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Much research has been done on the impact of ICT on development in both developed and developing economies. An area though that there is hardly an empirical research is its impact on not-forprofit organisations or the third sector. This research seeks to feel this gap by focusing on the third sector in Nigeria. To theoretically underpin this study, three variables (fun, culture and technology readiness) has been developed and incorporated in existing technology acceptance model. The research is at initial stage and though it develops a research model, the model will be further examined and refined before the full empirical work will be carried out to validate it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the literature on computer games and serious games in regard to the potential positive impacts of gaming on users aged 14 years or above, especially with respect to learning, skill enhancement and engagement. Search terms identified 129 papers reporting empirical evidence about the impacts and outcomes of computer games and serious games with respect to learning and engagement and a multidimensional approach to categorizing games was developed. The findings revealed that playing computer games is linked to a range of perceptual, cognitive, behavioural, affective and motivational impacts and outcomes. The most frequently occurring outcomes and impacts were knowledge acquisition/content understanding and affective and motivational outcomes. The range of indicators and measures used in the included papers are discussed, together with methodological limitations and recommendations for further work in this area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since their introduction over 40 years ago, digital entertainment games have become one of the most popular leisure activities globally. While digital games clearly provide highly engaging activities, the nature of this engagement is not well understood. The current study aims to advance our understanding by reporting a systematic review of recent literature addressing engagement in computer games. The papers in the review comprise a sub-sample of papers relating to engagement in digital games that was selected from a broader literature search carried out on the outcomes and impacts of playing computer games. A diverse range of studies was identified that examined varied aspects of engagement in games including subjective experiences while playing games, the physiological concomitants of these experiences, motives for playing games, game usage and time spent playing games and the impact of playing on life satisfaction. A narrative review was carried out to capture these diverse aspects of engagement and to develop a more coherent understanding of engagement in computer games. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aims The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of liver X receptors (LXRs)-β preferential activation by LXR-623 (WAY-252623), a novel LXRs agonist, on plaque progression/regression in a rabbit model of advanced atherosclerosis. Methods and results Advanced atherosclerosis was induced in New Zealand White Rabbits (n= 41). At the end of atherosclerosis induction, animals underwent a baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and were randomized to receive LXR-623 (1.5, 5, or 15 mg/kg/day), simvastatin (5 mg/kg/day), or placebo. The combination of LXR-1.5/simvastatin was also tested. After a final MRI, animals were euthanized and their aortas processed for further analysis. Simvastatin significantly reduced lesion progression (−25%; P< 0.01) in comparison with the placebo group. A similar effect was observed in the LXR-1.5 and -5 groups. A significant regression (16.5%; P< 0.01) of existing atherosclerosis was observed in the LXR-1.5/simvastatin group. Histological and molecular analysis showed plaque stabilization in the animals treated with the LXR-1.5 and -5, and LXR-1.5/simvastatin. The effects of LXR-623 were observed in the presence of a non-significant effect on total-cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Conclusion The results of the present study show that LXR-623 significantly reduces the progression of atherosclerosis and induces plaque regression in combination with simvastatin. These observations could drive future development of novel anti-atherosclerotic therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Computer games have become a highly popular form of entertainment and have had a large impact on how University students spend their leisure time. Due to their highly motivating properties computer games have come to the attention of educationalists who wish to exploit these highly desirable properties for educational purposes. Several studies have been performed looking at motivations for playing computer games in a general context and in a Higher Education (HE) context. These studies did not focus on the differences in motivations between online and offline game players. Equally the studies did not look at the differences in motivations of people who prefer single player games and people who prefer multiplayer games. If games-based learning is to become a recognised teaching approach then such motivations for playing computer games must be better understood. This paper presents the combined analysis of three studies at HE level, performed over a four year period from 2005 to 2009. The paper focuses on differences of motivations in relation to single player/multiplayer preference and online/offline game participation. The study found that challenge is the top ranking motivation and recognition is the lowest ranking motivation for playing computer games in general. Challenge is also the top ranking motivation for playing games in HE while fantasy and recognition are the lowest ranking motivations for playing games in HE. Multiplayer gamers derive more competition, cooperation, recognition, fantasy and curiosity from playing games and online gamers derive more challenge, cooperation, recognition and control from playing games. Multiplayer gamers and online gamers ranked competition, cooperation and recognition significantly more important for playing games in HE than single players and offline participants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A proposed bridge replacement over the Nehalem River between the communities of Birkenfeld and Mist in northwest Oregon identified the remains of an early twentieth century logging railroad camp. The railroad line was operated by the Kerry Timber and Logging Company sometime between ca. 1917 and 1925. As the camp bordered an elevated trestle, the entire camp was built on stilts above the ground. Due to this fact, and later highway and bridge construction, archaeological traces of the camp were relatively diffuse. Recovered artifacts were dominated by nails, and by robust white institutional ceramics ("hotel ware") that likely relate to a crew camp mess. Examination of artifacts associated with railroad grades east and west of the project area suggests that the rail line west of the camp was built as a branch-level grade, and the lines east as spur-level grades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological work at five sites in the Malhuer River Basin of east-central Oregon was conducted in response to bridge and interchange construction projects. Chronologically diagnostic projectile points and obsidian hydration values suggest occupation histories spanning the Holocene, but geoarchaeological, radiocarbon, and obsidian hydration evidence indicate that the major archaeological components are middle and late Holocene in age (ca. 3700 BP to late pre-Contact). Faunal remains, fishing equipment, and positive test results for fish proteins on projectile points, flake tools, bifaces, and ground stone indicate fishing for trout or salmon was an important activity at the sites. Obsidian sourcing provides insights on changing land use ranges through time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), a form of narrative often involving multiple media and gaming elements to tell a story that might be affected by participants’ actions, have been used in the marketing and promotion of a number of entertainment related products such as films, computer games and music. This paper discusses the design, development and evaluation of an ARG aimed at increasing the motivations of secondary school level students across Europe in the learning of modern foreign languages. The ARG was developed and implemented as part of a European Commission Comenius project and involved 6 project partners, 328 secondary school students and 95 language teachers from 17 European countries. The collaborative nature of ARGs provides a potentially useful vehicle for developing collaborative activities within an educational context. This paper describes the educational value of ARGs, in particular the ARG for supporting the teaching of modern European languages and the specific activities that were developed around Web 2.0 and gaming that underpinned the ARG and helped promote cooperation and learning within an educational environment. An evaluation of the ARG was conducted using an experimental design of pre-test → ARG intervention → post-test. 105 students completed the pre-test, 92 students completed the post-test and 45 students completed both the pre-test and post-test questionnaires. In general, student attitudes towards the ARG were very positive with evidence suggesting that the ARG managed to deliver the motivational experience expected by the students. The majority of students who completed the post-test either agreed or strongly agreed that they would be willing to play the game over a prolonged period of time as part of a foreign language course. In addition, through using the ARG, students believed that they obtained skills relating to cooperation, collaboration and teamwork. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the history of the town of Beatty in Klamath County, Oregon. It particularly examines archaeological excavations at the Klamath Reservation site, undertaken after the Oregon Department of Transportation announced plans to work on Oregon Highway 140 at what is called Beatty Curve. Nineteenth century Klamath Indian leaders Chief Mosenkasket, also known as Moses Brown, and Jim Barkley are considered. The author also comments on the Klamath's relations with the U.S. government and explores excavations at a cabin believed to have belonged to Barkley.

A highly important part of software engineering education is requirements collection and analysis which is one of the initial stages of the Database Application Lifecycle and arguably the most important stage of the Software Development Lifecycle. No other conceptual work is as difficult to rectify at a later stage or as damaging to the overall system if performed incorrectly. As software engineering is a field with a reputation for producing graduates who are inappropriately prepared for applying their skills in real life software engineering scenarios, it suggests that traditional educational techniques such as role-play, live-through case studies and paper-based case studies are insufficient preparation and that other approaches are required. To attempt to combat this problem we have developed a games-based learning application to teach requirements collection and analysis at tertiary education level as games-based learning is seen as a highly motivating, engaging form of media and is a rapidly expanding field. This paper will describe the evaluation of the requirements collection and analysis game particularly from a pedagogical perspective. The game will be compared to traditional methods of software engineering education using a pre-test/post-test, control group/experimental group design to assess if the game can act as a suitable supplement to traditional techniques and assess if it can potentially overcome shortcomings. The game will be evaluated in five separate experiments at tertiary education level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The occurrence of blast-induced brain injury in individuals serving in Iraq and Afghanistan is dramatically higher than in past conflicts. This has been attributed in part to the prevalence of roadside improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. There is a call from the military medical community to reduce the reliance on victim self-reporting as the primary diagnosis technique to determine the likelihood of brain injury after a blast. This study demonstrates the ability to establish criteria which correlates easily measured parameters to the probability of cerebral contusion and, thus, brain injury. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to establish the environment from a full range of threats. This is combined with bond graph modeling of varying levels of fidelity to estimate the dynamics of the skull and brain. Results clearly show that a boundary exists in the threat parameter space that determines whether brain injury is probable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the theoretical link between blogs and organisational learning. It aims to provide a set of practical guidelines on how to overcome the challenges of implementing an organisational blog. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review will be used to examine blogs and their association towards organisational learning and an illustration of how one company reacted to using blogs will be provided. Findings – It was discovered that implementing blogs within organisations can present challenges that might be overcome through properly informing and educating staff about their organisational benefits. A set of guidelines is presented as an implementation checklist for companies considering using internal blogs. Research limitations/implications – The paper does not examine the adoption of blog use within multiple organisations but reflects on the challenges of running blogs in one specific organisation. The problems identified might not apply to all types of organisations. Further research will be required to determine this. Practical implications – The paper provides a set of guidelines that allows organisations to assess whether blogging is right for them and suggests steps to take that can stimulate an organisational blogging culture. Originality/value – The paper offers practical advice and guidelines that help management to overcome difficulties associated with the introducing of organisational blogs internally. The paper provides a novel academic perspective in which organisational blogs might not be as straightforward to implement as argued in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A forgotten late-19th-century cemetery (ca. 1854-1879) with 12 graves was discovered in early 2008 during a construction project in western Oregon. Eight graves had been previously opened during a 1901 disinterment, but four remained intact. All provided information on burial patterns during the decades following American settlement of the Willamette Valley by Oregon Trail pioneers. Although the timeline is both slightly delayed and compressed, trends in burial ornamentation and hardware generally follow those noted in American cemeteries in the East. The unadorned graves of the 1850s are most similar to those of earlier decades on the eastern seaboard. By the end of the 1870s, rail lines had been built through the Willamette Valley, and within a few years the valley was linked to a growing national rail network. A relative immediacy of bicoastal contact was achieved at this time, allowing a measure of synchronicity in funerary trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Over the last 40 years, computer games have become an extremely popular leisure activity and more recently there has also been interest in the potential of serious games to help in learning, skill acquisition and attitude and behaviour change. Initially public interest in computer games focused on concerns about their violent and gender stereotyped content and their potentially addictive properties, but more recently the benefits of games have also been recognised. Psychology is at the interface between science, cognitive science and social science and in this paper we examine the role that theories and research in psychology have played in understanding the impacts of playing games, the appeal of games and the potential of games in supporting learning and behaviour change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article offers information on how courts in the U.S. calculate attorney fee awards to the applicants in lawsuits against the insurer. Twelve factors, to determine a reasonable hourly rates, as identified by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, are discussed. Lodestar method to calculate the hourly rate is presented. Court awarded attorney fees in class actions, is also discussed.

This study describes the refinement and testing of a prototype scoring system for the visual assessment of stem straightness in Sitka spruce. The original system comprised a six-point scoring system from 1 (least straight) to 6 (straightest) based on an estimate of straight log lengths in the first 6 m of the stem. A longer log length category and additional score were added to the system to increase relevance to industry practice. The use of aids to measurement to improve the objectivity and accuracy of the visual assessment was tested. A purely visual assessment was as accurate as the measurement tools and was considerably quicker and easier to complete. A study to establish appropriate sampling levels indicated that between 60 and 100 trees should be assessed to obtain an acceptable estimate of the median and interquartile range of straightness scores for a stand. An investigation of the relationship between stem straightness score and yield of logs of different quality suggested that the scoring system may be used to differentiate between stands of different log quality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores a number of key issues that have been identified as being important in the identification and evaluation of best practice within the context of e-learning and virtual campuses. The 'Promoting Best Practice in Virtual Campuses' (PBP-VC) project is a two year European Commission Education Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) co-financed project that is aimed at providing a deeper understanding of the key issues and success factors underlying the implementation and sustainability of virtual campuses. The PBP-VC project team have been working with stakeholders from a number of large virtual campus projects across Europe in identifying and exploring key issues relating to best practice and sustainability. The importance of developing a practical framework for identifying, evaluating and promoting best practice in virtual campuses and e-learning can be demonstrated by the significant number of high profile e-learning and virtual campus failures both within Europe and globally. In many cases their failure has been quite spectacular with millions of dollars being wasted as a result some quite basic errors in overlooking key best practice issues that have occurred across several large-scale projects. This paper will provide a description of the different issues relating to models for best practice and sustainability that has been developed by the PBP-VC project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pane glass thickness increased incrementally throughout the nineteenth century, and archaeologists have found that glass thickness may be a useful chronological tool. Excavations at the Beatty Curve archaeological site (35-KL-95), located on the former Kiamath Indian Reservation in the Sprague River Valley of south-central Oregon, revealed the remains of a nineteenth century cabin with abundant window glass fragments. Pane glass chronologies proposed by other researchers were evaluated using the pane glass assemblage from the site. The estimate best supported by other chronological data provides an age in the latter 1860s, falling within a few years of the establishment of the both Klamath Reservation (1864) or the later Yainax Subagency (ca. 1870). Though historically associated with the allotment of a prominent Klamath family, the cabin was clearly built decades prior to implementation of the Allotment Act in the Klamath Basin (ca. 1895-1910). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article sets out to argue that organisations can learn but that they cannot do so in their own right without infrastructural support. This article further examines the notion that individuals in organisations also require the cognitive participation of the organisation itself as a learning entity to learn. The close reliance and affiliation required between individuals and organisations to enable their learning from one another are discussed. In continuation of this, specific examples are provided through the industry sector of information systems development (ISD) projects to illustrate of how organisations can learn. Finally, the question of how one identifies organisational learning is analysed. Following on from the ISD and its use in the analogy of organisational learning, the article discusses an organisational empirical research project currently being undertaken by the authors, which utilises blogs. Though there are many potential organisational learning connotations associated with blogs, they could be perceived as a type of information system. The ongoing research being undertaken with the company using the blogs will attempt to identify indicators of learning at the individual, group and organisational levels. The significance of the issues explored in this article lies in the fact that it addresses an ISD approach to study how an organisation learns, and why this perspective is useful towards understanding the process of organisational learning. This article contributes to the organisational learning debate through an illustrative industry example of ISD projects. In doing so, we wish to argue that though individual learning can occur in ISD projects, the collective nature of projects primarily engenders the interpretive aspect of organisational learning. We further believe that it is the interactive nature of an ISD project that allows an organisation to learn in tandem with project members as exemplified through the stages of a project life cycle. We feel that this article contributes to the ISD and organisational learning literature in terms of linking both concepts together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the work of American drama critic John Mason Brown. According to the article, Brown is an ideal figure to begin a critique of the historical use of theatre criticism because he himself was so conscious of the historical role of the critic and the historical development of criticism. The article notes that Brown's papers would seem to be a perfect place to find conclusions about the place of the drama critic and that Brown's files would seem to be emblematic of the material culture of the archive.

The study of database systems is typically core in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes related to computer science and information systems. However, one component of this curriculum that many learners have difficulty with is database analysis and design, an area that is critical to the development of modern information systems. This paper proposes a set of principles for the design of a games-based learning environment to help the learner develop the skills necessary to understand and perform database analysis and design effectively. The paper also presents some preliminary results on the use of this environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contributions of this research center on two major areas: delineation of a new model of distance education in which the authors identify three generations of eLearning; and examination of how eLearning and games-based eLearning technologies can be used to enrich the Information Systems (IS) learning experiences of students with different learning styles. Before considering these contributions, some background material on eLearning is useful. eLearning has profoundly changed many aspects of society and, inevitably, it is having a significant impact on Higher Education, where it has now evolved from a marginal form of education to a commonly accepted alternative to traditional face-to-face education. The term can cover different delivery models ranging from courses that are delivered fully online (no face-to-face meetings) to courses that provide some face-to-face interaction and some online provision (sometimes called blended learning). Within this continuum interactive technologies can play a significant role in engaging the learner and providing a rich learning experience. The authors highlight some key educational merits of eLearning and games-based eLearning and highlight a number of examples where games-based eLearning has been applied elsewhere in the areas of management and administration, and business. This paper provides a new model for distance education in which the authors identify three generations of eLearning. The first generation was concerned mainly with the passive use of the Internet. The second generation was characterized by more advanced technologies such as eAssessment and Virtual Learning Environments. The current third generation of eLearning is focused more on collaborative learning environments based on areas such as reflective practice through tools like ePortfolios, blogs, wikis and interactive technologies such as games and simulations, as well as mLearning technologies. This paper also examines how eLearning and games-based eLearning technologies can be used to enrich the Information Systems (IS) learning experiences of students with different learning styles. The field of IS is a diverse and evolving area of study which draws upon a wide range of disciplines and skills. IS can be considered to be a wicked problem, characterized by incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements, with solutions that are difficult to recognize. As a result, teaching IS presents many difficulties and challenges since students often have problems and difficulty in handling ambiguity and vagueness often characterized with IS problem situations. In addition, students often have considerable difficulty in analysing problems where there is no single, simple well-known correct solution. As a result of these difficulties, the authors have utilised eLearning technologies and concepts and more latterly games-based eLearning as a means of overcoming these types of difficulties in teaching IS to students in a postgraduate MSc Management of eBusiness course. This is an area that does not appear to have looked into in much detail elsewhere in the IS and education literature. The authors consider that computer games have highly desirable qualities and build on theories such as motivation, constructivism, situated learning and problem-based learning.… [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Atypical glandular cells (AGC) in Papanicolaou (Pap) smears can be associated with premalignant and malignant cervical and endometrial lesions. AGC is difficult to diagnose in pregnancy due to confusion with normal cellular changes that accompany graviditas. While guidelines have been established for management of AGC cases in the non-pregnant patient, special considerations are required when this is discovered during a pregnancy. A routine Pap smear performed on a 29-year-old woman being seen for a history of infertility yielded AGC and a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. The patient achieved pregnancy 1 month later. Satisfactory colposcopic exam was performed with cytobrush sampling of the endocervical canal, in addition to 2 exocervical biopsies at 11 weeks gestation. Positive diagnosis of endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ resulted in a risk-informed decision to proceed with a cold knife conization of the cervix. Final pathology showed complete resection of the lesion with negative margins and an additional area of squamous dysplasia (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, grade II to III). Appropriate follow-up was recommended. AGC found upon Pap smear during a pregnancy can be associated with significant pathology for which an aggressive management approach is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We established HEK-293 cell lines that stably express functional canine ether-à-go-go-related gene (cERG) K[sup +] channels and examined their biophysical and pharmacological properties with whole cell patch clamp and [sup 35]S-labeled MK-499 ([[sup 35]S]MK-499) binding displacement. Functionally, cERG current had the hallmarks of cardiac delayed rectifier K[sup +] current (I[sub Kr]). Channel opening was time- and voltage dependent with threshold near -40 mV. The half-maximum activation voltage was -7.8 ± 2.4 mV at 23°C, shifting to -31.9 ± 1.2 mV at 36°C. Channels activated with a time constant of 13 ± 1 ms at +20 mV, showed prominent inward rectification at depolarized potentials, were highly K[sup +] selective (Na[sup +]-to-K[sup +] permeability ratio = 0.007), and were potently inhibited by I[sub Kr] blockers. Astemizole, terfenadine, cisapride, and MK-499 inhibited cERG and human ERG (hERG) currents with IC[sub 50] values of 1.3, 13, 19, and 15 nM and 1.2, 9, 14, and 21 nM, respectively, and competitively displaced [[sup 35]S]MK-499 binding from cERG and hERG with IC[sub 50] values of 0.4, 12, 35, and 0.6 nM and 0.8, 5, 47, and 0.7 nM, respectively, cERG channels had biophysical properties appropriate for canine action potential repolarization and were pharmacologically sensitive to agents known to prolong QT. A novel MK-499 binding assay provides a new tool to detect agents affecting ERG channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Replacing the terminal narrative of Native American culture with themes of resilience and survivance. • Using archaeology to demonstrate selective adoption and adaptation of new materials and practices by a Native (Klamath) community as they negotiated a place between ancient traditions and the new social realities and government-promoted policies in a colonial context. • Review of Klamath tribal history from prehistoric to modern times, including reservation, allotment, termination, and restoration eras. The process of human culture entails a perpetual negotiation between the familiar and the new. In the Americas, this process was much accelerated and amplified within Native communities by the historical processes of colonization. We use the record of the Beatty Curve archaeological site in south-central Oregon to examine how members of the Klamath Tribes and their ancestors selectively adopted, adapted, or repurposed introduced materials and practices most compatible with traditional lifeways and values while also maintaining many traditional practices, both overtly and covertly. Transformations from pre-contact to reservation life, and through Termination and Restoration in the 20th century, are built on enduring traditions that have carried the Klamath Tribes to the present, and help to articulate the strength, resilience, and pride of heritage that characterizes the modern Klamath community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about the letters written during 1866 when poet Stéphane Mallarmé, during his exile in Tournon, France, announced about his plan for writing a book on his life that would be titled "La Gloire du mensonge" or "Le Glorieux Mensonge".

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are increasing in frequency and intensity globally and are among the greatest threats to marine ecosystems. However, limited studies have characterized subsurface MHWs, particularly in shallow waters. We utilized nearly two decades of full water-column (~ 10 m) observations from a unique automated profiler in central California to characterize, for the first time, the vertical structure of MHWs in a shallow nearshore upwelling system. We found MHWs have similar average durations and intensities across all depths, but there were ~ 17% more bottom MHW days than surface MHW days. Nearly one third of bottom MHWs occurred independently of surface MHWs, indicating that satellites miss a significant fraction of events. MHWs showed distinct seasonality with more frequent and intense events during the fall/winter when weak stratification allowed for MHWs to occupy a larger portion of the water column and persist longer. During summer, strong stratification limited the vertical extent of MHWs, leading to surface- and bottom-trapped events with shorter durations and intensities. Additionally, MHW initiation and termination across depths was consistently linked to anomalously low and high coastal upwelling, respectively. This study highlights the need for expansion of subsurface monitoring of MHWs globally amid a warming planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyse the outcomes of retroperitoneoscopic upper and lower moiety hemi-nephroureterectomy (HNU) and to assess the different variables that may have an impact on outcome; remnant moiety damage, morbidity and the need for secondary surgery. Prospectively recorded data of retroperitoneoscopic HNU's performed by a single surgeon from 2005 to 2018 were analysed. Patients were split into 2 groups according to moiety affected (UMHNU and LMHNU). Clinical presentation, underlying pathology, remnant moiety DRF on renal scintigraphy, and need for further surgery were recorded. Detailed operation notes were studied regards to renal vasculature, degree of dilatation, inflammatory changes and operative difficulties encountered. Renal loss was defined as remnant moiety DRF <10% post-operatively. Change in DRF was assessed regards to the moiety, pathology and age at surgery (<1 year, 1–2 years and ≥2 years). UMHNU group was further sub-divided into 3 subgroups: ureteroceles, ectopic ureters and 'other' pathology. Statistical analysis was performed using Fishers Exact test; findings were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. 78 operations met the inclusion criteria on 75 patients (3 bilateral). There were no conversions to open, and 67% were performed as day-case procedures (53/78 patients). In 91.2% (71/78) patients the procedure was definitive in resolving pathology and symptoms. 7 patients needed further procedures after HNU, 5 for ureterocele/ureteric stump. Overall, there was remnant moiety renal loss in 5.1% (4/78) patients, all with UM surgery (3 ectopic ureters and 1 ureterocele). All 4 operations were recorded prospectively as 'difficult operations' due to grossly dilated UM ureter/pelvis measuring >2 cm in diameter. 2 patients had a thinned out lower moiety (LM) sitting on top of the UM renal pelvis like a pancake with all vessels stretched over this dilated pelvis/ureter causing difficulty in accurate identification. There was intra-operative concern about some damage to LM vessels in 3 patients. Age <1year was also related to increased renal loss (2/8 patients <1 year, 1/25 patients 1–2 years, 1/45 patients ≥2 years of age P = 0.005). Retroperitoneoscopic LMHNU is a safe and definitive procedure with rapid recovery and minimal scarring. UMHNU has higher rates of remnant moiety loss due to more complex renal pathology, but remains a safe, successful operation on the majority of patients. Renal damage was also related to age <1year (p = 0.005) and re-operation risk after UMHNU correlated to the presence of ureterocele (p = 0.003). Summary Table 1 Overall summary of results. Summary Table 1 UMHNU LMHNU Overall Median Age (range) 2 years 2.5 years 2.1 years Day-case procedures 34/56 (78.6%) 19/22 (86.4%) 67.9% Mean DRF loss of affected kidney (%) 8.5% 4.2% 7.3% Complete renal loss (<10% post-op DRF) 4/56 (7.1%) 0 5.1% Required re-operation 6/56 (10.7%) 1/22 (4.5%) 9% [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an upper surface control law for performing longitudinal transition maneuvers in an automated highway system. Longitudinal dynamics of a vehicle; Choice for the desired velocity trajectory; Application of the control law for vehicles performing transition maneuvers at normal highway speeds.

The author examines whether drama critic George Jean Nathan is a reliable source of information about himself and his playwright friend Eugene O'Neill. He cites instances when Nathan wrote about O'Neill fictionally or countered the prevailing popular image of O'Neill to let the public know that he has allegedly playful side too. He also provides a few facts about Nathan's life, family, upbringing, and Jewish heritage. Nathan's work as a drama critic from 1908 to 1958, the public persona he created, and his difficulty with his own identity are also discussed.

Suggests that making human resources (HR) a strategic business partner can be done based on the study of companies undertaken by Mercer Management. Reason why companies are using reengineering and downsizing; Emerging organizational model for Human Resources; Three characteristics that together form the outline of a organizational model for HR.