Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Asymptotic Behavior Of The Random Logistic Model And Of Parallel Bayesian Logspline Density Estimators, Konstandinos Kotsiopoulos

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of two separate projects. The first concerns a Markov chain called the Random Logistic Model. For r in (0,4] and x in [0,1] the logistic map f_r(x) = rx(1 - x) defines, for positive integer t, the dynamical system x_r(t + 1) = f(x_r(t)) on [0,1], where x_r(1) = x. The interplay between this dynamical system and the Markov chain x_r,N(t) defined by perturbing the logistic map by truncated Gaussian noise scaled by N^-1/2, where N -> infinity, is studied. A natural question is …

Regression Analysis For Ordinal Outcomes In Matched Study Design: Applications To Alzheimer's Disease Studies, Elizabeth Austin

Masters Theses

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) affects nearly 5.4 million Americans as of 2016 and is the most common form of dementia. The disease is characterized by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques [1]. The amount of plaques are measured by Braak stage, post-mortem. It is known that AD is positively associated with hypercholesterolemia [16]. As statins are the most widely used cholesterol-lowering drug, there may be associations between statin use and AD. We hypothesize that those who use statins, specifically lipophilic statins, are more likely to have a low Braak stage in post-mortem analysis.

In order to address this hypothesis, …