There is a growing need for comprehensive textbooks and reference books on energy from a global s... more There is a growing need for comprehensive textbooks and reference books on energy from a global sustainability perspective. The challenge is substantial, as the subject is dauntingly broad. Two notable contributions in recent years attempt to meet it: Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options (2005) by Tester and colleagues (a group with strong links to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Energy at the Crossroads: Global Perspectives and Uncertainties (2005) by Smil. Sustainable Energy has the format of a textbook; most chapters include problem sets (although the use of U.S. imperial units in some cases may be confusing for an international audience). Its stated goal is to provide sufficient information for understanding energy sustainability pathways. The first three chapters include descriptions of general concepts: physical concepts, units, and thermodynamics. These are interspersed with topical discussions (on fossil reserves, e.g.). Industrial ecology and life cycle approaches are promoted as technology assessment and optimization tools. The fourth and fifth chapters focus on environmental and economic aspects, respectively. Unfortunately, the treatment of global warming seems designed to appeal to a still-skeptical U.S. audience and often comes across as timid and overcautious, pos-
Our aim in this paper is to complement the thoughtful analysis of Houghton (2020) on the global c... more Our aim in this paper is to complement the thoughtful analysis of Houghton (2020) on the global carbon cycle and echo his emphasis on the benefits of "understanding the potential for land management to remove CO 2 from the atmosphere and understanding the processes responsible for the sink for carbon on land." Here we draw attention to the role of land management in the ongoing growth and thickening of the terrestrial carbon stock. "Forest Transition" refers to a turnaround from shrinking to expanding forests as experienced by many nations in the previous centuries (Mather, 1992; Meyfroidt & Lambin, 2011). Forest Transitions have contributed to the increasing global tree cover since 1982 and have become common on all continents, save Africa and South America, where they remain the exception rather than the rule (Song et al., 2018). Initially, Forest Transition referred to land area as the landscape attribute (Mather, 1992). More recently, it has been applied also to forest biomass density as a shift from degrading to becoming denser (
The construction minerals, industrial minerals, and metals used in the U.S. annually amount to ab... more The construction minerals, industrial minerals, and metals used in the U.S. annually amount to about 2.3 billion tons or 72% of all materials produced by industry, agriculture and forestry, excluding the bulk of the fossil fuel production (about 1.9 billion tons) which is used for electricity, heating and transportation. On a global scale, the consumption of minerals and metals has increased by a factor of ten in the 20th century and is an important contributor to the generation of greenhouse gases. As the grades of mined ores diminish, the energy units required to produce minerals and metals, and the corresponding emissions to the atmosphere, will increase substantially. The current emissions of the dominant production technologies and the prospects for reducing emissions, by means of recycling and technological advances, will be discussed.
Princeton University Center for Energy and Environmental …
Braden Allenby Anthony Chargin Helena Chum Marion Cole William Cummings Richard Doctor Shimshon G... more Braden Allenby Anthony Chargin Helena Chum Marion Cole William Cummings Richard Doctor Shimshon Gottesfeld Frederick Grassle Catherine Gregoire Padró Donald Grether Patrick Grimes William Gunter James Hansel Howard Herzog Edward ...
Causes of death varied systematically in the United States during the 20th century as the human e... more Causes of death varied systematically in the United States during the 20th century as the human environment came under control. Infections became less deadly, while heart disease grew dominant, followed by cancer. Logistic models of growth and multi-species ...
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 2011
Accurate target delineation of the nodal volumes is essential for three-dimensional conformal and... more Accurate target delineation of the nodal volumes is essential for three-dimensional conformal and intensity-modulated radiotherapy planning for endometrial cancer adjuvant therapy. We hypothesized that atlas-based segmentation ("autocontouring") would lead to time savings and more consistent contours among physicians. A reference anatomy atlas was constructed using the data from 15 postoperative endometrial cancer patients by contouring the pelvic nodal clinical target volume on the simulation computed tomography scan according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0418 trial using commercially available software. On the simulation computed tomography scans from 10 additional endometrial cancer patients, the nodal clinical target volume autocontours were generated. Three radiation oncologists corrected the autocontours and delineated the manual nodal contours under timed conditions while unaware of the other contours. The time difference was determined, and the overlap of the contours was calculated using Dice's coefficient. For all physicians, manual contouring of the pelvic nodal target volumes and editing the autocontours required a mean±standard deviation of 32±9 vs. 23±7 minutes, respectively (p=.000001), a 26% time savings. For each physician, the time required to delineate the manual contours vs. correcting the autocontours was 30±3 vs. 21±5 min (p=.003), 39±12 vs. 30±5 min (p=.055), and 29±5 vs. 20±5 min (p=.0002). The mean overlap increased from manual contouring (0.77) to correcting the autocontours (0.79; p=.038). The results of our study have shown that autocontouring leads to increased consistency and time savings when contouring the nodal target volumes for adjuvant treatment of endometrial cancer, although the autocontours still required careful editing to ensure that the lymph nodes at risk of recurrence are properly included in the target volume.
L'invention concerne un systeme pour la reception et la transmission de donnees vis-a-vis d&#... more L'invention concerne un systeme pour la reception et la transmission de donnees vis-a-vis d'un utilisateur, qui comprend: un moteur de classification (104) recevant les donnees depuis une source de donnees client (110) et au moins une autre source de donnees (120, 130), et classifiant les donnees par attribution d'un identificateur de contenu de document aux donnees, de maniere a decrire la nature des donnees; une base de donnees (106) recevant et enregistrant les donnees classees; une base de donnees structurees (102) recevant les donnees de la source de donnees client (110) et fournissant des donnees structurees; un arrangement de correspondance de donnees (108) pour la mise en correspondance des donnees classees, par association entre l'identificateur susmentionne et au moins une classe d'utilisateur ou une tâche fournie par l'utilisateur; un moteur d'applications (112) appliquant des elements du systeme aux donnees mises en correspondance sur la base ...
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 2009
Materials/Methods: Fifty gynecologic high dose rate brachytherapy interstitial implants were perf... more Materials/Methods: Fifty gynecologic high dose rate brachytherapy interstitial implants were performed on 48 patients between July 2002 and October 2008. All patients had malignancy involving gynecologic organs including gynecologic primary (41 patients), GI or GU malignancy (5 patients), and pelvic squamous cell carcinoma (2 patients). Laparoscopic guidance was used in patients with prior hysterectomy and disease involving the upper vagina. A perineal implant template with a 4-channel vaginal cylinder was used. Implant placement assessment and brachytherapy planning was performed with CT. Patient records were reviewed regarding procedural and outcome endpoints. Results: Twenty-six patients underwent standard interstitial brachytherapy (StIB) and 22 underwent laparoscopic-assisted interstitial brachytherapy (LAIB). The mean total number of interstitial needles implanted was 10.6 (±3.1) in the StIB group versus 13.3 (±2.7) in the LAIB group. The volume receiving the prescription dose (V100) was similar between groups, 90.9 cc (±45.5) and 90.3cc (±36.3) in the StIB and LAIB groups, respectively. In each of the StIB and LAIB groups, there was one suspected bowel perforation, and one suspected bladder perforation. In 3 LAIB patients, there was recognized peritoneal perforation with laparoscopy. No carcinomatosis was identified. Eleven LAIB had lysis of adhesions to free bowel from the pelvis. One LAIB procedure resulted in enterotomy. Three of the patients undergoing LAIB were converted to open procedures. There was no significant difference in the mean duration of the StIB and LAIB procedures (59.4 and 58.5 min), with the exception of the subgroup converted to an open procedure (130 min). The mean length of hospital admission was similar in the StIB and LAIB groups, 2.2 and 2.6 days, respectively. No significant difference in rates of acute toxicity was noted between the groups. Conclusions: Laparoscopic guidance potentially reduces bowel and bladder injury in posthysterectomy patients undergoing interstitial brachytherapy; however, this approach needs to be balanced with the risks of laparoscopy including enterotomy and conversion to an open procedure. Laparoscopy provides real-time guidance for interstitial brachytherapy to ensure coverage of the superior aspect of the target without significantly increasing procedure time, hospital stay or acute toxicity.
There is a growing need for comprehensive textbooks and reference books on energy from a global s... more There is a growing need for comprehensive textbooks and reference books on energy from a global sustainability perspective. The challenge is substantial, as the subject is dauntingly broad. Two notable contributions in recent years attempt to meet it: Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options (2005) by Tester and colleagues (a group with strong links to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Energy at the Crossroads: Global Perspectives and Uncertainties (2005) by Smil. Sustainable Energy has the format of a textbook; most chapters include problem sets (although the use of U.S. imperial units in some cases may be confusing for an international audience). Its stated goal is to provide sufficient information for understanding energy sustainability pathways. The first three chapters include descriptions of general concepts: physical concepts, units, and thermodynamics. These are interspersed with topical discussions (on fossil reserves, e.g.). Industrial ecology and life cycle approaches are promoted as technology assessment and optimization tools. The fourth and fifth chapters focus on environmental and economic aspects, respectively. Unfortunately, the treatment of global warming seems designed to appeal to a still-skeptical U.S. audience and often comes across as timid and overcautious, pos-
Our aim in this paper is to complement the thoughtful analysis of Houghton (2020) on the global c... more Our aim in this paper is to complement the thoughtful analysis of Houghton (2020) on the global carbon cycle and echo his emphasis on the benefits of "understanding the potential for land management to remove CO 2 from the atmosphere and understanding the processes responsible for the sink for carbon on land." Here we draw attention to the role of land management in the ongoing growth and thickening of the terrestrial carbon stock. "Forest Transition" refers to a turnaround from shrinking to expanding forests as experienced by many nations in the previous centuries (Mather, 1992; Meyfroidt & Lambin, 2011). Forest Transitions have contributed to the increasing global tree cover since 1982 and have become common on all continents, save Africa and South America, where they remain the exception rather than the rule (Song et al., 2018). Initially, Forest Transition referred to land area as the landscape attribute (Mather, 1992). More recently, it has been applied also to forest biomass density as a shift from degrading to becoming denser (
The construction minerals, industrial minerals, and metals used in the U.S. annually amount to ab... more The construction minerals, industrial minerals, and metals used in the U.S. annually amount to about 2.3 billion tons or 72% of all materials produced by industry, agriculture and forestry, excluding the bulk of the fossil fuel production (about 1.9 billion tons) which is used for electricity, heating and transportation. On a global scale, the consumption of minerals and metals has increased by a factor of ten in the 20th century and is an important contributor to the generation of greenhouse gases. As the grades of mined ores diminish, the energy units required to produce minerals and metals, and the corresponding emissions to the atmosphere, will increase substantially. The current emissions of the dominant production technologies and the prospects for reducing emissions, by means of recycling and technological advances, will be discussed.
Princeton University Center for Energy and Environmental …
Braden Allenby Anthony Chargin Helena Chum Marion Cole William Cummings Richard Doctor Shimshon G... more Braden Allenby Anthony Chargin Helena Chum Marion Cole William Cummings Richard Doctor Shimshon Gottesfeld Frederick Grassle Catherine Gregoire Padró Donald Grether Patrick Grimes William Gunter James Hansel Howard Herzog Edward ...
Causes of death varied systematically in the United States during the 20th century as the human e... more Causes of death varied systematically in the United States during the 20th century as the human environment came under control. Infections became less deadly, while heart disease grew dominant, followed by cancer. Logistic models of growth and multi-species ...
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 2011
Accurate target delineation of the nodal volumes is essential for three-dimensional conformal and... more Accurate target delineation of the nodal volumes is essential for three-dimensional conformal and intensity-modulated radiotherapy planning for endometrial cancer adjuvant therapy. We hypothesized that atlas-based segmentation ("autocontouring") would lead to time savings and more consistent contours among physicians. A reference anatomy atlas was constructed using the data from 15 postoperative endometrial cancer patients by contouring the pelvic nodal clinical target volume on the simulation computed tomography scan according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0418 trial using commercially available software. On the simulation computed tomography scans from 10 additional endometrial cancer patients, the nodal clinical target volume autocontours were generated. Three radiation oncologists corrected the autocontours and delineated the manual nodal contours under timed conditions while unaware of the other contours. The time difference was determined, and the overlap of the contours was calculated using Dice's coefficient. For all physicians, manual contouring of the pelvic nodal target volumes and editing the autocontours required a mean±standard deviation of 32±9 vs. 23±7 minutes, respectively (p=.000001), a 26% time savings. For each physician, the time required to delineate the manual contours vs. correcting the autocontours was 30±3 vs. 21±5 min (p=.003), 39±12 vs. 30±5 min (p=.055), and 29±5 vs. 20±5 min (p=.0002). The mean overlap increased from manual contouring (0.77) to correcting the autocontours (0.79; p=.038). The results of our study have shown that autocontouring leads to increased consistency and time savings when contouring the nodal target volumes for adjuvant treatment of endometrial cancer, although the autocontours still required careful editing to ensure that the lymph nodes at risk of recurrence are properly included in the target volume.
L'invention concerne un systeme pour la reception et la transmission de donnees vis-a-vis d&#... more L'invention concerne un systeme pour la reception et la transmission de donnees vis-a-vis d'un utilisateur, qui comprend: un moteur de classification (104) recevant les donnees depuis une source de donnees client (110) et au moins une autre source de donnees (120, 130), et classifiant les donnees par attribution d'un identificateur de contenu de document aux donnees, de maniere a decrire la nature des donnees; une base de donnees (106) recevant et enregistrant les donnees classees; une base de donnees structurees (102) recevant les donnees de la source de donnees client (110) et fournissant des donnees structurees; un arrangement de correspondance de donnees (108) pour la mise en correspondance des donnees classees, par association entre l'identificateur susmentionne et au moins une classe d'utilisateur ou une tâche fournie par l'utilisateur; un moteur d'applications (112) appliquant des elements du systeme aux donnees mises en correspondance sur la base ...
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 2009
Materials/Methods: Fifty gynecologic high dose rate brachytherapy interstitial implants were perf... more Materials/Methods: Fifty gynecologic high dose rate brachytherapy interstitial implants were performed on 48 patients between July 2002 and October 2008. All patients had malignancy involving gynecologic organs including gynecologic primary (41 patients), GI or GU malignancy (5 patients), and pelvic squamous cell carcinoma (2 patients). Laparoscopic guidance was used in patients with prior hysterectomy and disease involving the upper vagina. A perineal implant template with a 4-channel vaginal cylinder was used. Implant placement assessment and brachytherapy planning was performed with CT. Patient records were reviewed regarding procedural and outcome endpoints. Results: Twenty-six patients underwent standard interstitial brachytherapy (StIB) and 22 underwent laparoscopic-assisted interstitial brachytherapy (LAIB). The mean total number of interstitial needles implanted was 10.6 (±3.1) in the StIB group versus 13.3 (±2.7) in the LAIB group. The volume receiving the prescription dose (V100) was similar between groups, 90.9 cc (±45.5) and 90.3cc (±36.3) in the StIB and LAIB groups, respectively. In each of the StIB and LAIB groups, there was one suspected bowel perforation, and one suspected bladder perforation. In 3 LAIB patients, there was recognized peritoneal perforation with laparoscopy. No carcinomatosis was identified. Eleven LAIB had lysis of adhesions to free bowel from the pelvis. One LAIB procedure resulted in enterotomy. Three of the patients undergoing LAIB were converted to open procedures. There was no significant difference in the mean duration of the StIB and LAIB procedures (59.4 and 58.5 min), with the exception of the subgroup converted to an open procedure (130 min). The mean length of hospital admission was similar in the StIB and LAIB groups, 2.2 and 2.6 days, respectively. No significant difference in rates of acute toxicity was noted between the groups. Conclusions: Laparoscopic guidance potentially reduces bowel and bladder injury in posthysterectomy patients undergoing interstitial brachytherapy; however, this approach needs to be balanced with the risks of laparoscopy including enterotomy and conversion to an open procedure. Laparoscopy provides real-time guidance for interstitial brachytherapy to ensure coverage of the superior aspect of the target without significantly increasing procedure time, hospital stay or acute toxicity.
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Papers by Iddo Wernick