Identifying Catch-Up Trajectories in Child Growth: New Methods with Evidence from Young Lives

Definitions of catch-up growth in anthropometric outcomes among young children vary across studies. This paper distinguishes between catch-up in the mean of a group toward that of a healthy reference population versus catch-up within the group, associated with a narrowing of the outcome distribution. In contrast to conventional empirical approaches based on dynamic panel models, the paper shows how catch-up can be tested via a latent growth framework. Combined with a flexible estimator incorporating individual-specific intercepts and slopes, this enables between- and within-group forms of catch-up to be tested in a unified setting. The application of the proposed approach reveals significant differences in the nature, extent, and drivers of catch-up growth across the four Young Lives countries (Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam). In addition, the paper shows how conclusions about catch-up are sensitive to the way in which anthropometric outcomes are expressed

Research Notes : United States : An improved greenhouse method of evaluation for inheritance of resistance to race 4 of soybean cyst nematode

Studies to determine mode of inheritance of resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, could be influenced by the methods of evaluation in use. Any improvement in growing conditions of the host and pathogen, superior inoculation techniques, inducement of desirable infection in the host with minimum genetic variability in the SCN population could result in optimum expression of full complement of genes conferring resistance to SCN races. Our objective was to determine the mode of inheritance of resistance in Soybean Plant Introduction PI 88.788 for SCN race 4 reaction, using the improved techniques of evaluation

RPGR-associated retinal degeneration in human X-linked RP and a murine model

PURPOSE. We investigated the retinal disease due to mutations in the retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator (RPGR) gene in human patients and in an Rpgr conditional knockout (cko) mouse model. METHODS. XLRP patients with RPGR-ORF15 mutations (n = 35, ages at first visit 5–72 years) had clinical examinations, and rod and cone perimetry. Rpgr-cko mice, in which the proximal promoter and first exon were deleted ubiquitously, were back-crossed onto a BALB/c background, and studied with optical coherence tomography and electroretinography (ERG). Retinal histopathology was performed on a subset. RESULTS. Different patterns of rod and cone dysfunction were present in patients. Frequently, there were midperipheral losses with residual rod and cone function in central and peripheral retina. Longitudinal data indicated that central rod loss preceded peripheral rod losses. Central cone-only vision with no peripheral function was a late stage. Less commonly, patients had central rod and cone dysfunction, but preserved, albeit abnormal, midperipheral rod and cone vision. Rpgr-cko mice had progressive retinal degeneration detectable in the first months of life. ERGs indicated relatively equal rod and cone disease. At late stages, there was greater inferior versus superior retinal degeneration. CONCLUSIONS. RPGR mutations lead to progressive loss of rod and cone vision, but show different patterns of residual photoreceptor disease expression. Knowledge of the patterns should guide treatment strategies. Rpgr-cko mice had onset of degeneration at relatively young ages and progressive photoreceptor disease. The natural history in this model will permit preclinical proof-of-concept studies to be designed and such studies should advance progress toward human therapy

The soybean cyst nematode

"The soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, attacks soybean roots and is a serious threat to the crop in many soybean growing areas. This tiny, parasitic roundworm is so named because the female body, when filled with eggs, is known as a cyst. Cysts may remain in and infest soil for several years. The nematodes' persistence and rapid production, along with the severe injuries they cause to host-plant roots, make the nematodes a serious agricultural threat."--First page.Einar W. Palm, J. A Wrather (Department of Plant Pathology), and Sam Anand (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture)Revised 11/86/8

Research Notes : Screening for cyst nematode resistance in soybean breeding

As the soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, has become a serious pest of soybeans in the USA, development of resistant culti-vars has received greater attention. This necessitates screening of large numbers of plant progenies to locate SCN-resistant isolates in segregating generations. Ross and Brim (1957) used a double-row method to detect SCN-resistant strains of soybeans

An investigation of the construct validity of the ICECAP-A capability measure

Abstract Purpose To investigate the construct validity of the ICECAP-A capability wellbeing measure. Methods A face-to-face interview-administered survey was conducted with 418 members of the UK general population, randomly sampled from the Postcode Address File. Pre-specified hypotheses were developed about the expected associations between individuals’ ICECAP-A responses and their socio-economic circumstances, health and freedom. The hypotheses were investigated using statistical tests of association. Results The ICECAP-A responses and scores reflected differences across different health and socioeconomic groups as anticipated, but did not distinguish individuals by the level of local deprivation. Mean ICECAP-A scores reflected individuals’ perceived freedom slightly more closely than did measures of health and happiness. Conclusion This study suggests that the ICECAP-A measure can identify expected differences in capability wellbeing in a general population sample. Further work could establish whether self-reported capabilities exhibit desirable validity and acceptability in sub-groups of the population such as patients, social care recipients and informal carers

Classical Commitments to Quantum States

We define the notion of a classical commitment scheme to quantum states, which allows a quantum prover to compute a classical commitment to a quantum state, and later open each qubit of the state in either the standard or the Hadamard basis. Our notion is a strengthening of the measurement protocol from Mahadev (STOC 2018). We construct such a commitment scheme from the post-quantum Learning With Errors (LWE) assumption, and more generally from any noisy trapdoor claw-free function family that has the distributional strong adaptive hardcore bit property (a property that we define in this work). Our scheme is succinct in the sense that the running time of the verifier in the commitment phase depends only on the security parameter (independent of the size of the committed state), and its running time in the opening phase grows only with the number of qubits that are being opened (and the security parameter). As a corollary we obtain a classical succinct argument system for QMA under the post-quantum LWE assumption. Previously, this was only known assuming post-quantum secure indistinguishability obfuscation. As an additional corollary we obtain a generic way of converting any X/Z quantum PCP into a succinct argument system under the quantum hardness of LWE

MULTIPLE PARTING SURFACES FOR SAND CASTING

ABSTRACT Multiple parting surfaces are frequently used in sand casting, die casting and injection molding processes. However, most research in this area has focused on die casting and injection molding. Parting surfaces for die casting and injection molding are relatively easier to compute compared to sand casting because their orientations and shapes are less restricted. In sand casting, the parting surfaces have to be parallel to each other and perfectly flat to permit the use of flasks with more than two pieces. The concepts of visibility and object illumination can be used to divide an object into two parts using a single parting surface. These methods, however, cannot be directly used for multiple parting surfaces. In this paper, a methodology to generate multiple parting surfaces for sand casting is described. The method uses Gauss maps to identify potential casting directions, and global accessibility cones to determine which faces can be cast in the same part of the pattern. The pattern is sliced using parallel planes such that each slice can be withdrawn from the mold in at least one direction. After the object is sliced, the number of parting surfaces is reduced by combining adjacent middle sections depending on their accessible directions