2,351 research outputs found
Vaccine-preventable haemophilus influenza type B disease burden and cost-effectiveness of infant vaccination in Indonesia.
BACKGROUND: Most of Asia, including Indonesia, does not use Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate vaccines. We estimated total vaccine-preventable disease burden and the cost-effectiveness of Hib conjugate vaccine in Indonesia. METHODS: Hib pneumonia and meningitis incidences for children with access to health care were derived from a randomized vaccine probe study on Lombok Island, Indonesia during 1998-2002. Incidences were adjusted for limited access to care. Health system and patient out-of-pocket treatment cost data were collected concurrent with the probe study. For Hib vaccine in monovalent and combined (with DTP-HepB) presentations, we used 2007 UNICEF vaccine prices of US3.75 per dose. RESULTS: For the 2007 Indonesian birth cohort, Hib vaccine would prevent meningitis in 1 of every 179 children, pneumonia in 1 of every 18 children, and 4.9% of mortality among those younger than 5 years. The total incremental societal costs of introducing Hib vaccine in monovalent and pentavalent presentations were, respectively, US8.93 per child vaccinated. Annual discounted treatment costs averted amounted to 20% of pentavalent vaccine costs. For the pentavalent vaccine, the incremental costs per discounted death and disability adjusted life-year averted amounted to US74, respectively, versus 102 for monovalent vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: Routine infant Hib vaccination would prevent a large burden of pediatric illness and death in Indonesia. Even without external funding support, Hib vaccine will be a highly cost-effective intervention in either a monovalent or pentavalent presentation based on commonly used benchmarks
The local electronic structure of alpha-Li3N
New theoretical and experimental investigation of the occupied and unoccupied
local electronic density of states (DOS) are reported for alpha-Li3N. Band
structure and density functional theory calculations confirm the absence of
covalent bonding character. However, real-space full-multiple-scattering
(RSFMS) calculations of the occupied local DOS finds less extreme nominal
valences than have previously been proposed. Nonresonant inelastic x-ray
scattering (NRIXS), RSFMS calculations, and calculations based on the
Bethe-Salpeter equation are used to characterize the unoccupied electronic
final states local to both the Li and N sites. There is good agreement between
experiment and theory. Throughout the Li 1s near-edge region, both experiment
and theory find strong similarities in the s- and p-type components of the
unoccupied local final density of states projected onto an orbital angular
momentum basis (l-DOS). An unexpected, significant correspondence exists
between the near-edge spectra for the Li 1s and N 1s initial states. We argue
that both spectra are sampling essentially the same final density of states due
to the combination of long core-hole lifetimes, long photoelectron lifetimes,
and the fact that orbital angular momentum is the same for all relevant initial
states. Such considerations may be generically applicable for low atomic number
compounds.Comment: 34 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl
‘Everyone should do it’: Client experience of a 12-week dialectical behaviour therapy group programme – An interpretative phenomenological analysis
Objective: There is a dearth of practice-based evidence of adapted or ‘DBTinformed’
transdiagnostic models, which could provide services and
clinicians with information of what works and for whom, in which
settings. This paper aims to bridge this gap by exploring the client
experience of a 12-week transdiagnostic dialectical behaviour therapy
(DBT) group programme in a private psychiatric hospital. Method: Five
participants with varied clinical diagnoses and previous therapeutic
experiences were interviewed following completion of one or more of the
same adapted DBT programme, comprising of the standard four modules
over 12 weeks, including a weekly skills group and 1:1 therapy.
Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was applied to give voice
to the clients’ lived experience of the group. Results: Three master themes
were identified: ‘Pre DBT: Crisis & Desperation’; ‘In-session: Belonging’;
and ‘The Real World: Living’, each characterised by four sub-themes,
highlighting helpful and hindering factors of clients’ current and previous
therapeutic experiences. Conclusion: Overall this version of DBT in a
transdiagnostic setting was experienced as helpful and positive by
participants; main outcomes included being able to build a life worth
living, feel hope and joy, build DBT skills into a lifestyle, and develop
reflective practice. Implications for clinical practice, service delivery and
policy are also discussed. The article aims to provide clinicians with
practice-based evidence to inform the delivery of DBT as well as
supporting the case for the use of DBT with various disorders, thus paving
the way for future research in this area
Bench-scale synthesis of nanoscale materials
A novel flow-through hydrothermal method used to synthesize nanoscale powders is introduced by Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The process, Rapid Thermal Decomposition of precursors in Solution (RTDS), uniquely combines high-pressure and high-temperature conditions to rapidly form nanoscale particles. The RTDS process was initially demonstrated on a laboratory scale and was subsequently scaled up to accommodate production rates attractive to industry. The process is able to produce a wide variety of metal oxides and oxyhydroxides. The powders are characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopic methods, surface-area measurements, and x-ray diffraction. Typical crystallite sizes are less than 20 nanometers, with BET surface areas ranging from 100 to 400 sq m/g. A description of the RTDS process is presented along with powder characterization results. In addition, data on the sintering of nanoscale ZrO2 produced by RTDS are included
Little groups of irreps of O(3), SO(3), and the infinite axial subgroups
Little groups are enumerated for the irreps and their components in any basis
of O(3) and SO(3) up to rank 9, and for all irreps of C, C, C, D and D. The results are obtained
by a new chain criterion, which distinguishes massive (rotationally
inequivalent) irrep basis functions and allows for multiple branching paths,
and are verified by inspection. These results are relevant to the determination
of the symmetry of a material from its linear and nonlinear optical properties
and to the choices of order parameters for symmetry breaking in liquid
crystals.Comment: 28 pages and 3 figure
Effect of 3-Dimensional Virtual Reality Models for Surgical Planning of Robotic-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy on Surgical Outcomes: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Importance: Planning complex operations such as robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy requires surgeons to review 2-dimensional computed tomography or magnetic resonance images to understand 3-dimensional (3-D), patient-specific anatomy.
Objective: To determine surgical outcomes for robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy when surgeons reviewed 3-D virtual reality (VR) models during operative planning.
Design, Setting, and Participants: A single-blind randomized clinical trial was performed. Ninety-two patients undergoing robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy performed by 1 of 11 surgeons at 6 large teaching hospitals were prospectively enrolled and randomized. Enrollment and data collection occurred from October 2017 through December 2018, and data analysis was performed from December 2018 through March 2019.
Interventions: Patients were assigned to either a control group undergoing usual preoperative planning with computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging only or an intervention group where imaging was supplemented with a 3-D VR model. This model was viewed on the surgeon\u27s smartphone in regular 3-D format and in VR using a VR headset.
Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome measure was operative time. It was hypothesized that the operations performed using the 3-D VR models would have shorter operative time than those performed without the models. Secondary outcomes included clamp time, estimated blood loss, and length of hospital stay.
Results: Ninety-two patients (58 men [63%]) with a mean (SD) age of 60.9 (11.6) years were analyzed. The analysis included 48 patients randomized to the control group and 44 randomized to the intervention group. When controlling for case complexity and other covariates, patients whose surgical planning involved 3-D VR models showed differences in operative time (odds ratio [OR], 1.00; 95% CI, 0.37-2.70; estimated OR, 2.47), estimated blood loss (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.04-3.78; estimated OR, 4.56), clamp time (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 0.79-3.23; estimated OR, 11.22), and length of hospital stay (OR, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.59-5.14; estimated OR, 5.43). Estimated ORs were calculated using the parameter estimates from the generalized estimating equation model. Referent group values for each covariate and the corresponding nephrometry score were summed across the covariates and nephrometry score, and the sum was exponentiated to obtain the OR. A mean of the estimated OR weighted by sample size for each nephrometry score strata was then calculated.
Conclusions and Relevance: This large, randomized clinical trial demonstrated that patients whose surgical planning involved 3-D VR models had reduced operative time, estimated blood loss, clamp time, and length of hospital stay.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers (1 registration per site): NCT03334344, NCT03421418, NCT03534206, NCT03542565, NCT03556943, and NCT03666104
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