Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Research Articles

Factors That Influence Health Care-Seeking Behavior and Health Information Disclosure Among U.S. Air Force Pilots.

The reality of pilot health care avoidance behavior is often common knowledge to both pilots and aeromedical physicians, but the underlying factors leading to this behavior are less understood. In the current study, we conducted a qualitative assessment of a sample of U.S. Air Force (USAF) pilots to gather firsthand perceptions of the factors that encourage and discourage disclosure during aeromedical screening and use of mental and physical health care services, as well as recommendations to improve the USAF aeromedical health care system. We conducted interviews with 21 USAF pilots on their perceptions of seeking medical care to identify factors that uniquely discourage or encourage disclosure and health care utilization to understand factors that aid the aeromedical provider/aviator relationship and to elicit interventions that could be prospectively researched. This work was reviewed by the Air Force Research Laboratory Institutional Review Board at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and designated as exempt research, FWR20220103E. The most reported factors that discourage military pilot health care disclosure and health care utilization overall were medical revocation, stigma, and lack of trust in providers. Unit-embedded services, ease of access, and severity of condition were the most reported factors encouraging disclosure and utilization. Factor descriptions and exemplary quotes from pilots and pilot recommendations to encourage health care utilization and disclosure are provided. Results from firsthand interviews with pilots provide valuable information for flight surgeons to focus on building trust with their pilots to reduce health care avoidance.

Non-equilibrium plasma kinetics of CO2 in glow discharges: a comparison with existing modeling and experimental results

We report results obtained by our 0D, time-dependent self-consistent model for the description of the CO2 plasma kinetics in glow discharge conditions, comparing our results with the simulation and experimental results reported by Grofulovic et al (2018 Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 27 115009; 2019 PhD Thesis) and Klarenaar et al (2017 Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 26 115008). Our model is based on the simultaneous solution of the kinetic equations describing the vibrational, the electronic excited states and the plasma chemistry and of the electron Boltzmann equation for the calculation of the electron energy distribution function (eedf). The results for the vibrational level densities of CO2 show a satisfactory agreement with the Grofulovic’s model results, despite the differences in the vibrational energy level scheme and in the kinetic processes included with the correspondent rate coefficients, with a good match also with the corresponding experimental results. Moreover, conditions characterized by higher power density (5–50 W cm−3) have been investigated to understand the behavior of the CO2 plasma discharge when a higher vibrational excitation is present. Large deviations of the vibrational distributions of CO2 and CO from equilibrium ones are predicted both in discharge and post discharge conditions. In particular, the CO2 vibrational distribution presents a behavior similar to a Treanor distribution for v < 15 while a deactivation of the plateau in the vibrational distribution function after v > 15 appears as a consequence of the dissociation induced by vibrational excitation mechanism, i.e. pure vibrational mechanism, becoming important at higher power densities. Finally, the results dependence on the selection of the CO2 electron molecule dissociation cross section, i.e. Phelps (1973 J. Appl. Phys. 44 4464 or Cosby (1993 Report No. AD-A266 464 WL-TR-93-2004 (Dayton, OH: Wright-Patterson Airforce Base)), has been investigated, showing that its more opportune choice is still a problem to be discussed for the description of conditions in which the electron impact dissociation dominates the kinetics, while once vibrational excitation is activated, CO2 dissociation is essentially driven by vibrational-induced dissociation, depending to a minor extent from that choice.

Supersonic combustion diagnostics with dual comb spectroscopy

Supersonic engine development requires accurate and detailed measurements of fluidic and thermodynamic parameters to optimize engine designs and benchmark computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations. Here, we demonstrate that dual frequency comb spectroscopy (DCS) with mode-locked frequency combs can provide simultaneous absolute measurements of several flow parameters with low uncertainty across a range of conditions owing to the broadband and ultrastable optical frequency output of the lasers. We perform DCS measurements across a 6800–7200 cm−1 bandwidth covering hundreds of H2O absorption features resolved with a spectral point spacing of 0.0067 cm−1 and point spacing precision of 1.68 × 10−10 cm−1. We demonstrate 2D profiles of velocity, temperature, pressure, water mole fraction, and air mass flux in a ground-test dual-mode ramjet at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The narrow angles of the measurement beams offer sufficient spatial resolution to resolve properties across an oblique shock train in the isolator and the thermal throat of the combustor. We determine that the total measurement uncertainties for the various parameters range from 1% for temperature to 9% for water vapor mole fraction, with the absorption database/model that is used to interpret the data typically contributing the most uncertainty (leaving the door open for even lower uncertainty in the future). CFD at the various measurement locations show good agreement, largely falling within the DCS measurement uncertainty for most profiles and parameters.

Spatially resolved mass flux measurements with dual-comb spectroscopy

Providing an accurate, representative sample of mass flux across large open areas for atmospheric studies or the extreme conditions of a hypersonic engine is challenging for traditional intrusive or point-based sensors. Here, we demonstrate that laser absorption spectroscopy with mode-locked frequency combs can simultaneously measure all of the components of mass flux (velocity, temperature, pressure, and species mole fraction) with low uncertainty, spatial resolution corresponding to the laser line of sight, and no supplemental sensor readings. The low uncertainty is provided by the broad spectral bandwidth, high resolution, and extremely well-known and controlled frequency axis of stabilized, mode-locked frequency combs. We demonstrate these capabilities using dual-frequency comb spectroscopy (DCS) in the isolator of a ground-test supersonic propulsion engine at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The mass flux measurements are consistent within 3.6% of the facility-level engine air supply values. A vertical scan of the laser beams in the isolator measures the spatially resolved mass flux, which is compared with computational fluid dynamics simulations. A rigorous uncertainty analysis demonstrates an instrument uncertainty of ∼ 0.4 % , and total uncertainty (including non-instrument sources) of ∼ 7 % for mass flux measurements. These measurements demonstrate DCS with mode-locked frequency combs as a low-uncertainty mass flux sensor for a variety of applications.

Addressing Persistent Vaccine Hesitancy in a Military Community Through a Physician-Led Intervention.

ABSTRACTIntroductionFollowing the identification of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China, the virus has spread rapidly around the world causing severe illness and death. Several vaccines were found to be safe and effective and made available first to those most at risk and then to the general public. Despite the safety and efficacy profiles, vaccine hesitancy remains a significant barrier to widespread immunity. Within the military community at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, we provided multiple physician-led educational seminars to address vaccination concerns and decrease vaccine hesitancy.Materials and MethodsThe authors presented a PowerPoint presentation of the available vaccinations, their safety data, and efficacy, followed by a town hall-style question-and-answer period where questions were presented from the previous submission, as well as real-time submissions through Facebook Live. The questions were fielded by specialists in Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Pulmonary-Critical Care, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Rheumatology. The entire presentation was streamed through Facebook Live and was freely available. Following the presentation, an online survey was provided for willing participants to complete which included demographic data and addressed their previous and current attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccinations and their opinions on the presentation. Data from the survey were then analyzed through IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0 to find any associations or risk factors for hesitancy.ResultsThere were 73 respondents to the assessment, most of which were nonmedical. Of the 73, the majority (45) had already received a vaccine for COVID-19. Of those unvaccinated, 17 did not want a vaccination before or after the seminar. Two did change their mind about being receptive to vaccination, and one changed from receptive to hesitant. The only statistically significant risk factors for vaccine hesitancy were those with a moderate to great amount of trust in their health care provider compared to those with little to no trust (73% vs. 4%, P < .001).ConclusionsOur intervention was limited in its effectiveness to address vaccine hesitancy late in the pandemic, with our study limited by our small sample size. Regardless, it identified a peculiar discrepancy with those with the most trust in health care providers being the most likely to be vaccine-hesitant. This highlights the importance of the information that trusted health care providers are providing to their patients and may identify more effective routes to address vaccine hesitancy in the future.

Science and Business Developments

Science and Business Developments

Battlefield acupuncture appears to be an effective therapy for pain management

Introduction: The Department of Defense has been training primary care providers in battlefield acupuncture (BFA), a subtype of auricular acupuncture, as an adjunct therapy for pain management. Methods: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of BFA for pain management in an outpatient Internal Medicine clinic staffed by resident physicians. The target population for this single-center prospective cohort study were military beneficiaries at a medical treatment facility located at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Participants who met inclusion criteria were treated with BFA in addition to routine standard care for pain (n = 69). The control group was composed of participants who received routine standard care only without BFA (n = 27). Pain was assessed by a self-reported pain scale (0–10) at the time of encounter, immediately after BFA (for the intervention group), then at 24 and 48 h afterwards. Results: Mean pain for the intervention group decreased from 5.45 before BFA to 3.29 immediately following BFA to 2.21 at 24 h and to 2.10 at 48 h (p &lt; 0.001). Thus, at all three post-treatment time points, mean decrease in pain surpassed a two-point reduction, deemed to be a clinically important difference. The BFA group had a greater reduction in pain compared to the no intervention group at 24 h (3.14 vs 0.59, p &lt; 0.001) and at 48 h (3.26 vs 0.96, p &lt; 0.001). Four intervention group participants (6%) reported an adverse reaction (three with pain at the insertion site) or complication (one with superficial infection). Conclusion: BFA provided by Internal Medicine residents appears to be a safe and effective adjunct therapy for pain management in an outpatient setting, but requires further validation by randomized controlled trials.

David T. Blackstock: Scholar, teacher, mentor, and gentleman

David T. Blackstock was born in Austin, Texas in 1930. After earning B.S. and M.S. degrees in physics at University of Texas at Austin he spent two years at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where he developed an interest in acoustics working under Henning von Gierke on hearing protection. He then joined F. V. Hunt’s group at Harvard University and earned a Ph.D. in applied physics in 1960 with a doctoral thesis in nonlinear acoustics, ultimately his lifelong passion. Following three years at General Dynamics and seven years at University of Rochester, David returned to UT in 1970 to join its Applied Research Laboratories, and in 1987 he became Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Among David’s legacies is his formulation of a convenient framework for implementing weak-shock theory. Combining analytical, computational, and experimental approaches, he proceeded to investigate acoustic saturation, finite-amplitude noise, suppression of sound by sound, parametric array in air, sonic boom, therapeutic ultrasound, and other fundamental problems in nonlinear acoustics. David was widely known as an exceptionally caring man, whether bringing Soviet scientists and their research to the attention of the West, teaching and mentoring graduate students, or through extensive service in the ASA and International Commission for Acoustics.

Impact of an Education Intervention on COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in a Military Base Population.

ABSTRACTBackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy is a major impediment to achieving herd immunity and overcoming the current pandemic. Our aim was to decrease the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy through an education intervention.MethodAn education intervention, consisting of a PowerPoint presentation addressing the two mRNA COVID-19 vaccine concerns/myths and a question and answer panel comprising health care providers from various specialties, was implemented to address vaccine hesitancy among personnel associated with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base through a series of virtual and in-person seminars. Participants completed a post-seminar survey as a retrospective self-assessment to identify attitudes and views surrounding vaccine hesitancy and the impact of the education intervention. Chi-squared test was used to examine relationships between categorical variables, and multiple logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for vaccine hesitancy pre- and post-seminar. All analyses were done using SPSS Statistics Version 25.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY). Institutional Review Board approval was not obtained before this study as it began as a non-research initiative and received non-research determination post hoc.ResultsFive hundred participants completed the survey. Mean age was 44.7 years with 13.4 and 86.6% medical and non-medical personnel, respectively. Nearly all (98.8%) had not received their first shot of the vaccine series. 402 (80.9%) were receptive to vaccination, and 95 (19.1%) were hesitant post-seminar. Of the 139 participants who reported they were initially hesitant after our intervention, 50 (36%) indicated that they were now receptive to the vaccine, while 89 (64%) remained hesitant. Of those 50, 48 (96%) had moderate to great amount of trust in COVID-19 vaccine information presented by physicians/other providers. Six respondents who wanted the vaccine before the intervention no longer wanted the vaccine. A medical occupation (OR = 4.85, 95% CI = 2.63-8.96, P < .001), little or no trust in COVID-19 vaccine information from physicians/other providers (OR = 19.48, 95% CI = 7.31-51.90, P < 0.001), and being age 30 or younger (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.02-3.2, P = 0.041) were independent predictors of vaccine hesitancy. Trust in providers was a significant factor in change of intent from vaccine hesitant to receptive post-intervention (OR 0.13, 95% CI = 0.03-0.59, P = .008). Age and occupation were not significant factors associated with change in intent.ConclusionOur education intervention was effective in reducing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in a military base population. Study limitations include applications toward other military and non-military populations, the possibility of nonresponse bias, and absence of prior validated interventions. Area for future studies includes improvement upon educational intervention, development of other effective methods, and application of intervention in other populations.

COVID-19 Seroprevalence and Active Infection in an Asymptomatic Population.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, immediate and scalable testing solutions are needed to direct return to full capacity planning in the general public and across the Department of Defense (DoD). To fully understand the extent to which a population has been affected by COVID-19, active monitoring approaches require an estimation of overall seroprevalence in addition to accurate, affordable, and rapid tests to detect current SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, researchers in the Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance Wing, Airman Systems Directorate evaluated the performance of various testing methods for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and viral RNA in asymptomatic adults working at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the surrounding area during the period of 23 July 2020–23 Oct 2020. Altogether, there was a seroprevalance of 3.09% and an active infection rate of 0.5% (determined via the testing of saliva samples) amongst individuals tested, both of which were comparable to local and national averages at the time. This work also presents technical and non-technical assessments of various testing strategies as compared to the gold standard approaches (e.g., lateral flow assays vs. ELISA and RT-LAMP vs. RT-PCR) in order to explore orthogonal supply chains and fieldability. Exploration and validation of multiple testing strategies will allow the DoD and other workforces to make informed responses to COVID-19 and future pandemics.

Processing, Adhesion and Corrosion-inhibiting Properties of Poly[2-methoxy-5-(2’-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene], (MEH-PPV) on Aerospace Aluminum Alloys

Researchers at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) investigated poly[2-methoxy-5-(2’-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene], (MEH-PPV) for its potential corrosion-inhibition properties on aerospace aluminum alloy AA2024-T3. Solution processing of the polymer, as well as adhesion testing and accelerated weathering tests were performed on MEH-PPV full military aerospace coatings. Wet and dry tape adhesion testing, as well as pencil hardness, impact flexibility and pneumatic adhesion tensile test instrument (PATTI) testing were used to demonstrate the adhesion performance of MEH-PPV on aluminum substrates. The results showed that MEH-PPV had acceptable adhesion characteristics when compared to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) based coatings in all of these tests. Accelerated weathering analysis was performed on MEH-PPV coatings to determine their corrosion protection and weathering resistance capabilities. These tests included neutral salt spray (NSS) exposure and xenon-arc lamp testing. The results showed that while MEH-PPV does not exhibit significant color change after 500 hours of xenon arc lamp exposure, the polymer has poor corrosion protection performance under aggressive salt environments.

Perceptions and Concerns Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination in a Military Base Population.

ABSTRACTIntroductionSafe and effective vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus 2 are essential tools in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, hesitancy to vaccination is a major barrier to achieving herd immunity, particularly among a population working on a military base. To better understand the perceptions and concerns of these individuals, a voluntary survey was conducted.Materials and MethodsAn interactive, online survey was constructed and disseminated to individuals associated with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) in Dayton, OH. Survey participation was voluntary with responses collected over the initial weeks in which WPAFB began to distribute COVID-19 vaccines in a series of phases. Although initially designed to collect demographic data and identify reasons for potential vaccine hesitancy among WPAFB 88th Medical Group personnel, the study population was expanded to include all WPAFB-affiliated personnel at the direction of base leadership. The chi-squared test was used to examine the relationships between categorical variables, while multivariable logistic regression was used to assess age and occupation as independent risk factors for vaccine hesitancy.ResultsA total of 816 individuals completed the survey, of whom 22.7% (n = 185) self-identified as vaccine hesitant (VH). The VH group had a lower mean age than the not vaccine hesitant (NVH) group (39.3 ± 14.2 vs. 45.9 ± 13.4, P < .001). Respondents whose occupation was medical were more likely to be VH than their non-medical colleagues (49% vs. 18%, P < .001). The VH group was more concerned about short-term side effects (43% vs. 26%, P < .001), long-term side effects (82% vs. 50%, P < 0.001), vaccine effectiveness (23% vs. 5%, P < .001), vaccine making them feel sick (22% vs. 13%, P = .002), being infected with COVID-19 from the vaccine (10% vs. 5%, P = 0.008), and worry about misinformation/political agenda (43% vs. 31%, P = 0.003). Younger respondents and medical personnel were more likely to be concerned about long-term side effects and vaccine effectiveness, and the younger group was also more likely to be concerned about pregnancy/breastfeeding issues and worry about misinformation/political agenda. Age (younger vs. older, odds ratio 2.15) and occupation (medical vs. non-medical, odds ratio 3.74) were independent risk factors for vaccine hesitancy. The NVH group was more likely to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine to a friend or family member than the VH group (93% vs. 20%, P < .001) as were the older age group (79% vs. 67%, P = .001) and non-medical personnel (81% vs. 52%, P < .001).ConclusionsYounger age and medical occupation were independent risk factors for vaccine hesitancy and these individuals were less likely to recommend vaccination to a friend or family member. We also identified several key concerns related to vaccination hesitancy, in particular those related to short- and long-term side effects, and the spread of misinformation. Among military personnel, these findings carry important implications that may negatively impact mission readiness, a matter that merits further investigation. Our COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy findings can be used to guide targeted interventions at future vaccination campaigns in a military population.

PHANTOM COOLING EFFECTS ON ROTOR BLADE SURFACE HEAT FLUX IN A TRANSONIC FULL SCALE 1+1/2 STAGE ROTATING TURBINE

Abstract An experimental and numerical investigation of phantom cooling effects on cooled and uncooled rotating high pressure turbine blades in a full scale 1+1/2 stage turbine test is carried out. Objectives set to capture, separate, and quantify the effects of upstream vane film-cooling and leakage flows on the downstream rotor blade surface heat flux. Multiple series of tests were carried out in the Air Force Research Laboratory, Turbine Research Facility, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. A non-proprietary research turbine test article is uniquely instrumented with high frequency double-sided thin film heat flux gauges custom made at AFRL. High bandwidth, time resolved surface heat flux is measured on multiple film-cooled and non-film-cooled HPT rotor blades downstream of both film-cooled and non-film-cooled vane sectors. Upstream wake passing and heat flux is characterized on both rotor pressure and suction side surfaces, along with quantifying rotor phantom cooling effects from non-uniform 1st stage vane film cooling and leakage flows. Fast response heat flux measurements quantify how rotor phantom cooling impacts the blade pressure side greatest; increasing along the pressure side towards the trailing edge. It is discovered upstream vane film-cooling alone can account for 50% of the rotor blade cooling effect, and even outweigh the rotor blade film cooling effect far from the blade showerhead holes. Added unsteady numerical simulation demonstrates how variations in inlet total temperature and incidence angle can also contribute to circumferentially non-uniform rotor heat flux.

Field Demonstration of a Pilot-Scale Plasma Reactor for the Rapid Removal of Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Groundwater

A pilot-scale plasma-based water treatment system containing two enhanced contact plasma reactors was deployed to a fire training area at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to treat poly- and perfluor...

Paul Spehr (1931–2019)

Paul Spehr (1931–2019) Mike Mashon (bio), Geo Willeman (bio), Arlene Balkansky (bio), Dan Streible (bio), and Mark Williams (bio) the Basic facts of Paul's career map the evolution of film archiving. He arrived at the Library of Congress in 1958 as the first employee hired as a full-time film preservationist and spent the next thirty-five years turning a barely organized collection into a division founded on archival principles—many of which Paul developed—and dedicated to the preservation of America's unmatched cinematic and televisual heritage. Paul was an indefatigable advocate for motion picture acquisition and preservation to a senior management that took some convincing; there's no question that the Library's moving image collections would be severely impoverished if not for his leadership. Paul had retired from the Library by the time I arrived as moving image curator in 1998, but he was still very much an active presence. He proved a wise and patient teacher, a seemingly bottomless source of information about W. K. L. Dickson and American Mutoscope and Biograph. But, more importantly, he knew so much about the nature of our holdings and how they evolved within the larger context of the Library as a national collection. His grasp of institutional history was invaluable, his generosity of spirit inspiring, and his legacy enduring. —Mike Mashon, Moving Image Section Head, Library of Congress ________ one of the things I remember best about Paul was that he treated us like colleagues, even when we were but lowly vault collection attendants at Wright–Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio—in nitrate vaults that Paul helped identify and secure for the Library. Early on in my career, Paul asked me to accompany him on a trip to Toledo, Ohio, to inspect a collection of nitrate. Over the three-plus-hour drive, we had plenty of time to get to know each other, and that trip set our relationship for the next thirty years. Once he retired, I got to see and interact with Paul even more through emails and phone calls and in person at film festivals. At one of them, I mentioned a story I had heard about young employees literally hiding nitrate copyright prints at a time when the Library was replacing them with 16mm safety reductions. Afterward, Paul came up to me and told me he was the one who did it. That alone makes him a major archival hero in my mind. —Geo. Willeman, Nitrate Vault Manager, Library of Congress ________ i am one of many who would not have had a career in moving image archives without Paul. He generously met with me while I was still an undergraduate. His enthusiasm inspired me to get a graduate degree, and after joining the Library's Motion Picture Section in 1978, I was afforded multiple opportunities to expand my knowledge of film and television archives. Paul encouraged staff members at all levels to [End Page 301] Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 1. Paul Spehr illuminated, Orphans 2016, LOC Culpeper. Photograph courtesy of New York University Cinema Studies. attend the D.C. meetings of the Film Archives Advisory Committee and the Television Archives Advisory Committee (FAAC/TAAC), precursors to AMIA. I will always be grateful for his personal kindness and support. —Arlene Balkansky, former Moving Image Cataloger, Library of Congress ________ steeped in knowledge about film history, Paul was ever generous about sharing what he knew or where to look for answers. Whether at the many conferences and festivals he frequented or over social media, he would speak (always quietly and with modesty) about collections and films other experts had overlooked. When people inquired further, Paul would tell more and go so far as to share copies of primary sources he had been filing away for many years. His insights guided my research for three decades. When I visited the Library of Congress as a researcher in the early 1990s, he saw I was looking at a nineteenth-century illustration republished in a recent book. He introduced himself and offered historical context about the image that saved me from misunderstanding what I was studying. As the Orphan Film Symposium...

Postoperative Care for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT (TAVR), sometimes called transcatheter aortic valve implantation, is a relatively new therapy that was first approved for use in the United States in 2011. 1 Grover F.L. Vemulapalli S. Carroll J.D. et al. 2016 Annual Report of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry. Ann Thorac Surg. 2017; 103: 1021-1035 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (33) Google Scholar Since the therapy's introduction, TAVR has increasingly become an effective alternative to surgical aortic valve repair to treat symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) in high surgical risk or inoperable patients. 2 Kundi H. Strom J.B. Valsdottir L.R. et al. Trends in isolated surgical aortic valve replacement according to hospital-based transcatheter aortic valve replacement volumes. JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2018; 11: 2148-2156 Crossref PubMed Scopus (50) Google Scholar , 3 Leon M.B. Smith C.R. Mack M. et al. Transcatheter aortic-valve implantation for aortic stenosis in patients who cannot undergo surgery. N Engl J Med. 2010; 363: 1597-1607 Crossref PubMed Scopus (5427) Google Scholar , 4 Leon M.B. Smith C.R. Mack M.J. et al. Transcatheter or surgical aortic-valve replacement in intermediate-risk patients. N Engl J Med. 2016; 374: 1609-1620 Crossref PubMed Scopus (3216) Google Scholar Demand for this procedure has continued to grow with an increase in the number of health care centers performing TAVR procedures nationwide and continuing research extending the procedure for populations with AS. 4 Leon M.B. Smith C.R. Mack M.J. et al. Transcatheter or surgical aortic-valve replacement in intermediate-risk patients. N Engl J Med. 2016; 374: 1609-1620 Crossref PubMed Scopus (3216) Google Scholar , 5 Auffret V. Puri R. Urena M. et al. Conduction disturbances after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: Current status and future perspectives. Circulation. 2017; 136: 1049-1069 Crossref PubMed Scopus (289) Google Scholar Although TAVR is effective as a treatment option for AS, it is not without significant risks. Joshua V. Williams, BSN, RN, CCRN-K, Aeromedical Evacuation Civilian Institution Program, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH Mary Beth Flynn Makic, PhD, RN, CCNS, CCRN-K, FAAN, FNAP, College of Nursing, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO

Brains Are Not Computers: Celebrating the Achievements of Robert Kozma

In this article, we provide an overview of Dr. Robert Kozma's accomplishments, based on essays by leading experts in various areas related to his research, covering mathematical, computational, and cognitive aspects of his neurodynamics modeling and applications in biologically inspired autonomous systems and robotics. Specific contributions are given by Dr. Miklos Ruszinko (the Renyi Institute of Mathematics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences) on mathematical and graph theoretical aspects of brain modeling, detailing Dr. Kozma's work, which is now known as neuropercolation. This is followed by recollections from Dr. Roman Ilin [U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB)], a former student of Dr. Kozma's, on computational models of spatiotemporal neurodynamics, and the work Dr. Kozma has made jointly with the late, world-renowned Prof. Walter J. Freeman [University of California (UC), Berkeley] and his students in a field now called Freeman K Katchalsky-sets. Dr. Edward Tunstel [the United Technologies Robotics Center (UTRC), East Hartford, Connecticut] provides an overview of biologically inspired robotics and several unique applications Dr. Kozma has made in this field together with colleagues from NASA Robotics. Dr. Bernard Baars (Society of Brain-Mind Sciences, La Jolla, California) contributes a cognitive scientist?s perspective on Dr. Kozma's work with an emphasis on implications of understanding and modeling consciousness. We believe this multiperspective overview provides an insight into the truly interdisciplinary character of Dr. Kozma's remarkable research achievements.

Evaluation of treatment options for well water contaminated with perfluorinated alkyl substances using life cycle assessment

As knowledge grows of the potentially harmful effects of chemicals in widespread use, emerging contaminants have become a major source of concern and uncertainty for public health officials and water quality managers. Perfluorinated alkyl substances, often referred to as perfluorinated compounds, have come under recent scrutiny and are present in groundwater at many sites across the USA. We examine the life cycle impacts of treating drinking water at one such site. We assembled life cycle models for groundwater treatment and bottled water delivery to residents of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where wells were recently taken out of service due to concerns related to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination. Two treatment methods, granular activated carbon filtration and ion-exchange columns, were modeled under a range of contaminant concentrations covering three orders of magnitude: 0.7, 7.0, and 70 μg/L PFAS. On-site infrastructure, operations, and adsorbent cycling were included in models. Impacts of bottled water production and supply were assessed using two data sets reflecting a range of production and supply chain assumptions. Uncertainty in input data was captured using Monte Carlo simulations. Results show that for contaminant concentrations below 70 μg/L, the dominant contributor to life cycle impacts is electricity use at the treatment facility. Production, reactivation, and disposal of treatment media become major sources of impact only at very high PFAS concentrations. Though the life cycle impacts of bottled water are up to three orders of magnitude higher than remediated groundwater on a volumetric basis, supplementing a contaminated water supply with bottled drinking water may result in lower life cycle human health impacts when only a small proportion of the total population is vulnerable. These results provide quantitative data and proposed scenarios for water quality managers and risk management officials in developing plans to address PFAS contamination and emerging contaminants in general. However, more information on the direct human health effects of these poorly understood pollutants is needed before the trade-offs in life cycle health impacts can be comprehensively assessed.

Cool fuel for hypersonic aircraft

Keep an eye on the seat-back display during the first 20 minutes or so after takeoff, and you’ll see that as your flight climbs, the air temperature plummets. At altitudes near 10.5 km (roughly 35,000 feet), the outside temperature hovers near –50 °C. For a common commercial plane traveling around 920 km/hour, that bitter-cold air is enough to cool the exterior of an aircraft as it cuts through the sky. An ultrafast military jet traveling at more than three times that speed, however, creates such friction with the surrounding air that those frigid temperatures don’t do enough to cool the aircraft and prevent possible damage to equipment. The solution? “Use the fuel as the primary coolant,” says Christopher E. Bunker, a fuels specialist at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. “It sounds crazy, like putting gasoline in your radiator,” he acknowledges. But running

John H. Meiser

John H. Meiser, 78, died on Aug. 10 in Muncie, Ind. “John was a beloved educator at Ball State University for 46 years. He was also coauthor of the landmark Laidler and Meiser “Physical Chemistry” textbook, translated into several languages through its multiple editions and used worldwide. John also coauthored several general chemistry books. He conducted research at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Argonne National Laboratory. John was a true Renaissance scientist with a zest for life and an insatiable curiosity and unparalleled wanderlust. He traveled across six continents and was an avid aviation enthusiast. He was deeply religious and a dedicated teacher, researcher, mentor, and colleague. His personality was a blend of Sheldon Cooper, MacGyver, and Yoda.”—James Rybarczyk, friend and colleague Most recent title: professor emeritus, Ball State University Education: B.S., chemistry, Xavier University, 1961; Ph.D., physical chemistry, University of Cincinnati, 1966 Survivors: wife, Enya Flores-Meiser;...