Strategies For Handling Missing Data In The Development, Validation And Implementation Of Clinical Risk Prediction Tools
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$451,692.00
Summary
Tools that predict the future outcome of disease are common. Missing data is a problem in studies that develop and validate such tools and affects their validity because simple approaches to dealing with missing data are biased. We will develop statistical methodology in this area and compare the performance of this and other methodologies. Alongside this methodological work we will re-assess existing prediction tools and develop new tools in the areas of cardiac surgery and kidney disease.
Practical Tools For Robust Analysis Of Large Epidemiological Studies With Incomplete Data
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$358,492.00
Summary
Studies of the causes and consequences of health outcomes follow large cohorts of individuals for long time periods. A major challenge in analysing data from these studies is that information is often incomplete. Participants rarely complete all waves of data collection, or provide all requested information. Statistical research has led to increased use of a statistical method (multiple imputation) that recovers information from incomplete cases. This project will develop and improve this method
Statistical Methods For Handling Missing Data In Longitudinal Studies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$198,000.00
Summary
Modern epidemiological research has a strong focus on studying the causes and consequences of major health outcomes over the life span. Studies are increasingly conducted on large cohorts of individuals over long periods of time, extending from before birth through to the later years of life. An example of this type of study is the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study, which began in 1992 with participants aged 15 and is now seeking funding for a 9th wave of data collection in 2005. A major ....Modern epidemiological research has a strong focus on studying the causes and consequences of major health outcomes over the life span. Studies are increasingly conducted on large cohorts of individuals over long periods of time, extending from before birth through to the later years of life. An example of this type of study is the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study, which began in 1992 with participants aged 15 and is now seeking funding for a 9th wave of data collection in 2005. A major challenge that arises in analysing data from studies of this kind is the difficulty created by the occurrence of missing data. In longitudinal studies with multiple measurement occasions, participants rarely complete all waves of data collection, and even when present an individual may not provide data on all study variables. Common practice in analysing such data is to omit individuals entirely if they have a missing value on any of the variables required for the analysis in question. This approach can lead to major biases in conclusions, by excluding individuals in whom patterns of association may be quite different than among those retained, and at best leads to loss of reliability in findings due to the reduction in numbers available for analysis. Recent statistical research has led to a range of new techniques for better handling of missing data in such studies, including the method of multiple imputation (MI), under which multiple copies of the dataset are created with imputed values filled in for the missing values. This approach has enormous potential for helping to produce better answers from large longitudinal studies but a number of issues require research to ensure that the method is made available to researchers in a convenient form and, most importantly, used in a way that leads to sound conclusions. This project will address many of these issues, leading to enhanced capacity to extract valuable information from large epidemiological studies.Read moreRead less
Practical Identity-Based Cryptography: Efficient and Secure Elliptic Curve Pairings. Bilinear pairings on elliptic curves are a new cryptographic tool and allow novel and improved applications in information security. For example, they have been proposed as a substitute of existing public key infrastructures, an essential element in electronic commerce and a secure Internet. The research will lead to an increase in fundamental knowledge in the area of practical implementation and secure applic ....Practical Identity-Based Cryptography: Efficient and Secure Elliptic Curve Pairings. Bilinear pairings on elliptic curves are a new cryptographic tool and allow novel and improved applications in information security. For example, they have been proposed as a substitute of existing public key infrastructures, an essential element in electronic commerce and a secure Internet. The research will lead to an increase in fundamental knowledge in the area of practical implementation and secure applications of pairings. The results will benefit all users of electronic communications who require security for their information. This includes the financial industries, government, commerce and domestic users. It will also support many new product opportunities aligned with Motorola's business markets.Read moreRead less
Efficient and Secure Word-Based Stream Ciphers for Wireless Communications. Wireless networks are increasingly being used for communication, and to manage and control Australia's critical infrastructure. However, current methods of securing wireless networks are flawed, putting the country's economy, environment, and citizens at risk. The most reliable method for protecting wireless communications requires secure and efficient encryption algorithms. However, flaws have been found in most algo ....Efficient and Secure Word-Based Stream Ciphers for Wireless Communications. Wireless networks are increasingly being used for communication, and to manage and control Australia's critical infrastructure. However, current methods of securing wireless networks are flawed, putting the country's economy, environment, and citizens at risk. The most reliable method for protecting wireless communications requires secure and efficient encryption algorithms. However, flaws have been found in most algorithms proposed to date. This project will examine existing algorithms and attacks to determine design criteria for secure encryption algorithms for use in a wireless environment. An algorithm which meets these criteria and can be implemented efficiently in hardware and software will be proposed.Read moreRead less
A Novel Optical Network Security and Encryption Device. The project falls within two of the desginated National Research Priorities, namely Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries and Safeguarding Australia. The project will generate high quality graduates and will result in a novel photonic device. The outcome of this project would be an optical encryption device that will safeguard Australia through superior secure data communications. It will also create lucr ....A Novel Optical Network Security and Encryption Device. The project falls within two of the desginated National Research Priorities, namely Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries and Safeguarding Australia. The project will generate high quality graduates and will result in a novel photonic device. The outcome of this project would be an optical encryption device that will safeguard Australia through superior secure data communications. It will also create lucrative opportunity for expanding the export capabilities of Australian ICT industry.Read moreRead less
Secure and Efficient Electronic Auctions. For the first time in history electronic commerce promises the possibility of auctions to decide the correct market price for a widespread variety of everyday goods and services. Security and efficiency are critical factors in making this a reality, but almost all the many protocols for secure auctions proposed to date suffer from extreme computational requirements. This project will develop efficient and secure auction protocols using innovative approac ....Secure and Efficient Electronic Auctions. For the first time in history electronic commerce promises the possibility of auctions to decide the correct market price for a widespread variety of everyday goods and services. Security and efficiency are critical factors in making this a reality, but almost all the many protocols for secure auctions proposed to date suffer from extreme computational requirements. This project will develop efficient and secure auction protocols using innovative approaches based on advanced cryptographic techniques. In particular we will pioneer the exploration of secure microauctions suitable for negotiating the price of small value goods and utilities in almost real time.Read moreRead less
Cryptographic Protocols: Proofs and Designs. Cryptographic protocols are the foundation for protection of the critical electronic communications infrastructure on which much of commerce and industry rely. They will increasingly be required in emerging technologies such as ad-hoc wireless networks and sensor networks. This project will provide the ability to design new and efficient protocols with a mathematical guarantee of security. The resulting practical protocols will benefit all users of el ....Cryptographic Protocols: Proofs and Designs. Cryptographic protocols are the foundation for protection of the critical electronic communications infrastructure on which much of commerce and industry rely. They will increasingly be required in emerging technologies such as ad-hoc wireless networks and sensor networks. This project will provide the ability to design new and efficient protocols with a mathematical guarantee of security. The resulting practical protocols will benefit all users of electronic communications who require security for their information. This includes the financial industries, government, commerce and domestic users.Read moreRead less
Cryptographic Protocols from Pairings: Proofs and Designs. Modern society has become critically dependent on information and communications infrastructures. At the same time, the development of e-commerce is being slowed by lack of confidence in its security. By providing increased assurance and enhanced cryptographic security protocols this research will improve the dependability of the nation's information and communications infrastructure, as well as encourage the growth of e-commerce. Throu ....Cryptographic Protocols from Pairings: Proofs and Designs. Modern society has become critically dependent on information and communications infrastructures. At the same time, the development of e-commerce is being slowed by lack of confidence in its security. By providing increased assurance and enhanced cryptographic security protocols this research will improve the dependability of the nation's information and communications infrastructure, as well as encourage the growth of e-commerce. Through the expertise and experience gained with this project, Australia's excellence in information security research will be reinforced. The training of PhD and Honours students will provide a much needed source of highly trained information security professionals.Read moreRead less