Justice Defiled: Perverts, Potheads, Serial Killers and Lawyers

Book review of Justice Defiled: Perverts, Potheads, Serial Killers and Lawyers written by Alan Young and published by Key Porter Books Ltd (Toronto), 2003. (337 pp.

Quantitative methods for screening retail credit customers: an empirical comparison of techniques

The primary purpose of the research was to develop a quantitative model which can be used for screening retail revolving charge applicants. In addition to achieving this goal, four other objectives were met

US SPATIAL PATTERNS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS: 1960-2000

High skill cities have become more skilled over time, an increase that has also been accompanied by greater income inequality across space and larger education premiums economy-wide. In the first chapter of this dissertation, I explore how different economic forces contributed the emergence of ``smart cities'', characterized by their large share of college educated workers and high wage premiums. Using a structural model of worker migration and human capital accumulation over the life-cycle, I find that increases in human capital spillovers, big city amenities, and heterogeneity in productivity across space are jointly responsible for the observed phenomenon. Agglomeration and sorting incentives also exhibited strong complementarities, which overcame greater congestion stemming from population growth to give rise to smart cities. In the second chapter of this dissertation, I analyze how changes in federal tax policy impacted the development of smart cities. Tax rates on top earners have fallen considerably from their height in the middle of the twentieth century. The fall in tax progressivity coincided with to an increase in both the total and college educated populations in top cities. I find that approximately 15% of the total population growth and 24% of the college educated population growth of top cities was driven by changes in the tax structure.Doctor of Philosoph

Appropriate inclusion of interactions was needed to avoid bias in multiple imputation

OBJECTIVE: Missing data are a pervasive problem, often leading to bias in complete records analysis (CRA). Multiple imputation (MI) via chained equations is one solution, but its use in the presence of interactions is not straightforward. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We simulated data with outcome Y dependent on binary explanatory variables X and Z and their interaction XZ. Six scenarios were simulated (Y continuous and binary, each with no interaction, a weak and a strong interaction), under five missing data mechanisms. We use directed acyclic graphs to identify when CRA and MI would each be unbiased. We evaluate the performance of CRA, MI without interactions, MI including all interactions, and stratified imputation. We also illustrated these methods using a simple example from the National Child Development Study (NCDS). RESULTS: MI excluding interactions is invalid and resulted in biased estimates and low coverage. When XZ was zero, MI excluding interactions gave unbiased estimates but overcoverage. MI including interactions and stratified MI gave equivalent, valid inference in all cases. In the NCDS example, MI excluding interactions incorrectly concluded there was no evidence for an important interaction. CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiologists carrying out MI should ensure that their imputation model(s) are compatible with their analysis model

Effect of SLM Build Parameters on the Compressive Properties of 304L Stainless Steel

Selective laser melting (SLM) is well suited for the efficient manufacturing of complex structures because of its manufacturing methodology. The optimized process parameters for each alloy has been a cause for debate in recent years. In this study, the hatch angle and build orientation were investigated. 304L stainless steel samples were manufactured using three hatch angles (0◦, 67◦, and 105◦) in three build orientations (x-, y-, and z-direction) and tested in compression. Analysis of variance and Tukey\u27s test were used to evaluate the obtained results. Results showed that the measured compressive yield strength and plastic flow stress varied when the hatch angle and build orientation changed. Samples built in the y-direction exhibited the highest yield strength irrespective of the hatch angle; although, samples manufactured using a hatch angle of 0◦ exhibited the lowest yield strength. Samples manufactured with a hatch angle of 0◦ flowed at the lowest stress at 35% plastic strain. Samples manufactured with hatch angles of 67◦ and 105◦ flowed at statistically the same flow stress at 35% plastic strain. However, samples manufactured with a 67◦ hatch angle deformed non-uniformly. Therefore, it can be concluded that 304L stainless steel parts manufactured using a hatch angle of 105◦ in the y-direction exhibited the best overall compressive behavior

Positive impact of pre-stroke surgery on survival following transient focal ischemia in hypertensive rats

We describe a positive influence of pre-stroke surgery on recovery and survival in a commonly used experimental stroke model. Two groups of male, stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSPs) underwent transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Group 1 underwent the procedure without any prior intervention whilst group 2 had an additional general anaesthetic 6 days prior to tMCAO for a cranial burrhole and durotomy. Post-stroke recovery was assessed using a 32 point neurological deficit score and tapered beam walk and infarct volume determined from haematoxylin–eosin stained sections. In group 2 survival was 92% (n = 12) versus 67% in group 1 (n = 18). In addition, post-tMCAO associated weight loss was significantly reduced in group 2. There was no significant difference between the two groups in experimental outcomes: infarct volume (Group 1 317 ± 18.6 mm<sup>3</sup> versus Group 2 332 ± 20.4 mm<sup>3</sup>), and serial (day 0–14 post-tMCAO) neurological deficit scores and tapered-beam walk test. Drilling a cranial burrhole under general anaesthesia prior to tMCAO in SHRSP reduced mortality and gave rise to infarct volumes and neurological deficits similar to those recorded in surviving Group 1 animals. This methodological refinement has significant implications for animal welfare and group sizes required for intervention studies

In Vitro Assessment of Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinula edodes) Extract for Its Antigingivitis Activity

Gingivitis is a preventable disease characterised by inflammation of the gums due to the buildup of a microbial biofilm at the gingival margin. It is implicated as a precursor to periodontitis, a much more serious problem which includes associated bone loss. Unfortunately, due to poor oral hygiene among the general population, gingivitis is prevalent and results in high treatment costs. Consequently, the option of treating gingivitis using functional foods, which promote oral health, is an attractive one. Medicinal mushrooms, including shiitake, have long been known for their immune system boosting as well as antimicrobial effects; however, they have not been employed in the treatment of oral disease. In the current study, the effectiveness of shiitake mushroom extract was compared to that of the active component in the leading gingivitis mouthwash, containing chlorhexidine, in an artificial mouth model (constant depth film fermenter). The total bacterial numbers as well as numbers of eight key taxa in the oral community were investigated over time using multiplex qPCR. The results indicated that shiitake mushroom extract lowered the numbers of some pathogenic taxa without affecting the taxa associated with health, unlike chlorhexidine which has a limited effect on all taxa

Neurodevelopmental Biology Associated with Childhood Sexual Abuse

Child maltreatment appears to be the single most preventable cause of mental illness and behavioral dysfunction in the US. There are few published studies examining the developmental and the psychobiological consequences of sexual abuse. There are multiple mechanisms through which sexual abuse can cause PTSD, activate biological stress response systems, and contribute to adverse brain development. This article will critically review the psychiatric problems associated with maltreatment and the emerging biologic stress system research with a special emphasis on what is known about victimization by sexual abuse

Unification of favourable intermediate‐, unfavourable intermediate‐, and very high‐risk stratification criteria for prostate cancer

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/139069/1/bju13903.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/139069/2/bju13903_am.pd