UCLA research suggests that heart transplantation is safer for adults with single-ventricle CHD than previously thought

FINDINGS UCLA-led research finds that among adult congenital heart disease (CHD) transplant recipients, single-ventricle physiology correlated with higher short-term mortality. But 10-year conditional survival was similar for biventricular and most single-ventricle CHD patients, and notably better for biventricular CHD patients compared to non-CHD heart transplant recipients.

Carbon mitigation payments can make bioenergy crops more appealing for farmers

Bioenergy crops such as miscanthus and switchgrass provide several environmental benefits, but low returns and profit risks are barriers for investment by farmers. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows that carbon mitigation payments could increase net returns and reduce income risk, potentially enticing more farmers to grow these crops.

JMIR Research Protocols | Google Apple Exposure Notification System for COVID-19

JMIR Publications recently published “Dissemination and Implementation of a Google Apple Exposure Notification System for COVID-19 Risk Mitigation at a National Public University: Protocol for a Pilot Evaluation Study in a Real-World Setting” in JMIR Research Protocols which reported that this paper describes the protocol for South Carolina Safer Together, developed by Clemson University to design, deploy, and evaluate multilevel communication and dissemination and implementation (D&I) strategies in line with recommendations from governmental and educational agencies to mitigate the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

JMIR Aging | Using Twitter to Examine Stigma Against People With Dementia During COVID-19

JMIR Publications recently published “Using Twitter to Examine Stigma Against People With Dementia During COVID-19: Infodemiology Study” in JMIR Aging which reported that during the pandemic, there has been significant social media attention focused on the increased COVID-19 risks and impacts for people with dementia and their care partners.

SEIR Model to Address the Impact of Face Masks amid COVID-19 Pandemic

When vaccines are not available, alternative strategies are required to decrease SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Behavior of the population and government regulations, such as hand hygiene, quarantine of exposed persons, isolation of symptomatic persons, and travel restriction, play an essential role in…

HOW WILL HUMANS SURVIVE A GLOBAL CATASTROPHE?

One suggested way to save humankind in the event of a deadly pandemic or other extreme global catastrophe is establishing a safe refuge – on an island or in such far-out places as the moon or under water — where a portion of the human population can stay alive.

STUDY WEIGHS THE RISKS OF CLIMATE GEOENGINEERING

To slow down the accelerating pace of climate change, scientists are working on radical geoengineering technologies like space mirrors, ocean iron fertilization, and cirrus cloud thinning to tweak the earth’s climate system. But a new study published in the journal Risk Analysis finds that none of these human interventions are risk free. Instead, “they merely shift risk or redistribute it,” says lead author Benjamin Sovacool, professor of energy policy at the University of Sussex Business School and a professor at Aarhus University and Boston University. “These risk tradeoffs must be evaluated if some of the more radical geoengineering technologies are to be deployed.”

Bisphenol A, Metabolic Profiling, and More Featured in April 2021 Toxicological Sciences

Toxicological Sciences features leading research in toxicology in the April 2021issue, including on the topics of organ-specific toxicology as well as regulatory science, risk assessment, and decision-making.

MAPPING COVID RISK IN URBAN AREAS: A WAY TO KEEP THE ECONOMY OPEN

As COVID-19 vaccines slowly roll out across the world, government officials in densely populated countries must still manage vulnerable communities at highest risk of an outbreak. In a new study published in the journal Risk Analysis, researchers in India propose a COVID Risk Assessment and Mapping (CRAM) framework that results in a zoned map that officials can use to place more targeted restrictions on high-risk communities. Successfully used by officials in Jaipur at the peak of the pandemic last spring, their framework could help other vulnerable countries avoid a shutdown of their regional economies.

TAKING THE FEAR OUT OF DRIVER EDUCATION

New drivers between the ages of 15 and 25 account for nearly half of the more than one million road deaths that occur worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization. Educational programs often use fear-based messaging and films of crash scenes to reduce risky driving behavior among young people. But does this “scary” approach work?

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering professor will teach robots concept of risk with Toyota grant

For Florida State University engineering professor Christian Hubicki, robots aren’t just a tool for the future. They’re a way to understand everything around us. Hubicki, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, will continue that quest thanks to a $750,000 Young Faculty Researcher grant from the Toyota Research Institute (TRI).

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Risk Perception in COVID-19 Era

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 26, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor William Hallman is available for interviews on the science of risk perception and its practical implications in the COVID-19 era – a time of fear and anxiety among millions of…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Coronavirus Risk from Surfaces, Groceries, Food, Airborne Exposures

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 26, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Donald W. Schaffner is available for interviews on the likelihood of getting infected by the SARS-CoV-2  coronavirus via surfaces, groceries, eating food and airborne/aerosol transmission. “Current evidence still indicates that risk from surfaces remains…

First-of-its-kind Collateral Risk Education Series Launches Sept. 14

Clifford Rossi, formerly a risk executive for the likes of Citi and Countrywide, directs an online series at the intersections of mortgage collateral valuation and risk management. Vigilance against deficiency in this area, he says, “is particularly critical as markets are supply constrained and getting the appraisal right is essential.”

Next-Generation Risk Assessment, Antimicrobials, and More Featured in July 2020 Toxicological Sciences

Published in this month’s edition of Toxicological Sciences are articles on biotransformation, toxicokinetics, and pharmacokinetics; developmental and reproductive toxicology; nanotoxicology; and more.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss How to Reduce Risk on Vacation During COVID-19 Pandemic

New Brunswick, N.J. (May 18, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Donald W. Schaffner is available for interviews on how to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection on vacation, at vacation rentals and while traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Even though everyone in the…

Study Finds Breathing and Talking Contribute to COVID-19 Spread

Current knowledge about the role of aerosols in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 warrants urgent attention. Current guidance and public health information has slowly shifted focus towards aerosols as a transmission pathway – predominantly associated with breathing and talking by asymptomatic individuals. Providing guidelines for sufficient inhalation protection will be important in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

AANA Urges Congress to Provide Front-Line Healthcare Workers Proper Compensation During Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to strain the physical and emotional well-being of front-line healthcare workers, many also are facing a financial burden and strain on their personal lives.

Expert analysis by Thunderbird’s Doug Guthrie: The Age of Cooptation: The Cost of Doing Business in Xi’s China

The Age of Cooptation: The Cost of Doing Business in Xi’s China (Business, China, China Capitalism, International Trade, Supply Chain, Xi Jinping, Covid19, Coronavirus)   By Doug Guthrie The cost of doing business in China today is a high one,…

Coronavirus – study finds methods for preventing global disease spread through airports

As coronavirus spreads across the globe via infected air travelers, authorities are looking for ways to contain the outbreak and avoid a pandemic. This study, published in Risk Analysis, analyzes the impact of implementing disease mitigation strategies at airports across the globe. The study finds that increasing traveler engagement with proper hand-hygiene at all airports has the potential to reduce the risk of a potential pandemic by 24-69 percent. The researchers also identify ten critical airports, central to the air-transportation network. If hand-washing mitigation strategies are implemented in just these ten locations, the pandemic risk can drop by up to 37 percent.

Risk Analysis Powers Air Pollution Solutions

Air pollution exposure threatens human health both outdoors and when polluted air infiltrates homes, offices, schools and vehicles. Exposure to certain particulate matter can cause respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous system issues, especially in vulnerable populations. Several presentations at the 2019 Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Annual Meeting will explore new ways to measure and track air pollutants to reduce public health risk.

Twelve Honored by Society for Risk Analysis

Today, the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) awarded six prestigious scholarly and service awards and named six new Fellows at its Annual Meeting in Arlington, Virginia. These awards recognize 12 individuals for their outstanding contributions to the society and to the science of risk analysis. The recipients were selected by a committee of SRA past presidents and approved by the SRA Council.

Society for Risk Analysis Announces Its New 2020 Council

During its Annual Meeting, the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) announced the addition of five new Council members and the rise of Seth Guikema, Ph.D., University of Michigan, as the new President of its 2020 Council. Guikema succeeds Katherine McComas, Ph.D., Cornell University, who has completed her term and will continue to serve on the Council as past-president.

Society for Risk Analysis Announces 2019 Winners for Best Journal Papers and Best Research Posters

The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) is pleased to announce the winners for best papers in Risk Analysis: An International Journal and the best research posters for 2019. The editorial staff of Risk Analysis selected the 2019 Best Paper award winners. These papers made the most significant impacts on the theory or practice of risk analysis. Judges, as well as members of the society via popular vote, selected the poster winners during the meeting’s annual poster session the evening prior.

Natural Toxins in the Global Food Supply Continue to Threaten the Health of Underprivileged Communities

Naturally occurring chemicals in the global food supply are known to pose a burden on worldwide health. New studies have found that a certain foodborne toxin, in addition to its known health effects,, is also linked to vaccine resistance, and for the first time the global burden of disease from foodborne arsenic, lead, cadmium, and methyl mercury has been quantified.. The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) will present new studies as part of its Global Disease Burden Caused by Foodborne Chemicals and Toxins symposium on Monday, Dec. 9 from 1:30-3:00 p.m. as part of its 2019 Annual Meeting at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. This symposium will provide updates to a 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) publication which analyzed the disease burdens caused by these toxins.