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Am I 'endorsing' weight loss plan?
GP faces form C dilemma thanks to Harold Shipman
Three GPs share their approach to a practice dilemma
A close friend of your family has died 100 miles away. His relatives want him cremated quickly.
You agreed months ago to do form C because other GPs in his town were refusing to do them.
His own GP did form B but had to go
away urgently and it will be a few days
before you can contact him.
The GP is about to retire and you suspect he no longer worries about correct procedure.
The death was expected, due to old age and advanced Parkinson's, but you want to follow the regulations.
Everyone concerned is becoming irritated and putting pressure on you because you won't just sign the form.
How do you handle this?
Dr Nigel de Kare Silver
'You must stand firm, however much the family plead or get angry with you'
Emotions at a time of family bereavement can be very difficult to deal with. There is a lot of tension and it might be impossible to convince the family the promises made several months earlier cannot be fulfilled immediately.
Strong arguments will be used claiming that your personal knowledge of the person who died and your knowledge of the integrity of his relatives should allow you to circumvent regulations, produce the required certification, and allow the cremation to proceed. But you must stand firm however much they plead with you or get angry with you.
Make contact with the coroner's office as soon as you can. Explain exactly what the situation is and your own role and knowledge of the deceased's illness and medical care.
Ask the officers' advice on how to proceed. The coroner and his team can be quite reasonable and, though they are clear about their own responsibilities, are normally very sensitive to the agonies of death and have no intention of unduly extending grief by delaying funeral arrangements.
If your doubts remain, contact your defence organisation for advice.
Make sure you record absolutely everything and file all notes and records of conversations in more detail than you would for an ordinary patient encounter. Make sure you record the time of any telephone conversations and whom you were speaking to. Under the circumstances of increased scrutiny of all certification around death, ask the coroner's office to send you
e-mails or faxes before releasing any paperwork to the family that allows the cremation to proceed.
Reassure them you are doing all you can to be helpful but make it clear that in the current climate you cannot simply send off the form. Not only are you obliged to comply with all the regulations and procedures but it is your duty to both the deceased and society in general to ensure these are not circumvented.
Nigel de Kare Silver is a GP in north-west London  he is a course organiser and trainer and the practice is scoring high on quality points (>1,000]
Dr Alison Rackham
'The trial of the GPs who signed forms for Harold Shipman brings this issue to the fore'
This scenario highlights the uncertainty GPs have now with signing form C. The responsibility we have is to be sure that 'there is no reasonable cause to suspect that the deceased died either a violent or an unnatural death or a sudden death'. We can only make that decision based on what we are told by the doctor who completed form B or from other relatives or carers. It necessitates trust in our colleagues.
The concern here lies in the fact that other GPs in his town are refusing to do form Cs. Do they suspect any wrongdoing by the GP? Or do they not feel adequately protected by the legal system if things go wrong in the future? The recent trial of the GPs who signed cremation forms for Harold Shipman brings this issue to the fore.
The fact you agreed months ago to do form C implies this death had been expected for some time. As a family friend you would presumably know the circumstances of his home situation and who cared for him. I would want to question those who nursed him and find out if there were any significant events over the last few days or weeks of life.
Had his GP seen him and correctly filled in form B? What had been entered on his death certificate. There does not appear to be any controversy about the cause of death although no details are given. If he had been suffering unduly there may be an issue of possible 'mercy killing'. I would not wish to collude with this even if I felt sympathetic towards the motive. If I did suspect this I would inform the police.
In signing a legal document, which makes certain stipulations, we are bound by the law.
When completing form C the doctor must:
·Have seen the body of the deceased
·Have carefully examined the body externally
·Have seen and questioned the medical practitioner who signed form B.
In this case I would not sign form C if I could not contact the deceased's GP. I would tell his relatives that by law I categorically was not able to do it, neither would any other GP until the patient's GP could be contacted. I would contact any carers of the deceased to establish that there was no unnatural nature to his death and agree to sign the form once his GP had returned.
Alison Rackham, who qualified in 1987, is a full-time principal in Uxbridge and a GP trainer
Dr Richard Stokell
'I won't risk my career by falsifying an official document'
Keeping all parties happy and still maintaining professional integrity looks difficult and the shadow of Shipman may influence my decision as well as that of the local GPs.
My first option is simply to sign the form, claiming to have discussed the case and seen the body. With luck no one will notice and the family will be happy and reward me in the usual (liquid) way. Unfortunately, falsifying an official document may be construed as professional misconduct and I am not prepared to risk my career.
My second option is to stick to my guns and refuse to sign until I am able to travel, see the body and see the patient's GP to discuss the case. While this will anger the relatives, will any serious harm really be done?
A third option is to sign the form honestly but try to satisfy the medical referee of the crematorium by supplying enough other information. To do this I would have to travel and examine the body, which is a nuisance. On the other hand he is described as a close friend. I would also try to talk to a partner of the GP involved, a relative of the deceased and another person involved in nursing the deceased in order to be able to provide evidence in questions 5-8 even though I have not been able to see and question the doctor who issued the certificate.
I would then check with the medical referee to the crematorium that this was satisfactory. If the certificate was bounced, I would expect the relatives to be grateful for the trouble taken despite the inconvenience to them.
Richard Stokell completed the VTS in 1988 and practises in Birkenhead, Merseyside  he is also a GP trainer and course organiser
BMA and NHS in talks over funding for networks with multiple care homes 15


This gorgeous hand-made dress from the Turn-of-the-Century is gorgeous!
This dress has a beautiful black material paneled with black satin. Between the layers of material there are one inch bands of copper beaded trim. The beads are all stitched to the trim. This dress just dazzles! The beautiful and delicate ecru lace collar is detachable and there are snaps around the collar where it can be snapped on or off for hand-washing seperate from the dress. The dress is sleeveless and is a head-turner with all the beadwork. On the left side there is an opening for ease in gliding this beauty on -- there are a total of 11 hook-and-eye enclosures and 3 snaps. (The 5th picture shows the side-opening and hooks). Also, at the shoulder on the left side is an opening with 5 hook-and-eye enclosures to aid in getting the dress on. There are two 42 inch long sashes at the waist area (on each side) of this dress that are to be tied into a bow and the tails of the sashes flow down the sides of the dress. The elaborate beadwork flows vertically down the dress on all sides and horizontally at the waist and hem area. (see photos). The beadwork is in remarkable condition and appears to be intact.
The dress falls just above the ankle area depending on the heighth of the wearer.
What an incredible piece of history!
*There are about 3 tiny (moth ?) holes in the fabric, but it is difficult to see them unless looking for them due to the double layering of fabric.
Other than that, this dress is in incredible condtion for its age of over 110+ years!
This fabulous ANTIQUE 1900'S DRESS is so stunning!
What a nostalgic piece of the past to add to your vintage clothing collection or to wear to a party!
Despite the blurry photos, I think this dress is most likely Post WWI or around 1919, give or take a couple of years. It might even be later but the V neck with the lace looks a bit early to me.


In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, I found myself facing yet another mountain of emotions but, at the end of the day, God carries me through. Attitude is everything (our thoughts, words, etc). What is yours when nothing seems to be going your way?


I don't believe that suicide is selfish. It may not be entirely rational. But selfish, no. I understand why people do it. Those who have left me behind… I'm not mad at them. They were in pain, they felt like they were a burden to the world, that everyone would be better off without them. I get that. They weren't a burden, at least not in my life, but I never got to tell them that.
We don't know how much time we have on this earth. We don't know when someone we love will leave this world, either through their own hands, those of others, or "natural" causes.
Sometimes we have to say goodbye to someone sooner than we thought. Sometimes there's no warning. It doesn't seem fair. It doesn't seem right. But that's the reality of being alive.
I had my usual therapy session yesterday. I didn't want to go. I left later than I usually do, battling within myself until then. One of the reasons is because I didn't want to set foot in that clinic again. I didn't want to run into the person I mentioned in my previous post, or anyone else there. It doesn't feel like a safe, healing place anymore. It had its season in my life. It helped me once. But that's over now. It's time to move on.
The other reason was that I wanted to disconnect at least a little from my therapist. Not because of anything she did or didn't do, but because of wanting to let go of my attachments. But I realized again yesterday how important healthy attachment can be. Connection sustains us. It's part of being human. The minute I sat down in that office with her, I could feel my defenses starting to crumble. I felt drawn towards her again. The one thing I didn't want to have happen. But I'm really glad it did.
I haven't been kind to myself for a while now. I've been treating myself like my own worst enemy. But I was inspired by my therapist, just by the way she interacted with me yesterday, the kindness and gentleness she showed toward me, to start treating myself like a friend again. I've come to realize that treating myself harshly only feeds the cycle of depression. I'm not perfect. I'm never going to be. There are a lot of things I don't like about myself, but I also have a lot of good qualities. Which is something I tend to forget. My therapist often asks me whether I allow myself to feel my emotions without judgement, and most of the time, I don't. I can't stand it when other people judge one another, yet I so easily judge myself. Most of us struggle with this, and simply being aware of it is part of making the change.
Near the end of the session, I asked my therapist about the other office she practices from. It's further away, but completely do-able. So we're going to be moving our sessions there. Well, she wants me to first just try it out next week and then decide. The office I currently see her in is shared with another psychologist at the clinic, so it will be nice to see her in her own. The day and time will also change. I don't like changes to my routine, but this is one I'm happy to take on. She'll be there after all, one constant.
I'm still a little more wary with regards to connection and attachment than I was before this thing happened on Tuesday. But I choose to trust my therapist as much as I am able to at this point. The connection I felt with her yesterday is holding me. Giving me strength to keep going. It doesn't solve everything. I'm still feeling depressed. But knowing that at least one person has my best interests at heart, and feeling supported makes a difference.
I want to mention something regarding my previous post. I thought about taking it down because I don't want to scare people who need it, to not seek help. But that post is the reality of life with mental illness. Even of life in general. It's part of my story, and that's what this blog is about. I was in a lot of pain and in a very dark place when I wrote it, and reflects only one part of my experience with mental health professionals. I've had some good experiences as well. So I want to encourage anyone reading this, that if you need help, absolutely (and please) ask for it. It's hard to do, and sometimes you won't get what you need from certain people, but there will always be someone who will give you their hand and be glad to help.
It was my birthday just recently, and I had a bit of a "mid-life crisis" that day. Panicking that I'm in my middle 30's and still living with parents, and that it seems things will never get better. It doesn't help that I've been in a depressive phase as it is for the past while. I go to bed praying that I don't wake up, but when I do wake up try to tell myself that today will be a better day. It never is.
I find myself becoming increasingly unstable, and I don't know what to do about it. I learned a couple of months ago that reaching out for help either gets met with rejection or being completely ignored. Of course, I knew this for most of my life, but I seriously thought and hoped (and was told) that it wouldn't always be that way.
Tonight I learned the hard way again. It doesn't matter how much I'm struggling, or even when I desperately beg (something I never thought I'd ever do) for that support- support they absolutely have the power to give- I'm not going to get it. The message I hear loud and clear is "you don't matter", "your life means nothing to me", and "I don't care". It especially hurts like hell when it comes from someone you're so attached to, someone you thought cared. Finding out they actually don't… Words can't accurately convey what that feels like.
I genuinely feel unworthy, rejected, abandoned and like I don't belong anywhere. Just want to mention that I'm not talking about my therapist, but someone else in the mental health profession. Although on that note, the way I feel is that I'm just another client. That's the truth though… I am just another client. I'm not special. I'm not important. You know, you go into therapy and don't count on how important that relationship is going to be. But I'm beginning to see that I don't want that relationship anymore. I don't want a close relationship anymore, because it just leads to hurt and disappointment. Our therapists are professionals and can't give us some things we wish they could. They're not our friends, siblings, parents, etc. It's just a working relationship. I don't see the point of attachment anymore. I don't think there ever was one, other than a baby's necessary early attachment to their mother or primary caregiver.
Often these days I wonder… do I even want to continue? Because I'm slowly giving up on attachment and support. I'm definitely done with asking for help. From now on I'm a closed book. No one needs to know I'm struggling. After all, it doesn't help even when they do know.
"The problem, says Bassiri, doesn't lie in the puniness of our accomplishments but in the outsized nature of our expectations. Whether in the news media or in our friends' and family members' social media posts, we've gotten habituated to seeing major successes — the video from an unknown musician that goes viral and scores them a spot on Beyonce's tour, the unhealthy person who loses half their body weight and completes the Ironman, the company started by college students in a garage that gets sold for an eye-watering amount.
If we set goals for ourselves, instead of only recognizing our progress when crossing a specific point, or after a major "win" (which sometimes feels like it will never come), we should rather celebrate the small milestones we make along the way. Because it's those small milestones or steps toward our goals or dreams that take us closer to them.
I'm most certainly one of those with super high expectations of myself, and get discouraged quickly and easily if I don't see any major progress in a goal, project or change I want to make. I become blind to the small bits of progress I do make, because it's just "not good enough", or "it doesn't count". But it is good enough. It does count. And I'm going to take note of all my smalls wins, as the article suggests.


The Vatican on Tuesday unveiled a series of catacombs used by early Christians in Rome after a major restoration, including an online virtual tour by Google Maps offering a glimpse into the underground wonders.
The Priscilla catacombs where Christians worshipped and buried their own are re-opening to the public after five years of work in which restorers used lasers to clean up the religious frescoes on the walls.
The Vatican's culture minister, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, said the catacombs "were a living and breathing symbol of the first Christians, of their daily lives", as he took guests through the subterranean passages.
"This is where our roots are," Ravasi said.
A new function on Google Maps allows users to take a limited tour of the vast complex under Rome's Villa Ada park and gaze at the interiors with a 360-degree view like the one used above-ground for Street View.
A new museum on the site also opening to the public brings together some 700 fragments of finely-sculpted sarcophaguses found in the catacombs, which combine pagan and Christian burial traditions.
The Priscilla catacombs, which date back nearly 2,000 years and were built inside what used to be a quarry, are considered the most interesting in Rome and include a basilica where pope Sylvester (314-335) is buried.


First Look: Ecommerce Data & Insights From Black Friday / Cyber Monday 2018 Everyone knows leftovers are the best part of the Thanksgiving feast. This week, we're talking takeaways from Black Friday / Cyber Monday promos. Is Your Marketing Agency Holding Your Data Hostage? Today, the norm for many digital advertising client / agency relationships is for the agency, not the client, to own the advertising accounts in Facebook, Google, and more. How to Use Customer Lifetime Value to Build a Smarter, More Efficient Marketing Machine: Part 2 The most successful ecommerce companies in the world truly understand their customer lifetime value. That knowledge allows them to be more thoughtful about acquiring new customers and improving repeat purchase rate, which enables them to grow much more quickly. How to Use Customer Lifetime Value to Build a Smarter, More Efficient Marketing Machine: Part 1 Customer lifetime value is an overall important business metric. But it's also a strategy, a guiding principle and a filter for running your enterprise. What Clients Ask Us: How do you set up and launch an ecommerce store from scratch? As a performance marketing agency, we're platform agnostic. Our goal is to help your store grow revenues in whatever way is best for you. And there are tons of great options out there. How We Improved ROAS from 430% to 720% for Amour Vert Amour Vert partnered with Metric Digital to help increase digital sales, repeat customers, and lifetime customer value through Facebook and Google paid advertising. An Update from Shopify's Unite 2018 Even if you don't use Shopify, the Shopify ecosystem has become big enough that it impacts anyone who sells online. Here are a few major updates that will matter to merchants in 2018. Why Programmatic Ad Buying Might Not Be the Right Strategy For Your Ecommerce Brand There is a place for programmatic in digital advertising. Especially if your company is looking for additional scale. It's a key part of the market. However, brands need to know what they're getting into. Is There Legitimacy to Citron's Report Slamming Shopify? Recent advertising scandals are forcing consumers to realize and reckon with one major issue. How much data is any given internet company collecting on you? Let's explore how these events might affect your business. Agencies Are Dead, Long Live Agencies As the Big Four Agencies show signs of weakness, the next wave of nimble, results-oriented agencies are rising to drive innovation, growth, and profitability for your brand. What Profitable Ecommerce Companies Know About Return On Advertising Spend How elusive is ROAS? It all depends on what kind of company you are, and want to become. There are myriad factors that will ultimately affect it... We Went to Shopify's Biggest Conference and Here's What We Learned Last week, we made the trip to SF for Shopify's only major annual conference: Shopify Unite. Sorry folks - no Shopify customers allowed, partners and developers only.


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At RJI, we've been working to improve how we share information with our readers.
Getting it right wh...
Getting it right when you're caught in a Twitter storm
Reporting Social media
Gerri Berendzen | November 12, 2015
On the night of Nov. 10, I sat and watched as a Twitter storm broke out.
Watching social media is part of my job as a news editor on the Interactive Copy Desk at the Columbia Missourian. During the day, listening to and adding to the community conversation is the primary job of the outreach team at the Missourian. But on the nightside, the copy desk takes over some community engagement duties.
So when we on the desk started seeing a lot of people tweeting about threats reportedly directed at University of Missouri (MU) students, the first thing we did was talk to the assistant city editor on duty to make sure she was on the story.
The reporting staff learned that MU police were investigating the social posts and were saying there was no immediate threat to the campus. But the volume of tweets about threats grew and grew.
A Twitter storm had broken out, fueled by speculation, rumors, a lot of "I heard" and "friends say" and fear.
The Verification Handbook notes that "it's a fundamental truth that rumors and misinformation accompany emergency situations." But what happened in Columbia, Missouri, shows that it doesn't take an earthquake or tsunami for rumors to start flying on social media.
It's the responsibility of journalists to take a measured approach to such a storm of speculation and to not fan the flames of rumor. Journalists should either repost only information that can be verified or be transparent about the value of the information being passed along.
Of course, that can be difficult when part of your job is to try to get the news first, and also when you're being deluged with tweets to your news organization asking why you're not reporting on something.
During the event, the Missourian was committed to not passing along unconfirmed information, but we also recognized that we needed to acknowledge what was happening.
Our immediate action was to quote retweet a tweet from the verified account of the chancellor, with some explanation, followed by this tweet:
"We're following the reports of threats on the #Mizzou campus. We will publish only what we can confirm. Please follow @MUalert and be safe."
— Columbia Missourian (@CoMissourian) November 11, 2015
Executive Editor Tom Warhover and the senior editors also gathered to discuss how we should handle the story online. The conclusion was similar: We should report only what we could confirm while acknowledging the rumors and promising more information as we got it.
It was a learning situation for the student copy editors working that night: First is never best if it isn't correct. Don't overreact to what you see on social media. And verify all information — and that starts with knowing who is tweeting (and making sure it's a real person).
Stopping to verify can be especially difficult when you see other media just reposting everything and your publication seems to be behind. But it's better to be last than to post incorrect information.
Ignoring a Twitter storm can be an equally bad reaction.
"I think a Twitter storm can become newsworthy in itself, and sometimes deserves attention, even if only to say that you're checking out a situation and have not been able to verify facts," Steve Buttry, director of student media at Louisiana State University's Manship School of Mass Communication, told me in an email exchange the day after the Twitter storm.
He cited a case study he did on the Austin American Statesman's use of Twitter in covering the 2010 attack by a domestic terrorist on the IRS office in Austin, Texas.
"The Twitter buzz was that it was the FBI office the plane had crashed into. I like what Robert Quigley did, responding to the buzz without repeating the unverified information," Buttry wrote. Quigley tweeted, "We're trying to get to the bottom of it. No official explanation out there yet. We're working on it."
"Once the Statesman confirmed that the IRS was in the building but not the FBI, Quigley acknowledged the FBI rumor more specifically and debunked it," Buttry said.
"Some unverified facts and rumors gather steam on their own and demand reporting even before you can verify,' Buttry wrote. "If you have to report (or acknowledge) something before you have it verified, consider acknowledging the buzz without repeating the unverified information."
I offer the following tips for when you're confronted with a Twitter storm:
Figure out who's tweeting and find the people who might be in the know. Make sure you've verified that account really belongs to that person.
Cultivate Twitter lists of trusted people in the community. But still verify information even from known entities. On Nov. 10, the president of the MU student body tweeted inaccurate information about activities on campus.
Tweet back at the original poster to confirm the information and gather more.
Check out details that can help confirm a tweet — like location and whether the tweet is original or fifth or sixth generation.
Ask yourself, "How does that person know that?" And use social media to ask the tweeter that question.
Check other social media the person has posted. You'll be able to tell if the person has a history of repeating rumors.
If you get something wrong on Twitter, acknowledge it with a correction. Add the correction as a reply to your original tweet and reply to those who have retweeted your information with the correction.
One final tip from the Verification Handbook: Have a procedure in place about how to handle tweeted information, including how to do that during a breaking news situation. And prepare a checklist so everyone handles the situation in a measured way, even in stressful times.
Gerri Berendzen
Gerri Berendzen is a Knight visiting news editor at the Columbia Missourian and a visiting assistant professor at the Missouri School of Journalism.
columbia missourian gerri berendzen mu mu police robert quigley steve buttry twitter university of missouri verification handbook
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Is 5 the Final Number then?!
I have to laugh at it all sometimes when I think about it. In early 2013 I had decided that having children was not on the cards anymore, and here I am in late 2016, with two beautiful toddlers and another little one on the way. If you had given me a view into the future back then when I was standing behind the bar indulging in a shot or 10 of Powers and chatting with my regulars I would have probably laughed in your face before pouring you a Guinness.
While I may not have a huge extended family, I come from two lines of families where the women tend to have many children. And I think I say that I don't have a huge extended family just because we are so dispersed, having lived in different countries for many years – in reality there are quite a few of us around. I remember many a Christmas as a child in England, and then in The Netherlands and France, where we would fly home to be with our extended family. But once you become an adult you tend to start revisiting those childhood traditions in your own home, nostalgic for the past, hopeful for the future. I've spent a lot of Christmases alone in NYC, celebrating with close friends, missing my family. And then Christmases with my own growing family, teaching my partner and kids about my childhood traditions. I've written about these times on several occasions, here and here, so I won't rehash them today, but I suppose the main theme of Christmas will always remain family for me. My mother had three kids, and all of us will be together this Christmas for the first time in years. My mother's mother had five children, all girls, and her mother had 10 (!) children. My father's mother also had five children, two boys and three girls, and her mother had 4 kids (all girls too!). And if you go through my family tree, (that my mother has been painstakingly researching for the past few years - more on that in the very near future), you will find that it was very common to see a multitude of sisters and brothers in each family. So I suppose I really had to do my part to continue on this family tradition!
It's funny how things change very rapidly. After a bit of a long pregnancy with Aurora but the exact birth I was hoping for, which helped ease away some of what Luna's more painful birth and recovery had left, I said that I was done. And then slowly but surely, once the weight started to come off and when raising two children didn't seem as difficult as I had expected it to be, we started slowly talking about another one. Not so close as the first two, because two under two with a very high needs child is no walk in the park, and not until one had weaned. Let's not even try until 2017 we said. As with anything in my life real planning always seems to take a backburner because events just seem to happen naturally, as if I'm not allowed to feel too comfortable for too long. I'm still nursing both toddlers very frequently and have no willpower to wean anyone, and, well, it's still 2016… But a few days before the presidential election I realised that this carsickness feeling that had started a few days before seemed a little too familiar, especially seeing as I actually hadn't been in a car… That week was a little bittersweet, because we were meant to be bathing in happiness, but at the same time the elections brought on a wave of disbelief, despair and sadness that I have had a hard time brushing away. It took me a while to feel "normal" again, and to be honest I don't feel "normal" (have I ever?!), but I do feel very happy, and am completely and madly in love with this little munchkin that is growing in my tummy, just like I was with the other two.
This little one is due on July 3rd, so when he or she comes Luna will be three years and a few months old and Aurora will be just under two. Luna is already excited about "the tiny baby in mummy's tummy", although how much of that she actually really understands is yet to be known. It will be fun to see her actually be able to express her thoughts about my growing belly this time around, as she was so young when I was pregnant with Aurora. It will be fun to see how Aurora reacts too… Once I get past this insane 24/7 nausea that has been plaguing me since I was 5 weeks pregnant, and will hopefully start easing up now, I will be able to focus more on the future. In the meantime it's basically been on a day to day basis, make sure the kids eat, get fresh air and are somewhat entertained, get through my work before bedtime, so that I can collapse in bed with the kids and hope that sleep will bring some relief. I definitely had all day nausea with Luna, and had it a lot worse with Aurora, but this has been even worse still. Not that it has stopped me from eating. Just from eating most things apart from bread, Brie, lettuce and pasta. Everything also tastes super salty, which has never happened to me before and has basically put me off most food. Except Brie. Nothing will ever put me off Brie.
And so there we are, 6 more months, give or take a few weeks, and we will have another one in our midst. Girl or boy, it doesn't really matter (of course a boy would be great, just to mix things up a little, but we do have an absolutely beautiful girl's name lined up too, and it would be such a pity not to use it…). The adventure continues and I couldn't be happier to be honest. One day at a time, hoping that the weeks don't fly by too fast and that we will have another happy, healthy baby.


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Ruoyu Wu's Personal Website
ISU Analysis and Probability Seminar
Analysis and Probability Seminar (Formerly known as PADS --- Probability, Analysis, and Data Science Seminar)
Department of Mathematics at Iowa State University
Wednesdays at 3:15pm--4:10pm in person (Carver 401) or virtually (via Zoom at https://iastate.zoom.us/j/9974481906), depending on the speaker. In case of a Zoom talk, it will also be projected in Carver 401 and in person attendance is particularly encouraged.
Organizers: Pablo Raúl Stinga and Ruoyu Wu
Jan 25 (3:15pm) Carver 401 and Zoom - Stefan Steinerberger (University of Washington, Seattle)
Title: The Flow of Roots of Polynomials under Differentiation
Abstract: Suppose we have a real-valued polynomial of very high degree all of whose roots are on the real line and suppose that we start differentiating many times. One could wonder about the behavior of the roots of these derivatives: how do they behave? I will describe a nonlinear PDE that describes the result -- as it turns out, the same question has arisen in a very different framework in the study of Free Probability. This allows one to make progress on questions in Operator Algebra by studying polynomials! There will be many pictures and many open questions.
Feb 1 (3:15pm) Carver 401 - Organizational meeting
Mar 29 - Pratima Hebbar (Grinnell College)
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA
Past semesters:
Earlier semesters
Aug 31 (3:15pm) Carver 401 - Organizational meeting
Sep 7 (3:15pm) Carver 401 and Zoom - Chad Berner (ISU)
Title: Fourier series from singular measures
Abstract: Any square integrable function on the torus is a norm limit of its Fourier series, but what if you change the measure from Lebesgue measure to a singular measure? It turns out you will lose orthogonality of the exponentials, but by the Kaczmarz algorithm, any function that is square integrable in this new measure space has a Fourier series converging in norm. We discuss further results in higher dimensions as well as analytic operators and their relation to the Hardy space and Fourier series.
Sep 21 (3:15pm) Carver 401 and Zoom - Pablo Raúl Stinga (ISU)
Title: Fractional derivatives: Fourier, memory effects and recent advances
Abstract: We consider the historically overlooked definition of fractional derivative by Fourier and apply our method of semigroups to show that it coincides with the fractional derivative of Marchaud. Applications to viscoelastic materials and recent advances in the theory of one-sided fractional Sobolev spaces are presented. This is based on joint works with Ana Bernardis, Francisco J. Martín-Reyes, José L. Torrea and Mary Vaughan.
Sep 28 (3:15pm) Carver 401 and Zoom - Fernando Charro (Wayne State University)
Title: Asymptotic Mean-Value Formulas for Nonlinear Equations
Abstract: In recent years there has been an increasing interest in whether a mean-value property, known to characterize harmonic functions, can be extended in some weak form to solutions of nonlinear equations. This question has been partially motivated by the surprising connection between Random Tug-of-War games and the normalized p-Laplacian discovered some years ago by Peres et al., where a nonlinear asymptotic mean-value property for solutions of a PDE is related to a dynamic programming principle for an appropriate game. In this talk we discuss asymptotic mean-value formulas for a class of nonlinear second-order equations that includes the classical Monge-Ampère and k-Hessian equations among other examples.
Oct 5 (3:15pm) Carver 401 and Zoom - Animesh Biswas (University of Nebraska-Lincoln )
Title: Nonlocal mean curvature with integrable kernel
Abstract: Click here for the abstract.
Nov 2 (3:15pm) Carver 401 and Zoom - Monica Torres (Purdue University)
Title: Divergence-measure fields: Gauss-Green formulas and normal traces
Nov 16 (3:15pm) Carver 401 and Zoom - Jiuyi Zhu (Louisiana State University)
Title: Bounds of nodal sets of eigenfunctions
Abstract: Motivated by Yau's conjecture, the study of the measure (sizes) of nodal sets (zero-level sets) of eigenfunctions has been attracting much attention. We investigate the nodal sets of Steklov eigenfunctions, Neumann eigenfunctions, and Dirichlet eigenfunctions in the domain and on the boundary of the domain. For the analytic domain, we show the sharp upper bounds of interior nodal sets for Steklov eigenfunctions, and the sharp upper bounds of the intersections of nodal sets with the boundary for Neumann and Dirichlet eigenfunctions. If time permits, we will discuss the unified way to obtain the sharp upper bounds of nodal sets for eigenfunctions of bi-Laplace equations, and upper bounds of nodal sets in elliptic periodic homogenization. Part of the work in the talk is joint with Carlos Kenig, Fang-Hua Lin and Jinping Zhuge.
Mar 2 (4:10pm) Carver 401 and Zoom - Jina Kim (ISU)
Title: From finite to infinite dimensions: functional inequalities for linear diffusions with degenerate noise
Abstract: In this talk, we introduce functional inequalities for specific classes of hypoelliptic stochastic differential equations. In particular, these inequalities include the reverse log-Sobolev inequality and Wang-type Harnack inequality for a large class of linear SDEs with degenerate noise. They are obtained from gradient bounds of the semigroup of the process and making use of the generalized version of the carré du champ operator. From the results we take steps further and also look for quasi-invariance of the same form of SDEs that take values in an infinite-dimensional Hilbert space. This is to gain some type of smoothness of the heat kernel measure of an infinite-dimensional process, and done by using the "projected" bound.
Mar 9 (4:10pm) Zoom - Lee Przybylski (ISU)
Title: The Persistence Landscapes of Affine Fractals
Abstract: We develop a method for calculating the persistence landscapes of affine fractals using the parameters of the corresponding transformations. Given an iterated function system of affine transformations that satisfies a certain compatibility condition, we prove that there exists an affine transformation acting on the space of persistence landscapes which intertwines the action of the iterated function system. This latter affine transformation is a strict contraction and its unique fixed point is the persistence landscape of the affine fractal. We present several examples of the theory as well as confirm the main results through simulations.
Mar 16 Spring Break
Mar 23 (4:10pm) Zoom - Virginia Naibo (Kansas State University)
Title : The Neumann problem in graph Lipschitz domains in the plane.
Abstract: New aspects of the solvability of the classical Neumann boundary value problem in a graph Lipschitz domain in the plane will be presented. When the domain is the upper half-plane and the boundary data is assumed to belong to weighted Lebesgue or weighted Lorentz spaces, it will be shown that the solvability of the Neumann problem in these settings may be characterized in terms of Muckenhoupt weights and related weights, respectively. For a general graph Lipschitz domain $\Omega$, as proved in an unpublished work by E. Fabes and C. Kenig, there exists $\varepsilon>0$ such that the Neumann problem is solvable with data in $L^p(\partial\Omega)$ for $1<p<2+\varepsilon;$ it will be shown that the Neumann problem is solvable at the endpoint $2+\varepsilon$ with data in the Lorentz space $L^{2+\varepsilon}(\partial\Omega).$ Examples of the results in Schwarz-Christoffel Lipschitz domains and related domains will be given. This is joint work with María Jesús Carro (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) and Carmen Ortiz-Caraballo (Universidad de Extremadura).
Apr 6 (4:10pm) Zoom - Guo-Jhen Wu (KTH Royal Institute of Technology)
Title: Quasi-stationary distribution and ergodic control problems
Abstract: We introduce two ergodic control problems that can be used to analyze the quasi-stationary distributions (QSDs) associated with a diffusion process. The two problems are in some sense dual, with one defined in terms of the generator associated with the diffusion process and the other in terms of its adjoint. The first ergodic control problem can be used to characterize the Q-process associated with the QSD, and the cost potential of the second ergodic control problem to characterize the QSD itself. We briefly mention how the control problems can be used to construct numerical approximations of the QSD. This is joint work with Amarjit Budhiraja (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Paul Dupuis (Brown University), and Pierre Nyquist (KTH).
Apr 13 (4:10pm) Zoom - Rodolfo H. Torres (University of California, Riverside)
Title: John-Nirenberg Inequalities and Weight Invariant BMO Spaces
Abstract: We will explore new deep connections between John-Nirenberg inequalities and Muckenhoupt weight invariance for a large class of spaces including or resembling versions of the classical space of functions of Bounded Mean Oscillation (BMO). The results are formulated in a very general framework in which $BMO$-type spaces are constructed using a base of sets, employed also to define weights with respect to a non-negative measure (not necessarily doubling), and an appropriate oscillation functional. This includes as particular cases many different function spaces on geometric settings of interest. As a consequence the weight invariance of several $BMO$ spaces considered in the literature is proved. Most of the invariance results obtained under this unifying approach are new even in the most classical settings. This is joint work with Jarod Hart.
Apr 20 (4:10pm) Zoom - Ruimeng Hu (UCSB)
Title: Convergence of Empirical Measures, Mean-Field Games and Signatures
Abstract: In this talk, we first propose a new class of metrics and show that under such metrics, the convergence of empirical measures in high dimensions is free of the curse of dimensionality, in contrast to Wasserstein distance. Proposed metrics originate from the maximum mean discrepancy, which we generalize by proposing criteria for test function spaces. Examples include RKHS, Barron space, and flow-induced function spaces. One application studies the construction of Nash equilibrium for the homogeneous n-player game by its mean-field limit (mean-field game). Then we discuss mean-field games with common noise and propose a deep learning algorithm based on fictitious play and signatures in rough path theory. The first part of the work collaborates with Jiequn Han and Jihao Long; the second part is the joint work with Ming Min.
Apr 27 (4:10pm) Zoom - Michael Perlmutter (UCLA)
Title: Deep Learning for Data with Geometric Structure
Abstract: The field of Geometric Deep Learning aims to extend the success of Convolutional Neural Networks to data sets that lack a Euclidean, grid-like structure and are more naturally modeled as manifolds or (possibly directed). A major advance in this field has been the rise of graph convolutional networks which extend the success of CNNs to the graph domain by defining convolution either as a localized averaging operation or via the eigendecomposition of the graph Laplacian.
Despite the success of these networks, standard graph convolutional networks also have some limitations. They have difficulty (i) incorporating high-frequency information and long-range dependencies. (ii) handling directed graphs. In my talk, I will talk about how we can overcome these difficulties via (i) the graph and manifold scattering transforms which capture high-frequency information and long-range dependencies via wavelet filters, (ii) MagNet, a directed graph neural net that encodes directional information via a Hermitian matrix known as the magnetic Laplacian.
May 4 (4:10pm) Zoom - Michael Conroy (University of Arizona)
Title: Renewal Theory for Maxima on Trees
Abstract: This talk focuses on the all-time supremum W of the perturbed branching random walk, which is the so-called endogenous solution to the stochastic fixed-point equation known as the high-order Lindley equation. Under certain assumptions (in particular that the paths of each branch of the random walk have negative drift), W satisfies the tail asymptotic P(W > t) ~ He^{-at} for certain constants H, a > 0. Using tools from Markov renewal theory and spine changes of measure for branching processes, we establish the tail asymptotic by analyzing the forward iterations of the map defining the fixed-point equation. As a bonus to this approach, we obtain an unbiased, strongly-efficient, and easy-to-simulate estimator for the rare event probability P(W > t). This talk presents joint work with Bojan Basrak (University of Zagreb), Mariana Olvera-Cravioto (UNC Chapel Hill), and Zbigniew Palmowski (Wroclaw University of Science and Technology).
Sep 8 (4:10pm) Carver 401 and Zoom - David Herzog (ISU)
Title: A functional law of the iterated logarithm for weakly hypoelliptic diffusions
Abstract: This is part two of three talks in the spring and fall. We discuss the method of stochastic characteristics to help motivate laws of the iterated logarithm. This method is often used to solve second-order linear boundary-valued PDEs, such as the Dirichlet or Poisson Problem in a bounded domain in R^n. If the operator L defining the equation is uniformly elliptic in a neighborhood of the domain and the boundary is smooth, then we can always use this method with ease to find an expression for the unique classical solution, provided the data is smooth enough. However, if we drop the ellipticity assumption, say L is only hypoelliptic or "weakly" hypoelliptic (i.e. the randomness is degenerate), then the candidate expression typically makes sense, but it may no longer satisfy the equation. The problem moving from the elliptic to hypoelliptic settings is that the natural elliptic approximation of L may not approximate the defining stochastic characteristics near the boundary, even though the processes defined by these operators are close in a very strong sense. In order to determine when it does approximate L near the boundary, we establish laws of the iterated logarithm for the diffusion at time zero.
Sep 15 (4:10pm) Carver 401 and Zoom - David Herzog (ISU)
Abstract: This is part three of three talks in the spring and fall. We discuss the method of stochastic characteristics to help motivate laws of the iterated logarithm. This method is often used to solve second-order linear boundary-valued PDEs, such as the Dirichlet or Poisson Problem in a bounded domain in R^n. If the operator L defining the equation is uniformly elliptic in a neighborhood of the domain and the boundary is smooth, then we can always use this method with ease to find an expression for the unique classical solution, provided the data is smooth enough. However, if we drop the ellipticity assumption, say L is only hypoelliptic or "weakly" hypoelliptic (i.e. the randomness is degenerate), then the candidate expression typically makes sense, but it may no longer satisfy the equation. The problem moving from the elliptic to hypoelliptic settings is that the natural elliptic approximation of L may not approximate the defining stochastic characteristics near the boundary, even though the processes defined by these operators are close in a very strong sense. In order to determine when it does approximate L near the boundary, we establish laws of the iterated logarithm for the diffusion at time zero.
Oct 13 (4:10pm) Zoom - Debankur Mukherjee (Georgia Tech)
Title: Load Balancing Under Strict Compatibility Constraints
Abstract: We will talk about large-scale systems operating under the JSQ(d) policy in the presence of stringent task-server compatibility constraints. Consider a system with N identical single-server queues and M(N) task types, where each server is able to process only a small subset of possible task types. Each arriving task selects d≥2 random servers compatible to its type, and joins the shortest queue among them. The compatibility constraint is naturally captured by a fixed bipartite graph GN between the servers and the task types. When GN is complete bipartite, the mean-field approximation is proven to be accurate as N→∞. However, such dense compatibility graphs are infeasible due to their overwhelming implementation cost and prohibitive storage capacity requirement at the servers. We will characterize a class of sparse compatibility graphs for which the mean-field approximation remains valid asymptotically as N→∞. Both process-level limit and steady-state convergence results will be discussed. This is a joint work with Daan Rutten.
Oct 20 (4:10pm) Zoom - Mikil Foss (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
Title: Trace Theorems for Non-Differentiable Functions
Abstract: Given a uniformly continuous function on an open domain, there is a unique extension to the boundary that preserves the continuity. The trace operator provides a function that captures the boundary values for this extension. Gagliardo's trace theorem extends this concept to the Sobolev spaces. There have been generalizations of Gagliardo's theorem in many directions. Typically, trace theorems require some differentiability of the function in its domain and some regularity of the domain's boundary. These assumptions ensure a there is a well-defined boundary value function. Moreover, this trace will, itself, possess some differentiability and a certain Lebesgue point property. I will present a trace theorem that provides a well-defined boundary-value function that exists in a fractional Sobolev space and has the Lebesgue point property yet requires no differentiability within the domain and allows very irregular boundaries. The result is motivated by boundary-value problems involving nonlocal operators that are defined for integrable but not necessarily differentiable functions.
Oct 27 (4:25pm) Zoom - Farzad Sabzikar (ISU)
Title: How Does Tempering Affect the Local and Global Properties of Fractional Brownian Motion?
Abstract: In this talk, we discuss the effects of tempering the power-law kernel of the moving average representation of a fractional Brownian motion (fBm) on some local and global properties of this Gaussian stochastic process. Tempered fractional Brownian motion (TFBM) and tempered fractional Brownian motion of the second kind (TFBMII) are the processes that are considered in order to investigate the role of tempering. Tempering does not change the local properties of fBm including the sample paths and p-variation, but it has a strong impact on the Breuer–Major theorem, asymptotic behavior of the third and fourth cumulants of fBm, and the optimal fourth-moment theorem.
Nov 3 (4:10pm) Carver 401 and Zoom - Evan Camrud (ISU)
Title: Bedrossian, Blumenthal, and Punshon-Smith's bounds on Lyapunov exponents for SDEs
Abstract: This will be a literature review talk on a paper that has been very interesting to my research. Bedrossian et al. obtain lower estimates for the maximal and sum Lyapunov exponents of the stochastic Lorenz 96 dynamical system. The positivity of the maximal exponent implies chaos in the dynamics while the negativity of the sum exponent implies Lebesgue volume contraction.
Nov 17 (4:10pm) Zoom - Jaydeb Sarkar (Indian Statistical Institute)
Title: Schur functions - A brief survey
Abstract: The Schur class, denoted by S(D), is the set of all functions analytic and bounded by one in modulus in the open unit disc D in the complex plane. Elements of S(D) are called Schur functions. A classical result going back to Issai Schur states: A function f is a Schur function if and only if f admits a linear fractional transformation (or transfer function realization). Linear fractional transformations are attached with colligation matrices or scattering matrices on Hilbert spaces. Schur's view of bounded analytic functions is one of the most used (and useful) tools in classical and modern complex analysis, function theory, operator theory, electrical network theory, signal processing, linear systems, operator algebras, and image processing (just to name a few).
In the first part of this talk, we will give a brief (but within the span of little more than a century) historic perspective and introduction to Schur theory and discuss its interactions with some classical problems in function theory and operator theory (like Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation). In the second part of the talk, we will review Schur's approach (ubiquity and its complications) to functions of several complex variables from a linear analysis point of view.
Dec 1 (4:10pm) Zoom - Simon Bortz (University of Alabama)
Title: Recent Developments in Parabolic Uniform Rectifiability
Abstract: In the 1980's harmonic analysis was being rapidly adapted to `rough' settings. Among the important early developments was the proof of the L^2 boundedness of the (principal value) Cauchy integral operator on a Lipschitz graph due to Coifman, McIntosh and Meyer. Soon after Coifman, David and Meyer extended this result to higher dimensions and more general singular integral operators. A natural question arose: Is there a characterization of sets for which all nice singular integral operators are L^2 bounded? David and Semmes found many characterizations of these sets and called them uniformly rectifiable. More recently these sets have played a significant role in potential theory.
In this talk, I will discuss the history of uniformly rectifiable sets and some of my recent work on their parabolic analogs. The parabolic theory presents some obstacles in the form of `non-local' smoothness and, in fact, many of the characterizations of uniform rectifiability fail to have parabolic analogs.
Dec 8 (4:10pm) Zoom - Gideon Simpson (Drexel University)
Title: Nonlocal Diffusions with Additive Noise
Abstract: In this talk I will discuss recent work on infinite dimensional nonlocal diffusions with additive noise. These may be obtained as the continuum limits of noise driven Kuramoto oscillator systems. A well-posedness theory is developed for this infinite dimensional problem, and convergence results are obtained for both the associated semi-discrete and fully discrete problems. This provides a basis for studying the associated metastability problems of the continuum limit Kuramoto system, which may also be viewed as an approximation of a high, but finite, dimensional problem. Ongoing progress on studying the metastability, both numerically and analytically will be presented. Novel challenges in the analysis are also highlighted. This work is in collaboration with Georgi Medvedev (Drexel).
Feb 10 (4:10pm) - Ananda Weerasinghe (ISU)
Title: Diffusion approximations and optimal control of processing systems in heavy traffic
Abstract: A running maximum control of a diffusion process is considered. To find an optimal control, we consider the associated two-dimensional degenerate Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman(HJB) equation and construct a sufficiently smooth solution. This in turn leads to a bounded, feed-back type optimal control.
This diffusion control problem(DCP) is motivated by the service rate control of an infinite-server processing system in heavy traffic where the control mechanism is enforced to limit the storage capacity. The DCP is obtained as the diffusion approximation of the processing system control problem. An asymptotically feed-back type optimal control mechanism for the processing system is obtained using the solution to DCP.
Feb 17 (4:10pm) - Qi Feng (USC)
Title: Accelerating Convergence of Stochastic Gradient MCMC: algorithm and theory
Abstract: Stochastic Gradient Langevin Dynamics (SGLD) shows its advantages in multi-modal sampling and non-convex optimization, which implies broad application in machine learning, e.g. uncertainty quantification for AI safety problems, etc. The core issue in this field is about the acceleration of the SGLD algorithm and convergence rate of the continuous time Langevin diffusion process to its invariant distribution. In this talk, I will present the general idea of entropy dissipation and convergence rate analysis. In the first part, I will show stochastic gradient MCMC algorithms based on replica exchange Langevin dynamics, and empirical studies of our algorithm on optimization and uncertainty estimates for synthetic experiments and image data. In the second part, I will talk about the convergence rate analysis of reversible/non-reversible degenerate Langevin dynamics (i.e. variable coefficient underdamped Langevin dynamics). The talk is based on a series of joint works with W. Deng, L. Gao, G. Karagiannis, W. Li, F. Liang, and G. Lin.
Title: A diffusion control problem with a path-dependent cost functional
Abstract: We analyze and obtain the solution to a diffusion control problem (DCP) with a cost structure consists of two types of costs: a cost due to increase of the running maximum of the state process and a control cost where the control term effects the linear drift of the state process and it helps to slow down the growth of the running maximum. This DCP is obtained as the diffusion approximation of an infinite-server controlled stochastic processing system. The solution to this DCP enables us to find nearly optimal controls for the control problem associated with the processing system.
Mar 3 (4:10pm) - Nicole Buczkowski (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
Title: Stability of solutions with respect to changes in data and parameters of nonlocal models
Abstract: Mathematical models that are physically relevant must guarantee existence and uniqueness of solutions, as well as continuity with respect to the data. Thus, small changes in data or parameters will lead to appropriate changes in the solution. These continuity properties are also relevant in numerical analysis, where small variations that are beyond computer precision should not be reflected in the numerical solutions produced. Nonlocal models, with their capability to handle discontinuities, record long range interactions through a kernel which gives additional flexibility. By varying data given by external forces, boundary conditions, the kernel, or the type of nonlinearity used in the model the solution changes accordingly. These changes are quantified through stability or continuity results, which we obtained in linear and nonlinear settings.
Mar 17 (4:10pm) - Kyle Liss (University of Maryland)
Title: Quantitative hypoellipticity and exponential convergence to equilibrium for a class of SDEs
Abstract: Various physical systems (fluids, nonlinear waves, etc.) exhibit turbulent, generally chaotic behavior when subject to forcing and weak damping. In the study of such systems, two important problems once unique ergodicity has been established are to understand properties of the invariant measure and quantify the convergence of generic time averages to the unique stationary statistics. In this talk, we discuss recent work on the long-time behavior of a class of hypoelliptic, weakly damped SDEs that covers some prototypical chaotic/turbulent systems such as Lorenz-96 and Galerkin truncations of the stochastic Navier-Stokes equations. Our main results are an optimal, quantitative estimate on the exponential convergence to equilibrium in the limit of vanishing and balanced noise and dissipation, and uniform (in the small noise/dissipation parameter) pointwise estimates on the stationary density. Exponential convergence for the model under consideration has been known for some time, but our quantitative estimates are new. Our proof uses a scheme that combines a weak Poincaré inequality argument with quantitative hypoelliptic regularization for the associated time-dependent Kolmogorov equation. The uniform estimates on the stationary density are crucial to carrying out our approach, and are proven with hypoelliptic De Giorgi and Moser type iterations. This is joint work with Jacob Bedrossian (University of Maryland).
Mar 24 (4:15pm) - Xin Liu (Clemson University)
Title: Allocation control for Bipartite Matching Queues
Abstract: Motivated by the study of organ transplant systems, we study a multi-class bipartite matching system with one side labeled "patients" and the other side labeled "organs". We assume that patients may die/delist or move between classes due to changes of their health status. We introduce two stochastic queueing control problems (QCPs) with the same control process that governs the allocation of each arriving organ. For the first QCP, its objective is to maximize the expected life years of all population in the system during a finite time horizon. The second QCP is to minimize a long run average linear holding cost. For both QCPs, we first construct proper deterministic control problems, referred to as the fluid control problems (FCPs) and show that the FCPs provide the best achievable performance for the corresponding QCPs. We next develop an asymptotic framework, in which large-scale matching systems are considered, and show that the fluid scaled QCP attains the corresponding FCP optimal value asymptotically. We propose a simple priority type policy for the first QCP and a randomized allocation policy for the second QCP based on the optimal solutions of the corresponding FCPs. Finally, we establish the asymptotic optimality of the proposed policies through scaling limit theorems.
Mar 31 (4:10pm) - Hayley Olson (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
Title: Tempered and Truncated Fractional Operators - Exploring Reduction of Computational Costs
Abstract: Fractional calculus operators have been around nearly as long as the familiar integer-order derivatives. The introduction of an exponential tempering to the fractional operator has recently found applications in geophysics and finance. However, the infinite radius of interaction of the operator makes it computationally hefty. In this talk, we explore the use of a truncated fractional operator -- restricted to a bounded domain of integration -- in order to capture the same action of the tempered operator but with an easier computational load.
Apr 7 (4:10pm) - Cecilia Mondaini (Drexel University)
Title: Rates of convergence to statistical equilibrium: a general approach and applications
Abstract: Randomness is an intrinsic part of many physical systems. For example, it might appear due to uncertainty in the initial data, or in the derivation of the mathematical model, or also in observational measurements. In this talk, we focus on the study of convergence/mixing rates for stochastic/random dynamical systems towards statistical equilibrium. Our approach uses the weak Harris theorem combined with a generalized coupling technique to obtain such rates for infinite-dimensional stochastic systems in a suitable Wasserstein distance. We emphasize the importance of obtaining these results via algorithms that are well-defined in infinite dimensions. This allows to obtain convergence rates that are robust with respect to finite-dimensional approximations, thus beating the curse of dimensionality. In particular, we show two scenarios where this approach is applied in the context of stochastic fluid flows. First, to show that Markov kernels constructed from a suitable numerical discretization of the 2D stochastic Navier-Stokes equations converge towards the invariant measure of the continuous system. Second, to approximate the posterior measure obtained via a Bayesian approach to inverse PDE problems, particularly when applied to advection-diffusion type PDEs. Here we present an alternative proof of mixing rates for the exact preconditioned Hamiltonian Monte Carlo algorithm in infinite dimensions, a result that was still an open problem until quite recently. This talk is based on joint works with Nathan Glatt-Holtz (Tulane U).
Apr 14 (4:10pm) - Chao Zhu (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
Title: Regime-Switching Jump-Diffusion Processes with Countable Regimes
Abstract: This work focuses on a class of regime-switching jump diffusion processes, which is a two component Markov processes $(X(t),\Lambda(t))$, where the analog component $X(t) \in R^{d}$ models the state of interest while the switching component $\Lambda(t)\in \{1,2,\dots\}$ can be used to describe the structural changes of the state or random factors that are not represented by the usual jump diffusion formulation. Considering the corresponding stochastic differential equations, our focus is on treating those with non-Lipschitz coefficients. We first show that there exists a unique strong solution to the corresponding stochastic differential equation. Then Feller and strong Feller properties and exponential ergodicity are investigated. This is a joint work with Khwanchai Kunwai, Fubao Xi and George Yin.
Apr 21 (4:10pm) - David Herzog (ISU)
Abstract: This is part one of 2-3 talks which will be continued in the fall. In this part, we discuss the method of stochastic characteristics to help motivate laws of the iterated logarithm. This method is often used to solve second-order linear boundary-valued PDEs, such as the Dirichlet or Poisson Problem in a bounded domain in R^n. If the operator L defining the equation is uniformly elliptic in a neighborhood of the domain and the boundary is smooth, then we can always use this method with ease to find an expression for the unique classical solution, provided the data is smooth enough. However, if we drop the ellipticity assumption, say L is only hypoelliptic or "weakly" hypoelliptic (i.e. the randomness is degenerate), then the candidate expression typically makes sense, but it may no longer satisfy the equation. The problem moving from the elliptic to hypoelliptic settings is that the natural elliptic approximation of L may not approximate the defining stochastic characteristics near the boundary, even though the processes defined by these operators are close in a very strong sense. In order to determine when it does approximate L near the boundary, we establish laws of the iterated logarithm for the diffusion at time zero.
Apr 28 (4:10pm) - Sungchan Park (ISU)
Title: Adjusted Linear Preferential Attachment Model with Covariates and Existence of MLE
Abstract: Barabási–Albert (BA) model, or Linear Preferential Attachment Model is an appealing mechanism for modeling a growing network with the property that the more connected a node is, the more likely it is to receive new links. Despite its simplicity and useful results explaining the power-law degree distributions and the first mover advantage, BA model highly underestimates the possibility that late comers may beat the first movers. So, Bianconi-Barabási (BB) model introduced the concept of fitness, an intrinsic and quantitative measure of each node's ability to stay in front of the competition. On the other hand, however, BB model does not offer any idea where the intrinsic ability comes from. We introduced a new model with covariates and parameters that assesses how attributes of each node affect preferential attachment. In particular, we showed the unique MLE exists for the univariate case and found a sufficient condition that the unique MLE exists for multivariate cases. We also explored numerical examples of the model and its MLE.
May 5 (4:10pm) - Nathan Glatt-Holtz (Tulane University)
Title: A Bayesian Approach to Quantifying Uncertainty in Divergence Free Flows.
Abstract: We treat a statistical regularization of the ill-posed inverse problem of estimating a divergence free flow field $u$ from the partial and noisy observation of a passive scalar $\theta$ which is advected by $u$. Our solution is a Bayesian posterior distribution, that is a probability measure $\mu$ of the space of divergence free flow fields which precisely quantifies uncertainties in $u$ once one species models for measurement error and a prior knowledge for $u$.
In this talk we survey some of our recent work which analyzes $\mu$ both analytically and numerically. In particular we discuss a posterior contraction (consistency) result as well as some Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms which we have developed, refined and rigorously analyzed to effectively sample from $\mu$. This is joint work with Jeff Borggaard, Justin Krometis and Cecilia Mondaini.


The Brazilian state-controlled oil company Petrobras wants to raise the amount of ethanol used in gasoline to 25 percent, Miguel Rossetto, head of the company's biofuels unit said yesterday, newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo reported.
Months ago the government decreased the blend to 20% due to low supplies of ethanol. Increasing it to 25% will help ease fuel imports, Estado said quoting Rossetto.


text:
False Claims Act, Federal Case Updates, Fraud and Abuse, TRICARE
Written by David Ross on January 21st, 2016 January 21st, 2016 .
Today, the Department of Justice U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York announced a settlement with Medical Reimbursement Systems, Inc. ("MRSI") to resolve allegations that it violated the false claims act. The press release can be found here. Medical Reimbursement Systems, Inc. provided billing, coding and full revenue cycle services for health care providers. The settlement resolves allegations that MRSI submitted false claims on behalf of a client in Watertown, NY to the TRICARE program, the military health insurer. The government contended that MRSI, who provided coding, billing physician education and data entry services for the practice, submitted false claims for the practice to TRICARE to receive bonuses intended for providers in a qualifying Health Professional Shortage Area even though the practice was ineligible to receive these payments.
Danielle Holley, Esq. assisted in writing this blog post. For more information about False Claims Act matters, contact David Ross who served as Acting New York State Medicaid Inspector General under Governors Pataki and Spitzer, as well as General Counsel, Deputy Medicaid Inspector General, and Director of Audits and Investigations for the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General. He can be reached at (518) 462-5601 or via e-mail at dross@oalaw.com.
Comptroller Claims NYSDOH Leaves $95 Million of Drug Rebates on the Table


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