Large cycles and a functional central limit theorem for generalized weighted random permutations

The objects of our interest are the so-called $A$-permutations, which are permutations whose cycle length lie in a fixed set $A$. They have been extensively studied with respect to the uniform or the Ewens measure. In this paper, we extend some classical results to a more general weighted probability measure which is a natural extension of the Ewens measure and which in particular allows to consider sets $A_n$ depending on the degree $n$ of the permutation. By means of complex analysis arguments and under reasonable conditions on generating functions we study the asymptotic behaviour of classical statistics. More precisely, we generalize results concerning large cycles of random permutations by Vershik, Shmidt and Kingman, namely the weak convergence of the size ordered cycle length to a Poisson-Dirichlet distribution. Furthermore, we apply our tools to the cycle counts and obtain a Brownian motion central limit theorem which extends results by DeLaurentis, Pittel and Hansen.Comment: 24 pages, 3 Figure

The order of large random permutations with cycle weights

The order On(σ) of a permutation σ of n objects is the smallest integer k≥1 such that the k-th iterate of σ gives the identity. A remarkable result about the order of a uniformly chosen permutation is due to Erdös and Turán who proved in 1965 that logOn satisfies a central limit theorem. We extend this result to the so-called generalized Ewens measure in a previous paper. In this paper, we establish a local limit theorem as well as, under some extra moment condition, a precise large deviations estimate. These properties are new even for the uniform measure. Furthermore, we provide precise large deviations estimates for random permutations with polynomial cycle weights

Health and Safety Events for Latino Families: Collaborating to Create \u3ci\u3eEl Día de los Niños Celebración\u3c/i\u3e

Latino immigrants to rural counties within North Carolina are at an increased risk for experiencing injury, health complications, and chronic illness. This is due largely to the fact that many new immigrants arrive with limited knowledge of the health and safety risks that are present in their communities. To reduce the incidence of injury and health complications, programs must be developed to increase local awareness of these risks. This article outlines the collaborative efforts of one rural North Carolina community to develop and implement a community-based health and safety event for Latino families

Tentative Identification of Organic Compounds in the Influent and Effluent of the High Point Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant and Implications for Aquatic Toxicity

After identifying an acute toxicity problem, the North Carolina Division of Environmental Management required the High Point Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to institute periodic biomonitoring and reduce the toxicity. Here, Westside WWTP samples are analyzed using the chemical-specific approach to toxicity reduction in which potential toxicants are identified. WWTP samples determined as "toxic" or "nontoxic" by Daphnia pulex bioassay, effluents from six categories of industrial dischargers, and a domestic wastewater sample are analyzed for organic chemicals using continuous solvent extraction of wastewater samples and broad spectrum GC/MS analysis. An extensive database is developed which includes aquatic toxicity data and tentatively identified compounds in WWTP samples and industrial effluents ranked according to their potential for contribution to toxicity. The study suggests that many compounds found in Westside WWTP influent and effluent are of industrial origin since they occur inboth industrial samples and Westside WWTP samples. Treatment does not remove some organic compounds exhibiting significant toxicity to aquatic organisms and shown to be present in "toxic" effluents and industrial samples. Toxicity of Westside WWTP influent and effluent may be caused by a variety of industrial organic compounds in concentrations that alone would not be sufficient to produce a toxic effect but, because they may all produce toxicity by the same mechanism (narcosis) and thus may exhibit concentration addition, together produce a toxic effect. Recommendations for further analyses include confirmation of identifications using additional mass spectral techniques and determination of estimated or empirical aquatic toxicities.Master of Science in Public Healt

Total variation distance and the Erdős-Turán law for random permutations with polynomially growing cycle weights

We study the model of random permutations of $n$ objects with polynomially growing cycle weights, which was recently considered by Ercolani and Ueltschi, among others. Using saddle-point analysis, we prove that the total variation distance between the process which counts the cycles of size $1, 2, ..., b$ and a process $(Z_1, Z_2, ..., Z_b)$ of independent Poisson random variables converges to $0$ if and only if $b=o(\ell)$ where $\ell$ denotes the length of a typical cycle in this model. By means of this result, we prove a central limit theorem for the order of a permutation and thus extend the Erd\H{o}s-Tur\'an Law to this measure. Furthermore, we prove a Brownian motion limit theorem for the small cycles

The \u3ci\u3ePesticides and Farmworker Health Toolkit\u3c/i\u3e: An Innovative Model for Developing an Evidence-Informed Program for a Low-Literacy, Latino Immigrant Audience

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers are typically Spanish-speaking, Latino immigrants with limited formal education and low literacy skills and, as such, are a vulnerable population. We describe the development of the Pesticides and Farmworker Health Toolkit, a pesticide safety and health curriculum designed to communicate to farmworkers pesticide hazards found in their working environments. Using evidence-informed principles, the Toolkit curriculum for low-literacy, Latino farmworkers and its developmental process described herein serve as an innovative and useful model for Extension programming with non-traditional audiences

High cell density cultivation and recombinant protein production with Escherichia coli in a rocking-motion-type bioreactor

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Single-use rocking-motion-type bag bioreactors provide advantages compared to standard stirred tank bioreactors by decreased contamination risks, reduction of cleaning and sterilization time, lower investment costs, and simple and cheaper validation. Currently, they are widely used for cell cultures although their use for small and medium scale production of recombinant proteins with microbial hosts might be very attractive. However, the utilization of rocking- or wave-induced motion-type bioreactors for fast growing aerobic microbes is limited because of their lower oxygen mass transfer rate. A conventional approach to reduce the oxygen demand of a culture is the fed-batch technology. New developments, such as the BIOSTAT^®CultiBag RM system pave the way for applying advanced fed-batch control strategies also in rocking-motion-type bioreactors. Alternatively, internal substrate delivery systems such as EnBase^®Flo provide an opportunity for adopting simple to use fed-batch-type strategies to shaken cultures. Here, we investigate the possibilities which both strategies offer in view of high cell density cultivation of <it>E. coli </it>and recombinant protein production.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Cultivation of <it>E. coli </it>in the BIOSTAT^®CultiBag RM system in a conventional batch mode without control yielded an optical density (OD₆₀₀) of 3 to 4 which is comparable to shake flasks. The culture runs into oxygen limitation. In a glucose limited fed-batch culture with an exponential feed and oxygen pulsing, the culture grew fully aerobically to an OD₆₀₀of 60 (20 g L^-1cell dry weight). By the use of an internal controlled glucose delivery system, EnBase^®Flo, OD₆₀₀of 30 (10 g L^-1cell dry weight) is obtained without the demand of computer controlled external nutrient supply. EnBase^®Flo also worked well in the CultiBag RM system with a recombinant <it>E. coli </it>RB791 strain expressing a heterologous alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to very high levels, indicating that the enzyme based feed supply strategy functions well for recombinant protein production also in a rocking-motion-type bioreactor.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Rocking-motion-type bioreactors may provide an interesting alternative to standard cultivation in bioreactors for cultivation of bacteria and recombinant protein production. The BIOSTAT^®Cultibag RM system with the single-use sensors and advanced control system paves the way for the fed-batch technology also to rocking-motion-type bioreactors. It is possible to reach cell densities which are far above shake flasks and typical for stirred tank reactors with the improved oxygen transfer rate. For more simple applications the EnBase^®Flo method offers an easy and robust solution for rocking-motion-systems which do not have such advanced control possibilities.</p

User involvement in adolescents’ mental healthcare: a systematic review

More than one out of ten adolescents suffer from mental illness at any given time. Still, there is limited knowledge about their involvement in mental healthcare. Adolescents have the right to be involved in decisions affecting their healthcare, but limited research focuses on their engagement and decision-making. Therefore, this systematic review aims to explore the existing experiences with, the effectiveness of, and safety issues associated with user involvement for adolescents’ mental healthcare at the individual and organizational level. A systematic literature review on user involvement in adolescents’ mental healthcare was carried out. A protocol pre-determined the eligibility criteria and search strategies, and established guidelines were used for data extraction, critical appraisal, and reporting of results. Quantitative studies were analysed individually due to heterogeneity of the studies, while qualitative studies were analysed using thematic synthesis. A total of 31 studies were included in the review. The experiences with user involvement were reported in 24 studies with three themes at the individual level: unilateral clinician control versus collaborative relationship, capacity and support for active involvement, the right to be involved; and two themes at the organizational level: involvement outcomes relevant to adolescents’ needs, conditions for optimal involvement. The effectiveness of user involvement was reported in seven studies documenting fragmented evidence related to different support structures to facilitate adolescents’ involvement. The safety associated with user involvement was not reported in any studies, yet a few examples related to potential risks associated with involvement of adolescents in decision-making and as consultants were mentioned.publishedVersio

Retrospective Dataset and Survey Analyses Identify Gaps in Data Collection for Craniopharyngioma and Priorities of Patients and Families Affected by the Disease

Introduction: Craniopharyngioma is a rare, low-grade tumor located in the suprasellar region of the brain, near critical structures like the pituitary gland. Here, we concurrently investigate the status of clinical and genomic data in a retrospective craniopharyngioma cohort and survey-based data to better understand patient-relevant outcomes associated with existing therapies and provide a foundation to inform new treatment strategies. Methods: Clinical, genomic, and outcome data for a retrospective cohort of patients with craniopharyngioma were collected and reviewed through the Children\u27s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) database. An anonymous survey was distributed to patients and families with a diagnosis of craniopharyngioma to understand their experiences throughout diagnosis and treatment. Results: The CBTN repository revealed a large proportion of patients (40 - 70%) with specimens that are available for sequencing but lacked relevant quality of life (QoL) and functional outcomes. Frequencies of reported patient comorbidities ranged from 20 to 25%, which is significantly lower than historically reported. Survey results from 159 patients/families identified differences in treatment considerations at time of diagnosis versus time of recurrence. In retrospective review, patients and families identified preference for therapy that would improve QoL, rather than decrease risk of recurrence (mean 3.9 vs. 4.4 of 5) and identified endocrine issues as having the greatest impact on patients\u27 lives. Conclusions: This work highlights the importance of prospective collection of QoL and functional metrics alongside robust clinical and molecular correlates in individuals with craniopharyngioma. Such comprehensive measures will facilitate biologically relevant therapeutic strategies that also prioritize patient needs