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Creating a drought prediction model using convolutional neural networks

Bora et al. | Oct 08, 2024

Creating a drought prediction model using convolutional neural networks
Image credit: The authors

Droughts kill over 45,000 people yearly and affect the livelihoods of 55 million others worldwide, with climate change likely to worsen these effects. However, unlike other natural disasters (hurricanes, etc.), there is no early detection system that can predict droughts far enough in advance to be useful. Bora, Caulkins, and Joycutty tackle this issue by creating a drought prediction model.

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3D Printed Polymer Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Regeneration

Jayatissa et al. | Apr 26, 2019

3D Printed Polymer Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Regeneration

Scientists are always on the quest to improve the body's healing abilities and broken bones are no exception. In this article, the authors investigate properties of 3D-printed biocompatible polymers used to improve bone healing. With such efforts, we can hope to, one day, improve bone scaffolding materials in ways that make the natural healing processes more efficient, reducing the time needed for recovery from bone fractures.

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An evaluation of the trends in U.S. maternal deaths based on abortion policies from 2018 to 2021

Haq et al. | Feb 18, 2026

An evaluation of the trends in U.S. maternal deaths based on abortion policies from 2018 to 2021

Here the authors evaluate the relationship between state-level abortion policies and maternal mortality across the United States from 2018 to 2021. Their findings reveal that states with restrictive abortion laws consistently experienced higher maternal mortality ratios than those with protective policies, culminating in a 72% increase in deaths within restrictive states by the end of the study period.

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The gender gap in STEM at top U.S. Universities: change over time and relationship with ranking

Kruus et al. | Jun 25, 2024

The gender gap in STEM at top U.S. Universities: change over time and relationship with ranking

Authors address the gender disparity in STEM fields, examining changes in gender diversity across male-dominated undergraduate programs over 19 years at 24 top universities. Analyzing data from NCES IPEDS, it identifies STEM as persistently male-dominated but notes increasing gender diversity in many disciplines, particularly in recent years. Results indicate that higher-ranked universities in disciplines like computer science and mechanical engineering show a weak correlation with improved gender diversity, suggesting effective initiatives can mitigate the gender gap in STEM, despite ongoing challenges.

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Sri Lankan Americans’ views on U.S. racial issues are influenced by pre-migrant ethnic prejudice and identity

Gunawardena et al. | Apr 18, 2022

Sri Lankan Americans’ views on U.S. racial issues are influenced by pre-migrant ethnic prejudice and identity

In this study, the authors examined how Sri Lankan Americans (SLAs) view racial issues in the U.S. The main hypothesis is that SLAs, as a minority in the U.S., are supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement and its political goal, challenging the common notion that SLAs are anti-Black. The study found that a majority of SLAs believe the U.S. has systemic racism, favor BLM, and favor affirmative action. IT also found that Tamil SLAs have more favorable views of BLM and affirmative action than Sinhalese SLAs.

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Increasing Average Yearly Temperature in Two U.S. Cities Shows Evidence for Climate Change

Savage et al. | Sep 20, 2018

Increasing Average Yearly Temperature in Two U.S. Cities Shows Evidence for Climate Change

The authors were interested in whether they could observe the effects of climate change by analyzing historical temperature data of two U.S. cities. They predicted that they should observe a warming trend in both cities. Their results showed that despite yearly variations, warming trends can be observed both in Rochester, NY and Seattle, WA which fit the predictions of climate change forecasts.

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Associations between fentanyl usage and social media use among U.S. teens

Sul et al. | Jun 10, 2025

Associations between fentanyl usage and social media use among U.S. teens
Image credit: freestocks

Here the authors aimed to understand factors influencing adolescent fentanyl exposure, hypothesizing a positive association between social media usage, socioeconomic factors, and fentanyl abuse among U.S. teens. Their analysis of the Monitoring the Future dataset revealed that a history of suspension and use of marijuana or alcohol were linked to higher fentanyl use, and while not statistically significant, a notable positive correlation between social media use and fentanyl frequency was observed.

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