Extreme Locations Research Articles

Analog forecasting of tropical cyclone rainfall in the Philippines

Tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall results in damages to properties and loss of lives. It is also a significant source of freshwater in the Philippines. This study describes a method in forecasting accumulated TC rainfall using analogous TCs from historical datasets. A TC rainfall database where precipitation within 5∘ of TC centers was created for all landfalling TCs from 1951 to 2015. To predict TC rainfall, the mean rainfall of all past TCs with similar tracks included in the database, referred to as analog TCs, is calculated. Landfalling TCs from 2016 to 2018 are used to optimize the selection of past analog TCs. Each past TC member was also adjusted according to a target TC's intensity and movement speed. The optimized analog method is then applied to landfalling TCs from 2019 to November 2020. Results show that the composite rainfall from past TCs within 1.8∘ of the forecast TC yields the best hit rate of intense rainfall. The analog TC rainfall forecast generally has a similar spatial distribution as the observed TC rain. However, this method tends to miss extreme rainfall values due to a “smoothing” effect caused by the variability of extreme rain locations of each TC member and constraints in the rainfall data used in the database. Nevertheless, forecast assessment results show that analog TC rainfall forecasting performed better than the WRF model in predicting intense and inland rainfall. In addition to it being computationally inexpensive, it can complement the inherent biases of dynamical models.

Alteration in Resting-State EEG Microstates Following 24 Hours of Total Sleep Deprivation in Healthy Young Male Subjects.

Purpose: The cognitive effects of total sleep deprivation (TSD) on the brain remain poorly understood. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a very useful tool for detecting spontaneous brain activity in the resting state. Quasi-stable electrical distributions, known as microstates, carry useful information about the dynamics of large-scale brain networks. In this study, microstate analysis was used to study changes in brain activity after 24 h of total sleep deprivation.Participants and Methods: Twenty-seven healthy volunteers were recruited and underwent EEG scans before and after 24 h of TSD. Microstate analysis was applied, and six microstate classes (A–F) were identified. Topographies and temporal parameters of the microstates were compared between the rested wakefulness (RW) and TSD conditions.Results: Microstate class A (a right-anterior to left-posterior orientation of the mapped field) showed lower global explained variance (GEV), frequency of occurrence, and time coverage in TSD than RW, whereas microstate class D (a fronto-central extreme location of the mapped field) displayed higher GEV, frequency of occurrence, and time coverage in TSD compared to RW. Moreover, subjective sleepiness was significantly negatively correlated with the microstate parameters of class A and positively correlated with the microstate parameters of class D. Transition analysis revealed that class B exhibited a higher probability of transition than did classes D and F in TSD compared to RW.Conclusion: The observation suggests alterations of the dynamic brain-state properties of TSD in healthy young male subjects, which may serve as system-level neural underpinnings for cognitive declines in sleep-deprived subjects.

Data analytics for optimizing extreme fast charging: a survey

Electric vehicles have become a trend as a replacement to gasoline-powered vehicles, and been promoted by worldwide policy makers as a solution to combat environmental problems and stimulate economy. Whereas the current market share of electric vehicles is still low, one main obstacle is no enough extreme fast charging, which requires high capital costs and strategic planning. Proper placement of extreme fast charging stations can maximize investment utility, promote public acceptance of electric vehicles, minimize adverse effects on transportation and power networks, and improve penetration market rate for electric vehicles. As such, the research on extreme fast charging station siting and sizing has received considerable attention in the past decade, where optimization modeling has become the main approach. This survey is to review various optimization models, examine their characteristics and evaluate their applications. We also discuss challenges/limitations of the optimization modeling approach for the extreme fast charging location planning, and point out future research directions. Our study can serve as a tutorial/reference to the extreme fast charging location optimization modeling, and attempts to attract more talents and research interests in this exciting field.

Microstructure and properties of aluminium alloy 6082 formed by the Hot Form Quench process

During a process development trial, two identical structural automotive parts were formed from a rolled sheet of commercial 6082 Al alloy by Hot Form Quench (HFQ). The rapid transitional contact between the sheet and the die set during die closing imposed a range of complex cooling histories on different locations in the parts. After in-die quenching, one HFQ part was naturally aged at room temperature, while the other was peak-aged at 185 °C for 7 h. The microstructure was compared at two extreme locations; the flange, where die contact is instantaneous leading to immediate rapid cooling, and the sidewall, where the material cools more slowly in air before rapid quenching. After HFQ, some small quench induced grain boundary precipitates were observed in the sidewall specimen but not in the flange. However, subsequent artificial ageing led to a convergence of the microstructures. Consequently, hardness was found to be constant at both locations, and no loss of hardening potential was observed in either case compared with T6 sheet. Samples of the as-received material were subjected to selected quench-hold-quench-age experiments to mimic the HFQ microstructures. Tensile tests showed that the ductility and failure mechanism is insensitive to the small differences in grain boundary microstructure as observed in the HFQ component.

The role of ultrasonography for detecting tip location of percutaneous central venous catheters in neonates—a single-center, prospective cohort study

Percutaneous central venous catheters (PCVCs) are used commonly and widely in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Malposition of PCVCs may cause life-threatening complications and prolong hospitalization. In Taiwan, conventional chest-abdomen radiography (CXR) has been used widely and routinely for assessing tip location of PCVCs. Compared to ultrasonography (US), CXR cannot provide real-time assessment, and patients are exposed to radiation. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the role of US in detecting PCVC tip location in the lower extremities. Neonates who received PCVC insertion in the lower extremities in NICU from March 2019to April 2020 were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. PCVC tip location was confirmed finally by conventional CXR after US examination and patients were included in the sono group; those not assessed by US formed the non-sono group. In addition, PCVCs inserted in 2018 for whichtip location was evaluated only by CXR, were reviewed retrospectively and these cases were included in the non-sono group. Withdrawal rates between the two groups were analyzed using Chi-square test. The sono group included 166 neonates with PCVCs and 141 were in the non-sono group. Median gestational age at date of PCVC insertion was 33.21 and 32.71 weeks in sono and non-sono groups, respectively (p=0.37). Withdrawal rates were 10.84% and 65.95% (p<0.001) and duration for catheter location confirmation were 2-4.75min and 75-247.25min (p<0.001), respectively. US provides more reliable images than conventional radiography alone for identifyingPCVC tip locations in the lower extremities. It can effectively reduce catheter insertion duration, and was associated with fewer manipulations.

A New Photovoltaic Module Efficiency Model for Energy Prediction and Rating

The IEC 61853 photovoltaic (PV) module energy rating standard requires measuring module power (and hence, efficiency) over a matrix of irradiance and temperature conditions. These matrix points represent nearly the full range of operating conditions encountered in the field in all but the most extreme locations and create an opportunity to develop alternative approaches for calculating system performance. In this article, a new PV module efficiency model is presented and compared with five published models using matrix data collected from four different PV module types. The results of the comparative analysis demonstrated that the new model improves on the existing ones exhibiting root-mean-square errors in normalized efficiency well below 0.01 for all cases and PV modules. The analysis also highlighted its ability to interpolate and extrapolate performance between and beyond measured matrix points of irradiance and temperature, establishing it as a robust yet relatively simple model for several applications that are detailed throughout this article.

Yeast the Present and Future Cell Facture

Yeasts are eukaryotic microorganisms that are existing in a wide range of habitats, thanks to their ability to adapt even in extreme locations and conditions. Moreover, the unicellular nature of yeasts makes them better suited for deep liquid substrates or moist and uneven surfaces. Till now, about 1500 species of yeasts are described, and the genus Saccharomyces is the well-studied genus of all the yeasts in terms of physiology and genetics. In this review, we elucidate the role of yeasts as biotechnological tool and their current and potential applications. We also highlighted the features, and industrial application of some marine yeasts. Furthermore, describing rarely basidiomycetous yeast involved in different applications. Contributions of yeasts and their enzymes in food, industrial, and pharmaceuticals fields were also discussed. Finally, employment of yeasts in biotransformation process was show.

Cloud-Kitchens in High-Density Cities: Economies of Scale Through Co-Location

Delivery platforms have recently ventured into (also called ghost or virtual kitchens), which are delivery-only facilities, built typically in locations with high population density, that provide commercial space to multiple restaurant kitchens for preparing their menu items. A cloud kitchen's central location allows for better access to customers, enabling the delivery platform to provide a lower delivery-time guarantee to customers -- this increases profitability for both the delivery platform and the restaurants. A potential second advantage accrues from the ability of the delivery platform to consolidate its driver capacity if multiple restaurants co-locate at the cloud kitchen -- this increases the delivery platform's profitability as it can use the same set of drivers to deliver orders for multiple restaurants. Cloud kitchens, however, come with high rental costs that are directly passed down to the restaurants. We examine the conditions under which a cloud kitchen benefits the three primary stakeholders, namely, the delivery platform, the restaurants, and the customers. Our game-theoretic analysis is based on a stylized model consisting of two restaurants and a delivery platform. The two restaurants simultaneously decide whether to stay at their initial (extreme) locations or relocate to a cloud kitchen at a central location. Given the location decisions of the restaurants, the delivery platform decides the delivery-time guarantee for customers and the proportion of the market to serve. Our findings show that both the population density of the city and the economies of scale provided by the cloud kitchen play a significant role in driving the restaurants' location decisions. In line with current industry trends, we show that as the population density increases beyond a threshold, co-locating at the cloud kitchen is first a Pareto-dominant equilibrium for the restaurants and then the unique equilibrium. This equilibrium is also preferred by the delivery platform and the customers, leading to a win-win-win for all the stakeholders. If the population density is below the threshold, then we identify an interesting lever through which the delivery platform can incentivize the restaurants to move to the cloud kitchen.

Interannual variability in acoustic detection of blue and fin whale calls in the Northeast Atlantic High Arctic between 2008 and 2018

Northern Hemisphere blue and fin whales are regular summer migrants to Arctic waters. Given the profound changes the Arctic is currently undergoing due to global warming, changes in habitat use and distribution of these migratory species are predicted. In this study, 3 passive acoustic recorders, 2 in Fram Strait about 95 km apart and 1 north of the Svalbard Archipelago (Atwain), were used to investigate the spatial and temporal vocal occurrence of these species in the Northeast Atlantic High Arctic. Acoustic data were available for 7 years for western Fram Strait (WFS), 2.5 years for central Fram Strait (CFS) and 3 years for Atwain. At both Fram Strait locations, most blue whale call detections occurred from August through October, though recently (2015-2018) in WFS a clear increase in blue whale call rates was detected in June/July, suggesting an expansion of the seasonal occurrence of blue whales. In WFS, fin whale calls were detected intermittently, at low levels, almost year-round. In CFS, fin whale calls were more frequent but occurred mainly from July through December. At Atwain, blue whale detections commenced in July, both species were recorded in September/October and fin whale calls extended into November. Results from this study provide novel long-term baseline information about the occurrence of blue and fin whales at extreme northerly locations, where traditional ship-based survey methods are seasonally limited. Continued sampling will support investigation of how environmental change influences cetacean distribution and habitat use.

Chondrosarcoma local recurrence in the Cancer Registry of Norway cohort (1990-2013): Patterns and impact.

There appears to be an association between local recurrence (LR) and risk of metastasis and death in central conventional chondrosarcoma (CCCS) of bone, but this has not been quantified in modern cohorts at a subtype level. We identified nonmetastatic cases of CCCS (N = 180) from the Cancer Registry of Norway. We present prognostic analysis of LR accounting for immortal time bias by descriptive statistics and multivariable Cox models. Of 40 LR, one case demonstrated upgrading while two dedifferentiation. LR was associated with increased risk of metastasis (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.1 [confidence interval, 1.5-10.7]) and death (HR = 9.3 [5.0-17.5]) overall. LR was associated with significant increased risk of metastasis for those with a soft tissue component, axial location, malignancy grade 2, but not atypical cartilaginous tumor's, appropriately treated curettage patients, intramedullary tumors, grade 1 histology, extremity location or "Oslo low risk" group status. We found an increased risk of death for all groups except for those treated by appropriate curettage or belonging to the "Oslo low risk" group. About 50% of LR CCCS were asymptomatic and revealed by routine follow-up. Upgrading of LR for CCCS was a seldom event. LR was associated with significant increased risk of metastasis and death overall, but not for appropriately treated curettage patients or "Oslo low risk" status.

Evaluation of conditional treatment effects of adjuvant treatments on patients with synovial sarcoma using Bayesian subgroup analysis

BackgroundThe impact of adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation therapy on the survival of patients with synovial sarcoma (SS), which is a rare soft-tissue sarcoma, remains controversial. Bayesian statistical approaches and propensity score matching can be employed to infer treatment effects using observational data. Thus, this study aimed to identify the individual treatment effects of adjuvant therapies on the overall survival of SS patients and recognize subgroups of patients who can benefit from specific treatments using Bayesian subgroup analyses.MethodsWe analyzed data from patients with SS obtained from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) public database. These data were collected between 1984 and 2014. The treatment effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy on overall survival were evaluated using propensity score matching. Subgroups that could benefit from radiation therapy or chemotherapy were identified using Bayesian subgroup analyses.ResultsBased on a stratified Kaplan–Meier curve, chemotherapy exhibited a positive average causal effect on survival in patients with SS, whereas radiation therapy did not. The optimal subgroup for chemotherapy includes the following covariates: older than 20 years, male, large tumor (longest diameter > 5 cm), advanced stage (SEER 3), extremity location, and spindle cell type. The optimal subgroup for radiation therapy includes the following covariates: older than 20 years, male, large tumor (longest diameter > 5 cm), early stage (SEER 1), extremity location, and biphasic type.ConclusionIn this study, we identified high-risk patients whose variables include age (age > 20 years), gender, tumor size, tumor location, and poor prognosis without adjuvant treatment. Radiation therapy should be considered in the early stages for high-risk patients with biphasic types. Conversely, chemotherapy should be considered for late-stage high-risk SS patients with spindle cell types.

Accessibility Analysis of Roads Network in Ma'an Governorate

This study aims at analyzing the level of accessibility of the roads network of different types in Ma'an governorate in the south of Jordan through a set of standards proposed by Shimbel in 1953. The study adopted the descriptive analytical approach in the analysis of geographical information and data related to road networks and urban communities. To achieve the objectives of the study, statistical methods were also used in measuring the accessibility to the road network through some methods such as Shimbel Index and the Associated Number and others using the matrix method. The study found that there are differences in the accessibility to the nodes located on the road network in Ma'an governorate. Ma'an node was the easiest to access because of its central location compared to the other nodes, while Al-Mudawwara, Ras Al-Naqab and Husseiniya nodes were the most difficult to access as a result of their marginal and extreme locations far from the other nodes.

Minimizing Freshwater Usage in Batch Process Scheduling: S-Graph Approach

Water is one of the most important natural resources of life. While it is considerably cheap and vastly available currently, except for extreme locations, this is not guaranteed in the future. Being provident with water has multitude of advantages in both short and long term. Using less clean water not only brings immediate financial benefits, it simultaneously reduces wastewater production, related treatment costs, and the impact on the environment. Reducing the water footprint of a batch system is not a trivial task, as water sources and sinks need to be matched not only in quantity and quality, but in time as well. In this paper, the S-graph scheduling framework is extended to address simultaneous scheduling and water minimization in batch processing systems. The proposed approach tackles truly batch processes with a single contaminant, and allows only a single water source to be reused for each sink. The presented algorithm and S-graph extension have been implemented and tested on various case studies from the literature. The results of this paper provide an opportunity for further extensions to address a wider range of problems with multiple contaminants, semi-continuous behavior, cyclic operations, etc.

Pelvic Ewing sarcoma: a retrospective outcome analysis of 104 patients who underwent pelvic tumor resection at a single supra-regional center

BackgroundLocal treatment in pelvic Ewing sarcoma (ES) consists of operation, radiation therapy, or a combination of both. Reported outcomes vary depending on the treatment modality performed. It is the objective of this study to analyze surgical outcome and complications as well as oncological outcome and complications of chemo- and radiation therapy in this patient cohort and evaluate prognostic factors.MethodsRetrospective review of 104 patients who underwent tumor resection for pelvic ES from 1988 to 2014.ResultsAll patients underwent pelvic resection and radiation therapy was administered in 77.9%. Margins were clear in 94.2%. The response to chemotherapy was good in 78.8%. Local recurrence occurred in 7.7%. The presence of distant metastases at the time of operation was the most important negative predictor for overall survival (p = 0.003). The cumulative 5- and 10-year survival rates were 82.7% and 80.1% for non-metastasized and 61.4% and 41.6% for metastasized pelvic ES at operation. In the presence of a single-distant metastatic site at operation compared to multiple metastatic sites, the cumulative survival rates were 64.3% versus 50% at five and 50.7% versus 16.7% at 10 years.ConclusionsA combined treatment approach of tumor resection and radiation therapy leads to a local control and overall survival rates comparable with those of extremity locations in this study’s patient cohort with localized pelvic ES. Therefore, surgical tumor resection (combined with (neo-)adjuvant radiation therapy) in non-metastatic pelvic ES seems feasible. In metastatic patients, however, the significance of tumor resection as a part of local treatment remains less certain and improved outcomes of combined local treatment approaches need to be weighed against these patients’ prognosis and quality of life.

Factors Influencing Energy Drink Consumption in Participants and Viewers of Extreme Sports.

Objective To quantify energy drink consumption and influences affecting consumption in those who participate in or watch extreme sports. Methods An online survey, informed by focus groups, was administered via Quadrics®. Advertisement was via social media, emailing extreme sport clubs, flyers at extreme sport locations, and word of mouth. Participation was limited to those >18 y who watched and/or participated in extreme sports. The study was conducted in New Zealand, with international online availability. Variables measured comprised age, sex, energy drink consumption, reasons for their use, extreme sport viewing, advertising, and sponsorship. Logistic regression models were utilised. Results Amongst participants who completed the questionnaire (n = 247), the mean (SD) age was 26.2 (8.2) y, 40.5% were female, 57.9% consumed energy drinks, and 25.5% consumed >one per week. For every year older, odds of consuming energy drinks were 3.1% lower (p=0.04). A 31% increase in energy drink consumption for every single increase of viewing extreme sport per week was observed (p=0.009); however, reported viewing of advertising was not associated with increased consumption. Conclusions A large proportion of extreme sport enthusiasts regularly consume energy drinks, especially younger adults. Extreme sport viewing, where energy drink sponsorship is common, appears to increase their consumption, even if not considered advertising by the viewers themselves.

A Case of Total Excision of a Thrombosed-Venous Aneurysm in the Sural Vein.

Venous aneurysm (VA) is an uncommon vascular disease; however, VA, especially in the lower extremities, can lead to critical complications, such as pulmonary embolism (PE). We report a case with a VA located in the sural vein (SV), which did not lead to PE; however, it had the potential to cause PE. Therefore, we treated this VA by total excision. The popliteal vein (PV) is the most common VA location in the lower extremities, but SV is extremely rare. We should always be aware that, in addition to the PV, VAs may also occur in the SV.

A systematic review of the genera Geobacillus and Parageobacillus: their evolution, current taxonomic status and major applications.

The genus Geobacillus, belonging to the phylum Firmicutes, is one of the most important genera and comprises thermophilic bacteria. The genus Geobacillus was erected with the taxonomic reclassification of various Bacillus species. Taxonomic studies of Geobacillus remain in progress. However, there is no comprehensive review of the characteristic features, taxonomic status and study of various applications of this interesting genus. The main aim of this review is to give a comprehensive account of the genus Geobacillus. At present the genus acomprises 25 taxa, 14 validly published (with correct name), nine validly published (with synonyms) and two not validly published species. We describe only validly published species of the genera Geobacillus and Parageobacillus. Vegetative cells of Geobacillus species are Gram-strain-positive or -variable, rod-shaped, motile, endospore-forming, aerobic or facultatively anaerobic, obligately thermophilic and chemo-organotrophic. Growth occurs in the pH range 6.08.5 and a temperature of 37-75 °C. The major cellular fatty acids are iso-C15:o, iso-C16:0 and iso-C17:o. The main menaquinone type is MK-7. The G-+C content of the DNA ranges between 48.2 and 58 mol%. The genus Geobacillus is widely distributed in nature, being mostly found in many extreme locations such as hot springs, hydrothermal vents, marine trenches, hay composts, etc. Geobacillus species have been widely exploited in various industrial and biotechnological applications, and thus are promising candidates for further studies in the future.

Complications After Mohs Micrographic Surgery in Patients Aged 85 and Older.

As the US population ages, safe surgical procedures are necessary for treatment of cutaneous neoplasms in very elderly patients. To determine the incidence of complications associated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) in patients aged 85 and older, and the risk factors that predispose to complications. A 9-year retrospective chart review of patients aged 85 and older who underwent MMS at our institution between 07/2007 and 11/2016 was performed. Six types of complications associated with scalpel-based cutaneous surgery were recorded, as well as patient, tumor, and repair characteristics. This study included 949 patients totaling in 1683 MMS cases. There were 30 complications: infection (N = 11), wound dehiscence (N = 6), hematoma (N = 6), hemorrhage (N = 5), flap necrosis (N = 1), and graft necrosis (N = 1), resulting in an overall complication rate of 1.78%. Independent risk factors associated with a statistically higher incidence of complications were anticoagulant use (odds ratio [OR], 2.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-6.13; p = .012), extremity location (OR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.19-6.54; p = .018), greater than 2 MMS stages (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.08-5.46; p = .032), and flap repair (OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.05-4.90; p = .036). Mohs micrographic surgery is a safe procedure for treatment of cutaneous neoplasms in the very elderly.

DESIGNING AND BUILDING A COST-EFFICIENT SURVEY DRONE

Abstract. In this paper, we present a workflow how to design and implement a low-cost survey drone that meets the quality requirements of a much higher cost drone system. The technical specifications of available components and our design boundaries were applied in eCalc RC – xcopterCalc calculator in which the optimal setup was found by simulation. The main boundaries of design were derived from safety, operation time and payload capacity. Pixhawk 2 FCU, which is based on ArduPilot open source platform, was selected to handle autopilot and control functionalities. In addition, the system included a camera and a gimbal. The camera was controlled by FCU, which allows to geotag images using the on-board GPS data. The assembled survey drone was tested in a real survey mission. We successfully managed to complete a 13 minutes survey mission in mild wind conditions. According to simulation, the expected flight time range was between 9 and 15 minutes. In addition, simulation provided useful information on how the drone works under certain conditions such as working in extreme temperatures or high elevation locations as well as under heavy payloads. Even though our example was a survey drone, it is possible to use the same principles to design and implement a drone suitable for other tasks.

More exploratory house mice judge an ambiguous situation more negatively.

Exploration tendency, one of the most investigated animal personality traits, may be driven by either positive (when seeking interesting information) or negative (to reduce the uncertainty of the environment) affective/emotional profiles. To disentangle the valence of the affective state associated with exploration trait, we applied a judgment bias test to evaluate the animals' responses in an ambiguous situation, allowing an assessment of their affective state or mood. Experiments were carried out in male house mice (Mus musculus) of wild origin. Individual differences in exploration tendency were assessed by repeated open field and novel object tests. To evaluate the animals' judgment bias, we trained the subjects for 8days in a 3-arm maze to discriminate between two extreme locations (outer arms: either positively reinforced with sugary water or less-positively reinforced with plain water), in terms of a shorter latency to approach the positively reinforced arm. After this learning criterion was reached, we repeatedly tested their responses to an ambiguous location (intermediate arm). The latencies to approach and consume the ambiguous reward were highly repeatable over the 3days of testing; hence individuals expressed a stable judgment bias. Most importantly, more exploratory animals showed a more negative judgment bias, which supports the hypothesis that a higher exploration tendency was associated with a negative affective state. Further studies should investigate whether exploration in different situations might be due to distinct affective states.