The minimum flight time of spacecraft rendezvous is one of the fundamental indexes for mission design. This paper proposes a rapid trajectory planning method based on convex optimisation and deep neural network (DNN). The time-optimal trajectory planning problem is reconstructed into a double-layer optimisation framework, with the inner being a convex optimisation problem and the outer being a root-finding problem. The thrust properties corresponding to time-optimal control are analysed theoretically. A DNN-based rapid planning method (DNN-RPM) is put forward to improve computational efficiency, in which the trained DNN provides a high-quality initial guess for Newton’s method. The DNN-RPM is extended to search for the optimal entering angle of natural-motion circumnavigation orbit injection problem and the minimum reconfiguration time of spacecraft swarm. Numerical simulations show that the proposed method can improve the computational efficiency while ensuring the calculation accuracy.

The aim of this study was to assess which machine, Radixact or CyberKnife, can deliver better treatment for lung and prostate stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with the use of Synchrony® real-time motion tracking system. Ten and eight patients treated with lung and prostate SBRT, respectively, using the CyberKnife system were selected for the assessment. For each patient, a retrospective Radixact plan was created and compared with the original CyberKnife plan. There was no statistically significant difference in the new conformity index of the Radixact plans and that of the Cyberknife plans in both lung and prostate SBRT. The average homogeneity index in the Radixact plans was better in both lung and prostate SBRT with statistical significance (p = 0·04 for lung and p = 0·02 for prostate). In lung SBRT, the dose to lungs was lower in Cyberknife plans (p = 0·002). In prostate SBRT, there was no statistically significant difference in organs at risk sparing between Cyberknife plans and Radixact plans. In conclusion, CyberKnife was better in lung SBRT while Radixact was better in prostate SBRT.

Client and therapist document the therapy process using handheld computers by answering questions about symptom severity (e.g. depression, anxiety and stress), life satisfaction, therapeutic relationship and problem domains. The encrypted data is sent to the University of Mannheim via internet, where the data is analyzed by specific software. As a response for each data delivery, the therapist gets an individual feedback report, monitoring the therapy process of all of his / her patients in comparison to reference groups, build by the steady growing database of the trustcenter. The KVB provides the documentation software and handheld computers for a sample of 200 psychotherapists. 1694 patients participate in the prospective naturalistic study and 1091 patients have completed their therapy so far. As from now the first 1-year-follow-up measures are done. For outcome evaluation, an overall index of outcome quality is computed, aggregating single pre-post-measures to a multiple outcome criterion. 76.8% of the 1694 patients at intake are female; the age mean is 40.2 years (SD = 12.3). About 48.4% suffer from depressive disorders, followed by anxiety disorders (18.9%). Outcome results demonstrate impressive effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.87) at discharge on a multiple outcome criterion. Electronic documentation is well accepted by most of the participating therapists. The encrypted computer based documentation is a secure and comfortable approach to improve transparency for therapists and patients. It provides useful information for therapy process optimization and outcome documentation of therapy results.

The HOME (Caldwell and Bradley) is a well recognised 59 item tool used for assessing the home environment and especially how supportive the home environment is for the child's developmental needs. It is applied in the home and is scored according to rater observations and parent interview answers.

Randomized controlled clinical trials mostly focus on very specific outcome parameters. These may include symptom relief, psychosocial measures, specific safety issues or compliance, just to name a few. As they often represent early attempt to provide information on new treatments, the homogeneity of the studied population is a crucial study prerequisite. This generally calls for strict inclusion criteria and a large set of exclusion criteria. Understandably, these requirements allow only a certain selection of patients to enter such studies, which, in turn, jeopardizes the generalisability of the obtained results. Alternatives to this approach include so called “large pragmatic clinical trials” with broad inclusion criteria, designed to study a population of patients closer to real life. More comprehensive outcome criteria, such as the effectiveness or remission paradigms, have also contributed to the effort. In the end, results from various types of clinical trials will have to be evaluated in a synthetic fashion in order to enable the clinician to make a rational treatment choice for individual patients.

For young people experiencing a first-episode of schizophrenia, the first and most important matter to be attended to, once the diagnosis of schizophrenia has been made and patients have entered the care system, is to establish a treatment alliance. The next step is to conceive an individually tailored treatment programme (non-pharmacological as well as pharmacological). The use of antipsychotic drugs needs to be carefully discussed with both patients and families, as medication tends to have a poor public perception. Maintaining treatment is vitally important in terms of relapse prevention, but people who suffer a first-episode tend to terminate treatment early. Patients often discontinue their medication because of side-effects, although a number of other factors can also exert a negative influence on the continuous intake of medication. Among others, these include insufficient information provided to patients and significant others as well as lack of insight and problems in the doctor-patient-relationship. The published data indicate that the outcome of treatment is better for younger patients in a first-episode of schizophrenia than it is for patients who are more chronically ill. However, young patients are much more sensitive to compliance problems than older patients. The main challenge in this phase of the illness is therefore to convince patients that maintenance treatment is necessary in order to assure the best possible outcome.

Antipsychotics have for half a century been the mainstay for the pharmacological management of schizophrenia patients. While efficacy has been the primary outcome variable in short term clinical trials many additional variables need to be accounted for when judging the usefulness of these medications over longer periods of time. Classic continuation studies and relapse prevention trials have mostly focused on symptom control, while safety/tolerability and subjective acceptance of these medications have generally been seen as secondary outcome measures. The concept of effectiveness attempts to provide a comprehensive outcome variable which encompasses all the relevant issues that determine longer term treatment success. Lately a number of large scale effectiveness trials, sometimes called large pragmatic clinical trials, have been undertaken, especially in the context of the attempt to evaluate differential drug effects. CATIE and CUTLASS have already been published, CAFE data have been presented in rough outlines and EUFEST results are still pending. While the first two studies have included patients with chronic schizophrenia, first episode patients have been allocated to the latter two trials. Although the available results from these trials are discussed very controversially, they unquestionably present an important addition to the traditional randomized controlled clinical trial design. Information from all types of research will have to be amalgamated in order to allow a rational choice for the long term management of schizophrenia patients. Unfortunately, the results available so far do not allow generalizable statements with regard to differential efficacy/effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in the long term management of schizophrenia.