1,978 research outputs found
The SF36 as an outcome measure of services for end stage renal failure
OBJECTIVE: —To evaluate the use of the short
form 36 (SF36) as a measure of health
related quality of life of patients with end
stage renal failure, document the results,
and investigate factors, including mode of
treatment, which may influence it.
DESIGN: Cross sectional survey of patients
with end stage renal failure, with the
standard United Kingdom version of the
SF36 supplemented by specific questions
for end stage renal failure.
SETTING: A teaching hospital renal unit.
Subjects and methods—660 patients
treated at the Sheffield Kidney Institute by
haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and
transplantation. Internal consistency, percentage
of maximal or minimal responses,
SF36 scores, effect sizes, correlations
between independent predictor variables
and individual dimension scores of the
SF36. Multiple regression analysis of the
SF36 scores for the physical functioning,
vitality, and mental health dimensions
against treatment, age, risk (comorbidity)
score, and other independent variables.
RESULTS: A high response rate was
achieved. Internal consistency was good.
There were no floor or ceiling effects other
than for the two “role” dimensions. Overall
health related quality of life was poor
compared with the general population.
Having a functioning transplant was a significant
predictor of higher score in the
three dimensions (physical functioning,
vitality, and mental health) for which
multiple regression models were constructed.
Age, sex, comorbidity, duration
of treatment, level of social and emotional
support, household numbers, and hospital
dialysis were also (variably) significant
predictors.
CONCLUSIONS: The SF36 is a practical and
consistent questionnaire in this context,
and there is evidence to support its
construct validity. Overall the health related
quality of life of these patients is
poor, although transplantation is associated
with higher scores independently of
the effect of age and comorbidity. Age,
comorbidity, and sex are also predictive of
the scores attained in the three dimensions
studied. Further studies are required
to ascertain whether altering those
predictor variables which are under the
influence of professional carers is associated
with changes in health related quality
of life, and thus confirm the value of this
outcome as a measure of quality of care
Key characteristics and attitudes of airline passengers, with particular emphasis upon the low-cost sector: implications for pre-trip decision-making and airline choice
The inception of the low-cost carrier (LCC) into the UK in the early 1990s revolutionised passenger aviation. The now saturated short-haul market finds airlines increasingly manipulative of their business model, seeking to further differentiate their product offering from their rivals. With an abundance of airlines to choose from, the consumer is faced with what at times can be a complex decision-making process as to which airline to fly with.
This research seeks through empirical research to identify key characteristics and attitudes of airline passengers (with particular emphasis upon LCCs) and the implications for pre-trip decision-making and airline choice.
The study begins with an overview of the airline business models that dominate the UK passenger aviation sector, before introducing Birmingham Airport (BHX) as a case study airport on which part of the main findings of this research are based. A detailed literature review then seeks to offer insight to attitude formation and the decision-making process that facilitates behaviour, before examining the implications for airline choice.
The fieldwork was undertaken in two stages with passenger decision-making explored through structured-interviews conducted with passengers in the airside departure lounges at BHX (n = 490). In addition, the attitudes of airline passengers were explored using an online attitudinal survey, distributed internationally to a self-selected sample (n = 307).
The quantitative analysis of both strands of research suggests key differences exist in the decision-making processes and research methods employed by passengers’ of airlines operating different business models, but particularly for passengers of LCCs. Both socio-demographic and situational factors are identified as influential in decision-making and choice processes. Attitudes, based upon actual experience and social representation are also considered significant. The findings present a classification of airline passengers based upon the primary research and suggest further quantitative research should explore decision-making over time and in different situational contexts
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Assessing comprehension and production of verbs and sentences:The Verb and Sentence Test (VAST)
Background : In this paper we present a new aphasia test for the asessment of comprehension and production of verbs and sentences, the Verb and Sentence Test (VAST). A description is given of selected theories underlying the construction of the test, the diagnostic properties, and how results from the test can be used to motivate therapy. Methods & Procedures : Information about the construction and standardisation of the VAST is provided. Justification for item selection and results obtained from 80 non-aphasic and 25 aphasic subjects are described. Details are given of the discriminative power of each task, and validity and reliability are discussed. Results : Data from the subjects demonstrate that the VAST effectively discriminates between the aphasic and non-aphasic population and between different types of verb and sentence deficits. Case studies are given to illustrate these points. Conclusions : The VAST provides a reliable research and clinical tool for the assessment of comprehension and production of verbs and sentences, and gives clear directions for treatment
Scaling Flows and Dissipation in the Dilute Fermi Gas at Unitarity
We describe recent attempts to extract the shear viscosity of the dilute
Fermi gas at unitarity from experiments involving scaling flows. A scaling flow
is a solution of the hydrodynamic equations that preserves the shape of the
density distribution. The scaling flows that have been explored in the
laboratory are the transverse expansion from a deformed trap ("elliptic flow"),
the expansion from a rotating trap, and collective oscillations. We discuss
advantages and disadvantages of the different experiments, and point to
improvements of the theoretical analysis that are needed in order to achieve
definitive results. A conservative bound based on the current data is that the
minimum of the shear viscosity to entropy density ration is that eta/s is less
or equal to 0.5 hbar/k_B.Comment: 32 pages, prepared for "BCS-BEC crossoverand the Unitary Fermi Gas",
Lecture Notes in Physics, W. Zwerger (editor), Fig. 5 corrected, note added;
final version, corrected typo in equ. 9
SIMULATION IN PRACTICE: THE BALANCING INTERCEPT
Simulation is an important tool within epidemiology for both learning and developing new methodology (1–5). Unfortunately, few epidemiology training programs teach basic simulation methods. Briefly, when conducting a simulation experiment, we generally follow the same basic steps. We first decide which variables to include, as well as their distributions and associations—often aided by a causal diagram. We then generate those variables by sampling from their specified distributions and estimate whatever target parameter is of interest (e.g., sample average or causal effect). We finally repeat the processmultiple times, building a distribution for the target parameter from the estimates obtained in each replicate
The Importance of Time Congruity in the Organisation.
In 1991 Kaufman, Lane, and Lindquist proposed that time congruity in terms of an individual's time preferences and the time use methods of an organisation would lead to satisfactory performance and enhancement of quality of work and general life. The research reported here presents a study which uses commensurate person and job measures of time personality in an organisational setting to assess the effects of time congruity on one aspect of work life, job-related affective well-being. Results show that time personality and time congruity were found to have direct effects on well-being and the influence of time congruity was found to be mediated through time personality, thus contributing to the person–job (P–J) fit literature which suggests that direct effects are often more important than indirect effects. The study also provides some practical examples of ways to address some of the previously cited methodological issues in P–J fit research
A new type of carbon resistance thermometer with excellent thermal contact at millikelvin temperatures
Using a new brand of commercially available carbon resistor we built a
cryogenic thermometer with an extremely good thermal contact to its thermal
environment. Because of its superior thermal contact the thermometer is
insensitive to low levels of spurious radio frequency heating. We calibrated
our thermometer down to 5mK using a quartz tuning fork He-3 viscometer and
measured its thermal resistance and thermal response time.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
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Defense Waste Processing Facility Radioactive Operations - Year Two
The Savannah River Site`s Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) near Aiken, SC is the nation`s first high-level radioactive waste vitrification facility. This waste (130 million liters) which has been stored in carbon steel underground tanks and is now being pretreated, melted into a highly durable borosilicate glass and poured into stainless steel canisters for eventual disposal in a geologic repository. Following a ten-year construction period and nearly three-year nonradioactive test program, the DWPF began radioactive operations in March 1996. The first nine months of radioactive operations have been reported previously. As with any complex technical facility, difficulties were encountered during the transition to radioactive operations. Results of the second year of radioactive operations are presented in this paper. The discussion includes: feed preparation and glass melting, resolution of the melter pouring issues, improvements in processing attainment and throughput, and planned improvements in laboratory attainment and throughput
Calcium and magnesium supplementation of ewes grazing pasture did not improve lamb survival
Context: Clinical deficiencies of calcium and magnesium may result in the metabolic disorders hypocalcaemia and hypomagnesaemia, resulting in ewe and lamb mortality. However, the contribution of subclinical deficiencies to perinatal lamb mortality in grazing flocks is unclear.
Aims: To test the hypothesis that calcium and magnesium supplementation during the lambing period would increase lamb survival to marking age.
Methods: In 2017, an on-farm study used five flocks across New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. On each farm, twin-bearing mature Merino ewes (n = 400–600) grazing pasture were allocated to two replicates of control and supplemented treatments. The supplemented groups were offered 30 g/ewe per day of a loose lick containing magnesium chloride (MgCl2(H2O)6), calcium sulfate (CaSO4·(H2O)2, and salt (NaCl), in the ratio 12.5:32.5:55.0, designed to have a low dietary cation–anion difference (−390 meq/100 g). A second study was conducted in 2018 on one farm to test the form of supplement. This study used two replicates of three treatments: control; a low-dietary cation–anion difference supplement as used in 2017; and a standard lime, Causmag (calcined MgO) and salt loose mix (ratio 1:1:1). Mature twin-bearing composite ewes (n = 600) were allocated to groups and those supplemented were offered minerals for the last month of pregnancy and during the lambing period. Blood and urine samples were collected in both experiments for analyses of mineral concentrations.
Key results: In the 2017 study, only two flocks consumed >10 g/ewe of supplement per day, and supplementation did not increase lamb survival to marking age in these flocks. In the 2018 study, the mean consumption of supplement was 18 or 20 g/ewe per day. Of non-supplemented ewes, 61% were deficient in plasma calcium (≤90 mg/L) and 17% were deficient in magnesium (≤18 mg/L) at Day 140 after the start of joining. Lamb survival was not increased by supplementation and was 77 ± 3.8% in both treatments.
Conclusions: Calcium and magnesium supplementation did not increase lamb survival.
Implications: Lamb survival was not increased by calcium and magnesium supplementation; however, evaluation under a wider range of grazing conditions with adequate supplement intake is required
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