bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Independent calculation of monitor units for VMAT and SPORT
Authors: Chen Xin , Bush Karl , Ding Aiping , Xing Lei 
Published: January 2015

Purpose:Dose and monitor units (MUs) represent two important facets of a radiation therapy treatment. In current practice, verification of a treatment plan is commonly done in dose domain, in which a phantom measurement or forward dose calculation is performed to examine the dosimetric accuracy and the MU settings of a given treatment plan. While it is desirable to verify directly the MU settings, a computational framework for obtaining the MU values from a known dose distribution has yet to be developed. This work presents a strategy to calculate independently the MUs from a given dose distribution of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and station parameter optimized radiation therapy (SPORT).Methods:The dose at a point can be expressed as a sum of contributions from all the station points (or control points). This relationship forms the basis of the proposed MU verification technique. To proceed, the authors first obtain the matrix elements which characterize the dosimetric contribution of the involved station points by computing the doses at a series of voxels, typically on the prescription surface of the VMAT/SPORT treatment plan, with unit MU setting for all the station points. An in‐house Monte Carlo (MC) software is used for the dose matrix calculation. The MUs of the station points are then derived by minimizing the least‐squares difference between doses computed by the treatment planning system (TPS) and that of the MC for the selected set of voxels on the prescription surface. The technique is applied to 16 clinical cases with a variety of energies, disease sites, and TPS dose calculation algorithms.Results:For all plans except the lung cases with large tissue density inhomogeneity, the independently computed MUs agree with that of TPS to within 2.7% for all the station points. In the dose domain, no significant difference between the MC and Eclipse Anisotropic Analytical Algorithm (AAA) dose distribution is found in terms of isodose contours, dose profiles, gamma index, and dose volume histogram (DVH) for these cases. For the lung cases, the MC‐calculated MUs differ significantly from that of the treatment plan computed using AAA. However, the discrepancies are reduced to within 3% when the TPS dose calculation algorithm is switched to a transport equation‐based technique (Acuros™). Comparison in the dose domain between the MC and Eclipse AAA/Acuros calculation yields conclusion consistent with the MU calculation.Conclusions:A computational framework relating the MU and dose domains has been established. The framework does not only enable them to verify the MU values of the involved station points of a VMAT plan directly in the MU domain but also provide a much needed mechanism to adaptively modify the MU values of the station points in accordance to a specific change in the dose domain.
Breast dosimetry in transverse and longitudinal field MRI‐Linac radiotherapy systems
Authors: Mahdavi S. R. , Esmaeeli A. D. , Pouladian M. , Monfared A. S. , Sardari D. , Bagheri S. 
Published: January 2015

Purpose:In the framework of developing the integration of a MRI‐Linac system, configurations of MRI‐Linac units were simulated in order to improve the dose distribution in tangential breast radiotherapy using transverse and longitudinal magnetic field geometries of Lorentz force for both medial and lateral tangential fields.Methods:In this work, the geant4 Monte Carlo (MC) code was utilized to compare dose distributions in breast radiotherapy for Linac‐MR systems in the transverse and longitudinal geometries within humanoid phantoms across a range of magnetic field strengths of 0.5 and 1.5 T. The dose increment due to scattering from the coils was investigated for both geometries as well. Computed tomography images of two patients were used for MC simulations. One patient had intact breast while the other was mastectomized. In the simulations, planning and methods of chest wall irradiation were similar to the actual clinical planning.Results:In a longitudinal geometry, the magnetic field is shown to restrict the lateral spread of secondary electrons to the lung, heart, and contralateral organs, which reduced the mean dose of the ipsilateral lung and heart by means of 17.2% and 6% at 1.5 T, respectively. The transverse configuration exhibits a significant increase in tissue interface effects, which increased dose buildup in the entrance regions of the lateral and medial tangent beams to the planning target volume (PTV) and improved dose homogeneity within the PTV. The improved relative average homogeneity index for two patients to the PTV at magnetic field strength of 1.5 T with respect to no magnetic field case evaluated was 11.79% and 34.45% in the LRBP and TRBP geometries, respectively. In both geometries, the simulations show significant mean dose reductions in the contralateral breast and chest wall skin, respectively, by a mean of 16.6% and 24.9% at 0.5 T and 17.2% and 28.1% at 1.5 T in the transverse geometry, and 10.56% and 14.6% at 0.5 T and 11.3% and 16.3% at 1.5 T in the longitudinal geometry. Considering the scattered photons which reflected from the coils, the average relative dose of each voxel is slightly increased by 0.53% and 0.32% in the LRBP and TRBP geometries, respectively.Conclusions:Orienting the B0 magnetic field parallel to the photon beam axis, LRBP geometry, tends to restrict the radial spread of secondary electrons which resulted in dose reduction to the lung. Dosimetry issues observed in both Linac‐MR geometries, such as changes to the lateral dose distribution, significantly exhibited dose reduction in the contralateral organs on a representative breast plan. Further, the results show sharper edge dose volume histogram curves at 1.5 T for both geometries, especially in the LRBP configuration.
Feasibility of RACT for 3D dose measurement and range verification in a water phantom
Authors: Alsanea Fahed , Moskvin Vadim , Stantz Keith M. 
Published: January 2015

Purpose:The objective of this study is to establish the feasibility of using radiation‐induced acoustics to measure the range and Bragg peak dose from a pulsed proton beam. Simulation studies implementing a prototype scanner design based on computed tomographic methods were performed to investigate the sensitivity to proton range and integral dose.Methods:Derived from thermodynamic wave equation, the pressure signals generated from the dose deposited from a pulsed proton beam with a 1 cm lateral beam width and a range of 16, 20, and 27 cm in water using Monte Carlo methods were simulated. The resulting dosimetric images were reconstructed implementing a 3D filtered backprojection algorithm and the pressure signals acquired from a 71‐transducer array with a cylindrical geometry (30 × 40 cm) rotated over 2π about its central axis. Dependencies on the detector bandwidth and proton beam pulse width were performed, after which, different noise levels were added to the detector signals (using 1 μs pulse width and a 0.5 MHz cutoff frequency/hydrophone) to investigate the statistical and systematic errors in the proton range (at 20 cm) and Bragg peak dose (of 1 cGy).Results:The reconstructed radioacoustic computed tomographic image intensity was shown to be linearly correlated to the dose within the Bragg peak. And, based on noise dependent studies, a detector sensitivity of 38 mPa was necessary to determine the proton range to within 1.0 mm (full‐width at half‐maximum) (systematic error < 150 μm) for a 1 cGy Bragg peak dose, where the integral dose within the Bragg peak was measured to within 2%. For existing hydrophone detector sensitivities, a Bragg peak dose of 1.6 cGy is possible.Conclusions:This study demonstrates that computed tomographic scanner based on ionizing radiation‐induced acoustics can be used to verify dose distribution and proton range with centi‐Gray sensitivity. Realizing this technology into the clinic has the potential to significantly impact beam commissioning, treatment verification during particle beam therapy and image guided techniques.
Utilization of Anodized Aluminum Oxide Substrate for the Growth of ZnO Microcrystals on Polygonized Spirals
Authors: Deulkar Sundeep H. , Bhosale C. H. , Huang Jow-Lay 
Published: January 2015

Anodized Aluminum Oxide (AAO) has been utilized as a substrate for the screw dislocation assisted growth of polygonize spirals (PS) of ZnO with diameter of the order of ~230 μm by Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) process. Stoichiometric ZnO microcrystals nucleated on the terraces and tops of these polygonized spirals. Stress inherent in the ZnO polygonized spiral morphology (~ 3.57 GPa) was deciphered from the values of the magnitude of shift in observed 2θ values of Glancing Incidence angle XRD (GIXRD) peaks from the standard values (JCPDS 36-1451) for hexagonal Zincite. The growth mechanism of these PS was explained albeit to a limited extent on the basis of the Burton, Cabrera and Frank (BCF) theory and its later modification, wherein data obtained from exsitu SEM measurements concomitant with numerical analysis was utilized to decipher values of the critical radius and supersaturation ratios. Nucleation of ZnO microcrystals on the PS was explained on the basis of the supersaturation ratio and the plausible values of diffusion lengths, existent on the summits of these PS. Retardation of the step rotation of the PS, due to elastic stress around the dislocation source and the Gibbs–Thomson effect, was explained on the basis of numerical coefficient ω0, the dimensionless frequency of spiral rotation. Role of stress in inhibition of ZnO nucleation on PS of smaller heights and with larger supersaturation ratio, has been discussed albeit qualitatively. The optical characteristics of a single ZnO microcrystal has been analyzed by room temperature CL measurements in the wavelength range 350 nm to 650 nm, revealing a single high intensity peak at 382 nm corresponding to a excitonic bandgap of 3.25 eV.
Asymptotically isometric metrics on relatively hyperbolic groups and marked length spectrum
Authors: Fujiwara Koji 
Published: January 2015

We prove asymptotically isometric, coarsely geodesic metrics on a toral relatively hyperbolic group are coarsely equal. The theorem applies to all lattices in SO (n, 1). This partly verifies a conjecture by Margulis. In the case of hyperbolic groups/spaces, our result generalizes a theorem by Furman and a theorem by Krat. We discuss an application to the isospectral problem for the length spectrum of Riemannian manifolds. The positive answer to this problem has been known for several cases. Most of them have hyperbolic fundamental groups. We do not solve the isospectral problem in the original sense, but prove the universal covers are (1, C)-quasi-isometric if the fundamental group is a toral relatively hyperbolic group.
Natural Gas Prices and the Extreme Winters of 2011/12 and 2013/14: Causes, Indicators, and Interactions
Authors: Schreck Carl J. , Bennett Stephen , Cordeira Jason M. , Crouch Jake , Dissen Jenny , Lang Andrea L. , Margolin David , O’Shay Adam , Rennie Jared , Schneider Thomas Ian , Ventrice Michael J. 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Day-to-day volatility in natural gas markets is driven largely by variability in heating demand, which is in turn dominated by cool-season temperature anomalies over the northeastern quadrant of the United States (“Midwest–East”). Energy traders rely on temperature forecasts at horizons of 2–4 weeks to anticipate those fluctuations in demand. Forecasts from dynamical models are widely available, so the markets react quickly to changes in the model predictions. Traders often work with meteorologists who leverage teleconnections from the tropics and the Arctic to improve upon the model forecasts. This study demonstrates how natural gas prices react to Midwest–East temperatures using the anomalous winters of 2011/12 and 2013/14. These examples also illustrate how energy meteorologists use teleconnections from the Arctic and the tropics to forecast heating demand.
Winter 2011/12 was exceptionally warm, consistent with the positive Arctic Oscillation (AO). March 2012 was a fitting exclamation point on the winter as it featured the largest warm anomaly for the United States above the twentieth-century climatology of any month since 1895. The resulting lack of heating demand led to record surpluses of natural gas storage and spurred prices downward to an 11-yr low in April 2012. In sharp contrast, winter 2013/14 was unusually cold. An anomalous Alaskan ridge led to cold air being transported from Siberia into the United States, despite the AO generally being positive. The ensuing swell in heating demand exhausted the surplus natural gas inventory, and prices rose to their highest levels since the beginning of the global recession in 2008.
A Combined Derivation of the Integrated and Vertically Resolved, Coupled Wave–Current Equations
Authors: Mellor George 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThere exist different theories representing the effects of surface gravity waves on oceanic flow fields. In the past, the author has conjectured that the vertically integrated, two-dimensional fluid equations of motion put forward by Longuet-Higgins and Stewart are correct and that theories that differ from their theory cannot be entirely correct; this paper explores these differences. Longuet-Higgins and Stewart deduced vertically integrated, two-dimensional equations featuring a wave radiation stress term in the fluid dynamic, momentum equation. More recently, the author has proposed vertically dependent, three-dimensional equations that have required correction but when vertically integrated, agreed with the earlier, two-dimensional equations. This paper derives both vertically independent and vertically dependent equations from the same base and, importantly, using the same expression for pressure in the belief that the paper will contribute to the understanding and clarification of this seemingly difficult topic in ocean dynamics. An error in the classical papers by Longuet-Higgins and Stewart has been detected. Although the final phase-averaged result was correct, the error has had consequences in the development of vertically dependent equations. The prognostic equations in this paper are for the Eulerian current plus Stokes drift; toward the end of the paper these equations are contrasted with prognostic equations for the Eulerian current alone.
A Statistical Analysis on the Dependence of Tropical Cyclone Intensification Rate on the Storm Intensity and Size in the North Atlantic
Authors: Xu Jing , Wang Yuqing 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe dependence of tropical cyclone (TC) intensification rate IR on storm intensity and size was statistically analyzed for North Atlantic TCs during 1988–2012. The results show that IR is positively (negatively) correlated with storm intensity (the maximum sustained near-surface wind speed Vmax) when Vmax is below (above) 70–80 knots (kt; 1 kt = 0.51 m s−1), and negatively correlated with storm size in terms of the radius of maximum wind (RMW), the average radius of gale-force wind (AR34), and the outer-core wind skirt parameter DR34 (=AR34 − RMW). The turning point for Vmax of 70–80 kt is explained as a balance between the potential intensification and the maximum potential intensity (MPI). The highest IR occurs for Vmax = 80 kt, RMW ≤ 40 km, and AR34 = DR34 = 150 km. The high frequency of occurrence of intensifying TCs occurs for Vmax ≤ 80 kt and RMW between 20 and 60 km, AR34 ≤ 200 km, and DR34 ≤ 150 km. Rapid intensification (RI) often occurs in a relatively narrow parameter space in storm intensity and both inner- and outer-core sizes. In addition, a theoretical basis for the intensity dependency has also been provided based on a previously constructed simplified dynamical system for TC intensity prediction.
PAD4-deficiency does not affect bacteremia in polymicrobial sepsis and ameliorates endotoxemic shock
Authors: Martinod Kimberly , Fuchs Tobias A. , Zitomersky Naamah L. , Wong Siu Ling , Demers Melanie , Gallant Maureen , Wang Yanming , Wagner Denisa D. 
Published: January 2015

Key Points
Absence of NETs in PAD4−/− mice did not affect bacteremia in polymicrobial sepsis produced by cecal ligation and puncture. PAD4-deficiency improved outcome in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis.
Transcriptome-based analysis of mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades in the rice response to Xanthomonas oryzae infection
Authors: Yang Zeyu , Ma Haigang , Hong Hanming , Yao Wen , Xie Weibo , Xiao Jinghua , Li Xianghua , Wang Shiping 
Published: January 2015

Abstract

Background
Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascades, with each cascade consisting of a MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK), a MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK), and a MAP kinase (MAPK), play important roles in dicot plant responses to pathogen infection. However, no single MAP kinase cascade has been identified in rice, and the functions of MAP kinase cascades in rice − pathogen interactions are unknown.

Results
To explore the contribution of MAP kinase cascade in rice in response to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), which causes bacterial blight, one of the devastating diseases of rice worldwide, we performed a comprehensive expression analysis of rice MAP kinase cascade genes. We transcriptionally analyzed all the 74 MAPKKK genes, 8 MAPKK, and 17 MAPK genes in two pairs of susceptible and resistant rice lines, with each pair having the same genetic background, to determine the rice response to Xoo infection. The expression of a large number of MAP kinase cascade genes changed in response to infection, and some of the genes also showed different expression in resistant and susceptible reactions. In addition, some MAPKKK genes co-expressed with MAPKK and/or MAPK genes, and MAPKK genes co-expressed with MAPK genes.

Conclusions
These results provide a new perspective regarding the putative roles of rice MAP kinase gene candicates and potential cascade targets for further characterization in rice–pathogen interactions.
Multigene prognostic tests in breast cancer: past, present, future
Authors: Győrffy Balázs , Hatzis Christos , Sanft Tara , Hofstatter Erin , Aktas Bilge , Pusztai Lajos 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThere is growing consensus that multigene prognostic tests provide useful complementary information to tumor size and grade in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers. The tests primarily rely on quantification of ER and proliferation-related genes and combine these into multivariate prediction models. Since ER-negative cancers tend to have higher proliferation rates, the prognostic value of current multigene tests in these cancers is limited. First-generation prognostic signatures (Oncotype DX, MammaPrint, Genomic Grade Index) are substantially more accurate to predict recurrence within the first 5 years than in later years. This has become a limitation with the availability of effective extended adjuvant endocrine therapies. Newer tests (Prosigna, EndoPredict, Breast Cancer Index) appear to possess better prognostic value for late recurrences while also remaining predictive of early relapse. Some clinical prediction problems are more difficult to solve than others: there are no clinically useful prognostic signatures for ER-negative cancers, and drug-specific treatment response predictors also remain elusive. Emerging areas of research involve the development of immune gene signatures that carry modest but significant prognostic value independent of proliferation and ER status and represent candidate predictive markers for immune-targeted therapies. Overall metrics of tumor heterogeneity and genome integrity (for example, homologue recombination deficiency score) are emerging as potential new predictive markers for platinum agents. The recent expansion of high-throughput technology platforms including low-cost sequencing of circulating and tumor-derived DNA and RNA and rapid reliable quantification of microRNA offers new opportunities to build extended prediction models across multiplatform data.
Phytochemical and pharmacological progress on the genus Syringa
Authors: Su Guozhu , Cao Yuan , Li Chun , Yu Xuelong , Gao Xiaoli , Tu Pengfei , Chai Xingyun 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Genus Syringa, belonging to the Oleaceae family, consists of more than 40 plant species worldwide, of which 22 species, including 18 endemic species, are found in China. Most Syringa plants are used in making ornaments and traditional medicines, whereas some are employed for construction or economic use. Previous studies have shown that extracts of Syringa plants mainly contain iridoids, lignans, and phenylethanoids that have antitumor, antihypertensive, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. This study reviews phytochemical and pharmacological progress on Syringa in the recent 20 years and discusses the future research prospects to provide a reference in further promotion and application of the genus.
Virtual network security: threats, countermeasures, and challenges
Authors: Bays Leonardo Richter , Oliveira Rodrigo Ruas , Barcellos Marinho Pilla , Gaspary Luciano Paschoal , Mauro Madeira Edmundo Roberto 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Network virtualization has become increasingly prominent in recent years. It enables the creation of network infrastructures that are specifically tailored to the needs of distinct network applications and supports the instantiation of favorable environments for the development and evaluation of new architectures and protocols. Despite the wide applicability of network virtualization, the shared use of routing devices and communication channels leads to a series of security-related concerns. It is necessary to provide protection to virtual network infrastructures in order to enable their use in real, large scale environments. In this paper, we present an overview of the state of the art concerning virtual network security. We discuss the main challenges related to this kind of environment, some of the major threats, as well as solutions proposed in the literature that aim to deal with different security aspects.
Acquisition of data at multiple gains within a single thermal melt experiment using the Rotor-Gene Q instrument
Authors: Gandham Sai Hari A , Volk David E , Gorenstein David G 
Published: January 2015

Abstract

Background
Rotor-Gene Q instrument was used to perform high-resolution protein thermal melt studies to characterize protein-small-molecule interaction. Fluorescent dye (1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate (1,8-ANS)) is used as a reporter of protein unfolding to measure the protein melting temperature (T
m). Variations in the fluorescence yield upon titration of small molecules with the protein resulted in poor melting curves at low gain while a high gain setting caused signal saturation leading to data loss.

Findings
Acquisition of data at multiple gains within a single experiment provided high-quality data for samples with both low and high fluorescence yields. The melting temperatures were measured for all the samples in one run, while avoiding loss of data due to signal saturation. This method was successfully used to measure the binding constant by titration of a small-molecule ligand with the target protein.

Conclusion
Protein thermal melt experiments using the Rotor-Gene Q instrument have been made feasible for samples that show variations in fluorescence yield. Furthermore, since protein melting is irreversible, using multiple gains in the same experiment prevented loss of sample and saved gain optimization time.