Human embryonic stem cell research: an argument for national research review

The US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently published voluntary guidelines for human embryonic stem (hES) cell research. The NAS guidelines propose two levels of oversight. AT the local level, research institutions are to create Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight (ESCRO) committees with a mandate to assess the scientific merit and ethical acceptability of hES cell research. At the national level, a new committee is to be created, not to review specific research proposals, but rather to periodically assess, and as needed revise, the NAS guidelines. In this article, we critically assess this proposal. In particular, we review the benefits and limitations of local research review. On this basis, we argue that local review is insufficient for hES cell research and that while there are obvious pragmatic and political reasons for the NAS to favor local research review, there are more compelling reasons for the NAS to have recommended national review of hES cell research proposals.     

Subsequent child protection contact for a cohort of children reported to child protection prenatally in one Australian jurisdiction

Repeated reporting to child protection is common. One approach to early intervention is for jurisdictions to receive and respond to child protection concerns raised before children are born. Despite this, little research has comprehensively examined subsequent child protection contact for those first reported prenatally. This study aimed to examine the subsequent child protection contact for up to a two-year period for a cohort of children who were reported about prebirth. Child protection administrative data were extracted for 640 children reported for a concern about an unborn child in a single jurisdiction during 2014. Data about child protection contacts included reports, investigations, substantiations and out-of-home placements for children reported prenatally. Of the 640 children, 79% reported about prenatally also had contact with child protection between birth and age two. From birth and up to age two, children reported prenatally had between zero and 21 reports. Twenty-two per cent of the children reported prenatally were removed from their birth parents and placed in out-of-home care prior to age two. These findings highlight the importance of intervening and supporting families prior to and during pregnancy to reduce harm to children and reduce the need for contact with child protection.     

基于关系互动的品牌资产概念、维度与量表开发

基于消费者－品牌关系视角的品牌资产研究代表了品牌资产研究的新阶段,但目前还缺乏具有良好理论基础的测量模型和量表。以社会心理学人际关系发展理论为基础,界定基于关系互动的品牌资产概念和维度,建立测量模型;在系统分析已有研究的基础上,结合焦点小组访谈,开展大规模问卷调研,开发基于关系互动的品牌资产测量量表,利用信度分析、探索性因子分析和验证性因子分析方法对量表信度和效度进行检验。研究结果表明,基于关系互动的品牌资产量表具有良好的信度、内容效度、收敛效度和判别效度,该量表包含品牌个性、品牌互惠、品牌礼遇、关系地位和关系能量5个维度。研究结果为后续的实证研究提供了测量基础,同时也为品牌管理者提供了品牌资产评估工具。     

Giving HOPE and minimising trauma: An intervention to support women who are separated from their babies at birth due to safeguarding concerns

Whatever the circumstances, the separation of infants from their mothers at birth is a traumatic experience for all concerned. The paper reports on a study designed to improve practice in this highly sensitive area. An analysis of data collected through semi-structured interviews with 38 mothers who had experienced removal at birth identified four common themes: isolation and unacknowledged support needs; shame, stigma and the failure of others to acknowledge their maternal identity; acute trauma, immediate downturn and disenfranchised grief following infant removal; and strategies to mitigate their pain and grief. These last themes included the use of artefacts both as transitional objects to help mothers come to terms with the permanent loss of a baby, and as a means of keeping maternal identity alive and connecting with an infant who might eventually return home. In response to these findings, and in collaboration with a group of women with lived experience, HOPE boxes were designed to ameliorate the trauma and psychological burden borne by women in this situation. The contents of the boxes have been chosen to reflect the changing experiences of the women's journeys but also the range of possible potential outcomes. The intervention has considerable potential to minimise the trauma of this painful experience.     

How do you measure trust in social institutions and health professionals? A systematic review of the literature (2012–2021)

The importance of measuring trust in health systems has been accentuated due to its correlation with important health outcomes aimed at reducing COVID-19 transmission. A systematic review published almost a decade ago identified gaps in measures including the lack of focus on trust in systems, inconsistency regarding the dimensionality of trust and need for research to strengthen the validity of measures. Given developments in our understandings of trust since its publication, we sought to identify new scales developed, existing ones adapted in response to identified gaps, and agendas for future research. Using the PRISMA approach for systematic reviews, we conducted a search in four databases. A total of 26 articles were assessed. Twelve new scales were identified, while 14 were adapted for different settings and populations. Literature continues to focus on measuring trust in health professionals rather than systems. Various shortcomings were identified, including some articles not mentioning the dimensions included in the scale and suboptimal use of validity and reliability testing and/or reporting. Moreover, a variety of terms were used for dimensions. Future research is needed to address these gaps and consequently, to understand their correlation with health behaviors and outcomes more accurately.     

Alternative sensitivity analyses for regression estimates of treatment effects to unobserved confounding in binary and survival data

Statistical Methods & Applications - Estimates of treatment effects in non-experimental studies are subject to bias owing to unobserved confounding. It is desirable to assess the sensitivity of...     

The Maximum Throughput on a Golf Course

We develop stochastic models to help manage the pace of play on a conventional 18‐hole golf course. These models are for group play on each of the standard hole types: par‐3, par‐4, and par‐5. These models include the realistic feature that k−2 groups can be playing at the same time on a par‐k hole, but with precedence constraints. We also consider par‐3 holes with a “wave‐up” rule, which allows two groups to be playing simultaneously. We mathematically determine the maximum possible throughput on each hole under natural conditions. To do so, we analyze the associated fully loaded holes, in which new groups are always available to start when the opportunity arises. We characterize the stationary interval between the times successive groups clear the green on a fully loaded hole, showing how it depends on the stage playing times. The structure of that stationary interval evidently can be exploited to help manage the pace of play. The mean of that stationary interval is the reciprocal of the capacity. The bottleneck holes are the holes with the least capacity. The bottleneck capacity is then the capacity of the golf course as a whole.