Bottle Neck Research Articles

THE CLOCK IS TICKING! REDUCING DELAYS TO TREATMENT IMPLEMENTATION

TYPE: Late Breaking Abstract TOPIC: Lung Cancer PURPOSE: Scientific literature supports that delays in treatment decisions have a negative impact on outcomes for patients with lung cancer. To reach clinical and/or pathological diagnosis and treatment, patients often go through a multi-step process with each step creating its’ own barrier to finally having a confirmed diagnosis and treatment plan initiated. Prior to implementation of a Lung Specialty Multidisciplinary Conference (MDC), patients at McLeod Health waited up to 3 months for a definitive plan of care. METHODS: To expedite clinical evaluation and treatment decisions for patients with suspicious lung nodules, McLeod Health established a telehealth-supported Multidisciplinary Conference (MDC), which allows team members to meet with the patient as a group, and discuss diagnostic findings, evidenced-based treatment options, and next steps for coordination of care. RESULTS: From January 21, 2021 to January 20, 2022, 114 lung nodule cases were reviewed at MDC resulting in: 59 patients recommended for surveillance with repeat CT scan, 26 patients recommended for additional diagnostic interventions, 8 patients recommended for radiation therapy, and 21 patients referred for surgical resection. Ultimately, 30 patients reviewed at MDC had pathologically confirmed pulmonary malignancies and/or were treated empirically with radiation. Also, Lung MDC implementation has reduced time for plan of care determination from 3 months to 2 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Established, multi-step diagnostic processes were creating bottle neck effects, causing delays in diagnosis/treatment planning for patients with suspicious lung nodules. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: By reducing process inefficiencies, multidisciplinary conferences which includes the patient, removes barriers and expedites treatment initiation. DISCLOSURE: No significant relationships. KEYWORD: Lung Nodule

Adaptive surrogates of crashworthiness models for multi-purpose engineering analyses accounting for uncertainty

Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) is a booming discipline for complex computational models based on the analysis of robustness, reliability and credibility. UQ analysis for nonlinear crash models with high dimensional outputs presents important challenges. In crashworthiness, nonlinear structural behaviours with multiple hidden modes require expensive models (18 h for a single run). Surrogate models (metamodels) allow substituting the full order model, introducing a response surface for a reduced training set of numerical experiments. Moreover, uncertain input and large number of degrees of freedom result in high dimensional problems, which derives to a bottle neck that blocks the computational efficiency of the metamodels. Kernel Principal Component Analysis (kPCA) is a multidimensionality reduction technique for non-linear problems, with the advantage of capturing the most relevant information from the response and improving the efficiency of the metamodel. Aiming to compute the minimum number of samples with the full order model. The proposed methodology is tested with a practical industrial problem that arises from the automotive industry.

Electro-spraying/spinning: A novel battery manufacturing technology

Lithium-ion battery (LIB) industry seems to have met its bottle neck in cutting down producing costs even though much efforts have been put into building a complete industrial chain. Actually, manufacturing methods can greatly affect the cost of battery production. Up to now, lithium ion battery producers still adopt manufacturing methods with cumbersome sub-components preparing processes and costly assembling procedures, which will undoubtedly elevate the producing cost. Herein, we propose a novel approach to directly assemble battery components (cathode, anode and separator) in an integrated way using electro-spraying and electro-spinning technologies. More importantly, this novel battery manufacturing method can produce LIBs in large scale, and the products show excellent mechanical strength, flexibility, thermal stability and electrolyte wettability. Additionally, the performance of the as-prepaed LiFePO4||graphite full cell produced by this new method is comparable or even better than that produced by conventional manufacturing approach. In brief, this work provides a new promising technology to prepare LIBs with low cost and better performance.

MIMO architecture for fast convergence of distributed online optimization in smart grids

This paper proposes an architectural solution to enhance the resilience of distributed decision-making and control in microgrids and smart grids with respect to communication delays. The paper develops a resource allocation framework to optimally place the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication technology on critical channels to reduce the communication bottle neck and expedite the convergence speed of distributed online optimization algorithms, which require convergence in the cyber network before the solution can be implemented on the physical grid. The paper shows that optimal placement of the MIMO technology can decrease communication transmission delays, which in turn improves the reliability of power system operational protocols, such as distributed frequency regulation. Illustrative case studies using data from real-world power systems show that only upgrading the critical communication channels is sufficient to achieve system-wide performance improvement.

Genetic Diversity in Nitrogen Fertiliser Responses and N Gas Emission in Modern Wheat.

Crops assimilate nitrogen (N) as ammonium via the glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase (GS/GOGAT) pathway which is of central importance for N uptake and potentially represents a bottle neck for N fertiliser-use efficiency. The aim of this study was to assess whether genetic diversity for N-assimilation capacity exists in wheat and could be exploited for breeding. Wheat plants rapidly, within 6 h, responded to N application with an increase in GS activity. This was not accompanied by an increase in GS gene transcript abundance and a comparison of GS1 and GS2 protein models revealed a high degree of sequence conservation. N responsiveness amongst ten wheat varieties was assessed by measuring GS enzyme activity, leaf tissue ammonium, and by a leaf-disc assay as a proxy for apoplastic ammonia. Based on these data, a high-GS group showing an overall positive response to N could be distinguished from an inefficient, low-GS group. Subsequent gas emission measurements confirmed plant ammonia emission in response to N application and also revealed emission of N2O when N was provided as nitrate, which is in agreement with our current understanding that N2O is a by-product of nitrate reduction. Taken together, the data suggest that there is scope for improving N assimilation capacity in wheat and that further investigations into the regulation and role of GS-GOGAT in NH3 emission is justified. Likewise, emission of the climate gas N2O needs to be reduced, and future research should focus on assessing the nitrate reductase pathway in wheat and explore fertiliser management options.

Crack Propagation on the Surface of the Bottleneck of a Pressure Vessel Considering the Initial Crack Angle

In order to solve the impact on the accuracy of a life prediction model when the initial crack angle of the curved surface is not 0°, the traditional stress intensity factor model is revised by the non-linear regression analysis method, and an optimized crack growth model is established. This paper takes the surface of the bottle neck of the pressure vessel as the research object, and uses the finite element method to establish a simulation model with an initial crack angle of not 0°. By analyzing the stress intensity factors of different starting angles, the relationship between the correction factor F and the pressure vessel wall thickness h, the radius of curvature R of the joint surface between the bottle neck and the bottle body, the initial crack length L and the initial angle α are calculated. The modified stress intensity factor is used to optimize the crack growth model of the pressure vessel. The experiment proves that the accuracy of the pressure vessel life prediction model is improved.

Systematic identification of the interventional mechanism of Qingfei Xiaoyan Wan (QFXYW) in treatment of the cytokine storm in acute lung injury using transcriptomics-based system pharmacological analyses

Context Acute lung injury (ALI) is a complex, severe inflammation disease with high mortality, and there is no specific and effective treatment for ALI. Qingfei Xiaoyan Wan (QFXYW) has been widely used to treat lung-related diseases for centuries. Objective This study evaluates the potential effects and elucidates the therapeutic mechanism of QFXYW against LPS induced ALI in mice. Materials and methods BALB/c Mice in each group were first orally administered medicines (0.9% saline solution for the control group, 0.5 mg/kg Dexamethasone, or 1.3, 2.6, 5.2 g/kg QFXYW), after 4 h, the groups were injected LPS (1.0 mg/kg) to induce ALI, then the same medicines were administered repeatedly. The transcriptomics-based system pharmacological analyses were applied to screen the hub genes, RT-PCR, ELISA, and protein array assay was applied to verify the predicted hub genes and key pathways. Results QFXYW significantly decreased the number of leukocytes from (6.34 ± 0.51) × 105/mL to (4.01 ± 0.11) × 105/mL, accompanied by the neutrophil from (1.41 ± 0.19) × 105/mL to (0.77 ± 0.10) × 105/mL in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Based on Degree of node connection (Degree) and BottleNeck (BN), important parameters of network topology, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network screened hub genes, including IL-6, TNF-α, CCL2, TLR2, CXCL1, and MMP-9. The results of RT-PCR, ELISA, and protein chip assay revealed that QFXYW could effectively inhibit ALI via multiple key targets and the cytokine-cytokine signalling pathway. Conclusions This study showed that QFXYW decreased the number of leukocytes and neutrophils by attenuating inflammatory response, which provides an important basis for the use of QFXYW in the treatment of ALI.

Champagne bottle neck sign with Moyamoya disease.

Champagne bottle neck sign with Moyamoya disease.

Analysis of Sediment in Goronyo Dam, Sokoto, Nigeria

Reservoir sedimentation has been a global bottle neck in maintaining the design storage capacity of reservoirs. Reservoir sedimentation leads to the reduction of the original capacity which affects irrigation, hydropower, flood control, drinking water supply and recreational activities. Introduction of mechanized farming without due regard to the nature of the environment is aggravating the erosion and sediment problem. This study has discussed and analyzed the most important parameters (bulk density, sediment volume, sediment mass, trap efficiency, sediment yield etc) for 31 years (1984 -2015) using Empirical Method and Goronyo Dam Stage Capacity Curve. The Mean bulk density (dBD) was gotten as 0.97gcm3, Sediment Volume (SV) as 26,179,302m3 , Sediment Mass (SM) as 25,393,922.94 tones, average annual sedimentation as 819,158.81ty-1 , Trap Efficiency (TE) as 90.2%, Sediment Yield (SY) as 908,158.00 ty-1, Specific Sediment Yield (SSY) as 42.35𝑡𝑘𝑚−2𝑦−1, The loss of storage (26,179,302m3)

Efficient production of lysine from genetically modified Corynebacterium glutamicum by feedback inhibition resistant strain

Lysine is an essential amino acid required for the synthesis of proteins. Lysine deficiency leads to numerous irreversible damages to the brain and other body organs. It plays a vital role in the treatment of osteoporosis and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). Lysine is commonly produced through fermentation. However, its efficient production is still a bottle neck. The wild strains of microorganisms are unable to produce sufficient amino acid. The current study was designed to enhance the lysine production through feedback inhibition resistant strains. N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG) was utilized to mutate the Corynebacterium glutamicum strain B391 to increase the production of Lysine. C. glutamicum was used as fermenting agent and cultivated in molasses-based media. S-β-aminoethyl-L-cysteine (AEC) lysine analogue resistant mutants were selected. It was observed that 30 g/L and 55 g/L of lysine were produced by the parent and mutant strains, respectively. The increase in lysine production was observed with 10% of sugar concentration in 100 mL of molasses media (6.5 pH, and temperature 30°C) with inoculum size of 8%. Furthermore, two different molasses media with different ingredients (termed M1 and M2) were used for the lysine production. The lysine production M-2 was observed more prominent.

A Multi-Bit Non-Volatile Compute-in-Memory Architecture with Quantum-Dot Transistor Based Unit

The recent advance of artificial intelligence (AI) has shown remarkable success for numerous tasks, such as cloud computing, deep-learning, neural network and so on. Most of those applications rely on fast computation and large storage, which brings various challenges to the hardware platform. The hardware performance is the bottle neck to break through and therefore, there is a lot of interest in exploring new solutions for computation architecture in recent years. Compute-in-memory (CIM) has drawn attention to the researchers and it is considered as one of the most promising candidates to solve the above challenges. Computing-In-memory is an emerging technique to fulfill the fast-growing demand for high-performance data processing. This technique offers fast processing, low power and high performance by blurring the boundary between processing cores and memory units. One key aspect of CIM is performing matrix-vector multiplication (MVM) or dot product operation through intertwining of processing and memory elements. As the primary computational kernel in neural networks, dot product operation is targeted to be improved in terms of its performance. In this paper, we present the design, implementation and analysis of quantum-dot transistor (QDT) based CIM, from the multi-bit multiplier to the dot product unit, and then the in-memory computing array.

The effect of adding impurities to the high density fuel matrix on the reactivity of the RSG-GAS core

The safety calculation of the RSG-GAS reactor core needs to be done if new high-density fuel is used in the RSG-GAS core. The use of new high-density fuels is very much needed in the RSG-GAS core so that it is necessary to calculate its safety. When using high density fuel there will be a “bottle neck” effect where there is a problem with the fuel and cladding interaction. According to previous researchers this can be overcome by adding metal elements Si, Ni or Ti to fuel. However, with the addition of metal elements Si, Ni or Ti to the fuel, it needs to be analyzed in the RSG-GAS core. The analysis was carried out calculations using a computer program by simulating the Si metal used 1%, 2%, 3% 4% and 5% in the fuel. The calculation of the additional metal element in the high-density fuel effect on the reactivity of the RSG-GAS core was carried out with the WIMSD-5B and Batan-FUEL programs. The WIMSD-5B program is a computer program consisting of several modules including the transport module which is used for the calculation of the generation of macroscopic constants for the 19.75% enriched uranium silicide fuel and the density of 4.8 gU/cc as a function of degree of burn. Core calculations were performed using a neutron diffusion program, namely Batan-FUEL. By calculating the core criticality at operating temperature, the core neutronic parameter values are obtained. The results of the analysis show that the amount of Si 5% in the high density fuel matrix can solve the bottle neck problem and the neutronic parameters are still within the safety limit. This value will determine how much the value of the fuel burn up and control rods are in accordance with the acceptance criteria so that the safety analysis can be carried out on the RSG-GAS core using high density. From the analysis, it was found that the addition of the element Si in the high-density fuel matrix did not find any significant changes in core reactivity and neutronic parameter.

Effects of salinity and food on growth and survival rate of mangrove snail (\(\textit{Nerita balteata}\) Reeve, 1885) at the spat larvae stage

Mangrove snail (Nerita balteata) belongs to gastropoda species distributed in the coastal intertidal and offshore islands of Quang Ninh province. Although the artificial seeds production of this species have been successful but still having a bottle neck as a low survival rate in the process by veliger larvae are transformed into spat larvae stage. Experiments were conducted to determine effects of salinity and food on growth rate and survival rate of mangrove snail in the stage of spat larvae in Quang Ninh province. The results showed that the optimal salinity for growth and developtment of spat larvae was 25‰ that resulted in a absoluted growth rate of 16.5 ± 2.19 µm/day and survival rate of 26.5 ± 0.57% and significantly higher compared to other treatments. The diet of benthic microalgae (Navicula sp.) combined with formulated feed (AP0 and Frippak) were most suitable for the growth and development of mangrove snail at the spat larvae stage with absoluted growth rate of 25,7 ± 1,28 µm/day; Whereas the survival rate of larvae of 32,3 ± 2,52% was significantly higher than those in the other treatments.

Research on the Improvement of Scallop Breeding Industry in Shandong Province based on the Stackelberg Model

Shandong is an important producing area of scallop in China, but its development has gradually entered the bottleneck period in recent years. According to the characteristics of scallop breeding industry, the Stackelberg expansion model is formed. After the model discussion, it is concluded that cost and knowledge spillover effect are two important factors affecting the income of scallop breeding industry. To a certain extent, industrial agglomeration is conducive to the reduction of costs and the production of knowledge spillover effects. It is necessary to improve the current situation of scallop bottle neck in Shandong Province with the help of cluster effects and promote the establishment of fishery professional cooperatives, guiding the healthy development of scallop breeding industry.

Self-conscious intelligent technological societies in the universe: a simple direct approach to probable astrosociological realistic scenarios

AbstractWe present an alternative equation to estimate the probable numberNof self-conscious intelligent technological societies (SCITSs) within the radius of the observable universe. This equation has only one poorly-known factor,Pc, the SCITS's formation probability, which can be estimated within an uncertainty by a factor of 102(10−11≤Pc≤ 10−9) by applying the restriction imposed by Fermi's Paradox. The SCITS's formation rate for a typical spiral galaxy is then estimated as ≈1 civ Gyr−1. For a very optimistic maximum life expectancy ≈108yr, the conclusion is that two civilizations never coexist in the same galaxy. Our estimated values forPcare compatible with current biological and astrophysical evidences. We also propose an alternative astrosociological classification scheme which enables us to speculate about possible evolutionary paths for SCITSs in the universe. The so-called ‘Closed Bottle Neck’ (CBN) scenario suggests that civilizations are no exit evolutionary ways. We argue that simply there would not be interstellar travels nor Galaxy colonization or a Galactic Club. Thus Fermi's Paradox results eliminated, and the perspectives about the future of our own civilization may not be positive.

Increasing sustainability for rice production systems

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the staple food for millions of people in Asia and the world; however, it is also the largest consumer of freshwater resources worldwide. More than 75% of the world's rice is grown under flooded conditions. However, the long-term sustainability of this flooded system is threatened by the rapid changes in climatic events causing erratic rainfall and abiotic stresses, looming water and energy crisis, low nitrogen use efficiency, increasing micronutrient deficienties, increasing labor costs and reduced labor availability, increased methane emissions, yield stagnation, and the negative effects of rice crops on post-rice crops. The narrow genetic background in rice has also slowed the pace of breeding rice cultivars tolerant to abiotic and biotic stresses which has resulted in yield stagnation. While direct-seeded rice has become popular in developed countries, saving water and labor resources and reducing methane emissions, developing countries in Asia struggle to disseminate direct seeding technologies due to the lack of government support and policy. Weed management in direct seeded rice is still a major bottle neck in wide scale adoption of this rice system in developing world. Mechanical transplanting of rice is gaining momentum in Asia, reducing labor requirements, ensuring timely transplantation, and saving water during initial growth. Nonetheless, government support and strong policy are needed to boost its uptake by providing subsidies to purchase mechanical transplanters and training farmers to use this technology. With deteriorating soil health due to continuous cultivation of rice with cereals in rotation, overuse of synthetic fertilizers, and increased co-occurrence of abiotic and biotic stresses in rice, there is a need to adopt integrated crop management techniques, and to identify genes of interest and quantitative trait loci (QTL) for their introgression into desired plants. These interventions will improve the improve biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in rice. There is also a need for extensive campaign and policy support from the government to force farmers to harvest their rice crops using specific rice harvesters that can save the yield losses that occur when using wheat combine harvesters—a common practice in many developing countries.

Effect of roll press on consolidation and electric/ionic-path formation of electrodes for all-solid-state battery

This study investigated unpressed and pressed electrodes with the synchrotron radiation X-ray computed laminography (CL) technique to clarify the relationship between the packing structure formation of an electrode processed with a roll press and the performance of all-solid-state batteries. Additionally, we evaluated the length and thickness of percolation paths constructed by the electrode particles using the 3-dimensional structure obtained by the X-ray CL measurement. The smallest packing fraction was in the cathode layers in both the pressed and unpressed electrodes. The cathode packing fraction had a non-uniform distribution shape as a function of the layer thickness. A similar distribution shape was maintained after pressing, except near the surface in contact with the pressing roller. Pressing caused the packing fraction of the cathode layer to become much larger than the unpressed one, especially near the surface where it significantly increased. The thickness of the percolation paths in the cathode layer also increased after pressing. Furthermore, we discovered that the cathode local path thickness, measured by using regions segmented by packing fraction values, had a linear relationship with the packing fraction. Consequently, the performance bottle neck is caused by the local layer that has the smallest packing fraction. • An unpressed and pressed electrodes are visualized by X-ray CT technique. • Pressing increased packing fraction especially near the pressing roll. • Percolation-path analysis was conducted to segmented layers by its packing fraction. • The path thickness of each layer linearly related to packing fraction. • The segment whose packing fraction is the smallest is bottle neck of performance.

ACCESS TO MEDICINES STRATEGIES OF THE NATIONAL CANCER CONTROL PROGRAMME IN CAMEROON

Objective: Access to cancer drugs is a public health concern in low and middle-income countries. In Cameroon, the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) faces various obstacles to ensure accessibility of cancer drugs. This research aims to analyse the strategies implemented by the NCCP to ensure drugs selection and supply chain management,and obstacles encountered at the central level. Methodology: A qualitative cross-sectional situational analysis was carried out at the NCCP and the National Essential Medicines Supply Central (NEMSC)in Yaounde. For this purpose, tape-recorded interviews were conducted with key informants using two interview guides. After transcription, the verbal data were kept in a textual corpus and rendered in verbatim. The content analysis was done manually on the basis of a dimension matrix. SPSS version 20 was used to determine descriptive parameters like frequencies and means. Results: 47% of the drugs retained were part of the National list of essential medicines. The NEMSC ordered 13 princeps. Among these, 35% had generics on the market. In logistics chain management, drug needs estimation and supply planning were based on approximation. As there was no sure information trackability and coordination between actors, not ensured. Also, a monitoring and evaluation plan had not been put in place. Furthermore, the only source of funding was the Government through the annual budget line. Limited financial resources allocated to supply was the main bottle neck, due to the high cost of the therapies and the ever-increasing demand. This resulted in a long stock-out(up to 15 months) for all the drugs and complete unavailability for others, like morphine, despite its great palliative care demand. Conclusion: There are many challenges around cancer drugs accessibility in Cameroon. Therefore it is an urgent need to strengthen drug provision services within the NCCP. Peer Review History: Received: 4 September 2021; Revised: 10 October; Accepted: 4 October, Available online: 15 November 2021 Academic Editor: Dr. Ali Abdullah Al-yahawi, Al-Razi university, Department of Pharmacy, Yemen, alyahawipharm@yahoo.com UJPR follows the most transparent and toughest ‘Advanced OPEN peer review’ system. The identity of the authors and, reviewers will be known to each other. This transparent process will help to eradicate any possible malicious/purposeful interference by any person (publishing staff, reviewer, editor, author, etc) during peer review. As a result of this unique system, all reviewers will get their due recognition and respect, once their names are published in the papers. We expect that, by publishing peer review reports with published papers, will be helpful to many authors for drafting their article according to the specifications. Auhors will remove any error of their article and they will improve their article(s) according to the previous reports displayed with published article(s). The main purpose of it is ‘to improve the quality of a candidate manuscript’. Our reviewers check the ‘strength and weakness of a manuscript honestly’. There will increase in the perfection, and transparency. Received file: Reviewer's Comments: Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 5.5/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.0/10 Reviewers: Dr. A.A. Mgbahurike, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, amaka_mgbahurike@yahoo.com Dr. Muhammad Zahid Iqbal, AIMST University, Malaysia, drmmziqbal@gmail.com Similar Articles: EVALUATION OF CURRENT SCENARIO OF CANCER DISEASE AT CHATTAGRAM IN BANGLADESH TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED CANCER FOLLOWING CHEMOTHERAPY AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE - LONG TERM FOLLOW UP OF 75 CASES

Extended axial irradiances: Barker rings.

For extending focal depth we employ a set of transparent concentric rings, which are coded with the Barker sequences of length L. At the neighborhood of the paraxial focal plane, these transparent masks generate an axial uniform distribution, which is modulated with sinusoidal variations. For imaging applications, one can extend focal depth if the Barker length is congruent to unity modulo 4. And, for optical trapping, a bottle neck irradiance distribution is generated if the Barker length is congruent to three modulo 4.

Evaluasi Kinerja Apill dan Geometrik Simpang 3 Sungai Bengkel Kota Bengkalis

Third junction of Sungai Bengkel was a Signalized Intersection which a hasn’t have traffic jam ,which has three approach, are North approach, West approach and East approach. However, the alinyemen for the North approach has problems that make it difficult for vehicles, especially four-wheelers to turn because the effect bottle neck resulting in the slow motion of the vehicle and change of phase time . the problem solving, the evalution of traffic light and intersection geometry were carried out by widening the alinyemen for the North approach and East approaches and doing changes in cycle time. The purpose of evaluating the performance of traffic light and Geometrics at the third intersection of Sungai Bengkel is to determine the value of the degree of saturation and to know the performance of the intersection.At the intersection planning, it refers to the PKJI 2014 for Intersection Performance, while for the Geometrics it refers to Module 4 of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing on Geometric Planning of Plane Intersections.Based on the calculation results of the Sungai Bengkel junction performance indicate that, the degree of saturation < 0.85,which is 0.529 for North, 0.537 for East, and 0.570 for West .With the radius is 15 m, and the cycle time of traffic light 50 second, with the delay time as long as 17 second/pcu