Modeling aviation baggage screening security systems: a case study

Aviation security protects vital national interests, as well as passengers and aircraft. Key components of an aviation security system include baggage and passenger screening devices and operations. Determining how and where to assign (deploy) such devices can be quite challenging. Moreover, even after such systems are in place, it can be difficult to measure their effectiveness. This paper describes how discrete optimization models can be used to address these questions, based on three performance measures that quantify the effectiveness of airport baggage screening security device systems. These models are used to solve for optimal airport baggage screening security device deployments considering the number of passengers on a set of flights who have not been cleared using a security risk assessment system in use by the Federal Aviation Administration (i.e., passengers whose baggage is subjected to screening), the number of flights in this set, and the size of the aircraft for such flights. Several examples are provided to illustrate these results, including an example that uses data available from the Official Airline Guide.     

LLDPE’s grown with Metallocene and Ziegler–Natta catalysts: events in the melt and FTIR analysis

LLDPE samples synthesized with Ziegler–Natta (ZN) and Metallocene (MT) catalysts have been analyzed to investigate a potential catalyst-dependent morphology and to find an explanation for the difficult processing of MT. Slow calorimetry at v = 0.02 K/min and IR at RT and in the melt are used. The differences between MT and ZN are assigned to their different composition, MT not having the linear segments, which are present in ZN. Slow calorimetry is effectively a drawing process of the melt with chain orientation followed by decay. The later event, characterized by an endotherm, ΔH _network, occurs at higher temperatures for MT, the presence of a regular distribution of methyl groups slowing down the process. The rocking, gauche, bending and stretching regions of the IR spectra are analyzed. The nascent MT has more strained bands in the rocking region. The wagging region reveals the more homogeneous environment of MT through the maximum absorbance at 1,368 cm⁻¹. Decomposition of bands is made for the rocking and wagging regions. The orthorhombic crystallinity, α_c (FTIR), measures the sum of long- and short-range orthorhombic order, the latter being obtained by α_c (FTIR)-α_c (X-rays). The values of α_c (FTIR) for MT and ZN are very similar in conditions of equilibrium. The justifications for the molecular origin of ΔH _network are presented: (i) the slow relaxation of long chains strained and oriented in the melt measured by other techniques, (ii) The correlation, for gels of a linear sample, made in different solvents, between the maximum drawability, λ_max, and ΔH _network in a slow T-ramp. The range is 80–270 for λ_max and 40–120 J/g for ΔH _network. (iii) The comparison of two traces of the same sample, between 140 °C and 270 °C, show that comparable events in the melt appear in the integrated absorbance and in the slow calorimetry signal. Analysis on thin films of the little-studied CH₂ stretching region reveals that their extinction coefficient, ε, and the shape of the bands are highly sensitive to the sample history, ε diminishing by a large factor in slowly crystallized samples. Events in the slow T-ramp, followed by a fast crystallization, on the other hand, leads to materials with standard characteristics. Slow calorimetry traces display more events (endothermic and exothermic) for MT than for ZN, a finding consistent with more flow irregularities during processing. Equilibrium conditions and better processing could be reached for MT by extending time in the melt or using higher temperatures.     

Applications of data analysis techniques for oil production prediction

This paper describes two data analysis techniques adopted in a Decision Support System (DSS) that aids users in predicting oil production of an infill well. The system generates predictions in the form of a possible range of cumulative production and length of production life of an infill well. The system also shows the worst and best case scenarios based on different production curves so that the expert can examine the plots of predicted production rates for each existing well and decide which model gives the best fit. The production curve of each individual well was mathematically modeled so that production values beyond the historical data can be produced. Decline curve estimation and neural network approaches were adopted for data analysis in the system. The system was tested with data from two groups of wells from two different fields in Saskatchewan, Canada. Observations on the suitable duration that the historical data set should cover and a comparison among different curve estimation and neural network models are presented.     

A System for Measurement of Isokinetic Strength for Estimation of Load Handling Capacity

This note describes a method for measurement of isokinetic strength for prediction of manual materials handling capacity of individuals. The apparatus used in this methodology and measurement technique are illustrated in detail.     

Phase II trial of paclitaxel and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in patients with pancreatic carcinoma: a Southwest Oncology Group study

PURPOSE: Pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat, with most patients surgically unresectable at the time of diagnosis. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy can offer palliation, but more effective therapy is needed. This trial evaluated the effects of an aggressive schedule of paclitaxel given with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients were required to have a histologic diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma with measurable disease and no prior chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Patients had to have performance status of 0 to 2, pretreatment absolute granulocyte count > or = 1,500/microL, and platelet count greater than or equal to the institutional lower limit of normal. Following pretreatment with dexamethasone, diphenhydramine, and cimetidine, patients received paclitaxel at a dose of 250 mg/m2 by 24-hour infusion on day 1, repeated every 21 days. G-CSF was given at a dose of 5 microg/kg/d on days 3 to 18 or until two consecutive absolute neutrophil counts (ANCs) > or = 10,000/microL were obtained. Doses of paclitaxel were modified depending on nadir counts. RESULTS: Forty-five patients were entered onto this study, with six ineligible. For the 39 eligible patients, there was one complete response (CR) and two partial responses (PRs), five stable/no responses, 23 increasing disease, two early deaths, and six patients whose assessment was inadequate to determine response. The response rate was therefore three of 39 or 8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2% to 21%). The median survival time for the 39 eligible patients was 5 months. The most common toxicities were anemia, leukopenia/granulocytopenia, malaise/fatigue, nausea/vomiting, alopecia, thrombocytopenia, paresthesias, and liver function abnormalities. There was one death due to sepsis. CONCLUSION: Single-agent paclitaxel in this dose and schedule has minimal activity in pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients.     

p-ANCA target antigens in ulcerative colitis

Isolated hearts from two strains of rats bred for sensitivity or resistance to amygdala kindling that also exhibit, in vivo, differential sensitivity to the cardiotoxicity of cocaine were studied. The goal was to determine if the differential cardiotoxic sensitivity was due, at least in part, to intrinsic strain-dependent differences in the heart. The Langendorff preparation was used (n=8 per strain). Hearts were perfused with increasing concentrations of cocaine (5 x 10(-6), 1 x 10(-5), 5 x 10(-5), 1 x 10(-4), and 5 x 10(-4) M) for 5 min with a 5 min washout between exposure to successive concentrations. Consistent with in vivo observations, hearts from genetically slow amygdala kindling rats (Slow) required lower cocaine doses to develop cardiac arrhythmias and arrest as compared to the hearts from genetically fast amygdala kindling rats (Fast). At 5 x 10(-5) M cocaine arrhythmias occurred in 38% (3/8) Slow and 0% Fast hearts. Five of 8 Slow hearts and none of 8 Fast hearts were arrested by 10(-4) M cocaine. Arrest in Fast hearts occurred only with 5 x 10(-4) M cocaine. Cocaine constricted coronary arteries (no significant difference between strains). On the other hand, coronary arteries of Slow but not Fast hearts dilated during cocaine washout after perfusion with all but the highest concentration of cocaine. We conclude that factors intrinsic to the heart and coronary artery influence the sensitivity or response of these structures to cocaine.