Summary Introduction: Considering that hearing loss and otologic complications can interfere in the maturation process of central nervous system, this study aimed to check the performance of children with cleft lip and palate with or without the history of otitis media in the evaluation of the hearing process. Method: Prospective study. Were evaluated 20 children with operated cleft lip and palate, aged between 7 to 10 years old, divided into group I - 10 children with cleft lip and palate with history of otitis - and group II - with 10 children with cleft lip and palate with no history of otitis. Were performed diotic, monotic and dichotic tests. Results: All the children presented a bad performance in at least one dichotic test. In these diotic tests, children of group I had the worst performance, while in the monotic tests the worst performance was of group II. Conclusion: All the children with history of otitis and all the children with no history have presented a bad performance in the processing tests,in other words, some kind of central alteration was found in 100% of the children studied in both groups.


The electron density, its topological features, and the electrostatic potential of tetrakis-mu-(acetylsalicylate)dicopper(II), Cu[C9H7O4](2), have been derived from an accurate high-resolution diffraction experiment at 100 K. This complex exhibits a polymeric structure involving one acetyl oxygen atom as a bridge in the solid state. Only van der Waals interactions between the polymeric chains are observed. The copper cation is octahedrally coordinated with five oxygen atoms of the aspirinate ligands and one adjacent Cu with short Cu center dot center dot center dot Cu contact distances in the range of 2.6054(1) angstrom. The Cu-O bond lengths are equal to 1.96 angstrom except the apical one which is 2.2183(7) angstrom. The multipole refinements were carried out using the Hansen-Coppens model coded in the MOPRO computer program. Starling from the 3d(10)4s(1) copper electron configuration, the electron density analysis and Cu d-orbital populations reveal that the observed configuration is close to being [Ar]3d(9)4s(1). As expected from the ligand field theory, the most depopulated 3d-orbital is the d(x2-y2)(1.17 e) one with lobes pointing toward the carboxylic oxygen atoms. Conversely, the d(z2) is the most populated orbital for a z-axis directed along the Cu center dot center dot center dot Cu bond. The atomic charges were derived from a kappa-refinement and yielded a metal net charge of +1.20(3) e. Deficits of +0.72(6) and +0.59(7) e are obtained for the acetyl carbon atoms of the aspirinate ligands, those involved in the drug activity of aspirin. Comparisons are made to the results of our previous work on the zinc-aspirinate complex.


People with borderline personality disorder experience problems in a variety of cognitive areas, including information processing, decision making, planning, memory, and problem solving. The aim of the study was to modeling the intermediate role of metacognitive awareness on the relationship between overgeneral autobiographical memory and problem solving. The research was fundamental and in terms of implementation method was correlational. The statistical population included all individuals with borderline personality disorder who referred to psychological and psychiatric clinics in Kurdistan province in 1397-98. 300 patients with diagnosis of borderline personality disorder based on clinical interview and willing to participate in the study were selected. They answered the Autobiographical memory test, metacognition awareness questionnaire and social problem solving inventory. Data were analyzed using Amos software. Findings showed that overgeneral autobiographical memory has a direct effect on problem solving skills and metacognitive awareness with coefficients of 0.17 and 0.20, respectively. Also, the direct effect of metacognitive awareness on problem solving was 0.35. Overgeneral Autobiographical memory predicted 4% of the variance of metacognitive awareness, and Overgeneral autobiographical memory with metacognitive awareness predicted 17% of problem-solving changes. On the other hand, the indirect effect of Overgeneral autobiographical memory on problem-solving skills was 0.07, which shows that the indirect effect of Overgeneral autobiographical memory on problem-solving skills is significant. Therefore, it can be concluded that metacognitive awareness acts as a mediator as an observer, which increases the scores of problem-solving skills.


Dispersion of submicrometre-size carbon black particles in asphalt at dosages of 11 to 16 percent by weight of asphalt has been found to improve the asphalt properties of durability, wear resistance, and temperature-viscosity susceptibility. This concept of reinforcing asphalts with a carbon black filler has been made practical by pelletizing the carbon black with a high-durability maltenes binder compatible with asphalts. The pellets are packaged in 11.34-kg (25 lb) polyethylene bags which are introduced, bag and all, into hot-mix cycle of asphalt concrete batch-type plants. In continuous-type plants, the pellets are added either through the asphalt feedline in correct proportion to the hot asphalt or through the hot aggregate feed in correct proportion to the hot aggregate. Since the carbon black becomes part of and bulks the asphalt, adjustments are made in batch weights to keep the volume relationship of binder to rock constant. Other design considerations are discussed. Effects of the carbon black addition on the properties of asphalts and asphalt concrete, as measured in both laboratory and field experiments, are shown. The present status of a continuing program of field testing and evaluation is described.


: A randomized study was carried out in 396 patients requiring inhalation therapy for chronic obstructive lung disease to assess whether a modified, breath-activated device for drug delivery ('Rotahaler') was more effective than the current standard model in opening the hard gelatin cartridge containing the drug in powder form ('Rotacaps'). 'Rotacaps' packaged in two different ways, one specially designed to protect them against environmental changes, were also compared. Patients were asked to open 5 cartridges of each type with each of the two devices. The modified 'Rotahaler' failed to open only 0.7% of both types of 'Rotacaps' whereas the standard model failed to open 13.6% of the foil-packed type and 16.9% of those from a special polypropylene container. There was a statistically significant difference between the two 'Rotahaler' devices and between the two types of 'Rotacaps' in the standard device. More patients preferred the modified 'Rotahaler' (160) than the standard (75). The results did not depend upon age, sex, nationality of the patients or previous 'Rotahaler' experience. It is concluded that the modifications substantially improve the performance of the 'Rotahaler' and should make it easier for patients to use.


Abstract Newly developed serological tests for diagnosing parelaphostrongylosis in cervids, using the excretory-secretory products (ES) of the infective larvae of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), have demonstrable superiority over the traditional method of larval recovery and microscopic identification. To generate a source of ELISA antigen by genetic engineering, we created a complementary DNA (cDNA) expression library by the reverse transcription of mRNA of P. tenuis adult worms and by ligation with the vector λ-ZAP II. The library was screened using antisera produced in mice by immunization with a somatic antigen preparation of adult worms. Seventeen clones were isolated, sequenced, and checked for similarity to other DNA sequences in GenBank. A previously identified parasite gene encoding an aspartyl protease inhibitor (API) was isolated from the cDNA library, subcloned, and expressed using the pET expression vector to produce a glutathione S transferase (GST)–His-S-tag-P. tenuis API fusion protein (molecular weight = 63 kDa). An ELISA utilizing the API fusion protein as the coating antigen was used to serologically diagnose all white-tailed deer (WTD, Odocoileus virginianus; 10 out of 10) that had been inoculated with a range of 6–150 L3 P. tenuis, indicating that the antigen may be a useful serodiagnostic antigen for P. tenuis infection in this cervid species.


Many students on Health and Social Care Foundation Degree and Access courses struggle with the academic expectations required of them at this level. This book is written to support such students in adapting to self-directed study, understand the assessment process and how they can make the most of their learning opportunities. The authors also cover practicalities such as avoiding plagiarism, using their studies to become a reflective practitioner, and understanding the benefit of research and critical thinking. More than a generic study guide, this book is practice-based and will be of great benefit to health and social care students.


The purpose of this study is to analyze the semantic analysis of conjunctions in the translation of a Malay-English novel. This study focuses on looking at cohesion ties specifically conjunctions used in the selected Malay literary text, Badai Semalam and its English translated version, Storms of Yesterday. The objectives of this study are (i) to identify the types of conjunctions used in sentences in translating the Malay novel, Badai Semalam into the English novel, Storms of Yesterday (ii) to find out the similarities and differences of semantic features of the Malay conjunctions into the English translation (iii) to determine the types of shifts in the level of explicitness and shifts in text meaning that might occur in the English translation. The study will employ Halliday and Hasan's Taxonomy of Cohesion (1976) which emphasizes on conjunctions of four semantic areas (additive, adversative, causal and temporal) with the conjunctions in Malay language. In addition, Componential Analysis by Katz and Fodor (1963) will also be used to determine the semantic features of conjunctions whether the conjunctions used in Malay and English are similar or different. Blum Kulka's shifts of Cohesion (1986) will be used to examine the types of shifts in the level of explicitness and text meaning that might occur. A pilot study was done earlier to require a comprehensive result before it is written completely. The discussions on the findings are presented from the excerpts of both novels and analyzed thoroughly. The findings reveal that some Malay and English conjunctions are related, overlapping and different. Interestingly, the results of the study also found that some Malay conjunctions are considered as prepositions and pronouns in English, thus indicates the frequent occurrences of explicit shifts.


Reactive oxygen species have been implicated in seizure-induced neurodegeneration, and there is a correlation between free radical level and scavenger enzymatic activity in the epilepsy. It has been suggested that pilocarpineinduced seizures is mediated by an increase in oxidative stress. Current research has found that antioxidant may provide, in a certain degree, neuroprotection against the neurotoxicity of seizures at the cellular level. Crysophanol has numerous nonenzymatic actions and is a powerful liposoluble antioxidant. The objective of present study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of crysophanol (CRY) in mice, against oxidative stress caused by pilocarpineinduced seizures, 30 min prior to behavioral observation, Swiss mice were treated with, 0.9% saline (i.p., control group), CRY (0.5 mg/kg, i.p., CRY 0.5 group), CRY (1.0 mg/kg, i.p., CRY 1.0 group), pilocarpine (400 mg/kg, i.p., P400 group), or the combination of CRY (0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) and pilocarpine (400 mg/kg, i.p.). After the treatments all groups were observed for 24 h. The enzymatic activities and lipid per oxidation concentrations were measured using spectrophotometric methods and these data were assayed. In P400 group mice there was a significant increase in lipid peroxidation levels and catalase activity. In the CRY and pilocarpine co-administered mice, antioxidant treatment significantly reduced the lipid peroxidation level, as well as increased the catalase activities in mice hippocampus after seizures. Our findings strongly support the hypothesis that oxidative stress occurs in hippocampus during pilocarpineinduced seizures, indicate that brain damage induced by the oxidative process plays a crucial role in seizures pathogenic consequences, and imply that strong protective effect could be achieved using crysophanol.


In the beginning of 2000, researchers started to see the potential of using Augmented Reality (AR) in educational and foresaw that further research within the field. Since then, AR research have taken many different approaches. This is also true for AR in relation to pedagogical purposes. This study is to investigate what has been studied within the AR field related to mobile augmented reality. It attempts to make systematic review of how learning and pedagogical aspects have been approached in the articles. In recent years, mobile augmented reality has become increasingly interesting due to the mobile devices small form factors and their ability to let the students move around freely while learning. The aim of this study is to make a systematic review of pedagogical uses of mobile augmented reality. Based on a review of previous literature of mobile AR systems for pedagogical purposes, published between 2000-2017, make it possible to see in which direction mobile AR systems for education are heading and how future mobile AR systems should be designed to best fit the needs of future students so they can more effectively improve their learning.


Rodents and pinnipeds use their tactile sense as the primary modes for localization and foraging. This abstract presents a rodent whisker-inspired tactile sensor for mobile robot navigation fabricated using the Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament (SWMF). The monofilament is lightweight, readily available, and generates reproducible buckling stresses. The sensor deflection characteristic has three distinct regions of operation that help detect buckling. The sensor's small size, 360° tactile view, and force sensing capability could make it suitable for narrow space navigation.


The article aims at offering help to lecturers that want to teach their students how to write an acceptable research paper. As grammar and/or syntax can contribute to writing correct sentences but cannot aid students in developing a well-written research paper, lecturers should teach their students how to acquire important skills that will help them to compose a correct research paper. Such skills involve the acquisition of the ability to develop paragraphs, a series of sentences developing one topic, and the composition of a paper through a series of paragraphs that develop several related topics. Paragraphs need to include unity, coherence, transition, reasons – to accept the arguments in the research paper – and some examples in order to give the reasons in the research paper more validity. While long paragraphs can make the reader tired, many short paragraphs can become monotonous and boring. In other words, the length of paragraphs in a research paper is important. So is a closing, a summary sentence for the end of the development of the topic sentence, signalling that the writer is ready to move on to another idea and lists of details, like illustrations, examples, contrast, comparison, cause and effect and a combination of methods. The purpose of the research paper is considered to be of utmost importance and corresponds to one of the four main types of writing, including explanation, argument or mixtures, depending on the title and the central idea. Limiting the subject by providing an outline is helpful in organizing the student's thoughts and avoiding overlapping. The inclusion of citations and a bibliography are obligatory for diligence in fulfilling the requirements of the university or college.


Scrapbook containing photographs, church bulletins, newspaper and magazine clippings, baptistry painting interpretations, etc. related to the various churches and individuals with whom Perry was associated.


Integrins are a protein family of cell surface receptors, expressed in all cell types in the human body, except the red blood cells. Besides their importance in mediating physical connections with the surrounding environment, the integrin family members are also vital signalling mediators. They have no intrinsic kinase activity; instead the signals are transduced through conformational changes. In this thesis, work is presented which is focused on molecular mechanisms of integrin signal transduction. The signal transduction was first studied from a structural point of view, determining the transmembrane domain borders of a few selected integrin family members and ruling out a signalling model involving a "piston-like" movement. Then, downstream signalling events involved in the beta1 integrin-induced activation of Akt via the PI3kinase family were characterized. Our results identify a novel pathway for PI3K/Akt activation by beta1 integrins, which is independent of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), Src and EGF receptor. Furthermore, both beta1 integrins and EGF receptors induced phosphorylation of Akt at the regulatory sites Thr308 and Ser473, but only EGF receptor stimulation induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Akt.Finally, signals from beta1 integrins underlying the morphologic changes during cell spreading were studied. A rapid integrin-induced cell spreading dependent on actin polymerisation was observed by using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. This integrin-induced actin polymerisation was shown to be dependent on PI3K p110alpha catalytic subunit and to involve the conserved Lys756 in the beta1-integrin membrane proximal part.


Facial Aging is caused by changes compromising the SMAS, Platysma, Skin and Facial Adipose Tissue. Currently, Facial Rejuvenation treatments imply to correct, reposition and replenish the hypertrophic or lax tissues to obtain more natural results, but considering less traumatic techniques and with short-term recovery periods. Less invasive surgeries are possible through the assistance of modern techniques in conjunction with new and adequate technology. Materials and Methods: In 2010, we incorporated to our practice the use of a new Laser wavelength: 1210-nm. Its advantage as a surgical instrument resides in its great affinity/absorption by adipose tissue. Results: This is the first wavelenght that does not produce lysis, furthermore, it preserves the adipocytes and stimulates the adipose-derived stem Cells (ASC). This wavelength also stimulates skin retraction in two points in time: a) Immediate effect; as it thickens the dermis. b) Late effect (3 months); after stimulating collagen production. Fat Grafts are widely spread nowadays as face fillers, but the most important difference we obtain is stimulation of ASC on our injecting material. What we acquire is not only a increase in volume but an important improvement in the quality of the neighbouring tissue of our graft. The considerable skin retraction caused by the use of the 1210-nm wavelength, allows us to diminish the dissection of the facelift's grafts on the cervical level. The low complication levels presented on our Lipolaser technique permits us to use this technology with safety in the face, cheeks and cervical area.
Conclusions: The use of this new Laser wavelength (1210-nm) that preserves and stimulates Adipocytes and ASC is considered a safe, convenient and adequate tool for our facial rejuvenation treatments, as it offers us a better grafting/filler material and an important skin retraction with less trauma, making it possible to associate our short-scar facelift with less dissection. Key words: Laser stimulation, laser 1210-nm, fat preserving, adipocyte stem cell. References: 1. Anderson R R , Farinelli W , Laubach H , Manstein D , Yaroslavsky A , Gubeli J , et al. Selective photothermolysis of lipid-rich tissues: a free electron laser study . Laser Surg Med. 2006 ; 38 : 913 – 919 . 2. Centurion P, Noriega A. Fat Preserving by Laser 1210-nm. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2013; 15: 2–12. 3. Laser Stimulation on Adipose Stem Cells (ASC) and


The digital technology has changed the efficiency of communication and affected people's communication pattern as well. In the early days of internet usage, the concerns of academic research of interpersonal communication from the past face to face communication, change to the evolution of the computer-mediated communication (CMC). Nowadays, the popularity of smart phones generates a new interpersonal communication pattern - mobil-mediated communication (MMC). This change involves not only different communication device, but also function expansion, contact efficiency and economy. The communication relationship and social interaction, along with the technology transition result new models.
Mobil-mediated communication in the academic field is still a new topic, relevant researches mainly focus on the technic innovation of communication technology or message properties. However, there are more and more studies direct to the social relations of communication. Yuan (2012) studied mobile phones for social relations in Chinese society which provide many practical observations of communication behavior. On indirect and high-context patterns of Chinese social interaction, mobile phones play an important role and develop relation-oriented cultural norms. Communication through mobile phones are used to define and mediate group members, maintain social cohesion and harmony.
Chinese society highly values social relationship. In this study, mobile phone is regarded as intermediary vehicle which links people's social relationship netwok. On one hand, people interaction through moble phone, the social media, can establish contact and strengthen each others' affection connection. On the other hand, instead of face to face communication, smart phone's mediated effect omit the social context clues so that interpersonal relationship possess the flexibility of avoidance. Therefore, this study analyze the characteristics of social reaction in the mobile-mediated situation. There are two research questions developed . First, how people use mobile phone to proceed interpersonal communication and establish positive effect of warm feeling? Second, , how people use mobile phone to take the avoid effect for buffering emotional conflict? The research adopts quality method of focus group interview to examine communication exerperience of smart phone usage. There are six business professionals as focus group interviewers. The discussion focuses on the phenomenas of positive and advoid effect in mobile-mediated situation.
The research found that smart phone offers many communication convenience, allowing users able to have a positive emotional warming effect, then bring a better interactive experience. Common experiences of respondents believe that smart phones not only provide basic voice calls, but also have important advantages to facilitate communication. For example, all users installed Line or FB community communication APP, which can replace the voice dialoge so that the contact become more economical and convenient. Some APP stickers even improve the texts communication to a more lively type and increase the pleasure of communication behavior. Respondents also reveal mobile-mediated communication can lower the interpersonal relation stress and avoid psychological burden. Precisely the avoid effects come from smartphone's powerful functions. For example, response time has considerable flexibility when phone call. Receiver does not have to bear the direct communication of pressure, and take easy to read message.
In conclusion, mobile-mediated communication provides a convenient channel for interpersonal contact. It towards a very positive impact on the development of social relationship. Especially mobile phones with a variety of affiliated functions, users can adopt it for different situations and communication purposes. It contributes to human interaction with a positive and conflict avoidance effect. Without physical contact like face to face interaction, mobile-mediated communication create a new social relation pattern and helps to strengthen the development of the collective consciousness and social cohesion.


Methanogens play an important role to carbon cycling, catalyzing the production of methane and carbon dioxide, both potent green house gases, during organic matter degradation in anaerobic environments. Therefore, it is necessary to better understand microorganisms that produce natural gas. Indeed, methanogens are difficult to perform through culture based methods. In addition, the culture independent methods using the 16S rRNA gene also revealed some disadvantages. For these reasons, the culture independent molecular techniques using the specific catabolic genes such as methyl coenzyme M reductase (MCR) were studied. In this study, a primer set which can amplify specific fragments from a wide variety of mcrA gene was designed based on the homologous regions of 100 mcrA genes listed in the GenBank. PCR with the mcrA primers amplified DNA fragments of the expected size from all the six samples which obtained from biogas production reactors. In addition, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis PCR analysis using our designed primers also revealed the diversity of mcrA gene in each sample. These results revealed that our primers were successfully to detect the mcrA genes and it is also helpful to know the diversity of mcrA genes in methanogen communities.


With the development of wireless network and the improvement of mobile device capability, video streaming is more and more widespread in such an environment. Under the condition of limited resource and inherent constraints, appropriate video adaptations have become one of the most important and challenging issues in wireless multimedia applications. In this paper, we propose a novel content-aware video adaptation in order to effectively utilize resource and improve visual perceptual quality. First, the attention model is derived from analyzing the characteristics of brightness, location, motion vector, and energy features in compressed domain to reduce computation complexity. Then, through the integration of attention model, capability of client device and correlational statistic model, attractive regions of video scenes are derived. The information object- (IOB-) weighted rate distortion model is used for adjusting the bit allocation. Finally, the video adaptation scheme dynamically adjusts video bitstream in frame level and object level. Experimental results validate that the proposed scheme achieves better visual quality effectively and efficiently.


Because genes can be constrained by selection at more than one phenotypic level, the relaxation of constraints following gene duplication allows for functional divergence (FD) along multiple phenotypic axes. Many studies have generated individual measures of FD, but the profile of FD between paralogs across levels of phenotypic space remains largely uncharted. We evaluate paralog pairs that originated via the yeast whole-genome duplication (ohnolog pairs) at three distinct phenotypic levels (properties of proteins, gene expression, and overall organismal growth) using eight complementary measures of FD (protein: evolutionary rates, radical amino acid substitutions, and domain architecture; gene expression: expression differences in a single species and condition, across species in a single condition, and in a single species across conditions; and organismal: genetic interaction profiles and growth profiles in multiple conditions). We find that the majority of ohnolog pairs show FD by multiple phenotypic measures. Within each phenotypic level, measures of FD are strongly correlated but are generally weakly correlated between levels, suggesting that functional constraints exerted on genes from distinct phenotypic levels are largely decoupled. Our results suggest that redundancy is a rare functional fate for retained paralogs and that FD cannot be fully captured by measures at any single phenotypic level.


In August 2012 Oxford Archaeology (OA) carried out a field evaluation on land at
Dunsfold park, Dunsfold, Surrey on behalf of Bio Group Ltd. The evaluation
comprised machine excavation of 8 trenches 60m long and 2 trenches 25m in
length, all with a width of 1.6m. The evaluation found very little in the way of
significant archaeological remains. Agricultural furrows were identified crossing the
site, generally from west-north-west to east-south-east, but the only archaeological
features were one pit (or tree-throw hole) and a north-south ditch that was located
crossing two trenches. The pit produced a small assemblage of medieval pottery
dating to the later 13th or 14th centuries. Two phases of furrows were probably
present, and it is possible that the earlier of these was dated to the 12th-14th
century, but it is equally likely that the medieval finds were residual in the furrows.
The ditch was undated. Prehistoric flintwork was also discovered in very small
amounts, supporting previous evidence for a limited prehistoric presence in the
area.


The study, entitled Fulfillment of Security Law Principle In Pledge With Stock As It Object, aims to find and understand and analyze how the validity of the share Security Law agreement uses the Pledge Security Law institution. Based on the results of the study it can be concluded that the Pledge Security Law Institution is the only Security Law institution in Indonesia whose publicity is different from other security institutions in Indonesia. The publicity of the Pledge Security Institution is manifested and proven by the credibility of the object Security Law by the Creditors. Besides Pledge as a material security agency in Indonesia also has a Principle in the Security law, the principle is the Accesoire Principle which is the legal requirement for a Pledge. Legitimate a Pledge if the object which is used as a security object is under the authority of the Creditor. Whereas in the case of a stock Security Law using a mortgage Security Law institution, the potential of the Accessibility Agreement is null and void by law because in the UUPT provisions, stock that are used as security as a pledge object, the control remains with the Debtor.


Volatility is a critical parameter in virtually all option pricing models. But the closer we look at volatility, the harder it seems to be to model it correctly. The constant volatility assumption of early pricing models is clearly inadequate. GARCH family models make volatility a function of the asset price process, and stochastic volatility models bring in a second stochastic factor that affects volatility movements. These approaches make sense in theory, but empirically volatility shocks seem to be too persistent to be consistent with them. A further confounding factor is that implied volatilities extracted from option prices in the market are widely thought to give more accurate predictions of future realized volatility, but don't obey any of these models exactly. In this article, Li examines a volatility model with "long memory," meaning that it can be made to fit the slow-decay feature of market volatilities. He also introduces a much more extensive data series, with intraday observations every five minutes. Using such a dense price series, realized volatility becomes observable, and the vast number of data points allows precise estimation of model parameters. For exchange rates on the deutsche mark, the yen and the British pound, the ARFIMA ("Autoregressive Fractionally Integrated Moving Average") model is shown to give a better fit to volatility behavior than the alternative model, and it beats implied volatility substantially in the standard tests of forecasting performance.


Data from both experimental and epidemiological trials have suggested a potential correlation between extraction of the natural lens associated with exposure to photo-oxidative stress to the retina and a progression of diseases such as AMD. A fundamental factor could be the unchecked exposure to blue light. This is why in the past years so-called blue light-filtering intraocular lenses have been implanted to serve as a protection to the retina. The following contribution is based on a data base research (Pub Med, National Library of Medicine, USA) and summarises information currently available on the use of blue light-filtering lenses. Experimental modeling has shown that, compared to regular UV lenses, blue light-filtering lenses block a considerable part of blue light transmission to the retina and reduce damage to retinal cells and production of inflammatory markers such as VEGF. The majority of the clinical data demonstrate that blue light-filtering lenses are compatible in terms of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and colour perception as well as patient-rated quality of vision. But a few additional studies report reduced contrast sensitivity and limitations in mesopic vision.This is also true for the circadian rhythm. However, the evaluation of this parameter in connection with blue light-filtering lenses has only been done on a theoretical basis. Long-term data showing that blue light-filtering lenses actually do reduce the incidence of retinal diseases such as AMD are currently not available.


Existing relational learning approaches usually work on complete relational data. However, in real-world applications, data are often incomplete. This paper proposes the MLTEC (maximum likelihood tree and evolutionary computing method) method to learn structures of the probabilistic relational models (PRMs) from incomplete relational data. The incomplete relational data are filled randomly at first, and a maximum likelihood tree (MLT) is generated from each completed data sample. This population of MLTs is then evolved through an evolutionary computing process, and the incomplete data are modified by using the best evolved structure in each generation. As a result, the probabilistic structure is learned. Experimental results show that the MLTEC method can learn good structures from incomplete relational data.


Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) poses challenging drug-drug interactions with immunosuppressant agents in transplant recipients. We aimed to determine the impact of specific antiretroviral regimens in clinical outcomes of HIV + kidney transplant recipients. Methods: A single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted at a large academic center. Subjects included 58 HIV - to HIV + adult, first-time kidney transplant patients. The main intervention was ART regimen used after transplantation. The main outcomes assessed at one- and three-years were: patient survival, death-censored graft survival, and biopsy-proven acute rejection; we also assessed serious infections within the first six months post-transplant. Results: Patient and graft survival at three years were both 90% for the entire cohort. Patients receiving protease inhibitor (PI)-containing regimens had lower patient survival at one and three years than patients receiving PI-sparing regimens: 85% vs. 100% ( p=0.06) and 82% vs. 100% ( p=0.03), respectively. Patients who received PI-containing regimens had twelve times higher odds of death at 3 years compared to patients who were not exposed to PIs (odds ratio, 12.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.31-1602; p=0.02). Three-year death-censored graft survival was lower in patients receiving PI vs. patients on PI-sparing regimens (82 vs 100%, p=0.03). Patients receiving integrase strand transfer inhibitors-containing regimens had higher 3-year graft survival. There were no differences in the incidence of acute rejection by ART regimen. Individuals receiving PIs had a higher incidence of serious infections compared to those on PI-sparing regimens (39 vs. 8%, p=0.01). Conclusions: PI-containing ART regimens are associated with adverse outcomes in HIV + kidney transplant recipients.


Although the English Language Learner (ELL) student population is steadily increasing, the American teaching workforce remains mainly white and monolingual. This sector has yet to reflect the change in ELLs and teachers of color, who will be able to adequately provide culturally responsive instruction to these students. There is an urgent need to recruit and train teachers in culturally responsive pedagogy with the purpose of providing educational, cultural and social supports for the growing ELL population in the country (Farahnaz, 2012). Because of this, the American educational system is revamping some of its earlier pedagogical approaches, including the introduction of more culturally responsive pedagogy during instruction, as well as attempting to attract a more diverse teaching workforce (Farahnaz, 2012). The focus of this qualitative study was to investigate the reasons for the lack of minority teachers given the large K-12 ELL Hispanic student population within a school district with an increasing Hispanic population. A stratified purposive sampling method was used because it was imperative to seek the opinions of district administrators at the elementary, middle and secondary school levels within the school district to determine their perceptions about the lack of teacher diversity among ELLs. It is hoped that this information can strengthen the existing body of knowledge concerning language minority learners and the need for diverse teaching faculty and add to the academic discourse surrounding the topic. Primary findings of this study reveal that school districts with large numbers of language minorities must work more closely with nearby teacher education programs in order to help increase the numbers of students of color who enroll in educational programs across the country, thus hopefully increasing the numbers of teachers of color in those districts. The data also suggest that if ELLs are to succeed academically, school districts must adjust their school curricula to include culturally and linguistically diverse forms of instructional strategies that include the cultural representations of the minority student groups they serve. Districts need to focus on grooming their English language learners to pursue educational goals which go beyond a general secondary education.


Managerial ability, albeit an illusive concept, is related to analysis of size economies in South Africa's dairy production sector. Data from the 1997 production cost survey of 394 farms was used in econometric estimation of long run average cost (LAC) functions for different levels of (a proxy of) managerial ability. Results show that the LAC curves are U-shaped with greater economies than diseconomies of size. Also, better managers are shown to profitably produce any level of output at lower average cost per litre than other managers. In addition their optimum levels of output are between two and four times as large as firms with average or low levels of management. The better-managed enterprises are on average operating below their optimum levels, but low and average managed firms are producing output well in excess of their optima. Thus the hypothesized vertical and horizontal displacement of the LAC curve holds in the case of the South African dairy sector, as represented by the data set.


The purpose of this master thesis was to write a research article concerning assessment of students with a disability in physical education. Part I in this thesis is the supplementary theory and method being used, and part II is the research article. The main goal for this master thesis was to understand how students with a disability were assessed, and how they perceive the assessment process in physical education. It was also of interest to find out if there were differences between the assessments related to students with a disability and for those without a disability. It is based in a Norwegian context, were there is political support to front inclusion in a comprehensive school. Despite this political support for inclusion, little research has examined how teachers attempt to assess students with a disability. The research question for the article was: How do students with a disability report the assessment in physical education, and are there any differences between student with and without a disability concerning this? The research question was answered through an analysis of the responses given to a major questionnaire concerning assessment in physical education. In order to answer the research question, there were developed seven independent sum-variables as a tool to present the empirical results. The variables were knowledge concerning the competence aims, knowledge about the assessment criteria, engaging students in assessment for learning, feedback, perceived justice, self-reported movement during the lessons and marks in physical education. The results showed differences between students with and without disability on how they perceive the assessment. These differences confirm that teachers do not assess all students in the same way, and that teachers seem unfamiliar with how to assess students with a disability. Students with a disability have less knowledge about the assessment criteria, they get less feedback, perceive the assessment as less fair, move less during lessons, and get lower marks than students without a disability. The results show a difference between students with and without a disability, and students with a disability feel less satisfied with the assessment than those without a disability.


The use of curved pre-stressed plates is investigated as this provides a possible additional mechanism to resist both initial folding and later structural collapse. Numerical modelling in Autodyn® and empirical calculations based on the Westine model were used to determine starting conditions for the explosive trials. Trials were conducted in which plates were pre-stressed by the imposition of a large bending moment from two parallel sides resulting in a tensile stress on the outer surface facing the blast. Tests were conducted at approximately one third linear scale using target plates of 500mm x 500mm and a charge of between 100g and 250g buried in dried sand was used to load them. Unstressed but curved plates were tested and then compared to similar shaped curved plates with an imposed bending stress equal to the yield stress or ultimate tensile stress of the plate material.


This paper presents learning the uncorrelated color space (UCS), the independent color space (ICS), and the discriminating color space (DCS) for face recognition. The new color spaces are derived from the RGB color space that defines the tristimuli R, G, and B component images. While the UCS decorrelates its three component images using principal component analysis (PCA), the ICS derives three independent component images by means of blind source separation, such as independent component analysis (ICA). The DCS, which applies discriminant analysis, defines three new component images that are effective for face recognition. Effective color image representation is formed in these color spaces by concatenating their component images, and efficient color image classification is achieved using the effective color image representation and an enhanced Fisher model (EFM). Experiments on the face recognition grand challenge (FRGC) and the biometric experimentation environment (BEE) show that for the most challenging FRGC version 2 Experiment 4, which contains 12 776 training images, 16 028 controlled target images, and 8014 uncontrolled query images, the ICS, DCS, and UCS achieve the face verification rate (ROC III) of 73.69%, 71.42%, and 69.92%, respectively, at the false accept rate of 0.1%, compared to the RGB color space, the 2-D Karhunen-Loeve (KL) color space, and the FRGC baseline algorithm with the face verification rate of 67.13%, 59.16%, and 11.86%, respectively, with the same false accept rate.


In the present study the involvement of hydroxyl free radicals and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation was investigated in the MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) model of Parkinson's disease. MPTP (30 mg/kg, s.c.) produced a significant 2-fold increase in hydroxyl free radicals in the striatum of C57BL/6 mice determined by microdialysis in combination with the salicylate hydroxylation assay. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays did not detect NF-κB activation after MPTP treatment. Furthermore, p50-deficient mice showed only minor differences in striatal dopamine and metabolite levels as well as tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity after MPTP administration in comparison to wildtype mice. We postulate that, although hydroxyl radical production was enhanced, NF-κB plays only a minor role in the MPTP model because neither neurochemical nor immunocytochemical parameters were altered in p50-deficient mice in comparison to controls.


BACKGROUND
 Digital health usability assessments can help explain how well mobile health (mHealth) apps targeting young people with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information performed and whether the intended purpose was achieved. However, few digital health assessments have been conducted to evaluate young people's perceptions regarding mHealth system interactions and content relevance on a wide range of SRH topics. In addition, the majority of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have focused on push messaging platforms; therefore, the mHealth field lacks sufficient RCTs investigating on-demand mHealth SRH platforms.

 OBJECTIVE
 The objective of this study was to explore young people's experiences using an on-demand SRH mHealth platform in Kenya.

 METHODS
 We used qualitative data related to the usability of an mHealth platform, Adolescent/Youth Reproductive Mobile Access and Delivery Initiatives for Love and Life Outcome (ARMADILLO), collected at the end of the intervention period. A total of 30 in-depth interviews (IDIs) were held with the intervention participants (15 women and 15 men) to elicit their experiences, opinions, and perspectives on the design and content of the ARMADILLO platform. The study participants were randomly selected from a list of intervention arm participants to participate in the IDIs. The interviews were later transcribed verbatim, translated into English, and coded and analyzed thematically using NVivo version 12 software (QSR International).

 RESULTS
 Respondents reported varied user experiences and levels of satisfaction, ranging from ease of use by the majority of the respondents to systematic frustrations that prevented some participants from progressing to other stages. Interesting features of the mHealth platform included the immediate response participants received when requesting messages, weekly remunerated quizzes, and perceived ability of educative and informative content and messages to change behaviors. Proposed enhancements to the platform included revising some concepts and words for easy understanding and increasing the interactivity of the platform, whereby young people could seek clarity when they came across difficult terms or had additional questions about the information they received.

 CONCLUSIONS
 The importance of understanding the range of health literacy and technological variations when dealing with young people cannot be overemphasized. Young people, as mHealth end users, must be considered throughout intervention development to achieve optimum functionality. In addition, young people targeted with mHealth SRH interventions must be sensitized to the interactions on mHealth platforms or any other digital health apps if implemented in a nonresearch setting for optimal use by the targeted audience.


The backbone of the Internet is comprised of technology companies that provide the hardware and software. They are a conduit, and sometimes also a warehouse, for all of the information transmitted around the globe. And although these companies provide great benefits, they are also a source of great concern. Among these concerns is that a person's privacy can be seriously compromised by the pervasiveness of the technology around them. It is difficult for the law to quickly adapt to the rapidity of technological advances, especially one that defies jurisdictional boundaries with impudence. Each country has developed different laws to govern the Internet but the policies behind each country's laws may be very disparate, resulting in a lack of uniformity in how the Internet is regulated in different jurisdictions. Some countries favor a person's interest in privacy over the business interests of companies while other countries have reached the opposite conclusion. This note looks at three particular jurisdictions – the United States, Canada, and the European Union (EU) – and determines which jurisdiction best balances the personal interest in privacy with the business interest in exploiting personal information, using Google Street View as a case study. The US, as a bastion of capitalism, has favored the business interest in collecting and using personal information. On the other hand, the EU considers privacy a human right and uses comprehensive legislation to protect that right. Canada, influenced by both the US and the EU, has taken the middle road in balancing the personal and business interests.This paper was completed as a requirement of the Boston University Journal of Science and Technology Law staff note process. It should not be cited without express author consent.


Purpose of research. In the design process developers dealing with professional issues related to the development of new design methods and tools inevitably face problems associated with the modeling of automated and designed objects. The analysis of the problems of designing complex systems have shown that the disadvantages of the design process appear, in particular, due to the incomplete generation of possible project options, as well as their partial ordering. At the same time, there is a certain imbalance in the properties of design systems and the problem of the lack of adequate methods for describing design processes arises. Methods. In the process of partial ordering of acceptable project options, when determining the structure of the design system at the generation stage, the structure of some generative grammar is used, which should have, first of all, control properties that provide a partial ordering of options already in the generation process. In addition, to take into account changes in the composition and parameters of design solutions, the generative grammar must have adaptive properties, which determines the need to choose an appropriate method for adaptive control of the generation process, taking into account, for example, the frequent repetition of the design process. Results. A model of a formalized recognition system is determined when choosing a project variant presented in the class of recognizing grammars. Rules for the formation of elements of recognizing grammars are given, and the alphabet can be represented by a multi-alternative probabilistic network of design options. The choice of the design object type is considered, the elements of the design system structure are determined. Conclusion. The structure of the design system can be parametrically determined based on the rules for generating elements of recognizing grammars, and the possibilities for generating variants can be coordinated with its recognizing capabilities, while the choice of the structure and forecasting of project parameters is made taking into account the number and properties of design resources. It should be noted that providing only the properties of the design system that reduce the description of the process can lead to difficulties in recognizing variants. At the same time, the choice of an adaptive design system structure allows you to build a language system with variable properties that provide the required reduction or expansion of the project description.


Introduction Infants born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are the result of high alcohol exposure during pregnancy and have a range of neurological and physical heath problems, including fetal growth restriction. We hypothesised that alcohol exposure in the first trimester, the period critical for normal placental development and organogenesis, negatively affects placental cell turnover and transport of key nutrients for fetal growth and development. Methods First trimester placental explants (n=7) and BeWo choriocarcinoma cells (n=6) treated with ethanol (0–40 mM) were assessed for apoptosis (M30) and proliferation (Ki67) using immunocytochemistry. Nutrient transport via the system A and system β amino acid transporters was quantified by uptake of radiolabelled methylamino-isobutyric acid (14C-MeAIB) and taurine (3H-taurine). Results In first trimester explants, cytotrophoblast proliferation decreased by 40% at 20 mM alcohol (p<0.05). Proliferation of BeWo cells reduced by 5% at 20 mM (p<0.05). Alcohol had no effect on apoptosis. In first trimester explants, there was a trend for reduced taurine uptake at 10 mM (p=0.06) and a significant decrease of at least 20% at 40 mM (p<0.05). System β activity significantly decreased at 10 mM and 40 mM in BeWo cells (p<0.05). System A activity was not affected in first trimester tissue or BeWo cells. Conclusion Alcohol may adversely affect placental development by reducing cytotrophoblast proliferation and fetal development by reducing uptake of taurine. Taurine is an amino acid believed to be important for neurological development. Alcohol exposure may therefore contribute to the pathogenesis of FASD via two mechanisms, placental development and transport of nutrients important for organogenesis.


Electron and hole ionization coefficients in In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As are deduced from mixed carrier avalanche photomultiplication measurements on a series of p-i-n diode layers, eliminating other effects that can lead to an increase in photocurrent with reverse bias. Low field ionization is observed for electrons but not for holes, resulting in a larger ratio of ionization coefficients, even at moderately high electric fields than previously reported. The measured ionization coefficients are marginally lower than those of GaAs for fields above 250 kVcm/sup -1/, supporting reports of slightly higher avalanche breakdown voltages in In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As than in GaAs p-i-n diodes.


Introduction
Drought is a critical climate condition affecting many places on Earth. Drought severity is often measured using a combination of different variables including rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind, soil moisture, and steam flow. During the last decades, Iran has suffered from drought conditions and it may suffer more in future. The frequent occurrence of drought in Iran is mainly due to lack of sufficient precipitation and improper water management system. Drought is often categorized into three types: meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological. There are various methods for measuring and quantifying drought severity. The most commonly used ones are Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). Remotely sensed data can also be used for monitoring drought condition. The most widely used ones are Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Temperature (LST), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Temperature Vegetation Index (TVX) and NDVI deviation Index (DEV). Neural Network (NN) and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) are two of the most widely applied methods for modeling and monitoring drought severity indices.
In this paper, monthly time series data (2000 to 2014) of three remotely sensed indices (i.e., NDVI, VCI, and TVX) and one meteorological index (i.e., SPI) were applied for modeling drought severity. In addition, the NN and ARIMA were developed for modeling these indices.

Materials & Methods
Data used in this paper were the time series of NDVI, VCI, TVX, and SPI. The study area in this paper was Arak, center of Markazi province. It has cold and wet winters with warm and dry summers. ARIMA and NN were employed for modeling indices.
ARIMA model is generally derived from three basic time series models: Autoregressive (AR), Moving Average (MA), and Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA). These basic models are used with static time series, i.e., they have constant mean and covariance in relation to time.
Usually, NN method has three layers. The first layer or the input layer introduces data to network. Input data is processed in the second layer or the hidden layer. Finally, the output layer produces the results of the input data. In this paper, single hidden layer feed forward network, which is the most widely utilized NN form, was employed for modeling indices.

Results & Discussion
After implementing NN and ARIMA models on the time series data, the performance of the models was evaluated using Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The RMSE obtained by NN and used for modeling NDVI, VCI, TVX, and SPI indices of Arak were 0.1944, 0.2191, 0.1295, and 0.2990, respectively. In addition, RMSE obtained from ARMIA, and used for modeling these indices were 0.0770, 37.2318, 0.2658, and 1.3370. In another experiment, the correlation between remotely sensed indices and SPI was studied. Among the remotely sensed indices, TVX shows the most powerful correlation with SPI.

Conclusion
In the present study, drought condition in the central region of Markazi province was studied during the 2000 to 2014 period. We used the time series of remotely sensed data (such as LST and NDVI) and meteorological data (such as SPI). Then TVX, VCI, and DEV indices were extracted from NDVI and LST data. NN and ARIMA were applied for modeling time series data. Based on the findings, it is concluded that NN is more successful and efficient than ARIMA for this study area. In addition, TVX, which is built based on NDVI and LST, had the most powerful correlation with SPI. This issue implies that both vegetation index and temperature index had an important role in modeling and monitoring drought condition.


OBJECTIVES
To explore how parents communicate their preferences for antibiotics to their child's physician and to examine whether physicians can communicate why antibiotics are not being prescribed in a way that maintains satisfaction with the visit.

DESIGN
Previsit survey of parents, audiotaping of the study encounters, and a postvisit survey of parents and physicians.

SETTING
Two private pediatric practices.

PARTICIPANTS
Ten physicians (response rate = 77%) and a consecutive sample of 295 eligible parents (response rate = 86%) who attended acute care visits for their children between October 1996 and March 1997.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Physician-perceived pressure to prescribe antibiotics and parental visit-specific satisfaction.

RESULTS
Fifty percent of parents expressed a previsit expectation for antibiotics. Among these parents, only 1% made a direct verbal request for them. Even when no direct requests for antibiotics were made, physicians still perceived an expectation for antibiotics 34% of the time. Among parents who did not receive expected antibiotics, those offered a contingency plan from the physician (i.e., the possibility of receiving antibiotics in the future if their child did not get better) had a higher mean satisfaction score than parents not receiving a contingency plan (76 vs. 58.9; P<.05).

CONCLUSION
Physicians should consider providing a contingency plan to parents who expect antibiotics for their children when there is no clinical indication. Further study is needed to determine how parents indirectly communicate their desire for antibiotics and what additional communication techniques physicians can use to resist the overprescribing of antibiotics.


The protozoan Trypanosoma brucei has a functional pteridine reductase (TbPTR1), an NADPH‐dependent short‐chain reductase that participates in the salvage of pterins, which are essential for parasite growth. PTR1 displays broad‐spectrum activity with pterins and folates, provides a metabolic bypass for inhibition of the trypanosomatid dihydrofolate reductase and therefore compromises the use of antifolates for treatment of trypanosomiasis. Catalytic properties of recombinant TbPTR1 and inhibition by the archetypal antifolate methotrexate have been characterized and the crystal structure of the ternary complex with cofactor NADP+ and the inhibitor determined at 2.2 Å resolution. This enzyme shares 50% amino acid sequence identity with Leishmania major PTR1 (LmPTR1) and comparisons show that the architecture of the cofactor binding site, and the catalytic centre are highly conserved, as are most interactions with the inhibitor. However, specific amino acid differences, in particular the placement of Trp221 at the side of the active site, and adjustment of the β6‐α6 loop and α6 helix at one side of the substrate‐binding cleft significantly reduce the size of the substrate binding site of TbPTR1 and alter the chemical properties compared with LmPTR1. A reactive Cys168, within the active site cleft, in conjunction with the C‐terminus carboxyl group and His267 of a partner subunit forms a triad similar to the catalytic component of cysteine proteases. TbPTR1 therefore offers novel structural features to exploit in the search for inhibitors of therapeutic value against African trypanosomiasis.


We have previously found that a 1-deoxy sialyl Lewis X (3), which lacks only the C-1 hydroxyl group of sialyl Lewis X (sLeX), exhibited up to 20 times more potency than the sLeX toward P-selectin binding. In order to explain the structure-activity relationship, we constructed structural models of the complexes of P-selectin and compounds 1-3 and sLeX. From the modeling analysis, we found that the carbonyl oxygen of the N-acetyl group of GlcNAc in 3 formed a hydrogen bond with the amide group of Asn 82 in P-selectin. We also supposed that there was a hydrophobic interaction between the pyranose of GlcNAc in compound 3 and the imidazole ring of His 108 in P-selectin. However, it is considered that those interactions would not be appreciable in the case of sLeX or other 1-deoxy sLeX analogs (1,2). Accordingly, our results could be helpful in obtaining a new concept to design a potent inhibitor toward P-selectin binding.


In the lower Paleogene of the Austral (Magallanes) basin, planktonic foraminifera are small and very scarce. Those in the Fuegian Andes, the orogenic margin of the basin, are serial forms that are also relatively minute and generally scarce. These include species of Chiloguembelina coeval with chiloguembelinid abundance peaks in the Atlantic that have been associated with nutrient-enriched waters. The Punta Noguera Formation, which is rich in radiolarians and phosphatic nodules, yielded only two planktonic foraminiferal species, both of Chiloguembelina . One is C. wilcoxensis (Cushman and Ponton), a well-known index species that constrains the minimum age of the unit to the early Eocene. The other, C. noguerensis n. sp., is geographically restricted, and it is distinguished by its test surface that is covered with a conspicuous, irregular reticulation formed of coalescing pustules. In the Fuegian Andes, the triserial planktonic foraminifera Jenkinsina triseriata (Terquem) occurs in the upper lower Eocene section, but there is no record of serial planktonic foraminifera in the middle Eocene, partially due to an unconformity. Higher in the section, upper Eocene strata yield abundant C. ototara in association with Praetenuitella insolita (Jenkins), and Oligocene strata have scarce C. cubensis (Palmer).


The IDB Group, guided by its Strategy for Microenterprise Development, has made the creation of a sustainable market of services to the sector one of its most important priorities during the past decade. This report presents an overview of the contributions the IDB has made to the microenterprise sector, outlining success cases and highlighting some of the important lessons learned during the last ten years. It provides the reader with a sense of the accomplishments of the IDB, but also with a general understanding of the context in which IDB support has taken place. Finally, it serves as a blueprint for further action in the donor community, identifying recent trends and innovations and indicating some of the IDB's priorities for the coming years.


Economic globalization promotes rapid development of scientific technology. The emergence of technological innovation makes that optimal allocation of human resources has been on the agenda gradually.Relying on technological innovation, enhancing the production efficiency of the enterprises constantly, implementing cost-effective or differentiation are the key of devepment.Human resources in the process of devepment plays an important role in technology innovation.Technology innovation guides the enterprises to implement human resources reallocation for reducing the cost of human resources and strengthening the flow of human resource and the usage efficiency.Human resources as the most basic element of enterprise, is the subject of technological innovation.From the points of technical innovation and human resources,this paper analyzes the relationship between them,reveals the principle of the interaction effects, discusses the strategy of human resource reallocation under the technological innovation.


The article deals with the language and verbal communication as an important constituent part of the culture of any nation. Verbal communication is understood as the linguistic communication expressed in the exchange of ideas, information and emotional experiences of the interlocutors. The peculiarities of the western and eastern verbal communications are described. Proceeding from the established connection between language and thinking, it is affirmed that learning foreign languages is the acquisition of a new perspective, a new outlook. The necessity of studying not only the language but also the peculiarities of verbal communication and the culture of the people is postulated. It is supposed that learning foreign languages is the major factor in the formation of tolerance and overcoming ethnic stereotypes. The ethno-psychological features of some peoples representing different republics of the former Soviet Union - Latvians, Ukrainians, Uzbeks are considered. It is emphasized that the proverbs, sayings, epics, riddles, lullabies, etc. abound with the ideas of labor and moral upbringing that reflect the traditional values of these peoples. According to the authors, these nations are united by their knowledge of the Russian language, contacts with the Russian people, the desire to live and work in Russia.


The effects of galanin and somatostatin on insulin release, membrane potential, and cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration [( Ca2+]i) were investigated using beta-cells isolated from obese hyperglycemic mice. Whereas insulin release was measured in a column perifusion system, membrane potential and [Ca2+]i were measured with the fluorescent indicators bisoxonol (bis-(1,3-diethylthiobarbiturate)trimethineoxonol) and quin 2, in cell suspensions in a cuvette. Galanin (16 nM) and somatostatin (400 nM) suppressed glucose-stimulated insulin release in parallel to promoting repolarization and a reduction in [Ca2+]i. The reduction in [Ca2+]i comprised an initial nadir followed by a slow rise and the establishment of a new steady state level. The slow rise in [Ca2+]i was abolished by 50 microM D-600, a blocker of voltage-activated Ca2+ channels. Both peptides suppressed insulin release even when [Ca2+]i was raised by 25 mM K+. Under these conditions the inhibition of insulin release was partly reversed by an increase in the glucose concentration. Addition of 5 mM Ca2+ to a cell suspension, incubated in the presence of 20 mM glucose and either galanin, somatostatin, or the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist clonidine (10 nM), induced oscillations in [Ca2+]i, this effect disappearing subsequent to the addition of D-600. The effects of galanin, somatostatin, and clonidine on [Ca2+]i were abolished in beta-cells treated with pertussis toxin. In accordance with measurements of [Ca2+]i, treatment with pertussis toxin reversed the inhibitory effect of galanin on insulin release. The inhibitory action of galanin and somatostatin on insulin release is probably accounted for by not only a repolarization-induced reduction in [Ca2+]i and a decreased sensitivity of the secretory machinery to Ca2+, but also by a direct interaction with the exocytotic process. It is proposed that these effects are mediated by a pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP-binding protein.


A number of researchers on Science and Technology Studies (STS) have criticized the western view treating knowledge as objective and universal, with the argument that all knowledges are locally situated. In this article we draw on this view of decentring of scientific knowledge and on the concept of boundary objects to discuss an empirical case of a 'global' collaborative network called Health Information System Programme (HISP) involving a number of countries in a process of knowledge creation and sharing. The network consists of knowledge objects with seemingly universal characteristics shareable across sites. The paper discuss the 'localness' of the knowledge produced by looking at its originality and how it is made mobile, thereby giving it the seemingly universal characteristics. The article further, discuss how the involved multiple social worlds characterized by different knowledge practices, cultures and visions, participate through boundary objects shareable across the network and thereby contribute new knowledge in the network. The collective boundary objects created and shared within the network play a significant role in creating synergies which in turn sustains the involved countries' local initiatives.


Shallow-marine clastic and carbonate environments of southeast Florida contain fining-upwards sedimentary sequences being generated by beds of the seagrass, Thalassia testudinum . Lateral seaward migration of flute-shaped sand pockets (storm blowouts) in the grass platform produces a lenticular fining-upwards package 10-50 m in width, 20-100 m in length, and 0.3-2 m in thickness. Migration and vegetative restabilization of recurring "blowouts" on a grass platform can produce a composite sequence containing numerous complete or stacked incomplete fining-upwards packages. A complete fining-upwards sequence consists of 1) an erosional base, 2) a coarse basal shell layer representing the winnowed lag of the eroded, preexisting grass-stabilized platform, 3) a ripple-laminated, well-sorted, medium-grained sand zone representing the mobile sand on the leeward slope of the blowout, and 4) a shelly, bioturbated sand or silty sand having a strongly bimodal texture (modes at 100 and 500 mu m) in which the fine mode dominates upwards. This upper portion records increased trapping of storm suspensions and decreased bedload transport as seagrasses are reestablished. The mollusks Chione cancellata and Codakia orbicularis characterize the grass-stabilized zone. The distinctive textural sequence and molluscan assemblage serve to differentiate these biogenically induced fining-upwards sequences from others in the geological record.


This paper describes how meta-cognitive processes (i.e., the self monitoring and regulating of cognitive processes) may be captured within a cognitive architecture CLARION. Some currently popular cognitive architectures lack sufficiently complex built-in meta-cognitive mechanisms. However, a sufficiently complex meta-cognitive mechanism is important, in that it is an essential part of cognition and without it, human cognition may not function properly. We contend that such a meta-cognitive mechanism should be an integral part of a cognitive architecture. Thus, such a mechanism has been developed within the CLARION cognitive architecture. The paper demonstrates how human data of two meta-cognitive experiments are simulated using CLARION. The simulations show that the meta-cognitive processes represented by the experimental data (and beyond) can be adequately captured within the CLARION framework. 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


A political ecology of the nuclear age developed through a theorization of "mutation" interrogates the contemporary terms of radioactive nature in New Mexico. As an analytic, the value of "mutation" is its emphasis on multigenerational effects, enabling an assessment of biosocial transformations as, alternatively, injury, improvement, or noise. Cold War radiation experiments, the post–Cold War transformation of nuclear production sites into "wildlife reserves," and the expanding role that biological beings play as "environmental sentinels" in New Mexico are all sites where concerns about "species" integrity may be articulated in relation to radioactive nature.


Introduction and purpose: In the process of development, retirement is a stage of beginning for important potential changes in life and this stage effect on quality life of the retirements. So, present study with the aim of investigating prediction of quality of life through locus of control, meaning of life and marital relationships was performed on retirements of Nahanavand of Iran. Materials and methods: This is a survey study and from correlational type. The population of the present study were all the retirements of Nahavand which based on previous literature 200 of them were selected through random sampling as study sample. Tools were Rotter's Locus of Control Scale (RLCS), Meaning of Life Questionnaire (MLQ), Marital Status Inventory and WHO Quality of Life (WHOQOL-26). Data were analyzed through correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression. Findings: The results of the study showed significant relationship between dependent and independent variables including: a positive weak relation between locus of control and quality of life, a positive medium relation between search for meaning and quality of life, a positive pretty strong relation between presence of meaning and quality of life and finally a negative pretty strong relation between marital status and quality of life. In addition, the results of regression analysis showed that presence of meaning can predict quality of life positively and marital status which higher scores in it means more disruptions in marital relationship, can predicts quality of life negatively and the other independent variables were excluded because of low Beta coefficients. conclusion: Based on study results it could be said that individuals with internal control, feeling purposeful in life and more marital satisfaction can deal with retirement better than others and even they can experience a successful retirement which results in experience higher levels of quality of life.


Recent advances in telecommunications and database systems have allowed the scientific community to efficiently mine vast amounts of information worldwide and to extract new knowledge by discovering hidden patterns and correlations. Nevertheless, all this shared information can be used to invade the privacy of individuals through the use of fusion and mining techniques. Simply removing direct identifiers such as name, SSN, or phone number is not anymore sufficient to prevent against these practices. In numerous cases, other fields, like gender, date of birth and/or zipcode, can be used to re-identify individuals and to expose their sensitive details, e.g. their medical conditions, financial statuses and transactions, or even their private connections. The scope of this work is to provide an in-depth overview of the current state of the art in Privacy-Preserving Data Publishing (PPDP) for relational data. To counter information leakage, a number of data anonymisation methods have been proposed during the past few years, including <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$k$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-anonymity, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\ell $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-diversity, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$t$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-closeness, to name a few. In this study we analyse these methods providing concrete examples not only to explain how each of them works, but also to facilitate the reader to understand the different usage scenarios in which each of them can be applied. Furthermore, we detail several attacks along with their possible countermeasures, and we discuss open questions and future research directions.


In response to the impossibility of directly using data of the actual road show experiment to the motion simulation of simulators, due to the limited work space of simulators, this paper begins with an attempt to extract the main frequency components of original signals by spectrum analysis and allow the input signal to meet performance requirements by adjusting the phase offset corresponding to the various frequency components. The paper proceeds with the regeneration of the signals capable of reflecting the motion characteristics of the original data and meeting the performance requirements of motion simulators by selecting these phase offsets as the design variables, selecting simulator's displacement, velocity, and acceleration as the optimization objectives and applying Genetic Algorithm toolbox of Matlab to develop the optimization model. The paper ends with the efforts to check mechanism singularity by calculating the Jacobian matrix condition number of the regenerating signals and thus obtain the regenerating signals compatible with the work space, capable of fulfilling the performance requirements of motion simulators and free of continuous region singularity.


ABSTRACT CD8+ T cells are important for clearance of neurotropic mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) strain A59, although their possible role in A59-induced demyelination is not well understood. We developed an adoptive-transfer model to more clearly elucidate the role of virus-specific CD8+ T cells during the acute and chronic phases of infection with A59 that is described as follows. C57BL/6 mice were infected with a recombinant A59 virus expressing the gp33 epitope, an H-2Db-restricted CD8+ T-cell epitope encoded in the glycoprotein of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, as a fusion with the enhanced green fluorescent protein (RA59-gfp/gp33). P14 splenocytes (transgenic for a T-cell receptor specific for the gp33 epitope) were transferred at different times pre- and postinfection (p.i.). Adoptive transfer of P14 splenocytes 1 day prior to infection with RA59-gfp/gp33, but not control virus lacking the gp33 epitope, RA59-gfp, reduced weight loss and viral replication and spread in the brain and to the spinal cord. Furthermore, demyelination was significantly reduced compared to that in nonrecipients. However, when P14 cells were transferred on day 3 or 5 p.i., no difference in acute or chronic disease was observed compared to that in nonrecipients. Protection in mice receiving P14 splenocytes prior to infection correlated with a robust gp33-specific immune response that was not observed in mice receiving the later transfers. Thus, an early robust CD8+ T-cell response was necessary to reduce virus replication and spread, specifically to the spinal cord, which protected against demyelination in the chronic phase of the disease.


Social inhibition, or in lay language "shyness", means a tendency to react with fearful and hesitant behaviors innovel social encounters. Lowinhibition, on the other hand is associated with a capacity to easily approachnovel social situations. However, low-inhibition might co-occur with difficulties in inhabiting undesired socialbehaviors. When disinhibited behavior in the sense of a lack of normal reserve, or indiscriminate socialbahaviors, is seen, this phenomenon is, in this thesis, named overfriendliness.Study I and Study II aimed at investigating socioemotional functioning in socially high and low-inhibitedchildren, with a special focus on overfriendliness. In Study I, high- and low-inhibited groups were compared toa medium-inhibited group with respect to problem behaviors and social competencies. Among low-inhibitedchildren, a group of overfriendly children was compared to a low-overfriendly group. Study II aimed atfurthering the knowledge about socioemotional functioning in high-inhibited children and in low-inhibitedchildren, when considering high and low overfriendliness. Study III considered problem behaviors in high-andlow-inhibited children when taking dysregulation - as indicated by negative emotionality and impersistence invarious activities - into account. Dysregulation was found to be associated with comorbid internalizing,externalizmg and attention problem behaviors. Results from the three studies show that high social inhibitionwas associated with a heightened risk for internalizing problem behaviors, less well developed socialcompetencies and socioemotional distress reactions. Low social inhibition was, if not co-occurring withoverfriendliness or with broad dysregulation, associated with especially well functioning development, and withlow risk for internalizing problems. Overfriendliness was primarily characterized by attention problembehaviors. When compared with the low-overfriendly group the high-overfriendly group also showed morethrill seeking, hyperactivity, externalising problem behaviors, internalizing problem behaviors, and less welldeveloped social competencies.Results indicated presence of different developmental pathways among socially low-inhibited children, andpointed to the importance of taking the heterogeneity among low-inhibited children into account in the study ofsocioemotional development.


Abstract. We present a systematic study of tunable, plasmon extinction characteristics of arrays of nanoscale antennas that have potential use as sensors, energy-harvesting devices, catalytic converters, in near-field optical microscopy, and in surface-enhanced spectroscopy. Each device is composed of a palladium triangular-prism antenna and a flat counter-electrode. Arrays of devices are fabricated on silica using electron-beam lithography, followed by atomic-layer deposition of copper. Optical extinction is measured by employing a broadband light source in a confocal, transmission arrangement. We characterize the plasmon resonance behavior by examining the dependence on device length, the gap spacing between the electrodes, material properties, and the device array density, all of which contribute in varying degrees to the measured response. We employ finite-difference time-domain simulations to demonstrate good qualitative agreement between experimental trends and theory and use scanning electron microscopy to correlate plasmonic extinction characteristics with changes in morphology.


Ti3C2Tx and other types of MXene nanosheets are an exciting new class of 2D materials. However, little has been reported on manipulating the shape of MXene nanosheets. Here, we demonstrate that flat Ti3C2Tx nanosheets encapsulated within spray-dried droplets can be scrolled, bent, and folded into 3D crumpled structures. This morphological change was observed to be reversible upon rehydration.


A company"s environmental performance is important to the financial markets because improved environmental performance generally leads to higher, more sustainable, financial values. Challenges that arise in environmental financial accounting border on proper accountability of environmental costs and liabilities, meaningful disclosure of enterprise environmental performance, and development/usage of appropriate management accounting procedures (e.g. costing out pollution controls; comparing alternative materials that can be used in manufacturing; and investigating recycling alternatives). The need for standardized environmental performance indicators (EPIs) which link financial and environmental performance in order to support the quality of decision making of stakeholders cannot be overemphasized. In spite of the existence or underway development of a number of guidelines for measuring and disclosing environmental performance, many environmental indicators are of a limited benefit due to the lack of standardization of environmental information. Most information today moves in a digital format and people often go to the internet for information. Sustainability information, however, has largely remained in print, but report preparers and users have much to gain by moving environmental and social performance information into the wider digital flow of information. This paper therefore, while showcasing the importance of and need for environmental accounting and reporting, provides a recipe underscored by information standardization through the engagement of the twenty-first century corporate reporting language known as eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL). XBRL enables an electronic "tag" on numbers or other qualitative information in the report so that computers can recognize the information, select it, analyze it, store it, exchange it with other computers and present it automatically in different ways. It concludes that the assurance about a company"s financial projections and nonfinancial information (customer satisfaction, employee retention, or environmental reporting) and the integrity of the information itself through XBRL would enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of resource allocation, increase income and welfare, as well as achieve the objective of an environmentally sound management which encompasses increasing eco-efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and increasing company value added. It thus recommends that Nigeria and the developing countries should embrace the XBRL technology as they cannot afford to be left behind by the fast spreading current worldwide future reporting standard.


In contrast to the massive volume of data, it is often the rare categories that are of great importance in many high impact domains, ranging from financial fraud detection in online transaction networks to emerging trend detection in social networks, from spam image detection in social media to rare disease diagnosis in the medical decision support system. The unique challenges of rare category analysis include: (1) the highly-skewed class-membership distribution; (2) the non-separability nature of the rare categories from the majority classes; (3) the data and task heterogeneity, e.g., the multi-modal representation of examples, and the analysis of similar rare categories across multiple related tasks. This tutorial aims to provide a concise review of state-of-the-art techniques on complex rare category analysis, where the majority classes have a smooth distribution, while the minority classes exhibit a compactness property in the feature space or subspace. In particular, we start with the context, problem definition and unique challenges of complex rare category analysis; then we present a comprehensive overview of recent advances that are designed for this problem setting, from rare category exploration without any label information to the exposition step that characterizes rare examples with a compact representation, from representing rare patterns in a salient embedding space to interpreting the prediction results and providing relevant clues for the end users' interpretation; at last, we will discuss the potential challenges and shed light on the future directions of complex rare category analysis.


ABSTRACT Many sites with Zhizo, Leopard's Kopje and Khami pottery have been identified around the southern and eastern margins of Sowa Pan, eastern Botswana. This paper presents results of the analysis of sherds from the three largest such sites — Kaitshàa, Thabadimasego, Tora Nju — plus clay from 39 geological deposits. Sherd fabrics identified by optical petrography reveal that pots were made of clays from several lithological terrains. This suggests associations with other sites. We demonstrate a north-south axis of pottery vessel movements — and thus of people — beginning about AD 900–1000 and extending from sites in the Chobe-Zambezi waterveld along Sowa Pan to Kaitshàa and onward to the Kalahari margins at Bosutswe; a later east-west axis connected Tora Nju with Bosutswe and the Khami regional centre at Domboshaba. Identical sherd fabrics, plus specific vessel design parallels, firmly establish the existence of alliances between these sites. This entailed a network of affiliations between potters whereby each preserved their own socially relevant precepts of potting, including potter-ancestor dynamics, while adapting alterations in new contexts of potting praxis. Sherds should thus be seen in terms of alliances rather than as an indicator merely of commodity-exchange. Our study demonstrates, on the basis of vessel fabric rather than of decorative data, that such interactions routinely took place in Botswana from Zhizo times onward. This paper therefore adds independent insights into studies of social alliance maintenance and pottery style syncretism in pre-colonial southern Africa.


A persistent feature of complex systems in engineering and science is the emergence of macroscopic, coarse grained, coherent behaviour from microscale interactions. In current modeling, ranging from ecology to materials science, the underlying microscopic mechanisms are known, but the closures to translate microscale knowledge to a large scale macroscopic description are rarely available in closed form. Kevrekidis proposes new 'equation free' computational methodologies to circumvent this stumbling block in multiscale modelling. Nonlinear coordinate transforms underpin analytic techniques that support these computational methodologies. But to do so we must cross multiple space and time scales, in both deterministic and stochastic systems, and where the microstructure is either smooth or detailed. Using examples, I describe progress in using nonlinear coordinate transforms to illuminate such multiscale modelling issues.


This paper analyses the changing patterns of infection with Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium in the Gezira Irrigation Scheme, Sudan. Taking a historical perspective, it shows the way in which factors such as ecology, biology, social and economic variables and politics have shaped patterns of infection, and how different kinds of strategies have been developed to control schistosomal infection over time. Wider political and economic issues at both national and international levels have shaped these strategies, influencing the prevalence and intensity of schistosomal infection at a local level. By highlighting the inter-play between the above-mentioned factors, the article reflects on the wisdom of prioritizing community-directed mass drug administration for the control of schistosomiasis in Gezira and elsewhere. The review demonstrates that not all efforts to control schistosomiasis are sustainable. A comprehensive control strategy involving political commitment, community participation and socioeconomic development is important for sustainable control of schistosomal infection.


Demand Response (DR) was proposed more than a decade ago to incentivise customers to shift their electricity usage from peak demand periods to off-peak demand periods and to curtail their electricity usage during peak demand periods. However, the lack of two-way communication infrastructure weakens the influence of DR and limits its applications. With the development of smart grid facilities (e.g. smart meters and the two-way communication infrastructure) that enable the interactions between the energy retailer and its customers, demand response shows great potential to reduce customers' bills, increase the retailer's profit and further stabilize the power systems. Given such a context, in this thesis we propose smart pricing based demand response programs to study the interactions between the energy retailer and its customers based on game-theory and machine learning techniques. We conduct the research in two different application scenarios: 1) For customers with home energy management system (HEMS) installed in their smart meters, the retailer will know the customers' energy consumption patterns by interacting with the HEMS. As a result, the smart pricing based demand response problem can be modelled as a Stackelberg game or bilevel optimization problem. Further, efficient solutions are proposed for the demand response problems and the existence of optimal solution to the Stackelberg game and the bilevel model is proved; 2) For customers without HEMS installed in their smart meters, the retailer will not know the energy consumption patterns of these customers and must learn customers' behaviour patterns via historical energy usage data. To realize this, two appliance-level machine learning algorithms are proposed to learn customers' consumption patterns. Further, distributed pricing algorithms are proposed for the retailer to solve the demand response problem effectively. Simulation results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed demand response models in both application scenarios.


: Influence of some substances known to selectively modify the brain levels of dopamine, was studied on the Open Field behaviour in rats. Of the agents studied, I-dopa, benztropine and amantadine showed some similarity with amphetamine in exhibiting a high degree of complex stereotyped behaviour in rats. The complex stereotyped behaviour due to amphetamine and the similarity shown by these antiparkinsonian agents has been explained on the basis of brain dopamine levels. On the other hand apomorphine depressed the Open Field behaviour and produced a typical stereotyped biting in rats. Since 6-hydroxydopamine significantly prevented this biting behaviour, it has been suggested that the action of apomorphine is dependent on the presence of (i) functional state of catecholamine neurons and (ii) a separate receptor, responsible for the behavioural actions of apomorphine.


A memristor is a non-linear element. The chaotic system constructed by it can improve its unpredictability and complexity. Parameter identification of a memristive chaotic system is the primary task to implement chaos control and synchronization. To identify the unknown parameters accurately and quickly, we introduce the Sine Pareto Sparrow Search Algorithm (SPSSA), a modified sparrow search algorithm (SSA). in this research. Firstly, we introduce the Pareto distribution to alter the scroungers' location in the SSA. Secondly, we use a sine-cosine strategy to improve the producers' position update. These measures can effectively accelerate the convergence speed and avoid local optimization. Thirdly, the SPSSA is used to identify the parameters of a memristive chaotic system. The proposed SPSSA exceeds the classic SSA, particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO), and artificial bee colony algorithm (ABC) in simulations based on the five benchmark functions. The simulation results of parameter identification of a memristive chaotic system show that the method is feasible, and the algorithm has a fast convergence speed and high estimation accuracy.


Radionuclide Therapy (RNT) and Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) are potentially of great interest for cancer therapy. In many therapeutic applications alpha emitters should be much more effective than already-approved beta emitters due to the short range and high linear energy transfer of alpha particles. 213Bi is an important alpha emitter already used in clinical trials but the half-life of this radioisotope is short (46 minutes) and so its use is limited for certain therapies. 211At is potentially very interesting for medical purposes because of its longer half-life of 7.2 hours, and suitable decay scheme. We have studied the cyclotron-based production of 211At via the reaction 209Bi(?, 2n), this production route probably being the most promising in the long term. The energy dependence of thick target yields and the reaction cross sections for the production of 211At and 210At were determined and found to be in good agreement with literature. The best energy to produce 211At is 28-29 MeV. The possible production of the undesired, highly radiotoxic, and long-lived alpha-emitting 210Po (138.38 days), which is produced from decay of 210At, is also discussed.


We describe two cases of pleomorphic angioleiomyoma. In one case, a 46-year-old man presented with a single nodule on his scrotum of 1 year's duration, and in another, a 38-year-old woman presented with a single nodule on her right knee of 1 year's duration. In both cases, histopathologic examination showed a well-circumscribed nodule composed of smooth muscle and numerous veins and capillaries. Contrary to the ordinary angioleiomyoma, marked nuclear pleomorphism was noted. Although mitoses were rare, immunohistochemistry revealed many tumor cells that were positive for proliferating cell nuclear antigen, Ki-67, and p53, indicating that the pleomorphic appearance does not simply represent a degenerative change of some tumor cells.


Purpose To utilize off‐cord arc beams in RapidArc planning for head/neck cancers.Methods and Materials: Five patients with head/neck cancer were planned with RapidArc technique. Three RapidArc plans were generated for each patient, including a "2+1" plan, a "1+2" plan, and a "0+3" plan. The first number indicates the number of off‐cord arcs with the inner x‐jaw closed at 5mm away from the spinal cord. The second number indicates the number of arc beams with open jaws. The three arcs were placed with the same isocenter. Field size and collimator angle were manually set for off‐cord arcs and automatically optimized in Eclipse for open‐jaw arcs. Same dose constraints and priority weights were used for all three plans. No MU constraints were set. The plans were normalized to the same PTV coverage criterion. MU numbers were compared to evaluate the degree of MLC modulation. Dose volume histograms were compared for PTVs and the spinal cord plus a 5 mm margin. Results: With the same optimization setting, the "0+3" plan has the lowest MU number. The "2+1" plan has the highest MU number, 1.3±0.1 times of the "0+3" plan. The "1+2" plan h the second highest MU number, 1.3±0.1 times of the "0+3" plan. With more MLC modulation, the "1+2" and "2+1" plans outperform the "0+3" plan in terms of cord protection and PTV coverage for all five patients. However the "2+1" plan is not guaranteed to be the best even though it has the highest MU number. Conclusions: Utilizing off‐cord arc beams causes higher MU number and more MLC modulation in head/neck planning.