USA Archives

Gender, performance, and self-efficacy in STEM-related careers

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Does the gender gap observed in IT careers and STEM subjects extend to the performance in the workplace?

The expansion in STEM-related industries has exposed a shortage of qualified labour, particularly females. Dr Matthew J. Liberatore, the John F. Connelly Endowed Chair in Management, and Dr William P. Wagner, Professor of Information Systems, both at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, USA, are investigating whether the gender gap observed in IT careers and STEM subjects extends to the gender and […]

The adaptive cancer cell: How metastases evolve to resist treatment

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PACCs make up a rare but stable population in standard cell culture.

Species adapt to survive in a changing environment through the process of evolution. Evolutionary processes can also take place at the cellular level. Dr Sarah Amend of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, is investigating poly-aneuploid cancer cells (PACCs). These large, DNA-laden cells, which are more common in metastatic cancer, develop evolvability: the capacity to evolve. Dr Amend believes that targeting […]

Shedding light on the role of sleep in memory consolidation

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Sleep deprivation can lead to a host of mental and physical issues.

The average human spends about a third of their life sleeping and it is accepted that sleep is crucial for both physical and mental health. Still, scientists remain in the dark about many of the details and mechanisms of this strange state. Harry Pantazopoulos, Assistant Professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in the U.S., has conducted novel research […]

Consciously calculating unconscious bias: The role of dichotomous valuation

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When making a decision, the first chooser has the privilege of first-mover advantage.

Like with any choice, when faced with data selection, people are influenced by their own biases. A new research paper by econometric expert Dr Xingwei Hu of the International Monetary Fund evaluates how people subconsciously view different variables and the way this influences their decision-making. By assessing decisions through dichotomous valuation, Dr Hu is able to show the extent to […]

Patient safety and opioid medications

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Hospitalised patients often require appropriate pain relief as part of their treatment. Opioids are effective medications for pain management, but can cause excessive sedation and respiratory depression resulting in patient harm. Dr Carla Jungquist of the University at Buffalo, School of Nursing, and a panel of fellow experts reviewed evidence from the past decade to provide an important update on […]

Understanding farmers’ behaviour to better control avian influenza

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Dr Alexis Delabouglise, based at the International Center of Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), France, and Dr Maciej Boni, at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics of the Pennsylvania State University, USA, want to understand how small-scale poultry farmers make management decisions involving their birds’ health. In case of an outbreak of avian influenza, for example, understanding the farmer’s views […]

How natural disturbances sustain diversity

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Natural disturbances like wildfires have a positive effect on species composition.

While natural disturbances like fires and floods can pose a risk to human life, in some places these events can help to support a diverse ecosystem. Forest fires, for example, allow species like oak to thrive and support a rich insect population, which in turn feeds many different birds. Dr Mike Eichholz of Southern Illinois University Carbondale studies the influence […]

Globalization and the erosion of geo-ethnic checkpoints

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Understanding the ecology of complex adaptive systems, such as organisms, societies, and languages, poses many challenges. Dr Chris Girard, Associate Professor of Sociology with the Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies at Florida International University, has developed an evolutionary model, known as coevolving informatics, that offers a transdisciplinary approach to understanding complex adaptive systems. Coevolving informatics employs complexity and evolutionary […]

Novel imaging technique could lead to early diagnosis of lung cancer

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Non-small cell lung cancer is one of the most widespread forms of the disease. As with many other cancers, the best chance of survival comes with early diagnosis; unfortunately, at present this often doesn’t happen. In research that has the potential to improve the prognosis of lung cancer patients, Dr Claudio Scafoglio and colleagues at the University of California, Los […]

How sleep may be key to antisocial behaviour in young people

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Better sleep could be encouraged by better sleep hygiene - for example, limiting screen use in the evening.

Sleep is vital to our health and yet remains understudied in young people and especially in its links to behaviours. Professor Alexander Vazsonyi at the University of Kentucky is focused on highlighting the role of sleep in problem behaviours in adolescents. His work on sleep unearths some important influences on deviant behaviour but also points to ways that young people […]