8 research outputs found
Stratified cost-utility analysis of C-Leg versus mechanical knees: Findings from an Italian sample of transfemoral amputees
No full textTBackground: The fitting rate of the C-Leg electronic knee (Otto-Bock, D) has increased steadily over the last 15 years. Current cost-utility studies, however, have not considered the patients’ characteristics. Objectives: To complete a cost-utility analysis involving C-Leg and mechanical knee users; “age at the time of enrollment,” “age at the time of first prosthesis,” and “experience with the current type of prosthesis” are assumed as non-nested stratification parameters. Study design: Cohort retrospective. Methods: In all, 70 C-Leg and 57 mechanical knee users were selected. For each stratification criteria, we evaluated the cost-utility of C-Leg versus mechanical knees by computing the incremental cost-utility ratio, that is, the ratio of the “difference in cost” and the “difference in utility” of the two technologies. Cost consisted of acquisition, maintenance, transportation, and lodging expenses. Utility was measured in terms of quality-adjusted life years, computed on the basis of participants’ answers to the EQ-5D questionnaire. Results: Patients over 40 years at the time of first prosthesis were the only group featuring an incremental cost-utility ratio (88,779 €/quality-adjusted life year) above the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence practical cost-utility threshold (54,120 €/quality-adjusted live year): C-Leg users experience a significant improvement of “mobility,” but limited outcomes on “usual activities,” “self-care,” “depression/anxiety,” and reduction of “pain/discomfort.” Conclusion: The stratified cost-utility results have relevant clinical implications and provide useful information for practitioners in tailoring interventions. Clinical relevance: A cost-utility analysis that considered patients characteristics provided insights on the “affordability” of C-Leg compared to mechanical knees. In particular, results suggest that C-Leg has a significant impact on “mobility” for first-time prosthetic users over 40 years, but implementation of specific low-cost physical/psychosocial interventions is required to retun within cost-utility thresholds
I geni della fiction: Generosity di Richard Powers
No full textRecensione del romanzo di Richard Powers "Generosity" e intervista all'autore.Review of Richard Powers' novel "Generosity" and interview with the author
I geni della fiction: Generosity di Richard Powers
No full textRecensione del romanzo di Richard Powers "Generosity" e intervista all'autore.Review of Richard Powers' novel "Generosity" and interview with the author
Terrestrial water dynamics in the lower Ganges-estimates from ENVISAT and GRACE
No full textISI Document Delivery No.: 216XP Times Cited: 0 Cited Reference Count: 33 Cited References: Alsdorf DE, 2007, REV GEOPHYS, V45, P2 BAMBER JL, 1994, INT J REMOTE SENS, V15, P925 Birkett CM, 2002, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, V107, DOI 10.1029/2001JD000609 Bonsor H.C., 2010, HYDROL EARTH SYST SC, V7, P4501, DOI DOI 10.5194/HESSD-7-4501-2010 Central Ground Water Board of India (CGWB), 2006, DYN GROUNDW RES IND, V370 Central Ground Water Board of India (CGWB), 1997, REP GROUND WAT RES E Chen JL, 2005, J GEOPHYS RES-SOL EA, V110, DOI 10.1029/2004JB003536 Frappart F, 2008, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, V113, DOI 10.1029/2007JD009438 Frappart F, 2005, REMOTE SENS ENVIRON, V99, P387, DOI 10.1016/j.rse.2005.08.016 Frappart F, 2006, GEOPHYS J INT, V167, P570, DOI 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.03184.x Harvey KD, 2003, 84 GCOS Koster RD, 1999, REMOTE SENSING MAY P Kouraev AV, 2004, REMOTE SENS ENVIRON, V93, P238, DOI 10.1016/j.rse.2004.07.007 Kumar V, 2010, HYDROLOG SCI J, V55, P484, DOI 10.1080/02626667.2010.481373 Lee H, 2009, MAR GEOD, V32, P284, DOI 10.1080/01490410903094767 Maheu C, 2003, GEOPHYS RES LETT, V30, DOI 10.1029/2002GL016033 Ngo-Duc T, 2007, WATER RESOUR RES, V43, DOI 10.1029/2006WR004941 Papa F, 2007, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, V112, DOI 10.1029/2007JD008451 Parua PK, 2010, WATER SCI TECHNOL LI, V64, P283, DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-3103-7_15 Ramillien G, 2005, EARTH PLANET SC LETT, V235, P283, DOI [10.1016/j.epsl.2005.04.005, 10.1016/j.espl.2005.04.005] Rowlands DD, 2005, GEOPHYS RES LETT, V32, DOI 10.1029/2004GL021908 Schmidt R, 2006, GLOBAL PLANET CHANGE, V50, P112, DOI 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2004.11.018 Seo KW, 2006, WATER RESOUR RES, V42, DOI 10.1029/2005WR004255 Singh RL, 1994, INDIA REGIONAL GEOGR, P183 Sinha R, 2005, GEOMORPHOLOGY, V70, P207, DOI 10.1016/j.geomorph.2005.02.006 SINHA R, 1994, SEDIMENTOLOGY, V41, P825, DOI 10.1111/j.1365-3091.1994.tb01426.x Tapley B, 2005, J GEODESY, V79, P467, DOI 10.1007/s00190-005-0480-z Tapley BD, 2004, SCIENCE, V305, P503, DOI 10.1126/science.1099192 Tiwari VM, 2009, GEOPHYS RES LETT, V36, DOI 10.1029/2009GL039401 Wahr J, 2004, GEOPHYS RES LETT, V31, DOI 10.1029/2004GL019779 Wehr T, 2001, ADV SPACE RES, V28, P83, DOI 10.1016/S0273-1177(01)00297-6 Yeh PJF, 2006, WATER RESOUR RES, V42, DOI 10.1029/2006WR005374 Zakharova EA, 2006, CR GEOSCI, V338, P188, DOI 10.1016/j.crte.205.10.003 Khan, Haris Hasan Khan, Arina Ahmed, Shakeel Gennero, Marie-Claude Kien Do Minh Cazenave, Anny French Embassy in India The first author wishes to acknowledge the French Embassy in India for the financial support (Cellules Mixtes de Recheche PhD Fellowship) during the visit to LEGOS at Toulouse, France for the accomplishment of this work. 0 SPRINGER HEIDELBERG HEIDELBERG ARAB J GEOSCIIn this study, the hydrodynamics of lower Ganges basin in India has been monitored using radar altimetry data from environmental satellite (ENVISAT) mission and microgravity data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. River stage time series have been constructed for different virtual stations on the lower Ganges. Time series for the integrated water volume changes from microgravity measurements have also been constructed to characterize the seasonal and interannual fluctuation patterns in water storage and flux. The ENVISAT dataset indicates an average seasonal river stage fluctuation of 8 m in the lower Ganges River. The GRACE dataset reveals a seasonal fluctuation ranging from 0.18 to 0.40 m in the vertically integrated total water storage in the lower Ganges basin. The two independent datasets show broad similarity in the lower Ganges basin and outline the importance of space-based techniques for monitoring continental water resources
Scrivere di traduttori, vivere di traduzioni. "La vita agra" di Luciano Bianciardi.
No full textIl saggio analizza La vita agra (1962) di Luciano Bianciardi evidenziando dapprima gli aspetti autobiografici presenti nel romanzo e concentrandosi successivamente sul ruolo della trama come pretesto per polemizzare contro le vistose degenerazioni prodotte nella società italiana dal miracolo economico a cavallo tra gli anni Cinquanta e Sessanta. Elementi chiave della critica messa in atto dall’Autore sono il personaggio del traduttore e l’atto della traduzione, trasformatisi da componenti attive del mondo della cultura e dell’arte per la diffusione delle opere testuali in anonimi e alienati meccanismi soggetti alle regole aride e disumanizzanti dell’industria editoriale.The essay analyzes La vita agra (1962) by Luciano Bianciardi, first highlighting the autobiographical aspects present in the novel and subsequently focusing on the role of the plot as a pretext to argue against the glaring degenerations produced in Italian society by the economic miracle between the 1950s and 1960s . Key elements of the criticism implemented by the Author are the character of the translator and the act of translation, transformed from active components of the world of culture and art for the diffusion of textual works into anonymous and alienated mechanisms subject to the arid and dehumanizing elements of the publishing industry
The characteristics and motivations of online health information seekers : cross-sectional survey and qualitative interview study
No full textBackground: Most households in the United Kingdom have Internet access, and health-related Internet use is increasing. The National Health Service (NHS) Direct website is the major UK provider of online health information.
Objective: Our objective was to identify the characteristics and motivations of online health information seekers accessing the NHS Direct website, and to examine the benefits and challenges of the health Internet.
Methods: We undertook an online questionnaire survey, offered to users of the NHS Direct website. A subsample of survey respondents participated in in-depth, semistructured, qualitative interviews by telephone or instant messaging/email. Questionnaire results were analyzed using chi-square statistics. Thematic coding with constant comparison was used for interview transcript
analysis.
Results: In total 792 respondents completed some or all of the survey: 71.2% (534/750 with data available) were aged under 45 years, 67.4% (511/758) were female, and 37.7% (286/759) had university-level qualifications. They sought information for themselves (545/781, 69.8%), someone else (172/781, 22.0%), or both (64/781, 8.2%). Women were more likely than men to seek help for someone else or both themselves and someone else (168/509 vs 61/242, χ2 2 = 6.35, P = .04). Prior consultation with a health professional was reported by 44.9% (346/770), although this was less common in younger age groups (<36 years) (χ2 1
= 24.22, P < .001). Participants aged 16 to 75 years (n = 26, 20 female, 6 male) were recruited for interview by telephone (n = 23) and instant messaging/email (n = 3). Four major interview themes were identified: motivations for seeking help online; benefits of seeking help in this way and some of the challenges faced; strategies employed in navigating online health information
provision and determining what information to use and to trust; and specific comments regarding the NHS Direct website service.
Within the motivation category, four concepts emerged: the desire for reassurance; the desire for a second opinion to challenge other information; the desire for greater understanding to supplement other information; and perceived external barriers to accessing
information through traditional sources. The benefits clustered around three theme areas: convenience, coverage, and anonymity.
Various challenges were discussed but no prominent theme emerged. Navigating online health information and determining what to trust was regarded as a “common sense” activity, and brand recognition was important. Specific comments about NHS Direct included the perception that the online service was integrated with traditional service provision.
Conclusions: This study supports a model of evolutionary rather than revolutionary change in online health information use.
Given increasing resource constraints, the health care community needs to seek ways of promoting efficient and appropriate health service use, and should aim to harness the potential benefits of the Internet, informed by an understanding of how and why people go online for health
Predicting adherence to antiretroviral therapy and retention to HIV care : effects of baseline biopsychosocial status and neuropsychological functioning
No full textThese drugs have demonstrated efficacy in improving immune function and reducing HIV-related morbidity and mortality, and while a cure is not available, patients on treatment may live longer, healthier lives. However, early optimism has been tempered by the growing recognition that meticulous adherence is a prerequisite for optimal clinical response and prevention of drug resistance
Automatic parameterization of a flow routing scheme driven by radar altimetry data: Evaluation in the Amazon basin
No full textISI Document Delivery No.: 129GR Times Cited: 2 Cited Reference Count: 36 Cited References: BAMBER JL, 1994, INT J REMOTE SENS, V15, P925 Birkett CM, 2000, REMOTE SENS ENVIRON, V72, P218, DOI 10.1016/S0034-4257(99)00105-4 Boone A, 1999, J APPL METEOROL, V38, P1611, DOI 10.1175/1520-0450(1999)0382.0.CO;2 Boyle DP, 2000, WATER RESOUR RES, V36, P3663, DOI 10.1029/2000WR900207 Calmant S, 2008, SURV GEOPHYS, V29, P247, DOI 10.1007/s10712-008-9051-1 Chow V. T., 1988, APPL HYDROLOGY Coe MT, 2008, HYDROL PROCESS, V22, P2542, DOI 10.1002/hyp.6850 Cogley J. G., 2003, 20031 TRENT U DEP GE Cretaux JF, 2011, ADV SPACE RES, V47, P1497, DOI 10.1016/j.asr.2011.01.004 Dadson SJ, 2010, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, V115, DOI 10.1029/2010JD014474 Decharme B, 2012, CLIM DYNAM, V38, P1389, DOI 10.1007/s00382-011-1054-9 Durand M, 2010, IEEE J-STARS, V3, P20, DOI 10.1109/JSTARS.2009.2033453 Getirana A. C. 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I., 2012, HYDROL EARTH SYST SC, V9, P3203, DOI [10.5194/hessd-9-3203-2012, DOI 10.5194/HESSD-9-3203-2012] Noilhan J, 1996, GLOBAL PLANET CHANGE, V13, P145, DOI 10.1016/0921-8181(95)00043-7 Pereira-Cardenal SJ, 2011, HYDROL EARTH SYST SC, V15, P241, DOI 10.5194/hess-15-241-2011 Roux E, 2010, HYDROLOG SCI J, V55, P104, DOI 10.1080/02626660903529023 Sheffield J, 2006, J CLIMATE, V19, P3088, DOI 10.1175/JCLI3790.1 Shuttleworth W. J., 1993, HDB HYDROLOGY, P1 SOROOSHIAN S, 1983, WATER RESOUR RES, V19, P251, DOI 10.1029/WR019i001p00251 Wilson M, 2007, GEOPHYS RES LETT, V34, DOI 10.1029/2007GL030156 Yamazaki D, 2011, WATER RESOUR RES, V47, DOI 10.1029/2010WR009726 Yamazaki D, 2009, HYDROL EARTH SYST SC, V13, P2241 Yapo PO, 1998, J HYDROL, V204, P83, DOI 10.1016/S0022-1694(97)00107-8 Getirana, Augusto C. V. Boone, Aaron Yamazaki, Dai Mognard, Nelly Yamazaki, Dai/J-3029-2012 Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) The first author thanks the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) for the financial support. The study benefited from data made available by Agencia Nacional de Aguas (ANA) and by the European Space Agency (ESA) under the form of Geophysical Data Records (GDRs). The multimission database of GDRs is maintained by the Centre de Topographie des Oceans et de l'Hydrosphere (CTOH) at LEGOS. The authors also thank G. Cochonneau (IRD) and M. C. Gennero (IRD) for their help in data acquisition and processing and three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments. 2 AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION WASHINGTON WATER RESOUR RESThis paper describes and evaluates a procedure that integrates radar altimetry data into the automatic calibration of large-scale flow routing schemes (LFRS). The Hydrological Modeling and Analysis Platform, coupled in off-line mode with the Interactions between Soil, Biosphere, and Atmosphere land surface model, is used to simulate daily surface water dynamics of the Amazon basin at a 0.25 degrees spatial resolution. The Multiobjective Complex Evolution optimization algorithm is used to optimize one parameter (subsurface runoff time delay) and other three parameter multiplier factors (Manning roughness coefficient for rivers, river width, and bankfull height) by minimizing two objective functions for the 2002 to 2006 period. Four calibration experiments are performed by combining water discharge observations and Envisat data to evaluate the potential of using radar altimetry in the automatic calibration of LFRS. One experiment is based on daily discharge observations, other combines discharge with altimetric data, and the other two ones are driven exclusively by radar altimetry data, at 16 or four virtual stations, depending on the experiment. The calibration process is validated against discharge observations at five gauging stations located on the main tributaries. This study shows the feasibility of calibrating LFRS using radar altimetry data. Results demonstrate that reasonable parameters can be obtained by using radar altimetry in an optimization procedure with competitive computational costs. However, there is evidence of equifinality among model parameters. Furthermore, the automatic calibration driven by altimetric data can reliably reproduce discharges time series, and significant improvements are noticed in simulated water level variations. Citation: Getirana, A. C. V., A. Boone, D. Yamazaki, and N. Mognard (2013), Automatic parameterization of a flow routing scheme driven by radar altimetry data: Evaluation in the Amazon basin, Water Resour. Res., 49, doi: 10.1002/wrcr.20077
