Each Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) plan needs to be tested and verified before any treatment to check its quality. Octavius 4D-1500 phantom detector is a modern and qualified device for quality assurance procedure. This study aims to compare the common dosimetric criteria 3%/3 mm with 2%/2 mm for H&N plans for the IMRT technique. Twenty-five patients with head and neck (H&N) tumor were with 6MV x-ray photon beam using Monaco 5.1 treatment planning software and exported to Elekta synergy linear accelerator then tested for pretreatment verification study using Octavius 4D-1500 phantom detector. The difference between planned and measured dose were assessed by using local and global gamma index (GI) analysis method at threshold 10%. The DD/DTA criteria are performed with 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm. A significant difference is shown between the measured and calculated point dose for the treatment plans. A comparison made between the gamma passing rate between the 2%/2 mm and 3%/3 mm shows a significant difference for local and global which shows that the 2%/2 mm are more sensitive to dose variation than 3%/3 mm. The total monitor unit (MU) shows a negative linear relationship with both criteria and %GP types. A significant correlation is shown between the total MU and global %GP at 2%/2 mm criterion. The conclusion of the study indicates that 2%/2 mm criterion is more sensitive to the dose distribution changes than the 3%/3 mm. The total number of monitor units should be taken into consideration during the planning of H&N tumors using the IMRT plans.
This paper deals with load-deflection behavior the jointed plain concrete pavement system using steel dowel bars as a mechanism to transmit load across the expansion joints. Experimentally, four models of the jointed plain concrete pavement system were made, each model consists of two slabs of plain concrete that connected together across expansion by two dowel bars and the concrete slab were supported by the subgrade soil. Two variables were dealt with, the first is diameter of dowel bar (12, 16 and 20 mm) and the second is type of the subgrade soil, two types of soil were used which classified according to the (AASHTO): Type I (A-6) and type II (A-7-6). Experimental results showed that increasing dowel bar diameter from 12 mm to 20 mm
... Show MoreBreast cancer constitutes about one fourth of the registered cancer cases among the Iraqi population (1)
and it is the leading cause of death among Iraqi women (2)
. Each year more women are exposed to the vicious
ramifications of this disease which include death if left unmanaged or the negative sequels that they would
experience, cosmetically and psychologically, after exposure to radical mastectomy.
The World Health Organization (WHO) documented that early detection and screening, when coped
with adequate therapy, could offer a reduction in breast cancer mortality; displaying that the low survival rates
in less developed countries, including Iraq, is mainly attributed to the lack of early detection programs couple
A two time step stochastic multi-variables multi-sites hydrological data forecasting model was developed and verified using a case study. The philosophy of this model is to use the cross-variables correlations, cross-sites correlations and the two steps time lag correlations simultaneously, for estimating the parameters of the model which then are modified using the mutation process of the genetic algorithm optimization model. The objective function that to be minimized is the Akiake test value. The case study is of four variables and three sites. The variables are the monthly air temperature, humidity, precipitation, and evaporation; the sites are Sulaimania, Chwarta, and Penjwin, which are located north Iraq. The model performance was
... Show MoreAbstract A descriptive study was carried out on nurses who were working at burn. Units in Baghdad city hospitals, Al-Kindy , Al-Yarmook, Al-Qadisiya, Al-karkh, and Al-Karama hospital, in the period from 20th july 2003 to 20th November 2003. The study aimed to identify the nurses performance about pain management for burned patients at burn units and find out the relationship between the demographic characteristics and performance . A purposive (non-probability) sample of (40) nurses, (24) male nurses and (16) female. The data were collected through the use of observational checklist, which comprised (
Innovative laboratory research and fluid breakthroughs have improved carbonate matrix stimulation technology in the recent decade. Since oil and gas wells are stimulated often to increase output and maximum recovery, this has resulted in matrix acidizing is a less costly alternative to hydraulic fracturing; therefore, it is widely employed because of its low cost and the fact that it may restore damaged wells to their previous productivity and give extra production capacity. Limestone acidizing in the Mishrif reservoir has never been investigated; hence research revealed fresh insights into this process. Many reports have stated that the Ahdeb oil field's Mishrif reservoir has been unable to be stimulated due to high inj
... Show MoreAerial Robot Arms (ARAs) enable aerial drones to interact and influence objects in various environments. Traditional ARA controllers need the availability of a high-precision model to avoid high control chattering. Furthermore, in practical applications of aerial object manipulation, the payloads that ARAs can handle vary, depending on the nature of the task. The high uncertainties due to modeling errors and an unknown payload are inversely proportional to the stability of ARAs. To address the issue of stability, a new adaptive robust controller, based on the Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network, is proposed. A three-tier approach is also followed. Firstly, a detailed new model for the ARA is derived using the Lagrange–d’A
... Show MoreObjective: To identify barriers to healthcare access, to assess the health literacy levels of the foreign-born Arabic speaking population in Iowa, USA and to measure their prevalence of seeking preventive healthcare services. Methods: A cross-sectional study of native Arabic speaking adults involved a focus group and an anonymous paper-based survey. The focus group and the Andersen Model were used to develop the survey questionnaire. The survey participants were customers at Arabic grocery stores, worshippers at the city mosque and patients at free University Clinic. Chi-square test was used to measure the relationship between the characteristics of survey participants and preventive healthcare services. Thematic analysis was
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