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No-till farming study shows benefit to midwestern land values

A new study from North Carolina State University reveals no-till farming boosts agricultural land values in the Midwest, with a 1% increase translating to a $7.86 per acre gain. This finding supports the economic and environmental benefits of adopting soil conservation practices like no-till farming.

SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalAmerican Journal of Agricultural Economics·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateAug 15, 2022

Oncotarget | Predicting cancer immunotherapy response from gut microbiomes using machine learning models

A new study uses machine learning models to predict cancer patients' responses to immunotherapy based on their gut microbiome features. The research identifies common gut bacterial taxa associated with responders versus non-responders, providing a potential tool for distinguishing and predicting immunotherapy responders.

SourceImpact Journals LLC·JournalOncotarget·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJul 19, 2022

Major expansion of open-source neuroimaging data set to boost stroke recovery research

A newly expanded data set of brain scans from stroke patients called ATLAS now includes 1,271 MRI images with manually segmented lesions, facilitating large-scale stroke recovery research. Researchers hope to develop algorithms to automate lesion segmentation, enabling clinicians to predict patient responses to therapies.

SourceKeck School of Medicine of USC·JournalScientific Data·TypeImaging analysis·DateJun 27, 2022

Built infrastructure, hunting and climate change linked to huge migratory bird declines

A new study reveals that population declines have been greatest among species that migrate to areas with more human infrastructure, habitat degradation, and climate change. The research identified 16 human-induced threats to migratory birds, including infrastructure associated with bird disturbance and collisions.

SourceUniversity of East Anglia·JournalGlobal Ecology and Biogeography·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 24, 2022

App to help doctors help patients with leukemia

Researchers have developed an app to help doctors identify patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) at risk of developing infections, allowing for earlier treatment. The app uses blood test results and genetic data to predict patient risk, improving treatment outcomes and reducing pressure on the healthcare system.

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences·JournalCommunications Medicine·TypeCase study·DateJun 24, 2022

AHA, ACC release standard definition set for diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association have released a comprehensive data standard to standardize definitions for COVID-19-related cardiovascular conditions. This framework will help pool or compare data from various sources to assess its applicability to clinical practice and research endeavors.

SourceAmerican College of Cardiology·JournalJournal of the American College of Cardiology·TypeLiterature review·DateJun 23, 2022

Bentley University research sheds light on relationship between political affiliations and interpretations of COVID-19 graphs

A recent study published in Big Data & Society found that Democrats and Republicans in the US surveyed agree on the mathematical features of COVID-19 graphs, such as line slopes, but differ in their subjective interpretations. The researchers suggest that political affiliations may moderate how people interpret data, highlighting the i...

SourceBentley University·JournalBig Data & Society·TypeSurvey·DateJun 6, 2022

In bias we trust?

Researchers at MIT found that explanation methods used to aid human decision-makers in high-stakes situations often have lower accuracy for minoritized subgroups. The fidelity of these explanations varies dramatically between subgroups, with the quality often significantly lower for women and Black people.

Species thrive through social connections

A Kyoto University study shows that even though biodiversity increases with more interactions, mean interaction strength decreases. The interaction capacity hypothesis proposes that this weakening of interspecific interactions may be due to increased community diversity.

SourceKyoto University·JournalProceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 24, 2022

Poll the audience: Using data from citizen science to keep wild birds in flight

A new analysis found that citizen science data from apps like eBird can be a valuable resource for researchers and managers, offering insights into wild bird populations. By comparing publicly-produced data with officially tracked numbers, researchers have identified patterns and potential areas for improvement.

SourceS.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University·JournalBiological Conservation·TypeCase study·DateMay 19, 2022

Researchers now able to predict battery lifetimes with machine learning

Scientists have developed a machine learning algorithm that can accurately predict the lifetimes of different battery chemistries using as little as a single cycle of experimental data. The technique could reduce costs and accelerate the development of new battery materials, enabling researchers to quickly evaluate and test multiple ma...

SourceDOE/Argonne National Laboratory·JournalJournal of Power Sources·DateMay 5, 2022

No rest for new elephant mothers

A new study published in Animal Behaviour found that newborn African savannah elephants can keep up with their mothers' daily movements, contrary to previous assumptions. This remarkable ability allows the calves to benefit from protection against predators and integration into the herd's social structure.

SourceUniversity of Oxford·JournalAnimal Behaviour·TypeObservational study·DateApr 20, 2022

A ‘cautionary tale’ about location tracking

A recent study by the University of Rochester found that mobility patterns can be predicted with surprising accuracy based on data collected from acquaintances, even if individual users turn off their own location tracking. The researchers discovered that up to 95% of an individual's movement pattern can be inferred from people they ar...

SourceUniversity of Rochester·JournalNature Communications·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 12, 2022

Study: Climatic variability might not drive evolutionary change as much as previously thought

A recent study combining climate data with fossil records of large mammals in Africa found that times of erratic climate change do not lead to major evolutionary changes. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that environmental variability and species turnover may not be closely related.

SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 11, 2022

Inferring the size of a collective of self-propelled Vicsek particles from the random motion of a single unit

Researchers at NYU Tandon School of Engineering propose a paradigm to solve the problem of inferring collective size from individual behaviors. By observing self-propelled Vicsek particles, they show that the time rate of growth of mean square heading is sufficient to predict the number of particles under particular parameters.

SourceNYU Tandon School of Engineering·JournalCommunications Physics·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 11, 2022

Brain charts map the rapid growth and slow decline of the human brain over our lifetime

Researchers created brain charts spanning human lifespan, revealing rapid brain growth in early life and slow decline with age. The charts use aggregated MRI datasets, covering a range of ages from fetus to 100-year-old adult, and aim to create a common language for describing brain development and maturation.

SourceUniversity of Cambridge·JournalNature·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateApr 6, 2022

New study finds reporting entanglements of leatherback turtles is critical for survival

Researchers analyzed 280 confirmed sea turtle entanglements in Massachusetts waters and found that quickly reporting incidents can improve survival rates. The study highlights the importance of complete disentanglement to minimize injury and promote survival, with many turtles being alive weeks to years after being disentangled.

SourceNew England Aquarium·JournalEndangered Species Research·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateFeb 24, 2022