anchors: Software for Anchoring Vignette Data

When respondents use the ordinal response categories of standard survey questions in different ways, the validity of analyses based on the resulting data can be biased. Anchoring vignettes is a survey design technique intended to correct for some of these problems. The anchors package in R includes methods for evaluating and choosing anchoring vignettes, and for analyzing the resulting data.

Comparing Incomparable Survey Responses: Evaluating and Selecting Anchoring Vignettes

When respondents use the ordinal response categories of standard survey questions in different ways, the validity of analyses based on the resulting data can be biased. Anchoring vignettes is a survey design technique, introduced by King, Murray, Salomon, and Tandon (2004), intended to correct for some of these problems. We develop new methods both for evaluating and choosing anchoring vignettes, and for analyzing the resulting data. With surveys on a diverse range of topics in a range of countries, we illustrate how our proposed methods can improve the ability of anchoring vignettes to extract information from survey data, as well as saving in survey administration costs.Governmen

anchors: Software for Anchoring Vignette Data

When respondents use the ordinal response categories of standard survey questions in different ways, the validity of analyses based on the resulting data can be biased. Anchoring vignettes is a survey design technique intended to correct for some of these problems. The anchors package in R includes methods for evaluating and choosing anchoring vignettes, and for analyzing the resulting data

Formal Definition of the Parameterized Aspect Calculus

This paper gives the formal definition of the parameterized aspect calculus, or s_asp . The s_asp calculus is a core calculus for the formal study of aspect-oriented programming languages. The calculus consists of a base language, taken from Abadi and Cardelli�s object calculus, and point cut description language. The calculus is parameterized to accept a variety of point cut description languages, simplifying the study of a variety of aspect-oriented language features. The calculus exposes a rich join point model on the base language, granting great flexibility to point cut description languages

Invasive adenoma and pituitary carcinoma: a SEER database analysis

Invasive pituitary adenomas and pituitary carcinomas are clinically indistinguishable until identification of metastases. Optimal management and survival outcomes for both are not clearly defined. The purpose of this study is to use the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to report patterns of care and compare survival outcomes in a large series of patients with invasive adenomas or pituitary carcinomas. One hundred seventeen patients diagnosed between 1973 and 2008 with pituitary adenomas/adenocarcinomas were included. Eighty-three invasive adenomas and seven pituitary carcinomas were analyzed for survival outcomes. Analyzed prognostic factors included age, sex, race, histology, tumor extent, and treatment. A significant decrease in survival was observed among carcinomas compared to invasive adenomas at 1, 2, and 5 years (p=0.047, 0.001, and 0.009). Only non-white race, male gender, and age ≥65 were significant negative prognostic factors for invasive adenomas (p=0.013, 0.033, and <0.001, respectively). There was no survival advantage to radiation therapy in treating adenomas at 5, 10, 20, or 30 years (p=0.778, 0.960, 0.236, and 0.971). In conclusion, pituitary carcinoma patients exhibit worse overall survival than invasive adenoma patients. This highlights the need for improved diagnostic methods for the sellar phase to allow for potentially more aggressive treatment approaches

Association of IGF-I Levels with Muscle Strength and Mobility in Older Women

The functional consequences of the age-associated decline in IGF-I are unknown. We hypothesized that low IGF-I levels in older women would be associated with poor muscle strength and mobility. We assessed this question in a population representative of the full spectrum of health in the community, obtaining serum IGF-I levels from women aged 70–79 yr, enrolled in the Women’s Health and Aging Study I or II. Cross-sectional analyses were performed using 617 women with IGF-I levels drawn within 90 d of measurement of outcomes. After adjustment for age, there was an association between IGF-I and knee extensor strength (P = 0.004), but not anthropometry or other strength measures. We found a positive relationship between IGF-I levels and walking speed for IGF-I levels below 50 μg/liter (P < 0.001), but no relationship above this threshold. A decline in IGF-I level was associated with self-reported difficulty in mobility tasks. All findings were attenuated after multivariate adjustment. In summary, in a study population including frail and healthy older women, low IGF-I levels were associated with poor knee extensor muscle strength, slow walking speed, and self-reported difficulty with mobility tasks. These findings suggest a role for IGF-I in disability as well as a potential target population for interventions to raise IGF-I levels

Parameterized Aspect Calculus: A Core Calculus for the Direct Study of Aspect-Oriented Languages

Formal study of aspect-oriented languages is difficult because current theoretical models provide a range of features that is too limited and rely on encodings using lower-level abstractions, which involve a cumbersome level of indirection. We present a calculus, based on Abadi and Cardelli�s object calculus, that explicitly models a base language and a variety of point cut description languages. This explicit modeling makes clear the aspect-oriented features of the calculus by removing the indirection of some existing models. We demonstrate the generality of our calculus by presenting models for AspectJ�s open classes and advice, and HyperJ�s compositions, and sketching a model for DemeterJ�s adaptive methods.</p