First considerations on post processing kinematic GNSS data during a geophysical oceanographic cruise

<p class="Abstract">Differential GNSS positioning on vessels is of considerable interest in various fields of application as navigation aids, precision positioning for geophysical surveys or sampling purposes especially when high resolution bathymetric surveys are conducted. However ship positioning must be considered a kinematic survey with all the associated problems. The possibility of using high-precision differential GNSS receivers in navigation is of increasing interest, also due to the very recent availability of low-cost differential receivers that may soon replace classic navigation ones based on the less accurate point positioning technique. The availability of greater plano-altimetric accuracy, however, requires an increasingly better understanding of planimetric and altimetric reference systems. In particular, the results allow preliminary considerations on the congruence between terrestrial reference systems (which the GNSS survey can easily refer to) and marine reference systems (connected to National Tidegauge Network). In spite of the fluctuations due to the physiological continuous variation of the ship's attitude, GNSS plot faithfully followed the trend of the tidal variations and highlighted the shifts between GNSS plot and the tide gauges due to the different materialization of the relative reference systems.</p><p class="Abstract"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>

Affordability of Heathy, Equitable and More Sustainable Diets in Low-Income Households in Brisbane before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased food insecurity worldwide, yet there has been limited assessment of shifts in the cost and affordability of healthy, equitable and sustainable diets. This study explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and income supplements provided by the Australian government on diet cost and affordability for low-income households in an Australian urban area. The Healthy Diets ASAP method protocol was applied to assess the cost and cost differential of current and recommended diets before (in 2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (late 2020) for households with a minimum-wage and welfare-only disposable household income, by area of socioeconomic disadvantage, in Greater Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Data were collected between August and October, 2020, from 78 food outlets and compared with data collected in the same locations between May and October, 2019, in an earlier study. The price of most healthy food groups increased significantly during the pandemic—with the exception of vegetables and legumes, which decreased. Conversely, the price of discretionary foods and drinks did not increase during the pandemic. The cost of the current and recommended diets significantly increased throughout this period, but the latter continued to be less expensive than the former. Due to income supplements provided between May and September 2020, the affordability of the recommended diet improved greatly, by 27% and 42%, for households with minimum-wage and welfare-only disposable household income, respectively. This improvement in the affordability of the recommended diet highlights the need to permanently increase welfare support for low-income families to ensure food security.

Estimation of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Hospitalization Costs From a Large Electronic Administrative Discharge Database, March 2020–July 2021

Background Information on the costs of inpatient care for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is very limited. This study estimates the per-patient cost of inpatient care for adult COVID-19 patients seen at &gt;800 US hospitals. Methods Patients aged ≥18 years with ≥1 hospitalization during March 2020–July 2021 with a COVID-19 diagnosis code in a large electronic administrative discharge database were included. We used validated costs when reported; otherwise, costs were calculated using charges multiplied by cost-to-charge ratios. We estimated costs of inpatient care per patient overall and by severity indicator, age, sex, underlying medical conditions, and acute complications of COVID-19 using a generalized linear model with log link function and gamma distribution. Results The overall cost among 654673 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was $16.2 billion. Estimated per-patient hospitalization cost was $24 826. Among surviving patients, estimated per-patient cost was $13 090 without intensive care unit (ICU) admission or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), $21 222 with ICU admission alone, and $59 742 with IMV. Estimated per-patient cost among patients who died was $27 017. Adjusted cost differential was higher among patients with certain underlying conditions (eg, chronic kidney disease [$12 391], liver disease [$8878], cerebrovascular disease [$7267], and obesity [$5933]) and acute complications (eg, acute respiratory distress syndrome [$43 912], pneumothorax [$25 240], and intracranial hemorrhage [$22 280]). Conclusions The cost of inpatient care for COVID-19 patients was substantial through the first 17 months of the pandemic. These estimates can be used to inform policy makers and planners and cost-effectiveness analysis of public health interventions to alleviate the burden of COVID-19.

Economic burden of central nervous system metastases in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive breast cancer

Aim: Compare healthcare resource utilization and costs among patients with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer (MBC) with and without central nervous system (CNS) metastases. Methods: Retrospective matched cohort study using IQVIA's PharMetrics® Plus claims database. Results: Patients with CNS metastases (n = 753) experienced more outpatient, emergency room and inpatient visits versus controls (n = 753; all p < 0.05). In the post-index year, median total all-cause healthcare costs were significantly higher among patients with CNS metastases versus controls ($112,402 vs $50,835; p < 0.0001); outpatient costs primarily drove the cost differential. Conclusion: More effective therapies are needed that improve clinical outcomes and reduce economic burden associated with CNS metastases in patients with HER2+ MBC.

Site of service trend and chemotherapy costs of commercial insured patients in 2020 compared to 2014.

e18858 Background: Over the past decade, chemotherapy site of service has shifted from the physician’s office setting to the hospital outpatient setting. This trend has led to a concern that cancer care costs increase when patients are administered chemotherapy in the hospital outpatient setting (H) compared to a physician’s outpatient office setting (O). In 2014, we published data on the impact of site of service and chemotherapy costs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the site of service trend and cost differential in a Commercial Insured (CI) population over time. Methods: We examined (CI) claims paid for chemotherapy by a large national payor from February 2019 through January 2020 for breast, colon, and lung cancer (BCL) patients. We then compared these changes to our July 2013 through June 2014 chemotherapy paid claims for BCL patients. Results: From February 2019 through January 2020, paid chemotherapy claims for approximately 23,000 unique patients with BCL had an increase of 23% from 2014. For all patients receiving chemotherapy with BCL, 56% received chemotherapy in the H setting and 44% received chemotherapy in the O setting. This was a significant shift from 2014 where 24% received chemotherapy in H and 76% in O settings. In 2020, the chemotherapy allowable reimbursement share was 67% for H and 33% in the O, a change from 2014 where the chemotherapy allowable reimbursement share was 34% in H and 66% in O. The overall cost per patient increased 57% from 2014 to 2020. When examining costs per patient by site of service, there was a statistically significant increase in H costs from $35,460 to $45,273 (p < 0.0001) per patient and a statistically significant increase in O costs from $21,577 to $28,270 (p < 0.0001) per patient treated in 2014 compared to 2020. Conclusions: In this study, the majority of BCL patients received chemotherapy in the H; this trend has led to substantially higher costs of care for patients treated with chemotherapy in the H compared to the O. Future studies are needed to determine the impact of clinical characteristics, genetic factors and treatment choice on these differences.

Growth indices, haematological parameters, carcass attributes and economics of production of rabbits fed graded levels of kolanut testa

The cost of feed is the main cause of high cost of production of rabbits. Kolanut testa, a protective covering of the kolanut seed (Cola nitida) is readily available as by-product in areas where kolanut is produced. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the growth performance, carcass attributes, haematological parameters and economics of production of rabbits fed diets with varying inclusions levels of kolanut testa (KOT) as replacement for maize. Thirty mixed breed rabbits of mixed sexes were used for this experiment. The rabbits were randomly allotted into 5 treatment groups. Five experimental diets were formulated such that KOT replaced maize at 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40%. Records of feed intake and weight gain were properly taken and blood samples were collected and analysed for their haematological parameters at the end of the experiment. Cost analysis using dedicated formulae was done to determine economics of production. The experiment lasted for eight weeks. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance. No significant (P>0.05) difference was recorded in all the parameters measured to determine growth performance. The same applies to parameters measured for carcass attributes except for weight of limbs. Significant (P<0.05) difference was however recorded among mean values of PCV (28.67-36.33%), 6 3 3 3RBC (3.14-4.12x10/mm), WBC (3.10-5.87x10/mm) and Mon (1.40-1.67%) of the experimental animals. Cost of feed decreased with increase in KOT inclusion (N139.8N112.54). Cost of feed (N/kg) weight gain (N1023.61-N583.04); cost of weight gain (N573.22-N483.92); and total cost (N2143.61-N1523.92) all followed similar pattern. Cost differential (205.93–440.04) and relative cost benefit (20.11–43.04%) increased with increase in the level of replacement of KOT. Conclusively, growth performance was not negatively affected and total weight gain was numerically highest at 40% (916.67g) with no deleterious effect on the health of the rabbits. Also, the highest relative cost benefit was recorded at 40% (28.54%). These prove that KOT is a viable substitute for maize in rabbit diet and it is more economical at 40% replacement level.

Do Food Quality Schemes and Net Price Premiums Go Together?

This article addresses the issue of the profitability of Food Quality Scheme (FQS) products as compared to reference products, which are defined as analogous products without quality label. We approach this question by taking into account the level of the value chain (upstream, processing, and downstream), the sector (vegetal, animal, seafood) and the type of FQS (PGI, PDO, Organic). We collected original data for several products produced in selected European countries, as well as in Thailand and Vietnam. Comparisons depending on value chain level, sector and FQS are possible by using two comparable indicators: price premium and net price premium (including cost differential). The following principal conclusions were reached: 1) Price is higher for FQS products than for the reference products, regardless of the production level, the type of FQS or the sector; 2) Price premiums generated by FQS do not differ along the value chain, nor between sectors (vegetal, animal or seafood/fish); 3) Price premium for organic products is significantly higher than for PGI products, and this conclusion holds at upstream and processing levels, taking into account the costs directly related to production; 4) All organic products and almost all PDO and PGI products analysed benefit from a positive quality rent; 5) At upstream level and processing level, the relative weight of intermediate consumption in the cost structure is lower for organic products than for reference products.

Low-Cost Differential Pressure Spirometry for Emergency Ventilator Tidal Volume Sensing

COVID-19 has become a significant burden on the healthcare systems in the United States and around the world, with many patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) to survive. Close monitoring of patients is critical, with total volume per breath (tidal volume) being one of the most important data points. However, ventilators are complex and expensive devices, typically in the range of tens of thousands of US dollars, and are challenging to manufacture, typically requiring months. Solutions which could augment the ventilator supply rapidly and at low cost in the United States and elsewhere would be valuable. In this paper, we present a standalone tidal volume measurement system consisting of a D-Lite spirometer, pressure sensor, microcontroller, and tubing with a cost of parts less than $50 USD. We also provide a model to predict the error in tidal volume measurements based on the pressure sensor used and the flow during ventilation. We validate this system and show that the tidal volume accuracy for flows above 10L/min was within 10%. We envision this system being used to increase the ventilator supply in resource-constrained settings.