An Evaluation of the Cost of Family Law Disputes: Measuring the Cost Implication of Various Dispute Resolution Methods

The Canadian Forum on Civil Justice contracted the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family to conduct a project measuring the cost implications of various dispute resolution methods for resolving family law disputes. Despite the greater emphasis in recent years on the importance of access to justice and the need to resolve family matters outside the court, there is little research on the effectiveness of various dispute resolution methods, and even less on the cost of the different approaches

Carbonate fuel cell system with integrated carbon dioxide/thermal management

Upon successful completion of Phase 1, the Phase 2 activities were initiated in July 1994 to define the stack design and system requirements for a commercial-scale burnerless carbonate fuel cell stack with an integrated carbon dioxide management system. The major goals of this program are to define the stack design and the system requirements of the integrated design. The approach taken was to maximize the similarities of this stack with ERC`s proven baseline stack design and power plant system. Recent accomplishments include a detailed stack design which retains all the essential elements of the baseline stack as well as the power plant system designs. All the auxiliary hardware and external flow patterns remain unchanged, only the internal flow configurations are modified

In search of the origins and enduring impact of agile software development

The Agile Manifesto is a philosophical touchpoint for all agile software development (ASD) methods. We examine the manifesto and some of its associated agile methods in an effort to identify the major impacts of ASD. We have encountered some difficulty in delineating agile and non-agile software processes, which is partially the result of terminological confusion. It is clear from the volume of published research that ASD has made a significant contribution, and we have identified two lasting and important impacts. Firstly, the reduction in iteration durations and secondly, the push for reduced levels of documentation (especially in relation to software requirements). Other aspects of the Agile Manifesto may not have exerted a significant impact; for example, the use of tooling to automate processes has become central to continuous software engineering (CSE) and may not be wholly congruent with the manifesto. Furthermore, many organisations may still rely on business contracts despite calls in the manifesto for greater levels of informal customer collaboration

Mechanisms controlling the air-sea CO2 flux in the North Sea

The mechanisms driving the air–sea exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2CO2) in the North Sea are investigated using the three-dimensional coupled physical–biogeochemical model ECOHAM (ECOlogical-model, HAMburg). We validate our simulations using field data for the years 2001–2002 and identify the controls of the air–sea CO2CO2 flux for two locations representative for the North Sea's biogeochemical provinces. In the seasonally stratified northern region, net CO2CO2 uptake is high (View the MathML source2.06molm-2a-1) due to high net community production (NCP) in the surface water. Overflow production releasing semi-labile dissolved organic carbon needs to be considered for a realistic simulation of the low dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations observed during summer. This biologically driven carbon drawdown outcompetes the temperature-driven rise in CO2CO2 partial pressure (pCO2pCO2) during the productive season. In contrast, the permanently mixed southern region is a weak net CO2CO2 source (View the MathML source0.78molm-2a-1). NCP is generally low except for the spring bloom because remineralization parallels primary production. Here, the pCO2pCO2 appears to be controlled by temperature

Dobutamine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance at 3 Tesla

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Purpose</p> <p>The assessment of inducible wall motion abnormalities during high-dose dobutamine-stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (DCMR) is well established for the identification of myocardial ischemia at 1.5 Tesla. Its feasibility at higher field strengths has not been reported. The present study was performed to prospectively determine the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of DCMR at 3 Tesla for depicting hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis (≥ 50% diameter stenosis) in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD).</p> <p>Materials and methods</p> <p>Thirty consecutive patients (6 women) (66 ± 9.3 years) were scheduled for DCMR between January and May 2007 for detection of coronary artery disease. Patients were examined with a Philips Achieva 3 Tesla system (Philips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands), using a spoiled gradient echo cine sequence. Technical parameters were: spatial resolution 2 × 2 × 8 mm³, 30 heart phases, spoiled gradient echo TR/TE: 4.5/2.6 msec, flip angle 15°. Images were acquired at rest and stress in accordance with a standardized high-dose dobutamine-atropine protocol during short breath-holds in three short and three long-axis views. Dobutamine was administered using a standard protocol (10 μg increments every 3 minutes up to 40 μg dobutamine/kg body weight/minute plus atropine if required to reach target heart rate). The study protocol included administration of 0.1 mmol/kg/body weight Gd-DTPA before the cine images at rest were acquired to improve the image quality. The examination was terminated if new or worsening wall-motion abnormalities or chest pain occurred or when > 85% of age-predicted maximum heart rate was reached. Myocardial ischemia was defined as new onset of wall-motion abnormality in at least one segment. In addition, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was performed. Images were evaluated by two blinded readers. Diagnostic accuracy was determined with coronary angiography as the reference standard. Image quality and wall-motion at rest and maximum stress level were evaluated using a four-point scale.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In 27 patients DCMR was performed successfully, no patient had to be excluded due to insufficient image quality. Twenty-two patients were examined by coronary angiography, which depicted significant stenosis in 68.2% of the patients. Patient-based sensitivity and specificity were 80.0% and 85.7% respectively and accuracy was 81.8%. Interobserver variability for assessment of wall motion abnormalities was 88% (κ = 0.760; p < 0.0001). Negative and positive predictive values were 66.7% and 92.3%, respectively. No significant differences in average image quality at rest versus stress for short or long-axis cine images were found.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>High-dose DCMR at 3T is feasible and an accurate method to depict significant coronary artery stenosis in patients with suspected or known CAD.</p

CO2 supply from the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to the North Atlantic Ocean - evidence for the continental shelf pump

Coastal and marginal seas are thought to act as a continental shelf pump transporting CO2 from the atmosphere to the open oceans. The CO2 uptake in coastal seas is triggered by high biological activity increasing the CO2 concentrations of their waters which finally are transported to the open ocean. The North Sea and Baltic Sea located in north-west Europe are connected via the Skagerrak where the Baltic Sea water first enters the North Sea. The North Sea the provides then link to the North Atlantic Ocean. Carbon budgets for the Baltic Sea and the North Sea will be presented in order to provide evidence that in both seas the transfer of CO2, i.e. the continental shelf pump, acts in two different, but characteristic pattern. The Baltic Sea as a brackish water system collects river water and one might even call it as an estuarine system in a broader sense. Two major drainage areas provide the fresh water supply to the Baltic Sea: The Scandinavian shield supply CO2 –poor waters and the north-east European continent CO2 –rich waters. During the transport of Baltic Sea water to the North Sea the CO2 concentrations increase continuously. Riverine inputs in part control primary production in the Baltic Sea, however the major control mechanism is the winter nutrient concentrations. These are established by an interaction of production, remineralisation, export and riverine and atmospheric inputs on decadal time scale because of the residence time of the Baltic Sea water of approximately 25years. The Baltic Sea thus acts as a continental shelf pump for atmospheric CO2 which injects CO2-rich water to the Atlantic Ocean (injection pump). In contrast the North Sea water is renewed once to twice per year most notably by water from the North Atlantic Ocean. The major control mechanism of the biological activity in the North Sea are thus the continuous (and - in comparison to the Baltic Sea - high) nutrient inputs for the North Atlantic Ocean. For the CO2 export from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean this means that the water is enriched by CO2 during its 6-12 month travel through the North Sea. Having in mind that almost no burial occurs in the North Sea, the North Sea acts as a continental shelf pump for atmospheric CO2 by increasing the CO2 concentrations in the Atlantic waters while they are bypassing through the North Sea (bypass-pump)

Combined magnetic resonance coronary artery imaging, myocardial perfusion and late gadolinium enhancement in patients with suspected coronary artery disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) imaging offers methods for the detection of ischemia and myocardial infarction as well as visualization of the coronary arteries (MRCA). However, a direct comparison of adenosine perfusion (PERF), late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and MRCA or the results of their combination has not been performed. Aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility/diagnostic performance of rest/stress perfusion, late gadolinium enhancement and MRCA and their combination in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) in comparison to invasive angiography.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty-four patients (60 ± 10 years, 35 men, CAD 48%) underwent CMR including MRCA (steady state free precession, navigator whole heart approach, spatial resolution 0.7 × 0.7 × .0.9 mm, trigger delay and temporal resolution adjusted individually), stress PERF (adenosine 140 μg/min/kg), rest PERF (SSFP, 3 short axis, 1 saturation prepulse per slice) and LGE (3D inversion recovery technique) using Gd-BOPTA. Images were analyzed visually. Stenosis >50% in invasive angiography was considered significant.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean study time was 68 ± 11 minutes. Sensitivity for PERF, LGE, MRCA and the combination of PERF/LGE and PERF/LGE/MRCA was 87%, 50%, 91%, 88% and 92%, respectively and specificity 88%, 96%, 46%, 88% and 56%, respectively. If image quality of MRCA was excellent (n = 18) the combination of MRCA/PERF/LGE yield a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 91%. However, no test or combination improved diagnostic performance significantly compared to PERF alone.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In patients with CAD, the combination of stress PERF, LGE and MRCA is feasible. When compared to invasive angiography, adenosine stress perfusion outperforms CMR coronary angiography in direct comparison and yields the best results with non-significant improvement in combination with LGE and significant deterioration in combination with MRCA. MRCA may be of additional value only in a minority of patients with excellent image quality.</p

Expression and trans-specific polymorphism of self-incompatibility RNases in Coffea (Rubiaceae)

Self-incompatibility (SI) is widespread in the angiosperms, but identifying the biochemical components of SI mechanisms has proven to be difficult in most lineages. Coffea (coffee; Rubiaceae) is a genus of old-world tropical understory trees in which the vast majority of diploid species utilize a mechanism of gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI). The S-RNase GSI system was one of the first SI mechanisms to be biochemically characterized, and likely represents the ancestral Eudicot condition as evidenced by its functional characterization in both asterid (Solanaceae, Plantaginaceae) and rosid (Rosaceae) lineages. The S-RNase GSI mechanism employs the activity of class III RNase T2 proteins to terminate the growth of "self" pollen tubes. Here, we investigate the mechanism of Coffea GSI and specifically examine the potential for homology to S-RNase GSI by sequencing class III RNase T2 genes in populations of 14 African and Madagascan Coffea species and the closely related self-compatible species Psilanthus ebracteolatus. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequences aligned to a diverse sample of plant RNase T2 genes show that the Coffea genome contains at least three class III RNase T2 genes. Patterns of tissue-specific gene expression identify one of these RNase T2 genes as the putative Coffea S-RNase gene. We show that populations of SI Coffea are remarkably polymorphic for putative S-RNase alleles, and exhibit a persistent pattern of trans-specific polymorphism characteristic of all S-RNase genes previously isolated from GSI Eudicot lineages. We thus conclude that Coffea GSI is most likely homologous to the classic Eudicot S-RNase system, which was retained since the divergence of the Rubiaceae lineage from an ancient SI Eudicot ancestor, nearly 90 million years ago.United States National Science Foundation [0849186]; Society of Systematic Biologists; American Society of Plant Taxonomists; Duke University Graduate Schoolinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The 20 year evolution of dobutamine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance

Over the past 20 years, investigators world-wide have developed and utilized dobutamine magnetic resonance stress testing procedures for the purpose of identifying ischemia, viability, and cardiac prognosis. This article traces these developments and reviews the data utilized to substantiate this relatively new noninvasive imaging procedure