Purpose: Stereotactic radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery deliver radiation precisely to tumors, using special equipment to position and demobilize patients. The VisionRT system, with its component AlignRT, is a non-invasive stereotactic positioning and tracking system that uses cameras to capture infra-red images of patients, and process these images, to obtain...
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most widely known and studied environmental contaminants, originating from a range of natural and anthropogenic sources. PAHs are known to occur in the environment as complex mixtures, containing both unsubstituted PAHs, as well as a range of PAH derivatives. Among the less-studied of...
The Ariel Measuring System (AMS) is a national asset in responding to radiological or nuclear events. The AMS operates out of several aerial platforms, such as the BK-117 helicopter and the P3 Long Range Tracker, under many equipment configurations. Measurements can be telemetered real time to reach back for evaluation...
The low risk and sustainable implementation of nanotechnology requires understanding how nanomaterial physicochemical properties influence their toxicity. Major drivers of toxicity need to be avoided while maximizing product efficacy so nanomaterials can be produced to best serve their applications and be of low risk when intentionally or unintentionally released into...
Since Ranked Set Sampling (RSS) was proposed in 1952 by G.A. McIntyre, it has been the subject of many statistical investigations and a large number of field studies. Throughout these studies RSS has been proven to provide a better estimate of population the mean and variance than Simple Random Sampling...
The conservation of declining desert fish species requires the identification of relations between fish population dynamics and their environments. Dynamic occupancy modeling, an approach that requires less information than traditional mark-recapture studies, may help identify important factors affecting population processes and aid desert fish conservation and restoration efforts. I used...
This thesis focuses on shared use lane facilities and road user understanding. Shared use lanes (sharrows) are a common solution for road facilities that are too narrow to accommodate a full bicycle lane and where the local jurisdiction wants to reduce dooring crashes. In recent years, engineers have focused on...
Coal-fired power plants constitute a significant source of energy production for the United States, and are projected to do so for decades to come. Most of the scrutiny coal-fired power plants receive is in the form of environmental concerns regarding green house gas emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and...
BACKGROUND: The frequency of C-arm fluoroscopy procedures is increasing and it has become prudent to increase the awareness of patient radiation exposure to minimize patient risk. There is a strong potential for variability in patient exposure levels and a need for minimizing unnecessary exposure. The variability in C-arm fluoroscopy can...
The photoneutron production from three Varian linear accelerators ranging in energies from 6 MV to 23 MV has been investigated. Photoneutrons are produced during (γ, n) interactions with materials located within the treatment head. These unwanted neutrons not only increase patient dose, but may also lead to the requirement of...