Study Details Toxic Elements Found in Stranded Whales, Dolphins Over 15 Years

Researchers evaluated the prevalence, concentration and tissue distribution of essential and non-essential trace elements, including heavy metal toxicants in tissue (blubber, kidney, liver, skeletal muscle, skin) and fecal samples. Findings reveal how toxicant levels relate to their sex, breed, age and other demographic factors.

Does Your Community Have a Personality Type?

U.S. counties and regions differ in political ideology. But do they differ in personality as well? Further, are people who ‘fit’ their communities healthier, happier, or more highly achieving than those who do not? A new study shows communities are diverse in terms of personality as well as demographics, and having like-minded people in one’s community is associated with positive outcomes.

SMART Recovery Meetings for Alcohol Recovery Appeal to People with More Social and Economic Stability and Lower Spiritual Leanings, Compared to Alcoholics Anonymous

Certain characteristics of people seeking remission from alcohol use disorder (AUD) are linked to their choice of recovery meeting, a new study suggests. Informal peer recovery groups—mutual-help organizations—play a crucial role for many individuals with AUD or other drug disorders. Such groups are proliferating and differ substantially in approach.

Scenarios for proactive measures and inclusive policies on migration in Europe

Migration is a complex and unpredictable phenomenon, often triggered by political crises, economic downturns, and natural or human-made disasters. A new policy brief and a White Paper authored by IIASA researchers and UK colleagues provides valuable insights and recommendations to support policymaking and increase understanding around the realistic implications of high-migration events.

Addressing adaptation inequalities in climate research

A new study proposes ways to better incorporate adaptation in climate change research, addressing the uneven distribution of adaptation capacities and needs worldwide.

AI Model Proactively Predicts if a COVID-19 Test Might be Positive or Not

Researchers trained five classification algorithms to create an accurate model to predict COVID-19 test results. Results identify the key symptom features associated with COVID-19 infection and provide a way for rapid screening and cost effective infection detection. Findings reveal that number of days experiencing symptoms such as fever and difficulty breathing play a large role in COVID-19 test results. Findings also show that molecular tests have much narrower post-symptom onset days compared to post-symptom onset days of serology tests. As a result, the molecular test has the lowest positive rate because it measures current infection.

Novel Model Predicts COVID-19 Outbreak Two Weeks Ahead of Time

People’s social behavior, reflected in their mobility data, is providing scientists with a way to forecast the spread of COVID-19 nationwide at the county level. Researchers have developed the first data-driven deep learning model with the potential to predict an outbreak in COVID-19 cases two weeks in advance. Feeding the mobility data to epidemiological forecasting models helps to estimate COVID-19 growth as well as evaluating the effects of government policies such as mandating masks on the spread of COVID-19.

Deaths in the family can shape kids’ educational attainment in unexpected ways

Deaths of family members may trigger ripple effects across family networks, reverberating in the lives of children in complex and, sometimes, unexpected ways.

In a study, the researchers found that deaths in the family can affect the educational attainment of children. That impact most often is negative, but, in certain cases, a family death can improve the chances that children will further their education.

If you’re poor, poverty is an environmental issue

A survey from Cornell researchers – conducted among more than 1,100 U.S. residents – found that there were, in fact, demographic differences in how people viewed environmental issues, with racial and ethnic minorities and lower-income people more likely to consider human factors such as racism and poverty as environmental, in addition to more ecological issues like toxic fumes from factories or car exhaust.