bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Geomorphic Controls on Floodplain Soil Organic Carbon in the Yukon Flats, Interior Alaska, From Reach to River Basin Scales
Authors: Lininger K. B. , Wohl E. , Rose J. R. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractFloodplains accumulate and store organic carbon (OC) and release OC to rivers, but studies of floodplain soil OC come from small rivers or small spatial extents on larger rivers in temperate latitudes. Warming climate is causing substantial change in geomorphic process and OC fluxes in high latitude rivers. We investigate geomorphic controls on floodplain soil OC concentrations in active‐layer mineral sediment in the Yukon Flats, interior Alaska. We characterize OC along the Yukon River and four tributaries in relation to geomorphic controls at the river basin, segment, and reach scales. Average OC concentration within floodplain soil is 2.8% (median = 2.2%). Statistical analyses indicate that OC varies among river basins, among planform types along a river depending on the geomorphic unit, and among geomorphic units. OC decreases with sample depth, suggesting that most OC accumulates via autochthonous inputs from floodplain vegetation. Floodplain and river characteristics, such as grain size, soil moisture, planform, migration rate, and riverine DOC concentrations, likely influence differences among rivers. Grain size, soil moisture, and age of surface likely influence differences among geomorphic units. Mean OC concentrations vary more among geomorphic units (wetlands = 5.1% versus bars = 2.0%) than among study rivers (Dall River = 3.8% versus Teedrinjik River = 2.3%), suggesting that reach‐scale geomorphic processes more strongly control the spatial distribution of OC than basin‐scale processes. Investigating differences at the basin and reach scale is necessary to accurately assess the amount and distribution of floodplain soil OC, as well as the geomorphic controls on OC.
Survey of Magnetosheath Plasma Properties at Saturn and Inference of Upstream Flow Conditions
Authors: Thomsen M. F. , Coates A. J. , Jackman C. M. , Sergis N. , Jia X. , Hansen K. C. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractA new Cassini magnetosheath data set is introduced that is based on a comprehensive survey of intervals in which the observed magnetosheath flow was encompassed within the plasma analyzer field of view and for which the computed numerical moments are therefore expected to be accurate. The data extend from 2004 day 299 to 2012 day 151 and comprise 19,155 416 s measurements. In addition to the plasma ion moments (density, temperature, and flow velocity), merged values of the plasma electron density and temperature, the energetic particle pressure, and the magnetic field vector are included in the data set. Statistical properties of various magnetosheath parameters, including dependence on local time, are presented. The magnetosheath field and flow are found to be only weakly aligned, primarily because of a relatively large z component of the magnetic field, attributable to the field being pulled out of the equatorial orientation by flows at higher latitudes. A new procedure for using magnetosheath properties to estimate the upstream solar wind speed is proposed and used to determine that the amount of electron heating at Saturn's high Mach‐number bow shock is ~4% of the dissipated flow energy. The data set is available as supporting information to this paper.
Setup errors in radiation therapy for thoracic tumor patients of different body mass index
Authors: Zhao Jin , Zhang Mingyun , Zhai Fushan , Wang Haiyan , Li Xingde 
Published: March 2018

AbstractPurposeTo assess the setup errors in radiation therapy for thoracic tumors patients of different somatotypes, and to seek an individualized mathematical basis for defining the planning target volume (PTV).MethodsSixty patients with thoracic tumors were divided into four somatotypes according to their body mass index (BMI), and their body positions were setup by two groups of technicians independently. CT simulations were performed and the reconstructed radiography was digitally generated as reference images for location verification and error measurement. By setting positioning error ranges, the within‐range positioning correction rate was compared among groups.ResultsPosition setups for patients in the emaciated group, moderate group, and overweight group were relatively stable (with minor setup error differences between the two groups of technicians). In emaciated group, moderate group, overweight group, and obese group, setup errors in the right–left direction (R‐L) were 2.2 ± 1.3 mm, 2.2 ± 1.6 mm, 3.9 ± 3.1 mm, and 8.8 ± 3.5 mm, respectively; whereas the setup errors in the four groups in the superior–inferior(S‐I) direction were 2.4 ± 1.8 mm, 2.1 ± 1.9 mm, 3.2 ± 2.6 mm, and 5.4 ± 3.5 mm, and in the anterior–posterior (A‐P) direction were 2.2 ± 1.7 mm, 1.9 ± 1.9 mm, 3.2 ± 2.9 mm, and 6.2 ± 4.2 mm, respectively. Moreover, in the moderate group, the positioning correction rate in the three directions (R‐L, S‐I, and A‐P) was 20%, 9%, 8% within the error range of 5–10 mm, and 3%, 0%, 1% with a more than 10 mm error range. However, in overweight group and obese group, the positioning correction rate in these three directions (also with a more than 10 mm error range) was 23%, 27%, 19% and 21%, 16%, 23%, respectively.ConclusionsIn radiation therapy for patients with thoracic tumors, the definition of PTV should be individualized. Meanwhile, with the increase in BMI, positioning correction rate has a tendency to rise too.
Validating kQ=1.0 assumption in TG51 with PTW 30013 farmer chamber for Varian TrueBeam's 2.5 MV imaging beam
Authors: Grzetic Shelby , Ayan Ahmet S. , Woollard Jeffrey , Gupta Nilendu 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAAPM Report 142 recommends and the State of Ohio requires that the imaging dose be quantified in radiotherapy applications. Using the TG51 dose calibration protocol for MV Imaging dose measurement requires knowledge of the kQ parameter for the beam quality and the ionization chamber type under investigation. The %dd(10)x of the Varian TrueBeam 2.5 MV imaging beam falls outside the range of the available data for the calculation of the kQ value. Due to the similarities of the 2.5 MV imaging beam and the 60Co beam, we and others made the assumption that kQ = 1.0 in TG51 calculations. In this study, we used the TG21 and TG51 calibration protocols in conjunction to validate that kQ = 1.0 for the 2.5 MV imaging beam using a PTW 30013 farmer chamber. Standard measurements for TG51 absolute dosimetry QA were performed at 100 cm SSD, 10 cm depth, 10 × 10 field size, delivering 100 Monitor Units to a waterproof Farmer Chamber (PTW TN30013) for both 2.5 and 6 MV. Both the TG21 and TG51 formalisms were used to calculate the dose to water per MU at dmax (Dw/MU) for the 6 MV beam. The calculated outputs were 1.0005 and 1.0004 cGy/MU respectively. The TG21 formalism was then used to calculate (Dw/MU) for the 2.5 MV imaging beam. This value was then used in the TG51 formalism to find kQ for the 2.5 MV imaging beam. A kQ value of 1.00 ± 0.01 was calculated for 2.5 MV using this method.
Feasibility study of shutter scan acquisition for region of interest (ROI) digital tomosynthesis
Authors: Kim Dohyeon , Jo Byungdu , Lee Donghoon , Lee Haenghwa , Choi Sunghoon , Kim Hyemi , Chao Zhen , Choi Seungyeon , Kim Hee‐Joung 
Published: March 2018

AbstractDose reduction techniques have been studied in medical imaging. We propose shutter scan acquisition for region of interest (ROI) imaging to reduce the patient exposure dose received from a digital tomosynthesis system. A prototype chest digital tomosynthesis (CDT) system (LISTEM, Wonju, Korea) and the LUNGMAN phantom (Kyoto Kagaku, Japan) with lung nodules 8, 10, and 12 mm in size were used for this study. A total of 41 projections with shutter scan acquisition consisted of 21 truncated projections and 20 non‐truncated projections. For comparison, 41 projections using conventional full view scan acquisition were also acquired. Truncated projections obtained by shutter scan acquisition were corrected by proposed image processing procedure to remove the truncation artifacts. The image quality was evaluated using the contrast to noise ratio (CNR), coefficient of variation (COV), and figure of merit (FOM). We measured the dose area product (DAP) value to verify the dose reduction using shutter scan acquisition. The ROI of the reconstructed image from shutter scan acquisition showed enhanced contrast. The results showed that CNR values of 8 and 12 mm lung nodules increased by 6.38% and 21.21%, respectively, and the CNR value of 10 mm lung nodule decreased by 3.63%. COV values of the lung nodules were lower in a shutter scan image than in a full view scan image. FOM values of 8, 10, and 12 mm lung nodules increased by 3.06, 2.25, and 2.33 times, respectively. This study compared the proposed shutter scan and conventional full view scan acquisition. In conclusion, using a shutter scan acquisition method resulted in enhanced contrast images within the ROI and higher FOM values. The patient exposure dose of the proposed shutter scan acquisition method can be reduced by limiting the field of view (FOV) to focus on the ROI.
Dosimetric assessment of an air‐filled balloon applicator in HDR vaginal cuff brachytherapy using the Monte Carlo method
Authors: Jiang Hongyu , Badkul Rajeev , Pokhrel Damodar 
Published: March 2018

AbstractPurposeAs an alternative to cylindrical applicators, air‐inflated balloon applicators have been introduced into high‐dose‐rate (HDR) vaginal cuff brachytherapy to achieve sufficient dose to the vagina mucosa as well as to spare organs at risk, mainly the rectum and bladder. Commercial treatment planning systems which employ formulae in the AAPM Task Group No. 43 (TG 43) report do not take into account tissue inhomogeneity. Consequently, the low‐density air in a balloon applicator induces different doses delivered to the mucosa from planned by these planning systems. In this study, we investigated the dosimetric effects of the air in a balloon applicator using the Monte Carlo (MC) method.MethodsThe thirteen‐catheter Capri™ applicator by Varian™ for vaginal cuff brachytherapy was modeled together with the Ir‐192 radioactive source for the microSelectron™ Digital (HDR‐V3) afterloader by Elekta™ using the MCNP MC code. The validity of charged particle equilibrium (CPE) with an air balloon present was evaluated by comparing the kerma and the absorbed dose at various distances from the applicator surface. By comparing MC results with and without air cavity present, dosimetric effects of the air cavity were studied. Clinical patient cases with optimized multiple Ir‐192 source dwell positions were also explored. Four treatment plans by the Oncentra Brachy™ treatment planning system were re‐calculated with MCNP.ResultsCPE fails in the vicinity of the air‐water interface. One millimeter beyond the air‐water boundary the kerma and the absorbed dose are equal (0.2% difference), regardless of air cavity dimensions or iridium source locations in the balloon. The air cavity results in dose increase, due to less photon absorption in the air than in water or solid materials. The extent of the increase depends on the diameter of the air balloon. The average increment is 3.8%, 4.5% and 5.3% for 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 cm applicators, respectively. In patient cases, the dose to the mucosa is also increased with the air cavity present. The point dose difference between Oncentra Brachy and MC at 5 mm prescription depth is 8% at most and 5% on average.ConclusionsExcept in the vicinity of the air‐mucosa interface, the dosimetric difference is not significant enough to mandate tissue inhomogeneity correction in HDR treatment planning.
Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of hybrid iterative reconstruction, with and without noise power spectrum models: A phantom study
Authors: Minamishima Kazuya , Sugisawa Koichi , Yamada Yoshitake , Jinzaki Masahiro 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe purpose of this phantom study was to investigate the feasibility of dose reduction with hybrid iterative reconstruction, with and without a noise power spectrum (NPS) model, using both quantitative and qualitative evaluations. Standard dose (SD), three‐quarter dose (TQD), and half‐dose (HD) of radiation were used. Images were reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP), adaptive iterative dose reduction 3D (AIDR 3D) (MILD, STR), and AIDR 3D enhanced (eAIDR 3D) (eMILD, eSTR). An NPS analysis, task‐based modulation transfer function (MTFtask) analysis, and comparisons of low‐contrast detectability and image texture were performed. Although the eAIDR 3D had a higher NPS value in the high‐frequency range and improved image texture and resolution as compared with AIDR 3D at the same radiation dose and iteration levels, it yielded higher noise than AIDR 3D. Additionally, although there was no statistically significant difference between SD‐FBP and the TQD series in the comparison of the mean area under the curve (AUC), the mean AUC was statistically significantly different between SD‐FBP and the HD series. NPS values in the high‐frequency range, 10% MTFtask values, low‐contrast detectability, and image textures of TQD‐eMILD were comparable to those of SD‐FBP. Our findings suggested that using eMILD can reduce the radiation dose by 25%, while potentially maintaining diagnostic performance, spatial resolution, and image texture; this could support selecting the appropriate protocol in a clinical setting.
Making Naloxone Rescue Part of Basic Life Support Training for Medical Students
Authors: Jack Helen E. , Warren Katherine E. , Sundaram Sivakumar , Gheihman Galina , Weems John , Raja Ali S. , Miller Emily S. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAs opioid overdose deaths in the United States continue to climb, medical students must be prepared to prevent and treat opioid use disorder and opioid overdose. The administration of naloxone is an evidence‐based way to reverse overdoses and save lives. At our medical school, a coalition of medical students, emergency medicine educators, and administrators worked together to permanently integrate naloxone rescue training into the Basic Life Support (BLS) curriculum required of all first‐year medical students. This article outlines an argument for the integration of naloxone rescue into BLS training and an introduction to emergency medical care for medical students. The authors then describe the steps that students took to transform this program from an original pilot to a formally integrated curriculum offered to all first‐year medical students. The article highlights the role of medical student advocacy in curriculum design and its potential to align medical training with community health needs, such as the ongoing opioid epidemic.
Naturally Occurring Mentorship in a National Sample of First‐Generation College Goers: A Promising Portal for Academic and Developmental Success
Authors: Fruiht Veronica , Chan Thomas 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAttending college is increasingly important to compete in this global world; however, young people whose parents did not attend college are significantly less likely to enroll in and finish college. Formal programs to support first‐generation college goers are common, but not scalable to provide support to all young people who need it. Instead, mentoring that naturally occurs on these students’ journeys into and out of college may be a more practical avenue for supporting their success. This study investigated the role community members, relatives, and educators play in first‐generation college goers’ educational outcomes. Data from 4,181 participants of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health were used to test differences in supports received between first‐generation, continuing‐generation, and non‐college goers. Results demonstrated that mentorship in adolescence moderated the relationship between parental college attendance and educational attainment in adulthood. Next, findings suggested that first‐generation students received less support for identity development from their mentors than continuing‐generation students. This study has program implications for facilitating college attendance and fostering the development and success of first‐generation students. Moreover, this project continues to concretize an emerging taxonomy of mentoring functions for youth and emerging adults.
Replicating and Cycling Stores of Information Perpetuate Life
Authors: Jose Antony M. 
Published: March 2018

Life is perpetuated through a single‐cell bottleneck between generations in many organisms. Here, I highlight that this cell holds information in two distinct stores: in the linear DNA sequence that is replicated during cell divisions, and in the three‐dimensional arrangement of molecules that can change during development but is recreated at the start of each generation. These two interdependent stores of information – one replicating with each cell division and the other cycling with a period of one generation – coevolve while perpetuating an organism. Unlike the genome sequence, the arrangement of molecules, including DNA, RNAs, proteins, sugars, lipids, etc., is not well understood. Because this arrangement and the genome sequence are transmitted together from one generation to the next, analysis of both is necessary to understand evolution and origins of inherited diseases. Recent developments suggest that tools are in place to examine how all the information to build an organism is encoded within a single cell, and how this cell code is reproduced in every generation.See also the video abstract here: https://youtu.be/IdWEL‐T6TPU.
Randomized clinical trial of intracutaneouslyversustranscutaneously sutured ileostomy to prevent stoma-related complications (ISI trial)
Authors: Sier M F , Wisselink D D , Ubbink D T , Oostenbroek R J , Veldink G J , Lamme B , van Duijvendijk P , van Geloven A A W , Eijsbouts Q A J , Bemelman W A , van Grevenstein M U , Veltkamp S C , Tolenaar P L , van de Laar A W J M , Slooter G D , Sonneveld D J A 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBackgroundIleostomy construction is a common procedure but can be associated with morbidity. The stoma is commonly secured to the skin using transcutaneous sutures. It is hypothesized that intracutaneous sutures result in a tighter adherence of the peristomal skin to the stoma plate to prevent faecal leakage. The study aimed to compare the effect of intracutaneous versus transcutaneous suturing of ileostomies on faecal leakage and quality of life.MethodsThis randomized trial was undertaken in 11 hospitals in the Netherlands. Patients scheduled to receive an ileostomy for any reason were randomized to intracutaneous or transcutaneous suturing (IC and TC groups respectively). The primary outcome was faecal leakage. Secondary outcomes were stoma-related quality of life and costs of stoma-related materials and reinterventions.ResultsBetween April 2011 and February 2016, 339 patients were randomized to the IC (170) or TC (169) group. Leakage rates were higher in the IC than in the TC group (52·4 versus 41·4 per cent respectively; risk difference 11·0 (95 per cent c.i. 0·3 to 21·2) per cent). Skin irritation rates were high (78·2 versus 72·2 per cent), but did not differ significantly between the groups (risk difference 6·1 (95 per cent c.i. –3·2 to 15·10) per cent). There were no significant differences in quality of life or costs between the groups.ConclusionIntracutaneous suturing of an ileostomy is associated with more peristomal leakage than transcutaneous suturing. Overall stoma-related complications did not differ between the two techniques. Registration number: NTR2369 (http://www.trialregister.nl).
Granulation of Filter Cakes, Pastes and Sludges by Means of Superabsorbents
Authors: Auer Gerhard 
Published: March 2018

AbstractA new method is presented that allows for simple, cost‐effective and industrially practicable granulation of filter cakes, pastes or sludges. For this purpose, a small amount of a superabsorbent (< 1 %) is added to a filter cake, paste or sludge. The moisture present is quickly and effectively inactivated by the superabsorbent. Granules are obtained that are not sticky and can be handled very well. Due to the fluffy granulate structure, a significant reduction of drying time is obtained and drying can be possible even at room temperature.
Complementary crops and landscape features sustain wild bee communities
Authors: Martins Kyle T. , Albert Cécile H. , Lechowicz Martin J. , Gonzalez Andrew 
Published: March 2018

AbstractWild bees, which are important for commercial pollination, depend on floral and nesting resources both at farms and in the surrounding landscape. Mass‐flowering crops are only in bloom for a few weeks and unable to support bee populations that persist throughout the year. Farm fields and orchards that flower in succession potentially can extend the availability of floral resources for pollinators. However, it is unclear whether the same bee species or genera will forage from one crop to the next, which bees specialize on particular crops, and to what degree inter‐crop visitation patterns will be mediated by landscape context. We therefore studied local‐ and landscape‐level drivers of bee diversity and species turnover in apple orchards, blueberry fields, and raspberry fields that bloom sequentially in southern Quebec, Canada. Despite the presence of high bee species turnover, orchards and small fruit fields complemented each other phenologically by supporting two bee genera essential to their pollination: mining bees (Andrena spp.) and bumble bees (Bombus spp.). A number of bee species specialized on apple, blueberry, or raspberry blossoms, suggesting that all three crops could be used to promote regional bee diversity. Bee diversity (rarefied richness, wild bee abundance) was highest across crops in landscapes containing hedgerows, meadows, and suburban areas that provide ancillary nesting and floral resources throughout the spring and summer. Promoting phenological complementarity in floral resources at the farmstead and landscape scales is essential to sustaining diverse wild bee populations.
Contactless Estimation of a Solar Cell Voltage in a Module Using Modulated Light and a Phase Detector
Authors: KOBAYASHI YASUYUKI , KIKUMOTO DAICHI 
Published: March 2018

SUMMARYAs a solar cell connected in series in a solar module fails, the operating module current decreases, however the operating voltage of each cell is not measurable if the cells are sealed tightly in the module. This research proposes a method to estimate an operating cell voltage in a module by irradiating modulated light to the cell and detecting the modulated signal from a load resistance of the module by a phase detector. And experiments for a small scale module to confirm the method have showed that the modulated signal detected by the phase detector increases as an operating cell voltage decreases, as expected according to the proposed theory. Therefore, it is confirmed in principle that the proposed method can estimate an operating cell voltage in a module.