Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitative evaluation of increase in surface dose by immobilization thermoplastic masks and superficial dosimetry using Gafchromic EBT film and Monte Carlo calculations.

PURPOSE To investigate the increase in surface dose under immobilization thermoplastic masks by measurements and calculation in the build-up region using Gafchromic films and Monte Carlo simulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Surface doses were measured underneath three thermoplastic masks in open fields using 6 and 18 MV photon beams. These masks are used to immobilize patients for head and neck (H&N), pelvis and thoracic treatment. Gafchromic EBT films were placed on the top of the flat surface of a phantom partially underneath the mask and exposed in open 10 x 10 cm2 photon fields. The depth doses were calculated using BEAMnrc Monte Carlo code for water-equivalent film detectors with different layers of thickness ranging from 50 microm to 2.5 mm and compared with film measurements. RESULTS Surface dose increased by a factor of 3 to 4 underneath the mask relative to the open areas and 6 MV beam delivers more skin dose than 18 MV. H&N mask increased surface dose by a factor of 3 using 18 MV and a factor of 4 using 6 MV. In addition, increase in surface dose depended on the type of the mask, the size of openings, and the amount of stretching performed during the mask preparation. The measured depth doses were compared with BEAMnrc Monte Carlo calculation for water-equivalent detectors using different sizes. The calculated depth dose depended significantly on the thickness of film detector and varies by more than 15% using layer thickness of 2.5 mm compared to 50 microm. Surface doses measured by Gafchromic EBT films agreed within 3% with the Monte Carlo calculations using a small detector layer of 50 microm. CONCLUSION Thermoplastic masks used for patient immobilization can significantly increase skin doses by up to a factor of 4 more than that without the mask using 6 MV beams. The skin reactions resulting from thermoplastic masks should be monitored and corrective measures should be taken during treatment such as partially removing the mask over skin areas with complications and optimizing the skin dose in IMRT planning. Gafchromic EBT films provide accurate skin dosimetry which agrees within 3% with Monte Carlo calculations. Gafchromic EBT film makes an excellent tool for measuring depth doses in the buildup region and these data can be applied for treatment planning calculations and IMRT optimization.
5.5.1 The Analysis and Evaluation of Customer Satisfaction and Service Management

Adaptation of information technology in business applications enables enterprises to understand customer behaviors and use customer‐related knowledge to increase competitiveness, adjust product market position, and build customer loyalty. The Internet and computer telephony integrated (CTI) applications, in particular, enhance the communication channels among members of extended enterprises (e.g., customers and suppliers). Thus, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has become a key focus of modern enterprise operations with the help of modern Internet and CTI techniques. A company can achieve the customer‐centric business model and the one‐to‐one marketing strategy by using contact center applications and data mining methodologies. With the increasing number of communication channels, telephone‐based contact centers are no longer sufficient to build and maintain good customer relations. Multi‐channel contact centers that integrate phone, fax, e‐mail, web, and PDAs enable managers to respond to customer queries, complaints and service requests. An improved CRM program not only provides greater access but also provides the means to analyze customer interaction data. Corporations gain benefits such as enhanced customer loyalty and brand enhancement by transforming data collected through multiple communication channels into meaningful knowledge. This research uses a multi‐channel contact center (CC) as a basis to model customer interaction processes, define key performance indicators (KPIs) of CC, and develop CC evaluation methods to measure customer satisfaction and service quality of a contact center based on the set KPIs.
The Entrepreneurial State in China: Real Estate and Commerce Departments in Reform Era Tianjin

Tables Figures Abbreviations Glossary of Translated Terms Acknowledgements Introduction Introduction: Market Reform and the State 1. The Chinese State from Plan to Market 2. Tianjin: the Government of a City Under Reform Case Studies in the Emergence of State Entrepreneurialism 3. The State Administration of Real Estate and its Reform 4. Market Reform and its Limits: Entrepreneurialism in Real Estate Management Departments 5. The State Administration of Commerce and its Reform 6. The Encroaching Market: Entrepreneurialism in Commerce Departments Conclusion 7. Conclusion: The Entrepreneurial State Appendices A. Methodological Notes B. Tianjin
CYP 1 B 1 EXPRESSION IN HUMAN LUNG

Cytochrome P450 1B1 is a recently recognized phase I bioactivating enzyme with high affinity for both inhaled tobacco carcinogens and 17b-estradiol. We evaluated the human lung expression of this multifunctional member of the P450 superfamily across 16 individuals. Expression of CYP1B1 was evaluated by qualitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western immunoblots performed on human tumor and nontumor lung tissue. Expression at both mRNA and protein levels was then correlated with smoking history, plasma biomarkers of tobacco exposure (nicotine and cotinine), gender, and tumor histology. CYP1B1 mRNA and protein were detected in 94 and 100% of individuals, respectively. Multivariate analysis confirmed that there were more subjects displaying CYP1B1 mRNA expression in tumor than nontumor tissue (p 5 0.0003). Correlation of CYP1B1 protein with plasma cotinine levels was statistically marginal (p 5 0.027). Self-reported smoking history, gender, and tumor histology did not correlate with gene expression in the multivariate model. After multivariate modeling for confounding factors, the expression patterns of 5 of 16 individuals appeared to differ from the group as a whole for mRNA and/or protein. We conclude that CYP1B1 is commonly expressed in human lung and hypothesize that it may be an important phase I enzyme with respect to human lung carcinogen metabolism, warranting an understanding of regulatory control and coding region
Evolving debates in online communication: a graph analytical approach

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to analyse the structure of evolving debates in online discussion forums to see how science‐related debates evolve over time.Design/methodology/approach – A graph‐based approach is applied to analyse the structure of graphs of connected terms in online debates. A number of different graph properties, such as the Densification Power Law (DPL), diameter (γ) and effective diameter (δ), are used to observe the properties of the graphs over time.Findings – The graphs of connected terms obey the DPL and the effective diameters (δ) of the graphs tend to shrink as the debates progress. Slight fluctuations can occur, however, when new terms are integrated into the graphs. These two properties suggest that a graph of connected terms can be modelled through a number of blocks of terms, each of which becomes densely connected over time as indicated by δ and DPL plots.Originality/value – This paper proposes observing the dynamic changes of evolving debates by using graphs of connecte.
Revision of the stiff total knee arthroplasty.

This study evaluated the improvement in range of motion after revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in a consecutive series of patients with TKAs presenting with pain and limited range of motion. Eleven stiff (range of motion <70 degrees ) and painful TKAs were revised with a posterior stabilized condylar prosthesis and reviewed after an average of 37.6 months (range, 24-53 months). The average range of motion increased from 39.7 degrees preoperatively to 83.2 degrees postoperatively. The mean flexion contracture decreased from 13.2 degrees to 0.9 degrees. Pain scores improved from 4.5 to 44.1, and all 11 patients were satisfied. This study shows that knee range of motion can improve significantly after revision TKA.
Effect of the estrogen receptor locus on reproduction and production traits in four commercial pig lines.

We investigated the effect of the estrogen receptor (ESR) gene on growth and reproductive traits in four Large White-based commercial pig lines. A total of 9,015 litter records from 4,262 sows genotyped at the ESR locus were analyzed to determine whether ESR influenced total number born (TNB) or number born alive (NBA). Teat number (TN), test ADG, ADFI, feed:gain ratio (F/G), and ultrasonic backfat (BF) were also analyzed to determine effects of ESR. The TNB and NBA were increased per favorable allele of ESR (P < .01) with additive effects of . 42 (.31) and . 39 (.31) pigs/litter in the first parity (later parities), respectively. Dominance effects were near zero in parity one, but they were . 16 and . 14 pigs for TNB and NBA, respectively, in later parities (P < .05). A favorable additive pleiotropic effect was detected for BF (P < .001; -.11 mm per copy of the favorable litter size allele). There were no detectable effects on ADG or F/G (P > .10), although ADF was reduced 18 g/d per copy of the favorable litter size allele (P < .05). Average TN was 13.1 for pigs carrying the favorable litter size allele vs 13.2 for noncarriers (P < .05). Marker-assisted selection using ESR is warranted to increase litter size in the Large White-based lines considered here and will be of considerable economic value to pork producers.
Unknown HIV Status in the Emergency Department

Objectives: The authors sought to determine the prevalence of unknown HIV status among emergency department (ED) patients, how it has changed over time, and whether it differs according to patient characteristics. Methods: The authors used electronic medical record data to identify whether HIV status was known or unknown among patients aged ≥13 seen in the ED of a large, urban medical center between 2006 and 2011. The authors used multivariate logistic regression to identify the characteristics associated with unknown HIV status. Results: The prevalence of unknown HIV status decreased each year, from 87.7% in 2006 to 74.9% in 2011 (P < .001). Characteristics associated with unknown HIV status included being nonblack, in the youngest and oldest age-groups, and nonpublically insured. Compared to men, women without prior pregnancy were equally likely to have unknown HIV status, but women with prior pregnancy were significantly less likely to have unknown HIV status. Conclusion: The prevalence of unknown HIV status is decreasing, but in 2011 75% of ED patients aged ≥13 still had unknown status, and it was associated with specific patient characteristics. Understanding the trends in the prevalence of unknown HIV status and how it is associated with patient characteristics should inform the design and implementation of expanded HIV-testing strategies.
Dampak Implementasi Penggunaan Teknologi Manufaktur Tingkat Lanjut -Advanced Manufacturing Technology pada Kinerja UKM di Indonesia

In Indonesia, 99.8% of the businesses are SMEs. However, those SMEs only contribute to the 56.7% of the Indonesia GDP. This happened, mainly due to the limitations of SMEs which use traditional technologies in the production process. Therefore, in 2014, the Indonesian government through the Ministry of Cooperation and Small Medium Entreprises launced a new strategic plan to empowering the SMEs by applying the Advanced Manufacting Technology (AMT). It is believed that by applying the AMT in the SMEs can increase productivities, expand the market share and raised national economic growth. This study, identified the used of AMT in the Indonesia SMEs, especially in foods, beverages, herbal and handicraft sectors. Additionally, it is also measured the impact of the used of AMT in the SMEs’ performaces. In this study, it is found that 76.6 % of the total sampel (253 SMEs) declared that they use the AMT. This indicates that the Indonesia SMEs have a clear operation mission, process production, high quality products and meet the customer’s satisfaction. It is also found that the percentage of the hard technology is higher than the soft technology. This showed that there is a large effort to increase the productivity in the process production. Finally, we found that the impact of the AMT used to the SMEs’ performance in the market share, profitability and organization performance is increased significantly.
Strategic groups analysis (SGA) as a tool for strategic marketing

Argues in favour of the convenience of using strategic groups analysis (SGA) as a business management tool that is especially useful for strategic marketing planning. To illustrate the great versatility offered by SGA, we take as a reference the results obtained from a study of the Spanish retail grocery sector. By way of this empirical work, we analyse how SGA responds to some of the information demands considered as essential for the design of the marketing strategy of every firm (the analysis of the environment and the main alternative strategies, the attractiveness of each strategy, the analysis of rivalry, the strengths and weaknesses of firms, the threats and opportunities offered by the market, etc.). In summary, the paper shows that SGA is a powerful tool which could help managers to concentrate the activity of their firms in solid strategic options.
Assessing IT competence in business managers

This work is motivated by the recognized need for business managers to get involved in information technology (IT) activities and IT management (Henderson 1990; Keen 1991; Rockart 1988, Sambamurthy and Zmud 1994). It attempts to understand and measure the concept of IT competence in business managers. The proposed perspective on the concept of competence is related to the two types of human knowledge identified by Polanyi (1966): tacit and explicit. Explicit knowledge refers to knowledge that is transmittable in formal, systematic language, while tacit knowledge is deeply rooted in action, commitment, and involvement of a specific context (Nonaka 1994). Thus, being competent refers to both knowing and doing—using that knowledge. Following this perspective, IT competence in business managers is defined as a set of IT-related knowledge and experience that a business manager develops over time which enables him/her to contribute effectively to the deployment of IT in the organization. The purpose of this research is to investigate what IT-related knowledge and experience is required in business managers to be IT competent.
The Efficacy of the BG-Sentinel™ CO2 Nozzle in Collecting Host-Seeking Mosquitoes in Fairfax County, Virginia

Abstract This study determined whether the addition of a CO2 nozzle made specifically for the BG-Sentinel™ trap increased the efficacy of collecting host-seeking mosquitoes, particularly Aedes albopictus and Culex spp. , which includes Cx. pipiens, Cx. restuans, and occasionally Cx. salinarius in Fairfax County, VA. Twenty BG-Sentinel traps were incorporated into the Fairfax County West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance program: 10 traps were randomly selected each week to have the nozzle attached, and the remaining 10 traps were without the nozzle. The BG-Sentinel traps collected 20 mosquito species with the nozzle and 19 mosquito species without the nozzle. The traps with the nozzle collected 46.58 (SE 3.236) mosquitoes per 24-h trap-period and the traps without the nozzle collected 46.73 (SE 2.942) mosquitoes per 24-h trap-period, and no significant difference (P > 0.05) was found. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the collection of Aedes albopictus, Culex spp. , Anopheles punctipennis, Ae. vexans, and Aedes triseriatus between the traps with or without the nozzle. Other mosquito species were collected in low numbers and statistical analysis was not performed. Both the traps with and without the nozzle collected WNV-infected Aedes albopictus and Culex spp.
Regulation of Keratin Gene Expression in Hair Follicle Differentiation a

In hair growth, as the follicle bulb cells rapidly differentiate into either cortical or cuticle hair keratinocytes, about 50-100 keratin genes are transcriptionally activated. However, this complexity can be reduced to several, highly conserved gene families. In studying the regulation of keratin gene expression in the hair follicle we have isolated genes from most of these families and have examined their expression patterns by in situ hybridization. In the cortical keratinocytes striking patterns of keratin gene expression exist, suggesting that different transcriptional hierarchies operate in the various cell types. Comparisons of the keratin gene promoter regions indicates conserved sequence motifs that could be involved in determining these cell specificities. Similarly, we have isolated related sheep and human cuticle keratin genes and find conserved DNA motifs and expression patterns in cuticle cell differentiation. Additionally, the expression of sheep wool follicle IF and high-sulfur keratin genes in transgenic mice suggests that the regulatory DNA elements and proteins of hair keratin genes are functionally conserved between mammals.
JWH018, a common constituent of ‘Spice’ herbal blends, is a potent and efficacious cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonist

Background and purpose: ‘Spice’ is an herbal blend primarily marketed in Europe as a mild hallucinogen with prominent cannabis‐like effects and as a legal alternative to cannabis. However, a recent report identified a number of synthetic additives in samples of ‘Spice’. One of these, the indole derivative JWH018, is a ligand for the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) cannabinoid receptor and inhibits cAMP production in CB1 receptor‐expressing CHO cells. Other effects of JWH018 on CB1 receptor‐mediated signalling are not known, particularly in neurons. Here we have evaluated the signalling pathways activated by JWH018 at CB1 receptors.
Cyclic gas-exchange in the Chilean red cricket: inter-individual variation and thermal dependence

SUMMARY One of the most puzzling features of respiration in insects is cyclic gas exchange (CGE, the extreme form of discontinuous gas exchange-cycles, DGC), a periodic respiratory pattern that appeared independently several times in the evolution of arthropods. Although it is a striking feature of insects and some non-insect species, to date there is no clear knowledge of how widespread it is, or its adaptive significance. Here we show for the first time that a cricket (Cratomelus armatus) from the Stenopelmatidae family exhibits CGE. C. armatus shows a conspicuous, convective O-phase, with significantly repeatable ventilatory period and O-phase duration (intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.51 and 0.74, respectively). Also, C. armatus exhibits high variation in the CGE patterns, ranging from continuous to highly periodic records, sometimes including the classic F-phase. No record went to zero and we found significant (inverse) effects of ambient temperature on O-phase duration but not on the ventilatory period. Average V̇CO2 and O-phase amplitude (i.e. mean V̇CO2 of the peaks) increased with temperature whereas the amplitude of the interburst did not change significantly with ambient temperature. C. armatus is a species that lives below ground in humid forests, so our results support the chthonic-hygric hypothesis (i.e. facilitation of gas exchange under hypoxic and hypercapnic conditions, minimizing evaporative water loss), although this assertion needs to be confirmed statistically by a strong inference approach.
Causal Effect of Advertisement on Profit and Sales

The present study evaluates the relationship between advertisement expenditure, sales revenue and the profits of companies, which are listed in the National Stock Exchange (NSE). In the past researchers evaluated the impact of sales on advertisement or sales. The present research will study the impact of the advertisement expenditure, sales revenue and the profits on each other. There is a need of this study. The tools used for the analysis are descriptive statistics, unit root test, granger causality, VAR (Vector Auto Regression) and Variance Decomposition. The findings of the research shows that there is a visible impact of the previous years sales on the sale of current year as well as the sale impact the advertisement and profit as well. On the other hand the profit impacts the advertisement.
Human resource outsourcing: 19902004

Abstract Given the increasing use of and considerable debates on human resource outsourcing (HRO), this study critically reviews the existing literature on a selection of HRO issues. It concludes that HRO has been widely practised since 1990, but its growth is modest rather than overwhelmingly rapid, and so is the anticipated future development. While saving costs, seeking better services and enhancing core competency are the main reasons for HRO, there is no evidence suggesting that these objectives have been easily achieved. There is no clear pattern of outsourcing HR activities, which points to the limitation of the traditional approach with regard to core and periphery issues. The effective management of HRO greatly lies in selecting the right vendors, ensuring service quality, building strategic relations and managing changes. This study also discusses the implications of the findings and the directions for future research.
Farmers’ Participation in Weekly Organic Bazaars in Aurangabad, India

( ) 1. Background and purpose In 2000, the government of India established the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). NPOP set a standard for organic production, system criteria, procedures for accreditation of inspection, certification bodies and the national organic logo with the regulations governing its use. The standard is meant to (but does not) meet the international standard requirements of CODEX and IFOAM. The government created the programme for both the international and domestic markets [1]. In reality, this standard is not for domestic purposes but for export. When organic farmers want to sell their products as organic, they have to be certified by accredited agencies designated by NPOP. Only organic products grown by certified farmers are allowed to be in markets under the name of “India Organic”. Charges for obtaining this certification vary by accredited agencies, but it usually costs more than Rs. 20,000/year. Large landholding farmers who grow organic processing products like spices, tea and coffee can afford the certification cost. Therefore, a substantial export market for the organic processing products has already been well developed in India. In contrast, the cost is unaffordable for small farmers who mainly produce seasonal vegetables for domestic markets. Therefore, domestic markets for organic fruits and vegetables are yet to be developed. Our previous research has shown that the ecological neem pesticide, which is effective for cultivating spices and vegetables, is mostly used by small and marginal farmers [2]. However, those eco-friendly farmers have to sell their crops with other conventional ones without any price premium since there are few organic markets in the district. If an organic market exists, farmers can sell their organic products on the organic market with a price premium. Their income will increase and thus more farmers will adopt organic farming. We examine the Institute for Integrated Rural Development (IIRD) located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra State. The organization has a unique marketing channel for organic products, which has increased organic farming. Aurangabad had a population of 892,483 in 2001 [3] and is one of the driest areas in Maharashtra State with a temperature range of 9°C to 40°C, and rainfall only occurs in Farmers’ Participation in Weekly Organic Bazaars in Aurangabad, India