What is the evidence for the performance of generic preference-based measures? A systematic overview of reviews

OBJECTIVE: To assess the evidence on the validity and responsiveness of five commonly used preference-based instruments, the EQ-5D, SF-6D, HUI3, 15D and AQoL, by undertaking a review of reviews. METHODS: Four databases were investigated using a strategy refined through a highly sensitive filter for systematic reviews. References were screened and a search for grey literature was performed. Identified citations were scrutinized against pre-defined eligibility criteria and data were extracted using a customized extraction template. Evidence on known group validity, convergent validity and responsiveness was extracted and reviewed by narrative synthesis. Quality of the included reviews was assessed using a modified version of the AMSTAR checklist. RESULTS: Thirty reviews were included, sixteen of which were of excellent or good quality. The body of evidence, covering more than 180 studies, was heavily skewed towards EQ-5D, with significantly fewer studies investigating HUI3 and SF-6D, and very few the 15D and AQoL. There was also lack of head-to-head comparisons between GPBMs and the tests reported by the reviews were often weak. Where there was evidence, EQ-5D, SF-6D, HUI3, 15D and AQoL seemed generally valid and responsive instruments, although not for all conditions. Evidence was not consistently reported across reviews. CONCLUSIONS: Although generally valid, EQ-5D, SF-6D and HUI3 suffer from some problems and perform inconsistently in some populations. The lack of head-to-head comparisons and the poor reporting impedes the comparative assessment of the performance of GPBMs. This highlights the need for large comparative studies designed to test instruments' performance

Selecting bolt-on dimensions for the EQ-5D: testing the impact of hearing, sleep, cognition, energy, and relationships on preferences using pairwise choices

Background Generic preference-based measures (GPBMs) such as the EQ-5D are valid across many conditions, but in some cases, “bolting on” additional dimensions may improve validity. The selection of “bolt-ons” has been based on the psychometric impact of individual dimensions, but preferences provide another important way to select them. This study aims to test the potential of using pairwise choices to inform the selection of bolt-ons for the EQ-5D-5L. Methods General population preferences were collected using an online survey of 1040 UK residents. Three EQ-5D-5L health state pairs were selected based on pairs that had a 50:50 split in respondent preferences from a previous pairwise survey. Participants were presented with pairwise choices of EQ-5D-5L health states without and with bolt-ons of hearing, sleep, cognition, energy, and relationships, each added individually. Logistic models were used to assess the impact of bolt-ons, as well as bolt-ons at different severity levels, on the log odds of responders choosing between health states. Results Preferences varied according to the bolt-ons and their severity level (only levels 1, 3, and 5 were used). Additions of bolt-ons at level 1 generally resulted in nonstatistically significant differences while additions of bolt-ons at level 3 and level 5 produced a negative and statistically significant impact on preferences for the health state with the bolt-on. At level 5, hearing had the largest impact, followed by cognition, relationships, energy, and sleep. At level 3, cognition produced the largest impact, followed by hearing and sleep with similar impacts, energy, and relationships. This ordering offers information for bolt-on selection, with hearing and cognition appearing as the most important. The weight placed on the different health problems is not constant across severity levels between bolt-ons. Conclusions Pairwise choices provide a cost-effective approach of generating information on preferences to support bolt-on selection

Selecting bolt-on dimensions for the EQ-5D: examining their contribution to health-related quality of life

Background: Generic preference-based measures may miss dimensions important for the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients. When this happens, a possible solution is to add bolt-ons. Finch et al. (Finch AP, Brazier JE, Mukuria C, Bjorner JB. An exploratory study on using principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to identify bolt-on dimensions: the EQ-5D case study. Value Health 2017;10:1362–75) have recently shown that bolt-ons can be systematically identified using factor analysis. Nevertheless, because for each bolt-on option a complete re-evaluation may be required, methods to select between them are needed. Objectives: To investigate the possibility of selecting bolt-ons using their ability to predict differences in HRQOL. It tests six factors (energy/vitality, satisfaction, relationships, hearing, vision, and speech), and 37 items loading on them, using the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire as a case study. Methods: Data were obtained from the Multi-Instrument Comparison study, an online survey on health and well-being measures carried out in six countries. Two tests were performed. In the first test, linear regressions were fitted to determine whether different bolt-ons helped explain variations in HRQOL as measured by the Health visual analogue scale. The upper anchor (100) of this scale represents excellent physical, mental, and social health, and the lower anchor (0) represents death. Bolt-on relevance was judged comparing the strength, direction, and statistical significance of unadjusted β coefficients. In the second test, linear regressions were fitted to further investigate whether different factors and items helped explain the negative effect of six chronic conditions on HRQOL. A reduction in the coefficients for the chronic condition dummies meant that the factor or item detected the effect. Results: Energy/vitality, relationships, and satisfaction reported substantially larger coefficients than did speech, vision, and hearing. Also, items loading on energy/vitality, relationships, and satisfaction generally presented larger coefficients than did those loading on speech, vision, and hearing. The second test did not detect consistent decrements in the coefficients for chronic conditions when testing factors, but it generally did detect consistent decrements when testing items. Conclusions: The first test appeared useful for bolt-on selection. Further research is needed before using the second test

An apparatus to apply granular insecticides adapted to an animal-drawn planter

Neste trabalho é apresentado um dispositivo para ser acoplado à plantadeira de tração animal, desenvolvido para a aplicação de inseticida granulado no sulco de plantio. Quando acoplado à plantadeira que realiza a semeadura simultânea de milho e feijão consorciados, permitirá, em uma única operação, a colocação de fertilizantes e do inseticida como também a semeadura das duas culturas. Deste modo, além da facilidade de aplicação, o inseticida propiciará o controle das pragas que ocorrem no início do desenvolvimento tanto do milho como do feijão.This paper presents an attachment for an animal-drawn planter which applies granular insecticides jointly with the planting operation. Addition of the device to the planter (which can plant corn and dry beans individually or interplant the two crops in the same furrow as well as apply starting fertilizer) permits excellent control of early pests of both crops

A qualitative investigation of the relevance of skin irritation and self-confidence bolt-ons and their conceptual overlap with the EQ-5D in patients with psoriasis

Objectives A number of bolt-ons have been proposed for the EQ-5D, including two psoriasis-specific bolt-ons, skin irritation and self-confidence. The study investigates and compares the relevance and comprehensiveness of these psoriasis-specific bolt-ons and the EQ-5D-5L and explores the potential conceptual overlaps between the existing five dimensions and the two bolt-ons. Methods Psoriasis patients were purposively sampled according to age and gender. Semi-structured interviews, where participants were asked to complete the EQ-5D-5L and the bolt-ons while thinking aloud, were conducted. Probes were used to investigate the thought processes of patients regarding the dimensions, wording, recall period and relevant concepts not captured by the EQ-5D-5L and bolt-ons. Data were analysed thematically. A focus group was used to confirm the findings. Results Overall, 16 patients completed the interviews. Sixteen and fifteen patients considered skin irritation and self-confidence relevant areas to describe psoriasis problems. Three patients considered itching a form of discomfort, and thus, pointed out a potential overlap between pain/discomfort and skin irritation. Twelve patients reported overall 10 general health- or psoriasis-related concepts that are not captured by the EQ-5D-5L, including itching, social relationships and sex life. Eleven patients reported that the recall period of the EQ-5D-5L might be subject to bias because of the daily or within-day fluctuations of their symptoms. Conclusions The skin irritation and self-confidence bolt-ons contribute to improve content validity of the EQ-5D-5L in patients with psoriasis. The qualitative approach taken in this study expands the existing methodological framework for the development and testing validity of bolt-ons for the EQ-5D

Retraction Note to: The EQ-5D-5L Valuation Study in Egypt.

Retraction to: PharmacoEconomics (2021) 39:549–561 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40273-021-01002-

Implemento para aplicação de inseticidas granulados no cartucho de milho e sorgo contra Spodoptera frugiperda

This paper presents a new implement capable of directly applying granular insecticide in the whorl of growing corn (Zea mays L.) or sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). The implement can be attached to an animal-drawn corn planter alter removing the seed distribution mechanism or attached to a manually operated fertilizer distributor. In both cases the implement is simple to make, to adapt and to use, making it possible to apply granular insecticides simultaneously with top dressing nitrogen fertilizer to two rows of com or sorghum.Neste trabalho é apresentado um implemento para aplicação de inseticidas granulados diretamente no cartucho de plantas de milho (Zea mays L.) ou de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor). Este implemento pode ser acoplado a uma plantadeira de tração animal, retirando-se as partes que compõem o mecanismo de distribuição de sementes e o depósito destas ou acoplado a uma adubadeira de cobertura manual. Em ambos os casos é obtido um implemento de fácil confecção e manuseio, podendo-se aplicar simultaneamente, em duas fileiras de milho ou de sorgo, o inseticida granulado e o adubo nitrogenado em cobertura

Content validity of the EQ-HWB and EQ-HWB-S in a sample of Italian patients, informal caregivers and members of the general public.

BACKGROUND The EuroQol Group recently developed two new instruments, the EQ Health and Wellbeing (EQ-HWB) and the EQ Health and Wellbeing short version (EQ-HWB-S). The EQ-HWB and EQ-HWB-S are intended to capture a broad range of health and broader quality of life aspects, which may be relevant to general public members, patients, their families, social care users and informal carers. This study assesses the content validity of the Italian version of the two instruments in a sample of Italian patients, social care users and informal carers. METHODS Participants were recruited using a convenience sampling approach. One-on-one interviews were carried out using video-conferencing interviews. A semi-structured topic guide was used to guide the interview procedures, with open-ended questions supplemented by probes. Participants were asked to explain important aspects of their health and quality of life, to complete the questionnaires and verbalize their thoughts. RESULTS Twenty participants comprising of patients (n = 9), informal carers (n = 6), and members of the general public (n = 5) participated to the study. Content validity was summarized into six main themes: comprehension, interpretation, acceptability, relevance, response options and recall period. All participants found the instruments easy or quite easy to understand and to respond to. Items were relevant for all three groups of participants, and response options appropriate. CONCLUSIONS The Italian version of the EQ-HWB showed content validity in measuring health and wellbeing in a mixed Italian population

Neutron star – white dwarf binaries: probing formation pathways and natal kicks with LISA

Neutron star–white dwarf (NS + WD) binaries offer a unique opportunity for studying NS-specific phenomena with gravitational waves. In this paper, we employ the binary population synthesis technique to study the Galactic population of NS + WD binaries with the future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). We anticipate approximately O (102) detectable NS + WD binaries by LISA, encompassing both circular and eccentric ones formed via different pathways. Despite the challenge of distinguishing these binaries from more prevalent double white dwarfs (especially at frequencies below 2 mHz), we show that their eccentricity and chirp mass distributions may provide avenues to explore the NS natal kicks and common envelope evolution. Additionally, we investigate the spatial distribution of detectable NS + WD binaries relative to the Galactic plane and discuss prospects for identifying electromagnetic counterparts at radio wavelengths. Our results emphasise LISA’s capability to detect and characterize NS + WD binaries and to offer insights into the properties of the underlying population. Our conclusions carry significant implications for shaping LISA data analysis strategies and future data interpretation

Search for supersymmetry with a dominant R-parity violating LQDbar couplings in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 130GeV to 172 GeV

A search for pair-production of supersymmetric particles under the assumption that R-parity is violated via a dominant LQDbar coupling has been performed using the data collected by ALEPH at centre-of-mass energies of 130-172 GeV. The observed candidate events in the data are in agreement with the Standard Model expectation. This result is translated into lower limits on the masses of charginos, neutralinos, sleptons, sneutrinos and squarks. For instance, for m_0=500 GeV/c^2 and tan(beta)=sqrt(2) charginos with masses smaller than 81 GeV/c^2 and neutralinos with masses smaller than 29 GeV/c^2 are excluded at the 95% confidence level for any generation structure of the LQDbar coupling.Comment: 32 pages, 30 figure