A Survey In Network Economics: Spam Email, Internet Routing, Graphical Economics, and International Trade

A survey of current topics in network economics, a relatively new and growing field of research at the intersection of economics and network theory. Case studies in spam email, Internet routing, and graphical economics are presented as practical applications. A network economic analysis of international trade is also offered. Most of the current literature addresses a highly technical audience. This paper intends to bridge the gap by presenting network economics in language that will be familiar to students of economics

A study to explore the use of orbital remote sensing to determine native arid plant distribution

The author has identified the following significant results. It is possible to determine, from ERTS imagery, native arid plant distribution. Using techniques of multispectral masking and extensive fieldwork, three native vegetation communities were defined and mapped in the Avra Valley study area. A map was made of the Yuma area with the aid of ground truth correlations between areas of desert pavement visible on ERTS images and unique vegetation types. With the exception of the Yuma soil-vegetation correlation phenomena, only very gross differentiations of desert vegetation communities can be made from ERTS data. Vegetation communities with obvious vegetation density differences such as saguaro-paloverde, creosote bush, and riparian vegetation can be separated on the Avra Valley imagery while more similar communities such as creosote bush and saltbush could not be differentiated. It is suggested that large differences in vegetation density are needed before the signatures of two different vegetation types can be differentiated on ERTS imagery. This is due to the relatively insignificant contribution of vegetation to the total radiometric signature of a given desert scene. Where more detailed information concerning the vegetation of arid regions is required, large scale imagery is appropriate

A Systematic Literature Review of the Current State of Knowledge Related to Interventions for Bereaved Parents

Aims: The purpose of this systematic literature review is to describe the interventions for bereaved parents, evaluate intervention effectiveness through study methodology rigor, replicability, and theoretical foundations. Methods: We searched MEDLINE via PubMed (1966-2018), CINAHL (1937-present), PsycINFO (1887-present), and Embase (1947-present) using various search words and MeSH terms related to the study purpose. A blinded screening of title/abstract was performed, with conflicting inclusion decisions resolved through group discussions. Matrices for remaining articles were created and discussed among the team. The levels of evidence of the 9 records were rated from very low to high based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation guidelines. Results: Our initial pool included 1025 articles. After the screening of titles/abstracts, 63 articles were retained for full-text reviews. Evaluated based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 9 records met the review criteria. Of the 9 records, 1 was graded as very low, 3 low, and 5 low to moderate. The interventions for bereaved parents varied from using single-model interventions such as expressive arts therapy and telephone support to multimodal interventions that combined resources (ie, peer support, resource packets, and health-care support). Only 1 study explicitly illustrated how its bereavement intervention was designed based on the proposed theoretical model. Conclusions: This review highlights the need for individualized, well-tested, and effective bereavement care interventions to support bereaved parents. In summary, the state of the science on interventions for bereaved parents is poor and much work needs to be done to effectively address the needs of bereaved parents, including both their physical and emotional health needs

Family Adaptability and Cohesion Influences on Positive Health Outcomes for Adolescent and Young Adults Undergoing Stem Cell Transplant for Cancer

poster abstractStem cell transplant (SCT) is a physically and emotionally difficult experience for adolescents/young adults (AYA) with cancer. AYA undergoing SCT require high levels of support to deal with illness-related distress. Family adaptability and cohesion are key protective factors influencing AYA outcomes throughout the SCT treatment process. Research on the influences of family protective factors on SCT outcomes for AYA is minimal. Purposes of this secondary analysis are to: 1) longitudinally examine the trajectory of family adaptability/cohesion and well-being; 2) describe AYA perceived family adaptability/cohesion and well-being at each of 3 three time points; 3) describe relationships between adaptability, cohesion and well-being from each time point to all other subsequent time points; 4) examine the longitudinal influence of adaptability/cohesion on well-being. The Haase Resilience in Illness Model (RIM) that guides this study identifies two risk factors and five protective factors that influence resilience and quality of life outcomes. The study design was longitudinal, descriptive. The sample included 53 AYA, 11 to 24 years of age, undergoing SCT for cancer at 11 pediatric or adult hospitals. AYA completed measures on a secure web-based server immediately prior to, during, and 90 days post-SCT. The RIM-related variables family adaptability, cohesion, and well-being were measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES II) and Index of Well-Being (IWB). Descriptive and correlational statistics were used to analyze the data. We found that improvement in adaptability/cohesion is not strongly associated with improvement in well-being from T2 to T1 or T3 to T1, but is statistical significance when compared between T3 to T2. It is necessary to understand how family adaptability/cohesion influences AYA uncertainty and symptoms, coping, derived meaning of illness, and resilience, in order to develop effective family-focused interventions that foster resilience outcomes

Research in Palliative and End-of-Life Communication and Training (RESPECT) Center: Year 3 2012-2013

poster abstractThe mission of the Research in Palliative and End-of-Life Communication and Training (RESPECT) Center is to build a collaborative, interdisciplinary scientific community of researchers and clinicians to work together to advance the science of communication in palliative and end-of-life care across the lifespan. Center Goals: • Accelerate the development of innovative descriptive and intervention research trials relevant to communication and decision-making in children, adolescents, adults, and elders with serious and/or life-threatening illness • Develop new community partnerships for translational science to enhance palliative and end-of-life care research and practice • Create mentorship opportunities for developing scholars who will become the next generation of productive, passionate palliative and end-of-life care researchers The RESPECT Center is comprised of 19 faculty, 3 post-doctoral trainees and 3 staff members. Faculty meet twice a month to review and provide feedback to support the development of ideas and submission of research grants. In the 2011-2012 funding year, RESPECT Center faculty submitted 11 grants and received over $7.9 million dollars in funding, representing an increase of 21 % from the previous year. Additionally, faculty collaborated on the dissemination of findings and published XX articles on palliative and end-of-life care. The Center’s Visiting Scholar Series has hosted visits by 7 nationally recognized experts to consult with faculty and share their expertise with the community. On March 1, 2013, the RESPECT Center hosted a one-day statewide conference to bring together researchers and clinicians in Carmel, Indiana. The conference entitled, Translating Research into Best Practice: Improving Palliative and End-of-life Care, was attended by approximately 150 participants from 45 organizations. Finally, the RESPECT Center awarded 5 pilot study grants to help researchers develop critically important pilot data and continues to mentor developing scholars interested in the science of communication in palliative and end-of-life care

Parental Experiences of Child Participation in a Phase I Pediatric Oncology Clinical Trial: "We Don't Have Time to Waste"

Children with cancer are only eligible for phase I clinical trials (P1Ts) when no known curative therapy remains. However, the primary aims of P1Ts are not focused on directly benefiting participants. This raises ethical concerns that can be best evaluated by exploring the experiences of participants. An empirical phenomenology study, using an adapted Colaizzi method, was conducted of 11 parents' lived experiences of their child's participation in a pediatric oncology P1T. Study findings were that parents' experiences reflected what it meant to have a child fighting to survive high-risk cancer. Although elements specific to P1T participation were identified, more pervasive was parents' sense of running out of time to find an effective treatment and needing to use time they had with their child well. Even though some problems were identified, overall parents did not regret their child's P1T participation and would recommend P1Ts to other parents of children with cancer

Bristol girls dance project feasibility study: Using a pilot economic evaluation to inform design of a full trial

Background: There is currently little guidance for pilot trial economic evaluation where health outcomes and costs are influenced by a range of wider determinants and factors. Objectives: This article presents the findings of a pilot economic evaluation study running alongside the Bristol Girls Dance Project (BGDP) feasibility study. Design: 3-arm, cluster randomised, controlled pilot trial and economic evaluation. 7 schools (n=210) from the Bristol and greater Bristol area, UK were randomly allocated to the intervention arm 3 schools (n=90) and the control arm 4 schools (n=120). Intervention: Girls aged 11-12 years with parental consent were provided with two, 90 min dance sessions per week for 9 weeks at school facilities. Economic outcome measures: Programme costs and girls' preferences for attributes of dance and preferences for competing leisure time activities were measured. Results: The mainstream average cost of the BGDP programme (not including research, control and dance teacher training costs) per school was $2126.40, £1329 and €1555 and per participant was$70.90, £44.31 and €51.84 in 2010-2011 prices. Discrete choice experiment (DCE) methods are acceptable to girls of this age indicating time available for other leisure activities on dance class days is the attribute girls valued most and 2 h leisure time remaining preferred to 3 h. Conclusions: This pilot study indicates that providing full cost data for a future trial of the BGDP programme is feasible and practical. There is no evidence from preference data to support adjustment to intervention design. A future economic evaluation is likely to be successful utilising the resource use checklist developed. The importance of categorising separately resources used to develop, prepare, deliver and maintain the programme to estimate mainstream costs accurately is demonstrated

Recent Transits of the Super-Earth Exoplanet GJ 1214b

We report recent ground-based photometry of the transiting super-Earth exoplanet GJ1214b at several wavelengths, including the infrared near 1.25 microns (J-band). We observed a J-band transit with the FLAMINGOS infrared imager and the 2.1-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, and we observed several optical transits using a 0.5-meter telescope on Kitt Peak and the 0.36-meter Universidad de Monterrey Observatory telescope. Our high-precision J-band observations exploit the brightness of the M-dwarf host star at this infrared wavelength as compared to the optical, as well as being significantly less affected by stellar activity and limb darkening. We fit the J-band transit to obtain an independent determination of the planetary and stellar radii. Our radius for the planet (2.61^+0.30_-0.11 Earth radii) is in excellent agreement with the discovery value reported by Charbonneau et al. based on optical data. We demonstrate that the planetary radius is insensitive to degeneracies in the fitting process. We use all of our observations to improve the transit ephemeris, finding P=1.5804043 +/- 0.0000005 days, and T0=2454964.94390 +/- 0.00006 BJD.Comment: Accepted for ApJ Letters, 7 pages, 3 Figures, 2 Table