It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
UTA study links police fatigue to performance risks
Officers want better sleep but face barriers such as shift work, job pressure and emotional fatigue
Police understand the importance of sleep—but for many, the nature of the job makes it hard to get enough of it.
A new study from The University of Texas at Arlington, published in Policing: An International Journal, explores how sleep deprivation affects police and their performance on the job.
The interdisciplinary study—led by UT Arlington professors Christine Spadola (social work) and Christi Gullion (criminal justice), along with criminal justice and social work professors from Florida Atlantic University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City—included in-depth interviews with 10 police supervisors and officers from two municipalities and one university campus. Participants shared candid accounts of how sleep deprivation impacts their work and home life.
One officer noted that many public encounters involve citizens who simply want to be “heard,” but a sleep-deprived officer may not have the patience to give them the time they need.
“When you get the proper sleep and you’re not tired or cranky, you’ll give them that extra 10 minutes they need to just explain to you why they did what they did,” the officer said. “You don’t get the proper sleep, you’re a little bit more short with people, and that tends to lead to complaints.”
All 10 supervisors and officers interviewed reported getting seven hours of sleep or less per night, placing them in the sleep-deprived category, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The dangers of sleep deprivation are well-documented, especially in high-stakes professions such as policing. Studies have linked inadequate sleep to increased risks of critical incidents, injuries and accidental deaths. By contrast, sufficient sleep improves reaction time, emotional reactivity and overall health.
Dr. Spadola said that police officers tend to be more sleep-deprived than the general public. Previous studies have found that 40% of police officers show symptoms consistent with sleep disorders.
“What stood out to me was that the officers knew sleep was important,” Spadola said. “They’d say, ‘I know I should go to bed at 9 p.m., but how do I shut my mind off?’
“It’s a very interesting study because we really looked into the ‘why’: Why is their sleep poor, and what are some of the barriers they encounter?”
The researchers discovered that the latter range from unpredictable shift work to the mental toll of the job.
As one officer explained: “The mind is just still going after you leave. Could I have handled this call? Should I have sent this? The mind sometimes wants to keep going, even though the body is saying it’s time to go to sleep.”
The study suggests that tailored sleep interventions may help. The supervisors and officers indicated interest in short, relatable, interactive online training programs on improving sleep—preferably led by colleagues with experiences or experts such as Spadola. At the time of the study, none of the officers had received training on proper sleep health or techniques.
“The officers were very interested in learning how to improve their sleep,” Dr. Gullion said. “They asked a lot of questions about how to shut off distractions, stop relying on caffeine and find real tools to sleep better.”
In the end, better sleep for police could result in better police work. It might also help reduce the fatigue and burnout challenges that police agencies are facing nationwide. A recent study found that 53.6% of active officers report experiencing burnout.
“We plan to do a broader study in the near future, but this was a good gauge of where officers were and some initial insights,” Gullion said.
At a time marked by debate about identity, migration and national cohesion, a new study brings a surprising message: Most Americans want a more ethnically and religiously diverse society than the one they live in today.
The study, published in the journal Ethos, is based on a representative questionnaire survey of 986 American citizens. Participants were asked to assess both the actual and ideal composition of ethnic and religious groups in the United States.
‘We wanted to investigate whether the idea of a multicultural United States still has popular support – and it does, to a large extent,’ says Séamus Power, lead author and associate professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Copenhagen.
‘Two-thirds of participants wanted a more ethnically diverse United States than the current one, and more than half wanted greater religious diversity,’ he adds.
White Christians also want diversity
The study shows that even among white Christian Americans – the group often mentioned in connection with the theory of ‘the great replacement’ and fears of demographic change – there is a majority in favour of increased diversity.
"It is important to understand that the idea of a great replacement does not reflect the majority view. Our data shows that only 1.1% want an ethnically homogeneous United States, and only 3.2% want a religiously homogeneous society," Séamus Power points out. “Although we should not underestimate the significance of these extreme views when they are scaled up to the entire population of the United States” he adds.
The study also shows that Americans generally overestimate the proportion of minority groups and underestimate the size of the white and Protestant population. Nevertheless, the desire for diversity is clear – and it applies across political and religious divides.
‘The multicultural ideal is not just something that exists in academic circles or among minorities. It is a fundamental part of how many Americans understand their country,’ points out Séamus Power.
More American than apple pie
The researchers behind the new study work at the University of Copenhagen, Yale University and the University of Chicago. They believe that their findings can contribute significantly to the often polarised debate on identity and belonging in the United States.
‘It is crucial to the debate to know that it is not the desire for uniformity, but the acceptance of diversity that characterises Americans' ideal image of their nation. Multiculturalism is perhaps more American than apple pie,’ concludes Séamus Power, referring to the title of the study: ‘Is multiculturalism as American as apple pie? A survey of attitudes toward ethnic and religious diversity in the United States’.
The University of Texas at Arlington has launched a $2.1 million supercomputing hub, expanding its capacity to support data-intensive research, including work powered by artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies.
The project was spearheaded by a multidisciplinary team of researchers and leaders from UT Arlington’s College of Engineering and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, who recognized the growing demand for high-performance computing across campus.
The new hub will allow faculty, staff and students to process and analyze large-scale datasets generated by areas such as genomics, medical imaging and energy modeling. With this added capability, researchers can identify patterns, trends and insights that might be hidden in smaller datasets, significantly enhancing the potential for discovery across disciplines.
Until now, UTA researchers needing to process massive datasets had to rely on the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), operated by UT Austin with support from the National Science Foundation. Having a dedicated supercomputing resource in Arlington represents a significant advantage for UTA researchers.
“This is a transformative leap not only for the College of Engineering, but all researchers across campus,” said Peter Crouch, dean of the College of Engineering. “From artificial intelligence and biomedical imaging to infrastructure design and environmental modeling, access to this kind of computing power empowers our faculty and students to explore questions and solve problems that were once out of reach.”
With the servers now on campus, faculty and staff are spending the summer configuring the cluster and establishing processes for researchers to reserve time and access its computing power.
“This is a large-scale data center equipped with specialized machines—so loud that users need to wear ear protection,” said Edward Gonzales, director of research support in UTA’s Office of Information Technology. “I’m excited to deploy this technology on campus. It’s really going to help our investigators move society forward.”
Sustainability Accelerator selects 41 new projects with potential for rapid scale-up
Jenn Brophy, assistant professor of bioengineering in the schools of Engineering and Medicine, is working to reduce agricultural pesticide use and its associated emissions by genetically enhancing plants’ natural pest defenses. (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead / Stanford University)
The Sustainability Accelerator at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability has selected 41 projects spanning biology, agriculture, electricity, industry, and water. The teams involve 67 faculty from 27 departments across five of the university’s seven schools.
The projects are as diverse as the problems they are trying to solve, ranging from developing plant-based meat alternatives to optimizing low-carbon steel production to helping coastal communities adapt to threats of saltwater intrusion and sea-level rise. This is the third round of funding for the Accelerator, which now has active projects in all eight of its focus areas.
The Accelerator focuses on translating research into impact, with managing directors on staff to provide industry knowledge, project support, and connections to outside collaborators who can help teams bring a product to market. The aim is to take the breadth of Stanford’s research knowledge and drive implementation at the pace and scale required to meet sustainability challenges.
“We’re in a unique position here at Stanford because we have world-class technology and scientific talent in project teams, unparalleled entrepreneurial resources, and networks of partners who have built and funded globally important companies and projects,” said Timothy Bouley, managing director for food and agriculture and biological solutions at the Accelerator. “We’re not just a funding mechanism – we’re an ecosystem builder and launchpad that is creating the architecture to achieve impact.”
Building with biology and feeding the world
Sixteen teams are working in food and agriculture or using biological innovation to improve sustainability. Projects are piloting a range of technical approaches, including genetic engineering, fermentation, and artificial intelligence, while addressing key climate vulnerabilities. One team is working to convert waste methane into aquaculture feed. Another is deriving high-quality protein from plant leaves.
Some projects are working to reduce carbon emissions through systems and policy. For example, one team is working to improve institutional food operations to provide diets that are healthier with lower emissions, while another is exploring economic levers to improve the competitiveness of lower-carbon protein.
Transforming electricity and industry
“I am inspired by the creativity and expertise of our project teams. It is an incredible honor to be able to collaborate with some of the brightest and most dedicated minds on grid and industrial decarbonization,” said Albert Chan, managing director of the Accelerator’s projects focused on electricity and grid systems and industry.
Newly funded projects in these areas include efforts related to photovoltaic manufacturing, grid optimization, battery development, microgrid expansion, and utility strategies for wildfire mitigation. Among eight new projects focusing on industry, one aims to advance a low-carbon cement product that reduces production costs and increases strength. Another plans to develop bio-based, rigid insulation sheets made from fungi and reused tree pulp.
Improving water access
Eleven of the 41 new project teams are drawing on Stanford’s deep expertise in groundwater management and other water topics to develop solutions related to water. Some are focused on helping farmers better manage irrigation water, while others are working to improve water treatment systems and infrastructure in ways that make water systems more resilient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“No one doubts the importance of water, but we’ve still never been able to get clean fresh water to everyone who needs it,” said Jeffrey Brown, managing director for the Accelerator’s projects focused on water and greenhouse gas removal. “It’s this very unique piece of sustainability because it’s as much about policy and community engagement as it is about technology. That creates a special place for the Accelerator to work and bring solutions to market.”
One project involves collaboration with Valley Water, the wholesale water provider for Santa Clara County, and PureWater Peninsula, a group of San Francisco Bay Area municipal utilities led by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. The study will be the first in the world to evaluate how blending recycled water with conventional drinking water supplies in city distribution systems affects local tap water quality. The researchers aim to measure the effects of different blends of potable reuse water in eight pipelines to illustrate to other utilities how such pilot studies can be conducted.
“We want the Accelerator to be a living, ongoing center for innovation. We have this very strong cohort model, so new ideas are being formed and generating new learnings,” Brown said. “We want to be very inclusive of ideas. We want this natural evolution and turnover and capturing all the great ideas and people on campus.”
Kuhl is the Catherine Holman Johnson Director of Stanford Bio-X, the Walter B. Reinhold Professor in the School of Engineering, and a professor of mechanical engineering and (by courtesy) of bioengineering.
Mechanical engineering professor Ellen Kuhl and her Accelerator project team want to make non-animal meat taste better. And they’re leveraging AI to make it happen.
The team is manipulating the root structure of mushrooms to create alternative meat products that have a similar mouthfeel and texture as traditional beef – a major source of global methane emissions – to increase consumer adoption.
Joining her is Vayu Hill-Maini, assistant professor of bioengineering, who is also a trained chef and mushroom expert. The team will use engineering techniques to test the structure of their product to ensure it mimics familiar foods. To cut down development time and quickly rule out unworkable solutions, the team is designing AI tools to discover the best ingredients and process parameters.
Where the team doesn’t have expertise is in turning their innovation into products. That’s where the Sustainability Accelerator comes in.
“What’s unique about the Accelerator is that it provides the support and infrastructure to commercialize your ideas, so you can actually see them have an impact. We want to make something that doesn’t just stay in the lab – we’re passionate about making a change and driving innovation,” Kuhl said.
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A competitive alternative to plastic
To replace petroleum-based plastic – a ubiquitous material with a huge emissions and pollution footprint – you have to compete with a material that’s light, transparent, strong, durable, and cheap to produce.
That’s the ambition of a new Accelerator project led by chemistry professor Matthew Kanan. The project involves polylactic acid, the most popular non-petroleum–based polyester plastic, which is commonly used in food packaging because it is compostable. The team has developed a copolymer that makes it non-brittle, solving one of its major limitations compared to conventional, non-degradable plastics.
Kanan’s lab has been researching alternative plastics for about a decade and working on this problem for about three years. With the Accelerator’s support, the team is now cultivating industry partnerships to scale up the concept and create a marketable product.
“Stanford has incredible resources in terms of intellect, infrastructure, and analytical tools. There are certain things you can do really well here, and then there are other things that are not a great fit for an academic lab, like making multiple kilograms of polymer for advanced testing,” said Kanan, who also directs the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy at the Accelerator.
Within the next year, the team hopes to identify their ideal entry market and secure the right collaborations to scale manufacturing. “Whoever can deliver a degradable polymer that can compete on performance with the conventional materials that have created a pollution crisis will be in position to capture a lot of market share down the road. That’s the big opportunity,” he said.
First impressions count: How babies are talked about during ultrasounds impacts parent perceptions, caregiving relationship
Kaylin Hill is an assistant professor in Notre Dame’s Department of Psychology, an affiliate of the Veldman Family Psychology Clinic and the director of the Psychophysiology of Affect across the Lifespan (PAL) Lab.
Most parents can think back to the first ultrasound image they saw of their unborn child, and may even be able to remember what impression that image had on them. Would their child be an active toddler, a tad bit ornery or stubborn, sweet and cuddly, fiercely independent, or shy and cooperative? New research suggests these initial perceptions may have been formed, at least in part, in response to how the health care provider described the baby during the exam.
These prenatal care experiences play a large role in shaping how parents see their babies and, consequently, affect how parents relate to their children later on and how those children behave in return, according to new research from the University of Notre Dame.
“The ultrasound experience is such a salient, emotional part of the pregnancy overall, legitimizing the pregnancy itself and creating an opportunity for brand-new memories with the baby,” said Kaylin Hill, assistant professor in Notre Dame’s Department of Psychology and lead author of the study published in Communications Psychology, a Nature journal.
“The words used in these conversations with ultrasound technicians or obstetric sonographers — whom we consider experts on fetal development — get absorbed and influence who you think your child is before they’re even born,” Hill said. “Our research suggests the descriptions offered by prenatal care providers stick with parents. When we asked prospective parents to describe their baby, 70 percent of them indicated their perception was related to a prenatal care visit.”
The statements made by health care providers to expecting parents about their baby may have unintended consequences and “may play a role in influencing a child’s future,” the researchers wrote.
Prior research has found that if a parent views a child positively during pregnancy, the parent is more likely to engage in more positive parenting behaviors after the baby is born. For example, babies described with more positive words experience higher levels of sensitivity, warmth and engagement from parents. Those described with more negative words receive less.
Hill said her study is the first to show “these first impressions prospectively relate to childhood behavior as well, and not only parenting practices.”
The study, broken into two segments, first observed 320 pregnant mothers between 11 and 38 weeks’ gestation who provided a description of their babies, followed by a report on their children's behavioral and emotional difficulties at 18 months old. Those parents who described their unborn children more positively observed that their child had fewer difficulties as a toddler. However, negative descriptions were associated with greater difficulties in the child’s behavior and in regulating their emotions.
Problem behaviors in the children included being emotionally reactive, experiencing anxiety or depression, having trouble paying attention, acting withdrawn, having trouble sleeping, acting aggressively and even complaining of various physical symptoms.
The researchers learned that descriptor words specifically attributed to the ultrasound experience tended to have a more negative emotional tone than those related to any other experience — such as talking about your baby with your spouse, family and friends, or comparing family characteristics between your baby and certain relatives.
“These interactions between prospective parents and prenatal care providers seem small,” Hill said. “Can single words really impact how parents perceive their unborn child to be?”
While this first segment of the study demonstrated differences in the tone of words attributable to prenatal care visits versus other sources, the second segment tested the researchers’ hypothesis that negative comments made during ultrasound exams actually lead to more negative parental perceptions.
They asked 161 participants to report on the personality of a baby following an imagined prenatal care visit in which they were randomly assigned to different exam conditions. In each instance, the ultrasound technician indicated that they were unable to capture the necessary images, but with three different explanations as to why. Some participants were told it was the baby’s fault for not cooperating during the ultrasound, others learned that technical issues caused the disruption, and the last group were simply told that they would get another chance to see their baby at a subsequent appointment.
Participants who were told that they would get to return for a follow-up appointment were much more likely to use positive words to describe the baby than participants in the other two conditions. Those who were told the failed image captures were because the baby was uncooperative used more negative words to describe the baby than participants in the other two conditions.
Evaluating the language used by health care professionals during these prenatal encounters is crucial in fostering positive parent-child relationships, according to the study’s findings, as well as educating medical and mental health professionals about the importance of prenatal and early childhood experiences. Equally critical is providing more support for both parents and children during the perinatal period (the time from pregnancy through the first year after childbirth).
“Of course we want to help support parents,” Hill said, “and this research suggests a first step may be to talk with health care providers, to highlight the importance of these seemingly small differences in word choice during salient moments with pregnant patients.”
Hill is an affiliate of Notre Dame’s Veldman Family Psychology Clinic and the director of the Psychophysiology of Affect across the Lifespan (PAL) Lab, which focuses on familial dynamics and mental health. She sees this study as one small, yet key, component of the whole picture of what makes for a healthy family. “Depression affects the entire family, and not just one person,” Hill said.
“One of the highest risk periods for depression is the perinatal period, where individuals are experiencing changes across so many levels of functioning — physical, psychological and social,” she said. “If an ultrasound experience is impacting how an individual sees their child, that could potentially influence aspects of the caregiving relationship, which is really important for both parent and child outcomes over time.”
Hill conducted the research in conjunction with Abigail Blum, Regan Carell and Kathryn Humphreys, all of Vanderbilt University, with funding provided in part by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, among others.
