Baron Munchhausen's lung function expertise

Baron Munchhausen's Sequence

We investigate a coin-weighing puzzle that appeared in the all-Russian Mathematics Olympiad in 2000. The methods of analysis differ from classical coin-weighing puzzles. We generalize the puzzle by varying the number of participating coins, and deduce a complete solution. Perhaps surprisingly, the objective can be achieved in no more than two weighings regardless of the number of coins involved.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERCEPTUAL EXPERTISE FOR FACES AND OBJECTS IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS By

An IRT forecasting model: linking proper scoring rules to item response theory

This article proposes an Item Response Theoretical (IRT) forecasting model that incorporates proper scoring rules and provides evaluations of forecasters’ expertise in relation to the features of the specific questions they answer. We illustrate the model using geopolitical forecasts obtained by the Good Judgment Project (GJP) (see Mellers, Ungar, Baron, Ramos, Gurcay, Fincher, Scott, Moore, At...

Do Statins Improve Lung Function in Asthmatic Patients? A Randomized and Double-Blind Trial

      There are evidences that statins have anti-inflammatory effects beyond their cholesterol lowering properties. The study was conducted to assess the effects of atorvastatin on asthma as an inflammatory disease. Patients with moderate to severe asthma were entered this randomized, double blind, crossover clinical trial. The impact of oral atorvastatin (10 mg/day) on the lung function of nor...

Speculations on the microbiology laboratory of the future.

Changes in the availability of skilled laboratory personnel, new technologies, and the financial environment will all influence the practice of diagnostic microbiology in the near and more distant future. Because of the special expertise needed for the accurate identification of anaerobic bacteria, the ability to diagnose anaerobic infections may decline as a consequence of these changes. Physi...