Paris, [France] : J.B. Baillière, Libraire de l'Académie Impériale de Médicine, 1854.

Davide Gabrielli, Ida Germana Minelli.

Source: Brazilian Journal of Probability and Statistics, Volume 33, Number 3, 558--585.

Abstract:
Stochastic monotonicity is a well-known partial order relation between probability measures defined on the same partially ordered set. Strassen theorem establishes equivalence between stochastic monotonicity and the existence of a coupling compatible with respect to the partial order. We consider the case of a countable set and introduce the class of finitely decomposable flows on a directed acyclic graph associated to the partial order. We show that a probability measure stochastically dominates another probability measure if and only if there exists a finitely decomposable flow having divergence given by the difference of the two measures. We illustrate the result with some examples.

Michael P. Fay, Michael A. Proschan

Source: Statist. Surv., Volume 4, 1--39.

Abstract:
In a mathematical approach to hypothesis tests, we start with a clearly defined set of hypotheses and choose the test with the best properties for those hypotheses. In practice, we often start with less precise hypotheses. For example, often a researcher wants to know which of two groups generally has the larger responses, and either a t-test or a Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney (WMW) test could be acceptable. Although both t-tests and WMW tests are usually associated with quite different hypotheses, the decision rule and p-value from either test could be associated with many different sets of assumptions, which we call perspectives. It is useful to have many of the different perspectives to which a decision rule may be applied collected in one place, since each perspective allows a different interpretation of the associated p-value. Here we collect many such perspectives for the two-sample t-test, the WMW test and other related tests. We discuss validity and consistency under each perspective and discuss recommendations between the tests in light of these many different perspectives. Finally, we briefly discuss a decision rule for testing genetic neutrality where knowledge of the many perspectives is vital to the proper interpretation of the decision rule.

The paper focuses on a novel approach for false-positive reduction (FPR) of nodule candidates in Computer-aided detection (CADe) system after suspicious lesions proposing stage. Unlike common decisions in medical image analysis, the proposed approach considers input data not as 2d or 3d image, but as a point cloud and uses deep learning models for point clouds. We found out that models for point clouds require less memory and are faster on both training and inference than traditional CNN 3D, achieves better performance and does not impose restrictions on the size of the input image, thereby the size of the nodule candidate. We propose an algorithm for transforming 3d CT scan data to point cloud. In some cases, the volume of the nodule candidate can be much smaller than the surrounding context, for example, in the case of subpleural localization of the nodule. Therefore, we developed an algorithm for sampling points from a point cloud constructed from a 3D image of the candidate region. The algorithm guarantees to capture both context and candidate information as part of the point cloud of the nodule candidate. An experiment with creating a dataset from an open LIDC-IDRI database for a feature of the FPR task was accurately designed, set up and described in detail. The data augmentation technique was applied to avoid overfitting and as an upsampling method. Experiments are conducted with PointNet, PointNet++ and DGCNN. We show that the proposed approach outperforms baseline CNN 3D models and demonstrates 85.98 FROC versus 77.26 FROC for baseline models.

Effective property prediction methods can help accelerate the search for COVID-19 antivirals either through accurate in-silico screens or by effectively guiding on-going at-scale experimental efforts. However, existing prediction tools have limited ability to accommodate scarce or fragmented training data currently available. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach to learn predictors that can generalize or extrapolate beyond the heterogeneous data. Our method builds on and extends recently proposed invariant risk minimization, adaptively forcing the predictor to avoid nuisance variation. We achieve this by continually exercising and manipulating latent representations of molecules to highlight undesirable variation to the predictor. To test the method we use a combination of three data sources: SARS-CoV-2 antiviral screening data, molecular fragments that bind to SARS-CoV-2 main protease and large screening data for SARS-CoV-1. Our predictor outperforms state-of-the-art transfer learning methods by significant margin. We also report the top 20 predictions of our model on Broad drug repurposing hub.

According to data released by Power to Decide, an estimated 369,960 New Jersey women of reproductive age (13-44) in need of publicly funded contraception live in counties impacted by the...

(PRWeb April 09, 2020)

Read the full story at https://www.prweb.com/releases/domestic_gag_rule_reduces_contraceptive_access_for_nearly_370_000_women_living_in_new_jersey/prweb17040987.htm

Defendant’s Motion to Exclude Expert Testimony regarding evidence generated by STRmix denied.

(PRWeb May 08, 2020)

Read the full story at https://www.prweb.com/releases/colorado_court_rules_strmix_is_relevant_and_reliable_practice_for_interpreting_likelihood_ratios/prweb17101548.htm

The New York City police department (NYPD) is conducting an internal investigation into a May 2 incident involving the violent arrests of multiple people, allegedly members of a group who were not social distancing

Marko Järvenpää, Michael U. Gutmann, Arijus Pleska, Aki Vehtari, Pekka Marttinen.

Source: Bayesian Analysis, Volume 14, Number 2, 595--622.

Abstract:
Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) is a method for Bayesian inference when the likelihood is unavailable but simulating from the model is possible. However, many ABC algorithms require a large number of simulations, which can be costly. To reduce the computational cost, Bayesian optimisation (BO) and surrogate models such as Gaussian processes have been proposed. Bayesian optimisation enables one to intelligently decide where to evaluate the model next but common BO strategies are not designed for the goal of estimating the posterior distribution. Our paper addresses this gap in the literature. We propose to compute the uncertainty in the ABC posterior density, which is due to a lack of simulations to estimate this quantity accurately, and define a loss function that measures this uncertainty. We then propose to select the next evaluation location to minimise the expected loss. Experiments show that the proposed method often produces the most accurate approximations as compared to common BO strategies.

Thomas Staudt, Timo Aspelmeier, Oskar Laitenberger, Claudia Geisler, Alexander Egner, Axel Munk.

Source: Statistical Science, Volume 35, Number 1, 92--111.

Abstract:
Super-resolution microscopy is rapidly gaining importance as an analytical tool in the life sciences. A compelling feature is the ability to label biological units of interest with fluorescent markers in (living) cells and to observe them with considerably higher resolution than conventional microscopy permits. The images obtained this way, however, lack an absolute intensity scale in terms of numbers of fluorophores observed. In this article, we discuss state of the art methods to count such fluorophores and statistical challenges that come along with it. In particular, we suggest a modeling scheme for time series generated by single-marker-switching (SMS) microscopy that makes it possible to quantify the number of markers in a statistically meaningful manner from the raw data. To this end, we model the entire process of photon generation in the fluorophore, their passage through the microscope, detection and photoelectron amplification in the camera, and extraction of time series from the microscopic images. At the heart of these modeling steps is a careful description of the fluorophore dynamics by a novel hidden Markov model that operates on two timescales (HTMM). Besides the fluorophore number, information about the kinetic transition rates of the fluorophore’s internal states is also inferred during estimation. We comment on computational issues that arise when applying our model to simulated or measured fluorescence traces and illustrate our methodology on simulated data.

Chao Du, S. C. Kou.

Source: Statistical Science, Volume 35, Number 1, 75--91.

Abstract:
Toward the last quarter of the 20th century, the emergence of single-molecule experiments enabled scientists to track and study individual molecules’ dynamic properties in real time. Unlike macroscopic systems’ dynamics, those of single molecules can only be properly described by stochastic models even in the absence of external noise. Consequently, statistical methods have played a key role in extracting hidden information about molecular dynamics from data obtained through single-molecule experiments. In this article, we survey the major statistical methodologies used to analyze single-molecule experimental data. Our discussion is organized according to the types of stochastic models used to describe single-molecule systems as well as major experimental data collection techniques. We also highlight challenges and future directions in the application of statistical methodologies to single-molecule experiments.

And they’re available in 19 fun prints.

Timothy J. Schoenfeld
May 1, 2013; 33:7770-7777
BehavioralSystemsCognitive

Nancy Kanwisher
Jun 1, 1997; 17:4302-4311
Articles

Tatiana Stepanova
Apr 1, 2003; 23:2655-2664
Cellular

Nancy Kanwisher
Jun 1, 1997; 17:4302-4311
Articles

To view more press releases, please visit http://www.snl.com/irweblinkx/news.aspx?iid=1024452.

To view more press releases, please visit http://www.snl.com/irweblinkx/news.aspx?iid=1024452.

Warren Buffet once said, "Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked." You can cover over a host of sins when times are good, but bad or unsafe practices will be exposed when times are rough. Time and experience have borne out the accuracy of this witticism in the financial arena -- and we're now seeing its applicability to the intersection of infosec and COVID-19.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized partly by atypical attentional engagement, reflected in exaggerated and variable responses to sensory stimuli. Attentional engagement is known to be regulated by the locus ceruleus (LC). Moderate baseline LC activity globally dampens neural responsivity and is associated with adaptive deployment and narrowing of attention to task-relevant stimuli. In contrast, increased baseline LC activity enhances neural responsivity across cortex and widening of attention to environmental stimuli regardless of their task relevance. Given attentional atypicalities in ASD, this study is the first to evaluate whether, under different attentional task demands, individuals with ASD exhibit a different profile of LC activity compared with typically developing controls. Males and females with ASD and age- and gender-matched controls participated in a one-back letter detection test while task-evoked pupillary responses, an established correlate for LC activity, were recorded. Participants completed this task in two conditions, either in the absence or presence of distractor auditory tones. Compared with controls, individuals with ASD evinced atypical pupillary responses in the presence versus absence of distractors. Notably, this atypical pupillary profile was evident despite the fact that both groups exhibited equivalent task performance. Moreover, between-group differences in pupillary responses were observed specifically in response to task-relevant events, providing confirmation that the group differences most likely were specifically associated with distinctions in LC activity. These findings suggest that individuals with ASD show atypical modulation of LC activity with changes in attentional demands, offering a possible mechanistic and neurobiological account for attentional atypicalities in ASD.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit atypical attentional behaviors, including altered sensory responses and atypical fixedness, but the neural mechanism underlying these behaviors remains elusive. One candidate mechanism is atypical locus ceruleus (LC) activity, as the LC plays a critical role in attentional modulation. Specifically, LC activity is involved in regulating the trade-off between environmental exploration and focused attention. This study shows that, under tightly controlled conditions, task-evoked pupil responses, an LC activity proxy, are lower in individuals with ASD than in controls, but only in the presence of task-irrelevant stimuli. This suggests that individuals with ASD evince atypical modulation of LC activity in accordance with changes in attentional demands, offering a mechanistic account for attentional atypicalities in ASD.

From a media bed unit start-up in Bangkok to a fully developed 120 households deep water culture (DWC) unit in Ethiopia, aquaponics is showcasing its true potential to produce sustainable food anytime, anywhere. A marriage between aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish, snails or prawns in tanks) and hydroponics (cultivating plants in water), aquaponics is a ‘clean and green’ [...]

Now that the New Brunswick COVID-19 curve is flat, risk lies at the borders. What’s considered essential and non-essential travel, and how is New Brunswick making sure people coming in are following safety rules?

Here is what you should know as Quebec loosens travel restrictions in some regions.

Major League Baseball could hold a rescheduled opening day between mid-June and July 4 and play at least 80 games this season, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday.

The National Football League (NFL), the only major American sporting league so far largely unaffected by the coronavirus outbreak, says it is on course to begin its season on time in September.

The Kansas City Chiefs will open defence of their Super Bowl championship by hosting Houston on Sept. 10 in the NFL's annual kickoff game — pending developments in the coronavirus pandemic, of course.

Tennis courts in Vancouver, along with several other Metro Vancouver municipalities, will be open this weekend as municipalities across Metro Vancouver lift restrictions put in place in March due to the COVID-19 crisis. There are rules for getting out to play, however.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday that NHL players would — at a minimum — need to follow quarantine protocols if they were to arrive in Canada while the border remains closed due to the pandemic.

The sport is considering radical rule changes as it tries to balance centuries of tradition with the modern need to move things along.

German translation of the BIS press release about the BIS Quarterly Review, March 2018

Are we really going to bet that we can go back to life as normal without proper coronavirus tracking in place?

Police have issued more than 140 fixed-penalty notices to people flouting coronavirus lockdown rules in Scotland in the week since new powers came into force.

To make up for lost opportunities for college admissions testing during the coronavirus crisis, the board plans to offer the test more often in the fall, including some test administrations during the school day.

K-12 teachers are faced with a question many likely thought they'd never have to ask: How often during the school day do my students need to see me and when?

As expected, the Education Department has delayed a rule that would require states to take a standardized approach in evaluating districts for minority bias in special education.

The Education Department outlines when and how schools must respond to reports of sexual assault and harassment under the Trump administration's interpretation of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination.

Students are understandably anxious about COVID-19. Teachers must address those fears in age-appropriate and educational ways, writes 4th grade teacher Ivy Higgins.

A federal appeals court has struck down an Indiana school district's policy requiring short hair for boys on the basketball team, ruling that the lack of a similar policy for girls'-team basketball players results in illegal sex discrimination.

The schedule for the UEFA Regions' Cup finals in Turkey has been confirmed, with host team Istanbul taking on Ukraine's Ingulec in their opening game, while former winners Castilla y León meet Olomouc.

Captain Flecha completed his hat-trick in the 88th minute as – for the second time in as many Group A games – Lisboa repeatedly came from behind to draw.

Losing finalists in 2015, Zagreb have booked their place in Sunday's UEFA Regions' Cup decider, captain Željko Štulec marshalling them to a convincing Group A victory.

Tax-credit scholarship programs in 17 states collected $1.1 billion in contributions in 2017, a new analysis from the GAO finds.

Available clinical prediction rules to identify children with cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis at low risk for Lyme meningitis include headache duration, cranial nerve palsy, and percent cerebrospinal fluid mononuclear cells. These rules require independent validation.

These clinical prediction rules accurately identify patients at low risk for Lyme meningitis in our large multicenter cohort. Children at low risk may be considered for outpatient management while awaiting Lyme serology. (Read the full article)

Parents are increasingly following alternative immunization schedules. Current studies suggest up to 21% of parents in the United States are intentionally delaying or refusing some or all of the recommended early-childhood vaccines.

This is the first study to use Immunization Information System data to quantify the proportion of children consistently delaying receipt of vaccines. Consistent-limiting children were found to have lower levels of recommended vaccines. (Read the full article)

Links between clinically diagnosed sleep problems and adverse behavioral outcomes are well documented. However, in nonclinical populations, causal links between disrupted sleep and the development of behavioral difficulties are far from clear.

Seven-year-old children with nonregular bedtimes had more behavioral difficulties than children who had regular bedtimes. There were clear dose–response relationships, and the effects of not having regular bedtimes appeared to be reversible. (Read the full article)