Preparation For Launch Research Articles

Risk and pattern analysis of distant metastases in colon cancer: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Understanding the metastatic risks and patterns of colon cancer is crucial for patient evaluation and decision-making. However, high-quality evidence on colon cancer metastases is lacking. This study aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the risk of site-specific metastasis and provide a complete profiling of distant metastasis in colon cancer. Methods: This review will include studies reporting the proportion of different-site metastases among colon cancer patients. Clinical trials, follow-up studies, and cross-sectional surveys with English publications are eligible for inclusion. We will search Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library from inception to June 2023. Two reviewers will independently screen the title/abstract and full texts of identified records according to the eligibility criteria. Data from eligible studies will be extracted and used for meta-analysis. Meta-analyses will be conducted to estimate the overall proportion of site-specific metastasis. During meta-analyses, two proportions will be analyzed, i.e., the incidence of metastasis and component proportion. We will select the appropriate tools to assess the risk of biases based on the study design of included studies. Results: This study is still in preparation for launch. Once all analyses are complete, the results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Conclusion: This review will provide a clear and systematic metastatic pattern of colon cancer and evidence-based recommendations for the management of distant metastasis.

Preparation for CSST: Star-galaxy Classification using a Rotationally Invariant Supervised Machine Learning Method

Most existing star-galaxy classifiers depend on the reduced information from catalogs, necessitating careful data processing and feature extraction. In this study, we employ a supervised machine learning method (GoogLeNet) to automatically classify stars and galaxies in the COSMOS field. Unlike traditional machine learning methods, we introduce several preprocessing techniques, including noise reduction and the unwrapping of denoised images in polar coordinates, applied to our carefully selected samples of stars and galaxies. By dividing the selected samples into training and validation sets in an 8:2 ratio, we evaluate the performance of the GoogLeNet model in distinguishing between stars and galaxies. The results indicate that the GoogLeNet model is highly effective, achieving accuracies of 99.6% and 99.9% for stars and galaxies, respectively. Furthermore, by comparing the results with and without preprocessing, we find that preprocessing can significantly improve classification accuracy (by approximately 2.0% to 6.0%) when the images are rotated. In preparation for the future launch of the China Space Station Telescope (CSST), we also evaluate the performance of the GoogLeNet model on the CSST simulation data. These results demonstrate a high level of accuracy (approximately 99.8%), indicating that this model can be effectively utilized for future observations with the CSST.

ANALYSIS OF CAUSE-EFFECT RELATIONS IN THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE EVENTS OF THE BAIKONUR DISASTER

Identifying the causes of disasters, emergency situations, and incidents is a necessary condition for avoiding similar situations in the future. The methods of the theory of catastrophes are constantly being improved, there is a need to return to some historical negative events, the analysis of which contributes to the discovery of new grounds, facts, consequences that update the essence of the emergence of an emergency situation, and allow managers, specialists and employees of any industry, association, enterprises or organizations to make security decisions. This study revealed cause-and-effect relationships in the chronology of events that led to the "Nedelin Disaster" - the worst and most fatal disaster in the rocket and space industry of the Soviet Union and the world, when the Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile R-16 exploded during a test at the start during launch preparation. The assessment of the occupational risk of hazards was carried out on the basis of the "bow-tie" model, which is a schematic method of describing and analyzing the ways of the development of a dangerous event from causes to consequences by combining the "fault tree analysis" and "event tree". This model is widely used because of its convenience and simplicity in representing the cause-and-effect relationship between a hazard, a hazardous event, and consequences. Its visualization helps to clearly demonstrate the process of managing occupational risks by determining the number of barriers (protective or preventive measures) that are placed on the path between danger and a dangerous event and a dangerous event and consequences. The number of barriers makes it possible, on the one hand, to establish an estimate of preventive and protective measures for labor protection, and on the other hand, to influence the probability of the occurrence of a dangerous event. The highlighted events, their analysis, understanding of the dangers and knowledge of the consequences of a dangerous event made it possible to build a model of the realized risk of danger with the definition of the main dangerous conditions that led to the disaster. In particular, the main dangerous conditions are: supplying fuel to the engine, installing the electric battery one hour before launch, giving an electric signal to start the rocket engine one minute before the crash and 15 minutes before launch. As a result of the combination of all three dangerous conditions, the probability of a dangerous event has increased to 100%. Another dangerous condition was the presence of a significant number of people to launch the rocket, which led to a significant severity of casualties - from 20 people to 100 or more. It is important that each of these factors alone could not affect the danger of preparing the rocket for launch, but their combination led to the disaster. Keywords: disaster, danger, cause-and-effect relationships, risk, risk assessment.

Надійність і безпека стартових комплексів ракет-носіїв

This paper is concerned with the reliability and safety of launch complexes. The problems to be solved in launch complex reliability evaluation are identified: calculations of the probability of no-failure operation of passive redundancy systems with equal- and nonequal-reliability elements, reliability analysis for replacement redundancy with integer multiplicity and unloaded reserve; calculations of the probability of no-failure operation of the launch complex components in launch preparation, and calculations of the reliability indices of a component part as a whole and a comparison of the calculated reliability indices with the specification requirements. Since a launch complex consists both of renewable elements and of nonrenewable ones, the reliability indices must be calculated so that one may evaluate the reliability both of individual elements and of a system of different-type elements as a whole. These indices are characterized by the nonfailure operation time and recovery time distributions and show the probability of а serviceable state or a failure state of an element and a system. On condition that the nonfailure operation time and the recovery time can be described by the Weibull distribution, expressions are obtained for the availability factor, i.e., the probability of the launch complex being operative at an arbitrary time, except for scheduled periods during which the launch complex is not envisaged for use. Launch complex safety is evaluated by the probability of hazards, the identification of main ways to mitigate their consequences, and account for weight of the consequences of possible hazards in service. Launch complex safety indices are identified. It is shown that safety must be evaluated using indices suitable for the practical solution of problems of the justification and assurance of specified safety requirements against possible threats in the development of launch complexes. The adopted safety index is the probability that each hazard that occurs in a certain time will be eliminated. A renewal process is used to describe a random number of hazard occurrences. To determine the hazard frequency, it is recommended to use statistical data on launch complex accident rate and reliability, logical methods of event tree and fault tree analysis, accident simulation models, and expert judgments.

Equitable implementation of S.A.F.E. Firearm: A multi-method pilot study

Attention to health equity is critical in the implementation of firearm safety efforts. We present our operationalization of equity-oriented recommendations in preparation for launch of a hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial focused on firearm safety promotion in pediatric primary care as a universal suicide prevention strategy. In Step 1 of our process, pre-trial engagement with clinican partners and literature review alerted us that delivery of a firearm safety program may vary by patients’ medical complexity, race, and ethnicity. In Step 2, we selected the Health Equity Implementation Framework to inform our understanding of contextual determinants (i.e., barriers and facilitators). In Step 3, we leveraged an implementation pilot across 5 pediatric primary care clinics in 2 health system sites to study signals of inequities. Eligible well-child visits for 694 patients and 47 clinicians were included. Our results suggested that medical complexity was not associated with program delivery. We did see potential signals of inequities by race and ethnicity but must interpret with caution. Though we did not initially plan to examine differences by sex assigned at birth, we discovered that clinicians may be more likely to deliver the program to parents of male than female patients. Seven qualitative interviews with clinicians provided additional context. In Step 4, we interrogated equity considerations (e.g., why and how do these inequities exist). In Step 5, we will develop a plan to probe potential inequities related to race, ethnicity, and sex in the fully powered trial. Our process highlights that prospective, rigorous, exploratory work is vital for equity-informed implementation trials.

Гума як перспективний конструкційний матеріал для створення вузлів стикування системи термостатування

In integrated launch vehicles, one of the systems responsible for successful launch preparation and support is a ground thermal conditioning system supplying low-pressure thermostatic air to the “dry” compartments and head blocks of a launch vehicle. To connect the thermal conditioning system to the launch vehicle, a special interface is used. The proper functioning of the interface is critical to the reliability of the ground equipment of the system, the launch vehicle, and the space complex as a whole. This article describes key requirements to the interfaces of the thermal conditioning system and the drawbacks of their existing designs. The article proposes a new concept of interface design, according to which the pipeline of the ground thermal conditioning system is connected to the inlet tube of the launch vehicle via a corrugated rubber hose composed of three basic parts. The hose is attached to the inlet tube of the launch vehicle with the help of a metal lock/unlock device. The proposed solution provides good air tightness, ease of operation, easy multiple connections to the launch vehicle at different angles, and an automatic disconnection at launch or a manual disconnection in the case of a cancelled launch. Using rubber, which is a high-elasticity structural material, in the manufacturing of hoses makes it possible to minimise the effort required to disconnect the interface from the launch vehicle. In a high elasticity state, rubber can absorb and dissipate mechanical energy over a wide range of temperatures, which precludes the vibration caused by the engine operation from being transmitted to the ground thermal conditioning system. The article presents the key properties of rubber used as a structural material and its features to be considered in the design of similar devices. In contrast to metal, which shows two types of deformation (elastic and plastic), rubber can exhibit three types (elastic, superelastic, and plastic). During the design of interfaces, two types of deformation were taken into account: elastic and superelastic. Experimental tests of the interface presented in the article showed its full compliance with the requirements specification.

Оценка удобства обслуживания элементов ракет космического назначения сверхтяжелого класса при различных технологиях их подготовки

Currently, Russia, the United States and China are creating new super-heavy class (SHC) launch vehicles (LV). One of the distinctive features of SHC LV and their elements is their large cross dimensions, up to 10 m in diameter, which significantly exceeds the characteristic cross dimensions of LV elements of other classes. This has a significant impact on the serviceability of these elements in preparation for launch and, consequently, on the productivity, safety and reliability of the corresponding operations, and, as a result, on the reliability of the SHC LV as a whole. The paper analyzes the ergonomics of temporary workstations used in servicing the surfaces of LV elements, depending on the curvature and orientation of the surface of the serviced element. The analysis is based on the current Russian ergonomics standards. For the lateral surfaces of the cylindrical LV elements, a comparison was made of the proportion of surfaces that are convenient and inconvenient for servicing when using vertical and horizontal technologies for their preparation and various servicing facilities. The study shows that when using the service platforms, stationary relative to the element, the vertical preparation technology becomes more preferable when the element diameter is more than 4.5 m. In this case, the rotation of the element in a horizontal position around the longitudinal axis with the horizontal preparation technology or the use of platforms moved in the vertical direction with the vertical preparation technology make it possible to ensure the serviceability of the entire lateral surface of the cylindrical LV elements. The possibility of taking into account other surfaces of the serviced element of the LV for a numerical estimation of the convenience of various options for their preparation is also shown.

Analysis on Factors Influencing the Achievement of Break-even Point among the Creativity and Skill-based Sole Proprietors

Purpose - The break-even point refers to the point where total profit and total cost coincide, and from this point on, the entrepreneur’s decision-making takes a different route. Strategic decisions can be made for more efficient operation and eventually for more likelihood for growth and sustainability if a startup figures out when it recoups the investment and switches to a net profit. Design/methodology/approach 748 creativity and skill-based sole proprietors in manufacturing industry were examined to demonstrate the effect of the entrepreneur’s entrepreneurial experience and education level, the business launch preparation time, or the self-financing on the achievement of break-even point. Findings While the business launch preparation time lowered the likelihood of reaching a break-even point, self-financing increased the likelihood. As a result of further analysis by subdividing into subgroups according to skill level, only the business launch preparation time was statistically significant in the highly skilled industries. In the low skilled industries, in addition to the business launch preparation time, the CEO’s education level and the self-financing were statistically significant. Research implications or Originality - The longer the business launch preparation time, the higher the start-up cost, which increases the burden of initial cost recovery, and the agile response to market changes is thereby delayed, resulting in the business idea losing its appeal. Self-financing not only provides stability and strong motivation for the business operation but also promotes careful spending which contributes to the achievement of break-even point. In particular, it is found that practical experience is more useful than theoretical knowledge in low skilled industries. Due to the limitation of secondary data based on the recollection, the time required to reach a break-even point, percentage of financing sources, etc. may include cognitive errors. In addition, variables are not included that explain the characteristics of creativity and skill-based sole proprietorship, so it is necessary to exercise caution with the actual application

A diagnostic medical physicist’s guide to the American College of Radiology Fluoroscopy Dose Index Registry

A diagnostic medical physicist’s guide to the American College of Radiology Fluoroscopy Dose Index Registry

О ПРОЕКТАХ, ПРОЕКТНОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ И ИХ РОЛИ В ЭКОНОМИКЕ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЙ

The article concerns with the role of projects and project activities in the economy of the country and its enterprises. The article considers the evolutionary changes that have occurred in recent years in understanding the content of the words “project” and “project activity” in the scientific literature, in regulatory documents and at the household level. On that basis, those concepts’ content is clarified. The authors show that currently in Russia and in the world there is a tendency to increase a number of projects performed and to increase their role in the society’s life. Against that trend’s background, the new society’s economic development model is being formed – the “project economy”, implemented in practice not through the usual market mechanisms, but through a multiple system of projects. It means that a significant part of the future economy, including the enterprises’ economy, may consist of a huge number of projects permeating it at the macro-, meso- and micro-levels that are hierarchically interconnected in space, time and among themselves. The article formulates eight basic conditions that are relevant for most projects and that include specific actions which, if completed by the time the projects are launched, can create the necessary prerequisites for the successful goals’ achievement approved in each project. It also highlights an importance of taking into account in all decisions on the projects’ development and implementation, the features of the technological processes and equipment adopted in them for use. The latter are considered by the authors as the foundation on which all other possible options for actions can then be purposefully built, ensuring both the project’s preparation for launch and its successful and effective implementation. The authors believe that the project economy is an integral part of our common economy, which is why it will not displace the market economy from the life of society, but will co-exist more or less amicably with it. Just as the market economy co-exists today with planned economy’s elements in the any enterprise’s activities.

Symptom. Toxic story

Symptom. Toxic story

Исследование совместного движения ракеты-носителя с наблюдаемыми объектами космического мусора в процессе подготовки к запуску

Исследование совместного движения ракеты-носителя с наблюдаемыми объектами космического мусора в процессе подготовки к запуску

LO78: Ready for launch? A survey of readiness factors among 2019 Competence By Design launch disciplines

Introduction: A critical component for successful implementation of any innovation is an organization's readiness for change. Competence by Design (CBD) is the Royal College's major change initiative to reform the training of medical specialists in Canada. The purpose of this study was to measure readiness to implement CBD among the 2019 launch disciplines. Methods: An online survey was distributed to program directors of the 2019 CBD launch disciplines one month prior to implementation. Questions were developed based on the R = MC2 framework for organizational readiness. They addressed program motivation to implement CBD, general capacity for change, and innovation-specific capacity. Questions related to motivation and general capacity were scored using a 5-point scale of agreement. Innovation-specific capacity was measured by asking participants whether they had completed 33 key pre-implementation tasks (yes/no) in preparation for CBD. Bivariate correlations were conducted to examine the relationship between motivation, general capacity and innovation specific capacity. Results: Survey response rate was 42% (n = 79). A positive correlation was found between all three domains of readiness (motivation and general capacity, r = 0.73, p < 0.01; motivation and innovation specific capacity, r = 0.52, p < 0.01; general capacity and innovation specific capacity, r = 0.47, p < 0.01). Most respondents agreed that successful launch of CBD was a priority (74%). Fewer felt that CBD was a move in the right direction (58%) and that implementation was a manageable change (53%). While most programs indicated that their leadership (94%) and faculty and residents (87%) were supportive of change, 42% did not have experience implementing large-scale innovation and 43% indicated concerns about adequate support staff. Programs had completed an average of 72% of pre-implementation tasks. No difference was found between disciplines (p = 0.11). Activities related to curriculum mapping, competence committees and programmatic assessment had been completed by >90% of programs, while <50% of programs had engaged off-service rotations. Conclusion: Measuring readiness for change aids in the identification of factors that promote or inhibit successful implementation. These results highlight several areas where programs struggle in preparation for CBD launch. Emergency medicine training programs can use this data to target additional implementation support and ongoing faculty development initiatives.

Анализ вариантов сокращения энергопотребления в процессах поддержания тепловых режимов космических аппаратов на стартовых комплексах

Supplying a spacecraft with heat carrier featuring the parameters required in order to maintain thermal conditions during system preparation for launch involves considerable power consumption and requires bulky ground equipment in fortified structures. The paper establishes the possibility to decrease power consumption by ground equipment considerably. This result is due to circulating heat carrier between the layers of the fairing. This eliminates contact between the heat carrier and the spacecraft and substantially simplifies requirements posed to the heat carrier. It becomes possible to place ground equipment at the service level of the spacecraft upper stage and to reduce significantly the air duct lengths containing the heat carrier and the heat loss within them.

Justification of the architecture of an interactive information model of the process of space-mission vehicle launch preparation

The article presents a solution of the problem of substantiating the architecture of an interactive information model for the launch preparation of an integrated launch vehicle (ILV). The relevance of the research is due to the complexity and high dynamics of the ILV launch preparation process, as well as the latest achievements in the field of information modeling and decision support theory. The aim of the research is to raise the situational awareness of the decision maker in managing the process of preparing ILV for launch. The process of formation of situational awareness as an integral part of the decision-making process is analyzed. On the basis of this analysis a model of an indicator of the effectiveness of situational awareness formation is proposed for the first time. A model for evaluating the effectiveness of the process under study is developed on the basis of the mathematical apparatus of the theory of continuous-time Markov chains. The results of numerical experiments confirming the adequacy of the model and making it possible to state the quantitative requirements for the process of formation of situational awareness, ensuring its maximum efficiency, are presented. The tasks of the information system aimed at satisfying the requirements are stated, and the architecture of the information model of the ILV launch preparation process is developed. The research results can be used to justify the quantitative requirements for the developed information models of the launch situation at the stage of development of technical specifications.

Implementation of Electronic Medical Record in Vascular and Interventional Radiology

This article discusses the implementation of a new electronic medical record (EMR) on workflow in vascular interventional radiology (VIR) and briefly discusses the preparation for launching EMR system, obstacles, advantages, and disadvantages based on an electronic survey of employees in the VIR unit at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Launching the EMR system was preceded by 6-month period of a hospital-wide training introducing the new EMR system to all health care providers and associates. During this period, all hospital units were equipped with new computers, iPads, and special printers compatible with the new system. Integration of the radiology information system and new EMR was carefully conducted and monitored by the radiology team and new preprocedure and postprocedure order sets for every VIR procedure were uploaded to the system; these order sets helped in improving the quality of patient care and patient workflow in VIR. Intensive training of staff and “super users” was done in preparation for the actual launch of the system. On call clinical and information technology teams along with hotlines were available on the day of “Go Live” for troubleshooting.

Scientists Meet to Review Preparations for Satellite Launch

Center for Satellite Applications and Research JPSS 2017 Annual Science Team Meeting; College Park, Maryland, 14–18 August 2017

The Use of an Atmospheric Model to Simulate the Rocket Exhaust Effluents Transport and Dispersion for the Centro de Lançamento de Alcântara

This paper introduces a new approach to represent the rocket exhaust effluents into an atmospheric dispersion model considering the trajectory and variable burning rates of a Satellite Vehicle Launcher, taking into account the buoyancy of the exhausted gases. It presents a simulation for a Satellite Vehicle Launcher flight at 12:00Z in a typical day of the dry season (Sept 17, 2008) at the Centro de Lancamento de Alcântara using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model coupled with a modified chemistry module to take into account the gases HCl,CO,CO2, and particulate matter emitted from the rocket engine. The results show that the HCl levels are dangerous in the first hour after the launching into the Launch Preparation Area and at the Technical Meteorological Center region; the CO levels are critical for the first 10 min after the launching, representing a high risk for human activities at the proximities of the launching pad.

Radiotherapy approaches for locally advanced penile cancer: neoadjuvant and adjuvant.

As penile cancer is an uncommon malignancy in the Western society, randomized trials to address the controversies in management have not previously been undertaken. The incorporation of multidisciplinary approaches in the management of advanced penile carcinoma has largely borrowed evidence from analogous malignancies in the anogenital region. This review is being undertaken in preparation for the international launch of InPACT, the International Penile Advanced Cancer Trial, a collaborative effort from European and North American trialists. The literature supporting the development of this trial is reviewed, along with the trial design, goals, and endpoints. Level one evidence of the benefits of combined chemo-radiotherapy in the management of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, oropharynx, vulva, and anal canal has led to the introduction of this approach for advanced penile cancer. InPACT will compare chemo-radiotherapy to the traditional surgical approach, with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy. InPACT will define the roles and optimal sequencing of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy in advanced penile cancer. In the meantime, this collaborative effort among the major research consortiums of Europe and North America lends credibility to the application of this evidence to the penile site.

An Overview of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Science Data Product Calibration and Validation

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) will launch its first JPSS-1 satellite in early 2017. The JPSS-1 and follow-on satellites will carry aboard an array of instruments including the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), and the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS). These instruments are similar to the instruments currently operating on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite. In preparation for the JPSS-1 launch, the JPSS program at the Center for Satellite Applications and Research (JSTAR) Calibration/Validation (Cal/Val) teams, have laid out the Cal/Val plans to oversee JPSS-1 science products’ algorithm development efforts, verification and characterization of these algorithms during the pre-launch period, calibration and validation of the products during post-launch, and long-term science maintenance (LTSM). In addition, the team has developed the necessary schedules, deliverables and infrastructure for routing JPSS-1 science product algorithms for operational implementation. This paper presents an overview of these efforts. In addition, this paper will provide insight into the processes of both adapting S-NPP science products for JPSS-1 and performing upgrades for enterprise solutions, and will discuss Cal/Val processes and quality assurance procedures.