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Articles by Stephen Downs
Classic returns for Fringe
Wednesday December 11, 2024 Events The Christian Brothers, a one-man play written by Ron Blair and made famous by Australian actor Peter Carroll, will return to the stage during next year’s Adelaide Fringe.
Renewing interfaith dialogue
Tuesday December 10, 2024 Opinion In a world torn by violence, dissension, ‘othering’ and hatred is there a role for dialogue? Blessing for Pinkerton Plains cemetery Lighting the way to innovative learning Carols for all ages Good things come in the tide In the footsteps of pioneering women The Australian Council of Christians and Jews (ACCJ) believes there is and invites Australians interested in dialogue to meet in Melbourne in February 2025.
Where the real things are
Opinion As so many of us come to this Christmas time at the end of a busy year, the Australian cartoonist, Michael Leunig offers a promise that seems so very remote from the world of financial, relational, political and social challenges we’ve needed to engage.
St Michael's get into spirit of Christmas
Thursday November 28, 2024 St Michael's get into spirit of Christmas The joy of giving was on full display at St Michael’s College Primary School last month when students donated 250 goodie bags to families and children in need. The heartwarming ‘me4u@Christmas’ initiative mirrored the Catholic Charities school fundraising campaign, me4u, which raises funds for some of the most disadvantaged groups in the community.
Milestone for Australian ecumenism
Thursday November 28, 2024 News The Australian Lutheran Roman Catholic Dialogue recently celebrated its 200th meeting and almost 50 years of dialogue.
Salvation for all people of goodwill
Thursday October 31, 2024 Opinion The recent journey of Pope Francis to Asia and Oceania was widely reported, mostly in a positive way. Remarks he made about the religions of the world were particularly noticed.
Keeping God in the news
Thursday October 31, 2024 Opinion It was both humbling and a privilege to be able to share the remarkable story of young Javale Morato this month.
Month of remembrance
Thursday October 31, 2024 Opinion When I grew up in Ireland, folklore and faith were intertwined in many celebrations. Pro-lifers heartened by close vote A fair innings by long-serving sacristan ZimCatholics brighten The Bend Companions on faith journey Kids come first at Tea Tree Gully Our ancestors divided the year into two seasons. Bealtaine, celebrated in May, marks the end of darkness and the arrival of light and new beginnings.
Plea for national unity
National An impassioned plea for all Australians to unite in addressing critical issues faced by First Nations people has been made by the chair of the Bishops Commission for Relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Bishop Charles Gauci.
Pope Francis calls for ‘tender love’ of elderly
National Parishes are being asked to mark the Fourth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on Sunday July 28.
When we come together as God’s family
Opinion Family reunions and other such events gather people together. At such gatherings acquaintances are rekindled, stories are swapped, relationships are deepened, photos are taken, promises about catching up soon are given, identities are deepened.
Speaking up for the homeless
Opinion As South Australians commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Hutt St Centre this year, it is sobering to realise that the need for the centre’s services has never been greater.
Renewed effort to walk together
Opinion After a break of several years, the Diocesan Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission has recently reconvened. The overall purpose of the Commission is to foster the spirit of ecumenism and interfaith relations in the Archdiocese.
Let’s talk about annulment
National While marriage is often a time of great joy, anticipation and discussion, annulment can be a difficult and intimidating topic of conversation. When we come together as God’s family Italian theologian coming to Adelaide Josephite Sister recognised in Kings’ Birthday Honours Blessing gives thanks for 70 years of service Ready to embrace positive change It needn’t be, not when the likes of Monica Condon are on hand to help understand the process.
J4RSA forum highlights challenges for refugees
National Refugees who have sought safety in Australia shared their stories at a forum convened by Justice for Refugees South Australia (J4RSA) during Refugee Week last month. Governor visits Mary MacKillop Museum Why Catholics must call out antisemitism Catechist devoted to her faith Giving one’s death away Weddings With the theme Finding Freedom: Seeking Hope, participants listened to the firsthand stories of people who have fled persecution based on their identity, beliefs or origins.
Re: Prisoners die from natural causes 20 years earlier than the general population, finds review
Dear Editor I would suggest that socioeconomic factors are better able to predict life expectancy than quality of health care. A disadvantaged person subject to various forms of abuse and disadvantage who in turn makes poor decisions in life is likely to have a short life expectancy, even when provided with first rate health care. Conversely a person both into opportunity who makes good decisions in life is likely to have a long life expectancy, even with mediocre health care.
Even Children Can Have High Blood Pressure
While high blood pressure is more common in adults, it can affect children too. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood through tubes called arteries to all parts of the body. As blood moves through these arteries, it pushes against the walls of the arteries—this is known as blood pressure. Pediatric hypertension, or high blood pressure in children, occurs when a child’s blood pushes too forcefully against the artery walls.
Judge Orders Release of 3 of Newburgh 4 Tied to Fake NY Bomb Plot
For the past 14 years, relatives of four men jailed on terrorism charges in Newburgh, New York, have accused the FBI of entrapment. On Thursday, a federal judge agreed and ordered the release of three of the men known as the Newburgh Four: David Williams, Onta Williams and Laguerre Payen. The men had been sentenced in 2010 to 25 years in prison for a government-orchestrated bombing plot of a New York synagogue. In a stunning decision, the judge accused the FBI of inventing a conspiracy.
Los Supersónicos es icónica y eso es un problema
AÑADIR A FAVORITOS Please login to bookmark Nombre de usuario o dirección de correo Contraseña Recuérdame La noche del domingo 23 de septiembre de 1962, millones de familias estadounidenses terminaron de cenar, encendieron sus televisores y vieron por primera vez Los Supersónicos, una caricatura producida por el legendario equipo de Hanna-Barbera.
The Jetsons, Now 60 Years Old, Is Iconic. That’s a Problem.
The Jetsons, Now 60 Years Old, Is Iconic. That’s a Problem.
The Jetsons, now 60 years old, is iconic. That's a problem.
On the evening of Sunday, Sept. 23, 1962, millions of American families finished their dinners, turned on their televisions and were introduced to The Jetsons, a cartoon sitcom produced by the legendary team of Hanna-Barbera. Set in 2062, The Jetsons captured the technological optimism of the time and projected it into a space-age, gadget-fueled vision of the future, inviting its viewers to imagine the dazzling possibilities that the current wave of technological achievement could one day realize.
High Drug Costs Hurt Health Outcomes
Identify all potential conflicts of interest that might be relevant to your comment. Conflicts of interest comprise financial interests, activities, and relationships within the past 3 years including but not limited to employment, affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria or payment, speaker's bureaus, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, donation of medical equipment, or patents planned, pending, or issued. Err on the side of full disclosure.
Interval Likelihood Ratios and the Diagnostic Process
Abbreviations: ILR — interval likelihood ratioLE — leukocyte esteraseUA — urine analysisUTI — urinary tract infection In this issue of Pediatrics, Liang et al1 apply the concept of interval likelihood ratios (ILRs) to the diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children under the age of 2 years. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study of a cohort of children <2 years of age who had a urine culture and urine analysis (UA) simultaneously obtained from their emergency department.
Improving Health Outcomes in the US: Let’s Stop Relying on People Swimming Upstream
The “health system” in the United States is failing to deliver health in accordance with what we spend on health services.
Computer-automated decision support improves early screening rates for ASD
The use of computer automation in a clinical setting increased screening rates of children for autism spectrum disorder, according to findings of a cluster-randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open. “We found that automating the autism screening process with a computer decision support system can dramatically increase the number of children screened at recommended ages,” Stephen M.
Effect of a Computer-Based Decision Support Intervention on Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening in Pediatric Primary Care Clinics: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial | Autism Spectrum Disorders | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network
Key Points español 中文 (chinese) Question Can computer automation coupled with decision support increase timely screening for autism spectrum disorders in primary care practice? Findings This cluster randomized clinical trial found that computer-based screening and decision support embedded into the routine workflow in primary care increased rates of screening from 0% to 100%, but physicians responded to approximately half of positive screening results.
Improving the care of patients with asthma in the ambulatory setting: A statewide quality improvement learning collaborative
Improving the care of patients with asthma in the ambulatory setting: A statewide quality improvement learning collaborative Meagan ONeill, Stephen M. Downs, Amy Pottenger, Saysana Michele Pediatrics Aug 2019, 144 (2 MeetingAbstract) 138; DOI: 10.1542/peds.144.2_MeetingAbstract.138
Community Engagement of Adolescents in the Development of a Patient-Centered Outcomes Tool for Adolescents with a History of Hypospadias Repair
To view the full text, please login as a subscribed user or purchase a subscription. Click here to view the full text on ScienceDirect. Figure 1 Participants’ suggestions for revision of the introductory page of the toolkit. Figure 2 Participants’ suggestions for revision of a scale of emotions related to hypospadias. Figure 3 Participants’ suggestions for revision of a Likert scale about the impact of hypospadias. Extended Summary.
Let them speak for themselves: Improving adolescent self-report rate on pre-visit screening
To view the full text, please login as a subscribed user or purchase a subscription. Click here to view the full text on ScienceDirect. Figure 1 Baseline pre-screening workflow (left) and study intervention alerts (right) on electronic tablets. Figure 2 Study participant flow diagram. *Not mutually exclusive criteria. Figure 3 Change in adolescent self-report rate, averaged over pre- or post-intervention time period, by age.
More Prescriptions, More Problems: Can Information Technology Help?
In this issue of Pediatrics, Qato et al1 present a detailed analysis of the prevalence of prescription drug use by children in the United States based on the NHANES. With their results, they point out not only the substantial number of children who are on a prescription drug at any given time (between 1 in 7 and 1 in 5 depending on age and sex) but also the number who are concurrently on >1 prescription drug and are potentially at risk for drug–drug interactions (DDIs).
More Prescriptions, More Problems: Can Information Technology Help?
More Prescriptions, More Problems: Can Information Technology Help? Stephen M. Downs Pediatrics Aug 2018, e20182023; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-2023
Terrorism the most exaggerated threat in nation today
Ever since 9/11, there has been a persistent effort by a few to exaggerate the threat of terrorism and to frighten the American public into making bad decisions based on hysteria. News articles like a recent Associated Press report that hundreds of convicted terrorists in American prisons will soon be released only help feed this ridiculous narrative.
Parent Health Literacy, Depression, and Risk for Pediatric Injury
Parent Health Literacy, Depression, and Risk for Pediatric Injury Erika R. Cheng, Nerissa S. Bauer, Stephen M. Downs, Lee M. Sanders Pediatrics Jul 2016, 138 (1) e20160025; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-0025
Prosecutors must be accountable
New York needs oversight of prosecutors. Our criminal justice system is out of balance because there are no consequences for prosecutors who commit misconduct. They can just continue to ignore the rules even when their misconduct results in wrongful prosecutions and convictions. New York is second only to Texas in the number of wrongful convictions each year.
5 ways to stop doing what everybody else is doing in marketing
Every client is one of a kind, every brand message is unique, every social and digital channel is distinctive and every audience member should be treated like the special snowflake they are. So, why do we perpetuate the same marketing plans over and over again, reproducing nearly identical digital programs across brands, industries and all over the web? Shame on us. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but despite what you may have heard, there is no silver-bullet in the marketing game.
Associations of Early Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence and Parental Depression With Subsequent Mental Health Outcomes
Importance Children with known exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) or maternal depression are at risk for negative mental health outcomes as early as preschool age. Active ongoing surveillance for these risk factors can lead to earlier mental health intervention for children. Objective To examine the association between parent reports of IPV and depressive symptoms within the first 3 years of a child's life with subsequent mental health conditions and psychotropic drug treatment.
Prosecutors need a watchdog
Suppose the prosecutor frames you. You are indicted for a serious crime you did not commit. You spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees; your family is bankrupted and shunned in the community. The key witnesses against you lie and you are convicted and sentenced to many decades in prison while the real criminal goes free to attack again.
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