cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accuracy of mild traumatic brain injury diagnosis.

Abstract Powell JM, Ferraro JV, Dikmen SS, Temkin NR, Bell KR. Accuracy of mild traumatic brain injury diagnosis. Objective To determine how often emergency department (ED) patients meeting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) criteria were diagnosed with a mild TBI by the ED physician. Design Prospective identification of cases of mild TBI in the ED by study personnel using scripted interviews and medical record data was compared with retrospective review of ED medical record documentation of mild TBI. Setting EDs of a level I trauma center and an academic nontrauma hospital. Participants Prospective cohort of subjects (N=197; mean age, 32.6y; 70% men) with arrival at the ED within 48 hours of injury, Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13 to 15, and injury circumstances, alteration of consciousness, and memory dysfunction consistent with the CDC mild TBI definition. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure ED medical record documentation of mild TBI. Results Fifty-six percent of mild TBI cases identified by study personnel did not have a documented mild TBI-related diagnosis in the ED record. The greatest agreement between study personnel and ED physicians for positive mild TBI-related findings was for loss of consciousness (72% vs 65%) with the greatest discrepancy for confusion (94% vs 28%). Conclusions The diagnosis of mild TBI was frequently absent from ED medical records despite patients reporting findings consistent with a mild TBI diagnosis when interviewed by study personnel. Asking a few targeted questions of ED patients with likely mechanisms of injury that could result in mild TBI could begin to improve diagnosis and, in turn, begin to improve patient management and the accuracy of estimates of mild TBI incidence.
VOLATILE HOP CONSTITUENTS: CONVENTIONAL AND CAPILLARY GASCHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION WITH CHARACTERIZATION BY PHYSICAL METHODS

The steam-volatile constituents from several varieties of hops have been studied using conventional and capillary gas-chromatographic separation of constituents, followed by characterization of the constituents by one or more of the following physical methods: infra-red absorption spectra, mass spectra, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Evidence was found for the identities of 40 compounds. These results have been used in a quantitative comparison by capillary gas chromatography of the steam-volatile constituents from five European hop varieties.
The cyclic and non-cyclic distinction and the verbs of sense in English

Abstract The now-form of the verbs of sense or sensation is different from the now-form of most other verbs in the English language. For instance, the now-form of the verb, think, requires the progressive tense marker whereas the now-form of the verb, see, requires the simple present tense marker. Thus, the patterning of the verbs of sense with the differing tenses in English appears to be easily explicable at first glance, but on examination, it turns out to be fairly complex. There are many reasons for this, including the fact that the action underlying cyclic verbs such as look at, which describes an action that must be terminated before it can be repeated, and is different from the action underlying non-cyclic verbs such as see, which can be maintained indefinitely without any necessary termination. From this, it is possible to show that the tense-aspect markings inherent in the higher verb or underlying tense-aspect markings affect the grammaticality judgments rendering grammatical forms which in other environments would be ungrammatical. Information from this analysis can best be incorporated in a theory of grammar with the use of Weinreich's transfer features which are assigned to the underlying feature matrices to predict the occurrence of all the other surface forms.
9-cis-Retinoids: Biosynthesis of 9-cis-Retinoic Acid†

Retinoids function through conformational alterations of ligand-dependent nuclear transcription factors, the retinoic acid receptors, and retinoid X receptors. 9-cis-Retinoic acid is a known biological ligand for retinoid X receptors, but its synthesis pathway in vivo is largely unknown. Recently, we identified a cis-retinol dehydrogenase (cRDH) that oxidizes 9-cis-retinol to 9-cis-retinal. Since both the expression of cRDH mRNA and its substrate are found in liver, we studied 9-cis-retinol metabolism and 9-cis-retinoic acid biosynthesis in two hepatic-derived cell types, Hep G2 hepatoma cells and HSC-T6 stellate cells. Both cell lines accumulate similar amounts of 9-cis-retinol provided in the medium. However, Hep G2 cells preferentially incorporate all-trans-retinol when equimolar concentrations of all-trans- and 9-cis-retinol were provided. In contrast, HSC-T6 cells did not exhibit a preference between all-trans- and 9-cis-retinol under the same conditions. Esterification of 9-cis-retinol occurred in both cell types, likely by acyl-CoA:retinol acyltransferase and lecithin:retinol acyltransferase. In vitro enzyme assays demonstrated that both cell types can hydrolyze 9-cis-retinyl esters via retinyl ester hydrolase(s). In Hep G2 cells, 9-cis-retinoic acid synthesis was strongly inhibited by high concentrations of 9-cis-retinol, which may explain the low levels of 9-cis-retinol in liver of mice. Cell homogenates of Hep G2 can convert all-trans-retinol to 9-cis-retinal, suggesting that the free form of all-trans-retinol may be used as a source for 9-cis-retinol and, thus, 9-cis-retinoic acid synthesis. Our studies provide the basis for identification of additional pathways for the generation of 9-cis-retinoic acid in specialized tissues.
Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Low QRS Voltage Among the Three Main Types of Cardiac Amyloidosis

Low voltage is classically reported as an electrocardiographic (ECG) finding in cardiac amyloidosis (CA). We evaluated electrocardiograms to determine the prevalence of low voltage and its association with outcomes. Electrocardiograms in 200 patients with CA were reviewed. The presence of low voltage was assessed by all limb leads ≤0.5 mV, all precordial leads ≤1.0 mV, or Sokolow index ≤1.5 mV, and the association with time to adverse outcomes, including hospitalization, orthotopic heart transplant, and death, was assessed by the Cox proportional hazards model. Low voltage prevalence was 60% when using Sokolow index ≤1.5 mV, 34% by QRS amplitude ≤0.5 mV in each limb lead, and 13% when ≤1.0 mV in each precordial lead with no differences in prevalence noted by the type of amyloid. Apart from atrial fibrillation and second-degree atrioventricular block being more common in wild type transthryretin cardiac amyloid (ATTRwt), the prevalence of ECG findings was similar among the 3 types of amyloid. Sokolow ≤1.5 mV (HR 1.690; 95% CI of 1.069 to 2.672; p = 0.0246) was independently associated with adverse outcomes. In conclusion, among the 3 main types of CA, the prevalence of low voltage is dependent on the method used for defining low voltage. Sokolow index ≤1.5 mV indicated the highest prevalence and was associated with adverse outcomes in CA. Our data suggest that low voltage is a relatively late finding in CA and may not be useful for early identification.
Measuring potential dermal transfer of surface pesticide residue generated from indoor fogger use: using the CDFA roller method interim report II

Abstract A standardized, reproducible method of surrogate dermal monitoring was devised to supplement knowledge of the potential transfer of pesticide residues from floor surfaces to persons in contact with the floor. This device was a 12 kg. foam-covered rolling cylinder equipped with stationary handles. The device was rolled over a cotton cloth (the actual collection media) placed over carpet to be sampled. This method transfers between 1 and 3 percent of the potential available pesticide material from nylon carpeting to the collection media. Transfer from carpet to cotton cloth correlates highly with transfer to cotton clothing worn by persons exercising on the carpet.
Aggregation of Markov chains: an analysis of deterministic annealing based methods

We develop a method for aggregating large Markov chains into smaller representative Markov chains, where Markov chains are viewed as weighted directed graphs, and similar nodes (and edges) are aggregated using a deterministic annealing approach. The notions of representativeness of the aggregated graphs and similarity between nodes in graphs are based on a newly proposed metric that quantifies connectivity in the underlying graph. Namely, we develop notions of distance between subchains in Markov chains, and provide easily verifiable conditions that determine if a given Markov chain is nearly decomposable, that is, conditions for which the deterministic annealing approach can be used to identify subchains with high probability. We show that the aggregated Markov chain preserves certain dynamics of the original chain. In particular we provide explicit bounds on the l 1 norm of the error between the aggregated stationary distribution of the original Markov chain and the stationary distribution of the aggregated Markov chain, which extends on longstanding foundational results (Simon and Ando, 1961).
Going Beyond Patterns: Involving Cognitive Analysis in the Learning of Collocations

Since the late 1980s, collocations have received increasing attention in applied linguistics, especially language teaching, as is evidenced by the many publications on the topic. These works fall roughly into two lines of research (a) those focusing on the identification and use of collocations (Benson, 1989; Hunston, 2002; Hunston & Francis, 2000; Smadja & McKeown, 1991; Wouden, 1997) and (b) those focusing on the learning and teaching of collocations, including the development of reference books and textbooks (Bahns & Eldaw, 1993; Benson, Benson, & Ilson, 1997; Crowther, Dignen, & Lea, 2002; Hill & Lewis, 2002; Keshavarz & Salimi, 2007; Lewis, 2000, 2002; McCarthy & O'Dell, 2005; Nesselhauf, 2003; O'Dell & McCarthy, 2008; Sun & Wang, 2003; Webb & Kagimoto, 2009). Although these publications have greatly enhanced our understanding of collocations and their role learning and teaching, a close look at them indicates a lack of critical examination of the definition and the nature of collocations and the way collocations are taught. This article aims to address the issue through (a) a close critical examination of the collocations in existing teaching or reference materials and the typical way they are taught and (b) a corpus-based analysis of some representative collocations. On the basis of the examination and analysis, the article argues for a more effective pedagogical approach to collocations that involves corpus-based cognitive analysis of collocations.
Hazard Evaluation and Preventive Recommendations for an Unusual Confined Space Issue in an Opera Set Design

At the request of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, an occupational health hazard evaluation was conducted concerning a confined space issue within the set design of an operatic performance. Following on...
“Campus Craft”: A Game for Sexual Assault Prevention in Universities

Abstract Objective: Sexual assault is prevalent among college students. In response, universities have implemented prevention education initiatives. These interventions, however, often ignore the broader sociocultural context in which sexual violence occurs. This calls for innovative approaches in prevention education, which address the broader context. Computer games provide such an opportunity by providing simulated real-life scenarios, nonlinear narratives, and an interactive medium. We report the development and pilot testing of “Campus Craft,” a game prototype that focuses, among other things, on sexual assault prevention. Materials and Methods: The prototype was developed through a participatory design process; students, educators, and subject matter experts helped design and develop scenarios, game mechanics, and learning objectives. The prototype was evaluated by college students (n=141) in a multi-method approach. The evaluation encompassed issues of usability, game mechanics, attitudes, and lear...
Large-Scale Structure in a Supersonic Slot-Injected Flowfield

Experimental results that show the existence of organized structures in a high-speed shear-layer flow are presented. Results were obtained using a parallel-array, dual-wire probe in a shear layer created by the mixing of tangential slot injection of supersonic air (Mj = 1.7) into a supersonic air mainstream (M = 3). The slot-injected flowfield was studied at three streamwise locations (X/H of 4, 10, 20). At each station, a region (1.5 > Y/H > 0.7) dominated by the upstream boundary layer resulted in structure angles on the order of 50 deg. Structures in this region appeared to be the remnants of structures observed in the upstream boundary layer. Integral length scale in this region was on the order of 3 mm or less and increased to 4 mm at X/H of 20. The effect of a shock impingement upon the shear layer was also investigated. The oblique shock had a nominal pressure ratio of 1.82. Structure angles and integral length scales appeared unaffected by the streamwise pressure gradient caused by the shock impingement.
A Reflection on the Notion of Cohabitation within and Beyond the Walls of Life Sciences

Synthetic biology is at the front edge of a wave the National Research Council has termed the â€œNew Biologyâ€ which involves bio, info, nano, and cognitive sciences. A lot of innovation will occur in the interstitial or â€œwhiteâ€ spaces between these disciplines, but this emerging multi-disciplinary science will provide challenges in term of social governance: there will likely be new challenges in managing ethical, social, and legal issues at the boundaries between disciplines. As an attempt to reflect on these challenges, a major workshop, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (SES-0925449) and organized in May 2010 by the Wilson Center and the University of Virginia, gathered experts from three emergent, boundary-crossing translational and transnational fields: STS, sustainability science and synthetic biology. Among other inputs, the workshopâ€™s participants reached a significant and key conclusion. In the future, scientists will need effective, symmetric and balanced interdisciplinary collaborations about sustainable governance of emerging technologies that respond to environmental, societal and technological challenges in a comprehensive way. This requires a serious rethinking and re-organization of life sciences (bio-engineering) education.
From global jobs to safe spaces: the diverse discourses that sell multilingual schooling in the USA

While much research has demonstrated that English-only rhetoric negatively affects bilingual education for the children of US immigrants, few studies have examined the local negotiations and discourses that shape the development of multilingual programming for English-speaking students. Across the USA, educational leaders and policy-makers today struggle to develop language programs and explain the benefits of multilingualism. To examine these challenges at the local level, this study analyzed data from an 18-month ethnography documenting the development of an elementary (K-5) language immersion school in a predominantly monolingual city. Framed by neo-institutional theory, analyses focused on leaders' and parents' cultural scripts, or the discourses they employed during bottom-up planning processes. Findings demonstrate that the majority of leaders and diverse parents valued multilingualism as a right and resource for all students; however, parents' discourses also stressed the importance of language as ...
Intra-arterial and oral digoxin therapy for retinoblastoma.

Purpose: Preclinical studies demonstrate that cardiac glycosides such as ouabain and digoxin have antitumor effects on retinoblastoma cells in vitro and in a xenograft murine model of retinoblastoma. Methods: Based on these findings, we report a case of intra-arterial followed by systemic oral digoxin therapy in a patient with unilateral retinoblastoma that had failed prior intra-arterial chemotherapy. Results: Oral administration of digoxin produced no effect, while intra-arterial digoxin therapy produced a modest but measurable response that was likely limited by the inability to achieve sustained drug concentration in the eye. Conclusions: This case highlights both the potential promise and limitations of cardiac glycoside therapy in retinoblastoma.
The Mars Science Orbiter Concept

Launch opportunities to explore Mars repeat every 26 months. In the 2013 opportunity, NASA studied launching a high performance science orbiter with extended telecom capabilities. This Mars Science Orbiter (MSO) would perform its science investigations and telecom infrastructure tasks over a period of 10 years in two consecutive orbits around Mars: one with science emphasis, the other emphasizing telecommunications services. While the individual science investigations of MSO would be decided competitively by an Announcement of Opportunity, the NASA science community has identified Atmospheric Science as the primary science thrust for the mission objectives. A high-resolution camera supporting the Mars infrastructure for landing site selection would complement the atmospheric science goals. The Atmospheric Science plan for MSO is centered on the two major science goals of atmospheric signatures and atmospheric state. Global maps of atmospheric constituents over time would provide the data necessary to characterize trace gas profiles, their sources and the dynamics of their transport to detect possible signatures of habitable zones and life. In addition, climatological monitoring and observing atmospheric processes would build on current climate/weather data sets, as well as contribute new data for transport and atmospheric dynamics models.
Flexible High-Conductivity Carbon-Nanotube Interconnects Made by Rolling and Printing

Applications of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in flexible and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-based electronic and energy devices are impeded due to typically low CNT areal densities, growth temperatures that are incompatible with device substrates, and challenges in large-area alignment and interconnection. A scalable method for continuous fabrication and transfer printing of dense horizontally aligned CNT (HA-CNT) ribbon interconnects is presented. The process combines vertically aligned CNT (VA-CNT) growth by thermal chemical vapor deposition, a novel mechanical rolling process to transform the VA-CNTs to HA-CNTs, and adhesion-controlled transfer printing without needing a carrier film. The rolling force determines the HA-CNT packing fraction and the HA-CNTs are processed by conventional lithography. An electrical resistivity of
Nonsmooth output feedback design with a dynamic gain for uncertain systems with strong nonlinearity

This paper investigates the problem of global robust stabilization by output feedback, for a family of genuinely nonlinear systems satisfying homogeneous growth conditions with an output dependent rate. To cope with such strong nonlinearities and uncertainties, we introduce a rescaling transformation with a gain to be tuned online by a dynamic equation. With the help of the dynamic rescaling technique and the nonsmooth design method proposed recently, we develop a robust output feedback control scheme which leads to a solution to the problem under consideration. The nonsmooth output feedback design does not need to know the uncertainty accurately and depends only on the knowledge of the bounding system.
Ultrastructural immunolocalization of basic fibroblast growth factor in mast cell secretory granules. Morphological evidence for bfgf release through degranulation.

We previously reported that mast cells (MCs) serve as a source of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a potent angiogenic and mitogenic polypeptide, suggesting that bFGF may mediate MC-related neovascularization and fibroproliferation. Unlike many other growth factors, bFGF lacks a classic peptide sequence for its secretion, and the mechanism(s) for its release remains controversial. Because MCs release a wide spectrum of bioactive products via degranulation, we hypothesized that MC degranulation may be a mechanism of bFGF release and used ultrastructural immunohistochemistry to test the hypothesis. We reasoned that if bFGF is released through degranulation, it should be localized to MC secretory granules. Human tissues with chronic inflammation and rat/mouse tissues with anaphylaxis were studied. In all tissue samples examined, positive staining (or immunogold particle localization) for bFGF in MCs was predominantly in the cytoplasmic granules. Moderate bFGF immunoreactivity was also found in the nucl...
A knapsack problem formulation for relay selection in secure cooperative wireless communication

Cooperative jamming (CJ) schemes support secure wireless communication in the presence of one or more eavesdroppers. Larger numbers of cooperative relays provide better secrecy rate, while increasing the communication and synchronization needs associated with cooperative beamforming. For low density networks (small number of relays) the secrecy rate changes rapidly with an increase in the number of relays, while for higher density networks increasing the number of relays has significantly smaller effect on the secrecy rate. This research considers a resource-aware approach: instead of using all available relays, choose the smallest set of active relays that meet a predetermined performance goal. The problem is formulated as a knapsack problem that may be solved through an exhaustive search. As this search method has exponential complexity, three heuristic algorithms are proposed, offering significant complexity reduction. The first one relies on the individual relay secrecy rate with a greedy algorithm. The second one is based on the beamforming weights norms, and the third one successively selects relay nodes that minimize the performance gap between the temporal secrecy rate and the given secrecy rate goal. Simulation results demonstrate that relatively high secrecy rate may be achieved with a small number of active relays. The first method performs better for low secrecy rate threshold levels, while the second does so at high threshold. The third method combines the advantages of the previous two and offers performance very close to the optimum at the expense of higher complexity than the first two.
Atherosclerotic Renal Artery Stenosis Flaws in Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate and the Problem of Progressive Kidney Injury

Occlusive disease of the renal arteries poses a major problem. Most cases result from atherosclerotic disease, and the prevalence of incidental renal artery disease detected during imaging studies for symptomatic coronary, aortic, and peripheral vascular disease ranges from 14% to >35%, increasing with age.1 Although many (perhaps most) of these lesions produce only minor hemodynamic effects, it has long been recognized that when some “critical” level of occlusion is breached, poststenotic renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) fall, especially after lowering systemic arterial pressure. In some cases, kidney function can recover after restoring blood flow with either endovascular or surgical revascularization. Several prospective, randomized trials have examined whether the loss of renal function due to atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis can be managed best by medical therapy alone or would further benefit from renal revascularization.2,3 The study reported by Madder and colleagues4 in this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions directly challenges whether conventional criteria for estimating GFR and directional trends in such trials are valid. This matter is important for physicians serious about considering renovascular disease. Article see p 219 Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) is primarily a disease of older persons, with mean ages for most series >70 years.1 Patient series subjected to renal artery procedures routinely have reduced kidney function, usually expressed as reduced GFR. Despite remarkable improvements for many hypertensive and cardiovascular end points, such as stroke and myocardial infarction, attributable in part to effective medical intervention, the prevalence of end-stage renal disease has continued to increase over the past several decades. These observations raise the possibility that occlusive ARAS may be partly responsible for progressive renal injury. How best to evaluate and characterize kidney function in these trials has been controversial. Previous observational reports of renal revascularization used a …
Motion sickness, console video games, and head-mounted displays.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the nauseogenic properties of commercial console video games (i.e., games that are sold to the public) when presented through a head-mounted display. BACKGROUND: Anecdotal reports suggest that motion sickness may occur among players of contemporary commercial console video games. METHODS: Participants played standard console video games using an Xbox game system. We varied the participants' posture (standing vs. sitting) and the game (two Xbox games). Participants played for up to 50 min and were asked to discontinue if they experienced any symptoms of motion sickness. RESULTS: Sickness occurred in all conditions, but it was more common during standing. During seated play there were significant differences in head motion between sick and well participants before the onset of motion sickness. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that commercial console video game systems can induce motion sickness when presented via a head-mounted display and support the hypothesis that motion sickness is preceded by instability in the control of seated posture. APPLICATION: Potential applications of this research include changes in the design of console video games and recommendations for how such systems should be used. Language: en
Twitter and the development of an audience: those who stay on topic thrive!

Although economists have long recognized the importance of a critical mass in growing a community, we know little about how it is achieved. This paper examines how initial topical focus influences communities' ability to attract a critical mass. When starting an online community, organizers need to define its initial scope. Topically narrow communities will probably attract a homogeneous group of interested in its content and compatible with each other. However, they are likely to attract fewer members than a diverse one because they offer only a subset of the topics. This paper reports an empirical analysis of longitudinal data collected from Twitter, where each new Twitter poster is considered the seed of a potential social collection. Users who focus the topics of their early tweets more narrowly ultimately attract more followers with more ties among them. Our results shed light on the development of online social networking structures.
Antioxidant capacity interactions and a chemical/structural model of phenolic compounds found in strawberries

The interactive antioxidant capacity of phenolic compounds from specific foods has not been well explored. The antioxidant capacity of a whole fruit exceeds the sum of the antioxidant capacities of individual antioxidants within that fruit, suggesting synergism among compounds. The interactions of seven phenolic compounds (p-coumaric acid, cyanidin, catechin, quercetin-3-glucoside, kaempferol, pelargonidin and ellagic acid) at relative concentrations found in strawberries were tested using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay. Statistically significant synergism was found for three combinations of two phenolic compounds, and among five combinations of three phenolic compounds. Statistically significant antagonism was observed among two combinations of two phenolic compounds and among one combination of three compounds. A chemical/structural model that best explained the results included reduction potentials, relative concentration, and the presence or absence of catechol (o-dihydroxy benzene) groups. This work demonstrates unique interactions that occur in a complex environment within the framework of strawberries. The synergism discovered at food-based antioxidant ratios could be applied to food preservation.
Generalized Duffy transformation for integrating vertex singularities

For an integrand with a 1/r vertex singularity, the Duffy transformation from a triangle (pyramid) to a square (cube) provides an accurate and efficient technique to evalu- ate the integral. In this paper, we generalize the Duffy trans- formation to power singularities of the form p(x)/r α , where p is a trivariate polynomial and α> 0 is the strength of the singularity. We use the map (u ,v , w)→ (x, y, z) : x = u β , y = xv, z = xw, and judiciously choose β to accurately estimate the integral. For α = 1, the Duffy transformation (β = 1) is optimal, whereas if α �= 1, we show that there are other values of β that prove to be substantially better. Numerical tests in two and three dimensions are presented that reveal the improved accuracy of the new transforma- tion. Higher-order partition of unity finite element solutions for the Laplace equation with a derivative singularity at a re-entrant corner are presented to demonstrate the benefits of using the generalized Duffy transformation.
Metabolic Effects of Chronic Cannabis Smoking

OBJECTIVE We examined if chronic cannabis smoking is associated with hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, reduced β-cell function, or dyslipidemia in healthy individuals. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In a cross-sectional, case-control study, we studied cannabis smokers ( n = 30; women, 12; men, 18; 27 ± 8 years) and control subjects ( n = 30) matched for age, sex, ethnicity, and BMI (27 ± 6). Abdominal fat depots and intrahepatic fat content were quantified by magnetic resonance imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, respectively. Insulin-sensitivity indices and various aspects of β-cell function were derived from oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT). RESULTS Self-reported cannabis use was: 9.5 (2–38) years; joints/day: 6 (3–30) [median (range)]. Carbohydrate intake and percent calories from carbohydrates, but not total energy intake, were significantly higher in cannabis smokers. There were no group differences in percent total body fat, or hepatic fat, but cannabis smokers had a higher percent abdominal visceral fat (18 ± 9 vs. 12 ± 5%; P = 0.004). Cannabis smokers had lower plasma HDL cholesterol (49 ± 14 vs. 55 ± 13 mg/dL; P = 0.02), but fasting levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, or free fatty acids (FFA) were not different. Adipocyte insulin resistance index and percent FFA suppression during an OGTT was lower ( P < 0.05) in cannabis smokers. However, oral glucose insulin sensitivity index, measures of β-cell function, or incretin concentrations did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSIONS Chronic cannabis smoking was associated with visceral adiposity and adipose tissue insulin resistance but not with hepatic steatosis, insulin insensitivity, impaired pancreatic β-cell function, or glucose intolerance.
Family-based studies to identify genetic variants that cause congenital heart defects.

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common congenital abnormalities. Analysis of large multigenerational families has led to the identification of a number of genes for CHDs. However, identifiable variations in these genes are the cause of a small proportion of cases of CHDs, suggesting significant genetic heterogeneity. In addition, large families with CHDs are rare, making the identification of additional genes difficult. Next-generation sequencing technologies will provide an opportunity to identify more genes in the future. However, the significant genetic variation between individuals will present a challenge to distinguish between ‘pathogenic’ and ‘benign’ variants. We have demonstrated that the analysis of multiple individuals in small families using combinations of algorithms can reduce the number of candidate variants to a small, manageable number. Thus, the analysis of small nuclear families or even distantly related ‘sporadic’ cases may begin to uncover the ‘dark matter’ of CHD genetics.
Boltzmann-Vlasov Equation for a Quantum Plasma

In this paper a new equation is derived which is a quantum mechanical analog of the classical collisionless Boltzmann equation. To these ends a new quantum mechanical distribution function is employed which is particularly useful in this case. Quantum corrections for longitudinal plasma oscillations are evaluated for a low-density plasma, and it is found that the leading contribution ($\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\hbar}}^{2}$) is due to exchange (Pauli principle).
Computational Physics: A Better Model for Physics Education?

Computational physics provides a broader, more balanced, and more flexible education than a traditional physics major. Moreover, presenting physics within a scientific problem-solving paradigm is a more effective and efficient way to teach physics than the traditional approach
A New Laboratory Method Used for Investigating the Uptake, Translocation and Metabolism of Bark Banded Morphactin by Trees

Cut twigs of Monterey pine(Pinus radiata D.Don) were banded with a 14C labelled morphactin formulation and the lower half of the twig placed in a Scholander type pressure bomb. Water was pumped through the twig from a reservoir inside the bomb and exudate collected from the protruding end of the twig. Using this method it was possible to determine that the slowest step in the translocation of morphactin was the passage across the outer layer of bark. Subsequent passage through the twig was not affected by girdling the bark suggesting that morphactin was translocated upwards via the xylem. The 14C compound in the exudate from live twigs differed from morphactin and was tentatively identified as the carboxylic acid derivative of the morphactin ester. The cut twig system facilitated studies on the uptake, metabolism and translocation of morphactin and should prove useful for studying the uptake and fate of other chemicals considered for bark application to trees.
Cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) fail to show mirror-guided self-exploration

To investigate the problem of inter- and intraspecific differences on the mirror test, we conducted two experiments on cotton-top tamarins. Experiment 1 employed a technique similar to one used recently on chimpanzees, and provided no evidence of mirror-mediated touching of the marked area. In a control condition, involving colored dye applied to one arm, two subjects also failed to show self-directed touching, even though they clearly looked at their newly dyed arm. Under these test conditions, cotton-top tamarins fail to show mirror-guided self-exploration. Experiment 2 examined whether this failure was due to insufficient mirror exposure, as well as other details of the testing conditions. In particular, we replicated the design of a previously successful experiment on mirror-mediated recognition in tamarins [Hauser et al., 1995], providing four new animals with a protracted period (three weeks) of mirror exposure prior to dying their hair. In parallel with results from Experiment 1, we observed no evidence of mirror-mediated behavior (recognition) in Experiment 2.
Relationships between menopausal and mood symptoms and EEG sleep measures in a multi-ethnic sample of middle-aged women: the SWAN sleep study.

Study objectives Examine associations of vasomotor and mood symptoms with visually scored and computer-generated measures of EEG sleep. Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting Community-based in-home polysomnography (PSG). Participants 343 African American, Caucasian, and Chinese women; ages 48-58 years; pre-, peri- or post-menopausal; participating in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Sleep Study (SWAN Sleep Study). Interventions None. Measurements and results Measures included PSG-assessed sleep duration, continuity, and architecture, delta sleep ratio (DSR) computed from automated counts of delta wave activity, daily diary-assessed vasomotor symptoms (VMS), questionnaires to collect mood (depression, anxiety) symptoms, medication, and lifestyle information, and menopausal status using bleeding criteria. Sleep outcomes were modeled using linear regression. Nocturnal VMS were associated with longer sleep time. Higher anxiety symptom scores were associated with longer sleep latency and lower sleep efficiency, but only in women reporting nocturnal VMS. Contrary to expectations, VMS and mood symptoms were unrelated to either DSR or REM latency. Conclusions Vasomotor symptoms moderated associations of anxiety with EEG sleep measures of sleep latency and sleep efficiency and was associated with longer sleep duration in this multi-ethnic sample of midlife women.
The Process of Knowledge Discovery from Large Pharmacokinetic Data Sets

The advent of statistical software with powerful graphical and modeling capabilities has revolutionized the manner in which pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analyses are performed. Knowledge discovery from a large (population) pharmacokinetic data set incorporates all steps taken from data assembly to the development of a population pharmacokinetic model and the communication of the results thereof. The process can be formalized into a number of steps: (1) creation of a data set for pharmacokinetic knowledge discovery, (2) data quality analysis, (3) data structure analysis (exploratory examination of raw data), (4) determination of the basic pharmacokinetic model that best describes the data and generating post hoc empiric individual Bayesian parameter estimates, (5) the search for patterns and relationships between parameters and parameters and covariates by visualization, (6) the use of modern statistical modeling techniques for data structure revelation and covariate selection, (7) consolidation of the discovered knowledge into irreducible form (i.e., developing a population pharmacokinetic model), (8) the determination of model robustness (determination of the reliability of model parameter estimates), and (9) the communication and integration of the discovered pharmacokinetic knowledge. This process is discussed, and a motivating example is presented. The use of modern graphical, modeling, and statistical techniques for knowledge discovery from large pharmacokinetic data sets has given the data analyst the freedom to choose statistical methodology appropriate to the problem at hand with the maximization of information extraction, rather than on the basis of mathematical/statistical tractability.
Quantifying non‐breeding season occupancy patterns and the timing and drivers of autumn migration for a migratory songbird using Doppler radar

For seasonal migrants, non-breeding regions can play different roles in the ecology of their annual cycles: as stopover habitat, overwintering habitat, or as a combination in which some individuals stop-over and others over-winter. Such functional variations can lead to variation in occupancy dynamics and migration phenology to these different regions. In this study, we used data from archived Doppler weather surveillance radar to compare site-occupancy and movement dynamics of a migratory songbird (tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor) between two non-breeding areas: southeastern Louisiana and central peninsular Florida, USA. Specifically, in each area, we 1) quantified long-term (1996–2012) non-breeding season occupancy dynamics, 2) quantified variation in timing of autumn migration, and 3) tested which climate variables along their respective flyways were best correlated with variation in dates of arrival. Additionally, we cross-validated the dynamics from archived radar with data from eBird, a large-scale citizen science database that provides an independent measure of avian occupancy. We found strong and significant correlations between radar-estimated and eBird-estimated occupancy dynamics in both Louisiana and Florida. Long-term Louisiana occupancy dynamics conformed to our hypothesis that this region acts as a combined stopover and overwintering region whereas Florida occupancy dynamics were akin to a traditional winter region. Arrival to Louisiana during the study period was much earlier and took place over a much shorter arrival window than did arrival to Florida, which showed much more gradual arrival over the course of several months. At both sites, annual variation in mean arrival date was best explained by the amount of precipitation along the lower portions of their respective migration flyways.
Impact of road environment on drivers' behaviors in dilemma zone: application of agent-based simulation

At a signalized intersection, there exists an area where drivers become indecisive as to either stop their car or proceed through when the traffic signal turns yellow. This point, called a dilemma zone, has remained a safety concern for drivers due to the great possibility of a rear-end or right-angle crash occurring. In order to reduce the risk of car crashes at the dilemma zone, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) recommended a dilemma zone model. The model, however, fails to provide precise calculations on the decision of drivers because it disregards the supplemental roadway information, such as whether a red light camera is present. Hence, the goal of this study was to incorporate such roadway environmental factors into a more realistic driver decision-making model for the dilemma zone. A driving simulator was used to determine the influence of roadway conditions on decision-making of real drivers. Following data collection, each driver's decision outcomes were implemented in an Agent-Based Simulation (ABS) so as to analyze behaviors under realistic road environments. The experimental results revealed that the proposed dilemma zone model was able to accurately predict the decisions of drivers. Specifically, the model confirmed the findings from the driving simulator study that the changes in the roadway environment reduced the number of red light violations at an intersection.
Neuropsychological Assessment of the Dementias of Late Life

Publisher Summary Clinical neuropsychology is “an applied science that examines the impact of both normal and abnormal brain functioning on a broad range of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functions.” This chapter reviews the utility and limitations of the neuropsychological assessment of dementia in older adults, and sheds lights on the value of neuropsychological measures in research on cognitive aging and epidemiological studies of health among older adults. Neuropsychologists who work with older adults are most typically charged with the task of determining whether a pattern of test performance is indicative of a neurodegenerative disease. Several unique challenges emerge for the neuropsychologist in the context of aging, with one of the biggest challenges being the determination of whether a diagnosis is warranted at all. With advancing age comes unavoidable abatement of most biological systems. Continued research examining neuropsychological performance across autopsy-confirmed dementia groups will greatly facilitate the ability to draw diagnostic inferences from neuropsychological tests, and to identify those tests that are most useful in differential diagnosis.
Approximate Computing

We face an urgent need for new sources of efficiency in computing due to the diminishing benefits from semiconductor technology scaling on the one hand, and the need to keep up with the explosive growth in data on the other. The very workloads that drive the demand for computing across the spectrum hold out promise for new opportunities. In data centers and the cloud, the demand for computing is driven by the need to organize, search through, analyze, and draw inferences from, exploding amounts of digital data. In mobile and embedded devices, the need to more naturally and intelligently interact with the physical world, and process richer media drive much of the computing demand.A common pattern that emerges from both ends of the spectrum is that these workloads - recognition, mining, search, and analytics, among others - are largely not about calculating one numerically precise result; instead, "correctness" is defined as producing results that are good enough, or of sufficient quality, to produce an acceptable user experience. As a result, these workloads are endowed with a high degree of intrinsic resilience to their underlying computations being executed in an approximate manner. Traditionally, this forgiving nature of applications is exploited only during the design of algorithms (e.g. the use of heuristics, probabilistic algorithms etc.) and applications, while their hardware/software implementations are designed to adhere to a strict notion of numerical/Boolean correctness. This view of computing platforms - as precise calculators that must produce a unique, golden result - is excessively restrictive and leaves significant opportunity for compute efficiency untapped.Approximate computing is an emerging design paradigm, and broadly refers to a class of design techniques that leverage intrinsic application resilience to design more efficient (faster, lower power) computing platforms. In this tutorial, we will present a comprehensive overview of the key design principles and methodologies to realize approximate computing at different layers of the computing stack viz. circuits, architecture and software. To this end, we will first motivate the need and opportunity for approximate computing by demonstrating how the nature of workloads has fundamentally changed in recent years. We then describe and quantify the sources of intrinsic application resilience in a broad class of emerging applications. Next, we will present the design philosophy behind approximate computing and outline a holistic cross-layered framework to design approximate computing platforms. We will present detailed description of the state-of-the-art in approximate computing at various levels of the stack: (i) manual designs and automatic design methodologies for approximate circuits, (ii) architecture level approaches to build application-specific as well as programmable approximate processors, and (iii) software techniques for approximate computing on general-purpose platforms. Finally, we will conclude by outlining the key challenges that need to be addressed for approximate computing to enter the mainstream.