Analysis of productivity costs in cancer: a systematic review

ABSTRACTIntroductionThe concept of indirect costs – or productivity losses to both patients and their informal caregivers arising from an illness – started to gain more importance two decades ago with the intention of strengthening cost estimates prior to evaluating, which historically was performed only with direct cost data.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to explore the methodological differences in estimating productivity costs in studies of cancer diseases, as well as providing an updated and comprehensive overview of the worldwide relevance of productivity costs of cancer.MethodsThe study is conducted using a systematic literature review.ResultsThe literature search resulted in 332 articles. After removing those not meeting eligibility criteria or duplicities, 27 articles were included in the qualitative analysis. It is observed that the weight of cost productivity is noticeable; in several cases, it may represent over 50% of the total. The most common method of estimation is the Human Capital method. However, certain heterogeneity is observed in the method of estimating, as well as in the resultant figures.ConclusionsMore efforts are needed to standardize calculations and allow for real comparisons between countries

Modeling language learning using specialized Elo ratings

Automatic assessment of the proficiency levels of the learner is a critical part of Intelligent Tutoring Systems. We present methods for assessment in the context of language learning. We use a specialized Elo formula used in conjunction with educational data mining. We simultaneously obtain ratings for the proficiency of the learners and for the difficulty of the linguistic concepts that the learners are trying to master. From the same data we also learn a graph structure representing a domain model capturing the relations among the concepts. This application of Elo provides ratings for learners and concepts which correlate well with subjective proficiency levels of the learners and difficulty levels of the concepts

N-3 fatty acids, cancer and cachexia: a systematic review of the literature.

Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review;Use of n-3 fatty acids (FA) has been reported to be beneficial for cancer patients. We performed a systematic review of the literature in order to issue recommendations on the clinical use of n-3 FA in the cancer setting. A systematic search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane and Healthstar databases. We selected clinical trials or prospective observational studies including patients with cancer and life expectancy >2 months, in which enteral supplements with n-3 FA were administered. Parameters evaluated individually were clinical (nutritional status, tolerance, survival and hospital stays), biochemical (inflammatory mediators), and functional (functional status, appetite and quality of life (QoL)). Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria; eight were of high quality. The panel of experts established the following evidence: (1) oral supplements with n-3 FA benefit patients with advanced cancer and weight loss, and are indicated in tumours of the upper digestive tract and pancreas; (2) the advantages observed were: increased weight and appetite, improved QoL, and reduced post-surgical morbidity; (3) there is no defined pattern for combining different n-3 FA, and it is recommended to administer > 1.5 g/day; and (4) better tolerance is obtained administering low-fat formulas for a period of at least 8 weeks. All the evidences were grade B but for 'length of treatment' and 'advantage of survival' it was grade C. Our findings suggest that administration of n-3 FA (EPA and DHA) in doses of at least 1.5 g/day for a prolonged period of time to patients with advanced cancer is associated with an improvement in clinical, biological and QoL parameters.Ye