Economic evaluation.

Given the need to assess the value for money of healthcare treatments, economic evaluation has been gaining popularity over the past ten years. Studies comparing the costs and consequences of alternative healthcare interventions have been published in all fields of healthcare. This article describes the basic forms of economic evaluation and outlines the key methodological features to be considered in the critical appraisal of studies. Issues such as the appropriateness of the study question, the selection of alternatives to be compared, the measurement of costs and consequences, and the assessment of uncertainty are discussed. Additionally, an analytical critique of economic evaluations undertaken in Singapore is provided, and the prospects for economic evaluation in the future are discussed

Diel and seasonal changes in the macrozooplankton community of a tropical estuary in Northeastern Brazil

Studies were carried out to assess the macrozooplankton small-scale temporal and spatial variability at three stations in three hours intervals, during 24 hours in July 1996 (rainy season) and December 1996 (dry season). A plankton net 300µm mesh size was hauled at surface during three minutes. Water samples for salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH were taken simultaneously with the zooplankton samples. Sixty-five macrozooplankton taxa were registered. Copepoda constituted the most common taxon and comprised 58% of the total zooplankton counts. Brachyuran zoeae, cirripedian larvae, Larvacea (Oikopleura dioica Fol, 1872), and Gastropoda veligers were abundant at some tidal cycles, mainly during the night. Species diversity average was 2.0 bits.ind-1. The mean density ranged from 23 ind.m-3 to 5,201 ind.m-3. The rainy season presented greater numerical abundance. A regular temporal zooplankton cycle was not observed. Instead, there was a large stochastic variation between samples

2017 ESC focused update on dual antiplatelet therapy in coronary artery disease developed in collaboration with EACTS

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