An Experimental Study of Decisions in Dynamic Optimization Problems.

In this paper we use an experimental approach to study the decisions of human subjects who are given cash incentives to solve a particular representative agent dynamic model widely studied in macroeconomics. In a representative agent dynamic model, an economy is modelled as a single decision maker, who maximizes the discounted utility of consumption over the appropriate time horizon. The assupmtion of a single decision maker in the economy removes complications resulting from the existence of multiple agents, such as inefficiencies resulting from strategic behavior or externalities, and technical difficulties arising from the aggregation of preferences.OPTIMIZATION ; DECISION MAKING ; MACROECONOMICS

A comparison of Pentecostals in Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur: Culture and Belief

Using empirical and quantitative methods Pentecostal ministers are compared in the three locations of Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. After providing an account of the historical backgrounds of Pentecostal churches in these locations, similarities and differences in the samples may be attributed to environmental or cultural effects. The paper concludes that there is evidence that cultural differences affect the views of respondents in a variety of measurable ways including in their opinion of ecumenical cooperation and in their attitudes to the poor or disadvantaged

Generalized nonreciprocity in an optomechanical circuit via synthetic magnetism and reservoir engineering

Synthetic magnetism has been used to control charge neutral excitations for applications ranging from classical beam steering to quantum simulation. In optomechanics, radiation-pressure-induced parametric coupling between optical (photon) and mechanical (phonon) excitations may be used to break time-reversal symmetry, providing the prerequisite for synthetic magnetism. Here we design and fabricate a silicon optomechanical circuit with both optical and mechanical connectivity between two optomechanical cavities. Driving the two cavities with phase-correlated laser light results in a synthetic magnetic flux, which in combination with dissipative coupling to the mechanical bath, leads to nonreciprocal transport of photons with 35dB of isolation. Additionally, optical pumping with blue-detuned light manifests as a particle non-conserving interaction between photons and phonons, resulting in directional optical amplification of 12dB in the isolator through direction. These results indicate the feasibility of utilizing optomechanical circuits to create a more general class of nonreciprocal optical devices, and further, to enable novel topological phases for both light and sound on a microchip.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, 4 appendice

Risk‐Treatment Paradox in the Selection of Transradial Access for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background: Access site complications contribute to morbidity and mortality during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Transradial arterial access significantly lowers the risk of access site complications compared to transfemoral arteriotomy. We sought to develop a prediction model for access site complications in patients undergoing PCI with femoral arteriotomy, and assess whether transradial access was selectively used in patients at high risk for complications. Methods and Results: We analyzed 17 509 patients who underwent PCI without circulatory support from 2008 to 2011 at 5 institutions. Transradial arterial access was used in 17.8% of patients. In those who underwent transfemoral access, 177 (1.2%) patients had access site complications. Using preprocedural clinical and demographic data, a prediction model for femoral arteriotomy complications was generated. The variables retained in the model included: elevated age (P<0.001), female gender (P<0.001), elevated troponin (P<0.001), decreased renal function or dialysis (P=0.002), emergent PCI (P=0.01), prior PCI (P=0.005), diabetes (P=0.008), and peripheral artery disease (P=0.003). The model showed moderate discrimination (optimism‐adjusted c‐statistic=0.72) and was internally validated via bootstrap resampling. Patients with higher predicted risk of complications via transfemoral access were less likely to receive transradial access (P<0.001). Similar results were seen in patients presenting with and without ST‐segment myocardial infarction and when adjusting for individual physician operator. Conclusions: We generated and validated a model for transfemoral access site complications during PCI. Paradoxically, patients most likely to develop access site complications from transfemoral access, and therefore benefit from transradial access, were the least likely to receive transradial access

Patient access to complex chronic disease records on the internet

Background: Access to medical records on the Internet has been reported to be acceptable and popular with patients, although most published evaluations have been of primary care or office-based practice. We tested the feasibility and acceptability of making unscreened results and data from a complex chronic disease pathway (renal medicine) available to patients over the Internet in a project involving more than half of renal units in the UK. Methods: Content and presentation of the Renal PatientView (RPV) system was developed with patient groups. It was designed to receive information from multiple local information systems and to require minimal extra work in units. After piloting in 4 centres in 2005 it was made available more widely. Opinions were sought from both patients who enrolled and from those who did not in a paper survey, and from staff in an electronic survey. Anonymous data on enrolments and usage were extracted from the webserver. Results: By mid 2011 over 17,000 patients from 47 of the 75 renal units in the UK had registered. Users had a wide age range (&#60;10 to &#62;90 yrs) but were younger and had more years of education than non-users. They were enthusiastic about the concept, found it easy to use, and 80% felt it gave them a better understanding of their disease. The most common reason for not enrolling was being unaware of the system. A minority of patients had security concerns, and these were reduced after enrolling. Staff responses were also strongly positive. They reported that it aided patient concordance and disease management, and increased the quality of consultations with a neutral effect on consultation length. Neither patient nor staff responses suggested that RPV led to an overall increase in patient anxiety or to an increased burden on renal units beyond the time required to enrol each patient. Conclusions: Patient Internet access to secondary care records concerning a complex chronic disease is feasible and popular, providing an increased sense of empowerment and understanding, with no serious identified negative consequences. Security concerns were present but rarely prevented participation. These are powerful reasons to make this type of access more widely available

The Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey II: The Discovery and Timing of Ten Pulsars

We present timing solutions for ten pulsars discovered in 350 MHz searches with the Green Bank Telescope. Nine of these were discovered in the Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap survey and one was discovered by students in the Pulsar Search Collaboratory program in analysis of drift-scan data. Following discovery and confirmation with the Green Bank Telescope, timing has yielded phase-connected solutions with high precision measurements of rotational and astrometric parameters. Eight of the pulsars are slow and isolated, including PSR J0930$-$2301, a pulsar with nulling fraction lower limit of $\sim$30\% and nulling timescale of seconds to minutes. This pulsar also shows evidence of mode changing. The remaining two pulsars have undergone recycling, accreting material from binary companions, resulting in higher spin frequencies. PSR J0557$-$2948 is an isolated, 44 \rm{ms} pulsar that has been partially recycled and is likely a former member of a binary system which was disrupted by a second supernova. The paucity of such so-called `disrupted binary pulsars' (DRPs) compared to double neutron star (DNS) binaries can be used to test current evolutionary scenarios, especially the kicks imparted on the neutron stars in the second supernova. There is some evidence that DRPs have larger space velocities, which could explain their small numbers. PSR J1806+2819 is a 15 \rm{ms} pulsar in a 44 day orbit with a low mass white dwarf companion. We did not detect the companion in archival optical data, indicating that it must be older than 1200 Myr.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

A Phase I, First-in-Human Study of GSK2849330, an Anti-HER3 Monoclonal Antibody, in HER3-Expressing Solid Tumors

Background GSK2849330, an anti-HER3 monoclonal antibody that blocks HER3/Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) signaling in cancer cells, is engineered for enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity. This phase I, first-in-human, open-label study assessed the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics, and preliminary activity of GSK2849330 in patients with HER3-expressing advanced solid tumors. Patients and Methods Patients with various tumor types were prospectively selected for HER3 expression by immunohistochemistry; a subset was also screened for NRG1 mRNA expression. In the dose-escalation phase, patients received GSK2849330 1.4-30 mg/kg every 2 weeks, or 3 mg/kg or 30 mg/kg weekly, intravenously (IV). In the dose-expansion phase, patients received 30 mg/kg GSK2849330 IV weekly. Results Twenty-nine patients with HER3-expressing cancers, of whom two expressed NRG1, received GSK2849330 (dose escalation: n = 18, dose expansion: n = 11). GSK2849330 was well tolerated. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed. The highest dose, of 30 mg/kg weekly, expected to provide full target engagement, was selected for dose expansion. Treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) were mostly grade 1 or 2. The most common AEs were diarrhea (66%), fatigue (62%), and decreased appetite (31%). Dose-proportional plasma exposures were achieved, with evidence of HER3 inhibition in paired tissue biopsies. Of 29 patients, only 1 confirmed partial response, lasting 19 months, was noted in a patient with CD74-NRG1-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Conclusion GSK2849330 demonstrated a favorable safety profile, dose-proportional PK, and evidence of target engagement, but limited antitumor activity in HER3-expressing cancers. The exceptional response seen in a patient with CD74-NRG1-rearranged NSCLC suggests further exploration in NRG1-fusion-positive cancers. Implications for Practice This first-in-human study confirms that GSK2849330 is well tolerated. Importantly, across a variety of HER3-expressing advanced tumors, prospective selection by HER3/NRG1 expression alone was insufficient to identify patients who could benefit from treatment with this antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity- and complement-dependent cytotoxicity-enhanced anti-HER3 antibody. The only confirmed durable response achieved was in a patient with CD74-NRG1-rearranged lung cancer. This highlights the potential utility of screening for NRG1 fusions prospectively across tumor types to enrich potential responders to anti-HER3 agents in ongoing trials

Improved nitrogen treatment by constructed wetlands receiving partially nitrified liquid swine manure,

Abstract Denitrification is more desirable than ammonia volatilization for nitrogen removal from constructed wetlands treating animal manure but is limited by the availability of nitrate/nitrite. The research objective was to determine if partial nitrification of swine wastewater prior to wetland application affects the nitrogen removal and ammonia volatilization from constructed wetlands. From September 2000 through November 2001, partially nitrified and unaltered swine wastewater from an anaerobic waste lagoon were applied to two parallel sets of constructed wetlands (3.6 )/67 m) in North Carolina, USA. Constructed wetlands were more efficient at removing total nitrogen from partially nitrified (64 and 78%) than from unaltered wastewater (32 and 68%). Both wetlands were effective in removing nitrate/nitrite from partially nitrified wastewater. However, the Schoenoplectus -dominated wetland was more effective than the Typha-Echinochloa dominated wetland in removing total (85 vs. 61%) and ammoniacal nitrogen (91 vs. 52%) from both types of wastewater. Only one of eight tests showed significant evidence of ammonia volatilization (2.1 mg nitrogen m (2 h (1 ) when the wastewater was partially nitrified. A correlation (r 2 0/33%) between ammonia-nitrogen volatilization and ammoniacal nitrogen concentration suggested that partial nitrification reduced ammonia volatilization because it lowered ammoniacal nitrogen of the wastewater.

Concert recording 2018-02-20a

[Track 1]. Fünf Orchesterlieder nach Ansichtenkartentexten von Peter Altenberg, op. 4. I. Seele, wie bist du schöner... [Track 2]. II. Sahst du nach dem Gewitterregen [Track 3]. III. Über die Grenzen des All [Track 4]. IV. Nichts ist gekommen [Track 5]. V. Hier ist Friede / Alban Berg -- [Track 6]. Flowers of heaven. Three songs on Korean poetry for soprano and cello. I. The home village [Track 7]. II. Wildflowers of the mountain [Track 8]. III. Return to heaven / Robert Mueller -- [Track 9]. Buru for voice and chamber ensemble / Suhki Kang -- [Track 10]. Little sketches for soprano and flute / Ivan Elezovic -- [Track 11]. Labyrinth of love for soprano and small chamber ensemble. II. Eros (Sappho fragment 47) [Track 12]. VI. Liz\u27s lament [Track 13]. VIII. Short talk on the sensation of aeroplane takeoff / Michael Daugherty