Back to basics: explaining sample size in outcome trials,are statisticians doing a thorough job?

Time to event outcome trials in clinical research are typically large, expensive and high‐profile affairs. Such trials are commonplace in oncology and cardiovascular therapeutic areas but are also seen in other areas such as respiratory in indications like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Their progress is closely monitored and results are often eagerly awaited. Once available, the top line result is often big news, at least within the therapeutic area in which it was conducted, and the data are subsequently fully scrutinized in a series of high‐profile publications. In such circumstances, the statistician has a vital role to play in the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of the trial. In particular, in drug development it is incumbent on the statistician to ensure at the outset that the sizing of the trial is fully appreciated by their medical, and other non‐statistical, drug development team colleagues and that the risk of delivering a statistically significant but clinically unpersuasive result is minimized. The statistician also has a key role in advising the team when, early in the life of an outcomes trial, a lower than anticipated event rate appears to be emerging. This paper highlights some of the important features relating to outcome trial sample sizing and makes a number of simple recommendations aimed at ensuring a better, common understanding of the interplay between sample size and power and the final result required to provide a statistically positive and clinically persuasive outcome. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Equivocating on reconciliation

This critical discourse analysis of welfare workers' responses to reconciliation demonstrates the ways in which language operates to maintain Indigenous people's disenfranchisement and oppression within the Australian polity. It cautions against welfare personnel assuming more liberation within their ranks than found within general society.     

Workplace Crisis Intervention

Summary

The workplace, where adults spend about one-third of their lives, would seem an ideal place from which to promote health and respond to crisis. This paper employs a systematic statistical review of experimental and quasi-experimental research on workplace-based crisis intervention programs. Nine studies were identified that met inclusion criteria for further analysis. Results suggest that the workplace can be a useful platform from which to provide crisis intervention programs.     

The Trouble With Triumph: Discourses of Governmentality in Mainstream Media Representations of Urban Youth

The Assets Coming Together for Youth project conducted a critical discourse analysis of mainstream media depictions of Jane-Finch to better understand the discursive strategies used to constitute urban youth. Although a substantive body of literature investigates the negative discourses, little analysis interrogates the nominally positive discourses deployed by mainstream media. The findings suggest that the sociopolitical significance of these nominally positive discourses may go uncontested and pose a challenge to communities advocating for policies to support urban youth development. These discourses are examined using governmentality theory to reveal how racialized narratives of individual triumph re/produce troubled communities.     

Narrative social work: conversations between theory and practice

This paper begins by reviewing the current situation in social work practice. It is contended that much of the literature around social work consists of diverse models of practice that urge social workers to take up various theoretical positions. Equally, social workers are often encouraged to listen to the views of service users. In this complexity, it is often difficult for social workers to know which approach to take. This paper goes on to propose a narrative-based approach to social work practice. Narrative social work is defined as a conversation between theory and practice, which can lead to development in both social workers and service users. An example from the lead author's practice is used to outline the model in action. The paper concludes with some comments about the values inherent in narrative based social work.     

高校经济性腐败临界行为及机理研究

教育腐败危及公平和社会公信力，目前，高校腐败已经成为整个社会关注的热点。文章以博弈经济学的视角，分析了高校监督者和高校从业者之间的博弈关系，揭示了高校经济性腐败的临界行为，研究表明，高校从业者临界收益与监督概率、从业者收入、贴现因子及从业者任期正相关，与从业者风险好恶系数负相关，高校监督者临界监督成本与背德未被发现时收益、从业者收入、背德概率、贴现因子及从业者任期正相关，与监督者风险好恶系数负相关，在此基础上，提出应采取选择品德高尚的高校从业者、提高腐败成本、建立有效的监督和激励机制等预防高校腐败的措施。     

意识的强化与中日比较文学研究的再发展

中日文学比较研究首先必须强化理论意识 ,突破实证研究的终点 ,把一种“事实”的证明上升为“意义”的阐释 ,“事实———异同———原因———模式”研究思路才是文学关系研究的完整过程。其次 ,在意义研究中必须强化批判意识 ,确立文化的现代化价值取向。中国在东方文化价值论面前必须保持足够的清醒 :当年“东亚一系”、“同文同种”的文化逻辑最终走向了“大东亚共存共荣“的政治逻辑。第三 ,比较文学的思想本质是对民族主义的超越 ,应强化人类意识 ,以促进文学与思想的世界视野的形成     

印度诗学阐释方法

印度诗学阐释方法和印度诗学一样充满异质性,很具研究价值."神谕天启"和"析例相随"是其两大基本形式.二者互相作用,形成了印度诗学阐释方法的"尊神重析"的风格特征.印度诗学阐释方法,是在特定的历史文化环境中生成和发展的,它的旺盛的生命力向人们昭示其生成和发展充满必然性和合理性.