433 research outputs found
Arkeologisk utgravning av gravrÞyser pÄ lokalitet HÄlandsmarka gnr. 4 Bnr. 1, Time kommune
Oppdragsgiver: Bryne Industripark ASUtgravningen av omrÄdet pÄ HÄlandsmarka, HÄland gnr. 4, bnr. 1, i Time kommune
ble gjennomfĂžrt i perioden 21. juli â 14. november 2008. I denne innberetningen vil
gravene helt sÞrvest i omrÄdet bli beskrevet og diskutert. Dette omrÄdet ligger
innenfor felt 4 pÄ HÄlandsmarka og omfatter gravene AR2337, AR5811, AR5870 og
AA22961, samt innhegningen AC2533, steinpakningen AA6238, og stolpehullene
AS23865. AS23879, AS23888 og AS23896. Flere strukturer var pÄ forhÄnd registrert
som mulige kulturminner, men ble avskrevet i felt som moderne forstyrrelser.
I lÞpet av denne utgravningen ble det funnet levningene av en bÄt samt en forgylt
ringnÄl, sverd, lansespiss, kniv, ildstÄl, ravperle og glassperle i graven AR2337.
Denne graven dateres til vikingtid. Fra urnegraven AA22961, som ble funnet under
denne bÄtgraven, framkom det et leirkar med ruslemmet overflate, brente
menneskebein og fragmenter fra tre ulike beinkammer. Denne graven dateres til
yngre bronselader/eldre jernalder. Fra graven med steinlegging inntil jordfast stein,
AR5811, ble det i et sirkulĂŠrt gravgjemme funnet brente menneskebein fra minst to
individer, samt leirkarskÄr og et fragment av bearbeidet kvarts. Denne graven
dateres typologisk til yngre jernalder/eldre jernalder. I en grav som fĂžr utgravning ble
antatt plyndret, framkom det vevsverd, linhekle, fire glassperler, saks og kniver.
Denne graven dateres til vikingtid. Innhegningen AC2533 kan trolig settes i
sammenheng med graven fra yngre bronsealder/eldre jernalder (AR5811), og har
tilsynelatende hatt en funksjon som kulthus.
Totalt er det funnet 499 gjenstander fordelt pÄ 506 funnummer, til sammen 1571
fragmenter. I dette tallet inngÄr mer enn 222 nagler og 110 spiker, samt over 550
leirkarskÄr. Dateringsmessig er det et spenn fra steinalder til siste del av vikingtid
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Feasibility and initial efficacy of project-based treatment for people with ABI
Background: Communication impairments are common and pervasive for people a long time following acquired brain injury (ABI). These impairments have a significant impact on a person's quality of life (QOL) postâinjury. Projectâbased treatment is a treatment approach that could have an impact on communication skills and QOL for people with ABI a longâterm postâinjury. This treatment is embedded in a context of meaningful activities chosen by people with ABI, whereby, as a group, they work collaboratively to achieve a tangible end product.
Aims: To evaluate the feasibility and initial efficacy of projectâbased treatment on improving the communication skills and QOL for people with ABI.
Methods & Procedures: An exploratory controlled trial with alternate allocation of groups, and followâup at 6â8 weeks, was completed. Twentyâone people with chronic ABI were recruited in groups of two to three from community settings, allocated to either a TREATMENT (n = 11) or WAITLIST group (n = 10). Participants attended a 20âh groupâbased treatment over 6 weeks where they worked towards achieving a project that helped others. To determine feasibility, four criteria were used: demand, implementation, practicality and acceptability. A range of communication and QOL outcomes was used to determine a fifth feasibility criterion, initial efficacy. Some of these criteria were additionally used to evaluate the feasibility of the outcomes.
Outcomes & Results: All participants received the treatment as allocated with high attendance and no dropouts. The treatment was feasible to deliver as intended and was highly acceptable to participants. Medium and large effect sizes were found from preâ to postâtreatment, and from preâtreatment to followâup for measures of conversation, perceived communicative ability and QOL.
Conclusions & Implications: Projectâbased treatment is feasible with indications of initial efficacy for both communication skills and QOL. The treatment provides a promising new approach for improving communication skills and QOL in people with chronic acquired brain injuries in the community setting
Maximum Likelihood Estimation in Gaussian Chain Graph Models under the Alternative Markov Property
The AMP Markov property is a recently proposed alternative Markov property
for chain graphs. In the case of continuous variables with a joint multivariate
Gaussian distribution, it is the AMP rather than the earlier introduced LWF
Markov property that is coherent with data-generation by natural
block-recursive regressions. In this paper, we show that maximum likelihood
estimates in Gaussian AMP chain graph models can be obtained by combining
generalized least squares and iterative proportional fitting to an iterative
algorithm. In an appendix, we give useful convergence results for iterative
partial maximization algorithms that apply in particular to the described
algorithm.Comment: 15 pages, article will appear in Scandinavian Journal of Statistic
Trajectories of quality of life, life satisfaction, and psychological adjustment after prostate cancer
To describe trajectories of health-related quality of life (QoL), life satisfaction, and psychological adjustment for men with prostate cancer over the medium to long term and identify predictors of poorer outcomes using growth mixture models.One-thousand sixty-four (82.4% response) men diagnosed with prostate cancer were recruited close to diagnosis and assessed over a 72-month (6-year) period with self-report assessment of health-related QoL, life satisfaction, cancer-related distress, and prostate specific antigen anxiety. Urinary, bowel, and sexual function were also assessed using validated questionnaires.Poorer physical QOL was predicted by older age, lower education, lower income, comorbidities, and receiving hormone therapy. Lower life satisfaction was related to younger age, lower income, not being partnered, and comorbidities. Poorer psychological trajectories were predicted by younger age, lower income, comorbidities, and receiving radical prostatectomy or brachytherapy. Better urinary, bowel, and sexual function were related to better global outcomes over time. Anxiety about prostate specific antigen testing was rare.Distinct trajectories exist for medium- to long-term QoL, life satisfaction, and psychological adjustment after prostate cancer; with age and socioeconomic deprivation playing a differential role in men's survivorship profile and the impact of functional status on outcomes increasing over time. These results reinforce the need for an appraisal of men's life course in addition to treatment side effects when planning survivorship care after cancer.Suzanne K. Chambers, Shu Kay Ng, Peter Baade, Joanne F. Aitken, Melissa K. Hyde, Gary Wittert, Mark Frydenberg, Jeff Dun
New Challenges in Psycho-Oncology Research III: A systematic review of psychological interventions for prostate cancer survivors and their partners: clinical and research implications
Abstract not availableSuzanne K. Chambers, Melissa K. Hyde, David P. Smith, Suzanne Hughes, Susan Yuill, Sam Egger, Dianne L. O'Connell, Kevin Stein, Mark Frydenberg, Gary Wittert, Jeff Dun
Bayesian Networks for Max-linear Models
We study Bayesian networks based on max-linear structural equations as
introduced in Gissibl and Kl\"uppelberg [16] and provide a summary of their
independence properties. In particular we emphasize that distributions for such
networks are generally not faithful to the independence model determined by
their associated directed acyclic graph. In addition, we consider some of the
basic issues of estimation and discuss generalized maximum likelihood
estimation of the coefficients, using the concept of a generalized likelihood
ratio for non-dominated families as introduced by Kiefer and Wolfowitz [21].
Finally we argue that the structure of a minimal network asymptotically can be
identified completely from observational data.Comment: 18 page
The role of mindfulness in distress and quality of life for men with advanced prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the extent to which mindfulness skills influence psychological distress and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in men with metastatic or castration-resistant biochemical progression of prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 190 men (46 % response; mean age 71 years, SD = 8.7, range 40-91 years) with advanced prostate cancer, assessed psychological and cancer-specific distress, HRQOL. Mindfulness skills were assessed as potential predictors of adjustment outcomes. RESULTS: Overall, 39 % of men reported high psychological distress. One third had accessed psychological support previously although only 10 % were under current psychological care. One quarter had accessed a prostate cancer support group in the past six months. Higher HRQOL and lower cancer-specific and global psychological distress were related to non-judging of inner experience (p < 0.001). Higher HRQOL and lower psychological distress were related to acting with awareness (p < 0.001). Lower distress was also related to higher non-reactivity to inner experience and a lower level of observing (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Men with advanced prostate cancer are at risk of poor psychological outcomes. Psychological flexibility may be a promising target for interventions to improve adjustment outcomes in this patient group. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY: Trial Registration: ACTRN12612000306819
Is Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Imaging Cost-effective in Prostate Cancer: An Analysis Informed by the proPSMA Trial.
BackgroundBefore integrating prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) into routine care, it is important to assess if the benefits justify the differences in resource use.ObjectiveTo determine the cost-effectiveness of PSMA-PET/CT when compared with conventional imaging.Design, setting, and participantsA cost-effectiveness analysis was developed using data from the proPSMA study. proPSMA included patients with high-risk prostate cancer assigned to conventional imaging or 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT with planned health economics data collected. The cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted from an Australian societal perspective.Intervention68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT compared with conventional imaging (CT and bone scan).Outcome measurements and statistical analysisThe primary outcome from proPSMA was diagnostic accuracy (nodal and distant metastases). This informed a decision tree analysis of the cost per accurate diagnosis.Results and limitationsThe estimated cost per scan for PSMA PET/CT was AUD1412. PSMA PET/CT was thus dominant, having both better accuracy and a lower cost. This resulted in a cost of AUD1412 saved for additional accurate detection of distant metastases. The results were most sensitive to variations in the number of men scanned for each 68Ga-PSMA-11 production run. Subsequent research is required to assess the long-term costs and benefits of PSMA PET/CT-directed care.ConclusionsPSMA PET/CT has lower direct comparative costs and greater accuracy compared to conventional imaging for initial staging of men with high-risk prostate cancer. This provides a compelling case for adopting PSMA PET/CT into clinical practice.Patient summaryThe proPSMA study demonstrated that prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) better detects disease that has spread beyond the prostate compared with conventional imaging. Our analysis shows that PSMA PET/CT is also less costly than conventional imaging for the detection of disease spread. This research was presented at the European Association of Nuclear Medicine Scientific Meeting in October 2020
Polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor alpha gene (ESR1), daily cycling estrogen and mammographic density phenotypes
Background
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in the estrogen pathway and SNPs in the estrogen receptor alpha gene (ESR1 6q25) have been linked to breast cancer development, and mammographic density is an established breast cancer risk factor. Whether there is an association between daily estradiol levels, SNPs in ESR1 and premenopausal mammographic density phenotypes is unknown.
Methods
We assessed estradiol in daily saliva samples throughout an entire menstrual cycle in 202 healthy premenopausal women in the Norwegian Energy Balance and Breast Cancer Aspects I study. DNA was genotyped using the Illumina Golden Gate platform. Mammograms were taken between days 7 and 12 of the menstrual cycle, and digitized mammographic density was assessed using a computer-assisted method (Madena). Multivariable regression models were used to study the association between SNPs in ESR1, premenopausal mammographic density phenotypes and daily cycling estradiol.
Results
We observed inverse linear associations between the minor alleles of eight measured SNPs (rs3020364, rs2474148, rs12154178, rs2347867, rs6927072, rs2982712, rs3020407, rs9322335) and percent mammographic density (p-values: 0.002â0.026), these associations were strongest in lean women (BMI, â€23.6 kg/m2.). The odds of above-median percent mammographic density (>28.5 %) among women with major homozygous genotypes were 3â6 times higher than those of women with minor homozygous genotypes in seven SNPs. Women with rs3020364 major homozygous genotype had an OR of 6.46 for above-median percent mammographic density (OR: 6.46; 95 % Confidence Interval 1.61, 25.94) when compared to women with the minor homozygous genotype. These associations were not observed in relation to absolute mammographic density. No associations between SNPs and daily cycling estradiol were observed. However, we suggest, based on results of borderline significance (p values: 0.025â0.079) that the level of 17ÎČ-estradiol for women with the minor genotype for rs3020364, rs24744148 and rs2982712 were lower throughout the cycle in women with low (28.5 %) percent mammographic density, when compared to women with the major genotype.
Conclusion
Our results support an association between eight selected SNPs in the ESR1 gene and percent mammographic density. The results need to be confirmed in larger studies
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