Integrating additional knowledge into the estimation of graphical models.

Graphical models such as brain connectomes derived from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data are considered a prime gateway to understanding network-type processes. We show, however, that standard methods for graphical modeling can fail to provide accurate graph recovery even with optimal tuning and large sample sizes. We attempt to solve this problem by leveraging information that is often readily available in practice but neglected, such as the spatial positions of the measurements.

Primary and Repeated Respiratory Viral Infections Among Infants in Rural Nepal.

Background: Respiratory viruses cause significant morbidity and death in infants; 99% of such deaths occur in resource-limited settings. Risk factors for initial and repeated respiratory viral infections in young infants in resource-limited settings have not been well described.

Methods: From 2011 to 2014, a birth cohort of infants in rural Nepal was enrolled and followed with weekly household-based active surveillance for respiratory symptoms until 6 months of age.

Biomarker-calibrated nutrient intake and healthy diet index associations with mortality risks among older and frail women from the Women's Health Initiative.

Although studies to date have confirmed the association between nutrition and frailty, the impact of dietary intake and dietary patterns on survivorship in those with frailty is yet to be examined in a well-powered cohort with validated frailty status. Moreover, previous studies were limited by measurement error from dietary self-reports. We derived biomarker-calibrated dietary energy and protein intakes to address dietary self-report error.

Statistical evaluation of drug efficacy for bridging study in companion diagnostic test trials.

Personalized medicine is an area of growing attention in medical research and practice. A market-ready companion diagnostic test (CDx) is used in personalized medicine for identifying the best treatment for an individual patient. Unfortunately, development of CDx may lag behind the development of the drug, and consequently we use a clinical trial assay (CTA) to enroll patients into the drug pivotal clinical trial instead.

Results From the NACC Uniform Data Set Neuropsychological Battery Crosswalk Study.

Introduction: Four new nonproprietary tests were recommended for use in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center's Uniform Data Set Neuropsychological Battery. These tests are similar to previous tests but also allow for continuity of longitudinal data collection and wide dissemination among research collaborators.

Methods: A Crosswalk Study was conducted in early 2014 to assess the correlation between each set of new and previous tests.

Multisite assessment of NIA-AA guidelines for the neuropathologic evaluation of Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Neuropathologic assessment is the current "gold standard" for evaluating the Alzheimer's disease (AD), but there is no consensus on the methods used.

Methods: Fifteen unstained slides (8 brain regions) from each of the 14 cases were prepared and distributed to 10 different National Institute on Aging AD Centers for application of usual staining and evaluation following recently revised guidelines for AD neuropathologic change.

Results: Current practice used in the AD Centers Program achieved robustly excellent agreement for the severity score for AD neuropathologic change (average weighted κ = .