ScienceDaily: Society - July 23, 2024
Top society research news
Scientists identify possible new transmission factor in hospital-acquired Klebsiella infections
Scientists have identified a critical factor that may contribute to the spread of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), shedding light on why these infections are so difficult to combat. Their study reveals that the dangerous multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogen, Klebsiella, thrives under nutrient-deprived polymicrobial community conditions found in hospital environments.
Virtual reality training for physicians aims to heal disparities in Black maternal health care
A virtual reality training series being developed for medical students and physicians teaches them about implicit bias in their communications with their patients who are people of color and how that affects race-based health care disparities.
Cancer risk: Many welders exposed to high levels of dangerous fumes
New research has revealed at least 46,000 Australian welders are exposed to high levels of dangerous, potentially cancer-causing fumes at work -- and little is being done to protect them. Research reveals about 90 per cent of workforce exposed to 'welding fume', a mixture of very fine particles and gases produced when a metal is heated above its boiling point and a known carcinogen.
Image: MexChriss/Shutterstock.com
Impact of incarceration on youth health
Health records and health care use show youth whose parents have been incarcerated have more physical and mental health challenges. Identifying those youth is a problem because most health systems don't have an established system for asking families about incarceration.
Can consciousness exist in a computer simulation?
A new essay explores which conditions must be met for consciousness to exist. At least one of them can't be found in a computer.
These healthcare professionals may be secret weapon against hypertension, study says
When it comes to community hypertension interventions, a new study found that pharmacists and community health workers had the best success in lowering blood pressure. These findings support the idea that hypertension interventions are most successful when they utilize healthcare workers with the most time to give as well as those who have established community relationships.
Genetic study highlights importance of diversity in understanding health disparities
Researchers conduct large-scale studies with diverse groups to better understand the genetic factors that influence health and disease. The Million Veteran Program (MVP), for example, includes people from various backgrounds along with their detailed health records. A new study analyzed genetic data from 635,969 veterans and 2,069 traits and identified a total of 26,049 associations between specific genetic variants and various traits or health conditions.
Unhealthy sleep linked to diabetes in a diverse population
Persistently unhealthy sleep, either not enough or too much, is associated with a significantly increased risk of Type 2 diabetes in a racially and economically diverse adult population, an international team of researchers has reported.
Study shows new efficiency standards for heavy trucks could boost energy use
A new study suggests that the U.S. government's push to increase heavy-duty trucks' energy efficiency could encourage more shipping by truck instead of rail, reducing the policies' anticipated effectiveness by 20%.
Morals are key to consumer views on lab-grown meat, study finds
People's moral values could limit their uptake of lab-grown meat, a study suggests. People who say living a natural life is morally important to them are more likely to reject lab-grown meat -- also known as cultured or cultivated meat -- than those who do not, research shows.
Analyzing internal world models of humans, animals and AI
Researchers have developed a new formal description of internal world models, thereby enabling interdisciplinary research. Internal world models help to make predictions about new situations based on previous experience and to help find one's bearings. The new formalized view helps to compare world models of humans, animals and AI and to eliminate deficits.
Can doomscrolling trigger an existential crisis?
In a new study on the impact of doomscrolling from an existential perspective, researchers warn that habitual checking of disturbing stories on social media is linked with changes to how we view humankind and the meaning of life.
Improving HIV treatment in children and adolescents -- the right way
Globally, around 2.6 million children and adolescents are currently living with HIV, the majority of them in Africa. These young people are much more likely to experience treatment failure than adults. Experts long assumed that testing for viral drug resistance could improve treatment in cases where treatment has failed. However, a research team now shows that it is much more important to support patients in taking their medication regularly.
Does the type of workstation you use make a difference in your health and productivity?
Although devices such as standing desks have been found to alleviate physical symptoms and increase worker productivity, questions remain regarding the best use of the primary types of workstations -- stand-biased, sit-stand or traditional -- for increasing workers' physical activity and preventing health problems. To answer these questions, researchers measured the computer usage and activity levels of 61 office workers for 10 days to evaluate any discomfort and develop possible remedies.
Gender inequality across US states revealed by new tool
Researchers have developed and validated a new tool for comparing gender inequality among different regions of a country, highlighting links between gender inequality, wellbeing, and participation in the #MeToo movement within the United States.
Mental health training for line managers linked to better business performance in England
In a study of several thousand companies in England, mental health training for line managers was associated with organizational-level benefits, including lower levels of long-term mental health-related sickness absence and better business performance, customer service, and staff recruitment and retention.
The most endangered fish are the least studied
The most threatened reef fishes are also the most overlooked by scientists and the general public. Scientists measured the level of human interest in 2,408 species of marine reef fish and found that the attention of the scientific community is attracted by the commercial value more than the ecological value of the fishes. The public, on the other hand, is primarily influenced by the aesthetic characteristics of certain species, such as the red lionfish (Pterois volitans) and the mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus).
Want to spot a deepfake? Look for the stars in their eyes
In an era when the creation of artificial intelligence (AI) images is at the fingertips of the masses, the ability to detect fake pictures -- particularly deepfakes of people -- is becoming increasingly important. So what if you could tell just by looking into someone's eyes? That's the compelling finding of new research which suggests that AI-generated fakes can be spotted by analyzing human eyes in the same way that astronomers study pictures of galaxies.
Ultra-processed food makes up almost two-thirds of calorie intake of UK adolescents, study finds
Adolescents consume around two-thirds of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs) new research has found. The study found that UPF consumption was highest among adolescents from deprived backgrounds, those of white ethnicity, and younger adolescents.
The eyes have it: Visual inspection experience essential for airport security screening
Researchers have used eye-tracking to study airport security screeners' performance during different visual inspection phases of a screening task.
Children living in greener neighborhoods show better lung function
A large study of 35,000 children from eight countries has found a 'robust' link between exposure to green spaces in early childhood and better lung function. The study used data from 10 European birth cohorts from 8 countries to conduct a meta-analysis. This assessment of the data was done at the individual level for each participant.
Boost in infant genetics research could change lives, say researchers
Investment in research into genetics could dramatically improve educational policies and understanding of parenting in ways that could help all children, according to a new paper.
Improving identification of human remains using craniofacial superimposition
Researchers propose an improvement in the identification of human remains using craniofacial superimposition. The forensic identification technique is based on the analysis of a skull (post-mortem) and photographs of the person's face (ante-mortem). It represents a major step in making objective decisions that are based on the ability to quantify the probability that a skull matches the photographs being examined.
Cell donor's socioeconomic status shapes cancer treatment outcomes, new study finds
New research demonstrates that the socioeconomic status (SES) of cell donors affects the health outcomes of blood cancer patients who underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).
Bridging the 'Valley of Death' in carbon capture
PrISMa is a new platform that uses advanced simulations and machine learning to streamline carbon capture technologies, by taking into account the perspectives of diverse stakeholders early in the research process.
New study addresses a long-standing diversity bias in human genetics
Scientists have generated a new catalog of human gene expression data from around the world to address how most research in human genetics has historically focused on people of European ancestries -- a bias that may limit the accuracy of scientific predictions for people from other populations.
Chatbot Iris offers students individual support
Researchers have developed the chatbot Iris, which offers informatics students personalized assistance with programming assignments. A study has now confirmed the chatbot's success: Iris improves the understanding of programming concepts and represents a valuable complement to human tutors.
Could intensive farming raise risk of new pandemics?
Industrialized farming is often thought to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases because of better control, biosecurity and separation of livestock. A new study examines the effect of social and economic factors -- which are often overlooked in traditional assessments.
Nature-based solutions to disaster risk from climate change are cost effective
A new global assessment of scientific literature finds that nature-based solutions (NbS) are an economically effective method to mitigate risks from a range of disasters -- from floods and hurricanes to heatwaves and landslides -- which are only expected to intensify as Earth continues to warm.
A new report highlights a troubling trend: while global adolescent fertility rates have significantly declined, sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing an increase in teen births. This region's share of global adolescent births surged from 12 percent in 1950 to 47 percent in 2020 and is projected to reach a clear majority -- a full 67 percent -- by 2035.
A new study finds that the proportional allocation of water, and not additional taxes on the resource, is more effective from the point of view of those engaged in agriculture.