大数据的整合分析方法

大数据具有数据来源差异性、高维性及稀疏性等特点,如何挖掘数据集间的异质性和共同性并降维去噪是大数据分析的目标与挑战之一。整合分析（Integrative Analysis）同时分析多个独立数据集,避免因地域、时间等因素造成的样本差异而引起模型不稳定,是研究大数据差异性的有效方法。它的特点是将每个解释变量在所有数据集中的系数视为一组,通过惩罚函数对系数组进行压缩,研究变量间的关联性并实现降维。本文从同构数据整合分析、异构数据整合分析以及考虑网络结构的整合分析三方面梳理了惩罚整合分析方法的原理、算法和研究现状。统计模拟发现,在弱相关、一般相关和强相关三种情形下, Group Bridge、 Group MCP、Composite MCP都表现良好,其中 Group Bridge的假阳数最低且最稳定。最后,将整合分析用于研究具有来源差异性的新农合家庭医疗支出,以及具有超高维、小样本等大数据典型特征的癌症基因数据,得到了一些有意义的结论。     

Responding to the call: a conceptual model for kinship care assessment

Kinship care has become an important care option worldwide. However, in many jurisdictions, child welfare services use traditional foster care assessment systems. The assessment of the kinship home poses particular challenges. The initial assessment of the kinship home, enabling emergency placements, provides a child‐centred perspective. However, agencies frequently fail to meet the designated time frame for completion of the assessment/approval process. Such failures require the development of different conceptual models for kinship care service delivery, especially for assessments. This paper builds on earlier work on assessment models, drawing on the international literature and the author's involvement and research on kinship care in Ireland. The usability of the proposed model needs to be evaluated across different legislative, policy and practice contexts internationally.     

Estimating infant mortality in Colombia: some overdispersion modelling approaches

It is common to fit generalized linear models with binomial and Poisson responses, where the data show a variability that is greater than the theoretical variability assumed by the model. This phenomenon, known as overdispersion, may spoil inferences about the model by considering significant parameters associated with variables that have no significant effect on the dependent variable. This paper explains some methods to detect overdispersion and presents and evaluates three well-known methodologies that have shown their usefulness in correcting this problem, using random mean models, quasi-likelihood methods and a double exponential family. In addition, it proposes some new Bayesian model extensions that have proved their usefulness in correcting the overdispersion problem. Finally, using the information provided by the National Demographic and Health Survey 2005, the departmental factors that have an influence on the mortality of children under 5 years and female postnatal period screening are determined. Based on the results, extensions that generalize some of the aforementioned models are also proposed, and their use is motivated by the data set under study. The results conclude that the proposed overdispersion models provide a better statistical fit of the data.     

The Optimal Income Taxation of Couples

This paper analyzes the general nonlinear optimal income tax for couples, a multidimensional screening problem. Each couple consists of a primary earner who always participates in the labor market, but makes an hours‐of‐work choice, and a secondary earner who chooses whether or not to work. If second‐earner participation is a signal of the couple being better (worse) off, we prove that optimal tax schemes display a positive tax (subsidy) on secondary earnings and that the tax (subsidy) on secondary earnings decreases with primary earnings and converges to zero asymptotically. We present calibrated microsimulations for the United Kingdom showing that decreasing tax rates on secondary earnings is quantitatively significant and consistent with actual income tax and transfer programs.     

个案管理模式兴起及其在医务社会工作中的启示 ——以癌末病患照顾者为例

本文通过文献研究探索目前已在社会工作服务中多领域运用的个案管理的缘起、发展、以及其工作流程和组成要素,并运用问卷调查和个案访谈的专业社会工作技巧收集有关癌末患者与其照顾者所面临的困难和问题,通过将个案管理的方法运用于癌末患者临终关怀的服务中,得出个案管理能够为面临着多重困难的癌末患者及其家属提供有效、完善的服务,可以帮助服务对象建立全面的资源网络,协助其获得一定的解决问题的能力。从而达到节省医疗资源、有效为癌末病患及其家属提供服务的目的,完善癌末病患临终关怀社会工作的内容及方法技巧。     

Screening for Alcohol Problems Among 4-Year Colleges and Universities

Abstract

Objective: To assess the use of alcohol screening tools across US colleges. Participants: Directors of health services at 333 four-year colleges. Methods: An online survey was conducted regarding the use of alcohol screening tools. Schools reporting use of formal tools were further described in terms of 4 tools (AUDIT, CUGE, CAPS, and RAPS) that the authors judged to be the most favorable based on prior empirical comparative studies. Results: Forty-four percent of colleges reported use of at least 1 formal alcohol screening tool and nearly all of these used a tool appropriate for college students. However, less than half of the 44% of colleges that used a screening tool used 1 of the 4 most favorable tools. Conclusions: Continued efforts are needed to encourage colleges to use the most effective available screening tools to identify alcohol-related problems that require intervention among students.     

The Effect of Graduate School on Identity Issues

Abstract

Objectives: To provide a critical review of the efficacy of brief interventions for alcohol use in college health centers. Methods: Studies were included if (a) they examined brief intervention trials that were conducted in college- or university-based student health centers or emergency departments, and (b) they provided pre–post data to estimate change. Results: Twelve studies suggested that screening and brief interventions in these settings are acceptable, feasible, and promote risk reduction. Conclusions: Findings support continued use of time-limited, single-session interventions with motivational interviewing and feedback components.     

The Patient Profile Pharmacy Filing System

Abstract

“Herpes Simplex Virus Proctitis in Homosexual Men: Clinical, Sigmoidoscopic, and Histopathological Features,” Steven E. Goodell, Thomas C. Quinn, Emmanuel Mkrtichian, Michael D. Schuffler, King K. Holmes, and Lawrence Corey. Acute herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection was detected in 23 of 102 consecutively examined, sexually active male homosexuals who presented with anorectal pain, discharge, tenesmus, or hematochezia, as compared with 3 of 75 homosexual men without gastrointestinal symptoms (P < 0.01). Findings that were significantly more frequent in men with HSV proctitis than in men with proctitis due to other infectious causes included fever (48 per cent), difficulty urinating (48 per cent), sacral paresthesias (26 per cent), inguinal lymphadenopathy (57 per cent), severe anorectal pain (100 per cent), tenesmus (100 per cent), constipation (78 per cent), perianal ulcerations (70 per cent), and the presence of diffuse ulcerative or discrete vesicular or pustular lesions in the distal 5 cm of the rectum (50 per cent). Serologic evidence indicated that 85 per cent of the men with symptomatic HSV proctitis were having their first episode of HSV-2 infection. The diagnosis of HSV proctitis is suggested by the presence of severe anorectal pain, and diffuse ulceration of the distal rectal mucosa. (New England Journal of Medicine 1983;308:868–71.)     

Brief Screening and Intervention for Alcohol and Drug Use in a College Student Health Clinic: Feasibility,Implementation, and Outcomes

Abstract

Objective: Evaluation of the Brief Alcohol Screen and Intervention in College Students (BASICS) in a university primary care setting. Participants/Methods: Undergraduates (N = 449) participated in BASICS and electronic surveys assessing frequency/quantity of alcohol and drug use, psychosocial and mental health outcomes, and demographic information. Data were collected at baseline and 6-month follow-up between August 2006 and August 2008. Results: Drinking and drug use decreased between baseline and 6 months. Participants reported an increase in protective factors and in readiness to change alcohol-related behaviors, and a decrease in alcohol-related consequences and in distress symptoms. Heavy episodic drinking at baseline significantly moderated the changes in number of drinks in a typical week and in a typical weekend, and number of drinks on the occasion drank most on a weekend. Conclusions: BASICS can be implemented in a primary health care setting and university students may reduce their alcohol and/or drug use.