The border of reproductive control: undocumented immigration as a risk factor for unintended pregnancy in Switzerland.

Unintended pregnancies reflect an unmet need for family planning, and are part of health disparities. Using the only database to inquire about pregnancy intention among women in Switzerland, this study examined the relationship between immigrant documentation and unintended pregnancy (UP). Among pregnant women presenting to a Swiss hospital, we compared pregnancy intention between documented and undocumented women. We used logistic regression to examine whether undocumented status was associated with UP after adjusting for other significant predictors. Undocumented women had more unintended pregnancies (75.2 vs. 20.6 %, p = 0.00). Undocumented status was associated with UP after adjustment (OR 6.23, 95 % CI 1.83-21.2), as was a history of psychological problems (OR 4.09, 95 % CI 1.32-12.7). Contraception non-use was notably associated with lower odds of UP (OR 0.01, 95 % CI 0.004-0.04). Undocumented status was significantly associated with UP, even after adjusting for well-recognized risk factors. This highlights the tremendous risk of undocumented status on UP among women in Switzerland.

Llengua i educació: una relació de poder contradictòria

A partir d'una aproximació a les dades estadístiques aparegudes en dues enquestes recents sobre el coneixement, l'ús i la configuració de les identitats lingüístiques en els joves, s'analitza la influència de l'escola en la reproducció lingüística d'una llengua minoritzada. S'observa que, mentre que el sistema educatiu té una gran importància en la reproducció dels coneixements tant orals com escrits de la llengua, disminueix la seva influència en la determinació dels usos lingüístics en llengua catalana, així com és nul el seu efecte en la configuració de la identitat lingüística catalana dels joves. A partir d'aquesta constatació, s'analitzen les possibles causes i es proposen alternatives que plantegen la configuració de la identitat lingüística dels joves com un projecte de futur.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Impact of pc-ASPECTS Applied to Perfusion CT in the Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The posterior circulation Acute Stroke Prognosis Early CT Score (pc-APECTS) applied to CT angiography source images (CTA-SI) predicts the functional outcome of patients in the Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study (BASICS). We assessed the diagnostic and prognostic impact of pc-ASPECTS applied to perfusion CT (CTP) in the BASICS registry population. METHODS: We applied pc-ASPECTS to CTA-SI and cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), and mean transit time (MTT) parameter maps of BASICS patients with CTA and CTP studies performed. Hypoattenuation on CTA-SI, relative reduction in CBV or CBF, or relative increase in MTT were rated as abnormal. RESULTS: CTA and CTP were available in 27/592 BASICS patients (4.6%). The proportion of patients with any perfusion abnormality was highest for MTT (93%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 76%-99%), compared with 78% (58%-91%) for CTA-SI and CBF, and 46% (27%-67%) for CBV (P < .001). All 3 patients with a CBV pc-ASPECTS < 8 compared to 6/23 patients with a CBV pc-ASPECTS ≥ 8 had died at 1 month (RR 3.8; 95% CI, 1.9-7.6). CONCLUSION: CTP was performed in a minority of the BASICS registry population. Perfusion disturbances in the posterior circulation were most pronounced on MTT parameter maps. CBV pc-ASPECTS < 8 may indicate patients with high case fatality.

Toxicity assessment of refill liquids for electronic cigarettes.

We analyzed 42 models from 14 brands of refill liquids for e-cigarettes for the presence of micro-organisms, diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, hydrocarbons, ethanol, aldehydes, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, and solvents. All the liquids under scrutiny complied with norms for the absence of yeast, mold, aerobic microbes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol and ethanol were detected, but remained within limits authorized for food and pharmaceutical products. Terpenic compounds and aldehydes were found in the products, in particular formaldehyde and acrolein. No sample contained nitrosamines at levels above the limit of detection (1 μg/g). Residual solvents such as 1,3-butadiene, cyclohexane and acetone, to name a few, were found in some products. None of the products under scrutiny were totally exempt of potentially toxic compounds. However, for products other than nicotine, the oral acute toxicity of the e-liquids tested seems to be of minor concern. However, a minority of liquids, especially those with flavorings, showed particularly high ranges of chemicals, causing concerns about their potential toxicity in case of chronic oral exposure.

Percutaneous Endovascular Salvage Techniques for Implanted Venous Access Device Dysfunction.

PURPOSE: Implanted venous access devices (IVADs) are often used in patients who require long-term intravenous drug administration. The most common causes of device dysfunction include occlusion by fibrin sheath and/or catheter adherence to the vessel wall. We present percutaneous endovascular salvage techniques to restore function in occluded catheters. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of these techniques. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Through a femoral or brachial venous access, a snare is used to remove fibrin sheath around the IVAD catheter tip. If device dysfunction is caused by catheter adherences to the vessel wall, a new "mechanical adhesiolysis" maneuver was performed. IVAD salvage procedures performed between 2005 and 2013 were analyzed. Data included clinical background, catheter tip position, success rate, recurrence, and rate of complication. RESULTS: Eighty-eight salvage procedures were performed in 80 patients, mostly women (52.5 %), with a mean age of 54 years. Only a minority (17.5 %) of evaluated catheters were located at an optimal position (i.e., cavoatrial junction ±1 cm). Mechanical adhesiolysis or other additional maneuvers were used in 21 cases (24 %). Overall technical success rate was 93.2 %. Malposition and/or vessel wall adherences were the main cause of technical failure. No complications were noted. CONCLUSION: These IVAD salvage techniques are safe and efficient. When a catheter is adherent to the vessel wall, mechanical adhesiolysis maneuvers allow catheter mobilization and a greater success rate with no additional risk. In patients who still require long-term use of their IVAD, these procedures can be performed safely to avoid catheter replacement.

Tendinopathies du coude [Elbow tendinopathy].

The lateral and medial epicondylitis is often manifested in a professional or in a sport context leading to repetitive wrist movements. The diagnosis is primarily clinical. Additional tests are indicated in chronic evolution and in searching for differential diagnoses. Elbow X-ray can be completed with ultrasound or MRI, the most efficient but expensive diagnostic procedure. There is no consensus on treatment. After a period of rest, stretching then strengthening exercises are recommended. Corticosteroid injections may provide a short-term beneficial effect. Platelet-Rich Plasma injections have recently gained notoriety. In case of failure of treatment, surgery is possible, but only in a minority of patients.

Tendinopathie d'Achille [Achilles tendinopathy].

Achilles tendinopathy (AT) is the most common cause of posterior heel pain. It is most often due to mechanical stress related to overload or overuse of muscle-tendon unit. It also may be associated in a minority of cases with inflammatory arthritis. Pain secondary to AT is generally located in the corporeal part of the tendon or its attachment to the bone and is worsened by exercise. Examination can reveal a painful swelling or thickening on palpation. Additional tests are not routinely recommended but may be useful. Treatment should be tailored to the stage of tendinopathy and to functional disability, and should include an assessment of predisposing factors, analgesia and physiotherapy. Other treatments (shock waves, ultrasound) are less well documented. The indications and effectiveness of infiltrations are controversial and are reserved for chronic AT. The risk benefit ratio should be well discussed with the patient.

Diagonal ear lobe crease and atherosclerosis: a review of the medical literature and dental implications

In Spain a significant number of individuals die from atherosclerotic disease of the coronary and carotid arteries without having classic risk factors and prodromal symptoms. The diagonal ear lobe crease (DELC) has been characterized in the medical literature as a surrogate marker which can identify high risk patients having occult atherosclerosis. This topic however has not been examined in either the medical or dental literature emanating from Spain. The majority of clinical, angiography and postmortem reports support the premise that DELC is a valuable extravascular physical sign able to distinguish some patients at risk of succumbing to atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. A minority of studies have however failed to support this hypothesis. More recently reports using B mode ultrasound have also linked DELC to atherosclerosis of the carotid artery and another report has related DELC to the presence of calcified carotid artery atheromas on panoramic radiographs. DELC is readily visible during head and neck cancer screening examinations. In conjunction with the patient"s medical history, vital signs, and panoramic radiograph, the DELC may assist in atherosclerotic risk assessment

Distribución espacial de la población inmigrante en los municipios catalanes: igualdad, exposición, concentración y centralidad

Dado el importante crecimiento de la población inmigrante en España, es interesante estudiar su distribución sobre el territorio urbano. Desde la estadística se dispone de diferentes indicadores con una larga tradición, que permiten cuantificar la segregación de grupos de población minoritarios. Mediante la aplicación de estas herramientas a la realidad de los municipios catalanes, se muestra su utilidad a la hora de analizar la segregación residencial dentro de una ciudad, y detectar las pautas que rigen este fenómeno. Los resultados muestran que no hay relación clara entre el porcentaje de población extranjera y el nivel de segregación, y que la segregación difiere según el grupo observado. Una nueva perspectiva de la segregación se obtiene con la utilización de indicadores diseñados mediante elementos de estadística espacial. La combinación de todas estas medidas representa un procedimiento útil para el análisis de la distribución de la población inmigrante en las zonas urbanas, su utilidad se extiende a diferentes áreas como la sociología, la economía, el urbanismo o las políticas de vivienda.

Escriure (a) la frontera : autores bilingües traductores culturals

La creixent literatura postcolonial en països prèviament colonitzats, així com la creixent literatura de minories en països primermundistes sovint posen de manifest un mestissatge cultural que queda palès en la llengua. Les escriptores bilingües d’aquests països ocupen un espai cultural fronterer, com a mínim, a cavall de dos mons, a cavall de dues identitats i a cavall de dues llengües. La seva lectura del món no tan sols posa de manifest la problemàtica de la pluralitat lingüística i la diversitat d’identitats en les persones humanes, sinó que també acara l’essencialisme de les nocions d’equivalència que les expressions culturals dominants han presentat al llarg de la història de la traducció.

Spontaneous Speech and Emotional Response modeling based on One-class classifier oriented to Alzheimer Disease diagnosis

The purpose of our project is to contribute to earlier diagnosis of AD and better estimates of its severity by using automatic analysis performed through new biomarkers extracted from non-invasive intelligent methods. The methods selected in this case are speech biomarkers oriented to Sponta-neous Speech and Emotional Response Analysis. Thus the main goal of the present work is feature search in Spontaneous Speech oriented to pre-clinical evaluation for the definition of test for AD diagnosis by One-class classifier. One-class classifi-cation problem differs from multi-class classifier in one essen-tial aspect. In one-class classification it is assumed that only information of one of the classes, the target class, is available. In this work we explore the problem of imbalanced datasets that is particularly crucial in applications where the goal is to maximize recognition of the minority class as in medical diag-nosis. The use of information about outlier and Fractal Dimen-sion features improves the system performance.

Osakkeenomistajan suojaaminen vähemmistöosakkeiden hankinnassa - Oikeusvertaileva tarkastelu Suomen ja Delawaren käytännöistä

Tutkielmassa tarkastellaan osakkeenomistajien suojaamiskeinoja Suomessa ja Delawaressa. Oikeusvertailevaa metodia sovelletaan kolmella tasolla: lakien ja määräysten osalta, menettelyn osalta sekä suojaamiskeinojen osalta. Osakkeenomistajien katsotaan tarvitsevan suojaa vähemmistöosakkeiden hankinnan yhteydessä, sillä siinä osakkeiden vapaan vaihdettavuuden perusperiaate ja pakkolunastaminen kohtaavat. Suojaamiskeinot on jaettu etukäteisiin, menettelya koskeviin sekä hinnanmäärittelyyn liittyviin keinoihin. Etukäteisiin keinoihin voidaan laskea johdon vastuu, joka koostuu huolellisuus- ja lojaliteettivelvoitteista, ja yhtiöjärjestysmääräykset. Delawaressa johdon vastuu on määritelty Suomea tarkemmin. Yhtiöjärjestysmääräykset ovat ongelmallisia Suomessa, sillä ne saattavat olla arvopaperimarkkinalain vastaisia. Delawaressa niiden käyttö on runsasta. Menettelyyn liittyviaä suojakeinoja löytyi useita. Vähemmistönsuojaperiaatetta toteutetaan Suomessa yhdenvertaisuusperiaatetta noudattamalla sekä määräämällä lunastusoikeudesta tai -velvollisuudesta. Delawaressa vähemmistöllä on oikeus saada erityistuomioistuin Court of Chanceryn arviointi menettelyn oikeellisuudesta. Menettelyn oikeellisuutta pyritään kummassakin tutkimuskohteessa suojaamaan myös tiedonantovelvollisuudella. Lisäksi Delawaressa johdon on asetettava aina erikoiskomitea neuvottelemaan ostajan kanssa. Hinnanmäärittelyn osalta suojaa antavat käyvän hinnan vaatimus, sekä Suomessa taloudellisen yhdenvertaisuuden periaate ja Delawaressa vähemmistön oikeus saada Court of Chanceryn arviointi oikeasta hinnasta.

Omistus, kontrolli ja päämies-agentti- ongelmat osakeyhtiössä

Tutkielman tavoitteena on selvittää osakeyhtiön määräysvaltasuhteet ja miten päämies-agentti- ongelmat vaikeuttavat määräysvallan käyttöä. Tutkimusmetodi on lainopillinen ja lähestyminen aiheeseen tapahtuu sekä yhtiöoikeudellisesta, että oikeustaloustieteellisestä näkökulmasta. Aineistona tutkielmassa käytetään lähinnä voimassa olevaa lainsäädäntöä ja oikeuskirjallisuutta. Päämies-agentti- ongelmalla tarkoitetaan osakeyhtiössä määräysvallan osittaista luisumista omistajalta (päämies) yritysjohdolle (agentti) tai vähemmistöomistajalta (päämies) kontrolloivalle omistajalle (agentti). Tärkeimpiä ongelman lähteitä ovat epäsymmetrinen informaatio ja intressiristiriidat yhtiön johdon ja omistajien välillä tai toisaalta yhtiötä lähellä olevien omistajien ja muiden omistajien välillä. Epäsymmetrinen informaatio luo osaltaan puitteet agenttitahojen opportunistiselle käyttäytymiselle. Ratkaisuja päämies-agentti- ongelmiin ovat ennen kaikkea päämiestahoja suojaava lainsäädäntö ja ulkoiset yritysjohtajien käyttäytymistä ohjaavat keinot, kuten erilaiset kannustinjärjestelmät ja hyvät hallintotavat. Kontrolloivien omistajien käyttäytymistä on puolestaan vaikea ohjata ja erilaisilla määräysvaltaa keskittävillä omistusrakenteilla onkin taipumus voimistaa päämies-agentti- ongelmien vaikutusta. Erityisiä tilanteita osaltaan luovat myös luonteiltaan erilaiset omistajatahot, kuten institutionaaliset omistajat.

Proportionality and Party Success in Europe

This thesis consists of four articles and an introductory section. The main research questions in all the articles are about proportionality and party success in Europe, at European, national or district levels. Proportionality in this thesis denotes the proximity of seat shares parties receive compared to their respective vote shares, after the electoral system’s allocation process. This proportionality can be measured through numerous indices that illustrate either the overall proportionality of an electoral system or a particular election. The correspondence of a single party’s seat shares to its vote shares can also be measured. The overall proportionality is essential in three of the articles (1, 2 and 4), where the system’s performance is studied by means of plots. In article 3, minority party success is measured by advantage-ratios that reveal single party’s winnings or losses in the votes to seat allocation process. The first article asks how proportional are the European parliamentary (EP) electoral systems, how do they compare with results gained from earlier studies and how do the EP electoral systems treat different sized parties. The reasons for different outcomes are looked for in explanations given by traditional electoral studies i.e. electoral system variables. The countries studied (EU15) apply electoral systems that vary in many important aspects, even though a certain amount of uniformity has been aspired to for decades. Since the electoral systems of the EP elections closely resemble the national elections, the same kinds of profiles emerge as in the national elections. The electoral systems indeed treat the parties differentially and six different profile types can be found. The counting method seems to somewhat determine the profile group, but the strongest variables determining the shape of a countries’ profile appears to be the average district magnitude and number of seats allocated to each country. The second article also focuses on overall proportionality performance of an electoral system, but here the focus is on the impact of electoral system changes. I have developed a new method of visualizing some previously used indices and some new indices for this purpose. The aim is to draw a comparable picture of these electoral systems’ changes and their effects. The cases, which illustrate this method, are four elections systems, where a change has occurred in one of the system variables, while the rest remained unchanged. The studied cases include the French, Greek and British European parliamentary systems and the Swedish national parliamentary system. The changed variables are electoral type (plurality changed to PR in the UK), magnitude (France splitting the nationwide district into eight smaller districts), legal threshold (Greece introducing a three percent threshold) and counting method (d’Hondt was changed to modified Sainte-Laguë in Sweden). The radar plots from elections after and before the changes are drawn for all country cases. When quantifying the change, the change in the plots area that is created has also been calculated. Using these radar plots we can observe that the change in electoral system type, magnitude, and also to some extent legal threshold had an effect on overall proportionality and accessibility for small parties, while the change between the two highest averages counting method had none. The third article studies the success minority parties have had in nine electoral systems in European heterogeneous countries. This article aims to add more motivation as to why we should care how different sized parties are treated by the electoral systems. Since many of the parties that aspire to represent minorities in European countries are small, the possibilities for small parties are highlighted. The theory of consociational (or power-sharing) democracy suggests that, in heterogeneous societies, a proportional electoral system will provide the fairest treatment of minority parties. The OSCE Lund Recommendations propose a number of electoral system features, which would improve minority representation. In this article some party variables, namely the unity of the minority parties and the geographical concentration of the minorities were included among possible explanations. The conclusions are that the central points affecting minority success were indeed these non-electoral system variables rather than the electoral system itself. Moreover, the size of the party was a major factor governing success in all the systems investigated; large parties benefited in all the studied electoral systems. In the fourth article the proportionality profiles are again applied, but this time to district level results in Finnish parliamentary elections. The level of proportionality distortion is also studied by way of indices. The average magnitudes during the studied periodrange from 7.5 to 26.2 in the Finnish electoral districts and this opens up unequal opportunities for parties in different districts and affects the shape of the profiles. The intra-country case allows the focus to be placed on the effect of district magnitude, since all other electoral systems are kept constant in an intra-country study. The time span in the study is from 1962 to 2007, i.e. the time that the districts have largely been the same geographically. The plots and indices tell the same story, district magnitude and electoral alliances matter. The district magnitude is connected to the overall proportionality of the electoral districts according to both indices, and the profiles are, as expected, also closer to perfect proportionality in large districts. Alliances have helped some small parties to gain a much higher seat share than their respective vote share and these successes affect some of the profiles. The profiles also show a consistent pattern of benefits for the small parties who ally with the larger parties.

Osakeyhtiölain muutokset pienen osakeyhtiön toiminnassa

Osakeyhtiölain kokonaisuudistus astui voimaan 1.9.2006. Lain tavoitteeksi asetettiin yhtiöiden toimintaedellytysten hallittu lisääminen velkojain- tai vähemmistöosakkaiden suojaa heikentämättä. Erityisesti pienten yhtiöiden asemaan kiinnitettiin huomiota selventämällä lakia ja keventämällä muotomääräyksiä. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, miten uudistukset vaikuttivat pienen osakeyhtiön toimintaan. Tutkimuksessa käydään läpi niitä osakeyhtiölain säädöksiä, jotka vaikuttavat pienyhtiön toimintaan sekä kirjallisuuden pohjalta että case-yhtiöiden avulla. Case-yhtiöinä tutkimuksessa on kaksi pientä osakeyhtiötä. Tutkimusmenetelmä on kvalitatiivinen ja osin deskriptiivinen tutkimus. Tutkimus osoitti, että osakeyhtiölain uudistuksen kokonaisvaikutus pienissä yhtiössä näkyy muotosäännösten kevenemisenä ja tahdonvaltaisuuden lisääntymisenä. Suurin haaste pienille yhtiöille on lain maksukykyisyysvaatimus varojenjakopäätöstä tehtäessä. Se, missä määrin lain suomia mahII dollisuuksia käytäntöjen keventämiseen yhtiöissä otetaan käyttöön, riippuu täysin yhtiön johdon aktiivisuudesta ja muutosvastarinnan voittamisesta.