Fast matrix computations for pair-wise and column-wise commute times and Katz scores

We first explore methods for approximating the commute time and Katz score between a pair of nodes. These methods are based on the approach of matrices, moments, and quadrature developed in the numerical linear algebra community. They rely on the Lanczos process and provide upper and lower bounds on an estimate of the pair-wise scores. We also explore methods to approximate the commute times and Katz scores from a node to all other nodes in the graph. Here, our approach for the commute times is based on a variation of the conjugate gradient algorithm, and it provides an estimate of all the diagonals of the inverse of a matrix. Our technique for the Katz scores is based on exploiting an empirical localization property of the Katz matrix. We adopt algorithms used for personalized PageRank computing to these Katz scores and theoretically show that this approach is convergent. We evaluate these methods on 17 real world graphs ranging in size from 1000 to 1,000,000 nodes. Our results show that our pair-wise commute time method and column-wise Katz algorithm both have attractive theoretical properties and empirical performance.Comment: 35 pages, journal version of http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18009-5_13 which has been submitted for publication. Please see http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dgleich/publications/2011/codes/fast-katz/ for supplemental code

World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set Development for Interstitial Lung Disease

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as a scientific method of disability data collection comprised of >1,200 categories describing the spectrum of impairment types (functional, symptoms-based and anatomical) under the bio-psycho-social model with consideration of environmental and personal factors (pf). ICF Core Sets and ICF Checklists are streamlined disease-specific resources for clinical use, service provision, and for use in health economics and health policy. ICF can disclose strengths and weaknesses across multiple patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and help consolidate best-fitting question-items from multiple PROMs. Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), are generally progressive, with restrictive physiology sometimes occurring in the context of multi-organ autoimmunity/inflammatory conditions such as connective tissue diseases (CTDs). In spite of significant associated morbidity and potential disability, ILD has yet to be linked to the ICF. Methods: Each instrument and their question-items within the consensus-recommended core sets for clinical trials in ILD were deconstructed to single concept units, and then linked per updated ICF linkage rules. Inter-linker agreement was established. Three additional subsequently validated measures were also included. Results: One-hundred-eleven ICF categories were identified for ten PROMs and three traditional objective measures that were amenable to ICF linkage. The proportion of agreement ranged from 0.79 (95% CI: 0.62, 0.91) to 0.93 (0.76, 0.99) with the overall proportion of inter-linker agreement being very high 0.86 (0.82, 0.89) for the initial instruments, with 94-100% for the three additional PROMs. Thirty-four new 'Personal Factors' emerged to capture disease-specific qualities not elsewhere described in ICF, e.g. 'pf_embarrassed by cough' or 'pf_panic/afraid when can't get a breath'. Conclusion: This first known effort in ICF linkage of ILD has provided important revelations on the current utility of the ICF in lung disease. Results have indicated areas for meaningful assessment of ICF descriptors for lung impairment. The mapping across PROMs provides insight into possibilities of developing more streamline and precise instrumentation. Finally, familiarity with the ICF in ILD may enable clinicians to experience a smoother transition with the imminent harmonization of ICD and ICF, ICD-11

The optical potential of 6^{6}He in the eikonal approximation

The new data of the elastic scattering of $^{6}$He+$^{12}$C at about 40 MeV/nucleon are analyzed in the eikonal approximation. The $^{6}$He+$^{12}$C phase-shift function is evaluated completely without any {\it ad hoc} assumption by a Monte Carlo integration, which makes it possible to use a realistic 6-nucleon wave function for a halo nucleus $^{6}$He. The effect of the breakup of $^6$He on the elastic differential cross sections as well as the optical potential is studied at different energies from 40 to 800 MeV/nucleon. PACS number(s): 24.10.-i; 21.60.Ka; 25.60.Bx; 25.10.+s Keywords: Eikonal; Glauber; Monte Carlo; Halo; BreakupComment: 13 pages, 9 figure

Distinctive spinal changes in two patients with unusual forms of autosomal dominant endosteal hyperostosis: a case series

Endosteal hyperostosis was encountered in a 26-year-old-man and his 6-month-old daughter. Both the father and his daughter presented with fractures. Odontoid process hyperplasia, and progressive sclerosis of the posterior spinal elements, was the other significant features. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical report describing distinctive spinal changes in association with fractures and endosteal hyperostosis

Improved Security Performance for VANET Simulations

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Upcoming deployments of Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) in Europe are expected to sign and verify packets secured by cryptographic signatures by default. Thus, when VANET simulations are used for development and test of applications building upon vehicular communication, the overhead induced by security extensions to the ITS-G5 protocol stack shall not be neglected. This paper presents a standard compliant simulation model capable to handle secured messages. Beside its suitability for Hardware-in-the-Loop simulations employing secured communication, the model's major advantage is the minimisation of the simulation environment's performance penalty linked with cryptographic computations

Altered Immune Regulation in Type 1 Diabetes

Research in genetics and immunology was going on separate strands for a long time. Type 1 diabetes mellitus might not be characterized with a single pathogenetic factor. It develops when a susceptible individual is exposed to potential triggers in a given sequence and timeframe that eventually disarranges the fine-tuned immune mechanisms that keep autoimmunity under control in health. Genomewide association studies have helped to understand the congenital susceptibility, and hand-in-hand with the immunological research novel paths of immune dysregulation were described in central tolerance, apoptotic pathways, or peripheral tolerance mediated by regulatory T-cells. Epigenetic factors are contributing to the immune dysregulation. The interplay between genetic susceptibility and potential triggers is likely to play a role at a very early age and gradually results in the loss of balanced autotolerance and subsequently in the development of the clinical disease. Genetic susceptibility, the impaired elimination of apoptotic β-cell remnants, altered immune regulatory functions, and environmental factors such as viral infections determine the outcome. Autoreactivity might exist under physiologic conditions and when the integrity of the complex regulatory process is damaged the disease might develop. We summarized the immune regulatory mechanisms that might have a crucial role in disease pathology and development

Controlling opioid receptor functional selectivity by targeting distinct subpockets of the orthosteric site

Controlling receptor functional selectivity profiles for opioid receptors is a promising approach for discovering safer analgesics; however, the structural determinants conferring functional selectivity are not well understood. Here, we used crystal structures of opioid receptors, including the recently solved active state kappa opioid complex wit

Results of a worldwide survey on the currently used histopathological diagnostic criteria for invasive lobular breast cancer

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) represents the second most common subtype of breast cancer (BC), accounting for up to 15% of all invasive BC. Loss of cell adhesion due to functional inactivation of E-cadherin is the hallmark of ILC. Although the current world health organization (WHO) classification for diagnosing ILC requires the recognition of the dispersed or linear non-cohesive growth pattern, it is not mandatory to demonstrate E-cadherin loss by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Recent results of central pathology review of two large randomized clinical trials have demonstrated relative overdiagnosis of ILC, as only ~60% of the locally diagnosed ILCs were confirmed by central pathology. To understand the possible underlying reasons of this discrepancy, we undertook a worldwide survey on the current practice of diagnosing BC as ILC. A survey was drafted by a panel of pathologists and researchers from the European lobular breast cancer consortium (ELBCC) using the online tool SurveyMonkey®. Various parameters such as indications for IHC staining, IHC clones, and IHC staining procedures were questioned. Finally, systematic reporting of non-classical ILC variants were also interrogated. This survey was sent out to pathologists worldwide and circulated from December 14, 2020 until July, 1 2021. The results demonstrate that approximately half of the institutions use E-cadherin expression loss by IHC as an ancillary test to diagnose ILC and that there is a great variability in immunostaining protocols. This might cause different staining results and discordant interpretations. As ILC-specific therapeutic and diagnostic avenues are currently explored in the context of clinical trials, it is of importance to improve standardization of histopathologic diagnosis of ILC diagnosis