Non-response in the American Time Use Survey: Who Is Missing from the Data and How Much Does It Matter?

This paper examines non-response in a large government survey. The response rate for the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) has been below 60 percent for the first two years of its existence, raising questions about whether the results can be generalized to the target population. The paper begins with an analysis of the types of non-response encountered in the ATUS. We find that non-contact accounts for roughly 60 percent of ATUS non-response, with refusals accounting for roughly 40 percent. Next, we examine two hypotheses about the causes of this non-response. We find little support for the hypothesis that busy people are less likely to respond to the ATUS, but considerable support for the hypothesis that people who are weakly integrated into their communities are less likely to respond, mostly because they are less likely to be contacted. Finally, we compare aggregate estimates of time use calculated using the ATUS base weights without any adjustment for non-response to estimates calculated using the ATUS final weights with a non-response adjustment and to estimates calculated using weights that incorporate our own non-response adjustments based on a propensity model. While there are some modest differences, the three sets of estimates are broadly similar. The paper ends with a discussion of survey design features, their effect on the types and level of non-response, and the tradeoffs associated with different design choices.

Do the digestive tract symptoms in eating disorder patients represent functional gastrointestinal disorders?

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common in patients with eating disorders. The aim of this study was to determine, using factor analysis, whether these GI symptom factors (clusters) in eating disorder patients hold true to the Rome II classification of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). METHODS: Inpatients in a specialised eating disorder unit completed the Rome II questionnaire. Data from 185 patients were analysed using factor analysis of 17 questions cited as present in 30% to 70% of the patients. RESULTS: Five factors emerged accounting for 68% of the variance and these were termed: ‘oesophageal discomfort’, ‘bowel dysfunction’, ‘abdominal discomfort’, ‘pelvic floor dysfunction’, and ‘self-induced vomiting’. These factors are significantly related to the Rome II FGID categories of functional oesophageal, bowel and anorectal disorders, and to the specific FGIDs of IBS, functional abdominal bloating, functional constipation and pelvic floor dyssynergia. Both heartburn and chest pain were included in the oesophageal discomfort factor. The ‘pelvic floor dysfunction’ factor was distinct from functional constipation. CONCLUSIONS: The GI symptoms common in eating disorder patients very likely represent the same FGIDs that occur in non-ED patients. Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction in the absence of functional constipation, however, are prominent in eating disorder patients. Further investigation of the items comprising the ‘pelvic floor dysfunction’ factor in other patient populations may yield useful results

FOOT ALIGNMENT AND UNIPODAL POSTURAL STABILITY OF DANCERS TRAINED IN CLASSICAL BALLET.

Eight female dancers (mean ± SD age 21.6 ± 3.0 years; body mass 55.4 ± 4.4 Kg) and eight female physically active non-dancer controls (age 20.5 ± 1.8 years; body mass 66.5 ± 8.6 N) participated. Dancers had 15.6 years of classical ballet training and currently performed 3.5 hours of ballet per week. In walking gait the dancers right foot progression angle (mean ± SE) was greater at 9.7 ± 1.30 than that of the left foot 7.2 ± 1.20 (

Analyzing In-Cylinder Flow Variations in a Motored Spark Ignition Engine using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition.

The development of clean and efficient internal combustion engine technologies is inhibited by the current limitations in understanding cycle-to-cycle combustion variations. Cycle-to-cycle in-cylinder flow variations are thought to be one of the leading causes of cycle-to-cycle combustion variations. In this study, high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) data was acquired in an optical research engine with varying spatial resolution and dynamically varying time separations between PIV images for optimal velocity dynamic range throughout the engine cycle. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) was then used to quantitatively examine the cycle-to-cycle flow variations and intra-cycle flow evolution in these data sets. One of the causes of in-cylinder flow variations was found to be the oscillatory motion of the intake valve during its opening and closing. The scaling of in-cylinder flow with engine speed was also studied by measuring in-cylinder velocities at three different engine speeds. Further, the use of POD as a tool for differentiating between flow patterns in different data sets was demonstrated by comparing experimental data with two different large-eddy simulation data sets. It was found that the level of cycle-to-cycle variability in intake valve oscillations influences in-cylinder flow patterns during the intake stroke. Changes in intake valve oscillations may be triggered by engine speed transients, but may also occur between different engine runs. POD was used to show that the direction and magnitude of the flow patterns during intake scale, on average, with the horizontal position of the intake valve. However, it was not possible to establish a one-on-one connection between intake valve motion and intake flow for individual cycles. Neither was a clear link found between variations in intake flow pattern and flow close to top dead center compression using two-component velocity data from the central tumble plane of the optical engine. POD was also shown to be an effective and quantitative tool for the comparison of large experimental data sets at three different engine speeds, and large combined experimental and computational data sets at 800 rpm, accurately reflecting differences in in-cylinder flow evolution and variation between the data sets.PHDMechanical EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/99999/1/preetia_1.pd

Capable but Amoral? Comparing AI and Human Expert Collaboration in Ethical Decision Making

While artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly applied for decision- making processes, ethical decisions pose challenges for AI applica- tions. Given that humans cannot always agree on the right thing to do, how would ethical decision-making by AI systems be perceived and how would responsibility be ascribed in human-AI collabora- tion? In this study, we investigate how the expert type (human vs. AI) and level of expert autonomy (adviser vs. decider) influence trust, perceived responsibility, and reliance. We find that partici- pants consider humans to be more morally trustworthy but less capable than their AI equivalent. This shows in participants’ re- liance on AI: AI recommendations and decisions are accepted more often than the human expert’s. However, AI team experts are per- ceived to be less responsible than humans, while programmers and sellers of AI systems are deemed partially responsible instead

Lenalidomide and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma and impaired renal function: PrE1003, a PrECOG study

Renal insufficiency is common in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma and can often limit choice of therapy. Lenalidomide, a critical agent in the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma, is renally cleared., This phase I/II trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of lenalidomide with dexamethasone in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma and renal insufficiency. Three groups were treated, with creatinine clearance 30–60 cc/hr (group A), CrCl \u3c 30 not on dialysis (group B), and patients on dialysis (group C) at escalating doses of lenalidomide. A total of 63 patients were treated and no DLTs were observed in phase I. All three groups were able to escalate to full dose lenalidomide 25 mg daily 21/28 days, although due to reduced accrual the phase II component was not entirely completed for groups B and C. Adverse events were as expected, including anemia, diarrhea and fatigue. Ten patients experienced grade 3–4 pneumonia. Overall response rate was 54% across all groups. PFS was 7.5 months and OS was 19.7 months. Lenalidomide can be given at full dose 25 mg daily 21/28 in patients with a CrCl \u3e 30, and can be given daily to those with CrCl \u3c 30, even when on dialysis, at doses of at least 15 mg daily

Capable but Amoral? Comparing AI and Human Expert Collaboration in Ethical Decision Making

While artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly applied for decision-making processes, ethical decisions pose challenges for AI applications. Given that humans cannot always agree on the right thing to do, how would ethical decision-making by AI systems be perceived and how would responsibility be ascribed in human-AI collaboration? In this study, we investigate how the expert type (human vs. AI) and level of expert autonomy (adviser vs. decider) influence trust, perceived responsibility, and reliance. We find that participants consider humans to be more morally trustworthy but less capable than their AI equivalent. This shows in participants’ reliance on AI: AI recommendations and decisions are accepted more often than the human expert’s. However, AI team experts are perceived to be less responsible than humans, while programmers and sellers of AI systems are deemed partially responsible instead