My group beats your group : evaluating non-income inequalities

This paper proposes a new methodology, the Domination Index, to evaluate non-income inequalities between social groups such as inequalities of educational attainment, occupational status, health or subjective well-being. The Domination Index does not require specic cardinalisation assumptions, but only uses the ordinal structure of these non-income variables. We approach from an axiomatic perspective and show that a set of desirable properties for a group inequality measure when the variable of interest is ordinal, characterizes the Domination Index up to a positive scalar transformation. Moreover we make use of the Domination Index to explore the relation between inequality and segregation and show how these two concepts are related theoretically

Choosing on Influence

Financial support by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through Grant ECO2008-04756 (Grupo Consolidado-C), FEDER and also the Scottish Institute of Research in Economics (SIRE) is acknowledged.Interaction, the act of mutual influence, is an essential part of daily life and economic decisions. This paper presents an individual decision procedure for interacting individuals. According to our model, individuals seek influence from each other for those issues that they cannot solve on their own. Following a choice-theoretic approach, we provide simple properties that aid to detect interacting individuals. Revealed preference analysis not only grants underlying preferences but also the influence acquired.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Evaluating ordinal inequalities between groups

Financial support by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through grant ECO2008-04756 and FEDER (Grupo Consolidado-C) is gratefully acknowledged.We explore the inequality measurement of a discrete ordinal variable between social groups. We provide an axiomatic characterization for the Net Difference Index (Lieberson: Sociol. Methodol. 7 , 276–291 1976), that makes use of rank-domination to evaluate the discrepancy between the distributions of two social groups over ordered categories. Adapting well-known principles of cardinal inequality measurement to the between-group ordinal inequality setting, we show that the Net Difference Index mimics the Gini Index in terms of its relationship to the Lorenz curve, in our setting.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Analytical Methods for Determining Connectivity Leakage in Collaboration With Meissner Filtration Products

The scope of our project involved choosing existing testing procedures and determining a viable sample size to determine an accurate leakage rate of single-use system connections (SUS). Another goal was to assess the effects of gamma irradiation on the material integrity of the hose barb to tubing connections. Our key customer requirements included: being able to determine an overall leakage rate and making a repeatable testing process. The importance of these requirements was determined through our house of quality and Pugh charts. To achieve the requirements, we tested the leakage in low-pressure and high-pressure scenarios with a large enough sample size to meet the requirements of the central limit theorem (n=30), in order to get an accurate estimate. For a repeatable testing process, there was nothing to be changed with the hydrostatic burst test since it already included calibrated machinery and a strict SOP the operator must follow. On the flip side, Meissner’s SOP for the low-pressure gas test was vague and unclear on instructions to “manipulate” the testing sample. We decided to define “manipulation” of the sample to strictly apply the 90-degree bend, 90-degree twist, pulling in a straight line, and holding the middle and end of the tube (opposite sides of the connection). Additionally, we implemented the alternation between operators to minimize or eliminate operator bias. For specifications we looked into decreasing the observation time for testing for the low-pressure gas test. The modifications were finalized to delegating at least 2 personnel to operate the testing which reduces testing time, and the SOP was modified to shorten the waiting time from 2 minutes down to 1.5 minutes. The result of our project was an improved SOP that made testing quicker and less susceptible to operator bias. Our testing performed with the modified SOP showed that there was no significant sign of operator bias. The data we gathered provided us with leakage rates for several hose barb connection configurations that we then compared to understand whether gamma-irradiation affects leakage. Our data indicates that gamma-irradiation negatively impacts the hose barb connection’s performance in terms of leakage and maximum allowable pressure

A behavioral model of adaptation

Financial support by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (ECO2014-56154-P), Balliol College and Royal Economic Society is gratefully acknowledged.Adaptation refers to the process of changing behavior in response to a variation in the environment. We propose a model of an adaptive individual that contemplates two forces: on the one hand the individual benefits from adopting the ideal response to the new environment, but on the other hand, behavioral change is costly. We lay down the axiomatic foundations of the model. We then study two applications. The first studies a situation where ideal behavior depends on the response of another adaptive individual. The second analyzes the case where the ideal response is influenced by the strategic interaction in a cheap talk-like game.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Influences of side wall angle on heat transfer of power-law fluids in trapezoidal enclosures

In recent years, there is an important increase in technological applications of non-Newtonian fluids (NNF). NNFs are preferred over Newtonian fluids (NF) because of their superior hydrodynamic and thermal properties. NNFs are particularly used as damping fluid in shock absorbers, raw material for making of armors in defense industry and insulator in thermal systems. The use of NNF has become widespread in thermal systems in order to prevent over-heating problem which affects the efficiency. This study presents a numerical analysis for the natural convection in a two dimensional trapezoidal (isosceles trapezoid) enclosure filled with power-law NNF. The effects of various parameters are investigated on heat transfer on the bottom wall by developing a two dimensional model of such a cell. The bottom edge of the trapezoidal enclosure is considered as hot, top edge as cold while the side walls are considered as adiabatic. The considered parameters are power-law index (n) and Rayleigh number (Ra) and also the trapezoid side wall angle altering in the range of 0≤≤20. The power-law index has been varied in the range of 0.6≤≤1.8 and Rayleigh number in the range of 103≤≤105 while Prandtl number has been kept constant as 1000. The results reveal that the mean Nusselt number (̅̅̅̅ ) on bottom wall of trapezoid increases by increasing trapezoid angle and decreasing power-law index. According to evidences of the study, it may be suggested that the use of power-law NNFs may contribute to increase efficiency by averting the over-heating problems in trapezoidal thermal systems which are regarded as a significant application field in green and renewable energy systems.papers presented to the 12th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Costa de Sol, Spain on 11-13 July 2016

Cognitive Evaluation of Bupropion Sustained Release in Heavy Tobacco Smokers Using Event-Related Potentials

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of bupropion sustained release (SR) on cognitive function, evaluated by event-related potentials (ERPs), in heavy tobacco smokers

Impact of Promising Biomarkers on Severity and Outcome of Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Background: Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is a common clinical condition. Its severity ranges from asymptomatic radiological findings to fatal obstructive shock. The potential circulating biomarkers have been studied to predict APE outcomes. This study aimed to explore their predictive power on prognosis in APE.Material and Method: It was a prospective observational study between March 2008 and April 2010. All consecutive patients diagnosed with APE were categorized as massive/high-risk, submassive/moderate-risk, and non-massive/low-risk. Cardiac troponin T (cTnT), myoglobin, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), and D-dimer levels were measured.Results: Of these patients, 14 (29.8%), 16 (34.0%), and 17 (36.2%) patients were categorized as low-risk, moderate-risk, and high risk-patients, respectively. There was no significant difference between the patient groups categorized based on the risk stratification in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics. The cTnT, myoglobin, HFABP, and D-dimer levels have also not differed significantly between the groups. There was a significant difference between the groups in respect of NT-proBNP and GDF-15 levels (p=0.009 and p=0.037, respectively). Nine (19.1%) patients had died by the 3rd-month follow-up. Adverse events were seen in 26 (55.3%) patients. GDF-15 had the highest area under the curve (AUC) value for predicting any adverse event (cut-off value=9.3 ng/ mL, AUC=0.796, CI (confidence interval) 95%: 0.653-0.899). NT-ProBNP was determined as the best predictor for mortality (cut-off value=229.2 pg/mL, AUC=0.889, CI 95%: 0.756-0.964).Conclusion: Higher levels of NT-proBNP and GDF-15 were found to be associated with more severe APE, worse outcomes, and mortality

Can circulating oxidative stress-related biomarkers be used as an early prognostic marker for COVID-19?

Arka Plan Oksidatif stres birçok hastalığın patogenezinde önemli bir rol oynar. Bu çalışma, yeni COVİD-19 hastalarında nükleer faktör kappa B (NF-kappa B) ile oksidatif stres arasındaki ilişkiyi ve hastalığın ciddiyetini araştırmayı ve NF-kappa B, okside LDL (oxLDL) düzeylerini karşılaştırmayı amaçladı. ) ve COVİD-19 hastalarında hastalığın şiddet parametrelerinin bir göstergesi olan oksijen satürasyonuna sahip lektin benzeri oksitlenmiş LDL reseptörü-1 (LOX-1). Yöntemler Bu prospektif çalışmada 100 COVİD-19 hastası ve 100 sağlıklı denek seçildi. SonuçlarLOX-1, NF-kappa B ve oxLDL'nin COVID-19 hastalarında sağlıklı bireylere göre daha yüksek olduğu belirlendi (hepsi için p < 0,001). Korelasyon analizi sonuçlarına göre oksijen saturasyonu ile LOX-1, NF-kappa B ve oxLDL parametreleri arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olmadığı tespit edildi. COVİD-19 hastalarında oxLDL ile LOX-1 ve NF-kappa B arasında anlamlı ilişki vardı. En yüksek ayırt etme gücüne sahip ROC analizi sonuçları, COVİD-19'u gösteren oxLDL (AUC: 0,955, CI: 0,904-1,000; duyarlılık: %77 ve özgüllük: %100, kesim için: 127,944 ng/l) olmuştur. Sonuç Oksidatif stres, COVID-19'da önemli bir rol oynar. NF-kappa B, oxLDL ve LOX-1, COVID-19'da iyi belirteçleri temsil ediyor gibi görünüyor. Çalışmamız ayrıca oxLDL'nin COVID-19 hastalarını sağlıklı deneklerden ayırmada en yüksek güce sahip olduğunu gösterdi.Background Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of many diseases. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) and oxidative stress and the severity of the disease in new COVID-19 patients, and, to compare the levels of NF-kappa B, oxidized LDL (oxLDL), and lectin-like oxidized-LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1) with oxygen saturation, which is an indicator of the severity parameters of the disease in COVID-19 patients. MethodsIn this prospective study, 100 COVID-19 patients and 100 healthy subjects were selected. ResultsLOX-1, NF-kappa B, and oxLDL were found to be higher in COVID-19 patients compared to the healthy subjects (p < 0.001 for all). According to the results of correlation analysis, it was found that there was no significant relationship between oxygen saturation and LOX-1, NF-kappa B and oxLDL parameters. There was significant relationship between oxLDL with LOX-1 and NF-kappa B in patients with COVID-19 disease. ROC analysis results of the highest discrimination power were oxLDL (AUC: 0.955, CI: 0.904-1.000; sensitivity: 77%, and specificity: 100%, for cutoff: 127.944 ng/l) indicating COVID-19. ConclusionOxidative stress plays an essential role in COVID-19. NF-kappa B, oxLDL, and LOX-1 seem to represent good markers in COVID-19. Our study also showed that oxLDL has the highest power in distinguishing patients with COVID-19 from the healthy subjects