Agreement Between SARS-CoV-2 PCR Test Results Using Nasopharyngeal and Mid-Turbinate Specimens Among Asymptomatic Working-Age Adults.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether mid-turbinate specimens reliably detect active infection in asymptomatic adults undergoing regular COVID-19 PCR testing.

Methods: Qualitative agreement between 2481 paired nasopharyngeal and mid-turbinate PCR results was assessed. Mean cycle threshold values for each positive result were evaluated as an indicator of active infection.

Reply to Schade G. Comment on Hess et al. "Assessing Agreement in Exposure Classifications between Proximity-Based Metrics and Air Monitoring Data in Epidemiology Studies of Unconventional Resource Development.".

We appreciate the comments by Dr [...

Response to Buonocore et al. Comments on Wendt Hess et al. "Assessing Agreement in Exposure Classification between Proximity-Based Metrics and Air Monitoring Data in Epidemiology Studies of Unconventional Resource Development." 2019, , 3055.

We appreciate the comments by Buonocore et al [...

Trends in Cigarette Smoking Prevalence Among Refinery and Petrochemical Plant Workers, 1950 to 1999.

Objective: Smoking is a potential confounder in studies of workplace exposures and smoking-related disease, but little data exist to quantitatively adjust for smoking in statistical models.

Methods: We estimated smoking prevalence trends between 1950 and 1999 for 12,299 female and 43,307 male hourly and salaried petrochemical workers using company physical examination data.

Results: Nearly half of hourly male and female employees smoked during the study period, compared with 38% of salaried males and 29% of females.

Assessing Agreement in Exposure Classification between Proximity-Based Metrics and Air Monitoring Data in Epidemiology Studies of Unconventional Resource Development.

Recent studies of unconventional resource development (URD) and adverse health effects have been limited by distance-based exposure surrogates. Our study compared exposure classifications between air pollutant concentrations and "well activity" (WA) metrics, which are distance-based exposure proxies used in Marcellus-area studies to reflect variation in time and space of residential URD activity. We compiled Pennsylvania air monitoring data for benzene, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, fine particulates and sulfur dioxide, and combined this with data on nearly 9000 Pennsylvania wells.

Temperature, placental abruption and stillbirth.

Background: Pregnant women may be vulnerable to changes in ambient temperature and warming climates. Recent evidence suggests that temperature increases are associated with placental abruption, a risk factor for stillbirth.

Objectives: We investigated the effect of acute exposures to apparent temperature on stillbirths in Harris County, Texas, 2008-2013.