Mistras Group (United States)

Abstract Hard spots in pipelines are defects that originate during the pipe manufacturing process. These are areas of elevated hardness relative to the bulk material and are susceptible to cracking; thereby posing a threat to pipeline integrity. A metallurgical examination of three X52 pipe cutouts was conducted. Per information provided by the operator, the pipe had been installed in 1957 and contained several features suspected to be hard spots, which had been detected during ILI runs. Two of the cutouts also contained longitudinal cracks. Metallurgical evaluation concluded that the observed cracks resulted from near-neutral pH stress corrosion cracking. The cracks initiated within these hard spots, propagated along a predominantly transgranular path, exhibited a distinct thumbnail shape, and were covered with a dark iron oxide film. The hard spots likely formed due to rapid cooling from the AC3 temperature (~1340°F) during the pipe manufacturing process. The microstructure within the hard spots consisted of either fully transformed martensite or a mixture of martensite and pro-eutectoid/primary ferrite. The bulk microstructure of the pipe consisted of ferrite and pearlite. The tensile properties and the chemical composition of the pipe complied with the requirements per API 5LX Grade X52.

Exergames can be an appealing strategy that is integrated into post-abdominal surgery rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of exergame rehabilitation in improving independence in activities of daily living (ADLs) and patient balance after abdominal cancer surgery. A randomized control-group study was carried out in an oncological hospital in Portugal. Seventy postoperative patients were included, and data collection took place between January 2023 and May 2023. The patients were randomly assigned to either an exergame rehabilitation program (n = 35) or a traditional rehabilitation program (n = 35). The assessed outcomes were the Barthel and Berg scales, and data collection occurred at 3 different time points: admission, 48 hours postoperatively, and on the seventh day after surgery. At the third assessment, a statistically significant difference was observed between the 2 groups for both indicators, ADLs and balance. There was an improvement in ADLs and balance in the exergames group. By the seventh day after surgery, the intervention group showed improvement in balance and ADLs compared with the control group. The use of exergames can be a solution to the challenges of traditional rehabilitation methods after abdominal surgery for cancer for postoperative patients. This is the first study carried out in this specific population.

2581 Background: Splicing dysregulation is a major hallmark of cancer, affecting tumor progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Aberrant alternative splicing plays a critical role in generating tumor-specific neoantigens targetable through an arsenal of immunotherapeutic modalities. Such neoantigens cannot be discovered using conventional DNA-based tools; they require specialized software for alternative splicing analysis using RNA-seq data. Methods: Envisagenics has developed SpliceIO, a proprietary software platform for splicing-derived neoantigen discovery. SpliceIO uses RNA-seq data to uncover extracellular neoantigens encoded by transmembrane proteins or presented to immune cells through the MHC complex. This predictive ensemble maximizes the value of RNA-seq data to predict fundamental aspects of neoantigen activity, such as their protein localization, MHC binding affinity, epitope accessibility and cancer pathway relevance. Here, we summarize the discovery and validation of novel splicing-derived neoantigens identified using SpliceIO in acute myeloid leukemia and colorectal cancer. Results: We analyzed >10,000 RNA-seq samples from the four tumor types and controls derived from 32 normal tissues. To maximize the prevalence of neoantigen target candidates in patient subpopulations, RNA-seq samples were pre-stratified using SpliceSlice, a proprietary software for spliceosomal profiling. As a result, patients sharing common spliceosome alterations were grouped into 11 coherent subsets that are distinct from normal tissue. Using this approach, we have discovered several promising candidates that we prioritized for experimental validations. SpliceIO target candidates were validated experimentally in cancer cell lines and primary tumor tissues to confirm RNA expression, translation, and membrane localization. Additionally, we performed proteomics to evaluate the presence of neopeptides generated from the unique splicing events. Using this approach, we have discovered and validated several tumor specific splicing derived neoantigens that are also recurrent in >15 % of the population. Conclusions: Together, our results strongly support the role of aberrant splicing as a major source of tumor-specific neoantigens. Our combined computational and experimental approach promotes novel target discovery, enabling the development of novel immunotherapeutics for cancer treatment.

Abstract This article discusses pressure vessels, piping, and associated pressure-boundary items of the types used in nuclear and conventional power plants, refineries, and chemical-processing plants. It begins by explaining the necessity of conducting a failure analysis, followed by the objectives of a failure analysis. Then, the article discusses the processes involved in failure analysis, including codes and standards. Next, fabrication flaws that can develop into failures of in-service pressure vessels and piping are covered. This is followed by sections discussing in-service mechanical and metallurgical failures, environment-assisted cracking failures, and other damage mechanisms that induce cracking failures. Finally, the article provides information on inspection practices.

The recent mobile technology advancements, such as the development of applications (apps) for mobile phones and tablets, can assist in the development of low-cost platforms to monitor therapeutic adherence or complications, providing easily accessible information or guidelines in self-care focused on the care recipient. The aim of this study was to gather scientific evidence about the efficacy of the use of mobile apps during chemotherapy treatments. A systematic review of quantitative studies was performed. All articles published until May 31, 2019 were identified in databases MEDLINE, CINAHL Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and Cochrane Library. A total of 10 quantitative studies were included. A set of metrics was identified that essentially analyze issues related to the devices' functionalities. The metrics associated with engagement and related to behavioral dimensions, associated with the use of/adherence to the mobile app, are predominant. The clinical metrics represent 25 of a total of 53 identified metrics. Beneficial and statistically significant results were identified related to fatigue, self-efficacy, and improvements in reports of complications. Based on the available research, mobile apps are likely to be a useful and acceptable tool to monitor interventions and complications. In addition, mobile apps can help in the self-management of treatment-related complications. Importantly, these apps need to bridge the academic context and clinical practice, by evaluating the impact of the use of mobile apps in patients. The concept of prescribing apps is being addressed to ensure that apps work and have fair privacy and data security policies that address safety requirements.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (DOT) undertook a field study to evaluate its overall structural inspection programs for overhead sign supports (including those mounted on bridges), high-mast light supports, and traffic signal supports. This paper describes the Ohio DOT’s current support inspection program, the field study performed, and the recommendations that resulted from the field study. This research evaluated the adequacy and frequency of the current structural support inspection program for the studied supports. To assess the current program, a detailed, hands-on inspection was conducted on 202 supports. The results were then compared with the Ohio DOT’s current ground-based, visual inspection process. The hands-on inspection process found almost 87% more deficiencies; some deficiencies detected during the hands-on inspections could not have been observed from the ground. In addition, the different inspection procedures used by each district often produced inspection reports that varied in the amount of information and level of details collected during inspection. Recommendations were made to address the inventory process and inspection procedures for each type of support. A long-term goal should be to establish the current structural adequacy of every support in the Ohio DOT’s inventory at the time of inspection.

This paper presents an approach based on an acoustic emission technique for the health monitoring of steel–concrete (SC) composite shear walls. SC composite walls consist of plain (unreinforced) concrete sandwiched between steel faceplates. Although the use of SC system construction has been studied extensively for nearly 20 years, little-to-no attention has been devoted to the development of structural health monitoring techniques for the inspection of damage of the concrete behind the steel plates. In this work an unsupervised pattern recognition algorithm based on probability theory is proposed to assess the soundness of the concrete infill, and eventually provide a diagnosis of the SC wall’s health. The approach is validated through an experimental study on a large-scale SC shear wall subjected to a displacement controlled reversed cyclic loading.