Money and Computing
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: Changes in activity levels, physical functioning, and fall risk during the COVID-19 pandemic
Clinical Investigation: "A nationally representative online survey of 2006 U.S. adults aged 50–80 was conducted in January 2021 to assess changes in health behaviors (worsened physical activity and less daily time spent on feet), social isolation (lack of companionship and perceived isolation), physical function (mobility and physical conditioning), and falls (falls and fear of falling) since March 2020. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess relationships among physical activity, social isolation, physical function, falls, and fear of falling." more »
Yale School of the Environment's Study of Environment Found "Total Indirect Emissions from Electric Vehicles Pale in Comparison to the Indirect Emissions from Fossil Fuel-powered Vehicles"
"According to Paul Wolfram [Yale] ’21 PhD now a postdoc with the Joint Global Change Research Institute at the University of Maryland, the study shows that 'the elephant in the room is the supply chain of fossil fuel-powered vehicles, not that of electric vehicles'. He notes that the faster we switch to electric vehicles, the better — at least in countries with a sufficiently decarbonized electricity supply, like the US Yale economics professor Ken Gillingham, whose research has focused extensively on alternative energy adoption in transportation, says this research provides a better understanding of how comprehensive carbon pricing — which includes the full supply chain — can shift consumers toward electric vehicles." more »
Reconstructing the Chromosomes of the Earliest Animals on Earth; In Marine Invertebrates Chromosomes Have Remained Largely the Way They Were In the Earliest Common Ancestor of All Animals
The fact that the genes of diverse invertebrates group together so faithfully, despite hundreds of millions of years of independent evolution, could indicate that for genes to jump around among chromosomes is a lot harder than scientists presumed from their studies of vertebrates, where genes have rearranged more frequently, likely because of genetic drift. “Animals like amphioxus [also called lancelet] live in huge populations where the rare mutants with rearranged chromosomes are at a disadvantage and typically die out, whereas, in small, subdivided populations, which is more typical of mammals, rearrangements are more likely to survive and spread. That’s one hypothesis.” more »
GAO, COVID-19: Significant Improvements Are Needed for Overseeing Relief Funds and Leading Responses to Public Health Emergencies
Fast Facts: In our 9th comprehensive report on the COVID-19 pandemic, we provide updates on topics like pandemic emergency rental assistance and tax relief for businesses. In this report, GAO makes five new recommendations in the areas of emergency rental assistance, nutrition assistance, and tax relief for businesses. GAO is also designating the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) leadership and coordination of a range of public health emergencies as high risk. This designation is in keeping with long-standing efforts to identify federal programs needing transformation, and to help ensure sustained executive branch and congressional attention so the nation is prepared for future emergencies. more »