Pre-nups: precedents in need of reform?

Traces the development of the law relating to the enforceability of pre-nuptial agreements, given the potential conflict between such an agreement and the jurisdiction of the court to determine financial provision on divorce. Sets out the 16 point checklist laid down by K v K (Ancillary Relief: Prenuptial Agreement) against which the enforceability of an agreement should be judged. Comments on the significance given to the pre-nuptial agreement in ancillary relief proceedings in Crossley (Susan) v Crossley (Stuart), where the parties were required to show why the agreement should, or should not, determine the outcome of the proceedings.

Strauss-Stern Family 1902-1942

Personal and official documents relating to the life of the Strauss family during the years 1902-1940: pre-marital agreement dated February 1902 and June 1904 (Ehe und Erbvertrag); partnership agreement dated on several dates in 1905; variety of Lehrvertraege, passports, documents necessary for emigration and immigration to Italy and USA. The Lehrvertrag is dated 1920, the other documents pertain to the period from 1938 to 1942. "Schulzeugnisse" from the early 1900s.

Lipid and energy contents in the bodies of queens of Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): pre-and post-nuptial flight

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Issues in negotiating a Carbon Sequestration Agreement for a Biosequestration Offsets Project

Biosequestration of carbon in trees, forests and vegetation is a key method for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. To facilitate it, the Commonwealth has introduced the Carbon Farming Initiative, a scheme whereby carbon credits can be earned for biosequestration offsets projects. The project proponent must acquire under state law a ‘carbon sequestration right’ which confers the benefit of the sequestered carbon on the land. Each State provides for an agreement associated with the carbon sequestration right between the landowner and the holder of the right (‘carbon sequestration agreement’). This article identifies some key risks and issues that must be considered in the drafting of a carbon sequestration agreement to support the successful operation of a biosequestration offsets project.

Malleability attacks on multi-party key agreement protocols

Multi-party key agreement protocols indirectly assume that each principal equally contributes to the final form of the key. In this paper we consider three malleability attacks on multi-party key agreement protocols. The first attack, called strong key control allows a dishonest principal (or a group of principals) to fix the key to a pre-set value. The second attack is weak key control in which the key is still random, but the set from which the key is drawn is much smaller than expected. The third attack is named selective key control in which a dishonest principal (or a group of dishonest principals) is able to remove a contribution of honest principals to the group key. The paper discusses the above three attacks on several key agreement protocols, including DH (Diffie-Hellman), BD (Burmester-Desmedt) and JV (Just-Vaudenay). We show that dishonest principals in all three protocols can weakly control the key, and the only protocol which does not allow for strong key control is the DH protocol. The BD and JV protocols permit to modify the group key by any pair of neighboring principals. This modification remains undetected by honest principals.

Sensitivity of an Elekta iView GT a-Si EPID model to delivery errors for pre-treatment verification of IMRT fields

A Monte Carlo model of an Elekta iViewGT amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging device (a-Si EPID) has been validated for pre-treatment verification of clinical IMRT treatment plans. The simulations involved the use of the BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc Monte Carlo codes to predict the response of the iViewGT a-Si EPID model. The predicted EPID images were compared to the measured images obtained from the experiment. The measured EPID images were obtained by delivering a photon beam from an Elekta Synergy linac to the Elekta iViewGT a-Si EPID. The a-Si EPID was used with no additional build-up material. Frame averaged EPID images were acquired and processed using in-house software. The agreement between the predicted and measured images was analyzed using the gamma analysis technique with acceptance criteria of 3% / 3 mm. The results show that the predicted EPID images for four clinical IMRT treatment plans have a good agreement with the measured EPID signal. Three prostate IMRT plans were found to have an average gamma pass rate of more than 95.0 % and a spinal IMRT plan has the average gamma pass rate of 94.3 %. During the period of performing this work a routine MLC calibration was performed and one of the IMRT treatments re-measured with the EPID. A change in the gamma pass rate for one field was observed. This was the motivation for a series of experiments to investigate the sensitivity of the method by introducing delivery errors, MLC position and dosimetric overshoot, into the simulated EPID images. The method was found to be sensitive to 1 mm leaf position errors and 10% overshoot errors.

Structure of the Indian southwesterly pre-monsoon and monsoon boundary layers: Observations and numerical simulation

Characteristics of pre-monsoon and monsoon boundary layer structure and turbulence were studied in New Delhi and Bangalore, India during the summer of 1987. Micrometeorological towers were installed and instrumented at these locations to provide mean and turbulent surface layer measurements, while information on the vertical structure of the atmosphere was obtained using miniradiosondes. Thermal structures of the pre-monsoon and monsoon boundary layers were quite distinct. The daytime, pre-monsoon boundary layer observed over New Delhi was much deeper than that of the monsoon boundary layer observed over Bangalore and at times was characterized by multiple inversions. Surface, turbulent sensible heat fluxes at both sites were approximately the same (235 and 200 Wm−2 for New Delhi and Bangalore, respectively). Diurnal variations in the monsoon boundary layer at Bangalore were more regular compared to those under pre-monsoon conditions at New Delhi. One-dimensional numerical simulations of the pre-monsoon boundary layer using a turbulent energy closure scheme show good agreement with observations.

Determination of alcohols by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection after pre-column derivatisation with carbazole-9-N-acetic acid and chromatographic behaviour of alcoholic derivatives

Alcohols were derivatised to their carbazole-9-N-acetic acid (CRA) esters with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC . HCl) as the dehydrating agent. Studies on derivatisation conditions indicated that the coupling reaction proceeded rapidly and smoothly in the presence of a base catalyst in acetonitrile to give the corresponding sensitively fluorescent derivatives. The retention behaviour of alcohol derivatives was investigated by varying mobile phase compositions (ACN-water and MeOH-water). The parameters from the equation log k'=A-BX were evaluated by retention data of derivatives using an isocratic elution with different mobile phases. The results indicated that the parameters derived allowed computation of retention factors in good agreement with experiments. At the same time, a general equation was derived that makes possible predictions of partition coefficient in binary mobile phases with different proportions of organic solvent to water based on some simple regression analysis. The LC separation for the derivatised alcohols containing higher carbon alcohols showed good reproducibility on a reversed-phase C-18 column with gradient elution. The detection limits (excitation at 335 nm, emission at 360 nm) for derivatised alcohols (signal-to-noise ratio=3:1) were in the range of 0.1-0.4 pg per injection. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of classification accuracy for pre-filtered multichannel remote sensing data

Noise is one of the main factors degrading the quality of original multichannel remote sensing data and its presence influences classification efficiency, object detection, etc. Thus, pre-filtering is often used to remove noise and improve the solving of final tasks of multichannel remote sensing. Recent studies indicate that a classical model of additive noise is not adequate enough for images formed by modern multichannel sensors operating in visible and infrared bands. However, this fact is often ignored by researchers designing noise removal methods and algorithms. Because of this, we focus on the classification of multichannel remote sensing images in the case of signal-dependent noise present in component images. Three approaches to filtering of multichannel images for the considered noise model are analysed, all based on discrete cosine transform in blocks. The study is carried out not only in terms of conventional efficiency metrics used in filtering (MSE) but also in terms of multichannel data classification accuracy (probability of correct classification, confusion matrix). The proposed classification system combines the pre-processing stage where a DCT-based filter processes the blocks of the multichannel remote sensing image and the classification stage. Two modern classifiers are employed, radial basis function neural network and support vector machines. Simulations are carried out for three-channel image of Landsat TM sensor. Different cases of learning are considered: using noise-free samples of the test multichannel image, the noisy multichannel image and the pre-filtered one. It is shown that the use of the pre-filtered image for training produces better classification in comparison to the case of learning for the noisy image. It is demonstrated that the best results for both groups of quantitative criteria are provided if a proposed 3D discrete cosine transform filter equipped by variance stabilizing transform is applied. The classification results obtained for data pre-filtered in different ways are in agreement for both considered classifiers. Comparison of classifier performance is carried out as well. The radial basis neural network classifier is less sensitive to noise in original images, but after pre-filtering the performance of both classifiers is approximately the same.

Computerised Diagnostic Decision Support System for the Classification of Pre-Invasive Cervical Squamous Lesions.

Previous studies have revealed considerable interobserver and intraobserver variation in the histological classification of preinvasive cervical squamous lesions. The aim of the present study was to develop a decision support system (DSS) for the histological interpretation of these lesions. Knowledge and uncertainty were represented in the form of a Bayesian belief network that permitted the storage of diagnostic knowledge and, for a given case, the collection of evidence in a cumulative manner that provided a final probability for the possible diagnostic outcomes. The network comprised 8 diagnostic histological features (evidence nodes) that were each independently linked to the diagnosis (decision node) by a conditional probability matrix. Diagnostic outcomes comprised normal; koilocytosis; and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1, CIN II, and CIN M. For each evidence feature, a set of images was recorded that represented the full spectrum of change for that feature. The system was designed to be interactive in that the histopathologist was prompted to enter evidence into the network via a specifically designed graphical user interface (i-Path Diagnostics, Belfast, Northern Ireland). Membership functions were used to derive the relative likelihoods for the alternative feature outcomes, the likelihood vector was entered into the network, and the updated diagnostic belief was computed for the diagnostic outcomes and displayed. A cumulative probability graph was generated throughout the diagnostic process and presented on screen. The network was tested on 50 cervical colposcopic biopsy specimens, comprising 10 cases each of normal, koilocytosis, CIN 1, CIN H, and CIN III. These had been preselected by a consultant gynecological pathologist. Using conventional morphological assessment, the cases were classified on 2 separate occasions by 2 consultant and 2 junior pathologists. The cases were also then classified using the DSS on 2 occasions by the 4 pathologists and by 2 medical students with no experience in cervical histology. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement using morphology and using the DSS was calculated with K statistics. Intraobserver reproducibility using conventional unaided diagnosis was reasonably good (kappa range, 0.688 to 0.861), but interobserver agreement was poor (kappa range, 0.347 to 0.747). Using the DSS improved overall reproducibility between individuals. Using the DSS, however, did not enhance the diagnostic performance of junior pathologists when comparing their DSS-based diagnosis against an experienced consultant. However, the generation of a cumulative probability graph also allowed a comparison of individual performance, how individual features were assessed in the same case, and how this contributed to diagnostic disagreement between individuals. Diagnostic features such as nuclear pleomorphism were shown to be particularly problematic and poorly reproducible. DSSs such as this therefore not only have a role to play in enhancing decision making but also in the study of diagnostic protocol, education, self-assessment, and quality control. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MARKERS OF CARDIOVASCULAR DYSFUNCTION AFTER PREGNANCIES COMPLICATED BY PRE-ECLAMPSIA

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy characterized by maternal systemic endothelial dysfunction. While the clinical manifestations resolve soon after delivery, a large body of epidemiological evidence indicates significant long-term maternal risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) after PE. The mechanisms by which PE and future CVD are associated are unclear, although shared constitutional risk factors likely contribute to the features of endothelial dysfunction characteristic to both. We postulate that PE offers a window of opportunity for the identification of unique markers of dysfunction in the earliest stages of disease that may be used to validate cardiovascular risk screening in the early postpartum period. The studies presented in this thesis provide evidence of changes in circulating factors in women with a recent history of PE. Using blood samples collected within the first year of pregnancy, unique patterns of microRNA expression, enrichment of coagulation system proteins and endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction were described. Many of the described changes appear to be independent of cardiovascular risk. In addition to alterations in circulating factors however, longitudinal postpartum assessments demonstrated that microvascular and cardiac abnormalities were evident in the early periods postpartum after a pre-eclamptic pregnancy. Collectively, the data presented in this thesis reveal that physiological alterations in women with a recent history of PE are not necessarily dependent on clinical parameters of cardiovascular risk, and that resulting dysfunction may be demonstrated within the first year postpartum. Importantly, the biomarkers presented herein are all demonstrated elsewhere in the literature to benefit from lifestyle modification and risk reduction. In closing, the findings of this thesis support a need for cardiovascular risk screening based on obstetrical history, namely after pregnancies complicated by PE.

Does pre-operative estimation of oesophageal tumour metabolic length using F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT images compare with surgical pathology length?

PURPOSE:
The aim of the study was to compare the pre-operative metabolic tumour length on FDG PET/CT with the resected pathological specimen in patients with oesophageal cancer.

METHODS:
All patients diagnosed with oesophageal carcinoma who had undergone staging PET/CT imaging between the period of June 2002 and May 2008 who were then suitable for curative surgery, either with or without neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, were included in this study. Metabolic tumour length was assessed using both visual analysis and a maximum standardised uptake value (SUV(max)) cutoff of 2.5.

RESULTS:
Thirty-nine patients proceeded directly to curative surgical resection, whereas 48 patients received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, followed by curative surgery. The 95% limits of agreement in the surgical arm were more accurate when the metabolic tumour length was visually assessed with a mean difference of -0.05 cm (SD 2.16 cm) compared to a mean difference of +2.42 cm (SD 3.46 cm) when assessed with an SUV(max) cutoff of 2.5. In the neo-adjuvant group, the 95% limits of agreement were once again more accurate when assessed visually with a mean difference of -0.6 cm (SD 1.84 cm) compared to a mean difference of +1.58 cm (SD 3.1 cm) when assessed with an SUV(max) cutoff of 2.5.

CONCLUSION:
This study confirms the high accuracy of PET/CT in measuring gross target volume (GTV) length. A visual method for GTV length measurement was demonstrated to be superior and more accurate than when using an SUV(max) cutoff of 2.5. This has the potential of reducing the planning target volume with dose escalation to the tumour with a corresponding reduction in normal tissue complication probability.