Projected Smoking-Related Deaths Among U.S. Youth: A 2000 Update

This paper projects the long term consequences of the rise in youth smoking in the 1990s by updating the state estimates for projected smoking-related deaths among youth in the U.S. using information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2000 and the U.S. Census 2000. This analysis is similar to that from an earlier study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Office on Smoking and Health (MMWR, 45[44], November 8, 1996). The 1996 analysis used young adult smoking prevalence data from 1994 and 1995; whereas, the analysis presented here represents smoking prevalence data from 2000. The overall number of potential future smoking-attributable deaths among persons aged 0-17 years in 2000 was 6,407,119 for the U.S., up from an estimated 5 million in 1995. Compared with the 1995 estimates, every state except Arizona shows increases in projected smoking-related deaths among youth for 2000. This upsurge is attributable to both increases in smoking prevalence among young adults and population aged 0-17 years from 1995 to 2000. The increase in smoking prevalence among young adults was statistically significant in nine states including Alabama, District of Columbia, Iowa, Kentucky, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Vermont. With increasing attention and funding for comprehensive, research-based tobacco control programs in the U.S., one would expect smoking rates to decline over time, resulting in a reduction in projected smoking-related deaths among youth. The analysis reported here does not yet reflect this trend. This study clearly demonstrates that based on recent smoking patterns, there will continue to be a huge public health toll from tobacco. The results from this new analysis will be useful to states as they determine the overall public health benefits from increasing the state excise tax and consider funding for comprehensive tobacco control programs

Think-Pair-Share as a Springboard for Study Buddies in a Virtual Environment

Many powerful teaching techniques have not yet fully transitioned from face-to-face use to the new remote instructional paradigm forced on teacher educators and teacher candidates during the pandemic. Experiences by candidates and by instructors in this new environment need to be compiled and shared as we head forward into structures and situations. This article describes how one such technique, Think-Pair-Share (Lyman, 1981) inspired assigning Study Buddies in a co-taught graduate level teacher education course, Managing Culturally Responsive Classrooms, in the summer of 2020. Two teacher candidates, two professors and Dr. Frank Lyman, offer insight and suggestions about this practice, its possibilities and its limitations as the course moved from a traditional implementation to a virtual setting

Brief international cognitive assessment for MS (BICAMS) and global brain volumes in early stages of MS – A longitudinal correlation study

Background Cognitive impairment is common in patients with multiple sclerosis, even in the early stages of the disease. The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for multiple sclerosis (BICAMS) is a short screening tool developed to assess cognitive function in everyday clinical practice. Objective To investigate associations between volumetric brain measures derived from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination and performance on BICAMS subtests in early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods BICAMS was used to assess cognitive function in 49 MS patients at baseline and after one and two years. The patients were separated into two groups (with or without cognitive impairment) based on their performances on BICAMSs subtests. MRI data were analysed by a software tool (MSMetrix), yielding normalized measures of global brain volumes and lesion volumes. Associations between cognitive tests and brain MRI measures were analysed by running correlation analyses, and differences between subgroups and changes over time with independent and paired samples tests, respectively. Results The strongest baseline correlations were found between the BICAMS subtests and normalized whole brain volume (NBV) and grey matter volume (NGV); processing speed r = 0.54/r = 0.48, verbal memory r = 0.49/ r = 0.42, visual memory r = 0.48 /r = 0.39. Only the verbal memory test had significant correlations with T2 and T1 lesion volumes (LV) at both time points; T2LV r = 0.39, T1LV r = 0.38. There were significant loss of grey matter and white matter volume overall (NGV p<0.001, NWV p = 0.003), as well as an increase in T1LV (p = 0.013). The longitudinally defined confirmed cognitively impaired (CCI) and preserved (CCP) patients showed significant group differences on all MRI volume measures at both time points, except for NWV. Only the CCI subgroup showed significant white matter atrophy (p = 0.006) and increase in T2LV (p = 0.029). Conclusions The present study found strong correlations between whole brain and grey matter volumes and performance on the BICAMS subtests as well as significant changes in global volumes from baseline to follow-up with clear differences between patients defined as cognitively impaired and preserved at both baseline and follow-up.publishedVersio

Virtualizing the Stampede2 Supercomputer with Applications to HPC in the Cloud

Methods developed at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) are described and demonstrated for automating the construction of an elastic, virtual cluster emulating the Stampede2 high performance computing (HPC) system. The cluster can be built and/or scaled in a matter of minutes on the Jetstream self-service cloud system and shares many properties of the original Stampede2, including: i) common identity management, ii) access to the same file systems, iii) equivalent software application stack and module system, iv) similar job scheduling interface via Slurm. We measure time-to-solution for a number of common scientific applications on our virtual cluster against equivalent runs on Stampede2 and develop an application profile where performance is similar or otherwise acceptable. For such applications, the virtual cluster provides an effective form of "cloud bursting" with the potential to significantly improve overall turnaround time, particularly when Stampede2 is experiencing long queue wait times. In addition, the virtual cluster can be used for test and debug without directly impacting Stampede2. We conclude with a discussion of how science gateways can leverage the TACC Jobs API web service to incorporate this cloud bursting technique transparently to the end user.Comment: 6 pages, 0 figures, PEARC '18: Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing, July 22--26, 2018, Pittsburgh, PA, US

Computerized adaptive measurement of depression: A simulation study

BACKGROUND: Efficient, accurate instruments for measuring depression are increasingly important in clinical practice. We developed a computerized adaptive version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). We examined its efficiency and its usefulness in identifying Major Depressive Episodes (MDE) and in measuring depression severity. METHODS: Subjects were 744 participants in research studies in which each subject completed both the BDI and the SCID. In addition, 285 patients completed the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. RESULTS: The adaptive BDI had an AUC as an indicator of a SCID diagnosis of MDE of 88%, equivalent to the full BDI. The adaptive BDI asked fewer questions than the full BDI (5.6 versus 21 items). The adaptive latent depression score correlated r = .92 with the BDI total score and the latent depression score correlated more highly with the Hamilton (r = .74) than the BDI total score did (r = .70). CONCLUSIONS: Adaptive testing for depression may provide greatly increased efficiency without loss of accuracy in identifying MDE or in measuring depression severity

Parity, mode of birth, and long-term gynecological health: A follow-up study of parous and nonporous women in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health cohort

Background:Although gynecological health issues are common and cause considerable distress, little is known about their causes. We examined how birth history is associated with urinary incontinence (UI), severe period pain, heavy periods, and endometriosis. Methods:We studied 7700 women in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health with an average follow-up of 10.9 years after their last birth. Surveys every third year provided information about birth history and gynecological health. Logistic regression was used to estimate how parity, mode of birth, and vaginal tears were associated with gynecological health issues. Presented results are adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. Results:UI was reported by 16%, heavy periods by 31%, severe period pain by 28%, and endometriosis by 4%. Compared with women with two children, nonparous women had less UI (OR 0.35 [0.26–0.47]) but tended to have more endometriosis (OR 1.70 [0.97–2.96]). Also, women with only one child had less UI (OR 0.77 [0.61–0.98]), but more severe period pain (OR 1.24 [1.01–1.51]). Women with 4+ children had more heavy periods (OR 1.42 [1.07–1.88]). Compared with women with vaginal birth(s) only, women with only cesarean sections or vaginal birth after cesarean section had less UI (ORs 0.44 [0.34–0.58] and 0.55 [0.40–0.76]), but more endometriosis (ORs 1.91 [1.16–3.16] and 2.31 [1.25–4.28]) and heavy periods (ORs 1.21 [1.00–1.46] and 1.35 [1.06–1.72]). Vaginal tear(s) did not increase UI after accounting for parity and birth mode. Conclusion:While women with vaginal childbirth(s) reported more urinary incontinence, they had less menstrual complaints and endometriosis.</p