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Author(s): Kellar Autumn [1]; Yiching A. Liang [2]; S. Tonia Hsieh [3]; Wolfgang Zesch [4]; Wai Pang Chan [3]; Thomas W. Kenny [2]; Ronald Fearing [4]; Robert J. Full (corresponding [...]

This paper presents an analytical model of the tool path for staircase traversal of convex polygonal surfaces, and an algorithm - referred to as OPTPATH - developed based on the model to find the sweep angle that gives a near optimal tool path length. The OPTPATH algorithm can be used for staircase traversal with or without (i) overlaps between successive sweep passes, and (ii) rapid traversal along edge passes. This flexibility of OPTPATH renders it applicable not only to conventional operations such as face and pocket milling, but also to other processes such as robotic deburring, rapid prototyping, and robotic spray painting. The effective tool path lengths provided by OPTPATH are compared with those given by the following two algorithms: (i) a common industrial heuristic - referred to as the IH algorithm - and (ii) an algorithm proposed by Prabhu et al. (Prabhu, P. V., Gramopadhye, A. K., and Wang, H. P., 1990, Int. J. Prod. Res., 28, No. 1, pp. 101-130) referred to as PGW algorithm. This comparison is conducted using 100 randomly generated convex polygons of different shapes and a set of seven different tool diameters. It is found that OPTPATH performs better than both the IH as well as PGW algorithms. The superiority of OPTPATH over the two algorithms becomes more pronounced for large tool diameters.

Hung-Hsiang Huang,1,* Chi-Jie Lu,2– 4,* Mao-Jhen Jhou,4 Tzu-Chi Liu,4 Chih-Te Yang,5 Shang-Ju Hsieh,1 Wen-Jen Yang,6 Hsiao-Chun Chang,1 Ming-Shu Chen7 1Department of Urology, Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, 220, Taiwan; 2Artificial Intelligence Development Center, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, 242, Taiwan; 3Department of Information Management, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, 242, Taiwan; 4Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, 242, Taiwan; 5Department of Business Administration, Tamkang University, New Taipei City, 251, Taiwan; 6Health Screening Center, Chi Hsin Clinic, Taipei City, 104, Taiwan; 7Department of Healthcare Administration, Asia Eastern University of Science and Technology, New Taipei City, 220, Taiwan*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ming-Shu Chen; Hsiao-Chun Chang, Email tree1013@mail.gmail.com; liberalcsc@gmail.comPurpose: Approximately 20% of couples face infertility challenges and struggle to conceive naturally. Despite advances in artificial reproduction, its success hinges on sperm quality. Our previous study used five machine learning (ML) algorithms, random forest, stochastic gradient boosting, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, ridge regression, and extreme gradient boosting, to model health data from 1375 Taiwanese males and identified ten risk factors affecting sperm count.Methods: We employed the CART algorithm to generate decision trees using identified risk factors to predict healthy sperm counts. Four error metrics, SMAPE, RAE, RRSE, and RMSE, were used to evaluate the decision trees. We identified the top five decision trees based on their low errors and discussed in detail the tree with the least error.Results: The decision tree featuring the least error, comprising BMI, UA, ST, T-Cho/HDL-C ratio, and BUN, corroborated the negative impacts of metabolic syndrome, particularly high BMI, on sperm count, while emphasizing the link between good sleep and male fertility. Our study also sheds light on the potentially significant influence of high BUN on spermatogenesis. Two novel risk factors, T-Cho/HDL-C and UA, warrant further investigation.Conclusion: The ML algorithm established a predictive model for healthcare personnel to assess low sperm counts. Refinement of the model using additional data is crucial for improved precision. The risk factors identified offer avenues for future investigations.Keywords: sperm count, metabolic syndrome, sleep time, food metabolite, decision tree

Local heat transfer has been studied in a rotating square channel with jet impingement. Influence of rotation and jet mass flow rate on the local heat transfer coefficient for one confined impinging round jet with a fixed jet-to-wall spacing of H/d = 5 has been investigated for the jet Reynolds number 6500-26,000 and the rotational Reynolds number 0-112,000. Rotation cuts the average Nusselt number values 15%-25% respectively in outward and inward radial flow.

Serpentine tubes with strip-type inserts and with refrigerant-134a are discussed relative to evaporative heat transfer and enhancement performance. Nucleate boiling from a heated wall with a strip-type insert has not been well understood in these circumstances and flow boiling tests were conducted in a 7-pass serpentine test tube 10.6 mm in insider diameter in a hot water bath.

For the future deregulated (open access) environments, we need to find the best way to deliver the electric power to buyers after the generation settings are determined by sellers' own economic strategies. In the paper, we will formulate such a problem as an Optimal Power Delivery (OPD) problem in terms of transmitted line flows and parameters of FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems) devices, such as phase shifters and series compensators. The total transmission losses will be taken into account and represented by the transmitted line flows across those lines. Unwanted loop flow can be reduced or eliminated by FACTS devices and can be achieved by minimizing the total transmission loss. The OPD problem is then solved by two fast textured algorithms for modified IEEE 14-bus and 57-bus systems. Keywords: textured decomposition method/algorithm; parallel computation; deregulated environments, optimal power delivery problems.

OBJECTIVE: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a major advance in cancer treatment, but their payment benefits are unclear, resulting in financial risk. In Taiwan, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) has adapted risk-sharing mechanisms to cover ICIs by collecting and assessing real-world evidence, such as case registration data, to adjust benefit packages for each medication, increase payment benefits of ICIs, and enable national health insurance sustainability. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This nationwide, multicenter, retrospective cohort study assessed the real-world use, effectiveness, and safety of ICIs reimbursed by the NHIA for treating multiple advanced cancers in Taiwan. We obtained data mainly from the NHIA Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Registry Database. RESULTS: Between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020, 1644 patients received at least one dose of ICIs. The overall response rate (RR) was 29.1%. The metastatic urothelial carcinoma of patients ineligible for chemotherapy showed the highest RR. The estimated median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.7-3 months), and renal cell carcinoma showed the longest PFS. The median PFS was reached in patients with most cancers except classic Hodgkin's lymphoma, which had a small sample size. The estimated survival probability was 50%. CONCLUSIONS: Under the national registration tracking system, Taiwan's high-cost drug policy has enabled access to new medicines and maximized patient benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]