In an attempt to reconcile differences between models and determine what causes model differences, the Institute of Medicine (58) and the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (59) have offered platforms for modelers to cooperate with each other and standardize selective model inputs such as costs and test characteristics of their models.
Numerical model inputs such as porosity, effective diffusion coefficient and the cementation factor applied in the Archie's law have been derived from the experimental data obtained prior to the porosity reduction experiments.
The equations pertaining to changes in parasite stages in the human host population describe change as a function of host age as well as time, since model inputs—such as exposure to mosquito biting vary over age.
Firstly, data specifically relating to patients in England was not available for some model inputs such as survival.
International organizations, such as the WHO and ILO, provide useful country-specific estimates for important model inputs such as life expectancy and labor force participation.
The sophistication of mathematical models of disease transmission has increased in the last decade [ 21, 22]; accordingly, the need for valid, precise and accurate model inputs, such as natural attack rate, is greater than ever.
The differences between models (or model inputs, such as costs) may very well reflect the fact that they were developed for different settings, for example, different countries or payer settings.
Aleatory and epistemic uncertainties preclude precise agreement between model calculations and observations and so, rather than locating minima in the deviation of the model prediction from the observation, we seek model inputs such that the deviation function takes a value below a chosen threshold.
The minimum porosity is a value that can be set in the model input, such that further precipitation would produce no further porosity reduction.
Parametrical uncertainties arise when complexities in the system are simplified to provide manageable model input, such as representing longitudinal lead exposure by cross-sectional measurements.
