Performance

Infectious Disease :: GreeneChip – New diagnostic tool identifies multiple pathogens

Researchers in the Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and their colleagues in the WHO Global Laboratory Network have developed a new tool for pathogen surveillance and discovery — the GreeneChip System. The GreeneChip is the first tool to provide comprehensive, differential diagnosis of infectious diseases, including those caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites.

Parenting :: Working parents concerned about after-school care

Millions of working fathers and mothers are less productive at work due to concerns about what their children are doing in the after-school hours, according to a new study released today by Catalyst, the leading nonprofit research and advisory organization working to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women at work. The report, entitled “After-School Worries: Tough on Parents, Bad for Business,” was conducted in cooperation with the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University.

Consumer :: Feeling sad about Iraq, it won’t keep you from buying American products

The United States’ involvement in Iraq has generated a lot of debate about the potential impact on American businesses abroad. Yet, very little systematic research has addressed the effect of geo-political conflicts on consumer decision-making. Now, a new study explores how our range of reactions to political events may affect purchasing. Notably, the researchers found that not all negative feelings towards a country will lead to product evaluations based on country of origin.

Mammogram :: Technology can’t replace doctors’ judgment in reading mammograms

Radiologists should not become too dependent on the use of computer-assisted detection (CAD) technology when reading screening mammograms because the doctors can see lesions that CAD sometimes misses. The research appears in the December issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. It is the first study of CAD using a random sample of cases from a screened population rather than using selected cases of visible cancers.

Psychology :: Efforts for whites to appear colorblind may backfire

New research shows that whites often avoid using race to describe other people, particularly in interactions with blacks. However further research reveals that such efforts to appear colorblind and unprejudiced are associated with less-friendly nonverbal behaviors. “By their nonverbal behavior alone, the whites who are trying to appear colorblind to impress their black partners ironically come across as distant and unfriendly,” said Samuel R. Sommers, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Tufts University.

Performance of wide receivers, running backs post-ACL injury falls by one third

The good news for NFL players who sustain an injury to their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is that they’ll likely play again in the NFL. The bad news is, they’ll return with diminished performance on the field, concludes a study in the December issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Aptitude :: Would be rookies face video guantlet

Concerned that their soldiers are not being assessed on real-life situations, the US army is developing a virtual-reality aptitude test for recruits. Rather than using pen and paper in an exam, the recruits are placed in a virtual world where they are tested on their ability to solve tasks whilst navigating through different environments.