Initial protocol for a national evaluation of an area-based intervention programme (A Better Start) on early-life outcomes: a longitudinal cohort study with comparison (control) cohort samples.

Introduction: Pregnancy and the first few years of a child's life are important windows of opportunity in which to equalise life chances. A Better Start (ABS) is an area-based intervention being delivered in five areas of socioeconomic disadvantage across England. This protocol describes an evaluation of the impact and cost-effectiveness of ABS.

A surgical parallel continuum manipulator with a cable-driven grasper.

In this paper, we present the design, construction, and control of a six-degree-of-freedom (DOF), 12 mm diameter, parallel continuum manipulator with a 2-DOF, cable-driven grasper. This work is a proof-of-concept first step towards miniaturization of this type of manipulator design to provide increased dexterity and stability in confined-space surgical applications, particularly for endoscopic procedures. Our robotic system consists of six superelastic NiTi (Nitinol) tubes in a standard Stewart-Gough configuration and an end effector with 180 degree motion of its two jaws.

In vitro fertilization: a long-term follow-up after treatment failure.

There is a considerable body of psychological research on women presenting for in vitro fertilization (IVF), but relatively little on the long-term adjustment of such women after unsuccessful treatment. This study examined the adjustment (4--9 years after treatment) of a sample (n = 76) of women whose treatment had failed. At follow-up, it was found that eight (10.