Noise Sensitivity of the Minimum Spanning Tree of the Complete Graph

We study the noise sensitivity of the minimum spanning tree (MST) of the $n$-vertex complete graph when edges are assigned independent random weights. It is known that when the graph distance is rescaled by $n^{1/3}$ and vertices are given a uniform measure, the MST converges in distribution in the Gromov-Hausdorff-Prokhorov (GHP) topology. We prove that if the weight of each edge is resampled independently with probability $\varepsilon\gg n^{-1/3}$, then the pair of rescaled minimum spanning trees, before and after the noise, converges in distribution to independent random spaces. Conversely, if $\varepsilon\ll n^{-1/3}$, the GHP distance between the rescaled trees goes to $0$ in probability. This implies the noise sensitivity and stability for every property of the MST seen in the scaling limit, e.g., whether the diameter exceeds its median. The noise threshold of $n^{-1/3}$ coincides with the critical window of the Erd\H{o}s-R\'enyi random graphs. In fact, these results follow from an analog theorem we prove regarding the minimum spanning forest of critical random graphs

Advancing group epistemic practices in the resolution of interdisciplinary societal dilemmas

The present paper inquires whether a meticulous program designed to resolve Interdisciplinary Societal Dilemmas through dialogic argumentation advances epistemic practices. To delineate how epistemic practices are manifested in classroom discussions, we adopted the Actor-Network Theory (ANT), which explores the interactions and agencies of human and non-human actors. ANT analyses uncover the power these actors exert on each other and help recognize the networks that these actors create or dissolve. They also delineate how epistemic practices emerge and are shaped in these networks. We identified four epistemic practices in the discussions: (1) taking a reasoned position, (2) integrating knowledge from different disciplines, (3) weighing pros and cons before taking a complex position, and (4) role-playing in a democratic game. We show that the type of discourse developed in the program was mostly dialogic argumentation. In addition, we demonstrate how teachers often inhibit these advancements. Indeed, in the case of integrating knowledge from different disciplines, teachers’ role is central, but the emerged actors’ network is often non-dialogic. Moreover, we show how non-human actors shape the interactions in networks as well as the formation of knowledge and agency. We conclude that: (a) the design of activities for resolving interdisciplinary societal dilemmas provides many opportunities for advancing epistemic practices, (b) these practices are mostly advanced through dialogic argumentation, but (c) more efforts should be invested in affording interdisciplinary argumentation

An Approximate Bayesian Computation Approach for Modeling Genome Rearrangements

The inference of genome rearrangement events has been extensively studied, as they play a major role in molecular evolution. However, probabilistic evolutionary models that explicitly imitate the evolutionary dynamics of such events, as well as methods to infer model parameters, are yet to be fully utilized. Here, we developed a probabilistic approach to infer genome rearrangement rate parameters using an Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) framework. We developed two genome rearrangement models, a basic model, which accounts for genomic changes in gene order, and a more sophisticated one which also accounts for changes in chromosome number. We characterized the ABC inference accuracy using simulations and applied our methodology to both prokaryotic and eukaryotic empirical datasets. Knowledge of genome-rearrangement rates can help elucidate their role in evolution as well as help simulate genomes with evolutionary dynamics that reflect empirical genomes

sj-doc-1-inq-10.1177_00469580241230293 – Supplemental material for Home Versus Hospital Rehabilitation of Older Adults Following Hip Fracture Yields Similar Patient-Reported Outcome Measures

Supplemental material, sj-doc-1-inq-10.1177_00469580241230293 for Home Versus Hospital Rehabilitation of Older Adults Following Hip Fracture Yields Similar Patient-Reported Outcome Measures by Hanna S. Schroeder, Avi Israeli, Meir (Iri) Liebergall, Omer Or, Wiessam Abu Ahmed, Ora Paltiel, Dan Justo and Eyal Zimlichman in INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing</p

Environment dominates over host genetics in shaping human gut microbiota

Human gut microbiome composition is shaped by multiple factors but the relative contribution of host genetics remains elusive. Here we examine genotype and microbiome data from 1,046 healthy individuals with several distinct ancestral origins who share a relatively common environment, and demonstrate that the gut microbiome is not significantly associated with genetic ancestry, and that host genetics have a minor role in determining microbiome composition. We show that, by contrast, there are significant similarities in the compositions of the microbiomes of genetically unrelated individuals who share a household, and that over 20% of the inter-person microbiome variability is associated with factors related to diet, drugs and anthropometric measurements. We further demonstrate that microbiome data significantly improve the prediction accuracy for many human traits, such as glucose and obesity measures, compared to models that use only host genetic and environmental data. These results suggest that microbiome alterations aimed at improving clinical outcomes may be carried out across diverse genetic backgrounds