Estimation and model selection in generalized additive partial linear models for correlated data with diverging number of covariates

We propose generalized additive partial linear models for complex data which allow one to capture nonlinear patterns of some covariates, in the presence of linear components. The proposed method improves estimation efficiency and increases statistical power for correlated data through incorporating the correlation information. A unique feature of the proposed method is its capability of handling model selection in cases where it is difficult to specify the likelihood function. We derive the quadratic inference function-based estimators for the linear coefficients and the nonparametric functions when the dimension of covariates diverges, and establish asymptotic normality for the linear coefficient estimators and the rates of convergence for the nonparametric functions estimators for both finite and high-dimensional cases. The proposed method and theoretical development are quite challenging since the numbers of linear covariates and nonlinear components both increase as the sample size increases. We also propose a doubly penalized procedure for variable selection which can simultaneously identify nonzero linear and nonparametric components, and which has an asymptotic oracle property. Extensive Monte Carlo studies have been conducted and show that the proposed procedure works effectively even with moderate sample sizes. A pharmacokinetics study on renal cancer data is illustrated using the proposed method.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/13-AOS1194 the Annals of Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aos/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Your Best American Girl: Asian American Sexual Literacies in Family, Schooling, & Media

This dual thesis utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to examine Asian American sexual literacies in the distinct areas of family, schooling, and media using Critical Discourse Analysis to consider the role of power in knowledge and panopticism in normative sexual behaviors. I conceive of sex education in broad strokes as messages and sexual communications absorbed and challenged in different spaces such as the home, the predominantly white school, the liberal arts college, and the Asian/American media landscape. Centering of the voices of Asian American women and gender non-binary people aimed to discern the particular vulnerabilities in being the object of sexual fetish and exoticism. How do these individuals make sense of biculturalism, intergenerational conflict, and intersectional identities to develop sexual agency? I adapted Jean Kim’s Asian American Identity Development (AAID) framework to incorporate sexual identity development concurrently with racial identity. I collected data from eight semi-structured, qualitative interviews with college-age 1.5/second generation Asian American women/gender non-binary people of East Asian descent. Based on interview findings, I conclude with suggestions for sex education curriculum to promote an anti-racist, feminist perspective as well as directions for future research

21st Century Orientals: The Displacement of Eastern Identities in Contemporary Hollywood Adaptation

In an increasingly globalized world, contemporary Hollywood has capitalized on sustained interest in Eastern cultures in the West by adapting popular novels, television shows, video games, and graphic novels into big budget, feature-length films with all-star casts headed by some of the world’s most acclaimed directors. However, such adaptations have historically been mired in racially-charged stereotypes that displace and absent Asian bodies and voices from American popular visual media. This thesis examines how recent fantasy-adventure blockbusters such as ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’ (2010, dir. Mike Newell), ‘The Last Airbender’ (2010, dir. M. Night Shyamalan), and ‘Cloud Atlas’ (2012, dir. Andy and Lana Wachowski; Tom Twyker) adapt their Eastern-centric source materials into feature-length films that strengthen, react to, or criticize mainstream portrayals of “the Orient” with the endgoal of contextualizing the roles of Asian Americans in our supposed 21st century post-racial society

The “Little Red Book”: The Dissemination, Influence, and Impact of Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung in the United States, 1967-1980

Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung is one of the most prolifically printed books in modern history, allegedly rivaling the print numbers of the Bible. A complication of over 300 quotes from the late Chinese Communist Party leader that was first published in 1964, this book was soon translated and distributed worldwide with the intention of swaying foreign hearts and minds in favor of Maoism. One such target was the United States. Americans from a variety of different social and political backgrounds were exposed to and drew influence from the Little Red Book, including academics who struggled to comprehend China\u27s new role in the world, artists who used the Quotations\u27 text in drama, and satirists who used the Quotations\u27 unique style to lampoon or praise powerful figures. The Little Red Book thus became an imported media tool through which Americans shaped their understanding of China, Mao, and ultimately themselves during one of the most tumultuous periods of modern history, one that continues to influence the American political landscape today

On the LURWC property of Orlicz sequence space

Necessary and sufficient conditions for \textbf{URWC} points and \textbf{LURWC} property are given in Orlicz sequence space $l_M$

The mechanosensitive ion channel TRAAK is localized to the mammalian node of Ranvier.

TRAAK is a membrane tension-activated K+ channel that has been associated through behavioral studies to mechanical nociception. We used specific monoclonal antibodies in mice to show that TRAAK is localized exclusively to nodes of Ranvier, the action potential propagating elements of myelinated nerve fibers. Approximately 80 percent of myelinated nerve fibers throughout the central and peripheral nervous system contain TRAAK in what is likely an all-nodes or no-nodes per axon fashion. TRAAK is not observed at the axon initial segment where action potentials are first generated. We used polyclonal antibodies, the TRAAK inhibitor RU2 and node clamp amplifiers to demonstrate the presence and functional properties of TRAAK in rat nerve fibers. TRAAK contributes to the leak K+ current in mammalian nerve fiber conduction by hyperpolarizing the resting membrane potential, thereby increasing Na+ channel availability for action potential propagation. We speculate on why nodes of Ranvier contain a mechanosensitive K+ channel

Gender inequalities in the City of London advertising industry

This paper explores gender relations in the City of London advertising industry. It argues that the gender imbalance in the highest ranking positions and the stifled career progression of women in the industry are a result of social, structural and institutional factors rather than individual choice, lack of ‘talent’ or the absence of mentors or appropriate role models. We discuss the organization and spatiality of the advertising industry in London, the significance of social networking within and beyond the firm, and problematise the notion that female childbearing and caring are the primary determinants of women’s truncated career trajectories in advertising. The research reveals that whilst age, gender and domestic divisions of labour combine to reinforce occupational sexual divisions of labour in the advertising industry in London, these inequality regimes (Acker 2006) are amplified by the industry’s precariousness, informality and requirements for flexibility. Attempting to explain away gendered divisions of labour solely on the basis of women’s role in social reproduction deflects attention away from other key determinants of inequality, most notably the pace of advertising work and the geographical concentration of the industry within London. These are further accentuated by deep-rooted forms of homophily and homosociality – those unspeakable inequalities that call into question the dominant post- feminist rhetoric that ‘all the battles have been won’ (Gill, 2008). We analyse the ways in which homosociality has been crucial in maintaining insidious sexism which has made it very difficult for female creatives to obtain the most prestigious roles at work. Taken together, the organisation and geography of the sector, the rhetoric of buzz and egalitarianism, the ‘motherhood myth’ and the homophilic practices at work within advertising combine to create deep and enduring gendered inequalities

The Loudest Voice at the Supreme Court: The Solicitor General’s Dominance of Amicus Oral Argument

The Solicitor General (“SG”) is often called the “Tenth Justice,” a title that captures his unique relationship with the Supreme Court and his independence from the executive branch. No phenomenon better reflects this relationship than the Court’s practice of permitting amici to participate in oral argument. Although amicus oral argument is nominally available to all litigants, the modern Court grants this privilege almost exclusively to the SG. Scholars and Court watchers have long argued that this practice is justified because the SG uses it to pursue the rule of law and an objective sense of “justice.” This Article challenges that account. The SG’s dominance of amicus oral argument is a relatively recent phenomenon. In the early 1900s, the SG requested amicus oral argument almost exclusively to defend federal statutes or federal agency action. During this time, the Court granted all his amicus oral argument requests. But, over time, SGs increasingly entered political cases with only tenuous connections to the federal government. During the late 1980s, the Court became skeptical of the SG’s political independence; in response, it denied seventeen percent of his amicus oral argument motions, and individual Justices criticized him in internal memoranda. Thirty years later, the Court permits the SG to argue as an amicus in almost any case he wants, even though he increasingly weighs in on politically charged cases with de minimis implications for the federal government. This new equilibrium has profound consequences. By permitting the SG to be heard any time he asks, the Court systematically biases the perspectives that it hears. This bias undermines due process principles and the adversarial system, and it ignores the Court’s own history and rules. We offer a proposal for reform

Cyclophosphamide removal from water by nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membrane

The rejection of cyclophosphamide (CP) by nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes from ultrapure (Milli-Q) water and membrane bioreactor (MBR) effluent was investigated. Lyophilization–extraction and detection methods were first developed for CP analysis in different water matrices. Experimental results showed that the RO membrane provided excellent rejection (>90%) under all operating conditions. Conversely, efficiency of CP rejection by NF membrane was poor: in the range of 20–40% from Milli-Q water and around 60% from MBR effluent. Trans-membrane pressure, initial CP concentration and ionic strength of the feed solution had almost no effect on CP retention by NF. On the other hand, the water matrix proved to have a great influence: CP rejection rate by NF was clearly enhanced when MBR effluent was used as the background solution. Membrane fouling and interactions between the CP and water matrix appeared to contribute to the higher rejection of CP