Valuing EQ-5D-Y-3L health states using a discrete choice experiment: do adult and adolescent preferences differ?

Background An important question in the valuation of children’s health is whether the preferences of younger individuals should be captured within value sets for measures that are aimed at them. This depends on whether younger individuals can complete valuation exercises and whether their preferences differ from those of adults. This study compared the preferences of adults and adolescents for EQ-5D-Y-3L health states using latent scale values elicited from a discrete choice experiment (DCE). Methods An online DCE survey, comprising 15 pairwise choices, was provided to samples of UK adults and adolescents (aged 11–17 y). Adults considered the health of a 10-year-old child, whereas adolescents considered their own health. Mixed logit models were estimated, and comparisons were made using relative attribute importance (RAI) scores and a pooled model. Results In total, 1000 adults and 1005 adolescents completed the survey. For both samples, level 3 in pain/discomfort was most important, and level 2 in self-care the least important, based on the relative magnitudes of coefficients. The RAI scores (normalized on self-care) indicated that adolescents gave less weight relative to adults to usual activities (1.18 v. 1.51; P < 0.05), pain/discomfort (1.77 v. 3.12; P < 0.01), and anxiety/depression (1.64 vs. 2.65; P < 0.01). The pooled model indicated evidence of differences between the two samples in both levels in pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. Limitations The perspective of the DCE task differed between the 2 samples, and no data were collected to anchor the DCE data to generate value sets. Conclusions Adolescents could complete the DCE, and their preferences differed from those of adults taking a child perspective. It is important to consider whether their preferences should be incorporated into value sets

Carbon based prosthetic devices

This is the final report of a one-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The project objective was to evaluate the use of carbon/carbon-fiber-reinforced composites for use in endoprosthetic devices. The application of these materials for the metacarpophalangeal (MP) joints of the hand was investigated. Issues concerning mechanical properties, bone fixation, biocompatibility, and wear are discussed. A system consisting of fiber reinforced materials with a pyrolytic carbon matrix and diamond-like, carbon-coated wear surfaces was developed. Processes were developed for the chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) of pyrolytic carbon into porous fiber preforms with the ability to tailor the outer porosity of the device to provide a surface for bone in-growth. A method for coating diamond-like carbon (DLC) on the articulating surface by plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was developed. Preliminary results on mechanical properties of the composite system are discussed and initial biocompatibility studies were performed

Yrast spectroscopy of 60128Nd68 and systematics of the νh11/2 crossing in A∼130 nuclei

High-spin states in 128Ca were populated with the 92Mo (40Ca, 2p2n) reaction at a beam energy of 184 MeV. The previously known ground-state band has been extended to Iπ=(34+) and four sidebands were observed. Configuration assignments for these sidebands are discussed based on their alignment behavior. A significant delay of the νh11/2 crossing frequency is observed in the A∼130 region, with the largest delays occurring consistently at N=70. Cranked shell model calculations were performed in order to investigate whether a variation of deformation and/or pairing parameters can account for this phenomenon

Rotational structures near 40ℏ in 123La

The neutron-deficient nucleus 123La was studied via the 92Mo(40Ca,2ap) reaction at a beam energy of 184 MeV. Previously known bands were extended to a much higher spin, and in two cases the structures are now observed near 40ℏ. In addition, three new sequences were identified and linked into previously known bands. The lowest (π,α)=(+,-1/2) structure displays characteristics similar to those of analogous bands in 127,129La, which have been proposed as examples of smooth band termination. Cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations were compared with the experimental data in 123La to determine whether this band is approaching a terminating state as well

Signature inversion in odd-odd nuclei

Trends in the energy staggering of the πh11/2νi13/2 and πh11/2νh11/2 bands in the mass 160 and 130 regions, respectively, have been investigated in order to better understand the origin of signature inversion. While the A ≈ 160 nuclei behave in a consistent manner, a more complicated'scenario is observed in the mass 130 region. As a result of our experiments on the lightest Pr nuclei, the systematics of these Z = 59 nuclei have been extended, which aids in the understanding of the latter region. Triaxial deformation, a pn interaction, and quadrupole pairing are considered as possible contributors to this effect. As all the chiral-twin bands that are known have signature inversion in the favored band, a possible link between the two phenomena should be considered

First evidence of excited states in the near-drip-line nucleus 126Pr and signature inversion in A ≈ 130 nuclei

γ-ray transitions have been identified for the first time in the near-drip-line nucleus 126Pr, making it the lightest odd-odd praseodymium nucleus in which excited states have been reported. Evidence is presented for two rotational bands in 126Pr, one strongly coupled and the other doubly decoupled. In addition, the preliminary reports of a band in 128Pr are confirmed. The signature inversion phenomenon and trends in the energy staggering of the π11/2νh11/2 bands are discussed for the Cs, La, and Pr nuclei

Toward complete spectroscopy of 128Pr and rotational structures in 126Pr

Over 240 transitions and three new rotational bands have been observed in the well-deformed, odd-odd 59128Pr69 nucleus. The high-spin states were populated in two experiments using the 92Mo(40Ca,3pn) reaction at beam energies of 170 and 184 MeV. Several structures were confirmed in the former experiment using the Clarion and HyBall arrays with the recoil mass spectrometer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Gammasphere, in conjunction with the Microball, were employed in the latter experiment at Argonne National Laboratory to extend the sequences to very high spins. Rotational structures in 126Pr were also identified in the α p n channel of the same reaction. The recent discrepancies of spin assignments for the yrast bands in 126,128Pr and the interpretation of the lowest crossing in the πh11/2 band in 127Pr are discussed. An adiabatic crossing of the intruder i13/2 neutron with one of the normal-deformed bands in 128Pr is observed at high rotational frequency. Experimental trends in the signature inversion phenomenon of the πh11/2νh11/2 bands in the A 130 region are defined and prove to be surprisingly irregular with respect to those found in the πh11/2νi13/2 bands of the A 160 region

Rotational structures in 129Nd and signature splitting systematics of the νh11/2 bands in A ∼ 130 nuclei

High-spin states in 129Nd were populated in the reaction 92Mo(40Ca, 2pn) with beam energies of 170 and 184 MeV in two separate experiments. Over 140 new transitions were placed in a level scheme that consists of four rotational structures, three of which have been observed for the first time. The bands were assigned configurations based on their B(M 1)/B(E2) ratios (for the strongly coupled bands), aligned angular momentum, observed band crossings, and signature splitting. Evidence for of the observation of the deformation driving νi13/2[660] 1/2 orbital is presented. Signature splitting trends in the νh11/2 bands of A ∼ 130 nuclei are investigated within the framework of the cranked shell model. Comparisons are made with observations in the πh11/2 bands near A ∼ 160

Measurement of the splashback feature around SZ-selected Galaxy clusters with DES, SPT, and ACT

We present a detection of the splashback feature around galaxy clusters selected using the Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) signal. Recent measurements of the splashback feature around optically selected galaxy clusters have found that the splashback radius, rsp, is smaller than predicted by N-body simulations. A possible explanation for this discrepancy is that rsp inferred from the observed radial distribution of galaxies is affected by selection effects related to the optical cluster-finding algorithms. We test this possibility by measuring the splashback feature in clusters selected via the SZ effect in data from the South Pole Telescope SZ survey and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope Polarimeter survey. The measurement is accomplished by correlating these cluster samples with galaxies detected in the Dark Energy Survey Year 3 data. The SZ observable used to select clusters in this analysis is expected to have a tighter correlation with halo mass and to be more immune to projection effects and aperture-induced biases, potentially ameliorating causes of systematic error for optically selected clusters. We find that the measured rsp for SZ-selected clusters is consistent with the expectations from simulations, although the small number of SZ-selected clusters makes a precise comparison difficult. In agreement with previous work, when using optically selected redMaPPer clusters with similar mass and redshift distributions, rsp is ∼2σ smaller than in the simulations. These results motivate detailed investigations of selection biases in optically selected cluster catalogues and exploration of the splashback feature around larger samples of SZ-selected clusters. Additionally, we investigate trends in the galaxy profile and splashback feature as a function of galaxy colour, finding that blue galaxies have profiles close to a power law with no discernible splashback feature, which is consistent with them being on their first infall into the cluster

Identification of common genetic risk variants for autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable and heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental phenotypes diagnosed in more than 1% of children. Common genetic variants contribute substantially to ASD susceptibility, but to date no individual variants have been robustly associated with ASD. With a marked sample-size increase from a unique Danish population resource, we report a genome-wide association meta-analysis of 18,381 individuals with ASD and 27,969 controls that identified five genome-wide-significant loci. Leveraging GWAS results from three phenotypes with significantly overlapping genetic architectures (schizophrenia, major depression, and educational attainment), we identified seven additional loci shared with other traits at equally strict significance levels. Dissecting the polygenic architecture, we found both quantitative and qualitative polygenic heterogeneity across ASD subtypes. These results highlight biological insights, particularly relating to neuronal function and corticogenesis, and establish that GWAS performed at scale will be much more productive in the near term in ASD.Peer reviewe