bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
WE‐G‐304‐02: Legal Aspects of Employment
Authors: Masten J.
Published: June 2015

In the past few years, several high‐profile medical physicists found their positions terminated. It is a fact that no medical physics job is a sinecure, and that individuals can be terminated through no fault of their own. Medical physicists need to be prepared for such an occurrence. Termination provisions in an employment contract, whether individually negotiated or as part of an employee manual, are important, and also generally overlooked when one is going into a new job. Coupled with the fact that most states are “at‐will,” that makes for a tough position for any physicist who finds his/her position terminated.

In this course, a medical physicist who is also a practicing attorney will start the discussion with a description of the various types of employment situations and employment agreements. This will be followed by two high‐profile medical physicists who had their positions terminated in recent years, who will describe their experiences, including answering such questions as

How much time were you given before termination was effective?

Did you have any foreshadowing of what was coming?

How did you deal with the termination?

Given hindsight, what would you have done differently to mitigate the effects of your termination?

During job interviews, are there ways to open closets to find the skeletons?

What advice would you give medical physicists if faced with a similar situation?

What can you negotiate in a termination agreement?

What kinds of termination agreements could be presented?

The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the various types of employment contracts with an emphasis on termination provisions.

Recognize the implications of non‐compete clauses in employment contracts.

Recognize the possibility of termination of employment.

Identify ways to recognize possibly poor employment situations

Identify steps that one could take to mitigate the effects of termination.
WE‐G‐BRD‐08: Motion Analysis for Rectal Cancer: Implications for Adaptive Radiotherapy On the MR‐Linac
Authors: Kleijnen J , van Asselen B , Burbach M , Intven M , Philippens M , Reerink O , Lagendijk J , Raaymakers B
Published: June 2015

Purpose:

Purpose of this study is to find the optimal trade‐off between adaptation interval and margin reduction and to define the implications of motion for rectal cancer boost radiotherapy on a MR‐linac.

Methods:

Daily MRI scans were acquired of 16 patients, diagnosed with rectal cancer, prior to each radiotherapy fraction in one week (N=76). Each scan session consisted of T2‐weighted and three 2D sagittal cine‐MRI, at begin (t=0 min), middle (t=9:30 min) and end (t=18:00 min) of scan session, for 1 minute at 2 Hz temporal resolution. Tumor and clinical target volume (CTV) were delineated on each T2‐weighted scan and transferred to each cine‐MRI. The start frame of the begin scan was used as reference and registered to frames at time‐points 15, 30 and 60 seconds, 9:30 and 18:00 minutes and 1, 2, 3 and 4 days later. Per time‐point, motion of delineated voxels was evaluated using the deformation vector fields of the registrations and the 95th percentile distance (dist95%) was calculated as measure of motion. Per time‐point, the distance that includes 90% of all cases was taken as estimate of required planning target volume (PTV)‐margin.

Results:

Highest motion reduction is observed going from 9:30 minutes to 60 seconds. We observe a reduction in margin estimates from 10.6 to 2.7 mm and 16.1 to 4.6 mm for tumor and CTV, respectively, when adapting every 60 seconds compared to not adapting treatment. A 75% and 71% reduction, respectively. Further reduction in adaptation time‐interval yields only marginal motion reduction. For adaptation intervals longer than 18:00 minutes only small motion reductions are observed.

Conclusion:

The optimal adaptation interval for adaptive rectal cancer (boost) treatments on a MR‐linac is 60 seconds. This results in substantial smaller PTV‐margin estimates. Adaptation intervals of 18:00 minutes and higher, show little improvement in motion reduction.
WE‐G‐BRD‐09: Novel MRI Compatible Electron Accelerator for MRI‐Linac Radiotherapy
Authors: Whelan B , Gierman S , Schmerge J , Holloway L , Keall P , Fahrig R
Published: June 2015

Purpose:

MRI guided radiotherapy is a rapidly growing field; however current linacs are not designed to operate in MRI fringe fields. As such, current MRI‐ Linac systems require magnetic shielding, impairing MR image quality and system flexibility. Here, we present a bespoke electron accelerator concept with robust operation in in‐line magnetic fields.

Methods:

For in‐line MRI‐Linac systems, electron gun performance is the major constraint on accelerator performance. To overcome this, we propose placing a cathode directly within the first accelerating cavity. Such a configuration is used extensively in high energy particle physics, but not previously for radiotherapy. Benchmarked computational modelling (CST, Darmstadt, Germany) was employed to design and assess a 5.5 cell side coupled accelerator with a temperature limited thermionic cathode in the first accelerating cell. This simulation was coupled to magnetic fields from a 1T MRI model to assess robustness in magnetic fields for Source to Isocenter Distance between 1 and 2 meters. Performance was compared to a conventional electron gun based system in the same magnetic field.

Results:

A temperature limited cathode (work function 1.8eV, temperature 1245K, emission constant 60A/K/cm2) will emit a mean current density of 24mA/mm2 (Richardson's Law). We modeled a circular cathode with radius 2mm and mean current 300mA. Capture efficiency of the device was 43%, resulting in target current of 130 mA. The electron beam had a FWHM of 0.2mm, and mean energy of 5.9MeV (interquartile spread of 0.1MeV). Such an electron beam is suitable for radiotherapy, comparing favourably to conventional systems. This model was robust to operation the MRI fringe field, with a maximum current loss of 6% compared to 85% for the conventional system.

Conclusion:

The bespoke electron accelerator is robust to operation in in‐line magnetic fields. This will enable MRI‐Linacs with no accelerator magnetic shielding, and minimise painstaking optimisation of the MRI fringe field.

This work was supported by US (NIH) and Australian (NHMRC & Cancer Institute NSW) government research funding. In addition, I would like to thank cancer institute NSW and the Ingham Institute for scholarship support.
WE‐G‐BRA‐01: Patient Safety and Treatment Quality Improvement Through Incident Learning: Experience of a Non‐Academic Proton Therapy Center
Authors: Zheng Y , Johnson R , Zhao L , Ramirez E , Rana S , Singh H , Chacko M
Published: June 2015

Purpose:

Incident learning has been proven to improve patient safety and treatment quality in conventional radiation therapy. However, its application in proton therapy has not been reported yet to our knowledge. In this study, we report our experience in developing and implementation of an in‐house incident learning system.

Methods:

An incident learning system was developed based on published principles and tailored for our clinical practice and available resource about 18 months ago. The system includes four layers of error detection and report: 1) dosimetry peer review; 2) physicist plan quality assurance (QA); 3) treatment delivery issue on call and record; and 4) other incident report. The first two layers of QA and report were mandatory for each treatment plan through easy‐to‐use spreadsheets that are only accessible by the dosimetry and physicist departments. The treatment delivery issues were recorded case by case by the on call physicist. All other incidents were reported through an online incident report system, which can be anonymous. The incident report includes near misses on planning and delivery, process deviation, machine issues, work flow and documentation. Periodic incident reviews were performed.

Results:

In total, about 116 errors were reported through dosimetry review, 137 errors through plan QA, 83 treatment issues through physics on call record, and 30 through the online incident report. Only 8 incidents (2.2%) were considered to have a clinical impact to patients, and the rest of errors were either detected before reaching patients or had negligible dosimetric impact (<5% dose variance). Personnel training & process improvements were implemented upon periodic incident review.

Conclusion:

An incident learning system can be helpful in personnel training, error reduction, and patient safety and treatment quality improvement. The system needs to be catered for each clinic's practice and available resources. Incident and knowledge sharing among proton centers are encouraged.
WE‐G‐BRA‐03: Developing a Culture of Patient Safety Utilizing the National Radiation Oncology Incident Learning System (ROILS)
Authors: Hasson B , Workie D , Geraghty C
Published: June 2015

Purpose:

To transition from an in‐house incident reporting system to a ROILS standards system with the intent to develop a safety focused culture in the Department and enroll in ROILS.

Methods:

Since the AAPM Safety Summit (2010) several safety and reporting systems have been implemented within the Department. Specific checklists and SBAR reporting systems were introduced. However, the active learning component was lost due to reporting being viewed with distrust and possible retribution.To Facilitate introducing ROILS each leader in the Department received a copy of the ROILS participation guide. Four specific tasks were assigned to each leader: develop a reporting tree, begin the ROILS based system, facilitate adopting ROILS Terminology, and educate the staff on expectations of safety culture. Next, the ROILS questions were broken down into area specific questions (10–15) per departmental area. Excel spreadsheets were developed for each area and setup for error reporting entries. The Role of the Process Improvement Committee (PI) has been modified to review and make recommendations based on the ROILS entries.

Results:

The ROILS based Reporting has been in place for 4 months. To date 64 reports have been entered. Since the adoption of ROILS the reporting of incidents has increased from 2/month to 18/month on average. Three reports had a dosimetric effect on the patient (<5%) dose variance. The large majority of entries have been Characterized as Processes not followed or not sure how to Characterize, and Human Behavior.

Conclusion:

The majority of errors are typo's that create confusion. The introduction of the ROILS standards has provided a platform for making changes to policies that increase patient safety. The goal is to develop a culture that sees reporting at a national level as a safe and effective way to improve our safety, and to dynamically learn from other institutions reporting.
WE‐G‐BRA‐04: Common Errors and Deficiencies in Radiation Oncology Practice
Authors: Kry S , Dromgoole L , Alvarez P , Lowenstein J , Molineu A , Taylor P , Followill D
Published: June 2015

Purpose:

Dosimetric errors in radiotherapy dose delivery lead to suboptimal treatments and outcomes. This work reviews the frequency and severity of dosimetric and programmatic errors identified by on‐site audits performed by the IROC Houston QA center.

Methods:

IROC Houston on‐site audits evaluate absolute beam calibration, relative dosimetry data compared to the treatment planning system data, and processes such as machine QA. Audits conducted from 2000‐present were abstracted for recommendations, including type of recommendation and magnitude of error when applicable. Dosimetric recommendations corresponded to absolute dose errors >3% and relative dosimetry errors >2%. On‐site audits of 1020 accelerators at 409 institutions were reviewed.

Results:

A total of 1280 recommendations were made (average 3.1/institution). The most common recommendation was for inadequate QA procedures per TG‐40 and/or TG‐142 (82% of institutions) with the most commonly noted deficiency being x‐ray and electron off‐axis constancy versus gantry angle. Dosimetrically, the most common errors in relative dosimetry were in small‐field output factors (59% of institutions), wedge factors (33% of institutions), off‐axis factors (21% of institutions), and photon PDD (18% of institutions). Errors in calibration were also problematic: 20% of institutions had an error in electron beam calibration, 8% had an error in photon beam calibration, and 7% had an error in brachytherapy source calibration. Almost all types of data reviewed included errors up to 7% although 20 institutions had errors in excess of 10%, and 5 had errors in excess of 20%. The frequency of electron calibration errors decreased significantly with time, but all other errors show non‐significant changes.

Conclusion:

There are many common and often serious errors made during the establishment and maintenance of a radiotherapy program that can be identified through independent peer review. Physicists should be cautious, particularly in areas highlighted herein that show a tendency for errors.
WE‐G‐303‐00: Nanotechnology for Imaging and Therapy
Authors: Cho Sang Hyun
Published: June 2015

Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in applying nanotechnology to cancer detection, treatment, and treatment monitoring. Advances in nanotechnology have enabled the fabrication of nanoparticles from various materials with different shapes and sizes. Nanoparticles can be accumulated preferentially within tumors by either “passive targeting” through a phenomenon typically known as “enhanced permeability and retention” or “active targeting” in which nanoparticles are conjugated with antibodies or peptides directed against tumor and/or stromal markers. The tumor specificity of nanoparticles in conjunction with their unique physicochemical properties offers many novel strategies for cancer treatment and detection. For example, notable approaches in the radiation oncology setting include the use of gold nanoparticles for radiation response modulation of tumor or normal tissue and thermal ablation or hyperthermia treatment of tumors. Some of these approaches are currently being tested either on humans or on animals and, very likely, will become the clinical reality in the near future. Various computational and experimental techniques have also been applied to address unique research issues associated with nanoparticles and may become the standard tools for future investigations and clinical translations. Therefore, both clinicians and researchers may need to be properly educated about the basic principles as well as the promise of nanoparticle‐based applications with regard to the future of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

This symposium will familiarize the audience with the potential applications of nanoparticles in oncologic imaging and therapy using specific illustrative examples. The audience will be properly oriented by these illustrative examples to the multiple avenues for collaborative research amongst interdisciplinary teams of physicists, clinicians, engineers, chemists, and biologists in industry and academia.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the physical bases of gold nanoparticle applications for radiosensitization and x‐ray fluorescence imaging

Understand the parameters that define gold nanoparticle‐mediated radiosensitization in biological systems

Understand the potential of magnetic nanoparticle characterization of the microenvironment

Understand the various strategies for radiolabeling of nanoparticles and their applications

S.C. and S.K. acknowledge support from MD Anderson Cancer Center, NIH (R01CA155446 and P30CA16672) and DoD (W81XWH‐12‐1‐0198); J.W. acknowledges support from NIH (U54CA151662‐01); W.C. acknowledges support from the University of Wisconsin‐Madison, NIH (R01CA169365, P30CA014520, and T32CA009206), DoD (W81XWH‐11‐1‐0644 and W81XWH‐11‐1‐0648), and ACS (125246‐RSG‐13‐099‐01‐CCE).
WE‐G‐303‐02: Gold Nanoparticles as Radiosensitizers ‐ What Does It Take To Go From the Bench to the Bedside?
Authors: Krishnan S.
Published: June 2015

Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in applying nanotechnology to cancer detection, treatment, and treatment monitoring. Advances in nanotechnology have enabled the fabrication of nanoparticles from various materials with different shapes and sizes. Nanoparticles can be accumulated preferentially within tumors by either “passive targeting” through a phenomenon typically known as “enhanced permeability and retention” or “active targeting” in which nanoparticles are conjugated with antibodies or peptides directed against tumor and/or stromal markers. The tumor specificity of nanoparticles in conjunction with their unique physicochemical properties offers many novel strategies for cancer treatment and detection. For example, notable approaches in the radiation oncology setting include the use of gold nanoparticles for radiation response modulation of tumor or normal tissue and thermal ablation or hyperthermia treatment of tumors. Some of these approaches are currently being tested either on humans or on animals and, very likely, will become the clinical reality in the near future. Various computational and experimental techniques have also been applied to address unique research issues associated with nanoparticles and may become the standard tools for future investigations and clinical translations. Therefore, both clinicians and researchers may need to be properly educated about the basic principles as well as the promise of nanoparticle‐based applications with regard to the future of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

This symposium will familiarize the audience with the potential applications of nanoparticles in oncologic imaging and therapy using specific illustrative examples. The audience will be properly oriented by these illustrative examples to the multiple avenues for collaborative research amongst interdisciplinary teams of physicists, clinicians, engineers, chemists, and biologists in industry and academia.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the physical bases of gold nanoparticle applications for radiosensitization and x‐ray fluorescence imaging

Understand the parameters that define gold nanoparticle‐mediated radiosensitization in biological systems

Understand the potential of magnetic nanoparticle characterization of the microenvironment

Understand the various strategies for radiolabeling of nanoparticles and their applications

S.C. and S.K. acknowledge support from MD Anderson Cancer Center, NIH (R01CA155446 and P30CA16672) and DoD (W81XWH‐12‐1‐0198); J.W. acknowledges support from NIH (U54CA151662‐01); W.C. acknowledges support from the University of Wisconsin‐Madison, NIH (R01CA169365, P30CA014520, and T32CA009206), DoD (W81XWH‐11‐1‐0644 and W81XWH‐11‐1‐0648), and ACS (125246‐RSG‐13‐099‐01‐CCE).
WE‐G‐303‐04: Intrinsically Radiolabeled Nanoparticles: An Emerging Paradigm
Authors: Cai W.
Published: June 2015

Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in applying nanotechnology to cancer detection, treatment, and treatment monitoring. Advances in nanotechnology have enabled the fabrication of nanoparticles from various materials with different shapes and sizes. Nanoparticles can be accumulated preferentially within tumors by either “passive targeting” through a phenomenon typically known as “enhanced permeability and retention” or “active targeting” in which nanoparticles are conjugated with antibodies or peptides directed against tumor and/or stromal markers. The tumor specificity of nanoparticles in conjunction with their unique physicochemical properties offers many novel strategies for cancer treatment and detection. For example, notable approaches in the radiation oncology setting include the use of gold nanoparticles for radiation response modulation of tumor or normal tissue and thermal ablation or hyperthermia treatment of tumors. Some of these approaches are currently being tested either on humans or on animals and, very likely, will become the clinical reality in the near future. Various computational and experimental techniques have also been applied to address unique research issues associated with nanoparticles and may become the standard tools for future investigations and clinical translations. Therefore, both clinicians and researchers may need to be properly educated about the basic principles as well as the promise of nanoparticle‐based applications with regard to the future of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

This symposium will familiarize the audience with the potential applications of nanoparticles in oncologic imaging and therapy using specific illustrative examples. The audience will be properly oriented by these illustrative examples to the multiple avenues for collaborative research amongst interdisciplinary teams of physicists, clinicians, engineers, chemists, and biologists in industry and academia.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the physical bases of gold nanoparticle applications for radiosensitization and x‐ray fluorescence imaging

Understand the parameters that define gold nanoparticle‐mediated radiosensitization in biological systems

Understand the potential of magnetic nanoparticle characterization of the microenvironment

Understand the various strategies for radiolabeling of nanoparticles and their applications

S.C. and S.K. acknowledge support from MD Anderson Cancer Center, NIH (R01CA155446 and P30CA16672) and DoD (W81XWH‐12‐1‐0198); J.W. acknowledges support from NIH (U54CA151662‐01); W.C. acknowledges support from the University of Wisconsin‐Madison, NIH (R01CA169365, P30CA014520, and T32CA009206), DoD (W81XWH‐11‐1‐0644 and W81XWH‐11‐1‐0648), and ACS (125246‐RSG‐13‐099‐01‐CCE).
TH‐AB‐BRD‐03: Radiation Dosimetry for Proton Therapy
Authors: Sahoo N.
Published: June 2015

The goal of this session is to introduce the audience to the physics, dosimetry, treatment planning techniques, and quality assurances (QA) procedures used in proton therapy. The course material covers the physics of proton interaction with matter and physical characteristics of clinical proton beams. It will provide information on proton delivery systems and beam delivery techniques for double scattering (DS), uniform scanning (US), and pencil beam scanning (PBS). The session covers the treatment planning strategies used in DS, US, and PBS for various anatomical sites, methods to address uncertainties in proton therapy and uncertainty mitigation to generate robust treatment plans. Challenges involved in the motion management in proton therapy will also be discussed. It will also include the methodology for proton beam dosimetry for clinical commissioning, beam calibration, and quality assurance checks.

Learning Objectives:

Gain knowledge on physics, dosimetry, and treatment planning for proton therapy including intensity modulated proton therapy.

Be acquainted with the procedures involved in machine and patient treatment field specific QA.

Understand the uncertainties associated with proton therapy and currently used strategies for their mitigation in treatment planning.
Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria Secretes Proteases and Xylanases via the Xps Type II Secretion System and Outer Membrane Vesicles
Authors: Solé Magali , Scheibner Felix , Hoffmeister Anne-Katrin , Hartmann Nadine , Hause Gerd , Rother Annekatrin , Jordan Michael , Lautier Martine , Arlat Matthieu , Büttner Daniela
Published: June 2015

Many plant-pathogenic bacteria utilize type II secretion (T2S) systems to secrete degradative enzymes into the extracellular milieu. T2S substrates presumably mediate the degradation of plant cell wall components during the host-pathogen interaction and thus promote bacterial virulence. Previously, the Xps-T2S system from
Xanthomonas campestris
pv. vesicatoria was shown to contribute to extracellular protease activity and the secretion of a virulence-associated xylanase. The identities and functions of additional T2S substrates from
X. campestris
pv. vesicatoria, however, are still unknown. In the present study, the analysis of 25 candidate proteins from
X. campestris
pv. vesicatoria led to the identification of two type II secreted predicted xylanases, a putative protease and a lipase which was previously identified as a virulence factor of
X. campestris
pv. vesicatoria. Studies with mutant strains revealed that the identified xylanases and the protease contribute to virulence and
in planta
growth of
X. campestris
pv. vesicatoria. When analyzed in the related pathogen
X. campestris
pv. campestris, several T2S substrates from
X. campestris
pv. vesicatoria were secreted independently of the T2S systems, presumably because of differences in the T2S substrate specificities of the two pathogens. Furthermore, in
X. campestris
pv. vesicatoria T2S mutants, secretion of T2S substrates was not completely absent, suggesting the contribution of additional transport systems to protein secretion. In line with this hypothesis, T2S substrates were detected in outer membrane vesicles, which were frequently observed for
X. campestris
pv. vesicatoria. We, therefore, propose that extracellular virulence-associated enzymes from
X. campestris
pv. vesicatoria are targeted to the Xps-T2S system and to outer membrane vesicles.

IMPORTANCE
The virulence of plant-pathogenic bacteria often depends on TS2 systems, which secrete degradative enzymes into the extracellular milieu. T2S substrates are being studied in several plant-pathogenic bacteria, including
Xanthomonas campestris
pv. vesicatoria, which causes bacterial spot disease in tomato and pepper. Here, we show that the T2S system from
X. campestris
pv. vesicatoria secretes virulence-associated xylanases, a predicted protease, and a lipase. Secretion assays with the related pathogen
X. campestris
pv. campestris revealed important differences in the T2S substrate specificities of the two pathogens. Furthermore, electron microscopy showed that T2S substrates from
X. campestris
pv. vesicatoria are targeted to outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). Our results, therefore, suggest that OMVs provide an alternative transport route for type II secreted extracellular enzymes.
The IS
200
/IS
605
Family and “Peel and Paste” Single-strand Transposition Mechanism
Authors: He S. , Corneloup A. , Guynet C. , Lavatine L. , Caumont-Sarcos A. , Siguier P. , Marty B. , Dyda F. , Chandler M. , Ton Hoang B.
Published: June 2015

This chapter presents an analysis of the organization and distribution of the IS
200
/IS
605
family of insertion sequences (IS). Members of this family are widespread in both bacteria and archaea. They are unusual because they use obligatory single-strand DNA intermediates, which distinguishes them from classical IS. We summarize studies of the experimental model systems IS
608
(from
Helicobacter pylori
) and IS
Dra2
(from
Deinococcus radiodurans
) and present biochemical, genetic, and structural data that describe their transposition pathway and the way in which their transposase (an HuH rather than a DDE enzyme) catalyzes this process. The transposition of IS
200
/IS
605
family members can be described as a “Peel-and-Paste” mechanism. We also address the probable domestication of IS
200
/IS
605
family transposases as enzymes involved in multiplication of repeated extragenic palindromes and as potential homing endonucleases in intron–IS chimeras.
Using decision trees to understand structure in missing data
Authors: Tierney Nicholas J , Harden Fiona A , Harden Maurice J , Mengersen Kerrie L
Published: June 2015

Objectives

Demonstrate the application of decision trees—classification and regression trees (CARTs), and their cousins, boosted regression trees (BRTs)—to understand structure in missing data.

Setting

Data taken from employees at 3 different industrial sites in Australia.

Participants

7915 observations were included.

Materials and methods

The approach was evaluated using an occupational health data set comprising results of questionnaires, medical tests and environmental monitoring. Statistical methods included standard statistical tests and the ‘rpart’ and ‘gbm’ packages for CART and BRT analyses, respectively, from the statistical software ‘R’. A simulation study was conducted to explore the capability of decision tree models in describing data with missingness artificially introduced.

Results

CART and BRT models were effective in highlighting a missingness structure in the data, related to the type of data (medical or environmental), the site in which it was collected, the number of visits, and the presence of extreme values. The simulation study revealed that CART models were able to identify variables and values responsible for inducing missingness. There was greater variation in variable importance for unstructured as compared to structured missingness.

Discussion

Both CART and BRT models were effective in describing structural missingness in data. CART models may be preferred over BRT models for exploratory analysis of missing data, and selecting variables important for predicting missingness. BRT models can show how values of other variables influence missingness, which may prove useful for researchers.

Conclusions

Researchers are encouraged to use CART and BRT models to explore and understand missing data.
Comparison of classical, kernel-based, and nearest neighbors regression estimators using the design-based Monte Carlo approach for two-phase forest inventories
Authors: Massey Alexander , Mandallaz Daniel
Published: June 2015

This paper compares design-based properties of the classical two-phase regression estimator with several nonparametric kernel-based estimators of which k nearest neighbors (kNN) is a special case. Metrics are based on the Euclidean distance applied to either a multidimensional space of explanatory variables or to a one-dimensional space of predictions obtained from a linear model. The main concepts of kernel-based regression estimators are reformulated in the design-based Monte Carlo approach to forest inventory. The results, based on a case study of a forest inventory in Switzerland and extensive simulations, suggest that the commonly used analytical external variance formula may systematically underestimate the true variance for a variety of kernel-based estimators including kNN but that it is still adequate for the classical regression estimator. Although using a bootstrap variance can help to correct this underestimation, it was also found that the bootstrap variance estimates could be unstable if the optimal bandwidth is recalculated in each bootstrap sample. These findings suggest that if the model captures the main features of the underlying process, then it is advisable to use the classical regression estimator, because it performs at least as well as the other techniques and is by far simpler to implement.
Photogrammetry of killer whales using a small hexacopter launched at sea
Authors: Durban J.W. , Fearnbach H. , Barrett-Lennard L.G. , Perryman W.L. , Leroi D.J.
Published: June 2015

Conventional aircraft have been used for photogrammetry studies of free-ranging whales, but are often not practical in remote regions or not affordable. Here we report on the use of a small, unmanned hexacopter (APH-22; Aerial Imaging Solutions) as an alternative method for collecting photographs to measure killer whales (Orcinus orca) at sea. We deployed and retrieved the hexacopter by hand during 60 flights (average duration 13.2 min, max 15.7 min) from the upper deck of an 8.2 m boat, utilizing the aircraft's vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability. The hexacopter was quiet and stable in flight, and therefore could be flown at relatively low altitudes without disturbing whales. The payload was a Micro Four-Thirds system camera that was used to obtain 18920 still images from an altitude of 35–40 m above the whales. Tests indicated a ground-resolved distance of <1.4 cm across the full extent of a flat and undistorted field of view, and an onboard pressure altimeter enabled measurements in pixels to be scaled to true size with an average accuracy of 5 cm. As a result, the images were sharp enough to differentiate individual whales using natural markings (77 whales in total) and preliminary estimates resolved differences in whale lengths ranging from 2.6 to 5.8 m. This first application at sea demonstrated the APH-22 hexacopter to be a safe and cost-effective platform for collecting photogrammetry images to fill key scientific data gaps about whales, and we anticipate this utility will extend to studies of other wildlife species.
Effective potential for a SUSY Lee–Wick model: The Wess–Zumino case
Authors: Dias M. , Yu. Petrov A. , Senise C. R. , da Silva A. J.
Published: June 2015

Using a superfield generalization of the tadpole method, we study the one-loop effective potential for a Wess–Zumino model modified by a higher derivative term, inspired by the Lee–Wick model. The one-loop Kählerian potential is also obtained by other methods and compared with the effective potential.
Rotating thin shells in (2 + 1)-dimensional asymptotically AdS spacetimes: Mechanical properties, machian effects, and energy conditions
Authors: Lemos José P. S. , Lopes Francisco J. , Minamitsuji Masato
Published: June 2015

In this paper, a rotating thin shell in a (2 + 1)-dimensional asymptotically AdS spacetime is studied. The spacetime exterior to the shell is the rotating BTZ spacetime and the interior is the empty spacetime with a cosmological constant. Through the Einstein equation in (2 + 1) dimensions and the corresponding junction conditions we calculate the dynamical relevant quantities, namely, the rest energy–density, the pressure, and the angular momentum flux density. We also analyze the matter in a frame where its energy–momentum tensor has a perfect fluid form. In addition, we show that Machian effects, such as the dragging of inertial frames, also occur in rotating (2 + 1)-dimensional spacetimes. The weak and the dominant energy condition for these shells are discussed.
Fermions, q-deformed diffeomorphism and the evolution of spin networks
Authors: Mullick L. , Bandyopadhyay P.
Published: June 2015

We have considered here the emergence of diffeomorphism symmetry in quantum gravity in the framework of the quantization of a fermion. It is pointed out that a closed loop having the holonomy associated with the SU(2) gauge group is realized from the rotation of the direction vector associated with the quantization of a fermion depicting spin degrees of freedom which appear as SU(2) gauge bundle. During the formation of a loop, a noncyclic path with open ends can be mapped onto a closed loop when the holonomy involves q-deformed gauge group SUq(2). This gives rise to q-deformed diffeomorphism and helps to realize diffeomorphism invariance in quantum gravity through a sequence of q-deformed diffeomorphism in the limit q = 1. We can consider adiabatic iteration such that the quasispin associated with the quantum group SUq(2) gradually evolves as the time dependent deformation parameter q changes and in the limit q = 1, we achieve the standard spin. This essentially depicts the evolution of spin network as the loop is being formed and links fermionic degrees of freedom with loop quantum gravity.
On the behavior of the bounds of the holographic theory for massive and massless particle systems
Authors: Masi Nicolo'
Published: June 2015

The aim of this paper is to analyze the meaning of the entropy bounds of the holographic sector once tested for statistical ensembles of particles, in order to deeply investigate the nature of these constraints and their mutual links. From the universal entropy bound (UEB) simple time constraints can be argued, which are manifestations of the discrete nature of the spacetime and of the presence of ultimate spacetime scales. From the combined effort of the UEB and of the Holographic bound by 't Hooft and Susskind, an entropy density bound as a function of temperature is achieved.
A Semi-Analytical Evaluation of Surface and Nonlocal Effects on Buckling and Vibrational Characteristics of Nanotubes with Various Boundary Conditions
Authors: Ebrahimi Farzad , Shaghaghi Gholam Reza , Boreiry Mahya
Published: June 2015

In the present paper, the vibrational and buckling characteristics of nanotubes with various boundary conditions are investigated considering the coupled effects of nonlocal elasticity and surface effects, including surface elasticity and surface tension. The nonlocal Eringen theory is adopted to consider the effect of small scale size, and the Gurtin–Murdoch model the surface effect. Hamilton’s principle is employed to formulate the governing equation and differential transformation method (DTM) is utilized to obtain the natural frequency and critical buckling load of nanotubes with various boundary conditions. The results obtained match the available ones in the literature. Detailed mathematical derivations are presented and numerical investigations are performed. The emphasis is placed on the effects of several parameters, such as the nonlocal parameter, surface effect, aspect ratio, mode number and beam size, on the normalized natural frequencies and critical buckling loads of the nanotube. It is explicitly shown that the vibration and buckling of a nanotube is significantly influenced by these effects. Numerical results are presented which may serve as benchmarks for future analysis of nanotubes.
The Empirical Distribution of the Singular Values of a Random Hankel Matrix
Authors: Ghodsi Mansi , Alharbi Nader , Hassani Hossein
Published: June 2015

The empirical distribution of the eigenvalues of the matrix HHT divided by its trace is considered, where H is a Hankel random matrix. The normal distribution with different parameters are considered and the effect of scale and shape parameters are evaluated. The correlation among eigenvalues are assessed using parametric and non-parametric association criteria.
ORGANISATIONAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION AND THE MODERATING EFFECT OF OPEN INNOVATION STRATEGIES
Authors: HECKER ACHIM , GANTER ALOIS
Published: June 2015

This paper distinguishes three types of organisational innovation — those in a firm’s knowledge management, workplace, and external relations — and studies their impact on firms’ technological innovation performance. Special attention is paid to the openness and external orientation of a firm’s R&D activities as factor moderating the relationship between organisational and technological innovation. Drawing on the fourth wave of the German part of the Community Innovation Survey (CIS IV), this study shows that organisational innovation acts as an important facilitator of new process (but not product) development. Organisational innovations furthermore prove to be complements (but in some cases also substitutes) to external knowledge sourcing and open innovation strategies.
Quantitative description of genomic evolution of olfactory receptors
Authors: Hassan Sk. S. , Choudhury P. Pal , Daya Sagar B. S. , Chakraborty S. , Guha R. , Goswami A.
Published: June 2015

We investigate how the evolutionary network is associated among Human, Chimpanzee and Mouse with regards to their genomic information. We provide a quantitative description of genomic evolution through indexes based on fractals and mathematical morphology. These indexes are carefully chosen and reveal quantitatively the similarity or differences among the structure of the concerned sequences. They also reveal how the sequences have evolved over the course of time. We have considered olfactory receptors (ORs) as our case study. These ORs do function in different species with the subtle differences in between the structures of DNA sequences. Such differences are quantified in this paper.
Infinitely many singular radial solutions for quasilinear elliptic systems
Authors: Iskafi Khalid , Ahammou Abdelaziz
Published: June 2015

We prove the existence of infinitely many singular radial positive solutions for a quasilinear elliptic system with no variational structure [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is the unit ball of [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] are non-negative functions. We separate two fundamental classes (the sublinear and superlinear class), and we use respectively the Leray–Schauder Theorem and a method of monotone iterations to obtain the existence of many solutions with a property of singularity around the origin. Finally, we give a sufficient condition for the non-existence.
fqp-Property in amalgamated algebras along an ideal
Authors: Mahdou Najib , Moutui Moutu Abdou Salam
Published: June 2015

Let [Formula: see text] be a ring homomorphism and [Formula: see text] be an ideal of [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we study the transfer of fqp-property in the amalgamation of [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] along [Formula: see text] with respect to [Formula: see text] (denoted by [Formula: see text] introduced and studied by D’Anna, Finocchiaro and Fontana in 2009. Our aim is to provide new classes of commutative rings satisfying this property.
Quasi-primaryful modules
Authors: Moghimi Hosein Fazaeli , Samiei Mahdi
Published: June 2015

Let [Formula: see text] be a commutative ring with identity. The purpose of this paper is to introduce and to study a new class of modules over [Formula: see text] called quasi-primaryful [Formula: see text]-modules. This class contains the family of finitely generated modules properly, on the other hand it is contained in the family of primeful [Formula: see text]-modules properly, and three concepts coincide if they are multiplication modules. We show that free modules, projective modules over domains and faithful projective modules over Noetherian rings are quasi-primaryful modules. In particular, if [Formula: see text] is an Artinian ring, then all [Formula: see text]-modules are quasi-primaryful and the converse is also true when [Formula: see text] is a Noetherian ring.
The 𝒞(X,D), a characterization of a Stone almost distributive lattice
Authors: Santhi Sundar Raj Ch. , Rama Prasad K. , Santhi M. , Vasu Babu R.
Published: June 2015

We prove that for any Boolean space [Formula: see text] and a dense Almost Distributive Lattice (ADL) [Formula: see text] with a maximal element, the set [Formula: see text] of all continuous functions of [Formula: see text] into the discrete [Formula: see text] is a Stone ADL. Conversely, it is proved that any Stone ADL is a homomorphic image of [Formula: see text] for a suitable Boolean space [Formula: see text] and a dense ADL [Formula: see text] with a maximal element.
Existence of positive solutions for Riemann–Liouville fractional order three-point boundary value problem
Authors: Rao Sabbavarapu Nageswara
Published: June 2015

In this paper, we study the following fractional order three-point boundary value problem [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text], are the standard Riemann–Liouville fractional order derivatives with [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]: [Formula: see text] is continuous. By using several well-known fixed-point theorems in a cone, the existence of at least one and two positive solutions is obtained. Some examples are presented to illustrate the main results.
On special operations on Ω-closeness on topological spaces
Authors: Abd-El Baki S. A. , Sayed O. R.
Published: June 2015

In this paper, the concepts of [Formula: see text]-closed and [Formula: see text]-continuous maps are introduced and several properties of them are investigated. These concepts are used to obtain several results concerning the preservation of [Formula: see text]-closed sets. Moreover, we use [Formula: see text]-closed and [Formula: see text]-continuous maps to obtain a characterization of semi-[Formula: see text] spaces.
Global Liquidity, Financialization and Commodity Price Inflation
Authors: Rishabh Kumar , Sharma Somnath
Published: June 2015

This paper examines the effect of global liquidity and financialization on commodity price inflation. The novelty of the paper lies in exploiting recent advances in our understanding of global liquidity by separating private liquidity from official liquidity and digging into disaggregated level non-commercial commodity traders data. Private liquidity is found to be inflationary, while official liquidity is not. Among the non-commercial traders, both, active money managers and passive swap dealers seem to have played an important role in commodity inflation dynamics during the period 2006–2012. The paper also discusses emerging policy issues in a rapidly changing global commodities market.
Demo hour
Authors: Leigh Sang-won , Roseway Asta , Paradiso Ann , Kobayashi Hiroki , Hirose Michitaka , Fujiwara Akio , Nakamura Kazuhiko , Sezaki Kaoru , Saito Kaoru , Peterson Conor , Bongers Bert , Heffer Cecilia
Published: June 2015

The Arts Track at TEI 2015 explored sensory connections among people and the world around them. An international jury of artists, designers, and educators selected evocative, thought-provoking, and experientially rich pieces ranging from full-room installations to wearables and performance-based art. The pieces selected for the exhibit demonstrate not only technological novelty but also formal sophistication, conceptual creativity, and engagement with issues of active concern to the fields of interactive art. Here, we present a small sample demonstrating the breadth of the exhibition. Please see http://www.tei-conf.org/15/artists/ for the full list.
Elizabeth Goodman and Younghui Kim, TEI'15 Arts Track Chairs
The Effect of Sandstone Composition on Distribution of Tafoni Landforms in the Aghajari Sandstone, Northwest of Masjed Soleyman, Iran
Authors: Ahmadi Amir , Moghimi Ebrahim , Zamanzadeh Seyed Mohamad , Motamed Reza
Published: June 2015

The Aghajari
sandstone layers are located in the west of
Zagros Mountains from several centimeters
thicknesses to maximum 6 meters with
carbonating
content. Laboratory and fieldwork show high
amount of carbonate content through
sandstone layers and tafoni and honeycombs (THs)
in early layers. In the study area three
parameters have the most effective impactful
factors in tafoni and honeycombs (THs)
including matrix, carbonate content, and
porosity. In this study result shows overlays of
high ranges of CaCO3, porosity, and
low matrix in the early layers (especially in A,
B, C, D, and H layers) with tafoni and honeycombs
(THs). Overall, we conclude that matrix and
CaCO3 (carbonate clast including
carbonate lithics, fragment fossils, and Pellet)
and porosity have direct relationships and matrix
reverse relationships with tafoni and honeycombs
(THs) in the Aghajari sandstones
layers.
Ultrastructural Changes of Brain Tissues Surrounding Hematomas after Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Wang Kai-Yu , Wu Cheng-Han , Zhou Lin-Ying , Yan Xiao-Hua , Yang Rui-Ling , Liao Lian-Ming , Ge Xiu-Min , Liao Yuan-sheng , Li Shi-Ju , Li Hui-Zhong , Gao Li-Li , Lin Ju-shan , Huang Sheng-Yue
Published: June 2015

Our knowledge about pathophysiology of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) mainly originates from preclinical models of ICH. In this study, cerebral ultrastructure surrounding hematoma and its correlation with clinical severity were investigated in ICH patients. Thirty patients with basal ganglia hemorrhage and 6 control subjects were enrolled. Surgical evacuation was performed for patients with a blood loss >30 ml. Stroke severity was assessed using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to evaluate the ultrastructural characteristics of tissue specimens. Neural cells surrounding the hematomas showed evidence of cell swelling and necrosis. Decreased numbers of organelles and mitochondrial cristae were accompanied by cytoplasmic vacuolization, nuclear membrane invagination and breakdown, and intranuclear chromatic agglutination. These changes resulted in disintegration together with malacia, disappearance of the nucleus and nucleolus, and karyopyknosis. More serious ultrastructural damage was seen in patients with greater NIHSS scores, lower GCS scores, and greater bleeding volumes (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that neural cells undergo unfavorable ultrastructural changes that are responsible for dysfunction after ICH.