Detection of Atmospheric Muon Neutrinos with the IceCube 9-String Detector

The IceCube Neutrino Detector is a cubic kilometer ice-Cherenkov detector being constructed in the deep ice under the geographic South Pole. The full detector will consist of 4800 light-sensitive Digital Optical Modules (DOMs) arranged on 80 strings of 60 DOMs, each deployed at depths between 1400 and 2400 meters from the surface. In addition to the detector deep in the ice, there will be an array of 320 DOMs paired in tanks of frozen water at the surface named IceTop. The deep detector and the surface array are being deployed during the austral summers of 2004 through 2011. In 2006, the detector includes 9 strings of 60 DOMs each. IceCube is sensitive to high-energy muon neutrinos and muon anti-neutrinos by detecting Cherekov light from the secondary muon produced when the neutrino interacts in or near the instrumented volume. The principal background to the observation of these neutrinos is muons generated in cosmic-ray air-showers in the atmosphere above the detector. The separation of neutrino-induced muons from air-shower-induced muons proceeds by looking only for muons moving upward through the detector. This separation is possible since up-going muons could not have resulted from anything other than a neutrino interaction; muons cannot penetrate more than a few kilometers in the Earth. The principal source of neutrino-induced muons in the detector are from atmospheric neutrinos generated in cosmic-ray air-showers in the northern hemisphere. In order to establish the IceCube detector as a neutrino detector, a search for high-quality up-going muon events was conducted using the 9-string detector. The data was compared to predictions from neutrino and cosmic-ray simulations. Theoretical and experimental systematic errors have been estimated. A total of 156 neutrino-candidate events were detected in 90.0 days of livetime consistent with the prediction of 139.1 atmospheric neutrino events and a contamination of 9.5 non-neutrino background events. The ratio R between the experimental neutrino population and the prediction of simulation was measured at R = 1.05 +/- 0.24(syst) +/- 0.09(stat). This is consistent with the ~30% error expected from current neutrino flux modeling

Cross-syndrome comparison of real-world executive functioning and problem solving using a new problem-solving questionnaire

Background. Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders like Williams syndrome and Down syndrome exhibit executive function impairments on experimental tasks (Lanfranchi, Jerman, Dal Pont, Alberti, & Vianello, 2010; Menghini, Addona, Costanzo, & Vicari, 2010), but the way that they use executive functioning for problem solving in everyday life has not hitherto been explored. The study aim is to understand cross-syndrome characteristics of everyday executive functioning and problem solving. Methods. Parents/carers of individuals with Williams syndrome (n=47) or Down syndrome (n=31) of a similar chronological age (m =17 years 4 months and 18 years respectively) as well as those of a group of younger typically developing children (n=34; m=8 years 3 months) completed two questionnaires: the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF; Gioia, Isquith, Guy, & Kenworthy, 2000) and a novel Problem-Solving Questionnaire. Results. The rated likelihood of reaching a solution in a problem solving situation was lower for both syndromic groups than the typical group, and lower still for the Williams syndrome group than the Down syndrome group. The proportion of group members meeting the criterion for clinical significance on the BRIEF was also highest for the Williams syndrome group. While changing response, avoiding losing focus and maintaining perseverance were important for problem-solving success in all groups, asking for help and avoiding becoming emotional were also important for the Down syndrome and Williams syndrome groups respectively. Keeping possessions in order was a relative strength amongst BRIEF scales for the Down syndrome group. Conclusion. Results suggest that individuals with Down syndrome tend to use compensatory strategies for problem solving (asking for help and potentially, keeping items well ordered), while for individuals with Williams syndrome, emotional reactions disrupt their problem- solving skills. This paper highlights the importance of identifying syndrome-specific problem-solving strengths and difficulties to improve effective functioning in everyday life

Feasibility of At-Home Serial Testing Using Over-the-Counter SARS-CoV-2 Tests With a Digital Smartphone App for Assistance: Longitudinal Cohort Study

BackgroundThe ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic necessitates the development of accurate, rapid, and affordable diagnostics to help curb disease transmission, morbidity, and mortality. Rapid antigen tests are important tools for scaling up testing for SARS-CoV-2; however, little is known about individuals’ use of rapid antigen tests at home and how to facilitate the user experience. ObjectiveThis study aimed to describe the feasibility and acceptability of serial self-testing with rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2, including need for assistance and the reliability of self-interpretation. MethodsA total of 206 adults in the United States with smartphones were enrolled in this single-arm feasibility study in February and March 2021. All participants were asked to self-test for COVID-19 at home using rapid antigen tests daily for 14 days and use a smartphone app for testing assistance and to report their results. The main outcomes were adherence to the testing schedule, the acceptability of testing and smartphone app experiences, and the reliability of participants versus study team’s interpretation of test results. Descriptive statistics were used to report the acceptability, adherence, overall rating, and experience of using the at-home test and MyDataHelps app. The usability, acceptability, adherence, and quality of at-home testing were analyzed across different sociodemographic, age, and educational attainment groups. ResultsOf the 206 enrolled participants, 189 (91.7%) and 159 (77.2%) completed testing and follow-up surveys, respectively. In total, 51.3% (97/189) of study participants were women, the average age was 40.7 years, 34.4% (65/189) were non-White, and 82% (155/189) had a bachelor’s degree or higher. Most (n=133/206, 64.6%) participants showed high testing adherence, meaning they completed over 75% of the assigned tests. Participants’ interpretations of test results demonstrated high agreement (2106/2130, 98.9%) with the study verified results, with a κ score of 0.29 (P<.001). Participants reported high satisfaction with self-testing and the smartphone app, with 98.7% (157/159) reporting that they would recommend the self-test and smartphone app to others. These results were consistent across age, race/ethnicity, and gender. ConclusionsParticipants’ high adherence to the recommended testing schedule, significant reliability between participants and study staff’s test interpretation, and the acceptability of the smartphone app and self-test indicate that self-tests for SARS-CoV-2 with a smartphone app for assistance and reporting is a highly feasible testing modality among a diverse population of adults in the United States