Parametric relative survival regression using generalized linear models with application to Hodgkin's lymphoma

Changes in survival rates during 1940–1992 for patients with Hodgkin's disease are studied by using population-based data. The aim of the analysis is to identify when the breakthrough in clinical trials of chemotherapy treatments started to increase population survival rates, and to find how long it took for the increase to level off, indicating that the full population effect of the breakthrough had been realized. A Weibull relative survival model is used because the model parameters are easily interpretable when assessing the effect of advances in clinical trials. However, the methods apply to any relative survival model that falls within the generalized linear models framework. The model is fitted by using modifications of existing software (SAS, GLIM) and profile likelihood methods. The results are similar to those from a cause-specific analysis of the data by Feuer and co-workers. Survival started to improve around the time that a major chemotherapy breakthrough (nitrogen mustard, Oncovin, prednisone and procarbazine) was publicized in the mid 1960s but did not level off for 11 years. For the analysis of data where the cause of death is obtained from death certificates, the relative survival approach has the advantage of providing the necessary adjustment for expected mortality from causes other than the disease without requiring information on the causes of death.     

Examining the 100‐Year Floodplain as a Metric of Risk,Loss, and Household Adjustment

An understudied, but central aspect in understanding flood impacts is the way we conceptualize, identify, and delineate risk. The 100‐year floodplain is the longstanding metric in the United States for determining and acting upon the possibility of an area being inundated. This spatial delineation guides local planning and development decisions, triggers insurance purchases and other household adjustments, and serves as the fundamental indicator for whether it is safe to build a structure on a particular site. However, increasing evidence suggests that the 100‐year floodplain is neither accurate nor sufficient in guiding communities and household decisions to mitigate the adverse economic impacts of floods. In this perspective, we examine the effectiveness of the 100‐year floodplain as an appropriate marker of risk. First, we review existing studies on location and flood damage. Next, we apply these concepts to repetitive flood losses data in Harris County, Texas. We conclude that the apparent inability of the floodplain designation to effectively capture the likelihood of property damage and potential loss of human life in coastal areas has left potentially millions of property owners unaware of the flood risk and unprepared to mitigate their adverse impacts. Relying on traditional 100‐year floodplain boundaries, local decision makers are hampered in their ability to ensure community development occurs in a resilient manner. Finally, we set forth an agenda for future research to better capture the conditions associated with flood risk and account for the large percentage of damage outside the designated floodplain.     

Urbanization homogenizes the interactions of plant-frugivore bird networks

Urban Ecosystems - Anthropogenic activities are the main cause of habitat loss and fragmentation, which directly affects biodiversity. Disruption in landscape connectivity among populations may...     

ISOLATED IN A TECHNOLOGICALLY CONNECTED WORLD?: Changes in the Core Professional Ties of Female Researchers in Ghana,Kenya, and Kerala,India

Using panel data gathered across two waves (2001 and 2005) from researchers in Ghana, Kenya, and Kerala, India, we examine three questions: (1) To what extent do gender differences exist in the core professional networks of scientists in low‐income areas? (2) How do gender differences shift over time? (3) Does use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) mediate the relationship between gender and core network composition? Our results indicate that over a period marked by dramatic increases in access to and use of various ICTs, the composition and size of female researchers core professional ties have either not changed significantly or have changed in an unexpected direction. Indeed, the size of women's ties are retracting over time rather than expanding.     

Horizontal plane sound source localization and auditory enhancement

Accurate sound source localization has advantages for the performance of work by humans. The ability to accurately localize sound sources contributes to perception, decision making and task performance. Two studies were conducted to investigate the prevalence of accurate sound source localization and the enhancement that spatially separated sound source locations can have on speech perception. The first study was conducted to characterize the ability to detect the location of horizontal plane sound sources. A sample of 117 participants with the hearing capacity within the normal limits participated in the study. The results indicated that sound sources located towards the front of the participant were identified more frequently than those sound sources located towards the rear positions. Based on the results found in the first study, a second study was conducted to assess performance within a listening task. Three different spatial configurations were used to assess if similar trends in performance translated to sound sources through headphones. Fifteen research participants performed a Coordinated Response Measure (CRM) task requiring the identification of a speech phrase and its associated information for a diotic configuration and two different spatial sound source configurations. Performance measured for the diotic configuration was significantly (p(0.05) less than for the two spatial configurations. The current studies indicate distinct advantages of utilizing localized sound sources to present auditory signal and speech to listeners.     

An Iterative Choice Approach to Valuing Clean Lakes,Rivers, and Streams

This article introduces an iterative choice procedure for valuing inland water quality. This approach breaks up the valuation into a series of component tasks. The water quality ladder approach is not valid empirically. Consequently, respondents in Colorado and North Carolina assessed the value of making water quality rated good by EPA, which has a value of $22.40 per additional percent improvement. Nonuse and probabilistic use are highly valued. The results also indicate how water quality valuations differ for aquatic environment, edible fish, and swimming, as well as for water that is cloudy, smelly, or polluted by toxics. Minorities are particularly likely to rely upon monitorable water quality attributes.     

Perceptions of preparedness to assist elders with end-of-life care preferences

Using a systematic sample of Florida licensed clinical social workers (N = 272), this study found that respondents perceived themselves capable of assisting elders with end-of-life care decisions and considered themselves moderately knowledgeable of resources available to elder clients. Respondents indicated slightly positive attitudes for work with elders and elders with Alzheimer's disease, and most respondents believed that elders should have the right of physician-assisted suicide. Using multivariate analysis, four predictor variables were identified that account for 61.3% of the adjusted variance of the dependent variable of preparedness to assist elders with end-of-life care preferences. These predictor variables were (a) knowledge of resources available to elders, (b) desirability of working with elders, (c) desirability of working with elders with Alzheimer's disease, and (d) attitude toward assisted suicide.     

What Do You Mean My Child Is in Custody? A Qualitative Study of Parental Response to the Detention of Their Child

This qualitative study involved in-depth interviews with 11 parents whose children had been taken into custody. The initial reactions and responses of the parents to the detention of their children were examined, as well as these parents' thoughts and feelings about theprocess and their involvement in the juvenile justice system. The following major themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) feeling frustrated and confused, (b) a perception of the system as being fair, (c) the juvenile system assuming a parental role, and (d) the influence of detention on family dynamics. Findings highlight the personal experiences of the parents as they attempted to navigate the juvenile justice system.