Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Elekta Agility multi‐leaf collimator performance using statistical process control tools

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the performance and stability of Elekta Agility multi‐leaf collimator (MLC) leaf positioning using a daily, automated quality control (QC) test based on megavoltage (MV) images in combination with statistical process control tools, and identify special causes of variations in performance. Methods Leaf positions were collected daily for 13 Elekta linear accelerators over 11‐37 months using the automated QC test, which analyzes 23 MV images to determine the location of MLC leaves relative to radiation isocenter. Leaf positioning stability was assessed using individual and moving range control charts. Specification levels of ±0.5, ±1, and ±1.5 mm were tested to determine positional accuracy. The durations between out‐of‐control and out‐of‐specification events were determined. Peaks in out‐of‐control leaf positions were identified and correlated to servicing events recorded for the whole duration of data collection. Results Mean leaf position error was −0.01 mm (range −1.3–1.6). Data stayed within ±1 mm specification for 457 days on average (range 3–838) and within ±1.5 mm for the entire date range. Measurements stayed within ±0.5 mm for 1 day on average (range 0–17); however, our MLC leaves were not calibrated to this level of accuracy. Leaf position varied little over time, as confirmed by tight individual (mean ±0.19 mm, range 0.09–0.43) and moving range (mean 0.23 mm, range 0.10–0.53) control limits. Due to sporadic out‐of‐control events, the mean in‐control duration was 2.8 days (range 1–28.5). A number of factors were found to contribute to leaf position errors and out‐of‐control behavior, including servicing events, beam spot motion, and image artifacts. Conclusions The Elekta Agility MLC model was found to perform with high stability, as evidenced by the tight control limits. The in‐specification durations support the current recommendation of monthly MLC QC tests with a ±1 mm tolerance. Future work is on‐going to determine if performance can be optimized further using high‐frequency QC test results to drive recalibration frequency.
Automating identification of potentially problematic privacy policies

Almost every website, mobile application or cloud service requires users to agree to a privacy policy, or similar terms of service, detailing how the developer or service provider will handle user data, and the purposes for which it will be used. Many past works have criticised these documents on account of their length, excessively complex wording, or the simple fact that users typically do not read or understand them, and that potentially invasive or wide-reaching terms are included in these policies. In this paper, an automated approach and tool to gather and analyse these policies is presented, and some important considerations for these documents are highlighted, specifically those surrounding past legal rulings over the enforceability of some specific and widely-used contract terms - the ability for terms to be changed without directly notifying users (and presumed continued use indicates acceptance), and the protections in place in the event of a sale or acquisition of a company. The concerns these pose to user privacy and choice are highlighted, as well as the extent to which these terms are found in policies and documents from many popular websites. This tool was used to highlight how commonly these terms are found, and the extent of this potential problem, and explore potential solutions to the challenge of regulating user privacy via such contracts in an era where mobile devices contain significant quantities of highly sensitive personal data, which is highly desirable to service operators, as a core valuation asset of their company.
An Exploration of Mentoring Female Graduate Students in Southern Metropolitan Universities.

The purpose of this study was to explore female students' perceptions about research while enrolled in a graduate program. In the Husserlian phenomenological tradition (E. Husserl, 1859-1938), a theoretical framework was developed from extent literature a priori to inform the parameters of the study. The phenomenologist used a computer-mediated focus group method of inquiry to expand on previous studies and confirm the a priori theory. The computer-mediated focus groups, which involved about 15 graduate students, were conducted by means of the Internet via WebCT in an asynchronous discussion format. Following a 1-week pilot study, the researcher engaged the participants in a 4-weel electronic discussion about research. To analyze the data, the researcher coded data into predetermined coding categories based on the literature, merged the codes into themes with common attitude threads, and combined the themes into patterns representing the theoretical constructs. The resulting theoretical framework was divided into three sections labeled research barriers, supports, and solutions. Research barriers included the dissertation process, time management, family commitments, and ethics. Included as research support were mentoring,field research experience, and resources. Research solutions were described as restructuring the dissertation process, choosing dissertation committee members and chair wisely, and having mentors. (Contains 64 references.) (SLD) ENTIRE DOCUMENT: POOR PRINT QUALITY Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document 1 Mentoring Female Graduate Students 1 Running head: MENTORING FEMALE GRADUATE STUDENTS An Exploration of Mentoring Female Graduate Students in Southern Metropolitan Universities Cindy Bagwell Crum University of Arkansas Medical School Kathy K. Franklin The University of Alabama PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
Auricular Acupressure and Positive Group Psychotherapy With Motivational Interviewing for Smoking Cessation

Each year, 40% to 60% of smokers try to quit, but smoking cessation success rate for 1 year was 1% to 9% without professional help and 7% to 40% with professional help. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of group counseling with auricular acupressure on smoking cessation and tobacco withdrawal symptoms. This study is a randomized controlled trial. This study was performed at a university in South Korea. Fifty-five smokers were randomly assigned to 3 groups: group 1 (auricular acupressure + counseling), group 2 (placebo acupressure + counseling), and the control group (self-help smoking cessation). Group counseling and auricular acupressure were undertaken once a week for 6 weeks. The smoking cessation rate in group 1 for 1 year was significantly higher than that in group 2 and the control group (22.2%, 5.3%, and 5.6%, respectively). Tobacco withdrawal symptom scores were significantly decreased in group 1 compared with that in group 2 over 6 weeks (F = 3.2, P = .025). Auricular acupressure with group counseling was effective and group counseling alone was not effective for 1-year smoking cessation.
Effects of the different levels of dietary trace elements from organic or inorganic sources on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and faecal mineral excretion of broilers

ABSTRACT This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different sources and levels of trace elements on growth performance, carcass composition and mineral excretion levels of broilers. In a completely randomised experimental design, 900 one-day-old male Ross-308 broilers were assigned to 5 treatments, with 6 replicates of 30 birds each. The control group (CITE) was fed with a basal diet containing regular inclusion levels of inorganic trace elements. Treatment groups were supplied with reduced levels (30% and 50% of the regular level) of inorganic (ITE) or organic trace elements (OTE), respectively. Groups 50% ITE, 30% OTE and 50% OTE diets had equivalent average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed to gain ratio (F/G ratio) and mortality rate compared with group CITE in any phase. However, compared with group CITE chicks in group 30% ITE have lower ADG and ADFI and higher F/G ratio. The carcass yields were not affected by dietary treatments. Compared with group CITE, in groups 30% ITE, 50% ITE, 30% OTE and 50% OTE the shear force values of the breast muscle were only 71.8%, 83.4%, 63.5% and 59.4% (p < 0.05), respectively. Birds received diets containing reduced levels of trace elements had diminished excretions of Mn and Zn throughout the entire period (p < 0.01). In conclusion, the reduced supplementation of trace elements had no or slightly negative impact on growth performance, carcass yield and meat quality, but decreased faecal mineral excretion. Moreover, the trace element supply as OTE played a limited role on performance and excretion and was only partly beneficial for animal performance in case the trace element supply was reduced to 30%.
Adaptive Deep Modeling of Users and Items Using Side Information for Recommendation

In the existing recommender systems, matrix factorization (MF) is widely applied to model user preferences and item features by mapping the user-item ratings into a low-dimension latent vector space. However, MF has ignored the individual diversity where the user’s preference for different unrated items is usually different. A fixed representation of user preference factor extracted by MF cannot model the individual diversity well, which leads to a repeated and inaccurate recommendation. To this end, we propose a novel latent factor model called adaptive deep latent factor model (ADLFM), which learns the preference factor of users adaptively in accordance with the specific items under consideration. We propose a novel user representation method that is derived from their rated item descriptions instead of original user-item ratings. Based on this, we further propose a deep neural networks framework with an attention factor to learn the adaptive representations of users. Extensive experiments on Amazon data sets demonstrate that ADLFM outperforms the state-of-the-art baselines greatly. Also, further experiments show that the attention factor indeed makes a great contribution to our method.
Recent Progress in the Development of Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-Based Nanostructures for Cancer Imaging and Therapy

Diverse nanosystems for use in cancer imaging and therapy have been designed and their clinical applications have been assessed. Among a variety of materials available to fabricate nanosystems, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has been widely used due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. In order to provide tumor-targeting and diagnostic properties, PLGA or PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) can be modified with other functional materials. Hydrophobic or hydrophilic therapeutic cargos can be placed in the internal space or adsorbed onto the surface of PLGA NPs. Protocols for the fabrication of PLGA-based NPs for cancer imaging and therapy are already well established. Moreover, the biocompatibility and biodegradability of PLGA may elevate its feasibility for clinical application in injection formulations. Size-controlled NP’s properties and ligand–receptor interactions may provide passive and active tumor-targeting abilities, respectively, after intravenous administration. Additionally, the introduction of several imaging modalities to PLGA-based NPs can enable drug delivery guided by in vivo imaging. Versatile platform technology of PLGA-based NPs can be applied to the delivery of small chemicals, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids for use in cancer therapy. This review describes recent findings and insights into the development of tumor-targeted PLGA-based NPs for use of cancer imaging and therapy.
Plasticity in Standard and Maximum Aerobic Metabolic Rates in Two Populations of an Estuarine Dependent Teleost, Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus)

We studied the effects of metabolic cold adaptation (MCA) in two populations of a eurythermal species, spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) along the U.S. East Coast. Fish were captured from their natural environment and acclimated at control temperatures 15 °C or 20 °C. Their oxygen consumption rates, a proxy for metabolic rates, were measured using intermittent flow respirometry during acute temperature decrease or increase (2.5 °C per hour). Mass-specific standard metabolic rates (SMR) were higher in fish from the northern population across an ecologically relevant temperature gradient (5 °C to 30 °C). SMR were up to 37% higher in the northern population at 25 °C and maximum metabolic rates (MMR) were up to 20% higher at 20 °C. We found evidence of active metabolic compensation in the southern population from 5 °C to 15 °C (Q10 < 2), but not in the northern population. Taken together, our results indicate differences in metabolic plasticity between the northern and southern populations of spotted seatrout and provide a mechanistic basis for predicting population-specific responses to climate change.
The Validity of the Modified Tal Score and Wang Respiratory Score Instruments in Assessing the Severity of Respiratory System Disorders in Children

ABSTRACT Nurses need to have a high awareness of children’s respiratory status changes to prevent worse conditions such as respiratory failure. For this reason, nurses require a tool or instrument that can facilitate a comprehensive assessment of the severity of respiratory system disorders in children. The aim of this study was to identify the validity and reliability of the Modified Tal Score and Wang Respiratory Score instruments and their sensitivity and specificity for assessing the severity of respiratory system disorders in children. A descriptive-analytic research design and a cross-sectional approach were used in this research. A total of 48 children aged 0–2 years who were hospitalized in a top referral hospital in Jakarta with acute respiratory infections were assessed for the severity of respiratory system impairment using the Modified Tal Score and the Wang Respiratory Score instruments. The modified Tal Score had a strong correlation with SpO2 (r = −0.699; p = 0.0001; α = 0.05), as did the Wang Respiratory Score (r = −0.501; p = 0.0001; α = 0.05). The Cronbach’s Alpha value for the Modified Tal Score instrument was 0.768, while that for the Wang Respiratory Score instrument was 0.68. Analysis using ROC curves gave an AUC value of 0.897 (95% CI 0.794; 1, p = 0.0001) for the Modified Tal Score instrument for predicting the severity of respiratory system disorders in children versus 0.815 (95% CI 0.681; 0.95, p = 0.0001) for the Wang Respiratory Score instrument. These results showed that the Modified Tal Score instrument has higher validity and reliability, as well as better sensitivity and specificity, than the Wang Respiratory Score instrument for assessing the severity of respiratory system disorders in children. A further study for instruments’ improvement by classifying the children’s respiratory rate according to their age, as well as adding an item related to the use of supplementary oxygen, is needed.
Effect of relative humidity and temperature on grain-metal friction

Zhang, J. and Kushwaha, R.L. 1993. Effect of relative humidity and temperature on grain-metal friction. Can. Agric. Eng. 35:041 044. The coefficient of friction (COF) of grains has been evaluated as a function of ambient temperature and relative humidity (RH) on aluminum and galvanized steel surfaces. The COF increased with an increase in RH for low grain moisture at low ambient temperature. For grain with a high moisture content (18.6% wheat, 16.4% canola, 21% lentil), the COF decreased as the RH increased to 70% and 85% at high ambient temperature. Temperature emerged as an important parameter influencing the COF, especially when associated with high RH.
Effects of sodium sulphate and potassium chloride fertilizers on the nutritive value of timothy grown on different soils

-3 applied at each harvest as KCl) on the nutritive value of timothy grown on three different soil types (clay, loam and organogenic soil). The effects of fertilization on concentra- tions of crude protein, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and non-structural carbohydrates, although sta- tistically significant, were relatively minor in absolute terms. Na applications increased and K appli- cations decreased sulphur and phosphorus concentrations, the magnitude of which was dependent on soil type. The increase in sulphur concentration can be attributed to sulphate in Na-fertilizer. The effects of fertilizers on in vitro organic matter digestibility and the potential extent of dry matter (DM) and NDF digestibility were small. Digestion kinetic parameters estimated from fermentative gas production measured using a fully automated system were used in a rumen simulation model to estimate digestibility. Total gas volume and the rate of gas production from the rapidly digestible fraction were negatively correlated with timothy S and N concentrations. Na application had no ef- fect, but K application increased true rumen DM digestibility, the effect being most profound on organogenic soil. The results suggest that Na application does not elicit substantial positive effects on the nutritive value of timothy which has often been reported for perennial ryegrass, but K applica- tion can improve the nutritive value of timothy grown on K deficient soil.
Nash-wo-Numa (childhood growth & development) study protocol: factors that impact linear growth in children 9 to 15 years of age in Matiari, Pakistan

Introduction Adolescence is a time of significant physical and emotional change, and there is emerging concern that adolescents living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) may face substantial challenges in relation to linear growth and mental health. Data on the global burden of stunting after 5 years of age are limited, but estimates suggest up to 50 per cent of all adolescents in some LMIC are stunted. Additionally, many LMIC lack robust mental health care delivery systems. Pakistan has one of the world’s largest populations of adolescents (10 to 19 years) at approximately 40 million. The Nash-wo-Numa study’s primary objective is to assess the prevalence and risk factors for stunting among early adolescents in rural Pakistan. The study also aims to determine the prevalence of poor mental health and identify factors associated with common mental health concerns during the childhood to adulthood transition. Methods This cross-sectional study will include girls (n= 738) 9.0 to 14.9 years of age and boys (n=687) 10.0 to 15.9 years of age who live in the rural district of Matiari, Pakistan. Participants will be assessed for anthropometrical measures, puberty development, nutritional biomarkers as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety and trauma using validated scales. Ethics and dissemination The proposed study aims to complete the picture of child and adolescent health concerning linear growth and mental health by including puberty indicators. Ethics approval has been granted by the Ethics Review Committee at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan, #5251-WCH-ERC-18 and Research Ethics Board at SickKids Hospital, Toronto, Canada, #:1000060684. Study results will be presented at relevant conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number NCT03647553; Pre-results.
Faith-Based Ethical Investing: The Case of Dow Jones Islamic Indexes

This paper examines the performance of seven indexes chosen from the Dow Jones Islamic Market Index (DJIM) vis-a-vis their non-Islamic counterparts using a variety of measures such as Sharpe, Treynor, Jensen and Fama’s selectivity, net selectivity and diversification. Second, we examine the persistence of performance using Carhart’s (1997) four factor pricing models. Third, we use cointegration to examine how the Islamic indexes compare to their non-Islamic counterparts. The sample period is from January 1996 to December 2005 (120 data points). It is further broken down into two sub-periods: January 1996 to December 2000 (60 data points) and January 2001 to December 2006 (60 data points). We find no difference between Islamic and non-Islamic indexes. The Dow Jones Islamic indexes outperform their conventional counterparts from 1996 to 2000 and underperform them from 2001 to 2005. Overall, similar reward to risk and diversification benefits exist for both the Islamic and conventional indexes.
Physical activity among adults with diabetes mellitus in Rwanda

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common non-communicable diseases, and is the fifth leading cause of death in most developing countries. Regular physical activity is strongly recommended for individuals with diabetes for its beneficial effects in the improvement of blood glucose control and insulin sensitivity, prevention and reduction of morbidities and complications, as well as for its cardiovascular benefits. Using a cross-sectional design, this study examined the demographic, social and health-related factors associated with physical activity participation among adults with diabetes mellitus in Kigali, Rwanda. One hundred-and-fifty six (156) adults with diabetes mellitus participated in the study. More than a third (39%) of the participants was categorized as inactive. Active participants were significantly younger than those categorized as inactive. Age, marital status, level of education and self-efficacy for diabetes were all significantly associated with levels of physical activity. Common barriers to participation in physical activity were cited as poor health status, lack of motivation and lack of awareness about the importance of physical activity. It is thus clear that efforts should be made to educate adults with diabetes mellitus about the benefits of integrating regular physical activity in their daily routine.
ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN GROUND REACTION FORCES AND BARBELL ACCELERATIONS IN WEIGHTLIFTING

The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between vertical ground reaction forces and vertical barbell accelerations during the snatch. Barbell kinematic and force plate kinetic data were collected during a weightlifting competition. Time-series data were normalized to 100% of lift phase and were entered into a pattern recognition algorithm that extracted principal patterns and calculated principal pattern scores. Significant associations indicate that a smaller, and temporally shorter, decrease in ground reaction forces during the transition phase is associated with a smaller decrease in barbell acceleration during the transition phase and a smaller peak barbell acceleration during the second pull phase. In order to optimize barbell acceleration, weighlifters may need to ensure a quick transition between the first and second pull.