Research on teaching, learning, and how education works. Covers health-tech education, mentorship and fellowships, NIH training grants, and digital learning.
A study published in Social Science & Medicine found that social support can reduce depressive symptoms but also lead to feelings of loss of control, increasing symptoms. This contradictory effect is more pronounced for women than men, highlighting the need for policy-makers to consider both positive and negative effects.
Zhong Lin Wang, a prominent nanotechnology researcher at GA Tech, has been awarded the SURA Distinguished Scientist Award. He is recognized for his pioneering work in developing nano-generator devices that enable energy harvesting from ambient sources.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is selected for a grant to increase the number of PhD-prepared nurses. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Future of Nursing Scholars program will provide financial support and leadership development to two nursing students over three years.
A USU engineering researcher is developing new data analysis tools to help close the gap in urban water use behavior measurement and management. With a $507,000 NSF grant, Dr. Jeff Horsburgh aims to create useful information products for water managers using smart meter data.
Ankur Jain, an assistant professor at UTA, has received a five-year, $500,000 NSF CAREER grant to develop a fundamental understanding of thermal transport in Li-ion batteries. His goal is to improve the safety and efficiency of these batteries for widespread applications.
The new issue of the Annals of Global Health presents a core set of recommendations for optimizing diabetes care globally. The main findings emphasize the need for each nation to assess region-specific epidemiology, establish public health imperatives, and commit to education and research to advance culturally-sensitive guidelines.
The SleepHealth study aims to identify connections between sleep habits and health outcomes using the ResearchKit framework on Watson Health Cloud. Participants can contribute ideas and surveys, and their data will be stored in a longitudinal study for analysis.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing will fund the scholarship of five doctoral nursing students in 2016 thanks to a $60,000 grant from the Jonas Center. This is part of a national initiative to support 1,000 nurse scholars across all 50 states.
A new study published in BMJ Global Health found a 36% increase in the number of men smoking tobacco in India between 1998 and 2015. Cigarettes are replacing traditional bidis due to higher income and population growth, posing significant health risks.
Researchers discovered that Amazon forests' annual increase in photosynthesis is caused by synchronization of old leaf loss and new leaf growth, contradicting assumptions about constant canopy greenness. This finding will help improve predictions of forest responses to climate change.
Dr. Marisa Orr receives a five-year CAREER grant to develop an online Academic Dashboard for empowering engineering students to make adaptive decisions and achieve academic success. The project aims to improve student outcomes by reducing time to graduation and increasing student satisfaction with their major and eventual career.
A study published in Annals of Emergency Medicine found ketamine to be an effective and safe sedation agent for patients with acute behavioral disturbances who do not respond to traditional methods. Only 10% of patients treated with ketamine required additional sedation or failed to achieve sedation within a set time frame.
A study found that kindergarten general knowledge is the strongest predictor of first-grade and third-grade science achievement. Children's science achievement gaps persist from third to eighth grade, with low-income and minority students facing larger gaps.
A study by Aarhus University explores what happens to sibling relationships when parents get divorced and find new partners. The research reveals that children have different experiences depending on whether they live in multiple homes or traditional families.
A global study of ICU patients found that 10.4% develop Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a condition with high mortality rates. The study also revealed inconsistent approaches to managing ARDS, including inadequate ventilation strategies and underuse of protective mechanical ventilation.
Orion Berryman, a UM assistant professor, has received a $675,000 CAREER grant to study multidentate halogen bond donors for supramolecular catalysis. He will use the award to design molecules that complement sulfur compounds and teach students about chemical concepts through 3-D printing.
The Integrated Urban Metabolism Analytical Tool (IUMAT) will measure, evaluate and predict the impacts of urban systems on climate change and energy security. The tool aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of urban sustainability policies to guide growth and development in a coordinated, sustainable way.
By 2050, nearly half the world's population will be short-sighted, with up to 1 billion at high risk of blindness. The rapid increase in myopia is attributed to environmental factors such as decreased time outdoors and increased near work activities.
Dr. Yi Hong's research aims to create flexible, conductive, and biodegradable elastomers for biomedical applications like tissue repair. His technology has the potential to expand beyond biomedical fields into biodegradable electronics and wearable electronics.
Assistant Professor John McCutcheon receives $746,301 NSF CAREER grant to continue his lab's work on mitochondria and chloroplasts. The award aims to increase Montana students' competitiveness in handling complex data sets.
Drs. D'Onofrio and Fiellin's study found that ED-initiated buprenorphine treatment significantly increased successful addiction treatment initiation and reduced opioid use outcomes among opioid-dependent patients. The study's results suggest a promising intervention for addressing opioid dependence in general medical settings.
UPMC's PreCISE-Rx program uses pharmacogenomics to individualize patient treatments, targeting the right drug for each patient based on their genes. The goal is to reduce hospital readmissions and recurrent illness while improving treatment outcomes.
Siddharth Garg will use the grant to develop algorithms securing microchip design and manufacturing, addressing piracy, counterfeiting, and malicious Trojans. The NYU Tandon School of Engineering faculty member's research aims to enhance chip security, preventing intellectual property theft and national security risks.
Assistant Professor Yuze Sun is developing an all-liquid optofluidic laser for cancer detection and other biosensing applications. The laser's adaptive nature achieves high-precision tuning, making it biocompatible and bioconfigurable.
A new study found that exposure to air pollution more than 30 years ago can still affect an individual's mortality risk today. The research, published in the journal Thorax, estimated air pollution levels in areas where individuals lived in 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001, using historic air quality measurements.
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine developed a possible new method for preventing jet lag by exposing people to short flashes of light while they sleep. The study found that this method can speed up the brain's adjustment to time changes, reducing the delay in onset of sleepiness.
Jennifer Stockdill, a Wayne State University assistant professor of chemistry, has received a $650,000 NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award to investigate the reactivity of neutral aminyl radicals. The award also supports outreach programs aimed at promoting diversity in STEM fields among middle school girls and graduate students.
A study published in The BMJ found that moderate exercise programs can help prevent life-changing falls in older men. The research, which involved 1,635 participants aged 70-89, showed a notable gender difference, with male participants experiencing a 38% reduced rate of serious fall injuries.
The 2015 Carnegie Classification provides an update on institutional diversity at over 4,660 colleges and universities in the United States. The classification reveals key changes, including shifts in doctoral granting categories and the introduction of new associate's college categories based on program mix and student mix.
A study found that refugee women, particularly those who spent time in transit countries, are at a higher risk of giving birth prematurely. This increased risk is attributed to factors such as long-term exposure to poor living conditions, anxiety, and stress. The researchers suggest implementing policies to shorten the time refugees sp...
Bill Wood has been awarded the Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education for his sustained impact on genetics education, including innovative pedagogical approaches and high-quality undergraduate science education. The award recognizes his leadership in developing evidence-based reflective teaching and active learning.
A collaborative program with the Cherokee Nation is addressing tobacco-related cancer disparities through research, training, and education for American Indian students and investigators. The program aims to develop a surveillance registry and strengthen anti-tobacco programs.
A study found that people living in high-rise buildings have lower survival rates from cardiac arrest, attributed to delayed emergency response times. The researchers recommend improving accessibility of automated external defibrillators and streamlining building access for paramedics.
A new study by RAND Corporation researchers found that many European immigrants and their descendants in the US did not achieve significant educational gains compared to those who remained in their native countries. However, exceptions were seen in Italy and Poland, where descendants experienced substantial educational advantages.
Adult smokers who use e-cigarettes are 28 percent less likely to stop smoking cigarettes, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data. The largest study to quantify the effect of e-cigarettes on quitting found no association between e-cigarette use and increased smoking cessation.
A study published in Psychological Science reveals that an innate ratio processing ability may play a role in determining aptitude for mathematical concepts. Researchers found that students' ability to gauge nonsymbolic ratios was correlated with their competence in symbolic math, including fractions and algebraic equations.
A study by KIT Institute for Economics shows that tiebreaking rules can have significant impacts on competition. Allowing the weaker competitor to win in a tie can lead to stronger efforts from both sides, as seen in sports and job applications. This principle can also be applied to other competitive situations.
Researchers have successfully used digital imaging to measure pyrethrum flowers before harvesting, detecting 88% of flowers compared to manual recognition. This automated system allows for faster and easier image collection, enabling greater plot areas to be sampled for yield estimation.
New research reveals that irradiation can effectively treat blueberries and grapes without compromising fruit quality. The study showed that irradiation at 400 Gy maintains blueberry and table grape quality sufficiently to meet transportation needs for overseas markets.
A comprehensive resource for willow cultivars has been compiled, featuring 854 cultivar epithets with accompanying information. The checklist is expected to serve a diverse constituency of users and promote the effective utilization of germplasm in horticulture and ecosystem services.
Research by Brown University biologist Christopher Anderson reveals the smallest species of chameleon produces the most powerful tongue acceleration, with peak values 264 times greater than gravitational acceleration.
Dr. Yu Zhu, a polymer scientist at the University of Akron, has received a $538,679 NSF CAREER Award to study new types of conjugated polymers with fused sites enabling hydrogen bonding. The project aims to design high-performance polymer electronics for flexible and economical electronic materials.
Historic and prehistoric peoples in arid to semi-arid deserts were more susceptible to impacts from climate challenges due to created vulnerabilities to food shortfall. Social factors, such as limitations on networks and mobility, were the primary contributors to vulnerability to food shortage.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University's Zuckerberg Institute found that treated greywater is safe for irrigation and does not pose a risk for gastrointestinal illness or water-related diseases. The study compared the health risks of greywater users to those using tap water, finding no significant differences.
Researchers found that both greenhouse and field bed production environments can produce marketable stems with varying stem length and caliper. The study recommends optimal conditions for bulb storage, forcing temperatures, and planting densities to maximize productivity and quality of cut pineapple lily stems.
Tetyana P. Shippee, PhD, is awarded the 2015 Senior Service America Senior Scholar Award for her research on long-term care and aging, particularly focusing on cumulative inequality theory and patient-centered measures.
Brazilian researchers have demonstrated that apigenin, a flavonoid found in parsley, thyme, chamomile, and red pepper, improves neuron formation and strengthens brain cell connections. The compound works by binding to estrogen receptors, affecting the development and function of the nervous system.
Research finds that medical students' involvement in evaluating patients adds only a few minutes to the average length of stay, allowing for balance between educational needs and treatment. The study's results provide reassurance for teachers who transition students from observing to aiding medical care.
Constantine M. Dafermos will receive the 2016 Norbert Wiener Prize in Applied Mathematics for his pioneering research on nonlinear conservation laws and thermomechanics. He is recognized as one of the world's top experts in the theory of conservation laws.
Researchers found that patients with high negative affect experienced significantly more adverse events during interventional radiology procedures. A positive emotional state did not make a significant difference in the incidence of adverse events.
Helminck is honored for increasing the diversity of the mathematical research community through his work at North Carolina State University. He has successfully recruited and retained doctoral students from underrepresented groups, as well as directed programs to foster diversity in mathematics education.
Researchers recorded simultaneous audio and visual evidence of knuckle cracking using ultrasound imaging. The study found a correlation between the audible crack and a bright flash on ultrasound, suggesting that the sound results from gas bubble dynamics in the joint.
The National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence will relocate from GSA to the New York University College of Nursing in January 2016. The Center aims to increase gerontological nursing capacity and promote quality care for older adults.
A study presented at the Radiological Society of North America meeting found that Medicaid expansion improved breast cancer screening rates among low-income women in US states. The analysis showed a significant increase in breast cancer screening adherence after implementation of Medicaid expansion programs in early adopter states.
Refrigeration and blanching are detrimental to tomato aroma quality, impacting key contributors. Common kitchen practices not only affect consumer complaints but also alter volatile compound production.
A three-year project is launching to investigate neural network mechanisms of sequence generation in the hippocampus. The researchers aim to shed light upon the neuronal foundations of memory, a brain structure crucial for remembering personal experiences.
Birkar, Cascini, Hacon, and McKernan's 2010 article on minimal models for log general type varieties revolutionized algebraic geometry research. The work transformed the minimal model program, marking a watershed in the field and earning them the prestigious AMS Moore Prize.
The report analyzed outcomes of 26,414 TAVR procedures performed from 2012-2014 and found low risk for mortality, myocardial infarction, kidney injury, and neurologic complications. The most common complications were vascular and bleeding requiring transfusion, with a decrease in vascular complications over time.
Scientists at the University of Auckland have created a soft, flexible, and stretchable keyboard using dielectric elastomers. The keyboard can flex and stretch, recovering from drops and impacts, making it ideal for various applications such as gaming and motion capture.
The Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford University has awarded $2.1 million in seed grants to support promising clean energy research. The projects focus on developing new technologies for solar energy, nuclear waste management, and biofuels, with the goal of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.