Journal articles on the topic 'Interest rate risk Australia'
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1
Carneiro, Luiz Augusto Ferreira, and Michael Sherris. "Corporate interest rate risk management with derivatives in Australia: empirical results." Revista Contabilidade & Finanças 19, no. 46 (April 2008): 86–107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1519-70772008000100008.
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Yong, Jaime, and Abhay Singh. "Interest rate risk of Australian REITS: A panel analysis." Pacific Rim Property Research Journal 21, no. 1 (January 2, 2015): 77–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14445921.2015.1026191.
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Schulze, Gordon. "Carry Trade Returns and Segmented Risk Pricing." Atlantic Economic Journal 49, no. 1 (March 2021): 23–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11293-021-09698-2.
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AbstractThe returns to carry trades are controversially discussed. There seems to be no unifying risk-based explanation of currency returns and stock returns, while the countries’ interest rate differential plays a leading part in the carry-trade performance. Therefore, this paper addresses carry-trade returns from a risk-pricing perspective and examines if these returns can be connected to cross-country differences in risk pricing in the interest-rate market compared to the stock market. Data from Thomson Reuters Datastream and Federal Reserve Economic Data covering Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United States were analyzed based on GMM estimation. The results indicate significant and persistent cross-country differences in risk aversion in the interest-rate market compared to the implied risk aversion in the stock market. This may offer opportunities for risk arbitrage and, therefore, a risk pricing-related explanation of carry-trade returns.
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Liu, Ming-Hua, Dimitris Margaritis, and Zhuo Qiao. "The Global Financial Crisis and Retail Interest Rate Pass-Through in Australia." Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies 19, no. 04 (December 2016): 1650026. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0219091516500260.
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In this paper, we examine the impact of the global financial crisis (GFC) on the interest rate pass-through for four types of loans in Australia: mortgages, residentially secured small business lending, nonsecured small business lending and personal loans. Australia is an interesting case study since its central bank lowered but also raised interest rates during the GFC. We find that after the onset of the crisis, there has been a shift in the way banks adjust their lending rates in response to changes in market interest rates; the markup has increased and there has been a drop in both short- and long-term pass-through from funding costs to lending rates. Closer analysis indicates that the drop in short-term pass-through is due to the slower response of banks to increases in funding costs. We also find asymmetries in the way banks adjust lending rates in relation to funding costs in the long-run for nonsecured small business lending and personal loans. The evidence shows that banks in Australia tightened lending standards and competed less aggressively for loans but more for deposits in response to heightened default risks following the global financial crisis. The wider margin allows banks to adjust their lending rates more slowly and asymmetrically.
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Wakelin-King, Gordon. "Highlights and trends in exploration 2009." APPEA Journal 50, no. 1 (2010): 113. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj09008.
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2009 saw an overall decrease from high activity from 2008, levelling off in the December quarter as the economy stabilised. Unsurprisingly, most activity was in offshore Western Australia and on coal seam methane (CSM) in Queensland. Highlights include: good results in the Carnarvon and Browse basins for Western Australian operators, interest in Karoon and Conoco-Phillips’ enigmatic Poseidon project, over 180 CSM exploration wells in Queenslandd, and a relatively busy year for Tasmania. Western Australian seismic acquisition approached 10,000 km of 2D and 25,000 km2 of 3D for 38* wells and success rate around 50%. South Australia saw the highest conventional onshore drilling and seismic activity, with good results for 17 wells, while other states saw low activity in this sector. Victoria saw one offshore exploration well and no seismic. Tasmania also saw no new seismic, but saw four exploration wells and encouragement at Rockhopper–1. CSM is picking up in South Australia, and New South Wales saw continued high CSM activity in a historically low-activity region. High success rates suggest two trends: explorers finding value in 3D seismic, and a ‘flight to quality’ as operating costs and poorer access to capital reinforce risk aversion among operators. Elsewhere, geothermal energy helped small cap investors satisfy their appetite for risk outside of the petroleum industry, and results will be watched with great interest. *Numbers are from early public and departmental statistics and may be revised.
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SKULL, S. A., P. S. MORRIS, A. YONOVITZ, R. G. ATTEWELL, V. KRAUSE, A. J. LEACH, A. ANAND, J. SCOTT, S. REID, and L. A. ROBERTS. "Middle ear effusion: rate and risk factors in Australian children attending day care." Epidemiology and Infection 123, no. 1 (August 1999): 57–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0950268899002708.
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There have been no previous longitudinal studies of otitis media conducted in non-Aboriginal Australian children. This paper describes the rate and risk factors for middle ear effusion (MEE) in children attending day care in Darwin, Australia. A prospective cohort study of 252 children under 4 years was conducted in 9 day care centres over 12 fortnights between 24 March and 15 September 1997. Tympanometry was conducted fortnightly and multivariate analysis used to determine risk factors predicting MEE. The outcome of interest was the rate of type B tympanograms per child detected in either ear at fortnightly examinations. After adjusting for clustering by child, MEE was detected on average 4·4 times in 12 fortnights (37% of all examinations conducted). Risk factors associated with presence of effusion were younger age, a family history of ear infection, previous grommets (tympanostomy tubes), ethnicity and the day care centre attended. A history of wheeze appeared protective. These effects were modest (RR 0·57–1·70). Middle ear effusion is very common in children attending day care in Darwin. This has clinical importance, since MEE during early childhood may affect optimal hearing, learning and speech development. There is little scope for modification for many of the risk factors for MEE predicted by this model. Further study of the day care environment is warranted.
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Nguyen, Thang Cong, Tan Ngoc Vu, Duc Hong Vo, and Michael McAleer. "Systematic Risk at the Industry Level: A Case Study of Australia." Risks 8, no. 2 (April 13, 2020): 36. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/risks8020036.
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The cornerstone of the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) lies with its beta. The question of whether or not beta is dead has attracted great attention from academics and practitioners in the last 50 years or so, and the debate is still ongoing. Many empirical studies have been conducted to test the validity of beta within the framework of CAPM. However, it is a claim of this paper that beta at the industry level has been largely ignored in the current literature. This study is conducted to examine if beta, proxied for a systematic risk, should be considered valid in the application of the CAPM at the industry level for Australia using daily data on 2200 stocks listed on the Australian Securities Exchange from January 2007 to 31 December 2016. Various portfolio formations are utilized in this paper. General economic conditions such as interest rate, inflation, and GDP are examples of systematic risk. Findings from this study indicate that the selection of portfolio construction, estimation technique, and news about economic conditions significantly affects the view whether or not beta should be considered as a valid measure of systematic risk.
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Faff, R. W., and P. F. Howard. "Bank exposures to interest-rate risk: the case of the Australian banking industry." Applied Economics Letters 4, no. 12 (December 1997): 737–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/758528718.
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CHRISTIE, KENNETH, DAVID STEGEHUIS, JAMES BEESON, and KARL SMITH. "AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF MANAGING INTEREST RATE RISK IN THE AUSTRALIAN SWAP MARKET." Economic Papers: A journal of applied economics and policy 18, no. 4 (December 1999): 122–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1759-3441.1999.tb01167.x.
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Faff, R. W., and P. F. Howard. "Interest rate risk of Australian financial sector companies in a period of regulatory change." Pacific-Basin Finance Journal 7, no. 1 (February 1999): 83–101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0927-538x(99)00002-5.
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Palethorpe, Nick. "FINANCING PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 1990'S." APPEA Journal 33, no. 1 (1993): 431. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj92035.
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Banks in many parts of the world, including Australia, have tightened credit because of their level of loan losses in the late 1980's and early 1990's. However, recent financings of petroleum projects in this region indicate that the banks' appetite for such lending has not been adversely affected. In fact, banks which lent to Australian petroleum projects in the 1970s and 1980s have generally not only had a return on their money but have also had the return of their money.The funding requirements for Australian petroleum developments in the 1990s and beyond appear considerable. It is expected that there will be keen competition from the banking sector to supply these funds.The need to properly assess and mitigate the risks inherent in such developments will continue, if not heighten, as advanced technology, often in hostile environments, is required to develop more marginal fields.In so far as oil price, foreign exchange and interest rate risks are concerned, there is likely to be a growing emphasis by banks on managing risk so as to contain what historically have been high levels of volatility. A number of products have been developed by banks to manage these risks and if correctly applied they can also serve to reduce risk. There is some cost, however this can be offset by application of the same bank products. By reducing risk it is also possible to obtain higher levels of debt.
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Li, Jonathan C., Martin Forer, and David Veivers. "Reference rate for post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage in Australia—A 2000–2020 national hospital morbidity database analysis." PLOS ONE 17, no. 8 (August 25, 2022): e0273320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273320.
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This study aims to provide a national benchmark rate of post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage (PTH) in Australia. Using data from Australia’s National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD) from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2020, we have conducted a nation-wide population-based study to estimate a reference rate of PTH. Outcomes of interest included the overall rate and time-trend of PTH, the relationship between PTH rates with age and gender as well as the epidemiology of tonsillectomy procedures. A total of 941,557 tonsillectomy procedures and 15,391 PTH episodes were recorded for the study period. Whilst the incidence of tonsillectomy procedures and the number of day-stay tonsillectomy procedures have increased substantially over time, the overall rate of PTH for all ages has remained relatively constant (1.6% [95% CI: 1.61 to 1.66]) with no significant association observed between the annual rates of PTH and time (year) (Spearman correlation coefficient, Rs = 0.24 (95% CI: -0.22 to 0.61), P = 0.3). However, the rate of PTH in adults (aged 15 years and over) experienced a statistically significant mild to moderate upward association with time (year) Rs = 0.64 (95% CI: 0.28 to 0.84), P = 0.003. Analysis of the odds of PTH using the risk factors of increasing age and male gender showed a unique age and gender risk pattern for PTH where males aged 20 to 24 years had the highest risk of PTH odds ratio 7.3 (95% CI: 6.7 to 7.8) compared to patients aged 1 to 4 years. Clinicians should be mindful of the greater risk of PTH in male adolescents and young adults. The NHMD datasets can be continually used to evaluate the benchmark PTH rate in Australia and to facilitate tonsillectomy surgical audit activities and quality improvement programs on a national basis.
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Eschachasthi, Realita. "Modelling the Impact of a Rise in Global Equity Risk Premium: The G-Cubed Simulation." Jurnal Ekonomi Dan Statistik Indonesia 2, no. 3 (December 23, 2022): 270–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.11594/jesi.02.03.04.
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The global disruptions—the Covid-19 pandemic, financial crisis, trade tension, and geopolitical issues—led to uncertainty across the world economies. The impact either on individual emerging or advanced countries, however, remains unclear. To this end, this study is simulating a shock of a one percent increase in equity risk premium permanently in all sectors in all countries, and focusing on exploring its impact on the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, China, Indonesia, and India. The results reveal that no countries are immune from the short-lived synchronised nuisance. Investment plummeted massively following the profound drop in interest rate, while unemployment suddenly soars, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted dramatically. In the long run, all economies reverse and converge to the initial condition. Nevertheless, there would be persistent GDP loss and sluggish investment in all economies. Therefore, policy responses should be designed based on strong international cooperation, focusing on fiscal policy to limit the impact of global losing confidence.
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Li, Jackie, Atsuyuki Kogure, and Jia Liu. "Multivariate Risk-Neutral Pricing of Reverse Mortgages under the Bayesian Framework." Risks 7, no. 1 (January 24, 2019): 11. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/risks7010011.
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In this paper, we suggest a Bayesian multivariate approach for pricing a reverse mortgage, allowing for house price risk, interest rate risk and longevity risk. We adopt the principle of maximum entropy in risk-neutralisation of these three risk components simultaneously. Our numerical results based on Australian data suggest that a reverse mortgage would be financially sustainable under the current financial environment and the model settings and assumptions.
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Akhtaruzzaman, Md, Abul Shamsuddin, and Steve Easton. "Dynamic correlation analysis of spill-over effects of interest rate risk and return on Australian and US financial firms." Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money 31 (July 2014): 378–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.intfin.2014.04.006.
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Molan, Aus, Kazunori Nosaka, Michael Hunter, Jinxia Zhang, Xiaoni Meng, Manshu Song, and Wei Wang. "First Age- and Gender-Matched Case-Control Study in Australia Examining the Possible Association between Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Busselton Health Study." Journal of Parasitology Research 2020 (March 24, 2020): 1–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/3142918.
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An emerging field of research is starting to examine the association of infectious pathogens with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). An understudied parasite of interest is Toxoplasma gondii. Globally, very few studies have been conducted to investigate this association. Additionally, very little data exists on the prevalence of T. gondii in the general Australian population. Our group sought to determine the prevalence, association, and risk factors between T. gondii infection and T2DM from a representative Australian human population. Through a cross-sectional, age- and gender-matched case-control study, 150 subjects with T2DM together with 150 control subjects from the Busselton Health Study cohort were investigated. Sera samples were tested for the presence of anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Survey-derived data were also analyzed to evaluate associated risk factors. The IgG seroprevalence was found to be 62% and 66% for the T2DM and control groups, respectively (OR:0.84; p=0.471). IgM antibodies were detected in 5% of the T2DM patients and in 10% of the controls (OR=0.51; p=0.135). There were no significant differences between male and female IgG seroprevalence rates for both groups (OR:0.88, 0.80; p=0.723). The IgG seropositivity rate increased significantly in T2DM patients aged 45-84 years in comparison to those aged 18-44 years (p<0.05), but this was not observed in the control subjects. No risk factors were associated with T. gondii seropositivity in both groups. The first Australian study of its kind found T. gondii infection in Western Australia to be highly prevalent. The results also showed that there is no serological evidence of an association between T. gondii infection and T2DM in the studied subjects. Australian health authorities should focus on raising awareness of toxoplasma infection and target T. gondii transmission control. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of T. gondii in T2DM.
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Dodd, Jodie, and Jeffrey Robinson. "Commentary: public and private intervention rates in obstetric practice." Australian Health Review 27, no. 2 (2004): 9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah042720009.
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Dr Jodie Dodd is a maternal fetal medicine fellow, and Professor Jeffrey Robinson is head of Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Adelaide.The paper by Shorten and Shorten published in the last edition of Australian Health Review highlights differences in intervention rates (induction of labour, caesarean section, use of epidural analgesia) between women receiving private obstetric care and those receiving public obstetric care (Shorten & Shorten 2004).Similarly, the authors highlight the more frequent occurrence of "less favourable birth outcomes such as emergency CS, instrumental birth, episiotomy and (perineal) tear requiring suturing" in women giving birth in private hospital settings. These differences persisted after controlling for the risk profile of the woman or development of complications during birth (Shorten & Shorten 2004). These findings are not new in Australia, having been reported previously by King (1993 and 2000), and Roberts and colleagues (2000 and 2002). However, Shorten and Shorten's link to subsidies for private insurance raises a new concern.The global interest in obstetric intervention rates and in particular rates of caesarean section has been underpinned by the assumption that there is in fact an "ideal" rate of intervention, where benefits outweigh risks. Much of this discussion developed after the World Health Organization published a statement to the effect that a caesarean section rate of 15% was appropriate (WHO 1985). However there has been little critique of the derivation of this figure and there is a lack of evidence in the scientific literature supporting it. The rate of any particular intervention should not be considered in isolation - what is important is how the intervention relates to increasing or decreasing maternal and infant mortality and morbidity.
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Liu, Benjamin, Allen Huang, and Brett Freudenberg. "The impact of the GST on mortgage pricing of Australian credit unions." Accounting Research Journal 27, no. 1 (July 7, 2014): 37–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/arj-08-2013-0059.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on mortgage pricing and to measure the GST shifting ratio of Australian credit unions. Design/methodology/approach – Using the proprietary data from 79 credit unions in Australia, we perform multivariate regression analysis on the effect of the GST on mortgage effective yield spreads and interest margins, respectively. We also introduce a model that is used to measure the GST shifting ratio. Findings – We document that the introduction of the GST in July 2000 led to the substantial rise in mortgage costs charged by credit unions in the post-GST periods. Overall, the GST alone contributed to the increase of effective yield spreads and interest margin by 65.3 and 70.1 basis points, respectively. As measured by the GST-shifting ratio, credit unions passed more than twice of the GST rate. This suggests GST over-shifting, and it is generally consistent with tax over-shifting literature. Originality/value – This is the first time the GST shifting ratio has been robustly measured with the use of multivariate models on mortgage costs.
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Lawes, Jasmin C., Lea Uebelhoer, William Koon, Luke Strasiotto, Frederic Anne, Shane Daw, Robert W. Brander, Nick Mulcahy, and Amy E. Peden. "Understanding a population: A methodology for a population-based coastal safety survey." PLOS ONE 16, no. 8 (August 13, 2021): e0256202. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256202.
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Drowning is a global public health problem, but accurately estimating drowning risk remains a challenge. Coastal drowning comprises a significant proportion of the drowning burden in Australia and is influenced by a range of behavioural factors (e.g. risk perception, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours) that are poorly understood. These factors, along with those that impact exposure (e.g. coastal visitation and activity participation) all impact on drowning risk. While excellent mortality and morbidity data exists in Australia, a lack of coastal participation data presents challenges to identifying high-risk groups or activities and prioritising prevention efforts. This methods paper describes the development and evolution of an ongoing, annual, nationally representative online survey as an effective tool used to capture valuable data about the Australian population’s relationship with the coast. This paper explores how the survey is structured (12–14 sections spanning multiple topics and themes), the different question types used (including open text, 4-digit responses and categorical questions), the sample size (1400–1600 respondents), sampling strategy (using demographic quota sampling which can then be post-weighted to the population if required) and how topics and themes have changed over time to enhance the quality of data collected (i.e., wording changes to enhance participant comprehension or data usability and changing issue-specific ‘feature’ topics of interest such as campaign evaluation). How the survey is implemented online is described, both practically through to third-party recruitment processes and ethically to maximise anonymity of respondents and ensure data quality. Interim analyses indicate the impact of considering exposure when calculating fatal drowning rates, especially by activity (e.g., crude boating drowning rate 0.12 per 100,000 population vs 0.95 per 100,000 exposed population [relative risk = 8.01; 95% confidence interval: 4.55–14.10]). This study highlights lessons learned in the process of conducting a nationally representative coastal participation survey as well as the strengths and limitations of adopting this approach. Data collected will provide more detailed information on the skills, behaviours, knowledge and attitudes of coastal activity participants. Analyses of this unique dataset will inform research that will underpin development and evaluation of coastal drowning prevention initiatives prioritising those most at risk. It is hoped that the methods detailed within this study may be useful for other countries to develop similar approaches to understanding their own population.
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McKee, J. "FOREIGN FUNDING OF THE AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM INDUSTRY — IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE DIRECT INVESTMENT DECISION PROCESS." APPEA Journal 26, no. 1 (1986): 88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj85009.
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The paper provides an outline of the financial aspects of the foreign direct investment decision process and an understanding of how this can help attract funds for Australian petroleum exploration and development.Proposals to foreign investors are seen to require specific personal presentations. The investors' view of risk is discussed under the headings of political, economic, and environmental, and the major risk factors that require understanding are shown to be country risk; exchange rate risk—rate forecasting and exposure management; and international taxation.The techniques in assessing country risk are reviewed, and the methodology of international banks assessed. The Go/No-Go, Premium for Risk, Range of Estimates, and Risk Analysis techniques are described.In considering the forecasting of exchange rate movements it is recognized that, while there is no adequate forecasting measure, the major variables of comparative prices, interest rates, and comparative money supply require attention. The mechanistic tools of purchasing parity theory and the Fisher effect formula on interest are therefore outlined.The management strategy in the management of exchange rate movement exposure is seen to require a determination of economic exposure, the observance of basic rules in currency grouping, and market operation guidelines. A management guide is set down for reference.A reference to international taxation indicates the need of the tax planner to consider comparative taxation domicile of investment, and corporate structure.The basic taxation principles that apply are seen as the necessity to plan in after-tax terms; the importance of determining the nature and sources of taxes; and the requirement of a full knowledge of relevant double taxation agreements and local tax administration regulations.The role of the Australian petroleum industry in attracting foreign investment is seen as promoting the provision of data, increased opportunities to invest, risk reduction through tax effective opportunities, and assisting in proposal presentations.The need for earlier release of exploration data is expressed, as is the development of comprehensive updated data packages—which would include basin reviews—for use by industry. A zoning approach to areal permit size that provides for a reduction in permit size with exploration maturity is seen as an approach to increasing investment opportunities. Finally, APEA is encouraged to take a leading role in encouraging foreign investment through direct participation in presentations.
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Wong, Wong Weng, and Wejendra Reddy. "International Real Estate Review." International Real Estate Review 21, no. 1 (March 31, 2018): 41–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.53383/100254.
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This study explores the sensitivity of the performance of Australian real estate investment trusts (A-REITs) to changes in short and long term interest rates. Based on the intertemporal capital asset pricing model in Merton (1973), we propose an asset pricing model that consists of market returns, macroeconomic indicators, and short and long term interest rates. The effect of market capitalisation is also explored. High debt funds show greater sensitivity to adverse movements in long term interest rates compared to low debt funds. This suggests that gearing levels play a significant role in the returns generating process. All size based portfolios exhibit strong exposure to market risk with medium size A-REITs displaying greater sensitivity to movements in both short and long term interest rates. Although market risk became a stronger driver of returns during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the impact was less prominent post-GFC possibly due to already low levels of interest which created an environment of cheap credit. The implications for asset allocation strategies are that portfolio managers and other investors can reduce exposure to interest rate risk by selecting funds with less leverage and are large in size. High debt funds benefit more during periods of low interest but this may be offset when there is a corresponding increase in long term interest rates.
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Riley, J. M. "THE RISE AND RISE OF COAL SEAM GAS IN THE BOWEN BASIN." APPEA Journal 44, no. 1 (2004): 647. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj03032.
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The coal seam gas (CSG) industry has been active in Australia for almost three decades, with interest largely focussed on the Bowen and Sydney basins. Sporadic activity has also occurred in a number of other areas including the Galilee, Ipswich, Clarence–Moreton, Gunnedah, Gloucester, and Otway basins to name a few, with significant recent interest shown in the promising Surat Basin. Of these basins it is the Bowen Basin in eastern central Queensland which has continued to shine as the premier coal seam gas province in the country.From humble beginnings in the mid-1970s in the Moura area, CSG from the Bowen Basin now supplies around 20% of Queensland gas demand. Since the start of commercial production from the basin in 1996, production has grown to about 20 PJ per year from five separate fields, with three new fields under construction expected to more than double this volume over the next 2–3 years.The largest contribution to this growth will come from the Comet Ridge region which is proving itself to be a world class CSG deposit. The high-productivity fairway in the south of the region extends over an area about 80 km long and 20 km wide and includes the Tipperary Fairview field, and the Origin Energy Spring Gully project. In the last year proved and probable gas reserves have more than doubled to 1,500 PJ across the fairway, with upside recoverable gas estimated to be 4,700 PJ. The rapid rate of CSG reserves increase in the Bowen Basin demonstrates the key role this industry will play in the eastern Australia gas market.
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Lim, Hui Yin, Chong Chyn Chua, Matthew Sleeman, Andrew P. Grigg, and Prahlad Ho. "Venous Thromboembolism in Northeast Melbourne, Australia: Evaluation of Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Treatment Strategies in the Warfarin Era." Blood 124, no. 21 (December 6, 2014): 4834. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.v124.21.4834.4834.
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Abstract Aim Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and is estimated to cost approximately AUD$117 000 per person (Access Economics 2008). Despite advances in thrombosis management, recurrence rates remain high and management strategies are often heterogenous even within a single institution. While most studies have analysed specific aspects of VTE management, we aim to provide a holistic evaluation of real-world VTE management in the warfarin era including identifiying potential causal effects and complications. Method Retrospective evaluation of VTE over an 18-month period, from July 2011 to December 2012, at two major hospitals in Northeast Melbourne, Australia, including demographics, provoking factors, management, complications and mortality. Comparisons were made between cancer and non-cancer populations. Result 1003 patients, with median age of 63 (range 19-97) years, were identified including 26 recurrences (total 1029 episodes) - 577 (56%) pulmonary embolism (PE), 428 (42%) deep venous thrombosis (DVT). There was an overall male predominance (52%), particularly affecting the DVT subgroup (57% vs 48%, p=0.003) with no gender differences detected in the PE subgroup. 20% reported prior VTE and left limb DVT was more common (49% vs 43%, p=0.0008). The median follow up was 20 (range 10-32) months. NON-CANCER PATIENTS In this cohort, 63% had provoked VTE and thrombophilia screen was performed in 41%. The median duration of anticoagulation was 6 and 7 months for DVT and PE respectively. The majority (90%) was on warfarin for long-term anticoagulation. 5% required further interventions – IVC filter (n=28) and thrombolysis (n=15). 38% had end-of-treatment repeat imaging and residual clot was observed in 40%. Clot persistence was associated with increased recurrence risk, with an odds ratio of 2.64 (1.15 – 6.04, p=0.02). 8% had recurrent thrombosis with no difference between provoked versus unprovoked VTE (7.5% vs 9.0%, p=0.45). 5% reported grade III/IV bleeding, independent of duration of anticoagulation. Patients on enoxaparin had higher risk of bleeding (28% vs 10%, p<0.001). The all-cause mortality rate was 11%. In the sub-analysis of below knee DVT (BKDVT), 3 patients (1.5%) were subsequently diagnosed with cancer, similar prevalence to those with major VTE (1.7%), defined as proximal DVT and/or PE. BKDVT were more likely to be provoked (72% vs 55%, p<0.001) and recurrence was similar to major VTE (6.8% vs 8.7%, p=0.42) although patients with major VTE were more likely to experience grade III/IV bleeding complications (6.3% vs 1.0%, p=0.003) despite similar duration of therapy. Mortality rate in this cohort was 5.5% with no thrombosis-related deaths. CANCER PATIENTS 233 (23%) patients had active malignancy at time of VTE with 14 patients (1.4%) subsequently diagnosed. Cancer patients were older (67 vs 61 years, p<0.001) and had higher clot burden with more PE (64% vs 53%, p=0.004), proximal DVT (63% vs 46%, p=0.0008) and bilateral DVT (16% vs 5%, p<0.001) compared to non-cancer patients. Patients with metastatic cancer were also more likely to have unprovoked events (p=0.015). Cancer patients were more likely to require IVC filters (9% vs 3.6%, p<0.001) and lifelong anticoagulation (35% vs 18%, p<0.001). Recurrent thrombosis (16%, p<0.001) and Grade III/IV bleeding (9%, p=0.025) were more common. However, bleeding rates in cancer patients on long-term enoxaparin were similar to warfarin. Mortality rate in the cancer patients was 63% and were related to with higher incidence of complications-related deaths (p<0.001). Conclusion VTE is associated with significant mortality, even in non-cancer patients (11%). The annual recurrence rate is 6%, with malignancy and residual clot on repeat imaging being major risk factors. Cancer patients experience more Grade III/IV bleeding complications (9% vs 5%) and had higher clot burden and all-cause mortality compared to non-cancer patients. Interestingly, BKDVT, often considered a minor VTE, had comparable rates of recurrence and subsequent cancer detection to major VTE suggesting that the investigation and treatment of BKDVT should not differ from major VTE. Further evaluation of new treatment strategies as well as clinical and laboratory risk assessments are required to improve the management for VTE. This data will serve as an important baseline for future comparison in the new era of novel oral anticoagulants. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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Petrie, Katherine, Joanna Crawford, Anthony D. LaMontagne, Allison Milner, Jessica Dean, Benjamin G. Veness, Helen Christensen, and Samuel B. Harvey. "Working hours, common mental disorder and suicidal ideation among junior doctors in Australia: a cross-sectional survey." BMJ Open 10, no. 1 (January 2020): e033525. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033525.
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ObjectiveDespite concern regarding high rates of mental illness and suicide amongst the medical profession, the link between working hours and doctors’ mental health remains unclear. This study examines the relationship between average weekly working hours and junior doctors’ (JDs’) mental health in Australia.Design and participantsA randomly selected sample of 42 942 Australian doctors were invited to take part in an anonymous Beyondblue National Mental Health Survey in 2013, of whom 12 252 doctors provided valid data (response rate approximately 27%). The sample of interest comprised 2706 full-time graduate medical trainees in various specialties, at either intern, prevocational or vocational training stage. Consultants and retired doctors were excluded.Outcome measuresMain outcomes of interest were caseness of common mental disorder (CMD) (assessed using a cut-off of 4 as a threshold on total General Health Questionnaire-28 score), presence of suicidal ideation (SI) (assessed with a single item) and average weekly working hours. Logistic regression modelling was used to account for the impact of age, gender, stage of training, location of work, specialty, marital status and whether JDs had trained outside Australia.ResultsJDs reported working an average of 50.1 hours per week (SD=13.4). JDs who worked over 55 hours a week were more than twice as likely to report CMD (adjusted OR=2.05; 95% CI 1.62 to 2.59, p<0.001) and SI (adjusted OR=2.00; 95% CI 1.42 to 2.81, p<0.001) compared to those working 40–44 hours per week.ConclusionsOur results show that around one in four JDs are currently working hours that are associated with a doubling of their risk of common mental health problems and SI. These findings suggest that management of working hours represents an important focus for workplaces to improve the mental health of medical trainees.
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Power, Brian D., Helman Alfonso, Leon Flicker, Graeme J. Hankey, Bu B. Yeap, and Osvaldo P. Almeida. "Changes in body mass in later life and incident dementia." International Psychogeriatrics 25, no. 3 (November 14, 2012): 467–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1041610212001834.
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ABSTRACTBackground: There is ongoing debate about whether a decline in body mass represents a true risk factor for dementia, whether it is a phenotypic marker of incipient dementia, or perhaps a marker of another process that increases dementia risk. This study was designed to determine if changes in body mass index (BMI) in later life are associated with hazard of incident dementia over a follow-up period of up to eight years.Methods: Method followed was a prospective cohort study of 4,181 men aged 65–84 years, resident in Perth, Australia. The exposure of interest was change in BMI measured between 1996–1998 and 2001–2004. The outcome was incident dementia, established using the Western Australia Data Linkage System until 2009. We used Cox regression models to establish crude and adjusted hazard of dementia for change in BMI.Results: Compared with men with a stable BMI, those with a decrease in BMI >1 kg/m2 had a higher adjusted hazard of dementia (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.32–2.70). The cumulative hazard of dementia over follow-up for changes in BMI was greatest for men with a decrease in BMI >1 kg/m2; this trend was apparent for men in all BMI categories (underweight, normal, overweight, obese). A reverse “J-shaped” association between BMI change and incident dementia was observed, with the lowest dementia rate being for men whose BMI remained stable.Conclusions: Men who maintained a stable body mass had the lowest incidence of dementia. Further studies are needed to clarify causality and assess feasibility of interventional studies to preserve body mass in aging men.
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Davies, Michael J. "Fetal programming: the perspective of single and twin pregnancies." Reproduction, Fertility and Development 17, no. 3 (2005): 379. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rd04101.
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Multiple pregnancy is associated with increased risk of adverse consequences for both mother and fetus(es), including increased rates of maternal hypertension and pre-eclampsia, spontaneous abortion, Caesarean delivery, low birthweight, birth prematurity, perinatal mortality, admission to neonatal intensive care and extended length of care, respiratory distress, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, contact with disability services and mortality to age 5 years. Premature birth, which affects 97% of triplets and 53.3% of twins in Australia, is not the sole factor involved. The rate of multiple pregnancy in Australia is 1.7%. This compares to 22.1% for pregnancies resulting from assisted reproduction technology (ART). As a result, 21.8% of babies born from ART are from a multiple pregnancy, in comparison to the USA where the majority of babies born from ART are from a multiple pregnancy. Additionally, the population rate of multiple births is rising due to the more frequent use of ART and continued multi-embryo transfers, which is operating against a background of rising implantation rates within ART clinics. Twins have been of interest from a programming perspective. However, analysis of associations between crude birthweight and subsequent metabolic risk factors or mortality in adulthood from chronic disease indicate that adaptations in pregnancy to support multi-fetal growth are not identical to fetal growth restriction in singleton pregnancies. Indeed, the process of ‘maternal constraint’ is incompletely understood and confounds such comparisons. From a programming perspective, it is a challenge to identify in twin pregnancies the transition from physiological adaptation to pathological growth restriction. Growth disparity between twins has been more illuminating of subtle adverse effects for the smaller of twin pairs in both blood pressure and insulin resistance in adulthood. Interestingly, these effects can be observed in both dizygotic and to a lesser degree in monozygotic twins, which indicates a role for both genetic and environmental factors in these measures. This suggests that, consistent with experimental studies in other species, the relationship between impaired growth in utero and chronic disease in later life is not simply mediated by a common genetic pathway.
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Hachem, Ray Y., Tarcila Datoguia, Bilal Siddiqui, Ana Fernandez Cruz, Nobuyoshi Mori, Suha Fakhreddine, Dong-Gun Lee, et al. "372. Comparing the Outcome of COVID-19 in Cancer and Non-Cancer Patients: an International Multicenter Study." Open Forum Infectious Diseases 7, Supplement_1 (October 1, 2020): S256. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.567.
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Abstract Background Our objective was to describe the clinical course, risk factors and outcomes of patients infected with COVID-19 around the globe comparing cancer to non-cancer patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of COVID-19 confirmed cases through an international multicenter collaboration including 17 centers around the world including the United States of America, Brazil, Europe, Far East, Middle East and Australia from January to date. We evaluated the patients’ clinical characteristics, clinical course of the disease, hospitalization and outcome. Death was considered to be COVID-associated if it occurred within 30 days from the time of diagnosis. Results Preliminary data on 571 patients included 186 cancer patients and 385 non-cancer patients. Cancer patients were more likely to have COPD and received steroids but were less likely to have COVID-related symptoms compared to non-cancer patients (84% vs 97%, p< 0.0001). The rate of pneumonia with hypoxia, non-invasive ventilation and mechanical ventilation were similar in both groups. Despite the fact that hospital admissions were significantly higher in non-cancer patients (70% vs 56%, p< 0.001), promising antiviral and immune-related therapy including remdesivir, convalescent plasma and immunomodulators were more commonly used in cancer patients compared to non-cancer patients (P=0.04). Cancer patients had a higher COVID-associated mortality rate compared to non-cancer patients (20% vs 11%, p=0.006). Conclusion Despite the fact that cancer patients received more frequent antiviral and immune-related therapy, the mortality rate among cancer patients was significantly higher than non-cancer patients. Disclosures Roy F. Chemaly, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA, Chimerix (Consultant, Research Grant or Support)Clinigen (Consultant)Merck (Consultant, Research Grant or Support)Novartis (Research Grant or Support)Oxford Immunotec (Consultant, Research Grant or Support)Shire/Takeda (Research Grant or Support)Viracor (Research Grant or Support) Issam I. Raad, MD, Citius (Other Financial or Material Support, Ownership interest)Cook Medical (Grant/Research Support)Inventive Protocol (Other Financial or Material Support, Ownership interest)Novel Anti-Infective Technologies (Shareholder, Other Financial or Material Support, Ownership interest)
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Jaroni, Marie Sophie, Bernd Friedrich, and Peter Letmathe. "Economical Feasibility of Rare Earth Mining outside China." Minerals 9, no. 10 (September 22, 2019): 576. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/min9100576.
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Although rare earth deposits are found on all continents, China produces more than 90% of all globally used rare earth metals. Besides its economic dominance, China has also gained a monopolistic know how position in Rare Earth Elements process technologies. Based on China’s dominant position in rare earth markets, other countries such as the USA, Australia, Europe and Japan are increasingly concerned about a stable rare earth supply and their increasing dependence on China. In 2019 the new trade conflict blazed up between China and the U.S., and the threat of China to decrease or even stop rare earth supply to the U.S. is a new chapter in the trade war which shows that new means of supply must be found. The main focus of this paper is to evaluate and compare advanced rare earth projects outside China with a new holistic and objective method to get a detailed picture of possible rare earth mining outside China. In addition to the exclusively economic investigation, specific countries’ risk und price development scenarios are considered. This leads to an objective picture of rare earth mining outside of China, which is needed as a basis for discussions of secure rare earth supply for the western world. Building on this objective economic analysis, we can also add new supply risk due to new political situations. To this end, data is compiled on 14 selected focus projects with regard to the required investments, operating costs, and the potential revenues for each case. These data are used to develop a discounted cash flow model (with analogous assumptions and methods) for each project. This model enables the achievable net present value (NPV), the internal interest rate, and the static amortization period for each project to be determined.
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Wang, Julie, Rowena Brook, Alison Slocombe, Lisa Hong, and Prahlad Ho. "Post-Anticoagulation Cessation D-Dimer Testing and VTE Recurrence in Real-World Australian Audit." Blood 132, Supplement 1 (November 29, 2018): 1227. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood-2018-99-118661.
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Abstract Aim Elevated D-dimer post-anticoagulation cessation is a recognised risk factor for recurrent venous thromboembolic events (VTE). In particular, raised D-dimer post cessation has been associated with increased risk of recurrence in unprovoked major VTE. Currently in Australia, D-dimer has not been widely used in practice to stratify the risk of VTE recurrence. This study aims to retrospectively analyse the effect of routine D-dimer testing and it's association with VTE recurrence. Methods A retrospective evaluation was performed on 1024 patients with a diagnosis of VTE at a tertiary hospital in Australia between January 2013 and December 2016. Data collected included demographics, results and timing of D-dimer testing and serial imaging results. Results 1024 patients were reviewed with a total median follow up of 12 months (range 0-59 months). D-dimer was tested in 189 patients (18.5%) within 90 days after cessation of anticoagulation. Of these patients, median age was 58 (18-92) and 55.3% (n=105) were female. 33.3% (n=63) had isolated distal deep vein thrombosis (IDDVT), 66.3% (n=126) had above knee DVT (AKDVT)/pulmonary embolus (PE), 54.5% (n=103) of VTE were provoked. Abnormal post cessation D-dimer (>500) was found in 72 patients (37.9%). Of these, 25 patients were restarted on anticoagulation; one had recurrent VTE whilst on low dose apixaban 2.5mg BD and one had recurrence after cessation of anticoagulation at a later date. Patients with elevated D-dimer post cessation had a higher rate of recurrence with the highest risk in patients with D-dimer >1000 (RR 7.38, p=<0.01) outlined in Table 1. Of the 164 patients with post cessation D-dimer testing who remained off anticoagulation there were a total of 24 (12.6%) episodes of recurrent VTE. Elevated D-dimer post anticoagulation cessation was a significant risk factor for recurrence in both provoked VTE (RR 4.21, p=0.01) and unprovoked VTE cohorts (RR 4.55, p=0.008) outlined in Table 2. When provoked VTE were sub-categorised, raised D-dimer demonstrated the most statistical significance in VTE provoked by travel (RR 13.5 p=0.06). Of the patients with post anticoagulation cessation D-dimer testing 170 patients (89.9%) had repeat imaging to assess for residual thrombus. In the subgroup of patients with no residual thrombus, elevated D-dimer was a significant risk factor for VTE recurrence (RR 6.4, p=<0.01). Patients with normal D-dimer and no residual thrombus had the lowest rate of recurrence 5.4% (n=4) see Table 3. When stratified by type of VTE, elevated D-dimer post anticoagulation cessation was significantly related to risk for recurrence in the overall IDDVT sub-cohort (RR 4.09, p=0.007). This was not significant for the AKDVT/PE sub cohort (RR 3.24, p=0.079). However, for patients with unprovoked AKDVT or PE, having D-dimer tested post anticoagulation, regardless of result, was associated with lower rates of VTE recurrence RR 0.30 (p=0.02) compared to those who had no D-dimer testing as part of follow-up. Conclusion Post treatment D-dimer testing may have a clinical role in stratifying the risk of VTE recurrence along with repeat imaging to detect residual thrombus. Elevated D-dimer post anticoagulation cessation is associated with increased risk of VTE recurrence for both provoked and unprovoked VTE with highest risk in patients with D-dimer >1000. Patients with no residual thrombus and a negative D-dimer post anticoagulation cessation had the lowest rate of recurrence. In the subgroup of patients with provoked VTE and IDDVT a positive D-dimer post cessation was associated with 4.21 and 4.09 relative risk of recurrence respectively, suggesting that the role of D-dimer testing can be extended to these subpopulations. Interestingly, in patients with unprovoked AKDVT or PE, having post-cessation D-dimer testing performed, regardless of result, was associated with a significantly lower rate of VTE recurrence compared to patients without D-dimer testing, which may be related to specialist review and recommencement of anticoagulation in high-risk patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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Vander Hoorn, Stephen, and Sabine Knapp. "Predicting Traffic and Risk Exposure in the Maritime Industry." Safety 5, no. 3 (July 1, 2019): 42. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/safety5030042.
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Maritime regulators, port authorities, and industry require the ability to predict risk exposure of shipping activities at a micro and macro level to optimize asset allocation and to mitigate and prevent incidents. This article introduces the concept of a strategic planning tool by making use of the multi-layered risk estimation framework (MLREF), which accounts for ship specific risk, vessel traffic densities, and meets ocean conditions at the macro level. This article’s main contribution is to provide a traffic and risk exposure prediction routine that allows the traffic forecast to be distributed across the shipping route network to allow for predicting scenarios at the macro level (e.g., covering larger geographic areas) and micro level (e.g., passage way, particular route of interest). In addition, the micro level is introduced by providing a theoretical idea to integrate location specific spatial rate ratios along with the effect of the risk control option to perform sensitivity analysis of risk exposure prediction scenarios. Aspects of the risk exposure estimation routine were tested via a pilot study for the Australian region using a comprehensive and unique combination of datasets. Sources of uncertainties for risk assessments are described in general and discussed along with the potential for future developments and improvements.
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Gospodarchuk, Galina, and Ekaterina Suchkova. "Financial stability: problems of inter-level and cross-sectoral equilibrium." Equilibrium 14, no. 1 (March 31, 2019): 53–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.24136/eq.2019.003.
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Research background: As part of the creation of an effective mechanism for managing financial stability, the tasks of providing an inter-level and cross-sectoral financial equilibrium remain unresolved. So far, clear and unambiguous criteria for financial stability have not been formulated, with which monetary and prudential policies could be related, as well as measures to minimize systemic and individual risks. The problem of creating a system of indicators comes to the fore, allowing the creation of new effective instruments for regulation of financial flows that contribute to the prevention of financial crises.
Purpose of the article: The paper proposes a system of indicators of financial stability, which allows for solving the tasks of inter-level and cross-sectoral equilibrium in the selection of regulatory tools for monetary and prudential policy.
Methods: We have used real interest rates as a measure of financial stability at the macro level. The real rates have been calculated from time series with nominal interest rate and inflation in the credit market (divided into loans to financial and non-financial organizations and individuals), and in the bond market (divided into corporate, municipal, and federal bonds). The analysis of the market and institutional financial stability of the USA, Russia, Japan, Switzerland, Australia over the period 1984–2014 was done. Then, comprehensive investigation on the financial stability in the Russian Federation in 2014–2017 was conducted.
The results have been compared against financial stability of individual banks, which was measured using profit to risk ratio. The latter has been calculated from bank’s financial reports using our method, which had been developed earlier.
Findings & Value added: We have developed criteria for qualitative assessment of financial stability and the risk map, which helps to identify the level of accumulated imbalances in the market and institutional environment, as well as in the levels and sectors of the economy. The criteria for selecting monetary and prudential regulatory instruments have been formulated depending on the amount of accumulated risks. The criteria for forming a portfolio of regulatory instruments with regard to their rigidity are proposed.
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Moore, Andrew D. "Opportunities and trade-offs in dual-purpose cereals across the southern Australian mixed-farming zone: a modelling study." Animal Production Science 49, no. 10 (2009): 759. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an09006.
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Dual-purpose cereals are employed in the high-rainfall zone of southern Australia to provide additional winter forage. Recently there has been interest in applying this technology in the drier environments of South and Western Australia. It would therefore be useful to gain an understanding of the trade-offs and risks associated with grazing wheat crops in different locations. In this study the APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems Simulator) crop and soil simulation models were linked to the GRAZPLAN pasture and livestock models and used to examine the benefits and costs of grazing cereal crops at 21 locations spanning seven of the regions participating in the Grain & Graze research, development and extension program. A self-contained part of a mixed farm (an annual pasture–wheat rotation plus permanent pastures) supporting a breeding ewe enterprise was simulated. At each location the consequences were examined of: (i) replacing a spring wheat cultivar with a dual-purpose cultivar (cv. Wedgetail or Tennant) in 1 year of the rotation; and (ii) either grazing that crop in winter, or leaving it ungrazed. The frequency of early sowing opportunities enabling the use of a dual-purpose cultivar was high. When left ungrazed the dual-purpose cultivars yielded less grain on average (by 0.1–0.9 t/ha) than spring cultivars in Western Australia and the Eyre Peninsula but more (by 0.25–0.8 t/ha) in south-eastern Australia. Stocking rate and hence animal production per ha could be increased proportionately more when a dual-purpose cultivar was used for grazing; because of the adjustments to stocking rates, grazing of the wheat had little effect on lamb sale weights. Across locations, the relative reduction in wheat yield caused by grazing the wheats was proportional to the grazing pressure upon them. Any economic advantage of moving to a dual-purpose system is likely to arise mainly from the benefit to livestock production in Western Australia, but primarily from grain production in south-eastern Australia (including the Mallee region). Between years, the relationship between increased livestock production and decreased grain yield from grazing crops shifts widely; it may therefore be possible to identify flexible grazing rules that optimise this trade-off.
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Janda, Monika, Carina V. Silva, Caitlin Horsham, Craig Sinclair, Montana O'Hara, Peter Baade, and H. Peter Soyer. "Digital Technology in Skin Cancer Prevention and Early Detection." Iproceedings 8, no. 1 (February 14, 2022): e36908. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/36908.
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Background Mobile teledermatology is increasingly being used in clinical practice and offers the opportunity to counsel the general public about sun protection and skin cancer early detection. Growing evidence suggests that SMS text messaging interventions are an effective way to reach a large number of people and promote sun protection behaviors. Many medical practices already have SMS text message systems in place to communicate with patients, especially for appointment reminders and information. However, could we use these systems for even better outcomes? If so, how? Objective This presentation will outline the results of the SunText study, a theory-based SMS text messaging intervention designed to evaluate how often and in what way we could communicate with people at risk of skin cancer to have a beneficial effect on sun protection behaviors, sunburn, and participant engagement. Methods The SunText study was conducted between February-July 2019 in Queensland, Australia. Volunteer participants aged 18 to 40 years were randomized to 4 different intervention schedules using a Latin square design. The schedules included personalized or interactive messages with constant frequency and personalized and interactive messages with either increasing or decreasing frequency. Outcomes measured were reduction in sunburn and engagement with interactive messages, defined as responding to messages by return text. Results Compared to baseline, the self-reported sun protection habits index was significantly higher in all 4 interventions (P<.01). Overall, sunburn rates decreased from baseline to the end of the intervention (40.3% to 7.0%), and remained significantly below baseline levels (23.5%) at the 6-month follow-up (P<.01). All 4 interventions achieved reductions in sunburn rates (18%-48% reduction) during the intervention period. The overall engagement rate with interactive messages was 71%. The intervention involving interactive messages with constant frequency achieved the highest engagement rate. The intervention with personalized and interactive messages with increasing frequency had the lowest engagement rate. Conclusions This study adds to the evidence that text messages targeting sun protection are effective in improving sun protection behaviors and reducing sunburn. Results also suggest higher engagement with constant or decreasing message frequency. Although many clinics already use SMS text messaging for scheduling, this presentation may encourage its extended use to raise awareness of sun protection. Interactive messages could also be integrated into sun protection mobile health apps, and provide an opportunity for engaging in health promotion content. Acknowledgments This study was funded by a research grant from the Harry J Lloyd Charitable Trust. Conflicts of Interest HPS is a shareholder of MoleMap NZ Limited and e-derm consult GmbH, and undertakes regular teledermatological reporting for both companies. HPS is a Medical Consultant for Canfield Scientific Inc, MoleMap Australia Pty Ltd, Blaze Bioscience Inc, Revenio Research Oy and a Medical Advisor for First Derm. All other authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Kennedy, Amber L., Cathryn J. Stern, Stephen Tong, Roxanne Hastie, Franca Agresta, Susan P. Walker, Fiona C. Brownfoot, Vivien MacLachlan, Beverley J. Vollenhoven, and Anthea C. Lindquist. "The incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy following sperm donation in IVF: an Australian state-wide retrospective cohort study." Human Reproduction 34, no. 12 (December 1, 2019): 2541–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dez198.
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Abstract STUDY QUESTION Does IVF using donor sperm increase the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and fetal growth restriction (FGR)? SUMMARY ANSWER IVF conceptions arising from sperm donation are not associated with an increased risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy or FGR. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY It has been hypothesized that the absence of prior exposure to factors within the paternal ejaculate increases the risk of preeclampsia and FGR among nulliparous women or women with a new partner—the concept of ‘primipaternity’. It remains unclear which element of the ejaculate is responsible: the sperm cell or the constituents of seminal fluid. IVF pregnancies arising from donor sperm where the seminal fluid is absent provide a unique opportunity to test the theory of primipaternity and the relative contribution of the sperm cell. Pregnancies conceived via artificial reproductive technology are at increased risk of preeclampsia and FGR. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Theories about the development of preeclampsia and the relative contribution of spermatic factors were explored by comparing the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and FGR among IVF pregnancies conceived with autologous gametes (own eggs and partner sperm) and those conceived with donor sperm, donor egg (and partner sperm) and donor embryo. To do this, we performed a retrospective cohort analysis of pregnancy outcomes among singleton pregnancies (n = 15 443) conceived through fertility clinics within Australia between 2009 and 2017. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS All pregnancies resulting in a singleton pregnancy delivering after 20 weeks’ gestation were included. The cohort was divided into donor sperm, donor egg and donor embryo (where both gametes came from a donor to create an embryo, or in a surrogate pregnancy) groups. We also compared the data with a control group, defined as IVF-conceived pregnancies from autologous cycles. A multivariable regression model was used to calculate an adjusted odds ratio (aOR). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The final cohort contained 1435, 578 and 239 pregnancies conceived by donor sperm, donor egg and donor embryo, respectively, and 13 191 controls. There were a very small number of women lost to follow-up (31 women; 0.2% of total cohort). Compared to control pregnancies, there was no increase in the risk of hypertensive disorders among pregnancies conceived via donor sperm (aOR 0.94; 95% CI 0.73–1.21). Subgroup analysis was performed for a cohort where parity was known (n = 4551), and of these, 305 multigravida pregnancies were conceived via donor sperm. Among this cohort, no increased risk of preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension was found (aOR 1.18; 95% CI: 0.69–2.04) as a result of primipaternity (new sperm donor). A significantly increased risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was associated with the use of donor eggs (but partner sperm; aOR 2.34; 95% CI 1.69–3.21). However, the association was no greater among pregnancies conceived with donor embryos (i.e. donated egg and sperm; aOR 2.0; 95% CI 1.25–3.17) than among the donor oocyte group. The overall incidence of FGR (defined as birthweight <10th centile) was 18%. There were no significant differences observed between donor sperm, or donor embryo pregnancies; however, egg donation was associated with a 1.5-fold increase in FGR. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This study was limited by a lower than expected rate of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (n = 862, 5.6%), which is contrary to the well-established increased risk among women using IVF. However, this is likely to be evenly distributed across the study groups and, therefore, unlikely to have introduced significant bias. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS These findings suggest that exposure to new sperm may not be implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. The mechanism of increased risk seen in conceptions arising from egg or embryo donation remains unclear. Further investigation is required to elucidate these mechanisms and, ultimately, improve pregnancy outcomes following IVF. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was supported by the Australian Commonwealth Government—Graduate Research Scheme (A.K.). Salary support was provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (S.T.), Mercy Foundation (A.L.), and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne (R.H.). There are no competing interests.
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Mu, Dapeng, Tianhe Xu, and Meiqian Guan. "Sea level instantaneous budget for 2003–2015." Geophysical Journal International 229, no. 2 (December 15, 2021): 828–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggab506.
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SUMMARY Most studies of sea level budget only indicate the stationary causes for the global mean sea level (GMSL) rise over the course of a time span of interest, providing limited information on temporary changes in the GMSL budget. In this contribution, we present an instantaneous budget of the GMSL for the period of 2003–2015, which offers new insights on the time evolution of the GMSL budget. We use a space-state model to compute the instantaneous rates of GMSL and their contributing sources (barystatic and steric contributions), to investigate the causes of the GMSL instantaneous budget, which accounts for and quantifies low-frequency variations in GMSL rise. Combining the barystatic GMSL instantaneous rates (estimated from satellite gravimetry) along with a particular choice of steric GMSL instantaneous rates (inferred from an Argo product) achieves closure of the GMSL instantaneous budget with a standard deviation of 0.4 mm yr−1. We find that the barystatic GMSL rate is primarily responsible for the striking fluctuations in the GMSL instantaneous rates between 2009 and 2015. For example, over only 20 months (July 2010 to February 2012), the GMSL (barystatic) rate increases from 0.32 (0.71) to 6.12 (4.55) mm yr−1. These strong fluctuations mainly result from hydrology and mountain glacier mass variations rather than mass loss in ice sheet, for instance, Australia slowed ∼1.2 mm yr−1 equivalent contribution to GMSL rise over the year 2010, which is approximately four times the linear rate of Antarctica mass loss.
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Gattellari, M., and J. E. Ward. "Original Paper: Does evidence-based information about screening for prostate cancer enhance consumer decision-making? A randomised controlled trial." Journal of Medical Screening 10, no. 1 (March 1, 2003): 27–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/096914103321610789.
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Objectives: Efforts to educate men about the controversy surrounding prostate cancer screening are well intended but rarely evaluated rigorously. We evaluated an evidence-based (EB) booklet for men designed to promote informed decision-making. We also determined whether men's preference for involvement in decision-making ("passive", "collaborative" or "active") modified its impact. Setting and methods: Men aged 40-70 years were recruited from the practices of 13 local general practitioners (GPs) in Sydney, Australia. They completed a self-administered questionnaire before seeing their GP, who, according to pre-randomised codes, distributed either our EB booklet or conventional information. Post-test questionnaires were mailed to men three days later. Of the 248 eligible men recruited, 214 (86% response rate) returned post-test questionnaires. Knowledge of evidence and of risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer, attitudes, interest in screening for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), worry and decisional conflict were the main outcome measures. Results: Compared with those receiving conventional information, men receiving the EB booklet had significantly improved knowledge (50% of items correct, 95% CI 46-53%; vs 45% correct, 95% CI 42-48%) (p=0.048) and lower levels of decisional conflict (mean 21.6, 95% CI 20.7-22.5; vs mean 24.3, 95% CI 23.4-25.2) (p<0.001). Interest in PSA screening was significantly reduced in both groups at post-test (p<0.001). Men preferring a "passive" approach to decision-making gained as much from our EB booklet as those with "active" or "collaborative" preferences. Conclusions: Our findings show the benefits of providing evidence-based information to men about PSA screening. Our EB booklet facilitated informed choice, even among "passive" decision-makers.
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O'Mara, Stephen Kenneth, John Ferguson, and Michael Manolis. "Blood Transfusion Increases Hospital Acquired Septicaemia." Blood 116, no. 21 (November 19, 2010): 3346. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.v116.21.3346.3346.
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Abstract Abstract 3346 The rate of septicaemia was measured following blood transfusion in patients admitted to hospital greater than 48 hours. The data was collected prospectively and analysed retrospectively. The aim of the analysis was to disprove that red cell transfusion increased the rate of hospital acquired septicaemia. Data was extracted on patients who had a transfusion and an episode of septicaemia between 1999 and 2008 at a university teaching hospital, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, Australia (JHH). The database contained information on 20161 transfusion events of 102,600 units of packed red cells. The septicaemia database contained 8375 patients with blood culture proven septicaemia. Blood was issued using a computerised cross matching system. Analysis of the issuing of blood found no bias in the age of blood issued based on age, sex, number of units or by year of issue. All patients having a septicaemic event recorded following transfusion were analysed and compared to septicaemia occurring in all admissions greater than 48hrs in which no transfusion occurred. All patients who were diagnosed with septicaemia in the 6 month prior to transfusion were excluded as were patients who received five or more units of packed red cells to exclude the bias from the sickest patients. All patients whose septicaemia occurred greater than 16 days after transfusion were excluded as were patients whose septicaemia occurred before the second day after transfusion. A total of 258 patients were reviewed to test the hypothesis. Table1. There was a statistically significant increase in septicaemia following red cell transfusion. The null hypothesis was rejected. The data base was examined by the age of red cells transfused and its effect on nosocomial septicaemia. There was a statistically significant effect of older blood on the rate of septicaemia. Packed red cells transfused less than 14 days of age had no effect on the septicaemia rate. Blood that was 14–28 days of age increased the rate of nosocomial septicaemia by 1.65. Red Cells that were between 29 and 35 days of age increased the rate of septicaemia by 2.5 times. Blood that was between 36 and 42 days of age increased the rate by approximately 4.4 times, with the absolute risk of developing septicaemia within 15 days being approximately 4%. Table2. The time course of septicaemia was examined for patients receiving at least one unit of 28 day old blood. It was found that the risk of sepsis lasted less than 15 days p<0.001. The conclusion of our analysis suggests that packed red cells older than 14 days increase the risk of septicaemia in hospitalised patients, this effect continues to rise until 42 days post collection. Table 1 N Odds Ratio (CI) Total cases of nosocomial septicaemia 1684 • Admissions greater than 48 hours 175,325 Prior to exclusions • All transfusions • No previous sepsis 790 10.2 (10.1–10.3) Study Group • Less than 5 units Transfusion. • No previous sepsis. • Septicaemia >2 days <16days 258 2.02 (1.92–2.12) Table 2 Age of oldest red cell pack Less than 15 days of age 15 to 28 days of age 29–35 days of age 36–42 days of age Percentage transfused 24% 49% 14% 12% Number of transfusions < 5 units 3524 7161 2115 1802 Septicaemia observed 33 102 52 71 Odds ratio 0.98 1.54 2.55 4.4 Confidence Interval. 0.65–1.31 1.34–1.74 2.26–2.84 4.16–4.64 Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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Mah, B. L., K. G. Pringle, L. Weatherall, L. Keogh, T. Schumacher, S. Eades, A. Brown, et al. "Pregnancy stress, healthy pregnancy and birth outcomes – the need for early preventative approaches in pregnant Australian Indigenous women: a prospective longitudinal cohort study." Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 10, no. 1 (January 17, 2019): 31–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s204017441800079x.
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AbstractAdverse pregnancy outcomes including prematurity and low birth weight (LBW) have been associated with life-long chronic disease risk for the infant. Stress during pregnancy increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Many studies have reported the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Indigenous populations and a smaller number of studies have measured rates of stress and depression in these populations. This study sought to examine the potential association between stress during pregnancy and the rate of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Australian Indigenous women residing in rural and remote communities in New South Wales. This study found a higher rate of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy than the general population. There was also a higher incidence of prematurity and LBW deliveries. Unfortunately, missing post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive symptomatology data impeded the examination of associations of interest. This was largely due to the highly sensitive nature of the issues under investigation, and the need to ensure adequate levels of trust between Indigenous women and research staff before disclosure and recording of sensitive research data. We were unable to demonstrate a significant association between the level of stress and the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes at this stage. We recommend this longitudinal study continue until complete data sets are available. Future research in this area should ensure prioritization of building trust in participants and overestimating sample size to ensure no undue pressure is placed upon an already stressed participant.
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Imai, Chisato, Ling Li, Rae-Anne Hardie, and Andrew Georgiou. "Adherence to guideline-recommended HbA1c testing frequency and better outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes: a 5-year retrospective cohort study in Australian general practice." BMJ Quality & Safety 30, no. 9 (February 4, 2021): 706–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2020-012026.
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BackgroundClinical practice guidelines emphasise the role of regular monitoring of glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) for patients with type 2 diabetes, with most recommending 6-monthly testing. Nonetheless, there are few in-depth studies evaluating the clinical impact of the recommended testing frequency for patients to underpin the significance of guideline adherence.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine associations between patient outcomes and adherence to HbA1c testing frequencies recommended by Australian guidelines (6-monthly for patients with adequate glycaemic control and 3-monthly for patients with inadequate glycaemic control). The primary and secondary outcomes of interest were longitudinal changes in HbA1c values and development of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).MethodsThis 5-year retrospective cohort study (July 2013–June 2018) evaluated HbA1c testing frequency in a subset of patients with type 2 diabetes identified within data collected from approximately 250 Australian general practices. The study included patients who were aged ≥18 in 2013 and had a record of HbA1c testing in study practices during the study period. Each patient’s adherence rate was defined by the proportion of HbA1c tests performed within the testing intervals recommended by Australian guidelines. Based on the adherence rate, adherence level was categorised into low (≤33%), moderate (34%–66%) and high (>66%). Generalised additive mixed models were used to examine associations between adherence to the recommended HbA1c testing frequency and patient outcomes.ResultsIn the 6424 patients with diabetes, the overall median HbA1c testing frequency was 1.6 tests per year with an adherence rate of 50%. The estimated HbA1c levels among patients with low adherence gradually increased or remained inadequately controlled, while HbA1c values in patients with high adherence remained controlled or improved over time. The risk of developing CKD for patients with high adherence was significantly lower than for patients with low adherence (OR: 0.42, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.99). No association between IHD and adherence to the recommended HbA1c frequency was observed.ConclusionBetter adherence to guideline-recommended HbA1c testing frequency was associated with better glycaemic control and lower risk of CKD. These findings may provide valuable evidence to support the use of clinical guidelines for better patient outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes.
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Giebel, Sebastian, Xavier Thomas, Helene Hallbook, Klaus Geissler, Jean-Michel Boiron, Françoise Huguet, Bengt Smedmyr, Elisabeth Koller, Andrzej Hellmann, and Jerzy Holowiecki. "The Prophylactic Use of G-CSF During Induction and Consolidation of Adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Relapse and Improved Leukemia-Free Survival. A Joint Analysis of Five Randomized Trials on Behalf of the European Working Group for Adult ALL (EWALL)." Blood 116, no. 21 (November 19, 2010): 2130. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.v116.21.2130.2130.
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Abstract Abstract 2130 The use of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), either filgrastim or lenograstim, along with induction and consolidation of adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was a subject of several trials documenting significant shortening of neutropenia, reduced rate of infections and better adherence to chemotherapy protocol. The above studies, however, were not powered to detect differences with regard to long-term outcome. We performed a joint analysis of follow-up data from five multicenter prospective, randomized trials performed in France, Poland, Sweden, Austria and Australia. Among 347 adults with ALL (median age 33 years), 185 were assigned to receive prophylactically G-CSF while 162 patients were treated without G-CSF support. G-CSF was administered either in parallel to chemotherapy or in a sequential mode. With the median follow-up of 3.2 years, the remission duration was significantly longer for patients receiving G-CSF compared to controls (33 vs. 17 months, p=0.007). The difference was particularly pronounced for T-ALL (median not reached vs. 13 m., p=0.01) and a trend was observed for B-ALL (22 vs. 17 m., p=0.11). The 5-years probability of leukemia-free survival (LFS) was 38% for patients assigned to the G-CSF arm and 23% for the remaining subjects (p=0.01). There was also a tendency to increased overall survival (OS) rate in favor of patients receiving G-CSF (45% vs. 39%, p=0.17), which reached statistical significance in a subgroup of T-ALL (54% vs. 33%, p=0.03). In a multivariate analysis adjusted to age, initial WBC and the presence of Ph chromosome the prophylactic use of G-CSF was associated with reduced risk of relapse (HR=0.65, p=0.01) and treatment failure (HR=0.7, p=0.02). The differences remained significant when the observations were censored at the time of alloHSCT. We conclude that the prophylactic use of G-CSF during induction and consolidation of adults with ALL is associated with reduced risk of relapse and improved LFS. The possible explanation could be better adherence to chemotherapy schedules, as demonstrated in previous studies. Patients with T-ALL appear to particularly benefit from the use of G-CSF. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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Seymour, Mark, John A. Kirkegaard, Mark B. Peoples, Peter F. White, and Robert J. French. "Break-crop benefits to wheat in Western Australia – insights from over three decades of research." Crop and Pasture Science 63, no. 1 (2012): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp11320.
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Broadleaf break crops improve cereal yield through disease and weed control, increased nitrogen (N) availability and other mechanisms. In the rainfed farming systems of Australia the magnitude of the yield benefit is highly variable, yet is a major driver for adoption of break crops which are often less profitable and more risky than cereals. Declining area of break crops throughout Australia has re-ignited interest in better understanding the circumstances in which break-crop benefits can be maximised from a farming systems perspective. We compiled and analysed a database of 167 crop sequence experiments conducted throughout Western Australia in the period 1974–2007 to evaluate the impact on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield from the use of narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), field pea (Pisum sativum L.), canola (Brassica napus L.) or oats (Avena sativa L.), or following a long fallow where no crop had been sown the previous year. Adjusted for the years in which each was represented the average yield benefit to wheat compared with wheat after wheat was 0.60, 0.45, 0.40, 0.35 and 0.30 t/ha following lupin, field pea, canola, oats or fallow, though direct comparisons between break crops could not be made as few experiments (3) included all species. For all break crops, the mean wheat yield increase was independent of the level of wheat yield, representing a step-change rather than a proportional improvement in yield. Analysis of the larger number and spread of lupin experiments revealed that break-crop benefits increased in higher rainfall areas, following higher yielding lupin crops (>1.5 t/ha), and that the break-crop benefit in terms of yield and water-use efficiency increased significantly after 1991. These observations were often related to the level and/or effectiveness of diseases or grass weed control in the break crop; however, increased contribution of fixed N was also likely with better legume crops. For both lupin and field pea, the magnitude of the break-crop response declined as rate of N fertiliser applied to subsequent wheat crop increased, although non-N related benefits (disease and weed control) tended to dominate wheat response to lupin after 1989. Significant break-crop benefits from lupins (+0.40 t/ha) persisted to a third wheat crop (n = 29) but effects were inconsistent beyond that point. The magnitude, persistence and reliability of the break-crop benefits revealed in this study provide a more accurate framework to assess their likely benefit within the farming system. Further information is required to define the key ‘trigger points’ for the major drivers of the response – water, N, weeds and disease – at which the benefits outweigh the higher risk of these crops and would influence the decision to include them within the system.
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Shukla, Anna, Catherine L. Granger, Gavin M. Wright, Lara Edbrooke, and Linda Denehy. "Attitudes and Perceptions to Prehabilitation in Lung Cancer." Integrative Cancer Therapies 19 (January 2020): 153473542092446. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1534735420924466.
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Background: Prehabilitation to maximize exercise capacity before lung cancer surgery has the potential to improve operative tolerability and patient outcomes. However, translation of this evidence into clinical practice is limited. Aims: To determine the acceptability and perceived benefit of prehabilitation in lung cancer among thoracic surgeons. Procedure: 198 cardiothoracic surgeons within Australia and New Zealand were surveyed to evaluate their attitudes and perceived benefits of prehabilitation in lung cancer. Results: Response rate was 14%. A moderate proportion of respondents reported that there is a need to refer lung resection patients to preoperative physiotherapy/prehabilitation, particularly high-risk patients or those with borderline fitness for surgery. 91% of surgeons were willing to delay surgery (as indicated by cancer stage/type) to optimize patients via prehabilitation. The main barriers to prehabilitation reported were patient comorbidities and access to allied health professionals, with 33% stating that they were unsure who to refer to for prehabilitation in thoracic surgery. This is despite 60% of the cohort reporting that pulmonary rehabilitation is available as a preoperative resource. 92% of respondents believe that further research into prehabilitation in lung cancer is warranted. Conclusion: The benefits of prehabilitation for the oncology population have been well documented in the literature over recent years and this is reflected in the perceptions surgeons had on the benefits of prehabilitation for their patients. This survey demonstrates an interest among cardiothoracic surgeons in favor of prehabilitation, and therefore further research and demonstration of its benefit is needed in lung cancer to facilitate implementation into practice.
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Brunton, Elizabeth A., Javier X. Leon, and Scott E. Burnett. "Evaluating the Efficacy and Optimal Deployment of Thermal Infrared and True-Colour Imaging When Using Drones for Monitoring Kangaroos." Drones 4, no. 2 (May 27, 2020): 20. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/drones4020020.
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Advances in drone technology have given rise to much interest in the use of drone-mounted thermal imagery in wildlife monitoring. This research tested the feasibility of monitoring large mammals in an urban environment and investigated the influence of drone flight parameters and environmental conditions on their successful detection using thermal infrared (TIR) and true-colour (RGB) imagery. We conducted 18 drone flights at different altitudes on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. Eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) were detected from TIR (n=39) and RGB orthomosaics (n=33) using manual image interpretation. Factors that predicted the detection of kangaroos from drone images were identified using unbiased recursive partitioning. Drone-mounted imagery achieved an overall 73.2% detection success rate using TIR imagery and 67.2% using RGB imagery when compared to on-ground counts of kangaroos. We showed that the successful detection of kangaroos using TIR images was influenced by vegetation type, whereas detection using RGB images was influenced by vegetation type, time of day that the drone was deployed, and weather conditions. Kangaroo detection was highest in grasslands, and kangaroos were not successfully detected in shrublands. Drone-mounted TIR and RGB imagery are effective at detecting large mammals in urban and peri-urban environments.
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Saher, Liudmyla, Tatjana Tambovceva, and Radoslaw Miskiewicz. "Research Progress and Knowledge Structure of Inclusive Growth: A Bibliometric Analysis." Virtual Economics 4, no. 4 (December 31, 2021): 7–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.34021/ve.2021.04.04(1).
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Environmental and socio-political challenges of today show that traditional models of economic growth and valuation methods, which are based primarily on financial profitability, are not always optimal, but the concept of inclusive growth is gaining popularity. In January 2018, the Inclusive Growth and Development Index was presented at the 48th World Economic Forum in Davos. But the relatively new concept of inclusive growth and its economic meaning remains insufficiently studied and needs further research. Accordingly, the paper aims at providing a bibliometric overview to determine the current state of scientific production in "inclusive growth". Scopus Database was selected as the primary data source. The scientific literature was searched based on the titles, abstracts, and author keywords with the following search strategy: "inclusive growth". A time span of 10 years was set, and thus, only literature published from 2012 to 2021 was included. To obtain a more comprehensive analysis VOSviewer 1.6.16 software was used for mapping and visualizing bibliometric networks of scientific publications. A study of the geographical affiliation of researchers in this area showed that the most significant number of publications was published by scientists from the USA, India, Great Britain, China, South Africa, Australia, Spain, Italy, Canada, and Germany. The average growth rate of publications in this field is the highest among scientists in Spain, Italy, and China. The interest in the topic is constantly growing. As a result of a bibliometric analysis of 2000 publications indexed by the Scopus database from 2012 to 2021, devoted to the issues of inclusive growth, 8 clusters were identified: environmental problems, role, and opportunities of stakeholders in increasing inclusive growth, population movement under the influence of micro-and macro-environmental factors to achieve sustainable development goals, inequality, analysis of economic and population development factors in the context of achieving sustainable development goals, inclusive growth essence, and parameters, poverty. The issues of regional aspects and mechanisms for attaining inclusive growth goals, as well as issues of regulating and ensuring stakeholders' interests, including issues of communication and promotion of inclusive growth paradigm, risk assessment of implementing inclusive economic principles, and formalization of impact factors remain unexplored.
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Pepic, Marina. "Managing interest rate risk with interest rate futures." Ekonomika preduzeca 62, no. 3-4 (2014): 201–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.5937/ekopre1404201p.
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Vuong, Lan N., Vu N. A. Ho, Tuong M. Ho, Vinh Q. Dang, Tuan H. Phung, Nhu H. Giang, Anh H. Le, et al. "In-vitro maturation of oocytes versus conventional IVF in women with infertility and a high antral follicle count: a randomized non-inferiority controlled trial." Human Reproduction 35, no. 11 (September 24, 2020): 2537–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deaa240.
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Abstract STUDY QUESTION Is one cycle of IVM non-inferior to one cycle of conventional in IVF with respect to live birth rates in women with high antral follicle counts (AFCs)? SUMMARY ANSWER We could not demonstrate non-inferiority of IVM compared with IVF. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY IVF with ovarian hyperstimulation has limitations in some subgroups of women at high risk of ovarian stimulation, such as those with polycystic ovary syndrome. IVM is an alternative ART for these women. IVM may be a feasible alternative to IVF in women with a high AFC, but there is a lack of data from randomized clinical trials comparing IVM with IVF in women at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This single-center, randomized, controlled non-inferiority trial was conducted at an academic infertility center in Vietnam from January 2018 to April 2019. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS In total, 546 women with an indication for ART and a high AFC (≥24 follicles in both ovaries) were randomized to the IVM (n = 273) group or the IVF (n = 273) group; each underwent one cycle of IVM with a prematuration step versus one cycle of IVF using a standard gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist triggering. The primary endpoint was live birth rate after the first embryo transfer. The non-inferiority margin for IVM versus IVF was −10%. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Live birth after the first embryo transfer occurred in 96 women (35.2%) in the IVM group and 118 women (43.2%) in the IVF group (absolute risk difference –8.1%; 95% confidence interval (CI) –16.6%, 0.5%). Cumulative ongoing pregnancy rates at 12 months after randomization were 44.0% in the IVM group and 62.6% in the IVF group (absolute risk difference –18.7%; 95% CI –27.3%, –10.1%). Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome did not occur in the IVM group, versus two cases in the IVF group. There were no statistically significant differences between the IVM and IVF groups with respect to the occurrence of pregnancy complications, obstetric and perinatal complications, preterm delivery, birth weight and neonatal complications. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The main limitation of the study was its open-label design. In addition, the findings are only applicable to IVM conducted using the prematuration step protocol used in this study. Finally, the single ethnicity population limits the external generalizability of the findings. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our randomized clinical trial compares live birth rates after IVM and IVF. Although IVM is a viable and safe alternative to IVF that may be suitable for some women seeking a mild ART approach, the current study findings approach inferiority for IVM compared with IVF when cumulative outcomes are considered. Future research should incorporate multiple cycles of IVM in the study design to estimate cumulative fertility outcomes and better inform clinical decision-making. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was partly supported by Ferring grant number 000323 and funded by the Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) and by the Fund for Research Flanders (FWO). LNV has received speaker and conference fees from Merck, grant, speaker and conference fees from Merck Sharpe and Dohme, and speaker, conference and scientific board fees from Ferring; TMH has received speaker fees from Merck, Merck Sharp and Dohme, and Ferring; RJN has received conference and scientific board fees from Ferring, is a minor shareholder in an IVF company, and receives grant funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia; BWM has acted as a paid consultant to Merck, ObsEva and Guerbet, and is the recipient of grant money from an NHMRC Investigator Grant; RBG reports grants and fellowships from the NHMRC of Australia; JS reports lecture fees from Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Biomérieux, Besins Female Healthcare and Merck, grants from Fund for Research Flanders (FWO), and is co-inventor on granted patents on CAPA-IVM methodology in the US (US10392601B2) and Europe (EP3234112B1); TDP, VQD, VNAH, NHG, AHL, THP and RW have no financial relationships with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years, and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03405701 (www.clinicaltrials.gov). TRIAL REGISTRATION DATE 16 January 2018. DATE OF FIRST PATENT’S ENROLMENT 25 January 2018.
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Lim, Hui Yin, Cheryl Ng, Carole L. Smith, Geoffrey Donnan, Harshal Nandurkar, and Prahlad Ho. "Ten Years of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis (CVT) in Melbourne, Australia: Male Gender and Presence of Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Is Associated with Thrombotic Recurrence in Unprovoked Events." Blood 126, no. 23 (December 3, 2015): 4468. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.v126.23.4468.4468.
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Abstract Aim Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) accounts for 0.5-1.0% of all strokes and is a common cause of stroke in young people. The presentations are often heterogeneous and can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This review aims to evaluate our local experience in CVT compared to other venous thromboembolism (VTE) with a focus on risk factors for thrombotic recurrence. Methods Retrospective evaluation of consecutive CVT presentations from January 2005 to June 2015, at two major tertiary hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. Data collected included demographics, risk factors, management, complications, modified Rankin score (mRS) and mortality. Results 52 patients (31 female, 21 male) with median age 9.5 (18-83) years, including 4 with cancer, presented with 53 episodes of CVT. Females were younger (32 vs 41 years, p=0.06). Typical presenting symptoms were headache (87%), nausea/vomiting (43%), visual disturbances (38%), focal neurological deficits (28%) and seizures (17%). All but one case was symptomatic, with 53% reporting symptoms in the preceding week. 18 (34%) failed to be diagnosed on initial presentation while 35% (13/37) of CT brain yielded false negative for thrombosis; all of which were subsequently diagnosed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or CT angiography/venography. Commonly thrombosed sinuses included transverse/sigmoid (40%), superior sagittal (11%) or both (43%), with no location-dependent outcome differences. Nine (17%) had CVT-related haemorrhagic transformation and was associated with CVT-related death (2/9 vs 0/44; p=0.04). 28 episodes were provoked - twice more common in female (p=0.02) with 45% attributed to oral contraceptive pill(OCP). 44 patients (85%) had thrombophilia screen performed with 21% positivity. Median duration of anticoagulation was 6.5 months (8 remained on long-term); 78% treated with warfarin. Eight (15%) required intensive care support, while 2 patients required decompressive surgery. 12 (23%) were not followed up in our institutions. At last follow-up of the remaining 40, 2 (5%) had worsening mRS of ³ 2 compared to premorbid, 2 had CVT-related deaths and 2 succumbed to malignancy. 30% reported ongoing symptoms such as headaches, residual neurological deficits, seizures and memory impairment. There were three clot recurrences (1 CVT, 2 portal vein thrombosis) - all male with initial unprovoked events and were subsequently diagnosed with myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). Of the 3, one was positive for JAK2V617F mutation. Men with unprovoked CVT had a 20% risk of recurrence, significantly higher compared to women with unprovoked events (3/15 vs 0/10; p=0.02). Clot progression, defined as increased clot burden on repeat imaging, occurred in 2 patients - one was associated with MPN while another progressed in the setting of subtherapeutic anticoagulation post partum. There was one episode of Grade III bleeding (following a procedure) in addition to the 2 (4%) clot-related deaths discussed prior. Table 1.compares the characteristics of CVT and other VTE previously audited by us. Conclusions CVT is rare and may be missed on initial presentation (34%)_with a high degree of clinical suspicion required to improve detection rate. Given there was 35% of CT brain had false negative, MRI or CT angiography is the preferred modality of investigation. It is more common in young people, particularly females on OCP. The presence of haemorrhagic transformation was associated with higher mortality. All thrombotic recurrences in this audit occurred in men with unprovoked events, who were subsequently diagnosed with MPN. This suggests the need for further evaluation, particularly for MPN in males with unprovoked events. Table 1. Comparison between CVT and VTE patients CVT VTE RR; p-value No of patients 52 743 No of episodes 53 753 Incidence 5 cases/year 502 cases/year Median age (years) 39 63 RR 0.39, p<0.001 Male genderRecurrence in males 21 (40%)3 (14%) 367 (49%)33 (9%) p=0.24 Provoked events 28 (53%) 467 (62%) p=0.23 Past VTE history 3 (6%) 157 (21%) RR 0.27, p=0.02 Positive family history 6 (12%) 56 (8%) p=0.29 Thrombophilia screen done (%)Any positive screen 44 (85%)11 (21%) 304 (40%)69 (23%) RR 2.10, p<0.001 p=0.76 Median duration of anticoagulation 6.5m Below knee VTE 3mMajor VTE 6m RecurrenceProvoked 3 (5%)0 (0%) 55 (7%)27 (6%) p=0.79p=0.39 Grade III/IV bleeding 3 (6%) 42 (6%) p=0.98 Non-cancer mortality 2 (4%) 109 (15%) RR 0.28, p=0.07 Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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Ang, Andrew, and Michael Sherris. "Interest Rate Risk Management." North American Actuarial Journal 1, no. 2 (April 1997): 1–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10920277.1997.10595601.
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Bowen, A. "World maternal mental health day." European Psychiatry 41, S1 (April 2017): s900. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.1838.
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IntroductionAs many as 20% of mothers experiences some type of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD) worldwide. Women of every culture, age, income level, and race are at risk for PMADs with potential effects to mother and child.ObjectivesTo promote awareness of maternal mental health and PMADs.MethodAn international task force met via online videoconference to make plans for the inaugural World Maternal Mental Health Day. The task force soon grew to include representatives from around the globe with a common goal to increase awareness of and influence policy about maternal mental health. This presentation will discuss the process, successes, challenges, and engage participants in future social marketing strategies for World Maternal Mental Health Day. International reach and impact will be discussed.ResultOrganizations from 12 countries were involved in this event, with twitter and landing page activity across the globe. A unique logo was developed and numerous organizations endorsed the event. An international social media campaign included a Twitter Feed “#Maternal Mental Health Matters” starting in Australia, Facebook page, and landing page. The first World MMH Day was held May 4, 2016.ConclusionIncreased awareness will continue to drive social change with a goal of improving the quality of care for women worldwide who experience all types of PMADs and to reduce the stigma of maternal mental illness. World Maternal Mental Health Day will be held each year on the first Wednesday of May, close to “mother's day” and “mental health week” in many countries.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.
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Sabovic, Serif. "Management of interest rate risk." Ekonomski signali 9, no. 1 (2014): 35–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.5937/ekonsig1401035s.
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