Negotiating intra-Asian games networks: on cultural proximity, East Asian games design and Chinese farmers

The East Asian online games boom started in South Korea in the late 1990s. Following unqualified domestic success, South Korean games were subsequently exported to other regional markets throughout East and South East Asia. During this time, game development companies specialising in online games for the Asian market also emerged in China and Japan. This essay proposes that one of the key features in this networked gaming context is the relationship between the adaptation of regional East Asian aesthetic and narrative forms in game content, and the parallel growth in more regionally-focused marketing and distribution initiatives. East Asian online games design and marketing play to notions of perceived cultural proximity within the region. By encompassing these considerations, this essay aims to offer a contextual analysis of intra-Asian games networks in terms of production processes and related emergent concerns. How have these online games networks evolved? What are the cultural politics inherent in present-day games networks within East Asia? How may ongoing developments in these games networks contribute to an understanding of contemporary transnational Asianness and its signification within regional cultural flows? To what extent are intra-Asian game networks reflective of imbalanced power relations within the region

Applications of the ER-2 meteorological measurement system

The NASA ER-2 aircraft is used as a platform for high altitude atmospheric missions. The Meteorological Measurement System (MMS) was developed specifically for atmospheric research to provide accurate high resolution measurements of pressure, temperature, and the 3-D wind vector with a sampling rate of 5/s. The MMS consist of three subsystems: (1) an air motion sensing system to measure the velocity of the air with respect to the aircraft; (2) a high resolution inertial navigation system (INS) to measure the velocity of the aircraft with respect to the earth; and (3) a data acquisition system to sample, process, and record the measurement quantities. MMS data have been used extensively by ER-2 investigators in elucidating the polar ozone chemistry. Herein, applications on atmospheric dynamics are emphasized. Large scale (polar vortex, potential vorticity, model atmosphere), mesoscale (gravity waves, mountain waves) and microscale (heat fluxes) atmospheric phenomena are investigated and discussed

INVESTIGATING THE SEATED DOUBLE POLING CYCLE: IDENTIFYING BASELINE MEASURES FOR THE PREPARATION PHASE

The purpose of this study was to identify baseline measures (BM) for the preparation phase (PREP) within the linear stroking cycle for the sport of sledge hockey. The addition of this phase to seated double poling is unclear biomechanically; full arm extension to pick-plant. A validated solid-static prototype mimicking the average single-armed adult male with dynamic shoulder joint was used to determine BM in 3 dimensions and initial pick-impact forces (GRF). Results indicated that average peak GRF occurred prior to 5.0x10-3s post initial contact; Fy=179N, Fz=515N and Fx=573N. Evidence indicated PREP should initiate slightly below the horizon in order to produce the greatest non-contracting force for sledge propulsion. Isolated data provides insight to the biomechanics of the dynamic limb within PREP assisting with its importance to the complete cycle

Re-thinking the incrementalist thesis in China: a reflection on the development of the minimum standard of living scheme in urban and rural areas

Many commentators contend that the Chinese government adopted an incremental approach to welfare policy reform because its leaders lacked an overall blueprint for it, allowing initiatives to be implemented only after lengthy experimentation. While this perspective has provided an essential account of the implementation and changes of some welfare programmes, it has inadequately addressed the slow progress in rural areas' welfare programmes and the different welfare entitlements for rural and urban residents. Further investigation is therefore required to resolve these anomalies. Using the minimum standard of living scheme (MSLS) as a case example, this article illustrates how the Chinese government's legitimacy needs, during different stages of its economic reforms, have been the principal motivation for the implementation of such schemes. The introduction of an urban MSLS in 1997 aimed to reduce laid-off workers' dissatisfaction following the government's reforms of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The implementation of a rural MSLS in 2007 was intended principally to minimise conflicts between land-losing farmers and local officials after widespread rural riots. These MSLSs are also minimal and stigmatising public-assistance schemes that fulfil the dual objective of securing a stable political environment for economic reform and maintaining poor people's work ethic for China's mixed economy

Preoperative Narcotic Use, Impaired Ambulation Status, and Increased Intraoperative Blood Loss Are Independent Risk Factors for Complications Following Posterior Cervical Laminectomy and Fusion Surgery.

ObjectiveThis retrospective cohort study seeks to identify risk factors associated with complications following posterior cervical laminectomy and fusion (PCLF) surgery.MethodsAdults undergoing PCLF from 2012 through 2018 at a single center were identified. Demographic and radiographic data, surgical characteristics, and complication rates were compared. Multivariate logistic regression models identified independent predictors of complications following surgery.ResultsA total of 196 patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The medical, surgical, and overall complication rates were 10.2%, 23.0%, and 29.1% respectively. Risk factors associated with medical complications in multivariate analysis included impaired ambulation status (odds ratio [OR], 2.27; p=0.02) and estimated blood loss over 500 mL (OR, 3.67; p=0.02). Multivariate analysis revealed preoperative narcotic use (OR, 2.43; p=0.02) and operative time (OR, 1.005; p=0.03) as risk factors for surgical complication, whereas antidepressant use was a protective factor (OR, 0.21; p=0.01). Overall complication was associated with preoperative narcotic use (OR, 1.97; p=0.04) and higher intraoperative blood loss (OR, 1.0007; p=0.03).ConclusionPreoperative narcotic use and estimated blood loss predicted the incidence of complications following PCLF for CSM. Ambulation status was a significant predictor of the development of a medical complication specifically. These results may help surgeons in counseling patients who may be at increased risk of complication following surgery

Interactive Segmentation for Diverse Gesture Types Without Context

Interactive segmentation entails a human marking an image to guide how a model either creates or edits a segmentation. Our work addresses limitations of existing methods: they either only support one gesture type for marking an image (e.g., either clicks or scribbles) or require knowledge of the gesture type being employed, and require specifying whether marked regions should be included versus excluded in the final segmentation. We instead propose a simplified interactive segmentation task where a user only must mark an image, where the input can be of any gesture type without specifying the gesture type. We support this new task by introducing the first interactive segmentation dataset with multiple gesture types as well as a new evaluation metric capable of holistically evaluating interactive segmentation algorithms. We then analyze numerous interactive segmentation algorithms, including ones adapted for our novel task. While we observe promising performance overall, we also highlight areas for future improvement. To facilitate further extensions of this work, we publicly share our new dataset at https://github.com/joshmyersdean/dig

Performance Measures Using Electronic Health Records: Five Case Studies

Presents the experiences of five provider organizations in developing, testing, and implementing four types of electronic quality-of-care indicators based on EHR data. Discusses challenges, and compares results with those from traditional indicators

FOREWORD TO REIMAGINING AUSTRALIA, PART 2

This special double issue of Coolabah, numbers 24&25, was developed from selected presentations at Reimagining Australia: Encounter, Recognition, Responsibility, the International Australian Studies Association (InASA) Conference 2016, hosted by the Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University, and held in Fremantle, Western Australia, on 7-9 December. The double issue addresses the urgent need for Australia to be reimagined as inclusive, conscious of its landscape and contexts, locale, history, myths and memory, amnesia, politics, cultures and futures; reimagined via intense conversations and inter-epistemic dialogue; reimagined through different ways of knowing, belonging and doing. Key agendas, polemics and contestations at stake in this two-part publication project are raised in Tony Birch’s thought-provoking article that serves equally as an introductory essay

FOREWORD TO REIMAGINING AUSTRALIA, PART 1

This special double issue of Coolabah, numbers 24&25, was developed from selected presentations at Reimagining Australia: Encounter, Recognition, Responsibility, the International Australian Studies Association (InASA) Conference 2016, hosted by the Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University, and held in Fremantle, Western Australia, on 7-9 December. The double issue addresses the urgent need for Australia to be reimagined as inclusive, conscious of its landscape and contexts, locale, history, myths and memory, amnesia, politics, cultures and futures; reimagined via intense conversations and inter-epistemic dialogue; reimagined through different ways of knowing, belonging and doing. Key agendas, polemics and contestations at stake in this two-part publication project are raised in Tony Birch’s thought-provoking article that serves equally as an introductory essay