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Summarize: Loic Remy's £8.5 million move to Liverpool dramatically collapsed on Sunday after he failed a medical. The France forward had flown out to Boston earlier this week after Liverpool had met the release clause in his contract and he had agreed personal terms and a long-term contract before beginning his fitness assessment. Given Liverpool, who also completed a £20million deal for Dejan Lovren on Sunday, have been based in unfamiliar surrounds, the medical had taken longer than normal to conduct but when the results came back, Liverpool decided they had no other option but to pull the plug on the move. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Loic Remy in shooting practice during France training. No deal: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, seen here at the end of his team's 1-0 win over Olympiacos in Chicago on Sunday night, described the collapse of an £8.5m move for Remy as 'unfortunate' It's off: Loic Remy was unable to complete his move to Liverpool but the club have not yet explained why. Match winner: Raheem Sterling settled Liverpool's International Champions Cup match with Olympiacos after five minutes. VIDEO Remy deal collapses. Liverpool have declined to comment on the specific reason they have withdrawn from the move but it is understood that the 27-year-old, who has a historical heart condition, is devastated his dream move to Anfield has fallen through. Manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed the deal was off after Liverpool beat Greek champions Olympiacos 1-0 in the International Champions Cup in Chicago. He said: ‘It's very simple we have made a decision as a club not to go ahead with the deal. It's unfortunate for the player. We are disappointed for the player but there’s nothing more to be said and we will move on and look at other targets.’ Having sold Luis Suarez to Barcelona, they must now decide whether they look for another forward as Daniel Sturridge and Rickie Lambert are the only senior strikers. They are in the process of sealing a £10million deal for Divock Origi but the Belgium forward will be loaned back to Lille next year. Liverpool have spent close to £100million this summer yet they have funds available. Manager Brendan Rodgers, however, will not make a decision in haste, preferring instead to consider his options. He may even wait until the winter transfer window to sign a striker. Confirmed: Rodgers was boosted by the completion of Dejan Lovren's £20m move from Southampton. Incoming: Liverpool are also close to wrapping up the signing of Lille and Belgium forward Divock Origi. Rodgers said: ‘There is money to spend, no question, but I won’t spend it for the sake of it. It has to be the right type. If that means I have to wait until January then that’s what I will do. The players at the moment are in great condition, they are working very well and very hard. ‘I have seen the development in some of the young players but if the right ones become available we would like to do something because i still have a lot to do on that front – but if they’re not available, I will wait.’ It is the second blow for Rodgers in the space of 48 hours after he lost Adam Lallana, his £23.6million signing from Southampton, for six week after he damaged his lateral collateral knee ligaments in training. Rather than flying back to England, Lallana – who does not need surgery – will stay with Liverpool’s squad for the remainder of their US tour in order to get to know his new team-mates but there is no disputing his frustration. Still, Rodgers feels it will not impact on Liverpool too severely. Disappointment: Remy has been left devastated after his proposed £8.5m move to Anfield fell through. ‘Last year if someone like Adam had gone down it would have really hurt us,’ Rodgers said. ‘It’s unfortunate for him but thankfully at this stage of the season, where he has got a good level of fitness, which means he can recover quicker. ‘He won’t be too far away after the start of the season, which is great news. This year is vital for us. You’re going to pick up injuries and we need to have the players who can step in and that’s what we are trying to build.’ There was, at least, something positive for Rodgers with the news that his pursuit of Lovren has reached a successful conclusion. The Croatia international has signed a long-term deal and will link up with Liverpool in either New York or Charlotte, their next stops on this American tour. Lovren, who has become the most expensive defender in Liverpool’s history, described the move as a “dream come true” and Rodgers believes he has the type of characteristics that will enable his side to vastly improve on the 51 goals they conceded last season in the Barclays Premier League. The manager believes Lovren can fill the void left in the back four that has been there since Jamie Carragher retired in 2013. Rodgers said: ‘He's right footed so he can play on the right but he prefers to play on the left. It will depend what needs must. The Important thing is that we have got the player and we will use him where we feel he needs to be. He’s a player who can still improve. Meet and greet: Rodgers signs autographs for some of Liverpool's American-based fans as they played Olympiacos in Chicago. Pride and passion: Liverpool fans show their colours during the friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago. ‘I think Dejan is a really commanding central defender. I said since we lost Jamie Carragher we needed that leadership and he's a player who will gives us that. He's strong and can play. I was impressed by him when he was at Lyon and he was a big driving force for Southampton.’ Lovren will join up on Liverpool’s United States tour either in New York or Charlotte after agreeing a five-year contract and Rodgers believes his squad is now taking shape – and he is no longer mourning the sale of Luis Suarez. ‘I’m really pleased with how it's all coming along,’ said Rodgers, who should see Divock Origi become a Liverpool player in the next 24 hours, having agreed a £10million deal with Lille. ‘Our World Cup players have just come back. ‘We have only just been together as a squad over the last week or so. I know the group well and I know those coming in will fit what we're trying to do. When the Southampton game (at Anfield on August 17) comes up, we will be ready for that.' Of the performance against Olympiakos, Rodgers added: ‘I was delighted with the team. As pre-season goes well, we will be getting sharper in our movements and passing but, at this time, we are building up the resistance of players and getting minutes under the belt. ‘In the first half, our passing was crisp and precise. We looked real threat at top end of the field. I was also very pleased with how we defended. We are in good shape and I am delighted.’ | Summary: Liverpool have pulled out of proposed £8.5m move for Loic Remy. France international failed a medical on the Reds' US tour. Brendan Rodgers must decide whether to pursue other options. Liverpool beat Olympiacos 1-0 in International Champions Cup match in Chicago on Sunday night. Raheem Sterling settled the contest with an early goal. Luis Suarez was sold for £75m to Barcelona with Rickie Lambert coming in. Adam Lallana has been ruled out for six weeks but will remain in the US. | 1,576 | 115 | cnn_dailymail | en |
Write a title and summarize: Ein Computerspiel oder Videospiel ist ein elektronisches Spiel, das durch Interaktion mit einer Benutzeroberfläche visuelles Feedback auf einem Videobildschirm, meist einem Fernsehgerät oder Computermonitor, generiert. Weitere wissenschaftliche Definitionen des Begriffs werden in der Ludologie, die sich beispielsweise auch mit der Einteilung in verschiedene Genres beschäftigt, gegeben. == Geschichte Die Computerspiele entwickelten sich innerhalb von ca. 50 Jahren von eher technischen Versuchen an Universitäten zu einer der einflussreichsten Freizeitgestaltungsformen des 21. Jahrhunderts. Bereits auf den ersten Computern gab es Versuche, bekannte Spiele, wie etwa das Damespiel, umzusetzen. Als erstes Computerspiel, welches neue Möglichkeiten jenseits altbekannter Spiele bot, wird oft das 1958 von dem Amerikaner William Higinbotham entwickelte Tennis for Two angesehen. Die Entwicklung war stark abhängig vom technischen Fortschritt der Computertechnik. Spielte sie sich anfangs nur "nebenher" auf eigentlich für andere Zwecke vorgesehenen Großrechnern an Universitäten ab, so wurde es in den 1970er Jahren durch die Kombination der inzwischen relativ kostengünstigen einfachen Logikchips mit der existierenden Fernsehtechnologie möglich, Spiele auch auf elektronischen Spielautomaten in der Öffentlichkeit zu spielen. Sehr erfolgreich war zum Beispiel Pong von Nolan Bushnell. Unternehmen wie Atari oder Magnavox brachten das Computerspiel in Form von Videospielkonsolen auch den Heimanwendern nahe. Es entwickelte sich ein rasant wachsender Massenmarkt. Durch die Einführung der Heim- und Personal-Computer (PCs) in den 1980er Jahren entwickelten sich zunächst zwei technisch betrachtet unterschiedliche Arten des Computerspiels: Zum einen das Videospiel (damals "Telespiel"), welches auf speziellen Spielkonsolen fußte und das Computerspiel für Heimcomputer und später zunehmend für PCs. Im Jahr 1983 kam es zu einem Crash auf dem Videospielemarkt, vor allem durch die Überschwemmung des Marktes mit schlechten Videospielen und der wachsenden technischen Überlegenheit der Heimcomputer gegenüber den damaligen Spielkonsolen. In Japan, wo Heimcomputer noch nicht so erfolgreich waren, läutete Nintendo 1983 mit der Konsole Nintendo Entertainment System (kurz: NES) eine neue Ära der Videospiele ein, die etwa zwei Jahre später, 1985, auch Nordamerika und Europa erreichte. Seit Mitte der 1990er Jahre werden die Bereiche für Spielekonsolen und PCs aus Vermarktungsgründen wieder zunehmend zusammengeführt. So bilden einheitliche Speichermedien (wie die CD-ROM oder DVD) und eine kompatible Hardware die Möglichkeit, Spiele für verschiedene Konsolen wie auch für PCs weitgehend parallel und somit kostengünstiger und für einen breiteren Markt zu entwickeln. Computerspiele sind heute eine weit-verbreitete Form der Unterhaltung. Sie zählen zu den produktivsten Bereichen erzählerischer Aktivität in den digitalen Medien. Sie haben den Bereich der Interactive Fiction um sensuelle Eindrücke erweitert und den Benutzern ermöglicht, in Echtzeit zu interagieren. In vielen Ländern hat sich eine eigene Industrie für ihre Entwicklung gebildet, deren Umsätze teilweise die der jeweiligen Filmindustrie übersteigen. == Gesellschaftliche Struktur === Bedeutung Computerspiele prägen heute unsere Kultur. Sie beeinflussen Menschen moderner Gesellschaften ebenso wie andere Massenmedien. Besonders bei Jugendlichen ist zu beobachten, dass sich ihr Alltag durch Computerspiele stark verändert. Die Bedeutung und Akzeptanz eines Computerspiels ist in den einzelnen Industriestaaten sehr unterschiedlich. In manchen Ländern führen Computerspiele gesellschaftlich und kulturell ein Nischendasein, wenn auch nicht zwingend wirtschaftlich. Dagegen hat sich beispielsweise in Südkorea eine bedeutende Kultur rund um Spiel und Spieler gebildet. Computerspiele nehmen dort einen hohen Stellenwert im Alltagsleben ein. Das Computerspiel wird nur zögernd als Kunstform neben Film, Musik, bildender Kunst usw. akzeptiert. Das mag an der kurzen Geschichte und den oft sehr technologiebasierten und auf bloße Unterhaltung fixierten Inhalten liegen, wobei diese zudem bei neuen Titeln sehr oft bloße technisch verbesserte Wiederholungen älterer Titel mit kaum neuen Inhalten sind. Auf der anderen Seite mag auch die abwertend wirkende Bezeichnung Spiel dazu beitragen, die eine Ähnlichkeit zu einem Spielzeug mit bloßem Unterhaltungswert ohne Inhaltsvermittlung vermuten lässt. Es gibt auch Argumente für die Kunstform Computerspiel: Da das Spielen am PC oder an der Konsole interaktiv ist, macht jeder seine eigene "Kunst", indem er seine eigene Spielweise anwendet. Im Internet hat sich im Zusammenhang mit Computerspielen die Let's-Play-Szene entwickelt. Dabei spielt ein sogenannter Let's-Player ein Videospiel und kommentiert das Spielgeschehen. Let's-Player genießen besonders auf YouTube große Beliebt- und Bekanntheit; so ist etwa der zweitmeistabonnierte YouTube-Kanal PewDiePie durch Let's Plays bekannt geworden. === Nutzung Computerspiele werden in allen Altersschichten gespielt. Manche Kinder beginnen bereits im Vorschulalter damit. Im Allgemeinen interessieren sich vor allem männliche Jugendliche und junge Männer für Computerspiele. Der durchschnittliche Computerspieler war 2003 zwischen 18 und 23 Jahren alt. Laut Digitalverband Bitkom spielen im Jahre 2015 rund 44 Prozent der Deutschen Computer- und Videospiele. Dabei gibt es Unterschiede in den einzelnen Altersgruppen: Bei den 14- bis 29-Jährigen liegt der Anteil bei ca. 81 Prozent. In der Altersgruppe zwischen 30 und 49 Jahren sind es etwa 55 Prozent, unter den 50- bis 64-Jährigen ca. 25 Prozent und in der Generation der 65-Jährigen und älteren spielen rund 11 Prozent Computer- oder Videospiele. Die Entertainment Software Association, der Wirtschaftsverband, in dem die meisten Computerspiele Publisher engagiert sind, geht davon aus, dass jeder vierte amerikanische Bürger im Alter von über 50 Jahren regelmäßig am Computer spielt. Weibliche Jugendliche sind Computerspielen nicht abgeneigt, verbringen aber meist weniger Zeit damit. In Deutschland spielten 2007 der Studie "Typologie der Wünsche" nach 38,8 % der Männer und 22,3 % der Frauen Computer- oder Videospiele. 2015 konnte eine repräsentative Umfrage erstmals zeigen, dass in Deutschland der Anteil an Spielern bei Männern und Frauen mit 43 bzw. 42 Prozent in etwa gleich hoch ist. Insbesondere im E-Sport, dem wettbewerbsmäßigen Spielen von Computer- oder Videospielen, gibt es etliche sogenannte "all female", also rein weibliche Clans, die auch ihre eigenen Turniere bestreiten. In der Regel richten Spielkonsolen sich meist an ein jüngeres Publikum und beinhalten deshalb mehr Action. Computerspiele für den PC können durch leistungsfähigere Hardware auch komplexere Simulationen erzeugen und sind daher auch bei Älteren beliebt: Die Hauptkäufergruppe sind nicht Jugendliche, sondern junge Erwachsene, da Jugendliche nicht über das erforderliche Geld verfügen und deswegen kommerzielle Software oft kopieren. Ein ähnliches Problem kennt die Musikindustrie. Eine Nutzung von Computerspielen zum Zweck der Ausbildung ist möglich. Sie entspricht aber nicht der strengen Definition eines Spiels als zweckfrei, so dass man in solchen Fällen meist von Simulationen spricht. Durch die Möglichkeiten der digitalen Medien entsteht aus den Reihen der Spieler eine Bewegung von Menschen, die Computerspiele nicht nur nutzen, sondern diese auch verändern und sogar neue Spiele daraus entwickeln. Sogenannte Mods (Kurzform von Modifikation) sind meist von den Spielern, selten von professionellen Spieleentwicklern, erstellte Veränderungen oder Erweiterungen von Computerspielen. So werden zum Beispiel nach kurzer Zeit schon Fehler oder unerwünschte Beschränkungen in kommerziellen Spielen beseitigt, die Grafik verbessert oder zusätzliche Funktionen eingebaut. Viel bedeutender sind jedoch die Mods, die das ursprüngliche Spiel um neue Erlebnisse erweitern. Die bekannteste Modifikation ist Counter-Strike, ursprünglich als Mehrspieler-Erweiterung zum Spiel Half-Life entstanden. Die Computerspiel-Industrie unterstützt diese Szene zunehmend aktiv, da es eine günstige Möglichkeit darstellt, fertige Spiele zu erweitern und dadurch noch attraktiver zu machen. Computerspielen wird zunehmend auch zum Beruf. Bereits 2008 lebten 500.000 Menschen in Entwicklungsländern vom Computerspielen. === Wirkung ==== Negative Effekte Bei übertriebenem Konsum von Computerspielen und dem damit verbundenen Schlafentzug kann es (wie bei übertriebener Computernutzung allgemein) zu Schlafstörungen, Halluzinationen, Konzentrationsschwächen, Haltungsschäden (hervorgerufen durch Bewegungsmangel), Nervenschäden (Karpaltunnelsyndrom), Augenschäden, Leistungsversagen und Nervosität kommen. Auch das Auftreten von Gaming Sickness (siehe auch Simulator Sickness, Reisekrankheit) ist möglich. In vielen Spielhandbüchern werden außerdem Epilepsiewarnungen ausgesprochen; diese sind in einigen Staaten gesetzlich vorgeschrieben. Eine am 10. November 2005 veröffentlichte Studie der Berliner Charite zeigte, dass etwa jeder zehnte Computerspieler Abhängigkeitskriterien erfüllt, vergleichbar mit denen von anderen Süchtigen wie beispielsweise Alkoholabhängigen. Ein Zusammenhang zwischen Aggressionen und Spielsucht wird in Politik und Medien kontrovers diskutiert. Unabhängig davon scheint wohl auch für Computerspiele derselbe viel zitierte Satz zu gelten, der im Rahmen der Erforschung des Fernsehens entstand: Der Berufsverband Deutscher Psychologinnen und Psychologen (BDP) warnte auf der Spielemesse Gamescom 2016 vor dem Einfluss von gewalthaltigen Spielen ("Killerspielen") auf die Gewaltbereitschaft von Menschen. Bei allen Effekten von Medienkonsum (z. B. Geschicklichkeit, Konzentration) gehe man selbstverständlich davon aus, dass ein Einfluss besteht, jedoch nicht bei "Killerspielen". Hier werde die irrige Meinung verbreitet, dass diese keinen kausalen Einfluss auf die Gewaltbereitschaft hätten. "Genau wie die Produktwerbung im Fernsehen das Kaufverhalten im Supermarkt beeinflusst, wirkt sich das Töten und Verletzen im Rahmen von Killerspielen auf Gedanken, Gefühle und Verhaltensweisen im echten Leben aus. Gewalterfahrungen im realen Leben und in den Medien verstärken sich gegenseitig und führen nicht nur kurzfristig, sondern auch langfristig zu einer positiven Bewertung von Gewalt". Laut einer Expertise der Mediengewaltkommission der Internationalen Gesellschaft für Aggressionsforschung (International Society for Research on Aggression ISRA) gibt es wissenschaftliche Belege für einen Zusammenhang von Amoktaten und ähnlichen Formen extremer Gewalt und "Erfahrung von Gewalt in der virtuellen Realität, sei es durch Killerspiele oder durch Horrorvideos". ==== Positive Effekte Zu den förderlichen Auswirkungen von Videospielen gehört das Training von räumlicher Orientierung, Gedächtnisbildung, strategischem Denken sowie Feinmotorik. Auch die Aufmerksamkeit und Wahrnehmung visueller Details kann verbessert werden. Doch Computerspiele sind nicht nur als reine Freizeitbeschäftigung für die Konsumenten selbst interessant; es gibt inzwischen gezielte Anwendungen durch die Medizin, beispielsweise zur Behandlung von Demenzerkrankungen, Schmerz- oder Schlaganfallpatienten, wobei teilweise speziell entwickelte und teilweise "normale" Spiele erprobt werden. Für die Behandlung einer Schwachsichtigkeit, vornehmlich im Kindesalter, wurde ein Spiel konzipiert, bei dem das seit Langem bekannte Anaglyph-Verfahren für 3D-Stereoskopie zweckentfremdet wird, um statt eines 3D-Eindrucks ein 2D-Bild zu erzeugen, das nur unter Benutzung beider Augen korrekt erkannt werden kann; ein Spielfortschritt ist nicht möglich, wenn nur das dominante Auge benutzt wird. Übliche Therapien konzentrieren sich bislang darauf, das dominante Auge auszuschalten (bspw. durch Augenklappen oder Pflaster), um das schwache Auge ohne das dominante zu trainieren. === Wettbewerbe und Meisterschaften Beim elektronischen Sport (E-Sport) treten Spieler organisiert in Clans im Mehrspielermodus der einzelnen Computerspiele gegeneinander an, um sich sportlich zu messen oder zunehmend auch um finanzielle Interessen zu verfolgen. Wenn hauptsächlich Preisgelder aus den Turnierspielen und Sponsorenverträge angestrebt werden, spricht man vom Progaming. Diese Mannschaften spielen dann auch häufig in Ligen mit. Die wohl bekannteste und größte Liga im deutschen Raum ist die ESL, die Electronic Sports League, bei der die Gewinner Prämien von bis zu 500.000 € gewinnen können. Inzwischen steigern sich aber die Preisgelder enorm, beispielsweise gibt es bei der CPL World Tour ein Preisgeld von 1.000.000 Dollar zu gewinnen. International weitaus prestige- und preisgeldträchtigere Turniere sind der Electronic Sports World Cup oder die World Cyber Games. Neben den Sportligen gibt es mittlerweile Meisterschaften in fast allen Genres der Videospielekultur (Ego-Shooter, Construction Games etc.). == Computerspiele als Industrie === Geschichtliche Entwicklung Während in den frühen 1980er Jahren zur Zeit der Heimcomputer und Videospielkonsolen noch ein einzelner Programmierer nahezu alle Aufgaben der Produktion eines Spiels erledigen konnte, benötigt man heute für kommerzielle Computerspiele aufgrund der gestiegenen Komplexität (wie z. B. durch den technischen Fortschritt oder die höheren Ansprüche an das fertige Produkt im Allgemeinen) Teams aus Spezialisten für die einzelnen Bereiche. === Entwicklerszene Computerspiele/ Videospiele werden von Spieleentwicklern erstellt. Das können zwar auch Einzelpersonen sein, sind jedoch meist sog. Studios (Developer), in denen mindestens ein Game Designer, Produzent, Autor, Grafikdesigner, Programmierer, Level-Designer, Tongestalter, Musiker und Spieltester in Teams an der Entwicklung von Computerspielen zusammenarbeiten. Zu den bekanntesten Entwicklern zählen John Carmack, Sid Meier, Peter Molyneux, Will Wright, Shigeru Miyamoto, Yu Suzuki, Geoff Crammond, Richard Garriott, Hideo Kojima, American McGee, Markus Persson, Chris Sawyer und Warren Spector. Die meisten Teams umfassen zwanzig bis fünfzig Entwickler, es können aber auch über hundert sein. Die durchschnittliche Entwickleranzahl und auch die Entwicklungsdauer sind mit der wachsenden Bedeutung der Industrie und der zunehmend komplexeren Technologie angestiegen. Die Produktion eines modernen, kommerziellen Spiels dauert etwa ein bis drei Jahre und kostet ungefähr eine bis 15 Millionen US-Dollar. Die Produktionskosten werden oftmals von sogenannten Publishern (vergleichbar mit Buchverlagen) getragen, die das fertige Produkt später vertreiben und vermarkten. Besonders in Japan unterscheidet sich die Spieleindustrie recht stark von der in Europa und den USA. Durch die Geschichte der Arcade-Spiele und der immer noch höheren Popularität von Konsolen- und Arcade-Spielen gegenüber PC-Spielen in Japan entwickelten sich dort andere Strukturen der Spielentwicklung. So produzieren viele Entwickler anonym oder unter Pseudonymen. Oft haben die Teams in Japan einen fest zugeordneten Designer (Director genannt) und sind wesentlich größer als bei vergleichbaren Spielen aus anderen Ländern. Da es auch schwieriger ist, ohne Publisher Spiele für Konsolen zu produzieren als beispielsweise für PCs, gibt es kaum unabhängige Produktionen aus Japan. In Europa und den USA haben sich dagegen etliche von Publishern unabhängige Studios gebildet. Vor der Veröffentlichung eines Computerspiels wird es einer Prüfung durch die Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) unterzogen. Diese Prüfung ist keine Pflicht, wird aber bei praktisch jeder Neuveröffentlichung vorgenommen, da das Videospiel sonst nur volljährigen Käufern zugänglich gemacht werden dürfte. Diese Einstufung wird durch einen deutlich sichtbaren Aufdruck auf der Verpackung und dem Datenträger gekennzeichnet. Sollte der Inhalt des Spiels gegen geltendes Recht verstoßen (zum Beispiel bei Kriegsverherrlichung oder der Darstellung von leidenden Menschen in einer die Menschenwürde verletzende Weise), kann das Spiel durch die Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien (BPjM) indiziert werden. Um das zu verhindern, werden Spiele für den deutschen Markt oft in einer gegenüber der internationalen Version "geschnittenen" Fassung verkauft. Trotz der großen Popularität von Computerspielen ist eine Beschäftigung in dieser Industrie noch immer recht unsicher. Viele Entwicklerstudios entstehen, entwickeln einzelne Spiele und verschwinden schnell wieder vom Markt. Aus diesem Grund ist zu beobachten, dass sich die Entwickler verstärkt in bestimmten geografischen Gebieten ansammeln, um sich schnell wieder benachbarten Studios anzuschließen oder gar neue Teams zu gründen. Nur rund fünf Prozent aller Computerspiele erwirtschaften Profite. Etliche Produktionen werden nicht fertiggestellt und nie veröffentlicht. Deshalb kann es durchaus erfahrene Spieleentwickler geben, deren Arbeiten aber nie der Öffentlichkeit bekannt wurden. Die Spieleentwickler organisieren sich auf internationaler Ebene in der International Game Developers Association (IGDA) und haben sich in Deutschland zum Bundesverband der Entwickler von Computerspielen (G.A.M.E.) zusammengeschlossen. Weitere Verbände zur Interessensvertretung sind die Entertainment Software Association in den Vereinigten Staaten und der Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware in Deutschland. Die größte Fachmesse ist die E3 Media and Business Summit (ehemals Electronic Entertainment Expo, auch E3), die jährlich in Los Angeles stattfindet. Der Besuch ist Fachbesuchern vorbehalten. In Europa war die Games Convention in Leipzig mit jährlich über 100.000 Besuchern die größte Messe für Computerspiele, seit 2009 wurde diese von der Gamescom auf dem Kölner Messegelände abgelöst. Spieleentwickler präsentieren jedes Jahr auf der Game Developers Conference die neuesten Entwicklungen und tauschen sich über kommende Technologien aus. === Verkaufszahlen und Umsätze in Deutschland Verkaufte Datenträger und Downloads und Umsätze für Computer- und Videospiele in Deutschland: Quelle: BIU Der Markt für Computerspiele in Deutschland ist, nach Aussagen des Branchenverbands G.A.M.E., mit einem Umsatz in Höhe von 2,66 Milliarden im Jahre 2013 der größte in Europa. === Weltweiter Umsatz Die folgende Tabelle stellt die zehn größten Videospielmärkte nach geschätztem Umsatz für das Jahr 2018 dar. == Inhalte Fast alle Computerspiele definieren das Ziel des Spiels durch formalisierte Erfolgskriterien wie eine Punktzählung (Highscore) oder das Erreichen vordefinierter Siegkriterien. Einige Spiele bieten außerdem Spielmodi, in denen kein Ziel definiert wurde und das Spiel beliebig fortgesetzt werden kann oder nur durch einen Misserfolg beendet wird (Endlosspiel). Beispiele dafür sind Lebenssimulationen und Non-Games. === Motive Moderne Computerspiele beschäftigen sich mit sehr unterschiedlichen Inhalten; einige nehmen zudem Bezug auf andere Medien. So werden oft Elemente oder ganze Welten aus bekannten Filmen wie etwa aus Blade Runner, den James-Bond-, Star-Trek- und Star-Wars-Serien übernommen und immer häufiger aus Computerspielen auf andere Medien übertragen - wie etwa die Verfilmungen von Tomb Raider, Resident Evil und Doom. === Kategorien und Genres Obwohl es die unterschiedlichsten Arten von Computerspielen gibt, ist innerhalb der wissenschaftlichen Auseinandersetzung keine klar definierte Kategorisierung möglich. Man unterscheidet zwischen vielen Genres, die auf der einen Seite eher auf semiotischen Schemata basieren (wie etwa Action-Adventures), auf der anderen Seite die Mechaniken und die verwendete Schnittstelle beschreiben (zum Beispiel Ego-Shooter). So gibt es etliche Computerspiele, die mehreren Genres zugeordnet werden können und bei denen deshalb eine Eingliederung schwerfällt. Einige Genres sind sehr bekannt, andere weniger. Zu den bekanntesten Genres zählt seit Mitte der 1990er Jahre der Ego-Shooter oder First-Person-Shooter, bei dem die virtuelle Spielwelt aus der Ich-Perspektive dargestellt wird und der meistens das reaktionsschnelle Abschießen von virtuellen Gegnern zum Inhalt hat (siehe Frag). Weitere bedeutende Genres sind das Adventure, bei dem oft Rätsel in die Geschichte eingefasst sind und die Reaktionsschnelle gegenüber dem Nachdenken in den Hintergrund tritt; Strategiespiele, bei denen es darum geht, eine Basis aufzubauen, Rohstoffe zu sammeln, eine Armee oder Ähnliches aufzustellen und damit strategisch gegen seinen Gegner vorzugehen; Rollenspiele, in denen es vor allem um die spezifische Ausprägung der Fertigkeiten eines virtuellen Charakters ankommt und Jump-'n'-Run-Spiele, in denen sich die Spielfigur laufend und springend fortbewegt und das präzise Springen einen wesentlichen Teil der spielerischen Handlung darstellt. Ein weiteres Genre, das eng mit der Entwicklung von Computern verbunden ist, sind diverse Simulationen, wie Flugsimulationen, die teilweise auch professionell genutzt werden. Dazu zählen auch Wirtschaftssimulationen, in denen ein möglichst hoher Gewinn erwirtschaftet werden muss. In Sportspielen muss durch Geschicklichkeit an der Schnittstelle eine virtuelle Sportsituation gemeistert werden. == Interaktion Der Benutzer interagiert über einen Computer mit anderen Spielern oder künstlichen Spielfiguren durch Eingabe mittels Maus, Tastatur, Gamepad oder zunehmend per Gestensteuerung und erhält in der Regel über einen Bildschirm Reaktionen. Dabei steuert er häufig einen virtuellen Charakter als Stellvertreter durch eine vordefinierte Welt. In dieser kann er sich, je nach Spiel, in unterschiedlichem Maße frei bewegen. Der Spieleentwickler hat zuvor Regeln und Ziele definiert. Diese Regeln muss der Spieler einhalten (siehe auch Cheat), um das Ziel zu erreichen. Ein Qualitätsmerkmal für Computerspiele ist oft die Handlungsfreiheit. Das wechselseitige aufeinander Einwirken des Spielers mit dem Computer im Einzelspielermodus oder über einen Computer mit anderen Spielern im Mehrspielermodus ist grundlegend für das Computerspiel, weshalb man es anders als zum Beispiel das Fernsehen, den Film oder das Buch als interaktives Medium bezeichnen kann. === Einzelspieler Computerspiele werden überwiegend im sogenannten Einzelspieler-Modus gespielt. Dabei wird die Spielsituation nur durch den Spieler selbst und den Computer beeinflusst. Die Handlungen und Reaktionen der Gegner, oft Bots genannt, werden vom Computer berechnet. Das Niveau der künstlichen Intelligenz der Nichtspielercharaktere ist häufig Qualitätskriterium bei Spielen mit Einzelspieler-Modus und mit der Entwicklung der Computertechnik schreitet sie immer weiter fort. Spielstände können in Form von Savegames gespeichert werden, um sie später wieder aufzunehmen oder an andere zu verschicken. === Mehrspieler Viele Computerspiele unterstützen auch den sogenannten Mehrspielermodus, bei dem mehrere menschliche Spieler gegen- oder miteinander (z. B. Koop-Modus) spielen können. Gespielt wird entweder am selben Computer (bei gleichzeitigem Spiel oft mit Hilfe der Split-Screen-Technik oder abwechselnd per Hot-Seat-Modus) oder über vernetzte Geräte: Über das Internet oder ein lokales Netzwerk (in größerem Umfang auch auf LAN-Partys, wo viele Gleichgesinnte ihre Computer miteinander vernetzen). Der Mehrspieler-Modus lässt einen direkten Vergleich der Spielfertigkeiten zu und ermöglicht so das sportliche Messen der Leistungen. Diesen sportlichen Wettkampf mit Computerspielen nennt man E-Sport. Beispiele für solche Spiele sind: League of Legends, Unreal Tournament, Warcraft 3, Counter-Strike und Fortnite. === Onlinespiele mit hoher Spielerzahl (MMO oder MMORPG) Über das Internet ist es möglich, viele Spieler an einem Computerspiel zu beteiligen. Dabei läuft das eigentliche Spiel auf einem Server und jeder Benutzer kann von einem vernetzten Computer aus am Spielgeschehen teilnehmen. Die bedeutendste Form dieser Onlinespiele sind die Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, kurz MMORPGs, bei denen mehrere tausend Spieler ein Rollenspiel spielen. Dabei fallen oft neben dem Kaufpreis für das Spiel auch laufende Kosten für die Benutzung der Server an. Diese regelmäßigen Kosten sind eine wichtige Einnahmequelle für die Betreiber solcher Spiele. MMORPGs besitzen, laut einer Studie für den deutschsprachigen Raum, ein gewisses Suchtpotenzial, da der Spieler sein Spieltempo nicht mehr selbst bestimmen kann. Das führt oft zu einem enormen Zeitaufwand für die Entwicklung der virtuellen Spielfigur. Das bisher erfolgreichste MMORPG ist RuneScape, welches 2012 weltweit die 200-Millionen-Account-Grenze überschritt. == Technik Computerspiele werden über Eingabegeräte gesteuert. Der Computer verarbeitet diese Daten und berechnet mithilfe der sogenannten Spiel-Engine Reaktionen, die über Ausgabegeräte ausgegeben werden. === Plattformen Als Plattform bezeichnet man die Hard- und/oder Software, die als Grundlage für das jeweilige Computerspiel dient. Man kann zwischen statischen Plattformen wie extra entwickelten Spielkonsolen wie dem Nintendo Entertainment System oder der PlayStation und generischen Plattformen wie PCs und Mobiltelefonen unterscheiden, die sich mitunter stark verändern. Die erfolgreichste Spielkonsole aller Zeiten gemessen an Verkaufszahlen ist mit Stand 2020 die PlayStation 2 von Sony. Aktuelle Spielkonsolen sind die PlayStation 5 von Sony, die Xbox One S und Xbox One X von Microsoft und die Switch von Nintendo. Daneben existiert ein Markt für tragbare Geräte wie beispielsweise die Nintendo Switch Lite. War früher das mobile Computerspiel ausschließlich die Domäne dieser Handheld-Konsolen, so bieten heute Smartphones zusätzlich zu ihren Kernfunktionen auch eine Spieleunterstützung an. Als Plattform für Computerspiele ist auch der PC beliebt. === Engines Spiel-Engines (englisch Game Engines) sind Programme, die den Spieleentwicklern häufig benutzte Werkzeuge zur Verfügung stellen und als technischer Kern eines Computerspiels verstanden werden können. Sie ermöglichen die Darstellung von 3D-Objekten, Effekten wie Explosionen und Spiegelungen, die Berechnung des physikalischen Verhaltens von Objekten im Spiel, den Zugriff auf Eingabegeräte wie Maus und Tastatur und das Abspielen von Musik. Bei der Produktion eines Computerspiels wird entweder eine neue Game-Engine programmiert - bis Mitte der 1990er war das fast immer der Fall - oder aber eine bereits bestehende lizenziert und evtl. modifiziert genutzt, wodurch die Produktionsdauer verkürzt werden kann. Bekannte kommerzielle Engines sind Unity, die Unreal Engine von Epic Games, die CryEngine des deutschen Entwicklerstudios Crytek und die Source Engine von Valve. Bekannte freie Engines sind die Quake-Engine von id Software und deren Abkömmlinge. Zu den Game-Engines gibt es fast immer auch Editoren - Programme, mit denen man ohne professionelle Programmierkenntnisse eigene Levels erzeugen kann. Diese werden vor allem zur Erweiterung und Modifikation von kommerziellen Spielen, siehe Mods, eingesetzt. === Eingabe Üblicherweise erfolgt die Eingabe per Hand mit der Tastatur und/oder der Maus oder - insbesondere bei Spielkonsolen - dem Gamepad. In den 1980er Jahren waren noch andere Eingabegeräte wie Paddles und Joysticks weiter verbreitet. Spiele mit Sprachsteuerung haben sich auf Grund der Fehleranfälligkeit der Spracherkennung bisher nicht durchgesetzt. Die Füße werden nur selten, vor allem bei Autorennspielen zur Steuerung von Gas und Bremse mit entsprechenden Pedalen genutzt. Außerdem sind noch einige weniger gebräuchliche Geräte wie das PC Dash und der Strategic Commander verwendbar. Es hat verschiedene Versuche gegeben, Spiele zu vermarkten, die auf die Körperbewegung des Spielers reagieren - beispielsweise durch Drucksensoren in Gummimatten oder durch Auswertung eines Kamerabildes. Diese Spiele stellten jedoch lange Zeit ein Nischenprodukt dar. Erst mit der hohen Verbreitung der Wii-Konsole von Nintendo etabliert sich diese Art von Steuerung. Der Controller verfügt über einen Bewegungssensor, der Position und Bewegung im Raum registriert, so kann durch Armbewegungen eine Spielfigur gesteuert werden. === Optische Ausgabe Man kann grob zwischen maschinellem Text im Textmodus, 2D- und 3D-Computergrafik unterscheiden. Es hat sich eine eigene Ästhetik der Computerspiele entwickelt, eine eigene Bildsprache. Die ersten Computerspiele waren einfarbig und geprägt von Text oder Blockgrafik. Mit der Verfügbarkeit immer besserer Grafikprozessoren wurden die Bildwelten immer farbiger und komplexer. Das typische Spieldisplay heute zeigt den Spieler als Avatar im Bild, oder direkt seine eigene Sicht, die First-Person-Ansicht (Egoperspektive) beispielsweise im Ego-Shooter, vergleichbar der subjektiven Kamera im Film. Dazu erscheinen alle möglichen Anzeigen, Punktestände, Meldungen wie Gesundheitszustand oder Missionsziele im Bild (meist in Form eines Head-up-Displays/HUD). Die visuelle Informationsausgabe kann per Monitor, Display oder Fernseher erfolgen und in Verbindung mit einer 3D-Brille kann sogar ein dreidimensionales Erlebnis erzeugt werden. Einige Videospiel-Entwickler benutzen mittlerweile auch die Technologie Virtual Reality um den Spieler noch mehr in ihre Welten einbeziehen zu können. Die Ausgabe erfolgt über ein Headset, meist als Zubehör für entsprechende Plattformen erhältlich. Diese VR-Headsets sind Brillen bestehend aus zwei getrennten nicht-linearen Bildschirmen. Die Kamera-Perspektive in der virtuellen Welt wird durch den Spieler mittels seinen eigenen Kopfbewegungen selbst eingenommen. Häufig wird durch mehrere externe, selten auch eine integrierte Kamera, die Position in der virtuellen Welt bestimmt. === Akustische Ausgabe Akustische Signale, Effekte und gesprochener Text werden in zunehmendem Umfang und immer besser werdender Qualität bei Computerspielen eingesetzt. Von der ehemals überwiegend atmosphärischen Bedeutung haben sie sich zu einer wichtigen Informationsquelle für den Spieler entwickelt (zum Beispiel zur räumlichen Ortung und Orientierung innerhalb des Spiels). Besonders in Mehrspieler-Partien erlangen akustische Informationen durch die Anwendung von Headsets, die eine schnelle und einfache Kommunikation zwischen Teammitgliedern erlauben, eine immer größere Bedeutung. In Deutschland wird die Sprachausgabe importierter Computerspiele immer öfter ähnlich professionell synchronisiert wie bei Kinofilmen. Teilweise wird bei der Lokalisierung auch auf bereits aus anderen Medien bekannte Sprecherstimmen zurückgegriffen. Besondere Bedeutung hat die Musik in Spielen: Anfänglich als reine Untermalung der Spielszene eingeführt, nimmt sie heute eine ähnliche Rolle wie bei Filmen ein: Sie dient der Steigerung der Dramatik und soll das Spielgeschehen szenisch führen. Dabei kommen oft kurze, einprägsame Melodiesätze zur Anwendung, die auch nach häufigerem Anhören nicht langweilig werden. Die Bandbreite bezüglich des Qualitätsanspruchs ist dabei groß: Professionelle Spieleentwickler beschäftigen heute eigene Komponisten, die sich ganz auf die Erstellung der Musik konzentrieren. Diese wird dem Projekt heute einfach als fertige Audiospur in üblichen Datenformaten zugefügt. PC-Spiele bieten dem Anwender bei frei zugänglichen Datenordnern die Möglichkeit, ungeliebte Musikstücke oder Geräusche auszutauschen und dem eigenen Geschmack anzupassen. Das ist nur dann möglich, wenn Standardformate wie Wave, MP3, MIDI oder andere zum Einsatz kommen und das Spiel von Programmiererseite nicht zu einer einzigen ausführbaren Datei zusammengefasst wurde. Bei den ersten Telespielen der 1980er Jahre mussten die Musikentwickler auch über umfangreiches programmiertechnisches Fachwissen verfügen, um ihr Notenmaterial in das Programm integrieren zu können. === Mechanische Ausgabe Neben der optischen und akustischen Ausgabe bietet die mechanische eine weitere Interaktionsmöglichkeit. Die sogenannte Force-Feedback-Technologie ermöglicht die Ausgabe mechanischer Effekte als Reaktion auf Kräfte, die auf die Spielfigur einwirken. Diese Technik wird vor allem in Lenkrädern für Rennsimulationen, Joysticks für Flugsimulationen und in Gamepads sowie bei Maustasten eingesetzt. Wenn beispielsweise der Spieler mit dem Rennwagen gegen ein Hindernis fährt, spürt er am Lenkrad eine Gegenbewegung. == Überschneidung mit anderen Medien, Kunstformen Das Computerspiel zeichnet sich durch wesentliche Unterschiede, aber auch durch wesentliche Gemeinsamkeiten anderen Medien bzw. Kunstformen gegenüber aus. Die drei wesentlichen Elemente eines Computerspiels sind das (bewegte) Bild, die Story und die Interaktivität. Das erste ist sowohl im Film wie auch in der Malerei und der Zeichnung wiederzufinden, das zweite in Film und Literatur, das dritte im experimentellen Theater. Mehr und mehr ist auch die internationale Vernetzbarkeit von Computerspielen eine seiner wesentlichen Eigenschaften. Oft entlehnt das Computerspiel anderen Medien weitere Elemente und entwickelt diese im eigenen Rahmen weiter, etwa die Geschichte, entlehnt vom Drama, dem Film und der Literatur oder die Musik und, wenn auch in einer völlig neuen Art und Weise, das Schauspiel selbst. Ansätze dazu finden sich etwa in Black & White, Deus Ex, World of Warcraft, Die Sims, Dungeon Keeper, Baldur's Gate 2, Fahrenheit, Monkey Island 3 etc. Teilweise können bestimmte Teile eines Videospiels auch komplett einer anderen Kunstform entsprechen. So werden zum Beispiel Cutscenes immer häufiger nach den Methoden aus der Filmtheorie gestaltet. Ein anderer, in den letzten Jahren aufgekommener Trend ist es, parallele Handlungsstränge in Form von geschriebenen Texten als sammelbare Items im Spiel zu "verteilen". Umgekehrt fließen eGames auch in die Literatur ein: In Die drei Sonnen, einem Science-Fiction-Roman des chinesischen Autors Liu Cixi, spielt das Spiel "Threebody" eine Rolle, allerdings sind keine Aktivität oder Interaktivität der Spieler eingebaut, es handelt sich eher um eine parallele Möglichkeit, etwas zu erzählen. In SpielRaum von Alex Acht ist das Designen eines Computerspiels Teil der Handlung, die Interaktionen werden gut beschrieben, mit ihrer Hilfe kann der Kommissar am Ende den Fall lösen. Im Februar 2008 sprach sich Olaf Zimmermann vom Deutschen Kulturrat dafür aus, dass auch Computerspiele-Entwickler als Künstler anzuerkennen wären. Hans-Joachim Otto, Vorsitzender des Ausschusses für Kultur und Medien des Deutschen Bundestages, pflichtete Zimmermann in einem Interview bei und erklärte, dass die Entwicklung von Spielen ein hohes Maß an kreativer und künstlerischer Arbeit erfordere. Bei einer Indizierung durch die BPjM wird der Kunstbegriff oft als nicht so wichtig wie die Jugendgefährdung gewertet. == Kritik === Soziale Auswirkungen Die Auswirkungen von Gewalt in Computerspielen sind Gegenstand kontroverser Diskussionen. Dabei geht es im Wesentlichen darum, wie Gewalt in Spielen eingesetzt und gezeigt wird, deren Auswirkungen auf die Persönlichkeitsentwicklung von computerspielenden Kindern und Jugendlichen, und einen möglichen Zusammenhang zwischen virtueller und realer Gewalt, d. h., ob Gewalt in Computerspielen Menschen mit einer dafür empfänglichen Persönlichkeitsstruktur auch im realen Leben aggressiver und/oder gewaltbereiter macht. Durch diverse Studien, welche zum Teil schon seit Mitte der 1980er Jahre durchgeführt werden, versuchen Forscher zu untersuchen, ob der exzessive Konsum gewalthaltiger Computerspiele Auswirkungen auf die Gewaltbereitschaft der Konsumenten haben kann. Dabei spielen weitere Aspekte hinein, wie zum Beispiel der Rückhalt im sozialen Umfeld und die Beschaffenheit des Umfelds. Jüngste Analysen mittels funktioneller MRT deuten darauf hin, dass die Gehirnaktivität im linken unteren Frontallappen selbst noch nach einer Woche verminderte Reaktion im Stroop-Test auf Gewalt zeigt. Getestet wurde eine Gruppe von 14 Männern und eine gleich große Kontrollgruppe. Ein Mangel der Studie besteht allerdings darin, dass die Kontrollgruppe kein Computerspiel spielte. Es stellt sich die Frage ob bei einer realistischen Kontrollgruppe, die ein gewaltfreies Computerspiel gespielt hätte, nicht ähnliche Ergebnisse wie bei der mit gewalttätigen Computerspielen konfrontierten Gruppe entstanden wären. === Body-Mass-Index (BMI) Aufgrund uneinheitlicher Ergebnisse hinsichtlich des Zusammenhangs zwischen der Intensität des Spielens von Videospielen und des Body-Mass-Index (BMI) wurde in einer Meta-Analyse überprüft, ob sich das Spielen von Videospielen negativ auf den BMI auswirkt und ob das Spielen einen Einfluss auf die Änderung von körperlicher Aktivität bei den Spielern hat. In die Analyse flossen die Ergebnisse von 20 Publikationen ein. Die Ergebnisse ergaben einen kleinen positiven Zusammenhang zwischen nicht-aktiven Videospielen und dem BMI. Dabei wiesen die miteinbezogenen Studien eine signifikante Heterogenität auf. Eine weitere Analyse potenzieller Moderator-Variablen konnte zeigen, dass der Zusammenhang bei Erwachsenen ausgeprägter war. Ein meta-analytisches Strukturgleichungsmodell ergab nur wenige Hinweise auf eine Änderung der körperlichen Aktivität durch die für Videospiele aufgewendete Zeit. Insgesamt konnte durch die Analyse die Annahme eines starken Zusammenhangs zwischen Videospielen und Körpermasse nicht bestätigt werden. === Schulische Leistungen In einer prospektiven Studie zum Einfluss des Spielens von Computer- und Videospielen auf die Schulleistungen konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Intensität des Spielens von Computerspielen eine signifikant schlechtere Schulleistung zwei Jahre später voraussagte. Dieser Effekt blieb auch unter Kontrolle des Einflusses der ursprünglichen Noten und des Denkvermögens signifikant. Zusätzlich zeigte sich, dass die mathematischen Kompetenzen und Lese-Fähigkeiten der Schüler nicht durch die Spielhäufigkeit beeinflusst wurden. Die Autoren schlossen daraus, dass das Computer- und Videospielen zwar zu einem, wenn auch kleinen Verlust an schulischen Erfolgen führt, basale Grundkompetenzen davon jedoch nicht beeinflusst würden. === Spielsucht Von Wissenschaftlern wird auf die Suchtgefahr bei exzessivem Computerspielen hingewiesen. In Computerspielen wird z. B. das Belohnungssystem im Gehirn ständig wieder aktiviert, um den Spieler am Spielen zu halten. In der Praxis müssen in einem Computerspiel oft viele kleine Aufgaben gelöst werden, die im Gegensatz zum realen Leben auch fast immer in sehr kurzer Zeit zur Zufriedenheit des Spielers erledigt werden können. Der Spieler erlebt dann beim Beenden des Spiels einen negativen emotionalen Zustand, den er durch Weiterspielen zu verhindern versucht. In Südkorea kam es 2002 zum ersten bekannt gewordenen Todesfall infolge ununterbrochenen Computerspielens. Ein 24-Jähriger brach nach 86 Stunden ohne Schlaf und Nahrungsaufnahme vor einem Rechner in einem Internetcafe zusammen. Nachdem er sich scheinbar von dem Zusammenbruch erholt hatte, fand ihn wenig später die herbeigerufene Polizei tot auf der Toilette eines PC Bangs. == Zensur und Verbote von Computer- und Videospielen Nach geltendem Recht dürfen Computer- und Videospiele in Deutschland keine Kriegsverherrlichung oder leidende Menschen in einer die Menschenwürde verletzende Weise darstellen. Aus diesen und anderen Gründen werden die deutschen Versionen mancher Spiele zensiert. So schießt der Spieler z. B. bei Ego-Shootern in der zensierten Version auf Außerirdische, während in der Originalversion des Spiels Menschen als Gegner zu sehen sind. Blut wird manchmal grün statt rot dargestellt. International gab und gibt es Verbote auch aus anderen Gründen. So wurde Pokemon Go in Saudi-Arabien (Glücksspiel) und im Iran (Sicherheitsbedenken) verboten. Das Spiel Animal Crossing: New Horizons ist in China verboten, da es in Hong Kong benutzt wurde Proteste zu organisieren. Im Juli 2002 wurde in Griechenland ein Gesetz verabschiedet, dass illegales Glücksspiel stoppen sollte. Stattdessen wurden aber alle elektronischen Spiele verboten und es gab Berichte über Verhaftungen wegen des Spielens von Counter-Strike oder Schach in der Öffentlichkeit. Das Gesetz wurde im September 2002 dahingehend geändert, dass ein geldwerter Vorteil für den Spieler oder eine dritte Partei entscheidend ist. == Literatur | Title: Computerspiel Summary: Ein Computerspiel ist ein Programm, mit dem man am Computer spielt. Eine Person spielt allein, oder mit anderen Spielern. Manchmal sind die Spieler nicht im selben Raum, sondern die Computer sind über das Internet verbunden. Das nennt man dann online spielen. Je besser die Computer wurden, desto ausgefeilter und komplizierter wurden die Spiele. In den Jahren nach 1970 stellte man Automaten auf, an denen man für Geld spielen konnte. In den Jahren nach 1980 gab es mehr und mehr Computer für zuhause. In den Jahren vor 2000 fing es an, dass man gemeinsam über das Internet spielen konnte. Es werden auch heute noch viele Spiele hergestellt, denn damit kann man viel Geld verdienen. Für ein grosses, erfolgreiches Spiel braucht man viele Leute: Manche programmieren, andere zeichnen, wieder andere sorgen für den Ton. Ähnlich viel Aufwand kostet ein Hollywood-Film. | 8,120 | 189 | klexikon_de | de |
Summarize: By. Sarah Griffiths. Three premature babies have died and many others seriously injured after being wiped with an antiseptic solution, it has emerged. Now doctors have been urged to be cautious when using chlorhexidine antiseptic on tiny babies after health experts noted a number of cases of chemical burns and other serious side effects in premature infants. The solution has even been linked to the deaths of three babies in the UK, officials said. Doctors have been urged to be careful when using an antiseptic on tiny babies after health officials noted a number of cases of chemical burns in premature infants wiped with the solution. Stock image. Experts at the London-based Medicines. and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have asked doctors to. use the solution with care after noticing a pattern of burns. among premature babies. A. total of 28 newborns in the UK have suffered ‘serious side effects’ after being wiped down with the antiseptic before a catheter was. inserted. These side effects included chemical burns, which caused skin loss in some cases, or a skin condition called erythema. Chlorhexidine is frequently used to prevent catheter-related blood stream infections among premature babies. The MHRA received 13 reports of ‘serious. side effects’ among children who were treated with a chlorhexidine. solution between 2004 and 2013. Experts at the regulator have also identified a further 16 cases in medical records between 1992 and 2014. Of the 29 cases, four of the babies died including three in the UK and one in the United States. A total of 28 newborns in the UK have suffered ‘serious side effects’ after being wiped down with the antiseptic before a catheter was inserted. Side effects included chemical burns, which caused skin loss in some cases, or a skin condition called erythema. The chemical injuries occurred in premature babies who were born and treated with the solution before 32 weeks of pregnancy. A total of 12 reports of'serious side effects' were reported among children who were treated with a chlorhexidine solution between 2004 and 2013 and 16 cases in medical literature between 1992 and 2014. Of the 29 cases, four of the babies died including three in the UK and one in the United States. Experts have said that the solution itself should be harmless if used correctly and new guidelines have been issued. One baby died in the UK in 2005 and while the cause of death given was kidney failure, chlorhexidine is thought to be a possible contributing factor in the case, an MHRA spokesman said. A further two children died in 2010. The cause of death recorded in the first case was chronic lung disease. and prematurity, and in the second case no cause of death was given. The. baby is thought to have died as a result of complications related to. extreme prematurity. But the spokesman said that in both cases. chlorhexidine is thought to be a possible contributing factor. The case in the U.S. was not linked to the use of the antiseptic. The. MHRA said that the chemical injuries occurred in premature babies who. were born and treated with the solution before 32 weeks of pregnancy. A. drug safety update issued by the regulator gave fresh advice for health. workers on the use of the chemical including, using the minimum amount. of the solution to treat small babies and monitoring them frequently if. they are treated with the antiseptic. Experts at the London-based Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have urged doctors to use the solution with care after experts noticed a pattern of burns among premature babies. A chemical diagram for Chlorohexidine is pictured. Any nappies or sheets soaked with the solution should be removed, it added. The MHRA said that European health officials will be reviewing the issue. ‘Hospital use of chlorhexidine has a crucial role in preventing infection in premature infants, which is a leading cause of death in neonatal units and is used safely many thousands of times every year in hospitals,’ said Dr June Raine, director of MHRA’s Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines Division. ‘Our monthly bulletin, Drug Safety Update, includes information on a small number of historic reports of serious side-effects, including four suspected deaths, in premature infants associated with the use of this product. Two of these were thought to be due to severe complications of prematurity. ‘We have also given guidance to healthcare professionals to use the minimum solution required and to remove any excess bearing in mind the risk in very pre-term infants.’ Dr Martin Ward-Platt, a spokesman for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, added: ‘This stuff should be harmless, if harm is caused it is likely to be a training or knowledge issue. 'This is avoidable and a harm these babies should not be at risk of. Nobody’s baby should come to harm because of this.’ | Summary: Babies have suffered burns and other serious side effects after being disinfected with the chlorhexidine antiseptic. Experts say the solution may have contributed to the deaths of three babies. Twenty eight newborns in the UK have. suffered'serious side effects' after being wiped down with the. antiseptic before a catheter was inserted. Experts at London's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said the burns occurred on babies treated before 32 weeks of pregnancy. New advice has been given to medics and a spokesman for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said the treatment should be harmless. | 1,140 | 141 | cnn_dailymail | en |
Summarize: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in drawer slides of the type which permit a drawer to be selectively pulled out from opposite sides of a support body such as a desk, file cabinet, service vehicle and the like. Two way or double pull drawers of various types have been known and used for some time and may be classified generally as being two member or three member assemblies. The two member assembly has one member fixed to the frame or support body for the drawer such as a desk or cabinet and a movable member attached to the drawer and to the fixed member. With this arrangement, the drawer cannot be held regidly when the mounting point connecting it to the slide is moved more than one half the length of the drawer and thus there is the inherent disadvantage that only approximately one half of the drawer space is accessible from either side of the support body. Examples of two member slides appear in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,565,784 and 2,599,865. The three member assembly, as is well known, permits extension of the drawer to nearly one hundred percent of its length and the present invention is directed to improvements in this type of slide assembly. The three member assembly also uses one member fixed to the support body and a movable member attached to the drawer but includes a third member slidably arranged intermediate and operably connected to both of the other two members. Examples of the three member slide assembly are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,736,108 and 2,914,370. Notwithstanding the advantage of the three member slide in permitting substantially one hundred percent extension of the drawer, it has been our observation that malfunction of the slide capability of the intermediate third member is commonly experienced with the result that the drawer frequently cannot be fully retracted. Such malfunctioning is found to exist in various latching and locking arrangements generally found mounted within the support body but exteriorly of the slide assembly itself so as to require considerable adjustment and alignment. With the above observations in mind, one of the important objects of the present invention is to provide an improved and trouble free operating three member two way travel drawer supporting slide assembly. More particularly, it is an object herein to provide a drawer slide assembly of the above class that consists generally of an outer elongated channel section for fixed attachment to a support body, a central channel section slidably mounted within the channel of the outer section and an interior section slidably mounted within the channel of the center section and fixedly attached to a drawer to be moved into and out of a support body together with an improved arrangement of movable stops designed to facilitate and assure the proper movement of the central section relative to the outer and interior sections to permit substantially full extension and trouble free retraction of the drawer relative to respective opposite sides of the support body. Another object herein is to provide a drawer slide assembly as characterized in which all components operable to effect or control the sliding movement of the several sections and particularly the central section are arranged within the confines of the overall assembly and no control elements attached to the support body for such purposes are required. The foregoing objects and such further objects as may appear herein, or be hereinafter pointed out, together with the advantages of this invention will be more fully discussed and developed in the more detailed description of the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a service vehicle having a body portion in which this invention is shown mounted and indicating the two way operation thereof, FIG. 2 is an enlarged foreshortened perspective view of this slide assembly from the interior side shown extended in one direction, FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of this invention from the interior side shown in closed or retracted position, FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of this slide assembly shown extended in one direction, FIG. 5 is an end view taken from the line 5--5 of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is a plan view taken from the line 7--7 of FIG. 4, FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8--8 of FIG. 4, FIG. 9 is a plan view taken from the line 9--9 of FIG. 4, FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a drawer showing latch means at each end relative to the support body, and FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the complementary latch components for the support body and the drawer. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, an example of a two way or double pull drawer 10 mounted on our slide assembly designated generally by the numeral 12, is illustrated in FIG. 1 on a service vehicle 14 provided with a suitable compartment 16 in body 18 to support assembly 12 and contain drawer 10. It is not intended that slide assembly 12 be limited to use shown in a service vehicle 14 since it may be utilized in other environments adapted for double pull drawers such as desks, file cabinets and the like as is well known. Slide assembly 12 (FIGS. 2-4) is a three section two way slidable unit which, in general, comprises an outer elongated section 20 adapted to be fixedly attached to one wall of compartment 16 in any suitable manner such as by screws 22 through appropriately placed holes 24, a central or intermediate section 26 which is slidably journalled in section 20 and an inner or interior section 28 slidably journalled in section 26 and adapted to be fixedly secured to one side of drawer 10 in any suitable manner such as by fasteners 30 through appropriately spaced holes 32, it being noted that identical assemblies 12 are mounted relative to opposite sides of compartment 16 and drawer 10 so that a description of only one assembly 12 will suffice for present purposes. No invention is claimed for the three member assembly per se comprising sections 20, 26 and 28 as shown but invention is claimed for the improvement movement control means particularly for the intermediate or central section 26 as will be referred to in detail as this description proceeds. With reference now more particularly to FIGS. 1,5,6, the outer section 20 is a channel bar having the bar member 33 with the respective opposed upper 34 and lower 36 channels. Bar portion 33 is attached to the wall of compartment 16 in body 18 so that channels 34, 36 project into the compartment. Channels 34, 36 are of like formation so, primarily, channel 34 will be described in detail and like parts on channel 36 will be given like numerals primed. Channel 34 extends first perpendicularly from the top edge of bar 33 away from wall 16 to form a flat track surface 38 and then upwardly into a half circle shape to form the curved or grooved track 40 and it will be understood that on the lower channel 36, track 40' extends downwardly from track 38'. The length of channels 34, 36 is slightly less than the length of bar 33 so that bar 33 projects beyond such channels at both ends, indicated at 42 in FIG. 2, and at the upper and lower ends of projection 42 at each end of bar 33, are the respective stops 44, 44' which extend across and define the terminal points of the flat track 38, 38'. The central section 26 is also a channel bar slidably within the outer section 20 as best seen in FIG. 2 and includes the bar member 46 disposed in juxtaposition to bar member 33, and the respective like upper 48 and lower 50 channels so that, primarily, channel 48 will be described in detail and like parts on channel 50 will be given like numerals primed. The top edge of channel 48 is provided with the grooved track 52 with the corresponding track 52' on channel 50 being the bottom edge thereof as seen in FIG. 2 and in juxtaposition to the tracks 52, 52' on the inner sides of channels 48, 50 are the respective grooved tracks 54, 54'. Thus far described and as seen in FIGS. 5,6, the respective tracks 40, 40' on the outer section 20 complement the tracks 52, 52' on the center section 26 to provide a trackway for other components yet to be described. At each end of channels 48, 50 are the respective stops 56, 56' which define the terminal point of the respective tracks 52, 54 and 42', 54'. The construction of channel sections 20, 26 as thus far described are well known in slide assembly devices and it is to such type of device we have made important improvements as follows. At each end portion of channels 48, 50 we have provided respective slots 58, 58' which communicate with the respective tracks 52, 54 and 52', 54' as seen in FIG. 2. In each slot 58, 58', a disk-like dog 60, 60' is pivotally and eccentrically mounted, 61, 61', so that opposed dogs can move towards each other through slots 58, 58' and track 52, 52' and away from each other through slots 58, 58' and track 54, 54' as shown in FIG. 2. It is noted that while dogs 60, 60' are shown as round washer type disks, other shapes such as oval, square, triangular and the like capable of movement as described may be used without any departure from the principles involved. In each of the trackways provided by the complementary tracks 40, 52 and 40', 52', there is disposed the elongated bar stop 62, 62' which is slidable therein by means of the ball bearings 64 disposed in longitudinal spaced relationship in appropriate holes in stops 62, 62', such ball bearings being confined by the curved tracks 40, 52 and 40', 52'. Thus arranged, one longitudinal edge of stop bars 62, 62' is disposed to move in track 38, 38' as seen in FIGS. 5,6 and is a well known arrangement in the conventional construction of the three member slide assembly. The inner section 28 (FIGS.2,8) is also of known construction and includes the bar member 66 for attachment to drawer 10 as described and the respective like upper 68 and lower 70 channels for which channel 68 will be primarily described and like parts on channel 70 will be given like numerals primed. The top edge of channel 68 and corresponding edge of channel 70 are formed with the respective grooved tracks 72, 72' and with section 28 slidably journalled in section 26 as seen in FIG. 2, track 72 complements track 54 on section 26 to form a trackway in which is mounted a ball bearing stop bar 74 similar to bar 62. Likewise, track 72' on section 28 complements track 54' on section 26 to form a trackway for stop bar 74' as shown. Each end of channels 68, 70 are provided with the respective stops 76, 76'. OPERATION The closed or retracted position of slide assembly 12 is seen in FIG. 3 where the position of section 28, attached to drawer 10, positions the dogs 60, 60' through slots 58, 58' generally in the outer rolled tracks 52, 52' of channels 48, 50 of the intermediate section 26. In this position, section 26 cannot be moved in either direction because of the stop engagement capability of dogs 60, 60' with the end of the rolled edges on tracks 40, 40' of section 20. In the opening of drawer 10, being shown in the drawings from left to right, section 28 first moves with the drawer 10 so that the left end of section 28 slides away from the left end of section 26 to no longer support dogs 60, 60' in the position shown in FIG. 3 and such dogs are free to move through slots 58, 58' to the interior portion of section 26. As drawer 10 and section 28 are pulled further out, stop bars 62, 62' will move dogs 60, 60' at the right end of section 26 to th position shown in FIGS. 2,4 and also contact stops 56, 56' on section 26 at the right end thereof whereby section 26 is also moved from left to right. As this occurs, dogs 60, 60' at the left end of section 26 engage the edges of channels 40, 40' and are moved through slots 58, 58' into the interior of section 26 as also seen in FIGS. 2,4. Further movement of the assembly to the right to substantially the full amount of drawer 10 terminates when stop bars 74, 74' engage stops 44, 44' at the right end of section 20. In closing drawer 10, being from right to left as shown, section 28 slides relative to section 26 until the left end of section 28 engages the dogs 60, 60' at the left end of section 26 which, being confined by the rolled channels 40, 40' cannot move at that point through slots 58, 58' and thus serve as temporary stops so that continued pushing inwardly of drawer 10 and section 28 effects the sliding of section 26 from right to left back to closed position and as the left end of section 26 clears the left end of channels 40, 40' on section 20, the continued movement of section 28 pushes the dogs 60, 60' through slots 58, 58' to the position shown in FIG. 3. The opening of drawer 10 to the left is a mirrored action of the sequence just described. In the above arrangement, it is noted particularly that the several dog components are completely contained within the confines of the three member assembly and eliminates the need usually found in other assemblies of this class for additional mountings on the body member in which the drawer is arranged and the inherent problems in correcting and aligning a plurality of separate mechanisms to assure operability particularly of the intermediate section of a three member slide assembly. Reference is now made to FIGS. 10, 11 relative to a simple latch means 78 which we have applied to opposite ends of drawer 10 as best seen in FIG. 10 even though for many purposes in stationary bodies such as desks and cabinets, a latch means such as 78 may not normally be required to prevent any accidental opening of the drawer 10. However, notwithstanding the described control means relative to movement of section 26, it will be appreciated that section 28 attached to drawer 10 is free to move in either direction and since assembly 12 as shown and described has been adapted on a service vehicle 14, latch means 78 prevents any accidental opening of drawer 10 when such vehicle may be in motion. Latch 78 includes a strike plate 80 attached to the outer side of body 18 adjacent compartment 16 and projects slightly into compartment 16 as at 82 but not far enough to interfere with the free movement of drawer 10 out of and into such compartment. Integral with portion 82 is the cam-like edge 84 extending outwardly from body 18. A normally horizontal bar 86 is pivotally secured, 88, intermediate its ends to the end of drawer 10 and its horizontal position is maintained by stop 90 on the drawer in which position, one end of bar 86 rests behind and engages strike plate portion 82 so that drawer 10 cannot be pulled out. A drawer pull or handle 92 on drawer 10 is convenient to the other end of bar 86 so that such bar can be easily pivoted out of engagement with member 82 when the pull is grasped. When drawer 10 is moved to closed position, bar 86 will automatically pivot upon contact with the cam surface 84 and return to latched position. Latch 78 as described is provided on each end of drawer 10 and the respective latches are independent of each other for their intended purpose. The present invention has been described preferably in relation to commonly used three section slide assemblies. However, more than three sections are sometimes used having a plurality of like central sections referred to and the present invention can be adapted to such multiple sections without departing from the principles disclosed. Accordingly, in view of the foregoing, it is thought a full understanding of the construction and operation of this invention will be had and the advantages of the same will be appreciated. | Summary: A two way travel three section drawer slide assembly is provided for cabinets, desks, files, service vehicles and the like to permit a drawer to be selectively extended from opposite sides. The assembly includes an outer channel section for attachment to a support body such as a cabinet wall, a central channel section slidably mounted within the outer section and an interior channel section slidably mounted to the central section and fixedly attached to the drawer to be moved. The present invention particularly provides improved movable stops wholly within the confines of the assembly to facilitate and assure the proper movement of the central section to full extension and full retraction whereby no latching or locking devices exteriorly of the slide assembly are required. Latch members on opposite sides of the drawer and support body prevent accidental outward movement of the drawer. This invention is also usable on drawer assemblies having more than three sections. | 4,221 | 191 | big_patent | en |
Summarize: IHS dismantled the iPad Air to work out how much each component cost to make. The cheapest 16GB iPad Air costs $274 to make, plus a $6 manufacturing cost, yet sells for $499 in the U.S. Apple launched its iPad Air last month, which is twice as. fast as previous models and 20 per cent thinner - yet a new report has now found it’s. also cheaper to make, meaning Apple's profit margins just increased. Colorado-based analytics firm IHS took the tablet to pieces. and worked out how much each individual component would cost to manufacture. It discovered the cheapest 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad Air costs. $274 to make, based on preliminary results, yet sells for $499. This is despite the fact the iPad Air is $42 cheaper. to make than the third-generation model. IHS’ Teardown Analysis Service only looked at the price in. dollars. If the figures are converted to UK prices this works out at £170. production costs compared to a retail price of £399. Elsewhere, the 16GB iPad Air with 3G connectivity costs £188 ($304) to make, according to preliminary results, and this represents a 6 per cent drop. in production price of the iPad 3, down from £201 ($325). When the £4 ($6) manufacturing cost of the iPad Air is added in,. the total cost to make the tablets increases to $280 (£174) for the smaller 16GB model and $310 (£192) for the 32GB device. ‘While the iPad Air slims down in size, the profit margins. are getting fatter,’ said Andrew Rassweiler, senior director, cost benchmarking. services for IHS. ‘Although the Air’s new, ultra-thin display and touch screen. are more expensive than for the third-generation iPad, Apple has held the line. on cost by taking advantage of price erosion in other areas. IHS' Teardown Analysis Service checked each of the iPad Air's components, pictured. The firm only looked at the price in dollars, but if the figures are converted to UK prices this works out at £170 production costs compared to a retail price of £399. This works out at a 135 per cent mark-up. ‘Furthermore, the iPad Air leverages the same components and. suppliers that are used in the iPhone 5s and 5c as much as possible.’ The profitability of the iPad Air rises dramatically as the. built-in storage capacity increases. For example, the 32GB model costs Apple only £5.20 ($8.40) more. to produce - but has a retail price that’s £80 more in the UK and $100 higher in the U.S. Apple was criticised for not dropping the prices of its. latest iPhones and iPads in a bid to appeal to emerging markets. This cost breakdown shows that Apple is sticking to its. traditional pricing strategy. This may also be, in part, due to the fact the firm’s. earnings recently fell 9 per cent. It was the third consecutive quarter its earnings dropped. compared with the previous year. US figures. Cost to make (plus $6 overall manufacturing cost): $280. Sales price: $499. In this instance $274 = 100 per cent. To find out the relative percentage for the sales price, $280 is divided by 100 (%) to make 2.8. This is essentially equivalent to one per cent. If the sales price of $499 is divided by 2.8, it works out at 178 per cent, meaning the mark-up is 78 per cent. UK figures. IHS’ Teardown Analysis Service only looked at the price in. dollars, so the figures were directly converted to UK prices for components - the sales price is the price available in the Apple store. Cost to make (plus £4 overall manufacturing cost): £174. Sales price: £399. In this instance £174 = 100 per cent, so £174 is divided by 100 (%) to make 1.74. If the sales price of £399 is divided by 1.74, it works out at 229 per cent, meaning the mark-up is 129 per cent | Summary: Researchers dismantled the iPad Air to work out costs for each component. 16GB model worked out at £174 ($274) to make, yet retails at £399 ($499) This is £26 ($42) less than what Apple paid to make its iPad 3. The 32GB model costs £5.20 ($8.40) more to make than the smaller model, yet retails for £80 extra in the UK and $100 extra in the U.S. | 1,030 | 122 | cnn_dailymail | en |
Summarize: Loss: Audrie Pott, 15, killed herself last year after she was allegedly sexually assaulted at a party. A teenager who hanged herself after three classmates allegedly sexually assaulted her and circulated photos of the sickening attack desperately pleaded with the boys to delete the images in the days before her death, it has emerged. Audrie Pott, a 15-year-old from Saratoga, California, took her life in September 2012 after sending Facebook messages to the boys who allegedly assaulted her at an alcohol-fueled party. 'I swear to god if u still have those pictures illl killl u [sic],' she wrote to one of her alleged attackers in the days after the party. 'It's gonna get out.' Another male classmate responded: 'lol that s*** gets around haha everyone knows mostly everything hahaah.' Potts was found hanging in the bathroom of her mother's home on September 12, 2012 after the explicit photographs had allegedly led to bullying at school. Her devastated parents blame her death on the horrific sexual attack a week earlier at the hands of three teenage boys who then allegedly tried to cover up their involvement. On the night of the attack, a group of teenagers were at a friend's house drinking heavily. The girl who lived at the house threw the party when her parents left town. Three male classmates allegedly. helped an inebriated Audrie to a bedroom before stripping her naked, drawing over her. body and sexually assaulting her. Scroll down for video. Cruel: Pott, right, was aassaulted after a night of drinking and boys spread photos of the attack. In police interviews, the teenagers admitted. to coloring half of her face black with marker, then. pulling down her bra, taking off her shorts and drawing on her breasts and near her genitals. They allegedly photographed themselves sexually assaulting her and, by the time she started her sophomore year at Saratoga High School two days later, scores of students had seen the images. Rolling Stone magazine has revealed the torment Audrie suffered in the days before her death and has detailed the messages she exchanged with her alleged attackers, whom she had known since middle school. She messaged one boy, vowing to kill him if he still had the images. 'They are deleted and I didn't take them,' he wrote. 'I promise it wasn't me.' Heartbroken: Lawrence Pott and Audrie's stepmother and his second wife Lisa have allegedly sent Facebook messages accepting that Lazarin is Audrie's biological fatehr. Grieving: Audrie's mother, Sheila Pott, found her daughter hanging in the bathroom in September 2012. Audrie Pott wrote a series of desperate Facebook messages before her death that have been excerpted in Rolling Stone. In one exchange, she speaks to one of her alleged attackers:. AUDRIE: i need to talk to u. BOY: What. AUDRIE: one word... marker. BOY: What about marker. AUDRIE: u know what im talking about... i dont remeber anything about that... [A friend] had to tell me everything... i swear to god if u still have those pictures illl killl u. BOY: They are deleted and I didn't take them I promise it wasn't me... And I'm sorry about the marker. AUDRIE: You have no idea what it's like to be a girl. An exchange with another classmate:. CLASSMATE: lol that shit gets around haha everyone knows mostly everything hahaah. AUDRIE: oh my god... i f***ing hate people... Do you know how people view me now?... I now have a reputation I can never get rid of. AUDRIE: My life is over... I ruined my life and I don't even remember how. Source: Rolling Stone magazine. 'I'm sorry about the marker,' he added of the drawings that covered her body. She also messaged another boy who had been at the party to ask if one of the teenagers had photographs of her. 'ur fine,' he responded. 'ill make sure nothing goes around.' She replied: 'It's gonna get out. S*** always does. Especially with the people who were there.' And in an even more concerning exchange, one of her classmates sent her a message reading: 'lol that s*** gets around haha everyone knows mostly everything hahaah.' 'My life is over... I ruined my life and I don't even remember how,' one of her final messages read. 'You have no idea what it's like to be a girl.' When she returned to school, she missed classes to avoid people and had an argument with one of her closest friends, Kathy Atabakhsh, who accused her of becoming a different person. 'She had been, literally, the best person. you could meet – always honest and trustworthy,' Kathy told Rolling Stone. 'And I was so upset that she had. changed. It was hard for her to hear that from a close friend.' Another girl loudly pointed out in class that Audrie had been cutting herself, and the teenager burst out crying. She told friends she had cut herself on a vase. On September 12, 2012, Audrie had texted her mother, Sheila Pott, and pleaded for her to collect her from school - but was silent on the drive home. When they arrived back at the house, Audrie went to her bedroom and her mother went to check on her after about 20 minutes. She saw the bathroom door closed and knocked - to no answer. Desperate: Her parents have claimed that the school failed to help with bullying after they told staff. Becoming increasingly concerned, Mrs Pott frantically worked the lock from the outside and eventually opened the door. But it was too late - she saw her daughter hanging inside the room. She wracked her memory for what could have happened to her daughter. She said she remembered seeing marker on her daughter's chest - which the girl quickly dismissed - after the party, and that her daughter had called her unusually early the night after the party to come and collect her. After the death, Saratoga police agreed with the school to wait until a week later to start an investigation to allow the students time to grieve. But just days later, Audrie's friend Kathy went to talk to school administrators to explain what she knew about the party and the pictures of her friend. When police arrived to interview students, there had already been rumors of an investigation and some students were heard urging others to shut down their Facebook accounts, Rolling Stone reported. Left behind: Audrie is pictured left with her father, step mother and half brother and sisters. Remembered: Photographs show Audrie and her family and an essay she wrote about her happy home life. The Pott family learned of the police investigation when a relatives heard of it from a student and called Audrie's father to urge him not to cremate his daughter's body. When police investigated the three boys, they found that one boy had apparently lost his phone and another claimed his was broken. Due to these setbacks, it took seven months before the boys were charged. But on April 11, they were arrested on charges of misdemeanor sexual battery, felony possession of child pornography and felony sexual penetration. When they were seized, police allegedly found new images of naked teens on their phones and added charges. One boy was even trying to sell the pictures for money, the Rolling Stone reported. Two of the teenagers could receive community service or time in a juvenile detention center, and the third boy may be upgraded to an adult court, where he can expect to face a harsher punishment. Loved: School friends have remembered Audrie by wearing teal - her favorite color - to class. Scene: Saratoga High School, where the teens attended class. Two of the 'attackers' still go to the school. The Pott family has filed a civil suit against the boys and their families and an administrative claim against the school district, alleging that administrators did not respond to bullying against Audrie. The school has said these bullying claims were never discussed. Only one parent of the accused boys returned a call to Rolling Stone and said that the case had been misreported. He passed on their condolences to the Pott family. But he added: 'It was a prank by a few kids, and it's blown out of proportion. Audrie had a lot of other problems in her life, and everybody in Saratoga knows that.' | Summary: Audrie Pott, 15, hanged herself in September 2012 'after images were passed around school showing her naked and being sexually assaulted' Three teenage boys'stripped her naked, drew on her body and attacked her after a night of heavy drinking at a house party' Facebook messages sent that week show her pleading with the 'attackers' to delete photos - while other classmates tell her they're already out. Teenage boys are now awaiting sentencing and her parents are suing their parents and the school district. | 1,929 | 121 | cnn_dailymail | en |
Summarize: RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is the U.S. National Stage under 35 USC 371 of PCT Application PCT/IB2015/054026.and claims foreign priority based of Italian patent application BA2014A000036 filed on Jun. 6, 2014. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a new machine for the production of “cartellate”. In particular, said machine is able to realize accurately all the steps which reproduce the skillful manual production of “cartellate” by means of a specific working procedure. [0004] 2. Brief Description of the Prior Art [0005] As it is known at the state of the art, the “cartellate” are typical cakes coming from Apulia and produced also in the neighbouring regions. The classical preparation process is typically carried out manually and both the recipe and the preparation procedure of the same is handed down from generation to generation. [0006] The classical preparation occurs by making scalloped strips of a thin dough pastry (in the following scalloped strips of dough) obtained with flour, oil and white wine, which is joined and wrapped on oneself to form a sort of choreographic “rose” with recesses and holes, which will be then fried in plenty of oil. The most important part of the preparation of the “cartellata” is in fact the characteristic folding of a scalloped strip of dough of determined length which has to be pinched in more points at regular intervals, by making the dough adhere well so that many little open recesses are obtained on the whole length of the dough strip. Starting then from the end of the pinched strip, the same is rolled on itself so that the “rose” shape is provided. [0007] There exist many variants of “cartellate”, but the typical regional recipe is the one in which they are soaked with warm vincotto or honey, and then covered with cinnamon, icing sugar or almonds. The vincotto is a condiment provided by cooking the must of the grapes from Salento or figs. In other variants there is chocolate instead of vincotto, or simply icing sugar. Once prepared, they are kept in great pans, far from light and indoor. [0008] The manual preparation times of “cartellate” are normally variable according to the result intended to be obtained, but they are definitely long. They are about 4 hours to obtain about 50-60 pieces from one kilogram of dough. In this case, it is a not excellent product, with dough thickness equal to about 1 mm. If one wants to obtain a better quality it occurs to work the dough to 0.5 mm thickness and in this way it is possible to obtain about 100-120 pieces for kilogram of dough. In this case, the times for the product preparation, always related to kilogram of dough, can exceed six hours. [0009] As it can be observed, these are important times which make the preparation of “cartellate” difficult on a greater scale. But, on the other hand, there exist no machines able to reproduce, in each step, the manual preparation procedure of such product. Therefore, there exists the need to automatize the production of “cartellate”, passing from a manual preparation procedure to an industrial “production” procedure of the same. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY [0010] Therefore, aim of the present invention is to provide a new machine for producing “cartellate” which allows to reproduce optimally each step of the manual procedure with a huge time saving and with optimum quality. [0011] Another aim of the present invention is to provide, by using said machine, a specific working procedure in order to have a final product “as handmade”. [0012] The machine for producing “cartellate” has the features claimed in the independent claim of product. The procedure for working and producing “cartellate”, used thanks to the new machine, has the features claimed in the independent claim of method. [0013] The dependent claims describe other aspects of the machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] The different embodiments of the invention will be now described as a way of example with reference to the appended drawings, in which: [0015] FIG. 1 shows a scheme of the basic structure of the machine for producing “cartellate” according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0016] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the pinching means and shaping means of the machine for the preparation of “cartellate” of FIG. 1 ; [0017] FIG. 3 shows another detail of the pinching means and cutting means of the machine of FIG. 1 ; [0018] FIG. 4 is a detail of the conveyor means. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0019] As it is shown in FIG. 1, the machine 100 for producing “cartellate” is provided with a support structure 1 and a motorized conveyor belt 3 which advances thanks to the rotation of a couple of pulleys or gears or other similar transmission organs 2. The transmission organs rotate on suitable shafts 2 ′ suitably supported at the ends by support means 2 ′. The machine further comprises other means operating in sequence on the dough strips: conveyor means 5, pinching means 6 suitably moved by respective motors 4, shaping means 7, dough guide means 8, at least a cutting means 9 and a mobile rolling means 10 to roll the dough strips. All these means will be better described in the following, along with the working procedure. [0020] The raw material used for the production of “cartellate” is the dough pastry, or better, a dough strip, scalloped, worked by means yet available on the market. The worked dough strip is positioned on the conveyor belt 3 and a guide means 8, for example a disc, guides the same along a predetermined direction and with an advancement speed adjustable according to the production needs. The machine core consists in the elements which form and pinch the scalloped strip at the same time and which, in the following, cut them to length. In fact firstly two conveyor means 5, for example rollers, as shown in FIG. 4, positioned on both sides of the conveyor belt, lift the edges of the scalloped strip thus simplifying the next step of folding and pinching the dough in more points. The conveyor rollers 5, in practice, realize a first step of strip forming. In the following, the machine carries out the pinching of the dough strip in more points. The pinching is carried out by pinching means 6, for example two counter-rotating discs, each one provided with a plurality of projections 6 ′, and consists in folding the dough strip to half and in carrying out little pinchings, at regular interval, along the whole length of the scalloped strip. In the same step, a shaped matrix 7 ′ of a shaping means 7 penetrates the dough strip inside the lifted and folded edges, synchronously with the pinching discs, thus ending the forming. The shaping means 7 can be made up of a wheel bearing a plurality of angularly equidistant shaped matrices 7 ′. In the following, a cutting means 9, for example a blade integral to the pinching disc, cuts the dough to a predetermined length. Finally, a mobile rolling means 10, for example a mobile disc, rolls the cut and pinched dough strip thus realizing the famous “rose” shape, typical of the “cartellata”. [0021] Specifically, in FIG. 3, going from bottom to the top, it is possible to follow the pinching, forming and cutting steps of the scalloping strip. The pinching means 6, in a preferred configuration, are two pinching discs, moved by motors 4 provided with stabilized variable speed reduction gear, and provided with corresponding shaped projections 6 ′ which realize the narrow section 11 by means of which the strip undergoes the pinching. This is shown in FIG. 3 a. The pinching is carried out at regular intervals each time a projection of a disc is at a projection of the other disc. Between two consecutive pinchings, i.e. between two consecutive couples of projections 6 ′ (see FIG. 3 b ) there forms a section 12, greater than the narrow section 11, inside which a shaped matrix 7 ′ of the shaping means 7 penetrates. As yet said, the shaping means 7 can comprise a wheel bearing a plurality of shaped matrices 7 ′, which penetrate in rotational synchrony the section 12. In this way it is realized the dough strip forming with uniform and constant dimensions. [0022] Advantageously, the number of projections 6 ′ and the number of shaped matrices 7 ′ are coordinated with respect to each other: n the first one, n+ 1 the second one. In this way it is sufficient to move the pinching discs 6, while the wheel of the shaped matrices 7 ′ is driven by the pulses that the projections 6 ′ will give to the corresponding shaped matrices 7 ′, in practice as it occurs in the gear between a driving gear and a driven gear. In FIG. 3 c it is shown a detail of the cutting means 9. Advantageously, said means comprise a blade positioned on one of the pinching discs and in rotation therewith. The blade, in practice, is arranged on the pinching mean instead of a projection 6 ′. At the end of a complete rotation of the disc, in which the above described pinching and shaping steps are alternated, the blade cuts the segment of the pinched and formed strip which makes up the linear development of the “cartellata”. [0023] In the dimensioning of the machine, it is also important to coordinate the advancement speed of the conveyor belt 3 with the rotation speed of the pinching discs 6, so that at each full rotation of the discs, when the strip is cut to length, the same strip is advanced linearly of the useful dimension in order to carry out the rolling and to realized the “rose” shape of the “cartellata”. The values of the advancement speed of the belt and rotation of the pinching discs are such that it is possible to realize about 100 pieces (corresponding to a kilogram of dough) in 15-20 minutes. [0024] According to another aspect, the present invention relates also to a specific working and production method of the “cartellate” by means of the machine 100. The method comprises the flowing steps: positioning the dough scalloped strip on the conveyor belt 3 ; [0000] activating the conveyor belt along a predetermined direction, wherein the dough scalloped strip is kept in position by a guide means 8 ; lifting the side edges of the dough strip by means of conveyor rollers 5 to favour the half folding of the same strip and the next pinching step; pinching and forming the strip carried out by pinching means 6 and shaping means 7 in more points; cutting the strip to a predetermined length carried out by cutting means 9, rolling the strip carried out by a mobile means 10 thus realizing a “rose” shape. [0027] Therefore the method is characterized in that, thanks to the synchronism between the pinching discs and the shaping means, the pinching and shaping steps are carried out simultaneously, alternating with respect to each other during the movement of the dough strip. [0028] In addition to the embodiments of the invention, as above described, it is to be intended that there exist many other variants. Further, it is to be intended that said embodiments are only example and do not limit the object of the invention and its possible application or configurations. On the contrary, even if the above described description allows the experts in the field to carry out the present invention at least according an embodiment thereof, it is to be intended that many variations of the elements above described are possible without departing from the object of the invention, encompassed by the appended claims, literally interpreted and/or according to legal equivalents thereof. | Summary: A machine ( 100 ) for "cartellate" production comprising a support structure ( 1 ), a motorized conveyor belt ( 3 ) for transport of dough strips, on which dough guide means ( 8 ) operate, conveyor means ( 5 ), motorized pinching means ( 6 ), shaping means ( 7 ), cutting means ( 9 ) and movable rolling means ( 10 ); said pinching means ( 6 ) being configured to operate, by rotating around its central axis, the clamping of the dough strips; said pinching means ( 6 ) cooperating with said conveyor means ( 5 ) and with said shaping means ( 7 ) achieving the dough strips forming; said cutting means ( 9 ) being steadily fixed to one of said pinching means ( 6 ). | 2,855 | 197 | big_patent | en |
Summarize: By. Paul Donnelley. Ex-Emmerdale star Cy Chadwick at Leeds Crown Court where he is facing charges of indecent assault. A former star of the soap Emmerdale star has gone on trial accused of forcing a young boy who looked up to him ‘like a big brother’ to perform a sex act on him. Cy Chadwick, 45, who played Nick Bates for ten years in the programme, is alleged to have indecently assaulted a boy between September 1985 and September 1987, when the schoolboy was eight or nine-years-old. The complainant was sleeping on a camp bed when the alleged abuse took place, a court heard. Now in his 30s, the complainant only reported it to police in May last year, telling police in a video interview that he came forward ‘because it’s always in the news - it’s constantly on my mind’. ‘How did I know he’s not done it to anybody else at the time. I thought he was going to get to be an old man and do it to someone else,’ he said during the interview played to Leeds Crown Court. ‘Something’s got to be done.’ Addressing the jury before the opening of Chadwick’s trial today, Judge Neil Clark told them: ‘The defendant played a part in the soap Emmerdale. It’s important when you hear the evidence, please remember you’re trying the defendant Cy Chadwick – not a character in the show and not the character he played in the show. Ex-Emmerdale star Cy Chadwick leaves Leeds Crown Court earlier today where he is accused of assaulting a small boy. ‘You try the case on what you hear in this room, about this man and not the character he played. You should try him in the same way as anyone else who appears before this court.’ Prosecuting, Geraldine Kelly told the court that Chadwick used to take the schoolboy out on day trips in his car, and giving him gifts, including a record player and records. The complainant, talking in a police interview video which was shown to the court, told: ‘We were friendly. ‘I looked up to him as a big brother to be honest.’ The Fox And Grapes pub in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, was owned by the mother and stepfather of Cy Chadwick and where the abuse is alleged to have happened. Asked what they would usually do together, the complainant said: ‘Just messing around with stuff. Board games, normal stuff. He used to take me out.‘I liked him. I did. ‘He bought me a record player, records, little trinkets which obviously I thought was brilliant. ‘He had the fanciest equipment anyone could buy because he had loads of money, obviously. He had every electrical gadget you could buy. ‘He had records, turntables, computers, fancy TVs.’ The complainant told how on the night in question he had been lying on the camp bed while Chadwick was lying on his bed, when Chadwick pulled back the covers. It is alleged that Chadwick said to the schoolboy: ‘Put it in your mouth, this is what grown-ups do when they’re friends’. The boy allegedly obeyed after which he described feeling ‘sick’ and ‘peculiar’. Afterwards, Chadwick told the boy ‘not to say anything’, and left the room, sleeping elsewhere, the court heard. The complainant said he had not seen Chadwick since. Chadwick, who now works in TV production and lives in Pudsey, West Yorks., watched the evidence silently from the dock. He denies one charge of indecent assault between September 17, 1985 and September 17, 1987. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article | Summary: Cy Chadwick, 45, played Nick Bates. for ten years in the programme. He is alleged to have indecently assaulted a. schoolboy who was. 8 or 9 at the time between 1985 and 1987. Prosecution alleges Chadwick took the boy out on day trips and bought him many gifts including a record player, records and trinkets. Complainant, now in 30s, only made his allegation last year. | 853 | 110 | cnn_dailymail | en |
Write a title and summarize: En haut à gauche Aurore Berge, en haut à droite Adrien Quatennens, en bas Julien Dive Thomas Samson/AFP, Jean-Luc Hauser/CC BY-SA 4.0, Thomas Samson/AFP Rencontre sur le renouveau politique en France et sur le rôle du Parlement, avec les députés Aurore Bergé (La République en marche, Yvelines), Adrien Quatennens (La France insoumise, Nord) et Julien Dive (Les Républicains, Aisne) dimanche 24 septembre, de 13 h 30 à 14 h 30, à l’Opéra Bastille. Un débat animé par Alexandre Lemarié. Réservation en ligne. Quelles sont les marges de manœuvre d’un nouveau député à l’Assemblée nationale? Alors que les 314 élus de La République en marche (LRM) disposent d’une majorité écrasante au Palais-Bourbon — et du soutien de poids des 47 députés MoDem — comment un jeune député LRM peut-il se faire entendre? Comment faire face aux critiques de l’inexpérience de ces élus souvent novices, après que de nombreux couacs ont eu lieu à la fin de juillet, et de quelle manière y remédier à la rentrée? Quant aux députés de l’opposition, comment conçoivent-ils leur rôle face aux troupes d’Emmanuel Macron : comme des forces d’opposition devant tout faire pour empêcher l’adoption des projets de loi de l’exécutif, ou comme des forces de proposition susceptibles d’amender les textes? Aurore Bergé, 30 ans, porte-parole du groupe majoritaire ; Adrien Quatennens, 27 ans, député de La France insoumise ; et Julien Dive, 32 ans, qui représente la nouvelle génération de droite, échangeront sur le rôle du Parlement à l’ère Macron et sur ce que peuvent changer les réformes institutionnelles. Ils exposeront ce que signifie pour eux le renouveau en politique. Intervenants : - Aurore Bergé Âgée de 30 ans, Aurore Bergé est l’une des figures montantes de La République en marche (LRM). Porte-parole du groupe majoritaire à l’Assemblée nationale, elle est la voix d’Emmanuel Macron dans les médias, qu’elle a rejoint en février 2017. Élue députée sous les couleurs LRM dans les Yvelines lors des dernières élections législatives, elle se dit « libérale, progressiste, féministe ». Elle a fait ses classes à l’UMP, auprès de Valérie Pécresse, avant de soutenir Nicolas Sarkozy, puis Alain Juppé. Article réservé à nos abonnés Lire aussi Les députés LRM, entre culture d’entreprise et discipline de parti - Adrien Quatennens Âgé de 27 ans, Adrien Quatennens est la révélation du groupe de La France insoumise (LFI) à l’Assemblée nationale. Le jeune protégé de Jean-Luc Mélenchon a fait son entrée au Palais-Bourbon après avoir été élu dans le Nord lors des élections législatives. Ce Lillois d’origine s’est rapidement fait repérer des médias par ses interventions percutantes dans l’hémicycle contre le projet de loi d’habilitation pour réformer le code du travail. Article réservé à nos abonnés Lire aussi Quatre figures montantes du Palais-Bourbon - Julien Dive Âgé de 32 ans, Julien Dive est l’un des représentants de la nouvelle génération de droite. Protégé de Xavier Bertrand, il avait pris la succession de ce dernier à l’Assemblée nationale en étant élu député Les Républicains (LR) de l’Aisne en mars 2016, lors d’une législative partielle, M. Bertrand ayant accédé à la présidence du conseil régional des Hauts-de-France. Il a été réélu dans la même circonscription un an plus tard. Réservation en ligne. | Title: Du renouveau en politique, pour quoi faire Summary: "Le Monde" organise dans le cadre du "Monde Festival" un débat sur le renouveau politique en France et sur le rôle du Parlement, avec les députés Aurore Bergé, Adrien Quatennens et Julien Dive, dimanche 24 septembre, de 13 h 30 à 14 h 30, à l'Opéra Bastille. | 870 | 96 | mlsum_fr | fr |
Summarize: By. Nick Enoch. PUBLISHED:. 13:48 EST, 20 December 2013. |. UPDATED:. 13:54 EST, 20 December 2013. A Batman impersonator who was caught on CCTV handing in his friend to the police earlier this year has been spared jail today after being found guilty of burglary. Stan Worby, 40, took Daniel Frayne, 27, to a Bradford police station in February to answer an arrest warrant issued over claims he tried to cash a stolen cheque. Just like with the real Batman, the public wanted to unmask the hero - and father-of-five Worby was eventually identified. But today Worby stood in the dock - minus his costume - to be sentenced for a burglary seven weeks later in which he and Frayne stole almost £800 worth of power tools from a garage. Scroll down for video. Batman impersonator Stan Worby, who was caught on CCTV handing in his friend to the police earlier this year, was spared jail today after being found guilty of burglary. This image of Worby handing over Daniel Frayne to police in Bradford, West Yorks, in February caught the public imagination - but seven weeks later they were both charged with stealing £800 worth of power tools from a garage. During a one-day trial last month, a jury at Bradford Crown Court found Worby guilty of burglary after hearing that just after 4am on April 14, police found him and Frayne in a silver Mondeo car 50 metres away from a garage that had been burgled. Stashed in the boot was £770 worth of power tools including a drill set worth £150, three grinders worth between £50 and £80, a socket set worth £100 and a box of screwdrivers worth £40. Worby claimed he knew nothing about the stolen goods, and that Frayne had piled them into his car while en route to a car boot sale. The jury took just half an hour to convict Worby, and Judge David Hatton QC handed him a six-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours in unpaid work and pay an £80 victim surcharge. The court heard that Worby had a 'lengthy record' which started at the juvenile courts, and included burglaries, battery, drug offences and motoring offences. He was given a suspended jail term in 2010 for possession with intent to supply cannabis, and last appeared before courts in September 2011 where he was given an absolute discharge for depositing environmental waste. Frayne, left, was previously sentenced to eight months in prison for. burglary, handling stolen goods and breach of a community order. Worby was handed a six-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months. Mitigating, Simon Hustler said that Worby had been employed at the time of the burglary by Kirklees Council but was let go from this job after a local paper printed the story of the burglary on their front page. Judge Hatton told Worby: 'You have committed no offences of burglary or attempted burglary for 13 years. 'That is what prevents you going to prison immediately. 'The offence is so serious that it passes the custody threshold, but I impose a sentence of six months' imprisonment suspended for 12 months.' Frayne was previously sentenced to eight months in prison for burglary, handling stolen goods and breach of a community order | Summary: Stan Worby, 40, was filmed in February handing Daniel Frayne to West Yorks police. Worby and Frayne were charged with burglary seven weeks later. Pair were found by a car stashed with power tools near to where a garage was burgled, in April. Worby given six-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months; Frayne was previously sentenced to eight months in prison for burglary, handling stolen goods and breach of a community order. | 841 | 111 | cnn_dailymail | en |
Summarize: Background ESRA authorizes IES to conduct and support many different types of research and evaluations. Specifically, ESRA contains several key provisions related to the management, core functions, and processes of IES: all research conducted by IES is to use scientifically based research standards that include, where appropriate, making claims of causal relationships only in random assignment experiments; education evaluations conducted by IES are to employ experimental designs using random assignment, when feasible; all research, statistics, and evaluation reports conducted by or supported through IES must be subjected to rigorous peer review before being published or otherwise made available to the public; and the establishment of an advisory board—the NBES—whose duties include (1) advising and consulting with the Director of IES regarding its policies and approving the Director’s overall research priorities, and (2) reviewing and approving procedures for peer review and reviewing the work of IES to ensure the consistency of scientifically valid research. Education administers programs that support education research and technical assistance through grants and contracts involving several research groups—including the RELs and R & D Centers within IES and the Comprehensive Centers within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (see fig. 1). The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance administers the REL program, a network of 10 regional entities that conduct applied research, develop and disseminate research and products, and conduct technical assistance and other activities to support the needs of state and local education agencies in their region. The Comprehensive Centers Program is a network of 22 technical assistance grantees that help to increase the capacity of state educational agencies (SEA) to assist districts and schools in meeting student achievement goals. Selected Comprehensive Centers focus on specific areas of expertise and produce research-based information and products for use by SEAs. Lastly, ESRA includes specific requirements for the administration of R & D Centers, which are designed to address areas of national need and each of which IES assigns at least one of the broad research topics outlined in the law. R & D Centers are also responsible for the production and dissemination of rigorous evidence and products that provide practical solutions to important education problems in the United States. The National Center for Education Research and the National Center for Special Education Research administer 17 R & D Centers in total. In addition to IES, other entities conduct education-related research and evaluations, and ESRA includes general requirements for the Director of IES to coordinate its research and evaluation work with these entities, both within Education and across the rest of the federal government. Within Education, the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development (OPEPD) conducts analyses and program evaluations on behalf of the department. Other federal agencies, such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development—part of the National Institutes of Health—also support education-related research and the directors of these agencies serve as nonvoting ex officio members on the NBES. IES Has Supported High-Quality Research, but Lacks Key Processes and Performance Measures in Some Areas In our ongoing work, we found that IES has substantially improved the education research field. In 2007, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) assessed IES’s research and concluded that since its inception, IES had transformed the quality and rigor of research within Education and increased demand for scientifically based evidence of effectiveness in the education field as a whole. Likewise, many stakeholders we spoke with said IES’s research standards have improved the quality of Education’s research and had a positive influence on education research generally. More specifically, several stakeholders told us that IES products, such as its publications of education statistics reports, were useful for their work. While IES’s research grants and evaluations have resulted in many randomized controlled studies since the agency was established over 10 years ago, IES’s research standards also include guidelines for the implementation of other rigorous research methodologies, and it has recently funded studies using those methodologies, such as regression discontinuity or single-case designs. IES’s support of these multiple types of methodologies allows it to better meet its various stakeholders’ needs. However, IES’s research is sometimes of limited usefulness to policymakers and practitioners. Some stakeholders told us that the research and evaluations supported by IES may not be completed soon enough to inform the decision making of policymakers and practitioners on important questions. For example, officials from one constituency based organization for policymakers said that IES’s evaluation of Education’s Race to the Top and School Improvement Grant Programs will not be released in time to give states the opportunity to implement lessons learned from these studies before these programs’ funding expires. The peer review process may exacerbate timeliness concerns. In order to ensure the high quality of IES’s work, ESRA requires IES-supported research reports to be peer reviewed before being published. In the past year, however, the time it takes to complete this review process has substantially increased, from an average of 117 days in fiscal year 2011 to 175 days in fiscal year 2012. When asked for explanations for the increase in 2012, senior IES officials cited factors such as the complexity of the reports reviewed in that year and the time it took IES to work with its contractors on suitable responses to peer review comments. In accordance with GAO’s internal control standards, program managers should have access to and use operational data to determine whether they are meeting their agencies’ goals for effective and efficient use of resources. However, officials told us that while the peer review office within IES monitors the time taken for its review, IES does not monitor the time its Centers or contractors take to respond to peer review comments, which would allow it to take steps to mitigate delays, such as by holding contractors more accountable. We previously reported on and made several recommendations related to the timeliness and dissemination activities of the What Works Clearinghouse. See GAO, Department of Education: Improved Dissemination and Timely Product Release Would Enhance the Usefulness of the What Works Clearinghouse, GAO-10-644. (Washington, D.C.: July 23, 2010). experiment in Texas and the development of a system to monitor students’ social and emotional learning in a school district in Nevada. Although IES has made recent efforts to increase the relevance of its research, IES does not have a structured process for incorporating feedback from policymakers and practitioners into its research agenda. Though there is no single way for government agencies to conduct research, in prior work we developed a framework to identify key elements that promote a sound federal research program using guidelines from several leading national research organizations. Within that framework, we found that agencies should establish a structured process for developing their research and evaluation priorities that considers key stakeholders’ input. found individual IES Center Commissioners and the Director of IES have at times gathered input from groups of policymakers and practitioners, but that IES did not have an ongoing, structured process for collecting this input. Inconsistent outreach by IES may have contributed to gaps in its research. For example, stakeholders said that there is a shortage of research using varied methodologies that could allow for shorter turnaround times among IES-funded research projects. This framework includes five key elements: (1) agenda setting, (2) selecting research, (3) designing research, (4) conducting research, and (5) disseminating research results. See GAO-11-285. For more information on leading practices for research and evaluation planning, see also National Research Council, Rebuilding the Research Capacity at HUD (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2008) and American Evaluation Association, An Evaluation Roadmap for a More Effective Government, (September 2010), available at http://www.eval.org/d/do/107. accomplishments. In addition, according to our internal control standards and leading practices on performance management, agencies should establish performance measures for their activities and continually compare actual performance data against these goals. To measure the effectiveness of its research grants, IES counts the number of IES- supported interventions that have been determined to be effective in improving student outcomes in particular areas. However, IES officials told us that its current performance measures, which were developed after the agency was established in 2002, no longer capture the scope of IES’s current research and priorities. Furthermore, in some cases, senior IES officials told us they are not relevant to managing the agency’s operations. For example, one measure relies on the results of a survey of potential users of the What Works Clearinghouse, but IES officials told us they will not conduct this survey because they do not believe it would yield enough useful information to be worth the investment. Moreover, a new performance measure was reported in Education’s fiscal year 2014 budget request for IES that better reflects the results of its recent research. However this measure still does not include certain existing areas of IES research, such as research on the organization and management of schools and education systems. In addition, IES does not publicly report on the performance of the RELs, which constitute one of the agency’s largest investments. As we have reported, without performance measures, agencies may be at risk for failing to achieve their goals. IES officials told us they have begun work on revising their performance measures. Officials told us that they plan to include revised performance measures in Education’s fiscal year 2015 budget request for IES, and that it has begun discussions with OMB to establish these new measures. As of August 2013, IES officials told us they intend for the new performance measures they are developing to include all programs, including the RELs and its new grant programs for researcher-practitioner partnerships. Research and Technical Assistance Groups Take Steps to Disseminate Relevant Research, but IES Has Not Fully Assessed These Efforts Research and technical assistance groups have taken various steps to provide relevant research to the education field. More specifically, to identify topics of relevance, RELs, R & D Centers, and Comprehensive Centers have engaged policymakers and practitioners in planning research and technical assistance activities. For example, beginning in 2012, RELs were required to conduct their work through new or existing partnerships of practitioners, policymakers, and others—called research alliances—which would work together to use data and research to address specific concerns in education, such as improving low-performing schools or college readiness. All three groups use a range of methods to disseminate their research evidence and products, including publications, conferences, and in some cases, technical assistance resources specifically for teachers, such as professional development courses. Despite these efforts, stakeholders—including practitioners and policymakers—have raised concerns about the relevance and dissemination of some of the research and products these groups have produced. For example, a stakeholder group that represents local school districts, as well as two superintendents we spoke with, said they did not find REL research as relevant or as timely as other sources of research information. At the same time, several stakeholders said that the RELs’ new strategy of creating and working through research alliances could help increase the RELs’ focus on research questions of concern to the field. We also heard from stakeholders we spoke with that R & D Center research may have limited relevance to practitioners, because these centers consider the research community the primary audience for their products. As a result, they do not always adapt their research findings in a format that is readily understandable by practitioners, such as by producing non-technical reports and shorter research summaries. In addition to concerns about relevance, REL and R & D Center dissemination efforts are not always reaching policymakers and practitioners. Officials from some intermediaries—such as industry associations—we spoke with said their organizations disseminate research information to policymakers and practitioners. However, some noted that further efforts are needed to leverage intermediary groups to better market REL and R & D Center work to reach IES’s target audiences. IES does not have plans to evaluate the current group of RELs or R & D Centers, nor does it collect sufficient information to manage these groups’ efforts to disseminate relevant research. IES is still in the process of conducting a mandated evaluation of the prior group of RELs—whose contracts ended in 2011—but has no further plans to evaluate the current group of RELs. In addition, as of August 2013, IES had no plans to conduct a formal evaluation of the R & D Centers and there is no requirement to do so. Further, IES does not collect sufficient information about RELs and R & D Centers to manage these groups’ efforts to disseminate relevant research. For example, in 2012, IES, in collaboration with the RELs, developed nearly 50 performance indicators for these groups. IES officials told us that in August 2013 they had prioritized 24 of these indicators on which RELs must now report. However, IES has not established performance targets or goals for these selected measures. Were IES to establish targets or goals, there would be more incentive for the RELs to perform at the agency’s desired level, and IES would be better positioned to determine if RELs are meeting its expectations. Previous GAO work has indicated that agencies successful in measuring performance had performance measures including targets or goals that (1) demonstrate results; (2) are limited to the vital few; (3) cover multiple priorities; and (4) provide useful information for decision making. In addition, IES collects limited information to assess the R & D Centers’ dissemination efforts because IES does not require R & D Centers to report on their specific dissemination strategies or the strategies’ effectiveness. Despite its difficulty, we have previously reported on ways in which agencies can assess research programs with broad dissemination goals. IES Coordinates with Other Federal Agencies, but Education Faces Challenges in Funding Program Evaluations IES coordinates with other federal education research agencies on projects to increase federal agencies’ use of research evidence in guiding funding decisions. For example, IES co-led a joint Education-National Science Foundation working group to develop common evidence guidelines for federally-funded research in education. Several researchers we interviewed during our ongoing work, as well as two federal agencies we spoke with, said these guidelines will benefit the education field. In addition, IES helped develop and incorporate a tiered evidence framework for awarding grants for Education’s Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) grant program. According to an official from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the Department of Health and Human Services, ACF has recently begun awarding its grants using Education’s i3 program model, which uses tiered-evidence standards to award larger grants to applicants with greater evidence of their programs’ effectiveness. In addition to working with other federal agencies, IES coordinates within Education to facilitate collaboration between the REL and Comprehensive Center programs. In our ongoing work, directors of both groups told us coordination has improved with the current group of RELs and Comprehensive Centers, which began in 2012. In addition, some directors said that the RELs’ new structure of research alliances has improved coordination, as some Comprehensive Centers are now members of REL research alliances. This coordination, according to some directors with whom we spoke, has helped to address confusion among some SEA officials about the appropriate role and tasks performed by each. Some directors told us they have conducted joint visits with SEA officials, as well as made efforts to sequence their work for their state clients to better meet their needs. For example, some REL directors said the Comprehensive Center may conduct initial planning work for a project, and the REL would later assist with any aspects of the project requiring data analysis or original research. Within Education, IES and OPEPD are jointly responsible for program and policy evaluation, and together, these offices lead a department-wide planning process to identify evaluation projects to conduct. However, according to Education officials, efforts to prioritize evaluation projects through this annual process are hindered in part because of statutory requirements related to funding and program evaluation, including the fact that amounts designated for evaluation purposes under a program must be used only for evaluating that specific program or its activities. Specifically, officials reported that Education does not have the authority to combine evaluation funds from programs across the Department and use them to evaluate any program. As a result, some evaluations may not occur, and high-priority evaluations may be delayed. In addition, OPEPD and IES officials said that smaller programs often have insufficient funds to conduct an evaluation. We have previously reported that many Education programs, especially smaller programs, have not been evaluated, which can limit the ability of Congress to make informed decisions about which programs to continue, expand, modify, consolidate, or eliminate. Further, the President’s Budget request contained a proposal to increase Education’s flexibility to conduct program evaluations, and bills pending in Congress to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, including that of this committee, would address some of these issues for certain education programs. In conclusion, since its creation more than a decade ago, IES has made significant contributions to strengthening the rigor of the education research field and has considerably elevated the demand for conducting and has promoted the use of scientifically based research in our nation’s education system. However, IES could continue to build on these efforts by improving its ability to release relevant and timely information to policymakers and practitioners. With better management of its product review process to ensure the more timely release of reports and a more structured process for incorporating stakeholders’ needs into its research agenda, IES would position itself to more fully deliver on its mission to be responsive to the needs of its various stakeholders. Similarly, comprehensive performance measures and routine assessment of its grantees’ and contractors’ dissemination strategies would ensure its stewardship of federal investments in these areas. In addition, the ability to prioritize and conduct effective evaluations is critical to helping make the best use of limited resources and to support Congress in making informed decisions about which programs to continue, expand, modify, consolidate, or eliminate. As we complete our ongoing work, we will consider any recommendations needed to address these issues. Chairman Kline, Ranking Member Miller, and Members of the Committee, this concludes my prepared statement. I will be pleased to answer any questions that you may have. GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments For future contact regarding this testimony, please contact George A. Scott at (202) 512-7215 or [email protected]. Key contributors to this testimony were Scott Spicer (Assistant Director), Lucas Alvarez, Deborah Bland, Nora Boretti, David Chrisinger, Elizabeth Curda, Rachel Frisk, Dana Hopings, Jean McSween and James Rebbe. This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. The published product may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without further permission from GAO. However, because this work may contain copyrighted images or other material, permission from the copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately. | Summary: The federal government has a longstanding role in conducting education research and collecting related data. The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 established IES as Education's primary research and evaluation arm. With a budget of just under $600 million in fiscal year 2013, IES has a broad mission to provide its research, evaluations, and statistics to a wide variety of stakeholders, including researchers, parents, educators, and the general public. This testimony reports on ongoing GAO work about IES. A full report will be issued later this year. Based on preliminary findings, this testimony will focus on: (1) the extent to which IES supports high-quality research and fulfills its mission, (2) the extent to which selected Education research and technical assistance groups disseminate relevant products to the education field, and (3) IES's coordination within Education and with other federal agencies. For this work, GAO reviewed agency documents and relevant federal legislation, interviewed agency officials and stakeholders, and analyzed information from selected research and technical assistance groups. GAO also compared IES's practices to established guidelines for internal controls and effective program management and performance reporting. The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) supports high-quality research, according to stakeholders, but lacks certain key procedures needed to fulfill other aspects of its mission. Since its inception, IES has substantially improved the quality of education research. However, stakeholders expressed some concerns about IES's ability to produce timely and relevant research that meets their various needs. For example, IES's efforts to respond quickly to its stakeholders are slowed, in part, because the time IES's products have spent in peer review substantially increased this past year, and IES does not monitor some aspects of these timeframes. In addition, IES does not have a structured process for incorporating stakeholder input into its research agenda, which previous GAO work has shown to be key to sound federal research programs. Lastly, IES's performance measures do not fully reflect its current programs, which is not consistent with GAO's leading practices for performance management. IES officials said, however, that they have begun to develop new performance measures for all of their programs. Although the Department of Education's (Education) research and technical assistance groups have taken steps to produce and disseminate relevant research to the field, IES does not always assess these efforts. Some stakeholders raised concerns about the relevance and dissemination of research and products from the Regional Educational Laboratories (REL) and Research and Development Centers (R & D Center). For example, they told us that these groups do not always adapt their products for use by both policymaker and practitioner audiences. Further, IES has not fully assessed REL and R & D Center relevance and dissemination efforts. As a result, IES does not know if these efforts are effective in meeting their mandated goal of providing usable research and information to policymakers and practitioners. GAO's prior work on information dissemination suggests that further assessment could help to inform IES's oversight of the RELs and R & D Centers to improve these groups' dissemination to key audiences. IES works with federal education research agencies to increase the use of research evidence in federal decision-making, but according to officials, has limited ability to prioritize evaluations. IES and the National Science Foundation recently developed guidelines to help improve the quality of evidence resulting from federally-funded education research, which stakeholders said will benefit the education field. Within the department, IES plans evaluations of Education programs in concert with various other offices. However, Education officials said funding and program evaluation requirements prevent the agency from combining evaluation funds across programs, which limits their ability to conduct the evaluation projects they consider most important. | 4,222 | 798 | gov_report | en |
Write a title and summarize: Neurological involvement occurs throughout the leprosy clinical spectrum and is responsible for the most feared consequences of the disease. Ultrasonography (US) provides objective measurements of nerve thickening and asymmetry. We examined leprosy patients before beginning multi-drug therapy aiming to describe differences in US measurements between classification groups and between patients with and without reactions. Eleven paucibacillary (PB) and 85 multibacillary (MB) patients underwent nerve US. Twenty-seven patients had leprosy reactions (type 1, type 2 and/or acute neuritis) prior to US. The ulnar (at the cubital tunnel–Ut–and proximal to the tunnel–Upt), median (M) and common fibular (CF) nerves were scanned to measure cross-sectional areas (CSAs) in mm2 and to calculate the asymmetry indexes ΔCSA (absolute difference between right and left CSAs) and ΔUtpt (absolute difference between Upt and Ut CSAs). MB patients showed greater (p<0. 05) CSAs than PB at Ut (13. 88±11. 4/9. 53±6. 14) and M (10. 41±5. 4/6. 36±0. 84). ΔCSAs and ΔUtpt were similar between PB and MB. The CSAs, ΔCSAs and ΔUtpt were similar between PB patients with reactions compared to PB patients without reactions. MB patients with reactions showed significantly greater CSAs (Upt, Ut and M), ΔCSAs (Upt and Ut) and ΔUtpt compared to MB patients without reactions. PB and MB showed similar frequencies of abnormal US measurements. Patients with reactions had higher frequency of nerve thickening and similar frequency of asymmetry to those without reactions. This is the first study to investigate differences in nerve involvement among leprosy classification groups using US before treatment. The magnitude of thickening was greater in MB and in patients with reactions. Asymmetry indexes were greater in patients with reactions and did not significantly differ between PB and MB, demonstrating that asymmetry is a characteristic of leprosy neuropathy regardless of its classification. Neurological involvement is present throughout the leprosy clinical spectrum, and nerve impairment is responsible for the most feared consequences of the disease; therefore, some authors advocate that leprosy should be regarded as a chronic neurological condition rather than a skin disease [1–5]. Several authors have postulated that tuberculoid patients have asymmetric nerve thickening, lepromatous patients have symmetric and diffuse involvement, and borderline patients have variable and usually intense nerve enlargement [1,3, 6,7]. Leprosy reactions (acute neuritis, types 1 and 2 reactions) can lead to additional nerve damage due to immune-mediated mechanisms. They may be superimposed on the chronic course of the disease and require immediate treatment [1,3, 5,6]. Neurophysiologic and imaging studies can be used to investigate neurological impairment in leprosy. Although neurophysiology provides detailed information about dysfunction of affected nerves, it does not reveal anatomic changes, such as thickening and fascicular pattern changes [8,9]. High-resolution ultrasonography (US) permits examination of multiple nerve trunks over a long course in a few minutes, and compared with magnetic resonance imaging, US is considered more accessible and reasonably precise [8,10–12]. Furthermore, it is reported that US is more accurate than clinical palpation for assessment of peripheral nerve enlargement [11] and it provides objective measurements of peripheral nerve thickening and asymmetry [13]. To our knowledge, no published studies have investigated differences in US nerve measurements across the leprosy spectrum. The purpose of this study was to investigate peripheral nerve thickening and asymmetry, as evaluated through US measurements, in leprosy patients, examining differences between leprosy types grouped according to the Ridley-Jopling and WHO classifications and to assess the influence of leprosy reactions on US findings. The Ethics Committee of the Clinics Hospital of Ribeirão Preto Medical School approved the study (process n°02663112. 0. 0000. 5440). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Some participants were minors and their parents provided written consent on behalf of them. Ninety-six consecutive leprosy patients that were referred to Leprosy Reference Center at the Clinics Hospital of Ribeirão Preto Medical School were included in the study and underwent bilateral high-resolution US of the peripheral nerves before starting World Health Organization (WHO) multi-drug therapy. Leprosy diagnosis was established based on clinical signs and symptoms, skin smears, skin biopsy, and neurophysiologic examination when necessary. Patients were classified according to the Ridley-Jopling [14] classification in five groups: tuberculoid (TT), borderline-tuberculoid (BT), borderline-borderline (BB), borderline-lepromatous (BL), and lepromatous (LL). Patients were also grouped in paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) according to the WHO operational classification [15]. Medical charts were reviewed for the identification of any leprosy reactions prior to US evaluation. Leprosy reactions were classified as cutaneous reactions (type 1 or 2) associated or not with acute neuritis. Type 1 cutaneous reactions were defined as presence of erythema and edema of skin lesions. There may be accompanying neuritis and edema of the hands, feet, and face. Type 2 reactions (erythema nodosum leprosum) were defined as presence of tender subcutaneous skin lesions. There may be accompanying neuritis, iritis, arthritis, orchitis, dactylitis, lymphadenopathy, edema, and fever. Neuritis was diagnosed if patients presented acute inflammation of one or more peripheral nerve trunk detected by swelling and/or functional impairment with spontaneous nerve pain and/or nerve tenderness on palpation. To statistical analysis patients were divided according to the presence of any kind of reaction prior to US examination or absence of reactions. Patients with a history of diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, human immunodeficiency virus infection, trauma-related peripheral nerve disease or alcoholism were excluded from the study. Musculoskeletal radiologists with previous fellowship training in nerve imaging performed all US sessions using a 12-MHz linear transducer model HDI-11 (Philips Medical Systems, Bothell, Washington, USA). Patients were examined in a seated position with 45° flexed elbows and 90° flexed knees. The ulnar (at the cubital tunnel area–Ut–and proximal to the tunnel–Upt), median (M) and common fibular (CF) nerves were systematically scanned along the transverse and longitudinal axes. Ulnar nerves were scanned from the middle third of the arm to the middle third of the forearm. M nerves were evaluated at the middle and distal thirds of the forearm. CF nerves were evaluated from the distal third of the thigh to the knee at the fibular head. In some cases, it was not possible to examine nerves bilaterally due to amputation, cutaneous ulcers or other cutaneous alterations at the site of examination. Nerve cross-sectional areas (CSAs) were measured by freehand delimitation at the inner borders of the echogenic rims of the nerves. The measurements were performed using the electronic cursor at the time of examination, and the CSAs were assessed at the level of maximum nerve thickening. Ulnar nerve maximum CSAs were measured in two different regions: above the medial epicondyle proximal to the cubital tunnel (Upt) and at the cubital tunnel (Ut). CSA measurements were used to calculate nerve asymmetry as follows: (1) the differential CSA index (ΔCSA), which was calculated as the absolute difference between CSAs for each nerve point from one side to the contralateral side, and (2) the differential Ut-Upt index (ΔUtpt) of the ulnar nerves, which was calculated as the absolute difference between the largest and smallest CSAs of Upt and Ut points of ulnar nerves on the same side. High ΔCSA values reflect nerve asymmetry with the contralateral nerve. High ΔUtpt values reflect non-uniform and focal thickening of the ulnar nerve between the tunnel and pre-tunnel areas. For the classifications of the CSA, ΔCSA and ΔUtpt values as normal or abnormal, we used previously published values obtained from healthy volunteers [13], considering as abnormal values that were greater than the mean plus 2 standard deviations. Additionally, to compare the PB and MB groups, we performed two different analyses: one including all patients and another including only those patients with at least one abnormal measurement for each variable (CSA, ΔCSA and ΔUtpt). With second analysis, we expected to reduce the possible bias due to the existence of different frequencies of abnormalities in PB and MB. Statistical analysis was performed using JMP software version 10. 0 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). We performed the Wilcoxon test to compare the means of two groups. To analyze differences between the means of three or more groups, we performed the Kruskal-Wallis test. For the comparison of proportions, we used the two-tailed Fisher’s exact test. Probability (p) values less than 0. 05 were considered significant. The average age ± standard deviation of the patients was 45. 9 ± 16 years (age range 16–85 years); 56 (58. 3%) of the patients were men, and 40 (41. 7%) were women. The clinical classifications and incidences of neuritis, type 1 and/or type 2 cutaneous reactions occurring prior to US are presented in Table 1. For clinical data and CSAs values of each patient see supporting information (S1 Table). Table 2 shows the results for CSA, ΔCSA and ΔUtpt of the nerves studied for the five types of leprosy according to the Ridley-Jopling classification. For all nerve points studied, we observed maximum mean values of CSA in LL and BL patients; the percentages of enlarged nerves (abnormal CSAs) were also greater in these two groups, reaching 81. 3% incidence of enlarged ulnar nerves at the cubital tunnel (Ut) in LL patients. Although the mean values of ΔCSAs showed variable results, with maximum values in different types of leprosy, we observed higher incidences of asymmetric nerves (abnormal ΔCSAs) in LL and BL patients. LL patients showed the maximum ΔUtpt mean and the highest percentage of nerve asymmetry considering this measurement. Table 3 shows the CSAs, ΔCSAs and ΔUtpt according to the WHO operational classification for all patients and for the patients with at least one abnormal measurement for each variable. The two analyses yielded similar results, with the MB patients displaying greater CSAs, ΔCSAs, ΔUtpt and frequency of abnormalities at the Upt, Ut and M nerves. On the other hand, at the CF nerve, the PB patients showed similar or slightly greater CSAs and ΔCSAs. Because borderline patients show variable nerve impairment, we compared only the two polar forms, thereby aiming to better characterize and highlight nerve thickening and asymmetry. For this analysis, we selected only TT (n = 8) and LL (n = 8) patients who had at least one abnormal measurement for each variable. Significantly greater CSAs were observed in the LL patients at the Upt (7. 64±1. 91 /14. 9±9. 08 mm2), Ut (9. 53±6. 14 / 15. 56±4. 57 mm2) and M (6. 36±0. 84 / 12. 04±4. 75 mm2) nerves; no significant difference was observed at the CF nerve. Although the ΔCSAs were also greater in LL patients, no statistically significant differences were observed at the Upt (2. 01±2. 12 / 8. 11±8. 96 mm²), Ut (4. 41±5. 25 / 4. 44±2. 23 mm2) and M nerves (0. 86±0. 48 / 1. 94±1. 91 mm2). At the CF nerve, the TT patients showed a non-significantly greater ΔCSA (9. 29±18. 14 / 2. 4±2. 23 mm2). It is important to report that one TT patient had the maximum ΔCSA value observed in the study at this nerve (52. 7mm2). No significant difference in the ΔUtpt was observed between TT and LL (6. 02±6. 34 / 8. 18±5. 93 mm2). The CSAs, ΔCSAs and ΔUtpt were similar between PB patients with previous leprosy reactions (neuritis, type 1 and/or type 2 reactions) compared to PB patients with no reaction. MB patients with reactions showed significantly greater CSAs compared to MB patients without reactions at the Upt (14. 20±11. 09 / 8. 20±5. 12 mm2), Ut (14. 73±15. 73 / 10. 62±6. 13 mm2) and M nerves (10. 88±5. 99 / 8. 40±4. 32 mm2). ΔCSAs were also significantly greater in MB patients with reactions at the Upt (7. 39±11. 07 / 2. 84±5. 59 mm2) and Ut nerves (8. 33±19. 29 / 3. 06±4. 61 mm2). In addition, the ΔUtpt was significantly greater in MB patients with previous leprosy reactions (5. 82±7. 36 / 3. 85±5. 21 mm2). Considering that abnormalities in at least one US measurement reflect neuropathy, we sought to evaluate differences in the frequencies of abnormalities between PB and MB patients and also between patients who did and did not have reactions prior to US. The results of this analysis are presented in Table 4. We found that nerve asymmetry detected on US is characteristic of leprosy, with similar frequencies of abnormal measurements found in PB and MB patients. Furthermore, we observed a tendency toward higher ΔCSA and ΔUtpt values in the latter group. As expected, we also found that thickening (CSA) of the peripheral nerves was more pronounced in MB. Another important finding was that MB patients with previous leprosy reactions (neuritis, type 1 and/or type 2) had greater CSA, ΔCSA and ΔUtpt values than MB patients without reactions; however, among the PB patients there was no significant difference in nerve thickening and asymmetry comparing the groups with and without reactions. This is the first study in which differences in peripheral nerve thickening and asymmetry among patients of different leprosy classification groups were systematically investigated using accurate US measurements prior to specific treatment (WHO multi-drug therapy); the inclusion of patients at different stages of treatment in previous studies [10,11,16] could weaken conclusions about variations in the pattern of nerve involvement. Two studies in which US evaluation was performed before treatment have been reported, but those studies did not address differences between leprosy classification types [8,13]. There is a growing interest in US as a diagnostic tool for peripheral neuropathies. Nerve palpation is subjective and requires expertise [5], and even among trained professionals, the reliability of palpation of superficial peripheral nerves is unsatisfactory, with poor agreement between evaluators [17]. In a study that compared clinical examination and US of peripheral nerves in 20 leprosy patients and 30 healthy volunteers, Jain et al. [11] concluded that clinical examination was subjective and inaccurate, whereas US provided an objective evaluation of nerve damage and could identify more extensive involvement. Another previous study showed that US abnormalities may be present in patients with normal neurophysiological findings [8]. The concept that US should always be performed in addition to neurophysiological studies during the investigation of peripheral neuropathies is currently gaining strength [8,9, 12]. In our study, we found that peripheral nerve involvement, objectively evaluated by US, is common in all types of leprosy. Considering that the presence of one or more abnormal nerve measurements reflects neuropathy, we observed similar frequencies of neuropathy in the PB and MB patients. The frequency of abnormalities was high even among the PB patients (72. 7% of the PB patients had at least one thickened or asymmetric nerve), suggesting that enlargement and asymmetry of the peripheral nerves may be more frequently detected on US, corroborating the findings of Jain et al. [11]. These results support the idea that leprosy is a neurological disease [1–3,5] and reinforce the importance of conducting a detailed neurological exam for all patients. The ulnar nerve was the most commonly involved nerve in MB patients; up to 81. 3% of LL patients showed abnormal CSA values in the cubital tunnel area. Furthermore, thickening of peripheral nerves was also frequent in PB patients, especially at the common fibular nerve. The thickening was clearly more pronounced in MB patients at superior limb nerves, even when we analyzed only the group of patients in which some neuropathy was detected at US: the CSAs were significantly greater in the MB group, and the 95% confidence interval showed no overlap between PB and MB mean values at the ulnar (Upt and Ut) and median nerves. At the common fibular nerve, no difference was found between PB and MB patients; furthermore, the common fibular nerve was the most frequently affected nerve in PB patients, in agreement with observations from clinical studies that suggest that this nerve can be impaired even early in the disease course [7,18]. Clinical expertise and previous studies indicate that PB patients (especially TT) have asymmetric nerve enlargement, whereas MB patients, notably the patients exhibiting the lepromatous polar form of the disease, have symmetric and diffuse involvement [1,6]. Frade et al. [13] have shown that ΔCSA and ΔUtpt possess high specificity for a diagnosis of leprosy when leprosy patients are compared to healthy individuals and that these measurements allow for the objective quantification of peripheral nerve asymmetry. We found that the asymmetry measurements (ΔCSA and ΔUtpt) did not significantly differ between the PB and MB patients; moreover, our data indicate a weak tendency toward greater asymmetry in the latter group. The ΔCSA means were greater in MB at the Ut, Upt, and median nerves, and the highest percentages of abnormal ΔCSA values for all studied nerves were found in the LL and BL patients. ΔUtpt showed the same trend, with greater values in the MB patients and the highest percentage of asymmetry in LL patients. We compared only the two polar forms of the disease (TT and LL), aiming to emphasize the findings. Our results confirmed previous analyses, showing significantly greater values of CSA (Upt, Ut, and median nerves) in LL patients. Although asymmetry measurements did not differ significantly between TT and LL patients, we observed a tendency toward greater asymmetry in LL patients. The results for the common fibular nerve showed an opposite tendency, with greater values of ΔCSA (although without statistical significance) in TT patients; nevertheless, we emphasize that one TT patient had the maximum ΔCSA value at common fibular nerve (52. 7mm2), which could have increased the mean of this group. Leprosy reactions, especially acute neuritis, can lead to severe nerve impairment and require immediate treatment with steroids and other immunosuppressive drugs. Consistent with the results of previous studies, our results indicate that more severe enlargement and asymmetry of nerves occurs in MB patients with previous or active reactions in all evaluated nerves except for the common fibular nerve. The nerve measurements among PB patients with and without reactions did not show significant differences. Despite the fact that all patients included in our study were examined before beginning WHO multi-drug treatment, the majority of patients who had a history of reactions were already receiving anti-reaction treatment (prednisone, thalidomide and/or azathioprine) at the time of the US exam; thus, nerve swelling and asymmetry might have been diminished in these patients. Taken together with previous results, these findings indicate that chronic M. leprae nerve infection and its ability to cause inflammation and fibrosis, as well as the presence of leprosy reactions, are important causes of nerve thickening and asymmetry. Previous studies have addressed the influence of reactions on peripheral nerve imaging findings. Martinoli et al. [10] investigated US and magnetic resonance imaging findings for 23 leprosy patients and concluded that patients with previous or active leprosy reactions had nerve enlargement and fascicular abnormalities. These authors also identified the presence of intraneural color Doppler signal in patients with active reactions. Jain et al. [11] have found that increased blood flow can be present in multiple nerves distant to the affected dermal lesion. In our study, we investigated all patients for the presence of Doppler signal; however, because most of the patients with clinical signs of reactions were already receiving anti-reaction treatment at the time of the US exam, Doppler signals were observed only in a small number of them, and the Doppler results are not reported here. One limitation of our study is the lack of neurophysiological correlation, which could provide useful information concerning nerve function abnormalities. However, our main objective was the evaluation of anatomic alterations, represented by nerve thickening and asymmetry. Two other studies in which ulnar nerve neuropathy was investigated using US and electrophysiology [8,16] found US abnormalities in patients with normal neurophysiological findings. Those studies also demonstrated that leprosy patients can have normal ulnar nerve US findings with significant electrophysiological changes. The authors concluded that leprosy patients can exhibit abnormal nerve anatomy with preserved nerve function and vice versa [8]. Therefore, although we did not perform electrophysiological tests, we consider that our results improve the understanding of anatomic changes in leprosy neuropathy. Despite the fact that the sample size of this study is the largest reported for any study of the use of US for leprosy neuropathy evaluation, the division of the patients into six clinical classification types resulted in the presence of a small number of subjects in each group. Perhaps the numbers of patients included in the groups with the polar forms TT and LL were not large enough to reveal significant differences in asymmetry measurements between the groups. In conclusion, the present study contributes to the understanding of the pattern of peripheral nerve involvement in leprosy patients. The US results reported here have revealed that thickening and asymmetry are common in leprosy patients and that these abnormalities occur at similar frequencies in PB and MB. Moreover, the magnitude of thickening was greater in the MB patients and in those with previous leprosy reactions. Nerve asymmetry did not significantly differ between the PB and MB patients, demonstrating that asymmetry is a characteristic of leprosy neuropathy regardless of its classification. | Title: Asymmetric Nerve Enlargement: A Characteristic of Leprosy Neuropathy Demonstrated by Ultrasonography Summary: Leprosy is an infectious disease that affects the peripheral nerves, leading to nerve thickening, asymmetry and dysfunction; therefore, early detection of leprosy neuropathy is important for preventing deformities and disabilities. We examined peripheral nerve involvement using ultrasonography (US) in 96 leprosy patients prior to treatment, aiming to better understand differences in neuropathy patterns between leprosy classification groups and between patients with and without leprosy reactions. Patients underwent bilateral US of the ulnar (at the cubital tunnel and proximal to the tunnel), median and common fibular nerves to measure thickening and asymmetry. We found that nerve thickening was more severe in patients with a high bacillary load (multibacillary) and in those with previous reactions. Nerve asymmetry measurements were greater in the patients with previous reactions. Asymmetry did not differ significantly between the paucibacillary and multibacillary patients, demonstrating that asymmetry is a characteristic of leprosy neuropathy regardless of its classification. | 5,343 | 255 | lay_plos | en |
Summarize: Gary Player was camped out under the big oak tree behind the clubhouse, signing autographs and posing for pictures, as he did 50 years ago. At the many snack stands scattered around Augusta National, pimento cheese sandwiches in green wrappers were selling for 1962 prices _ a buck fifty. A place stuck in a time warp, just like the men in green jackets who run it. They gathered Wednesday for their annual State of the Masters report and, despite some dying azaleas that will make this year's Masters a bit less colorful, it seems that things have never been better in one of the last bastions of exclusivity in sports. The Cadillacs out front no longer have tail fins the length of belly putters, and the players don't smoke anymore between shots. But the snacks are still cheap, the old-timers keep coming back, and the green jacket for winning remains the most coveted prize in golf. One other thing hasn't changed: Membership in the club is by invitation only, and women, it seems, need not apply. Why that's become an issue again this year is largely a matter of circumstance _ the recent appointment of a woman executive to head IBM, one of the main sponsors of the Masters. As far as anyone knows, Virginia Rometty hasn't asked for her own green jacket, but since the last four CEOs at IBM, all male, were members, she goes to the top of the list by default. Hardly reason to take to the streets, as activist Martha Burk did a decade ago in an ill-fated attempt to open up Augusta National's membership to women. Even the most ardent feminists would be hard-pressed to march on behalf of a millionaire business executive who lives in the rarified air of the privileged elite. Lee Westwood found the whole thing amusing. "What gender issue? I'm a man," the Englishman said. Still, two decades after a black man finally was given a green jacket to wear, the basic issue is one of equality. I'm not going to become a member of Augusta National, and odds are you aren't, either, for reasons that have nothing to do with race or sex. But to automatically exclude half the world's population because it's female just seems so 1962. Not to the men in the green jackets, of course. They bristle when the subject is raised and immediately hide behind the only protective cover they know: It's their club, and they alone will decide who belongs. "As has been the case whenever that question is asked, all issues of membership are now and have been historically subject to the private deliberations of the members," Augusta National chairman Billy Payne said Wednesday. "That statement remains accurate and that remains my statement." Fair enough, I guess. Rich people can be picky when it comes to who they share a tee box with, but in the end it is their club and they can do what they wish. Problem is, when Payne said that he had barely finished talking about Augusta National's role in golf and its responsibilities for helping grow the number of people who play the game. The club wants to get more people playing, he said, especially the girls and boys who are the future of the game. As it stands now, those boys can dream of one day wearing green jackets themselves. The girls can't. That led to an exchange between reporters and Payne that, while testy, bordered on comical. Pressed several times on what he would tell his granddaughters about their chances of joining the club, Payne finally answered: "My conversations with my granddaughters are also personal." OK. What would Payne tell a reporter's daughters? "I don't know your daughters," Payne replied. If IBM's Rometty wanted to make it an issue she certainly could, but so far she and the company, at least publicly, seem satisfied with being one of the three major sponsors of the Masters and leaving the push for change to others. And, as a pressing social issue, equality at Augusta National doesn't exactly rank up there with making sure every child in America grows up able to read and write. Burk herself is watching this one from afar, not about to get burned again. Still, she couldn't help but tweak IBM and the green jackets who caused her so much grief. "I think it's astounding that one of the largest corporations in the world is having their strings pulled by a bunch of old guys in Augusta," she said. That's the way things happen at the Masters. No one dares tell the guardians of Augusta National what to do, or when they should do it. It may be a benevolent dictatorship, but no one doubts it is a dictatorship. By the time Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy tee off Thursday, the IBM issue likely won't matter much. Attention will turn to the golf itself and the issue will be forgotten for at least another year. Best of all, the pimento cheese sandwiches will still only be a buck fifty. ____ Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg(at)ap.org or follow at http://twitter.com/timdahlberg Bloomberg News William Porter Payne, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club speaks at the green jacket presentation at the 2011 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2011 in Augusta, Georgia. Photographer: Jamie Squire/Getty Images Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Billy Payne said he wouldn’t discuss the organization’s lack of female members amid questions about a possible invitation to Virginia “Ginni” Rometty of International Business Machines Corp. (IBM:US) “All issues of membership remain the private deliberations of the membership,” Payne said at his annual news conference on the eve of the Masters Tournament at the club in Augusta, Georgia. “That statement remains accurate.” Augusta National is again under scrutiny for its all-male membership following the appointment of Rometty as chief executive officer of IBM, one of three Masters Tournament sponsors. While Augusta National has no formal policy against female members, it hasn’t admitted one in its eight decades. It has traditionally invited IBM’s chief executive officer for membership. “We don’t talk about our private deliberations,” Payne said. “We especially don’t talk about them when a named candidate is a part of the question.” Edward Barbini, a spokesman for Armonk, New York-based IBM, has previously declined to comment on the issue. Nine years ago, Martha Burk, then head of the National Council of Women’s Organizations, staged a small protest near the front entrance of the club founded in 1933 by golf champion Bobby Jones and Wall Street financier Clifford Roberts. Burk had written the previous June to Hootie Johnson, then Augusta National’s chairman, asking him to to review the club’s membership policy to avoid it “becoming an issue” during the 2003 tournament. Johnson responded that he wouldn’t be “bullied” into allowing female members. “There may well come a day when women will be invited to join our membership,” Johnson said in a media statement in July 2002. “But that timetable will be ours and not at the point of a bayonet.” Sponsor Requests Burk then wrote to sponsors, including IBM, asking them to withdraw their support for the tournament. Augusta National subsequently announced it wouldn’t air commercials during the 2003 event and suspended its sponsorships with IBM, Coca-Cola and Citigroup for the 2003 and 2004 tournaments. Only IBM returned in 2005. As players prepare for tomorrow’s opening round of the Masters, golf’s first major tournament of the year, the issue has become part of the discussion. Players, who are invited to participate, have been reluctant to talk about the club’s membership. “It’s a completely private club and they can do what they want,” Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, the 2009 Players championship winner, said yesterday at the club’s practice range. “I don’t really have anything to say on it.” Previous CEOs While the club doesn’t disclose the names of its members, a 2010 partial list obtained by Bloomberg News and 2004 documents published by the Augusta Chronicle and USA Today show the past four IBM CEOs were members, beginning with John R. Opel, who ran the company from 1981 to 1985 and died last year. John F. Akers, IBM’s chief from 1985 to 1993, and Louis V. Gerstner, who helped turn around IBM as CEO from 1993 to 2002, also were members. The refusal to consider female membership amid Burk’s protest prompted the resignations from the club of then-Treasury Secretary nominee John Snow and former CBS Corp. (CBS:US) Chief Executive Officer Thomas Wyman, who called the policy “pigheaded.” Wyman died about five weeks later. Snow was secretary of the treasury under President George W. Bush from 2003 to 2006, and now is chairman of Cerberus Capital Management LP, an investment firm. IBM, Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM:US) and AT&T Inc. (T:US) are now the tournament’s only U.S. sponsors. Their agreements enable the companies to entertain executives and clients in private hospitality cabins, tucked into a wooded area along the left side of the 10th hole. More CEO Members Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson is a member, as is AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson. Ed Whitacre, Stephenson’s predecessor, is a member and in December gave Stephenson his place as a director on the U.S. PGA Tour’s board. Rick Burton, a former chief marketing officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee, said a Masters sponsorship probably costs at least $10 million annually. Augusta didn’t have a black member until 1990, when it extended an invitation to Gannett Co. (GCI:US) television President Ron Townsend, who still belongs. That move followed the PGA of America’s decision to move its annual championship, the season’s final golf major, from Alabama’s Shoal Creek because of that club’s all-white membership. Payne, who succeeded Johnson as chairman of the tournament and the golf club in 2006, has previously said he has “no specific timetable” on possibly ending all-male membership. He repeatedly declined to comment on membership issues at today’s news conference. Atlanta Olympics As the chief organizer of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Payne was known as a progressive leader. His Olympic organizing team included influential women, including Ginger Watkins, Linda Stephenson and Cindy Fowler. Since Payne took over as chairman of Augusta National, the tournament has made changes including a ticketing program for children, the establishment of an Asian amateur championship and the creation of the Masters Tournament Foundation. The charitable foundation invests in organizations to help promote golf globally. Funding comes from private donations, proceeds from the tournament and sales of a 2012 Tiger Woods Masters- related video game. In 2010, Payne publicly criticized the extramarital affairs of Woods, a four-time Masters winner, saying “our hero did not live up to the expectations of a role model that we sought for our children.” Occasional Golfer Unlike her predecessors at IBM, Rometty said she plays golf only occasionally. She and her husband, Mark, prefer scuba diving and split their time between White Plains, New York, and Bonita Springs, Florida. IBM is featured in the tournament’s TV commercials and runs the event’s website, mobile-phone applications and media-center technology. IBM’s official sponsorship began 10 years ago, though it had been involved earlier. The company has run the masters.com website since 1996. To contact the reporter on this story: Mike Buteau in Atlanta at [email protected] To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at [email protected] At a Masters press conference Tuesday, England's Lee Westwood was asked about the ongoing "gender issue" at Augusta National Golf Club. Here's how that was reported in the transcript provided by the Masters: Q. – The gender issue thing has come up over here, again? LEE WESTWOOD: What gender issue? I'm a man (Nodding, looking down). There is a gender issue – no women members at Augusta – and the topic came up again Wednesday in club Chairman Billy Payne's annual news conference. As is always the case, Payne wouldn't go there, delivering the standard Augusta response: Membership issues are private. THE MASTERS: Weather could get stormy THE MASTERS: Betting on Tiger Woods not much of a gamble Controversy over no women members at Augusta was fueled a decade ago as a result of a protest campaign led by Martha Burk, who appealed to corporate sponsors to drop their ties with the Masters. The matter is back in the spotlight with the Masters set to begin Thursday. In January, IBM named Virginia ("Ginni") Rometty as its new president and CEO. IBM is a Masters sponsor. The past four CEOs of IBM have been members of Augusta National. At Westwood's press conference, he also was asked whether the matter was anything the players have been chatting about in the locker room. "It's not something I think about," Westwood said. | Summary: The prestigious Augusta National Golf Club, host of the Masters, seems to be sticking to its maddening policy of banning female members. Augusta National Chairman William Porter Payne won't even deign to publicly discuss the issue. Some critics believe it's long past time to extend an invitation to Virginia Rometty, CEO of IBM, one of three sponsors (along with Exxon and AT&T) of the Masters tourney, notes BusinessWeek. "All issues of membership remain the private deliberations of the membership," Payne said at his annual news conference on the eve of the Masters. "We don't talk about our private deliberations." The last four CEOs of IBM-all men-were members. Following the last brouhaha over the policy, John Snow, who served as Treasury secretary under George W. Bush, and CBS CEO Thomas Wyman-who called the ban "pig-headed"-quit the club. Augusta began inviting black members in 1990, but no female black members. "The place is stuck in time warp, just like the men in green jackets who run it," sniffs AP's Tim Dahlberg. Women aren't finding many supporters among the male golf champs participating in the Masters. "What gender issue?" smiled Brit Lee Westwood. "I'm a man." | 3,002 | 288 | multi_news | en |
Summarize: In this June 2, 2016 photo, Brock Turner, 20, right, makes his way into a Santa Clara Superior Courthouse in California (Dan Honda/Bay Area News Group via AP) Courts records released Friday in the Brock Turner sexual assault case in Santa Clara County, Calif., include numerous exhibits and documents related to the prosecution of the former Stanford University swimmer. [“Did you rage?" In Stanford sexual assault case, court records shed new light] Among them are statements submitted to the court before Turner was sentenced on June 2 to six months in jail and three years of probation for the sexual assault of an unconscious woman in January 2015. At the time Turner was a freshman. Below is a statement from the victim’s sister. The identities of both women were redacted in the court documents. NEW YORK -- Brock Turner, the ex-Stanford swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, is allegedly pictured smoking from a pipe in images prosecutors say were extracted from his cell phone. The newly-released images are included as an exhibit attachment to a sentencing memo submitted by Deputy District Attorney Alaleh Kianerci that alleges Turner lied about using drugs in a statement to probation officials. Santa Clara County Superior Court Turner was sentenced to six months in jail and three years of probation for three counts of sexual assault, but can be released in as soon as three months. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky's sentence has led to widespread outcry and a campaign to recall him, though some have defended the sentence. Turner has also come under fire for his statement to probation officials, obtained by CBS News, in which he blames his behavior on alcohol and the "college lifestyle." In the statement, he also implies he hadn't had experience with partying and drinking prior to the sex assault. "Coming from a small town in Ohio, I had never really experienced celebrating or partying that involved alcohol," he said in the statement. A probation report also says Turner denied that he had used drugs. Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department/Handout via Reuters In the sentencing memo, however, prosecutors point to cell phone evidence they say proves otherwise. In a search of Turner's cell phone, prosecutors say they found photos of Turner smoking a pipe and a Dec. 27, 2014 video of Turner smoking a bong and drinking out of a liquor bottle immediately after. Several images the prosecutors referenced surfaced Friday as a part of a release of the Turner case file by the County of Santa Clara Superior Court. CBS News had previously obtained Kianerci's sentencing memo. The new images include the photo of Turner smoking a pipe, a close-up photo of a bong, and an image of a person who prosecutors say is Turner's teammate holding a bong. The documents also include a photo of an apparent sexually explicit message sent through the "Group Me" app that investigators saw on Turner's phone the night of his arrest. The memo includes cell phone records of Turner's text messages, but it doesn't include the "Group Me" message because it was sent from a third-party app and may have been deleted, according to the memo. Prosecutors say the texts point to drug use, including a Dec. 18, 2014 message in which Turner asks a friend, "Do you think I could buy some wax so we could do some dabs?" referring to a highly concentrated form of marijuana. Other text messages referenced smoking, buying and sharing "weed" and trying to find a "hook up" to buy acid both while Turner was in high school and at Stanford, the memo says. On Dec. 24, 2014, according to the memo, Turner received a message from a friend that read, "I've got a hankerin for a good acid trip when we get back." Prosecutors say Turner replied: "I'm down for sure." The memo says he responded to a friend bragging about "candyflippin" - referring to taking LSD and MDMA together - by saying, "I gotta [expletive] try that. I've heard it's awesome." The memo says on June 3, 2014 Turner's sister asked him via text, "Did you rage last night?" To which Turner replied, "Yeah kind of. It was hard to find a place to drink. But when we finally did we could only drink for like an hour an a half." Prosecutors say the records show Turner was already an experienced drinker in high school, had routinely smoked marijuana and experimented with hard drugs including LSD, despite his statement. The memo goes on to blast Turner for blaming his "predatory and repulsive" actions on "drinking, peer pressure and college culture." In a letter that has since gone viral, the victim in the case calls on Turner to take responsibility for his actions, saying, "assault is not an accident." | Summary: The sister of Brock Turner's victim says Turner tried to force himself on her the same night he raped her sister. That's one of a number of things revealed in court documents released Friday. The Los Angeles Times reports the victim's sister says Turner "started making out on her cheek" and grabbed her waist unprompted at the frat party in January 2015. She was able to pull away and warn a friend. "The face of the man who assaulted my sister is burned into my memory," the Washington Post quotes her as saying in a statement to the court. She also talks about the guilt she feels for leaving her sister alone at the party. "An entire part of my heart has been permanently broken," she says. "The damage you inflicted is irreversible," she tells Turner, who was sentenced to six months in jail. The newly released documents also include allegations from prosecutors that Turner lied to the court about his alcohol and drug use, CBS News reports. Part of Turner's defense was that he had "never really experienced celebrating or partying that involved alcohol" before coming to Stanford. But the documents include texts, photos, and videos that prosecutors say prove Turner had plenty of experience with alcohol and drugs, including LSD and marijuana, in high school and prior to his assault on the victim. Finally, following the release of statements from Turner's father and grandparents, the new documents include a statement from his mother. In it, she says she cries everyday and can't decorate her new home because of the trauma inflicted on her family, the Fresno Bee reports. She says Turner was just "trying to fit in." | 1,122 | 367 | multi_news | en |
Summarize: A self-confessed murderer lashed out in the courtroom Monday after he was handed a 50-to-100 year prison sentence for slaying his girlfriend, a mother-of-five, and dumping her body in the garbage. Before learning his fate, Jahleel Hoskins, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, offered a weeping apology to the family of Latrice Maze, whom he killed last March, insisting he loved the woman and didn't meant to take her life. But when Kent County Circuit Court Judge James Redford sentenced him to up to a century behind bars, the handcuffed man snapped, throwing the podium toward the bench and lunging forward before security dragged him from the courtroom. Scroll down for video. Angry: Confessed murderer lashed out in the courtroom Monday after he was handed a 50-to-100 year prison sentence for slaying his girlfriend, a mother-of-five, and dumping her body in the garbage. var p = new anv_pl_def(); p.config = {}; p.config.width = 636; p.config.height = 400; p.loadVideoExpressV3('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|STAGEV3|SPSQA');. But before he even left the premises, Hoskins' family began screaming at the family of the victim, including her mother and father, according to mlive.com. The two families surging towards each other, yelling, and additional court deputies had to tear them apart. Hoskins' devastated mother, who made an emotional statement to the court earlier, yelled at Hoskins cousin to shut up as Redford banged his gavel and demanded order. In almost as dramatic a move, the 26-year-old halted his trial on December 11 - the third day - by pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the middle of testimony. Temper: When Kent County Circuit Court Judge James Redford sentenced him to up to a century behind bars, the handcuffed man snapped, throwing the podium toward the bench and lunging forward before security dragged him from the courtroom. Brawl: The two families surging towards each other, yelling, and additional court deputies had to tear them apart. Victim: Latrice Maze, pictured left and right, was murdered by Hoskins last March. But Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Kellee Koncki urged the judge not to give the killer a lesser sentence because he confessed. Rather, she asked Redford to sentence him to what would result in a lifetime in prison. Maze went missing on March 19. Less than two months later, Grand Rapids police said they believed her body had been incinerated and dumped in a landfill after Hoskins put it in a Dumpster. According to mlive.com, Koncki argued that Hoskins' motive in the slaying was that he wanted to stop her talking to police after he allegedly assaulted the father of two of her children. She said the violent strangulation was premeditated. Apology: Before learning his fate, Hoskins, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, offered a weeping apology to the family of Maze. Lies: He insisted he loved the woman and didn't meant to take her life. Redford also admonished Hoskins for dumping the body, robbing the family of a chance to have a proper funeral for their loved one. Maze' mother, Wanda Rose, spoke before Hoskins was sentenced and recalled the difficult task of trying to explain to her grandchildren about their mother's death. Hoskins said in his piece that he loved Maze and worked hard to support her and her daughter. 'Before this happened, everybody looked at me as a good person,' Hoskins said. 'In the blink of an eye, I'm a monster.' Tragic: Latrice Maze's mother, Wanda Rose, weeps after making statements Monday January 6, 2014 | Summary: Confessed murderer Jahleel Hoskins lashed out in the. courtroom Monday after he was handed a 50-to-100 year sentence. for slaying his girlfriend. Latrice Maze, a mother-of-five, was killed last March and dumped in the garbage. When Kent County Judge James Redford handed down the sentence, Hoskins snapped, throwing the. podium and lunging forward. Security had to drag him out of the courtroom. His and the victim's families then surged towards each other, screaming, and additional court deputies had to tear them apart. | 1,588 | 137 | cnn_dailymail | en |
Summarize: DENVER, March 24, 2015 -- Chocolate has many health benefits -- it can potentially lower blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce stroke risk. But just as connoisseurs thought it couldn't get any better, there's this tasty new tidbit: Researchers have found a way to make the treat even more nutritious -- and sweeter. They will describe their research here today at the 249th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society. The meeting features nearly 11,000 reports on new advances in science and other topics. It is being held here through Thursday. Cocoa undergoes several steps before it takes shape as a candy bar. Workers cut down pods from cocoa trees, then split open the pods to remove the white or purple cocoa beans. They are fermented in banana-lined baskets for a few days and then set out to dry in the sun. Roasting, the next step, brings out the flavor. But some of the healthful polyphenols (antioxidants) are lost during the roasting process, so the researchers wanted to figure out a way to retain as much of the polyphenols and good flavors as possible. "We decided to add a pod-storage step before the beans were even fermented to see whether that would have an effect on the polyphenol content," says Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, Ph.D., who is at the University of Ghana. "This is not traditionally done, and this is what makes our research fundamentally different. It's also not known how roasting affects polyphenol content." Afoakwa's team divided 300 pods into four groups that were either not stored at all or stored for three, seven or 10 days before processing. This technique is called "pulp preconditioning." After each storage period passed, fermentation and drying were done as usual. He reports that the seven-day storage resulted in the highest antioxidant activity after roasting. To assess the effects of roasting, the researchers took samples from each of the storage groups and roasted them at the same temperature for different times. The current process is to roast the beans for 10-20 minutes at 248-266 degrees Fahrenheit, he explains. Afoakwa's team adjusted this to 45 minutes at 242 degrees Fahrenheit and discovered that this slower roasting at a lower temperature increased the antioxidant activity compared to beans roasted with the conventional method. In addition, the beans that were stored and then roasted for 45 minutes had more polyphenols and higher antioxidant activity than beans whose pods were not stored prior to fermentation, says Afoakwa. He explains that pulp preconditioning likely allowed the sweet pulp surrounding the beans inside the pod to alter the biochemical and physical constituents of the beans before the fermentation. "This aided the fermentation processes and enhanced antioxidant capacity of the beans, as well as the flavor," he says. He adds that the new technique would be particularly useful for countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America where cocoa beans produce a chocolate with a less intense chocolate flavor and have reduced antioxidant activity. Looking to the future, he says the team will be studying in more detail the effects of roasting on the flavor of freshly picked compared to stored cocoa beans. They will be testing different temperatures and roasting and storing times to determine if even higher amounts of antioxidants can be retained through the process. The researchers acknowledge funding from the Belgium Government under the VLIR TEAM Cocoa Project between Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, and the University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana. A press conference on this topic will be held Tuesday, March 24, at 11 a.m. Mountain time in the Colorado Convention Center. Reporters may check-in at Room 104 in person, or watch live on YouTube http://bit. ly/ ACSLiveDenver. To ask questions, sign in with a Google account. ### The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 158,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio. To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact [email protected]. Note to journalists: Please report that this research is being presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society. Follow us: Twitter Facebook Title Roasting effects on phenolic content and free-radical scavenging activities of pulp pre-conditioned and fermented cocoa (Theobroma cacao) beans Abstract Polyphenols are phytochemicals responsible for the astringency, bitterness, green flavours and antioxidant activities in cocoa (Theobroma cacao) beans. These are degraded during fermentation, drying and roasting affecting the antioxidant activity of the beans. However, the extent of degradation of phenolics during roasting remains unknown. This work was aimed at investigating the changes in total polyphenols, anthocyanins, o-diphenols and antioxidant activity (free-radical scavenging activities) during roasting of pulp pre-conditioned and fermented cocoa. A 4×4 full factorial design with the principal experimental factors as pod storage and roasting time were used. Samples were analyzed for total polyphenols, o-diphenols, anthocyanins and antioxidant activity using standard analytical methods. Variable decrease in total polyphenols, o-diphenols and anthocyanins were observed with increase in pod storage and roasting durations. However, variable trends were observed for the % free-radical scavenging activities. The total polyphenols, anthocyanins and o-diphenols in the cocoa beans after 45 minutes roasting decreased from 132.24 to 57.17 mg/g, 6.71 to 1.07 mg/kg and 15.94 to 8.25 mg/g respectively for 0, 3, 7 and 10 days pod storage treatments. The total polyphenols for the fermented, dried and unstored cocoa beans was 132.25 mg/g which reduced to 122.14 mg/g (7.642% degradation), 116.721 mg/g (11.7% degradation) and 92.22 mg/g (30.3% degradation) for pod stored for 3, 7 and 10 days respectively. Increasing roasting time caused continuous decreases in the % free-radical scavenging activity from 89.10% to 74.31% after 45 minutes for the unstored pods. Pulp pre-conditioning by pod storage and roasting duration could be used to reduce the astringency and bitterness caused by polyphenols, o-diphenols and anthocyanins in cocoa beans whilst increasing the antioxidant activity imparted by cocoa. Polyphenols are phytochemicals responsible for the astringency, bitterness, green flavours and antioxidant activities in Theobroma cacao beans. Polyphenols degradation in cocoa beans during roasting is crucial to the flavour outcome and it is influenced by factors such as temperature, time and pod storage. Antioxidants are compounds that help to inhibit oxidation reactions caused by free radicals such as singlet oxygen, superoxide, peroxyl radicals, hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite thereby preventing damage to the cells and tissues. Their mechanisms of action include scavenging reactive oxygen and decreasing localised oxygen concentration thereby reducing molecular oxygen’s oxidation potential, metabolising lipid peroxides to non-radical products and chelating metal ions to prevent generation of free radicals in humans. The study aimed at investigating changes in total polyphenols, anthocyanins, o-diphenols and antioxidant activity (free-radical scavenging activities) after roasting of pulp preconditioned and fermented cocoa beans using standard analytical methods. A 4×4 full factorial design with the principal experimental factors as pod storage time (0, 3, 7 and 10 days) and roasting duration (0, 15, 30 and 45 minutes) at 120oC were used to study the changes in the total polyphenols, anthocyanins, o-diphenols and % free-radical scavenging activities of the cocoa beans. Variable decrease in total polyphenols, odiphenols and anthocyanins were observed with increase in pre-conditioning (pod storage time) and roasting duration. However, variable trends were observed for the % free-radical scavenging activities. The total polyphenols, anthocyanins and o-diphenols in the cocoa beans after 45 minutes roasting decreased in the range 132.24 to 57.17 mg/g, 6.71 to 1.07 mg/kg and 15.94 to 8.25 mg/g respectively at all pod storage treatments. The total polyphenols of the fermented, dried and unstored (freshly harvested) cocoa beans was 132.25 mg/g which reduced to 122.14 mg/g (7.6% degradation), 116.721 mg/g (11.7% degradation) and 92.22 mg/g (30.3% degradation) after storage for 3, 7 and 10 days, respectively. The optimum decrease in the % freeradical scavenging activity was 7 days and above of pods storage. Increasing roasting time caused a continuous decrease in the % free-radical scavenging activity from 89.10% to 74.31% after 45 minutes for beans from the unstored (freshly harvested) pods. However, pod storage caused an increase in the % free radical scavenging activities during roasting. Pulp pre-conditioning (pod storage) and roasting duration could be used to reduce the astringency and bitterness caused by polyphenols, o-diphenols and anthocyanins in cocoa beans as well as increase the antioxidant activity imparted by cocoa. Key words: Cocoa, pod storage, roasting, polyphenols. | Summary: One of your vices could one day be a little more virtuous: Scientists are today announcing that they've figured out how to make chocolate healthier. The findings will be detailed by researchers from Belgium's Ghent University and the University of Ghana at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Denver, and center around how antioxidant-rich the sweet is. As a press release explains, it all comes down to tweaking the process. Cocoa beans are removed from pods, fermented in baskets, sun-dried, and then roasted. It's during that last step, the roasting, that polyphenols, which act as antioxidants, are partially lost. In a bid to up the polyphenol content, researchers added a nontraditional step that "makes our research fundamentally different," explains Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa: pulp preconditioning. That simply means they stored the pods-in the case of their experiments, for zero, three, seven, or 10 days-before removing the beans and beginning the fermentation process. A sweet pulp rests between the pod and the beans, and Afoakwa believes the preconditioning gives the pulp time to affect those beans. Indeed, the researchers found that those stored for a week showed the highest antioxidant activity after roasting-which they also adjusted. Rather than heat the beans for the typical 10 to 20 minutes at 248-266 degrees, they lowered the temp to 242 and upped the roasting time to 45 minutes, and discovered that slower and lower was also best in terms of antioxidant activity. The researchers' abstract notes another benefit: "Pulp preconditioning and roasting duration could be used to reduce the astringency and bitterness," improving chocolate's flavor. | 2,340 | 391 | multi_news | en |
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Dataset Card for "sumstew"
TL;DR:
Sumstew is a abstractive, multilingual Dataset, with a balanced number of samples from a diverse set of summarization Datasets. The input sizes range up to 16384 tokens. Filtered using a diverse set of heuristics to encourage high coverage, accuracy and factual consistency. Code to reproduce Dataset available at TODO
Task Information
- Task Categories: The tasks covered by this dataset are primarily summarization tasks.
- Languages: This dataset supports multiple languages including English (en), German (de), French (fr), Italian (it), and Spanish (es).
Dataset Structure
Data Instances: Each data instance in the dataset comprises five fields - 'prompt', 'target', 'task', 'subset', and 'language'.
- 'prompt': The input text for the task. (dtype: string)
- 'target': The expected output for the task. (dtype: string)
- 'subset': The subset of the dataset the instance belongs to. (dtype: string)
- 'language': The language of the instance. (dtype: string)
Data Splits: The dataset is split into two subsets:
- 'train' set: 187221 examples
- 'validation' set: 14542 examples
- 'test' set: 12467 examples
Dataset Statistics
- Max Document Length: The maximum document length is 16384 mlong-t5 tokens.
- Max Output Length: The maximum output length is 1024 mlong-t5 tokens.
Additional Information
- Data Collection: The data has been collected from a variety of sources spanning different languages and domains, ensuring a diverse and comprehensive dataset.
- Data Cleaning: The dataset has been filtered by checking the ngram overlap between the source and target document and dropping samples which have too much or too little overlap, and also through normalization.
- Known Limitations: As the dataset is generated from diverse sources, the inherent biases or limitations of those sources may persist in this dataset as well.
- Usage Scenarios: This dataset can be used for training and evaluating models on tasks like summarization and question-answering, in a multilingual context.
Credits
At this point I want to thank every creator of the underlying datasets (there are too many for me to count). If there are any issues concercining licensing or you want your data removed from the dataset, feel free to DM over Twitter (link in profile). Special thanks to @pszemraj [https://huggingface.co/pszemraj] for the inspiration.
If interested in collaboration or consulting for your project, feel free to DM https://twitter.com/StutterBuddy
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Dataset Identifier
: sumstew
Dataset Summary
: "SumStew" is a rich multilingual dataset for text summarization. It incorporates diverse data sources such as cnn_dailymail, samsum, mlsum (de, fr, es, it), klexikon, xlsum (fr, en, es), govreport, sciqa, piqa, pumbed_qa, multinews, laysum, booksum, dialogsum, fanpage (it), ilpost (it). This data has been curated by filtering based on n-gram overlap between the source and target documents and normalized to prevent undue bias. Every instance in this dataset is prefixed by an instruction (title, summary, or qa).
Size of downloaded dataset files:
1.98 GB
Size of the auto-converted Parquet files:
1.98 GB
Number of rows:
214,230