Near-Optimal Evasion of Convex-Inducing Classifiers

Classifiers are often used to detect miscreant activities. We study how an adversary can efficiently query a classifier to elicit information that allows the adversary to evade detection at near-minimal cost. We generalize results of Lowd and Meek (2005) to convex-inducing classifiers. We present algorithms that construct undetected instances of near-minimal cost using only polynomially many queries in the dimension of the space and without reverse engineering the decision boundary.Comment: 8 pages; to appear at AISTATS'201

Artificial intelligence for drug response prediction in disease models

Non peer reviewe

SmartTrack: Efficient Predictive Race Detection

Widely used data race detectors, including the state-of-the-art FastTrack algorithm, incur performance costs that are acceptable for regular in-house testing, but miss races detectable from the analyzed execution. Predictive analyses detect more data races in an analyzed execution than FastTrack detects, but at significantly higher performance cost. This paper presents SmartTrack, an algorithm that optimizes predictive race detection analyses, including two analyses from prior work and a new analysis introduced in this paper. SmartTrack's algorithm incorporates two main optimizations: (1) epoch and ownership optimizations from prior work, applied to predictive analysis for the first time; and (2) novel conflicting critical section optimizations introduced by this paper. Our evaluation shows that SmartTrack achieves performance competitive with FastTrack-a qualitative improvement in the state of the art for data race detection.Comment: Extended arXiv version of PLDI 2020 paper (adds Appendices A-E) #228 SmartTrack: Efficient Predictive Race Detectio

Gradual Enhancement of Stripe-Type Antiferromagnetism in Spin Ladder Material BaFe2_2S3_3 Under Pressure

We report pressure-dependent neutron diffraction and muon spin relaxation/rotation measurements combined with first-principles calculations to investigate the structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of BaFe$_2$S$_3$ under pressure. The experimental results reveal a gradual enhancement of the stripe-type ordering temperature with increasing pressure up to 2.6 GPa and no observable change in the size of the ordered moment. The ab initio calculations suggest that the magnetism is highly sensitive to the Fe-S bond lengths and angles, clarifying discrepancies with previously published results. In contrast to our experimental observations, the calculations predict a monotonic reduction of the ordered moment with pressure. We suggest that the robustness of the stripe-type antiferromagnetism is due to strong electron correlations not fully considered in the calculations

More Similarities Than Differences? An Exploratory Analysis Comparing the Sexual Complaints, Sexual Experiences, and Genitourinary Health of Older Sexual Minority and Sexual Majority Adults.

BackgroundLittle is known about sexual problems and genitourinary health of older sexual minority adults, who comprise up to 4% of the adult population but may differ in experiences of genitourinary aging, given known health disparities and behavior differences.AimTo examine and compare genitourinary and sexual complaints among older sexual minority and sexual majority adults.MethodsWe analyzed data from the 2010-2011 National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a nationally representative sample of older community-dwelling U.S. adults. Sexual minority men were defined as those who have sex with men or with both women and men. Sexual minority women were those who have sex with women or with both women and men. Descriptive statistics, weighted frequencies, and the chi-square test were used to compare outcomes by sexual orientation group and gender.Main outcome measuresStructured questionnaires examined sexual activity, practices, and genitourinary problems such as erectile dysfunction, insufficient vaginal lubrication, and urinary incontinence (UI).ResultsOf 2,813 participants (median age 69.6 years), 4.2% were sexual minorities (5.3% of men, 3.5% of women). Among men, sexual minorities were more likely to report UI (35.6% vs 21.8%; P = .029), but otherwise the 2 groups had similar prevalences of other urinary symptoms, importance of sexual activity, sexual practices, sexual activity within the last 3 months, and erectile difficulty (P > .10 for all). Among women, sexual minorities were more likely to report receiving oral sex (42.5% vs. 21.2%; P = .004), but otherwise the 2 groups had similar prevalences of UI, other urinary symptoms, importance of sexual activity, sexual activity within the last 3 months, and difficulty with lubrication (P > .10 for all).Clinical implicationsSexual activity and sexual problems may be as common among older sexual minority adults as in their sexual majority counterparts, whereas UI may be more common in sexual minority men compared with sexual majority men. Therefore, clinicians should employ culturally-relevant health screening, diagnosis, and treatment to ensure reaching all adults regardless of sexual orientation.Strengths & limitationsStrengths include a national population-based sample of older adults that describes sexual and genitourinary health. Statistical power was limited by the small numbers of sexual minority individuals.ConclusionHere we provide new evidence that older sexual minority men may experience UI more often than sexual majority men, and that sexual practices may differ between sexual minority and majority women, but frequency of sexual problems is similar. Given the challenges faced by sexual minority individuals in accessing equitable health care, clinicians must ensure that diagnosis and treatment are relevant to people of all sexual orientations. Obedin-Maliver J, Lisha N, Breyer BN. More Similarities Than Differences? An Exploratory Analysis Comparing the Sexual Complaints, Sexual Experiences, and Genitourinary Health of Older Sexual Minority and Sexual Majority Adults. J Sex Med 2019;16:347-350