Declaring Conflict of Interest – Current State of Affairs in the Ophthalmic Literature

The importance of transparency with financial ties in biomedical research is widely recognized, and most peer-reviewed journals require declarations of Conflicts of Interest (COI). Nonetheless, variability in the consistency of declarations of COI has been sparsely assessed. To assess consistency and rates of COI declarations in the ophthalmic literature and the effectiveness of journal COI policies. We analyzed consistency and completeness of declaration of COI in the ophthalmic literature and compared the levels of completeness to specific journal requirements. Six-hundred forty-two peer reviewed articles satisfied the inclusion criteria. In 64%, COIs were unreported, in 25% declaration of COI was incomplete, and 11% of the articles reviewed had complete declaration of COI. Of the 33 journals in which the most frequently published authors’ articles appeared, 10 required the authors to complete the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) form or an equivalent form, but this did not affect the rates of COI declaration. In a random sampling of the most frequently published authors in the field of ophthalmology, declaration of COI was low and highly inconsistent. Requiring a standardized COI form has no significant effect on the rate of accurate COI reporting. Our findings lend support to the growing body of literature that shows that journals and editors may need to take a more active role in ensuring accurate and consistent COI reporting.     

Challenges and Strategies for Conducting Program-Based Research in After-School Settings

Findings from children and youth who participated in structured after-school interventions in four urban public housing communities are used to illustrate the complexities of conducting program-based research in after-school settings. Findings from four field investigations reveal the importance of family support, reading skills, parent involvement, and positive peers in engaging youth in services, developing academic skills and avoiding involvement in problem behavior. Challenges in conducting program-based research and lessons learned from each of the four studies are discussed in the context of social work practice and after-school programming for at-risk children and youth.     

Nursing home deficiency citations for safety

Deficiency citations for safety violations in U.S. nursing homes from 2000 to 2007 are examined (representing a panel of 119,472 observations). Internal (i.e., operating characteristics of the facility), organizational factors (i.e., characteristics of the facility itself), and external factors (i.e., characteristics outside of the influence of the organization) associated with these deficiency citations are examined. The findings show that nursing homes increasingly receive deficiency citations for resident safety issues. Low staffing levels, poor quality of care, and an unfavorable Medicaid mix (occupancy and reimbursement) are associated with the likelihood of receiving deficiency citations for safety violations. In many cases, this likely influences the quality of life and quality of care of residents.     

From recognition to support: Community development workers in the United Kingdom

This paper discusses the main findings of a major survey ofUK community development workers. The authors also point tosome serious weaknesses facing the community development professionin the United Kingdom that are preventing it from gaining greaterrecognition. Following a review of community development inthe United Kingdom in recent years, its activities and strategiccontexts, the paper highlights three key themes: occupationalinstability and employment, equality issues, training and support.Given the UK policy context, in which considerable emphasisis being given to the importance of involving communities, thearticle argues that policymakers and community development organizationshave a responsibility to find ways of ensuring that the knowledge,skills, and techniques of community development are better understoodand supported.     

Media Exposure, Aggression and Prosocial Behavior During Early Childhood: A Longitudinal Study

Preschool children (N = 78) enrolled in multi‐informant, multi‐method longitudinal study were participants in a study designed to investigate the role of media exposure (i.e., violent and educational) on concurrent and future aggressive and prosocial behavior. Specifically, the amount of media exposure and the nature of the content was used to predict concurrent and future physical, verbal and relational aggression as well as prosocial behavior for girls and boys. This two‐year longitudinal study found that media exposure predicted various subtypes of aggression and prosocial behavior. These findings are qualified by the gender of the focal child. That is, parental reports of media exposure were associated with relational aggression for girls and physical aggression for boys at school. Ways in which these findings extend our understanding of the role of media during early childhood are discussed.     

A Non-Gaussian Spatial Process Model for Opacity of Flocculated Paper

ABSTRACT.  Product quality in the paper-making industry can be assessed by opacity of a linear trace through continuous production sheets, summarized in spectral form. We adopt a class of non-Gaussian stochastic models for continuous spatial variation to describe data of this type. The model has flexible covariance structure, physically interpretable parameters and allows several scales of variation for the underlying process. We derive the spectral properties of the model, and develop methods of parameter estimation based on maximum likelihood in the frequency domain. The methods are illustrated using sample data from a UK mill.     

Modelling conditional distributions in bivariate survival

Conditional distributions for bivariate survival can be obtained via a model for the joint distribution, or, as has sometimes been suggested, by modelling the conditioned variable directly, with the conditioning variable included as a covariate. A quantitative comparison of estimated covariate effects and predictive distributions under the two approaches is given. The results are illustrated in a novel frailty application.     

An integrated approach for manpower planning in the service sector

The manpower planning problem receives considerable attention by the management of service organizations because they are typically labor intensive. Not only must optimal staff sizes be determined over an extended horizon, but optimal staff schedules which assign labor to tours of duty and specific tasks, given the available staff size, must also be found. Adding to the complexity arising from the interrelatedness of the staff-sizing and staff-scheduling problems is the existence of the conflicting multiple objectives of minimizing costs and maximizing customer service. The few methodologies reported in the literature which treat the complete manpower planning problem as stated above have several shortcomings. Some techniques place a severe strain on computational capabilities. Also, these methods confound the specification of the goal levels with the analysis of the relative goal weightings. Often the specification of the desired goal levels is made at a different level in the organizational hierarchy than the specification of the relative importance of the various goals. This paper suggests an approach which overcomes these shortcomings. The methodology utilizes a simulation model with an imbedded heuristic procedure for the staff-scheduling problem to identify realistic aggregate staff-size goals to be used in a multiple-objective staff-sizing model. The methodology is applied to the manpower planning problem of a large sectional center post office and the managerial benefits are discussed.     

The advantages and limitations of seeking sex online: a comparison of reasons given for online and offline sexual liaisons by men who have sex with men

The Internet has developed as a major site for sexual activity, both cybersex and for making contacts for sex in real life (IRL). As part of a major study of HIV-risk behavior on the Internet and IRL , we obtained on-line responses from 1,017 Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) in the U.S. Open-ended questions solicited responses regarding whether respondents preferred to meet sexual partners first IRL (48.4%), on the Internet (31.6%), or "it depends" (20%), and "why?". Data were analyzed by theme, with themes grouped into overarching domains. Data indicate that for those preferring the Internet, themes represented were ease of Internet use, its advantages for people who were shy, and its anonymity, safety, the excitement and opportunity for experimentation of Internet contact, ability to avoid interpersonal contact, and control of visuals and the environment. Reasons for preferring meeting IRL included some of the same themes, but emphasizing the importance of a "real presence" and the possibility to build a relationship. Where "it depends", key themes were contextual: mood, time, setting, alcohol and drug use, sexual needs and urgency, and relationship intentions. Antagonistic advantages were often noted for cybersex and IRL. These data suggest that motivations for making Internet sexual contact in MSM are complex, depend on the context and nature of the relationship sought, and that the Internet has allowed the development of a class of sexual contacts located between IRL and fantasy.