Eliciting Discount Functions when Baseline Consumption changes over Time

Many empirical studies on intertemporal choice report preference reversals in the sense that a preference between a small reward to be received soon and a larger reward to be received later reverses as both rewards are equally delayed. Such preference reversals are commonly interpreted as contradicting constant discounting. We show that this interpretation is correct only if baseline consumption to which the outcomes are added, remains constant over time. The difficulty with measuring discounting when baseline consumption changes over time, is that delaying an outcome has two simultaneous effects: (1) due to the change in baseline consumption, it changes the increase in utility from receiving the outcome, and (2) it changes the discount factor applied to this increase in utility. In order to draw conclusions about discounting one needs to disentangle these two effects which seems impossible at first sight (Noor, 2009). Yet, in this paper we propose a way to disentangle the two effects

Weighted Temporal Utility

__Abstract__ We propose a novel utility representation for preferences over risky timed outcomes. The weighted temporal utility model generalizes many well known utility functions for intertemporal decision making under risk. A decision maker with a weighted temporal utility function can have time consistent yet non-stationary preferences or stationary yet time inconsistent preferences. Thus, our model can explain the empirical evidence in Halevy (2012) which is at odds with standard models of intertemporal choice that assume non-linear time perception to be the sole driver of non-stationary and time-inconsistent behavior. We also propose a non-parametric approach to elicit a weighted temporal utility function

Entwicklungen in der Pränataldiagnostik: verändertes Erleben der Schwangerschaft und Auswirkungen bei pathologischem fetalen Befund

'Die Weiterentwicklung der Pränataldiagnostik hat die Betreuung schwangerer Frauen stetig verändert, und auch von den Frauen wird eine Schwangerschaft heute völlig anders erlebt als noch vor wenigen Jahrzehnten. Trotz erheblicher Fortschritte in der medizinischen Versorgung sind aber noch längst nicht alle Erkrankungen des Kindes therapeutisch zu beeinflussen; insbesondere nach Feststellung einer genetisch bedingten Erkrankung oder Behinderung des Kindes stellt sich für die Frauen und ihre Partner oft die Frage danach, ob sie die Schwangerschaft fortsetzen können. Betroffene Frauen bzw. Paare reagieren auf solche Situationen nicht selten mit einer Schock-Reaktion, und auch langfristig können sich psychische Probleme einstellen, unabhängig davon, ob die Schwangerschaft ausgetragen oder wegen einer medizinischen Indikation gemäß Paragraf 218a Abs. 2 StGB abgebrochen wurde. Um die Betroffenen in einer solchen Krisensituation zu unterstützen und sie auch im Entscheidungsprozess zu begleiten wurde an drei Modellstandorten (Bonn, Düsseldorf und Essen) eine psychosoziale Beratung etabliert, wobei diese psychosoziale Beratung zusätzlich zur ärztlichen Beratung unabhängig von konfessioneller oder nicht-konfessioneller Ausrichtung ergebnisoffen erfolgt. Die wissenschaftliche Evaluation von insgesamt 512 Erstberatungen und die Verlaufsuntersuchung über zwei Jahre zeigte eine hohe Akzeptanz der Beratung von Seiten der Betroffenen. Viele Argumente sprechen dafür, eine solche Beratung als Regelangebot im Kontext von Pränatalmedizin zu etablieren.' (Autorenreferat)'The further development of prenatal diagnosis has led to changes in the care for pregnant women. Also, pregnant women nowadays experience pregnancy in a way very different from that a few decades ago. Despite of impressive medical progress, it is still not possible to have an therapeutic impact on all diseases of the foetus and the child. In particular, when a genetic disorder is diagnosed, the question arises whether or not the pregnancy should be continued. More often than not, women or couples, respectively, display a shock reaction following this disclosure. In the long run, psychological problems may evolve, regardless of the continuation of the pregnancy or its termination (abortion) on grounds of article 218a, 2 StGB (German Criminal Code) for medical reasons. For providing support to these women in crisis and for accompanying the decision-making process, psychosocial counselling has been established in three demonstration sites (Bonn, Düsseldorf and Essen). This counselling had been offered in addition to the medical counselling and has been performed in an unbiased manner, regardless of the denominational orientation of the responsible body. The assessment of 512 first-time counselling sessions as well as the accompanying two-year evaluation study show that this kind of counselling has been widely accepted by the affected women. There are striking arguments for establishing psychosocial counselling as a scheduled part of counselling in prenatal diagnosis.' (author's abstract)

The Role of Feedback When Learning with a Digital Artifact: A Theory Networking Case on Multimodal Algebra Learning

How digital feedback supports teaching/learning with a digital tool is not yet well understood. In a networking of theories approach, Activity Theory and the Instrumental Approach are combined to investigate the role of digital feedback for the teaching/learning of integers with the MAL-system, a multimodal algebra learning system. The MAL-system is designed as a multi- touch tangible user interface with feedback functions allowing students to mathematically operate with (negative) numbers represented as virtual tiles. We explore the role of digital feedback by a multi-case study at the grade five level, in which we conducted experimental task-based interviews of four student pairs, each supported by a tutor. Findings show that (digital) feedback mediates the teaching/learning activity in a supportive way. Reflection on the way the two theories are combined reveals that they can be regarded as locally integrated into a layered model enriching the describing of the transformation of teaching/learning mediated by digital feedback.publishedVersionPaid open acces

Eliciting Discount Functions When Baseline Consumption Changes Over Time

Many empirical studies on intertemporal choice report preference reversals in the sense that a preference between a small reward to be received soon and a larger reward to be received later reverses as both rewards are equally delayed. Such preference reversals are commonly interpreted as contradicting constant discounting. This interpretation is correct only if baseline consumption to which the outcomes are added, remains constant over time. The difficulty with measuring discounting when baseline consumption changes over time, is that delaying an outcome has two effects: (1) due to the change in baseline consumption, it changes the extra utility from receiving the outcome, and (2) it changes the factor by which this extra utility is discounted. In this paper we propose a way to disentangle the two effects, which allows us to draw conclusions about discounting even when baseline consumption changes over time

Genomic basis of a social polymorphism in a halictid bee

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Decompressive craniectomy plus best medical treatment versus best medical treatment alone for spontaneous severe deep supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage:a randomised controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether decompressive craniectomy improves clinical outcome for people with spontaneous severe deep intracerebral haemorrhage. The SWITCH trial aimed to assess whether decompressive craniectomy plus best medical treatment in these patients improves outcome at 6 months compared to best medical treatment alone.METHODS: In this multicentre, randomised, open-label, assessor-blinded trial conducted in 42 stroke centres in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, adults (18-75 years) with a severe intracerebral haemorrhage involving the basal ganglia or thalamus were randomly assigned to receive either decompressive craniectomy plus best medical treatment or best medical treatment alone. The primary outcome was a score of 5-6 on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 180 days, analysed in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClincalTrials.gov, NCT02258919, and is completed.FINDINGS: SWITCH had to be stopped early due to lack of funding. Between Oct 6, 2014, and April 4, 2023, 201 individuals were randomly assigned and 197 gave delayed informed consent (96 decompressive craniectomy plus best medical treatment, 101 best medical treatment). 63 (32%) were women and 134 (68%) men, the median age was 61 years (IQR 51-68), and the median haematoma volume 57 mL (IQR 44-74). 42 (44%) of 95 participants assigned to decompressive craniectomy plus best medical treatment and 55 (58%) assigned to best medical treatment alone had an mRS of 5-6 at 180 days (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 0·77, 95% CI 0·59 to 1·01, adjusted risk difference [aRD] -13%, 95% CI -26 to 0, p=0·057). In the per-protocol analysis, 36 (47%) of 77 participants in the decompressive craniectomy plus best medical treatment group and 44 (60%) of 73 in the best medical treatment alone group had an mRS of 5-6 (aRR 0·76, 95% CI 0·58 to 1·00, aRD -15%, 95% CI -28 to 0). Severe adverse events occurred in 42 (41%) of 103 participants receiving decompressive craniectomy plus best medical treatment and 41 (44%) of 94 receiving best medical treatment.INTERPRETATION: SWITCH provides weak evidence that decompressive craniectomy plus best medical treatment might be superior to best medical treatment alone in people with severe deep intracerebral haemorrhage. The results do not apply to intracerebral haemorrhage in other locations, and survival is associated with severe disability in both groups.FUNDING: Swiss National Science Foundation, Swiss Heart Foundation, Inselspital Stiftung, and Boehringer Ingelheim.</p

Genomic and transcriptomic changes complement each other in the pathogenesis of sporadic Burkitt lymphoma

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is the most common B-cell lymphoma in children. Within the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), we performed whole genome and transcriptome sequencing of 39 sporadic BL. Here, we unravel interaction of structural, mutational, and transcriptional changes, which contribute to MYC oncogene dysregulation together with the pathognomonic IG-MYC translocation. Moreover, by mapping IGH translocation breakpoints, we provide evidence that the precursor of at least a subset of BL is a B-cell poised to express IGHA. We describe the landscape of mutations, structural variants, and mutational processes, and identified a series of driver genes in the pathogenesis of BL, which can be targeted by various mechanisms, including IG-non MYC translocations, germline and somatic mutations, fusion transcripts, and alternative splicing

Targeting IL-1β and IL-17A driven inflammation during influenza-induced exacerbations of chronic lung inflammation.

For patients with chronic lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), exacerbations are life-threatening events causing acute respiratory distress that can even lead to hospitalization and death. Although a great deal of effort has been put into research of exacerbations and potential treatment options, the exact underlying mechanisms are yet to be deciphered and no therapy that effectively targets the excessive inflammation is available. In this study, we report that interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) are key mediators of neutrophilic inflammation in influenza-induced exacerbations of chronic lung inflammation. Using a mouse model of disease, our data shows a role for IL-1β in mediating lung dysfunction, and in driving neutrophilic inflammation during the whole phase of viral infection. We further report a role for IL-17A as a mediator of IL-1β induced neutrophilia at early time points during influenza-induced exacerbations. Blocking of IL-17A or IL-1 resulted in a significant abrogation of neutrophil recruitment to the airways in the initial phase of infection or at the peak of viral replication, respectively. Therefore, IL-17A and IL-1β are potential targets for therapeutic treatment of viral exacerbations of chronic lung inflammation