606 research outputs found
Some Implications of Endogenous Stabilization Policy
macroeconomics, stabilization policy
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Emergency Medicine Palliative Care Access (EMPallA): Protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of specialty outpatient versus nurse-led telephonic palliative care of older adults with advanced illness
Introduction Emergency department (ED)-initiated palliative care has been shown to improve patient-centred outcomes in older adults with serious, life-limiting illnesses. However, the optimal modality for providing such interventions is unknown. This study aims to compare nurse-led telephonic case management to specialty outpatient palliative care for older adults with serious, life-limiting illness on: (1) quality of life in patients; (2) healthcare utilisation; (3) loneliness and symptom burden and (4) caregiver strain, caregiver quality of life and bereavement. Methods and analysis This is a protocol for a pragmatic, multicentre, parallel, two-arm randomised controlled trial in ED patients comparing two established models of palliative care: nurse-led telephonic case management and specialty, outpatient palliative care. We will enrol 1350 patients aged 50+ years and 675 of their caregivers across nine EDs. Eligible patients: (1) have advanced cancer (metastatic solid tumour) or end-stage organ failure (New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure, end-stage renal disease with glomerular filtration rate /min/m2, or global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease stage III, IV or oxygen-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease); (2) speak English; (3) are scheduled for ED discharge or observation status; (4) reside locally; (5) have a working telephone and (6) are insured. Patients will be excluded if they: (1) have dementia; (2) have received hospice care or two or more palliative care visits in the last 6 months or (3) reside in a long-term care facility. We will use patient-level block randomisation, stratified by ED site and disease. Effectiveness will be compared by measuring the impact of each intervention on the specified outcomes. The primary outcome will measure change in patient quality of life. Ethics and dissemination Institutional Review Board approval was obtained at all study sites. Trial results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal
Advancing Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trials Analysis: Bayesian Hierarchical Penalized Spline Models for Immediate and Time-Varying Intervention Effects
Stepped wedge cluster randomized trials (SWCRTs) often face challenges with
potential confounding by time trends. Traditional frequentist methods can fail
to provide adequate coverage of the intervention's true effect using confidence
intervals, whereas Bayesian approaches show potential for better coverage of
intervention effects. However, Bayesian methods have seen limited development
in SWCRTs. We propose two novel Bayesian hierarchical penalized spline models
for SWCRTs. The first model is for SWCRTs involving many clusters and time
periods, focusing on immediate intervention effects. To evaluate its efficacy,
we compared this model to traditional frequentist methods. We further developed
the model to estimate time-varying intervention effects. We conducted a
comparative analysis of this Bayesian spline model against an existing Bayesian
monotone effect curve model. The proposed models are applied in the Primary
Palliative Care for Emergency Medicine stepped wedge trial to evaluate the
effectiveness of primary palliative care intervention. Extensive simulations
and a real-world application demonstrate the strengths of the proposed Bayesian
models. The Bayesian immediate effect model consistently achieves near the
frequentist nominal coverage probability for true intervention effect,
providing more reliable interval estimations than traditional frequentist
models, while maintaining high estimation accuracy. The proposed Bayesian
time-varying effect model exhibits advancements over the existing Bayesian
monotone effect curve model in terms of improved accuracy and reliability. To
the best of our knowledge, this is the first development of Bayesian
hierarchical spline modeling for SWCRTs. The proposed models offer an accurate
and robust analysis of intervention effects. Their application could lead to
effective adjustments in intervention strategies
Kids in Communities Study (KiCS) study protocol: a cross-sectional mixed-methods approach to measuring community-level factors influencing early child development in Australia
Introduction: Healthy childhood development in the early years is critical for later adult health and well-being. Early childhood development (ECD) research has focused primarily on individual, family and school factors, but largely ignored community factors. The Kids in Communities Study (KiCS) will test and investigate community-level influences on child development across Australia. Methods and analysis: Cross-sectional mixed-methods study exploring community-level effects in 25 Australian local communities; selection based on community socioeconomic status (SES) and ECD using the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), a population measure of child development, to create a local community 'diagonality type', that is, those performing better or worse (off-diagonal), or as expected (on-diagonal) on the AEDC relative to their SES. Data collection includes stakeholder interviews, parent and service provider focus groups, and surveys with general community residents and service providers, mapping of neighbourhood design and local amenities and services, analysis of policy documents, and the use of existing sociodemographic and early childhood education and care data. Quantitative data will be used to test associations between local community diagonality type, and ECD based on AEDC scores. Qualitative data will provide complementary and deeper exploration of these same associations. Ethics and dissemination: The Royal Children's Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee approved the study protocol (#30016). Further ethics approvals were obtained from State Education and Health departments and Catholic archdioceses where required. ECD community-level indicators will eventually be derived and made publically available. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals, community reports, websites and policy briefs to disseminate results to researchers, and key stakeholders including policymakers, practitioners and (most importantly) the communities involved.Sharon Goldfeld, Karen Villanueva, Robert Tanton, Ilan Katz, Sally Brinkman, Geoffrey Woolcock, Billie Giles-Cort
Weyl group multiple Dirichlet series constructed from quadratic characters
We construct multiple Dirichlet series in several complex variables whose
coefficients involve quadratic residue symbols. The series are shown to have an
analytic continuation and satisfy a certain group of functional equations.
These are the first examples of an infinite collection of unstable Weyl group
multiple Dirichlet series in greater than two variables.Comment: incorporated referee's comment
Measuring Positive Childhood Experiences: Testing the structural and predictive validity of the Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) framework
OBJECTIVE:
Positive childhood experiences (PCEs), that occur within secure and nurturing social environments, are fundamental to healthy physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development. However, reliable measures of these experiences are not yet widely available. We used data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) to empirically represent and psychometrically evaluate three primary domains of PCEs defined within the Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) framework, specifically: (1) nurturing and supportive relationships; (2) safe and protective environments and; (3) constructive social engagement and connectedness.
METHODS:
LSAC is a nationally representative cohort that has followed young Australians from birth since 2004. LSAC data were used to represent the three primary HOPE-PCEs domains (0-11 years) across four interrelated PCEs constructs: (1) positive parenting, (2) trusting and supportive relationships, (3) supportive neighbourhood and home learning environments, and (4) social engagement and enjoyment. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the proposed four-factor structure. Predictive validity was examined through associations with mental health problems and academic difficulties at 14-15 years.
RESULTS:
The four-factor structure was supported by empirical data at each time point. Higher exposure to PCEs across each domain was associated with lower reporting of mental health problems (β=-0.20 to -2.05) and academic difficulties (β=-0.01 to -0.13) in adolescence.
CONCLUSIONS:
The four LSAC-based HOPE-PCEs have sufficient internal coherence and predictive validity to offer a potentially useful way of conceptualizing and measuring PCEs in future cohort studies and intervention trials aiming to enhance understanding of, and mitigate the negative impacts of, adverse childhood experiences
Accelerometer and GPS Data to Analyze Built Environments and Physical Activity
Purpose: Most built environment studies have quantified characteristics of the areas around participants' homes. However, the environmental exposures for physical activity (PA) are spatially dynamic rather than static. Thus, merged accelerometer and global positioning system (GPS) data were utilized to estimate associations between the built environment and PA among adults. Methods: Participants (N = 142) were recruited on trails in Massachusetts and wore an accelerometer and GPS unit for 1-4 days. Two binary outcomes were created: moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA vs. light PA-to-sedentary); and light-to-vigorous PA (LVPA vs. sedentary). Five built environment variables were created within 50-meter buffers around GPS points: population density, street density, land use mix (LUM), greenness, and walkability index. Generalized linear mixed models were fit to examine associations between environmental variables and both outcomes, adjusting for demographic covariates. Results: Overall, in the fully adjusted models, greenness was positively associated with MVPA and LVPA (odds ratios [ORs] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03, 1.30 and 1.25, 95% CI = 1.12, 1.41, respectively). In contrast, street density and LUM were negatively associated with MVPA (ORs = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.67, 0.71 and 0.87, 95% CI = 0.78, 0.97, respectively) and LVPA (ORs = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.77, 0.81 and 0.81, 95% CI = 0.74, 0.90, respectively). Negative associations of population density and walkability with both outcomes reached statistical significance, yet the effect sizes were small. Conclusions: Concurrent monitoring of activity with accelerometers and GPS units allowed us to investigate relationships between objectively measured built environment around GPS points and minute-by-minute PA. Negative relationships between street density and LUM and PA contrast evidence from most built environment studies in adults. However, direct comparisons should be made with caution since most previous studies have focused on spatially fixed buffers around home locations, rather than the precise locations where PA occurs
Driving precision policy responses to child health and developmental inequities
The
growing evidence base on the extent of and opportunities to reduce inequities
in children’s health and development still lacks the specificity to inform
clear policy decisions. A new phase of research is needed that builds on
contemporary directions in precision medicine to develop precision policy
making; with the aim to redress child inequities. This would include
identifying effective interventions and their ideal time point(s), duration,
and intensity to maximise impact. Drawing on existing data sources and
innovations in epidemiology and biostatistics would be key. The economic and
social gains that could be achieved from reducing child inequities are immense.
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Elliptic curves of large rank and small conductor
For r=6,7,...,11 we find an elliptic curve E/Q of rank at least r and the
smallest conductor known, improving on the previous records by factors ranging
from 1.0136 (for r=6) to over 100 (for r=10 and r=11). We describe our search
methods, and tabulate, for each r=5,6,...,11, the five curves of lowest
conductor, and (except for r=11) also the five of lowest absolute discriminant,
that we found.Comment: 16 pages, including tables and one .eps figure; to appear in the
Proceedings of ANTS-6 (June 2004, Burlington, VT). Revised somewhat after
comments by J.Silverman on the previous draft, and again to get the correct
page break
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