Exposure therapy, in which patients gradually face the things and situations they fear, is among the most effective treatments for anxiety disorders, yet it remains underutilized (Pittig, Kotter, & Hoyer, 2019). Some patients may find it too intimidating while clinicians may struggle with the lack of control and the challenge of repeatedly creating experiences such as flying in a plane or talking in front of a large crowd. 

A new paper in Clinical Psychological Science highlights virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) as an effective option and explores how it may work. The research suggests that patients may be more willing to try virtual reality as they can be assured it is not actually real, and clinicians can manipulate the simulated experiences. 

Shinsuke Tanaka, assistant professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, wanted to use his expertise in environmental and health economics to help understand what was at the root of this puzzle. Tanaka published a paper in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management showing that counties with more days of downwind pollution from power plants had higher COVID-19 mortality rates. This impact was more pronounced in under-resourced communities.

Dr. Arum Han, the Texas Instruments Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and his lab, created a technology named NOVAsort (Next-generation Opto-Volume-based Accurate droplet sorter), a system that allows high throughput screening of molecules and cells at significantly reduced error rates. Whereas previous research has focused on increasing the speed of assays (a type of laboratory test), the team’s findings, which were published in Nature Communications, are among the first to significantly improve accuracy without compromising the speed of assays.

The appointment of activist-nominated directors is an emerging phenomenon, but they’ve come with increased reports of stakeholder harm. A new study published in Strategic Management Journal found that activist directors bring immediate benefits to shareholders, but they appear to impose a managerial myopia that results in executives becoming less inclined to make long-term investments. The research team also found that the adverse effects on stakeholder harm are strongest when a director is a delegate — i.e., they work directly for an activist investor — compared with a trustee, who is appointed by, but does not work for, an activist investor.

The research team — Brian L. Connelly of Auburn University, Mark R. DesJardine of Dartmouth College, Wei Shi of University of Miami, and Zhihui Sun of Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing — pulled data on thousands of companies that had directors appointed to their board by an activist investor between 2008 and 2019. They compared these boards to those without activist-nominated members to determine the likely consequences of the board appointments across a broad range of scenarios.

BALTIMORE, MD, February 04, 2025 – New research published in the INFORMS journal Management Science demonstrates how immigrant talent drives success, both on the soccer field and beyond. The study reveals that European soccer teams with higher numbers of foreign-born players consistently perform better, winning more games and scoring more goals. But the impact of immigrant players goes deeper than individual talent. By introducing new playing styles and enhancing team coordination, immigrant players expand the strategic possibilities available to teams, ultimately improving their overall performance.

A growing number of people feel anxious about the consequences of changing climate conditions. We are bombarded with news about floods, melting glaciers and long-term drought. Can fears about the future of the climate lead to the development of symptoms of mental disorders? It turns out that such fear can contribute to the development of climate-related mental disorders, especially in people who experience symptoms of generalized anxiety, a researcher from SWPS University has found.