Latest News Releases 15 January
Tackling plastics pollution
University of DelawareGrant and Award Announcement
Researchers from the University of Delaware are joining forces with colleagues at the University of Kansas and Pittsburg State University to develop new molecules that can be used to make a new generation of environmentally friendly plastics.
- Funder
- National Science Foundation
Telemedicine expanded access to surgical care during COVID-19 pandemic, but disparities remain
American College of SurgeonsPeer-Reviewed Publication
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the health care delivery landscape and shifted the ways in which patients access health care. Digital literacy, access to technology, and the ability to effectively communicate with providers virtually have become critical indicators of social determinants of health. Now, to add to our understanding, Boston-area researchers have investigated demographic disparities in the use of virtual consultation compared with in-person surgical consultation after the initial COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Their findings appear in an article—among the first of its kind—published online by the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
- Journal
- Journal of the American College of Surgeons
Baszucki Brain Research fund and Milken Institute announce grant recipients for bipolar disorder therapeutic research
Milken InstituteGrant and Award Announcement
Baszucki Brain Research Fund and Milken Institute Announce Grant Recipients for Bipolar Disorder Therapeutic Research
Study finds national and international frameworks are imperative for implementing nature-based solutions in Asia
Forestry and Forest Products Research InstitutePeer-Reviewed Publication
Living under the shadow of impending inevitable climate change has led to an increased interest in “nature-based solutions” (NbS) that are environmentally sustainable, cost-effective solutions that address societal and economic challenges effectively and flexibly. But NbS can only be applied if they are backed by strong research and policy. This is especially true in Asia, where research on NbS is scarce. A new study identifies the governance issues behind promoting NbS in Asia.
- Journal
- Politics and Governance
It wasn't just Trump: Four years later, politics still make people sick
University of Nebraska-LincolnPeer-Reviewed Publication
In a follow-up to a ground-breaking 2017 study, nationally representative surveys taken shortly before and shortly after the 2020 election indicate that significant numbers of Americans are stressed to the point of illness by the U.S. political climate. Between a fifth and a third blame politics for fatigue, anger, short tempers, compulsive behaviors and poor impulse control. Alarmingly, 5% -- or approximately 12 million Americans -- say politics has given them suicidal thoughts. The results mirror those reported in an identical March 2017 survey, an indication that the findings were not merely a short-term response to an unpopular president taking office. "Traditionally, political engagement has been conceived of as a public good, not a threat to public health," says the study's author, political scientist Kevin Smith. He says additional civic education and efforts to calm the fractious political climate could actually improve public health.
- Journal
- PLoS ONE
New study sheds light on origins of life on Earth
Rutgers UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
Addressing one of the most profoundly unanswered questions in biology, a Rutgers-led team has discovered the structures of proteins that may be responsible for the origins of life in the primordial soup of ancient Earth.
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Funder
- NASA Headquarters
Before horses, ass hybrids were bred for warfare
CNRSPeer-Reviewed Publication
Before the introduction of the domestic horse in Mesopotamia, valuable equids were being harnessed to ceremonial or military four wheeled wagons and used as royal gifts, but their true nature remained unknown. According to a palaeogenetic study, these prestigious animals were the result of a cross between a domestic donkey and a wild ass from Syria, now extinct. This makes them the oldest example of an animal hybrid produced by humans.
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Funder
- Université Paris Diderot, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, Région Ile-de-France, Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, Syria, National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Arthur and Isadora Dellheim Foundation, Johns Hopkins University, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Global conflicts inflamed by election-seeking ‘hawkish’ politicians - study
University of BirminghamPeer-Reviewed Publication
Long-running conflicts, such as that between Israel and Palestine, are inflamed by the political process itself as politicians adopt tough ‘hawkish’ policies to get themselves re-elected, according to a new study.
- Journal
- PLoS ONE