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When American democracy is weakened, faith in the U.S. as an ally falters

A new study found that foreign interference in American elections can reduce faith abroad in the United States as a trustworthy ally. Japanese citizens' trust in the US was higher when informed that US democracy is functioning versus not. The findings highlight the international security implications of successful electoral interference.

SourceDartmouth College·JournalEuropean Journal of International Relations·TypeSurvey·DateJan 4, 2023

Music and ayahuasca’s role in treating substance use disorders in men

Researchers have discovered the positive impact of icaros on men's recovery from drug and alcohol addictions during ayahuasca healing ceremonies. The study, led by UC Riverside doctoral student Owain J. Graham, found that 86% of patients showed statistically significant improvements on the Addictions Severity Index.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalAnthropology of Consciousness·TypeCase study·DateDec 26, 2022

Should we tax robots?

A study by MIT economists suggests that a modest tax on robots and foreign trade could help address income inequality in the US. The optimal policy includes taxes ranging from 1% to 3.7% of robot value, with smaller trade taxes, aiming to reduce wage gaps without stifling economic growth.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalThe Review of Economic Studies·DateDec 20, 2022

Artificial Intelligence in Health: USC Researchers receive $10.5 million to develop cutting edge machine learning approaches in cancer research

The National Cancer Institute awards $10.5 million to USC's Division of Biostatistics to develop statistical methods for uncovering new risk factors associated with cancer by integrating large volumes of health, genomic, and exposure data. The project aims to provide new insights into complex biological processes and discoveries of nov...

New AI method for public health analysis shows trends in substance use among high schoolers

A new AI method has analyzed substance use trends among Canadian high schoolers, identifying factors such as large weekly allowances and low physical activity that increase the risk of transitioning to multiple substance use. The study found that once students start using substances, it is rare for them to stop, highlighting the need f...

SourceUniversity of Waterloo·JournalThe Lancet Regional Health - Americas·DateNov 30, 2022

Community pharmacy-led vaccination scheme helped thousands of patients overcome hesitancy around Covid-19 jabs, Kingston University London research finds

A community pharmacy-led vaccination scheme in South East London successfully supported over 6,000 patients to overcome initial hesitancy around Covid-19 jabs. The programme, which ran for six months, found that a lack of understanding about the vaccine was the biggest reason for patients' hesitation.

SourceKingston University·JournalPharmacy·TypeObservational study·DateNov 28, 2022

Witchcraft beliefs are widespread, highly variable around the world

A global dataset reveals widespread witchcraft beliefs varying substantially between countries and world regions. Higher education and economic security are associated with lower belief in witchcraft. Weak institutions, low social trust, and conformist culture also correlate with higher witchcraft prevalence.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·TypeSurvey·DateNov 23, 2022

Water wars: causes and possible solutions

Researchers from Politecnico di Milano investigated water's role in conflicts, focusing on socio-hydrological conditions and unequal resource use. The study provides a new methodological approach to understanding natural resource conflicts, with potential applications for creating more accurate representations of socio-ecological systems.

SourcePolitecnico di Milano·JournalNature·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateNov 23, 2022

New wind field models accurately describe wind gusts

Researchers at the University of Oldenburg have developed a new statistical model that accurately describes wind turbulence and generates fully three-dimensional wind fields using limited measurement points. This breakthrough enables precise wind turbine load estimation and improves wind farm planning, with applications in various fiel...

SourceUniversity of Oldenburg·JournalPRX Energy·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateNov 15, 2022

New statistical method improves genomic analyzes

A new statistical method called CLIMB provides a more efficient way to analyze genomic data across multiple conditions. The method combines principles from two traditional techniques, reducing computational intensity and producing biologically interpretable results.

SourcePenn State·JournalNature Communications·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateNov 14, 2022

Adding stratification factors can reduce a small trial’s statistical power

A computational study found that adding more than two stratification factors to a phase 2 trial can significantly reduce its statistical power, making it harder to detect a positive result. For modestly sized trials with 84 participants, using four or six stratification factors resulted in power decreases of 13% and 25%, respectively.

SourceSWOG Cancer Research Network·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 3, 2022

New study shows higher death toll among Puerto Ricans following Hurricane Maria than reported following 2017 disaster

A new University of Toronto study finds an additional 514 deaths should be added to the official Hurricane Maria death toll due to displaced Puerto Ricans in the US. The study suggests undercounting and highlights the need for equitable disaster preparedness and cross-jurisdiction data sharing.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalBMJ Open·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateSep 22, 2022

Significant increase in suicide rates in women and younger age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan

A study by Hokkaido University researchers found a significant increase in suicide rates among women and younger age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Excess suicide deaths for men and women were recorded, with sub-group analyses revealing a positive correlation between increased mortality and specific age ranges.

SourceHokkaido University·JournalThe Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateSep 13, 2022

Climate data can help model the spread of COVID-19

A new study finds that climate data, particularly UV radiation levels, can help accurately model the spread of COVID-19. The research analyzed data from 196 countries and found that high UV radiation levels are strongly associated with reduced COVID-19 transmission rates.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 7, 2022

Following the wind

Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) have developed a more robust and realistic general method for dealing with wind-driven phenomena in geostatistical modeling, which promises to greatly improve the accuracy of pollutant dispersion prediction.

SourceKing Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)·JournalJournal of the American Statistical Association·DateSep 6, 2022

Singapore scientists find cold spells in the tropics increase heart attack risk

A study by Duke-NUS Medical School and collaborators found that cooler ambient temperatures increased the risk of a specific type of myocardial infarction (heart attack) in Singapore. People aged 65 and above were particularly vulnerable to this risk, with a 20% higher risk compared to younger individuals.

SourceDuke-NUS Medical School·JournalScience of The Total Environment·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 2, 2022

Environmental students from poorer regions rate the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as more important than those from richer regions do

A study of environmental students from 41 countries found that SDGs are highly accepted globally, with significant differences in pillar ratings between countries. Lower-income nations rated the SDGs as more important than higher-income nations.

SourceGoethe University Frankfurt·JournalHumanities and Social Sciences Communications·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateAug 2, 2022

New Hampshire and Northeast U.S. region’s high childhood cancer rates re-examined

A new study from Dartmouth Cancer Center re-examines claims of high pediatric cancer rates in New Hampshire, revealing the Northeast region has a statistically significantly higher incidence of cancer compared to all other U.S. regions. Within the Northeastern states, no single state is an outlier, with significant variations in incide...

SourceDartmouth Health·JournalCancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention·TypeLiterature review·DateJul 21, 2022

Is organic farming always good for the environment? – Researchers create strategy to help decide

A recent study by Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University provides a method to help farmers and policymakers decide whether organic farming is beneficial for the environment. The researchers analyzed international studies to find a threshold where organic farming's biodiversity gain outweighs its land requirements.

SourceXi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University·JournalEcology Letters·TypeMeta-analysis·DateJul 12, 2022

Women are making strides in artificial intelligence but are still underrepresented, according to new Concordia research

A Concordia study analyzed gender patterns in AI over two decades, finding women are making strides despite underrepresentation. Notably, female-male collaboration has increased, while core positions held by women remain scarce, tied to factors like family obligations and male-dominated environments.

SourceConcordia University·JournalJournal of Informetrics·TypeContent analysis·DateMay 25, 2022

AI predicts infant age, gender based on temperament

A new study uses machine learning to analyze temperament data from 4,438 babies to classify their age and gender. While algorithms struggle to distinguish between infants under 48 weeks old, accuracy improves as they age, suggesting that gender differences in infancy become more apparent around this time.

SourceWashington State University·JournalPLOS ONE·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMay 10, 2022

New Chinese Medical Journal study assesses mortality risk in multimorbid patients

A new study published in the Chinese Medical Journal assessed mortality risk in middle-aged and older Chinese individuals with multiple diseases. The study identified four multimorbidity patterns, with cardiometabolic being the most common, and found that individuals with these patterns had a significantly increased mortality risk.

SourceCactus Communications·JournalChinese Medical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateApr 13, 2022

Climate change affects landscape freeze-thaw but not in the same way everywhere, a new Concordia study shows

A new Concordia study reveals that climate change affects the province-wide analysis of landscape freeze-thaw cycles, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions in northern regions and transitional days in southern areas. This can have significant impacts on infrastructure and greenhouse gas emissions.

SourceConcordia University·JournalScientific Reports·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 13, 2022

Multicenter study of ultrasound LI-RADS suggests switch for HCC surveillance

A multicenter study found that only 42% of patients with a visualization score C on surveillance exams maintain the same score on follow-up exams. The study suggests that alternative surveillance strategies may be necessary for patients at risk for HCC, particularly those with severe steatosis and advanced cirrhosis.

SourceAmerican Roentgen Ray Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Roentgenology·TypeObservational study·DateApr 6, 2022

Amazon rainforest is losing resilience: New evidence from satellite data analysis

Research from satellite data analysis suggests that three-quarters of the Amazon forest has lost its ability to recover from perturbations since the early 2000s. This loss of resilience increases the risk of dieback and contributes to global warming, highlighting the urgent need for limiting logging and greenhouse gas emissions.

SourcePotsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)·JournalNature Climate Change·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMar 7, 2022

Navigation tools could be pointing drivers to the shortest route — but not the safest

A study by Texas A&M researchers found that navigation systems frequently guide drivers to take paths with a greater risk of crashes, despite reducing travel time. The study analyzed road and traffic characteristics in five metropolitan areas and proposed a new system architecture for finding the safest route using navigation systems.

SourceTexas A&M University·JournalTransportation Research Part C Emerging Technologies·TypeNews article·DateFeb 23, 2022

How picking up your smartphone could reveal your identity

Researchers found that smartphone app usage patterns can be used to identify individuals with over 30% accuracy. The study analyzed data from 780 people and showed consistent patterns in application usage behaviors on a day-to-day basis. This highlights the potential risks to privacy when using apps automatically collected by smartphones.

SourceLancaster University·JournalPsychological Science·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateFeb 17, 2022

Professor’s M-Score model remains most viable means of predicting corporate fraud

A new study co-authored by Indiana University professor M. Daniel Beneish finds that the M-Score model is still the most economically viable means of predicting corporate fraud. The model's success rate has been doubled, but at a higher cost of false positives, making it less practical for auditors to use in practice.

SourceIndiana University·JournalThe Accounting Review·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateFeb 17, 2022

Competition sheds light on approximation methods for large spatial datasets

A global competition between approximation methods for analyzing large spatial datasets shed light on their statistical efficiency. The competition compared various methods using synthetic spatial datasets and revealed the performance of different approaches, providing a unified framework for understanding existing approximation methods.

SourceKing Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)·JournalJournal of Agricultural Biological and Environmental Statistics·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJan 19, 2022

Unintended consequences of edicts to wear a mask

A study by University of Leeds researchers found that compulsory mask wearing in Bangladesh led to an increase in mobility and a rise in COVID-19 cases. The study analyzed Google community mobility data and found statistically significant evidence of risk compensation, where people adopted riskier behavior if they felt safer with masks.

SourceUniversity of Leeds·JournalBMJ Global Health·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJan 9, 2022