Preference Identification

An experimenter seeks to learn a subject's preference relation. The experimenter produces pairs of alternatives. For each pair, the subject is asked to choose. We argue that, in general, large but finite data do not give close approximations of the subject's preference, even when countably infinite many data points are enough to infer the preference perfectly. We then provide sufficient conditions on the set of alternatives, preferences, and sequences of pairs so that the observation of finitely many choices allows the experimenter to learn the subject's preference with arbitrary precision. The sufficient conditions are strong, but encompass many situations of interest. And while preferences are approximated, we show that it is harder to identify utility functions. We illustrate our results with several examples, including expected utility, and preferences in the Anscombe-Aumann model

Forming Disc Galaxies in Major Mergers: Radial Density Profiles and Angular Momentum

In Athanassoula et al. (2016), we used high resolution N-body hydrodynamical simulations to model the major merger between two disc galaxies with a hot gaseous halo each, and showed that the remnant is a spiral galaxy. The two discs are destroyed by the collision, but after the merger, accretion from the surrounding gaseous halo allows the building of a new disc in the remnant galaxy. In Peschken et al. (2017), we used these simulations to study the radial surface density profiles of the remnant galaxies with downbending profiles (type II), i.e. composed of an inner and an outer exponential disc separated by a break. We analyzed the effect of angular momentum on these profiles, and found that the inner and outer disc scalelengths, as well as the break radius, all increase linearly with the total angular momentum of the initial merging system. Following the angular momentum redistribution in our simulations, we find that the disc angular momentum is acquired via accretion from the gaseous halo. Furthermore, high angular momentum systems give more angular momentum to their discs, which affects directly their radial density profile

LocalControl: An R Package for Comparative Safety and Effectiveness Research

The LocalControl R package implements novel approaches to address biases and confounding when comparing treatments or exposures in observational studies of outcomes. While designed and appropriate for use in comparative safety and effectiveness research involving medicine and the life sciences, the package can be used in other situations involving outcomes with multiple confounders. LocalControl is an open-source tool for researchers whose aim is to generate high quality evidence using observational data. The package implements a family of methods for non-parametric bias correction when comparing treatments in observational studies, including survival analysis settings, where competing risks and/or censoring may be present. The approach extends to bias-corrected personalized predictions of treatment outcome differences, and analysis of heterogeneity of treatment effect-sizes across patient subgroups

Exercise Blood Pressures Are Lower After Aquatic Compared To Land Treadmill Training

Exercise blood pressures are lower after aquatic compared to land treadmill training Alex T. Carradine1, Brad S. Lambert1, Nicolas P. Greene2, Travis W. Constanzo1, Steven E. Martin1, Stephen F. Crouse (FACSM)1. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. 2University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. Traditional treadmill training has been shown to moderately decrease exercise blood pressures but the degree to which aquatic running alters exercise blood pressures has not been fully investigated. PURPOSE: To compare the exercise blood pressure responses after land treadmill (LTM) training to an equivalent volume of aquatic treadmill training (ATM). METHODS: We tested blood pressure responses to the Bruce treadmill protocol PRE and POST 12-wks of matched volume training on LTM (n= 9♂,13♀, age=43±3 yrs, weight=88.1±3.6 kg) or ATM (n=18♂, 17♀, age=45±2 yrs, weight=90.6±3.0 kg). Systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were analyzed using a 2 (ATM or LTM) x 2 (PRE & POST) ANOVA repeated for the training time at rest, 3 stages of the exercise protocol, and 1 and 5 minutes of recovery; Tukey\u27s post hoc tests were used as follow-up for significant interactions, α=0.05. RESULTS: VO2max increased significantly 11-15% with training in both groups. Significant training changes for MAP shown in Table (mmHg, mean±SE); SBP and PP paralleled these results. Significance remained after covarying for BMI, %body fat, and age. GROUP (TIME) STG 1 STG 2 PEAK REC 1 REC 5 ATM (PRE) 105.9 ±1.9 112.3 ±2.1 115.2 ±1.8 111.4 ±1.9 99.7 ±2.3 ATM (POST) 99.8 ±1.5* 104.1 ±1.2* 110.4 ±1.3* 105.9 ±1.3* 93.6 ±1.3* LTM (PRE) 105.1 ±1.9 110.1 ±1.8 113.9 ±1.3 111.1 ±1.7 99.6 ±2.1 LTM (POST) 103.0 ±1.9 106.8 ±2.1 112.1 ±1.5 110.8 ±1.7 101.4 ±2.5 * = Within group by time (p\u3c0.05). Bruce Protocol Stage (STG) 1, 2, Peak; Recovery (REC) 1,5 minutes CONCLUSION: ATM significantly reduces exercise blood pressures. These data suggest ATM may provide a superior benefit over LTM for promoting said reduction

Power laws in microrheology experiments on living cells: comparative analysis and modelling

We compare and synthesize the results of two microrheological experiments on the cytoskeleton of single cells. In the first one, the creep function J(t) of a cell stretched between two glass plates is measured after applying a constant force step. In the second one, a micrometric bead specifically bound to transmembrane receptors is driven by an oscillating optical trap, and the viscoelastic coefficient $G_e(\omega)$ is retrieved. Both $J(t)$ and $G_e(\omega)$ exhibit power law behavior: $J(t)= A(t/t_0)^\alpha$ and $\bar G_e(\omega)\bar = G_0 (\omega/\omega_0)^\alpha$, with the same exponent $\alpha\approx 0.2$. This power law behavior is very robust ; $\alpha$ is distributed over a narrow range, and shows almost no dependance on the cell type, on the nature of the protein complex which transmits the mechanical stress, nor on the typical length scale of the experiment. On the contrary, the prefactors $A_0$ and $G_0$appear very sensitive to these parameters. Whereas the exponents $\alpha$ are normally distributed over the cell population, the prefactors $A_0$ and $G_0$ follow a log-normal repartition. These results are compared with other data published in the litterature. We propose a global interpretation, based on a semi-phenomenological model, which involves a broad distribution of relaxation times in the system. The model predicts the power law behavior and the statistical repartition of the mechanical parameters, as experimentally observed for the cells. Moreover, it leads to an estimate of the largest response time in the cytoskeletal network: $\tau_m \approx 1000$ s.Comment: 47 pages, 14 figures // v2: PDF file is now Acrobat Reader 4 (and up) compatible // v3: Minor typos corrected - The presentation of the model have been substantially rewritten (p. 17-18), in order to give more details - Enhanced description of protocols // v4: Minor corrections in the text : the immersion angles are estimated and not measured // v5: Minor typos corrected. Two references were clarifie

Observation of interstellar lithium in the low-metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud

The primordial abundances of light elements produced in the standard theory of Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) depend only on the cosmic ratio of baryons to photons, a quantity inferred from observations of the microwave background. The predicted primordial 7Li abundance is four times that measured in the atmospheres of Galactic halo stars. This discrepancy could be caused by modification of surface lithium abundances during the stars' lifetimes or by physics beyond the Standard Model that affects early nucleosynthesis. The lithium abundance of low-metallicity gas provides an alternative constraint on the primordial abundance and cosmic evolution of lithium that is not susceptible to the in situ modifications that may affect stellar atmospheres. Here we report observations of interstellar 7Li in the low-metallicity gas of the Small Magellanic Cloud, a nearby galaxy with a quarter the Sun's metallicity. The present-day 7Li abundance of the Small Magellanic Cloud is nearly equal to the BBN predictions, severely constraining the amount of possible subsequent enrichment of the gas by stellar and cosmic-ray nucleosynthesis. Our measurements can be reconciled with standard BBN with an extremely fine-tuned depletion of stellar Li with metallicity. They are also consistent with non-standard BBN.Comment: Published in Nature. Includes main text and Supplementary Information. Replaced with final title and abstrac

2020-04-17/18 DAILY UNM GLOBAL HEALTH COVID-19 BRIEFING

Executive Summary: Daily NM Recap. Stimulus checks. Whitehouse reopening guidelines. Increased suicide calls. Commentary on COVID and African Americans. NYC ventilation rate. 300K African deaths predicted. Thai horse virus outbreak. Europe eases lockdown. UK vaccine research. Chinese death undercount. Biosafety breaches. General wearing of masks. PPE for emergency physician. FDA approves safer swabs. Mental health lockdown impact. Intermittent social distancing. Undetected US cases. NYC hospitalization characteristics. Adapting veterinary surveillance. Infectious disease” hospital. NIH vaccine and treatment partnership. Repurposing anesthetic machines as ventilators. Guidance for psychiatrists. Elective surgery risk stratification. Hemodialysis facility. Pathologist on IgG/M tests. Abnormal coagulation and ECMO. Paramedic guidance. Dialysis and transplants. Critically ill management. GI guidance. Otorhinolaryngology head & neck surgery. Emergency nursing management. Lung surgery. Metabolic & bariatric surgery. Convalescent plasma therapy effectiveness. Potential antivirals. UK testing. Spike proteins for potential vaccine. Cytokines suggest IL-6 antagonist treatments. Mental health messaging. $483 million for mRNA-1273 vaccine trial. WHO unsure about antibody protection. Complications for IBD. Hospitalizations characterized. Social distancing and personality. Digital COVID-19 literature database available