Using US Strategic Reserves to Moderate Potential Oil Price Increases from Sanctions on Iran

The new, draconian sanctions introduced by the United States and the European Union to prevent Iran from earning money from its crude oil exports could pose a serious economic threat to oil-importing countries that also trade heavily with the US and EU economies. Nations such as China, South Korea, and Japan, which obtain significant amount of oil from Iran while enjoying large trade surpluses with the United States, are justifiably anxious. These countries and others worry that by pushing Iran from the global crude market, the new US and EU sanctions will disrupt oil markets, increase crude prices, and further slow global economic growth, which, at a minimum, would cut their export revenues. Saudi Arabia and other members of the Oil and Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) have indicated they would replace oil previously purchased from Iran, but these offers have done little to allay the apprehensions. Verleger suggests a way to put real pressure on Iran while moderating or eliminating economic fallout for the US and EU economies and those of their trading partners: selling oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which now holds far more oil than required by treaty obligations—more than 280 million surplus barrels. This strategic use of the SPR will increase the effectiveness of sanctions on Iran and ease the adjustment difficulties that confront US allies. The sales might also reduce any price pressure caused by removal of light Iranian crude from the market.

Oil Exporters to the Euro's Rescue?

Energy-exporting countries have more at risk than any other participant in the world economy if the euro crisis plunges Europe into recession. These countries would likely experience greater losses in 2012 should Europe fail. Oil and natural gas prices would plummet, and the price collapse would likely be larger than the 2008–09 decline. Energy-exporting countries therefore should be working feverishly with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union to rescue the euro. They, along with China and other large holders of foreign exchange reserves, should lend to the IMF to help it construct an emergency lending facility with capacity of more than €1 trillion. The fund, administered by the IMF, would be used to buy bonds issued by Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland. The goal should be to bring interest rates on long-term bonds down to 3 percent. Simultaneously, efforts should be redoubled to fix the economic problems in the troubled nations and restore balance to their budgets. An energy price collapse would increase disruptions in energy-exporting countries, promote economic ills in some consuming nations, such as Canada, and almost certainly start yet a third, even more violent, economic cycle.

Student Awareness of Models in First-Year Engineering Courses

Contribution: This study assesses more than 800 students\u27 awareness of engineering model types before and after taking two first-year engineering courses across two semesters and evaluates the effect of each course. Background: All engineers must be able to apply and create models to be effective problem solvers, critical thinkers, and innovative designers. To help them develop these skills, as a first step, it is essential to assess how to increase students\u27 awareness of engineering models. According to Bloom\u27s taxonomy, the lower remember and understand levels, which encompass awareness, are necessary for achieving the higher levels, such as apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. Research Questions: To what extent did student awareness of model types change after taking introductory engineering courses? To what extent did student awareness of model types differ by course or semester? Methodology: In this study, a survey was designed and administered at the beginning and end of the semester in two first-year engineering courses during two semesters in a mid-sized private school. The survey asked students questions about their definition of engineering modeling and different types of models. Findings: Overall, student awareness of model types increased from the beginning of the semester toward the end of the semester, across both semesters and courses. There were some differences between course sections, however, the students\u27 awareness of the models at the end of the academic year was similar for both groups

Real‐world treatment patterns and outcomes using terlipressin in 203 patients with the hepatorenal syndrome

Background: Hepatorenal syndrome and acute kidney injury are common complications of decompensated cirrhosis, and terlipressin is recommended as first‐line vasoconstrictor therapy. However, data on its use outside of clinical trials are lacking. / Aims: To assess practice patterns and outcomes around vasoconstrictor use for hepatorenal syndrome in UK hospitals. / Methods: This was a multicentre chart review study. Data were extracted from medical records of patients diagnosed with hepatorenal syndrome and treated by vasoconstrictor drugs between January 2013 and December 2017 at 26 hospitals in the United Kingdom. The primary outcome was improvement of kidney function, defined as complete response (serum creatinine improved to ≤1.5 mg/dL), partial response (serum creatinine reduction of ≥20% but >1.5 mg/dL) and overall response (complete or partial response). Other outcomes included need for dialysis, mortality, liver transplantation and adverse events. / Results: Of the 225 patients included in the analysis, 203 (90%) were treated with terlipressin (median duration, 6 days; range: 2‐24 days). Mean (±standard deviation) serum creatinine at vasopressor initiation was 3.25 ± 1.64 mg/dL. Terlipressin overall response rate was 73%. Overall response was higher in patients with mild acute kidney injury (baseline serum creatinine <2.25 mg/dL), compared to those with moderate (serum creatinine ≥2.25 mg/dL and <3.5 mg/dL) or severe (serum creatinine ≥3.5 mg/dL). Ninety‐day survival was 86% for all patients (93% for overall responders vs 66% for treatment nonresponders, P < 0.0001). / Conclusion: Terlipressin is the most commonly prescribed vasoconstrictor for patients with hepatorenal syndrome in the United Kingdom. Treatment with terlipressin in patients with less severe acute kidney injury (serum creatinine <2.25 mg/dL) was associated with higher treatment responses, and 90‐day survival

Genetic contribution to the P3 in young and middle-aged adults.

Previous studies in young and adolescent twins suggested substantial genetic contributions to the amplitude and latency of the P3 evoked by targets in an oddball paradigm. Here we examined whether these findings can be generalized to adult samples. A total of 651 twins and siblings from 292 families participated in a visual oddball task. In half of the subjects the age centered around 26 (young adult cohort), in the other half the age centered around 49 (middle-aged adult cohort). P3 peak amplitude and latency were scored for 3 midline leads Pz, Cz, and Fz. No cohort differences in heritability were found. P3 amplitude (∼50%) and latency (∼45%) were moderately heritable for the 3 leads. A single genetic factor influenced latency at all electrodes, suggesting a single P3 timing mechanism. Specific genetic factors influenced amplitude at each lead, suggesting local modulation of the P3 once triggered. Genetic analysis of the full event-related potential waveform showed that P3 heritability barely changes from about 100 ms before to 100 ms after the peak. Age differences are restricted to differences in means and variances, but the proportion of genetic variance as part of the total variance of midline P3 amplitude and latency does not change from young to middle-aged adulthood

Treatment patterns and outcomes among nontransplant newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients in Spain

Aim: To describe treatment patterns and outcomes in nontransplant newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients in Spain. Methods: This retrospective study included two cohorts of NDMM patients diagnosed between 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2013 and 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017. Results: Among 113 patients, proteasome inhibitor (PI) + alkylator combinations (49%) and PI-based regimens without an alkylator (30%) were the most common first-line (1L) therapies. Use of PI + immunomodulatory drug-based regimens increased between the cohorts; PI-based regimens without an alkylator/immunomodulatory drug decreased. Use of 1L oral regimens was low but increased over time; use of maintenance therapy was low across both periods. Median 1L duration of treatment was 6.9 months. Conclusion: Short 1L duration of treatment and low use of 1L oral regimens and maintenance therapy highlight unmet needs in NDMM. © 2021 The Authors

Influence of Stimulant Medication and Response Speed on Lateralization of Movement-Related Potentials in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Hyperactivity is one of the core symptoms in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, it remains unclear in which way the motor system itself and its development are affected by the disorder. Movement-related potentials (MRP) can separate different stages of movement execution, from the programming of a movement to motor post-processing and memory traces. Pre-movement MRP are absent or positive during early childhood and display a developmental increase of negativity. We examined the influences of response-speed, an indicator of the level of attention, and stimulant medication on lateralized MRP in 16 children with combined type ADHD compared to 20 matched healthy controls. We detected a significantly diminished lateralisation of MRP over the pre-motor and primary motor cortex during movement execution (initial motor potential peak, iMP) in patients with ADHD. Fast reactions (indicating increased visuo-motor attention) led to increased lateralized negativity during movement execution only in healthy controls, while in children with ADHD faster reaction times were associated with more positive amplitudes. Even though stimulant medication had some effect on attenuating group differences in lateralized MRP, this effect was insufficient to normalize lateralized iMP amplitudes.A reduced focal (lateralized) motor cortex activation during the command to muscle contraction points towards an immature motor system and a maturation delay of the (pre-) motor cortex in children with ADHD. A delayed maturation of the neuronal circuitry, which involves primary motor cortex, may contribute to ADHD pathophysiology

The role of configurality in the Thatcher illusion: an ERP study.

The Thatcher illusion (Thompson in Perception, 9, 483-484, 1980) is often explained as resulting from recognising a distortion of configural information when 'Thatcherised' faces are upright but not when inverted. However, recent behavioural studies suggest that there is an absence of perceptual configurality in upright Thatcherised faces (Donnelly et al. in Attention, Perception & Psychophysics, 74, 1475-1487, 2012) and both perceptual and decisional sources of configurality in behavioural tasks with Thatcherised stimuli (Mestry, Menneer et al. in Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 456, 2012). To examine sources linked to the behavioural experience of the illusion, we studied inversion and Thatcherisation of faces (comparing across conditions in which no features, the eyes, the mouth, or both features were Thatcherised) on a set of event-related potential (ERP) components. Effects of inversion were found at the N170, P2 and P3b. Effects of eye condition were restricted to the N170 generated in the right hemisphere. Critically, an interaction of orientation and eye Thatcherisation was found for the P3b amplitude. Results from an individual with acquired prosopagnosia who can discriminate Thatcherised from typical faces but cannot categorise them or perceive the illusion (Mestry, Donnelly et al. in Neuropsychologia, 50, 3410-3418, 2012) only differed from typical participants at the P3b component. Findings suggest the P3b links most directly to the experience of the illusion. Overall, the study showed evidence consistent with both perceptual and decisional sources and the need to consider both in relation to configurality