Isomorphic Implication

We study the isomorphic implication problem for Boolean constraints. We show that this is a natural analog of the subgraph isomorphism problem. We prove that, depending on the set of constraints, this problem is in P, or is NP-complete, or is NP-hard, coNP-hard, and in P_‖^NP. We show how to extend the NP-hardness and coNP-hardness to P_‖^NP-hardness for some cases, and conjecture that this can be done in all cases. Supported in part by grants NSF-CCR-0311021 and DFG VO 630/5-1 and VO 630/5-2. An extended abstract of this paper appears in Proceedings of the 30th International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2005), pp. 119–130, Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science #3618, August 2005. Work of M. Bauland done in part while visiting CASCI’s Laboratory for Complexity at Rochester Institute of Technology. Work of E. Hemaspaandra done in part while on sabbatical at the University of Rochester.     

Implicit measures of early-life family conditions: Relationships to psychosocial characteristics and cardiovascular disease risk in adulthood.

Objectives: An implicit measure of early-life family conditions was created to help address potential biases in responses to self-reported questionnaires of early-life family environments. We investigated whether a computerized affect attribution paradigm designed to capture implicit, affective responses (anger, fear, warmth) regarding early-life family environments was (a) stable over time, (b) associated with self-reports of childhood family environments, (c) able to predict adult psychosocial profiles (perceived social support, heightened vigilance), and (d) able to predict adult cardiovascular risk (blood pressure) either alone or in conjunction with a measure of early-life socioeconomic status. Method: Two studies were conducted to examine reliability and validity of the affect attribution paradigm (Study 1, N = 94) and associated adult psychosocial outcomes and cardiovascular risk (Study 2, N = 122). Results: Responses on the affect attribution paradigm showed significant correlations over a 6-month period, and were moderately associated with self-reports of childhood family environments. Greater attributed negative affect about early-life family conditions predicted lower levels of current perceived social support and heightened vigilance in adulthood. Attributed negative affect also interacted with early-life socioeconomic status (SES) to marginally predict resting systolic blood pressure (SBP), such that those individuals high in early-life SES but who had implicit negative affect attributed to early-life family conditions had SBP levels that were as high as individuals low in early-life SES. Conclusion: Implicit measures of early-life family conditions are a useful approach for assessing the psychosocial nature of early-life environments and linking them to adult psychosocial and physiological health profiles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Symptom perception in childhood asthma: The role of anxiety and asthma severity.

This study tested the relationship of anxiety and asthma severity to symptom perception. Eighty-six children diagnosed with mild or moderate asthma had symptom perception and pulmonary function measured throughout methacholine challenge (to induce bronchoconstriction). Higher trait anxiety was associated with heightened symptom perception (controlling for pulmonary function) at baseline. Greater asthma severity was associated with blunted symptom perception (controlling for pulmonary function) at the end of methacholine challenge and with a slower rate of increase in symptom perception across methacholine challenge. These results suggest that anxiety plays a role when children's symptoms are mild, whereas medical variables such as severity play a role in perception of changes in asthma symptomatology as bronchoconstriction worsens. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Oil Spill Dispersant Effectiveness Protocol. I: Impact of Operational Variables

The current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency protocol for testing the effectiveness of dispersants, the swirling flask test, has been found to give widely varying results in the hands of different testing laboratories. The sources of the ambiguities in the test were determined by considering several options in a rigorous systematic fashion. Options considered were variability among three operators and the variability and limitations of three analytical instruments in establishing a calibration curve for oil/dispersant mixtures. Other options included flask type, impact of operational variables (rotational speed, mixing time, settling time, and oil:dispersant ratio), development of a revised procedure for dispersant effectiveness, reproducibility and repeatability of the revised procedure, and development of selection criteria for screening of dispersants. A redesign of the test flask, which is characterized by having baffles with a stopcock at the bottom for sample collection, was deemed necessary to accomplish reproducibility within operator and between operators. The results indicated that the baffled flask provided a total coefficient of variation (variations within operator and between operators) less than 11% compared to above 100% in some cases for the swirling flask.     

Oil Spill Dispersant Effectiveness Protocol. II: Performance of Revised Protocol

The current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protocol for testing the effectiveness of dispersants for use in treating oil spills on the open water, the swirling flask test (SFT), has been found to give widely varying results in the hands of different testing laboratories. Part I addressed the sources of the ambiguities in the EPA SFT and the development of a new test referred to as the baffled flask test (BFT). In this part of the series, further experiments were conducted for estimating the repeatability of three operators in determining the effectiveness of 18 dispersants by both the EPA SFT and the BFT methods. Overall statistical analysis of the results indicated that the coefficient of variation by the BFT was only 7.8% compared to 21.9% for the EPA SFT. The mean percent effectiveness of the EPA SFT was only 19.7% as compared to 64.6% for the BFT. Proposed selection criteria for screening of dispersants for listing on the National Contingency Plan Product Schedule have been developed.     

Regression Model for Daily Maximum Stream Temperature

An empirical model is developed to predict daily maximum stream temperatures for the summer period. The model is created using a stepwise linear regression procedure to select significant predictors. The predictive model includes a prediction confidence interval to quantify the uncertainty. The methodology is applied to the Truckee River in California and Nevada. The stepwise procedure selects daily maximum air temperature and average daily flow as the variables to predict maximum daily stream temperature at Reno, Nev. The model is shown to work in a predictive mode by validation using three years of historical data. Using the uncertainty quantification, the amount of required additional flow to meet a target stream temperature with a desired level of confidence is determined.     

Motor sequencing deficits in schizophrenia: A comparison with Parkinson's disease.

Motor abnormalities occur in schizophrenia (SZ) and may arise from striatal dysfunction. This study examined whether the pattern of performance on simple and complex motor abilities in SZ was similar to that of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Quantitative tests of speeded movement and motor and cognitive sequencing were used to assess 25 SZ, 16 PD, and 84 normal controls (NCs). Sequencing performance was also examined with motor rigidity taken into account. Compared with the NC group, the SZ and PD groups were impaired on measures of motor rigidity and motor sequencing. With rigidity accounted for, the SZ group was significantly more impaired than the PD group on motor sequencing; cognitive and motor processes contributed to the motor deficit. Cognitive sequencing performance predicted motor sequencing performance in PD but not SZ. Although both SZ and PD resulted in significant motor and cognitive sequencing deficits, the pattern and correlates of these deficits differ, suggesting that the affected neural systems underlying motor deficits in SZ are different from those involved in PD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fetal Neurobehavioral Development: A Tale of Two Cities.

Longitudinal neurobehavioral development was examined in 237 fetuses of low-risk pregnancies from 2 distinct populations-Baltimore, Maryland, and Lima. Peru-at 20. 24. 28. 32, 36. and 38 weeks gestation. Data were based on digitized Doppler-based fetal heart rate (FHR) and fetal movement (FM). In both groups. FHR declined while variability, episodic accelerations, and FM-FHR coupling increased, with discontinuities evident between 28 and 32 weeks gestation. Fetuses in Lima had higher FHR and lower variability, accelerations, and FM-FHR coupling. Declines in trajectories were typically observed 1 month sooner in Lima, which magnified these disparities. Motor activity differences were less consistent. No sex differences in fetal neurobehaviors were detected. It is concluded that population factors can influence the developmental niche of the fetus. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)