37 research outputs found
Performance of logistic regression modeling: beyond the number of events per variable, the role of data structure
No full textReply to : Steyerberg EW, Schemper M, Harrell FE. Logistic regression modeling and the number of events per variable: selection bias dominates. J Clin Epidemiol. 2011 Dec;64(12):1464-5; author reply 1463-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2011.06.016. PMID: 22032755. which is a comment on : Courvoisier DS, Combescure C, Agoritsas T, Gayet-Ageron A, Perneger TV. Performance of logistic regression modeling: beyond the number of events per variable, the role of data structure. J Clin Epidemiol. 2011 Sep;64(9):993-1000. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.11.012. Epub 2011 Mar 16. PMID: 21411281. https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:25409</a
“Product-country images in the arts: a multi-country study” (co-author .), International Marketing Review ”
No full textPurpose -- The country-of-origin literature has focused mainly on tangible products and has neglected largely intangible services and products such as the arts. The objective of this study is to examine the impact that country of origin may have on consumer perceptions of artistic and cultural products and to explore the variables that explain how consumers form their perceptions of countries as producers of cultural products.
Design/methodology/approach -- A survey was conducted among adult consumers in Australia, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, and the U.S. that assessed participants’ perceptions of sixteen countries with respect to their reputation for nine cultural products.
Findings -- The results indicate that product-country images in the arts are affected by country and product familiarity as well as consumers’ openness to foreign cultures and home country bias. Countries more proximate to the participants’ home country were also better evaluated, especially when the proximity factor played a significant role in the consumption of cultural products.
Research limitations/implications – While almost all of the hypotheses were supported, additional research is needed to examine the cultural products of non-Western and emerging markets as well as product-country perceptions in these markets.
Originality/value – This study extends our understanding of country-of-origin effects in the context of aesthetic, intangible, and complex products that elicit both cognitive and affective responses. It demonstrates that familiarity with a country of origin has a stronger association with positive perceptions of product-country reputation than does product familiarity, and that openness to foreign cultures, home country bias, and proximity have a positive effect on product-country evaluations
Hyperfine splitting of [Al VI] 3.66 mu m and the Al isotopic ratio in NGC 6302
No full textThe core of planetary nebula NGC 6302 is filled with high-excitation photoionized gas at low expansion velocities. It represents a unique astrophysical situation in which to search for hyperfine structure (HFS) in coronal emission lines from highly ionized species. HFS is otherwise blended by thermal or velocity broadening. Spectra containing [Al vr] 3.66 mu m P-3(2) <- P-3(1), obtained with Phoenix on Gemini South at resolving powers of up to 75000, resolve the line into five hyperfine components separated by 20-60 km s(-1) as a result of the coupling of the I = 5/2 nuclear spin of Al-27 with the total electronic angular momentum J. The isotope Al-26 has a different nuclear spin of I = 5, and a different HFS, which allows us to place a 3 sigma upper limit on the Al-26/Al-27 abundance ratio of 1/33. We measure the HFS magnetic dipole coupling constants for [Al vr], and provide the first estimates of the electric quadrupole HFS coupling constants obtained through astronomical observations of an atomic transition
Long-term wind-driven X-ray spectral variability of NGC 1365 with Swift
No full textWe present long-term (months–years) X-ray spectral variability of the Seyfert 1.8 galaxy NGC 1365 as observed by Swift, which provides well-sampled observations over a much longer time-scale (six years) and a much larger flux range than is afforded by other observatories. At very low luminosities, the spectrum is very soft, becoming rapidly harder as the luminosity increases and then, above a particular luminosity, softening again. At a given flux level, the scatter in hardness ratio is not very large, meaning that the spectral shape is largely determined by the luminosity. The spectra were therefore summed in luminosity bins and fitted with a variety of models. The best-fitting model consists of two power laws, one unabsorbed and another, more luminous, which is absorbed. In this model, we find a range of intrinsic 0.5–10.0 keV luminosities of approximately 1.1–3.5 erg s?1, and a very large range of absorbing columns, of approximately 1022–1024 cm?2. Interestingly, we find that the absorbing column decreases with increasing luminosity, but that this result is not due to changes in ionization. We suggest that these observations might be interpreted in terms of a wind model in which the launch radius varies as a function of ionizing flux and disc temperature and therefore moves out with increasing accretion rate, i.e. increasing X-ray luminosity. Thus, depending on the inclination angle of the disc relative to the observer, the absorbing column may decrease as the accretion rate goes up. The weaker, unabsorbed, component may be a scattered component from the wind
L'abattage du porc : réalités, perspectives et moyens
No full textThe Slaughtering System in the Pig Production - The author examines the place of slaughtering in the pork meat channel, the agents actually operating and the foreseeable changes of the structures
L'abattage du porc : réalités, perspectives et moyens
No full text[fre] Les auteurs examinent la position de l'abattage dans la filière porc et les principales interactions qui apparaissent à ce niveau. La situation actuelle est mouvante, différentes hypothèses d'évolution sont esquissées. [eng] The Slaughtering System in the Pig Production - The author examines the place of slaughtering in the pork meat channel, the agents actually operating and the foreseeable changes of the structures.
From stars to states: a manifest for science in society
No full textThe aim of this essay is to understand the relationship between knowledge and society and to reflect on the links between science and political decision making. The text evolved from a number of reflections the author made while president of the European Astronomical Society, president of the Swiss Academy of Sciences and vice-president of the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC). The book starts by using astronomy as a showcase for what science brings to society in terms of intellectual enrichment, of practical tools and of societal inputs. It then turns to looking generally at science as a human endeavour for which pleasure is a prime motivation and it describes the efforts made by researchers to rationalise their findings, thus making them universally acceptable. The author also describes the role of science in shaping our environment and discusses resulting responsibility of the scientists with respect to the evolution of the world. As part of an analysis of the relationship between science and policy the author describes the way in which scientists can (and must) bring knowledge in the political decision making process. The argument is closed with considerations on global governance, while the conclusion puts evidence based decision making processes in relation with the more emotional aspects of our behaviour. The readership of the book is intended to be all scientists involved in “science for policy” activities, as well as those who should become more active in this domain. This includes, but is not limited to, all members of science academies. Astronomers will find specific elements to help them think about their science. The intended readers of the book also include civil servants and policy makers who develop legislation and societal action in domains in which a solid knowledge base is important. The book should furthermore be of interest to citizens following public life and all those worried by the “post evidence” trends in policy
Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients after Initiation of a New Biologic Agent: Trajectories of Disease Activity in a Large Multinational Cohort Study
No full textBackground Response to disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is often heterogeneous. We aimed to identify types of disease activity trajectories following the initiation of a new biologic DMARD (bDMARD). Methods Pooled analysis of nine national registries of patients with diagnosis of RA, who initiated Abatacept and had at least two measures of disease activity (DAS28). We used growth mixture models to identify groups of patients with similar courses of treatment response, and examined these patients’ characteristics and effectiveness outcomes. Findings We identified three types of treatment response trajectories: ‘gradual responders’ (GR; 3576 patients, 91·7%) had a baseline mean DAS28 of 4·1 and progressive improvement over time; ‘rapid responders’ (RR; 219 patients, 5·6%) had higher baseline DAS28 and rapid improvement in disease activity; ‘inadequate responders’ (IR; 103 patients, 2·6%) had high DAS28 at baseline (5·1) and progressive worsening in disease activity. They were similar in baseline characteristics. Drug discontinuation for ineffectiveness was shorter among inadequate responders (p = 0.03), and EULAR good or moderate responses at 1 year was much higher among ‘rapid responders’ (p < 0.001). Interpretation Clinical information and baseline clinical characteristics do not allow a reliable prediction of which trajectory the patients will follow after bDMARD initiation
De l'exiguïté spatiale à une ouverture temporelle chez Daniel Poliquin. Une étude comparative de «L'Obomsawin», «L'homme de paille» et «La kermesse»
No full textDaniel Poliquin, author of various novels, short stories and essays, is a key reference for one who studies Franco-Ontarian literature. In this thesis, we will argue that there is an evolution in the treatment of space and time in three of Poliquin's novels: L'Obomsawin (Obomsawin of Sioux Junction) (1987), L'homme de paille (The Straw Man) (1998) and La kermesse (A Secret Between Us) (2006). From the first novel to the last, the author lessens the importance of spatial questions and gives more attention to questions related to time. This evolution goes along with a gradual depoliticization and individualization of space and time in the novel. Therefore, if L'Obomsawin is a strongly politicized novel written for the Franco-Ontarian cause, La kermesse, on the other hand, puts the spotlight on the individual, independent from its location and capable of living a time that is complete past, present and future.Le romancier, nouvelliste et essayiste Daniel Poliquin est une référence incontournable pour qui s'intéresse à la littérature franco-ontarienne. Dans ce mémoire, nous soutiendrons qu'il y a une évolution des questions spatio-temporelles dans trois romans de Poliquin : L'Obomsawin (1987), L'homme de paille (1998) et La kermesse (2006). On constate que, d'un roman à l'autre, l'auteur se détache des questions spatiales et se penche davantage sur la question du temps. Cette évolution s'accompagne d'une dépolitisation de même qu'une individualisation graduelle des enjeux spatio-temporels. Ainsi, si L'Obomsawin est un roman engagé pour la cause collective franco-ontarienne, La kermesse place l'individu au cur du récit un individu indépendant de son espace et en possession d'un temps qui est désormais entier passé, présent et futur
The lockdown effect: The impact of the COVID-19-related confinement on the nature of dental emergencies and the number of patients seen at the Geneva university hospital's dental clinic
No full textPURPOSE: The aim of this retrospective case study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 confinement on consultation number and nature of dental emergencies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The investigators implemented a retrospective case-control study and enrolled a sample of patients who presented to the University Hospital of Geneva for dental emergencies during the COVID-19 confinement from March 16 to April 26, 2020. They were compared to a matched case-control group treated in 2018 and 2019. The predictor variable was the COVID-19 confinement. The outcome variables were consultation number and nature of dental emergencies. Other study variables included age, gender, socio-economic status, delay from symptoms to consultation and type of treatment. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed and significance level was set at ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The study sample was composed of 1104 patients, with 386 in the case-study and 718 in the control group. No significant change in patient numbers was observed. In the case-study group patients were significantly younger (P= 0.004), had a significantly higher proportion of acute toothache and dental infections (P= 0.01), the main reason for consultation was pain or swelling (P= 0.01) and the delay from first symptoms to consultation was shorter compared to the controls (P=0.008). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 confinement had no impact on the consultation number of dental emergencies. However, changes in emergency type were noted, with an increase in acute toothaches and infections and patients waited less time between the onset of symptoms to consultation
