Adjacent Rooms Research Articles

Endemicity and diversification of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in an intensive care unit

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is a major public health concern globally. Often studied in the context of hospital outbreaks, little is known about the persistence and evolutionary dynamics of endemic CRAB populations. A three-month cross-sectional observational study was conducted in a 28-bed intensive care unit (ICU) in Hangzhou, China. A total of 5068 samples were collected from the hospital environment (n=3985), patients (n=964) and staff (n=119). CRAB isolates were obtained from 10.5% of these samples (n=532). All of these isolates, plus an additional 19 from clinical infections, were characterised through whole-genome sequencing. The ICU CRAB population was dominated by OXA-23-producing global clone 2 isolates (99.3% of all isolates) that could be divided into 20 distinct clusters, defined through genome sequencing. CRAB was persistently present in the ICU, driven by regular introductions of distinct clusters. The hospital environment was heavily contaminated, with CRAB isolated from bed units on 183/335 (54.6%) sampling occasions but from patients on only 72/299 (24.1%) occasions. CRAB was spread to adjacent bed units and rooms, and following re-location of patients within the ICU. We also observed three horizontal gene transfer events between CRAB strains in the ICU, involving three different plasmids. The epidemiology of CRAB in this setting contrasted with previously described clonal outbreaks in high-income countries, highlighting the importance of environmental CRAB reservoirs in ICU epidemiology and the unique challenges in containing the spread of CRAB in ICUs where this important multidrug-resistant pathogen is endemic. This work was undertaken as part of the DETECTIVE research project funded by the Medical Research Council (MR/S013660/1), National Natural Science Foundation of China (81861138054, 32011530116, 31970128, 31770142), Zhejiang Province Medical Platform Backbone Talent Plan (2020RC075), and the National Key Research and Development Program of China grant (2018YFE0102100). W.v.S was also supported by a Wolfson Research Merit Award (WM160092).

Experimental and numerical study on a new thermal masonry block by comparison with traditional walls

The present work concerns an innovative construction system consisting of brick blocks with micropores and multiple air cavities which confer to the material a very low thermal conductivity combined with a high thermal inertia. The aim of this research is to experimentally compare the performance of these single-layer inertial walls with a traditional super-insulated lightweight wall, characterized by similar and very low steady thermal transmittance. The walls were monitored in the summer season in two adjacent test rooms in a free dynamic regime, i.e. without the use of mechanical cooling systems. The test rooms were built without windows to evaluate only the heat transfer through the opaque surface. The incidence of solar gains, of ventilation and of the dispersing surface area was evaluated by means of numerical analyses using the hourly dynamic method of EN ISO 52016-1. The results demonstrated that the new single-layer blocks with low conductivity and high thermal inertia guarantee excellent performance by substantially limiting the internal air temperature compared to the other solutions. This makes it possible to reduce the summer peak loads and cooling energy consumptions, especially in the case of night ventilation.

Environmental geotechnology for low-grade ore mining with the creation of conditions for the concurrent disposal of mining waste

Due to the constantly deteriorating environmental situation in the regions with mining enterprises, the article considers the topical issue of disposing the maximum possible volume of waste from the mining and processing of low-grade ferrous ores through the creation of an effective underground environmental geotechnology. Traditional procedure with descending mining of reserves with a caving system does not allow waste to be disposed of in a gob. The idea is to use geotechnology based on the ascending order of mining the ore body, room excavation, leaving truncated pillars, and staggered arrangement of adjacent rooms in height, which makes it possible to form containers for waste disposal in the form of a cementless backfill. The main characteristics of the proposed procedure are investigated and compared with the traditional procedure of low-grade iron ores mining. It was established that from the point of view of the complete extraction of reserves and the unit costs for the preparatory-development operations, the processes are comparable, while in terms of the mining quality, the proposed option is much more efficient. Evaluation of environmental geotechnology by the criterion of waste disposal, performed according to the proposed methodology, showed that the combination of these technical solutions ensures the placement in the formed gob from 80 to 140% of all waste generated during the mining and beneficiation of low-grade iron ores.

Unravelling the impact of courtyard geometry on cooling energy consumption in buildings

At present, the energy used for air conditioning in buildings in urban areas accounts for over 36% of total global energy consumption. Energy efficiency has become a critical factor in the urban planning of cities worldwide. Courtyard buildings in hot cities are a prime example of the approach used in traditional vernacular architecture to mitigate the effects of extreme weather. However, given the challenge of guaranteeing accurate modelling of microclimates within these courtyards, their impact on energy demand in buildings has been routinely overlooked by energy certification tools.This work examines three empirical case studies selected in Seville city (Spain), where temperatures during the summer months are extreme. The case studies selected display distinct geometric variations, and the primary objective of the research is to assess the influence of this geometric factor on the cooling energy demand of the building indoors. To achieve this, a validated methodology combining experimental and numerical data was implemented to evaluate the energy performance of buildings with courtyards. Different simulations were conducted to detect the impact of individual courtyard features. The results show a reduction in cooling demand of 8–18% depending on the geometry of the courtyard. Analysis was also carried out on the influence of the floor level and the orientation of adjacent rooms, revealing differences of 15% and 22%, respectively. The main conclusion of the research is that the use of courtyards as functional devices, paying particular attention to their geometry, is a key factor in the cooling energy demand of buildings.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Separate Anesthesia Induction Rooms on Multidisciplinary Work Flow in Operating Rooms.

Operating suites are multidisciplinary units par excellence, and mostly they are the most expensive units in hospitals. Interdisciplinary workflow and efficiency are therefore crucial, which is influenced by floor plans varying from hospital to hospital. Most operating rooms are equipped with adjacent induction rooms, allowing preparation and anesthesia induction of the next patient, while the previous patient is still in the operating room. Parallelizing the working steps is thought to improve turn-over time, thus increasing throughput, number of cases and finally revenue. However, this assumption has never been challenged. We analyzed workflow during regular working hours in an operating suite equipped with a mixture of operating rooms (OR) with next door induction rooms and operating rooms without induction rooms. This allows a direct comparison of both structural elements for efficiency using utilization data over a 24-months period. Both settings were used for gynecological operations. Key result is that induction rooms do not improve perioperative workflow including turn-over time. Instead, ORs without adjacent induction rooms have a significantly shorter turn-over time and OR occupancy duration per case, although surgical time and staffing were similar. Adjacent induction rooms require extra space, funding, and high maintenance costs, but they do not speed up peri-operative processes. Modern anesthetic techniques allow for fast induction of and emergence from anesthesia. Induction rooms adjacent to the OR are no longer needed if general anesthesia without extended monitoring is used for the majority of cases.

Effects of the Location of Heating Sources on Indoor Air Quality in Rural Buildings of Qingdao (China) in Winter as Determined by Experimental Monitoring

In winter, many rural people in the coastal areas of northern China burn coal for both cooking and heating. As a result, the rural population is seriously affected by indoor air pollution. To analyze the influence of the location of heating sources on the air quality within rural buildings, 60 buildings with coal heating were surveyed and monitored using an Intelligent Built Environmental Monitor for eight days. In addition, four typical rural buildings with different locations of heating sources were selected for a transient analysis. The peak concentration of CO2 was 2869 ppm in House 1 with a coal-fired stove in the living room. The average particulate matter (PM) levels were 89 μg/m3, 150 μg/m3, and 182 μg/m3 for PM 1.0, PM 2.5, and PM 10, respectively, in House 2 where a stove was situated in a room adjacent to the living room. House 3, where stoves were in separate rooms, had PM 1.0, PM 2.5, and PM 10 values of 25 μg/m3, 39 μg/m3, and 49 μg/m3, respectively, and the lowest CO2 concentration (564 ppm) was found in House 4. The data collected showed that the CO2, PM 1.0, PM 2.5, and PM 10 concentrations within Houses 1 and 2 far exceeded the standard for indoor air quality. The findings suggested that coal-fired stoves, as a heating source, should be situated away from the living room and adjacent rooms, and this change would clearly reduce the concentrations of CO2 and particulate matter. Suitable courtyard ventilation was necessary for houses with two or more heating sources.

Sound transmission through raised access floors

Raised access flooring systems have become an increasingly popular option across the construction industry, but especially in the office environment. These systems allow for a modular design where electrical conduit and data cables can be easily accessed, and the underfloor air supply can eliminate the need for overhead mechanical systems. While the design has many benefits, the sound transmission through the plenum is a concern as the system introduces an additional flanking path to adjacent rooms. A variety of underfloor baffle options exist to help reduce the transmission through the plenum, each with their own challenges. There is currently limited understanding of the effect of sound transmission through the raised access plenum between adjacent rooms. This paper provides an introduction to the acoustics surrounding the raised access flooring system based on experiences and lessons learned in an as-built environment, both in terms of airborne and structure borne sound transmission. In particular, this paper examines the flanking path that is introduced through the plenum under walls constructed above the raised floor and the effect of underfloor baffles on this sound transmission.

Attached Smoking Room Is a Source of PM2.5 in Adjacent Nonsmoking Areas

The smoking ban is not working in some entertainment venues in China. PM2.5 pollution induced by cigarette smoking in these places is still unknown. In this study, we took mahjong clubs as target places, monitored the real-time PM2.5 concentration, and recorded on-site inspection information to investigate the PM2.5 pollution characteristics induced by cigarette smoking. In occupied and smoking rooms, the geomean and median values of PM2.5 concentration were 276 and 347 μg/m3. The number of smoking persons in room is the dominant factor to enhance PM2.5 levels. For each additional person smoking in the room, PM2.5 increased by 32% (95% CI: 31%, 33%). Regarding adjacent nonsmoking rooms, PM2.5 increased due to the air penetration from smoking rooms and the increase trend usually had a lag time of 20 minutes. The geomean values of PM2.5 concentrations were 109 μg/m3 in the nonsmoking and occupied rooms and 148 μg/m3 in the vacant rooms. To close the door of the room is the most effective measure to alleviate the PM2.5 penetration. The geomean values of 24-hour and annual average excess exposure concentration if spending 5 hours/day and 2 days/week in mahjong club were 32.1 and 9.2 μg/m3, respectively; both exceeded the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines, 15 and 5 μg/m3, respectively. Our results revealed severe PM2.5 pollution and exposure risk by cigarette smoking in entertainment venues, as well as the penetration effect on adjacent nonsmoking areas. The smoking bans should be strictly enforced in entertainment venues, and the setting of smoking areas in indoor public places should be scientific to avoid diffusion into nonsmoking areas.

An experimental study on flame characteristic of spill fire plumes for atypical openings under external sideward wind

The evolution of flame height and horizontal extending distance of the facade with atypical openings (circular and triangular) under external sideward wind is experimentally studied with a reduced-scale compartment model in this paper. The results show that: When the external sideward wind is high and reaches a certain degree, the flame horizontal extending distance will be greater than the flame height, indicating that the flame will be more likely to ignite adjacent rooms on the same floor in this case. (1) The flame height of circular and triangular openings has a linear relationship with sideward wind speed (Uw); (2) The flame horizontal extending distance of circular and triangular opening is nonlinear to the sideward wind speed (Uw); (3) Based on previous studies, a non-dimensional correlation model is constructed to predict the flame height and horizontal extending distance of circular and triangular openings.

Towards a low cost method for measuring the airborne sound insulation of partitions

BS EN ISO 10140-2 outlines a method for estimating the airborne sound insulation of a partition using adjacent rooms. In this paper, a new method is presented by which the airborne sound insulation is obtained without the need for a transmission suite. Using a stand-alone partition, a representative blocked pressure field is applied numerically to a measured frequency response function matrix characterising the partition. The incident and transmitted powers are determined from the blocked pressure and velocity field on the source and receiver sides, respectively. Results of several partitions measured using the proposed methodology will be compared against estimates obtained according to BS EN ISO 10140-2.

Measured effect of resilient edge joints on airborne sound insulation of heavyweight wall

It is common assumption that resilient joints around a heavyweight construction improve sound insulation between adjacent rooms. Effect of resilient joints on sound insulation has not been studied sufficiently. This study investigated how the joint resiliency around a heavyweight wall affected sound reduction index (SRI) measured directly through the construction. A calcium silicate block wall was built three times in a laboratory using three different joint types A−C between the wall and the building frame: A) all four edge joints rigid, B) three resilient and one rigid joint, C) all four joints resilient. SRI was determined for A−C. Total loss factor (TLF) was determined for A−C by measuring structural reverberation time using hammer impact stimulus. SRI reduced, remarkably, with increasing level of joint resiliency. For joint type A Rw was 50 dB while it was 45 dB for B and 43 dB for C. Correspondingly, TLF reduced with increasing level of resiliency. The effect of joint type was evident above the critical coincidence frequency 185 Hz of the wall. Resilient joints prevented the sound transmission to the building frame, which increased sound radiation to the receiving room. Therefore, heavyweight wall should be mounted to surrounding heavy constructions using rigid joints.

Investigation on the indoor environment during a whole cooking process under constant make-up air organization in a Chinese-style residential kitchen

A large amount of heat and particles generated from cooking have a negative impact on occupants’ thermal comfort as well as the indoor environment in the kitchen and adjacent rooms. Although heat generation rate and emission strength of particles are largely affected by oil temperature and cooking duration, there is a lack of quantification on the impact of the indoor environment during the whole cooking process. This study applies a computational fluid dynamics method to simulate air temperature, velocity and particle distribution in a kitchen and indoor environment during a 10-min and after 2-min cooking process with constant make-up air organization from window opening in a Chinese-style residential kitchen. User-defined function was defined for dynamic oil temperature and emission rate based on experimental results from previous studies and was interpreted in FLUENT for transient simulation within 12 min. Results indicate that heat spread remarkably after 30 s of oil heating. Air temperature experienced an increase of about 10.0°C around the occupant during the whole cooking process. For particle distribution, a large variation in the kitchen was observed after 4 min. Particle concentration in an indoor environment was increased dramatically after 6 min. Further studies on the transmission mechanism of heat and particles from the kitchen space to an adjacent room under different cooking scenarios are needed for the design and control of kitchen ventilation.

An Automated Space-Based Graph Generation Framework for Building Energy Consumption Estimation

The 3D information in Building Information Modeling (BIM) has received significant interest for smart city applications. Recently, employing Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) for BIM in data-driven methods for Building Energy Consumption Estimation (BECE) has gained momentum because of the enriched geometric and semantic information. However, despite extensive studies on applying the IFC data in BECE analysis, employing the full potential of the BIM remains poor due to its complex data model and incompatibility with data-driven algorithms. This paper proposes a framework to extract accurate semantic, geometry, and topology information from the room-level (space) IFC schema by introducing new geo-computation algorithms to deal with these challenges. Additionally, we define a new topological weighted relationship between spaces in different stories by combining common geometry area with energy resistance value. Eventually, the proposed weighted space-based graph will be constructed to decrease the original complexity of the IFC model, and it is compatible with graph-based machine learning algorithms. The results are promising, with more than 90% accuracy in extracting the geometry information for the convex and non-convex polyhedron rooms and 100% accuracy in detecting vertical and horizontal adjacent rooms. This study confirms the proposed approach’s efficiency, accuracy, and feasibility for space-based BECE analysis.

Investigating DesignBuilder Simulation Software's Validation in Term of Heat Gain through Field Measured Data of Adjacent Rooms of Courtyard House

New designing techniques have been used recently in design phases of buildings to adapt human thermal comfort. Due to wide range of energy consumption within a building, it is impossible to make a proper decision about the impact of different energy efficiency strategies without simulation tools. Architects need to understand the accuracy and precision of simulation software to use them as valuable tools to predict energy consumption. This research aims to investigate the validity of DesignBuilder simulation software by using the actual traditional house in terms of heat gain. In this study, the comparative method was used to determine the differences in heat gain in a traditional courtyard house in Kerman that was simulated using DesignBuilder software and measured experimentally. This study also reveals that the difference between simulation results and empirical measurement is not more than 10%. It can be concluded that DesignBuilder has enough validity to calculate the amount of heat gain in the rooms adjacent to courtyards.

Investigating the Effect of Different Proportions of Iwan and Window Area of Adjacent Room on Cooling/Heating Load and Energy Consumption in Central Courtyard Model in Yazd

The city of Yazd has a large number of traditional houses. Houses with central courtyards and an Iwan were suitable for establishing thermal comfort conditions. In this research, the effect of Iwan's depth and the ratio of the adjacent room's openings on the comfort condition in the residential courtyard buildings in Yazd city were evaluated. The current research aims to provide an optimal model of the Iwan to increase sustainable development and use such models as the Iwan in contemporary housing in the hot and dry climate of Yazd. In order to investigate the effect of parameters, samples from the north-facing room and south-facing room in a central courtyard model with different proportions of the Iwan and different sizes of the window were simulated in Design Builder software. The results showed that the depth of Iwan and window to wall ratio's (WWR) of the adjacent room’s window significantly affects the comfort (according to cooling load, heating load, and energy consumption) in this room. The results obtained in this research will be a new window to recover the concepts of old patterns and help to solve climate problems.

A Plastic Vase in the Form of an Actor from the New Bouleuterion of Aigai

Aigai, an Aeolian city located on the mountain known as Aspordenos in antiquity (today Yuntdağı), became an economic and cultural centre from the early 3rd century BC, with the support of the Hellenistic kingdom of Pergamon. Archaeological excavations carried out in 2007 in the south of the New Bouleuterion, built in the mid-2nd century BC on the Old Bouleuterion dating back to the 4th century BC, revealed a group of adjacent rooms that were used during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The research showed that the area was in use from the end of the 7th century BC until AD 260 when the city was abandoned. The exceptional quality of the archaeological material uncovered during the excavations indicates that this building contains important spaces related to the Bouleuterion. The plastic vase in the form of an actor found in a bedrock pit in one of these rooms is one of the most remarkable objects discovered in the city. This study aims to contribute to the knowledge of Roman plastic vase production tradition in Asia Minor by analysing the vase in terms of archaeological context, technique, form, iconography, and style.

An experimental study on the sound transmission loss of dissimilar fuselage sandwich panels of turbojet aircraft

The analysis of acoustic performance of sandwich panels, designed explicitly for fuselage sidewalls of turbojet aircraft, has been revisited numerous times. However, the layouts and the sound transmission loss of the airborne fuselage sandwich panels have not been made available for public release. Against this idiosyncratic practice, this study envisioned disseminating the know-how on the sound attenuation ability of dissimilar sandwich panels implemented in the fuselage of turbojet aircraft. To efficiently absorb and dampen the acoustic energy, the sandwich panels were systematically configured using a honeycomb core, felts and a closed cell aluminum-foam in the material lay-up. The face sheets of the sandwich panels were composed of either glass fiber-reinforced epoxy or carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. The sandwich panels were tested as acoustic barriers to a diffuse sound field in a sound transmission suite consisting of two adjacent sound reverberation rooms. As found, a rubber damping layer in the material lay-up of a sandwich panel reinforced the sound transmission loss at frequencies beyond 500 Hz. Multiple felts augmented the sound transmission loss in the frequency regime beyond 315 Hz. The panel edges needed to be sealed properly to reproduce the sound transmission loss of a sandwich panel in successive experiments. This study leveraged many-faceted insights into the configuration (constituent materials, number of material layers, thickness, and stacking sequence) of commercially feasible sandwich panels. Besides, this study proposed optimized sandwich configurations based on the sound transmission loss, which will help aircraft manufacturers to apply these sandwich panels without further modifications.

Psilocybin-assisted therapy improves psycho-social-spiritual well-being in cancer patients

BackgroundWhile psychedelics have been shown to improve psycho-spiritual well-being, the underlying elements of this change are not well-characterized. The NIH-HEALS posits that psycho-social-spiritual change occurs through the factors of Connection, Reflection & Introspection, and Trust & Acceptance. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in NIH-HEALS scores in a cancer population with major depressive disorder undergoing psilocybin-assisted therapy. MethodsIn this Phase II, single-center, open label trial, 30 cancer patients with major depressive disorder received a fixed dose of 25 mg of psilocybin. Participants underwent group preparation sessions, simultaneous psilocybin treatment administered in adjacent rooms, and group integration sessions, along with individual care. The NIH-HEALS, a self-administered, 35-item measure of psycho-social spiritual healing was completed at baseline and post-treatment at day 1, week 1, week 3, and week 8 following psilocybin therapy. ResultsNIH-HEALS scores, representing psycho-social-spiritual wellbeing, improved in response to psilocybin treatment (p < 0.001). All three factors of the NIH-HEALS (Connection, Reflection & Introspection, and Trust & Acceptance) demonstrated positive change by 12.7 %, 7.7 %, and 22.4 %, respectively. These effects were apparent at all study time points and were sustained up to the last study interval at 8 weeks (p < 0.001). LimitationsThe study lacks a control group, relies on a self-report measure, and uses a relatively small sample size with limited diversity that restricts generalizability. ConclusionsFindings suggest that psilocybin-assisted therapy facilitates psycho-social-spiritual growth as measured by the NIH-HEALS and its three factors. This supports the factors of Connection, Reflection & Introspection, and Trust & Acceptance as underlying elements for psycho-social-spiritual healing in cancer patients, and validates the use of the NIH-HEALS within psychedelic research.

USE OF KINECT AZURE FOR BIM RECONSTRUCTION: ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ACQUISITION PROTOCOL, SEGMENTATION AND 3D MODELING

Abstract. With the popularization of RGB-D cameras, access to the third dimension is now possible at low cost. However, these systems have a lower accuracy compared to other technologies such as terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) or mobile laser scanners (MLS). RGB-D cameras have proved their potential for 3D indoor mapping, particularly for Building Information Models reconstruction (Li et al., 2020). This paper aims to investigate the acquisition protocol and propose a method for BIM reconstruction by using an RGB-D camera (Kinect Azure). First, an acquisition protocol is established with the aim of improving the quality of 3D reconstruction of indoor scenes. Different scene cases are considered, namely a single wall, a corridor, a room (with different levels of detail) and two adjacent rooms. After having extracted the best acquisition scenarios for each case of the studied scenes, an image processing is performed for the most complex scenes. Then the 3D reconstruction is performed and the resulting point clouds are subsampled and cleaned. Next, an evaluation of the geometric quality of the 3D reconstruction is performed, by making a comparison between the point clouds from the acquisition protocol (room and corridor) and the reference point clouds from an MLS. The results of this comparison shows that the differences between the two point clouds have an absolute average deviation that doesn’t exceed 4.8mm, which proves that the proposed method has reached competitive accuracy. Finally, segmentation and 3D modeling of the studied scenes are proceeded to extract the BIM objects.

Much Ado About Nothing

Reviewed by: Much Ado About Nothing Barbara Ann Lukacs Much Ado About Nothing Presented by The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey at the open-air Greek Theatre, St. Elizabeth University, Convent Station, NJ. 1–31 July 2022. Directed by Eleanor Holdridge. Scenic design by Charlie Calvert. Costume design by Hunter Kaczarowski. Lighting design by Matthew Weisgable. Sound design and composition by Scott Killian. Sound design by Christopher Peifer. Dance consultant Danielle Liccardo. Stage management by Jackie Mariani. With Jeffrey Marc Alkins (Don John), Michael Stewart Allen (Dogberry), Richard Bourg (Antonio/Verges), Jabari Carter (Borachio), Dino Curia (Friar Francis), Jesmille Darbouze (Beatrice), Benjamin Eakeley (Benedick), Christian Frost (Claudio), Ellie Gossage (Margaret), Carolyne Leys (Ursula), James Michael Reilly (Don Pedro), Fiona Robberson (Hero), Raphael Nash Thompson (Leonato), and others. A director will seek opportunities for an audience to connect with the production they are staging and will take into consideration the temper of the times. Eleanor Holdridge wisely chose to make her debut at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s Outdoor Stage with a joyful production of Much Ado About Nothing. After two and a half years of a pandemic that resulted in government mandates ordering theaters to close, for the wearing of protective masks, and for the avoidance of large gatherings, Holdridge created a light, happy, music-filled Mediterranean setting for this production to welcome back theatergoers. To transport a pandemic-weary audience to this happier place, Hold-ridge added an opening scene with recorded music—violin and accordion duets with a distinct Central European flavor—set in an Italian piazza in Messina where neighbors greeted each other and enjoyed entertainment, food, and drink. A woman dealt cards as a young man looked on. Contortionists exhibited amazing flexibility, while other characters engaged in juggling colorful balls. At the back wall, a young lady sold drinks from a keg on a wheeled cart. The rear of the set was a continuous façade of mustard-colored Mediterranean building exteriors comprising three sectioned exterior walls with the side sections angled outward to surround the piazza. Stage right had an expansive doorway opening that gave us a peek into an adjacent room. The doorway was flanked by red, green, and beige striped drapes. The next segment of the wall had four steps up from the piazza to a wide-arched open doorway. A flat wall spanned most of the back of the stage and had a niche at its center that housed a Christian cross and that later functioned as the church for Hero’s wedding. Flowering vines trailed [End Page 566] down from a wooden pergola overhead. Next, a doorway was framed by striped drapes, adjacent to which was a two-story tower with an arched first floor doorway and a matching window above. The costumes evoked the Napoleonic era. Back from war, the soldiers initially sported light gray military dress uniforms with jackets trimmed in red and dark gray fabrics. Knee-high black boots and sheathed swords hanging at their sides completed their outfits. The military aspect was not emphasized in this production; hence, they often wore casual civilian attire consisting of beige pants and long-sleeved white shirts, adding to the light-hearted atmosphere. As in most productions, Beatrice and Benedick dominated this performance with their repartee and wit. Benjamin Eakeley portrayed Benedick as mature, sensitive, thoughtful, yet vulnerable. The constant verbal jabs he and Jesmille Darbouze’s Beatrice threw at one another were emotional defense measures used to avoid admitting to themselves and to those around them what their true feelings were for one another. Elements of Beatrice’s tactics and personality as presented in this production reminded me of Kate in The Taming of the Shrew. Eakeley’s expressive face and strong comedic sense made his portrayal of Benedick very likeable. The scene where he attempted to hide so that he could overhear Leonato, Claudio, and Don Pedro talking about him was hilarious and a high point of the production, because none of the objects on stage, such as tiny potted plants, were large enough for him to hide behind. A small round table with a lace tablecloth had been set up at which Don Pedro, Claudio, and...