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The purpose of this paper is to examine properties of the ring C(X) of all complex or real-valued continuous functions on an arbitrary topological space X.

Studies that evaluate the use of ultrasound-guided continuous paravertebral nerve blocks in pediatric patients are scarce, although the use of peripheral nerve blocks has indeed increased in popularity in the adult demographic. The present study aims to describe the epidemiology, safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided continuous thoracic paravertebral nerve blocks as an everyday practice on a large scale in pediatric patients at a busy, academic, tertiary-care hospital. In all patients studied, a linear ultrasound transducer was used via the transverse in-line technique for catheter placement. Transducer configuration (frequency of oscillation and probe length) was varied based on individual patient factors, such as age, weight and body mass index. A descriptive, retrospective chart review of all patients who received a continuous paravertebral nerve block within a two-year time frame, from 10/2012 to 10/2014, was conducted, resulting in a sample size of 238 paravertebral catheters placed in 214 patients. In regards to patient demographics, the median age was 2 years (IQR 0.8 years - 12 years), with a range of 1 day to 18 years; and the average weight was 25.3 kg ± 23.6 kg, with a range of 1.8 kg to 113.7 kg. The median catheter duration was 3 days (IQR 2 days - 5 days), with 88.8% of catheters placed unilaterally, and 11.2% placed bilaterally. Median postoperative pain scores, intubation time, morphine equivalent consumption, and midazolam consumption were measured for all patients. The overall complication rate was 16.8% (n = 36 patients) with a minor catheter complication rate of 16.4% (n = 35). 6.1% (n = 13) of complications were due to catheter leakage, 4.7% (n = 10) due to catheter dislodgement, 2.8% (n = 6) due to skin irritation, 1.9% (n = 4) due to catheter occlusion and 0.9% (n = 2) due to minor bleeding at the site of catheter insertion. Only one patient experienced a major complication (0.5% of total patients), manifested as a self-resolving, 30-second seizure after a bolus administration of 2% chloroprocaine to manage postoperative pain. The patient was bag-mask ventilated for 60 seconds and the catheter was discontinued. No long-term sequelae were present in this case. Lastly, 98.1% (n = 210) of patients experienced sufficient pain coverage, yielding a failed block rate of 1.9% (n = 4). These results demonstrate safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided transverse in-line continuous, thoracic paravertebral nerve block in pediatric patients, especially small infants and children. This technique provides an analgesic alternative to the thoracic epidural for postoperative pain treatment in pediatric patients.

I investigate the way in which Australian managers issue their earnings forecasts, and the impact this has on the reaction of equity investors and security analysts. Using a sample of 233 management earnings forecasts issued from 1994 to 2001, I find that managers are more likely to issue earnings forecasts when they have bad earnings news than good earnings news. I find that a vast majority of forecasts are ???framed??? by the use of an accompanying earnings benchmark. Forecasts are issued with varying degrees of specificity (or precision) and also with variation in additional accompanying disclosures. Forecasts issued with negative framing (forecast earnings less than benchmark earnings) are more likely to be accompanied by statements about factors external to the firm in explaining performance, while forecasts issued with positive framing (forecast earnings greater than benchmark earnings) are more likely to be accompanied by additional verifiable forecasts of components of earnings. I find the market reaction to earnings forecasts released with positive framing is higher than for forecasts released with negative framing, after controlling for forecast news and other forecast properties. I also examine security analysts??? forecasts around the release of management earnings forecasts and find that after the release of a management earnings forecast, analyst activity increases, but that analysts??? forecasts become less accurate and more biased. Neither the extent of analyst activity nor changes in analysts??? forecast accuracy or bias is related to forecast framing.

The ever increasing rate of digital information available from on-line sources drives the need for building information monitoring applications to assist users in tracking relevant changes in these sources and accessing information that is of interest to them in a timely manner. Continuous queries (CQs) are standing queries that are continuously evaluated over dynamic sources to track information changes that meet user specified thresholds and notify users of new results in real-time. CQ systems can be considered as powerful middleware for supporting information monitoring applications. A significant challenge in building CQ systems is scalability, caused by the large number of users and queries, and by the large and growing number of information sources with high update rates. In this thesis we use CQs to shepherd through and address the challenges involved in supporting information monitoring applications in future computing platforms. The focus is on P2P web monitoring in Internet systems, location monitoring in mobile systems, and environmental monitoring in sensor systems. Although different computing platforms require different software architectures for building scalable CQ services, there is a common design philosophy that this thesis advocates for making CQ services scalable and efficient. This can be summarized as "move computation close to the places where the data is produced." A common challenge in scaling CQ systems is the resource-intensive nature of query evaluation, which involves continuously checking updates in a large number of data sources and evaluating trigger conditions of a large number of queries over these updates, consuming both cpu and network bandwidth resources. If some part of the query evaluation can be pushed close to the sources where the data is produced, the resulting early filtering of updates will save both bandwidth and cpu resources. In summary, in this thesis we show that distributed CQ architectures that are designed to take advantage of the opportunities provided by ubiquitous computing platforms and pervasive networks, while at the same time recognizing and resolving the challenges posed by these platforms, lead to building scalable and effective CQ systems to better support the demanding information monitoring applications of the future.

Equal Channel Angular Extrusion (ECAE) has great potential for developing ultrafine grain structure consisting of homogeneous and equiaxed grains dominated by high angle grain boundaries. In addition, the ECAE-processed specimens retain their original cross-section, providing capabilities of multi-passing. However, the process is discontinuous as the length of the billet is limited due to potential buckling of the extruding ram. This problem provides an opportunity of making the process continuous. The objectives of this study were to examine the feasibility of a process obtained by combining ECAE and Equal Channel Angular Drawing (ECAD), evaluate the potential of the combined process for continuous processing of sheet metal, and to analyze the mechanical response of sheet metal subjected to the ECAE and ECAD techniques using numerical study. Numerical analyses of ECAE and ECAD were performed using the commercial FE analysis package ABAQUS/explicit. Experimental data and analytical models available in literature were used to validate the numerical results. Parametric studies on the effects of drawing angle, and sheet thickness to die radius ratio (t/r), on reduction in thickness, strain uniformity and resulting microstructure are presented. Numerical results indicate that ECAD through a closed channel should be preferred over conventional drawing (open channel) operation as reduction in thickness is decreased by 2-3% after a single pass. In the experimental study, it was observed that during ECAD, the reduction in thickness increases by 2.5-3.5% per pass. Also, a higher reduction is observed in route C compared to route A. Use of sharper die corners (higher t/r ratios) and smaller channel intersection angles tend to increase this thickness reduction, and results in an increase in hardness i.e., results in strengthening. ECAD most likely results in a non-uniform microstructure with low fraction of high angle grain boundaries. In addition, for a given pass, the average hardness of the ECADprocessed samples is approximately half that of ECAE-processed samples. This suggests that ECAD alone may not be commercially viable. However, a significant improvement in minimizing reduction in thickness is achieved by providing a little gap between the sheet metal and support plates. From the numerical analyses, the proposed continuous process appears to be effective in retaining continuity of the drawing operation, minimizing the percent reduction in thickness and imparting higher plastic strains. It is believed that an experimental study of the process will reveal some more promising information.

Today, there are numerous versions of the continuous performance test (CPT) used in clinical and research settings. Although CPTs may constitute a similar group of tasks with a common paradigm, they are very different in the parameters they measure (Conners, 1995). To learn more about the effects of different CPT versions as well as the numerous scoring indices, two very different CPTs, the Conners’ Continuous Performance Test-Second Edition (CCPT-II) and the Gordon Diagnostic System (GDS), were compared with a population of children and adolescents exhibiting ADHD and normal controls. Major findings were as follows: (a) the CCPT-II and GDS measures were not able to separate children with ADHD from normal controls; (b) individual variables from neither the CCPT-II nor the GDS were able to adequately differentiate children with ADHD and normal controls; and (c) score profiles obtained from the overall group of children and adolescents did not successfully separate the ADHD group from normal controls using the CCPT-II and GDS.

Thesis (doctoral)--Grossherzoglich Hessische Ludwigs-Universität zu Giessen, 1913. / "Sonderabdruck aus: Prace matematyczno-fizyczne XXVI"--T.p. verso. Pages also numbered 136-202. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

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