Regulating Mobile Mental Health Apps

Mobile medical apps (MMAs) are a fast‐growing category of software typically installed on personal smartphones and wearable devices. A subset of MMAs are aimed at helping consumers identify mental states and/or mental illnesses. Although this is a fledgling domain, there are already enough extant mental health MMAs both to suggest a typology and to detail some of the regulatory issues they pose. As to the former, the current generation of apps includes those that facilitate self‐assessment or self‐help, connect patients with online support groups, connect patients with therapists, or predict mental health issues. Regulatory concerns with these apps include their quality, safety, and data protection. Unfortunately, the regulatory frameworks that apply have failed to provide coherent risk‐assessment models. As a result, prudent providers will need to progress with caution when it comes to recommending apps to patients or relying on app‐generated data to guide treatment

SPATIAL ECOLOGY AND HABITAT USE OF THE WESTERN MASSASAUGA (SISTRURUS TERGEMINUS) IN NEBRASKA

We used radiotelemetry during 2004 and 2005 to investigate seasonal movements and habitat use and to improve our understanding of how land management practices were affecting Western Massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus) populations in Nebraska. We found Western Massasaugas to brumate in crayfish burrows 100% of the time, and spring emergence occurred during March - April. The longest movements occurred during May when snakes were moving away from brumation sites to summer habitat, after which movements decreased until a second peak in August. We did not find significant differences between male and female activity area, range length, total distance moved, daily movement, or distance from spring and fall brumation sites. However the core activity range of females was significantly less than that of males. During the active season, grassland habitat was used 75.6% of the time compared to habitats of grassland-shrubs (10.7%), hydrophilic vegetation (9.1%), woodlands (3.1%), and shrublands (1.5%). Identifying variations in a species spatial ecology is important for achieving long-term conservation goals because life history events, resource availability, and land management practices may have an effect on seasonal movements and habitat use. The results of our study demonstrate the need for, and some of the necessary data for, improved land management planning in order to meet conservation needs of the Western Massasauga in Nebraska

From Random Matrices to Stochastic Operators

We propose that classical random matrix models are properly viewed as finite difference schemes for stochastic differential operators. Three particular stochastic operators commonly arise, each associated with a familiar class of local eigenvalue behavior. The stochastic Airy operator displays soft edge behavior, associated with the Airy kernel. The stochastic Bessel operator displays hard edge behavior, associated with the Bessel kernel. The article concludes with suggestions for a stochastic sine operator, which would display bulk behavior, associated with the sine kernel.Comment: 41 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to Journal of Statistical Physics. Changes in this revision: recomputed Monte Carlo simulations, added reference [19], fit into margins, performed minor editin

Evaluating the Diversity of Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF) Grant Recipients in the Last Decade

On behalf of the ACEP Research CommitteeIntroduction: To study diversity of researchers and barriers to success among Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF) grant recipients in the last 10 years.Methods: EMF grant awardees were approached to complete a brief survey, which included demographics, queries related to contributions to the literature, success in obtaining grants, and any perceived barriers they encountered.Results: Of the 342 researchers contacted by email, a total of 147 completed the survey for a response rate of 43%. The respondents were predominately mid to late career white-male-heterosexual-Christian with an average age of 44 years (range 25-69 years of age). With regards to training and education, the majority of respondents (50%) were either Associate or Professor clinical rank (8% instructor/resident/fellow and 31% Assistant). Sixty-two percent of the respondents reported perceived barriers to career advancement since completion of residency. The largest perceived barrier to success was medical specialty (26%), followed by gender (21%) and age (16%).Conclusion: Our survey of EMF grant recipients in the last 10 years shows a considerable lack of diversity. The most commonly perceived barriers to career advancement by this cohort were medical specialty, gender, and age. An opportunity exists for further definition of barriers and development of mechanisms to overcome them, with a goal of increased success for those that are underrepresented. 

Optimal Allocation of Reservoir Water

The purpose of this paper is to determine the optimal allocation of reservoir water among consumptive and non-consumptive uses. A non-linear mathematical programming model is developed to optimally allocate Lake Tenkiller water among competing uses that maximize the net social benefit. A mass balance is used to determine the level and volume of water in the lake. This paper examines the effect of water management on lake resources when recreational values are and are not included as control variables in the optimization process. Results show that maintaining the lake level to the ‘normal lake level’ of 632 feet during the summer months generates more recreational benefit rather than reducing the lake level by releasing water for hydro power generation.consumptive and non-consumptive use, mass balance equation, non-linear mathematical programming, optimization, recreational uses, water allocation, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

A model of an optical biosensor detecting environment

Heller et. Al. (Science 311, 508 (2006)) demonstrated the first DNA-CN optical sensor by wrapping a piece of double-stranded DNA around the surface of single-walled carbon nanotubes (CN). This new type of optical device can be placed inside living cells and detect trace amounts of harmful contaminants by means of near infrared light. Using a simple exciton theory in nanostructures and the phenomena of B-Z structural phase transition of DNA, we investigate the working principle of this new class of optical biosensor from DNA by using the nanostructure surface as a sensor to detect the property change of DNA as it responds to the presence of target ions. We also propose some new design models by replacing carbon nanotubes with graphene ribbon semiconductors.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Accepte

HEDGING SPOT CORN: AN EXAMINATION OF THE MINNEAPOLIS GRAIN EXCHANGE'S CASH SETTLED CORN CONTRACT

This research examines the potential basis behavior and hedging effectiveness for the Minneapolis Grain Exchange's (MGE) cash settled corn contract. MGE futures cash settle to the National Corn Index (NCI) calculated by Data Transmission Network (DTN). Focusing on seven regions in Illinois, the data suggest that NCI Futures offer potential advantages over the existing Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn futures. In particular, nearby basis variability could be reduced by nearly one-half from 8.8 cents per bushel to 4.5 cents per bushel, and hedging effectiveness may increase from an average of 80% for the CBOT to 93% for the NCI.Crop Production/Industries, Marketing,

Comorbidities and Race/Ethnicity Among Adults with Stimulant Use Disorders in Residential Treatment

Comorbid physical and mental health problems are associated with poorer substance abuse treatment outcomes; however, little is known about these conditions among stimulant abusers at treatment entry. This study compared racial and ethnic groups on baseline measures of drug use patterns, comorbid physical and mental health disorders, quality of life, and daily functioning among cocaine and stimulant abusing/dependent patients. Baseline data from a multi-site randomized clinical trial of vigorous exercise as a treatment strategy for a diverse population of stimulant abusers (N = 290) were analyzed. Significant differences between groups were found on drug use characteristics, stimulant use disorders, and comorbid mental and physical health conditions. Findings highlight the importance of integrating health and mental health services into substance abuse treatment and could help identify potential areas for intervention to improve treatment outcomes for racial and ethnic minority groups