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Melodia Unisa Chorale: A brief profile
Frans Mashilo Mahlobogwane, Choir member,
Department of Jurisprudence, University of South Africa
The Melodia Unisa Chorale was established in March 2000 as a choral
organisation to cater for both students and staff of Unisa with a keen interest in
being actively involved in choral singing. Its founding conductor was Prof S
Shole of the Department of African Languages. Since its inception, it has
participated actively in university events such as the launch of the National
Reading Campaign, launch of Unisa's AIDS Centre, the investiture of the
Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor, University ..


A recurring theme in evaluations of Swedish residential youth care is that treatment is often unplanned. Using a data set of teenagers placed in youth care in 1991 (NÂ =Â 357), we show that planned treatment -- in the sense of a known expected duration of treatment -- is strongly positively associated with treatment outcomes. In the short term, teenagers with planned treatment are 32% less likely to experience a treatment breakdown and 25% less likely to be reassigned to other forms of residential care after completed treatment. In the long term, teenagers with planned treatment are 21% less likely to engage in criminal behavior and 40% less likely to be hospitalized for mental health problems. The results are robust to controlling for a rich set of potentially confounding factors: Even though observable pre-treatment teenager characteristics explain about one fifth of the variation in criminal behavior 5-10Â years after treatment, they have almost no predictive power for whether treatment is planned or unplanned.


The Purpose in Life Test and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were utilized to assess the importance of purpose in life and self-esteem of students at two private universities in the northeast United States. One private institution was composed entirely of graduate students and is secular while the other is religiously affiliated and has both undergraduate and graduate programs. While undergraduates scored significantly higher on the items of self-esteem, they scored significantly lower on purpose in life. Both undergraduates and graduate students, however, rated purpose in life as very important in their lives. The results of this study have implications for college and university counselors regarding the importance of promoting life meaning in counseling relationships.


Abstract In this paper, the authors present a digital watermarking method for still image. The hybrid method is based on the application of discrete wavelet transform (DWT), log-polar mapping (LPM) and phase correlation. To be robust against compression, the watermark is embedded in the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) magnitude of the low pass (LL) sub-band obtained by applying the DWT. Moreover, the inverse log-polar mapping (ILPM) approximation, of the positions chosen in the LPM domain of the low-pass sub-band DFT magnitude, is applied to determine where to insert the watermark to ensure the robustness against geometric transformations rotation, scaling and translation (RST). The phase correlation of the LPM of the original image and the LPM of the watermarked image, allows calculating the displacement caused by the geometric transformations (RST). The DWT is used to take advantage of the human visual system (HVS) characteristics and obtaining the optimal place for embedding the watermark, meanwhile the Fourier–Mellin transform (FMT) provides a transformed domain which is invariant to RST. To avoid computing the ILPM for the whole image, the ILPM approximation is applied. In this case, the image quality is preserved and smaller correlation coefficient for under marked images. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is robust against RST, added noise, JPEG compression and the combination of these attacks.


Dr. Lillian Siu is a senior medical oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre since 1998 and has been a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto since 2009. She is the Director of the Phase I Program and Co-Director of the Bras and Family Drug Development Program at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and holds the BMO Chair in Precision Genomics (2016-2026). She is also the Clinical Lead for the Tumor Immunotherapy Program at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Dr. Siu served on the Board of Directors for the American Society ofClinical Oncology (ASCO) for a four-year term (2012-2016). She also served as a member of the Nomination Committee for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (2014-2016). She currently serves on the AACR Board of Directors for a threeyear term (2017-2020).
Dr. Siu's major research focus is in the area of new anticancer drug development, particularly with respect to phase I trials and head and neck malignancies. She is the Principal Investigator of a phase I cooperative agreement UM1 award (2014-2019) sponsored by the United States National Cancer Institute. In addition to her active research in early phase clinical trials, she has been leading genomics initiatives and immuno-oncology trials at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Together, the three programs of drug development, cancer genomics and tumor immunotherapy form a triad of synergy that supports the institution's core vision to deliver precision cancer medicine.
 Internationally, Dr. Siu was the recipient of the US NCI Michaele C. Christian Award in Oncology Drug Development in 2010. Locally, she was awarded the University of TorontoDepartment of Medicine Eaton Scholar Researcher in 2016. She was the ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation Grants Selection Committee Chair in 2009-10. She was Chairperson of theAACR Education Committee, Co-Chairperson of the Scientifc Committee for the 2012 Annual Meeting and Co-Chairperson for the Clinical Trials Committee 2015-2017. Dr. Siu has publishedover 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and she is currently a scientifc editor for Cancer Discovery and is on the editorial board for JAMA Oncology.


Humans are endowed with cognitive modules specialised in processing information about the class of natural things. Due to their naturalness, fractal art and design can contribute to developing these modules, and trigger affective responses that are associated with certain natural objects. It is argued that exposure to fractals in an art and design context can tap these effects. This entails that such patterns are not only an artistic and creative tool, but develop different aspects of the human individual. Although fractal patterns could be relevant for different educative areas, exposure to fractals has particular urgency for art and design education because it could lead to more psychological receptivity for adopting rich formal grammars. This is valuable, given the fact that some current architectural design is difficult to harmonise with the workings of the human mind.


ABSTRACT The rising incidence of Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) in adults is partly related to the global spread of fluoroquinolone-resistant strains, namely, BI/NAP1/027. Although CDIs are also increasingly diagnosed in children, BI/NAP1/027 is relatively uncommon in children. Little is known about the antibiotic susceptibility of pediatric CDI isolates. C. difficile was cultured from tcdB-positive stools collected from children diagnosed with CDI between December 2012 and December 2013 at an academic children's hospital. CDI isolates were grouped by restriction endonuclease analysis (REA). MICs were measured by agar dilution method for 7 antibiotics. Susceptibility breakpoints were based on guidelines from CLSI and/or the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). MICs and REA groupings of C. difficile isolates from 74 adult patients (29 isolates underwent REA) from a temporally and geographically similar adult cohort were compared to those of pediatric isolates. Among 122 pediatric and 74 adult isolates, respectively, the rates of resistance were as follows: metronidazole, 0% and 0%; vancomycin, 0% and 8% (P = 0.003); rifaximin, 1.6% and 6.7% (P = 0.11); clindamycin, 18.9% and 25.3% (P = 0.29); and moxifloxacin, 2.5% and 36% (P = <0.0001). Only 1 of 122 (0.8%) BI/NAP1/027 isolates was identified among the children, compared to 9 of 29 (31%) isolates identified among the adults (P = <0.0001). The 3 moxifloxacin-resistant pediatric isolates were of REA groups BI and CF and a nonspecific group. The 2 rifaximin-resistant pediatric isolates were of REA groups DH and Y. The 21 clindamycin-resistant pediatric isolates were distributed among 9 REA groups (groups A, CF, DH, G, L, M, and Y and 2 unique nonspecific REA groups). These data suggest that a diverse array of relatively antibiotic-susceptible C. difficile strains predominate in a cohort of children with CDI compared to adults.


After a Turkish scientist took Nobel Prize due to his contributions to understand clock genes, melatonin, closely related to these genes, may begin to shine. Melatonin, a hormone secreted from the pineal gland at night, plays roles in regulating sleep-wake cycle, pubertal development and seasonal adaptation. Melatonin has antinociceptive, antidepressant, anxiolytic, antineophobic, locomotor activity-regulating, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, pain-modulating, blood pressure-reducing, retinal, vascular, anti-tumor and antioxidant effects. It is related with memory, ovarian physiology, and osteoblast differentiation. Pathologies associated with an increase or decrease in melatonin levels are summarized in the review. Melatonin affects by four mechanisms: 1) Binding to melatonin receptors in plasma membrane, 2) Binding to intracellular proteins such as calmoduline, 3) Binding to Orphan nuclear receptors, and 4) Antioxidant effect. Receptors associated with melatonin are as follows: 1) Melatonin receptor type 1a: MT1 (on cell membrane), 2) Melatonin receptor type 1b: MT2 (on cell membrane), 3) Melatonin receptor type 1c (found in fish, amphibians and birds), 4) Quinone reductase 2 enzyme (MT3 receptor, a detoxification enzyme), 5) RZR/RORα: Retinoid-related Orphan nuclear hormone receptor (with this receptor, melatonin binds to the transcription factors in nucleus), and 6) GPR50: X-linked Melatonin-related Orphan receptor (it is effective in binding of melatonin to MT1). Melatonin agonists such as ramelteon, agomelatine, circadin, TIK-301 and tasimelteon are introduced and side effects will be discussed. In conclusion, melatonin and related drugs is a new and promising era for medicine. Melatonin receptors and melatonin drugs will take attention with greater interest day by day in the future.


This study follows-up an earlier project examining the relations between achievement goals, assessment-related emotions and academic performance in a sample of first year undergraduate students. The data presented in this paper concerns the changes in achievement goals and assessment-related emotions between the first and second year of undergraduate study. Self-reported data for the assessment-related emotions and achievement goals associated with research methods modules were collected from a sample of n = 61 psychology undergraduate students at the end of their first and second years of study. Results showed a decline in pleasant emotions, with the exception of relief, which increased, and no changes in unpleasant emotions with the exception of anxiety which increased. Mastery goal scores declined, but no changes were observed for performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals. Pleasant and unpleasant emotions were inversely related with each other and a performance-avoidance goal inversely related with pleasant emotions, and positively related with unpleasant emotions. Furthermore, the relations between several pleasant and unpleasant assessment-related emotions became stronger in the second year of undergraduate study. These findings paint a rather disheartening picture of students becoming less happy and motivated by mastery in their research methods modules as their undergraduate studies progress. This may reflect, in part, the inevitability of moving to more difficult and higher stakes assessments in the second year of undergraduate, however may also promote reflection among those involved in the design and delivery of the undergraduate curriculum over how a smoother and more successful transition could be effected.


This survey shows the people of Babylon, from kings and merchants to women and slaves, and the social, historical, geographical and cultural context in which their extraordinary city flourished for so many millennia. It serves as an introduction to the Babylonians for both students and the interested general reader.

The Bible saw Babylon with only negative connotations, and while classical writers admired the city's size and splendour, they deplored some of its more unusual customs. More than any other ancient society, Babylon remained a symbol expressing a mistrust of urbanization. Whatever the perspective taken, for much of the world, the city of Babylon was representative of the whole of Mesopotamian civilization for many centuries. In more recent times, the finds of archaeologists have allowed us to build a more balanced picture of who the Babylonians were, what they contributed to the process of civilization, and what were their intellectual and spiritual preoccupations.

After a concise historical overview, a more specifically anthropological perspective is used to present the subjects of society and economy, religion and material culture, based on the evidence of archaeological discoveries and the richly diverse cuneiform sources.


A magnetic angle sensor is a matched combination of a permanent magnet, affixed to a rotating shaft, and a magnetic field sensor. The magnet part of the angle sensors is configured so as to create either a magnetic field with an angle-dependent component perpendicular to the chip surface; or two angle-dependent components parallel with the chip surface. The magnetic field component perpendicular to the sensor dice is measured by planar Hall devices. The two in-plane magnetic field components are measured either by a combination of planar Hall devices and an integrated magnetic flux concentrator (IMC-Hall), or by vertical Hall devices. The IMC-Hall is the most used technology for implementing a compass in mobile telephones. The circular vertical Hall device is most suitable for high-speed rotation angle sensing. The major performance-limiting factors of magnetic angle sensors are non-uniformity of magnets, imperfections in the integrated magnetic sensor IC, and thermal drift. The magnetic sensing part of contemporary magnetic angle sensors is a CMOS IC, incorporating Hall devices, biasing circuit, amplifiers and other analog signal conditioning circuits, analog-to-digital convertors, and digital circuits for angle retrieval and correction of errors.


Based on the conception of sensation seeking as a need rather than a temperamental trait (Hammelstein, 2004), we present a new assessment method, the Need Inventory of Sensation Seeking (NISS), which is considered to assess a motivational disposition. Three studies are presented: The first examined the factorial structure and the reliability of the German versions of the NISS; the second study compared the German and the English versions of the NISS; and finally, the validity of the NISS was examined in a nonclinical study and compared to the validity of conventional methods of assessing sensation seeking (Sensation Seeking Scale – Form V; SSS-V). Compared to the SSS-V, the NISS shows better reliability and validity in addition to providing new research possibilities including application in experimental areas.


Drawings and writings by Archimedes, previously thought to have been destroyed, have been uncovered beneath the pages of a 13th-century monk's prayer book. These hidden texts, slowly being retrieved and deciphered by scientists, show that Archimedes' thinking (2,200 years ago) was even ahead of Isaac Newton in the 17th century. Archimedes discovered the value of Pi, he developed the theory of specific gravity and made steps towards the development of calculus. Everything we know about him comes from three manuscripts, two of which have disappeared. The third, currently in the Walters Art Museum, is a palimpsest - the text has been scraped off, the book taken apart and its parchment re-used, in this case as a prayer book. William Noel, the project director, and Reviel Netz, a historian of ancient mathematics, tell the enthralling story of the survival of that prayer book from 1229 to the present, and examine the process of recovering the invaluable text underneath as well as investigating into why that text is so important. Combining intrigue, lost books, academic detection and final revelations which rewrite the history of science and mathematics, The Archimedes Codex will be a major publishing event.


The open access regime existing in the harvesting of marine fishery resources in our country
warrants stronger emphasis on invoking technological innovations as well as management paradigms
that reconcile livelihood issues with concerns on resource conservation. Being the premier Marine
Fisheries Research Institute in India with more than 6 decades of service to the nation, the Central
Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) suggests ways and means to sustain the potential
source of food in capture and culture fisheries and their optimum utilisation. Innovations do not
happen in a socio-political vacuum. It is the extent of partnership between the research and the
client system that decides the fate of any technology in terms of its adoption or rejection. Rational
utilization of common property resources for sustainable development without endangering the
environment is possible through community participation. Mussel culture offers good scope for
development in our open waters for enhancing food and livelihood security of the stakeholders in
our coastal agro climatic zones. Mussel farming has already been proved as one of the profitable
enterprises in the coastal belts as a subsidiary income-deriving source of coastal fisherfolk


This article discusses the role of a FabLab as a research and making environment within the 'Bespoke Design' research project and its implications for the involved designers. 'Bespoke Design' deals with the participatory design of self-management tools for and with people with type 1 diabetes. The project furthermore explores the role of a FabLab in developing, sharing and documenting these tools. Although the context of a FabLab as an open and accessible workplace is beneficial for the idea of personal fabrication, we argue that it also poses important challenges. The necessary skills and expertise for using the different machines in a FabLab form a major challenge related to accessibility and efficiency. After all, a lack of skills and expertise can discourage people to experiment or may lead to time and cost-consuming trial-and-error. Then, if these processes become too costly and time-inefficient, one can question the relevance of developing personalised tools. However, we believe that including a FabLab in a participatory design approach can deepen the collaboration between the designer and participant, imposing new roles for the designer (i.e. a mediator between the participant and the machinery). Furthermore, designing in this context extends this mediator-role from conceptual design to the actual making of prototypes. Based on our experiences with 'Bespoke Design', we elaborate on the challenges when using a FabLab as research environment and the changing role of the designer within participatory design and making projects.


Abstract. We present an investigation of biomass burning (BB) plumes originating from
Africa and Madagascar based on measurements of a suite of volatile organic
compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3) and nitrogen
dioxide (NO2) obtained during the dry season of 2018 and 2019 at the
high-altitude Maïdo observatory (21.1∘ S, 55.4∘ E,
2160 ma.s.l.), located on the remote island of La Réunion in
the south-west Indian Ocean (SWIO). Biomass burning plume episodes were
identified from increased acetonitrile (CH3CN) mixing
ratios. Enhancement ratios (EnRs) – relative to CO – were calculated from in
situ measurements for CH3CN, acetone (CH3COCH3), formic acid
(HCOOH), acetic acid (CH3COOH), benzene (C6H6), methanol
(CH3OH) and O3. We compared the EnRs to emission ratios (ERs)
– relative to CO – reported in the literature in order to estimate
loss or production of these compounds during transport. For CH3CN and
CH3COOH, the calculated EnRs are similar to the ERs. For C6H6
and CH3OH, the EnR is lower than the ER, indicating a net sink of
these compounds which was found to be in line with the expected atmospheric
lifetime. For CH3COCH3 and HCOOH, the calculated EnRs are larger than
the ERs. The discrepancy reaches an order of magnitude for HCOOH
(18–34 pptv ppbv−1 compared to
1.8–4.5 pptv ppbv−1). This points to significant secondary
production of HCOOH during transport. The Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring
Service (CAMS) global model simulations reproduce the temporal variation
of CO mixing ratios well at the observatory but underestimate O3 and
NO2 mixing ratios in the plumes by on average 16 ppbv and
60 pptv respectively. This discrepancy between modelled and measured
O3 mixing ratios was attributed to (i) large uncertainties in VOC and
NOx (NO+NO2) emissions due to BB in CAMS and (ii)
misrepresentation of NOx recycling in the model during
transport. Finally, transport of pyrogenically emitted CO is calculated with
FLEXPART in order to (i) determine the mean plume age during the intrusions at
the observatory and (ii) estimate the impact of BB on the pristine marine
boundary layer (MBL). By multiplying the excess CO in the MBL with inferred
EnRs at the observatory, we calculated the expected impact of BB on
CH3CN, CH3COCH3, CH3OH and C6H6
concentrations in the MBL. These excesses constitute increases of ∼20 %–150 % compared to background measurements in the SWIO
MBL reported in the literature.


The following sequences have been submitted to the Nomenclature Committee since the September 2007 nomenclature update and, following agreed policy, have been assigned official allele designations. Full details of all sequences will be published in a forthcoming report. The newly assigned sequences are listed in Table 1 and the confirmations of previously reported sequences in Table 2. The accession number of each sequence is given and these can be used to retrieve the sequence files from either the EMBL, the GenBank or the DDBJ data libraries. Although accession numbers have been assigned by the


Studies of the interactions between the metabolism and the function of the red cell have shown the importance of the red cell's metabolism in contributing to the maintenance of adequate oxygen delivery. Some of the phosphorylated intermediates of glycolysis, especially DPG, are now known to reduce the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen. Current evidence indicates that this phenomenon is due to the effects of the binding of DPG to the , β-chains of deoxyhemoglobin. It appears that increases in red cell concentrations of DPG commonly occur during hypoxia, and that these increases (as well as normal physiological variation) significantly enhance oxygen transport. Artificial manipulation of erythrocyte metabolism may soon prove to be of great clinical usefulness in the treatment of a great variety of disorders which limit oxygen transport.


This book analyzes Italy's policy toward European monetary integration from the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957 to the final stage of Economic and Monetary Union in 1999 and the first five years thereafter. It is argued that "ideas," in the form of "policy paradigms," are crucial in framing member states' trajectories in the European Union (EU) and they are therefore core components of the process of Europeanization. Policy paradigms need to be contextualized by considering the evolution of domestic institutions.

According to the foreign policy paradigm that prevailed in Italy from the Second World War until the late 1990s, "Europe" has been of paramount priority, which has been associated with its political, economic and cultural modernization. The economic policy paradigm, instead, has shifted from Keynesian economics in the 1960s and 1970s to the monetarist-inspired, stability-oriented paradigm of the 1980s and 1990s. The pro-European foreign policy paradigm explains why Italian policymakers decided to join all the European monetary initiatives, whereas the economic paradigm, which, for most of the time, was far apart from the stability-oriented paradigm embedded in European monetary regimes, explains Italy's difficult adaptation. The book concludes by pointing out that the foreign policy paradigm has begun to shift since the late 1990s.


This thesis is focused on problems concerning the modeling of the activity of single neurons in which stochastic processes of various nature are involved to mimic neuron's spiking activity. A central role is played by Gaussian processes and the related first-passage-time (FPT) problem that, within the present framework, is representative of the neuronal firing times. The Gaussian processes use of which is made are of a two-fold type: Markov and non Markov. For both an abridged outline of the main features is provided, and analytic, computation and simulation methods developed to obtain information on the FPT probabilistic and statistical features are discussed. For Gaussian processes of Markov type a purely computational approach based on numerical quadratures for integral equations is presented, which is suitable for FPT probability densities determination. The major problem of modeling neuronal activity by means of Leaky-Integrate-and Fire (LIF) models in the presence of both constant and periodic stimuli is then approached. Here, essential role is played by previously obtained results on the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process and on Markov-Gaussian processes in the presence of asymptotically constant or asymptotically periodic boundaries (henceforth also called "thresholds"). A totally different approach to the understanding of the statistical features of FPT probability densities for non Markov Gaussian processes has been adopted. This consists of direct simulation of the process' sample paths. The implemented simulation techniques, long considered by us, are then described, and the analysis of the corresponding performances and accuracies is performed.
Motivated by the need of enhanced flexibility of the mathematical models in relation to certain phenomenological features of neuronal activity, the possibility of varying initial state according to pre-assigned distributions or of differently specified correlation times and asymptotic behaviors are introduced as well. The representation of the simulated data has finally been considered by resorting to the construction of histograms whose detailed specification is provided jointly with various other auxiliary results. These include an algorithm for numerical evaluation of integrals via the construction of certain families of orthogonal polynomials.


The global resurgence of cholera is an important public health challenge as the number
of countries affected by this infection continues to increase. Cholera continues to be a
major health challenge in Malaysia. To adequately control the infection requires a
thorough understanding of its modes of transmission and implementing a
comprehensive programme which takes into account not only the health aspect but
also social, economic, behavioral and political dimension as well. The food-borne
cholera and other pathogenic vibrios have not been thoroughly investigated in food in
Malaysia. This study demonstrated the presence of toxigenic and non-toxigenic Vibrio
cholerae 01, Vibrio cholerae 0139, Vibrio cholerae non-0l/0139 and other vibrios
pathogenic to mankind, which were isolated from seafood marketed from wet-markets
and supermarkets from different locations in Malaysia from July 1998 to June 1999.
In this prevalence study, a total of 768 seafood samples were examined for the
presence of pathogenic Vibrio species. A total of 431 of 768 (56.1%) seafood samples were contaminated with Vibrios. The frequencies of Vibrio contamination in seafood
were: shrimp (Panaeus indicus) 58.6%, squids (Logio sp.) 44%, squids (Sepia sp. )
60%, cockles (Anadara granosa) 82%, blue crabs (Callinectes sapiduy) 62%,
Shellfish (Lithophaga ma/accana) 48% and peel mussels (Perna viridis) 24%. V.
damsela and V. alginolyticus was the most frequently isolated species, followed by V.
meschnikovii, V. jluvalis, V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnijicus, V. cholerae and V.
mimicus. Of the 433 shrimp samples examined, 35.5% (254/433) were found to be
positive for Vibrio, which yielded 791 isolates of Vibrios. Thus, 68.2 (58/85), 62.2
(28/45), 88 (22/25), 96 (24/25), 25 (5/20) and 100% (48/48) of the samples obtained
from Selayang, Kajang, Bangi in Selangor; Seremban in Negri Sembi Ian; Penang
(North Peninsula Malaysia); and Kuching in Sarawak (on Borneo island) yielded 158,
74, 62, 68, 14, and 231 isolates of Vibrios, respectively. Examination of 185 shrimp
samples from Serdang wet market in Selangor over a nine-month period gave a
contamination rate of 37.2% with incidence for the months ranged from 15 to 40%.


Simultaneous Q-switching and mode locking (QML) in a diode-pumped Nd:LuVO4 laser using a GaAs wafer as saturable absorber is experimentally demonstrated in a Z-type folded cavity. The repetition rate of the Q-switched pulse envelop increases from 48 to 116 kHz and the average output power increases from 88 to 498 mW as the pump power increases from 1.7 to 8.2 W. It is found that QML is easily realized in a Z-type cavity. The mode-locked pulse inside the Q-switched pulse has a repetition rate of 111 MHz, and its average pulse width is estimated to be about 345 ps. Using a hyperbolic secant square function and considering the Gaussian distribution of the intra-cavity photon density to model the mode-locked pulse, we propose a developed rate equation model for the Q-switched and mode-locked lasers. The numerical solutions of the equations are in good agreement with the experimental results.


PURPOSE
To evaluate the safety, maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity of dacetuzumab in patients with refractory or recurrent B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
In this open-label, dose-escalation phase I study, dacetuzumab was administered to six cohorts of adult patients. In the first cohort, patients received 2 mg/kg weekly for 4 weeks; in all other cohorts, an intrapatient dose-escalation schedule was used with increasing doses up to a maximum of 8 mg/kg. Patients with clinical benefit after one cycle of dacetuzumab were eligible for a second cycle.

RESULTS
In the 50 patients who received dacetuzumab, no dose dependence of adverse events (AEs) was observed. The most common AEs in >or= 20% of patients were fatigue, pyrexia, and headache; most were grade 1 or 2. Noninfectious inflammatory eye disorders occurred in 12% of patients. AEs grade >or= 3 occurred in 30% of patients and included disease progression, anemia, pleural effusion, and thrombocytopenia. Most laboratory abnormalities were grade 1 or 2; transient elevated hepatic aminotransferases occurred in 52% of patients. Two patients experienced dose-limiting toxicity: grade 3 conjunctivitis and transient vision loss in cohort (1), and grade 3 ALT elevation in cohort IV. The MTD of dacetuzumab was not established at the dose levels tested. Six objective responses were reported (one complete response, five partial responses). Tumor size decreased in approximately one third of patients.

CONCLUSION
Dacetuzumab monotherapy was well tolerated in patients with NHL in doses up to 8 mg/kg/wk. Preliminary response data are encouraging and support additional studies of dacetuzumab in this patient population.


Objective Unblinded outcome assessment can lead to biased estimates of treatment effect in randomised trials. We reviewed published trials to assess how often blinded assessment is used, and whether its use varies according to the type of outcome or assessor. Design and setting A review of parallel group, individually randomised phase III trials published in four general medical journals (BMJ, Journal of the American Medical Association, The Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine) in 2010. Main outcome measures Whether assessment of the primary outcome was blinded, and whether this differed according to outcome or assessor type. Results We identified 258 eligible trials. Of these, 106 (41%) were reported as double-blind, and 152 (59%) as partially or fully open-label (that is, they included some groups who were unblinded, such as patients, those delivering the intervention, or those in charge of medical care). Of the 152 open trials, 125 required outcome assessment. Of these 125 trials, only 26% stated that outcome assessment was blinded; 51% gave no information on whether assessment was blinded or not. Furthermore, 18% of trials did not state who performed the assessment. The choice of outcome type (e.g. instrument measured, rated, or naturally occurring event) did not appear to influence whether blinded assessment was performed (range 24-32% for the most common outcome types). However, the choice of outcome assessor did influence blinding; independent assessors were blinded much more frequently (71%) than participant (5%) or physician (24%) assessors. Despite this, open trials did not use independent assessors any more frequently than double-blind trials (17% vs. 18% respectively). Conclusions Blinding of outcome assessors is infrequently used and poorly reported. Increased use of independent assessors could increase the frequency of blinded assessment.


We quantified and compared nekton and infaunal densities among vegetated (edge Spartina alterniflora, inner Spartina alterniflora, Scirpus maritimus, Juncus roemerianus, and Spartina patens marsh) and shallow nonvegetated (marsh pond, marsh channel, cove, and shallow bay) areas of upper Galveston Bay and East Bay, Texas. In 2 seasons (spring and fall) of high nekton abundance, and over 2 yr, we collected 267 quantitative samples (upper Galveston Bay, 1993 = 127 and East Bay, 1994 = 140) using a 1 m 2 drop sampler. The vegetated marsh surface consistently contained more species (i.e. higher species richness) and total numbers of decapod crustaceans than nonvegetated areas. In contrast, fish species richness and densities of total fishes on the marsh and in nonvegetated areas were not significantly different in most comparisons. Most numerically dominant species of nekton seemed to exhibit at least some degree of habitat selection. Within vegetation, 2 factors, elevation and proximity to open water, were most important in influencing the distribution of nekton. Low marsh edge dominated by Spartina alterniflora or Scirpus maritimus was apparently selected by most species that used the marsh surface including brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus, blue crab Callinectes sapidus, and daggerblade grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio. White shrimp Litopenaeus setiferus and striped mullet Mugil cephalus also were concentrated in low edge marsh; although in one comparison, densities of these 2 species in edge and inner S. alterniflora were not significantly different. In contrast, gulf killifish Fundulus grandis and sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus were most abundant on inner S. alterniflora or S. patens marsh. Other fishes (gulf menhaden Brevoortia patronus, spot Leiostomus xanthurus, bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli, blackcheek tonguefish Symphurus plagiusa, and Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus) had higher densities over nonvegetated bottoms than on the marsh surface. Specific habitat types that these pelagic species seemed to favor were marsh channels (gulf menhaden, bay anchovy), marsh ponds (spot), and coves (Atlantic croaker, blackcheek tonguefish). Overall, marsh-surface and adjacent nonvegetated habitat types contained much higher densities of most nekton than the shallow bay. Infaunal densities were estimated from sediment cores, and taxa (mainly annelids, crustaceans, molluscs, and insects) were most abundant in nonvegetated areas contiguous with marsh in the spring. Factors that influenced infaunal abundance are complex and may include predation, flooding patterns, elevation, and distance to edge. Our study has important implications for designing marsh-creation projects. Based on our results, we recommend creating a variety of marsh and contiguous shallow-water areas to enhance nekton biodiversity. To maximize fishery habitat, priority should be given to constructing low marsh edge by creating large areas of low marsh interspersed with a dense network of shallow channels and interconnected ponds.


As coral reef ecosystems come under increasing pressure from fisheries and climate change, understanding how species that rely on these habitats respond to changes within their environment is increasingly important. The presence and movement of 28 grey reef sharks Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos were monitored for 15 mo in the southern Great Barrier Reef in relation to environmental conditions and biological factors. Twenty-eight models including water temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, rainfall and time (week or month), size and sex were tested against presence and activity space data and compared using Akaike information criterion (AIC). Model results for presence of individuals in relation to environmental conditions indicated that temperature and wind speed had weak effects, likely related to detectability. Models using 3 different measures of activity space indicated no relationship between shark activity space and environmental parameters. Week was a significant factor in the top performing activity space models, with males showing increased activity space during weeks in September, when mating is believed to occur. These results suggest changes in movement were biologically rather than environmentally driven. It appears that C. amblyrhynchos are adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions in coral reef habitats and that movement between or away from reef platforms is likely related to biological factors such as prey density, competition, reproduction or dispersal rather than environmental or seasonal changes.


The v-erbB oncogene isolated from the R (or ES4) strain of avian erythroblastosis virus is capable of inducing erythroleukemia and fibrosarcomas. This oncogene differs from the proto-oncogene c-erbB, the avian homolog of the epidermal growth factor receptor, by its lack of an intact ligand-binding domain as well as additional alterations in its cytoplasmic coding sequences. By contrast, the insertionally activated c-erbB, a variant oncogene, which encodes a product that also lacks the ligand-binding domain but is otherwise unaltered in its cytoplasmic coding sequences, is capable of inducing leukemia but cannot induce sarcomas. In this report, we show that the critical changes for activating the sarcomagenic potential displayed by v-erbB R are two point mutations within the tyrosine kinase domain and an internal deletion of 21 amino acids in the carboxyl-terminal regulatory domain. The removal of the carboxyl-terminal autophosphorylation sites is not obligatory. These activating mutations (Arg-263 to His, Ile-384 to Ser, and the deletion of residues 494 to 514), when introduced singly into the insertionally activated c-erbB, all dramatically increase fibroblast-transforming potential. Arg-263 resides near the highly conserved HRD motif of the kinase domain, and its mutation to His increases the autophosphorylation activity. The other two mutations do not alter the intrinsic kinase activity and presumably affect other aspects of the receptor involved in growth signaling. Therefore, the high transforming potential of v-erbB R is a consequence of synergism among multiple activating mutations.


The effect of industrial oil palm expansion on deforestation and peatland conversion in Southeast Asia has been well documented. Despite being the fastest growing producer group by area, the effects of smallholder expansion in contrast is yet to be fully understood. By combining spatial analysis with farm and farmer surveys, this article examines the types of land use changes associated with independent smallholder oil palm expansion in Indonesian Borneo. We furthermore estimate through predictive modeling how plot and smallholder characteristics in fl uence the probability that smallholder plantation establishment involved peat- and / or forestland conversion. Results point to an increasing rate of especially peatland conversion due to rising scarcities of suitable lands on mineral soils. They also demonstrate how oil palm smallholders involved in environmentally detrimental land conversions are less likely to be experienced oil palm farmers and more likely to belong to indigenous groups, be incompliant of sustainability standards and have experienced fi re. This highlights the importance of improved peatland management and targeted extension support in smallholder oil palm landscapes to both mitigate and reduce the impact of smallholder oil palm expansion.


Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are regarded to be a promising technology with the ability to convert sun light directly into electricity at competitive costs. Unlike conventional solar cells, these devices are not made from high purity semiconductor junctions but from an assembly of functional materials, which under illumination undergo a series of charge transfer reactions leading to charge separation and the generation of electricity. In the typical assembly, a mesoporous wide band gap semiconductor is sensitized by a dye. This sensitized working electrode is in direct contact with an electrolyte containing a redox couple. The electrolyte layer is positioned between the working electrode and the counter electrode which is usually a conductive glass sheet coated with a thin layer of a catalyst. The benefit of the DSC is that each function in the solar cell is carried out by a different material, leading to lower requirements of the materials and allowing convenient fine tuning of each individual component. While most components of the DSC have been thoroughly optimized, the electrolyte still is the limiting factor when it comes to up scaling and commercialization of this technology. In operation the redox couple in the electrolyte has a dual role. It is required to reduce the photooxidized dye and facilitate charge transport between the electrodes to allow for the continuous generation of electricity. To date, most DSC designs make use of the iodide-triiodide redox couple. While this leads to relatively high efficiencies, the complicated two electron redox chemistry of this couple causes intrinsic efficiency losses, limiting the achievable power conversion efficiency. Furthermore, the corrosive nature of I-/I3- complicates the design of durable, large scale solar cells, since cost reducing metal substrates and charge collection grids are dissolved by these electrolytes. As a result, DSCs were frequently efficient in the laboratory, but devices with the commercially sufficient dimensions were often comparatively inefficient and expensive. At the beginning of this work, relatively little was known about the requirements for the 'perfect' redox couple to replace I-/I3-. A few alternatives had been published, but all the devices showed comparatively low efficiency. In this thesis, we have investigated iron complexes as DSC redox mediators. The ferrocene / ferrocenium redox couple had been tried previously but the resulting DSCs showed very poor energy conversion efficiency. Ferrocene (biscyclopentadienyl iron) is the widely accepted reference redox couple for the work in non-aqueous solutions and one of the best characterized compounds in the field of electrochemistry. The ferrocene unit has been shown to be highly tunable in its electrochemical properties by derivatization. Furthermore, a wide range of ferrocene derivatives is commercially available. Due to the combination of being well characterized and the availability of a vast compound library, this group of complexes was considered ideal when attempting to define the properties of the ideal DSC redox couple. In this work, high efficiency DSCs are reported that use a ferrocene / ferrocenium redox couple. It was identified that the decomposition of the ferrocenium ion in air leads to rapid device degradation and low efficiencies. After developing a technique that allowed the DSCs to be filled and sealed under the exclusion of oxygen, and optimizing the DSC design for the use with this new electrolyte, conversion efficiencies of up to 7.5 % were achieved. The reference I-/I3- solar cell reached 6.2 %. A series of ferrocene derivatives was then studied to investigate the influence of the redox potential of the redox couple on the charge transfer kinetics in the solar cell. It was identified that a threshold exists until which an increased redox potential directly results into an increased voltage and efficiency. After this threshold, the charge transfer reaction between the photooxidized dye and the redox couple becomes sluggish, leading to increased losses and lower efficiencies. An in depth study, utilizing a range of sensitizers and a library of ferrocene derivatives, allowed us to investigate this crucial charge transfer process. Measurements of the reaction kinetics by nanosecond pulsed laser transient absorption spectroscopy allowed us to estimate that a driving force of 0.25 eV is necessary to achieve quantitative dye regeneration (yield > 99.9 %) for typical electrolyte concentrations. With the knowledge gained from this work, any particular sensitizer can be matched with an appropriate redox couple, reducing energy losses in the solar cell due to the poor alignment of redox potentials. A further focus was the work with aqueous electrolytes containing the ferricyanide / ferrocyanide redox system. The use of water instead of organic solvents has clear benefits due to the abundance of this solvent and environmental considerations. Ferrocyanide is a standard redox couple for aqueous solutions, having a well defined and documented redox chemistry under a wide range of conditions. In this work, we present the first efficient DSCs utilizing this system. Water as an electrolyte solvent for DSCs has been rarely investigated. The influence of parameters, such as pH and buffers, on device performance will have to be studied and the ferricyanide / ferrocyandide redox system forms a solid base for such future work. In summary, a range of iron complexes has been investigated for the use as redox couples for dye-sensitized solar cells resulting in high efficiencies. Certain requirements of the ideal redox couple have been established, allowing to match sensitizers with a redox couple that optimizes the system and minimizes internal energy losses.


For the first four volumes the Editor's aim has been to guide the reader through all the relevant, publicly available documents which have shaped the evolution of the international boundary between Iraq and Kuwait, from Ottoman times to the recent operations of the United Nations. In volumes 5 to 6 of the collection attention is paid to the emerging international status of Kuwait, Britain's role in this process and Ottoman and Iraqi claims to the sovereignty or suzerainty of Kuwait. This publication provides primary source materials relating to the history of the two separate, and seemingly contradictory, territorial claims that successive Iraqi governments have maintained with respect to the state of Kuwait and its territory. Expert and detailed commentary is passed on the significance of each phase in the documented history of the Iraq-Kuwait dispute. The contents lists also cross-reference the maps included within the map box.


Abstract Geophonography is a practice of sonifying the geological record, of tracing what Friedrich Kittler referred to as "signatures of the real." The aesthetic efficacy of techniques for audifying and visualizing data derived from geological materials is discussed within the context of Ur-writings, a piece by the author first exhibited in 2013. Tracing a line through the work of Freud, Adorno, Kittler, Ballard and Derrida, geophonography is positioned within a cultural context that has continued to draw inspiration from speculations upon the relation between earth and mind.


The goal of frequency-domain optical absorption spectroscopy is the non-invasive determination of the absorption coefficient of a specific tissue volume. Since this allows the concentration of endogenous and exogenous chromophores to be calculated, there is considerable potential for clinical application. The technique relies on the measurement of the phase and modulation of light, which is diffusely reflected or transmitted by the tissue when it is illuminated by an intensity-modulated source. A model of light propagation must then be used to deduce the absorption coefficient. For simplicity, it is usual to assume the tissue is either infinite in extent (for transmission measurements) or semi-infinite (for reflectance measurements). The goal of this paper is to examine the errors introduced by these assumptions when measurements are actually performed on finite volumes. Diffusion-theory calculations and experimental measurements were performed for slabs, cylinders and spheres with optical properties characteristic of soft tissues in the near infrared. The error in absorption coefficient is presented as a function of object size as a guideline to when the simple models may be used. For transmission measurements, the error is almost independent of the true absorption coefficient, which allows absolute changes in absorption to be measured accurately. The implications of these errors in absorption coefficient for two clinical problems--quantitation of an exogenous photosensitizer and measurement of haemoglobin oxygenation--are presented and discussed.


Most climate change scenarios predict a significant increase in the frequency of high intensity rainfall events especially in the dry areas, which will increase runoff and soil erosion. Understanding the factors that control soil erosion is crucial to recommending appropriate measures to protect soils and reduce their vulnerability. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of rainfall intensity, slope, land use and antecedent soil moisture on soil erosion and runoff. Twelve sites from Al‐Muwaqqar watershed, Jordan, were selected to represent six slope angles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9%. Two sites, one cultivated with barley and one as rangeland, were selected within each slope. Erosion was measured under three rainfall intensities: 3, 5 and 10 mm h−1; and three different antecedent soil moisture contents: dry, wet and very wet; using a rotating disk rainfall simulator. Regression equations indicated that rainfall intensity was the most important factor affecting soil erosion and that erosion could occur at a relatively small intensity on wet soils as a result of subsequent rainfall events. Soil erosion on cultivated land was primarily affected by moisture content, while on uncultivated land, it was mostly affected by slope steepness. Rainfall intensity, slope and antecedent moisture explained 84–89 and 59–66% of the variation in runoff and soil loss, respectively. The results indicated the significant influence of cultivating the land on soil erosion. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Rehabilitation services at primary health care level in South Africa are considered as essential services for the disabled community. Currently there are challenges with implementation of rehabilitation services at community level in South Africa. Hence it is important to explore and identify gaps in rehabilitation services at primary level of care. This was a descriptive, explorative design using both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. Patients and service providers were purposively selected from selected community health centres. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively. Qualitative data were analysed and presented as themes. The majority of patients (n=365) interacted with only one rehabilitation professional and missed out on interdisciplinary team members. Twelve percent (12%) of the service providers did not ask permission to consult their patients. Patients were dissatisfied with rehabilitation service delivery. Patients were not happy with rehabilitation services and rehabilitation service providers did not focus on a patient-centred approach. The resultant recommended development of a rehabilitation model was based on the health care plan 2030 document that advocates for inclusion of strategies for clear access to rehabilitation services and rehabilitation interventions. Rehabilitation services will change from a therapist to a patient-centred approach and services will be viewed differently.


Will incentives for employers help older workers back into the workforce, ask Philip Taylor, Linda Peach and Tia Di Biase LAST WEEK Tony Abbott announced that if elected to government, the Coalition would offer a financial incentive to employers who recruit and retain older workers for a minimum of six months. Under the scheme, an employer taking on a worker aged over 50 who is on a pension or other government benefit will receive a lump-sum payment of $3250 at the end of six months' employment. On the surface, this seems like a good deal for mature age workers having difficulty finding jobs. But what does the evidence tell us? Many industrialised countries, worried about the cost of rapidly ageing populations, are introducing schemes aimed at supporting the labour market reintegration of older workers. These recognise that older workers face a range of barriers such as a lack of skills currency and low self-esteem, particularly the many who have been out of work for extended periods. Studies over several decades have pointed to rampant age discrimination in labour markets. But do we help older workers by devising specific schemes for them? The answer is probably not. Chronological age is of limited value in determining the employment-related needs of an individual, and public programs that use age as a selection criterion may send the wrong message to both employers and older workers. Such an approach is clearly simplistic, definitions such as "older worker" being almost entirely arbitrary. Campaign groups have frequently argued for special schemes for unemployed older workers, but it is usually difficult to see much in these that would not be equally applicable to people of all ages. Offering a cash incentive to employers who recruit older workers is not a new idea. Similar programs have been tried, with limited success in a number of countries. Employers have not taken up the incentives offered to any substantial degree. Unfortunately the signal sent is that mature age workers have such work-limiting issues that the only way they can be employed is if the government pays someone to do it. The evidence is that finding willing employers is often difficult, except in the case of "younger" older workers and those who are most qualified, who would be more likely to have found a job anyway. Often, jobs do not last after an incentive scheme ends. On the other hand, there is some evidence that incentives that are paid directly to the worker may encourage job take-up. However, such jobs are often at the lower pay and skill ends of the spectrum and seem not to help jobless older workers back on to the career ladder in the long term. Incentive schemes as proposed by the Coalition risk deepening age prejudice and institutionalising age discrimination. The particular problems confronting older workers should be acknowledged in terms of service provision, but attention should be paid to the delivery of such services in order to avoid problems of stigmatisation. Targets might be set for the recruitment of older workers on to particular initiatives, but there is no requirement for the establishment of specific schemes. These are, by their very nature, ageist, and can further erode self-confidence by categorising people as "difficult to employ". The Australian workforce would benefit from a government that offers evidence-based labour market policy. The scheme proposed by the Coalition, while rightly focusing on the issue of mature age employment, would benefit few. • Philip Taylor, Linda Peach and Tia Di Biase are researching issues of mature age employment at Monash University. Photo: iStockphoto


Inhibition of casein kinase 1ε allows the circadian clock to recover more quickly after changes in environmental stimuli. Circadian clocks control various aspects of animal physiology. Oscillations in the transcription and translation of clock components occur over a 24-hour cycle and are coordinated with the day-night cycle. Changes in the day-night cycle induce changes in the molecular oscillations, enabling the clock to gradually get back in phase with the environment. In mammals, the central circadian clock operates in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus, and peripheral clocks in other organs are coordinated with this master clock. Pilorz et al. report that, whereas casein kinase 1δ (CK1δ) controls the periodicity of the clock, CK1ε determines how rapidly the clock can be reset in response to environmental changes. As assessed by behavioral, metabolic, and molecular criteria, CK1ε–/– mice reestablished central and peripheral clock coordination with the environment after changes in the light-dark cycle sooner than wild-type (WT) mice. When mice were kept in constant darkness for more than 2 weeks, a brief light pulse triggered a greater shift in the phase of the clocks of CK1ε–/– mice compared with the clocks of WT mice. Cultured SCN slices from CK1ε–/– mice exhibited greater phase shifting of circadian oscillations in response to application of the glutamate receptor agonist N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), which mimics the input from light-detecting retinal neurons. Temperature also influences the circadian period, and SCN and lung tissues from CK1ε–/– mice were more responsive to changes in physiologically relevant temperature cycling than those from WT mice. Finally, treating mice with a drug that selectively inhibits CK1ε enhanced phase shifts in response to changes in the light-dark cycle. These greater phase shifts in mice lacking CK1ε function enabled the clock to reset more rapidly in response to environmental changes. CK1-mediated phosphorylation promotes degradation of the clock component PER2, leading the authors to propose that CK1ε activity reduces PER2 accumulation triggered by clock-resetting stimuli, thus reducing the magnitude of phase shifts to buffer the clock from transient or subtle changes in environmental stimuli. These findings also imply that pharmacological inhibition of CK1ε may sensitize the clock to resetting by environmental cues, which could be good news for shift workers and long-distance air travelers. V. Pilorz, P. S. Cunningham, A. Jackson, A. C. West, T. T. Wager, A. S. I. Loudon, D. A. Bechtold, A novel mechanism controlling resetting speed of the circadian clock to environmental stimuli. Curr. Biol. 24, 766–773 (2014). [PubMed] Correction: The original text incorrectly stated that the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is in the hippocampus and the compound N-methyl--aspartate (NMDA) is a neurotransmitter. This has been corrected.


The main actors in this PhD thesis are microtubules, dynamic polymers built from protein subunits that play many important roles in cells of all higher organisms. We study a number of their functions using mathematical modelling and computer simulations. First, we consider the role of microtubules in establishing the ordered cortical array, a structure that plays a key role in the plant cell elongation. We show theoretically that the observed effect that new microtubules are nucleated from pre-existing microtubules strongly enhances the order of the array and makes it more robust against variations in the conditions. Next, we turn to the role the shape of the cell plays in the spatial organization of microtubules. We show that depending on how the microtubules interact with the cell boundary, either the long or the short axis of the cell determines the majority direction of the microtubules. Additionally, we formulate a model that predicts the positioning of the mitotic spindle, which is the cellular structure that segregates the duplicated chromosomes during eukaryotic cell division. We analyze how the speed, precision and final direction of the spindle orientation process depends on cell shape and the parameters that describe the microtubules. Finally, we turn to the potential role of microtubules in establishing cell polarity, the non-uniform distribution of cellular constituents, which is crucial for many developmental processes. Based solely on the propensity of microtubules to bind and transport proteins to the cell membrane, we set up a feasible and robust cell polarization mechanism, which could potentially be used to set up polarity in a minimal cell-like environment using a biochemical reconstitution approach. We study this model in its pure form in a perfectly spherical cell, in order to establish proof-of-principle, but also show that the effect remains in a more realistic non-spherical cell.


By considering a non-singular performance cost functional, observer backstepping designs and adaptive observer backstepping designs are compared to high-gain observer designs for an output feedback system and a parametric output feedback system. For the output feedback system, if the initial error between the initial condition of the state and the initial condition of the observer is large, the high-gain observer design has better performance than the observer backstepping design. Whilst, for the parametric output feedback system, if the a-priori estimate for the bound of the uncertain parameter is conservative, the adaptive observer backstepping design has better performance than the high-gain observer design. In the sense of gap metric robustness, by a backstepping procedure, a robust state feedback controller is developed for the nominal plant in strick-feedback form. For the closed-loop, the controller achieves gain-function stability, and stability if the initial condition is zero. By the gap metric robustness theory, the controller achieves robustness to plant perturbations which are small in gap sense. In this way, it is shown that for any perturbed plant the controller stabilizes the closed-loop in the presence of input and measurement disturbances if the gap metric distance between the nominal and perturbed plant is less than a computable constant. For output feedback control, a nominal plant in output-feedback form is considered, and the observer backstepping procedure is amended to design a robust controller and an observer in the presence of input and measurement disturbances. The closed-loop is shown to be gain-function stable, and stable if the initial condition is zero. If the nonlinearities are only locally Lipschitz continuous, the results are only local to input and measurement disturbances; if the nonlinearities are globally Lipschitz continuous, then results are global to input and measurement disturbances. By gap metric robustness theory, if the initial condition is zero the controller is shown to be robust to plant perturbations in a gap metric sense. As an application, the theory is applied to a system with time delay, and it is shown that if the time delay is suitably small, the controller is able to achieve stability of the closed-loop. To investigate the robustness of high-gain designs to loop disturbances and plant perturbations, a restricted class of nonlinear nominal plant in normal form are considered. An amended high-gain observer control design is shown to be robust to loop disturbances and has a non-zero plant perturbation margin, which is independent of the high-gain factor.


Will animosity towards Jews and the State of Israel never end? This book ventures to rectify the misrepresentations, propaganda, obsessions, and falsifications widely disseminated in the media and public discourse, explaining the motivations behind them. The issues Michael Curtis scrutinises are complicated and controversial, sometimes even baffling, but he reviews them in as objective and rigorous a manner as possible. Curtis divides his arguments into five key areas: political correctness and the obsessive attack on Israel; the surprising and disturbing rise of antisemitism; the Arab world and the Islamist threat; the Palestinian narrative; and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The first section focuses on the censorious attitude toward Israel taken by many in the international community. A second section consists of essays on the increase of contemporary antisemitism in Arab and Muslim countries as well as European democracies. In the third section, the author addresses changes in the Arab world, the threat of Iranian ambitions, the new alliance of Sunni Islamist states, and the growing strength and danger of Islamic fundamentalism and extremist behaviour. His fourth section, on the Palestinian Narrative, details the acceptance by many critics of Israel and the international media of the Palestinian narrative of victimhood. Finally, the section on the IsraeliuPalestinian conflict details the continuing struggle within the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians. This book is a must read for historians, political scientists, Jewish studies scholars, and all those interested in one of the most volatile and controversial regions in the world today.


Our Country is on its path of development and this
requires a major concentration on catering the energy
demands of the nation. This can be achieved by tapping more
from the renewable resources available within our vicinity
rather than the conventional coal and petroleum resources.
With abundant renewable sources available, they can be used
to provide power locally to rural areas primarily based on
their electricity demands. This paper discusses the study of use of a microgrid to meet the energy demand for a remote village named Mudikandan which falls in Sivaganga district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. A micro-grid is an integrated energy system that consists of loads
and distributed energy resources which can either function
independently or in parallel with the main grid. Through this paper we propose a micro-grid based electrification solution for the village. The proposed micro-grid based solution will integrate renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to provide stable electricity supply for residential load. For that purpose, we employ a microgrid simulation and optimization software by Homer Energy called as HOMER Pro. The results using both wind and solar energy has been analysed and compared after the simulation.


We estimated the bathymetry and sediment thickness of a remote and difficult to access portion of the Antarctic continental margin using aerogeophysical surveying techniques. The U.S., Argentina, Chile aerogeophysical survey collected magnetic and gravity data over the basins surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula. Thirty-seven of these flight lines were used to estimate bathymetry and depth to magnetic basement for the western Weddell Basin. A wavenumber technique was applied to individual magnetic anomaly profiles in an automated fashion to obtain estimates of the depth to magnetic basement. The bathymetric estimates were obtained by admittance inversions of the gravity field. The results were then gridded at a 40-km interval for the region 64°W, 44°W, 73°S, and 62°S. Bathymetric estimates and depth to magnetic basement estimates were differenced at each grid point to obtain a regional estimate of the thickness of nonmagnetic overburden (assumed to be sediment). Subsequent spot measurements of topography in the estimated region of the continental margin generally agree to about 52 m. The estimated magnetic basement deepens from the Antarctic Peninsula margin eastward to a maximum of 10–12 km near 54°W. We also postulate the existence of two moderately large basins flanking the eastward continuation of the Jason Peninsula. Farther east, the basement steps upward, with a correspondent thinning of the sedimentary layer. Along the east coast of the peninsula, results agree well with seismic studies on James Ross Island and magnetotelluric studies on Marambio Island and the Larsen nunatak, as well as the British Antarctic Survey basement estimates from aeromagnetic data. This study further demonstrates the utility of combined application of airborne and satellite geophysical techniques in the study of structure and tectonic evolution of continental margins and marine basins.


We present a review of the very recent advances in the synthesis of block copolymer (BCP) Janus nanomaterials. Although Janus micelles can form by the self-assembly of BCPs in solution, patchy or core–shell structures are usually dominant. Structural transformation of the core–shell structure or disassembly of the patchy structure is further employed to achieve Janus nanomaterials. Disassembly of ABC tri-block terpolymer supramolecular structures is advantageous in tuning much more easily the shapes of the Janus nanomaterials from spherical to cylindrical and sheet/disc-like. Narrow molecular weight distributions and strict processing conditions are required. Emulsion droplet confined self-assembly of BCPs can directly achieve Janus nanomaterials in a sufficiently small droplet and/or at low polymer concentration. A neutral emulsion interface is required using proper surfactants. Alternatively, a general method has been proposed to prepare Janus nanomaterials by guided self-assembly of BCPs within a confined environment by the strong interaction and the selective crosslinking of one block. The aforementioned Janus nanomaterials are in the form of a polymer cluster. Single chain Janus nanomaterials of BCPs can be prepared by intramolecular crosslinking of one block in a very dilute solution. It remains challenging to synthesize single chain Janus nanomaterials at high solid content for example tens of percent. At the end of this review, a perspective on BCP Janus nanomaterials is provided.


Modern food governance is increasingly hybrid, involving not only government, but also industry and civil society actors. This book analyzes the unfolding interplay between public and private actors in global and local food governance. How are responsibilities and risks allocated in hybrid governance arrangements, how is legitimacy ensured, and what effects do these arrangements have on industry or government practices? The expert contributors draw on law, economics, political science and sociology to discuss these questions through rich empirical cases.


Endogenous sex steroids can be produced in two places—the gonad or adrenal gland. The gonad in females primarily makes oestrogen and in males testosterone. A key physiological hallmark of puberty is the development of progressively rising pulsatile gonadotropin production by the pituitary gland. Rising, pulsatile concentrations of luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulate the ovary and lead to oestrogen production in girls with associated breast development. In boys the same physiological process will stimulate testicular enlargement and lead to rising testosterone levels and associated genital change. The adrenal gland primarily makes androgen rather than oestrogen in girls and boys but is not stimulated by gonadotropins. Adrenal androgen production in girls and boys will result in pubic and axillary hair development and a degree of genital change in boys but, if the above summary applies, there will be little potential for confusion with true gonadotropin-mediated pubertal change because there is no impact on the key hallmarks of pubertal onset—breast development in girls and testicular enlargement in boys.

With this information determining whether a child is in puberty or not should be straightforward. The 5-year-old girl with a history of progressive breast development and rapid growth or the 5-year-old boy with a testicular volume that is 4 mL or above needs a comprehensive clinical, biochemical and radiological assessment. The likely …


Background: Patients undergoing elective surgery often face symptoms of anxiety and stress. Healthcare systems have limited time and resources to provide individualized stress relief interventions. Research has shown that stress relief interventions and educational resources can improve health outcomes and speed recovery.
Objectives: Digital health tools can provide valuable assistance in stress relief and educational support to patients and family. This paper reports on the design of a novel digital health infrastructure for improving the health condition of patients, during the care path, using virtual reality (VR) and other information and communication technologies (ICT).
Methods: Digital tools developed and integrated into a platform of modules that can be used by patients before but also after an operation, enabling better self-management and self-empowerment.
Results: The designed platform aims at improving the knowledge of patients about their condition, providing stress relief tools, helping them adhere to treatment, as well as providing for effective communication channels between patients and clinicians.
Conclusion: The proposed solution has the potential to improve physical and emotional reactions to stress and increase the levels of calmness and a sense of wellbeing. Information provided through the platform enhances health literacy and digital competence, and increases the participation of the patient in the decision-making process. Integration with third-party applications can facilitate the exchange of important information between patients and physicians as well as between personal applications and clinical health systems.


Biomass size spectra describe the structure of aquatic communities ataxonomically. The slope ( b ) of the normalized biomass size spectrum (NBSS) is often used as an indicator of the impact of perturbations, such as pollution or overfishing. The NBSS intercept ( a ), has generally been ignored on the basis of a correlation between the NBSS slope and intercept, although this correlation has not been shown to be universal. We assessed whether the NBSS parameters are correlated using: (i) theoretical analysis, (ii) virtual communities randomly generated based only on statistical considerations, and (iii) virtual food webs changing over time following a dynamic bioenergetic model. We also analyzed whether the parameters of the Pareto distribution are correlated or not, using approaches (i) and (ii). We found that when communities change over time there is no single relationship between the two NBSS parameters, due to a dependence on the variation in total community abundance (N). We conclude that to characterize any aquatic system at least two parameters are necessary from the NBSS triad N, a, b . In the case of the Pareto distribution, both N Pareto and b Pareto are necessary.


This article describes a randomized field experiment in which parents were provided financial incentives to engage in behaviors designed to increase early childhood cognitive and executive function skills through a parent academy. Parents were rewarded for attendance at early childhood sessions, completing homework assignments with their children, and for their child's demonstration of mastery on interim assessments. This intervention had large and statistically significant positive impacts on both cognitive and non-cognitive test scores of Hispanics and Whites, but no impact on Blacks. These differential outcomes across races are not attributable to differences in observable characteristics (e.g. family size, mother's age, mother's education) or to the intensity of engagement with the program. Children with above median (pre-treatment) non cognitive scores accrue the most benefits from treatment.


A TAXONOMY OF EFFECTIVE LEADER BEHAVIORS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Enrique Cabrera-Caban Old Dominion University, 2016 Director: Dr. Konstantin P. Cigularov The construction industry is a major part of the United States economy, but it is also one of the most dangerous and high-risk industries. The industry is currently facing a shortage of effective leadership, and leaders face unique challenges in coordinating multiple teams of subcontractors on projects. The first step in remedying this shortage is to identify the behaviors of an effective construction leader. To address this need, a taxonomy of effective leader behaviors in construction was developed using grounded theory methodology and rated by construction industry subject matter experts. Archival focus group data from 10 focus groups in three regions of the United States with 66 construction employees including plumbers, pipefitters, safety directors, superintendents, and training instructors were analyzed in the first phase of the study using a grounded theory methodology and subsequently compared to extant construction leadership literature. In the second phase, the validity of the derived taxonomy was assessed in two studies: (1) five doctoral student subject matter experts performed a deductive content analysis and intercoder agreement was found to be acceptable, and (2) 39 construction managers rated the importance and relevance of each of the 36 taxonomy categories along with 3 categories of construction manager behaviors. Overall interrater agreement was acceptable, although low agreement was observed in several taxonomy categories. Mean ratings were compared between taxonomy and construction manager categories using t tests and were found to be significantly different. A comparison to extant leader behavior taxonomies demonstrated similarities and differences to the present taxonomy. Evidence from the present study demonstrates the uniqueness of the construction industry context for studying leadership and can be of use to researchers as an empirically supported framework of effective leader behaviors in construction, and to practitioners for training, selection, and performance evaluation.


The interaction between droughts and land-use fires threaten the carbon stocks, climate regulatory functions, and biodiversity of Amazon forests, particularly in the southeast, where deforestation and land-use ignitions are high. Repeated, severe, or combined fires and droughts result in tropical forest degradation via nonlinear dynamics and may lead to an alternate vegetation state. Here, we discuss the major insights from the longest (more than 10 years) and largest (150-hectare) experimental burn in Amazon forests. Despite initial forest resistance to low-intensity fires, repeated fire during drought killed the majority of trees, reduced canopy cover by half, and favored invasive grasses—but the persistence of this novel vegetation state is unknown. Forest edges, where drying, fire intensity and grass invasion are greatest, were most vulnerable. Crucial to advancing fire ecology in tropical forests, we need to scale these results to understand how flammability and resilience postfire varies across Amazon forest types.


Contribution of forest for development of this nation can not be regarded as small, so that the forests must be managed and used optimally and well preserved. As an effort to preserve and enhance timber production, PT. Sari Bumi Kusuma (PT. SBK) as one of the holders of Forest Concessionaire (IUPHHK-HA), have been applied Selective Cutting and Line Planting (TPTJ) silvicultural system in it's management of natural forest production since 1999. Red Meranti (Shorea leprosula) is one of the flagship sppecies which are selected in TPTJ because it better growth than other Meranti sppecies.However, the growth of S. leprosula in line planting excessively unknown yet. This research aimed to know the diameter growth of S. leprosula 5 9 in TPTJ silvicultural system. Research conducted in Mei 2009 in PT. SBK's areas. Data of diameter growth collected through observation of the 100 m x 100 m sampling plots (1 ha).Plot samples were taken in each age planting which are purposively selected based on the age of 5 to 9 years old of planting, where in each of the plot samples there are five lines of planting. Analysis of research data including diameter stand structure, data normality test, Mean Annual Increment (MAI), and curve of diameter growth. Diameter growth of of S. leprosula which planted in line generally sppreading normally, where the most frequency of individual tree is in the diameter class that represents the mean (average) of the stand diameter, and show sigmoid shape curve of the diameter growth. The average increment (MAI) of S. leprosula were highest at the age of seven year plantation i.e to 2.31 cm / year and the lowest at the age of five year plantation i.e 1.45 cm / year. The largest diameter found at the age of nine years after planting i.e 28.5 cm (average 19.7 cm).


This article attempts to arrest the rising influence in Georgia of Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts, by Justice Antonin Scalia and Bryan Garner. Though Reading Law has many worthy uses, its false polemics, its sharp divergence from the law of Georgia, and its numerous flaws should incline Georgia courts to use it cautiously, not to adopt its program wholesale.Its flaws begin at the beginning, and this article takes the book to task for its misrepresenting the state of statutory interpretation at the founding of the nation as exemplified in its treatment of Blackstone's Commentaries. Blackstone is clearly a purposivist, as Reading Law defines the term, and American judicial power was understood in purposivist terms, as the Georgia Supreme Court confirmed at a very early stage. Reading Law's treatment of Blackstone is simply bad textualism.The article then surveys the breadth of Georgia's approach to statutory interpretation in point-by-point comparison with Reading Law. Though there are large areas of agreement, the differences are striking, most tellingly in Georgia's methods of determining and applying the legislative intent under the "Mischief Rule" and in its robust application of the "Absurdity Doctrine." Numerous points in this survey show that a pure textualism is undesirable, that Reading Law departs widely from a pure textualism, that many of Reading Law's canons of interpretation are purposivist in origin, and that most if not all questions of interpretation involve some judgment calls on the part of the judge, whether consciously or unconsciously performed, which makes hopelessly unattainable the textualist ideal of statutory interpretation free of judicial preferences.The article concludes by rejecting as weak the arguments that the book urges against purposivism, and it presents a philosophical contrast between the legislator presupposed by both approaches. The purposivist legislator is to be preferred.


Bodies may be currently fashionable in social and feminist theory, but their insides are not. Biological bodies always seem to drop out of debates about the body and its importance in Western culture. They are assumed to be fixed, their workings uninteresting or irrelevant to theory. Birke argues that these static views of biology do not serve feminist politics well. As a trained biologist, she uses ideas in anatomy and physiology to develop the feminist view that the biological body is socially and culturally constructed. She rejects the assumption that the body's functioning is somehow fixed and unchanging, claiming that biological science offers more than just a deterministic narrative of 'how nature works'. Feminism and the Biological Body puts biological science and feminist theory together and suggests that we need a politics which includes, rather than denies, our bodily flesh.


This study was commissioned to provide a description of rural traffic crashes in Queensland using available mass data and to investigate regional effects on these crashes. The sample comprised 1078 fatal and hospital admission crashes occurring in rural areas during 1984. In general, results were consistent with findings from other states and particularly highlighted the significant proportion of single vehicle crashes, the severity of impacts with roadside objects and control difficulties experienced when vehicles ran on road shoulders (a).


Mounting concerns over the cost and environmental impact of N fertilizer combined with progressively higher plant densities in maize (Zea mays L.) production systems make progress in maize N use efficiency (NUE) and N stress tolerance essential. The primary objectives of this 3-yr field study were to (i) evaluate the N responsiveness, NUE, and N stress tolerance of multiple modern maize genotypes using suboptimal, optimal, and supraoptimal plant densities (54,000,79,000, and 104,000 plants ha -1 , respectively) with three levels of side-dress N (0, 165, and 330 kg N ha -1 ), (ii) identify key morphophysiological responses to the simultaneous stresses of intense crowding and low N availability, and (iii) consider our results with extensive reference to literature on maize morphophysiological responses to plant crowding and N availability. At optimal and supraoptimal plant densities, maize receiving 165 kg ha -1 of side-dress N displayed strong N responsiveness, high NUE, pronounced crowding tolerance, and plant density independence. However, crowding tolerance was contingent on N application. Relative to less crowded, N-fertilized environments, the 104,000 plants ha -1 , 0 kg N ha-1 treatment combination exhibited (i) reduced pre- and postanthesis plant height (PHT), stem diameter (SD), and total biomass; (ii) greater preflowering leaf senescence and lower R1 leaf areas at individual-leaf, per-plant, and canopy levels; (iii) enhanced floral protandry; (iv) lower pre- and postanthesis leaf-chlorophyll content; (v) lower per-plant kernel number (KN P ), individual kernel weight (KW), grain yield per plant (GYp), andharvest index per plant (HI P ); and (vi) enhanced per-plant grain yield variability (GY CV ). Genetic efforts to improve high plant density tolerance should, therefore, simultaneously focus on enhancing NUE and N stress tolerance.


Molecular communication (MC) will enable the exchange of information among nanoscale devices. In this novel bio-inspired communication paradigm, molecules are employed to encode, transmit and receive information. In the most general case, these molecules are propagated in the medium by means of free diffusion. An information theoretical analysis of diffusion-based MC is required to better understand the potential of this novel communication mechanism. The study and the modeling of the noise sources is of utmost importance for this analysis. The objective of this paper is to provide a mathematical study of the noise at the reception of the molecular information in a diffusion-based MC system when the ligand-binding reception is employed. The reference diffusion-based MC system for this analysis is the physical end-to-end model introduced in a previous work by the same authors, where the reception process is realized through ligand-binding chemical receptors. The reception noise is modeled in this paper by following two different approaches, namely, through the ligand-receptor kinetics and through the stochastic chemical kinetics. The ligand-receptor kinetics allows to simulate the random perturbations in the chemical processes of the reception, while the stochastic chemical kinetics provides the tools to derive a closed-form solution to the modeling of the reception noise. The ligand-receptor kinetics model is expressed through a block scheme, while the stochastic chemical kinetics results in the characterization of the reception noise using stochastic differential equations. Numerical results are provided to demonstrate that the analytical formulation of the reception noise in terms of stochastic chemical kinetics is compliant with the reception noise behavior resulting from the ligand-receptor kinetics simulations.


Background:Informal care plays a substantial role in the provision of total care in dementia. Several reviews have been published on the predictive factors of subjective burden; however, such a review lacks information on objective burden, which refers to the amount and/or costs of informal care. Objectives:The objectives of this study were to (1) give an overview of the predictive factors that are associated with the objective burden of informal care; (2) discuss whether these factors are similar to the predictive factors of subjective burden; and (3) examine whether they are modifiable. Design:The literature in a number of international databases was systematically searched. Methodological quality and level of certainty were assessed. Results:Ten studies were identified as relevant for the purpose of this review, describing a total of 39 predictive factors. Three factors (behavioral problems and impairments regarding daily functioning and cognition) were considered to be predictors of objective burden. Three factors were not related; 12 were potential predictors; and the results of the remaining 22 factors were inconclusive. Conclusions:Many factors were found to be (potential) predictors of objective burden, reflecting its complex nature. Objective and subjective burdens are 2 different relevant aspects of informal care. Interventions aimed at countering behavioral problems and impairments regarding daily functioning could reduce objective burden.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of context and its implications for theory and research in service. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper based on exploring existing research and theory related to context in service research. Findings – The characteristics of service make context both important and challenging, there is great contextual diversity in service research as reflected, for example in ecosystems made up of multiple contextual variables. There is a need to identify the context-specific nature of middle range theory and the contextual logic of general theory. The authors explore the challenges of context for service theory and how we might learn from theory in a particular context and test or adapt it in other contexts. Originality/value – The findings of this paper are of value to researchers seeking to develop and justify theory in service research (general, middle range or theory in use).


This article presents what we hope can be a philosophy and methodology of globally valid utility, suitable in particular to an Honor-Dignity binary which we likewise advance as appropriately adding to or replacing dimensions currently favored in sociological work. We will demonstrate with the new methodology why we believe the typology will be discovered to be valid, reliable and global. Parts II and III will introduce the top tiers of the assessment tool (the full treatment will appear in book format) and part IV will compare and contrast the typology with others in past and current use. An introductory overview begins with the use of honor and dignity cults to illuminate the rationale for a reprise of theory, concluding with a brief review of current 'soft science' methodologies as inadequate to that task. The bulk of the paper is in two parts, in the first of which the current use of 'dimensions' is examined from a theoretical view followed by our recommended modifications in the use of variables; the second introduces modal philosophy and its methodological arm 'paradigmatics' to defend our interpretation as well as justify the use of templates in typological theory and practice. In the final section we briefly introduce the assessment tool by which any investigator can gauge the validity and reliability of dimensions, apply them in 'typing' societies, and test their predictive value.


While university-level language immersion programs have been in existence for some years, research on the bilingual processing strategies of students participating in such programs is scant. This chapter reports on two aspects of a four-course college-level immersion program: (1) the participants' use of both their native and the immersion language to process meaning on academic tasks, and (2) the influence of the social ecology of the immersion context on their language use.
The measures used for obtaining data included a questionnaire addressing program perceptions and background, pre/post multi-modality tests and self-assessments, and a retrospective self-observation instrument to provide data on bilingual mental processing by 24 Spanish, French, and German immersion students and by 17 non-immersion students directly after classroom tasks (e.g.,, process writing, listening to a lecture, watching a video, or discussing an article). A third of the immersion students also volunteered to provide verbal report data outside of class for listening, reading, writing, and speaking on a central topic.
 In sum, immersion students reported less mental translation and more cognitive processing directly through the immersion language than did their non-immersion counterparts present in those same classrooms. Second, the language modality (i.e., listening, reading, speaking, or writing) significantly effected the type and extent of mental processing in the immersion language. Third, immersion students emphasized the unique social context of immersion as supporting and extending target language use, both within and beyond the classroom. They acknowledged that the greater extent of direct target language cognitive processing was attributable to both the linguistic and social dimensions of the immersion context. While focusing on immersion programs at the university level, the study's quantitative and qualitative findings provided pedagogical implications for all college-level foreign language education, whether involving standard, intensive, or immersion curricula.


As technology drives improvement in healthcare, the utilization trends for robotics in arthroplasty has continued to increase over the last decade. With the growth of robotics, we must determine if the proposed benefits are worth the increased cost. The purpose of this study was to evaluate inpatient post-operative and post-discharge outcomes of robotic-assisted surgery vs. conventional manual instrumentation, specifically time to discharge, discharge status and opioid consumption postoperatively. Knee Injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) was calculated for each group as well. After IRB approval, a retrospective chart review of 100 robotic assisted primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and 100 matched controls undergoing conventional TKA was performed. Baseline demographics were recorded as well as post-operative outcomes including length of stay, opioid consumption, discharge status and duration of opioid use. All patients underwent primary TKA from 2016-2018 with minimum 6month follow-up by a single fellowship trained arthroplasty surgeon at a high-volume joint center. Exclusion criteria included < 6 month f/u, incomplete chart information, inflammatory arthritis, BMI >40. Patients had similar pre-operative demographics including age, BMI, gender, opioid use and baseline depression rates. The robotic assisted TKA group had statistically significant decreased LOS (1.58 vs. 2.18 p< 0.001) and morphine equivalents during their hospital stay (73.52 vs. 102.50 p< 0.02). The robotic group had fewer patients at six weeks requiring opioids (37 vs. 61 p=0.001). Six month postoperative KOOS was 81.73 in the control group and 78.22 in the robotic group, (P>0.05). Robotic-assisted TKA was associated with statistically significant decreased hospital LOS, morphine equivalents, and opioid usage at the 6-week follow up appointment. KOOS for the groups in our study were not statistically different. Although KOOS in the control group trended to be higher, our average KOOS for both cohorts was higher than the national average of 76.8. Health Sciences EPiC Series in Health Sciences Volume 4, 2020, Pages 111–116 CAOS 2020. The 20th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Computer Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery F. Rodriguez Y Baena and F. Tatti (eds.), CAOS 2020 (EPiC Series in Health Sciences, vol. 4), pp. 111–116


China is at the midpoint of its urbanisation—the largest scale in human history. The recent smart city movement is influencing the discourse and practice of China's urbanisation, with numerous cities claiming to build smart cities and/or adopting some forms of smart city strategies and initiatives. A so-called 'latecomer's advantage' is being exploited to advance their pursuit for a smart city status, not only to catch up with overseas counterparts, but to overtake them and become international leaders. This local-level enthusiasm strikes a chord with the central government's strategy of building an 'innovative nation' to drive its economic transformation towards a knowledge economy. This converging central-local interest is creating a 'smart city mania' across the nation, which, however, has not received due attention in the international literature, and thus deserves critical examination and reflection to inform policy debates. To address this gap, this study investigates the state of smart cities in China, based on a case study of Shenzhen, China's fastest-growing, experimental city. Shenzhen grew from a fishing village into an international metropolis in 40 years, and has now won a nickname of 'China's Silicon Valley' or 'China's smartest city'. This study analyses the state of Chinese smart cities and the pursuit for a smart Shenzhen from the perspectives of the smart city as a concept, as an urban development paradigm, and as an urban regime, drawing upon the international smart city literature. It concludes that a technology-centric approach to smart cities in China, as illustrated by the Shenzhen case, have advanced innovation capacity and economic growth through capitalising on a 'latecomer's advantage'. However, this 'latecomer's advantage' may translate into a 'latecomer's disadvantage' for this approach's lack of institutional adaptation, and for its insufficient attention to social and environmental problems covered under the shiny economic boom. This latecomer's disadvantage is likely to impact the long-term sustainability of Chinese cities.