Cost sharing of cooperating queues in a Jackson network

We consider networks of queues in which the independent operators of individual queues may cooperate to reduce the amount of waiting. More specifically, we focus on Jackson networks in which the total capacity of the servers can be redistributed over all queues in any desired way. If we associate a cost to waiting that is linear in the queue lengths, it is known how the operators should share the available service capacity to minimize the long run total cost. We answer the question whether or not (the operators of) the individual queues will indeed cooperate in this way, and if so, how they will share the cost in the new situation. One of the results is an explicit cost allocation that is beneficial for all operators. The approach used also works for other cost functions, such as the server utilization

Consistency in dental clinical feedback to students: clinical teachers’ perspectives

Purpose: In dental education, feedback from clinical teachers is critical for developing students’ clinical competence. However, students have identified inconsistency of clinical feedback from clinical teachers as a major area of concern. Compared to research on the student perspective of consistency in clinical feedback, dental clinical teachers’ own views of the consistency of their feedback is not as thoroughly researched. The purpose of this study is to redress that balance.Methodology: This qualitative study explored dental clinical teachers’ views of the clinical feedback process during the 2017 academic year, with a focus on their perceptions of consistency of their own feedback.Findings: Our results show that clinical teachers use a number of parameters in judging students’ performance and giving feedback, and were aware that their feedback may not be consistent with other clinical teachers’ feedback. Teachers also recognised that this inconsistency could lead to an adverse effect on students’ learning and clinical competence. Research implications: To improve the consistency of their feedback and calibrate their judgement of students’ performance, clinical teachers recommended that their Dental School should provide opportunities for them to engage in collegial discussion and interactive, case-based teaching development programs. They also believed clinical teaching and its significance to dental student learning and competence should be recognised and valued more highly by the School.Practical implications: Implementation of professional development initiatives endorsed by clinical teachers has the potential to improve the consistency of teachers’ feedback and the quality of clinical dental education, and ultimately the quality of oral health care.Originality: This is the first study to explore clinical teachers’ views of how they judge students’ performance and the consistency of their feedback.Limitations: A limitation of this study is that clinical teachers who volunteered to participate may have different opinions compared to teachers who did not participate

Learning (Not) To Yield: An Experimental Study of Evolving Ultimatum Game Behavior

Whether behavior converges toward rational play or fair play in repeated ultimatum games depends on which player yields first. If responders concede first by accepting low offers, proposers would not need to learn to offer more, and play would converge toward unequal sharing. By the same token, if proposers learn fast that low offers are doomed to be rejected and adjust their offers accordingly, pressure would be lifted from responders to learn to accept such offers. Play would converge toward equal sharing. Here we tested the hypothesis that it is regret-both material and strategic-which determines how players modify their behavior. We conducted a repeated ultimatum game experiment with random strangers, in which one treatment does and another does not provide population feedback in addition to informing players about their own outcome. Our results show that regret is a good predictor of the dynamics of play. Specifically, we will turn to the dynamics that unfold when players make repeated decisions in the ultimatum game with randomly changing opponents, and when they learn not only about their own outcome in the previous round but also find out how the population on average has adapted to previous results (path dependence).Ultimatum bargaining game, Reputation, Regret, Learning, Experiment

Sonoelastography of the Common Flexor Tendon of the Elbow with Histologic Agreement: A Cadaveric Study.

Purpose To determine the correlation of the results of conventional B-mode ultrasonography (US) and compression sonoelastography with histologic results in common flexor tendons of the elbow in human cadavers. Materials and Methods Twenty-five common flexor tendons were evaluated in 16 fresh, unembalmed cadavers of 11 women with a median age of 85 years (range, 71-101 years) and five men with a median age of 78 years (range, 70-88 years). Informed consent was provided according to the last will of the donors. B-mode US results were classified as grade 1, normal tendon with homogeneous fibrillar pattern; grade 2, tendon thickening or hypoechoic areas and/or calcifications in less than 30% of the tendon; or grade 3, hypoechoic areas and/or calcifications greater than 30% of the tendon. Sonoelastographic results were grade 1, blue (hardest) to green (hard); grade 2, yellow (soft); and grade 3, red (softest). The intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated to determine agreement with histologic findings for each B-mode US, sonoelastographic, and combined B-mode US and sonoelastographic examination. Histologic results were grade 1, normal, with parallel fibrillar pattern; grade 2, mild tendinopathy, with cellular infiltration, angiogenesis, or fatty vacuoles; or grade 3, severe tendinopathy, with loss of parallel collagen structure and necrosis. Results Histologic alterations were detected in 44% (11 of 25) of biopsy specimens. Intraclass correlation with histologic results was 0.57 for B-mode US, 0.68 for sonoelastography, and 0.84 for the combination of the two approaches. Conclusion The addition of sonoelastography to B-mode US provided statistically significant improvement in correlation with histologic results compared with the use of B-mode US alone (P \u3c .02). (©) RSNA, 2016 Online supplemental material is available for this article

Jüdischen Musikern in Leipzig auf der Spur: Didaktische Materialien: Pädagogische Handreichung zum „Notenbogen-Entdeckerpass – Jüdischen Musikern in Leipzig auf der Spur“

Der Notenbogen-Entdeckerpass für Kinder und Jugendliche, der Möglichkeiten eröffnet, zu jüdischen Musikern in Leipzig zu forschen, Neues zu entdecken, der Notenspur zu folgen und viele weitere Impulse gibt, steht seit einiger Zeit zur Verfügung. Nun gilt es, die Kinder und Jugendlichen zu unterstützen, sowohl im schulischen Kontext als auch durch Freizeiteinrichtungen, bei denen die kulturelle Bildung im Mittelpunkt steht. Zum Entdeckerpass gibt es jetzt die vorliegende Handreichung. Sie beinhaltet didaktische Hinweise für ausgewählte Stationen, zahlreiche Arbeitsblätter als Kopiervorlagen für Schülerinnen und Schüler, Stadtrallyes mit handlungsorientierten Aufgaben für eine Exkursion oder einen Projekttag. Ebenso enthalten sind ein Lernquiz und Arbeitsblätter mit vertiefenden Quellen zum entdeckenden, biografischen Lernen für vier ausgewählte jüdische Musiker, die alle einen Bezug zu Leipzig hatten. Die handlungsorientierten Aufgaben, unter anderem kreative Ideen für Gedenktafeln, Straßeninterviews, fiktive Stadtführungen, dienen nicht nur der Wissensreproduktion, sondern haben das Ziel, eine Auseinandersetzung und Reflexion zu befördern. Somit kann auf das umfassende und vielfältige Angebot der Stadt Leipzig zugegriffen werden und die Nutzer erleben eine lebendige und partizipative Erinnerungskultur

M+D: conceptual guidelines for compiling a materials library

This article proposes to present a study conducted by the Raw Materials research group, the results of which comprise the conceptual guidelines for compiling an M+D material library. The study includes the topic, materials and design taking the impact of the changes that came into being in the post industrial era on project methodologies and the search for information regarding materials. Taking into account the importance and complexity that these relationships have taken on currently, we have studied the issue of materials based on Manzini (1983) and Ashby and Johnson (2002). Afterward different databases and materials libraries located in the Brazil, the United States, France and Italy geared toward design professionals and students were analyzed to understand what information and means of access to them were available. The project methodologies were approached based on Löbach (1991), Bürdeck (1994), Schulmann (1994), Baxter (1998), Dantas (1998 and 2005) and Papanek (1995 and 2000). This study sought to identify the key elements of the role of materials in the project process today, to serve as a parameter for the analysis of the models studied. A comparative analysis of the models investigated enabled identification of positive and negative aspects to adapt to the needs previously mentioned and identify conceptual guidelines for compiling a collection of materials for use in design projects. Keywords: Design, Materials, Project Methodology, Library</p

Images of Energy

Six members of the Syracuse community discuss energy as it is understood in the fields of psychology, graphic arts, biology, architecture, physics, and literature. Professor Weissman provides an overview

The coronavirus disease pandemic among adult congenital heart disease patients and the lessons learnt – results of a prospective multicenter european registry

Adult congenital heart disease; Coronavirus disease 2019; Risk stratificationCardiopatia congènita de l'adult; Malaltia per coronavirus 2019; Estratificació del riscCardiopatía congénita del adulto; Enfermedad por coronavirus 2019; Estratificación del riesgoBackground At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, professionals in charge of particularly vulnerable populations, such as adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients, were confronted with difficult decision-making. We aimed to assess changes in risk stratification and outcomes of ACHD patients suffering from COVID-19 between March 2020 and April 2021. Methods and results Risk stratification among ACHD experts (before and after the first outcome data were available) was assessed by means of questionnaires. In addition, COVID-19 cases and the corresponding patient characteristics were recorded among participating centres. Predictors for the outcome of interest (complicated disease course) were assessed by means of multivariable logistic regression models calculated with cluster-robust standard errors. When assessing the importance of general and ACHD specific risk factors for a complicated disease course, their overall importance and the corresponding risk perception among ACHD experts decreased over time. Overall, 638 patients (n = 168 during the first wave and n = 470 during the subsequent waves) were included (median age 34 years, 52% women). Main independent predictors for a complicated disease course were male sex, increasing age, a BMI >25 kg/m2, having ≥2 comorbidities, suffering from a cyanotic heart disease or having suffered COVID-19 in the first wave vs. subsequent waves. Conclusions Apart from cyanotic heart disease, general risk factors for poor outcome in case of COVID-19 reported in the general population are equally important among ACHD patients. Risk perception among ACHD experts decreased during the course of the pandemic.EPOCH is funded by internal grants without support from the pharmaceutical industry

Construct Validity, Reliability, and Responsiveness of the 10-Item Well-being Instrument for Use in Economic Evaluation Studies

Objectives: Economic evaluations of interventions in health and social care require outcome measures that capture their full benefits, including those beyond health. This study aimed to assess construct validity, test-retest reliability, and responsiveness of the newly developed 10-item Well-being instrument (WiX). Methods: Data were gathered via an online survey in a representative sample of the adult general population in The Netherlands (N = 1045). Construct validity was assessed by inspecting convergent, structural, and discriminant validity, following the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments methodology. Regression analyses of the WiX and its items on other validated measures of well-being were performed to assess the convergent validity of the instrument and the relevance of its items. Dimensionality of the WiX was assessed using exploratory factor analysis. To assess discriminant validity, several hypotheses in terms of well-being differences were assessed. Finally, a second survey was sent out 2 weeks after the initial survey (n = 563; 53.9% response rate) to assess the test-retest reliability and responsiveness of the WiX. Results: The WiX showed to be correlated with alternative well-being measures as expected and able to sufficiently differentiate between relevant subgroups in the population. Moreover, the dimensionality analysis indicated that the WiX captures a broad array of elements relevant to well-being, including physical and mental health. The test-retest reliability was good, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.82. Conclusions: The results regarding the WiX are favorable and indicate that this new instrument may be a promising alternative for existing measures of well-being for evaluating interventions in health and social care.</p

Importance of the home environment for healthy aging : Conceptual and methodological background of the European ENABLE-AGE Project

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