1,901 research outputs found
Sectoral shocks and metropolitan employment growth
Horvath and Verbrugge (1996) argue that when investigating the sources of aggregate fluctuations, it is important to use the highest frequency data available. Using monthly data for the U.S. economy they show that industry-specific shocks are more important in explaining fluctuations in industrial production than are common aggregate shocks. With the exception of Coulson (1999) studies that examine the issue at the subnational level have used low frequency, spatially aggregated data. The authors examine the relative importance of national disturbances versus local industry shocks for employment fluctuations using monthly data on five metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Input-output tables are used to quantify the strength of interindustry linkages, which are then used to help identify a structural VAR model for each MSA. Within-MSA industry shocks are found to explain considerably more of the forecast-error variance in industry employment growth (87-94 percent) than do common national shocks to productivity and monetary policy, and the manufacturing, services, and government sectors make the largest individual contributions to local employment variance. The authors also find that the measured importance of national shocks for employment fluctuations increases as the level of spatial aggregation increases.Employment (Economic theory)
Friction and leakage characteristics of confined, reduced-scale inflatable structures
This work is focused on the evaluation of the performance of a small-scale inflatable, or plug, placed in a confined space provided by a circular rigid pipe as a way to contain the propagation of floods. The rigid pipe is a simplified and scaled approximation of an actual tunnel section. The evaluations were conducted using an inflatable plug made of a single layer of coated Vectran® fabric. Friction coefficients of the system were calculated for three different materials lining the pipe so a comparison could be made. These friction coefficients were also compared to laboratory friction machine testing of the same lining materials. This comparison showed that the friction coefficients of the pipe-plug system were lower than the laboratory friction machine tests. Rates of water leakage around the plug were also studied. The leakage rates were recorded for several different plug pressures while varying the tunnel pressure accordingly. It was observed that as pressure differential decreased between the plug and pipe, the leakage rate increased. Results showed also that the plug was able to withstand a pressure differential with manageable water leakage rates
Final survival analysis of topotecan and paclitaxel for first-line treatment of advanced cervical cancer: An NRG oncology randomized study
CĂ ncer de coll uterĂ; PlatĂ; TopotecanCáncer de cuello uterino; Platino; TopotecanCervical cancer; Platinum; TopotecanObjective
To determine whether a non‑platinum chemotherapy doublet improves overall survival (OS) among patients with recurrent/metastatic cervical carcinoma.
Methods
Gynecologic Oncology Group protocol 240 is a phase 3, randomized, open-label, clinical trial that studied the efficacy of paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 plus topotecan 0.75 mg/m2 days 1–3 (n = 223) vs cisplatin 50 mg/m2 plus paclitaxel 135 or 175 mg/m2 (n = 229), in 452 patients with recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer. Each chemotherapy doublet was also studied with and without bevacizumab (15 mg/kg). Cycles were repeated every 21 days until progression, unacceptable toxicity, or complete response. The primary endpoints were OS and the frequency and severity of adverse effects. We report the final analysis of OS.
Results
At the protocol-specified final analysis, median OS was 16.3 (cisplatin-paclitaxel backbone) and 13.8 months (topotecan-paclitaxel backbone) (HR 1.12; 95% CI, 0.91–1.38; p = 0.28). Median OS for cisplatin-paclitaxel and topotecan-paclitaxel was 15 vs 12 months, respectively (HR 1.10; 95% CI,0.82–1.48; p = 0.52), and for cisplatin-paclitaxel-bevacizumab and topotecan-paclitaxel-bevacizumab was 17.5 vs 16.2 months, respectively (HR 1.16; 95% CI, 0.86–1.56; p = 0.34). Among the 75% of patients in the study population previously exposed to platinum, median OS was 14.6 (cisplatin-paclitaxel backbone) vs 12.9 months (topotecan-paclitaxel backbone), respectively (HR 1.09; 95% CI, 0.86–1.38;p = 0.48). Post-progression survival was 7.9 (cisplatin-paclitaxel backbone) vs 8.1 months (topotecan-paclitaxel backbone) (HR 0.95; 95% CI, 0.75–1.19). Grade 4 hematologic toxicity was similar between chemotherapy backbones.
Conclusions
Topotecan plus paclitaxel does not confer a survival benefit to women with recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer, even among platinum-exposed patients. Topotecan-paclitaxel should not be routinely recommended in this population.This study was supported by the following National Cancer Institute and Genentech grants: NRG Oncology (1U10CA180822), NRG Operations (U10CA180868) and NCORP grant UG1CA189867
Systematic review of context-aware digital behavior change interventions to improve health
Health risk behaviors are leading contributors to morbidity, premature mortality associated with chronic diseases, and escalating health costs. However, traditional interventions to change health behaviors often have modest effects, and limited applicability and scale. To better support health improvement goals across the care continuum, new approaches incorporating various smart technologies are being utilized to create more individualized digital behavior change interventions (DBCIs). The purpose of this study is to identify context-aware DBCIs that provide individualized interventions to improve health. A systematic review of published literature (2013-2020) was conducted from multiple databases and manual searches. All included DBCIs were context-aware, automated digital health technologies, whereby user input, activity, or location influenced the intervention. Included studies addressed explicit health behaviors and reported data of behavior change outcomes. Data extracted from studies included study design, type of intervention, including its functions and technologies used, behavior change techniques, and target health behavior and outcomes data. Thirty-three articles were included, comprising mobile health (mHealth) applications, Internet of Things wearables/sensors, and internet-based web applications. The most frequently adopted behavior change techniques were in the groupings of feedback and monitoring, shaping knowledge, associations, and goals and planning. Technologies used to apply these in a context-aware, automated fashion included analytic and artificial intelligence (e.g., machine learning and symbolic reasoning) methods requiring various degrees of access to data. Studies demonstrated improvements in physical activity, dietary behaviors, medication adherence, and sun protection practices. Context-aware DBCIs effectively supported behavior change to improve users' health behaviors
Anchoring Bias in Online Voting
Voting online with explicit ratings could largely reflect people's
preferences and objects' qualities, but ratings are always irrational, because
they may be affected by many unpredictable factors like mood, weather, as well
as other people's votes. By analyzing two real systems, this paper reveals a
systematic bias embedding in the individual decision-making processes, namely
people tend to give a low rating after a low rating, as well as a high rating
following a high rating. This so-called \emph{anchoring bias} is validated via
extensive comparisons with null models, and numerically speaking, the extent of
bias decays with interval voting number in a logarithmic form. Our findings
could be applied in the design of recommender systems and considered as
important complementary materials to previous knowledge about anchoring effects
on financial trades, performance judgements, auctions, and so on.Comment: 5 pages, 4 tables, 5 figure
Effect of recent R_p and R_n measurements on extended Gari-Krumpelmann model fits to nucleon electromagnetic form factors
The Gari-Krumpelmann (GK) models of nucleon electromagnetic form factors, in
which the rho, omega, and phi vector meson pole contributions evolve at high
momentum transfer to conform to the predictions of perturbative QCD (pQCD), was
recently extended to include the width of the rho meson by substituting the
result of dispersion relations for the pole and the addition of rho' (1450)
isovector vector meson pole. This extended model was shown to produce a good
overall fit to all the available nucleon electromagnetic form factor (emff)
data. Since then new polarization data shows that the electric to magnetic
ratios R_p and R_n obtained are not consistent with the older G_{Ep} and G_{En}
data in their range of momentum transfer. The model is further extended to
include the omega' (1419) isoscalar vector meson pole. It is found that while
this GKex cannot simultaneously fit the new R_p and the old G_{En} data, it can
fit the new R_p and R_n well simultaneously. An excellent fit to all the
remaining data is obtained when the inconsistent G_{Ep} and G_{En} is omitted.
The model predictions are shown up to momentum transfer squared, Q^2, of 8
GeV^2/c^2.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, using RevTeX4; email correspondence to
[email protected] ; minor typos corrected, figures added, conclusions
extende
Extended Gari-Krumpelmann model fits to nucleon electromagnetic form factors
Nucleon electromagnetic form factor data (including recent data) is fitted
with models that respect the confinement and asymptotic freedom properties of
QCD. Gari-Krumpelmann (GK) type models, which include the major vector meson
pole contributions and at high momentum transfer conform to the predictions of
perturbative QCD, are combined with Hohler-Pietarinen (HP) models, which also
include the width of the rho meson and the addition of higher mass vector meson
exchanges, but do not evolve into the explicit form of PQCD at high momentum
transfer. Different parameterizations of the GK model's hadronic form factors,
the effect of including the width of the rho meson and the addition of the next
(in mass) isospin 1 vector meson are considered. The quality of fit and the
consistency of the parameters select three of the combined HP/GK type models.
Projections are made to the higher momentum transfers which are relevant to
electron-deuteron experiments. The projections vary little for the preferred
models, removing much of the ambiguity in electron-nucleus scattering
predictions.Comment: 18pp, 7 figures, using RevTeX with BoxedEPS macros; 1 new figure,
minor textual changes; email correspondence to [email protected]
Radiative Corrections to Electron-Proton Scattering
The radiative corrections to elastic electron-proton scattering are analyzed
in a hadronic model including the finite size of the nucleon. For initial
electron energies above 8 GeV and large scattering angles, the proton vertex
correction in this model increases by at least two percent the overall factor
by which the one-photon exchange (Rosenbluth) cross section must be multiplied.
The contribution of soft photon emission is calculated exactly. Comparison is
made with the generally used expressions previously obtained by Mo and Tsai.
Results are presented for some kinematics at high momentum transfer.Comment: 31 pages, 4 figure
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