Bratt\u27s By the Vision of Another World: Worship in American History (Book Review)

A Review of By the Vision of Another World: Worship in American History, edited by James D. Bratt. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012. 213 pp. $25.00. ISBN 978-080286710

Analytical and Numerical Flash-Algorithms for Track Fits

Flash-algorithm track-reconstruction routines with speed factors 3000-4000 in excess those of traditional iterative routines are presented. The methods were successfully tested in the alignment of the Test Beam setup for the ATLAS Pixel Detector MCM-D modules yielding a 60 fold increase in alignment resolution over iterative routines, for the same amount of alocated CPU time.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Do and Should Financial Aid Packages Affect Students' College Choices?

Every year, thousands of high school seniors with high college aptitude face complicated menus' of scholarship and aid packages designed to affect their college choices. Using an original survey designed for this paper, we investigate whether students respond to their menus' like rational human capital investors. Whether they make the investments efficiently is important not only because they are the equivalent of the Fortune 500' for human capital, but also because they are likely to be the most analytic and long-sighted student investors. We find that the typical high aptitude student chooses his college and responds to aid in a manner that is broadly consistent with rational investment. However, we also find some serious anomalies: excessive response to loans and work-study, strong response to superficial aspects of a grant (such as whether it has a name), and response to a grant's share of college costs rather than its amount. Approximately 30 percent of high aptitude students respond to aid in a way that apparently reduces their lifetime present value. While both a lack of sophistication/information and credit constraints can explain the behavior of this 30 percent of students, the weight of the evidence favors a lack of sophistication.

The Use of Aerosolized Ribavirin in Respiratory Syncytial Virus Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Adult Immunocompromised Patients: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)–associated lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a concern in immunocompromised patients. Aerosolized ribavirin (RBV AER) is used for treatment of RSV LRTI; however, adverse events and rising drug costs remain a challenge for patient management. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the efficacy and adverse event profile of RBV AER for the treatment of hospitalized RSV LRTI in immunocompromised adult patients. Methods: A Medline/PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Cochrane Library database search was conducted from 1966 to January 2019 for the use of RBV AER. Search strategy: [(ribavirin OR ICN1229) AND (“administration, oral” OR “oral” OR “administration, inhalation” OR “inhalation)] AND (“respiratory tract infection” OR “pneumonia”). Studies were reviewed if adult patients were hospitalized, immunocompromised, had RSV LRTI, received RBV AER, and included the outcome of mortality and/or adverse reactions. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration GRADE approach. Results: A total of 1787 records were identified and 15 articles met inclusion criteria: hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT)/bone marrow transplant (n = 8), other malignancy/neutropenic (n = 2), solid organ transplant (n = 5). All of the trials are observational with a low quality rating; therefore, a meta-analysis was not performed. The 30-day mortality in studies that contain \u3e10 patients with HSCT, malignancy, and transplant range from 0 to 15.4%, 6.3%, and 0 to 27%, respectively. Improved mortality was cited in 4 studies when RBV AER started before mechanical ventilation or within 2 weeks of symptom onset. Only 3 studies had comparative mortality data with RBV AER and RBV PO. Adverse reactions were reported in 5 studies and included psychiatric manifestations (anxiety, depression, feeling of isolation; n = 14), wheezing/bronchospasm (n = 6), snowflakes/hail blowing in face (n = 6), and precipitation in ventilator tubing (n = 5). Conclusion: There is a lack of high quality, comparative trials on the use of RBV AER for the treatment of RSV LRTI in adult hospitalized immunocompromised patients. There may be a mortality benefit when RBV AER is initiated early after diagnosis or prior to mechanical ventilation, but requires further study. Patient isolation and psychological effects must be weighed against the benefit of therapy

A comparison of risk-based capital and risk-based deposit insurance

A comparison of alternative bank regulatory proposals for controlling the level of bank risk, using a model based on six FDIC variables for predicting bank failure or loss.Risk ; Capital

A Green's function approach to the natural vibration of thin spherical shell segments - A numerical method Final report

Green function approach to natural vibration of thin spherical shell segment