Dynamics and zeta functions on conformally compact manifolds

In this note, we study the dynamics and associated zeta functions of conformally compact manifolds with variable negative sectional curvatures. We begin with a discussion of a larger class of manifolds known as convex co-compact manifolds with variable negative curvature. Applying results from dynamics on these spaces, we obtain optimal meromorphic extensions of weighted dynamical zeta functions and asymptotic counting estimates for the number of weighted closed geodesics. A meromorphic extension of the standard dynamical zeta function and the prime orbit theorem follow as corollaries. Finally, we investigate interactions between the dynamics and spectral theory of these spaces

Stemming the Tide: Strategies to Reduce the Growth and Cut the Cost of the Federal Prison System

The federal prison population has escalated from under 25,000 inmates in 1980 to over 219,000 today. This growth has come at great expense to taxpayers and other important fiscal priorities. As policymakers consider the array of options to stem the tide of inmates, our research concludes that a combination of strategies is the best way to make a real impact. In this report, we evaluate various policy options for cutting the size and costs of the burgeoning federal prison system

A Review of the Impact of Age and Sex on the Diagnosis of ADHD

The purpose of this project is to review the literature on the diagnosis of ADHD. Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been around for over 100 years, there are often difficulties in diagnosing children who have this disorder. Even though ADHD can affect all types of people, research into ADHD has largely been focused on symptoms seen primarily in young boys. This, it will be argued, has created a “stereotype” of those who have ADHD which precludes many with this disorder from being diagnosed. This inequality in the attention given to boys rather than girls or adults is because, in most cases, it is only the boys that are hyperactive. The hyperactive and combined types of ADHD are easily noticeable compared to the inattentive type. Girls suffering from the inattentive type of ADHD typically carry these symptoms undiagnosed into adulthood, potentially resulting in negative consequences. Similarly, adults that have missed diagnosis as a child can have lingering effects. In the last decade, more has been done to adequately diagnose and treat all children and adults. Accurate diagnosis of ADHD is critical to treating those who have it

Accelerating delayed-acceptance Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms

Delayed-acceptance Markov chain Monte Carlo (DA-MCMC) samples from a probability distribution via a two-stages version of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, by combining the target distribution with a "surrogate" (i.e. an approximate and computationally cheaper version) of said distribution. DA-MCMC accelerates MCMC sampling in complex applications, while still targeting the exact distribution. We design a computationally faster, albeit approximate, DA-MCMC algorithm. We consider parameter inference in a Bayesian setting where a surrogate likelihood function is introduced in the delayed-acceptance scheme. When the evaluation of the likelihood function is computationally intensive, our scheme produces a 2-4 times speed-up, compared to standard DA-MCMC. However, the acceleration is highly problem dependent. Inference results for the standard delayed-acceptance algorithm and our approximated version are similar, indicating that our algorithm can return reliable Bayesian inference. As a computationally intensive case study, we introduce a novel stochastic differential equation model for protein folding data.Comment: 40 pages, 21 figures, 10 table

Application of genetics and genomics to wildlife epidemiology

Wildlife diseases can have significant impacts on wildlife conservation and management. Many of the pathogens that affect wildlife also have important implications for domestic animal and human health. However, management interventions to prevent or control wildlife disease are hampered by uncertainties about the complex interactions between pathogens and free-ranging wildlife. We often lack crucial knowledge about host ecology, pathogen characteristics, and host–pathogen dynamics. The purpose of this review is to familiarize wildlife biologists and managers with the application of genetic and genomic methodologies for investigating pathogen and host biology to better understand and manage wildlife diseases. The genesis of this review was a symposium at the 2013 annual Wildlife Society Conference. We reviewed the scientific literature and used our personal experiences to identify studies that illustrate the application of genetic and genomic methods to advance our understanding of wildlife epidemiology, focusing on recent research, new techniques, and innovative approaches. Using examples from a variety of pathogen types and a broad array of vertebrate taxa, we describe how genetics and genomics can provide tools to detect and characterize pathogens, uncover routes of disease transmission and spread, shed light on the ways that disease susceptibility is influenced by both host and pathogen attributes, and elucidate the impacts of disease on wildlife populations. Genetic and increasingly genomic methodologies will continue to contribute important insights into pathogen and host biology that will aid efforts to assess and mitigate the impacts of wildlife diseases on global health and conservation of biodiversity

Illinois State of Homelessness 2022

An estimated 65,611 people were experiencing homelessness in Chicago in 2020. This in-depth analysis includes sheltered, unsheltered, and people temporarily staying with others, and it is a 7,338-person increase (+12.6%) from 2019, immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fewer Chicagoans experienced sheltered and unsheltered homelessness, but Chicago saw a large spike (+20%) in people temporarily staying with others (or "doubling up").

Confidence amongst multidisciplinary professionals in managing paediatric rheumatic disease in Australia

Objective. Interprofessional collaboration is a crucial component of care for children with rheumatic disease. Interprofessional care, when delivered appropriately, prevents disability and improves long-term prognosis in this vulnerable group. Methods. The aim of this survey was to explore allied health professionals’ and nurses’ confidence in treating paediatric rheumatology patients. Results. Overall, 117 participants were recruited, 77.9% of participants reported being “not confident at all,” “not confident,” or “neutral” in treating children with rheumatic diseases (RD) despite 65.1% of participants reporting having treated >1 paediatric rheumatology case in the past month. Furthermore, 67.2% of participants felt their undergraduate education in paediatric rheumatology was inadequate. “Journals” or “texts books” were used by 49.3% of participants as their primary source of continuing professional development (CPD) and 39.3% of participants indicated that they did not undertake any CPD related to paediatric rheumatology. Small group and online education were perceived to be potentially of “great benefit” for CPD. Conclusion. This paper highlights allied health professionals’ and nurses’ perceived inadequacy of their undergraduate education in paediatric RD and their low confidence in recognising and treating RD. Undergraduate and postgraduate education opportunities focusing on interprofessional collaboration should be developed to address this workforce deficiency