A-1 Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, November 2007

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program - Nov 2007

Phase-based manganese enhanced MRI, a new methodology to enhance brain cytoarchitectural contrast and study manganese uptake.

PURPOSE: As the magnetic susceptibility induced frequency shift increases linearly with magnetic field strength, the present work evaluates manganese as a phase imaging contrast agent and investigates the dose dependence of brain enhancement in comparison to T1 -weighted imaging after intravenous administration of MnCl2 . METHODS: Experiments were carried out on 12 Sprague-Dawley rats. MnCl2 was infused intravenously with the following doses: 25, 75, 125 mg/kg (n=4). Phase, T1 -weighted images and T1 maps were acquired before and 24h post MnCl2 administration at 14.1 Tesla. RESULTS: Manganese enhancement was manifested in phase imaging by an increase in frequency shift differences between regions rich in calcium gated channels and other tissues, together with local increase in signal to noise ratio (from the T1 reduction). Such contrast improvement allowed a better visualization of brain cytoarchitecture. The measured T1 decrease observed across different manganese doses and in different brain regions were consistent with the increase in the contrast to noise ratio (CNR) measured by both T1 -weighted and phase imaging, with the strongest variations being observed in the dentate gyrus and olfactory bulb. CONCLUSION: Overall from its high sensitivity to manganese combined with excellent CNR, phase imaging is a promising alternative imaging protocol to assess manganese enhanced MRI at ultra high field. Magn Reson Med 72:1246-1256, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Further evidence on the statistical properties of real GNP

The well-known lack of power of unit root tests has often been attributed to the shortlength of macroeconomic variables and also to DGP s that depart from the I(1)-I(0)alternatives. This paper shows that by using long spans of annual real GNP and GNPper capita (133 years) high power can be achieved, leading to the rejection of both theunit root and the trend-stationary hypothesis. This suggests that possibly neither modelprovides a good characterization of these data. Next, more flexible representations areconsidered, namely, processes containing structural breaks (SB) and fractional ordersof integration (FI). Economic justification for the presence of these features in GNP isprovided. It is shown that the latter models (FI and SB) are in general preferred to theARIMA (I(1) or I(0)) ones. As a novelty in this literature, new techniques are appliedto discriminate between FI and SB models. It turns out that the FI specification ispreferred, implying that GNP and GNP per capita are non-stationary, highly persistentbut mean-reverting series. Finally, it is shown that the results are robust when breaksin the deterministic component are allowed for in the FI model. Some macroeconomicimplications of these findings are also discussed.

A-1 Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, January 2008

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program

A-1 Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, Februray 2008

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program

A-1 Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, March 2008

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program

Resurgence of HIV infection among men who have sex with men in Switzerland: mathematical modelling study.

BACKGROUND: New HIV infections in men who have sex with men (MSM) have increased in Switzerland since 2000 despite combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). The objectives of this mathematical modelling study were: to describe the dynamics of the HIV epidemic in MSM in Switzerland using national data; to explore the effects of hypothetical prevention scenarios; and to conduct a multivariate sensitivity analysis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The model describes HIV transmission, progression and the effects of cART using differential equations. The model was fitted to Swiss HIV and AIDS surveillance data and twelve unknown parameters were estimated. Predicted numbers of diagnosed HIV infections and AIDS cases fitted the observed data well. By the end of 2010, an estimated 13.5% (95% CI 12.5, 14.6%) of all HIV-infected MSM were undiagnosed and accounted for 81.8% (95% CI 81.1, 82.4%) of new HIV infections. The transmission rate was at its lowest from 1995-1999, with a nadir of 46 incident HIV infections in 1999, but increased from 2000. The estimated number of new infections continued to increase to more than 250 in 2010, although the reproduction number was still below the epidemic threshold. Prevention scenarios included temporary reductions in risk behaviour, annual test and treat, and reduction in risk behaviour to levels observed earlier in the epidemic. These led to predicted reductions in new infections from 2 to 26% by 2020. Parameters related to disease progression and relative infectiousness at different HIV stages had the greatest influence on estimates of the net transmission rate. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The model outputs suggest that the increase in HIV transmission amongst MSM in Switzerland is the result of continuing risky sexual behaviour, particularly by those unaware of their infection status. Long term reductions in the incidence of HIV infection in MSM in Switzerland will require increased and sustained uptake of effective interventions.

A-1 Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, April 2008

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program

A-1 Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, May 2008

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program

A-1 Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, December 2007

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program

A-1 Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, October 2007

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program

Iowa Individual Income Tax Statistical Report 2006

Iowa Individual Income Tax Statistical Report 2006

As Línguas de Cabo Verde: uma Radiografia Sociolinguística

Esta dissertação constitui um estudo de caso, exploratório e de carácter descritivo. Tem como objectivo fazer uma radiografia sociolinguística de Cabo Verde, particularmente centrada no actual uso das duas línguas faladas no arquipélago, o português (PCV) e o crioulo cabo-verdiano (LCV). A linha de pesquisa adoptada inspira-se fortemente nos estudos de macrosociolinguística, tomando a situação de contacto de línguas, caracterizadora da sociedade cabo-verdiana, como ponto de partida para o enquadramento de um conjunto de questões seleccionadas para investigação mais aprofundada. São, assim, explorados os processos implicados nesta situação de contacto concreta e os resultados linguísticos decorrentes da mesma, como o bilinguismo ou a diglossia (cf. Cap. 3). Recorrendo a contributos teóricos de áreas associadas e complementares (cf. Cap. 1), foca-se a importância da análise dos domínios em que cada uma das línguas é usada, das redes sociais dos falantes ou das suas atitudes linguísticas. A investigação partiu de uma recolha de dados realizada para o efeito, nas nove ilhas habitadas. As unidades de análise retidas correspondem a uma amostragem de dois grupos sociais distintos: falantes jovens, alunos do ensino secundário (inquiridos por questionário), e falantes adultos cuja profissão implica uma intensa actividade linguística (professores e ‘líderes’, inquiridos por entrevistas semi-dirigidas). Foi usada uma metodologia de recolha o mais rigorosa possível e adoptado o tratamento estatístico de dados (cf. Cap. 2). O confronto dos comportamentos linguísticos e das atitudes das duas gerações inquiridas, com diferentes características (cf. Introdução), forneceu importantes informações sobre a dinâmica linguística da sociedade cabo-verdiana, conclusões essas que serão importantes para a definição de orientações no âmbito da política linguística (cf. Cap. 5). É apresentada, como complemento, uma análise exploratória de alguns aspectos sintácticos atestados nas produções dos indivíduos inquiridos com instrução superior (cf. Cap. 4), um contributo, embora modesto, para a definição da variedade padrão do PCV

A-1 Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, June 2008

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program