A pragmatic approach to evaluate alternative indicators to GDP

The serious economic crisis broken out in 2008 highly stressed the limitations of GDP used as a well-being indicator and as a predictive tool for economy. This induced the need to identify new indicators able to link the economic prosperity of a country to aspects of sustainable development and externalities, both positive and negative, in the long run. The aim of this paper is to introduce a structured approach which supports the choice or the construction of alternative indicators to GDP. The starting point is the definition of what a well-being indicator actually should represent according to the Recommendations of the Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Report on the measurement of economic performance and social progress. Then the paper introduces a systematic procedure for the analysis of well-being indicators. The different phases of this procedure entail the checking of indicators technical properties and their effect on the representational efficacy. Finally, some of the most representative well-being indicators drawn from the literature are compared and a detailed application example is propose

Update of complications and functional outcome of the ileo-pouch anal anastomosis: overview of evidence and meta-analysis of 96 observational studies

Item does not contain fulltextOBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive update of the outcome of the ileo-pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA). DATA SOURCES: An extensive search in PubMed, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library was conducted. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All studies published after 2000 reporting on complications or functional outcome after a primary open IPAA procedure for UC or FAP were selected. Study characteristics, functional outcome, and complications were extracted. DATA SYNTHESIS: A review with similar methodology conducted 10 years earlier was used to evaluate developments in outcome over time. Pooled estimates were compared using a random-effects logistic meta-analyzing technique. Analyses focusing on the effect of time of study conductance, centralization, and variation in surgical techniques were performed. RESULTS: Fifty-three studies including 14,966 patients were included. Pooled rates of pouch failure and pelvic sepsis were 4.3% (95% CI, 3.5-6.3) and 7.5% (95% CI 6.1-9.1), respectively. Compared to studies published before 2000, a reduction of 2.5% was observed in the pouch failure rate (p = 0.0038). Analysis on the effect of the time of study conductance confirmed a decline in pouch failure. Functional outcome remained stable over time, with a 24-h defecation frequency of 5.9 (95% CI, 5.0-6.9). Technical surgery aspects did not have an important effect on outcome. CONCLUSION: This review provides up to date outcome estimates of the IPAA procedure that can be useful as reference values for practice and research. It is also shows a reduction in pouch failure over time.1 juli 201

Strain and Conduction-Band Offset in Narrow n-type FinFETs

In this paper, we compare measurements of the conduction-band (CB) offset in [110]- and [010]-oriented narrow n-type FinFETs with a model taking into account both strain and quantum confinement. We estimate the complete strain tensor for the scarce strain measurement points available with finiteelement- method simulations of the thermal expansion effect. We found an inhomogeneous compressive strain that increases for smaller fin widths. The experimental CB offset is extracted from temperature-dependent transfer characteristics. The results show a lowering of the CB edge up to 40 meV for fin widths down to 5 nm. These experimental observations compare well with the model, and hence, the band offset can be explained by both quantum confinement and strain

Extracting the conduction band offset in strained FinFETs from subthreshold-current measurements

Subthreshold measurements can reveal key device parameters. We present a method to identify the region of the transfer characteristic where the drain current is affected by neither parasitic off-state leakage nor strong inversion current. Then we employ this method to obtain the conduction band edge shift for FinFETs with various fin widths using temperature dependent transfer characteristics. The results indicate lowering of the conduction band edge up to 40 meV, and hence threshold voltage, for fin widths down to 5 nm. This is explained by the combination of quantum confinement and strain effect on the band edges. We demonstrate a qualitative agreement between measurements, theory and simulation