A generalized moment approach to sharp bounds for conditional expectations

In this paper, we address the problem of bounding conditional expectations when moment information of the underlying distribution and the random event conditioned upon are given. To this end, we propose an adapted version of the generalized moment problem which deals with this conditional information through a simple transformation. By exploiting conic duality, we obtain sharp bounds that can be used for distribution-free decision-making under uncertainty. Additionally, we derive computationally tractable mathematical programs for distributionally robust optimization (DRO) with side information by leveraging core ideas from ambiguity-averse uncertainty quantification and robust optimization, establishing a moment-based DRO framework for prescriptive stochastic programming.Comment: 43 pages, 5 figure

Tecnologia da informação e comunicação para recarga inteligente

Este artigo apresenta uma arquitetura de tecnologia da informação e comunicação flexível, com privacidade de dados, para o carregamento inteligente de veículos elétricos, implementada para demonstração pelo operador do sistema de distribuição holandês. Seu objetivo é incorporar infraestruturas públicas de recarga ao mercado de eletricidade liberalizado

Correctness of an STM Haskell implementation

A concurrent implementation of software transactional memory in Concurrent Haskell using a call-by-need functional language with processes and futures is given. The description of the small-step operational semantics is precise and explicit, and employs an early abort of conflicting transactions. A proof of correctness of the implementation is given for a contextual semantics with may- and should-convergence. This implies that our implementation is a correct evaluator for an abstract specification equipped with a big-step semantics

De toekomst van de AOW: verdubbeling van de premies of halvering van de uitkeringen?

Over 35 a 40 jaar zal het aantal AOW-gerechtigden ongeveer het dubbele bedragen van het huidige aantal, terwijl de potentiele beroepsbevolking globaal gesproken constant blijft. Zonder tijdige maatregelen betekent dit een verdubbeling van de AOW-premie van 12% nu tot ca. 23% in 2030, of een halvering van de uitkering. In het eerste geval is het de vraag of de actieve bevolking op dat moment bereid is een zo zware premielast op zich te nemen, in het laatste geval stuit het tegen de borst dat degenen die een werkzaam (even lang premie hebben afgedragen, op het moment dat zij de pensioengerechtigde leeftijd hebben bereikt geconfronteerd worden met een sterke vermindering van de uitkering.\ud In dit artikel wordt de toekomstige ontwikkeling van de AOW geanalyseerd. Verschillende mogelijke financieringstelsels passeren de revue en worden besproken wat betreft hun gevolgen voor de premiedruk en de uitkeringshoogte. Duidelijk is dat hoe langer een hervorming van de financiering van de AOW wordt uitgesteld, hoe hoger de economische en sociale kosten van een aanpassing zullen worden

Numerical Investigation of Pyrolysis Gas Blowing Pattern and Thermal Response using Orthotropic Charring Ablative Material

An orthotropic material model is implemented in a three-dimensional material response code, and numerically studied for charring ablative material. Model comparison is performed using an iso-Q sample geometry. The comparison is presented using pyrolysis gas streamlines and time series of temperature at selected virtual thermocouples. Results show that orthotropic permeability affects both pyrolysis gas flow and thermal response, but orthotropic thermal conductivity essentially changes the thermal performance of the material. The effect of orthotropic properties may have practical use such that the material performance can be manipulated by altering the angle of orthotropic orientation

Glucose enhancement of memory is modulated by trait anxiety in healthy adolescent males

Glucose administration is associated with memory enhancement in healthy young individuals under conditions of divided attention at encoding. While the specific neurocognitive mechanisms underlying this ‘glucose memory facilitation effect’ are currently uncertain, it is thought that individual differences in glucoregulatory efficiency may alter an individual’s sensitivity to the glucose memory facilitation effect. In the present study, we sought to investigate whether basal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis function (itself a modulator of glucoregulatory efficiency), baseline self-reported stress and trait anxiety influence the glucose memory facilitation effect. Adolescent males (age range = 14–17 years) were administered glucose and placebo prior to completing a verbal episodic memory task on two separate testing days in a counter-balanced, within-subjects design. Glucose ingestion improved verbal episodic memory performance when memory recall was tested (i) within an hour of glucose ingestion and encoding, and (ii) one week subsequent to glucose ingestion and encoding. Basal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis function did not appear to influence the glucose memory facilitation effect; however, glucose ingestion only improved memory in participants reporting relatively higher trait anxiety. These findings suggest that the glucose memory facilitation effect may be mediated by biological mechanisms associated with trait anxiety

A 6-kb promoter fragment mimics in transgenic mice the prostate-specific and androgen-regulated expression of the endogenous prostate-specific antigen gene in humans

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a kallikrein-like serine protease, which is almost exclusively synthesized in the luminal epithelial cells of the human prostate. PSA expression is androgen regulated. Previously, we characterized in vitro the proximal promoter, and a strong enhancer region, approximately 4 kb upstream of the PSA gene. Both regions are needed for high, androgen-regulated activity of the PSA promoter in LNCaP cells. The goal of the present study is the in vivo characterization of the PSA promoter. Three transgenic mouse lines carrying the Escherichia coli LacZ gene, driven by the 632-bp proximal PSA promoter, and three lines with LacZ, driven by the 6-kb PSA promoter, were generated. Expression of the LacZ reporter gene was analyzed in a large series of tissues. Transgene expression could not be demonstrated in any of the transgenic animals carrying the proximal PSA promoter. All three lines carrying the 6-kb PSA promoter showed lateral prostate-specific beta-galactosidase activity. Transgene expression was undetectable until 8 weeks after birth. Upon castration, beta-galactosidase activity rapidly declined. It could be restored by subsequent androgen administration. A search for mouse PSA-related kallikrein genes expressed in the prostate led to the identification of mGK22, which was previously demonstrated to be expressed in the submandibular salivary gland. Therefore, the 6-kb PSA-LacZ transgene followed the expression pattern of the PSA gene in humans, which is almost completely prostate-specific, rather than that of mGK22 in mice. In conclusion, the 6-kb promoter fragment appears to contain most, if not all, information for androgen regulation and prostate specificity of the PSA gene

DNA methylation of the IGF2/H19 imprinting control region and adiposity distribution in young adults

BACKGROUND: The insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) and H19 imprinted genes control growth and body composition. Adverse in-utero environments have been associated with obesity-related diseases and linked with altered DNA methylation at the IGF2/H19 locus. Postnatally, methylation at the IGF2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR) has been linked with cerebellum weight. We aimed to investigate whether decreased IGF2/H19 ICR methylation is associated with decreased birth and childhood anthropometry and increased contemporaneous adiposity. DNA methylation in peripheral blood (n = 315) at 17 years old was measured at 12 cytosine-phosphate-guanine sites (CpGs), analysed as Sequenom MassARRAY EpiTYPER units within the IGF2/H19 ICR. Birth size, childhood head circumference (HC) at six time-points and anthropometry at age 17 years were measured. DNA methylation was investigated for its association with anthropometry using linear regression. RESULTS: The principal component of IGF2/H19 ICR DNA methylation (representing mean methylation across all CpG units) positively correlated with skin fold thickness (at four CpG units) (P-values between 0.04 to 0.001) and subcutaneous adiposity (P = 0.023) at age 17, but not with weight, height, BMI, waist circumference or visceral adiposity. IGF2/H19 methylation did not associate with birth weight, length or HC, but CpG unit 13 to 14 methylation was negatively associated with HC between 1 and 10 years. β-coefficients of four out of five remaining CpG units also estimated lower methylation with increasing childhood HC. CONCLUSIONS: As greater IGF2/H19 methylation was associated with greater subcutaneous fat measures, but not overall, visceral or central adiposity, we hypothesize that obesogenic pressures in youth result in excess fat being preferentially stored in peripheral fat depots via the IGF2/H19 domain. Secondly, as IGF2/H19 methylation was not associated with birth size but negatively with early childhood HC, we hypothesize that the HC may be a more sensitive marker of early life programming of the IGF axis and of fetal physiology than birth size. To verify this, investigations of the dynamics of IGF2/H19 methylation and expression from birth to adolescence are required

Continuous glucose monitoring metrics and pregnancy outcomes in insulin-treated diabetes : A post-hoc analysis of the GlucoMOMS trial

Funding Information: BWM is supported by a NHMRC investigatorgrant (GNT1176437) and BWM reports consultancy, travel support and research funding from Merck. All other authors declare no conflict of interest. The GlucoMOMS trial was funded by ZonMw, the Dutch Organisation for Health Research and Development, project number 80‐82310‐97‐11157. Continuous Glucose Monitors were purchased at a discount price at Medtronic®, Heerlen, The Netherlands. Neither ZonMw nor Medtronic had a role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the reports of either the original study or the current post hoc analysis. 10 Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Surgery versus sclerotherapy versus combined therapy in head and neck lymphatic malformations in the pediatric population: systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: To systematically review current literature on the treatment of lymphatic malformations (LMs) of the head and neck to guide treatment strategy. Methods and materials: A systematic review and meta-analysis of literature until 16 November 2021 was performed on treatments of LMs in the head and neck. Results: Out of 9044 articles, 54 studies were eligible for inclusion with 26 studies providing detailed participant data. A total number of 1573 patients with a mean age of 21.22 months were analysed. Comparative meta-analysis did not reveal significant differences two proportions of volume reduction (≥ 50% and 100%) between sclerotherapy and surgical treatment. Regression demonstrated that positive predictors for volume reduction were surgery 17 (95% CI 0.26–34; p = 0.047) and treatment of macrocystic lesions 19 (95% CI 5.5–32; p = 0.006). Treatment of mixed lesions also demonstrated a trend towards achieving a greater volume reduction (p = 0.052). A higher de Serres stage of the lesion had a negative effect on the amount of volume reduction − 3.7 (95% CI − 7.0 to − 0.35; p = 0.030). Conclusion: This comprehensive meta-analysis demonstrated no significant difference in volume reduction between various treatment modalities at study level. However, individual patient data indicated that surgery and larger cyst types are associated with a significant higher percentage of volume reduction, whereas a higher de Serres stage negatively impacted the amount of volume reduction. These findings can be used for patient counseling and treatment planning based on cyst type and de Serres stage. However volume reduction constitutes just one objective within a more complex treatment spectrum