Do people have a preference for increasing or decreasing pain? An experimental comparison of psychological and economic measures in health related decision making

This paper investigates preferences for different health profiles, especially sequences of increasing and decreasing pain. We test conflicting predictions in terms of preferences over two painful sequences. The QALY concept relevant for the determination of different levels of health-related quality of life implies indifference, whereas behavioral theories find preferences related to ordering, following the peak-end-rule. Using an experimental design with real consequences we generate decisions about painful sequences induced by the cold pressor test. The results are compared with hypothetical choice data elicited using standard methods. We find that hypothetical methods reveal decisions in line with the peak-end-rule. However when it comes to real consequences of their decisions, subjects are on average not willing to pay for that preference

Determining risk preferences for pain

The QALY concept is the commonly used approach in research to evaluate the efficiency of therapies in cost utility analysis. We investigate the risk neutrality assumption for time of the QALY concept: can time be included as a linear factor? Various studies show that this assumption does not hold empirically. However, the results are based on hypothetical questionnaires rather than decisions with real consequences. Experimental economists argue that experiments are necessary to avoid hypothetical bias. Our study provides the first experimental analysis of health related decision making. Using the cold pressor test we can analyze decisions when subjects face real consequences. Analog to the hypothetical studies, our experimental results of real decisions provide no linear time preferences. In conclusion, the QALY concept needs to be modified by a weighting factor for time

Studies of acid deposition and its effects in two small catchments in Hunan, China

International audienceAcid deposition and its effects were studied by analysing the chemistry in precipitation, stream water, soil water and soils in two catchments in Hunan. One site, Linkesuo (denoted LKS), is on the outskirts of Changsha, the provincial capital of Hunan, the other (Bailutang, denoted BLT) on the outskirts of Chenzhou in southern Hunan. Volume-weighted average pH values and sulphate concentrations in wet deposition were 4.58 (BLT) and 4.90 (LKS) and 174 ?molc L-1 and 152 ?molc L-1, respectively. Wet deposition of sulphate has been estimated as 4.3 gS m-2yr-1 and 3.4 gS m-2yr-1 at BLT and LKS, respectively. Estimates of the corresponding total depositions (dry + wet) are 6.1 gS m-2yr-1 and 5.3 gS m-2yr-1. In precipitation and throughfall, sulphate was the major anion and calcium the major cation. In stream and soil water, nitrate was slightly higher than sulphate on an equivalent basis and magnesium (Mg) not much lower than calcium (Ca). Important soil properties, such as soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM) content, exchangeable acidic cations, exchangeable base cations, effective cation exchange capacity (CECe), base saturation (BS), and aluminium (Al) and iron (Fe) pools, were determined for five forest soil profiles (consisting of four horizons) in each of the two catchments. The soils in BLT are generally more acid, have lower BS and higher Al and Fe pools than the LKS soils. The Al- and Fe-pools were generally higher in the topsoils (i.e. the O and A horizons) than in deeper soils (i.e. E and B horizons) especially at the most acidic site (BLT). There are significant correlations between Fe-pools and the corresponding Al-pools in both catchments except between the amorphous Feox and Alox. Considering the long-term high deposition of sulphate, there is a risk of future ecological damage due to acidification, especially in the BLT catchment, although vegetation damage has yet to be observed in the catchments. This condition appears to be representative of a large part of Hunan. Keyword: acid deposition, soil acidification, catchment, Al-pools, Fe-pools, Hunan</p

Determining risk preferences for pain

The QALY concept is the commonly used approach in research to evaluate the efficiency of therapies in cost utility analysis. We investigate the risk neutrality assumption for time of the QALY concept: can time be included as a linear factor? Various studies show that this assumption does not hold empirically. However, the results are based on hypothetical questionnaires rather than decisions with real consequences. Experimental economists argue that experiments are necessary to avoid hypothetical bias. Our study provides the first experimental analysis of health related decision making. Using the cold pressor test we can analyze decisions when subjects face real consequences. Analog to the hypothetical studies, our experimental results of real decisions provide no linear time preferences. In conclusion, the QALY concept needs to be modified by a weighting factor for time.

Screening and Anti-Screening Effects in J/psi Production on Nuclei

The nuclear effects in J/psi hadro- and electroproduction on nuclei are considered in framework of reggeon approach. It is shown that screening regime which holds for electroproduction at x_F > 0.7 and for hadroproduction at x_F > -(0.3-0.4) is changed with anti-screening regime for smaller x_F values.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures. Small changes in wordin

New companions in the stellar systems of DI Cha, Sz 22, CHXR 32, and Cha Halpha 5 in the Cha I star-forming region

The star-forming regions in Chamaeleon (Cha) are among the nearest (distance ~165 pc) and youngest (age ~2 Myrs) conglomerates of recently formed stars and among the ideal targets for studies of star formation. We search for new, hitherto unknown binary or multiple-star components and investigate their membership in Cha and their gravitationally bound nature. We used the NACO instrument at the VLT UT 4/YEPUN of the Paranal Observatory, at 2 or 3 different epochs, in order to obtain relative and absolute astrometric measurements, as well as differential photometry in the J, H, and Ks band. On the basis of known proper motions and these observations, we analysed the astrometric results in proper motion diagrams to eliminate possible (non-moving) background stars and establish co-moving binaries and multiples. DI Cha turns out to be a quadruple system with a hierachical structure, consisting of two binaries: a G2/M6 pair and a co-moving pair of two M5.5 dwarfs. For both pairs we detected orbital motion (P~130 and ~65 years), although in opposite directions. Sz 22 is a binary whose main component is embedded in a circumstellar disc or reflection nebula, accompanied by a co-moving M4.5 dwarf. CHXR 32 is a triple system, consisting of a single G5 star, weakened by an edge-on disc and a co-moving pair of M1/M3.5 dwarfs whose components show significant variations in their angular separation. Finally, Cha Halpha 5 is a binary consisting of two unresolved M6.5 dwarfs whose strong variations in position angle at its projected separation of only 8 AU imply an orbital period of ~46 years. DI Cha D and Cha Halpha 5 A&B are right at the stellar mass limit and could possibly be brown dwarfs. In spite of various previously published studies of the star-forming regions in Cha we found four hitherto unknown components in young low-mass binaries and multiple systems. (abridged)Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Prefrontal involvement in imitation learning of hand actions : effects of practice and expertise.

In this event-related fMRI study, we demonstrate the effects of a single session of practising configural hand actions (guitar chords) on cortical activations during observation, motor preparation, and imitative execution. During the observation of non-practised actions, the mirror neuron system (MNS), consisting of inferior parietal and ventral premotor areas, was more strongly activated than for the practised actions. This finding indicates a strong role of the MNS in the early stages of imitation learning. In addition, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was selectively involved during observation and motor preparation of the non-practised chords. This finding confirms Buccino et al.’s (2004a) model of imitation learning: for actions that are not yet part of the observer’s motor repertoire, DLPFC engages in operations of selection and combination of existing, elementary representations in the MNS. The pattern of prefrontal activations further supports Shallice’s (2004) proposal of a dominant role of the left DLPFC in modulating lower-level systems, and of a dominant role of the right DLPFC in monitoring operations