31 research outputs found
A comparison of pictures vs. text for the explanation of cancer statistics to the general public
No full textMultifocal breast cancers are more prevalent in <i>BRCA2</i> versus <i>BRCA1</i> mutation carriers
No full textMultifocal (MF)/multicentric (MC) breast cancer is generally considered to be where two or more breast tumours are present within the same breast, and is seen in ~10% of breast cancer cases. This study investigates the prevalence of multifocality/multicentricity in a cohort of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers with breast cancer from Northern Ireland via cross-sectional analysis. Data from 211 women with BRCA1/2 mutations (BRCA1-91, BRCA2-120) and breast cancer were collected including age, tumour focality, size, type, grade and receptor profile. The prevalence of multifocality/multicentricity within this group was 25% but, within subgroups, prevalence amongst BRCA2 carriers was more than double that of BRCA1 carriers (p = 0.001). Women affected by MF/MC tumours had proportionately higher oestrogen receptor positivity (p = 0.001) and lower triple negativity (p = 0.004). These observations are likely to be driven by the higher BRCA2 mutation prevalence observed within this cohort. The odds of a BRCA2 carrier developing MF/MC cancer were almost four-fold higher than a BRCA1 carrier (odds ratio: 3.71, CI: 1.77–7.78, p = 0.001). These findings were subsequently validated in a second, large independent cohort of patients with BRCA-associated breast cancers from a UK-wide multicentre study. This confirmed a significantly higher prevalence of MF/MC tumours amongst BRCA2 mutation carriers compared with BRCA1 mutation carriers. This has important implications for clinicians involved in the treatment of BRCA2-associated breast cancer, both in the diagnostic process, in ensuring that tumour focality is adequately assessed to facilitate treatment decision-making, and for breast surgeons, particularly if breast conserving surgery is being considered as a treatment option for these patients.</p
East India Company and Bank of England Shareholders during the South Sea Bubble: Partitions, Components and Connectivity in a Dynamic Trading Network
No full textA new dataset, in the form of a network graph, is used to study inventory and trading behaviour amongst owners of East India Company (EIC) and Bank of England (BoE)stock around the South Sea Bubble. There was a decline in market intermediation in which the goldsmith bankers were dominant in 1720, but foreigners and Jews to some extent restored intermediation services after the Bubble. Company directors temporarily helped to sustain intermediation in 1720 itself. Whereas before and during the Bubble intermediation was largely in the form of brokerage, after the Bubble dealership noticeably began to displace brokerage.South Sea Company; Financial Revolution; social networks, financial intermediation, inventories.
Continuous Time Modelling Based on an Exact Discrete Time Representation
No full textThis chapter provides a survey of methods of continuous time modelling based on an exact discrete time representation. It begins by highlighting the techniques involved with the derivation of an exact discrete time representation of an underlying continuous time model, providing specific details for a second-order linear system of stochastic differential equations. Issues of parameter identification, Granger causality, nonstationarity, and mixed frequency data are addressed, all being important considerations in applications in economics and other disciplines. Although the focus is on Gaussian estimation of the exact discrete time model, alternative time domain (state space) and frequency domain approaches are also discussed. Computational issues are explored and two new empirical applications are included along with a discussion of applications in the field of macroeconometric modelling
Mapping the current landscape of locoregional therapy de-escalation trials in early breast cancer: a systematic review
No full textA systematic review undertaken to map the current landscape of locoregional de-escalation trials to inform future research. Online databases and trial registries were searched to identify ongoing, recently completed or published studies de-escalating surgery or radiotherapy in patients with early breast cancer. 97 trials evaluated de-escalation of surgery or radiotherapy in up to 94,866 participants. Surgery studies more commonly evaluated treatment omission/reduction after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) and de-escalation of nodal treatment. Radiotherapy studies were more frequently biomarker stratified. Patients were rarely involved in study design. Research questions focused on response-adjusted treatment after NST and omission/reduction of locoregional therapy in patients with low- or intermediate-risk disease. Significant duplication was identified with multiple studies addressing similar questions. This systematic review demonstrates that the current de-escalation portfolio is inefficient, lacks patient focus and needs improvement. An internationally collaborative approach using innovative study designs and patient partnership will be essential to address this
Knowledge or noise? Making sense of General Practitioners’ and Consultant use of two-week-wait referrals for suspected cancer
No full textThis work was funded by the National Awareness & Early Diagnosis Initiative. It was undertaken in the secure environment of the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, which is funded by the Northern Ireland Public Health Agency. We are grateful to the staff in the Health & Social Care Board for their advice and guidance on this study.Peer reviewe
Bonuses, Credit Rating Agencies and the Credit Crunch
No full textThe payment of bonuses can bring big benefits. But harm, too, can result. In the financial sector, this is especially true, above all when they are related to noisy indicators of performance over brief periods. This paper starts by exploring these ideas, then proceeds to examine credit rating agencies and their role in the 2007 credit crunch. It emphasizes the paucity of long term high frequency financial data to quantify tail event risks, the failure to apply analysis of fundamentals in financial and housing markets, and rewards structures to individual players that reinforced myopia as three key components of the crisis.bonuses; credit crunch; credit rating agencies.
Estimating DSGE Models under Partial Information
No full textMost DSGE models and methods make inappropriate asymmetric information assumptions. They assume that all economic agents have full access to measurement of all variables and past shocks, whereas the econometricians have no access to this. An alternative assumption is that there is symmetry, in that the information set available to both agents and econometricians is incomplete. The reality lies somewhere between the two, because agents are likely to be subject to idiosyncratic shocks which they can observe, but are unable to observe other agents’ idiosyncratic shocks, as well as being unable to observe certain economy-wide shocks; however such assumptions generally lead to models that have no closed-form solution. This research aims to compare the two alternatives - the asymmetric case,as commonly used in the literature, and the symmetric case, which uses the partial information solution of Pearlman et al. (1986) using standard EU datasets. We use Bayesian MCMC methods, with log-likelihoods accounting for partial information.The work then extends the data to allow for a greater variety of measurements, and evaluates the effect on estimates, along the lines of work by Boivin and Giannoni (2005).partial information, DSGE models, Bayesian maximum likelihood.
Abstract: 27. Multifocality in BRCA-associated breast cancer: a cross-sectional analysis
No full textDoes Strengthening Collective Action Clauses (CACs) Help?
No full textWe study the effect of strengthening CACs in a debt rollover model of a sovereign debt crisis. Conditional on default, there are multiple equilibria: the impact of strengthening CACs depends critically on the prevailing equilibrium. For a subset of equilibria, (i) given a fixed number of creditors, we derive an optimal CAC threshold and (ii) given a fixed CAC threshold, as the number of creditors becomes larger, we show a convergence to efficient information aggregation. Moreover, strengthening CACs may actually increase the ex ante probability of adverse shock. Our analysis makes the case for a formal sovereign bankruptcy procedure.Sovereign Debt, Bargaining, Coordination, Moral Hazard, Collective Action Clauses.
