Assessing the production of jet mix columns using alkali activated waste based on mechanical and financial performance and CO2 (eq) emissions

Recent research has proved the potential of alkaline activated fly-ash for soil stabilisation. However, such studies have not focused on the link between financial, mechanical and environmental aspects of this solution, but only on their absolute mechanical properties. The present paper characterises the mechanical behaviour of a large spectrum of activator-ash-soil combinations used to build jet mixing columns, analysing also the cost and CO2 (eq) emissions. The concern with these two vectors forced a decrease in the quantity of stabilising agent added to the soil, relatively to previous research, and the effects of such low quantities have not yet been published. However, the results clearly showed a significant improve in strength, still well above the average values expected when improving the stressstrain behaviour of a weak soil. Uniaxial compressive strength tests were used to assess the effects of the fly-ash percentage, the alkalieash ratio and the water content. The carbon calculator recently developed by the European Federation of Foundation Contractors and the Deep Foundations Institute was used to quantify the CO2 (eq) emissions associated with this technique. The financial cost was estimated based on the experience of a major Portuguese contractor. For comparison purposes, soil cement mixtures were also analysed, using similar conditions and tools used for the soil-ash analysis. Results showed that the cement and ash solutions are very similar in terms of overall performance, with some advantage of the former regarding financial cost, and a significant advantage of the latter regarding the CO2 (eq) emissions. This new grout, although it is in an embryonic stage, it has the potential for broader developments in the field.

Estudi de l'estat de Salut autopercebut: Modelització de l'índex d'utilitat EQ-5D mitjançant un model tobit

Objective: Health status measures usually have an asymmetric distribution and present a highpercentage of respondents with the best possible score (ceiling effect), specially when they areassessed in the overall population. Different methods to model this type of variables have beenproposed that take into account the ceiling effect: the tobit models, the Censored Least AbsoluteDeviations (CLAD) models or the two-part models, among others. The objective of this workwas to describe the tobit model, and compare it with the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model,that ignores the ceiling effect.Methods: Two different data sets have been used in order to compare both models: a) real datacomming from the European Study of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD), in order to model theEQ5D index, one of the measures of utilities most commonly used for the evaluation of healthstatus; and b) data obtained from simulation. Cross-validation was used to compare thepredicted values of the tobit model and the OLS models. The following estimators werecompared: the percentage of absolute error (R1), the percentage of squared error (R2), the MeanSquared Error (MSE) and the Mean Absolute Prediction Error (MAPE). Different datasets werecreated for different values of the error variance and different percentages of individuals withceiling effect. The estimations of the coefficients, the percentage of explained variance and theplots of residuals versus predicted values obtained under each model were compared.Results: With regard to the results of the ESEMeD study, the predicted values obtained with theOLS model and those obtained with the tobit models were very similar. The regressioncoefficients of the linear model were consistently smaller than those from the tobit model. In thesimulation study, we observed that when the error variance was small (s=1), the tobit modelpresented unbiased estimations of the coefficients and accurate predicted values, specially whenthe percentage of individuals wiht the highest possible score was small. However, when theerrror variance was greater (s=10 or s=20), the percentage of explained variance for the tobitmodel and the predicted values were more similar to those obtained with an OLS model.Conclusions: The proportion of variability accounted for the models and the percentage ofindividuals with the highest possible score have an important effect in the performance of thetobit model in comparison with the linear model.

Spanish adaptation of the Expectancy Questionnaire (EQ) about alcohol effects in adolescents

Background: Alcohol-related expectancies are especially relevant in relation to alcohol consumption during adolescence. The main aim of this study was to adapt and translate into Spanish (Castilian) the Expectancy Questionnaire (EQ), and to study its psychometric properties in adolescents. Method: The sample was composed of 514 adolescents (57.20% female, mean age = 15.21; SD = .63) who completed the EQ and the alcohol consumption questionnaire AIS-UJI. Results: Confi rmatory factor analysis indicated that an eight-factor model, grouped into two general factors of positive and negative expectancies, had acceptable fi t indices. Cronbach’s alphas ranged from .75 to .96. Finally, the structural equation model showed that positive expectancies were positively related to alcohol use, whereas negative expectancies were negatively related to drinking. Conclusions: Results showed that the Spanish version of the EQ for adolescents is a valid and reliable questionnaire to measure expectancies about alcohol effects.

Spanish adaptation of the Expectancy Questionnaire (EQ) about alcohol effects in adolescents

Resumen tomado de la publicación

Propiedades psicométricas del Inventario de Cociente Emocional EQ-i : YV en alumnos superdotados y talentosos

Resumen basado en el de la publicación

Brief Emotional Intelligence Inventory for Senior Citizens (EQ-i-M20)

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

Är Mjukvaru-EQ:s så bra som utvecklarna lovar? : En jämförelse av hårdvaru- och mjukvaru-EQ:s

I denna uppsats undersöks skillnaden mellan EQ:s som analog hårdvara och dess digitala motsvarigheter, dvs. emuleringar i pluginformat. I uppsatsen undersöks enheterna genom tekniska mätningar samt lyssningstest. I mätningarna gick det att se tydliga skillnader i övertonsdistortionen även om resterande parametrar var bra emulerade. I lyssningstesten uppfattade lyssningspanelen relativt stora skillnader mellan enheterna. Detta visar på att emuleringarna inte är så bra och exakta som utvecklarna påstår.

Markov blanket-based approach for learning multi-dimensional Bayesian network classifiers: An application to predict the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) from the 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39)

Multi-dimensional Bayesian network classifiers (MBCs) are probabilistic graphical models recently proposed to deal with multi-dimensional classification problems, where each instance in the data set has to be assigned to more than one class variable. In this paper, we propose a Markov blanket-based approach for learning MBCs from data. Basically, it consists of determining the Markov blanket around each class variable using the HITON algorithm, then specifying the directionality over the MBC subgraphs. Our approach is applied to the prediction problem of the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) from the 39-item Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) in order to estimate the health-related quality of life of Parkinson’s patients. Fivefold cross-validation experiments were carried out on randomly generated synthetic data sets, Yeast data set, as well as on a real-world Parkinson’s disease data set containing 488 patients. The experimental study, including comparison with additional Bayesian network-based approaches, back propagation for multi-label learning, multi-label k-nearest neighbor, multinomial logistic regression, ordinary least squares, and censored least absolute deviations, shows encouraging results in terms of predictive accuracy as well as the identification of dependence relationships among class and feature variables.

Predicting EQ-5D from the Parkinson's disease questionnaire PDQ-8 using multi-dimensional Bayesian network classifiers

The impact of the Parkinson's disease and its treatment on the patients' health-related quality of life can be estimated either by means of generic measures such as the european quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) or specific measures such as the 8-item Parkinson's disease questionnaire (PDQ-8). In clinical studies, PDQ-8 could be used in detriment of EQ-5D due to the lack of resources, time or clinical interest in generic measures. Nevertheless, PDQ-8 cannot be applied in cost-effectiveness analyses which require generic measures and quantitative utility scores, such as EQ-5D. To deal with this problem, a commonly used solution is the prediction of EQ-5D from PDQ-8. In this paper, we propose a new probabilistic method to predict EQ-5D from PDQ-8 using multi-dimensional Bayesian network classifiers. Our approach is evaluated using five-fold cross-validation experiments carried out on a Parkinson's data set containing 488 patients, and is compared with two additional Bayesian network-based approaches, two commonly used mapping methods namely, ordinary least squares and censored least absolute deviations, and a deterministic model. Experimental results are promising in terms of predictive performance as well as the identification of dependence relationships among EQ-5D and PDQ-8 items that the mapping approaches are unable to detect

Réponse aux nouveaux e?rits de messieurs des missions et?ranger?es contre les Je?uites. Par une lettre de Monseigneur A. Benavente, Ev?eq?ue d'Ascalon; par la conduite de ... C. Maignot, Ev?eq?ue de Canon ... et par les attestations des Chrestiens de Fo-tcheou.

Mode of access: Internet.

Caroli Ludovici Willdenow ... Florae berolinensis prodromus, secundum systema Linneanum ab illustr. viro ac eq. C. P. Thunbergio emendatum conscriptus.

Mode of access: Internet.

Caji Lucilii Suessani Auruncani, satyrographorum principis, eq. Romani (qui magnus avunculus Magno Pomopejo fuit) Satyrarum quae supersunt reliquiae.

Title-vignette, engraved.

Comparing the performance of the EQ-5D-3L and the EQ-5D-5L in young Portuguese adults

Background Some studies have reported a ceiling effect in EQ-5D-3L, especially in healthy and/or young individuals. Recently, two further levels have been included in its measurement model (EQ-5D-5L). The purposes of this study were (1) to assess the properties of the EQ-5D-5L in comparison with the standard EQ-5D-3L in a sample of young adults, (2) to foreground the importance of collecting qualitative data to confirm, validate or refine the EQ-5D questionnaire items and (3) to raise questions pertaining to the wording in these questionnaire items. Methods The data used came from a sample of respondents aged 30 or under (n = 624). They completed both versions of the EQ-5D, which were compared in terms of feasibility, level of inconsistency and ceiling effect. Agreement between the instruments was assessed using correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots. Known-groups validity of the EQ-5D-5L was also assessed using non-parametric tests. The discriminative properties were compared using receiver operating characteristic curves. Finally, four interviews were conducted for retrospective reports to elicit respondents’ understanding and perceptions of the format, instructions, items, and responses. Results Quantitative results show a ceiling effect reduction of 25.3 % and a high level agreement between both indices. Known-groups validity was confirmed for the EQ-5D-5L. Explorative interviews indicated ambiguity and low degree of certainty in regards to conceptualizing differences between levels moderate-slight across three dimensions. Conclusions The EQ-5D-5L performed better than the EQ-5D-3L. However, the explorative interviews demonstrated several limitations in the EQ-5D questionnaire wording and high context-dependent answers point to lack of illnesses’ experience amongst young adults.

Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life using the EQ-5D-3L in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The daily experience with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has significant adverse effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). HRQoL assessment is essential for measuring the impact of the disease on the patient and selecting individualized strategies. Generic measures for assessing HRQoL are very useful because, unlike specific measurement instruments, they allow for the comparison with other instruments. The EQ-5D-3L is a generic measure and it describes HRQoL in five dimensions; mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression, with three levels each. In Portugal, studies using the EQ-5D-3L as a generic measure to assess HRQoL in diabetic patients are scarce. Objective: To assess HRQoL in individuals with T2DM using the Portuguese version of the EQ-5D-3L. Methodology: An accidental sample of patients with T2DM (n=437) was selected at Family Health Units and healthcare centers in Coimbra, Portugal, between January 2013 and January 2014. The EQ-5D-3L was applied in interviews. The EQ-5D-3L score was calculated based on the answers to the five dimensions and the value system for the Portuguese population. Results: In this sample, 100% of the participants answered the EQ-5D-3L. The HRQoL score was 0.6772 in the EQ-5D-3L and 64.85 in the EQ-VAS. The most frequent answers to the five dimensions were no problems or some problems. The mean score of the EQ-5D-3L was significantly associated with age, male gender, high level of education, having an occupation, practicing physical activity, being single and having been diagnosed with T2DM for less time. The Cronbach alpha's value was 0.674, confirming an acceptable internal consistency. Conclusion: HRQoL levels in individuals with T2DM are lower than the national average and vary depending on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The EQ-5D-3L is a reliable instrument that can be used to assess the quality of life of diabetic patients and contribute to assess the patients' overall health status, adding data from the subjective dimension of self-care management.