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.     

Predicting postlaryngectomy voice outcome in an era of primary tracheoesophageal fistulization: a retrospective evaluation

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the absence of elongate spermatids (ES) from the rat seminiferous epithelium on the quantitative secretion and synthesis of the three major Sertoli cell secretory proteins--SGP-1, SGP-2 and CP-2. Seminiferous tubules (ST) were isolated (a) from normal 28-day-old rats, in which the most mature germ cell type is the round spermatid, (b) from normal adult rats at stages IX-XIV of the spermatogenic cycle, i.e. after spermiation, or at stages I-V and VI-VIII, when ES are still attached to the Sertoli cell, and (c) at stages VI-VIII from normal adult rats and from rats treated with methoxyacetic acid (MAA) in order to specifically deplete ES at these stages. Two-dimensional SDS PAGE combined with computerized image analysis was used to analyse 35S-methionine-labelled intracellular and secreted proteins. In the case of SGP-1 and SGP-2, almost all of the protein synthesized by ST was secreted. The total amount of both SGP-1 and CP-2 secreted by unstaged ST from immature rats was significantly lower than that secreted by unstaged ST from adult rats. The total amount of SGP-1 and CP-2 secreted by adult ST at stages IX-XIV of the spermatogenic cycle also declined dramatically compared to ST at earlier stages. The proportion of the total CP-2 synthesized by ST which was secreted also declined in all situations in which ES were absent from the seminiferous epithelium. The synthesis of only SGP-2 was changed by ES depletion from ST at stages VI-VIII, which was almost doubled compared to synthesis of this protein by ST from control rats. Our results suggest strongly that the secretion of SGP-1 and SGP-2 is via the constitutive pathway, and that regulation of these two proteins by ES is at the level of protein synthesis. In contrast, the regulation of CP-2 by ES is predominantly at the level of secretion, suggesting that this protein is secreted via a regulated pathway. Our findings add to the evidence showing that ES play a major role in the regulation of Sertoli cell function.     

The microstructures of laser-alloyed Ni-Ta surface layers

Evaporated thin tantalum films on single and polycrystalline nickel have been laser surface alloyed using either continuous-wave CO₂ or Q-switched Nd-YAG radiation. In the case of the continuous-wave laser, surface alloys contain amorphous tantalum-rich regions, intermediate polycrystalline bands of TaNi, and an underlying Ni(Ta) solid solution. In the Q-switched laser case, a much more laterally uniform amorphous phase with approximately equal atomic fractions of nickel and tantalum is found, with little evidence of polycrystalline intermetallics.In situ annealing with the electron beam of the microscope results in formation of microcrystallites, predominantly nickel.     

Structural plasticity in RNA and its role in the regulation of protein translation in coliphage Q beta

We have analyzed both conformational and functional changes caused by two large cis-acting deletions (delta 159 and delta 549) located within the read-through domain, a 850 nucleotide hairpin, in coliphage Q beta genomic RNA. Studies in vivo show that co-translational regulation of the viral coat and replicase genes has been uncoupled in viral genomes carrying deletion delta 159. Translational regulation is restored in deletion delta 549, a naturally evolved pseudorevertant. Structural analysis by computer modeling shows that structural features within the read-through domain of delta 159 RNA are less well determined than they are in the read-through domain of wild-type RNA, whereas predicted structure in the read-through domain of evolved pseudorevertant delta 549 is unusually well determined. Structural analysis by electron microscopy of the genomic RNAs shows that several long range helices at the base of the read-through domain, that suppress translational initiation of the viral replicase gene in the wild-type genome, have been destabilized in delta 159 RNA. In addition, the structure of local hairpins within the read-through region is more variable in delta 159 RNA than in wild-type RNA. Stable RNA secondary structure is restored in the read-through domain of delta 549 RNA. Our analyses suggest that structure throughout the read-through domain affects the regulation of viral replicase expression by altering the likelihood that long-range interactions at the base of the domain will form. We discuss possible kinetic and equilibrium models that can explain this effect, and argue that observed changes in structural plasticity within the read-through domain of the mutant genomes are key in understanding the process. During the course of these studies, we became aware of the importance of the information contained in the energy dot plot produced by the RNA secondary structure prediction program mfold. As a result, we have improved the graphical representation of this information through the use of color annotation in the predicted optimal folding. The method is presented here for the first time.     

The tail of localized states in the band gap of the quantum well in the In0.2Ga0.8N/GaN system and its effect on the laser-excited photoluminescence spectrum

Semiconductors - It is established experimentally that the peak in the photoluminescence spectrum of the In0.2Ga0.8N/GaN heterostructure with a quantum well shifts by ～150 meV as the power...     

On zero-order hold equivalents of distributed parameter systems

Various connections are established between linear time-invariant distributed parameter continuous-time systems and their zero-order hold discrete-time equivalents. These connections are established in both the time and frequency domains. The time-domain connections relate various growth constants and norm bounds of the continuous-time systems considered to those of their zero-order hold discrete-time equivalents. The frequency-domain connection provides an upper bound on the difference between the frequency response of a continuous-time system and that of its zero-order hold discrete-time equivalent     

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.