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While the merits of charter schools vs. traditional public schools are well-documented, some charter schools in urban areas can dramatically improve student achievement, especially among disadvantaged students, says a University of Michigan researcher. Sarah Cohodes , associate professor of public policy at U-M's Ford School of Public Policy, and colleague Susha Roy of the RAND Corporation analyzed 40 previous charter school studies that used admission lotteries to compare similar students who did or did not enroll.

Student enrollment in districts that provided in-person schooling in fall 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic showed a greater decline among nonwhite students than white students. But in districts that offered virtual learning, the opposite was true, according to a University of Michigan study. The results , published in the journal PNAS, are consistent with the fact that communities of color faced greater risks from COVID-19 and reported less trust in medical and social institutions.

When using only data collected before patients with sepsis received treatments or medical tests, the model's accuracy was no better than a coin toss Study: Evaluation of Sepsis Prediction Models before Onset of Treatment (DOI: 10.1056/AIoa2300032) Proprietary artificial intelligence software designed to be an early warning system for sepsis can't differentiate high and low risk patients before they receive treatments, according to a new study from the University of Michigan.

Study abstract: Firearm manufacturing and imports in the USA and their association to firearm homicides in Central America and the Caribbean, 1991-2019 When the United States manufactures and imports more firearms, firearm homicide rates in Central American and Caribbean countries also increase, a study led by University of Michigan researchers found.

Study: The social anatomy of climate change denial in the United States DOI 10.1038/s41598'023 -50591-6 (available once embargo lifts) Using social media data and artificial intelligence in a comprehensive national assessment, a new University of Michigan study reveals that nearly 15% of Americans deny that climate change is real.

University of Michigan researchers are celebrating their discovery of a new plant biochemistry and its unusual ability to form cyclic peptides-molecules that hold promise in pharmaceuticals as they can bind to challenging drug targets. Cyclic peptides are an emerging and promising area of drug research.

Ninety-four percent of Michigan nurses report emotional exhaustion, with younger nurses significantly more likely to report burnout than colleagues over 45, according to a University of Michigan School of Nursing survey. "I've been studying nurse burnout for 20 years and these are among the highest numbers I've seen,- said principal investigator Christopher Friese , U-M professor of nursing and public health.

Study: Detection of Earthquake Infragravity and Tsunami Waves with Underwater Distributed Acoustic Sensing Fiber optic cables that line ocean floors could provide a less expensive, more comprehensive alternative to the current buoys that act as early warning systems for tsunamis, says a University of Michigan researcher.

EXPERT Q&A First boosters, second boosters, monovalent, bivalent. Just like the SARS-CoV-2 virus strain, the vaccines to combat the virus are always changing-and perhaps confusing.

Study: The Cadaver in the Machine: The Social Practices of Measurement and Validation in Motion Capture Technology When designers use inaccurate depictions of the human body, the use of artificial intelligence in some applications might not be as safe for those who don't fit that body type, according to a new study.

Study: Understanding the Intersectionality of COVID-19 Racism, Mental Distress, Alcohol Use, and Firearm Purchase Behavior Among Asian Americans Racism provoked during the COVID-19 pandemic is directly tied to increased firearm purchases among Asian Americans, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University.

By trapping and concentrating tiny numbers of cancer cells from blood samples, the device can identify whether a treatment is effective at the four-week mark Study: Circulating tumor cells reveal early predictors of disease progression in patients with stage III NSCLC undergoing chemoradiation and immunotherapy (DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.

Study: Heavy Metals and Trajectories of Anti-Müllerian Hormone During the Menopausal Transition Middle-aged women with elevated levels of heavy metals are more likely to have depleted ovarian function and egg reserves, which may lead to earlier arrival of menopause and its negative health effects, a new University of Michigan study shows.

Study: Covering Undocumented Immigrants: The Effects of a Large Scale Prenatal Care Intervention Providing Medicaid to pregnant undocumented immigrants more than makes up for the initial costs, according to new University of Michigan research. Providing public health insurance coverage to undocumented immigrant women during pregnancy leads to better health care access, improved infant outcomes at birth, and downstream gains in education and economic well-being for those children later in life-all while recouping the initial investments of providing Medicaid coverage, the study shows.

Findings could help engineers methodically find best molecules to increase lifespan of perovskite solar cells, rather than relying on time-consuming trial and error Study: Molecular Design of Defect Passivators for Thermally Stable Metal Halide Perovskite Films (DOI: 10.1016/j.matt. An insight into preventing perovskite semiconductors from degrading quickly, discovered at the University of Michigan, could help enable solar cells estimated to be two to four times cheaper than today's thin-film solar panels.

Study: Climate change determines the sign of productivity trends in US forests (DOI: 10.1073/pnas. Climate change is reshaping forests differently across the United States, according to a new analysis of U.S. Forest Service data. With rising temperatures, escalating droughts, wildfires and disease outbreaks taking a toll on trees, researchers warn that forests across the American West are bearing the brunt of the consequences.

Study: A mouse model of oral contraceptive exposure: Depression, motivation, and the stress response While birth control hormones given to mice result in lower stress levels, the mice showed normal corticosterone responses to stress when given newer formulations of the pill, according to a new University of Michigan study.

Study: Effects of communicating the rise of climate migration on public perceptions of climate change and migration Concern for climate change grows-along with support for policies to reduce emissions-when people read about Americans being forced to move within the U.S. because of it. That's in sharp contrast to learning about climate-induced moves to the U.S. by non-Americans, which doesn't move the dial on climate change beliefs or policy support.

Genetic variants underlying male bisexual behavior, risk-taking linked to more children, study shows Because same-sex sexual behavior does not result in offspring, evolutionary biologists have long wondered how the genes associated with this behavior have persisted in the human genome, and whether they will remain in the future.

Science study: Increasing policy support for reducing racial health disparities Journal of Communication study: Too close for comfort: Leveraging identity-based relevance through targeted health information backfires for Black Americans Strategies used by doctors to increase patient engagement with health information may work with white Americans, but can backfire with Black Americans.