The Diversification and the Privatization of the Sources of Retirement Income in Canada

Recent labour market developments in the context of population ageing have generated many changes concerning sources of retirement income. More precisely, this paper, which is based on two Statistics Canada surveys (Survey of Consumer Finances and Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics,) will look at the processes of diversification and privatisation of income sources of Canada’s retirees during the period 1980-2002. This study has used the concept of individualized income based on the economic family in order to consider economies of scale and revenue sharing. An appropriate assessment of the composition of retirement income sources has been realized, while discerning five distinct categories: net government transfer payments, CPP/QPP benefits, private pensions, investment income and employment income. The situation of older women living alone and of older immigrants has been more carefully analyzed in order to detect some particularities among those two vulnerable groups. The results of this study demonstrate that retirees’ income composition has undergone many changes. In addition, sources of retirement income have become substantially more diversified and privatized during the period under study. These adjustments are becoming essential in western societies in order to overcome the obstacles caused by population ageing that could disrupt pension systems.Retirement, pensions, financial security, Canada

Preparation and characterization of benzoxazine based nanocomposites: comprehensive study in curing kinetics and enhanced thermal stabilities

Several bisphenol-A benzoxazine (BEN) based nanocomposites incorporated with several polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and clays, were prepared successfully. The influences of the nanofillers on curing kinetics, network formation, and thermal stability of the BEN were investigated comprehensively. The addition of the nanofillers showed different influence on curing kinetics of BEN. Furthermore, the incorporation of the nanofillers showed good improvement on thermal stability of BEN. An increase of 70 and 336°C at the onset and the half-life decomposition temperature were observed with the addition of 5 wt % 30B clay in nitrogen atmosphere. With the incorporation of 5 wt % POSS, the half-life of decomposition and char yield enhanced by 280°C and 13 wt % in nitrogen atmosphere. For the 4 wt % MWCNT-COOH/BEN nanocomposite, the half-life of decomposition and char yield at 800°C increased by 286°C and 14 wt % in nitrogen atmosphere, respectively

How effective is virtual reality technology in palliative care? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of virtual reality for people living with a terminal illness is unclear. AIM: To determine the feasibility and effectiveness of virtual reality use within a palliative care setting. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. PROSPERO (CRD42021240395). DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, AMED, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science were searched from inception to March 2021. Search terms included 'virtual reality' and 'palliative care'. Eligibility: (1) adult (>18 years old) with a terminal illness (2) at least one virtual reality session and (3) feasibility data and/or at least one patient outcome reported. The ROB-2 and ROBINS tools assessed risk of bias. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) tool assessed the quality of the evidence. Standardised mean differences (Hedges's g) were calculated from the pre- and post-data. A DerSimonian-Laird random effects model meta-analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Eight studies were included, of which five were in the meta-analysis. All studies had at least some concern for risk of bias. Virtual reality statistically significantly improved pain (p = 0.0363), tiredness (p = 0.0030), drowsiness (p = 0.0051), shortness of breath (p = 0.0284), depression (p = 0.0091) and psychological well-being (p = 0.0201). The quality of the evidence was graded as very low due to small sample sizes, non-randomisation methods and a lack of a comparator arm. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual reality in palliative care is feasible and acceptable. However, limited sample sizes and very low-quality studies mean that the efficacy of virtual reality needs further research

Influence of tissue absorption and scattering on the depth dependent sensitivity of Raman fiber probes investigated by Monte Carlo simulations

We present a Monte Carlo model, which we use to calculate the depth dependent sensitivity or sampling volume of different single fiber and multi-fiber Raman probes. A two-layer skin model is employed to investigate the dependency of the sampling volume on the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients in the near infrared wavelength range (NIR). The shape of the sampling volume is mainly determined by the scattering coefficient and the wavelength dependency of absorption and scattering has only a small effect on the sampling volume of a typical fingerprint spectrum. An increase in the sampling depth in nonmelanoma skin cancer, compared to normal skin, is obtained

Molecular characteristics of long-term epilepsy-associated tumours (LEATs) and mechanisms for tumour-related epilepsy (TRE)

Brain tumours are the second most common cause of seizures identified in epilepsy surgical series. While any tumour involving the brain has the potential to cause seizures, specific subtypes are more frequently associated with epilepsy. Tumour-related epilepsy has a profound impact on patients with brain tumours and these seizures are often refractory to anti-epileptic treatments, resulting in long-term disability and patient morbidity. Despite the drastic impact epilepsy-associated tumours have on patients, they have not traditionally enjoyed as much attention as more malignant neoplasms. However, recently a number of developments have been achieved towards furthering our understanding of the molecular and developmental backgrounds of specific epilepsy associated tumours. In addition, the past decade has seen an expansion in the literature on the pathophysiology of tumour-related epilepsy. In this review, we aim to summarise the mechanisms by which tumours may cause seizures and detail recent data regarding the pathogenesis of specific developmental epilepsy-associated tumours. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Fiber-optic Raman probe couples ball lens for depth-selected Raman measurements of epithelial tissue

In this study, we present a fiber-optic ball lens Raman probe design for improving depth-selected Raman measurements of epithelial tissue. The Monte Carlo simulation results show that tissue Raman collection efficiency can be improved by properly selecting the refractive index and the diameter of the ball lens for the Raman probe design and the depth-selectivity of Raman measurements can also be improved by either increasing the refractive index or reducing the diameter of the ball lens. An appropriate arrangement of the Raman probe-tissue distance can also optimize the collection efficiency for depth-resolved Raman measurements. Experimental evaluation of a ball lens Raman probe design on a two-layer tissue phantom confirms the potential of the ball lens Raman probe design for efficient depth-selected measurement on epithelial tissue. This work suggests that the fiber-optic Raman probe coupled with a ball lens can facilitate the depth-selected Raman measurements of epithelial tissue, which may improve the diagnosis of epithelial precancer and early cancer at the molecular level

A systematic review of using virtual reality technology in palliative care

Background: Virtual Reality (VR) has the potential to ease patient symptomatology but its efficacy is not known. Aim: A systematic review on the feasibility and effectiveness of VR intervention in a palliative care setting. Methods: Medline, Embase, AMED, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science were searched from inception up to March 2021. Studies that reported on the use of VR in an adult (over 18 years) palliative population were included. The ROB-2 (for RCTs) and ROBINS tools (for non-RCTs) were used to assess risk of bias. The GRADE tool assessed the quality of the evidence. The standardised mean differences were calculated from the pre- and post- data of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised (ESAS-r). A DerSimonian-Laird random effects model meta-analysis was conducted. Registered: PROSPERO (CRD42021240395, 03/03/2021) Results: 8 studies were included, 3 were included in the meta-analysis. All studies had at least some concern for risk of bias. 225 patients used the VR technology. Patient diagnoses included cancer (3/8; 37.5%), multiple (3/8; 37.5%), advanced heart disease (1/8; 12.5%), and dementia (1/8; 12.5%). 44% (97/219) were male; the mean age ranged from 47 to 85 (years). Recruitment was feasible and retention rates ranged between 55% and 100%. Overall, participants reported a positive experience with using VR and were happy to repeat the experience. Discomfort and technical issues were recorded in 4/7 studies (57%). The meta-analysis showed limited evidence for VR across the domains of the ESAS-r. The quality of the evidence was rated as low to very low. Conclusions: VR in palliative care is feasible and has varying acceptability. Limited sample sizes and low-quality studies mean that the efficacy of VR is difficult to draw definitive conclusions on. Existing studies provide valuable insights and guidance into how to set up VR in clinical practice settings and the challenges to expect

How effective is virtual reality technology in palliative care? A systematic review and meta-analysis

How effective is virtual reality technology in palliative care? A systematic review and meta-analysis Show all authors Jiping Mo, Victoria Vickerstaff, Ollie Minton, ... First Published May 30, 2022 Review Article https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163221099584 Article information Article has an altmetric score of 17 No Access Article Information Article first published online: May 30, 2022 Jiping Mo1, Victoria Vickerstaff2, 3, Ollie Minton4, Simon Tavabie5, Mark Taubert6, 7, Patrick Stone2, Nicola White2 1UCL Division of Psychiatry, London, UK 2Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, UCL Division of Psychiatry, London, UK 3Priment Clinical Trials Unit, Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London (UCL), London, UK 4Sussex Cancer Centre University Hospitals, Sussex, UK 5St Joseph’s Hospice, Hackney, UK 6Palliative Medicine, Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, UK 7Palliative Care, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK Corresponding Author: Nicola White, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, UCL Division of Psychiatry, 6th Floor, Wing B, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK. Email: [email protected] Abstract Background: The efficacy of virtual reality for people living with a terminal illness is unclear. Aim: To determine the feasibility and effectiveness of virtual reality use within a palliative care setting. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. PROSPERO (CRD42021240395). Data sources: Medline, Embase, AMED, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science were searched from inception to March 2021. Search terms included ‘virtual reality’ and ‘palliative care’. Eligibility: (1) adult (>18 years old) with a terminal illness (2) at least one virtual reality session and (3) feasibility data and/or at least one patient outcome reported. The ROB-2 and ROBINS tools assessed risk of bias. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) tool assessed the quality of the evidence. Standardised mean differences (Hedges’s g) were calculated from the pre- and post-data. A DerSimonian-Laird random effects model meta-analysis was conducted. Results: Eight studies were included, of which five were in the meta-analysis. All studies had at least some concern for risk of bias. Virtual reality statistically significantly improved pain (p = 0.0363), tiredness (p = 0.0030), drowsiness (p = 0.0051), shortness of breath (p = 0.0284), depression (p = 0.0091) and psychological well-being (p = 0.0201). The quality of the evidence was graded as very low due to small sample sizes, non-randomisation methods and a lack of a comparator arm. Conclusions: Virtual reality in palliative care is feasible and acceptable. However, limited sample sizes and very low-quality studies mean that the efficacy of virtual reality needs further research

7 Virtual reality in palliative care: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Virtual Reality (VR) has the potential to alleviate common mental and physical health symptoms at the end-of-life. There is limited data on the efficacy of VR in palliative care. Aims To review the feasibility and effectiveness of VR intervention within a palliative care setting. Method Medline, Embase, AMED, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science were searched from inception up to March 2021. Studies that reported on the use of VR in an adult (over 18 years) palliative population were included. The ROB-2 (for RCTs) and ROBINS tools (for non-RCTs) were used to assess risk of bias. The GRADE tool assessed the quality of the evidence. Data regarding feasibility, acceptability, and changes of psychological and physical symptoms of palliative care patients were extracted. Standardised mean differences (Hedges’ g) were calculated from the pre- post data reported on patient outcomes. A DerSimonian-Laird random effects model meta-analysis was conducted. PROSPERO (CRD42021240395, 03/03/2021) Results 524 studies were identified; 8 studies were included, 5 were included in the meta-analysis. All studies had at least some concern for risk of bias. 44% (97/219) of patients were male; the mean age ranged from 47 to 85 (years). Recruitment was feasible and retention rates ranged between 55% and 100%. Discomfort and technical issues were recorded in 4/7 studies (57%) but overall, participants reported a positive experience. The meta-analysis showed VR statistically significantly improved pain (p=0.0363), tiredness (p=0.0030), drowsiness (p=0.0051), shortness of breath (p=0.0284), depression (p=0.0091), and psychological well-being (p=0.0201). The quality of the evidence was graded as low to very low. Conclusion VR in palliative care is feasible and acceptable. Larger trials with a control arm are needed. Impact VR could be an adjuvant non-pharmacological therapy for symptoms such as anxiety, pain, or depression. Higher quality studies are needed to inform clinical recommendations