Trials

Cluster Randomised Trials, Second Edition discusses the design, conduct, and analysis of trials that randomise groups of individuals to different treatments. It explores the advantages of cluster randomisation, with special attention given to evaluating the effects of interventions against infectious diseases. Avoiding unnecessary mathematical detail, the book covers basic concepts underlying the use of cluster randomisation, such as direct, indirect, and total effects. In the time since the publication of the first edition, the use of cluster randomised trials (CRTs) has increased substantially, which is reflected in the updates to this edition. There are greatly expanded sections on randomisation, sample size estimation, and alternative designs, including new material on stepped wedge designs. There is a new section on handling ordinal outcome data, and an appendix with descriptions and/or generating code of the example data sets. Although the book mainly focuses on medical and public health applications, it shows that the rigorous evidence of intervention effects provided by CRTs has the potential to inform public policy in a wide range of other areas. The book encourages readers to apply the methods to their own trials, reproduce the analyses presented, and explore alternative approaches.

This is the first comprehensive guide to the design of behavioral randomized clinical trials (RCT) for chronic diseases. It includes the scientific foundations for behavioral trial methods, problems that have been encountered in past behavioral trials, advances in design that have evolved, and promising trends and opportunities for the future. The value of this book lies in its potential to foster an ability to “speak the language of medicine” through the conduct of high-quality behavioral clinical trials that match the rigor commonly seen in double-blind drug trials. It is relevant for testing any treatment aimed at improving a behavioral, social, psychosocial, environmental, or policy-level risk factor for a chronic disease including, for example, obesity, sedentary behavior, adherence to treatment, psychosocial stress, food deserts, and fragmented care. Outcomes of interest are those that are of clinical significance in the treatment of chronic diseases, including standard risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose, and clinical outcomes such as hospitalizations, functional limitations, excess morbidity, quality of life, and mortality. This link between behavior and chronic disease requires innovative clinical trial methods not only from the behavioral sciences but also from medicine, epidemiology, and biostatistics. This integration does not exist in any current book, or in any training program, in either the behavioral sciences or medicine.

Thirty young women. A handsome prince. A battle to the death Water is scarce. Deserts have taken over the land. Nuclear war has devastated humanity. Humans live in walled super cities to keep out the irradiated. The land that was formerly known as America is divided into kingdoms ruled by royal elites.Born into the lowest Echelon of the Kingdom of Phangloria, sixteen-year-old Zea Calico faces a life of hunger, thirst, and toil. The only way out of this drudgery is revolution, and Zea is desperate to help the cause. When the palace calls for candidates to compete to marry Prince Kevon, Zea joins the Princess Trials to search the palace for weaknesses. The trials should be a fairytale of sumptuous meals, ballgowns, and romance, but one misplaced word causes Zea to attract the Prince's attention. When Zea uncovers the man beneath Prince Kevon's public facade, she is at risk of falling in love and losing sight of her mission. But the televised beauty pageant turns deadly, and Zea must fight for survival.Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and The Selection, this exciting tale of courage, intrigue, and betrayal will have you turning pages.

If I told you the power of leaving anxiety behind and having positive, joy-filled days was as easy as reading this short book, would you believe me? No worries, I wouldn't either. However, I hope you will join me on a journey to see if you can convince yourself anxiety is a choice that we all have the power to choose to endure or let go. So many areas in our lives cause us anxiety, stress, worry, depression, etc. When we consider all the trigger points for these challenges we face, we must find the root or the core of what brings all these negative feelings and emotions. One of the underlying struggles we all deal with is the desire to be normal. We never want others to look at us and think we aren't "normal," or better put, "like them" (from our own perspective). When we look at the world around us, don't we find the biggest group of people who seem to be similar, and then we try to be like them because they are the "normal" ones? It feels silly just saying those words, but so many live by them. Do we really want to be like everyone else? The T.R.I.A.L.S. method has helped me in my journey to help others reduce stress in their lives. I have developed this acronym hoping to help us all find practical ways to overcome stressful situations and anxiety. T = Transparency R = Responsibility I = Intentionality A = Appreciation L = Limits S = Simplify At the end of each section, we will look at practical ways to implement these principles to reduce your current stress levels. There will also be a section of discussion questions at the end of each chapter to use for personal growth or group studies. Understanding T.R.I.A.L.S. has the potential to bring a tremendous amount of joy to your life. I encourage you to have an open mind and be optimistic about the possibility of reducing your stress and eliminating anxiety from your daily routine. The power to choose lies within you!

Stories of transnational terror and justice illuminate the past and present of South America’s struggles for human rights. Through the voices of survivors, human rights activists, judicial actors, and experts, The Condor Trials unravels the secrets of transnational repression masterminded by South American dictators between 1969 and 1981. Under Operation Condor, the regimes of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay closely monitored hundreds of exiles and kidnapped, tortured, murdered, or forcibly returned them to their countries of origin. This cross-border network designed to silence opposition in exile transformed South America into a borderless zone of terror and impunity. Francesca Lessa shows how, gradually, transnational networks of activists materialized and effectively transcended national borders to achieve justice for the victims of these horrors. Based on extensive fieldwork, archival research, trial ethnography, and over 100 interviews, The Condor Trials explores South America’s past and present and sheds light on ongoing struggles for justice as its societies come to terms with the unparalleled atrocities of their not-so-distant pasts.

It is increasingly important to examine the relationship between the outcomes of a clinical trial and the costs of the medical therapy under study. This book provides a practical guide to the techniques and issues involved in conducting economic evaluation in ongoing clinical trials, supported with examples.