The effects of lead time and visual aids in TTO valuation: a study of the EQ-VT framework

__Abstract__ __Background__ The effect of lead time in time trade-off (TTO) valuation is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on health-state valuation of the length of lead time and the way the lead-time TTO task is displayed visually. __Methods__ Using two general population samples, we compared three lead-time TTO variants: 10 years of lead time in full health preceding 5 years of unhealthy time (standard); 5 years of lead time preceding 5 years of unhealthy time (experimental); and 10 years of lead time and 5 years of unhealthy time, presented with a visual aid to highlight the point where the lead time ends (experimental). Participants were randomized to receive one of the lead-time variants, as administered by a computer software program. __Results__ Health-state values generated by TTO valuation tasks using a longer lead time were slightly lower than those generated by tasks using a shorter lead time. When lead time and unhealthy time were presented with visual aids highlighting the difference between the lead time and unhealthy time, respondents spent more time considering health states with a value close to 0. __Conclusions__ Different lead-time time trade-off variants should be carefully studied in order to achieve the best measurement of health-state values using this new method

Gamma-rays from millisecond pulsars in Globular Clusters

Globular clusters (GCs) with their ages of the order of several billion years contain many final products of evolution of stars such as: neutron stars, white dwarfs and probably also black holes. These compact objects can be at present responsible for the acceleration of particles to relativistic energies. Therefore, gamma-ray emission is expected from GCs as a result of radiation processes occurring either in the inner magnetosperes of millisecond pulsars or in the vicinity of accreting neutron stars and white dwarfs or as a result of interaction of particles leaving the compact objects with the strong radiation field within the GC. Recently, GeV gamma-ray emission has been detected from several GCs by the new satellite observatory Fermi. Also Cherenkov telescopes reported interesting upper limits at the TeV energies which start to constrain the content of GCs. We review the results of these gamma-ray observations in the context of recent scenarios for their origin.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures, will be published in Astrophysics and Space Science Series (Springer), eds. N. Rea and D.F. Torre

Diagnosis, Genetics, and Therapy of Short Stature in Children: A Growth Hormone Research Society International Perspective

The Growth Hormone Research Society (GRS) convened a Workshop in March 2019 to evaluate the diagnosis and therapy of short stature in children. Forty-six international experts participated at the invitation of GRS including clinicians, basic scientists, and representatives from regulatory agencies and the pharmaceutical industry. Following plenary presentations addressing the current diagnosis and therapy of short stature in children, breakout groups discussed questions produced in advance by the planning committee and reconvened to share the group reports. A writing team assembled one document that was subsequently discussed and revised by participants. Participants from regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies were not part of the writing process. Short stature is the most common reason for referral to the pediatric endocrinologist. History, physical examination, and auxology remain the most important methods for understanding the reasons for the short stature. While some long-standing topics of controversy continue to generate debate, including in whom, and how, to perform and interpret growth hormone stimulation tests, new research areas are changing the clinical landscape, such as the genetics of short stature, selection of patients for genetic testing, and interpretation of genetic tests in the clinical setting. What dose of growth hormone to start, how to adjust the dose, and how to identify and manage a suboptimal response are still topics to debate. Additional areas that are expected to transform the growth field include the development of long-acting growth hormone preparations and other new therapeutics and diagnostics that may increase adult height or aid in the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Investigation of Ge nanocrytals in a metal-insulator-semiconductor structure with a HfO₂/SiO₂stack as the tunnel dielectric

Author name used in this publication: Weili LiuAuthor name used in this publication: J. Y. DaiAuthor name used in this publication: P. F. LeeAuthor name used in this publication: Zhitang Song2004-2005 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Truncated Inference for Latent Variable Optimization Problems: Application to Robust Estimation and Learning

Optimization problems with an auxiliary latent variable structure in addition to the main model parameters occur frequently in computer vision and machine learning. The additional latent variables make the underlying optimization task expensive, either in terms of memory (by maintaining the latent variables), or in terms of runtime (repeated exact inference of latent variables). We aim to remove the need to maintain the latent variables and propose two formally justified methods, that dynamically adapt the required accuracy of latent variable inference. These methods have applications in large scale robust estimation and in learning energy-based models from labeled data.Comment: 16 page

Cas9-triggered chain ablation of cas9 as a gene drive brake

With the advent of clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)–CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) technology, researchers can construct gene drives that can bias the inheritance of edited alleles to alter entire populations. As demonstrated with the mutagenic chain reaction in Drosophila4, the CRISPR-Cas9 system can propagate genomic modification together with the genome-editing machinery itself. Although gene drives might have the potential to control insect-borne diseases and agricultural pests, substantial concerns have been raised over unanticipated ecological consequences as a result of drive use. Here we report the development of a potential Cas9-based gene drive 'brake' that remains inert in a wild-type genome but is activated by Cas9 to both cleave the genomic cas9 sequence and to convert an incoming cas9 allele into a brake. This means that the propagation of the brake is favored in a cas9-carrying population

Solvothermal Synthesis and Characterization of Chalcopyrite CuInSe2 Nanoparticles

The ternary I-III-VI2 semiconductor of CuInSe2 nanoparticles with controllable size was synthesized via a simple solvothermal method by the reaction of elemental selenium powder and CuCl as well as InCl3 directly in the presence of anhydrous ethylenediamine as solvent. X-ray diffraction patterns and scanning electron microscopy characterization confirmed that CuInSe2 nanoparticles with high purity were obtained at different temperatures by varying solvothermal time, and the optimal temperature for preparing CuInSe2 nanoparticles was found to be between 180 and 220 °C. Indium selenide was detected as the intermediate state at the initial stage during the formation of pure ternary compound, and the formation of copper-related binary phase was completely deterred in that the more stable complex [Cu(C2H8N2)2]+ was produced by the strong N-chelation of ethylenediamine with Cu+. These CuInSe2 nanoparticles possess a band gap of 1.05 eV calculated from UV–vis spectrum, and maybe can be applicable to the solar cell devices

The extramural metastasis might be categorized in lymph node staging for colorectal cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The objective of this study is to assess the clinical significance and prognostic impact of extramural metastasis in colorectal carcinoma and establish an optimal categorization in the staging system.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To determine the frequency and prognostic significance of extramural metastasis, from 2000 to 2005, a total of 1,215 patients with colorectal cancer who underwent surgical resection were recruited into this study. Individual demographic and clinicopathologic data were collected including tumor stage, nodal stage, tumor histology, degree of tumor differentiation, and presence of lymphovascular invasion. After surgery, all patients received standard treatments and follow-up, which were closed in April 2010.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>EM was detected in 167 (13.7%) patients and in 230 (1.8%) of the 12,534 nodules retrieved as 'lymph nodes'. The incidence of extramural metastasis was significantly higher in patients with large tumors, deeper invasive depth and more lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001). After curative operation, overall survival was significantly worse for patients with extramural metastasis than those without (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified extramural metastasis as an independent prognostic factor (RR = 2.1, 95%CI:1.5-3.0). By using the Akaike information criterion (AIC), N staging was capable of predicting survival outcome with the highest accuracy when both nodal involvement and extramural metastasis were treated together as N factors(AIC = 1025.3).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Extramural metastasis might be diagnosed as replaced lymph nodes in the process of classification, thus forming a new categorization.</p

Interpreting the role of de novo protein-coding mutations in neuropsychiatric disease

Pedigree, linkage and association studies are consistent with heritable variation for complex disease due to the segregation of genetic factors in families and in the population. In contrast, de novo mutations make only minor contributions to heritability estimates for complex traits. Nonetheless, some de novo variants are known to be important in disease etiology. The identification of risk-conferring de novo variants will contribute to the discovery of etiologically relevant genes and pathways and may help in genetic counseling. There is considerable interest in the role of such mutations in complex neuropsychiatric disease, largely driven by new genotyping and sequencing technologies. An important role for large de novo copy number variations has been established. Recently, whole-exome sequencing has been used to extend the investigation of de novo variation to point mutations in protein-coding regions. Here, we consider several challenges for the interpretation of such mutations in the context of their role in neuropsychiatric disease