Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison of the JO-IMRT dose distribution calculated by the SOURCE 8 and 20 in the DOSXYZnrc for head-and-neck cancer

Background: The purpose of this study is to compare SOURCE 8 and 20 in the EGSnrc-based DOSXYZnrc Monte Carlo code for Jaws-only intensitymodulated radiation therapy (JO-IMRT) dose distribution, and demonstrate the advantage of SOURCE 20 to SOURCE 8 to treat head-and-neck cancer. Materials and Methods: The clinical photon beams of the HPD Siemens Primus linear accelerator simulated using the BEAMnrc code and then verified by measurement. The phase-space files generated by the BEAMnrc code were used as an input for the DOSXYZnrc to calculate the JO-IMRT dose distributions of patients (in form of CT images) using the SOURCES 8 and 20. The isodose distribution on slices, DVH and gamma index (3%/3 mm, 2%/2 mm, and 1%/1 mm) were compared with Monte Carlo and treatment planning system (TPS) results. Furthermore, the efficient computation of dose distributions such as time running, working load and uncertainty error calculation also considered for evaluation. Results: JO-IMRT dose distributions calculated by SOURCE 8 and 20 compared with the Prowess Panther TPS. The time running, working load based on SOURCE 20 were significantly less than SOURCE 8. Futhermore, the uncertainty calculation based on SOURCE 20 was also significantly less than SOURCE 8. Conclusion: The JO-IMRT dose distributions calculated by SOURCE 20 are more efficient
Unsteady Pressure Distributions around Compressor Vanes in an Unsteady, Transonic Cascade.

Abstract : Unsteady surface pressure measurements were made at various chord locations on the turning vanes in an unsteady, compressible- flow, linear cascade. The turning vanes were made from production stator vanes from the fan stage of a Garrett F1O9 engine. The cascade unsteady forcing was produced by von Karman shedding from a row of circular-cylinder rods positioned at either 80% chord upstream of the turning vanes (forward forced) or at 80% chord downstream (rearward forced). Nominal time series of many complete cycles of the unsteady pressure response required acquiring the phase-locked response from eight instrumented vanes, each having pressure transducers at two chord locations. Unsteady pressure response from rearward forcing was of the same order as that for forward forcing. Decomposition of the ensembled, phase- locked signals into their primary and harmonic components provided insight into the amplitude decay rates and wave propagation direction within the cascade row. Although the unsteady cascade was limited to passage Mach numbers near 0.75, the rearward forcing cases indicated a suction-surface, amplification that increased with increasing Mach number. This 'bulge' appears to be compatible with the acoustic blockage phenomenon. Forward forcing of the stator vane row showed the importance of the constructive and destructive interference between convective wakes and potential disturbances that propagate at acoustic speeds. These interactions created unexpected unsteady surface pressure profiles which could be important for analysis of stator vibration modes. (AN)
Planning for health in higher density living: learning from the experience of Green Square, New South Wales

ABSTRACT Urban densification proceeds apace. However, and notwithstanding a renewed awareness of the intrinsic link between urban form and human health, we are only beginning to query the impact of higher density living on health-supportive behaviours. Using Green Square, Sydney as a case study, this paper reports recent research that addresses this gap. Findings include a consistency – though largely unrecognized – with the healthy built environments research literature; a lack of a consistent ‘healthy environments’ language, including any definition of ‘healthy density’; a lack of attention to high-rise high density; and a need for an active engagement with complexity, as well as substantial and ongoing institutional support.
Industry concentration in South African manufacturing : trends and consequences 1972-1996

This paper examines industry concentration for the South African manufacturing sector over the 1972-1996 period for the three-digit industry classification. The paper documents both the high level of industry concentration in South African manufacturing and a rising trend in concentration across a wide range of industries. The paper further explores the impact that industry concentration has on a wide range of indicators of industry performance. It finds that increased concentration serves to lower output growth, raise unit labor costs, and lowers labor productivity. The impact of concentration on employment, total factor productivity and investment rates, based on bivariate examinations of the data, is ambiguous. The paper concludes by examining the impact of concentration on employment and investment rates using a dynamic heterogeneous panel estimation methodology. It finds that increased concentration unambiguously lowers employment.
Achieving the Organizational Change Necessary for Successful TQM

Introduction Anyone who attempts to implement a TQM system in an organization is faced with one of the most complex tasks which they might ever encounter. As a form of organizational culture change, TQM requires a variety of skills and methods which have not been the traditional educational and experiential fare of the typical leader. Understanding the concept of culture in organizations is the first step. Organizational culture is based on mindsets, or paradigms. Paradigms explain why we perceive reality according to culturally-determined meanings and guidelines. Armed with paradigms, we approach the world around us and interpret what we see and experience according to our shared understandings. If we apply to understanding how societies work and operate, we include technology, politics, economics and social organization among our culturallydetermined variables. Culture operates within the same contexts when applied to understanding organizations. Although organizations often draw members from diverse ethnic groups and nationalities, cultures unique to each corporation or not-for-profit entity evolve. Generally speaking organizations developed within the Western model have similar cultures and related paradigms about how to get things done. Traditional Western paradigms are the guidelines for such activities as how and who makes decisions, production processes, hierarchy and organizational structure and quality. When organizations, particularly those operating with Western paradigms, begin the process of change necessary to adapt to the conditions, environments, and markets of this decade, it will be necessary to adopt a new paradigm more suitable for the global community. TQM has been heralded by many leaders as the paradigm necessary for this organizational transformation. A comparison of the traditional Western and the relatively new TQM paradigms illustrates the rather significant differences between the two management approaches. A successful transformation to TQM or any other paradigm, therefore, requires organizational culture change. Table I illustrates many of the critical cultural features which are involved in these changes.
Quantifying the Endogeneity in Online Donations

Charitable crowdfunding provides a new channel for people and families suffering from unforeseen events, such as accidents, severe illness, and so on, to seek help from the public. Thus, finding the key determinants which drive the fundraising process of crowdfunding campaigns is of great importance, especially for those suffering. With a unique data set containing 210,907 crowdfunding projects covering a period from October 2015 to June 2020, from a famous charitable crowdfunding platform, specifically Qingsong Chou, we will reveal how many online donations are due to endogeneity, referring to the positive feedback process of attracting more people to donate through broadcasting campaigns in social networks by donors. For this aim, we calibrate three different Hawkes processes to the event data of online donations for each crowdfunding campaign on each day, which allows us to estimate the branching ratio, a measure of endogeneity. It is found that the online fundraising process works in a sub-critical state and nearly 70–90% of the online donations are endogenous. Furthermore, even though the fundraising amount, number of donations, and number of donors decrease rapidly after the crowdfunding project is created, the measure of endogeneity remains stable during the entire lifetime of crowdfunding projects. Our results not only deepen our understanding of online fundraising dynamics but also provide a quantitative framework to disentangle the endogenous and exogenous dynamics in complex systems.
Identification of a novel immune signature for optimizing prognosis and treatment prediction in colorectal cancer

Background: Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most lethal malignant diseases. However, the currently approved therapeutic options for CRC failed to acquire satisfactory treatment efficacy. Tailoring therapeutic strategies for CRC individuals can provide new insights into personalized prediction approaches and thus maximize clinical benefits. Methods: In this study, a multi-step process was used to construct an immune-related genes (IRGs) based signature leveraging the expression profiles and clinical characteristics of CRC from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. An integrated immunogenomic analysis was performed to determine the association between IRGs with prognostic significance and cancer genotypes in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Moreover, we performed a comprehensive in silico therapeutics screening to identify agents with subclass-specific efficacy. Results: The established signature was shown to be a promising biomarker for evaluating clinical outcomes in CRC. The immune risk score as calculated by this classifier was significantly correlated with over-riding malignant phenotypes and immunophenotypes. Further analyses demonstrated that CRCs with low immune risk scores achieved better therapeutic benefits from immunotherapy, while AZD4547, Cytochalasin B and S-crizotinib might have potential therapeutic implications in the immune risk score-high CRCs. Conclusions: Overall, this IRGs-based signature not only afforded a useful tool for determining the prognosis and evaluating the TIME features of CRCs, but also shed new light on tailoring CRCs with precise treatment.
The incidence of and risk factors for hospitalized acute kidney injury among people living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment

The epidemiology of hospitalized acute kidney injury (AKI) among people living with HIV (PLWH) in the era of modern antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all PLWH is not well characterized. We evaluated the incidence of and risk factors for hospitalized AKI from 2005 to 2015 among PLWH on ART.
Competitive trait anxiety and general self-esteem of athletes according to the sport type and gender

Traditionally, anxiety has been interpreted as a negative emotional state characterized by nervousness, worry, fret, uncertainty and vague fear which could have an adverse effect on sports achievement. On the other hand, sport type and its specific nature and demands, may also be connected with the level of state and trait anxiety. This study aimed to investigate potential differences in the competitive trait anxiety level and general self-esteem according to gender in sports of different contact level. The sample consisted of 1024 (590 males and 434 females) young athletes. Independent variables were sport contact level (non-contact, contact and collision sports) and gender. Dependent variables were measured by the adjusted versions of Sport Competition Anxiety Test and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Basic descriptive statistics was calculated for all the groups, and the differences between them were established using χ² test and MANOVA. The results suggest significant differences in trait competitive anxiety per sport type, gender and their interaction, and no differences in the general self-esteem level. The current study reveals that not only the intensity but also the intergroup relationship of a sport contact level (non-contact, contact and collision sports) is gender determined. These findings are important in psycho-diagnostic procedure and choosing appropriate coping strategies for athletes.
Response of Wheat Plants Grown on Alluvial and Sandy Soils to some Beneficial Elements. إستجابة نبات القمح النامي على أراضي رسوبية ورملية لبعض العناصر المفيدة

A pots experiment was executed aim to evaluate the influence of Co, Ni, Fe, Mo and B at different rates(0.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg L)with different application methods(foliar application and soil addition)on the performance of wheat plants grown on alluvial and sandy soils.Plant performance at periods of 30 and 60 days from sowing expressed in plant height, fresh and dry weights and N, P, K content in straw as well as the nutrient status of grains (N, P, K) and other characteristics at harvest stage i.e., spike length and weight and No. of tillers plant were evaluated. The superior beneficial element was Ni compared to other studied elements, while Mo came in the second-order followed by Co then Fe and lately B. All studied elements, except B, caused improve plant performance which was enhanced as the added rate of these elements increased (either with foliar or soil additions). Regarding plants received B either with foliar or soil additions, the values of all studied traits significantly increased with increasing B rate from 0.0 mg L to 2.5 and 5.0 mg L and then significantly decrease at 10.0 mg L due to appearing B toxicity. Foliar application method was most effective than soil addition method. Performance of plants grown on alluvial soil was better than that of plants grown on sandy soil. Generally, it can be concluded that Ni may have a vital role in N fixation more than other studied elements and this was reflected on wheat plant growth.
Design Considerations for Automobile Chassis for Prevention of Rolling over of a Vehicle

The first part of this paper deals with the structural analysis of automobile frame and design modification to reduce weight of the chassis, the second part is the study of rolling over effect and the multiple axle drives with active bogies for chassis levelling and the final part is the implementation of the active bogies and multiple axle drives for the prevention of rolling over. A method has been suggested to overcome the rolling over by design modification of the chassis. Active weights are used in order to prevent the rolling over of a vehicle.
A new Interatheriinae (Mammalia, Notoungulata) from the Cerro Boleadoras Formation (Santa Cruz, Argentina) and the evolution of the tarsus within the lineage during the Miocene

Interatheres (Interatheriinae; Notoungulata) from the Cerro Boleadoras Formation, north-west of Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) are described here for the first time. Boleatherium praeludium gen. et sp. nov. is described from a partial skeleton and is characterized by a singular combination of exclusive characters (p1 longer than p2, p3 and p4; lingual trigonid–talonid contact in p2 − 4 and m2 − 3), ancestral features (p2 longer than the p3 and p4, with well-developed talonid), and derived traits (triangular talonid, short trigonid–talonid contact in lower molars). In the Cerro Boleadoras fauna, we also recognize Protypotherium aff. colloncurensis (upper and lower dentition, and limb bones), Interatheriinae gen. sp. A (lower molars) comparable to P. cf. P. endiadys, and Interatheriinae gen. sp. B (tarsal bones) comparable to P. colloncurensis. The configuration of tarsal bones of B. praeludium and Protypotherium aff. colloncurensis reveals an intermediate evolutionary stage between the foot of early Miocene representatives (e.g. P. australe) and the foot of late Miocene members (e.g. Miocochilius anomopodus). In terms of phylogenetic relationships, B. praeludium forms a polytomy with Caenophilus tripartitus, Juchuysillu arenalesensis, Protypotherium sinclairi and Miocochilius federicoi, which is supported by three synapomorphies. The interathere assemblage described from the Cerro Boleadoras Formation: (1) increases the known diversity of Interatheriinae for the Miocene of southern Patagonia; (2) contributes to the distinctive endemicity of the Cerro Boleadoras fauna with the recognition of a new taxon; (3) supports a Burdigalian − Langhian age for the Cerro Boleadoras fauna based on its taxonomic composition and published dating near the base of the formation; and (4) illuminates the evolutionary changes related to foot into the Interatheriinae lineage during the Miocene. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:71EBFBAC-CC67-48F9-8DF2-D075921CA1FC
Time Series Analysis of Evaporation Duct Height over South China Sea: A Stochastic Modeling Approach

The evaporation duct could significantly affect the work status of maritime microwave communication systems in the South China Sea. Therefore, the exact forecasting of the evaporation duct is vital for the normal operation of the systems. This study presents a stochastic modeling approach to predict the future trends of the evaporation duct over the South China Sea. The autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model has been used for modeling the monthly evaporation duct height estimated from the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis dataset released by the National Centers for Environment Prediction. The long-term evaporation duct height data were collected for a period of 10 years from 2008 to 2017. The analysis of correlation function reveals the existence of seasonality in the time series. Therefore, a seasonal ARIMA model with the form as ARIMA (0,0,1) × (0,1,2)12 is proposed by fitting the monthly data optimally. The fitted model is further used to forecast the evaporation duct variation for the year 2018 at 95% level of confidence, and high-accuracy results are obtained. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed stochastic modeling technique to predict the future variations of the evaporation duct over South China Sea.
A particle swarm optimisation for the no-wait flow shop problem with due date constraints

This paper considers the no-wait flow shop scheduling problem with due date constraints. In the no-wait flow shop problem, waiting time is not allowed between successive operations of jobs. Moreover, a due date is associated with the completion of each job. The considered objective function is makespan. This problem is proved to be strongly NP-Hard. In this paper, a particle swarm optimisation (PSO) is developed to deal with the problem. Moreover, the effect of some dispatching rules for generating initial solutions are studied. A Taguchi-based design of experience approach has been followed to determine the effect of the different values of the parameters on the performance of the algorithm. To evaluate the performance of the proposed PSO, a large number of benchmark problems are selected from the literature and solved with different due date and penalty settings. Computational results confirm that the proposed PSO is efficient and competitive; the developed framework is able to improve many of the best-known solutions of the test problems available in the literature.
Hirudin promotes proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of HBMSCs via activation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)/protein kinase-G (PKG) signaling pathway

ABSTRACT Osteoporosis is a public health problem resulting in higher susceptibility to bone fracture. Hirudin is known as a direct thrombin inhibitor, which is isolated from the salivary gland of the medicinal leech. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Hirudin on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HBMSCs). In our study, the effect of Hirudin on the proliferation of HBMSCs was evaluated with the CCK-8 and MTT assays. The capacity of osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of HBMSCs was evaluated with ALP and alizarin red staining, respectively. cGMP content was determined by ELISA. Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to investigate the effect of Hirudin on the expression of osteoblast-specific markers, including Runx2, osterix (OSX), osteocalcin (OCN), and collagen1 (Col1). In our study, Hirudin treatment promoted cell viability. Moreover, Hirudin treatment increased ALP activity of HBMSCs and red coloration of alizarin. Interestingly, cGMP inhibitor partly reversed the effect of Hirudin on the proliferation, differentiation and mineralization of HBMSCs. In conclusion, Hirudin promoted the proliferation, differentiation and mineralization of HBMSCs via activation of cGMP signaling pathway. Hence, Hirudin contributed to bone remodeling and might represent as an effective agent for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Health promoting behaviors in low-income overweight and obese women in Korea: an exploratory qualitative study

Purpose This study aimed to explore and understand the health promoting behaviors of low-income overweight and obese women in Korea. Methods Data were collected from 10 low-income overweight and obese women working at a community self-sufficiency center through semi-structured in-depth interviews. Individual interviews were conducted and transcribed. Deductive content analysis was done, using the MAXQDA program. Results The health promoting behaviors practiced by low-income overweight and obese women were affected by intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational/community factors. Six categories were identified and two category clusters were derived that could best describe their health promoting experiences. As main category clusters, despite “feeling that the body and mind are not healthy” participants noted “difficulty maintaining a healthy lifestyle. ” Overall, the participants had poor nutritional status, lacked physical activity, experienced much stress in intrapersonal level, and faced intrapersonal-level barriers to health promoting behaviors. Moreover, participants had a lack of personal will, and lack of specific information to practice health promoting behaviors, a lack of time, and too many overall burdens to earn a living for their family while trying to maintain health promotion behaviors. Conclusion Lifestyle interventions for nutrition management, encouragement of physical activity, and stress management are needed for overweight and obese low-income women. In addition, social support and policies are needed to improve their living environment.
EFFECT OF SOME BIOSTIMULANTS ON YIELD AND BERRY QUALITIES OF GRAPEVINES

This study was conducted during the three seasons of 2003, 2004 and 2005 in a private vineyard of Thompson seedless grapevines (Vitis vinifera, L.) near Mansoura city, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. The obtained data was discussed in detail for the last 2 years only. The vines were 15year-old, cultivated at 2 x 2.5 m, grown in clay soil under surface irrigation system and trained to cane pruning under canes trellis system. The aim of this investigation was to study the effect of spraying some natural organic biostimulants including yeast extract (2.5 gm/L), seaweed extract (Acadian at 3 ml/L), ascorbic and citric acids each at (100 ppm) on the vegetative growth, yield and fruit quality of Thompson seedless grapevines. Seasonal changes of NPK during different stages of grapevine were also studied. Data showed that, the combination treatment (T5) spraying yeast extract at 2.5 gm/L, citric and ascorbic acids each at 100 ppm as natural biostimulants had a positive action on increasing SSC%, SSC/acid ratio, total sugars, cluster weight, cluster volume, number of berries per cluster, number of clusters per vine and yield. A positive effect was also detected on NPK seasonal changes especially N and P. On the other hand, this treatment gave the lowest values for acidity% and nitrate contents in berry juice.