint flexion.

PubMed

Dabirrahmani, Danè; Hogg, Michael

2017-01-01

Since its introduction, the Grood and Suntay Joint Coordinate System (JCS) has been embraced by the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB) and been widely used for biomechanical reporting. There is, however, a limitation in its ability to provide correct flexion values over a wide range of clinically relevant flexion angles. This technical note addresses the limitation of the JCS equations and introduces a new set of equations to overcome this problem. Copyright © 2016 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On Applying the Prognostic Performance Metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saxena, Abhinav; Celaya, Jose; Saha, Bhaskar; Saha, Sankalita; Goebel, Kai

2009-01-01

Prognostics performance evaluation has gained significant attention in the past few years. As prognostics technology matures and more sophisticated methods for prognostic uncertainty management are developed, a standardized methodology for performance evaluation becomes extremely important to guide improvement efforts in a constructive manner. This paper is in continuation of previous efforts where several new evaluation metrics tailored for prognostics were introduced and were shown to effectively evaluate various algorithms as compared to other conventional metrics. Specifically, this paper presents a detailed discussion on how these metrics should be interpreted and used. Several shortcomings identified, while applying these metrics to a variety of real applications, are also summarized along with discussions that attempt to alleviate these problems. Further, these metrics have been enhanced to include the capability of incorporating probability distribution information from prognostic algorithms as opposed to evaluation based on point estimates only. Several methods have been suggested and guidelines have been provided to help choose one method over another based on probability distribution characteristics. These approaches also offer a convenient and intuitive visualization of algorithm performance with respect to some of these new metrics like prognostic horizon and alpha-lambda performance, and also quantify the corresponding performance while incorporating the uncertainty information.

Static analysis of large-scale multibody system using joint coordinates and spatial algebra operator.

PubMed

Omar, Mohamed A

2014-01-01

Initial transient oscillations inhibited in the dynamic simulations responses of multibody systems can lead to inaccurate results, unrealistic load prediction, or simulation failure. These transients could result from incompatible initial conditions, initial constraints violation, and inadequate kinematic assembly. Performing static equilibrium analysis before the dynamic simulation can eliminate these transients and lead to stable simulation. Most exiting multibody formulations determine the static equilibrium position by minimizing the system potential energy. This paper presents a new general purpose approach for solving the static equilibrium in large-scale articulated multibody. The proposed approach introduces an energy drainage mechanism based on Baumgarte constraint stabilization approach to determine the static equilibrium position. The spatial algebra operator is used to express the kinematic and dynamic equations of the closed-loop multibody system. The proposed multibody system formulation utilizes the joint coordinates and modal elastic coordinates as the system generalized coordinates. The recursive nonlinear equations of motion are formulated using the Cartesian coordinates and the joint coordinates to form an augmented set of differential algebraic equations. Then system connectivity matrix is derived from the system topological relations and used to project the Cartesian quantities into the joint subspace leading to minimum set of differential equations.

Welding technology transfer task/laser based weld joint tracking system for compressor girth welds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Looney, Alan

1991-01-01

Sensors to control and monitor welding operations are currently being developed at Marshall Space Flight Center. The laser based weld bead profiler/torch rotation sensor was modified to provide a weld joint tracking system for compressor girth welds. The tracking system features a precision laser based vision sensor, automated two-axis machine motion, and an industrial PC controller. The system benefits are elimination of weld repairs caused by joint tracking errors which reduces manufacturing costs and increases production output, simplification of tooling, and free costly manufacturing floor space.

Measurement Science for Prognostics and Health Management for Smart Manufacturing Systems: Key Findings from a Roadmapping Workshop

PubMed Central

Weiss, Brian A.; Vogl, Gregory; Helu, Moneer; Qiao, Guixiu; Pellegrino, Joan; Justiniano, Mauricio; Raghunathan, Anand

2017-01-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hosted the Roadmapping Workshop – Measurement Science for Prognostics and Health Management for Smart Manufacturing Systems (PHM4SMS) in Fall 2014 to discuss the needs and priorities of stakeholders in the PHM4SMS technology area. The workshop brought together over 70 members of the PHM community. The attendees included representatives from small, medium, and large manufacturers; technology developers and integrators; academic researchers; government organizations; trade associations; and standards bodies. The attendees discussed the current and anticipated measurement science challenges to advance PHM methods and techniques for smart manufacturing systems; the associated research and development needed to implement condition monitoring, diagnostic, and prognostic technologies within manufacturing environments; and the priorities to meet the needs of PHM in manufacturing. This paper will summarize the key findings of this workshop, and present some of the critical measurement science challenges and corresponding roadmaps, i.e., suggested courses of action, to advance PHM for manufacturing. Milestones and targeted capabilities will be presented for each roadmap across three areas: PHM Manufacturing Process Techniques; PHM Performance Assessment; and PHM Infrastructure – Hardware, Software, and Integration. An analysis of these roadmaps and crosscutting themes seen across the breakout sessions is also discussed. PMID:28664163

Lymph node density vs. the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM nodal staging system in node-positive bladder cancer in patients undergoing extended or super-extended pelvic lymphadenectomy.

PubMed

Lee, Donghyun; Yoo, Sangjun; You, Dalsan; Hong, Bumsik; Cho, Yong Mee; Hong, Jun Hyuk; Kim, Choung-Soo; Ahn, Hanjonh; Ro, Jae Y; Jeong, In Gab

2017-04-01

We compared the prognostic value of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM nodal staging system with that of lymph node (LN) density in patients with LN-positive bladder cancer who received extended or super-extended pelvic lymphadenectomy. Of the 1,018 patients, who underwent radical cystectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy between February 2005 and August 2014, 110 patients with LN metastases with extended (n = 68) or super-extended (n = 42) pelvic lymphadenectomy were included. All patients were staged using the 2002 (sixth edition) and 2010 (seventh edition) AJCC TNM staging systems. The association of several variables with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated. The median number of total LNs removed was 29 (6-118) and the median LN density was 12.5% (1.6%-100%). RFS and OS were not significantly different between the 2002 (pN1-pM1) and 2010 (pN1-N3) AJCC TNM nodal staging systems (sixth edition: P = 0.512 and P = 0.519; seventh edition: P = 0.676 and P = 0.671, respectively). The 2-year RFS and OS rates according to the LN density quartiles were 58.5% and 76.9% in Q1, 39.1% and 70.8% in Q2, 28.8% and 50.1% in Q3, and 12.7% and 20.8% in Q4 (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis adjusted for the 2010 AJCC TNM staging system showed that LN density was associated with a decreased OS (HR = 1.024; 95% CI: 1.010-1.039; P = 0.001). The nodal staging system (2002 or 2010) was not associated with the RFS and OS. LN density shows a better prognostic value than the AJCC TNM nodal staging system in patients with LN-positive bladder cancer receiving extended or super-extended pelvic lymphadenectomy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contribution of artificial intelligence to the knowledge of prognostic factors in laryngeal carcinoma.

PubMed

Zapater, E; Moreno, S; Fortea, M A; Campos, A; Armengot, M; Basterra, J

2000-11-01

Many studies have investigated prognostic factors in laryngeal carcinoma, with sometimes conflicting results. Apart from the importance of environmental factors, the different statistical methods employed may have influenced such discrepancies. A program based on artificial intelligence techniques is designed to determine the prognostic factors in a series of 122 laryngeal carcinomas. The results obtained are compared with those derived from two classical statistical methods (Cox regression and mortality tables). Tumor location was found to be the most important prognostic factor by all methods. The proposed intelligent system is found to be a sound method capable of detecting exceptional cases.

An intelligent system with EMG-based joint angle estimation for telemanipulation.

PubMed

Suryanarayanan, S; Reddy, N P; Gupta, V

1996-01-01

Bio-control of telemanipulators is being researched as an alternate control strategy. This study investigates the use of surface EMG from the biceps to predict joint angle during flexion of the arm that can be used to control an anthropomorphic telemanipulator. An intelligent system based on neural networks and fuzzy logic has been developed to use the processed surface EMG signal and predict the joint angle. The system has been tested on various angles of flexion-extension of the arm and at several speeds of flexion-extension. Preliminary results show the RMS error between the predicted angle and the actual angle to be less than 3% during training and less than 15% during testing. The technique of direct bio-control using EMG has the potential as an interface for telemanipulation applications.

Comparison of the AJCC, MSTS, and Modified Spanier Systems for Clinical and Pathologic Staging of Osteosarcoma.

PubMed

Cates, Justin M M

2017-03-01

The prognostic performance of the 2 most commonly used staging systems for skeletal sarcoma (the American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] and Musculoskeletal Tumor Society [MSTS] systems) have never been compared analytically. Another staging system originally proposed by Spanier has not yet been validated. Given the recent release of the 8th edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, this study was designed to directly compare these anatomic staging systems in a series of 153 high-grade, intramedullary osteosarcomas. Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted and pairwise comparisons between each stage category were performed. Predictive accuracy of each staging system for determining 5-year disease-free survival was evaluated by comparing areas under receiver-operating characteristic curves generated from logistic regression analysis. Multiple concordance indices were calculated using bootstrapping methods (200 replications). ρk and R were estimated as measures of the variation in survival outcomes explained by the regression models. The AJCC, MSTS, and a modified version of the Spanier staging systems showed similar discriminatory abilities and no significant differences in the levels of contrast between different tumor stages across staging systems. Addition of T-category information from each staging system contributed significant prognostic information compared with a Cox proportional hazard regression model consisting only of the presence or absence of metastatic disease as a measure of disease extent. Concordance indices and predictive accuracy for 5-year disease-free survival were not significantly different among the different staging systems either. Similar findings were observed after accounting for other important prognostic variables. Additional studies are necessary to determine performance parameters of each staging system for other types of skeletal sarcoma. Prognostic performance of osteosarcoma staging systems would also be improved by incorporating

Final Environmental Assessment: Solar Panel Systems at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst New Jersey

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Solar Panel Systems at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey MARCH 2012...Final Environmental Assessment : Solar Panel Systems at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst New Jersey 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM...unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Purpose Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) Environmental Assessment (EA

Which is the optimal risk stratification system for surgically treated localized primary GIST? Comparison of three contemporary prognostic criteria in 171 tumors and a proposal for a modified Armed Forces Institute of Pathology risk criteria.

PubMed

Goh, Brian K P; Chow, Pierce K H; Yap, Wai-Ming; Kesavan, Sittampalam M; Song, In-Chin; Paul, Pradeep G; Ooi, Boon-Swee; Chung, Yaw-Fui A; Wong, Wai-Keong

2008-08-01

This study aims to validate and compare the performance of the National Institute of Health (NIH) criteria, Huang modified NIH criteria, and Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) risk criteria for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) in a large series of localized primary GISTs surgically treated at a single institution to determine the ideal risk stratification system for GIST. The clinicopathological features of 171 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection for GISTs were retrospectively reviewed. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the prognostic value of the three risk criteria by analyzing the discriminatory ability linear trend, homogeneity, monotonicity of gradients, and Akaike information criteria. The median actuarial recurrence-free survival (RFS) for all 171 patients was 70%. On multivariate analyses, size >10 cm, mitotic count >5/50 high-power field, tumor necrosis, and serosal involvement were independent prognostic factors of RFS. All three risk criteria demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the recurrence rate, median actuarial RFS, actuarial 5-year RFS, and tumor-specific death across the different stages. Comparison of the various risk-stratification systems demonstrated that our proposed modified AFIP criteria had the best independent predictive value of RFS when compared with the other systems. The NIH, modified NIH, and AFIP criteria are useful in the prognostication of GIST, and the AFIP risk criteria provided the best prognostication among the three systems for primary localized GIST. However, remarkable prognostic heterogeneity exists in the AFIP high-risk category, and with our proposed modification, this system provides the most accurate prognostic information.

Prognostic significance of interventricular septal thickness in patients with AL amyloidosis.

PubMed

Cho, Hyunsoo; Kim, Soo-Jeong; Shim, Chi Young; Hong, Geu-Ru; Ha, Jong-Won; Kim, Yu Ri; Yang, Woo Ick; Chung, Haerim; Jang, Ji Eun; Cheong, June-Won; Min, Yoo Hong; Kim, Jin Seok

2017-09-01

The major prognostic determinant of immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis is cardiac involvement. However, the role of interventricular septal thickness (IVST), which reflects the extent of cardiac involvement, remains unclear. Therefore, we analyzed 77 patients with newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis and evaluated the prognostic role of IVST. Fifty patients (64.9%) had cardiac involvement and 17 patients (22.1%) showed IVST >15mm. Among all patients, the revised Mayo Clinic Stage III-IV and IVST >15mm were independently associated with inferior overall survival (OS) in a multivariable analysis. IVST >15mm was also adversely prognostic for OS in a subgroup of advanced-stage (revised Mayo Clinic stage III-IV) patients in a multivariable analysis (P<0.001). Furthermore, advanced-stage patients with IVST >15mm did not show survival benefit from treatment with bortezomib-based regimens and/or autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT). Our study demonstrated that IVST >15mm is adversely prognostic independent of the revised Mayo Clinic staging system in patients with AL amyloidosis. In addition, the degree of IVST might be used as a useful prognostic indicator that can guide the management of patients with AL amyloidosis especially at an advanced stage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of an inflammation-based prognostic score in patients with metastatic renal cancer.

PubMed

Ramsey, Sara; Lamb, Gavin W A; Aitchison, Michael; Graham, John; McMillan, Donald C

2007-01-15

Recently, it was shown that an inflammation-based prognostic score, the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), provides additional prognostic information in patients with advanced cancer. The objective of the current study was to examine the value of the GPS compared with established scoring systems in predicting cancer-specific survival in patients with metastatic renal cancer. One hundred nineteen patients who underwent immunotherapy for metastatic renal cancer were recruited. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) score and the Metastatic Renal Carcinoma Comprehensive Prognostic System (MRCCPS) score were calculated as described previously. Patients who had both an elevated C-reactive protein level (>10 mg/L) and hypoalbuminemia (<35 g/L) were allocated a GPS of 2. Patients who had only 1 of those 2 biochemical abnormalities were allocated a GPS of 1. Patients who had neither abnormality were allocated a GPS of 0. On multivariate analysis of significant individual factors, only calcium (hazard ratio [HR], 3.21; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.51-6.83; P = .002), white cell count (HR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.17-2.35; P = .004), albumin (HR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.38-5.03; P = .003), and C-reactive protein (HR, 2.85; 95% CI; 1.49-5.45; P = .002) were associated independently with cancer-specific survival. On multivariate analysis of the different scoring systems, the MSKCC (HR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.22-2.88; P = .004), the MRCCPS (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 0.97-2.09; P = .071), and the GPS (HR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.51-3.67; P < .001) were associated independently with cancer-specific survival. An inflammation-based prognostic score (GPS) predicted survival independent of established scoring systems in patients with metastatic renal cancer.

Static Analysis of Large-Scale Multibody System Using Joint Coordinates and Spatial Algebra Operator

PubMed Central

Omar, Mohamed A.

2014-01-01

Initial transient oscillations inhibited in the dynamic simulations responses of multibody systems can lead to inaccurate results, unrealistic load prediction, or simulation failure. These transients could result from incompatible initial conditions, initial constraints violation, and inadequate kinematic assembly. Performing static equilibrium analysis before the dynamic simulation can eliminate these transients and lead to stable simulation. Most exiting multibody formulations determine the static equilibrium position by minimizing the system potential energy. This paper presents a new general purpose approach for solving the static equilibrium in large-scale articulated multibody. The proposed approach introduces an energy drainage mechanism based on Baumgarte constraint stabilization approach to determine the static equilibrium position. The spatial algebra operator is used to express the kinematic and dynamic equations of the closed-loop multibody system. The proposed multibody system formulation utilizes the joint coordinates and modal elastic coordinates as the system generalized coordinates. The recursive nonlinear equations of motion are formulated using the Cartesian coordinates and the joint coordinates to form an augmented set of differential algebraic equations. Then system connectivity matrix is derived from the system topological relations and used to project the Cartesian quantities into the joint subspace leading to minimum set of differential equations. PMID:25045732

A New Multivariate Approach for Prognostics Based on Extreme Learning Machine and Fuzzy Clustering.

PubMed

Javed, Kamran; Gouriveau, Rafael; Zerhouni, Noureddine

2015-12-01

Prognostics is a core process of prognostics and health management (PHM) discipline, that estimates the remaining useful life (RUL) of a degrading machinery to optimize its service delivery potential. However, machinery operates in a dynamic environment and the acquired condition monitoring data are usually noisy and subject to a high level of uncertainty/unpredictability, which complicates prognostics. The complexity further increases, when there is absence of prior knowledge about ground truth (or failure definition). For such issues, data-driven prognostics can be a valuable solution without deep understanding of system physics. This paper contributes a new data-driven prognostics approach namely, an "enhanced multivariate degradation modeling," which enables modeling degrading states of machinery without assuming a homogeneous pattern. In brief, a predictability scheme is introduced to reduce the dimensionality of the data. Following that, the proposed prognostics model is achieved by integrating two new algorithms namely, the summation wavelet-extreme learning machine and subtractive-maximum entropy fuzzy clustering to show evolution of machine degradation by simultaneous predictions and discrete state estimation. The prognostics model is equipped with a dynamic failure threshold assignment procedure to estimate RUL in a realistic manner. To validate the proposition, a case study is performed on turbofan engines data from PHM challenge 2008 (NASA), and results are compared with recent publications.

Full Scale RC Beam-Column Joints Strengthened with Steel Reinforced Polymer Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Vita, Alessandro; Napoli, Annalisa; Realfonzo, Roberto

2017-07-01

This paper presents the results of an experimental campaign performed at the Laboratory of Materials and Structural Testing of the University of Salerno (Italy) in order to investigate the seismic performance of RC beam-column joints strengthened with Steel Reinforced Polymer (SRP) systems. With the aim to represent typical façade frames’ beam-column subassemblies found in existing RC buildings, specimens were provided with two short beam stubs orthogonal to the main beam and were designed with inadequate seismic details. Five members were strengthened by using two different SRP layouts while the remaining ones were used as benchmarks. Once damaged, two specimens were also repaired, retrofitted with SRP and subjected to cyclic test again. The results of cyclic tests performed on SRP strengthened joints are examined through a comparison with the outcomes of the previous experimental program including companion specimens not provided with transverse beam stubs and strengthened by Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) systems. In particular, both qualitative and quantitative considerations about the influence of the confining effect provided by the secondary beams on the joint response, the suitability of all the adopted strengthening solutions (SRP/CFRP systems), the performances and the failure modes experienced in the several cases studied are provided.

Internally supported flexible duct joint. [device for conducting fluids in high pressure systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuhn, R. F., Jr. (Inventor)

1975-01-01

An internally supported, flexible duct joint for use in conducting fluids under relatively high pressures in systems where relatively large deflection angles must be accommodated is presented. The joint includes a flexible tubular bellows and an elongated base disposed within the bellows. The base is connected through radiating struts to the bellows near mid-portion and to each of the opposite end portions of the bellows through a pivotal connecting body. A motion-controlling linkage is provided for linking the connecting bodies, whereby angular displacement of the joint is controlled and uniformity in the instantaneous bend radius of the duct is achieved as deflection is imposed.

Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Common Ground System (CGS) Architecture Overview and Technical Performance Measures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant, K. D.; Johnson, B. R.; Miller, S. W.; Jamilkowski, M. L.

2014-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are jointly acquiring the next-generation civilian weather and environmental satellite system: the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). The Joint Polar Satellite System will replace the afternoon orbit component and ground processing system of the current Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) managed by NOAA. The JPSS satellites will carry a suite of sensors designed to collect meteorological, oceanographic, climatological and geophysical observations of the Earth. The ground processing system for JPSS is known as the JPSS Common Ground System (JPSS CGS). Developed and maintained by Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS), the CGS is a multi-mission enterprise system serving NOAA, NASA and their national and international partners. The CGS provides a wide range of support to a number of missions. Originally designed to support S-NPP and JPSS, the CGS has demonstrated its scalability and flexibility to incorporate all of these other important missions efficiently and with minimal cost, schedule and risk, while strengthening global partnerships in weather and environmental monitoring. The CGS architecture will be upgraded to Block 2.0 in 2015 to satisfy several key objectives, including: "operationalizing" S-NPP, which had originally been intended as a risk reduction mission; leveraging lessons learned to date in multi-mission support; taking advantage of newer, more reliable and efficient technologies; and satisfying new requirements and constraints due to the continually evolving budgetary environment. To ensure the CGS meets these needs, we have developed 48 Technical Performance Measures (TPMs) across 9 categories: Data Availability, Data Latency, Operational Availability, Margin, Scalability, Situational Awareness, Transition (between environments and sites), WAN Efficiency, and Data Recovery Processing. This

Degenerative joint disease: multiple joint involvement in young and mature dogs.

PubMed

Olsewski, J M; Lust, G; Rendano, V T; Summers, B A

1983-07-01

Radiologic, pathologic, and ancillary methods were used to determine the occurrence of degenerative joint disease involving multiple joints of immature and adult dogs. Animals were selected for the development of hip joint dysplasia and chronic degenerative joint disease. Of disease-prone dogs, 82% (45 of 55 dogs) had radiologic changes, indicative of hip dysplasia, by 1 year of age. At necropsy, more abnormal joints were identified than by radiographic examination. Among 92 dogs between 3 to 11 months of age that had joint abnormalities, 71% had hip joint involvement; 38%, shoulder joint involvement; 22%, stifle joint involvement; and 40% had multiple joint involvement. Polyarthritis was asymptomatic and unexpected. Radiographic examination of older dogs also revealed evidence of degenerative joint disease in many joints. Multiple joint involvement was substantiated at necropsy of young and mature dogs. A similar pattern of polyarticular osteoarthritis was revealed in a survey (computer search) of necropsy reports from medical case records of 100 adult and elderly dogs. Usually, the joint disease was an incidental observation, unrelated to the clinical disease or to the cause of death. The frequent occurrence of degenerative changes in several joints of dogs aged 6 months to 17 years indicated that osteoarthritis may be progressive in these joints and raises the possibility that systemic factors are involved in the disease process.

Development Requirements for Spacesuit Elbow Joint

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peters, Benjamin

2017-01-01

Functional Requirements for spacesuit elbow joint:1) The system is a conformal, single-axis spacesuit pressurized joint that encloses the elbow joint of the suited user and uses a defined interface to connect to the suit systems on either side of the joint.2) The system shall be designed to bear the loads incurred from the internal pressure of the system, as well as the expected loads induced by the user while enabling the user move the joint through the required range of motion. The joint torque of the system experienced by the user shall remain at or below the required specification for the entire range of motion.3) The design shall be constructed, at a minimum, as a two-layer system. The internal, air-tight layer shall be referred to as the bladder, and the layer on the unpressurized side of the bladder shall be referred to as the restraint. The design of the system may include additional features or layers, such as axial webbing, to meet the overall requirements of the design.

Expansion joint for guideway for magnetic levitation transportation system

DOEpatents

Rossing, Thomas D.

1993-01-01

An expansion joint that allows a guideway of a magnetic levitation transportation system to expand and contract while minimizing transients occurring in the magnetic lift and drag forces acting on a magnetic levitation vehicle traveling over the joint includes an upper cut or recess extending downwardly from the upper surface of the guideway and a non-intersecting lower cut or recess that extends upwardly from the lower surface of the guideway. The sidewalls of the cuts can be parallel to each other and the vertical axis of the guideway; the depth of the lower cut can be greater than the depth of the upper cut; and the overall combined lengths of the cuts can be greater than the thickness of the guideway from the upper to lower surface so that the cuts will overlap, but be spaced apart from each other. The distance between the cuts can be determined on the basis of the force transients and the mechanical behavior of the guideway. A second pair of similarly configured upper and lower cuts may be disposed in the guideway; the expansion joint may consist of two upper cuts and one lower cut; or the cuts may have non-parallel, diverging sidewalls so that the cuts have a substantially dove-tail shape.

Expansion joint for guideway for magnetic levitation transportation system

DOEpatents

Rossing, T.D.

1993-02-09

An expansion joint that allows a guideway of a magnetic levitation transportation system to expand and contract while minimizing transients occurring in the magnetic lift and drag forces acting on a magnetic levitation vehicle traveling over the joint includes an upper cut or recess extending downwardly from the upper surface of the guideway and a non-intersecting lower cut or recess that extends upwardly from the lower surface of the guideway. The side walls of the cuts can be parallel to each other and the vertical axis of the guideway; the depth of the lower cut can be greater than the depth of the upper cut; and the overall combined lengths of the cuts can be greater than the thickness of the guideway from the upper to lower surface so that the cuts will overlap, but be spaced apart from each other. The distance between the cuts can be determined on the basis of the force transients and the mechanical behavior of the guideway. A second pair of similarly configured upper and lower cuts may be disposed in the guideway; the expansion joint may consist of two upper cuts and one lower cut; or the cuts may have non-parallel, diverging side walls so that the cuts have a substantially dove-tail shape.

Joint Instability and Osteoarthritis

PubMed Central

Blalock, Darryl; Miller, Andrew; Tilley, Michael; Wang, Jinxi

2015-01-01

Joint instability creates a clinical and economic burden in the health care system. Injuries and disorders that directly damage the joint structure or lead to joint instability are highly associated with osteoarthritis (OA). Thus, understanding the physiology of joint stability and the mechanisms of joint instability-induced OA is of clinical significance. The first section of this review discusses the structure and function of major joint tissues, including periarticular muscles, which play a significant role in joint stability. Because the knee, ankle, and shoulder joints demonstrate a high incidence of ligament injury and joint instability, the second section summarizes the mechanisms of ligament injury-associated joint instability of these joints. The final section highlights the recent advances in the understanding of the mechanical and biological mechanisms of joint instability-induced OA. These advances may lead to new opportunities for clinical intervention in the prevention and early treatment of OA. PMID:25741184

Joint instability and osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Blalock, Darryl; Miller, Andrew; Tilley, Michael; Wang, Jinxi

2015-01-01

Joint instability creates a clinical and economic burden in the health care system. Injuries and disorders that directly damage the joint structure or lead to joint instability are highly associated with osteoarthritis (OA). Thus, understanding the physiology of joint stability and the mechanisms of joint instability-induced OA is of clinical significance. The first section of this review discusses the structure and function of major joint tissues, including periarticular muscles, which play a significant role in joint stability. Because the knee, ankle, and shoulder joints demonstrate a high incidence of ligament injury and joint instability, the second section summarizes the mechanisms of ligament injury-associated joint instability of these joints. The final section highlights the recent advances in the understanding of the mechanical and biological mechanisms of joint instability-induced OA. These advances may lead to new opportunities for clinical intervention in the prevention and early treatment of OA.

Development of a turbojet engine gearbox test rig for prognostics and health management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rezaei, Aida; Dadouche, Azzedine

2012-11-01

Aircraft engine gearboxes represent one of the many critical systems/elements that require special attention for longer and safer operation. Reactive maintenance strategies are unsuitable as they usually imply higher repair costs when compared to condition based maintenance. This paper discusses the main prognostics and health management (PHM) approaches, describes a newly designed gearbox experimental facility and analyses preliminary data for gear prognosis. The test rig is designed to provide full capabilities of performing controlled experiments suitable for developing a reliable diagnostic and prognostic system. The rig is based on the accessory gearbox of the GE J85 turbojet engine, which has been slightly modified and reconfigured to replicate real operating conditions such as speeds and loads. Defect to failure tests (DTFT) have been run to evaluate the performance of the rig as well as to assess prognostic metrics extracted from sensors installed on the gearbox casing (vibration and acoustic). The paper also details the main components of the rig and describes the various challenges encountered. Successful DTFT results were obtained during an idle engine performance test and prognostic metrics associated with the sensor suite were evaluated and discussed.

Assessment of the American Joint Commission on Cancer 8th Edition Staging System for Patients with Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results analysis.

PubMed

Li, Xiaogang; Gou, Shanmiao; Liu, Zhiqiang; Ye, Zeng; Wang, Chunyou

2018-03-01

Although several staging systems have been proposed for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs), the optimal staging system remains unclear. Here, we aimed to assess the application of the newly revised 8th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for exocrine pancreatic carcinoma (EPC) to pNETs, in comparison with that of other staging systems. We identified pNETs patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2004-2014). Overall survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves with the log-rank test. The predictive accuracy of each staging system was assessed by the concordance index (c-index). Cox proportional hazards regression was conducted to calculate the impact of different stages. In total, 2424 patients with pNETs, including 2350 who underwent resection, were identified using SEER data. Patients with different stages were evenly stratified based on the 8th edition AJCC staging system for EPC. Kaplan-Meier curves were well separated in all patients and patients with resection using the 8th edition AJCC staging system for EPC. Moreover, the hazard ratio increased with worsening disease stage. The c-index of the 8th edition AJCC staging system for EPC was similar to that of the other systems. For pNETs patients, the 8th edition AJCC staging system for EPC exhibits good prognostic discrimination among different stages in both all patients and those with resection. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Clinical implications of six inflammatory biomarkers as prognostic indicators in Ewing sarcoma

PubMed Central

Li, Yong-Jiang; Yang, Xi; Zhang, Wen-Biao; Yi, Cheng; Wang, Feng; Li, Ping

2017-01-01

Cancer-related systemic inflammation responses have been correlated with cancer development and progression. The prognostic significance of several inflammatory indicators, including neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR), Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CRP/Alb ratio), lymphocyte–monocyte ratio (LMR), and neutrophil–platelet score (NPS), were found to be correlated with prognosis in several cancers. However, the prognostic role of these inflammatory biomarkers in Ewing sarcoma has not been evaluated. This study enrolled 122 Ewing patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was generated to determine optimal cutoff values; areas under the curves (AUCs) were assessed to show the discriminatory ability of the biomarkers; Kaplan–Meier analysis was conducted to plot the survival curves; and Cox multivariate survival analysis was performed to identify independent prognostic factors. The optimal cutoff values of CRP/Alb ratio, NLR, PLR, and LMR were 0.225, 2.38, 131, and 4.41, respectively. CRP/Alb ratio had a significantly larger AUC than NLR, PLR, LMR, and NPS. Higher levels of CRP/Alb ratio (hazard ratio [HR] 2.41, P=0.005), GPS (HR 2.27, P=0.006), NLR (HR 2.07, P=0.013), and PLR (HR 1.85, P=0.032) were significantly correlated with poor prognosis. As the biomarkers had internal correlations, only the CRP/Alb ratio was involved in the multivariate Cox analysis and remained an independent prognostic indicator. The study demonstrated that CRP/Alb ratio, GPS, and NLR were effective prognostic indicators for patients with Ewing sarcoma, and the CRP/Alb ratio was the most robust prognostic indicator with a discriminatory ability superior to that of the other indicators; however, PLR, LMR, and NPS may not be suitable as prognostic indicators in Ewing sarcoma. PMID:29033609

Nervous system excitability and joint stiffness following short-term dynamic ankle immobilization.

PubMed

Stirling, Alyssa M; McBride, Jeffrey M; Merritt, Edward K; Needle, Alan R

2018-01-01

Joint immobilization has been demonstrated to modify neural excitability in subsets of healthy populations, leading to disinhibition of cortical and reflexive pathways. However, these findings may have limited clinical application as most models have investigated casting and rigid immobilization, while many musculoskeletal injuries often utilize dynamic immobilization devices such as boot immobilizers and pneumatic splints that allow for modified ambulation. We therefore aimed to determine the short-term effects of ambulation in ankle immobilization devices on nervous system excitability and stiffness in able-bodied individuals. A repeated-measures design was implemented where 12 healthy individuals were tested for cortical excitability to the ankle musculature using transcranial magnetic stimulation, reflexive excitability using the Hoffmann reflex, and ankle joint stiffness using arthrometry before and after 30min of ambulation with a boot immobilizer, pneumatic leg splint, or barefoot. Motor evoked potential (MEP), cortical silent period (CSP), H max to M max ratio, and ankle joint displacement were extracted as dependent variables. Results indicated that despite the novel motor demands of walking in immobilization devices, no significant changes in cortical excitability (F≥0.335, P≥0.169), reflexive excitability (F≥0.027, P≥0.083), or joint stiffness (F≥0.558, P≥0.169) occurred. These findings indicate that short-term ambulation in dynamic immobilization devices does not modify neural excitability despite forced constraints on the sensorimotor system. We may therefore conclude that modifications to neural excitability in previous immobilization models are mediated by long-term nervous system plasticity rather than acute mechanisms, and there appear to be no robust changes in corticomotor or spinal excitability acutely posed by ambulation with immobilization devices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improvements and Extensions for Joint Polar Satellite System Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant, K. D.

2016-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are jointly acquiring the next-generation civilian weather satellite system: the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). JPSS replaced the afternoon orbit component and ground processing of the old POES system managed by NOAA. JPSS satellites carry sensors designed to collect meteorological, oceanographic, climatological, and solar-geophysical observations of the earth, atmosphere, and space. The ground processing system for JPSS is the Common Ground System (CGS), and provides command, control, and communications (C3), data processing and product delivery. CGS's data processing capability provides environmental data products (Sensor Data Records (SDRs) and Environmental Data Records (EDRs)) to the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility. The first satellite in the JPSS constellation, S-NPP, was launched in October 2011. The second satellite, JPSS-1, is scheduled for launch in January 2017. During a satellite's calibration and validation (Cal/Val) campaign, numerous algorithm updates occur. Changes identified during Cal/Val become available for implementation into the operational system for both S-NPP and JPSS-1. In addition, new capabilities, such as higher spectral and spatial resolution, will be exercised on JPSS-1. This paper will describe changes to current algorithms and products as a result of S-NPP Cal/Val and related initiatives for improved capabilities. Improvements include Cross Track Infrared Sounder high spectral processing, extended spectral and spatial ranges for Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite ozone Total Column and Nadir Profiles, and updates to Vegetation Index, Snow Cover, Active Fires, Suspended Matter, and Ocean Color. Updates will include Sea Surface Temperature, Cloud Mask, Cloud Properties, and other improvements.

The prognostic role of CD68 and FoxP3 expression in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma.

PubMed

Cho, Hyunsoo; Kim, Se Hoon; Kim, Soo-Jeong; Chang, Jong Hee; Yang, Woo Ick; Suh, Chang-Ok; Cheong, June-Won; Kim, Yu Ri; Lee, Jung Yeon; Jang, Ji Eun; Kim, Yundeok; Min, Yoo Hong; Kim, Jin Seok

2017-07-01

The prognostic role of CD68 and FoxP3 in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) has not been evaluated. Thus, we examined the prognostic significance of CD68 and FoxP3 expression in tumor samples of 76 newly diagnosed immunocompetent PCNSL patients. All patients were treated initially with high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX)-based chemotherapy, and 16 (21.1%) patients received upfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) consolidation. High expression of CD68 (>55 cells/high-power field) or FoxP3 (>15 cells/high-power field) was observed in 10 patients, respectively. High CD68 expression was associated with inferior overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in multivariate analysis (P = 0.023 and P = 0.021, respectively). In addition, we performed subgroup analysis based on upfront ASCT. High CD68 expression was also associated with inferior OS and PFS in multivariate analysis (P = 0.013 and P < 0.001, respectively) among patients who did not receive upfront ASCT (n = 60), but not in patients who received upfront ASCT. The expression of FoxP3 was not significantly associated with survival. Therefore, we identified a prognostic significance of high CD68 expression in PCNSL, which suggests a need for further clinical trials and biological studies on the role of PCNSL tumor microenvironment.

Joint Aspiration (Arthrocentesis)

MedlinePlus

... arthritis, or JRA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and Lyme disease. Joint aspiration is diagnostic but it also can ... topic for: Parents Kids Teens Evaluate Your Child's Lyme Disease Risk Living With Lupus Bones, Muscles, and Joints ...

Joint Technical Architecture for Robotic Systems (JTARS)-Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bradley, Arthur T.; Holloway, Sidney E., III

2006-01-01

This document represents the final report for the Joint Technical Architecture for Robotic Systems (JTARS) project, funded by the Office of Exploration as part of the Intramural Call for Proposals of 2005. The project was prematurely terminated, without review, as part of an agency-wide realignment towards the development of a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and meeting the near-term goals of lunar exploration.

Prognostic categories and timing of negative prognostic communication from critical care physicians to family members at end-of-life in an intensive care unit.

PubMed

Gutierrez, Karen M

2013-09-01

Negative prognostic communication is often delayed in intensive care units, which limits time for families to prepare for end-of-life. This descriptive study, informed by ethnographic methods, was focused on exploring critical care physician communication of negative prognoses to families and identifying timing influences. Prognostic communication of critical care physicians to nurses and family members was observed and physicians and family members were interviewed. Physician perception of prognostic certainty, based on an accumulation of empirical data, and the perceived need for decision-making, drove the timing of prognostic communication, rather than family needs. Although prognoses were initially identified using intuitive knowledge for patients in one of the six identified prognostic categories, utilizing decision-making to drive prognostic communication resulted in delayed prognostic communication to families until end-of-life (EOL) decisions could be justified with empirical data. Providers will better meet the needs of families who desire earlier prognostic information by separating prognostic communication from decision-making and communicating the possibility of a poor prognosis based on intuitive knowledge, while acknowledging the uncertainty inherent in prognostication. This sets the stage for later prognostic discussions focused on EOL decisions, including limiting or withdrawing treatment, which can be timed when empirical data substantiate intuitive prognoses. This allows additional time for families to anticipate and prepare for end-of-life decision-making. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Vehicle Integrated Prognostic Reasoner (VIPR) Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bharadwaj, Raj; Mylaraswamy, Dinkar; Cornhill, Dennis; Biswas, Gautam; Koutsoukos, Xenofon; Mack, Daniel

2013-01-01

A systems view is necessary to detect, diagnose, predict, and mitigate adverse events during the flight of an aircraft. While most aircraft subsystems look for simple threshold exceedances and report them to a central maintenance computer, the vehicle integrated prognostic reasoner (VIPR) proactively generates evidence and takes an active role in aircraft-level health assessment. Establishing the technical feasibility and a design trade-space for this next-generation vehicle-level reasoning system (VLRS) is the focus of our work.

A new three-dimensional, print-on-demand temporomandibular prosthetic total joint replacement system: Preliminary outcomes.

PubMed

Dimitroulis, George; Austin, Stephen; Sin Lee, Peter Vee; Ackland, David

2018-05-16

The aim of this study is to present the preliminary clinical data on the OMX Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Prosthetic total joint replacement system. A prospective, cohort, clinical study was undertaken of consecutive adult patients with Category 5 end-stage joint disease who were implanted with the OMX TMJ prosthesis between May 2015 and April 2017. A total of 50 devices were implanted in 38 patients, with 12 patients receiving bilateral prosthetic joints. There were 31 females and 7 males in this cohort, who ranged in age from 20 to 66 years, with a mean of 43.8 years (±14.0 years). Ten of the 50 prosthetic joints (20%) were fully customized, while the remaining were patient matched using virtual planning software. Based on a mean follow-up period of 15.3 months (range 12-24 months) following the TMJ total joint replacement, preliminary results suggest the OMX TMJ prosthesis has made a positive impact on clinical outcomes, with a mean 74.4% reduction in joint pain levels and significant improvements (p < 0.05) in jaw function as measured by the visual analogue scales for mouth opening (30.8%), diet (77.1%), and function (59.2%). No device failures were reported during the study period. This study suggests that the print-on-demand OMX TMJ prosthesis, designed for rapid delivery of both patient-matched and fully customize devices, represents a safe, reliable and versatile implantable joint replacement system for the treatment of category 5 end-stage TMJ disease. Copyright © 2018 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sliding mode control for a two-joint coupling nonlinear system based on extended state observer.

PubMed

Zhao, Ling; Cheng, Haiyan; Wang, Tao

2018-02-01

A two-joint coupling nonlinear system driven by pneumatic artificial muscles is introduced in this paper. A sliding mode controller with extended state observer is proposed to cope with nonlinearities and disturbances for the two-joint coupling nonlinear system. In addition, convergence of the extended state observer is presented and stability analysis of the closed-loop system is also demonstrated with the sliding mode controller. Lastly, some experiments are carried out to show the reality effectiveness of the proposed method. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prognostic factors for primary central nervous system lymphomas treated with high-dose methotrexate-based chemo-radiotherapy.

PubMed

Lee, Jeunghun; Shishido-Hara, Yukiko; Suzuki, Kaori; Shimizu, Saki; Kobayashi, Keiichi; Kamma, Hiroshi; Shiokawa, Yoshiaki; Nagane, Motoo

2017-10-01

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) remains an aggressive and refractory tumor despite high-dose methotrexate-based chemo-radiotherapy. Age and performance status have been shown to be important clinical prognostic factors, however others, especially molecular factors, affecting the prognosis are still uncertain. We investigate clinical, neuroimaging and immunohistochemical data in tissue from 41 PCNSL patients treated primarily with methotrexate-based chemo-radiotherapy and evaluate the influence of potential prognostic factors on clinical outcome as well as correlation among these factors. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 29 and 73 months, respectively. Expression of the mismatch repair (MMR) proteins, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2, correlated tightly with each other and high expression of MSH2 was significantly associated with better OS and PFS (P = 0.005 and P = 0.007), while methotrexate metabolism-related proteins did not affect survival. In addition, low expression of PMS2 was an independent predictor of methotrexate resistance (P = 0.039). Among neuroimaging findings, involvement of the fornix and tegmentum/velum were significantly associated with poorer OS (P < 0.001 and P = 0.013) and PFS (P = 0.014 and P = 0.043, respectively). Germinal center B cell (GCB)-PCNSL subtype as opposed to non-GCB subtype, tended toward better survival. Regarding oncogenes, cMYC-positive cases showed unfavorable OS (P = 0.046). By multivariate analysis, MSH2 and involvement of the fornix were independent predictors for both OS and PFS, whereas tegmentum/velum location and cMYC expression were significantly associated with OS. Although further studies are needed, these results suggest that MMR protein expression, as well as specific deep locations and cMYC expression, may be a novel prognostic and predictive markers for PCNSL. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e

Joint Precision Approach and Landing System Increment 1A (JPALS Inc 1A)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) RCS: DD-A&T(Q&A)823-238 Joint Precision Approach and Landing System Increment 1A (JPALS Inc 1A) As of FY 2017...President’s Budget Defense Acquisition Management Information Retrieval (DAMIR) March 10, 2016 11:30:56 UNCLASSIFIED JPALS Inc 1A December 2015 SAR...Fiscal Year FYDP - Future Years Defense Program ICE - Independent Cost Estimate IOC - Initial Operational Capability Inc - Increment JROC - Joint

A new technique for repair of a dislocated sternoclavicular joint using a sternal tension cable system.

PubMed

Janson, Jacques T; Rossouw, Gawie J

2013-02-01

An unstable anterior or posterior sternoclavicular joint dislocation can cause severe morbidity with poor shoulder movement and strength. These dislocations need to be repaired, which can be challenging. Many different procedures have been described to obtain a stable joint fixation with varying results. We report a new technique for repairing a sternoclavicular joint dislocation by using a figure-of-eight sternal cable system. This procedure is relatively simple and reproducible to create a stable and functional sternoclavicular joint. Copyright © 2013 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social-Cultural-Historical Contradictions in an L2 Listening Lesson: A Joint Activity System Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Jeremy

2011-01-01

Informed and inspired by neo-Vygotskian theory, this article outlines a study exploiting a contemporary conceptualization of Wells's (2002) joint activity system model as an exploratory framework for examining and depicting the social-cultural-historical contradictions in second-language (L2) learners' joint activity. The participants were a pair…

Molecular Classification Substitutes for the Prognostic Variables Stage, Age, and MYCN Status in Neuroblastoma Risk Assessment.

PubMed

Rosswog, Carolina; Schmidt, Rene; Oberthuer, André; Juraeva, Dilafruz; Brors, Benedikt; Engesser, Anne; Kahlert, Yvonne; Volland, Ruth; Bartenhagen, Christoph; Simon, Thorsten; Berthold, Frank; Hero, Barbara; Faldum, Andreas; Fischer, Matthias

2017-12-01

Current risk stratification systems for neuroblastoma patients consider clinical, histopathological, and genetic variables, and additional prognostic markers have been proposed in recent years. We here sought to select highly informative covariates in a multistep strategy based on consecutive Cox regression models, resulting in a risk score that integrates hazard ratios of prognostic variables. A cohort of 695 neuroblastoma patients was divided into a discovery set (n=75) for multigene predictor generation, a training set (n=411) for risk score development, and a validation set (n=209). Relevant prognostic variables were identified by stepwise multivariable L1-penalized least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression, followed by backward selection in multivariable Cox regression, and then integrated into a novel risk score. The variables stage, age, MYCN status, and two multigene predictors, NB-th24 and NB-th44, were selected as independent prognostic markers by LASSO Cox regression analysis. Following backward selection, only the multigene predictors were retained in the final model. Integration of these classifiers in a risk scoring system distinguished three patient subgroups that differed substantially in their outcome. The scoring system discriminated patients with diverging outcome in the validation cohort (5-year event-free survival, 84.9±3.4 vs 63.6±14.5 vs 31.0±5.4; P<.001), and its prognostic value was validated by multivariable analysis. We here propose a translational strategy for developing risk assessment systems based on hazard ratios of relevant prognostic variables. Our final neuroblastoma risk score comprised two multigene predictors only, supporting the notion that molecular properties of the tumor cells strongly impact clinical courses of neuroblastoma patients. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic and prognostic contribution of laryngeal electromyography in unilateral vocal-fold immobility in adults.

PubMed

Focquet, A; Péréon, Y; Ségura, S; Ferron, C; Malard, O; Espitalier, F

2017-02-01

To study the diagnostic and prognostic contribution of laryngeal electromyography in unilateral vocal-fold immobility in adults. A retrospective study included patients with unilateral vocal-fold immobility undergoing laryngeal electromyography between 2007 and 2015. Neurogenic, normal or myogenic findings were compared to the clinical aspect. Prognosis for recovery was assessed from motor unit potentials on laryngeal electromyography, and compared to subsequent progress on laryngoscopy. Sixty-three patients (mean age, 59 years) were initially included; 2 were subsequently excluded from analysis. Mean time from onset of immobility to laryngeal electromyography was 7 months. 85% of the 61 patients showed neurogenic findings, indicating neural lesion; 13% showed normal electromyography, indicating cricoarytenoid joint ankylosis; and 1 patient showed a myogenic pattern. Neurogenic cases were usually secondary to cervical surgery. Thirty-eight patients were followed up. In total, 75% of patients showing reinnervation potentials recovered. The positive predictive value of laryngeal electromyography was 69.2%. Laryngeal electromyography is effective in specifying the origin of unilateral vocal-fold immobility in adults. It also has a prognostic role, lack of reinnervation potentials being a possible indication for early medialization surgery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

JANNAF 35th Combustion Subcommittee and 17th Propulsion Systems Hazards Subcommittee Meeting: Joint Sessions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fry, Ronald S. (Editor); Gannaway, Mary T. (Editor); Rognan, Melanie (Editor)

1998-01-01

This publication is a compilation of 15 unclassified/unlimited technical papers presented at the 1998 meeting of the Joint Army-Navy-NASA-Air Force (JANNAF) Combustion Subcommittee (CS) and Propulsion Systems Hazards Subcommittee (PSHS) held jointly with the Airbreathing Propulsion Subcommittee (APS). The meeting was held on 7 - 11 December 1 998 at Raytheon Systems Company and the Marriott Hotel, Tucson, AZ. Topics covered include advanced ingredients and reaction kinetics in solid propellants and experimental diagnostic techniques.

Cooperative Adaptive Output Regulation for Second-Order Nonlinear Multiagent Systems With Jointly Connected Switching Networks.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Huang, Jie

2018-03-01

This paper studies the cooperative global robust output regulation problem for a class of heterogeneous second-order nonlinear uncertain multiagent systems with jointly connected switching networks. The main contributions consist of the following three aspects. First, we generalize the result of the adaptive distributed observer from undirected jointly connected switching networks to directed jointly connected switching networks. Second, by performing a new coordinate and input transformation, we convert our problem into the cooperative global robust stabilization problem of a more complex augmented system via the distributed internal model principle. Third, we solve the stabilization problem by a distributed state feedback control law. Our result is illustrated by the leader-following consensus problem for a group of Van der Pol oscillators.

Prognostic and predictive values of PD-L1 expression in patients with digestive system cancer: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Dai, Cong; Wang, Meng; Lu, Jun; Dai, Zhiming; Lin, Shuai; Yang, Pengtao; Tian, Tian; Liu, Xinghan; Min, Weili; Dai, Zhijun

2017-01-01

PD-L1 has been reported to be expressed in diverse human malignancies. However, the prognostic value of PD-L1 in digestive system cancers remains inconclusive. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic impact of PD-L1 expression in digestive system cancers. We searched the PubMed, Embase, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure for publications concerning PD-L1 expression in digestive system cancers. Correlations of PD-L1 expression level with overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analyzed. Finally, 32 studies with 7,308 patients were included. Our results show that PD-L1 expression was significantly associated with poorer OS (hazard ratio [HR] =1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.18-1.76, P <0.001), but not DFS (HR =0.91, 95% CI =0.61-1.37, P =0.657) or RFS (HR =1.27, 95% CI =0.75-2.14, P =0.368). Moreover, in the subgroup analysis, significant associations between PD-L1 expression and OS were found in Asians (HR =1.50, 95% CI =1.19-1.89, P =0.001), gastric cancer (HR =1.43, 95% CI =1.05-1.94, P =0.021), and pancreatic carcinoma (HR =2.64, 95% CI =1.78-3.93, P <0.001). These results suggest that the expression of PD-L1 is associated with worse OS in digestive system cancers, especially in gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer. In addition, PD-L1 may act as a new parameter for predicting poor prognosis and a promising target for anticancer therapy in digestive system cancers.

Prognostics and Health Management of Wind Turbines: Current Status and Future Opportunities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sheng, Shuangwen

Prognostics and health management is not a new concept. It has been used in relatively mature industries, such as aviation and electronics, to help improve operation and maintenance (O&M) practices. In the wind industry, prognostics and health management is relatively new. The level for both wind industry applications and research and development (R&D) has increased in recent years because of its potential for reducing O&M cost of wind power, especially for turbines installed offshore. The majority of wind industry application efforts has been focused on diagnosis based on various sensing and feature extraction techniques. For R&D, activities are being conductedmore » in almost all areas of a typical prognostics and health management framework (i.e., sensing, data collection, feature extraction, diagnosis, prognosis, and maintenance scheduling). This presentation provides an overview of the current status of wind turbine prognostics and health management that focuses on drivetrain condition monitoring through vibration, oil debris, and oil condition analysis techniques. It also discusses turbine component health diagnosis through data mining and modeling based on supervisory control and data acquisition system data. Finally, it provides a brief survey of R&D activities for wind turbine prognostics and health management, along with future opportunities.« less

Cytogenetic prognostication within medulloblastoma subgroups.

PubMed

Shih, David J H; Northcott, Paul A; Remke, Marc; Korshunov, Andrey; Ramaswamy, Vijay; Kool, Marcel; Luu, Betty; Yao, Yuan; Wang, Xin; Dubuc, Adrian M; Garzia, Livia; Peacock, John; Mack, Stephen C; Wu, Xiaochong; Rolider, Adi; Morrissy, A Sorana; Cavalli, Florence M G; Jones, David T W; Zitterbart, Karel; Faria, Claudia C; Schüller, Ulrich; Kren, Leos; Kumabe, Toshihiro; Tominaga, Teiji; Shin Ra, Young; Garami, Miklós; Hauser, Peter; Chan, Jennifer A; Robinson, Shenandoah; Bognár, László; Klekner, Almos; Saad, Ali G; Liau, Linda M; Albrecht, Steffen; Fontebasso, Adam; Cinalli, Giuseppe; De Antonellis, Pasqualino; Zollo, Massimo; Cooper, Michael K; Thompson, Reid C; Bailey, Simon; Lindsey, Janet C; Di Rocco, Concezio; Massimi, Luca; Michiels, Erna M C; Scherer, Stephen W; Phillips, Joanna J; Gupta, Nalin; Fan, Xing; Muraszko, Karin M; Vibhakar, Rajeev; Eberhart, Charles G; Fouladi, Maryam; Lach, Boleslaw; Jung, Shin; Wechsler-Reya, Robert J; Fèvre-Montange, Michelle; Jouvet, Anne; Jabado, Nada; Pollack, Ian F; Weiss, William A; Lee, Ji-Yeoun; Cho, Byung-Kyu; Kim, Seung-Ki; Wang, Kyu-Chang; Leonard, Jeffrey R; Rubin, Joshua B; de Torres, Carmen; Lavarino, Cinzia; Mora, Jaume; Cho, Yoon-Jae; Tabori, Uri; Olson, James M; Gajjar, Amar; Packer, Roger J; Rutkowski, Stefan; Pomeroy, Scott L; French, Pim J; Kloosterhof, Nanne K; Kros, Johan M; Van Meir, Erwin G; Clifford, Steven C; Bourdeaut, Franck; Delattre, Olivier; Doz, François F; Hawkins, Cynthia E; Malkin, David; Grajkowska, Wieslawa A; Perek-Polnik, Marta; Bouffet, Eric; Rutka, James T; Pfister, Stefan M; Taylor, Michael D

2014-03-20

Medulloblastoma comprises four distinct molecular subgroups: WNT, SHH, Group 3, and Group 4. Current medulloblastoma protocols stratify patients based on clinical features: patient age, metastatic stage, extent of resection, and histologic variant. Stark prognostic and genetic differences among the four subgroups suggest that subgroup-specific molecular biomarkers could improve patient prognostication. Molecular biomarkers were identified from a discovery set of 673 medulloblastomas from 43 cities around the world. Combined risk stratification models were designed based on clinical and cytogenetic biomarkers identified by multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses. Identified biomarkers were tested using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) on a nonoverlapping medulloblastoma tissue microarray (n = 453), with subsequent validation of the risk stratification models. Subgroup information improves the predictive accuracy of a multivariable survival model compared with clinical biomarkers alone. Most previously published cytogenetic biomarkers are only prognostic within a single medulloblastoma subgroup. Profiling six FISH biomarkers (GLI2, MYC, chromosome 11 [chr11], chr14, 17p, and 17q) on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, we can reliably and reproducibly identify very low-risk and very high-risk patients within SHH, Group 3, and Group 4 medulloblastomas. Combining subgroup and cytogenetic biomarkers with established clinical biomarkers substantially improves patient prognostication, even in the context of heterogeneous clinical therapies. The prognostic significance of most molecular biomarkers is restricted to a specific subgroup. We have identified a small panel of cytogenetic biomarkers that reliably identifies very high-risk and very low-risk groups of patients, making it an excellent tool for selecting patients for therapy intensification and therapy de-escalation in future clinical trials.

Clinicopathologic and prognostic characteristics of alpha-fetoprotein–producing gastric cancer

PubMed Central

Dong, Xuqiang; Wang, Yao; Zhang, Weiming; Shen, Lizong; Zhang, Zhihong

2017-01-01

Alpha-fetoprotein–producing gastric cancer (AFPGC) accounts for 1.5%–7.1% of all gastric cancer cases. Compared with other types of gastric cancer, AFPGC is more aggressive and prone to liver and lymph node (LN) metastasis, with extremely poor prognosis. To improve understanding of AFPGC we reviewed a consecutive series of 82 AFPGC patients and investigated the prognostic factors. The incidence of AFPGC among our gastric cancer patients was 1.95%, and 29.27% of AFPGCs were diagnosed with metastasis at the time of presentation, mainly liver metastasis. The serum AFP level of patients with AFPGC was significantly associated with tumor differentiation. Histologically, these AFPGC patients were composed of 34.55% hapatiod type, 58.18% fetal gastrointestinal type, 9.09% yolk sac tumor-like type, and 14.55% mixed type. Patient gender, tumor differentiation, Lauren classification, and number of metastatic lymph nodes showed significant differences among these four subtypes. The overall survival time was 42.02 months and the 3-year cumulative survival rate was 53.13%. Age, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging classification (TNM stage), serum AFP level, and surgery were prognostic factors for overall survival; however, TNM stage was the only independent risk factor for prognosis of AFPGC. In short, AFPGC is a rare, unique, and heterogeneous entity, and its proper identification and treatment remain a challenge. More attention should be paid to AFPGC to improve patient care and the dismal prognosis. PMID:28423604

Clinicopathologic and prognostic characteristics of alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric cancer.

PubMed

He, Ruji; Yang, Qinyi; Dong, Xuqiang; Wang, Yao; Zhang, Weiming; Shen, Lizong; Zhang, Zhihong

2017-04-04

Alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric cancer (AFPGC) accounts for 1.5%-7.1% of all gastric cancer cases. Compared with other types of gastric cancer, AFPGC is more aggressive and prone to liver and lymph node (LN) metastasis, with extremely poor prognosis. To improve understanding of AFPGC we reviewed a consecutive series of 82 AFPGC patients and investigated the prognostic factors. The incidence of AFPGC among our gastric cancer patients was 1.95%, and 29.27% of AFPGCs were diagnosed with metastasis at the time of presentation, mainly liver metastasis. The serum AFP level of patients with AFPGC was significantly associated with tumor differentiation. Histologically, these AFPGC patients were composed of 34.55% hapatiod type, 58.18% fetal gastrointestinal type, 9.09% yolk sac tumor-like type, and 14.55% mixed type. Patient gender, tumor differentiation, Lauren classification, and number of metastatic lymph nodes showed significant differences among these four subtypes. The overall survival time was 42.02 months and the 3-year cumulative survival rate was 53.13%. Age, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging classification (TNM stage), serum AFP level, and surgery were prognostic factors for overall survival; however, TNM stage was the only independent risk factor for prognosis of AFPGC. In short, AFPGC is a rare, unique, and heterogeneous entity, and its proper identification and treatment remain a challenge. More attention should be paid to AFPGC to improve patient care and the dismal prognosis.

Identifying prognostic signature in ovarian cancer using DirGenerank

PubMed Central

Wang, Jian-Yong; Chen, Ling-Ling; Zhou, Xiong-Hui

2017-01-01

Identifying the prognostic genes in cancer is essential not only for the treatment of cancer patients, but also for drug discovery. However, it's still a big challenge to select the prognostic genes that can distinguish the risk of cancer patients across various data sets because of tumor heterogeneity. In this situation, the selected genes whose expression levels are statistically related to prognostic risks may be passengers. In this paper, based on gene expression data and prognostic data of ovarian cancer patients, we used conditional mutual information to construct gene dependency network in which the nodes (genes) with more out-degrees have more chances to be the modulators of cancer prognosis. After that, we proposed DirGenerank (Generank in direct netowrk) algorithm, which concerns both the gene dependency network and genes’ correlations to prognostic risks, to identify the gene signature that can predict the prognostic risks of ovarian cancer patients. Using ovarian cancer data set from TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) as training data set, 40 genes with the highest importance were selected as prognostic signature. Survival analysis of these patients divided by the prognostic signature in testing data set and four independent data sets showed the signature can distinguish the prognostic risks of cancer patients significantly. Enrichment analysis of the signature with curated cancer genes and the drugs selected by CMAP showed the genes in the signature may be drug targets for therapy. In summary, we have proposed a useful pipeline to identify prognostic genes of cancer patients. PMID:28615526

Joint Precision Approach and Landing System Nunn-McCurdy Breach Root Cause Analysis and Portfolio Assessment Metrics for DoD Weapons Systems. Volume 8

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

system that would help in adverse weather conditions. U.S. operations in Bosnia, which were run from a relatively austere airfield with limited air... operations beginning in 2013 (CVN21, Joint Strike Fighter, Joint Unmanned Combat Air System ). cAccording to multiple FAA ofcial planning documents...Positioning System Next Generation Operational Control System HMS Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit HUD Head up Display IAMD Integrated Air and

Glasgow Prognostic Score as a Prognostic Clinical Marker in T4 Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

PubMed

Ohira, Masaichi; Kubo, Naoshi; Masuda, Go; Yamashita, Yoshito; Sakurai, Katsunobu; Toyokawa, Takahiro; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Muguruma, Kazuya; Hirakawa, Kosei

2015-09-01

Patients with clinical T4 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) have an unfavorable prognosis, mainly indicated by the response to chemoradiotherapy (CRT), crucial to estimating long-term survival. Other prognostic measures include systemic inflammatory or immunonutritional indices such as the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) and Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) that have not been sufficiently documented. This study retrospectively evaluated 91 patients with T4 ESCC treated at our Hospital between 2000 and 2013. All patients initially received CRT, including 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and cisplatin or nedaplatin with concurrent 2-Gy/fraction radiation (total dose, 40-60 Gy). Curative tumor resection was undertaken in suitable patients on completing CRT. Patients were classified as GPS0, GPS1, or GPS2 based on C-reactive protein (CRP) ≤ 10 mg/l and albumin ≥ 35 g/l, CRP >10 mg/l or albumin <35 g/l, or CRP >10 mg/l and albumin <35 g/l, respectively. PNI was calculated as 10-times the serum albumin (g/dl)+0.005 × total lymphocyte count (/mm(3)). The impact of the pre-treatment GPS and PNI on the prognosis of patients with T4 ESCC was investigated in univariate and multivariate analyses. Sixty (67%) patients responded to CRT (9 complete responses and 51 partial responses). Forty-one (45%) patients also underwent surgical resection of the residual tumor. The overall 5-year survival rate and median survival time were 27.0% and 11.8 months, respectively. In the cohort of CRT-plus-surgical resection, the 5-year survival rate was significantly higher than in the groups treated with CRT-alone (51.1% vs. 6.5%; p < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, good response to CRT [hazard ratio (HR) =0.449, p<0.01], GPS1/2 (HR=2.151, p=0.015), and surgical resection (HR=0.282, p<0.01) were significant prognostic factors, whereas PNI was not. The GPS is a useful, simple survival marker for patients with T4 ESCC undergoing multimodal therapy. Copyright© 2015 International Institute of

Clinical value of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 as a prognostic marker in patients with digestive system cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Long; Zhu, Qin; Wang, Xiaowei; Wu, Jindao; Wang, Xuehao

2017-03-01

The role of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) has been implicated in the clinical prognosis of various kinds of digestive system cancers, but the results remain controversial. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to assess the potential role of Oct4 as a prognostic marker in digestive system tumors. Relevant articles were retrieved from Pubmed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library up to July 2016. The software Stata 12.0 was used to analyze the outcomes, including overall survival (OS), disease-free survival, recurrence-free survival, and clinicopathological characteristics. A total of 13 eligible studies with 1538 patients were included. Elevated Oct4 expression was significantly associated with poor OS (pooled hazard ratio [HR] = 2.183, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.824-2.612), disease-free survival (pooled HR = 1.973, 95% CI: 1.538-2.532), and recurrence-free survival (pooled HR = 2.209, 95% CI: 1.461-3.338) of digestive system malignancies. Subgroup analyses showed that cancer type, sample size, study quality, and laboratory detection method did not alter the significant prognostic value of Oct4. Additionally, Oct4 expression was found to be an independent predictive factor for OS (HR = 2.068, 95% CI: 1.633-2.619). No significant association was found between Oct4 and clinicopathological features of digestive system malignancies. This study provided evidence of Oct4 and/or its closely related homolog protein as a predictive factor for patients with digestive system cancers. More large-scale clinical studies on the prognostic value of Oct4 are warranted. © 2016 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Prognostic significance of Fas and Fas ligand system-associated apoptosis in gastric cancer.

PubMed

Ohno, S; Tachibana, M; Shibakita, M; Dhar, D K; Yoshimura, H; Kinugasa, S; Kubota, H; Masunaga, R; Nagasue, N

2000-12-01

Previous studies indicate that gastric carcinomas express Fas ligand and down-regulate Fas to escape from the host immune attack; however, the prognostic importance of Fas/FasL expression in this tumor is yet to be evaluated. Specimens from 87 gastric carcinoma patients of different stages treated in a defined period with curative intent were evaluated for apoptosis, Fas, FasL, and CD8 expression using an immunohistochemical method. The percentage of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive apoptotic cells expressed as apoptotic index (AI) was higher in 43 patients when the cut-off value was set at the median value. There were no significant correlations between AI and clinicopathologic parameters. Thirty-nine patients showed a high number of CD8+ cells within cancer nests. Positive FasL and Fas expression was seen in 53 and 72 patients, respectively. CD8 and FasL expressions were related only to patients' age. Fas expression had significant correlations with tumor invasion and Lauren classification. There were significant direct correlations between AI and number of nest CD8+ cells and between AI and grade of Fas expression. Apoptotic index, pT stage, CD8 expression, and Fas expression were identified as independent prognostic factors. Spontaneous apoptosis in gastric carcinoma may be an independent prognosticator for survival and is significantly influenced by tumor Fas expression and number of nest CD8 + cells.

Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Common Ground System (CGS) Block 3.0 Communications Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, S. W.; Grant, K. D.; Ottinger, K.

2015-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are jointly acquiring the next-generation civilian weather and environmental satellite system: the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). The JPSS program is the follow-on for both space and ground systems to the Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) managed by NOAA. The JPSS satellites will carry a suite of sensors designed to collect meteorological, oceanographic, climatological and geophysical observations of the Earth. The ground processing system for JPSS is known as the JPSS Common Ground System (JPSS CGS). Developed and maintained by Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS), the CGS is a globally distributed, multi-mission system serving NOAA, NASA and their national and international partners. The CGS has demonstrated its scalability and flexibility to incorporate multiple missions efficiently and with minimal cost, schedule and risk, while strengthening global partnerships in weather and environmental monitoring. In a highly successful international partnership between NOAA and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the CGS currently provides data routing from McMurdo Station in Antarctica to the EUMETSAT processing center in Darmstadt, Germany. Continuing and building upon that partnership, NOAA and EUMETSAT are collaborating on the development of a new path forward for the 2020's. One approach being explored is a concept of operations where each organization shares satellite downlink resources with the other. This paper will describe that approach, as well as modeling results that demonstrate its feasibility and expected performance.

Determination of Parachute Joint Factors using Seam and Joint Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mollmann, Catherine

2015-01-01

This paper details the methodology for determining the joint factor for all parachute components. This method has been successfully implemented on the Capsule Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) for the NASA Orion crew module for use in determining the margin of safety for each component under peak loads. Also discussed are concepts behind the joint factor and what drives the loss of material strength at joints. The joint factor is defined as a "loss in joint strength...relative to the basic material strength" that occurs when "textiles are connected to each other or to metals." During the CPAS engineering development phase, a conservative joint factor of 0.80 was assumed for each parachute component. In order to refine this factor and eliminate excess conservatism, a seam and joint testing program was implemented as part of the structural validation. This method split each of the parachute structural joints into discrete tensile tests designed to duplicate the loading of each joint. Breaking strength data collected from destructive pull testing was then used to calculate the joint factor in the form of an efficiency. Joint efficiency is the percentage of the base material strength that remains after degradation due to sewing or interaction with other components; it is used interchangeably with joint factor in this paper. Parachute materials vary in type-mainly cord, tape, webbing, and cloth -which require different test fixtures and joint sample construction methods. This paper defines guidelines for designing and testing samples based on materials and test goals. Using the test methodology and analysis approach detailed in this paper, the minimum joint factor for each parachute component can be formulated. The joint factors can then be used to calculate the design factor and margin of safety for that component, a critical part of the design verification process.

Metastatic volume: an old oncologic concept and a new prognostic factor for stage IV melanoma patients.

PubMed

Panasiti, V; Curzio, M; Roberti, V; Lieto, P; Devirgiliis, V; Gobbi, S; Naspi, A; Coppola, R; Lopez, T; di Meo, N; Gatti, A; Trevisan, G; Londei, P; Calvieri, S

2013-01-01

The last melanoma staging system of the 2009 American Joint Committee on Cancer takes into account, for stage IV disease, the serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the site of distant metastases. Our aim was to compare the significance of metastatic volume, as evaluated at the time of stage IV melanoma diagnosis, with other clinical predictors of prognosis. We conducted a retrospective multicentric study. To establish which variables were statistically correlated both with death and survival time, contingency tables were evaluated. The overall survival curves were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. Metastatic volume and number of affected organs were statistically related to death. In detail, patients with a metastatic volume >15 cm(3) had a worse prognosis than those with a volume lower than this value (survival probability at 60 months: 6.8 vs. 40.9%, respectively). The Kaplan-Meier method confirmed that survival time was significantly related to the site(s) of metastases, to elevated LDH serum levels and to melanoma stage according to the latest system. Our results suggest that metastatic volume may be considered as a useful prognostic factor for survival among melanoma patients.

High Temperature Stability of Dissimilar Metal Joints in Fission Surface Power Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Locci, Ivan E.; Nesbitt, James A.; Ritzert, Frank J.; Bowman, Cheryl L.

2007-01-01

Future generations of power systems for spacecraft and lunar surface systems will likely require a strong dependence on nuclear power. The design of a space nuclear power plant involves integrating together major subsystems with varying materia1 requirements. Refractory alloys are repeatedly considered for major structural components in space power reactor designs because refractory alloys retain their strength at higher temperatures than other classes of metals. The relatively higher mass and lower ductility of the refractory alloys make them less attractive for lower temperature subsystems in the power plant such as the power conversion system. The power conversion system would consist more likely of intermediate temperature Ni-based superalloys. One of many unanswered questions about the use of refractory alloys in a space power plant is how to transition from the use of the structural refractory alloy to more traditional structural alloys. Because deleterious phases can form when complex alloys are joined and operated at elevated temperatures, dissimilar material diffusion analyses of refractory alloys and superalloys are needed to inform designers about options of joint temperature and operational lifetime. Combinations of four superalloys and six refractory alloys were bonded and annealed at 1150 K and 1300 K to examine diffusional interactions in this study. Joints formed through hot pressing and hot isostatic pressing were compared. Results on newer alloys compared favorably to historical data. Diffusional stability is promising for some combinations of Mo-Re alloys and superalloys at 1150 K, but it appears that lower joint temperatures would be required for other refractory alloy couples.

Prognosis Research Strategy (PROGRESS) 2: prognostic factor research.

PubMed

Riley, Richard D; Hayden, Jill A; Steyerberg, Ewout W; Moons, Karel G M; Abrams, Keith; Kyzas, Panayiotis A; Malats, Núria; Briggs, Andrew; Schroter, Sara; Altman, Douglas G; Hemingway, Harry

2013-01-01

Prognostic factor research aims to identify factors associated with subsequent clinical outcome in people with a particular disease or health condition. In this article, the second in the PROGRESS series, the authors discuss the role of prognostic factors in current clinical practice, randomised trials, and developing new interventions, and explain why and how prognostic factor research should be improved.

A joint encryption/watermarking system for verifying the reliability of medical images.

PubMed

Bouslimi, Dalel; Coatrieux, Gouenou; Cozic, Michel; Roux, Christian

2012-09-01

In this paper, we propose a joint encryption/water-marking system for the purpose of protecting medical images. This system is based on an approach which combines a substitutive watermarking algorithm, the quantization index modulation, with an encryption algorithm: a stream cipher algorithm (e.g., the RC4) or a block cipher algorithm (e.g., the AES in cipher block chaining (CBC) mode of operation). Our objective is to give access to the outcomes of the image integrity and of its origin even though the image is stored encrypted. If watermarking and encryption are conducted jointly at the protection stage, watermark extraction and decryption can be applied independently. The security analysis of our scheme and experimental results achieved on 8-bit depth ultrasound images as well as on 16-bit encoded positron emission tomography images demonstrate the capability of our system to securely make available security attributes in both spatial and encrypted domains while minimizing image distortion. Furthermore, by making use of the AES block cipher in CBC mode, the proposed system is compliant with or transparent to the DICOM standard.

Prognostic Disclosures to Children: A Historical Perspective.

PubMed

Sisk, Bryan A; Bluebond-Langner, Myra; Wiener, Lori; Mack, Jennifer; Wolfe, Joanne

2016-09-01

Prognostic disclosure to children has perpetually challenged clinicians and parents. In this article, we review the historical literature on prognostic disclosure to children in the United States using cancer as an illness model. Before 1948, there was virtually no literature focused on prognostic disclosure to children. As articles began to be published in the 1950s and 1960s, many clinicians and researchers initially recommended a "protective" approach to disclosure, where children were shielded from the harms of bad news. We identified 4 main arguments in the literature at this time supporting this "protective" approach. By the late 1960s, however, a growing number of clinicians and researchers were recommending a more "open" approach, where children were included in discussions of diagnosis, which at the time was often synonymous with a terminal prognosis. Four different arguments in the literature were used at this time supporting this "open" approach. Then, by the late 1980s, the recommended approach to prognostic disclosure in pediatrics shifted largely from "never tell" to "always tell." In recent years, however, there has been a growing appreciation for the complexity of prognostic disclosure in pediatrics. Current understanding of pediatric disclosure does not lead to simple "black-and-white" recommendations for disclosure practices. As with most difficult questions, we are left to balance competing factors on a case-by-case basis. We highlight 4 categories of current considerations related to prognostic disclosure in pediatrics, and we offer several approaches to prognostic disclosure for clinicians who care for these young patients and their families. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Conceptualizing prognostic awareness in advanced cancer: a systematic review.

PubMed

Applebaum, Allison J; Kolva, Elissa A; Kulikowski, Julia R; Jacobs, Jordana D; DeRosa, Antonio; Lichtenthal, Wendy G; Olden, Megan E; Rosenfeld, Barry; Breitbart, William

2014-09-01

This systematic review synthesizes the complex literature on prognostic awareness in cancer. A total of 37 studies examining cancer patients' understanding of their prognosis were included. Prognostic awareness definitions and assessment methods were inconsistent across studies. A surprisingly high percentage of patients (up to 75%) were unaware of their poor prognosis, and in several studies, even their cancer diagnosis (up to 96%), particularly in studies conducted outside of North America. This review highlights surprisingly low rates of prognostic awareness in patients with advanced cancer as well as discrepancies in prognostic awareness assessment, suggesting the need for empirically validated measures of prognostic awareness. © The Author(s) 2013.

Conceptualizing prognostic awareness in advanced cancer: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Applebaum, Allison J; Kolva, Elissa A; Kulikowski, Julia R; Jacobs, Jordana D; DeRosa, Antonio; Lichtenthal, Wendy G; Olden, Megan E; Rosenfeld, Barry; Breitbart, William

2015-01-01

This systematic review synthesizes the complex literature on prognostic awareness in cancer. A total of 37 studies examining cancer patients’ understanding of their prognosis were included. Prognostic awareness definitions and assessment methods were inconsistent across studies. A surprisingly high percentage of patients (up to 75%) were unaware of their poor prognosis, and in several studies, even their cancer diagnosis (up to 96%), particularly in studies conducted outside of North America. This review highlights surprisingly low rates of prognostic awareness in patients with advanced cancer as well as discrepancies in prognostic awareness assessment, suggesting the need for empirically validated measures of prognostic awareness. PMID:24157936

Cost-Effective Mobile-Based Healthcare System for Managing Total Joint Arthroplasty Follow-Up.

PubMed

Bitsaki, Marina; Koutras, George; Heep, Hansjoerg; Koutras, Christos

2017-01-01

Long-term follow-up care after total joint arthroplasty is essential to evaluate hip and knee arthroplasty outcomes, to provide information to physicians and improve arthroplasty performance, and to improve patients' health condition. In this paper, we aim to improve the communication between arthroplasty patients and physicians and to reduce the cost of follow-up controls based on mobile application technologies and cloud computing. We propose a mobile-based healthcare system that provides cost-effective follow-up controls for primary arthroplasty patients through questions about symptoms in the replaced joint, questionnaires (WOMAC and SF-36v2) and the radiological examination of knee or hip joint. We also perform a cost analysis for a set of 423 patients that were treated in the University Clinic for Orthopedics in Essen-Werden. The estimation of healthcare costs shows significant cost savings (a reduction of 63.67% for readmission rate 5%) in both the University Clinic for Orthopedics in Essen-Werden and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia when the mobile-based healthcare system is applied. We propose a mHealth system to reduce the cost of follow-up assessments of arthroplasty patients through evaluation of diagnosis, self-monitoring, and regular review of their health status.

Towards an Analytical Framework for Understanding the Development of a Quality Assurance System in an International Joint Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Gaoming; Cai, Yuzhuo; Ma, Shaozhuang

2017-01-01

This paper intends to construct an analytical framework for understanding quality assurance in international joint programmes and to test it in a case analysis of a European--Chinese joint doctoral degree programme. The development of a quality assurance system for an international joint programme is understood as an institutionalization process…

Uncertainty Management for Diagnostics and Prognostics of Batteries using Bayesian Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saha, Bhaskar; Goebel, kai

2007-01-01

Uncertainty management has always been the key hurdle faced by diagnostics and prognostics algorithms. A Bayesian treatment of this problem provides an elegant and theoretically sound approach to the modern Condition- Based Maintenance (CBM)/Prognostic Health Management (PHM) paradigm. The application of the Bayesian techniques to regression and classification in the form of Relevance Vector Machine (RVM), and to state estimation as in Particle Filters (PF), provides a powerful tool to integrate the diagnosis and prognosis of battery health. The RVM, which is a Bayesian treatment of the Support Vector Machine (SVM), is used for model identification, while the PF framework uses the learnt model, statistical estimates of noise and anticipated operational conditions to provide estimates of remaining useful life (RUL) in the form of a probability density function (PDF). This type of prognostics generates a significant value addition to the management of any operation involving electrical systems.

Characterization and prognostic implication of 17 chromosome abnormalities in myelodysplastic syndrome.

PubMed

Sánchez-Castro, Judit; Marco-Betés, Víctor; Gómez-Arbonés, Xavier; Arenillas, Leonor; Valcarcel, David; Vallespí, Teresa; Costa, Dolors; Nomdedeu, Benet; Jimenez, María José; Granada, Isabel; Grau, Javier; Ardanaz, María T; de la Serna, Javier; Carbonell, Félix; Cervera, José; Sierra, Adriana; Luño, Elisa; Cervero, Carlos J; Falantes, José; Calasanz, María J; González-Porrás, José R; Bailén, Alicia; Amigo, M Luz; Sanz, Guillermo; Solé, Francesc

2013-07-01

The prognosis of chromosome 17 (chr17) abnormalities in patients with primary myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) remains unclear. The revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) includes these abnormalities within the intermediate cytogenetic risk group. This study assessed the impact on overall survival (OS) and risk of acute myeloid leukemia transformation (AMLt) of chr17 abnormalities in 88 patients with primary MDS. We have compared this group with 1346 patients with primary MDS and abnormal karyotype without chr17 involved. The alterations of chr17 should be considered within group of poor prognosis. The different types of alterations of chromosome 17 behave different prognosis. The study confirms the intermediate prognostic impact of the i(17q), as stated in IPSS-R. The results of the study, however, provide valuable new information on the prognostic impact of alterations of chromosome 17 in complex karyotypes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cytogenetic Prognostication Within Medulloblastoma Subgroups

PubMed Central

Shih, David J.H.; Northcott, Paul A.; Remke, Marc; Korshunov, Andrey; Ramaswamy, Vijay; Kool, Marcel; Luu, Betty; Yao, Yuan; Wang, Xin; Dubuc, Adrian M.; Garzia, Livia; Peacock, John; Mack, Stephen C.; Wu, Xiaochong; Rolider, Adi; Morrissy, A. Sorana; Cavalli, Florence M.G.; Jones, David T.W.; Zitterbart, Karel; Faria, Claudia C.; Schüller, Ulrich; Kren, Leos; Kumabe, Toshihiro; Tominaga, Teiji; Shin Ra, Young; Garami, Miklós; Hauser, Peter; Chan, Jennifer A.; Robinson, Shenandoah; Bognár, László; Klekner, Almos; Saad, Ali G.; Liau, Linda M.; Albrecht, Steffen; Fontebasso, Adam; Cinalli, Giuseppe; De Antonellis, Pasqualino; Zollo, Massimo; Cooper, Michael K.; Thompson, Reid C.; Bailey, Simon; Lindsey, Janet C.; Di Rocco, Concezio; Massimi, Luca; Michiels, Erna M.C.; Scherer, Stephen W.; Phillips, Joanna J.; Gupta, Nalin; Fan, Xing; Muraszko, Karin M.; Vibhakar, Rajeev; Eberhart, Charles G.; Fouladi, Maryam; Lach, Boleslaw; Jung, Shin; Wechsler-Reya, Robert J.; Fèvre-Montange, Michelle; Jouvet, Anne; Jabado, Nada; Pollack, Ian F.; Weiss, William A.; Lee, Ji-Yeoun; Cho, Byung-Kyu; Kim, Seung-Ki; Wang, Kyu-Chang; Leonard, Jeffrey R.; Rubin, Joshua B.; de Torres, Carmen; Lavarino, Cinzia; Mora, Jaume; Cho, Yoon-Jae; Tabori, Uri; Olson, James M.; Gajjar, Amar; Packer, Roger J.; Rutkowski, Stefan; Pomeroy, Scott L.; French, Pim J.; Kloosterhof, Nanne K.; Kros, Johan M.; Van Meir, Erwin G.; Clifford, Steven C.; Bourdeaut, Franck; Delattre, Olivier; Doz, François F.; Hawkins, Cynthia E.; Malkin, David; Grajkowska, Wieslawa A.; Perek-Polnik, Marta; Bouffet, Eric; Rutka, James T.; Pfister, Stefan M.; Taylor, Michael D.

2014-01-01

Purpose Medulloblastoma comprises four distinct molecular subgroups: WNT, SHH, Group 3, and Group 4. Current medulloblastoma protocols stratify patients based on clinical features: patient age, metastatic stage, extent of resection, and histologic variant. Stark prognostic and genetic differences among the four subgroups suggest that subgroup-specific molecular biomarkers could improve patient prognostication. Patients and Methods Molecular biomarkers were identified from a discovery set of 673 medulloblastomas from 43 cities around the world. Combined risk stratification models were designed based on clinical and cytogenetic biomarkers identified by multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses. Identified biomarkers were tested using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) on a nonoverlapping medulloblastoma tissue microarray (n = 453), with subsequent validation of the risk stratification models. Results Subgroup information improves the predictive accuracy of a multivariable survival model compared with clinical biomarkers alone. Most previously published cytogenetic biomarkers are only prognostic within a single medulloblastoma subgroup. Profiling six FISH biomarkers (GLI2, MYC, chromosome 11 [chr11], chr14, 17p, and 17q) on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, we can reliably and reproducibly identify very low-risk and very high-risk patients within SHH, Group 3, and Group 4 medulloblastomas. Conclusion Combining subgroup and cytogenetic biomarkers with established clinical biomarkers substantially improves patient prognostication, even in the context of heterogeneous clinical therapies. The prognostic significance of most molecular biomarkers is restricted to a specific subgroup. We have identified a small panel of cytogenetic biomarkers that reliably identifies very high-risk and very low-risk groups of patients, making it an excellent tool for selecting patients for therapy intensification and therapy de-escalation in future clinical trials. PMID

Incremental prognostic value of coronary and systemic atherosclerosis after myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Calais, Fredrik; Eriksson Östman, Maja; Hedberg, Pär; Rosenblad, Andreas; Leppert, Jerzy; Fröbert, Ole

2018-06-15

The role of systemic atherosclerosis in myocardial infarction (MI) patients is not fully understood. We investigated the incremental prognostic value of coronary and systemic atherosclerosis after acute MI by estimating extra-cardiac artery disease (ECAD) and extent of coronary atherosclerosis. The study included 544 prospective MI patients undergoing coronary angiography. For all patients, the longitudinal coronary atherosclerotic extent, expressed as Sullivan extent score (SES) was calculated. In addition, the patients underwent non-invasive screening for ECAD in the carotid, aortic, renal and lower limb. SES was found to be associated with ECAD independent of baseline clinical parameters [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.04 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.06, P < 0.001]. Extensive systemic atherosclerosis, defined as the combination of extensive coronary disease (SES ≥ 17) and ECAD, was associated with higher risk for all-cause mortality compared to limited systemic atherosclerosis (SES < 17 and no ECAD) (hazard ratio [HR] 2.9 95% CI 1.9-4.5, P < 0.001, adjusted for Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk score parameters 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.0, P = 0.019). The risk for the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospitalization was significantly higher in patients with extensive systemic atherosclerosis compared to patients with limited systemic atherosclerosis (HR 3.1, 95% CI 2.1-4.7, P < 0.001, adjusted HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2-3.1, P < 0.004). Visual estimation of the longitudinal coronary atherosclerotic extent at the time of MI predicts ECAD. Coexistence of extensive coronary disease and ECAD defines a group with particularly poor prognosis after MI. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stage Separation Failure: Model Based Diagnostics and Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luchinsky, Dmitry; Hafiychuk, Vasyl; Kulikov, Igor; Smelyanskiy, Vadim; Patterson-Hine, Ann; Hanson, John; Hill, Ashley

2010-01-01

Safety of the next-generation space flight vehicles requires development of an in-flight Failure Detection and Prognostic (FD&P) system. Development of such system is challenging task that involves analysis of many hard hitting engineering problems across the board. In this paper we report progress in the development of FD&P for the re-contact fault between upper stage nozzle and the inter-stage caused by the first stage and upper stage separation failure. A high-fidelity models and analytical estimations are applied to analyze the following sequence of events: (i) structural dynamics of the nozzle extension during the impact; (ii) structural stability of the deformed nozzle in the presence of the pressure and temperature loads induced by the hot gas flow during engine start up; and (iii) the fault induced thrust changes in the steady burning regime. The diagnostic is based on the measurements of the impact torque. The prognostic is based on the analysis of the correlation between the actuator signal and fault-induced changes in the nozzle structural stability and thrust.

Development and Applications of a Self-Contained, Non-Invasive EVA Joint Angle and Muscle Fatigue Sensor System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranniger, C. U.; Sorenson, E. A.; Akin, D. L.

1995-01-01

The University of Maryland Space Systems Laboratory, as a participant in NASA's INSTEP program, is developing a non-invasive, self-contained sensor system which can provide quantitative measurements of joint angles and muscle fatigue in the hand and forearm. The goal of this project is to develop a system with which hand/forearm motion and fatigue metrics can be determined in various terrestrial and zero-G work environments. A preliminary study of the prototype sensor systems and data reduction techniques for the fatigue measurement system are presented. The sensor systems evaluated include fiberoptics, used to measure joint angle, surface electrodes, which measure the electrical signals created in muscle as it contracts; microphones, which measure the noise made by contracting muscle; and accelerometers, which measure the lateral muscle acceleration during contraction. The prototype sensor systems were used to monitor joint motion of the metacarpophalangeal joint and muscle fatigue in flexor digitorum superficialis and flexor carpi ulnaris in subjects performing gripping tasks. Subjects were asked to sustain a 60-second constant-contraction (isometric) exercise and subsequently to perform a repetitive handgripping task to failure. Comparison of the electrical and mechanical signals of the muscles during the different tasks will be used to evaluate the applicability of muscle signal measurement techniques developed for isometric contraction tasks to fatigue prediction in quasi-dynamic exercises. Potential data reduction schemes are presented.

Machine health prognostics using the Bayesian-inference-based probabilistic indication and high-order particle filtering framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Jianbo

2015-12-01

Prognostics is much efficient to achieve zero-downtime performance, maximum productivity and proactive maintenance of machines. Prognostics intends to assess and predict the time evolution of machine health degradation so that machine failures can be predicted and prevented. A novel prognostics system is developed based on the data-model-fusion scheme using the Bayesian inference-based self-organizing map (SOM) and an integration of logistic regression (LR) and high-order particle filtering (HOPF). In this prognostics system, a baseline SOM is constructed to model the data distribution space of healthy machine under an assumption that predictable fault patterns are not available. Bayesian inference-based probability (BIP) derived from the baseline SOM is developed as a quantification indication of machine health degradation. BIP is capable of offering failure probability for the monitored machine, which has intuitionist explanation related to health degradation state. Based on those historic BIPs, the constructed LR and its modeling noise constitute a high-order Markov process (HOMP) to describe machine health propagation. HOPF is used to solve the HOMP estimation to predict the evolution of the machine health in the form of a probability density function (PDF). An on-line model update scheme is developed to adapt the Markov process changes to machine health dynamics quickly. The experimental results on a bearing test-bed illustrate the potential applications of the proposed system as an effective and simple tool for machine health prognostics.

Assessment of the Accounting and Joint Accounting/Computer Information Systems Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appiah, John; Cernigliaro, James; Davis, Jeffrey; Gordon, Millicent; Richards, Yves; Santamaria, Fernando; Siegel, Annette; Lytle, Namy; Wharton, Patrick

This document presents City University of New York LaGuardia Community College's Department of Accounting and Managerial Studies assessment of its accounting and joint accounting/computer information systems programs report, and includes the following items: (1) description of the mission and goals of the Department of Accounting and Managerial…

The International Scoring System (ISS) for multiple myeloma remains a robust prognostic tool independently of patients' renal function.

PubMed

Dimopoulos, M A; Kastritis, E; Michalis, E; Tsatalas, C; Michael, M; Pouli, A; Kartasis, Z; Delimpasi, S; Gika, D; Zomas, A; Roussou, M; Konstantopoulos, K; Parcharidou, A; Zervas, K; Terpos, E

2012-03-01

The International Staging System (ISS) is the most widely used staging system for patients with multiple myeloma (MM). However, serum β2-microglobulin increases in renal impairment (RI) and there have been concerns that ISS-3 stage may include 'up-staged' MM patients in whom elevated β2-microglobulin reflects the degree of renal dysfunction rather than tumor load. In order to assess the impact of RI on the prognostic value of ISS, we analyzed 1516 patients with symptomatic MM and the degree of RI was classified according to the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative-Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) criteria. Forty-eight percent patients had stages 3-5 CKD while 29% of patients had ISS-1, 38% had ISS-2 and 33% ISS-3. The frequency and severity of RI were more common in ISS-3 patients. RI was associated with inferior survival in univariate but not in multivariate analysis. When analyzed separately, ISS-1 and ISS-2 patients with RI had inferior survival in univariate but not in multivariate analysis. In ISS-3 MM patients, RI had no prognostic impact either in univariate or multivariate analysis. Results were similar, when we analyzed only patients with Bence-Jones >200 mg/day. ISS remains unaffected by the degree of RI, even in patients with ISS-3, which includes most patients with renal dysfunction.

Beyond the Joint: The Role of Central Nervous System Reorganizations in Chronic Musculoskeletal Disorders.

PubMed

Roy, Jean-Sébastien; Bouyer, Laurent J; Langevin, Pierre; Mercier, Catherine

2017-11-01

To a large extent, management of musculoskeletal disorders has traditionally focused on structural dysfunctions found within the musculoskeletal system, mainly around the affected joint. While a structural-dysfunction approach may be effective for musculoskeletal conditions in some populations, especially in acute presentations, its effectiveness remains limited in patients with recurrent or chronic musculoskeletal pain. Numerous studies have shown that the human central nervous system can undergo plastic reorganizations following musculoskeletal disorders; however, they can be maladaptive and contribute to altered joint control and chronic pain. In this Viewpoint, the authors argue that to improve rehabilitation outcomes in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, a global view of the disorder that incorporates both central (neural) and peripheral (joint-level) changes is needed. The authors also discuss the challenge of evaluating and rehabilitating central changes and the need for large, high-level studies to evaluate approaches incorporating central and peripheral changes and emerging therapies. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(11):817-821. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.0608.

75 FR 6250 - ITS Joint Program Office; Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Advisory Committee; Notice...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-08

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ITS Joint Program Office; Intelligent Transportation Systems Program... the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Program Advisory Committee (ITSPAC). The Web conference... Transportation on all matters relating to the study, development, and implementation of intelligent...

Shaping future Naval warfare with unmanned systems, the impact across the fleet, and joint considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, E. C.; Johnson, Gordon; Summey, Delbert C.; Portmann, Helmut H., Jr.

2004-09-01

This paper discusses a comprehensive vision for unmanned systems that will shape the future of Naval Warfare within a larger Joint Force concept, and examines the broad impact that can be anticipated across the Fleet. The vision has been articulated from a Naval perspective in NAVSEA technical report CSS/TR-01/09, Shaping the Future of Naval Warfare with Unmanned Systems, and from a Joint perspective in USJFCOM Rapid Assessment Process (RAP) Report #03-10 (Unmanned Effects (UFX): Taking the Human Out of the Loop). Here, the authors build on this foundation by reviewing the major findings and laying out the roadmap for achieving the vision and truly transforming how we fight wars. The focus is on broad impact across the Fleet - but the implications reach across all Joint forces. The term "Unmanned System" means different things to different people. Most think of vehicles that are remotely teleoperated that perform tasks under remote human control. Actually, unmanned systems are stand-alone systems that can execute missions and tasks without direct physical manned presence under varying levels of human control - from teleoperation to full autonomy. It is important to note that an unmanned system comprises a lot more than just a vehicle - it includes payloads, command and control, and communications and information processing.

Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Common Ground System (CGS) Overview and Architectural Tenets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, S. W.; Grant, K. D.; Jamilkowski, M. L.

2013-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are jointly acquiring the next-generation civilian weather and environmental satellite system: the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). The Joint Polar Satellite System will replace the afternoon orbit component and ground processing system of the current Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) managed by NOAA. The JPSS satellites will carry a suite of sensors designed to collect meteorological, oceanographic, climatological and geophysical observations of the Earth. The ground processing system for JPSS is known as the JPSS Common Ground System (JPSS CGS). Developed and maintained by Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems (IIS), the CGS is a multi-mission enterprise system serving NOAA, NASA and their national and international partners. The CGS provides a wide range of support to a number of missions: 1) Command and control and mission management for the Suomi National Polar Partnership (S-NPP) mission today, expanding this support to the JPSS-1 satellite and the Polar Free Flyer mission in 2017 2) Data acquisition via a Polar Receptor Network (PRN) for S-NPP, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Global Change Observation Mission - Water (GCOM-W1), POES, and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and Coriolis/WindSat for the Department of Defense (DoD) 3) Data routing over a global fiber Wide Area Network (WAN) for S-NPP, JPSS-1, Polar Free Flyer, GCOM-W1, POES, DMSP, Coriolis/WindSat, the NASA Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN, which includes several Earth Observing System [EOS] missions), MetOp for the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) 4) Environmental data processing and distribution for S-NPP, GCOM-W1 and JPSS-1 The CGS architecture will receive a technology refresh in 2015 to satisfy several key

A clamping force measurement system for monitoring the condition of bolted joints on railway track joints and points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesfa, B.; Horler, G.; Thobiani, F. Al; Gu, F.; Ball, A. D.

2012-05-01

Many industrial structures associated with railway infrastructures rely on a large number of bolted joint connections to ensure safe and reliable operation of the track and trackside furniture. Significant sums of money are spent annually to repair the damage caused by bolt failures and to maintain the integrity of bolted structures. In the UK, Network Rail (the organization responsible for rail network maintenance and safety) conducts corrective and preventive maintenance manually on 26,000 sets of points (each having approximately 30 bolted joints per set), in order to ensure operational success and safety for the travelling public. Such manual maintenance is costly, disruptive, unreliable and prone to human error. The aim of this work is to provide a means of automatically measuring the clamping force of each individual bolted joint, by means of an instrumented washer. This paper describes the development of a sensor means to be used in the washer, which satisfies the following criteria. Sense changes in the clamping force of the joint and report this fact. Provide compatibility with the large dynamic range of clamping force. Satisfy the limitations in terms of physical size. Provide the means to electronically interface with the washer. Provide a means of powering the washer in situ. Provide a solution at an acceptable cost. Specifically the paper focuses on requirements 1, 2 and 3 and presents the results that support further development of the proposed design and the realization of a pre-prototype system. In the paper, various options for the force sensing element (strain gage, capacitor, piezo-resistive) have been compared, using design optimization techniques. As a result of the evaluation, piezo-resistive sensors in concert with a proprietary force attenuation method, have been found to offer the best performance and cost trade-off The performance of the novel clamping force sensor has been evaluated experimentally and the results show that a smart washer

A consensus prognostic gene expression classifier for ER positive breast cancer

PubMed Central

Teschendorff, Andrew E; Naderi, Ali; Barbosa-Morais, Nuno L; Pinder, Sarah E; Ellis, Ian O; Aparicio, Sam; Brenton, James D; Caldas, Carlos

2006-01-01

Background A consensus prognostic gene expression classifier is still elusive in heterogeneous diseases such as breast cancer. Results Here we perform a combined analysis of three major breast cancer microarray data sets to hone in on a universally valid prognostic molecular classifier in estrogen receptor (ER) positive tumors. Using a recently developed robust measure of prognostic separation, we further validate the prognostic classifier in three external independent cohorts, confirming the validity of our molecular classifier in a total of 877 ER positive samples. Furthermore, we find that molecular classifiers may not outperform classical prognostic indices but that they can be used in hybrid molecular-pathological classification schemes to improve prognostic separation. Conclusion The prognostic molecular classifier presented here is the first to be valid in over 877 ER positive breast cancer samples and across three different microarray platforms. Larger multi-institutional studies will be needed to fully determine the added prognostic value of molecular classifiers when combined with standard prognostic factors. PMID:17076897

Advancing Measurement Science to Assess Monitoring, Diagnostics, and Prognostics for Manufacturing Robotics

PubMed Central

Qiao, Guixiu; Weiss, Brian A.

2016-01-01

Unexpected equipment downtime is a ‘pain point’ for manufacturers, especially in that this event usually translates to financial losses. To minimize this pain point, manufacturers are developing new health monitoring, diagnostic, prognostic, and maintenance (collectively known as prognostics and health management (PHM)) techniques to advance the state-of-the-art in their maintenance strategies. The manufacturing community has a wide-range of needs with respect to the advancement and integration of PHM technologies to enhance manufacturing robotic system capabilities. Numerous researchers, including personnel from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have identified a broad landscape of barriers and challenges to advancing PHM technologies. One such challenge is the verification and validation of PHM technology through the development of performance metrics, test methods, reference datasets, and supporting tools. Besides documenting and presenting the research landscape, NIST personnel are actively researching PHM for robotics to promote the development of innovative sensing technology and prognostic decision algorithms and to produce a positional accuracy test method that emphasizes the identification of static and dynamic positional accuracy. The test method development will provide manufacturers with a methodology that will allow them to quickly assess the positional health of their robot systems along with supporting the verification and validation of PHM techniques for the robot system. PMID:28058172

Advancing Measurement Science to Assess Monitoring, Diagnostics, and Prognostics for Manufacturing Robotics.

PubMed

Qiao, Guixiu; Weiss, Brian A

2016-01-01

Unexpected equipment downtime is a 'pain point' for manufacturers, especially in that this event usually translates to financial losses. To minimize this pain point, manufacturers are developing new health monitoring, diagnostic, prognostic, and maintenance (collectively known as prognostics and health management (PHM)) techniques to advance the state-of-the-art in their maintenance strategies. The manufacturing community has a wide-range of needs with respect to the advancement and integration of PHM technologies to enhance manufacturing robotic system capabilities. Numerous researchers, including personnel from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have identified a broad landscape of barriers and challenges to advancing PHM technologies. One such challenge is the verification and validation of PHM technology through the development of performance metrics, test methods, reference datasets, and supporting tools. Besides documenting and presenting the research landscape, NIST personnel are actively researching PHM for robotics to promote the development of innovative sensing technology and prognostic decision algorithms and to produce a positional accuracy test method that emphasizes the identification of static and dynamic positional accuracy. The test method development will provide manufacturers with a methodology that will allow them to quickly assess the positional health of their robot systems along with supporting the verification and validation of PHM techniques for the robot system.

Reduced-rank technique for joint channel estimation in TD-SCDMA systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamil Marzook, Ali; Ismail, Alyani; Mohd Ali, Borhanuddin; Sali, Adawati; Khatun, Sabira

2013-02-01

In time division-synchronous code division multiple access systems, increasing the system capacity by exploiting the inserting of the largest number of users in one time slot (TS) requires adding more estimation processes to estimate the joint channel matrix for the whole system. The increase in the number of channel parameters due the increase in the number of users in one TS directly affects the precision of the estimator's performance. This article presents a novel channel estimation with low complexity, which relies on reducing the rank order of the total channel matrix H. The proposed method exploits the rank deficiency of H to reduce the number of parameters that characterise this matrix. The adopted reduced-rank technique is based on truncated singular value decomposition algorithm. The algorithms for reduced-rank joint channel estimation (JCE) are derived and compared against traditional full-rank JCEs: least squares (LS) or Steiner and enhanced (LS or MMSE) algorithms. Simulation results of the normalised mean square error showed the superiority of reduced-rank estimators. In addition, the channel impulse responses founded by reduced-rank estimator for all active users offers considerable performance improvement over the conventional estimator along the channel window length.

Incorporating prognostic imaging biomarkers into clinical practice

PubMed Central

Miles, Kenneth A.

2013-01-01

Abstract A prognostic imaging biomarker can be defined as an imaging characteristic that is objectively measurable and provides information on the likely outcome of the cancer disease in an untreated individual and should be distinguished from predictive imaging biomarkers and imaging markers of response. A range of tumour characteristics of potential prognostic value can be measured using a variety imaging modalities. However, none has currently been adopted into routine clinical practice. This article considers key examples of emerging prognostic imaging biomarkers and proposes an evaluation framework that aims to demonstrate clinical efficacy and so support their introduction into the clinical arena. With appropriate validation within an established evaluation framework, prognostic imaging biomarkers have the potential to contribute to individualized cancer care, in some cases reducing the financial burden of expensive cancer treatments by facilitating their more rational use. PMID:24060808

An Integrated Approach for Gear Health Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

He, David; Bechhoefer, Eric; Dempsey, Paula; Ma, Jinghua

2012-01-01

In this paper, an integrated approach for gear health prognostics using particle filters is presented. The presented method effectively addresses the issues in applying particle filters to gear health prognostics by integrating several new components into a particle filter: (1) data mining based techniques to effectively define the degradation state transition and measurement functions using a one-dimensional health index obtained by whitening transform; (2) an unbiased l-step ahead RUL estimator updated with measurement errors. The feasibility of the presented prognostics method is validated using data from a spiral bevel gear case study.

A Model for a Single Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program Office Managing Joint ISR Capabilities

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

reduction in manning from the multiple program office structure to the new single program management model. Additional information regarding this...OFFICE MANAGING JOINT ISR CAPABILITIES by Angela E. Burris A Research Report Submitted to the Faculty In Partial Fulfillment of...research paper is to answer how a single management office could provide greater agility for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS); supporting Joint concepts

Towards Prognostics of Electrolytic Capacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Celaya, Jose R.; Kulkarni, Chetan; Biswas, Gautam; Goegel, Kai

2011-01-01

A remaining useful life prediction algorithm and degradation model for electrolytic capacitors is presented. Electrolytic capacitors are used in several applications ranging from power supplies on critical avionics equipment to power drivers for electro-mechanical actuators. These devices are known for their low reliability and given their criticality in electronics subsystems they are a good candidate for component level prognostics and health management research. Prognostics provides a way to assess remaining useful life of a capacitor based on its current state of health and its anticipated future usage and operational conditions. In particular, experimental results of an accelerated aging test under electrical stresses are presented. The capacitors used in this test form the basis for a remaining life prediction algorithm where a model of the degradation process is suggested. This preliminary remaining life prediction algorithm serves as a demonstration of how prognostics methodologies could be used for electrolytic capacitors.

Prognostic factors in prostate cancer.

PubMed

Braeckman, Johan; Michielsen, Dirk

2007-01-01

In the nineteenth century the main goal of medicine was predictive: diagnose the disease and achieve a satisfying prognosis of the patient's chances. Today the effort has shifted to cure the disease. Since the twentieth century, the word prognosis has also been used in nonmedical contexts, for example in corporate finance or elections. The most accurate form of prognosis is achieved statistically. Based on different prognostic factors it should be possible to tell patients how they are expected to do after prostate cancer has been diagnosed and how different treatments may change this outcome. A prognosis is a prediction. The word prognosis comes from the Greek word (see text) and means foreknowing. In the nineteenth century this was the main goal of medicine: diagnose the disease and achieve a satisfying prognosis of the patient's chances. Today the effort has shifted towards seeking a cure. Prognostic factors in (prostate) cancer are defined as "variables that can account for some of the heterogeneity associated with the expected course and outcome of a disease". Bailey defined prognosis as "a reasoned forecast concerning the course, pattern, progression, duration, and end of the disease. Prognostic factors are not only essential to understand the natural history and the course of the disease, but also to predict possible different outcomes of different treatments or perhaps no treatment at all. This is extremely important in a disease like prostate cancer where there is clear evidence that a substantial number of cases discovered by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing are unlikely ever to become clinically significant, not to mention mortal. Furthermore, prognostic factors are of paramount importance for correct interpretation of clinical trials and for the construction of future trials. Finally, according to WHO national screening committee criteria for implementing a national screening programme, widely accepted prognostic factors must be defined before

Evaluation of a prognostic scoring system for dogs managed with hemodialysis.

PubMed

Perondi, Francesca; Lippi, Ilaria; Ceccherini, Gianila; Marchetti, Veronica; Bernicchi, Lucrezia; Guidi, Grazia

2018-06-24

To investigate prognostic models in a cohort of dogs with acute kidney injury (AKI) and acute on chronic kidney disease (AKI/CKD) managed by hemodialysis. Retrospective study from July 2011 to November 2014. University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Forty dogs with historical, clinical, imaging, and laboratory findings consistent with AKI or AKI/CKD managed with intermittent hemodialysis were included. Scoring system models previously established by Segev et al for outcome prediction in dogs with AKI were applied to all dogs. Models A, B, and C correctly classified outcomes in 68%, 83%, and 85% of cases, respectively. In our cohort Model A showed sensitivity of 58% and specificity of 86%, Model B showed sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 87%, Model C showed sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 84%. The presence of anuria (P < 0.0002), respiratory complications (P < 0.0001), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) (P = 0.0004), grade of AKI (P = 0.0023), pancreatitis (P = 0.0001), and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) (P = 0.0001) was significantly higher in nonsurvivors compared with survivors. In our cohort of patients, Segev's model C showed the best sensitivity and specificity for predicting prognosis, while model A had lower sensitivity. In our cohort of dialysis patients, the presence of respiratory complications, DIC, SIRS, and pancreatitis at hospitalization, were correlated with a poor prognosis. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2018.

Joint image encryption and compression scheme based on a new hyperchaotic system and curvelet transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Miao; Tong, Xiaojun

2017-07-01

This paper proposes a joint image encryption and compression scheme based on a new hyperchaotic system and curvelet transform. A new five-dimensional hyperchaotic system based on the Rabinovich system is presented. By means of the proposed hyperchaotic system, a new pseudorandom key stream generator is constructed. The algorithm adopts diffusion and confusion structure to perform encryption, which is based on the key stream generator and the proposed hyperchaotic system. The key sequence used for image encryption is relation to plain text. By means of the second generation curvelet transform, run-length coding, and Huffman coding, the image data are compressed. The joint operation of compression and encryption in a single process is performed. The security test results indicate the proposed methods have high security and good compression effect.

Proposal and validation of prognostic scoring systems for IgG and IgA monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance.

PubMed

Rossi, Francesca; Petrucci, Maria Teresa; Guffanti, Andrea; Marcheselli, Luigi; Rossi, Davide; Callea, Vincenzo; Vincenzo, Federico; De Muro, Marianna; Baraldi, Alessandra; Villani, Oreste; Musto, Pellegrino; Bacigalupo, Andrea; Gaidano, Gianluca; Avvisati, Giuseppe; Goldaniga, Maria; Depaoli, Lorenzo; Baldini, Luca

2009-07-01

The presenting clinico-hematologic features of 1,283 patients with IgG and IgA monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS) were correlated with the frequency of evolution into multiple myeloma (MM). Two IgG MGUS populations were evaluated: a training sample (553 patients) and a test sample (378 patients); the IgA MGUS population consisted of 352 patients. Forty-seven of the 553 training group patients and 22 of 378 test group IgG patients developed MM after a median follow-up of 6.7 and 3.6 years, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that serum monoclonal component (MC) levels of < or =1.5 g/dL, the absence of light-chain proteinuria and normal serum polyclonal immunoglobulin levels defined a prognostically favorable subset of patients, and could be used to stratify the patients into three groups at different 10-year risk of evolution (hazard ratio, 1.0, 5.04, 11.2; P < 0.001). This scoring system was validated in the test sample. Thirty of the 352 IgA patients developed MM after a median follow-up of 4.8 years, and multivariate analysis showed that hemoglobin levels of <12.5 g/dL and reduced serum polyclonal immunoglobulin correlated with progression. A pooled statistical analysis of all of the patients confirmed the validity of Mayo Clinic risk model showing that IgA class, serum MC levels, and light-chain proteinuria are the most important variables correlated with disease progression. Using simple variables, we validated a prognostic model for IgG MGUS. Among the IgA cases, the possible prognostic role of hemoglobin emerged in addition to a decrease in normal immunoglobulin levels.

Anterior delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage values predict joint failure after periacetabular osteotomy.

PubMed

Kim, Sang Do; Jessel, Rebecca; Zurakowski, David; Millis, Michael B; Kim, Young-Jo

2012-12-01

Several available compositional MRIs seem to detect early osteoarthritis before radiographic appearance. Delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) has been most frequently used in clinical studies and reportedly predicts premature joint failure in patients undergoing Bernese periacetabular osteotomies (PAOs). We asked, given regional variations in biochemical composition in dysplastic hips, whether the dGEMRIC index of the anterior joint would better predict premature joint failure after PAOs than the coronal dGEMRIC index as previously reported. We retrospectively reviewed 43 hips in 41 patients who underwent Bernese PAO for hip dysplasia. Thirty-seven hips had preserved joints after PAOs and six were deemed premature failures based on pain, joint space narrowing, or subsequent THA. We used dGEMRIC to determine regional variations in biochemical composition. Preoperative demographic and clinical outcome score, radiographic measures of osteoarthritis and severity of dysplasia, and dGEMRIC indexes from different hip regions were analyzed in a multivariable regression analysis to determine the best predictor of premature joint failure. Minimum followup was 24 months (mean, 32 months; range, 24-46 months). The two cohorts were similar in age and sex distribution. Severity of dysplasia was similar as measured by lateral center-edge, anterior center-edge, and Tönnis angles. Preoperative pain, joint space width, Tönnis grade, and coronal and sagittal dGEMRIC indexes differed between groups. The dGEMRIC index in the anterior weightbearing region of the hip was lower in the prematurely failed group and was the best predictor. Success of PAO depends on the amount of preoperative osteoarthritis. These degenerative changes are seen most commonly in the anterior joint. The dGEMRIC index of the anterior joint may better predict premature joint failure than radiographic measures of hip osteoarthritis and coronal dGEMRIC index. Level II, prognostic study. See

Current state of prognostication and risk stratification in myelodysplastic syndromes.

PubMed

Zeidan, Amer M; Gore, Steven D; Padron, Eric; Komrokji, Rami S

2015-03-01

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are characterized by significant biologic and clinical heterogeneity. Because of the wide outcome variability, accurate prognostication is vital to high-quality risk-adaptive care of MDS patients. In this review, we discuss the current state of prognostic schemes for MDS and overview efforts aimed at utilizing molecular aberrations for prognostication in clinical practice. Several prognostic instruments have been developed and validated with increasing accuracy and complexity. Oncologists should be aware of the inherent limitations of these prognostic tools as they counsel patients and make clinical decisions. As more therapies are becoming available for MDS, the focus of model development is shifting from prognostic to treatment-specific predictive instruments. In addition to providing additional prognostic data beyond traditional clinical and pathologic parameters, the improved understanding of the genetic landscape and pathophysiologic consequences in MDS may allow the construction of treatment-specific predictive instruments. How to best use the results of molecular mutation testing to inform clinical decision making in MDS is still a work in progress. Important steps in this direction include standardization in performance and interpretation of assays and better understanding of the independent prognostic importance of the recurrent mutations, especially the less frequent ones.

Prognostic capability of different liver disease scoring systems for prediction of early mortality after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation.

PubMed

Gaba, Ron C; Couture, Patrick M; Bui, James T; Knuttinen, M Grace; Walzer, Natasha M; Kallwitz, Eric R; Berkes, Jamie L; Cotler, Scott J

2013-03-01

To compare the performance of various liver disease scoring systems in predicting early mortality after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation. In this single-institution retrospective study, eight scoring systems were used to grade liver disease in 211 patients (male-to-female ratio = 131:80; mean age, 54 y) before TIPS creation from 1999-2011. Scoring systems included bilirubin level, Child-Pugh (CP) score, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease sodium (MELD-Na) score, Emory score, prognostic index (PI), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) 2 score, and Bonn TIPS early mortality (BOTEM) score. Medical record review was used to identify 30-day and 90-day clinical outcomes. The relationship of scoring parameters with mortality outcomes was assessed with multivariate analysis, and the relative ability of systems to predict mortality after TIPS creation was evaluated by comparing area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves. TIPS were successfully created for variceal hemorrhage (n = 121), ascites (n = 72), hepatic hydrothorax (n = 15), and portal vein thrombosis (n = 3). All scoring systems had a significant association with 30-day and 90-day mortality (P<.050 in each case) on multivariate analysis. Based on 30-day and 90-day AUROC, MELD (0.878, 0.816) and MELD-Na (0.863, 0.823) scores had the best capability to predict early mortality compared with bilirubin (0.786, 0.749), CP (0.822, 0.771), Emory (0.786, 0.681), PI (0.854, 0.760), APACHE 2 (0.836, 0.735), and BOTEM (0.798, 0.698), with statistical superiority over bilirubin, Emory, and BOTEM scores. Several liver disease scoring systems have prognostic value for early mortality after TIPS creation. MELD and MELD-Na scores most effectively predict survival after TIPS creation. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Prognostic and survival analysis of 837 Chinese colorectal cancer patients.

PubMed

Yuan, Ying; Li, Mo-Dan; Hu, Han-Guang; Dong, Cai-Xia; Chen, Jia-Qi; Li, Xiao-Fen; Li, Jing-Jing; Shen, Hong

2013-05-07

To develop a prognostic model to predict survival of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Survival data of 837 CRC patients undergoing surgery between 1996 and 2006 were collected and analyzed by univariate analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression model to reveal the prognostic factors for CRC. All data were recorded using a standard data form and analyzed using SPSS version 18.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, United States). Survival curves were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The log rank test was used to assess differences in survival. Univariate hazard ratios and significant and independent predictors of disease-specific survival and were identified by Cox proportional hazard analysis. The stepwise procedure was set to a threshold of 0.05. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.05. The survival rate was 74% at 3 years and 68% at 5 years. The results of univariate analysis suggested age, preoperative obstruction, serum carcinoembryonic antigen level at diagnosis, status of resection, tumor size, histological grade, pathological type, lymphovascular invasion, invasion of adjacent organs, and tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging were positive prognostic factors (P < 0.05). Lymph node ratio (LNR) was also a strong prognostic factor in stage III CRC (P < 0.0001). We divided 341 stage III patients into three groups according to LNR values (LNR1, LNR ≤ 0.33, n = 211; LNR2, LNR 0.34-0.66, n = 76; and LNR3, LNR ≥ 0.67, n = 54). Univariate analysis showed a significant statistical difference in 3-year survival among these groups: LNR1, 73%; LNR2, 55%; and LNR3, 42% (P < 0.0001). The multivariate analysis results showed that histological grade, depth of bowel wall invasion, and number of metastatic lymph nodes were the most important prognostic factors for CRC if we did not consider the interaction of the TNM staging system (P < 0.05). When the TNM staging was taken into account, histological grade lost its statistical significance, while the specific TNM

Prognostics of Power MOSFET

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Celaya, Jose Ramon; Saxena, Abhinav; Vashchenko, Vladislay; Saha, Sankalita; Goebel, Kai Frank

2011-01-01

This paper demonstrates how to apply prognostics to power MOSFETs (metal oxide field effect transistor). The methodology uses thermal cycling to age devices and Gaussian process regression to perform prognostics. The approach is validated with experiments on 100V power MOSFETs. The failure mechanism for the stress conditions is determined to be die-attachment degradation. Change in ON-state resistance is used as a precursor of failure due to its dependence on junction temperature. The experimental data is augmented with a finite element analysis simulation that is based on a two-transistor model. The simulation assists in the interpretation of the degradation phenomena and SOA (safe operation area) change.

Discrimination of portraits using a hybrid parallel joint transform correlator system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inaba, Rieko; Hashimoto, Asako; Kodate, Kashiko

1999-05-01

A hybrid parallel joint transform correlation system is demonstrated through the introduction of a five-channel binary zone plate array and is applied to the discrimination of portraits for a presumed criminal investigation. In order to improve performance, we adopt pe-processing of images with white area of 20%. Furthermore, we discuss the robustness.

Space Station alpha joint bearing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Everman, Michael R.; Jones, P. Alan; Spencer, Porter A.

1987-01-01

Perhaps the most critical structural system aboard the Space Station is the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint which helps align the power generation system with the sun. The joint must provide structural support and controlled rotation to the outboard transverse booms as well as power and data transfer across the joint. The Solar Alpha Rotary Joint is composed of two transition sections and an integral, large diameter bearing. Alpha joint bearing design presents a particularly interesting problem because of its large size and need for high reliability, stiffness, and on orbit maintability. The discrete roller bearing developed is a novel refinement to cam follower technology. It offers thermal compensation and ease of on-orbit maintenance that are not found in conventional rolling element bearings. How the bearing design evolved is summarized. Driving requirements are reviewed, alternative concepts assessed, and the selected design is described.

Proposal for research and education: joint lectures and practicals on central nervous system anatomy and physiology.

PubMed

Kageyama, Ikuo; Yoshimura, Ken; Satoh, Yoshihide; Nanayakkara, Chinthani D; Pallegama, Ranjith W; Iwasaki, Shin-Ichi

2016-07-01

We coordinated anatomy and physiology lectures and practicals to facilitate an integrated understanding of morphology and function in a basic medical science program for dental students and to reduce the time spent on basic science education. This method is a means to provide the essential information and skills in less time. The overall impression was that the practice of joint central nervous system lectures and practicals was an efficient method for students, which suggests that joint lectures might also be useful for clinical subjects. About two-thirds of students felt that the joint anatomy and physiology lecture on the central nervous system was useful and necessary in understanding the relationship between morphology and function, at least for this subject. One-third of students were neutral on the effectiveness of this method. However, the survey results suggest that improvements are needed in the method and timing of joint lectures and practicals. The present teaching approach can be further improved by conducting combined lectures in which the form and function of anatomic structures are presented by the relevant departments during the same lecture. Finally, joint lecturers and practicals offer an opportunity to increase student understanding of the importance of new research findings by the present authors and other researchers.

Alloplastic temporomandibular joint replacement systems: a systematic review of their history.

PubMed

De Meurechy, N; Mommaerts, M Y

2018-06-01

This systematic review provides an overview of the historical evolution of the prosthetic temporomandibular joint and addresses the challenges and complications faced by engineers and surgeons, in an effort to shed light on why only a few systems remain available. A better understanding of the history of temporomandibular joint prostheses might also provide insights into the origin of the negative public opinion of the prosthesis, which is based on outdated information. A computerized search using the PubMed Central, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online, Ovid, and Cochrane Library databases was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. Out of 7122 articles identified, 41 met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. Although several historical reviews have been published previously, none has covered such an extensive time period or has described all designs. Furthermore, besides providing a historical overview, this review discusses the rationale behind the evolution in design and biomaterials, which have largely contributed to the outcomes of the prosthetic systems. Copyright © 2018 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vehicle Integrated Prognostic Reasoner (VIPR) 2010 Annual Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hadden, George D.; Mylaraswamy, Dinkar; Schimmel, Craig; Biswas, Gautam; Koutsoukos, Xenofon; Mack, Daniel

2011-01-01

Honeywell's Central Maintenance Computer Function (CMCF) and Aircraft Condition Monitoring Function (ACMF) represent the state-of-the art in integrated vehicle health management (IVHM). Underlying these technologies is a fault propagation modeling system that provides nose-to-tail coverage and root cause diagnostics. The Vehicle Integrated Prognostic Reasoner (VIPR) extends this technology to interpret evidence generated by advanced diagnostic and prognostic monitors provided by component suppliers to detect, isolate, and predict adverse events that affect flight safety. This report describes year one work that included defining the architecture and communication protocols and establishing the user requirements for such a system. Based on these and a set of ConOps scenarios, we designed and implemented a demonstration of communication pathways and associated three-tiered health management architecture. A series of scripted scenarios showed how VIPR would detect adverse events before they escalate as safety incidents through a combination of advanced reasoning and additional aircraft data collected from an aircraft condition monitoring system. Demonstrating VIPR capability for cases recorded in the ASIAS database and cross linking them with historical aircraft data is planned for year two.

The tumor-stromal ratio as a strong prognosticator for advanced gastric cancer patients: proposal of a new TSNM staging system.

PubMed

Peng, Chunwei; Liu, Jiuyang; Yang, Guifang; Li, Yan

2018-05-01

Insufficient attention is paid to the underlying tumor microenvironment (TME) evolution, that resulting in tumor heterogeneity and driving differences in cancer aggressiveness and treatment outcomes. The morphological evaluation of the proportion of the stroma at the most invasive part of primary tumor (tumor-stromal ratio, TSR) in cancer is gaining momentum as evidence strengthens for the clinical relevance. Tissue samples from the most invasive part of the primary gastric cancer (GC) of 494 patients were analyzed for their TSR, and a new TSNM (tumor-stromal node metastasis) staging system based on patho-biological behaviors was established and assessed. TSR is a new and strong independent prognostic factor for GC patients. The likelihood of tumor invasion is increased significantly for patients in the stromal-high subgroup compared to those in the stromal-low subgroup (P = 0.011). The discrimination ability of TSR was not less than the TNM staging system and was better in patients with stages I and II GC. We integrated the TSR parameter into the TNM staging system and proposed a new TSNM staging system creatively. There were three new subgroups (IC, IIC, IIID). There were four major groups and 10 subgroups in the TSNM system. The difference in overall survival (OS) was statistically significant among all TSNM system (P < 0.005 for all). Deep analyses revealed well predictive performance of the TSNM (P < 0.001). This study confirms the TSR as a TME prognostic factor for GC. TSR is a candidate TME parameter that could easily be implemented in routine pathology diagnostics, and the TSNM staging system has been established to optimize risk stratification for GC. The value of the TSNM staging system should be validated in further prospective study.

Dichotomous versus semi-quantitative scoring of ultrasound joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis using novel individualized joint selection methods.

PubMed

Tan, York Kiat; Allen, John C; Lye, Weng Kit; Conaghan, Philip G; Chew, Li-Ching; Thumboo, Julian

2017-05-01

The aim of the study is to compare the responsiveness of two joint inflammation scoring systems (dichotomous scoring (DS) versus semi-quantitative scoring (SQS)) using novel individualized ultrasound joint selection methods and existing ultrasound joint selection methods. Responsiveness measured by the standardized response means (SRMs) using the DS and the SQS system (for both the novel and existing ultrasound joint selection methods) was derived using the baseline and the 3-month total inflammatory scores from 20 rheumatoid arthritis patients. The relative SRM gain ratios (SRM-Gains) for both scoring system (DS and SQS) comparing the novel to the existing methods were computed. Both scoring systems (DS and SQS) demonstrated substantial SRM-Gains (ranged from 3.31 to 5.67 for the DS system and ranged from 1.82 to 3.26 for the SQS system). The SRMs using the novel methods ranged from 0.94 to 1.36 for the DS system and ranged from 0.89 to 1.11 for the SQS system. The SRMs using the existing methods ranged from 0.24 to 0.32 for the DS system and ranged from 0.34 to 0.49 for the SQS system. The DS system appears to achieve high responsiveness comparable to SQS for the novel individualized ultrasound joint selection methods.

Wireless wearable range-of-motion sensor system for upper and lower extremity joints: a validation study.

PubMed

Kumar, Yogaprakash; Yen, Shih-Cheng; Tay, Arthur; Lee, Wangwei; Gao, Fan; Zhao, Ziyi; Li, Jingze; Hon, Benjamin; Tian-Ma Xu, Tim; Cheong, Angela; Koh, Karen; Ng, Yee-Sien; Chew, Effie; Koh, Gerald

2015-02-01

Range-of-motion (ROM) assessment is a critical assessment tool during the rehabilitation process. The conventional approach uses the goniometer which remains the most reliable instrument but it is usually time-consuming and subject to both intra- and inter-therapist measurement errors. An automated wireless wearable sensor system for the measurement of ROM has previously been developed by the current authors. Presented is the correlation and accuracy of the automated wireless wearable sensor system against a goniometer in measuring ROM in the major joints of upper (UEs) and lower extremities (LEs) in 19 healthy subjects and 20 newly disabled inpatients through intra (same) subject comparison of ROM assessments between the sensor system against goniometer measurements by physical therapists. In healthy subjects, ROM measurements using the new sensor system were highly correlated with goniometry, with 95% of differences < 20° and 10° for most movements in major joints of UE and LE, respectively. Among inpatients undergoing rehabilitation, ROM measurements using the new sensor system were also highly correlated with goniometry, with 95% of the differences being < 20° and 25° for most movements in the major joints of UE and LE, respectively.

Correlation between muscle structure and filter characteristics of the muscle-joint system in three orthopteran insect species

PubMed

BÄSsler; BÜSchges; Meditz; BÄSsler

1996-01-01

In orthopteran insects, neural networks for joint control exhibit different characteristics due to behavioural specializations. We investigated whether these differences are generated purely by the neuronal networks, or whether characteristics of the muscles or joint architecture (muscle­joint system) are also involved in these behavioural specializations. We compared the properties of the muscle system moving the femur­tibia joint of the middle and hindleg of three species, Carausius morosus, Cuniculina impigra and Locusta migratoria. Four aspects were analysed for the tibial extensor muscle: (i) the frequency-dependence of motoneuronal activity in response to sinusoidal stimulation of the femoral chordotonal organ (fCO), (ii) the muscle structure, (iii) the innervation pattern of the muscle and (iv) the histochemical properties of the muscle fibres. These aspects were compared with the filter characteristics of the open-loop femur­tibia control system and of the muscle­joint system involved. Whereas in both phasmid species (Carausius morosus and Cuniculina impigra) the motoneuronal activity steadily increases with sinusoidal stimulation of the fCO in the frequency range 0.01­5 Hz, in Locusta migratoria there is a decrease in motoneuronal activity between 0.01 and 0.3 Hz. The muscle structure is basically similar in all three species, as the number of singly innervated muscle fibres (supplied by the fast extensor tibiae motor neurone, FETi) decreases from proximal to distal. The number of triply innervated fibres supplied by the FETi, the slow extensor tibiae (SETi) and the common inhibitor 1 (CI1) is maximal in the middle of the muscle, and the number of dually innervated fibres (supplied by SETi, CI1) increases from proximal to distal. Differences between the locust and the two phasmid species exist in the distal portion of the muscle. The phasmid extensor tibiae muscle contains a morphologically distinct bundle of muscle fibres, not present

Prognostic significance of combined albumin-bilirubin and tumor-node-metastasis staging system in patients who underwent hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Harimoto, Norifumi; Yoshizumi, Tomoharu; Sakata, Kazuhito; Nagatsu, Akihisa; Motomura, Takashi; Itoh, Shinji; Harada, Noboru; Ikegami, Toru; Uchiyama, Hideaki; Soejima, Yuji; Maehara, Yoshihiko

2017-11-01

In recent years, the establishment of new staging systems for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been reported worldwide. The system combining albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) with tumor-node-metastasis stage, developed by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan, was called the ALBI-T score. Patient data were retrospectively collected for 357 consecutive patients who had undergone hepatic resection for HCC with curative intent between January 2004 and December 2015. The overall survival and recurrence-free survival were compared by the Kaplan-Meier method, using different staging systems: the Japan integrated staging (JIS), modified JIS, and ALBI-T. Multivariate analysis identified five poor prognostic factors (higher age, poor differentiation, the presence of microvascular invasion, the presence of intrahepatic metastasis, and blood transfusion) that influenced overall survival, and four poor prognostic factors (the presence of intrahepatic metastasis, serum α-fetoprotein level, blood transfusion, and each staging system (JIS, modified JIS, and ALBI-T score)) that influenced recurrence-free survival. Patients for each these three staging system had a significantly worse prognosis regarding recurrence-free survival, but not with overall survival. The modified JIS score showed the lowest Akaike information criteria statistic value, indicating it had the best ability to predict overall survival compared with the other staging systems. This retrospective analysis showed that, in post-hepatectomy patients with HCC, the ALBI-T score is predictive of worse recurrence-free survival, even when adjustments are made for other known predictors. However, modified JIS is better than ALBI-T in predicting overall survival. © 2017 The Japan Society of Hepatology.

Prognostics of Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on Wavelet Denoising and DE-RVM

PubMed Central

Zhang, Chaolong; He, Yigang; Yuan, Lifeng; Xiang, Sheng; Wang, Jinping

2015-01-01

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in many electronic systems. Therefore, it is significantly important to estimate the lithium-ion battery's remaining useful life (RUL), yet very difficult. One important reason is that the measured battery capacity data are often subject to the different levels of noise pollution. In this paper, a novel battery capacity prognostics approach is presented to estimate the RUL of lithium-ion batteries. Wavelet denoising is performed with different thresholds in order to weaken the strong noise and remove the weak noise. Relevance vector machine (RVM) improved by differential evolution (DE) algorithm is utilized to estimate the battery RUL based on the denoised data. An experiment including battery 5 capacity prognostics case and battery 18 capacity prognostics case is conducted and validated that the proposed approach can predict the trend of battery capacity trajectory closely and estimate the battery RUL accurately. PMID:26413090

Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression from Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Surgery and Adjuvant Therapies: A Retrospective Analysis of Outcomes and Prognostic Factors in 116 Patients.

PubMed

Tang, Yu; Qu, Jintao; Wu, Juan; Li, Song; Zhou, Yue; Xiao, Jianru

2015-09-02

Metastatic spinal cord compression is a disastrous consequence of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There have been few studies of the outcomes or prognostic factors in patients with metastatic spinal cord compression from NSCLC treated with surgery and adjuvant therapies. From 2002 to 2013, 116 patients with metastatic spinal cord compression from NSCLC treated with surgery and adjuvant therapies were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression analysis were used to estimate overall survival and identify prognostic factors for survival. Multivariate analysis suggested that the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS), preoperative and postoperative Frankel scores, postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy, and target therapy were independent prognostic factors. Ninety patients died at a median of twelve months (range, three to forty-seven months) postoperatively, and twenty-six patients were still alive at the time of final follow-up (at a median of fifteen months [range, five to fifty-four months]). The complete disappearance of deficits in spinal cord function after surgery was the most robust predictor of survival. Adjuvant radiation therapy and target therapy were also associated with a better prognosis. Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. Copyright © 2015 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Optimum design of Geodesic dome’s jointing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Huy. T.

2018-04-01

This study attempts to create a new design for joint connector of Geodesic dome. A new type of joint connector design is proposed for flexible rotating connection; comparing it to another, this design is cheaper and workable. After calculating the bearing capacity of the sample according to EC3 and Vietnam standard TCVN 5575-2012, FEM model of the design sample is carried out in many specific situation to consider the stress distribution, the deformation, the local destruction… in the connector. The analytical results and the FE data are consistent. The FE analysis also points out the behavior of some details that simple calculation cannot show. Hence, we can choose the optimum design of joint connector.

Technical Needs for Prototypic Prognostic Technique Demonstration for Advanced Small Modular Reactor Passive Components

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meyer, Ryan M.; Coble, Jamie B.; Hirt, Evelyn H.

2013-05-17

This report identifies a number of requirements for prognostics health management of passive systems in AdvSMRs, documents technical gaps in establishing a prototypical prognostic methodology for this purpose, and describes a preliminary research plan for addressing these technical gaps. AdvSMRs span multiple concepts; therefore a technology- and design-neutral approach is taken, with the focus being on characteristics that are likely to be common to all or several AdvSMR concepts. An evaluation of available literature is used to identify proposed concepts for AdvSMRs along with likely operational characteristics. Available operating experience of advanced reactors is used in identifying passive components thatmore » may be subject to degradation, materials likely to be used for these components, and potential modes of degradation of these components. This information helps in assessing measurement needs for PHM systems, as well as defining functional requirements of PHM systems. An assessment of current state-of-the-art approaches to measurements, sensors and instrumentation, diagnostics and prognostics is also documented. This state-of-the-art evaluation, combined with the requirements, may be used to identify technical gaps and research needs in the development, evaluation, and deployment of PHM systems for AdvSMRs. A preliminary research plan to address high-priority research needs for the deployment of PHM systems to AdvSMRs is described, with the objective being the demonstration of prototypic prognostics technology for passive components in AdvSMRs. Greater efficiency in achieving this objective can be gained through judicious selection of materials and degradation modes that are relevant to proposed AdvSMR concepts, and for which significant knowledge already exists. These selections were made based on multiple constraints including the analysis performed in this document, ready access to laboratory-scale facilities for materials testing and measurement

Gene network inherent in genomic big data improves the accuracy of prognostic prediction for cancer patients.

PubMed

Kim, Yun Hak; Jeong, Dae Cheon; Pak, Kyoungjune; Goh, Tae Sik; Lee, Chi-Seung; Han, Myoung-Eun; Kim, Ji-Young; Liangwen, Liu; Kim, Chi Dae; Jang, Jeon Yeob; Cha, Wonjae; Oh, Sae-Ock

2017-09-29

Accurate prediction of prognosis is critical for therapeutic decisions regarding cancer patients. Many previously developed prognostic scoring systems have limitations in reflecting recent progress in the field of cancer biology such as microarray, next-generation sequencing, and signaling pathways. To develop a new prognostic scoring system for cancer patients, we used mRNA expression and clinical data in various independent breast cancer cohorts (n=1214) from the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). A new prognostic score that reflects gene network inherent in genomic big data was calculated using Network-Regularized high-dimensional Cox-regression (Net-score). We compared its discriminatory power with those of two previously used statistical methods: stepwise variable selection via univariate Cox regression (Uni-score) and Cox regression via Elastic net (Enet-score). The Net scoring system showed better discriminatory power in prediction of disease-specific survival (DSS) than other statistical methods (p=0 in METABRIC training cohort, p=0.000331, 4.58e-06 in two METABRIC validation cohorts) when accuracy was examined by log-rank test. Notably, comparison of C-index and AUC values in receiver operating characteristic analysis at 5 years showed fewer differences between training and validation cohorts with the Net scoring system than other statistical methods, suggesting minimal overfitting. The Net-based scoring system also successfully predicted prognosis in various independent GEO cohorts with high discriminatory power. In conclusion, the Net-based scoring system showed better discriminative power than previous statistical methods in prognostic prediction for breast cancer patients. This new system will mark a new era in prognosis prediction for cancer patients.

Gene network inherent in genomic big data improves the accuracy of prognostic prediction for cancer patients

PubMed Central

Kim, Yun Hak; Jeong, Dae Cheon; Pak, Kyoungjune; Goh, Tae Sik; Lee, Chi-Seung; Han, Myoung-Eun; Kim, Ji-Young; Liangwen, Liu; Kim, Chi Dae; Jang, Jeon Yeob; Cha, Wonjae; Oh, Sae-Ock

2017-01-01

Accurate prediction of prognosis is critical for therapeutic decisions regarding cancer patients. Many previously developed prognostic scoring systems have limitations in reflecting recent progress in the field of cancer biology such as microarray, next-generation sequencing, and signaling pathways. To develop a new prognostic scoring system for cancer patients, we used mRNA expression and clinical data in various independent breast cancer cohorts (n=1214) from the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). A new prognostic score that reflects gene network inherent in genomic big data was calculated using Network-Regularized high-dimensional Cox-regression (Net-score). We compared its discriminatory power with those of two previously used statistical methods: stepwise variable selection via univariate Cox regression (Uni-score) and Cox regression via Elastic net (Enet-score). The Net scoring system showed better discriminatory power in prediction of disease-specific survival (DSS) than other statistical methods (p=0 in METABRIC training cohort, p=0.000331, 4.58e-06 in two METABRIC validation cohorts) when accuracy was examined by log-rank test. Notably, comparison of C-index and AUC values in receiver operating characteristic analysis at 5 years showed fewer differences between training and validation cohorts with the Net scoring system than other statistical methods, suggesting minimal overfitting. The Net-based scoring system also successfully predicted prognosis in various independent GEO cohorts with high discriminatory power. In conclusion, the Net-based scoring system showed better discriminative power than previous statistical methods in prognostic prediction for breast cancer patients. This new system will mark a new era in prognosis prediction for cancer patients. PMID:29100405

Software framework for prognostic health monitoring of ocean-based power generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowren, Mark

On August 5, 2010 the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has designated the Center for Ocean Energy Technology (COET) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) as a national center for ocean energy research and development of prototypes for open-ocean power generation. Maintenance on ocean-based machinery can be very costly. To avoid unnecessary maintenance it is necessary to monitor the condition of each machine in order to predict problems. This kind of prognostic health monitoring (PHM) requires a condition-based maintenance (CBM) system that supports diagnostic and prognostic analysis of large amounts of data. Research in this field led to the creation of ISO13374 and the development of a standard open-architecture for machine condition monitoring. This thesis explores an implementation of such a system for ocean-based machinery using this framework and current open-standard technologies.

Investigating the Effect of Damage Progression Model Choice on Prognostics Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew; Roychoudhury, Indranil; Narasimhan, Sriram; Saha, Sankalita; Saha, Bhaskar; Goebel, Kai

2011-01-01

The success of model-based approaches to systems health management depends largely on the quality of the underlying models. In model-based prognostics, it is especially the quality of the damage progression models, i.e., the models describing how damage evolves as the system operates, that determines the accuracy and precision of remaining useful life predictions. Several common forms of these models are generally assumed in the literature, but are often not supported by physical evidence or physics-based analysis. In this paper, using a centrifugal pump as a case study, we develop different damage progression models. In simulation, we investigate how model changes influence prognostics performance. Results demonstrate that, in some cases, simple damage progression models are sufficient. But, in general, the results show a clear need for damage progression models that are accurate over long time horizons under varied loading conditions.

Prognostic Value of NME1 (NM23-H1) in Patients with Digestive System Neoplasms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Han, Wei; Shi, Chun-Tao; Cao, Fei-Yun; Cao, Fang; Chen, Min-Bin; Lu, Rong-Zhu; Wang, Hua-Bing; Yu, Min; He, Da-Wei; Wang, Qing-Hua; Wang, Jie-Feng; Xu, Xuan-Xuan; Ding, Hou-Zhong

2016-01-01

There is a heated debate on whether the prognostic value of NME1 is favorable or unfavorable. Thus, we carried out a meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between NME1 expression and the prognosis of patients with digestive system neoplasms. We searched PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science for relevant articles. The pooled odd ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95%CI were calculated to evaluate the prognostic value of NME1 expression in patients with digestive system neoplasms, and the association between NME1 expression and clinicopathological factors. We also performed subgroup analyses to find out the source of heterogeneity. 2904 patients were pooled from 28 available studies in total. Neither the incorporative OR combined by 17 studies with overall survival (OR = 0.65, 95%CI:0.41-1.03, P = 0.07) nor the pooled OR with disease-free survival (OR = 0.75, 95%CI:0.17-3.36, P = 0.71) in statistics showed any significance. Although we couldn't find any significance in TNM stage (OR = 0.78, 95%CI:0.44-1.36, P = 0.38), elevated NME1 expression was related to well tumor differentiation (OR = 0.59, 95%CI:0.47-0.73, P<0.00001), negative N status (OR = 0.54, 95%CI:0.36-0.82, P = 0.003) and Dukes' stage (OR = 0.43, 95%CI:0.24-0.77, P = 0.004). And in the subgroup analyses, we only find the "years" which might be the source of heterogeneity of overall survival in gastric cancer. The results showed that statistically significant association was found between NME1 expression and the tumor differentiation, N status and Dukes' stage of patients with digestive system cancers, while no significance was found in overall survival, disease-free survival and TNM stage. More and further researches should be conducted to reveal the prognostic value of NME1.

Prognostic Value of NME1 (NM23-H1) in Patients with Digestive System Neoplasms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Cao, Fei-yun; Cao, Fang; Chen, Min-bin; Lu, Rong-zhu; Wang, Hua-bing; Yu, Min; He, Da-wei; Wang, Qing-hua; Wang, Jie-feng; Xu, Xuan-xuan; Ding, Hou-zhong

2016-01-01

Objective There is a heated debate on whether the prognostic value of NME1 is favorable or unfavorable. Thus, we carried out a meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between NME1 expression and the prognosis of patients with digestive system neoplasms. Methods We searched PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science for relevant articles. The pooled odd ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95%CI were calculated to evaluate the prognostic value of NME1 expression in patients with digestive system neoplasms, and the association between NME1 expression and clinicopathological factors. We also performed subgroup analyses to find out the source of heterogeneity. Results 2904 patients were pooled from 28 available studies in total. Neither the incorporative OR combined by 17 studies with overall survival (OR = 0.65, 95%CI:0.41–1.03, P = 0.07) nor the pooled OR with disease-free survival (OR = 0.75, 95%CI:0.17–3.36, P = 0.71) in statistics showed any significance. Although we couldn’t find any significance in TNM stage (OR = 0.78, 95%CI:0.44–1.36, P = 0.38), elevated NME1 expression was related to well tumor differentiation (OR = 0.59, 95%CI:0.47–0.73, P<0.00001), negative N status (OR = 0.54, 95%CI:0.36–0.82, P = 0.003) and Dukes’ stage (OR = 0.43, 95%CI:0.24–0.77, P = 0.004). And in the subgroup analyses, we only find the “years” which might be the source of heterogeneity of overall survival in gastric cancer. Conclusions The results showed that statistically significant association was found between NME1 expression and the tumor differentiation, N status and Dukes’ stage of patients with digestive system cancers, while no significance was found in overall survival, disease-free survival and TNM stage. More and further researches should be conducted to reveal the prognostic value of NME1. PMID:27518571

Independent Prognostic Factors for Acute Organophosphorus Pesticide Poisoning.

PubMed

Tang, Weidong; Ruan, Feng; Chen, Qi; Chen, Suping; Shao, Xuebo; Gao, Jianbo; Zhang, Mao

2016-07-01

Acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning (AOPP) is becoming a significant problem and a potential cause of human mortality because of the abuse of organophosphate compounds. This study aims to determine the independent prognostic factors of AOPP by using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The clinical data for 71 subjects with AOPP admitted to our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. This information included the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores, 6-h post-admission blood lactate levels, post-admission 6-h lactate clearance rates, admission blood cholinesterase levels, 6-h post-admission blood cholinesterase levels, cholinesterase activity, blood pH, and other factors. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify all prognostic factors and independent prognostic factors, respectively. A receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted to analyze the testing power of independent prognostic factors. Twelve of 71 subjects died. Admission blood lactate levels, 6-h post-admission blood lactate levels, post-admission 6-h lactate clearance rates, blood pH, and APACHE II scores were identified as prognostic factors for AOPP according to the univariate analysis, whereas only 6-h post-admission blood lactate levels, post-admission 6-h lactate clearance rates, and blood pH were independent prognostic factors identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic analysis suggested that post-admission 6-h lactate clearance rates were of moderate diagnostic value. High 6-h post-admission blood lactate levels, low blood pH, and low post-admission 6-h lactate clearance rates were independent prognostic factors identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Copyright © 2016 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Joint Discussion 14 Modeling dense stellar systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sills, Alison I.; Subr, Ladislav; Portegies Zwart, Simon F.

2007-08-01

Joint Discussion 14 was held at the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union from August 17 until 23 in the beautiful Bohemian capital, Prague. The blueprints for this meeting were laid out during the MODEST-5 workshop, held in the Canadian city of Hamilton, Ontario in August 2004. We were sitting in a nice cafe with local brew and food, discussing the future of the MODEST community when we posed the idea for this Joint Discussion at the General Assembly. The meeting was then coined MODEST-7.

Flange joint system for SRF cavities utilizing high force spring clamps for low particle generation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

A flange joint system for SRF cavities. The flange joint system includes a set of high force spring clamps that produce high force on the simple flanges of Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities to squeeze conventional metallic seals. The system establishes the required vacuum and RF-tight seal with minimum particle contamination to the inside of the cavity assembly. The spring clamps are designed to stay within their elastic range while being forced open enough to mount over the flange pair. Upon release, the clamps have enough force to plastically deform metallic seal surfaces and continue to a new equilibrium sprungmore » dimension where the flanges remain held against one another with enough preload such that normal handling will not break the seal.« less

Prognostic Modeling in Pathologic N1 Breast Cancer Without Elective Nodal Irradiation After Current Standard Systemic Management.

PubMed

Yu, Jeong Il; Park, Won; Choi, Doo Ho; Huh, Seung Jae; Nam, Seok Jin; Kim, Seok Won; Lee, Jeong Eon; Kil, Won Ho; Im, Young-Hyuck; Ahn, Jin Seok; Park, Yeon Hee; Cho, Eun Yoon

2015-08-01

This study was conducted to establish a prognostic model in patients with pathologic N1 (pN1) breast cancer who have not undergone elective nodal irradiation (ENI) under the current standard management and to suggest possible indications for ENI. We performed a retrospective study with patients with pN1 breast cancer who received the standard local and preferred adjuvant chemotherapy treatment without neoadjuvant chemotherapy and ENI from January 2005 to June 2011. Most of the indicated patients received endocrine and trastuzumab therapy. In 735 enrolled patients, the median follow-up period was 58.4 months (range, 7.2-111.3 months). Overall, 55 recurrences (7.4%) developed, and locoregional recurrence was present in 27 patients (3.8%). Recurrence-free survival was significantly related to lymphovascular invasion (P = .04, hazard ratio [HR], 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.88), histologic grade (P = .03, HR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.05-6.26), and nonluminal A subtype (P = .02, HR, 3.04; 95% CI, 1.23-7.49) in multivariate analysis. The prognostic model was established by these 3 prognostic factors. Recurrence-free survival was less than 90% at 5 years in cases with 2 or 3 factors. The prognostic model has stratified risk groups in pN1 breast cancer without ENI. Patients with 2 or more factors should be considered for ENI. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distinguishing prognostic and predictive biomarkers: An information theoretic approach.

PubMed

Sechidis, Konstantinos; Papangelou, Konstantinos; Metcalfe, Paul D; Svensson, David; Weatherall, James; Brown, Gavin

2018-05-02

The identification of biomarkers to support decision-making is central to personalised medicine, in both clinical and research scenarios. The challenge can be seen in two halves: identifying predictive markers, which guide the development/use of tailored therapies; and identifying prognostic markers, which guide other aspects of care and clinical trial planning, i.e. prognostic markers can be considered as covariates for stratification. Mistakenly assuming a biomarker to be predictive, when it is in fact largely prognostic (and vice-versa) is highly undesirable, and can result in financial, ethical and personal consequences. We present a framework for data-driven ranking of biomarkers on their prognostic/predictive strength, using a novel information theoretic method. This approach provides a natural algebra to discuss and quantify the individual predictive and prognostic strength, in a self-consistent mathematical framework. Our contribution is a novel procedure, INFO+, which naturally distinguishes the prognostic vs predictive role of each biomarker and handles higher order interactions. In a comprehensive empirical evaluation INFO+ outperforms more complex methods, most notably when noise factors dominate, and biomarkers are likely to be falsely identified as predictive, when in fact they are just strongly prognostic. Furthermore, we show that our methods can be 1-3 orders of magnitude faster than competitors, making it useful for biomarker discovery in 'big data' scenarios. Finally, we apply our methods to identify predictive biomarkers on two real clinical trials, and introduce a new graphical representation that provides greater insight into the prognostic and predictive strength of each biomarker. R implementations of the suggested methods are available at https://github.com/sechidis. konstantinos.sechidis@manchester.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Prognostic model for psychological outcomes in ambulatory surgery patients: A prospective study using a structural equation modeling framework.

PubMed

Mijderwijk, Hendrik-Jan; Stolker, Robert Jan; Duivenvoorden, Hugo J; Klimek, Markus; Steyerberg, Ewout W

2018-01-01

Surgical procedures are increasingly carried out in a day-case setting. Along with this increase, psychological outcomes have become prominent. The objective was to evaluate prospectively the prognostic effects of sociodemographic, medical, and psychological variables assessed before day-case surgery on psychological outcomes after surgery. The study was carried out between October 2010 and September 2011. We analyzed 398 mixed patients, from a randomized controlled trial, undergoing day-case surgery at a university medical center. Structural equation modeling was used to jointly study presurgical prognostic variables relating to sociodemographics (age, sex, nationality, marital status, having children, religion, educational level, employment), medical status (BMI, heart rate), and psychological status associated with anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A)), fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI)), aggression (State-Trait Anger Scale (STAS)), depressive moods (HADS-D), self-esteem, and self-efficacy. We studied psychological outcomes on day 7 after surgery, including anxiety, fatigue, depressive moods, and aggression regulation. The final prognostic model comprised the following variables: anxiety (STAI, HADS-A), fatigue (MFI), depression (HADS-D), aggression (STAS), self-efficacy, sex, and having children. The corresponding psychological variables as assessed at baseline were prominent (i.e. standardized regression coefficients ≥ 0.20), with STAI-Trait score being the strongest predictor overall. STAI-State (adjusted R2 = 0.44), STAI-Trait (0.66), HADS-A (0.45) and STAS-Trait (0.54) were best predicted. We provide a prognostic model that adequately predicts multiple postoperative outcomes in day-case surgery. Consequently, this enables timely identification of vulnerable patients who may require additional medical or psychological preventive treatment or-in a worst-case scenario-could be

Independent Prognostic Value of Stroke Volume Index in Patients With Immunoglobulin Light Chain Amyloidosis.

PubMed

2018-05-01

Heart involvement is the most important prognostic determinant in AL amyloidosis patients. Echocardiography is a cornerstone for the diagnosis and provides important prognostic information. We studied 754 patients with AL amyloidosis who underwent echocardiographic assessment at the Mayo Clinic, including a Doppler-derived measurement of stroke volume (SV) within 30 days of their diagnosis to explore the prognostic role of echocardiographic variables in the context of a well-established soluble cardiac biomarker staging system. Reproducibility of SV, myocardial contraction fraction, and left ventricular strain was assessed in a separate, yet comparable, study cohort of 150 patients from the Pavia Amyloidosis Center. The echocardiographic measures most predictive for overall survival were SV index <33 mL/min, myocardial contraction fraction <34%, and cardiac index <2.4 L/min/m 2 with respective hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 2.95 (2.37-3.66), 2.36 (1.96-2.85), and 2.32 (1.91-2.80). For the subset that had left ventricular strain performed, the prognostic cut point was -14% (hazard ratios, 2.70; 95% confidence intervals, 1.84-3.96). Each parameter was independent of systolic blood pressure, Mayo staging system (NT-proBNP [N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide] and troponin), and ejection fraction on multivariable analysis. Simple predictive models for survival, including biomarker staging along with SV index or left ventricular strain, were generated. SV index prognostic performance was similar to left ventricular strain in predicting survival in AL amyloidosis, independently of biomarker staging. Because SV index is routinely calculated and widely available, it could serve as the preferred echocardiographic measure to predict outcomes in AL amyloidosis patients. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Integration and Assessment of Component Health Prognostics in Supervisory Control Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Bonebrake, Christopher A.; Dib, Gerges

Enhanced risk monitors (ERMs) for active components in advanced reactor concepts use predictive estimates of component failure to update, in real time, predictive safety and economic risk metrics. These metrics have been shown to be capable of use in optimizing maintenance scheduling and managing plant maintenance costs. Integrating this information with plant supervisory control systems increases the potential for making control decisions that utilize real-time information on component conditions. Such decision making would limit the possibility of plant operations that increase the likelihood of degrading the functionality of one or more components while maintaining the overall functionality of the plant.more » ERM uses sensor data for providing real-time information about equipment condition for deriving risk monitors. This information is used to estimate the remaining useful life and probability of failure of these components. By combining this information with plant probabilistic risk assessment models, predictive estimates of risk posed by continued plant operation in the presence of detected degradation may be estimated. In this paper, we describe this methodology in greater detail, and discuss its integration with a prototypic software-based plant supervisory control platform. In order to integrate these two technologies and evaluate the integrated system, software to simulate the sensor data was developed, prognostic models for feedwater valves were developed, and several use cases defined. The full paper will describe these use cases, and the results of the initial evaluation.« less

Adjustable bias column end joint assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallsom, Richard E. (Inventor); Bush, Harold G. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

An adjustable mechanical end joint system for connecting structural column elements and eliminating the possibility of free movement between joint halves during loading or vibration has a node joint body having a cylindrical engaging end and a column end body having a cylindrical engaging end. The column end joint body has a compressible preload mechanism and plunger means housed therein. The compressible preload mechanism may be adjusted from the exterior of the column end joint body through a port.

Estimation of Time-Varying, Intrinsic and Reflex Dynamic Joint Stiffness during Movement. Application to the Ankle Joint

PubMed Central

Guarín, Diego L.; Kearney, Robert E.

2017-01-01

Dynamic joint stiffness determines the relation between joint position and torque, and plays a vital role in the control of posture and movement. Dynamic joint stiffness can be quantified during quasi-stationary conditions using disturbance experiments, where small position perturbations are applied to the joint and the torque response is recorded. Dynamic joint stiffness is composed of intrinsic and reflex mechanisms that act and change together, so that nonlinear, mathematical models and specialized system identification techniques are necessary to estimate their relative contributions to overall joint stiffness. Quasi-stationary experiments have demonstrated that dynamic joint stiffness is heavily modulated by joint position and voluntary torque. Consequently, during movement, when joint position and torque change rapidly, dynamic joint stiffness will be Time-Varying (TV). This paper introduces a new method to quantify the TV intrinsic and reflex components of dynamic joint stiffness during movement. The algorithm combines ensemble and deterministic approaches for estimation of TV systems; and uses a TV, parallel-cascade, nonlinear system identification technique to separate overall dynamic joint stiffness into intrinsic and reflex components from position and torque records. Simulation studies of a stiffness model, whose parameters varied with time as is expected during walking, demonstrated that the new algorithm accurately tracked the changes in dynamic joint stiffness using as little as 40 gait cycles. The method was also used to estimate the intrinsic and reflex dynamic ankle stiffness from an experiment with a healthy subject during which ankle movements were imposed while the subject maintained a constant muscle contraction. The method identified TV stiffness model parameters that predicted the measured torque very well, accounting for more than 95% of its variance. Moreover, both intrinsic and reflex dynamic stiffness were heavily modulated through the

A Discussion on Uncertainty Representation and Interpretation in Model-Based Prognostics Algorithms based on Kalman Filter Estimation Applied to Prognostics of Electronics Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Celaya, Jose R.; Saxen, Abhinav; Goebel, Kai

2012-01-01

This article discusses several aspects of uncertainty representation and management for model-based prognostics methodologies based on our experience with Kalman Filters when applied to prognostics for electronics components. In particular, it explores the implications of modeling remaining useful life prediction as a stochastic process and how it relates to uncertainty representation, management, and the role of prognostics in decision-making. A distinction between the interpretations of estimated remaining useful life probability density function and the true remaining useful life probability density function is explained and a cautionary argument is provided against mixing interpretations for the two while considering prognostics in making critical decisions.

Transition Plan For the Technology Demonstration of the Joint Network Defence and Management System (JNDMS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-01

Technology Demonstration of the Joint Network Defence and Management System (JNDMS) Brett Trask; Novembre 2009. Dès le départ, nous avons mis au point le... 13 5.1 System Specification... 13 5.1.1 Scope ............................................................................................................. 13 5.2 Security

The Glasgow Prognostic Score, an inflammation based prognostic score, predicts survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Elevated Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) has been related to poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing surgical resection or receiving sorafenib. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of GPS in patients with various stages of the disease and with different liver functional status. Methods One hundred and fifty patients with newly diagnosed HCC were prospectively evaluated. Patients were divided according to their GPS scores. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify clinicopathological variables associated with overall survival; the identified variables were then compared with those of other validated staging systems. Results Elevated GPS were associated with increased asparate aminotransferase (P<0.0001), total bilirubin (P<0.0001), decreased albumin (P<0.0001), α-fetoprotein (P=0.008), larger tumor diameter (P=0.003), tumor number (P=0.041), vascular invasion (P=0.0002), extra hepatic metastasis (P=0.02), higher Child-Pugh scores (P<0.0001), and higher Cancer Liver Italian Program scores (P<0.0001). On multivariate analysis, the elevated GPS was independently associated with worse overall survival. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that the GPS can serve as an independent marker of poor prognosis in patients with HCC in various stages of disease and different liver functional status. PMID:23374755

New prognostic model for extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma, nasal type.

PubMed

Cai, Qingqing; Luo, Xiaolin; Zhang, Guanrong; Huang, Huiqiang; Huang, Hui; Lin, Tongyu; Jiang, Wenqi; Xia, Zhongjun; Young, Ken H

2014-09-01

Extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL) is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis, requiring risk stratification in affected patients. We designed a new prognostic model specifically for ENKTL to identify high-risk patients who need more aggressive therapy. We retrospectively reviewed 158 patients who were newly diagnosed with ENKTL. The estimated 5-year overall survival rate was 39.4 %. Independent prognostic factors included total protein (TP) <60 g/L, fasting blood glucose (FBG) >100 mg/dL, and Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) score ≥2. We constructed a new prognostic model by combining these prognostic factors: group 1 (64 cases (41.0 %)), no adverse factors; group 2 (58 cases (37.2 %)), one adverse factor; and group 3 (34 cases (21.8 %)), two or three adverse factors. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of these groups were 66.7, 23.0, and 5.9 %, respectively (p < 0.001). Our new prognostic model had a better prognostic value than did the KPI model alone (p < 0.001). Our proposed prognostic model for ENKTL, including the newly identified prognostic indicators, TP and FBG, demonstrated a balanced distribution of patients into different risk groups with better prognostic discrimination compared with the KPI model alone.

Development of the joint munitions planning system - a planning tool for the ammunition community.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hummel, J. R.; Winiecki, A. L.; Fowler, R. S.

2004-10-01

The United States Army Joint Munitions Command (JMC) is the executive agent for the Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition (SMCA). As such the JMC is responsible for the storage and transportation of all Service's SMCA as well as non-SMCA munitions. Part of the JMC mission requires that complex depot capacity studies, transportation capabilities analyses, peacetime re-allocations/ redistribution plans and time-phased deployment distribution plans be developed. Beginning in 1999 the Joint Munitions Planning System (JMPS) was developed to provide sourcing and movement solutions of ammunition for military planners.

Prognostic factors in patients with spinal metastasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Luksanapruksa, Panya; Buchowski, Jacob M; Hotchkiss, William; Tongsai, Sasima; Wilartratsami, Sirichai; Chotivichit, Areesak

2017-05-01

neurologic deficit before surgery, non-ambulatory status before radiotherapy (RT), non-ambulatory status before surgery, presence of bone metastases, presence of multiple bone metastases (>2 sites), presence of multiple spinal metastases (>3 sites), development of motor deficit in <7 days before initiating RT, development of motor deficit in <14 days before initiating RT, time interval from cancer diagnosis to RT <15 months, Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) 10-40, KPS 50-70, KPS<70, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) grade 3-4, male gender, presence of visceral metastases, moderate growth tumor on Tomita score (TS) classification, and rapid growth tumor on TS classification. Seventeen independent poor prognostic factors were identified in this study. These can be categorized into cancer-specific and nonspecific prognostic factors. A tumor-based prognostic scoring system that combines all specific and general factors may enhance the accuracy of survival prediction in patients with metastatic spine disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early Prognostication Markers in Cardiac Arrest Patients Treated with Hypothermia

PubMed Central

Karapetkova, Maria; Koenig, Matthew A.; Jia, Xiaofeng

2015-01-01

Background and purpose Established prognostication markers, such as clinical findings, electroencephalography (EEG), and biochemical markers, used by clinicians to predict neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest (CA) are altered under therapeutic hypothermia (TH) conditions and their validity remains uncertain. Methods MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for evidence on the current standards for neurologic outcome prediction for out-of-hospital CA patients treated with TH and the validity of a wide range of prognostication markers. Relevant studies that suggested one or several established biomarkers, and multimodal approaches for prognostication were included and reviewed. Results While the prognostic accuracy of various tests has been questioned after TH, pupillary light reflexes and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) are still strongly associated with negative outcome for early prognostication. Increasingly, EEG background activity has also been identified as a valid predictor for outcome after 72 hours after CA and a preferred prognostic method in clinical settings. Neuroimaging techniques, such as MRI and CT, can identify functional and structural brain injury, but are not readily available at the patient’s bedside because of limited availability and high costs. Conclusions A multimodal algorithm composed of neurological examination, EEG-based quantitative testing, and SSEP, in conjunction with newer MRI sequences, if available, holds promise for accurate prognostication in CA patients treated with TH. In order to avoid premature withdrawal of care, prognostication should be performed later than 72 hours after CA. PMID:26228521

Early prognostication markers in cardiac arrest patients treated with hypothermia.

PubMed

Karapetkova, M; Koenig, M A; Jia, X

2016-03-01

Established prognostication markers, such as clinical findings, electroencephalography (EEG) and biochemical markers, used by clinicians to predict neurological outcome after cardiac arrest (CA) are altered under therapeutic hypothermia (TH) conditions and their validity remains uncertain. MEDLINE and Embase were searched for evidence on the current standards for neurological outcome prediction for out-of-hospital CA patients treated with TH and the validity of a wide range of prognostication markers. Relevant studies that suggested one or several established biomarkers and multimodal approaches for prognostication are included and reviewed. Whilst the prognostic accuracy of various tests after TH has been questioned, pupillary light reflexes and somatosensory evoked potentials are still strongly associated with negative outcome for early prognostication. Increasingly, EEG background activity has also been identified as a valid predictor for outcome after 72 h after CA and a preferred prognostic method in clinical settings. Neuroimaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, can identify functional and structural brain injury but are not readily available at the patient's bedside because of limited availability and high costs. A multimodal algorithm composed of neurological examination, EEG-based quantitative testing and somatosensory evoked potentials, in conjunction with newer magnetic resonance imaging sequences, if available, holds promise for accurate prognostication in CA patients treated with TH. In order to avoid premature withdrawal of care, prognostication should be performed more than 72 h after CA. © 2015 EAN.

Topical versus systemic diclofenac in the treatment of temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction symptoms.

PubMed

Di Rienzo Businco, L; Di Rienzo Businco, A; D'Emilia, M; Lauriello, M; Coen Tirelli, G

2004-10-01

spontaneously. Our results demonstrate that topically applied diclofenac and oral diclofenac are equally effective in the treatment of temporomandibular joint dysfunction symptoms. Topical diclofenac has the advantage that it does not have adverse systemic effects, whereas oral diclofenac had untoward effects on the gastric apparatus. The efficacy of diclofenac topically applied on the temporomandibular joint region observed in group B is explained by the association of diclofenac with dimethyl-sulfoxide, which enables a rapid effective penetration into the joint tissues. It is noteworthy that dimethyl-sulfoxide favours transuctaneous absorption when used in a multi-dose regime as in our study with 4 doses a day. Thus, single, "as required", applications should be avoided because this practice results in scarce absorption of diclofenac.

Comparison of joint space versus task force load distribution optimization for a multiarm manipulator system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soloway, Donald I.; Alberts, Thomas E.

1989-01-01

It is often proposed that the redundancy in choosing a force distribution for multiple arms grasping a single object should be handled by minimizing a quadratic performance index. The performance index may be formulated in terms of joint torques or in terms of the Cartesian space force/torque applied to the body by the grippers. The former seeks to minimize power consumption while the latter minimizes body stresses. Because the cost functions are related to each other by a joint angle dependent transformation on the weight matrix, it might be argued that either method tends to reduce power consumption, but clearly the joint space minimization is optimal. A comparison of these two options is presented with consideration given to computational cost and power consumption. Simulation results using a two arm robot system are presented to show the savings realized by employing the joint space optimization. These savings are offset by additional complexity, computation time and in some cases processor power consumption.

Hypermobile joints

MedlinePlus

... Hypermobility syndrome Images Hypermobile joints References Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW. Musculoskeletal system. In: Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW, eds. ...

Installation and performance evaluation of the wabocrete FMV joint system for bridge decks.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-01-01

A Wabocrete FMV bridge deck expansion joint system was installed on the Alternate Rte. 58 bridge over the Clinch River in November 1986. The bridge was placed in service in mid-1987. The report concerns an installation and performance evaluation of t...

The prognostic significance of the 2014 International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grading system for prostate cancer.

PubMed

Samaratunga, Hemamali; Delahunt, Brett; Gianduzzo, Troy; Coughlin, Geoff; Duffy, David; LeFevre, Ian; Johannsen, Shulammite; Egevad, Lars; Yaxley, John

2015-10-01

The 2005 International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) modified Gleason grading system was further amended in 2014 with the establishment of grade groupings (ISUP grading). This study examined the predictive value of ISUP grading, comparing results with recognised prognostic parameters.Of 3700 men undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) reported at Aquesta Pathology between 2008 and 2013, 2079 also had a positive needle biopsy available for review. We examined the association between needle biopsy 2014 ISUP grade and 2005 modified Gleason score, tumour volume, pathological stage of the subsequent RP tumour, as well as biochemical recurrence-free survival (BRFS). The median age was 62 (range 32-79 years). Median serum prostate specific antigen was 5.9 (range 0.4-69 ng/mL). For needle biopsies, 280 (13.5%), 1031 (49.6%), 366 (17.6%), 77 (3.7%) and 325 (15.6%) were 2014 ISUP grades 1-5, respectively. Needle biopsy 2014 ISUP grade showed a significant association with RP tumour volume (p < 0.001), TNM pT and N stage (p < 0.001) and BRFS (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazards regression model showed serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) at the time of diagnosis and ISUP grade >2 to be significantly associated with BRFS.This study provides evidence of the prognostic significance of ISUP grading for thin core needle biopsy of prostate.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Models for Generator Step-Up Transformers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vivek Agarwal; Nancy J. Lybeck; Binh T. Pham

In 2014, the online monitoring (OLM) of active components project under the Light Water Reactor Sustainability program at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) focused on diagnostic and prognostic capabilities for generator step-up transformers. INL worked with subject matter experts from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to augment and revise the GSU fault signatures previously implemented in the Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI’s) Fleet-Wide Prognostic and Health Management (FW-PHM) Suite software. Two prognostic models were identified and implemented for GSUs in the FW-PHM Suite software. INL and EPRI demonstrated the use of prognostic capabilities for GSUs. The complete set of faultmore » signatures developed for GSUs in the Asset Fault Signature Database of the FW-PHM Suite for GSUs is presented in this report. Two prognostic models are described for paper insulation: the Chendong model for degree of polymerization, and an IEEE model that uses a loading profile to calculates life consumption based on hot spot winding temperatures. Both models are life consumption models, which are examples of type II prognostic models. Use of the models in the FW-PHM Suite was successfully demonstrated at the 2014 August Utility Working Group Meeting, Idaho Falls, Idaho, to representatives from different utilities, EPRI, and the Halden Research Project.« less

Joint nonlinearity effects in the design of a flexible truss structure control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mercadal, Mathieu

1986-01-01

Nonlinear effects are introduced in the dynamics of large space truss structures by the connecting joints which are designed with rather important tolerances to facilitate the assembly of the structures in space. The purpose was to develop means to investigate the nonlinear dynamics of the structures, particularly the limit cycles that might occur when active control is applied to the structures. An analytical method was sought and derived to predict the occurrence of limit cycles and to determine their stability. This method is mainly based on the quasi-linearization of every joint using describing functions. This approach was proven successful when simple dynamical systems were tested. Its applicability to larger systems depends on the amount of computations it requires, and estimates of the computational task tend to indicate that the number of individual sources of nonlinearity should be limited. Alternate analytical approaches, which do not account for every single nonlinearity, or the simulation of a simplified model of the dynamical system should, therefore, be investigated to determine a more effective way to predict limit cycles in large dynamical systems with an important number of distributed nonlinearities.

[PROGNOSTIC MODELS IN MODERN MANAGEMENT OF VULVAR CANCER].

PubMed

Tsvetkov, Ch; Gorchev, G; Tomov, S; Nikolova, M; Genchev, G

2016-01-01

The aim of the research was to evaluate and analyse prognosis and prognostic factors in patients with squamous cell vulvar carcinoma after primary surgery with individual approach applied during the course of treatment. In the period between January 2000 and July 2010, 113 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva were diagnosed and operated on at Gynecologic Oncology Clinic of Medical University, Pleven. All the patients were monitored at the same clinic. Individual approach was applied to each patient and whenever it was possible, more conservative operative techniques were applied. The probable clinicopathological characteristics influencing the overall survival and recurrence free survival were analyzed. Univariate statistical analysis and Cox regression analysis were made in order to evaluate the characteristics, which were statistically significant for overall survival and survival without recurrence. A multivariate logistic regression analysis (Forward Wald procedure) was applied to evaluate the combined influence of the significant factors. While performing the multivariate analysis, the synergic effect of the independent prognostic factors of both kinds of survivals was also evaluated. Approaching individually each patient, we applied the following operative techniques: 1. Deep total radical vulvectomy with separate incisions for lymph dissection (LD) or without dissection--68 (60.18 %) patients. 2. En-bloc vulvectomy with bilateral LD without vulva reconstruction--10 (8.85%) 3. Modified radical vulvactomy (hemivulvectomy, patial vulvactomy)--25 (22.02%). 4. wide-local excision--3 (2.65%). 5. Simple (total /partial) vulvectomy--5 (4.43%) patients. 6. En-bloc resection with reconstruction--2 (1.77%) After a thorough analysis of the overall survival and recurrence free survival, we made the conclusion that the relapse occurrence and clinical stage of FIGO were independent prognostic factors for overall survival and the independent prognostic factors