Bikeshare systems have come a long way since they were first introduced in the Netherlands in the 1960s. They are popular in cities around the world, but how do bike systems affect existing public transportation? The researchers study the impact of bikeshare bikes in U of I’s hometown, the midsize metropolitan area of Champaign-Urbana in…

Judges should closely vet the AI tools they use to help them predict whether a defendant is likely to re offend, urges a new study. The review argues that because of several issues, such as the biases of the developers and weak statistical evidence of the AI’s predictive performance, judges should act as gatekeepers and…

Scientists have developed a predictive computer model that, when tested on real pandemic data, proposed strategies that would have reduced the rate of both COVID-19 infections and deaths by an average of 72 per cent, based on a sample from four countries. The model, called NSGA-II, could be used to alert local governments in advance…

Mathematicians have analysed global COVID-19 data to identify two constants which can drastically change a country’s rate of infection. An international team of researchers led by Professor Alexander Gorban from the University of Leicester used available data from 13 countries to determine the rate of stress response, or ‘mobilisation’ and the rate of spontaneous exhaustion,…

While most of the COVID-19 vaccines are designed as a two-dose regimen, some countries have prioritized vaccinating as many people as possible with a single dose before giving out an additional dose. In a new study, researchers illustrate the conditions under which a «prime first» vaccine campaign is most effective at stopping the spread of…

Scientists have discovered why dividing a large population into multiple subpopulations that do not intermix can help contain outbreaks without imposing contact restrictions within those local communities. «The key idea is that, at low infection numbers, fluctuations can alter the course of the epidemics significantly, even if you expect an exponential increase in infection numbers…

African Americans are seeing growth in engineering and physical sciences but are not progressing at the same rate when compared to the general population. A report examined the number of bachelor’s degrees earned from 2005 to 2015. A report from the American Institute of Physics (AIP) Statistical Research Center (SRC) examined the number of bachelor’s…

An online COVID-19 symptom tracking tool developed by researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center ensures a person’s confidentiality while being able to actively monitor their symptoms. The tool is not proprietary and can be used by entities that are not able to develop their own tracking systems. Identifying and monitoring people infected with COVID-19, or…

Two algorithms that account for distinctive use of repeated words and word pairs require as few as 50 tweets to accurately distinguish deceptive ‘troll’ messages from those posted by public figures. Troll internet messages aim to achieve a specific purpose, while also masking that purpose. For instance, in 2018, 13 Russian nationals were accused of…

The spread of the Internet is shaping migration in profound ways. A new study of over 150 countries links Internet penetration with migration intentions and behaviors, suggesting that digital connectivity plays a key role in migration decisions and actively supports the migration process. Countries with higher proportions of Internet users tend to have more people…