bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Symptom Clusters in Patients With High‐Grade Glioma
Authors: Fox Sherry W. , Lyon Debra , Farace Elana
Published: February 2007

Purpose: To describe the co‐occurring symptoms (depression, fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, and cognitive impairment), quality of life (QoL), and functional status in patients with high‐grade glioma.

Design: Correlational, descriptive study of 73 participants with high‐grade glioma in the U.S.

Methods: Nine brief measures were obtained with a mailed survey. Participants were recruited from the online message board of The Healing Exchange BRAIN TRUST, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving quality of life for people with brain tumors.

Findings: Two symptom cluster models were examined. Four co‐occurring symptoms were significantly correlated with each other and explained 29% of the variance in QoL: depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and cognitive impairment. Depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, cognitive impairment, and pain were significantly correlated with each other and explained 62% of the variance in functional status.

Conclusions: The interrelationships of the symptoms examined in this study and their relationships with QoL and functional status meet the criteria for defining a symptom cluster. The differences in the models of QoL and functional status indicates that symptom clusters may have unique characteristics in patients with gliomas.
An examination of metal objects from Tell Abraq, U.A.E.
Authors: PEDERSEN CHARLOTT H. , BUCHWALD VAGN F.
Published: February 2007

Four metal objects excavated at Tell Abraq in 1989 and dating to the Bronze Age and Iron Age were analyzed at the Technical University of Copenhagen. The results are reported here and the implications of the work are discussed.
Excavations at ed‐Dur (Umm al‐Qaiwain, U.A.E.) — Preliminary report on the second Belgian season (1988)
Authors: HAERINCK E. , METDEPENNINGHEN C. , STEVENS K. G.
Published: February 2007

The results of seven weeks of research in 1988 by a Belgian team from Gent University at ed‐Dur, in the Emirate of Umm al‐Qaiwain, are presented. Excavations were conducted in the southern part of the site. Close to the temple (area M) were found a well, three free‐standing altars, and a stone basin with a long Aramaic inscription. It is suggested now that the temple was dedicated to the sun‐god Shamash. The graveyard (area N), 100 m to the north of the temple, provided important information on burial rites. A large, free‐standing grave still contained many incised bone/ivory plaques. Around this tomb were found several smaller graves, five of which were unplundered. Finds included glass vessels, bronze objects (rings, bracelets, bells, etc.) and a great variety of beads made of semiprecious stones, glass paste, and frit.
Heading for the Straits of Hormuz, an‘Ubaid site in the Emirate of Ajman (U.A.E.)
Authors: HAERINCK E.
Published: February 2007

This brief note reports on the discovery of a prehistoric site near the coast of Ajman (United Arab Emirates), with lithics and ceramics which should probably be dated to the fifth millennium BC. Although small, the site nonetheless takes its place alongside a growing number of prehistoric points of habitation on the southern Gulf coast which attest to contact with‘Ubaid Mesopotamia.
London‐Bahrain Archaeological Expedition: 1990 excavations at Saar
Authors: KILLICK R. G. , CRAWFORD H. E. W. , FLAVIN K. , GINGER H. , LUPTON A. , MACLAUGHLIN C. , MONTAGUE R. , MOON J. A. , WOODBURN M. A.
Published: February 2007

Preliminary results are presented of the first season's excavations at Saar, Bahrain, by the London‐Bahrain Archaeological Expedition. Saar is a single‐period settlement dating to the early part of the second millennium BC. A short introduction to the history of excavation at Saar is followed by an account of the 1990 excavations in the temple area and in three areas of town housing. The main pottery types are discussed and some general conclusions then drawn about the settlement.
Nabataean finds from Thaj and Qatif
Authors: POTTS D. T.
Published: February 2007

Ties between the Nabataean area of northwestern Arabia and southern Palestine, and the northeastern portion of the Arabian peninsula have been discussed for some years. The material evidence of such ties is meagre, but nonetheless important. Two Nabataean coins from Thaj and one from Qatif are presented here, along with a painted Nabataean sherd from Thaj. Their implications are treated briefly.
Excavations at ed‐Dur (Umm al‐Qaiwain, U.A.E.)
Authors: HAERINCK E. , METDEPENNINGHEN C. , STEVENS K. G
Published: February 2007

The results of seven weeks’research in 1989 by a Belgian team from Gent University at ed‐Dur, in the Emirate of Umm al‐Qaiwain, are presented. Excavations were continued in the southern part of the site. A fourth altar was found near the temple (area M); graves were excavated in other areas (areas N and AT). A large, undisturbed, semi‐subterranean tomb with a barrel‐vault and enclosure (area AV) was also discovered.
Structuring the Late Stone Age of Southeastern Arabia
Authors: UERPMANN MARGARETHE
Published: February 2007

This paper treats the classification of a number of facies in the Late Stone Age of Southeastern Arabia. The basis for this classification is a selection of substantial find complexes of chipped stone artifacts from sites located along the coast of Oman. Human occupation in the region dates to the beginning of the Holocene, but insufficient material is available for the first quarter of the post‐Pleistocene era. At the beginning of the second quarter of the Holocene, we find a relatively undifferentiated stone tool‐using facies (Wadi‐Wutayya‐Facies) which was appar‐ ently contemporary with the Qatar B blade‐arrowhead horizon in the interior of the Oman peninsula. Early in the 5th millennium BC, the Wadi‐Wutayya‐Facies was superseded by the Saruq‐Facies which can be seen as a local variant of the “Arabian bifacial tradition”. The high point in the Late Stone Age occupation of the coast was reached early in the 4th millennium BC when various local facies can be distinguished. These include the Ra's‐al‐Hamra‐Facies in the central coastal zone around Muscat and the Bir‐Bira‐Facies in the area around Sur. This phase, which was characterized particularly by the formation of shell middens, seems to have lasted only about 500 years. An essentially aceramic occupation on the coast of the Gulf of Oman, called the Bandar‐Jissa‐Facies, represents the final phase in the classification of Late Stone Age occupation outlined here. This facies was characterized by the use of a simple stone tool industry alongside of metal artifacts, and was contemporary with the Early Bronze age occupation of the southern and southwestern flanks of the Oman mountains. Information on categories of finds other than chipped stone, particularly those made of groundstone and shell, as well as observations on the economic and environmental history of the periods discussed, complement the study of the stone tool industries and form the basis for an outline of the history of Southeastern Arabia in the second quarter of the post‐glacial era.
The early history of the Hejaz: a response to Garth Bawden
Authors: PARR PETER J.
Published: February 2007

Despite Dr. Bawden's criticisms ‐ some of which seem to be based on his misunderstanding of previous arguments ‐ the author reaffirms his view that the development of “oasis urbanism” in the Hejaz at the end of the 2nd millennium was at least in part the result of Egyptian trading contacts with the region. The available evidence does not allow us to conclude that this phenomenon survived into the early 1st millennium, however, and it is more likely that the area became nomadized for several centuries, perhaps until the Neo‐Babylonian occupation of Tayma in the mid‐sixth century.
More than Samad in Oman: Iron Age pottery from Şuhār and Khor Rorī1
Authors: YULE PAUL , KERVRAN MONIQUE
Published: February 2007

The publication of field work in central Oman has lagged behind the excavations themselves. Whereas the pioneer archaeologists in Oman could identify sites and finds only as “Iron Age”, the work of the past 10 years has enabled a clear conceptual distinction to be made between the Early and Late Iron Age assemblages, as well as their regional characters. Using as a point of departure the Samad Complex, for which most intact contexts exist, the less well‐known Late Iron Age of the North and South of Oman is compared by means of newly recorded material from old excavations, there, as well as from a recent survey. There were contacts between central Oman and the South Province, Dhofar although such are elusive. Despite, archaeologically speaking, undeniable trade and ethnic contacts with the outside world, central Oman has a distinctive character of its own which has not been properly credited by specialists of the final Pre‐Islamic Period.
‘Ubaid and ED pottery from five sites at’ Ain as‐Sayh, Saudi Arabia
Authors: HERMANSEN BO DAHL
Published: February 2007

This paper presents an analysis of sherds, collected from five archaeological sites at‘Ain as‐Sayh in Saudi Arabia. The original material has not been available to the author. Consequently, the analysis is based on drawings, photos, and notes provided by H. A. McClure, one of the researchers who collected the material in the field. The sherds may be divided into two groups: one dated to the‘Ubaid period, and one dated roughly to the third millennium BC. In the paper the sherds are typologized and compared with material from other sites. A dating of the‘Ain as‐Sayh sites is attempted with reference to the distribution of pottery‐types on the sites, geomorphological information, and a set of mutually consistent radiocarbon dates.
A new Arabian stone tool assemblage and notes on the Aterian industry of North Africa
Authors: McCLURE H. A.
Published: February 2007

An unusual stone tool assemblage, reported for the first time in the Arabian Peninsula, occurs at the southwest edge of the Rub’al Khali desert. The assemblage is characterized by large, unifacially worked, prominently tanged points and scrapers. An age of between about 20,000 and 35,000 years B.P., when the Rub’al Khali was a well‐watered grassland, is likely. Typological affinity with the Aterian stone tool industry of North Africa is suggested. Aterian toolmakers were a vigorous population of desert hunters, ranging over much of North Africa and the Sahara during a wet phase of the late Pleistocene. Pursuit of animals running in herds may have been a hunting strategy reflected in some of the Aterian and Arabian tools. Typology of the tanged tools and the palaeogeographic context in which they occur suggest certain specific functional usage.
Recently discovered early Christian monuments in Northeastern Arabia
Authors: LANGFELDT JOHN A.
Published: February 2007

This article is written from first‐hand observation, albeit without the benefit of any controlled excavation. It is a “tourist observation.” It is offered to alert the archaeological community to a series of discoveries of singular importance in the history of the Persian Gulf, namely the discovery beneath the sands of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia of a Christian church predating (and postdating?) the appearance of Islam and the identification of two other nearby Christian sites.
An eighth century hoard from Eastern Saudi Arabia
Authors: MORRIS R. W.
Published: February 2007

Editor's note. The article published here was completed on October 22, 1966. Although never published before, copies have long been on file in both the Dept. of Coins and Medals in the British Museum, and at the American Numismatic Society. The basic content of the hoard was reported on in Coin Hoards 1 (1975). In 1986, Robert W. Morris revised the text of his paper and sent me a copy. After the founding of Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, I asked him whether he would like to publish the paper, a suggestion to which he responded enthusiastically. On August 25, 1990, just ten days after I sent him a letter about my plans for preparing his text for publication, Robert W. Morris died from complications of myeloma. An avid amateur numismatist for many years, Morris was interested in the pre‐Islamic and Islamic coinage of northeastern Arabia (where he had lived and worked for Aramco) right up until his death. It is hoped that, while there may be certain details in the paper which professional numismatists might wish to correct, the body of material presented here will be of interest to a wide audience of scholars concerned with the late pre‐Islamic and early Islamic periods in eastern Arabia.
London‐Bahrain Archaeological Expedition: 1991–2 excavations at Saar
Authors: WOODBURN M. A. , CRAWFORD H. E. W.
Published: February 2007

Preliminary results are presented of the third season of excavations at Saar, Bahrain, by the London‐Bahrain Archaeological Expedition. Research at this second millennium BC site continued in the temple, as well as in parts of the upper town. Bedrock was reached at a depth of approximately 5.45 metres in the sondage below the temple. Several new buildings were found and work was completed in houses discovered in previous seasons. The article goes on to discuss the numerous seals and seal impressions found this season.
Internal structure of Middle Sabaean bayt
Authors: KOROTAYEV ANDREY
Published: February 2007

The Middle Sabean bayt, clan community, appears to have been a very complex and highly stratified social entity. It seems possible to identify its following main components: [1] the clan nucleus, consisting of [1a] the “leading group” (“patriarch/s” and his/their brothers and sons), [1b] their partrilineal close senior (’hy‐) and junior (bny‐) relatives, [1c] their distant patrilineal relatives (d‐'cdr), as well as their [1d] unmarried daughters (bnt) and [1e] children (wld;‘wld); it also seems possible to identify within the “clan nucleus” sub‐groups of “senior” and “junior” adults; [2] the wives of the members of the “clan nucleus” who would normally come from other clan communities and who would form a distinct sub‐group within the system of the Middle Sabean bayt (in general, it seems possible to suppose the existence of the “male” and “female” halves of the bayt); together the above‐mentioned sub‐groups constituted the “free” part of the bayt (’hrr); its other important part was formed by [3] its “unfree” members (’dm; though most Middle Sabean‘dm appear to have lived by their own autonomous bayts); within large noble bayts an important role seems to have been played by maqtawīs, “personal assistants”, of the bayts’leaders.
A Western Mediterranean amphora fragment from ed‐Dur
Authors: PAPADOPOULOS J. K.
Published: February 2007

A previously published amphora fragment from ed‐Dur with incuse Latin letters is discussed. Comparanda are adduced from sites in the western portion of the Roman empire.
Empty tombs? The taphonomy of burials on Bahrain
Authors: LITTLETON JUDITH
Published: February 2007

The number of empty tombs on Bahrain has been the focus of several analyses of Bronze Age burial practices on the island. Such analyses, however, have failed to take into account normal taphonomic processes affecting the recovery of bone. Once the factors determining the state of preservation have been accounted for, the frequency of empty tombs found on Bahrain is seen to be comparable to numerous other sites in the world. It is argued that mortuary analysis must take account of the intervening steps between burial in an ancient society and modern excavation of that burial, and that, in the case of Bahrain, elaborate explanations of the absence of human bone are unnecessary.
The coinage of ancient Hadramawt The Pre‐Islamic coins in the al‐Mukallâ Museum
Authors: SEDOV A.V. , 'AYDARUS 'U.
Published: February 2007

The pre‐Islamic coins in the al‐Mukallâ Museum come principally from Shabwa, the capital of the kingdom of Hadramawt. The collection consists of 76 coins, three of which could not be identified because of their poor condition. Sixty‐seven silver and bronze Hadrami coins; five silver and bronze Himyarite and Sabaean coins; and one gold Roman coin comprise the collection. This material provides a general overview of the coinage of the ancient Hadramawt, permitting us to distinguish the issues of certain individual Hadrami rulers.
Atacamite pigment at Tell Abraq in the early Iron Age
Authors: THOMAS R. , POTTS D.T.
Published: February 2007

X‐ray powder diffraction analysis identified a concentration of green pigment in a shell from Tell Abraq as the copper mineral atacamite. The use of atacamite as a pigment in the ancient world is discussed.
New Safaitic inscriptions from the North of Saudi Arabia
Authors: AL‐THEEB S. A.
Published: February 2007

The inscriptions involved here are displayed in al‐Sudiry's private museum in al‐Ǧawf. In this paper we have tried to analyze them, giving their personal names special attention.
A Trial PIXE/PIGME analysis of Pre‐Islamic Arabian Coinage
Authors: GRAVE PETER , BIRD ROGER , POTTS D.T.
Published: February 2007

Eight previously published (1) pre‐Islamic coins minted in Arabia were subjected to non‐destructive ion beam analysis by Proton Induced X‐Ray (PIXE) and Gamma‐Ray Emission (PIGME) at Lucas Heights. The results (2) were interpreted using Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The relative X‐ray intensities of fifteen elements, supplemented with additional L alpha lines for two of the elements, were extracted for this analysis. PCA (results appended) was first carried out on the whole dataset where the distinctive high iron and nickel composition of two coins (331 and 335) resulted in their position as outliers. A second analysis of the subset of silver coins showed the compositional similarity between four coins (44, 222, 226, 359) and distinguished two separate outliers. One of these (369) has a high lead and tin content while the other (354) has a greater proportion of elements present as impurities (?) including iron and nickel. The two outliers and the relatively homogenous compositions of the group of four coins suggest that three compositional types of silver coinage are represented in the dataset: 1. a relatively silver‐rich group of four coins; 2. silver coins debased with lead; and 3. silver coins debased with iron and nickel.
Elemental characterisation of Barbar ceramics from Tell Abraq
Authors: GRAVE P. , POTTS D. T. , YASSI N. , READE W. , BAILEY G.
Published: February 2007

The early second millennium levels at Tell Abraq have yielded over 600 fragments of friable, red‐ridged pottery with exploding lime grits which is superficially indistinguishable from contemporary, so‐called ‘Barbar’pottery on Bahrain (1). The Bahraini origin of the Tell Abraq Barbar sherds has been demonstrated by means of proton‐induced x‐ray and gamma‐ray emission (PIXE/PIGME) analysis. In addition, the results of x‐ray fluorescence (XRF) of Barbar pottery from Saar on Bahrain (2) have been re‐examined, showing that the subgroups which characterise the Tell Abraq material correspond to those found in the Saar corpus. The techniques used on the Tell Abraq and Saar material – PIXE/PIGME and XRF – are compared.
Notes on the Aramaic script of some coins from East Arabia
Authors: MARAQTEN MOHAMMED
Published: February 2007

This article provides preliminary remarks on the Aramaic scripts of coins from eastern Arabia. After giving a presentation of the palaeography of some coins from Mleiha, it offers suggestions for the reading of the Aramaic legends and the origin of the Aramaic script on them.
Third‐Millenniurn and Later Pottery From Abu Dhabi Airport
Authors: DE CARDI BEATRICE
Published: February 2007

Surface pottery collected from a site on Abu Dhabi airport indicated sporadic occupation from the Hafit period, c. 3100–2700 BC, with maximum settlement in the second half of the third millennium BC. The ceramics, which could be related both to the coastal Umm an‐Nar culture and to the sequence established at Hili 8 in Period II, included wares of probably Mesopotamian and Eastern Arabian origin. The site was unused throughout most of the second millennium BC and the Iron Age but pottery of first century BC‐second century AD date suggested that it may have served as a point of entry or transit at that time, the first to be recognised in the coastal area of Abu Dhabi.
Two Putative Coin Hoards from South Arabia
Authors: ODDY ANDREW
Published: February 2007

Bonham's sale catalogue no. 26247 (1) listed: ‘A South Arabian striated alabaster stubby Pyxis, with lid and pierced lug side handles, and a five‐character inscription incised below the thick neck on both sides, lst‐3rd Centuries A.D., overall height 4in. (10cm.)’. Inside the pyxis, but not mentioned in the catalogue, was a polythene bag containing a small‘hoard’of coins and some metal casting waste. The hoard and pyxis are illustrated in Fig. 1.
Indo‐Arabian stone anchors in the western Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea
Authors: VOSMER TOM
Published: February 2007

This paper describes the current state of knowledge in the study of Indo‐Arabian stone anchors in the western Indian Ocean, Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, and speculates on what they may be able to tell us about the provenance, size and handling of Arab and Indian ships and shipping during the period sixth‐sixteenth centuries AD.
Clinical, cognitive and neural correlates of self-monitoring deficits in schizophrenia: an update
Authors: Raveendran Vinodkumar , Kumari Veena
Published: February 2007

Background:

An area of recent interest in schizophrenia research is to investigate specific neural and cognitive abnormalities associated with symptoms of this disorder.

Objective:

To establish clinical, cognitive and neural correlates of self-monitoring deficits in schizophrenia, which according to various theoretical models can account for the first-rank symptoms of this disorder.

Methods:

Relevant data were identified from PubMed and PsycInfo searches up to July 2006 using combinations of keywords including ‘self-monitoring’, ‘symptoms’, ‘self-agency’, ‘neuropsychological’, ‘cognitive’, ‘brain activity’, ‘PET’ and ‘fMRI’.

Conclusions:

Self-monitoring deficit is most consistently observed in patients with schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations and passivity experiences. This deficit may not be schizophrenia specific. At present, there are insufficient direct data to reach meaningful conclusions about the cognitive correlates of this deficit. Functional neuroimaging studies in patients with schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations point to defective engagement of the neural regions known to be involved in self-monitoring in healthy people. Further multimodal studies using validated cognitive and clinical measures, self-monitoring paradigms and appropriate imaging tools to analyze patients with schizophrenia with and without self-monitoring deficits are required to increase our understanding of this topic.
Faculty and Student Dialogue Through Journal Writing
Authors: Ritchie Mary Ann
Published: February 2007

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. To explore how journal writing promotes and fosters an ongoing dialogue between students and faculty during an acute care pediatric clinical experience.

DESIGN AND METHODS. Unstructured, self‐report data were collected via students' clinical journal entries and during a focus group interview. Content analysis was used to identified recurrent themes.

RESULTS. Two themes were generated: building a bond of trust and saving face.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. The findings have implications for preceptors of nursing professionals. Implementing journal writing as a component to teaching‐learning in the practice environment provides a means to recognize the affective outcomes of learning, such as increasing self‐awareness and professional growth.
Advocating for Mental Health Services for Children With Depressive Disorders
Authors: De Santis Joseph P. , Ekegren Kathryn
Published: February 2007

The Advocate is a forum for exploring our roles as advocates for the children and families we serve.
Managing Asthma Across the Care Continuum
Authors: Kline Andrea M. , McDowell Betsy M.
Published: February 2007

Ask the Expert provides research‐based answers to practice questions submitted by JSPN readers.
Cash Flow Effects of the Saskatchewan Short‐Term Hog Loan Program
Authors: Lien Donald , Hennessy David A.
Published: February 2007

The Saskatchewan short‐term hog loan program of 2002 provided a nonmarket credit‐line to participating hog producers. The repayment conditions for cash advances committed to by the provincial government depend on later hog prices, and so the program has derivative contract attributes. We model the contracts and use an estimated spot price stochastic process to establish summary statistics for producer benefits from the program.

Le programme de prêt à court terme que la Saskatchewan a offert à ses producteurs de porcs en 2002 comprenait une ligne de crédit non marchande. Comme les modalités de remboursement des avances de fonds engagées par le gouvernement provincial dépendent du prix futur du porc, ce programme possède les caractéristiques d'un instrument dérivé. Nous avons modélisé les contrats et nous avons utilisé un processus stochastique pour estimer le prix au comptant en vue d'établir des statistiques sommaires sur les avantages que les producteurs retirent de ce programme.
Are Agricultural Values a Reliable Guide in Determining Landowners' Decisions to Create Forest Carbon Sinks?
Authors: Shaikh Sabina L. , Sun Lili , Van Kooten G. Cornelis
Published: February 2007

This research examines the effects of various factors on farmer participation in agricultural tree plantations for economic, environmental, social, and carbon‐uptake purposes, and potential costs of sequestering carbon through afforestation in western Canada. Using data from a survey of landowners, a discrete choice random utility model is used to determine the probability of landowners' participation in and corresponding mean willingness to accept (WTA) compensation for a tree‐planting program. WTA includes positive and negative benefits to landowners from planting trees, benefits not captured by foregone returns from agricultural activities on marginal land. Estimates of WTA are less than foregone returns, but even so average costs of creating carbon credits still exceed their projected value under a CO2‐emissions trading scheme.

La présente étude a examiné les effets de divers facteurs sur la participation des producteurs agricoles à la plantation d'arbres à des fins économiques, environnementales, sociales et d'absorption du gaz carbonique, ainsi que les coûts potentiels de la séquestration du carbone au moyen du boisement dans l'Ouest canadien. À l'aide des données d'un sondage effectué auprès de propriétaires fonciers, nous avons utilisé un modèle d'utilité aléatoire à choix discrets pour déterminer la probabilité de participation des propriétaires fonciers à un programme de boisement et leur consentement à recevoir (CAR) une compensation financière pour leur participation. Le CAR inclut les avantages favorables et défavorables que le boisement procure aux propriétaires fonciers, des avantages non saisis par les revenus sacrifiés des activités agricoles sur des terres marginales. Les estimations du CAR sont inférieures aux revenus sacrifiés, mais malgré tout, les coûts moyens de la mise en uvre de programme de crédits pour le carbone demeurent supérieurs à leur valeur prévue dans un scénario d'échange de droits d'émission de CO2.
The formation of HD 149026 b
Authors: Broeg C. , Wuchterl G.
Published: February 2007

Today, many extrasolar planets have been detected. Some of them exhibit properties quite different from the planets in our Solar system and they have eluded attempts to explain their formation. One such case is HD 149026 b. It was discovered by Sato et al. A transit-determined orbital inclination results in a total mass of 114 M⊕. The unusually small radius can be explained by a condensible element core with an inferred mass of 67 M⊕ for the best-fitting theoretical model.

In the core accretion model, giant planets are assumed to form around a growing core of condensible materials. With increasing core mass, the amount of gravitationally bound envelope mass increases. This continues up to the so-called critical core mass – the largest core allowing a hydrostatic envelope. For larger cores, the lack of static solutions forces a dynamic evolution of the protoplanet, accreting large amounts of gas or ejecting the envelope in the process. This would prevent the formation of HD 149026 b.

By studying all possible hydrostatic equilibria we could show that HD 149026 b can remain hydrostatic up to the inferred heavy core. This is possible if it is formed in situ in a relatively low-pressure nebula. This formation process is confirmed by fluid-dynamic calculations using the environmental conditions as determined by the hydrostatic models.

We present a quantitative in situ formation scenario for the massive core planet HD 149026 b. Furthermore, we predict a wide range of possible core masses for close-in planets like HD 149026 b. This is different from migration, where typical critical core masses should be expected.
Allometry, bilateral asymmetry and sexual differences in the vocal tract of common eidersSomateria mollissimaand king eidersS. spectabilis
Authors: Miller Edward H. , Williams Joni , Jamieson Sarah E. , Grant Gilchrist H. , Mallory Mark L.
Published: February 2007

Intraspecific sexual differences, high variation, and positive allometry of sexually‐selected external display structures are common. Many sexually‐selected anatomical specializations occur in the avian vocal tract but intraspecific variation and allometry have been investigated little. The tracheal bulla bulla syringealis occurs in males of most duck species. We quantified variation and size‐scaling of the bulla, plus sexual differences in size of trachea, bronchi, and vocal muscles, for 62 common eiders Somateria mollissima and 51 king eiders S. spectabilis. Trends were similar in both species. Bullar ossification and definitive size occurred early in life: bullar size did not differ between first‐year and older males. Bullar size did not vary more than size of other body parts (CVs of 3.4–7.0% for bullar length and breadth). Bullar size scaled to body size with negative allometry or isometry. Vocal muscles were 10–50% thicker in males than females, a much greater sexual difference than in body size (CVs of 3–6% on linear body‐size variables). Vocal muscles were larger on the left side in both sexes and bilateral asymmetry was slightly more pronounced in males. Low variation and a trend towards negative allometry suggest that bullar size is under stabilizing selection; if bullar size affects vocal attributes of voice, then the latter cannot be condition‐dependent. We recommend comparative research on vocal communication, vocal individuality and vocal‐tract anatomy and function in eiders and other ducks.
Obituary: Jimmy O. Fenn 1937–2000
Authors: Purdy James A.
Published: February 2007

PACS number(s): 01.60.+q
The measurement of three dimensional dose distribution of a ruthenium‐106 ophthalmological applicator using magnetic resonance imaging of BANG polymer gels1
Authors: Chan Maria F. , Fung Albert YC , Hu Yu‐Chi , Chui Chen‐Shou , Amols Howard , Zaider Marco , Abramson David
Published: February 2007

The BANG (MGS Research Inc., Guilford, CT) polymer gel has been used as a dosimeter to determine the three‐dimensional (3D) dose distribution of a ruthenium‐106 (Ru‐106) ophthalmologic applicator. An eye phantom made of the BANG gel was irradiated with the Ru‐106 source for up to 1 h. The phantom and a set of calibration vials were scanned simultaneously in a GE 1.5 T MR imager using the Hahn spin‐echo pulse sequence with a TR of 2000 ms and two TEs of 20 ms and 100 ms. The values were evaluated on a pixel‐by‐pixel basis using custom‐built software on a DEC alpha workstation and converted to dose using calibration data. Depth doses and isodose lines of the Ru‐106 eye‐plaque were generated. It is concluded that the BANG gel dosimetry offers the potential for measuring the 3D dose distributions of an ophthalmologic applicator, with high spatial resolution and relatively good accuracy.

PACS number(s): 87.66.–a, 87.90.+y
Book Review
Authors: Smathers Jim
Published: February 2007

General Practice of Radiation Oncology Physics in the 21st Century. Edited by Almon Shiu, Ph.D. and David Mellenberg Ph.D., 356 pp. Medical Physics Publishing, Madison, WI. 1998. ISBN: 0‐944838‐98‐7. Price: $75.00.

PACS number(s): 87.53.–j
A self‐correcting method for improving the precision of beam blocks
Authors: Brezovich Ivan A. , Sparks Karen S. , Duan Jun
Published: February 2007

A technique for manufacturing precise custom blocks is described. Using the tracing stylus of the mold making machine, reference markers are cut into the lateral borders of the polystyrene mold after the cavities for the blocks have been made. These markers are aligned with the central ray cross hair of the shadow tray when the blocks are mounted on the tray. The ability of the technique to enhance precision has been verified in laboratory tests by intentionally introducing small imperfections into a mold making machine and checking the positional accuracy of the mounted blocks. The clinical performance has been tested by evaluating 47 check films of blocks for 16 randomly selected patients. The average positional error of individual blocks, projected to the isocenter, was less than one mm. The average time needed to cut the reference markers was 25 seconds. Implementing the technique required only minor modifications of a commercial mold making machine.

PACS number(s): 87.53.–j, 87.56.–v
Book Review
Authors: Almond Peter R.
Published: February 2007

Shielding techniques for radiation oncology facilities Patton H. McGinley, Medical Physics Publishing, Madison, WI 2002. 184pp. Price: $65.00.

PACS number(s): 87.52.–g
A comparison of computer‐controlled versus manual on‐line patient setup adjustment
Authors: Brock Kristy K. , McShan Daniel L. , Balter James M.
Published: February 2007

A study was performed to determine the relative advantage of computer‐controlled couch movement versus manual repositioning to correct patient setup error measured using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID). Twenty‐eight on‐line setup adjustment trials of anterior‐posterior (AP) pelvic projections were evaluated, with 13 setups corrected by automated couch movement determined by direct feedback from the EPID image alignment tool and 15 setups manually corrected based on the transformation displayed from the same tool. The speed of setup adjustment and accuracy of corrected setup were determined. Computer controlled setup adjustment was determined to be faster (25.4 s versus 101.9 s) and slightly more accurate (1.8 mm versus 2.5 mm error in adjusted setup) than manual correction.

PACS number(s): 87.57.–s, 87.53.–j
Book Review
Authors: Paul Tim
Published: February 2007

Practical Applications of Internal Dosimetry. Wesley E. Bolch, editor. 480 pp. Price: $60.00. ISBN: 1‐930524‐09‐9.

PACS number(s): 87.52.–g
Electron energy constancy verification using a double‐wedge phantom
Authors: Wells Derek M. , Picco Philip J. , Ansbacher Will
Published: February 2007

Routine constancy checks of electron energy are often time consuming because of the necessity to measure a dose at two depths. A technique is described that uses a double‐wedge shaped phantom positioned on a Profiler™ diode array for measuring an electron energy constancy metric similar to . The double‐wedge electron profiles are invariant to phantom alignment in the wedge direction, unlike single wedge techniques, and the sensitivity of the technique is similar to water‐based depth‐dose measurements over an energy range of 6 to 20 MeV. Reproducibility results ranging from 0.01 to 0.03 cm were achieved for measurements taken over the course of 1.5 yrs. The technique is efficient in that only one phantom setup is required for all electron energies.

PACS number(s): 87.53.–j, 87.66.–a
Evaluation of an automatic needle‐loading system
Authors: Morrier Janelle , Varfalvy Nicolas , Chrétien Mario , Beaulieu Luc
Published: February 2007

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the dosimetric capabilities and the radiation protection (RP) performance of a new automatic needle‐loading system for permanent prostate implants, the Isoloader (Mentor Corp.). The unit has been used in more than 100 clinical cases at our institution.

The Isoloader is a computerized workstation that allows automated seed testing by a solid‐state CdZnTe radiation detector and loading in surgical needles. The seeds are received in a shielded and ready‐to‐use cartridge. Radiation protection measurements were done on a cartridge filled with 67 seeds and during dosimetric seed verification and needle loading. The reproducibility of the detector was tested and its accuracy was determined by comparison to specified activities of six calibration seeds and to their measurements in a calibrated well‐chamber (WC). Finally, the times required to complete dosimetric verification and needle loading were evaluated.

The cartridge was found to be adequately shielded, since no significant amount of radiation was detected around it. Radiation during seed assay was found to be worst at the cartridge's bottom, where it has a value of ( at 10 cm). For the needle‐loading task, measurements were performed with a typical needle (three seeds) at the shielded needle holder surface yielding

( at 20 cm). Seed dosimetric verification takes an average of 15 s/seed, while it takes a mean time of 50 s/needle to complete the loading task. Measurements of the six seed activities were within 0.65% of the ordered activities and 1.9% higher on average than those from the WC . The reproducibility of the measurements of the CdZnTe detector was excellent, with an average of 0.01% of deviation from a reference measurement .

We therefore conclude that the Isoloader is a safe, fast, and effective needle‐loading system.

PACS number: 87.53.Jw
Determination of field size‐dependent wedge factors from a few selected measurements
Authors: Popple Richard A. , Brezovich Ivan A. , Duan Jun , Shen Sui , Pareek Prem N. , Ye Sung‐Joon
Published: February 2007

Some modern treatment‐planning systems (TPSs) provide for input of wedge factor (WF) tables covering the entire range of square and elongated fields available on the LINAC. Depending on the field size increment chosen and the number of available wedge orientations, one may have to take more than 100 measurements per wedge and photon energy to commission the TPS. To expedite TPS commissioning while maintaining high accuracy, we demonstrate a simple method that requires only a few measurements per wedge, from which the remaining wedge factors can be found through linear interpolation based on field area. For the externally mounted wedges of two common LINACs, we have shown that WFs are proportional to field area and are nearly independent of field elongation and wedge orientation. Wedge factors computed from five to seven measurements comprised of square fields and a single, large rectangular field agreed with direct measurements throughout the entire range of achievable field dimensions within 0.6% at 6 MV and within 1% at 15 MV. Making the same set of measurements and using the equivalent square method to find WFs at other field sizes leads to errors up to 2%. Measuring the WF for a field and applying the same value to all field sizes can lead to errors of up to 10% at both 6 MV and 15 MV.

PACS numbers: 87.53.Bn, 87.53.Mr
Book Review
Authors: Schultheiss Timothy
Published: February 2007

Radiation Therapy Physics, by William R. Hendee, Geoffrey S. Ibbott, and Eric G. Hendee, 3rd ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005; ISBN 0‐471‐39493‐9; list price $125
Target localization for post‐prostatectomy patients using CT and ultrasound image guidance
Authors: Paskalev Kamen , Feigenberg Steven , Jacob Rojymon , McNeeley Shawn , Horwitz Eric , Price Robert , Ma Charlie , Pollack Alan
Published: February 2007

We conducted a study comparing B‐mode acquisition and targeting (BAT) ultrasound alignments based on CT data in the postoperative setting. CT scans were obtained with a Primatom CT‐on‐rails on nine patients. Two CT scans were obtained each week, while setup error was minimized by BAT ultrasounds. For the first three patients, a direct comparison was performed. For the next six patients, a template based on the shifts from the week 1 CT during treatment was used for subsequent setup. Comparison of isocenter shifts between the BAT ultrasound and CT was made by the difference, absolute difference, and improvement (using CT alignments as the reference technique). A total of 90 image comparisons were made. The average interfraction motion was 3.2 mm in the lateral, 3.0 mm in the longitudinal, and 5.1 mm in the AP direction. The results suggest that the CT‐based ultrasound templates can improve the localization of the prostate bed when the initial displacements are greater than 4 mm. For initial displacements smaller than 4 mm, the technique neither improved nor worsened target localization. However, ultrasound alignments performed without the use of a template deteriorated patient positioning for two out of three patients, demonstrating that the use of a CT template was beneficial even at small initial displacements.

PACS numbers: 87.53.‐j, 87.53.Kn, 87.53.Xd
Performance and characteristics of an IR localizing system for radiation therapy
Authors: Lyatskaya Yulia , Lu Hsiao‐Ming , Chin Lee
Published: February 2007

We report the development of a new system for interactive patient posture, position, and respiratory control during radiation therapy treatment. The system consists of an infrared (IR) camera, retroreflective markers, and dedicated software that makes it practical to use in the clinic. The system is designed to be used with multiple retroreflective markers to monitor not only the position, but also the posture of the patient in real time. Specific features of the system include the following: (1) The system reports an absolute misalignment at several points on a patient and also provides feedback on any necessary adjustments in terms of site‐specific setup parameters, such as focus‐to‐surface distance (PIN), superior and inferior alignment, and chest‐wall angle. (2) The system is based on a set of predefined templates containing the number and position of control points and feedback parameters developed for different treatment sites. (3) A noninvasive IR‐based “virtual portal vision” procedure projects organ contours in the beam's‐eye‐view (BEV) based on the IR marker locations obtained in real time and compares them with digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) from CT simulation. Assuming good correlation between external markers and internal anatomy, the system offers the possibility of mimicking a verification procedure without taking port‐films, which can potentially reduce the setup time. In this paper, we concentrate on the system properties and performance while initial applications on a number of clinical sites are ongoing. Accuracy and precision of this system are evaluated in the context of breast/chest treatments using rigid phantoms. The system has an intrinsic uncertainty of . When two systems in different rooms (CT and treatment rooms) are used for correlating positional information, the uncertainty is less than 2 mm.

PACS number: 87.56.Da
Analysis of the sources of uncertainty for EDR2 film‐based IMRT quality assurance
Authors: Shi Chengyu , Papanikolaou Nikos , Yan Yulong , Weng Xuejun , Jiang gyu
Published: February 2007

In our institution, patient‐specific quality assurance (QA) for intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is usually performed by measuring the dose to a point using an ion chamber and by measuring the dose to a plane using film. In order to perform absolute dose comparison measurements using film, an accurate calibration curve should be used. In this paper, we investigate the film response curve uncertainty factors, including film batch differences, film processor temperature effect, film digitization, and treatment unit. In addition, we reviewed 50 patient‐specific IMRT QA procedures performed in our institution in order to quantify the sources of error in film‐based dosimetry. Our study showed that the EDR2 film dosimetry can be done with less than 3% uncertainty. The EDR2 film response was not affected by the choice of treatment unit provided the nominal energy was the same. This investigation of the different sources of uncertainties in the film calibration procedure can provide a better understanding of the film‐based dosimetry and can improve quality control for IMRT QA.

PACS numbers: 87.86.Cd, 87.53.Xd, 87.57.Nk
Long‐term stability of a 50‐kV X‐ray unit for stereotactic irradiation
Authors: Biggs Peter J.
Published: February 2007

A low‐energy (50 kV) X‐ray tube used for the stereotactic irradiation of intracranial lesions has been in use since 1999. The unit is calibrated prior to every procedure and during periodic quality assurance (QA) tests. The unit uses an internal and an external scintillation detector to monitor dose as well as a conventional timer. The records of these calibrations were reviewed to see whether a change in the output had occurred over that period. Using time as the reference, it was found that both the internal radiation monitor (IRM) and the beam output, determined with a parallel plate ionization chamber, dropped by variable amounts over the given period. The beam output dropped significantly more than the IRM, while the external radiation monitor (ERM) showed no significant deviation from its initial value. The beam output dropped to about 90% of its initial value after about 200 days but remained relatively constant thereafter. The IRM dropped steadily to about 96% to 97% of its initial value at 1000 days, but recovered to about 98% after that. Calibration prior to each procedure is strongly recommended.

PACS numbers: 87.53.Dq; 87.56.By
Investigating treatment dose error due to beam attenuation by a carbon fiber tabletop
Authors: Myint W. Kenji , Niedbala Malgorzata , Wilkins David , Gerig Lee H.
Published: February 2007

Carbon fiber is commonly used in radiation therapy for treatment tabletops and various immobilization and support devices, partially because it is generally perceived to be almost radiotransparent to high‐energy photons. To avoid exposure to normal tissue during modern radiation therapy, one must deliver the radiation from all gantry angles; hence, beams often transit the couch proximal to the patient. The effects of the beam attenuation by the support structure of the couch are often neglected in the planning process. In this study, we investigate the attenuation of 6‐MV and 18‐MV photon beams by a Medtec (Orange City, IA) carbon fiber couch. We have determined that neglecting the attenuation of oblique treatment fields by the carbon fiber couch can result in localized dose reduction from 4% to 16%, depending on energy, field size, and geometry. Further, we investigate the ability of a commercial treatment‐planning system (Theraplan Plus v3.8) to account for the attenuation by the treatment couch. Results show that incorporating the carbon fiber couch in the patient model reduces the dose error to less than 2%. The variation in dose reduction as a function of longitudinal couch position was also measured. In the triangular strut region of the couch, the attenuation varied following the periodic nature of the support structure. Based on these findings, we propose the routine incorporation of the treatment tabletop into patient treatment planning dose calculations.

PACS numbers: 87.53.Dq, 87.53.Mr