Two-batch liar games on a general bounded channel

We consider an extension of the 2-person R\'enyi-Ulam liar game in which lies are governed by a channel $C$, a set of allowable lie strings of maximum length $k$. Carole selects $x\in[n]$, and Paul makes $t$-ary queries to uniquely determine $x$. In each of $q$ rounds, Paul weakly partitions $[n]=A_0\cup >... \cup A_{t-1}$ and asks for $a$ such that $x\in A_a$. Carole responds with some $b$, and if $a\neq b$, then $x$ accumulates a lie $(a,b)$. Carole's string of lies for $x$ must be in the channel $C$. Paul wins if he determines $x$ within $q$ rounds. We further restrict Paul to ask his questions in two off-line batches. We show that for a range of sizes of the second batch, the maximum size of the search space $[n]$ for which Paul can guarantee finding the distinguished element is $\sim t^{q+k}/(E_k(C)\binom{q}{k})$ as $q\to\infty$, where $E_k(C)$ is the number of lie strings in $C$ of maximum length $k$. This generalizes previous work of Dumitriu and Spencer, and of Ahlswede, Cicalese, and Deppe. We extend Paul's strategy to solve also the pathological liar variant, in a unified manner which gives the existence of asymptotically perfect two-batch adaptive codes for the channel $C$.Comment: 26 page

Trends in Labour Supply

The labour force has grown strongly since the mid 2000s due to both a rising participation rate and faster population growth. The increase in participation has been greatest for females and older persons, driven by a range of social and economic factors. At the same time, average hours worked have declined as many of these additional workers are working part time. The rise in population growth has mostly reflected higher immigration, with a larger intake of skilled workers and students adding to the labour supply.labour supply; population growth; immigration; migration; skilled migration; participation rate; services employment; household balance sheets; retirement intentions

Differences in Discrimination and Mental Health Outcomes Between Sexual Minority and Majority Individuals

The potential harmful effects of discrimination on sexual minority individuals have been related to many negative mental health outcomes. Previous research has found that sexual minorities experience higher rates of psychological problems than sexual majorities (Faulkner & Cranston, 1998; Russell & Joyner, 2001). This study examined how discrimination based on sexual orientation is related to one’s mental health. It focused on how discrimination based on sexual orientation differed for those who are a sexual minority (anyone who identifies as non-heterosexual) as compared to those who are a sexual majority (anyone that identifies as heterosexual). The participants for this study (N = 119) were classified into two groups. Group 1 participants identified as heterosexual (n = 73) and Group 2 participants identified as a sexual minority (n = 46). Sexual minority participants reported higher levels of discrimination, lower levels of self-esteem, and lower levels of depression than sexual majority participants. There was no significant difference between the participants on attachment and social anxiety

Revisiting ‘street-level bureaucracy’ in post-managerialist welfare states : a critical evaluation of front-line discretion in adult social care in England

The thesis set out in this submission is drawn from six of the candidate’s publications, based in turn on empirical findings from four research studies of adult social care in England spanning the period 1992 2006. As a body of work, it interrogates the validity of Lipsky’s (1980) conclusions about the origins and nature of ‘streetlevel bureaucracy’ in the wake of subsequent welfare restructuring. The earlier studies pay particular attention to the impact of managerialisation on frontline assessment practice amongst adult social work teams following implementation of the 1990 National Health Service and Community Care Act. Later studies tackle a further challenge to Lipsky’s thesis of street-level bureaucracy, that is, the potential for a change in the nature of the exchange relationship between street-level bureaucrat and client in the light of the insertion of service user involvement, empowerment and rights into governance arrangements after 1990, including adult social care. The candidate argues that the ethnomethodological approach adopted in three out of the four studies has yielded rich data on frontline practice of a type screened out by much contemporaneous research on the impact of social care reforms. Taken together with the span of the research studies over some fifteen years, this has supported not only a detailed analysis of the relationship between the micropolitics of assessment practice and key features of the differing environments within which they occur but also their articulation with changing modes of welfare governance. Discourse analysis of interview findings from the remaining study has permitted insights into the way social workers integrate thinking about human and social rights into their everyday assessment practice. The candidate summarises her threefold contribution to the literature in a taxonomy derived from the research findings which serves, firstly, to articulate the relationship between core dimensions of the policy and practice environment and the differing forms of frontline discretion to emerge after 1990; secondly, to explore the impact of user empowerment and rights on the distribution of resources; and, thirdly, to evaluate the continuing relevance of ‘streetlevel’ bureaucracy for understanding frontline social work practice. She concludes by sketching out possible future directions for her work

Slipping Backwards: The Supreme Court, Segregation Legislation, and the African American Press, 1877-1920

This study discusses the role of Supreme Court decisions in shaping the evolution of Jim Crow and African American newspapers’ reactions to these decisions. The study focuses on the period between the end of Reconstruction and the United States’ entrance into World War I. It looks at several Supreme Court decisions to demonstrate how the Court failed to act as a check on state legislatures’ reactionary undertakings and how these legislatures interpreted the Court’s judgments. Several of the Supreme Court’s decisions served to alert white legislators to the federal government’s limited actions to protect the rights of African American citizens. The cases included represent most areas of discrimination faced by African Americans during this period including participation in the court system, Fourteenth Amendment protections, the Fifteenth Amendment, public versus private segregation, transportation segregation, education segregation, and housing segregation. White legislators viewed the Supreme Court as an indicator of the state segregation that the federal government would allow. African American newspapers failed to offer a significant response to many key decisions. As the Court limited the protections of Reconstruction legislation, black newspapers offered little guidance to the black community about how to salvage their equal rights. The newspapers had the opportunity to reach large portions of the African American community and to lead efforts to protest the Court’s potentially detrimental decisions, but the press failed to bring attention to the cases white legislators viewed as signals that the federal government would not interfere with state and local segregation. Through the study of approximately twenty black newspapers, it becomes clear that the newspapers’ editors often misread the importance of the Supreme Court’s holdings. Cases that historians now recognize as key turning points in the status of African Americans went virtually ignored by the press and cases that receive little more than a footnote garnered extended attention from newspapers for being either a significant blow to the black community or for being cause for hope. It is apparent that the Supreme Court played a significant role in enabling Jim Crow to expand and the African American press did little to counter its effects

Highly challenging balance program reduces fall rate in Parkinson disease

Published in final edited form as: J Neurol Phys Ther. 2016 January ; 40(1): 24–30. doi:10.1097/NPT.0000000000000111BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is a paucity of effective treatment options to reduce falls in Parkinson disease (PD). Although a variety of rehabilitative approaches have been shown to improve balance, evidence of a reduction in falls has been mixed. Prior balance trials suggest that programs with highly challenging exercises had superior outcomes. We investigated the effects of a theory-driven, progressive, highly challenging group exercise program on fall rate, balance, and fear of falling. METHODS: Twenty-three subjects with PD participated in this randomized cross-over trial. Subjects were randomly allocated to 3 months of active balance exercises or usual care followed by the reverse. During the active condition, subjects participated in a progressive, highly challenging group exercise program twice weekly for 90 minutes. Outcomes included a change in fall rate over the 3-month active period and differences in balance (Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test [Mini-BESTest]), and fear of falling (Falls Efficacy Scale-International [FES-I]) between active and usual care conditions. RESULTS: The effect of time on falls was significant (regression coefficient = -0.015 per day, P < 0.001). The estimated rate ratio comparing incidence rates at time points 1 month apart was 0.632 (95% confidence interval, 0.524-0.763). Thus, there was an estimated 37% decline in fall rate per month (95% confidence interval, 24%-48%). Improvements were also observed on the Mini-BESTest (P = 0.037) and FES-I (P = 0.059). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that a theory-based, highly challenging, and progressive exercise program was effective in reducing falls, improving balance, and reducing fear of falling in PD.Video abstract available for more insights from the authors (see Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A120). TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02302144.This study was funded by the Boston Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (NIH 5P30AG031679). Additional support was provided by the American Parkinson Disease Association (ADPA); ADPAMA Chapter. (NIH 5P30AG031679 - Boston Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center; American Parkinson Disease Association (ADPA); ADPAMA Chapter

Deterministic model to evaluate the impact of lactational treatment of subclinical mastitis due to coagulase-negative staphylococci

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are the most frequently isolated bacteria from milk samples in several studies worldwide. Despite their relative frequency, specific measures aiming at their control are not well established. One possible measure to include in a control programme is lactational antimicrobial treatment. The decision to perform such treatment, as well as other actions on farm, should be based on the likelihood of financial return. A deterministic model was used to evaluate whether performing an antimicrobial treatment during the lactation for quarters infected with CNS was financially justifiable. Input variables for the impact of CNS on udder health were based on a previous study by the same authors and on available literature on the subject. Prices included in the model were based on 2009/2010 conditions in Portugal. The average result per antimicrobial treated quarter was a net loss of (sic)38.74. Performing a sensitivity analysis to evaluate how systematic variation of the input variables of the model would lead to outcome changes showed that variation in input variables nearly always led to a negative outcome, with the greatest variation in losses observed for variation in the length of treatment and milk withdrawal period (-(sic)46.26 to -(sic)28.49). The situations in which a net benefit was to be expected included the bulk tank somatic cell count decreasing to a level corresponding to a premium payment or to penalties being avoided, and the prevention of transmission of CNS in the milking parlour when the possibility of transmission was at its highest level. For most situations, lactational treatment of CNS subclinical mastitis was not financially justifiable

The institute for sex, intimacy and occupational therapy, LLC, program evaluation

Sexuality and intimacy occupations are often considered valued life occupations by individuals and communities and can contribute to quality of life and relationship satisfaction (Diamond & Huebner, 2012; McGrath & Lynch, 2014; Sakellariou & Algado, 2006; Smith et al., 2011). Sexuality and intimacy occupations have the potential to play either enriching or detrimental roles in individuals lived experiences, which supports the notion that healthcare providers must be prepared to address these topics in practice (Collins et al., 2017; Deering et al., 2014; Diamond & Huebner, 2012; Espelage, Basile, Rue, & Hamburger, 2015; Papp, Erchull, Liss, Waaland-Kreutzer, & Godfrey, 2017; Smith et al., 2011). Despite the potentially powerful impact of sexuality and intimacy occupations on quality of life, there is a lackluster response to prioritize these occupations among occupational therapy (OT) clinicians and in OT curricula (Dyer & Nair, 2013; Hattjar, Parker, & Lappa, 2008; McGrath & Lynch, 2014; McGrath & Sakellariou, 2015). This doctoral project (1) identifies restrictive factors which enable OT professionals’ hesitancy to include sexuality and intimacy into scholarly, academic, and clinical practices, (2) identifies solutions informed by dissemination and implementation sciences to dismantle institutional and clinician level restrictions and enable clinical adoption, (3) analyzes available literature related to best practices in marketing, dissemination and implementation, and sexuality education for healthcare providers and (4) conducts a program evaluation of the Institute for Sex, Intimacy and Occupational TherapyLLC. Summative and formative results suggest that ISIOTLLC was successful in (1) generating enthusiasm for the brand and learning products, (2) conducting webinars which influenced clinical adoption, (3) building a coalition of advocates to promote institutional change, and (4) building credibility of the author as a subject matter expert on sexuality and intimacy within the OT profession. The project results will contribute to the profession by equipping OT professionals with a guide for including sexuality and intimacy into their academic or clinical practice. Enhancing clinical adoption of sexuality and intimacy into OT practice will improve the quality of life of the individuals, communities, and populations the profession serves.2020-06-18T00:00:00