Pathway to Successful Young Adulthood

The Pathway to Successful Young Adulthood assembles a wealth of findings from research, practice, theory, and policy about what it takes to improve the lives of children, youth and families, particularly those living in tough neighborhoods. By laying out a comprehensive, coherent array of actions, the Pathway informs efforts to improve community conditions within supportive policy and funding contexts. The Pathways framework does not promote a single formula or program. Rather, our emphasis is on acting strategically across disciplines, systems, and jurisdictions to increase the number of young people who make a successful transition to young adulthood. The Pathway provides a starting point to guide choices made by community coalitions, services providers, researchers, funders, and policymakers to achieve desired outcomes for young people and their families

Dipeptidyl peptidase-1 inhibition in patients hospitalised with COVID-19: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial

Background Neutrophil serine proteases are involved in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and increased serine protease activity has been reported in severe and fatal infection. We investigated whether brensocatib, an inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase-1 (DPP-1; an enzyme responsible for the activation of neutrophil serine proteases), would improve outcomes in patients hospitalised with COVID-19. Methods In a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial, across 14 hospitals in the UK, patients aged 16 years and older who were hospitalised with COVID-19 and had at least one risk factor for severe disease were randomly assigned 1:1, within 96 h of hospital admission, to once-daily brensocatib 25 mg or placebo orally for 28 days. Patients were randomly assigned via a central web-based randomisation system (TruST). Randomisation was stratified by site and age (65 years or ≥65 years), and within each stratum, blocks were of random sizes of two, four, or six patients. Participants in both groups continued to receive other therapies required to manage their condition. Participants, study staff, and investigators were masked to the study assignment. The primary outcome was the 7-point WHO ordinal scale for clinical status at day 29 after random assignment. The intention-to-treat population included all patients who were randomly assigned and met the enrolment criteria. The safety population included all participants who received at least one dose of study medication. This study was registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN30564012. Findings Between June 5, 2020, and Jan 25, 2021, 406 patients were randomly assigned to brensocatib or placebo; 192 (47·3%) to the brensocatib group and 214 (52·7%) to the placebo group. Two participants were excluded after being randomly assigned in the brensocatib group (214 patients included in the placebo group and 190 included in the brensocatib group in the intention-to-treat population). Primary outcome data was unavailable for six patients (three in the brensocatib group and three in the placebo group). Patients in the brensocatib group had worse clinical status at day 29 after being randomly assigned than those in the placebo group (adjusted odds ratio 0·72 [95% CI 0·57–0·92]). Prespecified subgroup analyses of the primary outcome supported the primary results. 185 participants reported at least one adverse event; 99 (46%) in the placebo group and 86 (45%) in the brensocatib group. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal disorders and infections. One death in the placebo group was judged as possibly related to study drug. Interpretation Brensocatib treatment did not improve clinical status at day 29 in patients hospitalised with COVID-19

Education and Poverty Trap

An overlapping generations models is constructed in which individual wealth is related to educational attainment, and in which liquidity constraints may induce children to invest in a sub-optimal level of education given their ability. Borrowing for educational attainment is obtained from within the family. Abilities differs among children and may be related to parental ability. Stationary state equilibria are found to exist in which children of poorer families are caught in a poverty trap because of an inability to finance their education. The role of redistributive policy is studied in this context.

Volunteer work and club size: Nash equilibrium and optimality

The non-cooperative provision of public goods is analysed in the context of a two-stage game in which club size is determined endogenously. Equilibrium club size and voluntary labour supply are shown to be inefficient. The impact of optimally-chosen fiscal policies using simple instruments is studied. When agents do not derive nonpecuniary benefits from volunteer work, lump-sum grants can be used to implement the first-best equal treatment allocation but private provision is fully crowded out. Otherwise, it is found that simple fiscal instruments cannot implement the first-best equal-treatment allocation unless club size is directly regulated.

Education and the poverty trap

An overlapping generations model is constructed in which individual wealth is related to educational attainment, and in which liquidity constraints my induce children to invest in a sub-optimal level of education given their ability. Borrowing for educational attainment is obtained from within the family. Abilities differ among children and may be related to parental ability. Stationary state equilibria are found to exist in which children of poorer families are caught in a poverty trap because of an inability of finance their education. The role of redistributive policy is studied in this context.

Développement d’un biochar favorable à l’établissement d’une microflore bénéfique chez la tomate et le poivron cultivés en serres

Le but de ce travail était de déterminer comment l’amendement d’un substrat de serre avec différents taux de biochars influence l’activité biologique, la biomasse microbienne, l’émission des gaz à effet de serre et le rendement de la tomate et du poivron de serre. L’effet du biochar sur l’utilisation de l’eau et des engrais lors de la production de ces deux cultures a aussi été étudié. Dans ce travail quatre biochars ont été fabriqués à partir de saule et d’écorce d’érable soumis à des températures de pyrolyse variant de 400°C à 700°C. Un biochar vendu commercialement au Colorado, préparé à partir de pin à 700°C, a aussi été utilisé. Ces biochars ont été utilisés dans des études d’incubations en laboratoire, mais aussi en serre dans deux essais de production avec la tomate et le poivron.Faculté des sciences de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation de l’Université Lava

Validity of Administrative Databases in Comparison to Medical Charts for Breast Cancer Treatment Data

Objective. Medical chart abstraction is the gold standard for collecting breast cancer treatment data for monitoring and research. A less costly alternative is the use of administrative databases. This study will evaluate administrative data in comparison to medical charts for breast cancer treatment information. Study Design and Setting. A retrospective cohort design identified 2,401 women in the Ontario Breast Screening Program diagnosed with invasive breast cancer from 2006 to 2009. Treatment data were obtained from the Activity Level Reporting and Canadian Institute of Health Information databases. Medical charts were abstracted at cancer centres. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and kappa were calculated for receipt and type of treatment, and agreement was assessed for dates. Logistic regression evaluated factors influencing agreement. Results. Sensitivity and specificity for receipt of radiotherapy (92.0%, 99.3%), chemotherapy (77.7%, 99.2%), and surgery (95.8%, 100%) were high but decreased slightly for specific radiotherapy anatomic locations, chemotherapy protocols, and surgeries. Agreement increased by radiotherapy year (trend test, p<0.0001). Stage II/III compared to stage I cancer decreased odds of agreement for chemotherapy (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.48–0.91) and increased agreement for partial mastectomy (OR = 3.36, 95% CI: 2.27–4.99). Exact agreement in treatment dates varied from 83.0% to 96.5%. Conclusion. Administrative data can be accurately utilized for future breast cancer treatment studies