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The focus of precision medicine is on decision support, often in the form of dynamic treatment regimes, which are sequences of decision rules. At each decision point, the decision rules determine the next treatment according to the patient's baseline characteristics, the information on treatments and responses accrued by that point, and the patient's current health status, including symptom severity and other measures. However, dynamic treatment regime estimation with ordinal outcomes is rarely studied, and rarer still in the context of interference – where one patient's treatment may affect another's outcome. In this paper, we introduce the weighted proportional odds model: a regression based, approximate doubly-robust approach to single-stage dynamic treatment regime estimation for ordinal outcomes. This method also accounts for the possibility of interference between individuals sharing a household through the use of covariate balancing weights derived from joint propensity scores. Examining different types of balancing weights, we verify the approximate double robustness of weighted proportional odds model with our adjusted weights via simulation studies. We further extend weighted proportional odds model to multi-stage dynamic treatment regime estimation with household interference, namely dynamic weighted proportional odds model. Lastly, we demonstrate our proposed methodology in the analysis of longitudinal survey data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study, which motivates this work. Furthermore, considering interference, we provide optimal treatment strategies for households to achieve smoking cessation of the pair in the household. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Cannabis is a widely used substance in pregnancy, yet there is a paucity of literature addressing the neuro-behavioural consequences for prenatally exposed children. Our systematic review synthesizes currently available data for the impact of prenatal cannabis use on offspring intelligence and cognitive functioning. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and Clinicaltrials.gov were searched. Observational studies comparing prenatal cannabis use to controls were included. Offspring neuro-behavioural outcomes were grouped in prespecified domains of (1) intelligence and (2) cognitive functioning. Random-effect models were performed for meta-analyses when at least three studies reported the same outcome. All others were summarized qualitatively. GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations) framework was used to assess evidence certainty. Results Of the 1982 reviewed studies (n = 523,107 patients), 28 were included. Significant heterogeneity and cohort redundancy limited meta-analysis. Very low-quality evidence from pooled analyses showed no significant associations between prenatal cannabis exposure and attention [standardized mean difference = −0.27 (95% CI = −0.60 to 0.07)], global intelligence quotient [−0.16 (−0.42 to 0.10)], reading [−0.05 (−0.29 to 0.20)], written comprehension [−0.09 (−0.40 to 0.22)], spelling [−0.04 (−0.26 to 0.17)], and mathematics [−0.01 (−0.15 to 0.13)]. No significant associations were found between prenatal cannabis exposure for all other outcomes. Individual studies reported significant differences between the heavy use groups and non-exposed, although this did not prove to be significant when outcomes were pooled. Conclusions The current review did not find a clear association between prenatal cannabis use and offspring neuro-behavioural outcomes. However, evidence was low quality and heterogenous. Further prospective investigation is needed to elucidate any potential association between prenatal cannabis use and long-term neuro-developmental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the founding and growth of the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute (CANSSI), starting from its early roots and continuing through to establishment as a mature research enterprise. The goal is to present a historical record of events and activities that were important in the development of CANSSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Violets Most Wanted List" in African Violet Magazine provides a list of vintage violets that are in high demand among collectors. The author mentions attending a convention where many rare violets were available for purchase. The article includes a comprehensive list of the violets that are currently sought after, including their names and varieties. The author encourages readers to check out the list and potentially add these violets to their collections. [Extracted from the article]

The Qhubeka Trust was established in 2016 in a legal settlement on behalf of former gold miners seeking compensation for silicosis contracted on the South African mines. Settlements resulting from lawsuits on behalf of gold miners aim to provide fair compensation. However, occupational exposure and medical records kept by South African mining companies for their employees have been very limited. Some claimants to the Qhubeka Trust died before medical evaluation was possible, thus potentially disadvantaging their dependants from receiving any compensation. With medical evaluation no longer possible, a statistical approach to this problem was developed. The records for claimants with medical evaluation were used to develop a logistic regression prediction model for the likelihood of silicosis, based on the potential predictors: cumulative exposure to respirable dust, age, years since first exposure, years of life lost prematurely, vital status at 31 December 2019, and a history of tuberculosis diagnosis. The prediction model allowed estimation of the likelihood of silicosis for each miner who had died without medical evaluation and is a novel approach in this setting. In addition, we were able to quantitatively evaluate the trade-offs of different silicosis risk classification thresholds in terms of true and false positives and negatives. Significance: • A statistical approach can be used for risk estimation in settings where the outcome of interest is unknown for some members of a class. • The likelihood of silicosis in deceased miners without medical evaluation in the Qhubeka Trust can be accurately estimated, using information from finalised claims. • Strategies for classifying the silicosis status of deceased miners without medical evaluation in the Qhubeka Trust can be assessed in a rigorous, quantitative framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type I toxin‐antitoxin (TA) systems typically consist of a protein toxin that imbeds in the inner membrane where it can oligomerize and form pores that change membrane permeability, and an RNA antitoxin that interacts directly with toxin mRNA to inhibit its translation. In Escherichia coli, symE/symR is annotated as a type I TA system with a non‐canonical toxin. SymE was initially suggested to be an endoribonuclease, but has predicted structural similarity to DNA binding proteins. To better understand SymE function, we used RNA‐seq to examine cells ectopically producing it. Although SymE drives major changes in gene expression, we do not find strong evidence of endoribonucleolytic activity. Instead, our biochemical and cell biological studies indicate that SymE binds DNA. We demonstrate that the toxicity of symE overexpression likely stems from its ability to drive severe nucleoid condensation, which disrupts DNA and RNA synthesis and leads to DNA damage, similar to the effects of overproducing the nucleoid‐associated protein H‐NS. Collectively, our results suggest that SymE represents a new class of nucleoid‐associated proteins that is widely distributed in bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violets Most Wanted ListBy Mary Thompson Email: preservingviolets@ avsa. org Shows are starting and convention has Admira[ just ended. I know peop[ e are sti[[ hoping to A[ amo Haven find that long- lost vio[ et, me included. A[ amo Red Please be on the lookout for any you have Amethyst seen on the list. 1 posted a ful[ list in the Amethyst Confetti January/ February African Violet Magazine, but Apache Warbonnet here are a few we are sti[[ [ ooking for. Playful Dreamer 4 C Jolly Champ Hybridized by: H. Pittman Grown by: Linda Hall Photo credit: Winston J. Goretsky Semiminiature African Violet Magazine • May- June 2024 I5 [Extracted from the article]

Many countries have adopted integrated community case management (iCCM) to reduce mortality among children under five years from common childhood illnesses. The 2016–2020 Malian Red Cross iCCM program trained 441 Community Health Workers (CHWs) to treat malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, and malnutrition for children under five years of age in six districts. Implementation strength and quality of care (QoC) were assessed through the program's supervision function, using the Malian Ministry of Health's system. This paper compares methods and results of program supervision data and an independent evaluation to assess the effectiveness of program implementation and supervision and inform program improvement. It also presents the benefits and limitations of each method. An independent QoC evaluation was conducted using tools developed by the Real Accountability: Data Analysis for Results (RADAR) project, hereafter referred to as the RADAR evaluation. RADAR evaluation data collected in July and August 2018 were compared with program supervision data collected mostly between May and December 2018. The RADAR evaluation provided detailed findings on correct assessment, classification, and treatment per illness, medication type, and dosage. Program supervision combined the findings for all illnesses, medication type, and dosage due to limitations in the data collection process. Six indicators were comparable between both methods. Findings were similar for temperature and mid-upper arm circumference measurements but diverged between program supervision and the RADAR evaluation, respectively, on correct classification for all illnesses (87.1% vs. 65.3%), correct treatment for all illnesses (69.5% vs. 39.8%), correct respiratory rate counting (88.5% vs. 54.7%), and administering the first dose by CHW (75.4% vs. 65.0%). Findings from the RADAR evaluation guided improvements in program supervision. A robust program supervision system can serve as a credible method to assess QoC. However, a rigorous independent QoC evaluation provides a valuable benchmark to gauge the effectiveness of the supervisory process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, titled "AVSA Affiliate Update," provides an update on the activities of the African Violet Society of America (AVSA) affiliates. The author, Mary Thompson, who serves as the Affiliate Chair, discusses the importance of updating club information on the AVSA website and encourages clubs to contact AVSA for assistance. Thompson also mentions the disbandment of some clubs and invites individuals to share their stories about starting a club. Additionally, the article includes a section titled "Violets Most Wanted List," where Thompson encourages readers to submit their requests for specific violets, especially for the upcoming AVSA Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. [Extracted from the article]

The article titled "Violets Most Wanted List" provides updates and information for members of the African Violet Society of America (AVSA). The author, Mary Thompson, discusses her role as the Affiliate Chair and encourages clubs to update their information on the AVSA website. She also mentions the opportunity for clubs to request a list of AVSA members in their area as a way to connect with potential members. Additionally, Thompson invites readers to share their stories about starting a club and mentions the upcoming AVSA Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. The article concludes with a section titled "Violets Most Wanted List," where Thompson encourages readers to submit their requests for specific violets. [Extracted from the article]

Misclassifications in binary responses have long been a common problem in medical and health surveys. One way to handle misclassifications in clustered or longitudinal data is to incorporate the misclassification model through the generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach. However, existing methods are developed under a non‐survey setting and cannot be used directly for complex survey data. We propose a pseudo‐GEE method for the analysis of binary survey responses with misclassifications. We focus on cluster sampling and develop analysis strategies for analyzing binary survey responses with different forms of additional information for the misclassification process. The proposed methodology has several attractive features, including simultaneous inferences for both the response model and the association parameters. Finite sample performance of the proposed estimators is evaluated through simulation studies and an application using a real dataset from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aims: Motor strategies change with age, resulting in balance deficits. Clinical options for objectively measuring motor strategies are limited. The use of two-dimensional kinematic analysis through smart devices and applications may provide a cost-effective portable solution for measuring differences in motor strategy use between older and younger adults. The aims of this study were to investigate the concurrent validity of a two-dimensional software and two-dimensional application and to determine whether the application could capture the difference in ankle motor strategy use by older and younger adults (construct validity). Methods: Video clips captured by Sony and iPad Air cameras were used to assess concurrent validity between the two-dimensional software and application. A total of 30 older (72.6 ± 4.0 years) and 30 younger (26.5±4.5 years) adults performed forward and backward stepping. A two-dimensional applicationmeasured the ankle position in degrees and time taken in seconds to initiate and complete a compensatory step. Results: The two-dimensional software and app demonstrated excellent reliability (ICC2,1 ≥0.994). The ankle forward stop angle differed significantly between older and younger adults (P=0.012). No differences were observed in time taken to initiate and complete a compensatory step. Conclusions: The two-dimensional application appears to be a valid alternative to two-dimensional software for measuring ankle motor strategies. Further investigation for clinical use is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The EUREST-PLUS ITC Europe surveys aim to evaluate the impact of the European Union's Tobacco Products Directive (EU TPD) implementation within the context of the WHO FCTC. This article describes the methodology of the 2016 (Wave 1) and 2018 (Wave 2) International Tobacco Control 6 European (6E) Country Survey in Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Spain; the England arm of the 2016 (Wave 1) and 2018 (Wave 2) ITC 4 Country Smoking and Vaping (4CV) Survey; and the 2016 (Wave 10) and 2017 (Wave 11) ITC Netherlands (NL) Survey. All three ITC surveys covering a total of eight countries are prospective cohort studies with nationally representative samples of smokers. Methods In the three surveys across the eight countries, the recruited respondents were cigarette smokers who smoked at least monthly, and were aged 18 and older. At each survey wave, eligible cohort members from the previous waves were retained, regardless of smoking status, and dropouts were replaced by a replenishment sample. Results Retention rates between the two waves of the ITC 6E Survey by country were 70.5% for Germany, 41.3% for Greece, 35.7% for Hungary, 45.6% for Poland, 54.4% for Romania and 71.3% for Spain. The retention rate for England between ITC 4CV1 and ITC 4CV2 was 39.1%; the retention rates for the ITC Netherlands Survey were 76.6% at Wave 10 (2016) and 80.9% at Wave 11 (2017). Conclusion The ITC sampling design and data collection methods in these three ITC surveys allow analyses to examine prospectively the impact of policy environment changes on the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products in each country, to make comparisons across the eight countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a class of variance estimator is proposed of a finite population variance under an adaptive cluster sampling design in the presence of information on an auxiliary variable. We obtain expressions for the mean square error and bias for the developed estimators and their performance is evaluated on a Poisson clustered process and a real data set. The simulation study evaluates the efficiency of the suggested estimators for an adaptive cluster sampling (ACS) design and the Isaki (1983) estimator of the variance for SRSWOR over the sample variance for SRSWOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I review some complexities, variables and problematics of growthmindset research, the claims that can be made for its application, and possible avenues for future related research in the Irish educational context. My commentary responds to a qualitative study in an Irish primary school in a marginalised community, which found that a growth mindset intervention consisting of lessons affirming malleable intelligence positively impacted on the students' meta- learning skills and self-empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To describe the methods of the 2016 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Smoking and Vaping (4CV) Survey, conducted in 2016 in Australia (AU), Canada (CA), England (EN) and the United States (US). Methods: The respondents were cigarette smokers, former smokers (quit within the previous 2 years), and at‐least‐weekly vapers, aged 18 years and older. Eligible cohort members from the ITC Four Country Survey (4C) were retained. New respondents were sampled by commercial firms from their panels. Where possible, ages 18–24 and vapers were oversampled. Data were collected online, and respondents were remunerated. Survey weights were calibrated to benchmarks from nationally representative surveys. Results: Response rates by country for new recruits once invited ranged from 15.2 to 49.6%. Sample sizes for smokers/former smokers were 1504 in AU, 3006 in CA, 3773 in EN and 2239 in the US. Sample sizes for additional vapers were 727 in CA, 551 in EN and 494 in the US. Conclusion: The International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey design and data collection methods allow analyses to examine prospectively the use of cigarettes and nicotine vaping products in jurisdictions with different regulatory policies. The effects on the sampling designs and response quality of recruiting the respondents from commercial panels are mitigated by the use of demographic and geographic quotas in sampling; by quality control measures; and by the construction of survey weights taking into account smoking/vaping status, sex, age, education and geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the findings from a pilot study conducted to explore the impact of using a wearable seizure detection device on quality of life for 10 adolescents with epilepsy and their parents. Quality of life in Epilepsy for Adolescent (QOLIE AD-48) and the Parent Response to Child Illness (PRCI) Scale were compared at study onset and 6 months after using the SmartWatch seizure detection device. At the conclusion of the study, a qualitative interview explored the adolescent's and parent's experiences with using the device. In this sample, the wearable seizure detection device was well accepted as a means to increase seizure safety for both adolescents and their caregivers. In addition, adolescents and parents felt more secure with the adolescent increasing independent activities when wearing the watch. Barriers to use included technical difficulties, such as false alarms, and the burden of adding another aspect to their epilepsy care. While these data cannot be generalized to all populations, findings suggest that further research with wearable seizure detection devices is warranted. Considering current sudden unexplained death from epilepsy (SUDEP) prevention guidelines that encourage seizure monitoring, especially during sleep, the wearable seizure detection device may provide adequate seizure monitoring without the negative consequences to the adolescent's developing autonomy. • Adolescents with epilepsy (AWE) lack autonomy due to parental restrictions and safety concerns associated with their epilepsy. • A wearable seizure detection device provided seizure safety and decreased parental hypervigilance for AWE. • A wearable seizure detection device increased parental support of AWE's autonomy. • Despite barriers to use, AWE were willing to wear the seizure watch as it increased their independence. • The wearable seizure detection watch improved the caregiving relationship between AWE and parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper is a review of some applications of the combination of data sets, such as combining census or administrative data and survey data, constructing expanded data sets through linkage, combining large‐scale commercial databases with survey data and harnessing designed data collection to be able to make use of non‐probability samples. It is aimed to highlight their commonalities and differences and to formulate some general principles for data set combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION The availability of lower-cost cigarettes in neighboring countries provides price-sensitive smokers with incentives to purchase cheaper out-of-country cigarettes. This study estimates the prevalence of and factors associated with cross-border purchasing of cheaper cigarettes among smokers from Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Spain. The prevalence of cross-border purchasing was estimated by residential location, defined as living in regions bordering a lower-price country (where prices were at least €1/pack lower), regions bordering a similar- or higher-price country, and internal non-border regions. METHODS Data were from a survey of nationally representative samples of adult smokers (n=6011) from Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Spain. The primary outcome was purchasing cheaper out-of-country cigarettes in the previous six months. Residential location was defined using The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS2 in Germany and NUTS3 in the other countries). Multivariable logistic regression tested differences in purchasing cheaper out-of-country cigarettes by country and residential location. RESULTS Residential location was associated with purchasing cheaper out-of-country cigarettes in Germany and Poland (p<0.05): 31% of German and 11% of Polish smokers living in regions bordering lower-price countries reported purchasing cheaper out-of-country cigarettes in the previous six months. Smokers living in regions bordering lower-price countries had 4.21 times greater odds of purchasing cheaper out-of-country cigarettes compared to smokers living in non-border regions. CONCLUSIONS Overall, only a minority of smokers in the six countries purchased cheaper cigarettes outside their country. However, smokers living in regions bordering countries where cigarettes were at least €1/pack lower than their home country had significantly higher odds of purchasing cheaper out-of-country cigarettes. This effect was especially prominent among German smokers. Tax harmonization policies designed to minimize crossborder price differentials can eliminate lower-priced alternatives for price-sensitive smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many of the challenges and opportunities of data science have to do with dynamic factors: a growing volume of administrative and commercial data on individuals and establishments, continuous flows of data and the capacity to analyze and summarize them in real time, and the necessity for resources to maintain them. With its emphasis on data quality and supportable results, the practice of Official Statistics faces a variety of statistical and data science issues. This article discusses the importance of population frames and their maintenance; the potential for use of multi‐frame methods and linkages; how the use of large scale non‐survey data may shape the objects of inference; the complexity of models for large data sets; the importance of recursive methods and regularization; and the benefits of sophisticated spatial visualization tools in capturing spatial variation and temporal change. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 46: 10–23; 2018 © 2017 Statistical Society of Canada [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most eukaryotic mRNAs are recruited to the ribosome by recognition of a 5ʹ mGpppN cap. 30 years of genetic and biochemical evidence point to a role for interaction between the 5ʹ cap-interacting factors and the 3ʹ poly(A)-binding protein in bringing the ends of the mRNA into close proximity and promoting both translation and stability of the mRNA, in a form known as the 'closed loop'. However, the results of recent RNA-protein interaction studies suggest that not all mRNAs have equal access to the closed loop factors. Furthermore, association with closed loop factors appears to be highly biased towards mRNAs with short open reading frames, echoing the trend for higher translation of short mRNAs that has been observed in many eukaryotes. We recently reported that the ribosomal signaling scaffold protein RACK1 promotes the efficient translation of short mRNAs that strongly associate with the closed loop factors. Here, we discuss the implications of these observations with respect to translational control and suggest avenues through which the universality of the closed loop in eukaryotic translation could be revisited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translation is a core cellular process carried out by a highly conserved macromolecular machine, the ribosome. There has been remarkable evolutionary adaptation of this machine through the addition of eukaryote-specific ribosomal proteins whose individual effects on ribosome function are largely unknown. Here we show that eukaryote-specific Asc1/RACK1 is required for efficient translation of mRNAs with short open reading frames that show greater than average translational efficiency in diverse eukaryotes. ASC1 mutants in S. cerevisiae display compromised translation of specific functional groups, including cytoplasmic and mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, and display cellular phenotypes consistent with their gene-specific translation defects. Asc1-sensitive mRNAs are preferentially associated with the translational 'closed loop' complex comprised of eIF4E, eIF4G, and Pab1, and depletion of eIF4G mimics the translational defects of ASC1 mutants. Together our results reveal a role for Asc1/RACK1 in a length-dependent initiation mechanism optimized for efficient translation of genes with important housekeeping functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose a new nonparametric approach to network inference that may be viewed as a fusion of block sampling procedures for temporally and spatially dependent processes with the classical network methodology. We develop estimation and uncertainty quantification procedures for network mean degree using a 'patchwork' sample and nonparametric bootstrap, under the assumption of unknown degree distribution. We provide a heuristic justification of asymptotic properties of the proposed 'patchwork' sampling and present cross-validation methodology for selecting an optimal 'patch' size. We validate the new 'patchwork' bootstrap on simulated networks with short- and long-tailed mean degree distributions, and revisit the Erdös collaboration data to illustrate the proposed methodology. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 44: 3-24; 2016 © 2015 Statistical Society of Canada [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibodies made in large animals are integral to many biomedical research endeavors. Domesticated herd animals like goats, sheep, donkeys, horses and camelids all offer distinct advantages in antibody production. However, their cost of use is often prohibitive, especially where poor antigen response is commonplace; choosing a non-responsive animal can set a research program back or even prevent experiments from moving forward entirely. Over the course of production of antibodies from llamas, we found that some animals consistently produced a higher humoral antibody response than others, even to highly divergent antigens, as well as to their standard vaccines. Based on our initial data, we propose that these “high level responders” could be pre-selected by checking antibody titers against common vaccines given to domestic farm animals. Thus, time and money can be saved by reducing the chances of getting poor responding animals and minimizing the use of superfluous animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smoking and passive smoking are collectively the biggest preventable cause of death in Bangladesh, with major public health burden of morbidity, disability, mortality and community costs. The available studies of tobacco use in Bangladesh, however, do not necessarily employ nationally representative samples needed to monitor the problem at a national scale. This paper examines the prevalence and patterns of tobacco use among adults in Bangladesh and the changes over time using large nationally representative comparable surveys. Methods: Using data from two enumerations of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh Project conducted in 2009 and 2012, prevalence estimates are obtained for all tobacco products by socio-economic determinants and sample types of over 90,000 individuals drawn from over 30,000 households. Household level sample weights are used to obtain nationally representative prevalence estimates and standard errors. Statistical tests of difference in the estimates between two time periods are based on a logistic regression model that accounts for the complex sampling design. Using a multinomial logit model, the time trend in tobacco use status is identified to capture the effects of macro level determinants including changes in tobacco control policies. Results: Between 2009 and 2012, overall tobacco use went down from 42.4% to 36.3%. The decline is more pronounced with respect to smokeless tobacco use than smoking. The prevalence of exclusive cigarette smoking went up from 7.2% to 10.6%; exclusive bidi smoking remained stable at around 2%; while smoking both cigarette and bidi went down from 4.6% to 1.8%; exclusive smokeless tobacco use went down from 20.2% to 16.9%; and both smokeless tobacco use and smoking went down from 8.4% to 5.1%. In general, the prevalence of tobacco use is higher among men, increases from younger to older age groups, and is higher among poorer people. Smoking prevalence is the highest among the slum population, followed by the tribal population, the national population and the border area population, suggesting greater burden of tobacco use among the disadvantaged groups. Conclusions: The overall decline in tobacco use can be viewed as a structural shift in the tobacco market in Bangladesh from low value products such as bidi and smokeless tobacco to high value cigarettes, which is expected with the growth in income and purchasing power of the general population. Despite the reduction in overall tobacco use, the male smoking prevalence in Bangladesh is still high at 37%. The world average of daily smoking among men is 31.1%. The Tobacco Control Act 2005 and the Amendment have yet to make a significant impact in curbing tobacco usage in Bangladesh. The findings in this paper further suggest that the tobacco control policies in Bangladesh need to include targeted interventions to restrain the use of particular types of tobacco products among specific demographic and socio-economic groups of the population, such as smoked tobacco among men, smokeless tobacco among women, and both smoked and smokeless tobacco among those living in rural areas, those in low socio-economic status and those belonging to the tribal and the slum population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the methods of sampling design and data collection of Wave 1, 2 and 3 of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) China Survey, with major focus on longitudinal features of the study. Key measures of quality of the survey data, such as retention rates and final sample sizes, are presented. Sample replenishment procedures are outlined, including the addition of a new city, Kunming, at Wave 3. Methods for constructing the longitudinal and cross-sectional survey weights are briefly described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rutishauser’s LR algorithm is extended in the context of semisimple Lie group. Explicit examples are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Previous reports of associations of maternal seafood intake with fetal growth were inconsistent. Further, little is known whether associations differ across seafood subtypes or fetal growth indices. Methods Among 3141 participants of the Omega study, a pregnancy cohort study, we investigated associations of periconceptional shell, lean, and fatty fish intake with fetal growth indices. We categorised food frequency questionnaire reported seafood intake into frequencies of: <0.2 servings/month, 0.2 servings/month -<0.5 servings/week, 0.5-1 servings/week, and >1 servings/week. We abstracted birthweight, birth length, and head circumference from medical records. Using generalised linear models with a log link, the Poisson family, and robust standard errors, we estimated relative risks and 95% confidence intervals ( CI) for low birthweight ( LBW, <2500 g) and linear regression models to estimate mean differences for continuous fetal growth indices across seafood intake categories. Results Medians (interquartile range) of shell, lean, and fatty fish intake were 0.3 (0-0.9), 0.5 (0-1.0), and 0.5 (0.1-1.0) servings/week, respectively. Lean fish intake of >1 servings/week (vs. <0.2 servings/month) was associated with a 2.2-fold higher risk of LBW (95% CI 1.2, 4.1). Shellfish intake of >1 servings/week (vs. <0.2 servings/month) was associated with a 0.6 kg/m3 higher mean ponderal index (95% CI 0.0, 1.2 kg/m3). There was no evidence for associations of total seafood or seafood subtype intake with other fetal growth indices. Conclusions Higher intakes of lean fish and shellfish were associated with a higher risk of LBW and higher mean ponderal index, respectively. Findings highlight the importance of considerations of seafood subtype in similar investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the relationship between lower-limb amputation (LLA) and subsequent changes in body weight. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using clinical and administrative databases to identify and follow weight changes in 759 males with amputation (partial foot amputation [PFA], n = 396; transtibial amputation [TTA], n = 267; and transfemoral amputation [TFA], n = 96) and 3,790 men without amputation frequency-matched (5:1) on age, body mass index, diabetes, and calendar year from eight Department of Veterans Affairs medical care facilities in the Pacific Northwest. We estimated and compared longitudinal percent weight change from baseline up to 39 mo of follow-up in men with and without amputation. Weight gain in the 2 yr after amputation was significantly more in men with an amputation than without, and in men with a TTA or TFA (8%-9% increase) than in men with a PFA (3%-6% increase). Generally, percent weight gain peaked at 2 yr and was followed by some weight loss in the third year. These findings indicate that LLA is often followed by clinically important weight gain. Future studies are needed to better understand the reasons for weight gain and to identify intervention strategies to prevent excess weight gain and the deleterious consequences that may ensue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision medicine describes health care where patient‐level data are used to inform treatment decisions. Within this framework, dynamic treatment regimes (DTRs) are sequences of decision rules that take individual patient information as input data and then output treatment recommendations. DTR estimation from observational data typically relies on the assumption of no interference: i.e., the outcome of one individual is unaffected by the treatment assignment of others. However, in many social network contexts, such as friendship or family networks, and for many health concerns, such as infectious diseases, this assumption is questionable. We investigate the DTR estimation method of dynamic weighted ordinary least squares (dWOLS), which boasts of easy implementation and the so‐called double‐robustness property, but relies on the assumption of no interference. We define a network propensity function and build on it to establish an implementation of dWOLS that remains doubly robust under interference associated with network links. The method's properties are demonstrated via simulation and applied to data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study to investigate cigarette dependence within two‐person household networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Preeclampsia ( PE) and gestational diabetes mellitus ( GDM) adversely affect pregnancy outcomes and the subsequent health of both mother and infant. It is known that elevated pre-pregnancy body mass index ( BMI) is associated with increased risk of these obstetrical complications. However, little is known about the role of adult weight patterns prior to pregnancy. Methods Self-reported weight at ages prior to the current pregnancy was recorded in a prospective cohort study of 3567 pregnant women, allowing assessment of longitudinal pre-pregnancy weight trajectories and their association with subsequent PE and GDM in the study pregnancy. Results Women who would subsequently experience PE or GDM in the study pregnancy experienced on average almost double the rate of adult weight gain than other women [ PE: additional 0.30 kg/year, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.09, 0.51 and GDM: additional 0.34 kg/year, 95% CI 0.21, 0.48]. Women with mean adult annual weight gain above the 90th percentile (1.4 kg/year) had elevated risk of subsequent PE and GDM independent of their BMI at age 18 and of their obesity status at the time of the study pregnancy. Finite mixture trajectory modelling identified four monotonely ordered, increasing mean weight trajectories. Relative to the second lowest (most common) weight trajectory, women in the highest trajectory were at greater risk of PE [odds ratio ( OR) 5.0, 95% CI 2.9, 8.8] and GDM ( OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.7, 4.5). Conclusions These results indicate that higher adult weight gain trajectories prior to pregnancy may play a role in predisposing women to PE or GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A literary criticism of the book "Impossible Motherhood: Testimony of an Abortion Addict," by Irene Vilar is presented. It explores the role of Vilar's ethnic and gender identity of Vilar in her memoir. It highlights the factors which contribute to unplanned pregnancy as an issue related to reproductive health for women.

The impacts of climate variability and change impinge upon different lives and livelihoods within agrarian populations in complex ways. While academic, donor, and implementer efforts to understand and act on this complexity have been profoundly influenced by gender analysis, most contemporary analyses are predicated on a construction of gender as binary (men versus women). This approach runs contrary to current understandings of gender and identity in the wider social science literature, which treats gender as a social categorization that takes meaning from its intersection with other identities, roles, and responsibilities. An emerging adaptation literature takes on this intersectional approach to gender, making conceptual, methodological, and empirical arguments against assessing the vulnerability of agrarian populations to the impacts of climate variability and change through binary gender categories. This literature argues that binary approaches are likely to overlook the specific challenges facing significant portions of any agrarian population, and therefore can result in maladaptive interventions that enhance, instead of ameliorate, the vulnerability of the most marginal and vulnerable. Though this emerging literature makes a compelling case for change, efforts to convince the academic and implementation communities focused on agrarian adaptation to adopt intersectional gender analyses point to two broad research frontiers. First, convincing these communities of the value of this shift will require an expanded, rigorous empirical base of evidence for who is overlooked by binary gender analysis relative to intersectional analysis in particular places. Second, facilitating the implementation of intersectional approaches will require methodological innovations that have thus far been under-addressed in this literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. We assessed the effectiveness of South Africa's Firearm Control Act (FCA), passed in 2000, on firearmhomicide rates compared with rates of nonfirearm homicide across 5 South African cities from 2001 to 2005. Methods. We conducted a retrospective population-based study of 37 067 firearm and nonfirearm homicide cases. Generalized linear models helped estimate and compare time trends of firearm and nonfirearm homicides, adjusting for age, sex, race, day of week, city, year of death, and population size. Results. There was a statistically significant decreasing trend regarding firearm homicides from 2001, with an adjusted year-on-year homicide rate ratio of 0.864 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.848, 0.880), representing a decrease of 13.6% per annum. The year-on-year decrease in nonfirearm homicide rates was also significant, but considerably lower at 0.976 (95% CI = 0.954, 0.997). Results suggest that 4585 (95% CI = 4427, 4723) lives were saved across 5 cities from 2001 to 2005 because of the FCA. Conclusions. Strength, timing and consistent decline suggest stricter gun control mediated by the FCA accounted for a significant decrease in homicide overall, and firearm homicide in particular, during the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]