524 research outputs found
Multi-level higher order QMC Galerkin discretization for affine parametric operator equations
We develop a convergence analysis of a multi-level algorithm combining higher
order quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) quadratures with general Petrov-Galerkin
discretizations of countably affine parametric operator equations of elliptic
and parabolic type, extending both the multi-level first order analysis in
[\emph{F.Y.~Kuo, Ch.~Schwab, and I.H.~Sloan, Multi-level quasi-Monte Carlo
finite element methods for a class of elliptic partial differential equations
with random coefficient} (in review)] and the single level higher order
analysis in [\emph{J.~Dick, F.Y.~Kuo, Q.T.~Le~Gia, D.~Nuyens, and Ch.~Schwab,
Higher order QMC Galerkin discretization for parametric operator equations} (in
review)]. We cover, in particular, both definite as well as indefinite,
strongly elliptic systems of partial differential equations (PDEs) in
non-smooth domains, and discuss in detail the impact of higher order
derivatives of {\KL} eigenfunctions in the parametrization of random PDE inputs
on the convergence results. Based on our \emph{a-priori} error bounds, concrete
choices of algorithm parameters are proposed in order to achieve a prescribed
accuracy under minimal computational work. Problem classes and sufficient
conditions on data are identified where multi-level higher order QMC
Petrov-Galerkin algorithms outperform the corresponding single level versions
of these algorithms. Numerical experiments confirm the theoretical results
Hot new directions for quasi-Monte Carlo research in step with applications
This article provides an overview of some interfaces between the theory of
quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) methods and applications. We summarize three QMC
theoretical settings: first order QMC methods in the unit cube and in
, and higher order QMC methods in the unit cube. One important
feature is that their error bounds can be independent of the dimension
under appropriate conditions on the function spaces. Another important feature
is that good parameters for these QMC methods can be obtained by fast efficient
algorithms even when is large. We outline three different applications and
explain how they can tap into the different QMC theory. We also discuss three
cost saving strategies that can be combined with QMC in these applications.
Many of these recent QMC theory and methods are developed not in isolation, but
in close connection with applications
Application of quasi-Monte Carlo methods to PDEs with random coefficients -- an overview and tutorial
This article provides a high-level overview of some recent works on the
application of quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) methods to PDEs with random
coefficients. It is based on an in-depth survey of a similar title by the same
authors, with an accompanying software package which is also briefly discussed
here. Embedded in this article is a step-by-step tutorial of the required
analysis for the setting known as the uniform case with first order QMC rules.
The aim of this article is to provide an easy entry point for QMC experts
wanting to start research in this direction and for PDE analysts and
practitioners wanting to tap into contemporary QMC theory and methods.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1606.0661
Fast QMC matrix-vector multiplication
Quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) rules
can be used to approximate integrals of the form , where is a matrix and
is row vector. This type of integral arises for example from
the simulation of a normal distribution with a general covariance matrix, from
the approximation of the expectation value of solutions of PDEs with random
coefficients, or from applications from statistics. In this paper we design QMC
quadrature points
such that for the matrix whose rows are the quadrature points, one can
use the fast Fourier transform to compute the matrix-vector product , , in operations and at most extra additions. The proposed method can be
applied to lattice rules, polynomial lattice rules and a certain type of
Korobov -set.
The approach is illustrated computationally by three numerical experiments.
The first test considers the generation of points with normal distribution and
general covariance matrix, the second test applies QMC to high-dimensional,
affine-parametric, elliptic partial differential equations with uniformly
distributed random coefficients, and the third test addresses Finite-Element
discretizations of elliptic partial differential equations with
high-dimensional, log-normal random input data. All numerical tests show a
significant speed-up of the computation times of the fast QMC matrix method
compared to a conventional implementation as the dimension becomes large
The future of returning genetic test results for psychiatric conditions
Background: Genome-wide association studies are rapidly advancing our understanding of the genetic architecture of complex psychiatric conditions. In order to use findings from these studies for enhanced clinical prediction, we need to gain a better understanding of the issues surrounding the return of complex genetic results.
Methods: We review the current literature on genetic literacy in the population, the public’s interest in receiving genetic test results for psychiatric conditions, how individuals react to and interpret their genetic results for psychiatric conditions, and gaps in our knowledge that will be critical to address before returning genetic results for psychiatric conditions.
Results: We find that in hypothetical scenarios genetic test results indicating increased risk for a psychiatric condition lowers an individual’s confidence to control behavior, reduces self-agency, and negatively impacts affect. Individuals may believe that a change in behavior is important, but there is little evidence that genetic test results indicating increased risk for a psychiatric condition are associated with behavior change. The negative impact of results indicating an increased risk may stem from common misconceptions of complex disorders that exist in approximately 25% to 35% of individuals studied.
Conclusions: Individuals with these misunderstandings about the role of genetic factors in complex disorders may have a belief in genetic determinism, the idea that behaviors and characteristics are determined solely by one’s genetic information. Regardless of one’s genetic knowledge, a majority of people are interested in receiving genetic feedback for psychiatric conditions, highlighting a need for effective communication of these genetic test results.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1069/thumbnail.jp
Successive Coordinate Search and Component-by-Component Construction of Rank-1 Lattice Rules
The (fast) component-by-component (CBC) algorithm is an efficient tool for
the construction of generating vectors for quasi-Monte Carlo rank-1 lattice
rules in weighted reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. We consider product
weights, which assigns a weight to each dimension. These weights encode the
effect a certain variable (or a group of variables by the product of the
individual weights) has. Smaller weights indicate less importance. Kuo (2003)
proved that the CBC algorithm achieves the optimal rate of convergence in the
respective function spaces, but this does not imply the algorithm will find the
generating vector with the smallest worst-case error. In fact it does not. We
investigate a generalization of the component-by-component construction that
allows for a general successive coordinate search (SCS), based on an initial
generating vector, and with the aim of getting closer to the smallest
worst-case error. The proposed method admits the same type of worst-case error
bounds as the CBC algorithm, independent of the choice of the initial vector.
Under the same summability conditions on the weights as in [Kuo,2003] the error
bound of the algorithm can be made independent of the dimension and we
achieve the same optimal order of convergence for the function spaces from
[Kuo,2003]. Moreover, a fast version of our method, based on the fast CBC
algorithm by Nuyens and Cools, is available, reducing the computational cost of
the algorithm to operations, where denotes the number
of function evaluations. Numerical experiments seeded by a Korobov-type
generating vector show that the new SCS algorithm will find better choices than
the CBC algorithm and the effect is better when the weights decay slower.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure, MCQMC2016 conference (Stanford
Cardiac Arrest from Postpartum Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection
<p>We present the case of a 32-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with a witnessed cardiac arrest. She was otherwise healthy with no cardiac risk factors and had undergone an uneventful repeated cesarean section 3 days priorly. The patient underwent defibrillation, out of ventricular fibrillation to a perfusing sinus rhythm, and was taken to the catheterization laboratory where coronary angiography findings showed spontaneous dissection of the left anterior descending artery. The patient received a total of 6 stents during her hospital stay and was eventually discharged in good condition. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare entity with a predilection for pregnant or postpartum women. Early diagnosis and treatment are key for survival, and when identified early, mortality is good. [West J Emerg Med. 2011;12(4):567–570.]</p
Illness Severity among Non-English, Non-Spanish Speaking Patients in a Public Emergency Department
Background: Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) have poor health outcomes compared to English proficient patients. Most studies on language proficiency and health disparities focus on Spanish.
Objective: This study examines whether non-Spanish speaking LEP patients experience greater disparities than Spanish speaking LEP patients by comparing disease acuity and language proficiency in an emergency department.
Design: This is a retrospective case-control study from November 2010 to February 2012 comparing differences between non-English non-Spanish (NENS) speaking patients to English speaking patients with differences between Spanish speaking and English speaking patients.
Main outcomes: Primary endpoints include the emergency severity index (ESI) score, area of triage, days in hospital, and the rates of admission, in-hospital surgery, intensive care unit admission, and all-cause mortality.
Results: Among all of the study patients, the average age was 55.1 (+/- 12.4). Comparing the NENS sample to the English sample yielded differences in surgery rates (NENS 11.3%, English 1.9%, p=0.002), admission rates (NENS 38.8%, English 24.7%, p=0.025), and days in hospital (NENS 2.49 +/-5.43, English 1.93+/-8.56, p
Conclusions and relevance: We were able to demonstrate greater healthcare needs among NENS patients compared to the other two groups. The NENS patients were more likely to be admitted, have surgery, and stay longer than those speaking English or Spanish. These findings are important because they suggest further research, awareness of these disparities by healthcare providers, and public health interventions focusing on this population are warranted
Use of Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Spanish Adults (SAHLSA-50) to Determine the Health Literacy Rate of the Spanish-speaking Population in an Urban Emergency Department
Background: The Hispanic population presents a great opportunity in terms of potential improvements in clinical outcomes and cost reduction for interventions through assessing and improving health literacy. While there are various tools to assess health literacy, many do not assess comprehensive Spanish health literacy.
Objectives: We sought to determine the health literacy rate of our Spanish-speaking population in the ED using the SAHLSA-50 tool.
Methods: We surveyed a convenience sample of 300 patients from October to November 2012 that presented to our busy, high volume, urban ED. All subjects completed the SAHLSA-50 tool and demographic form with Spanish-speaking research assistants.
Results: 63.3% were women. 8% were age 18-25, 42% were 26-40, 45% were 41-65, and 5% were 65+. 11% had less than 3 years of school, 30% had 4-6 years of school, and 59% had at least 7 years of school. Overall, 83% respondents were health literate. Those with less than 3 years of school were95% in those with 7 or more years of school. The elderly (65+) reported least years of school completed and had the lowest health literacy (56.3%).
Conclusions: There was an overall health literacy rate of 83.0%. Importantly, those with lower levels of education and elderly patients were more likely to not be health literate. As a next step, targeting those with less education and the elder within the Hispanic population may yield the most impact for improving health literacy and outcomes
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