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• Innovative phenotype-genotype association analysis for categorical genomic data having non-ignorable missing values. • Statistical learning method of random forest is used for variable selection in the analysis. • Weighted logistic ridge regression with EM algorithm is used for missing data imputation in the analysis. • Linear statistical hypothesis testing is used for determining the missingness mechanism in the analysis. • An application to analyzing real data from Australia breast cancer genome-wide association study (GWAS). Genomic data arising from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) are often not only of large-scale, but also incomplete. A specific form of their incompleteness is missing values with non-ignorable missingness mechanism. The intrinsic complications of genomic data present significant challenges in developing an effective and efficient procedure of phenotype-genotype association analysis by a statistical variable selection approach. In this paper we develop a coherent procedure of categorical phenotype-genotype association analysis, in the presence of missing values with non-ignorable missingness mechanism in genomic data. It is developed by integrating the statistical learning methods of random forest for variable selection, joint weighted logistic ridge regression with EM algorithm for missing data imputation, and linear statistical hypothesis testing for determining the missingness mechanism. Two simulated genomic datasets are used to undertake the phenotype-genotype association analysis by the proposed procedure, with the performance validated. The proposed procedure is then applied to analyze a real data set from breast cancer GWAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to recognise and account for the influence of working from home on commuting activity has never been so real as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only does this change the performance of the transport network, it also means that the way in which transport modellers and planners use models estimated on a typical weekday of travel and expand it up to the week and the year must be questioned and appropriately revised to adjust for the quantum of working from home. Although teleworking is not a new phenomenon, what is new is the ferocity by which it has been imposed on individuals throughout the world, and the expectation that working from home is no longer a temporary phenomenon but one that is likely to continue to some non-marginal extent given its acceptance and revealed preferences from both many employees and employ where working from home makes good sense. This paper formalises the relationship between working from home and commuting by day of the week and time of day for two large metropolitan areas in Australia, Brisbane and Sydney, using a mixed logit choice model, identifying the influences on such choices together with a mapping model between the probability of working from home and socioeconomic and other contextual influences that are commonly used in strategic transport models to predict demand for various modes by location. The findings, based on Wave 3 (approximately 6 months from the initial outbreak of the pandemic) of an ongoing data collection exercise, provide the first formal evidence for Australia in enabling transport planners to adjust their predicted modal shares and overall modal travel activity for the presence of working from home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper aimed to investigate whether distinct sleep quality subtypes predicted health-related quality of life in a nonclinical sample of children.Methods: This paper utilized data from two waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, a cohort study that follows a representative population of children in Australia. This paper examined data from Waves 4 and 5 of the LSAC (covering the period 2010-2012) and included 3974 children aged 10-11 years at Wave 4 (51.4% male). Multiple dimensions of sleep quality were assessed using a combination of child- and parent-reported measures. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was assessed through the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory.Results: Latent class analysis indicated six distinct sleep quality classes in children, namely good sleep, moderate sleep quality, mild sleep disturbances, short sleep, long sleep, and disordered sleep. In general, the disordered sleep and minor sleep disturbance classes had poorer HRQOL, which worsened over time. The long sleep and moderate sleep quality classes also showed some decreases in HRQOL over time.Conclusions: This study demonstrates that there are distinct sleep quality subtypes in children that could have implications for HRQOL. These findings may inform future strategies to promote improved sleep and HRQOL in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we go about our daily lives in ways that are unlikely to return to the pre-COVID-19 levels. A key feature of the COVID-19 era is likely to be a rethink of the way we work and the implications this may have on commuting activity. Working from home (WFH) has been the 'new normal' during the period of lockdown, except for essential services that require commuting. In recognition of the new normal as represented by an increasing amount of WFH, this paper develops a model to identify the incidence of WFH and what impact this could have on the amount of weekly one-way commuting trips by car and public transport. Using Wave 1 of an ongoing data collection effort done at the height of the restrictions in March and April 2020 in Australia, we develop a number of days WFH ordered logit model and link it to a zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression model for the number of weekly one-way commuting trips by car and public transport. Scenario analysis is undertaken to highlight the way in which WFH might change the amount of commuting activity when restrictions are relaxed to enable changing patterns of WFH and commuting. The findings will provide one reference point as we continue to undertake similar analysis at different points through time during the pandemic and after when restrictions are effectively removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) involves three key behaviors: the non-consensual taking or creation of nude or sexual images; the non-consensual sharing or distribution of nude or sexual images; and threats made to distribute nude or sexual images. IBSA is becoming increasingly criminalized internationally, representing an important and rapidly developing cybercrime issue. This paper presents findings of the first national online survey of self-reported lifetime IBSA perpetration in Australia (n = 4053), with a focus on the extent, nature, and predictors of perpetration. Overall, 11.1% (n = 411) of participants self-reported having engaged in some form of IBSA perpetration during their lifetime, with men significantly more likely to report IBSA perpetration than women. With regard to the nature of perpetration, participants reported targeting men and women at similar rates, and were more likely to report perpetrating against intimate partners or ex-partners, family members and friends than strangers or acquaintances. Logistic regression analyses identified that males, lesbian, gay or bisexual participants, participants with a self-reported disability, participants who accepted sexual image-based abuse myths, participants who engaged in or experienced sexual self-image behaviors, and participants who had a nude or sexual image of themselves taken, distributed, and/or threatened to be distributed without their consent were more likely to have engaged in some form of IBSA perpetration during their lifetime. Highlights • 1 in 10 (11.1%) of Australians aged 16–49 years surveyed, engaged in Image-Based Sexual Abuse (IBSA) perpetration. • Men were significantly more likely than women to report engaging in any IBSA perpetration. • Gender, sexuality and disability demographics were significantly related to IBSA perpetration. • Attitudes, sexual 'selfies', and IBSA victimization, were also significantly related to IBSA perpetration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Formulate the logistic regression model with minimum classification error function. • Adopt classification maximum likelihood criterion to infer label information. • Compare results of the proposed model with others and show the effectiveness. • Investigate the most significant contributing factors to hit-and-run crashes. • Conduct sensitivity analysis of related parameters. • Provide implications for policies and counter-measures for hit-and-run crashes. Hit-and-run crashes not only degrade the morality, but also result in delays of medical services provided to victims. However, class imbalance problem exists as the number of hit-and-run crashes is much smaller than that of non-hit-and-run crashes. The missing label problem also exists in the crash analysis due to reasons like data barrier such that the information hidden in the unlabelled samples has not been effectively utilised. In this paper, a cost-sensitive semi-supervised logistic regression (CS3LR) model is proposed for hit-and-run analysis, in order to tackle class-imbalanced data distribution and missing label problem, based on the crash dataset of Victorian, Australia (2013–2019). By performing label estimation with logistic regression jointly utilising both labelled and unlabelled data with pseudo labels in a well-designed cost-sensitive semi-supervised maximum likelihood framework, the proposed model can obtain an unbiased likelihood parameter for hit-and-run prediction and analysis. Comparing the experimental results of CS3LR model with two logistic regression models and seven machine learning methods, better performance of CS3LR model is demonstrated. The most significant contributing factors to hit-and-run crashes extracted by CS3LR with only 10% labelled data show a high degree of consistency with the true contributing factors obtained by the supervised cost-sensitive logistic regression with complete hit-and-run labels. The effects of class-weighted ratio and hyper-parameter λ on the performance of hit-and-run crash prediction model have also been analysed. The results can further provide recommendations and implications on the policies and counter-measures for preventing hit-and-run collisions and crimes. The methodology proposed in this paper can also be employed to analyse crash data with other types of missing labels, such as crash severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Assess interest in various MaaS subscription bundles using Sydney trial data. • Establish the role of financial savings on MaaS bundle uptake. • Identify key drivers of user's choices between subscriptions and PAYG. • MaaS with PAYG option only is unlikely to grow the market. • MaaS could obtain a sizeable uptake with appropriate incentive and subscription bundles. Australia's first Mobility as a Service (MaaS) trial commenced in April 2019 in Sydney. A key objective of the trial is to assess interest in various MaaS subscription plans through bundling public transport, ride share, car share and car rental with varying financial discounts and monthly subscription fees, in contrast to pay as you go (PAYG). This paper develops a mixed logit choice model to investigate the participants' choice between PAYG and four subscription plans (or bundles) that were incrementally introduced over a 5-month period. This is the first paper to model real uptake as previous studies are based on stated preference data. New evidence is provided on what role financial savings, estimated using tracking technology embedded in the MaaS app, play in the context of modal offerings and a monthly subscription fee as well as socio-demographic and seasonal effects. Behaviourally, we present evidence on the extent of take up of each bundle relative to PAYG as well as elasticity estimates for all exogenous influences and estimates of willingness to pay and scenario assessment, particularly for how much someone would have to save over a previous month's cost outlay to be willing to subscribe to a particular bundle in a subsequent month. Within the context of the trial, the findings suggest a substantial market for mobility bundles but PAYG is an option preferred by many, particularly those with varying travel needs. We are, however, not in a position yet to conclude that these choices necessarily align with a contribution to societal sustainability goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many societies, perceptions regarding housing and ownership rights is that it is mostly consigned to males rather than females. Housing is gendered around physical aspects, as a financial asset, and even in housing data to be a male preserve – excluding females and their perceptions. This important paper addresses this limitation in the literature by examining the views and perceptions of female participants in the Australian Housing Conditions dataset. More specifically this paper examines the significance of household structure, housing quality and characteristics of Australian woman and how it affects their financial strain. As a further dimension this paper also examines differences in women's housing experience by age as older Australian women (above 65 years) have a higher likelihood to revert to substandard housing conditions and homelessness than younger Australian women (under 65 years). Logistic regression analysis shows a higher tendency towards financial strain in women under 65 years, those with either poor physical or mental health and those who were single or lone parents. These finding propose that women under 65 are at greater risk to experience household financial strain and poorer housing security. The paper argues that these results present challenges for Australian housing policy through increasing housing affordability. The analysis suggests that an increase in the availability of affordable housing will ease the financial strain and improve the mental health of Australian women. Moreover, an increase in the flexibility of housing arrangements may prove to be beneficial in providing additional housing solutions. • We examine housing perceptions through a female lens as housing in mainstream literature is gendered to be a male preserve. • The analysis uses the Australian Housing Conditions Dataset to determine the significance of housing to Australian women. • It also examines a further dimension by age. • The real issue is that women under the age of 65 are at greater risk to experience household financial strain. • Government should adapt housing policy by increasing housing affordability to accommodate the vulnerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic childhood experiences predict many adverse outcomes in adulthood including Complex-PTSD. Understanding complex trauma within socially disadvantaged populations has important implications for policy development and intervention implementation. This paper examined the nature of complex trauma experienced by disadvantaged individuals using a latent class analysis (LCA) approach. Data were collected through the large-scale Journeys Home Study ( N = 1682), utilising a representative sample of individuals experiencing low housing stability. Data on adverse childhood experiences, adulthood interpersonal trauma and relevant covariates were collected through interviews at baseline (Wave 1). Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify distinct classes of childhood trauma history, which included physical assault, neglect, and sexual abuse. Multinomial logistic regression investigated childhood relevant factors associated with class membership such as biological relationship of primary carer at age 14 years and number of times in foster care. Of the total sample ( N = 1682), 99% reported traumatic adverse childhood experiences. The most common included witnessing of violence, threat/experience of physical abuse, and sexual assault. LCA identified six distinct childhood trauma history classes including high violence and multiple traumas. Significant covariate differences between classes included: gender, biological relationship of primary carer at age 14 years, and time in foster care. Identification of six distinct childhood trauma history profiles suggests there might be unique treatment implications for individuals living in extreme social disadvantage. Further research is required to examine the relationship between these classes of experience, consequent impact on adulthood engagement, and future transitions though homelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Environmental factors inside licensed venues have been found to influence the intoxication levels and consumption practices of patrons. The consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) occurs primarily at or prior to attending licensed venues, however there is a lack of in situ research investigating AmED use in these contexts. Given that AmED use has been linked with increased alcohol consumption, intoxication, illicit substance use, and risk taking behaviours, this paper explores the environmental correlates and levels of intoxication associated with AmED use in licensed venues.Methods: Structured observations were undertaken in five Australian cities on Friday and Saturday nights. Covert teams spent 4-5h in venues and recorded hourly observations on patron, venue, and staff characteristics, alcohol, illicit drug and AmED consumption patterns and intoxication levels.Results: 898 hourly observations were recorded across 68 venues. All but one venue served energy drinks, and patron AmED use was observed during 34.9% of hourly records. AmED use was more prevalent after 12am and in nightclub venues compared to bars and pubs, and was positively associated with high intoxication levels, illicit drug use, and younger crowds. After controlling for environmental factors (i.e. venue crowding, service practices, venue characteristics, patron demographics and behaviour) AmED use did not predict high intoxication at a venue level in multivariable models.Conclusion: AmED consumption is ubiquitous in the licensed venues of Australian night-time entertainment districts, particularly busy nightclub venues where intoxication and risky consumption are heightened. However, AmED use was not associated with high patron intoxication when environmental factors were considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (referred to in this paper as "Aboriginal people") generally have lower cancer survivals and more advanced stages at diagnosis than non-Aboriginal people. There is conflicting evidence on whether these disparities vary by socio-economic disadvantage and geographic remoteness. This study examines variations in these disparities in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.Methods: Data for cancers diagnosed in 2000-2008 were extracted from the NSW Cancer Registry (n=264,219). Missing Aboriginal status (13.3%) was multiply imputed. Logistic regression and competing risk regression models were used to examine likelihood of advanced summary stage and risk of cancer death among Aboriginal compared with non-Aboriginal people by socio-economic disadvantage (categorised into quintiles 1: least disadvantaged-5: most disadvantaged) and remoteness.Results: Aboriginal people showed a general pattern of more advanced stage at diagnosis compared with non-Aboriginal people across socio-economic disadvantage and remoteness categories. After adjusting for demographic factors, year of diagnosis, summary stage and cancer site, Aboriginal people living outside the least disadvantaged areas had an increased risk of cancer death compared with non-Aboriginal people living in similar areas (sub-hazard ratio SHR 1.41, 95% confidence interval CI 1.09-1.81; SHR 1.59, 95%CI 1.31-1.93; SHR 1.42, 95%CI 1.22-1.64 and SHR 1.34, 95%CI 1.22-1.48 for quintiles 2-5, respectively). Compared with non-Aboriginal people, Aboriginal people had an elevation in the risk of cancer death irrespective of the remoteness, with the most pronounced elevations detected in remote/very remote areas (SHR 1.56, 95%CI 1.10-2.21).Conclusion: Compared with non-Aboriginal people, Aboriginal people had a higher risk of cancer death and higher likelihood of more advanced stage across socio-economic disadvantage and remoteness categories. All areas appear to require attention in endeavours to improve cancer survival outcomes for Aboriginal people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Differences in demographics, presenting characteristics, and treatment of heart disease in women may contribute to adverse outcomes. The purpose of this paper was to describe gender differences in the epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes of all admissions for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in Victoria that occurred between June 2007 and July 2009. Methods We undertook a retrospective cohort study of all patients admitted to Victorian hospitals with a first time diagnosis of ACS. Use of angiograms, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and adverse outcomes (death and/or unplanned readmission) were compared by gender and hierarchical logistic regression models were used to account for confounding variables. Results Of a total of 28,985 ACS patients, 10,455 (36%) were women. Compared with men, women were older (aged ≥75 years: 54% vs 31%; p < .001), more likely to present with multiple comorbidities (>1 comorbidity: 53% vs 46%; p < .001), and more likely to be diagnosed with non–ST-segment elevation ACS (86% vs 80%; p < .001). Women were less likely to receive coronary interventions (angiogram: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.71; 95% CI, 0.66–0.75; PCI: aOR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.66–0.80; CABG: aOR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.53–0.64). Adverse outcomes were similar in women and men after accounting for confounding variables. Conclusions Our results show that women in Victoria were less likely to receive coronary interventions after an admission for ACS. Clinicians should be wary of inherent gender bias in decisions to refer patients for angiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing evidence that providing increased voice to vulnerable or disenfranchised populations is important to improving health equity. In this paper we will examine the engagement of Aboriginal community members and community controlled organisations in local governance reforms associated with the Aboriginal Health National Partnership Agreements (AHNPA) in Australia and its impact on the uptake of health assessments. The sample included qualitative and quantitative responses from 188 people involved in regional governance in Aboriginal health. The study included data on the uptake of Aboriginal health assessments from July 2008 to December 2012. The study population was 83190 in 2008/9, 856986 in 2009/10, 88256 in 2010/11 and 90903 in 2011/12. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationships between organisations within forums and the regional uptake of Aboriginal health assessments. The independent variables included before and after the AHNPA, state, remoteness, level of representation from Aboriginal organisations and links between Aboriginal and mainstream organisations. The introduction of the AHNPA was associated with a shift in power from central government to regional forums. This shift has enabled Aboriginal people a much greater voice in governance. The results of the analyses show that improvements in the uptake of health assessments were associated with stronger links between Aboriginal organisations and between mainstream organisations working with Aboriginal organisations. Higher levels of community representation were also associated with improved uptake of health assessments in the AHNPA. The findings suggest that the incorporation of Aboriginal community and community controlled organisations in regional planning plays an important role in improving health equity. This study makes an important contribution to understanding the processes through which the incorporation of disadvantaged groups into governance might contribute to health equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal firewood collection has a series of unintended environmental, economic, and public safety impacts associated with harvesting undermining the development of a sustainable firewood industry. In this paper, we present Tasmanian firewood consumers with a labelling system and explore their willingness to pay for labelled firewood. We employ a discrete choice experiment with 239 potential firewood consumers. We estimate consumers' willingness to pay for different sources of firewood, coming from different distances, and whether it is important for a share of the proceeds to be invested in social or environmental priorities. To account for preference heterogeneity, we estimate a two−class latent class model and mixed multinomial logit model. The results from the first class of the latent class model and mixed multinomial logit model suggest that consumers are willing to pay a premium for repurposed wood, firewood sourced from agroforestry−based operations, proceeds invested in wildlife conservation, or the firewood comes from sites closer to their residence. The second class from the latent class model is characterized by consumers who are concerned only with the cost. Our survey respondents prefer their firewood to be accredited and regulated by independent non − profit bodies such as the Firewood Association of Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]