This book provides state-of-art statistical methodologies, practical considerations from regulators and sponsors, logistics, and real use cases for practitioners for the uptake of RWE/D. Randomized clinical trials have been the gold standard for the evaluation of efficacy and safety of medical products. However, the cost, duration, practicality, and limited generalizability have incentivized many to look for alternative ways to optimize drug development. This book provides a comprehensive list of topics together to include all aspects with the uptake of RWE/D, including, but not limited to, applications in regulatory and non-regulatory settings, causal inference methodologies, organization and infrastructure considerations, logistic challenges, and practical use cases.

The main focus of this book is the transport mechanics of sediment particles coated with microbial biofilm, which is called bio-sediment. The book also addresses the question of how to measure and simulate the considerable variation in the properties of natural sediment associated with microbial biofilm, ranging from the micro-scale surface morphology to the macro-scale sediment transport. Nowadays most studies to elucidate the mechanisms of sediment transport have concentrated on physical-chemical sediment properties, little work explicitly coupled sediment dynamics and the environmental effects under the influence of micro-ecosystem, thus leaving a serious gap in water and sediment sciences as well as water ecological research. With respect to physical-chemical sediment properties, this book has been undertaken to evaluate and quantify the effect of biological factors - biofilm on sediment transport mechanics. The chapters cover topics including development of bio-sediment and its properties; model of biofilm growth on sediment substratum; bedform and flow resistance of bio-sediment bed; incipient velocity and settling velocity of bio-sediment; bedload and suspended load transport for bio-sediment; numerical simulation of bio-sediment transport. Besides, the measurement technology, analysis method and expression approach introduced in this book combine the characteristics of hydraulic, environmental and microbial research, having more immediate innovation. This book will be of interest to researchers, managers, practitioners, policy and decision makers, international institutions, governmental and non-governmental organizations, educators, as well as graduate and undergraduate students in the field of hydraulics and river dynamics. It will help to understand the relevance of sediment transport and biofilm growth under the role of aqueous micro-ecosystem, to introduce better tools for the simulation and prediction of bio-sediment transport, and to provide a scientific basis and application foundation for the research of interaction between sediment particles and ecological and environmental factors.

Cooperative Control of Multi-Agent Systems extends optimal control and adaptive control design methods to multi-agent systems on communication graphs. It develops Riccati design techniques for general linear dynamics for cooperative state feedback design, cooperative observer design, and cooperative dynamic output feedback design. Both continuous-time and discrete-time dynamical multi-agent systems are treated. Optimal cooperative control is introduced and neural adaptive design techniques for multi-agent nonlinear systems with unknown dynamics, which are rarely treated in literature are developed. Results spanning systems with first-, second- and on up to general high-order nonlinear dynamics are presented. Each control methodology proposed is developed by rigorous proofs. All algorithms are justified by simulation examples. The text is self-contained and will serve as an excellent comprehensive source of information for researchers and graduate students working with multi-agent systems.

This book addresses the integration of the Internet and finance which recently has been one of the most notable topics of discussion in the media, the business community, academia, and among policymakers, both in China and worldwide. As a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the one of the fastest growing industries in China, the book covers all the most important areas and issues in the crowdfunding industry in China, including the definition, types, and history of crowdfunding, the scale of the crowdfunding market, the basic business models and risk analysis of crowdfunding, the characteristics of the typical crowdfunding platforms, case studies of the leading crowdfunding platforms in China, and the future development of the crowdfunding industry in China. The book combines theoretical analysis with conceptual discussions and best practices in the crowdfunding industry in China. It is of interest to a variety of readers around the globe, such as (1) existing and potential fund demanders; (2) existing and potential fund providers; (3) investors and professionals running crowdfunding platforms; (4) professionals and major shareholders of traditional financial institutions; (5) staff in regulatory government agencies; (6) academics; and (7) the general public.

This book, as a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of one of the fastest-growing industries in China, covers all the most important areas and issues in the country's online lending industry. It includes, but is not limited to, the history of online lending, the scale of the online lending market, the basic business models in and a risk analysis of online lending, the characteristics of typical online-lending borrowers and investors/lenders, the root causes of bankruptcy among failed online lending platforms, a comparative analysis of online lending platforms inside and outside China, the overall ranking of online lending platforms in China and finally, the outlook for the online lending industry in the future. The integration of Internet and finance has, in recent years, been among the most notable topics discussed in the media, the business community and academia, both in China and worldwide. The chapters are supplemented with detailed case studies, which include illustrations and tables and the book combines theoretical analysis with conceptual discussions of and best practices in the online lending industry. It will be of interest to a variety of readers worldwide, including: (1) existing and potential online borrowers; (2) existing and potential online lenders; (3) investors and professionals running online lending platforms; (4) traditional bankers and major shareholders in traditional financial institutions; (5) staff in regulatory government agencies; (6) academics; and (7) the general public.

This book proposes analysis and design techniques for Markov jump systems (MJSs) using Lyapunov function and sliding mode control techniques. It covers a range of topics including stochastic stability, finite-time boundedness, actuator-fault problem, bumpless transfer scheme, and adaptive sliding mode fault-tolerant control for uncertain MJSs. Notably, the book presents a new model for deception attacks (DAs), establishing the correlation between attacks and time delays, which should be of particular interest due to the recent increase in such attacks. The book's content is presented in a comprehensive, progressive manner, with fundamental principles introduced first before addressing more advanced techniques. The book features illustrations and tables, providing readers with a practical and intuitive approach to applying these methods in their own research. This book will prove invaluable to researchers and graduate students in control engineering and applied mathematics with an interest in the latest developments in MJSs.

This third edition provides new and updated chapters detailing preparation of liposomes, physicochemical characterization of liposomes, lipid analysis, drug encapsulation, surface modification, stimuli response as well as cellular interaction, and biodistribution. Also included is an updated chapter on the history and evolution of the field of liposomology. Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and reagents, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Liposomes: Methods and Protocols, Third Edition aims to serve as a reference for graduate students, post-doctoral researchers as well as established investigators utilizing lipid-based systems.

Today, nature is used as a source of inspiration for the development of new techniques for solving complex problems in various domains, from engineering to biology, with innovative adaptations under investigation. ""The Handbook of Research on Artificial Immune Systems and Natural Computing: Applying Complex Adaptive Technologies"" provides the latest empirical research findings, theoretical frameworks, and technologies of natural computing and artificial immune systems (AIS). An excellent reference source for professionals, researchers, and academicians within the AIS and natural computing fields, this comprehensive collection written by leading international experts proposes new ideas, methods, and theories to solve problems of engineering and science. It features: 24 authoritative contributions by over 45 of the world's leading experts on artificial immune systems and natural computing from 13 countries; comprehensive coverage of each specific topic, highlighting recent trends and describing the latest advances in the field; more than 900 references to existing literature and research on artificial immune systems and natural computing; and, a compendium of over 195 key terms with detailed definitions. It is organized by topic and indexed, making it a convenient method of reference for all IT/IS scholars and professionals. It offers cross-referencing of key terms, figures, and information pertinent to artificial immune systems and natural computing.

This book examines different forms and practices of queer media, that is, the films, websites, zines, and film festivals produced by, for, and about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in China in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. It traces how queer communities have emerged in urban China and identifies the pivotal role that community media have played in the process. It also explores how these media shape community cultures and perform the role of social and cultural activism in a country where queer identities have only recently emerged and explicit forms of social activism are under serious political constraints. Importantly, because queer media is 'niche' and 'narrowcasting' rather than 'broadcasting' and 'mass communication,' the subject compels a rethinking of some often-taken-for-granted assumptions about how media relates to the state, the market, and individuals. Overall, the book reveals a great deal about queer communities and identities, queer activism, and about media and social and political attitudes in China.

Art, politics, Asian, LGBT, Queer, China, Storytelling, Theatre, Performance

This book is an outgrowth of a collection of sixty-two problems offered in the The American Mathematical Monthly (AMM) the author has worked over the last two decades. Each selected problem has a central theme, contains gems of sophisticated ideas connected to important current research, and opens new vistas in the understanding of mathematics. The AMM problem section provides one of the most challenging and interesting problem sections among the various journals and online sources currently available. The published problems and solutions have become a treasure trove rife with mathematical gems. The author presents either his published solution in the AMM or an alternative solution to the published one to present and develop problem-solving techniques. A rich glossary of important theorems and formulas is included for easy reference. The reader may regard this book as a starter set for AMM problems, providing a jumping of point to new ideas, and extending their personal lexicon of problems and solutions. This collection is intended to encourage the reader to move away from routine exercises toward creative solutions, as well as offering the reader a systematic illustration of how to organize the transition from problem solving to exploring, investigating and discovering new results.

This book is an outgrowth of a collection of sixty-two problems offered in the The American Mathematical Monthly (AMM) the author has worked over the last two decades. Each selected problem has a central theme, contains gems of sophisticated ideas connected to important current research, and opens new vistas in the understanding of mathematics. The AMM problem section provides one of the most challenging and interesting problem sections among the various journals and online sources currently available. The published problems and solutions have become a treasure trove rife with mathematical gems. The author presents either his published solution in the AMM or an alternative solution to the published one to present and develop problem-solving techniques. A rich glossary of important theorems and formulas is included for easy reference. The reader may regard this book as a starter set for AMM problems, providing a jumping of point to new ideas, and extending their personal lexicon of problems and solutions. This collection is intended to encourage the reader to move away from routine exercises toward creative solutions, as well as offering the reader a systematic illustration of how to organize the transition from problem solving to exploring, investigating and discovering new results.

This book examines different forms and practices of queer media, that is, the films, websites, zines, and film festivals produced by, for, and about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in China in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. It traces how queer communities have emerged in urban China and identifies the pivotal role that community media have played in the process. It also explores how these media shape community cultures and perform the role of social and cultural activism in a country where queer identities have only recently emerged and explicit forms of social activism are under serious political constraints. Importantly, because queer media is 'niche' and 'narrowcasting' rather than 'broadcasting' and 'mass communication,' the subject compels a rethinking of some often-taken-for-granted assumptions about how media relates to the state, the market, and individuals. Overall, the book reveals a great deal about queer communities and identities, queer activism, and about media and social and political attitudes in China.

Hongwei Bao's Queer China: * Is the first study on queer literature and visual culture in contemporary China * Interdisciplinary in nature and draws from a host of case studies * Will be of great interest to scholars and students of literary and cultural studies, media and communication studies, film and screen studies, contemporary art, theatre and performance studies, gender and sexuality studies, China and Global South studies, sociology and anthropology, cultural history and cultural geography, political theory and the study of social movements

Exposes students to stimulating and enlightening proofs and hard problems of classical analysis mainly published in the Mathematical Association of America Monthly. Presents proofs as a form of exploration rather than just a manipulation of symbols. Draws on the papers from the MAA journals, numerous conceptually clear proofs are offered. Provides proofs either as a novel presentation of a familiar theorem or a lively discussion of a single issue, sometimes with multiple derivations. Collects and present problems to promote creative techniques for problem solving and undergraduate research and offers instructors an opportunity to assign these problems as projects. This book provides a wealth of opportunities for these projects. Selects problems for its natural charm - the connection with an authentic mathematical experience, the origination from the ingenious work of professionals, and ready developments into well-shaped results of broader interest.

Graphene: Fabrication, Characterizations, Properties and Applications presents a comprehensive review of the current status of graphene, especially focused on synthesis, fundamental properties and future applications, aiming to giving a comprehensive reference for scientists, researchers and graduate students from various sectors. Graphene, a single atomic layer of carbon hexagons, has stimulated a lot of research interest owing to its unique structure and fascinating properties. The book is devoted to understanding graphene fundamentally yet comprehensively through a wide range of issues in the areas of materials science, chemistry, physics, electronics and biology. The book is an important resource of comprehensive knowledge pertinent to graphene and to related expanding areas. This valuable book will attract scientists, researchers and graduate students in physics and chemistry because it aims at providing all common knowledge of these communities including essential aspects of material synthesis and characterization, fundamental physical properties and detailed chapters focused on the most promising applications.

Written by experts in the analytical chemistry of tobacco smoke, Tobacco Smoke Exposure Biomarkers summarizes the toxicology, metabolic pathway, and biomarkers of nicotine, TSNAs, PAHs, VOCs, AAs, Catechol and Hydroquinone, HCN, CO and NOx, and heavy metals, and the use of this biomarker in exposure assessment and/or cigarette smoke exposure environmental epidemiology. A convenient one-stop guide, the book brings together information on some exposure biomarkers and nicotine addiction in humans with regulatory implications and strategies. The authors also include discussions of how smoke exposure biomarkers may be used to shape regulation and health policy. Ethics guidelines, details of method development, and the validated relative bioanalytical method provided in the appendixes rounds out the coverage. The book gives you tools to further research biomarkers for tobacco carcinogens and to face emerging health challenges such as delivery of nicotine via electronic cigarettes.

Create market value through innovative customer connections and engagement Principles of Marketing, 8th European Edition, by Kotler et al. admirably covers a wide range of theoretical concepts and practical issues and accurately reflects the fast-moving pace of marketing in the modern world - examining traditional aspects of marketing and blending them with modern and future concepts. The authors of this European Edition present fundamental marketing information within an innovative customer-value framework, to help you understand how to create value and build customer relationships. In a fast-changing, increasingly digital and social marketplace, it is more vital than ever for marketers to develop meaningful connections with their customers. Principles of Marketing, 8th European Edition, helps you master today's key marketing challenge: to create vibrant, interactive communities of consumers who make products and brands an integral part of their daily lives. New to this edition Thoroughly revised to reflect the major trends impacting contemporary marketing, the 8th Edition is packed with examples illustrating how companies use new digital technologies to maximize customer engagement and shape brand conversations, experiences, and communities. New coverage and fresh examples throughout the text addressing the latest developments in customer engagement tools, practices and developments including real time research and customer co-creation product development Updated coverage of emergent online, mobile and social media technologies including real-time listening and social selling Improved learning design with chapter-opening stories, clear learning outcomes and explanatory author comments on major chapter sections New end-of-chapter case studies and video cases to apply learning to actual companies. Increased coverage of sustainable marketing and global marketing This is a key text for both undergraduate and postgraduate marketing programmes. Philip Kotler is S. C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University. Gary Armstrong is Crist W. Blackwell Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Undergraduate Education in the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Lloyd C. Harris is Head of the Marketing Department and Professor of Marketing at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. His research has been widely disseminated via a range of marketing, strategy, retailing and general management journals. Hongwei He is Professor of Marketing at Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, and as Associate Editor for Journal of Business Research. Pearson, the world's learning company.

The 7th International Conference on Scour and Erosion (ICSE 2014) was organised by the School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering and the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems at the University of Western Australia under the guidance of the Technical Committee 213 for Scour and Erosion of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). This biennial conference draws together leading academics, scientists and engineers engaged in scour and erosion research to present and exchange their latest scientific findings. These proceedings, together with the six previous proceedings dating from 2002, present a rare collection of technical and scientific developments in scour and erosion research which have been established over the last 12 years. This book includes state-of-the-art papers in scour and erosion from ICSE 2014, covering the 6 themes of: internal erosion, sediment transport, advanced numerical modelling of scour and erosion, terrestrial scour and erosion, river/bridge scour and erosion, and marine scour and erosion. The proceedings include 5 keynote lectures from world leading researches cutting across the themes of scour and erosion, together with 87 peer-reviewed papers from 19 countries. This book is ideal for researchers and industry working at the forefront of scour and erosion, both with application to rivers and marine operations.

* First book on gay identity and queer activism in the PRC examined from a cultural studies perspective. * An interdisciplinary project that combines historical and critical analysis of queer cultural texts and ethnographic studies of queer public culture in urban China. * Offers keen insights on identity, power and governmentality in China. This very timely, well-written and insightful exploration of gay identity and queer activism in the People's Republic of China today is more than a study of `queer China' through the lens of male homosexuality; it also examines identity, power and governmentality in contemporary China, as shaped by China's historical conditions and contemporary situations. This book offers in-depth analysis of recent queer history and contemporary cultural texts, including the processes by which queer theory and activism was introduced and received in the PRC, the transformation of Shanghai's queer spaces, leading queer filmmaker Cui Zi'en life and works, and personal diaries written by gay men receiving conversion therapies. It also presents rich ethnographic data gained from fieldwork conducted in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou's urban gay communities and documents queer public cultural events such as the Shanghai LGBT Pride, the Beijing Queer Film Festival, the China Queer Film Festival Tour, as well as a clash between cruising gay men and the police over the use of public space in the People's Park, Guangzhou. This book offers a queer Marxist analysis of sexual identity and social movements in contemporary China, where ideological negotiations between socialism and neoliberalism are constantly played out in the formation of public cultures and intimate spheres. In doing so, it critically assesses the role of Marxism and China's socialist legacies in shaping sexual identity, queer popular culture and political activism. Although the first of its kind from a cultural studies perspective, this interdisciplinary study speaks to scholars working in disparate fields including anthropology, sociology, media studies, film studies, political theory, and Asian Studies.

This book brings together some of the most exciting, original and cuttingedge work being conducted on contemporary queer China. The volume includes original essays by some of the most prolific and central queer activists and artists in the PRC, placing their writing alongside work by emergent and established scholars from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. The book offers unique perspectives by presenting primary accounts of the creative and multi-faceted strategies that activists and community organizers have developed in their various activities. The volume also presents rich, empirical evidence of every-day queer lives across China, offering a unique record not only of cosmopolitan community and activist perspectives but also of voices and experiences from a broad range of locations and identifications. As a whole it offers invaluable insights into sexual and gender diversity in China today. Queer/Tongzhi China thus breathes as it speaks, providing through its diverse approaches a different understanding of queer China than standard mono-ethnographies or social-scientific documentaries.

Hongwei Bao's Queer China: * Is the first study on queer literature and visual culture in contemporary China * Interdisciplinary in nature and draws from a host of case studies * Will be of great interest to scholars and students of literary and cultural studies, media and communication studies, film and screen studies, contemporary art, theatre and performance studies, gender and sexuality studies, China and Global South studies, sociology and anthropology, cultural history and cultural geography, political theory and the study of social movements

The two-volume set LNCS 10627 and 10628 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Combinatorial Optimization and Applications, COCOA 2017, held in Shanghai, China, in December 2017. The 59 full papers and 19 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 145 submissions. The papers cover most aspects of theoretical computer science and combinatorics related to computing, including classic combinatorial optimization, geometric optimization, complexity and data structures, and graph theory. They are organized in topical sections on network, approximation algorithm and graph theory, combinatorial optimization, game theory, and applications.

The two-volume set LNCS 10627 and 10628 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Combinatorial Optimization and Applications, COCOA 2017, held in Shanghai, China, in December 2017. The 59 full papers and 19 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 145 submissions. The papers cover most aspects of theoretical computer science and combinatorics related to computing, including classic combinatorial optimization, geometric optimization, complexity and data structures, and graph theory. They are organized in topical sections on network, approximation algorithm and graph theory, combinatorial optimization, game theory, and applications.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Bio-inspired Computing: Theories and Applications, BIC-TA 2017, held in Harbin, China, December 2017. The 50 full papers presented were selected from 143 submissions. The papers deal with studies abstracting computing ideas such as data structures, operations with data, ways to control operations, computing models from living phenomena or biological systems such as evolution, cells, tissues, neural networks, immune systems, and ant colonies.