Normalized Power Prior Bayesian Analysis

The elicitation of power prior distributions is based on the availability of historical data, and is realized by raising the likelihood function of the historical data to a fractional power. However, an arbitrary positive constant before the like- lihood function of the historical data could change the inferential results when one uses the original power prior. This raises a question that which likelihood function should be used, one from raw data, or one from a su±cient-statistics. We propose a normalized power prior that can better utilize the power parameter in quantifying the heterogeneity between current and historical data. Furthermore, when the power parameter is random, the optimality of the normalized power priors is shown in the sense of maximizing Shannon's mutual information. Some comparisons between the original and the normalized power prior approaches are made and a water-quality monitoring data is used to show that the normalized power prior is more sensible.Bayesian analysis, historical data, normalized power prior, power prior, prior elicitation, Shannon's mutual information.

Urban modular farms: coupling and coordinating urban ecological fragmentation space with flexible units in Poblenou and Eixample

This research aims to identify strategies to maintain the well-being of city dwellers in the face of urban expansion and reduced agricultural acreage. The primary goals are to study the prospects of enhancing social and environmental fortitude through a comprehensive evaluation and investigation of the adaptability of modular urban farming and to identify possibilities for augmenting urban green spaces within a restricted area and forming novel approaches to green agronomy for the present day. The main research questions include: Can fragmentation of urban green spaces facilitate the development of urban agriculture by implementing agricultural models? What advancements in construction can be utilized to facilitate the integration of urban agriculture into urban areas? A holistic view is necessary to draw on knowledge and techniques from various disciplines, such as Landscape Architecture, Agricultural Technology, Ecosystem Administration, and Social Policy. Conducting research by synthesizing perspectives on these issues, this study seeks to investigate the ability of modern modular agriculture to link together disjointed urban areas. Its potential is to be utilized as an ecological mechanism to blend into urban design and improve the amount of green space, the ecological environment, and food availability for city inhabitants, thus contributing to green and sustainable city growth

A pedagogical guide for teaching diatonic modality in the college music theory curriculum

Music theory plays a central role in the education of every college music major and minor. The typical undergraduate music theory core curriculum consists of a four- or five semester sequence of courses. As a result of the emphasis on traditional tonal harmony in Western music education, these core courses concentrate almost exclusively on the major/minor scalar system while marginalizing other types of scales such as diatonic modes. Common undergraduate theory textbooks that include the introduction of modality often only list the basic modal and scalar structures without offering further analysis and application; many other textbooks do not mention the term at all. This project addresses this curricular deficiency via the development of a sequential instructional program on diatonic modality for the undergraduate music theory curriculum. Applying a comprehensive musicianship approach, the project facilitates instruction that makes conceptual connections through listening, analysis, composition, and performance. The final product includes: A firm and broad pedagogical foundation for teaching diatonic modality in the undergraduate music theory curriculum—a research- and learning-theory-based foundation that supports the construction of the detailed scope and sequence. Three instructional principles in particular provide the foundation for the curriculum: sound before symbol, spiral learning, and comprehensive musicianship. A detailed curriculum guide for teaching diatonic modality in the undergraduate music theory core curriculum with a specific focus on the first two years of theory study: fundamentals, diatonic harmony, chromatic harmony, and 20th-century music theory. This includes specific pedagogical recommendations, a comprehensive scope and sequence delineated in three curriculum mapping tables, and thorough sequenced instructional guidelines for each step in the teaching-learning process. The 24 written theory and aural skills plans were specifically designed to be integrated throughout the typical four-semester curriculum. All of the plans are strongly activity-based and built around an extensive core of modal repertoire from all style periods including contemporary pop and jazz, emphasizing the authentic connection with music throughout history. If applied effectively, the innovative curriculum in this guide has the potential to not only significantly improve the teaching and learning of diatonic modality in undergraduate music theory but also to serve as a model that may help transform the overall approach to collegiate music theory instruction.Thesis (D.A.)School of Musi

Deciphering and fine-tuning of myeloid cells in CNS demyelinating conditions

Demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS) is a characteristic of various neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica (NMO), subacute combined degeneration (SCD), tabes dorsalis (syphilitic myelopathy), and more. Although the causes vary, CNS demyelination is often associated with a significant buildup of inflammatory activated myeloid cells, mainly consisting of CNS resident microglia and infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages. On one hand, these myeloid cells can contribute to inflammation in the CNS and damage myelin, but on the other hand, they play a role in clearing myelin debris and releasing substances that facilitate myelin regeneration, a process known as remyelination. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the signals that control their specific functions and develop methods for regulating their activity. In this thesis, we investigated the role of TGF-β signaling in regulating myeloid cell function. By using cell-specific targeting mouse tools, we discovered that when the CNS lacks microglia in a specific experimental setting, where peripheral monocytes can enter the CNS and repopulate the microglia pool by transforming into microglia-like macrophages, deleting the TGF-β receptor (TGFBR2) on monocytes prevents their entry into the CNS. Furthermore, when monocyte-derived macrophages are engrafted in the CNS, the depletion of TGFBR2 causes their abnormal activation and failure to adopt a microglia-like signature, leading to spontaneous demyelination in the spinal cord and a progressive, fatal motor disease. The loss of TGF- β signaling in microglia or monocyte-derived microglia-like cells preferentially targets myelin in the dorsal column of the spinal cord, and a subpopulation of microglia closely associated with myelin loss is identified in the dorsal column. We further characterized that this microglial TGF-β signaling loss-induced disease is more severe in female and older mice and uncovered potential molecular mechanisms underlying these gender and age differences in response to the loss of TGF-β signaling. In addition to deciphering the mechanisms governing myeloid function, we also conducted translational studies aiming to provide therapeutic insights for demyelinating diseases. By using a drug screening tool and performing in vitro validation, as well as experiments in mouse models with CNS inflammation and ensuing demyelination, we confirmed the regulatory effect of topotecan, a topoisomerase 1 inhibitor, on myeloid cells, leading to improved disease outcome. We further developed a DNA nanostructure-based drug delivery system to encapsule topotecan and achieve specific targeting of TOP1 in myeloid cells, demonstrating that myeloid cell-specific inhibition of TOP1 could alleviate neuroinflammation. In the final study, within a non-inflammation-driven demyelinating context, we studied the role of TRPV1 activation in remyelination and revealed that the TRPV1 activator capsaicin could enhance microglial clearance of myelin debris following demyelination and promote remyelination. My thesis work thus provides mechanistic understanding of how myeloid cells regulate myelin health and CNS homeostasis, while also providing regulatory strategies for fine-tuning these cells

Objective Bayesian analysis for the generalized exponential distribution

In this paper, we consider objective Bayesian inference of the generalized exponential distribution using the independence Jeffreys prior and validate the propriety of the posterior distribution under a family of structured priors. We propose an efficient sampling algorithm via the generalized ratio-of-uniforms method to draw samples for making posterior inference. We carry out simulation studies to assess the finite-sample performance of the proposed Bayesian approach. Finally, a real-data application is provided for illustrative purposes.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, 2 table

Marching schemes for inverse scattering problems in waveguides with curved boundaries

A marching scheme is developed for inverse scattering problems of the Helmholtz equation in waveguides with curved boundaries. We implement a local orthogonal transform to transform the irregular waveguide in physical plane into a regular rectangle in computing plane. Then the modified Helmholtz system in computational domain is piecewise solved through a second order numerical marching scheme, and we propose a spectral projector based on the truncated local propagating eigenfunction expansion to regularize the marching scheme. In the end, the marching scheme is verified by extensive numerical experiments, and it is shown that the scheme is efficient, stable and accurate in rapidly varying waveguides with curved boundaries, even when the number of propagating modes in the main propagation direction is variable