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Health - 19.09.2023

COVID-19: U-M report explores link between state’s geographic regions and impact of the pandemic
Report: Geographic Differences in Access to Care, Recovery, and the Social Impact of COVID-19 in Michigan Prior MI CReSS DATA reports The latest report from University of Michigan public health researchers studying how COVID-19 affected Michiganders found that the severity of illness or negative impact of the pandemic is strongly linked to where one lives.

Campus - Pedagogy - 18.09.2023

Context counts: Holistic admissions boosts college success and diversity, U-M study shows
Study: Contextualized High School Performance: Evidence to Inform Equitable Holistic, Test-Optional, and Test-Free Admissions Policies Indicators of high school grades and standardized test scores that consider the levels of school, neighborhood and family resources available to students are strongly associated with students' success in college, according to new University of Michigan research.

Social Sciences - 14.09.2023

Unlocked and loaded: How most gun-owning households with teens store firearms
Study: Associations between experiencing violence, owning a firearm for protection and firearm storage: a nationally representative analysis of US caregivers of teens More than a third of U.S. households with teens own firearms and more than two-thirds of these gun owners store at least one firearm unlocked and/or loaded, according to a new University of Michigan study.

Astronomy / Space Science - Physics - 11.09.2023

The universe caught suppressing cosmic structure growth
An artist's representation of matter in the early universe slowly coalescing into large cosmic structures in the late universe. As the universe evolves, scientists expect large cosmic structures to grow at a certain rate: dense regions such as galaxy clusters would grow denser, while the void of space would grow emptier.

Economics - 07.09.2023

What the wealthy consider ’fair’ may not be equal to others
Wealthy Americans have distinct preferences regarding fairness, with a greater willingness to accept inequalities relative to the general public, according to a new University of Michigan study. The findings, which appear in the Journal of Public Economics, provide new insights into the reasons behind the wealthy opposing government redistribution.

Environment - Agronomy / Food Science - 01.09.2023

Groundwater depletion rates in India could triple in coming decades as climate warms
Groundwater depletion rates in India could triple in coming decades as climate warms, study shows A farmer plows his irrigated cotton field in Gujarat, India. A new University of Michigan-led study finds that farmers in India have adapted to warming temperatures by intensifying the withdrawal of groundwater used for irrigation.

Health - Life Sciences - 28.08.2023

Rare disease shares mechanism with cystic fibrosis
University of Michigan researchers have discovered that the same cellular mechanism involved in a form of cystic fibrosis is also implicated in a form of a rare disease called cystinosis. The mechanism cleans up mutated proteins. In cystinosis, a genetic disease, this allows cystine crystals to build up in the cell.

Health - 25.08.2023

As Medicaid ’unwinding’ continues and more states expand eligibility, U-M report provides key insights
At a pivotal time for Medicaid health coverage for Americans with low incomes, a report on the impacts of Michigan's Medicaid expansion shows very positive effects, as well as opportunities for continued improvements. Full report (PDF): Healthy Michigan Plan Section 1115 Demonstration Interim Evaluation Report Key facts of the report The report was produced by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation as part of its evaluation of the Healthy Michigan Plan , Michigan's Medicaid expansion program.

Media - 24.08.2023

Tuning the tension: Negative feedback could moderate extreme views on social media, per U-M research
"Downvotes” and "dislikes” from peers could moderate extreme rhetoric and mitigate echo chambers among social media users, according to new research from the University of Michigan. The study finds such "feedback can serve as the whip that regulates the polarization of opinions by encouraging users to moderate their tone.

Astronomy / Space Science - Physics - 22.08.2023

A giant black hole destroys a massive star
A University of Michigan astronomer has made a thorough forensic study of a star that was torn apart when it ventured too close to a giant black hole and then had its insides tossed out into space. The research team used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton to study the amount of nitrogen and carbon near a black hole known to have torn apart a star.

Environment - 21.08.2023

Nearly zero-waste solution for construction: Reusable robotic 3D-printed formwork from upcycled sawdust
The BioMatters team at the University of Michigan has developed a fully biodegradable, reusable and recyclable material to replace the wasteful concrete formwork traditionally used across the construction industry. The base of this material is upcycled sawdust-millions of tons of sawdust waste are created each year from the 15 billion cut trees and often burned or dumped in landfills left to contribute to environmental pollution.

Pharmacology - 17.08.2023

Marijuana and hallucinogen use, binge drinking, reach historic highs among adults 35-50
Study: Monitoring the Future Panel Study Annual Report: National data on substance use among adults ages 19 to 60, 1976-2022 Adults aged 35 to 50 continued a long-term upward trajectory in past-year use of marijuana and hallucinogens to reach all-time highs in 2022, according to the Monitoring the Future panel study, an annual survey of substance use behaviors and attitudes of adults 19-to-60 years old.

Life Sciences - 17.08.2023

A POT-hole that protects our chromosome ends
Study: Human POT1 protects the telomeric ds-ss DNA junction by capping the 5′-end of the chromosome Researchers have determined a new feature of how the natural ends of our chromosomes are protected from harmful outcomes. In a new study, University of Michigan researchers looked at how the DNA damage recognition process seems to know the difference between harmful DNA breaks that need repair versus the natural ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, that need to be left alone.

Health - 14.08.2023

Properly implemented firearm access policies are effective at reducing injury
Properly implemented firearm access policies are effective at reducing injury, study finds Study: Effectiveness of Firearm Restriction, Background Checks, and Licensing Laws in Reducing Gun Violence When evidence-based firearm injury prevention policies such as extreme risk protection orders are implemented properly, they can play a significant role in preventing gun-related injuries and death, according to a new scientific policy review led by the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention.

Physics - 10.08.2023

Muon collaboration explores uncharted territory in search of new physics
A subatomic particle called the muon, a particle similar to an electron but about 200 times heavier, could unlock how the physicists' model that describes how the universe works at a fundamental level is incomplete. Now, scientists have a brand-new measurement of a property of the muon called the anomalous magnetic moment that improves the precision of their previous result by a factor of 2.

Social Sciences - 08.08.2023

Building reliable AI models requires understanding the people behind the datasets
Study: When do annotator demographics matter? Measuring the influence of annotator demographics with the POPQUORN dataset Social media companies are increasingly using complex algorithms and artificial intelligence to detect offensive behavior online. These algorithms and AI systems all rely on data to learn what is offensive.

Social Sciences - 01.08.2023

Teens engaged in activism become better critical thinkers, U-M study finds
Study: Charting the longitudinal trajectories and interplay of critical consciousness among youth activists Youth involved in community-based activism over time become better critical thinkers and more politically active, according to a new University of Michigan study. The study , recently published in Child Development, highlights the importance of community engagement in supporting and developing critical consciousness and social action among adolescents.

Materials Science - Chemistry - 01.08.2023

Cracking in lithium-ion batteries speeds up electric vehicle charging
Cracks in predominant lithium-ion electrodes shorten battery lifespans, but a neuroscience-inspired technique shows that they have an upside Study: Direct measurements of size-independent lithium diffusion and reaction times in individual polycrystalline battery particles (DOI: 10.1039/D3EE00953J) Rather than being solely detrimental, cracks in the positive electrode of lithium-ion batteries reduce battery charge time, research done at the University of Michigan shows.

Life Sciences - Health - 24.07.2023

Revealing the biology of insulin production
Study: N6-Adenosine methylation regulates the translation of insulin mRNA (available upon request and when embargo lifts) The discovery of insulin has saved the lives of millions of people with diabetes worldwide, but little is known about the first step of insulin synthesis. Researchers at the University of Michigan have uncovered part of this mystery.

Environment - Economics - 20.07.2023

Palm oil plantations and deforestation in Guatemala: Certifying products as ’sustainable’ is no panacea
Study: Deforestation, certification, and transnational palm oil supply chains: Linking Guatemala to global consumer markets Cheap, versatile and easy to grow, palm oil is the world's most consumed vegetable oil and is found in roughly half of all packaged supermarket products, from bread and margarine to shampoo and toothpaste.