| 1. |
- Chen, Gang, et al.
(author)
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Assessing the Health-Related Quality of Life of Australian Adolescents : An Empirical Comparison of the Child Health Utility 9D and EQ-5D-Y Instruments
- 2015
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In: Value in Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 1098-3015 .- 1524-4733. ; 18:4, s. 432-438
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: To examine the performance of two recently developed preference-based instruments-the Child Health Utility 9D (CHU9D) and the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire Youth version (EQ-5D-Y)-in assessing the health related quality of life (HRQOL) of Australian adolescents. Methods: An online survey including the CHU9D and the EQ-5D-Y, self-reported health status, and a series of sociodemographic questions was developed for administration to a community-based sample of adolescents (aged 11-17 years). Individual responses to both instruments were translated into utilities using scoring algorithms derived from the Australian adult general population. Results: A total of 2020 adolescents completed the online survey. The mean +/- SD utilities of the CHU9D and the EQ-5D-Y were very similar (0.82 +/- 0.13 and 0.83 +/- 0.19, respectively), and the intraclass correlation coefficient (0.80) suggested good levels of agreement. Both instruments were able to discriminate according to varying levels of self-reported health status (P < 0.001). Although exhibiting good levels of agreement overall, some wide divergences were apparent at an individual level. Conclusions: The study results are encouraging and illustrate the potential for both the CHU9D and the EQ-5D-Y to be more widely used for measuring and valuing the HRQOL of adolescent populations in Australia and internationally. Generating adolescent-specific scoring algorithms pertaining to each instrument and an empirical comparison of the resulting utilities is a natural next step. More evidence is required from the application of the CHU9D and the EQ-5D-Y in specific patient groups in adolescent health settings to inform the choice of instrument for measuring and valuing the HRQOL for the economic evaluation of adolescent health care treatments and services.
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| 2. |
- Craddock, Nick, et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide association study of CNVs in 16,000 cases of eight common diseases and 3,000 shared controls
- 2010
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 464:7289, s. 713-720
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Copy number variants (CNVs) account for a major proportion of human genetic polymorphism and have been predicted to have an important role in genetic susceptibility to common disease. To address this we undertook a large, direct genome-wide study of association between CNVs and eight common human diseases. Using a purpose-designed array we typed,19,000 individuals into distinct copy-number classes at 3,432 polymorphic CNVs, including an estimated similar to 50% of all common CNVs larger than 500 base pairs. We identified several biological artefacts that lead to false-positive associations, including systematic CNV differences between DNAs derived from blood and cell lines. Association testing and follow-up replication analyses confirmed three loci where CNVs were associated with disease-IRGM for Crohn's disease, HLA for Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, and TSPAN8 for type 2 diabetes-although in each case the locus had previously been identified in single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based studies, reflecting our observation that most common CNVs that are well-typed on our array are well tagged by SNPs and so have been indirectly explored through SNP studies. We conclude that common CNVs that can be typed on existing platforms are unlikely to contribute greatly to the genetic basis of common human diseases.
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| 3. |
- Flynn, Katherine M., et al.
(author)
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Ideal skills for European food scientists and technologists : Identifying the most desired knowledge, skills and competencies
- 2013
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In: Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies. - : Elsevier BV. - 1466-8564 .- 1878-5522. ; 18, s. 246-255
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Training food scientists and technologists (FSTs) to have appropriate skills begins with identification of those skills most desired by employers. Between March 2010 and August 2011, 16 workshops in 16 countries had 315 local FST employers contribute ideas of skills desired in their FSTs. Attendees provided as many skills as possible and these descriptive data were quantifed and then analysed with multiple contingency tables and chi squared testing. Of the 3348 skill ideas provided, the most desired skill overall was Communicating, which was identified 13% of the time. Separate analysis of the 792 food sector skills indicated Product Development, at 28%, as the most desired. Geographical region, employment area and FST level of responsibility all significantly influenced the top 3 choices of overall skills and of food sector skills, indicating that most desired skills in the food industry are not uniform. These results should contribute to the improvement of FST training and thus benefit the European food industry. Industrial relevance: The data presented here suggest that improvements in FST training, particularly the acquisition of 'soft skills', will improve Europe's food workforce as these are the skills employers most desire. These data further suggest that geographical region significantly influences those skills most desired by industrial employers. Differences in desired skills at different levels of FST responsibility further suggest that continual FST training i.e., continual professional development, will contribute to improved FST performance. Overall, this study presents data which can improve FST performance and thus contribute to increased innovation and competitiveness of the food and drink industry.
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| 4. |
- Flynn, Katherine M., et al.
(author)
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Profile of currently employed European food scientists and technologists : Education, experience and skills
- 2013
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In: International journal of food studies. - : ISEKI Food Association. - 2182-1054. ; 2:2, s. 137-149
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The food and drink (F & D) sector in Europe ranks low in innovation and the European F & D industry has been losing importance in the global market. The food professionals, i.e., food scientists and technologists (FSTs), may not be meeting the varied demands of the sector. Here, education, experience and skills of current FSTs were identified and compared geographic regions and employment areas. Between 2009 and 2012, 287 questionnaires representing over 4000 FSTs were collected from employers in 16 countries. Analyses showed that more than 80% of FSTs have a university degree; but only in Industry in the Central European region are most degrees in food science/technology. More than half of FSTs, and almost 60% in the South, have less than 10 years' experience. The most common FST job title is Quality Manager, but with several variations based on region and employment area. Among skills, the most common is Communicating; found in over 90% of FSTs in all regions and employment areas. Food Safety is the most common of the food sector-specific skills, present in more than 75% of FSTs, yet there are differences in food sector skills based on employment area. Overall, these data suggest similarities among currently employed food professionals throughout Europe; they are young and highly educated, but also differences, especially in their food sector-specific skills. An understanding of the current FST should contribute to the improvement of FST training and thus benefit the European food sector.
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| 5. |
- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(author)
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TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
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In: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
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| 6. |
- Mayor, Luis, et al.
(author)
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Skill development in food professionals : a European study
- 2015
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In: European Food Research and Technology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1438-2377 .- 1438-2385. ; 240:5, s. 871-884
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The food sector is the largest employer in the European Union, yet it ranks low in innovation and few educated young people pursue food careers. Updating both the skills and the image of food science and technology professionals (FSTs) first requires understanding the current situation. This work compares the view of currently employed FSTs (3,007) with that of food science and technology (FST) employers (602) regarding skills and when and where they should be developed. European FSTs responded to a web-based survey in 2011 and 2012, and FST employers responded to an e-mail-based survey and/or attended brainstorming workshops from 2009 to 2012. Soft skills, especially those related with communication, were the best evaluated by both groups, whereas technical non-food skills were in the lowest positions. FSTs were judged qualified by their employers in some food skills (food safety and quality, product development, production), while others (engineering maintenance, consumer and nutritional sciences, environmental issues) were more poorly evaluated. In general, FSTs believe themselves to be well qualified by higher education programs, and most of them do not continue training once they are working, with the notable exception of those that achieve positions of high responsibility. However, employers appeared to disagree, recommending that education and training in soft, food and technical skills continue throughout working life. Additionally, they recommended more frequent reinforcement of soft than of food or technical skills. A competitive food sector requires FSTs of the highest quality, and understanding the view of FSTs and their employees can contribute to improved training and thus benefit the European food sector.
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| 7. |
- Ratcliffe, Julie, et al.
(author)
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Nothing About Us Without Us? : A Comparison of Adolescent and Adult Health-State Values for the Child Health Utility-9D Using Profile Case Best-Worst Scaling
- 2016
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In: Health Economics. - : Wiley. - 1057-9230 .- 1099-1050. ; 25:4, s. 486-496
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The main objective of this study was to compare and contrast adolescent and adult values for the Child Health Utility-9D (CHU9D), a new generic preference-based measure of health-related quality of life designed for application in the economic evaluation of treatment and preventive programmes for children and adolescents. Previous studies have indicated that there may be systematic differences in adolescent and adult values for identical health states. An online survey including a series of best-worst scaling discrete choice experiment questions for health states defined by the CHU9D was administered to two general population samples comprising adults and adolescents, respectively. The results highlight potentially important age-related differences in the values attached to CHU9D dimensions. Adults, in general, placed less weight upon impairments in mental health (worried, sad, annoyed) and more weight upon moderate to severe levels of pain relative to adolescents. The source of values (adults or adolescents) has important implications for economic evaluation and may impact significantly upon healthcare policy.
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| 8. |
- Ratcliffe, Julie, et al.
(author)
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Valuing Child Health Utility 9D Health States with Young Adults : Insights from a Time Trade Off Study
- 2015
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In: Applied Health Economics and Health Policy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1175-5652 .- 1179-1896. ; 13:5, s. 485-492
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives In contrast to the proliferation of studies incorporating health state values from adults of all ages, relatively few studies have reported upon the application of the time trade off (TTO) approach to generate health state values from populations of younger adults. This study sought to employ a conventional TTO approach to obtain values for a selection of Child Health Utility 9D (CHU9D) health states from a sample of young adults aged 18-29 years and to compare with the values generated from application of the original UK adult standard gamble scoring algorithm and the Australian adolescent scoring algorithm. Methods A convenience sample of Flinders University undergraduate students aged 18-29 years were invited to participate in an interviewer administered conventional TTO task to value a series of five CHU9D health impairment states using the widely used variant developed by the York EQ-5D team. Results A total of 152 students within the target age range were approached to participate in the study of whom n = 38 consented to participate, giving an overall participation rate of 25 %. With the exception of one health state, the mean TTO values were consistently lower than those generated from application of the original scoring algorithm for the CHU9D elicited with adults of all ages. A significant proportion of participants (n = 17, 45 %) considered the most severe CHU9D (PITS) state to be worse than death. Conclusions This study adds to a growing body of evidence indicating that the values attached to identical health states are typically lower for younger people in comparison with adults of all ages and dependent upon the elicitation method utilised. The values obtained are applicable for re-scaling raw CHU9D health state values obtained from younger adolescent samples using profile case best-worst scaling.
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