bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mean cell volume of neutrophils and monocytes compared with C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6 and white blood cell count for prediction of sepsis and nonsystemic bacterial infections
Authors: MARDI D. , FWITY B. , LOBMANN R. , AMBROSCH A. 
Published: November 2009

SummaryClinicians are in need of better diagnostic markers for rapid diagnosis of severe infections. Therefore, we studied the diagnostic significance of mean cell volume of neutrophils (MNV) and monocytes (MMV) compared with Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), C‐reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell count for predicting systemic clinical infection (sepsis). MNV and MMV were obtained by volume conductivity scatter (VCS) technique of the Coulter LH 750 hematology analyzer during automated differential counts, and blood samples from patients with sepsis (n = 37), nonsystemic bacterial infections (n = 39) and controls (n = 48) were studied. We observed a significant increase in MNV and MMV in the sepsis group compared with limited infections and controls. However, at a designated cut‐off point of 250 pg/ml, IL‐6 seemed to be the best predictor for sepsis with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 76%. Compared with CRP (cut‐off point 60 mg/dl), MNV at a cut‐off of 150 had a comparable sensitivity and specificity and was the most predictive VCS parameter. Taken together, MNV and MMV seemed to be potential parameters to discriminate between sepsis and nonsystemic infections.
Characterization of cylindrical ionization chambers for patient specific IMRT QA
Authors: Fraser Danielle , Parker William , Seuntjens Jan 
Published: November 2009

Proven conventional dosimetry techniques do not provide accuracy and precision in the measurement of inverse planned intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) fields. Dynamic and step‐and‐shoot multileaf collimation (DMLC/SMLC) challenge current ionization chamber dosimetry practices. Ionization chamber performance in these fields is evaluated for three cylindrical chambers of varying volumes (PinPoint (PP): 0.015 cm3, IC10: 0.13 cm3, Farmer type NE2571 (FT): 0.69 cm3) in terms of measurement reproducibility, dose measurement linearity, and IMRT dose measurements. Fifty IMRT patient specific quality assurance dose measurements were performed with each chamber. DMLC measurements are compared between chambers, and to dose calculations from a commercial treatment planning system (TPS) that used a finite size pencil‐beam model (FSPB). Ten SMLC measurements are compared to Monte Carlo simulations available in the TPS. The three chambers demonstrated adequate measurement reproducibility characteristics for both open and DMLC fields, with each chamber able to perform within 2% (2SD) for DMLC fields. Both smaller volume chambers over responded when irradiated with a small number of monitor units in open fields. FT and IC10 chambers demonstrated dose linearity in DMLC fields down to 10 monitor units, while dose linearity for the PP chamber broke down at 100 monitor units. The evaluation of 50 DMLC treatment plan quality assurance procedures revealed that the FT chamber measurements were closest to the FSPB calculated values . Quality assurance plans calculated independently with Monte Carlo more closely matched chamber measurements (FSPB: 1.0, MC: 0.97, FT: 0.95). Measurements of absorbed dose to water in IMRT fields are highly chamber and IMRT plan dependent.PACS number: 87.55.Gh; 87.55.km; 87.55.Qr; 87.56.Fc; 87.56.N‐
A positioning QA procedure for 2D/2D (kV/MV) and 3D/3D (CT/CBCT) image matching for radiotherapy patient setup
Authors: Guan Huaiqun , Hammoud Rabih , Yin Fang‐Fang 
Published: November 2009

A positioning QA procedure for Varian's 2D/2D (kV/MV) and 3D/3D (planCT/CBCT) matching was developed. The procedure was to check: (1) the coincidence of on‐board imager (OBI), portal imager (PI), and cone beam CT (CBCT)'s isocenters (digital graticules) to a linac's isocenter (to a pre‐specified accuracy); (2) that the positioning difference detected by 2D/2D (kV/MV) and 3D/3D(planCT/CBCT) matching can be reliably transferred to couch motion. A cube phantom with a 2 mm metal ball (bb) at the center was used. The bb was used to define the isocenter. Two additional bbs were placed on two phantom surfaces in order to define a spatial location of 1.5 cm anterior, 1.5 cm inferior, and 1.5 cm right from the isocenter. An axial scan of the phantom was acquired from a multislice CT simulator. The phantom was set at the linac's isocenter (lasers); either AP MV/R Lat kV images or CBCT images were taken for 2D/2D or 3D/3D matching, respectively. For 2D/2D, the accuracy of each device's isocenter was obtained by checking the distance between the central bb and the digital graticule. Then the central bb in orthogonal DRRs was manually moved to overlay to the off‐axis bbs in kV/MV images. For 3D/3D, CBCT was first matched to planCT to check the isocenter difference between the two CTs. Manual shifts were then made by moving CBCT such that the point defined by the two off‐axis bbs overlay to the central bb in planCT. (PlanCT can not be moved in the current version of OBI1.4.) The manual shifts were then applied to remotely move the couch. The room laser was used to check the accuracy of the couch movement. For Trilogy (or Ix‐21) linacs, the coincidence of imager and linac's isocenter was better than 1 mm (or 1.5 mm). The couch shift accuracy was better than 2 mm.PACS number: 87.55.Qr, 87.57.Q‐
Clinical implementation of electron energy changes of Varian linear accelerators
Authors: Zhang Sean , Liengsawangwong Praimakorn , Lindsay Patricia , Prado Karl , Sun Tzouh–Liang , Steadham Roy , Wang Xiaochun , Salehpour Mohammad R. , Gillin Michael 
Published: November 2009

Modern dual photon energy linear accelerators often come with a few megavoltage electron beams. The megavoltage electron beam has limited range and relative sharp distal falloff in its depth dose curve compared to that of megavoltage photon beam. Its radiation dose is often delivered appositionally to cover the target volume to its distal 90% depth dose (d90), while avoiding the normal ‐ sometimes critical ‐ structure immediately distal to the target. Varian linear accelerators currently offer selected electron beams of 4, 6, 9, 12, 16 and 20 MeV electron beam energies. However, intermediate electron energy is often needed for optimal dose distribution. In this study we investigated electron beam characteristics and implemented two intermediate 7 and 11 MeV electron beams on Varian linear accelerators. Comprehensive tests and measurements indicated the new electron beams met all dosimetry parameter criteria and operational safety standards. Between the two new electron beams and the existing electron beams we were able to provide a choice of electron beams of 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 16 and 20 MeV electron energies, which had d90 depth between 1.5 cm and 6.0 cm (from 1.5 cm to 4.0 cm in 0.5 cm increments) to meet our clinical needs.PACS number: 87.56.bd.
Direct machine parameter optimization for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) of oropharyngeal cancer – a planning study
Authors: Dobler Barbara , Koelbl Oliver , Bogner Ludwig , Pohl Fabian 
Published: November 2009

The purpose of the study was to investigate the potential of direct machine parameter optimization (DMPO) to achieve parotid sparing without compromising target coverage in IMRT of oropharyngeal cancer as compared to fluence modulation with subsequent leaf sequencing (IM) and forward planned two‐step arc therapy (IMAT). IMRT plans were generated for 10 oropharyngeal cancer patients using DMPO and IM. The resulting dose volume histograms (DVH) were evaluated with regard to compliance with the dose volume objectives (DVO) and plan quality. DMPO met the DVO for the targets better than IM, but violated the DVO to the parotids in some cases. DMPO provided better target coverage and dose homogeneity than IM and was comparable to IMAT. Dose to the parotids (23Gy) was significantly lower than for IMAT (48Gy), but somewhat higher than for IM (20Gy). Parotid sparing with IM was, however, only achieved at the cost of target coverage and homogeneity. DMPO allows achieving parotid sparing in the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer without compromising target coverage and dose homogeneity in the target as compared to two‐step IMAT. Better overall plan quality can be delivered with less monitor units than with IM.PACS number: 87.50.Gi
Model-Based Monitoring and Leak Detection in Oil and Gas Pipelines
Authors: Hauge Espen , Aamo Ole Morten , Godhavn John-Morten 
Published: November 2009

Summary
An adaptive Luenberger-type estimator for the purpose of monitoring flow conditions and locating and quantifying leakages in petroleum pipelines is presented. The estimator only needs measurements of velocity, pressure, and temperature at the inlet and velocity and pressure at the outlet to function. The measurements are used to form a special set of boundary conditions for the estimator that ensures fast convergence of the estimation error. Depending only on measurements from inlet and outlet makes it possible to use OLGA, which is a state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics simulator, to govern the one-phase fluid flow of the estimator. The estimator is tested with both a straight, horizontal pipeline and an actual, long pipeline with inclinations, and both simulations with oil and gas are carried out. In order to cope with modeling errors and biased measurements, estimation of roughness in the monitored pipeline is introduced.
CO2 Storage: Managing the Risk Associated With Well Leakage Over Long Time Scales
Authors: Le Guen Y. , Le Gouevec J. , Chammas R. , Gerard B. , Poupard O. , Van Der Beken A. , Jammes L. 
Published: November 2009

Summary
One of the major challenges associated with the geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) is the performance of the confining system over long time scales. In particular, the occurrence of CO2 leakage through existing wells could not only defeat the purpose of storage, but also badly affect human health or the environment. Cement degradation and casing corrosion in injection, production, or abandoned wells can create preferential channels over time, allowing the migration of CO2 from the reservoir to shallower formations (e.g. aquifers), and/or to the surface.
In this paper, a risk-based approach is proposed for well-integrity and confinement-performance management. The approach, based on Performance and Risk Management methodology (P&R™), serves as a decision-support tool. The major steps in this methodology are identifying the system and sources of degradation through characterization and system analysis; quantifying their criticality through modeling, in terms of probability and severity; and establishing a risk-mitigation plan. This methodology is based on experience in material aging and risk assessment of complex systems, such as nuclear structures where probabilistic simulations are performed. It accounts for all stakes involved in well-integrity management and enables the full integration of uncertainties as part of risk estimation.
The methodology presented here greatly improves common approaches based on "features, events, and processes" because it quantifies risk levels. It provides useful and reliable tools to support decisions for well-integrity-management strategies or emergency plans. To that purpose, mitigation actions such as characterization/inspection, remediation (workover), design improvement, or monitoring are valued on the basis of a cost/benefit ratio. Moreover, updating the risk assessment with incoming data allows for an evolving vision of risk levels to optimize interventions over time.
This approach has been applied successfully, leading to recommendations for safer and more-efficient design, maintenance, and monitoring strategies.
The Ensemble Kalman Filter in Reservoir Engineering--a Review
Authors: Aanonsen Sigurd I. , Nævdal Geir , Oliver Dean S. , Reynolds Albert C. , Vallès Brice 
Published: November 2009

Introduction and Background
There has been great progress in data assimilation within atmospheric and oceanographic sciences during the last couple of decades. In data assimilation, one aims at merging the information from observations into a numerical model, typically of a geophysical system. A typical example where data assimilation is needed is in weather forecasting. Here, the atmospheric models must take into account the most recent observations of variables such as temperature and atmospheric pressure for better forecasting of the weather in the next time period. A major challenge for these models is that they contain very large numbers of variables.
The progress in data assimilation is because of both increased computational power and the introduction of techniques that are capable of handling large amounts of data and more severe nonlinearities. The aim of this paper is to focus on one of these techniques, the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF). The EnKF has been introduced to petroleum science recently (Lorentzen et al. 2001a) and, in particular, has attracted attention as a promising method for solving the history matching problem. The literature available on the EnKF is now rather overwhelming. We hope that this review will help researchers (and students) working on adapting the EnKF to petroleum applications to find valuable references and ideas, although the number of papers discussing the EnKF is too large to give a complete review. For practitioners, we have cited critical EnKF papers from weather and oceanography. We have also tried to review most of the papers dealing with the EnKF and updating of reservoir models available to the authors by the beginning of 2008.
The EnKF is based on the simpler Kalman filter (Kalman 1960). We will start by introducing the Kalman filter. The Kalman filter is an efficient recursive filter that estimates the state of a linear dynamical system from a series of noisy measurements. The Kalman filter is based on a model equation, where the current state of the system is associated with an uncertainty (expressed by a covariance matrix) and an observation equation that relates a linear combination of the states to measurements. The measurements are also associated with uncertainty. The model equations are used to compute a forward step (Eqs. 1 and 2) where the state variables are computed forward in time with the current estimate of the state as initial condition. The observation equations are used in the analysis step (Eqs. 3 through 5) where the estimated value of the state and its uncertainty are corrected to take into account the most recent measurements See, e.g., Cohn (1997), Maybeck (1979), or Stengel (1994) for an introduction to the Kalman filter.
Activity-Based Management in a Medical Practice: A Case Study Emphasizing the AICPA's Core Competencies
Authors: Kaciuba Gail , Siegel Gary H. 
Published: November 2009

ABSTRACT: Activity-based management uses information from an activity-based costing (ABC) system for both recurring and nonrecurring management decisions. In this case study, an ABC system that assigned only indirect costs to the final cost objects has already been created and students must expand this ABC system to include the assignment of direct costs to the cost objects, and then compare these total unit costs to the revenue collected for each cost object. Students then analyze this cost and revenue information to give advice to management about case mix, capacity constraints, and mergers.
In the health care industry, most medical practices have little control over customer demand for services or the amount that a practice will be reimbursed for its services. Students are asked to comment on the ethical and social implications of this fact, in the context of the results of their profitability analyses for a particular thoracic surgery practice. This case assists students in the development of a large number of competencies found in the AICPA Core Competency Framework.
Variability and Interrelationship among Yield and Yield Contributing Characters in Onion (<i>Allium cepa</i> L.)
Authors: Hossain MS , Khalekuzzaman M , Rashid MH , Rahman MS 
Published: November 2009

A study was conducted using seven varieties of onion (Allium cepa L.) and observations were recorded on yield and yield components in order to obtain informations on genetic variability and character association of onion. Higher genotypic coefficients of variations were recorded in number of seeds per scape (NSPS), final plant height (FPH), final scape height , fresh weight of bulb and bulb length. These characters also exhibited high heritability along with high genetic advance as percentage of mean. Phenotypic correlation coefficients showed that bulb length, bulb diameter and scape diameter were positively and significantly correlated with fresh weight of bulb. The number of seeds per scape, final scape height, final plant height and number of pseudostem branches at maximum flowering stage were also positively and significantly correlated with seed yield per scape. Key words: Genetic variations, correlation, yield components, onion. DOI:10.3329/jbs.v16i0.3746 J. bio-sci. 16: 85-88, 2008
Conciliatory Views of Disagreement and Higher-Order Evidence
Authors: Matheson Jonathan 
Published: November 2009

ABSTRACTConciliatory views of disagreement maintain that discovering a particular type of disagreement requires that one make doxastic conciliation. In this paper I give a more formal characterization of such a view. After explaining and motivating this view as the correct view regarding the epistemic significance of disagreement, I proceed to defend it from several objections concerning higher-order evidence (evidence about the character of one's evidence) made by Thomas Kelly (2005).
Rational Disagreement after Full Disclosure
Authors: Bergmann Michael 
Published: November 2009

ABSTRACTThe question I consider is this:The Question: Can two people–who are, and realize they are, intellectually virtuous to about the same degree–both be rational in continuing knowingly to disagree after full disclosure (by each to the other of all the relevant evidence they can think of) while at the same time thinking that the other may well be rational too?I distinguish two kinds of rationality–internal and external–and argue in section 1 that, whichever kind we have in mind, the answer to The Question is ‘yes’ (though that positive answer is less wholehearted in the case of external rationality). Then, in section 2, I briefly make some more general remarks about when discovering a disagreement provides a defeater and when it doesn't. In the final section, I consider an important objection to the answer given in section 1 to The Question.
Malignancy Is Associated with Dermatomyositis But Not Polymyositis in Northern New England, USA
Authors: ANTIOCHOS BRENDAN B. , BROWN LIN A. , LI ZHONGZE , TOSTESON TOR D. , WORTMANN ROBERT L. , RIGBY WILLIAM F.C. 
Published: November 2009

Objective.To retrospectively evaluate the association of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) and malignancy in patients seen at 1 academic center over a 23-year period.Methods.Patients were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition (ICD-9) codes and diagnoses, then confirmed by chart review. Population cancer statistics obtained from the US Centers for Disease Control for Vermont and New Hampshire were used for comparison.Results.Chart review confirmed IIM in 198 of 483 patients initially identified by ICD-9 codes. Within 5 years of diagnosis with IIM, malignancy developed in 32 patients (16.2%), 24 of whom (75%) had dermatomyositis (DM). Malignancy and DM developed within 1 year in 75%. The cancer risk associated with DM was much greater than the risk associated with other IIM. The most frequent tumor types were breast, lung, pancreas, and colon. DM patients with cancer were more frequently male and ≥ 45 years of age than those without cancer. There were no cases of interstitial lung disease among patients with cancer and any form of IIM. The incidence of cancer was increased in patients with DM compared to age- and sex-matched population controls, both over a 5-year interval surrounding the diagnosis of DM and over the lifetime interval following diagnosis.Conclusion.The risk of cancer in IIM is concentrated among patients with DM. The association between DM and cancer was enhanced by its temporal relationship (< 1 year) in 87.5% of these cases. Patients with malignancy-associated DM were more frequently male and over age 45 and less likely to have interstitial lung disease.
New hominid fossils from Woranso‐Mille (Central Afar, Ethiopia) and taxonomy of early Australopithecus
Authors: Haile‐Selassie Yohannes , Saylor Beverly Z. , Deino Alan , Alene Mulugeta , Latimer Bruce M. 
Published: November 2009

AbstractThe phylogenetic relationship between Australopithecus anamensis and Australopithecus afarensis has been hypothesized as ancestor‐descendant. However, the weakest part of this hypothesis has been the absence of fossil samples between 3.6 and 3.9 million years ago. Here we describe new fossil specimens from the Woranso‐Mille site in Ethiopia that are directly relevant to this issue. They derive from sediments chronometrically dated to 3.57–3.8 million years ago. The new fossil specimens are largely isolated teeth, partial mandibles, and maxillae, and some postcranial fragments. However, they shed some light on the relationships between Au. anamensis and Au. afarensis. The dental morphology shows closer affinity with Au. anamensis from Allia Bay/Kanapoi (Kenya) and Asa Issie (Ethiopia) than with Au. afarensis from Hadar (Ethiopia). However, they are intermediate in dental and mandibular morphology between Au. anamensis and the older Au. afarensis material from Laetoli. The new fossils lend strong support to the hypothesized ancestor‐descendant relationship between these two early Australopithecus species. The Woranso‐Mille hominids cannot be unequivocally assigned to either taxon due to their dental morphological intermediacy. This could be an indication that the Kanapoi, Allia Bay, and Asa Issie Au. anamensis is the primitive form of Au. afarensis at Hadar with the Laetoli and Woranso‐Mille populations sampling a mosaic of morphological features from both ends. It is particularly difficult to draw a line between Au. anamensis and Au. afarensis in light of the new discoveries from Woranso‐Mille. The morphology provides no evidence that Au. afarensis and Au. anamensis represent distinct taxa. Am J Phys Anthropol 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Paleogenetical study of pre‐Columbian samples from Pampa Grande (Salta, Argentina)
Authors: Carnese Fransisco R. , Mendisco Fanny , Keyser Christine , Dejean Cristina B. , Dugoujon Jean‐Michel , Bravi Claudio M. , Ludes Bertrand , Crubézy Eric 
Published: November 2009

AbstractAncient DNA recovered from 21 individuals excavated from burial sites in the Pampa Grande (PG) region (Salta province) of North‐Western Argentina (NWA) was analyzed using various genetic markers (mitochondrial DNA, autosomal STRs, and Y chromosomal STRs). The results were compared to ancient and modern DNA from various populations in the Andean and North Argentinean regions, with the aim of establishing their relationships with PG. The mitochondrial haplogroup frequencies described (11% A, 47% B, and 42% D) presented values comparable to those found for the ancient Andean populations from Peru and San Pedro de Atacama. On the other hand, mitochondrial and Y chromosomal haplotypes were specific to PG, as they did not match any other of the South American populations studied. The described genetic diversity indicates homogeneity in the genetic structure of the ancient Andean populations, which was probably facilitated by the intense exchange network in the Andean zone, in particular among Tiwanaku, San Pedro de Atacama, and NWA. The discovery of haplotypes unique to PG could be due to a loss of genetic diversity caused by recent events affecting the autochthonous populations (establishment of the Inca Empire in the region, colonization by the Europeans). Am J Phys Anthropol 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.