Model Averaged Double Robust Estimation

Existing methods in causal inference do not account for the uncertainty in the selection of confounders. We propose a new class of estimators for the average causal effect, the model averaged double robust estimators, that formally account for model uncertainty in both the propensity score and outcome model through the use of Bayesian model averaging. These estimators build on the desirable double robustness property by only requiring the true propensity score model or the true outcome model be within a specified class of models to maintain consistency. We provide asymptotic results and conduct a large scale simulation study that indicates the model averaged double robust estimator has better finite sample behavior than the usual double robust estimator

Enhancing Job Performance for Students with High-Incidence Disabilities

Not submitte

Servant Leadership and Medical Missionaries

Medical missionaries provide benevolent medical services to underserved people internationally. This exploratory research was conducted to examine whether medical missionaries demonstrate the ten behavioral characteristics of servant leaders as outlined by Larry Spears, president and CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. The characteristics are listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of others, and building communities. Qualitative data from interviews with four medical missionaries supported that Spear\u27s ten characteristics are evident among this group of people. Analysis of these characteristics highlights their importance in the leadership of medical missionary work. This study provides valuable information for individuals who employ health care workers that serve as medical missionaries. Further research would be helpful to expand on this small study and to investigate what health care organizations can do to acknowledge, support, and encourage these servant leaders and to use the potentially significant contributions that medical missionaries bring back to their organizations

Junior Recital: Kristen Arvold, horn

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Bachelor of Music in Performance. Ms. Arvold studies horn with Jason Eklund.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1265/thumbnail.jp

Senior Capstone Lecture Recital: Kristen Arvold, horn

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Bachelor of Music in Performance. Ms. Arvold studies horn with Jason Eklund.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1056/thumbnail.jp

The role of whole brain radiation therapy in the management of melanoma brain metastases

Background: Brain metastases are common in patients with melanoma, and optimal management is not well defined. As melanoma has traditionally been thought of as “radioresistant,” the role of whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) in particular is unclear. We conducted this retrospective study to identify prognostic factors for patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for melanoma brain metastases and to investigate the role of additional up-front treatment with whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT). Methods: We reviewed records of 147 patients who received SRS as part of initial management of their melanoma brain metastases from January 2000 through June 2010. Overall survival (OS) and time to distant intracranial progression were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: WBRT was employed with SRS in 27% of patients and as salvage in an additional 22%. Age at SRS > 60 years (hazard ratio [HR] 0.64, p = 0.05), multiple brain metastases (HR 1.90, p = 0.008), and omission of up-front WBRT (HR 2.24, p = 0.005) were associated with distant intracranial progression on multivariate analysis. Extensive extracranial metastases (HR 1.86, p = 0.0006), Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ≤ 80% (HR 1.58, p = 0.01), and multiple brain metastases (HR 1.40, p = 0.06) were associated with worse OS on univariate analysis. Extensive extracranial metastases (HR 1.78, p = 0.001) and KPS (HR 1.52, p = 0.02) remained significantly associated with OS on multivariate analysis. In patients with absent or stable extracranial disease, multiple brain metastases were associated with worse OS (multivariate HR 5.89, p = 0.004), and there was a trend toward an association with worse OS when up-front WBRT was omitted (multivariate HR 2.56, p = 0.08). Conclusions: Multiple brain metastases and omission of up-front WBRT (particularly in combination) are associated with distant intracranial progression. Improvement in intracranial disease control may be especially important in the subset of patients with absent or stable extracranial disease, where the competing risk of death from extracranial disease is low. These results are hypothesis generating and require confirmation from ongoing randomized trials

Ablative therapy for people with localised prostate cancer : a systematic review and economic evaluation

The research reported in this issue of the journal was funded by the HTA programme as project number 10/136/01. The contractual start date was in April 2012. The draft report began editorial review in October 2013 and was accepted for publication in April 2014. The authors have been wholly responsible for all data collection, analysis and interpretation, and for writing up their work. The HTA editors and publisher have tried to ensure the accuracy of the authors’ report and would like to thank the reviewers for their constructive comments on the draft document. However, they do not accept liability for damages or losses arising from material published in this report. Acknowledgements We thank l the people recruited from the local UCAN for providing valuable consumer insight and advice through their participation as members of the project focus group: - Mark Emberton (Professor of Interventional Oncology), Damian Greene (consultant urologist), Axel Heidenreich (Professor and Director of Department of Urology), Christoph von Klot (specialist in brachytherapy), Roger Kockelbergh (BAUS chairman and Clinical Director of Urology) and Axel Merserburger (Deputy Clinical Director of Urology and Urologic Oncology) for providing their clinical expertise as members of the project advisory group - Edgar Paez (consultant urologist) and Gill Lawrence (Head of Radiotherapy Physics) for providing a list of staff time by grade and specialty involved in EBRT - Debbie Bennett (Radiotherapy Service Manager) for providing estimates for the expected number of uses for EBRT - Ian Pedley (clinical director/clinical oncologist) and Gill Lawrence for providing a list of all resource inputs relevant to brachytherapy - Steve Locks (Consultant Clinical Scientist in Radiotherapy) for providing a list of reusable equipment and consumables used during brachytherapy, along with their unit costs - Sue Asterling (urology research nurse) and Mark Kelly (Acting Divisional General Manager – Theatres) for providing a list of all resource inputs relevant to cryotherapy - Lara Kemp for providing secretarial support. The Health Services Research Unit is core funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Senior Recital: Alexander Sifuentes, oboe

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Bachelor of Music in Performance. Mr. Sifuentes studies oboe with Elizabeth Koch Tiscione.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1529/thumbnail.jp

Senior Recital: Sarah Fluker, bassoon

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Bachelor of Music in Performance. Ms. Fluker studies bassoon with Laura Najarian.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1525/thumbnail.jp