Health Monitoring of Pipeline Systems using Macro-fiber Composite Active-Sensors

Andrew B. Thien,Gyuhae Park,Charles R. Farrar 한국강구조학회 2007 International Journal of Steel Structures Vol.7 No.1

The objective of this research is to demonstrate the benefits and feasibility of a structural health monitoring (SHM) systemfor the sensor array. Because MFC patches are flexible and resilient, they can be permanently mounted to the curved surfaceof a pipeline’s main body. The presented Lamb wave methods using MFC transducers as sensors and actuators demonstratethe ability to correctly identify and locate the presence of damage in the main body of the pipeline system, including cracksand corrosion. By implementing a SHM system with pipelines, their structural integrity can be continuously monitored,

Separate and Joint Associations of Shift Work and Sleep Quality with Lipids

Charles, Luenda E.,Gu, Ja K.,Tinney-Zara, Cathy A.,Fekedulegn, Desta,Ma, Claudia C.,Baughman, Penelope,Hartley, Tara A.,Andrew, Michael E.,Violanti, John M.,Burchfiel, Cecil M. Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2016 Safety and health at work Vol.7 No.2

Background: Shift work and/or sleep quality may affect health. We investigated whether shift work and sleep quality, separately and jointly, were associated with abnormal levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), and low-and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in 360 police officers (27.5% women). Methods: Triglycerides, TC, and high-density lipoprotein were analyzed on the Abbott Architect; low-density lipoprotein was calculated. Shift work was assessed using City of Buffalo payroll work history records. Sleep quality (good, ${\leq}5$; intermediate, 6-8; poor, ${\geq}9$) was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire. A shift work + sleep quality variable was created: day plus good sleep; day plus poor sleep; afternoon/night plus good; and poor sleep quality. Mean values of lipid biomarkers were compared across categories of the exposures using analysis of variance/analysis of covariance. Results: Shift work was not significantly associated with lipids. However, as sleep quality worsened, mean levels of triglycerides and TC gradually increased but only among female officers (age- and race-adjusted p = 0.013 and 0.030, respectively). Age significantly modified the association between sleep quality and TC. Among officers ${\geq}40$ years old, those reporting poor sleep quality had a significantly higher mean level of TC ($202.9{\pm}3.7mg/dL$) compared with those reporting good sleep quality ($190.6{\pm}4.0mg/dL$) (gender- and race-adjusted p = 0.010). Female officers who worked the day shift and also reported good sleep quality had the lowest mean level of TC compared with women in the other three categories (p = 0.014). Conclusion: Sleep quality and its combined influence with shift work may play a role in the alteration of some lipid measures.

Biotic and spatial factors potentially explain the susceptibility of forests to direct hurricane damage

김대현,Andrew C. Millington,Charles W. Lafon 한국생태학회 2019 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.43 No.4

Background: Ecologists continue to investigate the factors that potentially affect the pattern and magnitude of tree damage during catastrophic windstorms in forests. However, there still is a paucity of research on which trees are more vulnerable to direct damage by winds rather than being knocked down by the fall of another tree. We evaluated this question in a mixed hardwood–softwood forest within the Big Thicket National Preserve (BTNP) of southeast Texas, USA, which was substantially impacted by Hurricane Rita in September 2005. Results: We showed that multiple factors, including tree height, shade-tolerance, height-to-diameter ratio, and neighborhood density (i.e., pre-Rita stem distribution) significantly explained the susceptibility of trees to direct storm damage. We also found that no single factor had pervasive importance over the others and, instead, that all factors were tightly intertwined in a complex way, such that they often complemented each other, and that they contributed simultaneously to the overall susceptibility to and patterns of windstorm damage in the BTNP. Conclusions: Directly damaged trees greatly influence the forest by causing secondary damage to other trees. We propose that directly and indirectly damaged (or susceptible) trees should be considered separately when assessing or predicting the impact of windstorms on a forest ecosystem; to better predict the pathways of community structure reorganization and guide forest management and conservation practices. Forest managers are recommended to adopt a holistic view that considers and combines various components of the forest ecosystem when establishing strategies for mitigating the impact of catastrophic winds.

A HYBRID MULTILEVEL/GENETIC APPROACH FOR CIRCUIT PARTITIONING

Alpert, Charles J.,Hagen, Lars W.,Kahng, Andrew B. 대한전자공학회 1996 APCCAS:Asia Pacific Conference on Circuits And Sys Vol.1 No.1

We present a multilevel/genetic circuit partitioning algorithm that utilizes the Metis graph partitioning package 13, which had been previously applied to finite-element graphs. Our new technique produces better results than Metis alone, and also produces bipartitionings that are competitive with the recent methods of [17], [16] and [6] while using less CPU time.

Separate and Joint Associations of Shift Work and Sleep Quality with Lipids

Luenda E Charles,Ja K. Gu,Cathy A. Tinney-Zara,Desta Fekedulegn,Claudia C. Ma,Penelope Baughman,Tara A. Hartley,Michael E. Andrew,John M. Violanti,Cecil M. Burchfiel 한국산업안전보건공단 산업안전보건연구원 2016 Safety and health at work Vol.7 No.2

Background: Shift work and/or sleep quality may affect health. We investigated whether shift work and sleep quality, separately and jointly, were associated with abnormal levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), and low-and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in 360 police officers (27.5% women). Methods: Triglycerides, TC, and high-density lipoprotein were analyzed on the Abbott Architect; lowdensity lipoprotein was calculated. Shift work was assessed using City of Buffalo payroll work history records. Sleep quality (good, < 5; intermediate, 6e8; poor, > 9) was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire. A shift work þ sleep quality variable was created: day plus good sleep; day plus poor sleep; afternoon/night plus good; and poor sleep quality. Mean values of lipid biomarkers were compared across categories of the exposures using analysis of variance/analysis of covariance. Results: Shift work was not significantly associated with lipids. However, as sleep quality worsened, mean levels of triglycerides and TC gradually increased but only among female officers (age- and raceadjusted p = 0.013 and 0.030, respectively). Age significantly modified the association between sleep quality and TC. Among officers > 40 years old, those reporting poor sleep quality had a significantly higher mean level of TC (202.9 ± 3.7 mg/dL) compared with those reporting good sleep quality (190.6 ± 4.0 mg/dL) (gender- and race-adjusted p = 0.010). Female officers who worked the day shift and also reported good sleep quality had the lowest mean level of TC compared with women in the other three categories (p = 0.014). Conclusion: Sleep quality and its combined influence with shift work may play a role in the alteration of some lipid measures.

Active-Sensing Lamb Wave Propagations for Damage Identification in Honeycomb Aluminum Panels

Eric B. Flynn,R. Andrew Swartz,Daniel E. Backman,Gyuhae Park,Charles R. Farrar 한국비파괴검사학회 2009 한국비파괴검사학회지 Vol.29 No.4

This paper presents a novel approach for Lamb wave based structural health monitoring(SHM) in honeycomb aluminum panels. In this study, a suite of three signal processing algorithms are employed to improve the damage detection capability. The signal processing algorithms used include wavelet attenuation, correlation coefficients of power density spectra, and triangulation of reflected waves. Piezoelectric transducers are utilized as both sensors and actuators for Lamb wave propagation. These SHM algorithms are built into a MatLab interface that integrates and automates the hardware and software operations and displays the results for each algorithm to the analyst for side by side comparison. The effectiveness of each of these signal processing algorithms for SHM in honeycomb aluminum panels under a variety of damage conditions is then demonstrated.

Associations between Psychological Distress and Body Mass Index among Law Enforcement Officers: The National Health Interview Survey 2004-2010

Gu, Ja K.,Charles, Luenda E.,Burchfiel, Cecil M.,Andrew, Michael E.,Ma, Claudia,Bang, Ki Moon,Violanti, John M. Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2013 Safety and health at work Vol.4 No.1

Objectives: To investigate the association between psychological distress and obesity among law enforcement officers (LEOs) in the United States. Methods: Self-reported data on psychological distress based on six key questions were obtained from LEOs who participated in the National Health Interview Survey (2004-2010). We used Prochaska's cut-point of a Kessler 6 score ${\geq}5$ for moderate/high mental distress in our analysis. Mean levels of body mass index (BMI) were compared across three levels of psychological distress. Results: The average age of LEOs (n = 929) was 39.3 years; 25% were female. Overall, 8.1% of LEOs had moderate or high psychological distress; 37.5% were obese (BMI ${\geq}30$). Mean BMI increased with increasing psychological distress (no distress, BMI = $27.2kg/m^2$; mild distress, $27.6kg/m^2$; and moderate/high distress, $33.1kg/m^2$; p = 0.016) after adjustment for age, race, income, and education level among female officers only. Physical activity modified the association between psychological distress and BMI but only among male LEOs (interaction p = 0.002). Among male LEOs reporting low physical activity, psychological distress was positively associated with BMI ($30.3kg/m^2$ for no distress, 30.7 for mild distress, 31.8 for moderate/high distress; p = 0.179) after adjustment, but not significantly. This association was not significant among males reporting high physical activity. Conclusion: Mean BMI significantly increased as psychological distress increased among female LEOs. A longitudinal study design may reveal the directionality of this association as well as the potential role that physical activity might play in this association.

Reports of Guillain–Barre Syndrome Following COVID-19 Vaccination in the USA: An Analysis of the VAERS Database

Julio A. Chalela,Charles Andrews,Anna Bashmakov,Niren Kapoor,Danuel Snelgrove 대한신경과학회 2023 Journal of Clinical Neurology Vol.19 No.2

Background and Purpose An association between Guillain–Barre syndrome and its variants (GBS/V) and vaccines has led to hesitancy toward vaccination. COVID-19 vaccines could theoretically provoke GBS/V via immune activation. We analyzed reports of GBS/V after COVID-19 vaccination in the vaccine adverse event reporting system (VAERS). Methods The VAERS database is a surveillance system used to report vaccination events in the USA, and is open for consumers and physicians to access. It was queried for reports of GBS/V following COVID-19 vaccination. Reports were reviewed by four neurologists. Modified diagnostic criteria were used to classify reports into definite, possible, and not GBS/V or insufficient data. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample, chi-square tests and one-way ANOVAs were used to compare intergroup differences, and t-test were used to compare group means. Results In 2021, 815 reports of GBS/V were filed. The completion rate for the variables in VAERS was 93.5%. The median age was 55 years (interquartile range [IQR]=5–86 years) and 50% of the subjects were male. The median time of onset was 10 days (IQR=0–298 days), 11% reported onset on the day of vaccination, and 13% reported onset after 6 weeks. Hospitalization was reported by 77%, with a median stay of 7 days (IQR=1–150 days). Lack of recovery, permanent disability, and death constituted 57%, 46%, and 2% of the reports, respectively. Based on GBS/V criteria, 47% of the cases were definite, 16% were possible, and 37% were not GBS/V or insufficient data. An alternate diagnosis was provided in 9% of cases. Conclusions GBS/V reports following COVID-19 vaccination were common, but many occurred outside of the expected timelines for GBS/V. Only 47% of cases represented definite GBS/V.

Shift Work and Occupational Stress in Police Officers

Ma, Claudia C.,Andrew, Michael E.,Fekedulegn, Desta,Gu, Ja K.,Hartley, Tara A.,Charles, Luenda E.,Violanti, John M.,Burchfiel, Cecil M. Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2015 Safety and health at work Vol.6 No.1

Background: Shift work has been associated with occupational stress in health providers and in those working in some industrial companies. The association is not well established in the law enforcement workforce. Our objective was to examine the association between shift work and police work-related stress. Methods: The number of stressful events that occurred in the previous month and year was obtained using the Spielberger Police Stress Survey among 365 police officers aged 27-66 years. Work hours were derived from daily payroll records. A dominant shift (day, afternoon, or night) was defined for each participant as the shift with the largest percentage of total time a participant worked (starting time from 4:00 AM to 11:59 AM, from 12 PM to 7:59 PM, and from 8:00 PM to 3:59 AM for day, afternoon, and night shift, respectively) in the previous month or year. Analysis of variance and covariance were used to examine the number of total and subscale (administrative/professional pressure, physical/psychological danger, or organizational support) stressful events across the shift. Results: During the previous month and year, officers working the afternoon and night shifts reported more stressful events than day shift officers for total stress, administrative/professional pressure, and physical/psychological danger (p < 0.05). These differences were independent of age, sex, race/ethnicity, and police rank. The frequency of these stressful events did not differ significantly between officers working the afternoon and night shifts. Conclusion: Non-day shift workers may be exposed to more stressful events in this cohort. Interventions to reduce or manage police stress that are tailored by shift may be considered.

Associations of Depressive Symptoms and Brachial Artery Reactivity among Police Officers

Violanti, John M.,Charles, Luenda E.,Gu, Ja K.,Burchfiel, Cecil M.,Andrew, Michael E.,Joseph, Parveen N.,Dorn, Joan M. Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2013 Safety and health at work Vol.4 No.1

Objectives: Mental health has been shown to be linked with certain underlying physiological mechanisms. The objective of this cross sectional study was to investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms and brachial artery reactivity (BAR) in an understudied population: police officers. Methods: Participants were 351 police officers who were clinically examined in the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Police Stress (BCOPS) study. BAR was performed using standard B-Mode ultrasound procedures. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. Mean values of the difference between the baseline and maximum diameters of the brachial artery were determined across three categories of CES-D score using the analysis of variance and the analysis of covariance. p-values for linear trends were obtained from linear regression models. Results: The mean age (${\pm}$ standard deviation) of all officers was $40.9{\pm}7.2$ years. Women had a slightly higher mean CES-D score than men ($8.9{\pm}8.9$ vs. $7.4{\pm}6.4$) and a slightly higher percentage increase of BAR than men (6.90 vs. 5.26%). Smoking status significantly modified the associations between depressive symptoms and BAR. Among current smokers, mean absolute values of BAR significantly decreased as depressive symptoms increased after adjustment for age, gender, race/ethnicity, hypertension, and diabetes; the multivariate-adjusted p-values were 0.033 (absolute) and 0.040 (%). Associations between depressive symptoms and BAR were not statistically significant among former smokers or never smokers. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms were inversely associated with BAR among police officers who were current smokers and together may be considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease among police officers. Further prospective research is warranted.