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Ever Wonder Why We Change Our Clocks? The Process of Adjusting to the Disruption in Circadian Rhythms

A dramatic sunset, photograph by Fir0002 at en.wikipedia, 2005

8. This Sunday, people across the country will set their clocks forward an hour, marking the start to Daylight Saving Time. But it hasn’t always happened on the second Sunday in March. The Energy Policy Act of 2005, which was implemented in 2007, added four weeks to Daylight Saving Time by changing it to start on the second Sunday in March and end on the first Sunday in November.

7. Often mistakenly called daylight savings time, its official name in the US is Daylight Saving Time. In European countries, it is called Summer Time.

6. Ever wonder why we change our clocks? While some think it is to give farmers an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings during warmer months, Daylight Saving Time was seen as a means to help reduce electricity use in buildings.

5. Sometimes credited with inventing Daylight Saving Time, Benjamin Franklin — the man who is known for the saying “Early to bed and early to rise …” — did not actually suggest a change in time. Franklin’s connection to Daylight Saving Time comes from his 1784 satirical letter to the editor in the Journal de Paris in which he proposed that Parisians could save money on candles by waking up before their normal time of noon.

4. Depending on how you phrase the question, Daylight Saving Time is either credited to a New Zealand entomologist who proposed the idea in a 1895 paper or an Englishman who campaigned to get the British parliament to pass a Daylight Saving Bill in 1908. In the end, Germany was the first country to implement Daylight Saving Time in 1916 to conserve resources during World War I.

3. The US adopted Daylight Saving Time towards the end of World War I and then again during World War II, but between 1945 and 1966, there was no federal law regulating it. This led to confusion between states, and in 1966 Congress passed the Uniform Time Act to establish uniform dates for observing Daylight Saving Time.

2. Not all states will change their clocks on Sunday. Hawaii and Arizona (excluding the Navajo Nation) along with the U.S. overseas territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands do not observe Daylight Saving Time.

1. How much energy does Daylight Saving Time save? In 2008, Energy Department experts studied the impact of the extended Daylight Saving Time on energy consumption in the U.S. and found that the extra four weeks of Daylight Saving Time saved about 0.5 percent in total electricity per day. While this might not sound like a lot, it adds up to electricity savings of 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours — or the amount of electricity used by more than 100,000 households for an entire year. These electricity savings generally occur during a three- to five-hour period in the evening. To learn how you can save energy during Daylight Saving Time, visit Energy Saver.

“Using the Life Satisfaction Approach to Value Daylight Savings Time Transitions: Evidence from Britain and Germany”
Kuehnle, D.; Wunder, C. Journal of Happiness Studies, 2015. doi: 10.1007/s10902-015-9695-8.

Abstract

Daylight savings time represents a public good with costs and benefits. We provide the first comprehensive examination of the welfare effects of the spring and autumn transitions for the UK and Germany. Using individual-level data and a regression discontinuity design, we estimate the effect of the transitions on life satisfaction. Our results show that individuals in both the UK and Germany experience deteriorations in life satisfaction in the first week after the spring transition. We find no effect of the autumn transition. We attribute the negative effect of the spring transition to the reduction in the time endowment and the process of adjusting to the disruption in circadian rhythms. The effects are particularly strong for individuals with young children in the household. We conclude that the higher the shadow price of time, the more difficult is adjustment. Presumably, an increase in flexibility to reallocate time could reduce the welfare loss for individuals with binding time constraints.

Who’s at Risk for Drowsy Driving?

In an effort to reduce the number of fatigue-related crashes and to save lives, the National Sleep Foundation is declaring November 6-13, 2016 to be Drowsy Driving Prevention Week®. This annual campaign provides public education…

Read more of this article

In general, since all humans require sleep on a daily basis, any driver can succumb to fatigue or be at higher risk for experiencing a decrease of alertness or microsleep when they have not obtained adequate sleep (both in quality and quantity).

There are many underlying causes of sleepiness, drowsiness, fatigue and drowsy driving. They include sleep loss from restriction, interruption or fragmentation; chronic sleep debt; circadian factors associated with driving patterns or work schedules; time on task; the use of sedating medications; and the consumption of alcohol when already tired. These factors have cumulative effects and a combination of any of these increases crash risk greatly.

November 5, 2016
Finding a Dog at a Shelter: Berkeley Study Confirms That Identifying a Dog’s Breed is Harder Than It Appears

Editor’s Note: We have had purebred dogs ( West Highland White Terrier, Pulik) for decades but have also considered mixed breeds as our husband’s family has in the past. But since many of our readers have or are considering acquiring a dog … or a cat … we felt this recent article of interest.

What do you get when you cross a German Shepherd with a Cocker Spaniel? The answer, the California City of Berkeley’s shelter has discovered, is that it’s really anyone’s guess. And that’s part of the reason the municipal shelter is changing the way it adopts out animals.

A grant from Maddie’s Fund* allowed Berkeley Animal Care Services, the City shelter, to test DNA from 46 of its available dogs. The DNA results were compared with the breed labels shelter staff members assigned to the dogs at intake — a guess based on the dogs’ appearances.

The findings proved striking: Guesses by staff, a knowledgeable and practiced group, turned out to be accurate about 30% of the time. (In similar tests, the general population has shown to be correct about 25% of the time.) And when they looked at data from just the mixed breeds in the sample, guesses were correct less than 20% of the time. Mixed breeds make up the majority of dogs at Berkeley Animal Care Services, the only shelter in Berkeley that opens its doors to any dog in the city that might need a new home. Again, the finding aligns with similar studies in which experts were asked to identify breed based on appearance.

The dog in this photograph is part Cocker Spaniel. Who’d have guessed?

The findings matter. People enjoy having dogs because of how they affect their lives. They might want a cuddler, a runner, a pup who’ll play at the beach or a senior who’s calm with kids. But many get seduced or disenchanted by a perceived breed label, an identity that DNA science says doesn’t predict behavior.

In short, the City of Berkeley shelter’s results confirmed what scientific research has been showing for the last 50 years: Due to the way dogs’ traits are inherited, it’s incredibly difficult to determine breed based on how the animal looks, regardless of whether the individual guessing is an expert. So, with the aim of ensuring happier and long-lasting matches, the City of Berkeley shelter is changing the way it identifies its incoming animals: Rather than guessing at breed, staff will label dogs based on observations about their personalities and temperaments — the qualities people ultimately want in a furry companion.

The idea is to begin training potential adopters to think in terms of behavior and expectations of their pets, rather than a specific look. For example, an adopter might come in hoping to find a so-called Poodle or Doberman — and leave the building with an American Sofa Dog or a Sierra Stair Stepper. Whimsical, yes, but these new names will be rooted in observation, designed to conjure a distinct personality trait or two.

The shelter will use these labels on kennels. However, on online adoption sites or lost and found sites, we’ll still make our best guess at a breed to help people looking for a lost dog.

We believe the new labels will translate into smoother and more successful pairings. Our goal is to not only help adopters picture how dogs will look in their homes, but how they’ll fit into their lives.

* MaddieCam Network

The MaddieCam Network is made up of dynamic organizations across the country with one goal — to find a loving space for America’s homeless pets. From the East Coast to the West Coast and everywhere in between, stream live playtime and downtime no matter the time zone. #MaddieCam #ThanksToMaddie

The 60/6/60 Program

Berkeley, California Animal Care Services Special Program for Seniors!

A squirming young pup may be fun to watch, but can be hard to keep up with. If your puppy years are behind you too, you may find that an older animal is ready to be great companion.

We want to make it easy for you. If you’re sixty or over, and you adopt a dog or cat who is 6 or more years old, you’ll get a 60% discount on the adoption fee.

To learn more, visit our “Adopt a Pet” page or call us directly!

Download a flyer about the program here!

November 4, 2016
How Has the Prescription Opioid Epidemic Affected Pediatric Hospitalization Rates in the United States?

JAMA Pediatrics, Original Investigation, October 31, 2016

National Trends in Hospitalizations for Opioid Poisonings Among Children and Adolescents, 1997 to 2012

Julie R. Gaither, PhD, MPH, RN^1,2,3; John M. Leventhal, MD⁴; Sheryl A. Ryan, MD⁴; et al Deepa R. Camenga, MD, MHS^4,5

Author Affiliations Article Information

JAMA Pediatr. Published online October 31, 2016. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.2154

Key Points

Question  How has the prescription opioid epidemic affected pediatric hospitalization rates in the United States?

Findings  This retrospective analysis of 13 052 national hospital discharge records found that pediatric hospitalizations for opioid poisonings increased nearly 2-fold from 1997 to 2012. Hospitalization rates were highest in older adolescents, but the largest percentage increase in hospitalizations over time occurred among the youngest children (toddlers and preschoolers).

Meaning  Reducing pediatric opioid exposure and misuse will require a combination of public health interventions, policy initiatives, and consumer-product regulations.

Abstract

Importance  National data show a parallel relationship between recent trends in opioid prescribing practices and hospitalizations for opioid poisonings in adults. No similar estimates exist describing hospitalizations for opioid poisonings in children and adolescents.

Objective  To describe the incidence and characteristics of hospitalizations attributed to opioid poisonings in children and adolescents.

Design, Setting, and Participants  Retrospective analysis of serial cross-sectional data from a nationally representative sample of US pediatric hospital discharge records collected every 3 years from January 1, 1997, through December 31, 2012. The Kids’ Inpatient Database was used to identify 13 052 discharge records for patients aged 1 to 19 years who were hospitalized for opioid poisonings. Data were analyzed within the collection time frame.

Main Outcomes and Measures  Poisonings attributed to prescription opioids were identified by codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. In adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, poisonings attributed to heroin were also identified. Census estimates were used to calculate incidence per 100 000 population. The Cochran-Armitage test for trend was used to assess for changes in incidence over time.

Results  From 1997 to 2012, a total of 13 052 (95% CI, 12 500-13 604) hospitalizations for prescription opioid poisonings were identified. The annual incidence of hospitalizations for opioid poisonings per 100 000 children aged 1 to 19 years rose from 1.40 (95% CI, 1.24-1.56) to 3.71 (95% CI, 3.44-3.98), an increase of 165% (P for trend, <.001). Among children 1 to 4 years of age, the incidence increased from 0.86 (95% CI, 0.60-1.12) to 2.62 (95% CI, 2.17-3.08), an increase of 205% (P for trend, <.001). For adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, the incidence increased from 3.69 (95% CI, 3.20-4.17) to 10.17 (95% CI, 9.48-10.85), an increase of 176% (P for trend, <.001). In this age group, poisonings from heroin increased from 0.96 (95% CI, 0.75-1.18) to 2.51 (95% CI, 2.21-2.80), an increase of 161% (P for trend, <.001); poisonings involving methadone increased from 0.10 (95% CI, 0.03-0.16) to 1.05 (95% CI, 0.87-1.23), an increase of 950% (P for trend, <.001).

Conclusions and Relevance  During the course of 16 years, hospitalizations attributed to opioid poisonings rose nearly 2-fold in the pediatric population. Hospitalizations increased across all age groups, yet young children and older adolescents were most vulnerable to the risks of opioid exposure. Mitigating these risks will require comprehensive strategies that target opioid storage, packaging, and misuse.

Discussion

Using a nationally representative sample of pediatric hospital discharge records, we found that the incidence of hospitalizations for prescription opioid poisonings among children and adolescents 1 to 19 years of age increased nearly 2-fold from 1997 to 2012. Although rates increased across all age groups, the largest percentage increase occurred among the youngest children aged 1 to 4 years. The second largest increase occurred among adolescents 15 to 19 years of age, among whom hospitalizations for prescription opioid and heroin poisoning increased. Adolescents in this age group had the highest incidence overall for each of the 6 years examined.

In contrast to poisoning intent in younger children, poisonings in those older than 10 years were primarily attributed to suicide or self-inflicted injury. During the 16-year period, poisonings attributed to suicide or self-inflicted injury among those aged 15 to 19 years increased by 140%. These data underscore the dangers associated with the widespread availability of prescription opioids, particularly for adolescents at risk for depression (many adolescents are also thought to self-medicate with prescription opioids).¹⁶^,40

Although poisonings attributed to suicide or self-inflicted injury among those aged 15 to 19 years exceeded those attributed to accidental poisonings across all time points, accidental poisonings increased at a more rapid rate, 3-fold from 1997 to 2012. Increasing rates of prescription opioid misuse and abuse, rather than therapeutic errors or adverse effects among adolescents prescribed opioids for pain management, are likely driving these trends in accidental poisonings.¹⁹

Mirroring demographic trends seen in adults,²³^,24 we found that approximately three-quarters of hospitalizations occurred in white individuals. Similarly, private insurers were found to be the largest payer. However, the percentage of hospitalizations covered by private payers decreased over time, whereas the percentage paid by Medicaid increased. In 2012, Medicaid covered 44.0% of hospitalizations for pediatric opioid poisonings, up from 24.1% in 1997. This change may reflect trends in Medicaid payments for all hospitalizations; from 1997 to 2011, the percentage of hospitalizations where Medicaid was the primary payer increased by 34%.⁴¹ This increase, however, has largely been attributed to a rise in hospitalizations for a small number of conditions. Thus, the shift over time in payers for opioid hospitalizations may instead be indicative of the widening effect of opioid use across sociodemographic groups.

This study—to our knowledge, the first to extensively examine pediatric hospitalizations due to opioid poisonings—contributes to a broader understanding of the public health crisis caused by the now widespread availability of prescription opioids in the United States. Our findings are consistent with previous research demonstrating that as physicians have increasingly relied on prescription opioids to treat chronic pain during the past 2 decades, rates for opioid poisonings have risen in tandem.¹^– 4,9 For young children, calls to poisoning control centers for opioid ingestion have increased markedly in recent years,¹⁹^,20,22 as have ED visits across all age groups.¹⁷^– 21 In addition, a number of studies have examined trends in ED visits and subsequent hospitalizations for pharmaceutical poisonings and found that prescription opioids were among the most commonly implicated medications and that these poisonings frequently resulted in hospital admission.¹⁷^,19^,20

Emerging data suggest that in recent years physicians have been prescribing opioids less frequently. From 2011 to 2013, the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed in the United States slightly decreased.²⁵^,42 Our data show a similar marginal decrease in the overall incidence of hospitalizations for prescription opioid poisonings from 2009 to 2012. This change, however, was driven entirely by a slight (7%) but statistically significant decrease in hospitalizations among those aged 15 to 19 years. In contrast, in this age group, hospitalizations involving heroin overdose continued to rise. This finding is consistent with research suggesting that prescription opioid abuse may be a precursor to initiation of heroin use,³^,25^– 28 which can be explained in part by the low cost of heroin compared with opioid analgesics such as oxycodone.²⁶^– 28

Notably, we found that the incidence of hospitalizations for methadone poisonings increased 950% among 15- to 19-year-olds from 1997 to 2012. Methadone is among the most misused of prescription drugs and is commonly diverted for illicit (nonmedical) purposes, such as getting high or to enhance the effects of alcohol or other drugs.³ Our data suggest that the incidence of poisonings attributed to methadone misuse may be slowing. From 2009 to 2012, hospitalization rates for methadone misuse decreased slightly among those aged 15 to 19 years. These findings are consistent with recent data showing that rates for prescription opioid abuse, misuse, and diversion for nonmedical use have plateaued or decreased in the general adult population.⁴³ Declining rates for abuse and diversion have also been seen among those aged 12 to 17 years.⁴⁴

Nonmedical use of prescription opioids, nevertheless, remains a substantial problem, particularly for adolescents. In 1 study,⁴⁴^,45 nearly 10% of high school seniors reported using opioids nonmedically. Although most acquired these medications from family and friends, the source for nearly 40% of students was their own prior prescription.⁴⁶ This information is in keeping with findings that adolescents are frequently prescribed opioids for common injury- and non–injury-related indications.⁴⁶ A recent study of ambulatory care visits in the United States, for example, reports that from 2005 to 2007, opioids were prescribed at 22% of visits among adolescents presenting with back pain.⁴⁷ A separate study of commercial medical and pharmacy claims data from 2007 to 2008 found that nearly 50% of patients aged 13 to 17 years presenting with first-time complaints of headache received an opioid prescription during the 2-year follow-up, and nearly one-third received 3 or more prescriptions.³¹ Of note, the US Food and Drug Administration recently extended the off-label use of oxycodone for children as young as 11 years with certain types of intractable pain—namely cancer pain.⁴⁸ Despite these trends, however, the new national opioid prescribing guidelines⁴⁹ by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fail to include recommendations for patients younger than 18 years.⁵⁰

November 2, 2016
Public Health on the Ballot: Marijuana Legalization, Minimum Wage Hikes and Gun Control Issues on the Ballot

With the presidential campaign season in its final weeks, it’s easy to forget that votes cast on November 8th will decide more than the next person to sit in the Oval Office. Lower down the ticket, voters will consider new public health policies of all kinds.

Not only is it easier to pass a local measure than at the federal level, but successful state policies can provide a roadmap for national ones: Massachusetts’ 2006 health care reform law served as one of the blueprints for 2010’s Affordable Care Act.

With the help of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Medicine faculty and the online resource Ballotopedia, Transmission, the Public Health news source takes a look at some of the initiatives citizens across the country will vote on this year:

A Legalized High? In total, 82 million US residents could see a change in their state’s marijuana laws after November 8. Following in the footsteps of Oregon, Colorado, and Washington, five states will vote on legalizing recreational marijuana use this year: Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada. And, Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and North Dakota, could be the latest states to legalize medical marijuana use — it’s already legal in 25 states and the District of Columbia. Even while the country moves toward looser marijuana laws, full understanding of the benefits and harms of legalization has yet to be achieved. As Silvia Martins, associate professor of Epidemiology, notes: “There are several potential pros and cons of legalized recreational marijuana. More years of data are needed for researchers to truly be able to estimate the public health impact of these policies.”

Gun Control. Despite thousands of deaths caused by guns every year, the US Congress remains steadfastly divided on measures to control how they are sold. Even in the wake of the Orlando massacre in June, a measure to expand background checks and ban those on the FBI’s terrorist watch list from buying guns was voted down. In November, four states will attempt to pass gun control measures: California votes on a ban on large-capacity ammo magazines; Maine and Nevada will decide on stricter background checks; and Washington advocates seek to restrict an individual’s access to guns through the power of a court order.

Should Condoms Be Required in Pornography? A proposal in California would mandate condom use in pornography — a measure that sounds simple at first, but is more complicated when one dives into the details. Research by Eric Schrimshaw, associate professor of Sociomedical Sciences, suggests that condom use in pornography encourages safe sex by those who view it. “From a public health standpoint, the argument for condom use is a solid one — both from an occupational health perspective for pornography actors and, as our studies suggests, for the health and safety of the resulting consumers.” But, as written, California’s proposition has caused people on both sides of the aisle to question how the law will deal with specific monitoring, enforcement, and litigation mechanisms, as well as guarantee the rights of actors.

Upping the Minimum Wage. As research from the Mailman School and the National Center for Children in Poverty recently showed in Florida, too often, a full-time job at minimum wage isn’t enough to support the basic needs of their family, including food, shelter, or utilities like heat or electricity. As Congress stymies efforts to raise the federal minimum wage, several states are taking matters into their own hands. Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and Washington ballots will include proposals to raise the minimum wage to $12 or higher by 2020. Arizona and Washington go one step further, asking voters to decide whether employers must offer paid time off and paid sick leave. On the other hand, South Dakota voters will consider a proposal to lower the minimum wage for workers under age 18, from $8.50 to $7.50.

Life, Death, and Improving Health Through Taxes. Cities and states often put so-called ‘sin taxes’ on vices from gambling to liquor. 2016 is no exception. After a successful passage in Philadelphia and encouraging early results from Mexico and Berkeley, CA, more cities are attempting to pass taxes on sugary beverages in an effort to reduce obesity. Voters in Oakland, San Francisco, and Boulder, Colorado, will all have the chance to weigh in on proposed soda taxes. Additionally, in California, Colorado, North Dakota, and Missouri, ballots will include tax increases on tobacco products.

From sexual health to gun violence, cities and states are attempting to pass a variety of new policies that could eventually make their way to other states or the federal level. It’s public health and democracy in action: while the media focuses on the top of the ticket, many citizens have the chance to weigh in on measures that could have a real impact on their day-to-day lives — and on the health of their communities.

November 2, 2016
Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park Celebrating 75 Years, Renowned for Tiffany Works and The Bride Elect

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art opened its season with a major new exhibition commemorating the Museum’s 75th anniversary. In Celebrating 75 Years — Pathways of American Art at the Morse, the Museum presents a range of objects that illustrate the breadth and depth of the collection assembled by Hugh and Jeannette McKean over 50 years. The Morse, founded by Jeannette McKean (1909–89) and named for her industrialist grandfather, opened its doors on February 17, 1942, as the Morse Gallery of Art on the Rollins College campus. Hugh McKean (1908–95), a Rollins art professor and later president of the college, was the Museum’s visionary first director. The Museum relocated in 1977 to Welbourne Avenue and in 1995 to its current site on Park Avenue, where two subsequent expansions have increased exhibition space to almost 20,000 square feet, five times that of the Welbourne location. The Museum’s unparalleled collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany and his firm, Tiffany Studios, is the most important component of the Morse’s holdings.

But the Morse is not simply a Tiffany museum; it is a community museum with an underlying educational mission. This was the core of the McKeans’ vision for the Morse. The deep and profound commitment to this vision has informed the Museum’s growth and development for 75 years and continues as the bedrock of the institution today. Objects in the Museum’s new exhibition — from paintings to prints, art glass to art pottery — are being selected to show not only the varied nature of the collection but its philosophical underpinnings.

Celebrating 75 Years — Pathways of American Art opened at the Morse on October 18, 2016. Gallery talk, Fridays, 11a.m. Approaching the Museum’s 75th anniversary, the Morse celebrates the breadth and depth of the collection assembled by Hugh and Jeannette McKean in this new exhibition.

Jeannette (1909–89), granddaughter of Chicago industrialist and Winter Park philanthropist Charles Hosmer Morse, founded the Museum that opened its doors on February 17, 1942. Hugh (1908–95) was its visionary first director. Over five decades, the couple assembled a collection primarily but not exclusively of late 19th– and early 20th– century art. Though now renowned for works in all mediums by Louis Comfort Tiffany, the McKeans were less interested in ‘masterpieces’ per se than in objects that illustrated important developments in American art. They democratically respected the creativity and unique beauty of all contributions. This exhibition will include objects the McKeans collected to show various paths and byways taken within American art.

Objects on view, for example, include not only Tiffany art glass made for the wealthy but elegant cast glass for the middle class and iridescent carnival glass that was pressed and sold for pennies to a mass audience. A highlight will be a replication of Hugh McKean’s “Art Machine,” an exhibit at the Morse, c. 1988–95, of Thomas Sully’s 1871 study of a young Queen Victoria with precise instructions on how to view and appreciate the work of art. The show will also include portraits, landscape paintings, works on paper, and pottery — all of which reflect the marvelous diversity of American art. Art Nouveau from the Morse Collection Opens February 14, 2017 A new installation of works that represent the bold international decorative arts style known as Art Nouveau (1890–1910). The exhibition, drawn from the Morse collection, features furniture, jewelry, ceramics, and art glass from artists and designers working in Europe and America.

Study of the Queen Victoria, 1871, Oil on canvas. Thomas Sully, American, 1783–1872. Copied from my original study of the / Queen Victoria painted in 1838 / IB 1871 / (Thomas Sully) / August / TS

October 30, 2016
For Many Americans, Election Day Is Already Here: Early voting, Absentee Voting, What’s the difference?

By Drew Desilver and Abigail Geiger, Pew Research Center

Election Day is less than three weeks away, but for millions of Americans it’s already arrived. More than 4 million voters already have cast early, absentee and mail-in ballots, and if the trend of recent presidential election cycles continues, the number of people voting in such nontraditional ways could top 50 million by the time all the votes are counted.

Those findings are broadly in line with the Census Bureau’s post-election surveys, which ask people whether they voted on or before Election Day and whether they did so in person or by mail. In 1996, the first year those questions were asked, 10.5% of voters reported using what the Census calls an “alternative” method — either voting by mail or in person before Election Day. By 2012, the alternative-voting share had risen to 32.8%.

Early voting, absentee voting: What’s the difference?

In several states, in fact, the “alternative” has become the norm. In 2012, there were 12 states — including several that are battlegrounds this year — in which nontraditional voting methods accounted for more than half the total vote. In North Carolina, for instance, early and absentee voting yielded nearly 2.8 million of the state’s total 4.5 million votes. In Arizona, nearly two-thirds of the 2012 vote was cast absentee. In Florida, early and absentee balloting each accounted for well over a quarter of the total vote; only 44% of Florida’s voters cast their ballots in the traditional way. And in Oregon and Washington, elections already were conducted entirely by mail (they’re being joined by Colorado starting this year).

Absentee voting began during the Civil War as a convenience for Union soldiers in the field. By the middle of the 20th century, most states had adopted some form of absentee balloting, for civilians as well as members of the military, though typically it was restricted by residency and other requirements (such as limiting the practice to people who physically could not get to the polls or would be away from home on Election Day).

In the 1970s and ’80s, states began experimenting with other types of nontraditional voting. Eliminating special residency requirements and the need for a specific excuse to vote absentee was a common first step: California, Oregon and Washington were among the first states to introduce “no-excuse” absentee voting. Today, 27 states and the District of Columbia offer no-excuse absentee voting, compared with just 11 in 1992.

October 28, 2016
Denial-of-Service Cyberattack Poses Policy Dilemma; What Happened on October 21? And, Does It Occur Again?
Editor’s Note: One of our local NPR stations, KQED, created and this story today:
How Hackers Hijacked Home Appliances to Crash the Internet:

On Friday [Oct. 21st] a massive cyberattack shut down dozens of major web sites including Twitter, Spotify and Soundcloud. The Department of Homeland Security is still investigating who may be responsible. Security experts say the attackers used a network of easy-to-hack, internet-connected devices like home security cameras, smart TVs and refrigerators to overwhelm Dyn, one of the biggest internet management companies in the country. Forum discusses the security challenges raised by the ubiquity of smart devices found in our homes and what consumers and companies can do to protect themselves.

By Clifton B. Parker

The coordinated cyber attack that crippled parts of the internet on Friday highlighted key policy problems, a Stanford cybersecurity scholar said.

Stanford scholar Herbert Lin. Photo credit: Rod Searcey

And while the problems were clear, there are no easy solutions, said Herbert Lin, a senior research scholar for cyberpolicy and security at Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation. A senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Lin serves on the President’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity.

Beginning early Friday morning, several major websites including Twitter and Amazon went down for most of the day, and many other sites were inaccessible. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are investigating what is described as a DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack. The attacks mainly focused on Dyn, one of the companies that run the internet’s domain name system (DNS).

The Stanford News Service interviewed Lin about the issue:

What happened on Oct. 21?

It was a distributed denial-of-service attack on a major internet services provider. The company operates much of the internet’s infrastructure. It’s not a consumer-facing company, but is in between the user and a company like, say, Amazon. These attacks centered on the domain name system (DNS), which is the service that translates something like a Stanford email address into a numerical IP address. People remember Amazon-dot-com, but they don’t remember the numerical IP address (which is actually where a company like Dyn sends web users going to a site like Amazon). What a DOS attack involves is the flooding of this (Dyn) company’s servers with millions of fake requests from sources for service to go to those web sites. Being forced to process all these requests, the company can’t service real people trying to use web sites. On Friday, the millions of sources making these requests appear to have been part of the Internet of Things.

What is the Internet of Things*, and how did it factor into the cyberattack?
In this case, they weren’t, by and large, products like your computer or mine, but were mostly smaller things like surveillance cameras, baby monitors and home routers [everyday objects that have network connectivity to the internet]. What makes these things particularly vulnerable is that they are small, they don’t have much computational power in them, and they don’t include many, if any, security features. In fact, a Chinese company just admitted that it didn’t pay enough attention to security, and they recommend users do some things to improve security. But they shipped their products without paying much attention to security, and that’s why this was a vulnerability.

What new public policies could lessen the likelihood of this happening to such a degree again?

The primary policy recommendation is that we need policy that encourages – or mandates, depending on how strong you want to be about it – at least minimal security measures for devices that connect to the internet, even Internet of Things devices. How you actually promote, encourage or incentivize that without a legal mandate is problematic, however, because nobody quite knows what the market will accept. Also, if you’re going to force manufacturers to pay attention to security, you’re going to reduce the rate of innovation for these products. Then there’s the question of who’s going to buy them, because the unsecure ones will probably be cheaper. The fundamental problem here is that guys who use the Internet of Things, like surveillance cameras, will find those cameras work perfectly fine, even if they were compromised. So they don’t care about security. They have no incentive to do so. Why should they pay more to protect me?

Does this show that our November election is even more vulnerable to hacking?

At this point, it looks unrelated … But I don’t know, it is all just speculation.

*

Inter·net of things
noun

noun: Internet of things
1. a proposed development of the Internet in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data.
  
  “if one thing can prevent the Internet of things from transforming the way we live and work, it will be a breakdown in security”
October 25, 2016
Goodbye Clutch – Hello Tote, Preferably One with Wheels to Carry All My Essentials

—

Woman’s dress, Europe, white cotton plain weave (muslin) with cutwork and cotton embroidery, c. 1830 Bonnet, Europe, straw with silk-ribbon trim, c. 1830 Bag (reticule), France, 1800-1825, silk plain weave with sequins and silk embroidery Pair of shoes, France, 1830-1840, silk satin and leather. Los Angeles County Museum of Art Library image

By Rose Madeline Mula

I have the greatest collection of cute clutch bags — sparkly ones festooned with sequins or rhinestones for festive evenings; leather ones in rainbow hues to match various outfits for outings to the movies, the grocery store, or a restaurant; and even a couple of little canvas ones for the beach. I just used to throw in a lipstick, a credit card, some tissues, and a couple of bucks, and I was set to go anywhere. Not any more.

These days, my list of necessities has expanded exponentially. No more cute clutches. I now need a roomy tote bag, preferably one with wheels, to carry all my essentials.

First, of course, comes the cell phone. Before, my only phone stayed at home, anchored to a wall. Today, God forbid I’m not available to the world at large 24/7. I also like to take my tablet with me in case I get an uncontrollable urge to surf the net or check out a restaurant review. I could do this on my phone, but the tiny buttons and tinier print make this all but impossible.

Hermes Birkin tote

Speaking of which, the essential eye wear I must now carry is very space-consuming. Sun glasses, reading glasses, distance glasses. I thought cataract surgery would eliminate all these problems. I thought wrong.

Then there are all the separate containers of pills to be taken at various times of the day — blood pressure meds (four different ones!), thyroid pills, probiotics, pain killers for the creaky knees and shoulders, and vitamin supplements to help prevent every possible malady, plus sleeping pills for overnight jaunts. (When did I develop insomnia?)

In addition, I can’t forget Dramamine in case of car sickness, and Tums for the tummy, because I never know when acid indigestion will strike. Oh, and a roll of Lifesavers to cancel out the taste of the Tums. But at least I don’t need an Epi-pen or a sinus inhaler — yet. I do, however, need corn plasters and bunion supports, as well as panty liners (just in case).

I also now carry enough paperwork to choke the proverbial horse: A list of all the afore-mentioned medications, phone numbers of my emergency contacts (you never know — that’s why they’re called “emergency” contacts), doctors’ phone numbers, medical insurance information, and a copy of my living will (like I said, you never know). I should put all of this on my cell phone or tablet; but though I’m “with it” enough to own both (hey — that’s very unusual for my age), I’m not comfortable enough to trust them. They’re too new-fangled. I still need hard copies of everything.

But wait! There’s more! In case the corn plasters and bunion supports don’t work, I like to have a pair of sneakers with me to insure that I’ll be able to walk at least from the car to my door at the end of the day.

Which reminds me of the final item — a collapsible cane, to keep me from doing so.

Yes, I’m afraid the day of the carefree clutch is over for me. I’m selling my collection next Saturday if you’re interested. Please ring the doorbell several times. My hearing isn’t what it used to be.

©2016 Rose Madeline Mula for SeniorWomen.com

Editor’s Note: Rose Mula’s most recent book is Confessions of a Domestically-Challenged Homemaker & Other Tall Tales, available at Amazon.com and other online book sellers. Grandmother Goose: Rhymes for a Second Childhood is available as an e-book on Amazon.com for the Kindle and at BarnesandNoble.com for the Nook at $2.99; the paperback edition is available for $9.95. Her books of humorous essays, The Beautiful People and Other Aggravations, and If These Are Laugh Lines, I’m Having Way Too Much Fun can also be ordered at Amazon.com or through Pelican Publishing (800-843-1724). Her website is rosemadelinemula.com.

October 24, 2016
Not So Fast: Mailman Public Health Biostatisticians Raise Concerns Over Ovarian Cancer Screening Study

Late last year, The Lancet published the long-anticipated results of the largest ovarian cancer screening trial to date. The study of more than 200,000 women over a 14-year period examined a new screening protocol for a disease called the ‘silent killer’ because its symptoms often don’t manifest until the cancer has spread. While results were inconclusive, the investigators presented enticing evidence in the paper that the screening was effective. Shortly after, Abcodia, the company behind the screening test, made it available commercially.

But earlier last month, the Food and Drug Administration issued a ‘safety communication’ statement recommending against the screening test, and a week later, Abcodia voluntarily pulled their product, the $295 ROCA (Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm) test, from the market. The FDA action came on the heels of a June editorial in American Family Physician authored by a group of experts —including two Mailman School biostatisticians — that pointed to uncertainties in the Lancet study and expressed reservations about the marketing of the screening test.

The proprietary algorithm developed by Harvard biostatistician Steven J. Skates works by assessing changes in levels of a protein biomarker called CA-125 over time. In the 2012 study known as the United Kingdom Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS), postmenopausal women were randomized to one of three groups: multimodal screening (MMS) using ROCA, transvaginal ultrasound (USS), or no screening. On the surface, the results of UKCTOCS published in The Lancet several years ahead of the study’s conclusion, were very promising.

For women enrolled in the MMS arm, who were followed up by ultrasound screening when increasing CA-125 was found, ovarian cancer was diagnosed earlier than for those not screened. Even more exciting, the researchers reported a significant reduction in risk of death for women in the subset screened annually for at least seven years. Yet at a February meeting called by the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund that gave rise to the June editorial, Mailman’s Bruce Levin and Cody Chiuzan and others voiced serious concerns about the research and underlined the significant downside of imprecise screening.

A test that is insufficiently specific would generate many false positives — which at the least would give women a bad scare, and at the most, lead to unnecessary surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. On the other hand, a test that is insufficiently sensitive would miss cancers, potentially delaying necessary treatment.

While there was nothing fraudulent about the UKCTOCS study, the Mailman biostatisticians say its most promising results are the result of several misleading statistical contortions.

For starters, they question why it would take seven years to show a survival benefit for the screening test. In the typical screening trial, Levin, a professor of Biostatistics, explains, it may take several years until enrolled patients develop a disease, but in the UKCTOCS trial, the survival curves in both the ROCA and no screening arms overlap perfectly for about ten years, a period during which many women had died. Experts at the June meeting said there was no plausible explanation for the delay in mortality reduction, except perhaps as an artifact of shifting demographics as older study participants dropped out — a possibility the study hadn’t explored but is currently. “Older women might be less likely to go through all the repeated screenings,” posits Chiuzan, an assistant professor of Biostatistics.

October 23, 2016
A Website With USA Statistics About Women Experiencing Unwanted Sexual Touching

At the Tavern, painted by Johann Michael Neder, 1833, Germanisches Nationalmuseum

Editor’s Note: Obviously, women are not strangers to the phenomenon of sexual harrassment and unwanted sexual touching. Stop Street Harassment is a non-profit site that has produced a report about this common problem and The New York Times has run an article about this subject: She Never Spoke of It to Her Husband. Then She Heard the Trump Tape.

A Report about Street Harassment Statistics

Street harassment is an under-researched topic, but it’s clear from the few studies that exist that it is a significant and prevalent problem.

In 2014, SSH commissioned a 2,000-person national survey in the USA with surveying firm GfK. The survey found that 65% of all women had experienced street harassment. Among all women, 23% had been sexually touched, 20% had been followed, and 9% had been forced to do something sexual. Among men, 25% had been street harassed (a higher percentage of LGBT-identified men than heterosexual men reported this) and their most common form of harassment was homophobic or transphobic slurs (9%). Read more findings.

More studies about the street harassment of women and female-identified individuals:

1 — Forty Academic & Community Studies

2 —- Two Online Studies by Stop Street Harassment

In one of the surveys of 811 women, 99 percent experienced street harassment, including:

October 22, 2016