Poll: Americans largely don't support federal changes to child health programs

Americans’ Water Safety Concerns are Lead and Heavy Metals—Not Fluoride

Emory University

Facebook

WeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

Over the last six months, there have been several policy changes affecting children’s nutrition benefits, vaccine mandates, and more. A new survey from Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health reveals how American adults view these recent federal actions and proposals.

The Emory-Rollins National Child Policy Poll is a nationally representative survey conducted by the Emory Center for Child Health Policy. The research team asked more than 1,000 U.S. adults about their opinions on several issues that influence child health: infant safety and monitoring programs, vaccine requirements, water safety, and nutrition guidelines for federal food-purchasing assistance programs.

“In the past six months, the federal government has made several big changes that affect kids’ health—like updates to newborn screening and changes to the group that advises the CDC on vaccines,” says lead author Stephen Patrick, MD, chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Rollins School of Public Health. “Our national poll found that most Americans, no matter their politics, don’t support these changes, and that cuts to critical public health programs that serve the nation’s children are unpopular across the political spectrum.”  

Americans Agree: Child-Focused Programs Need Federal Support  

Federal spending cuts and organizational restructuring recently ended several infant safety and monitoring programs, including the “Safe to Sleep” campaign, the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (ACHDNC), and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). These programs help prevent newborn sleep-related deaths, provide guidance on newborn screening for health conditions, and provide recommendations to improve outcomes for mothers and infants.  

The survey found that Americans across party lines did not support cutting these child-focused programs. Funding cuts for the “Safe to Sleep” campaign were especially unpopular, with fewer than one in five people surveyed (15.9%) supporting its elimination. More than half think federal support for ACHDNC (55.9%) and PRAMS (65.1%) is necessary. The responsibility of continuing programs like PRAMS now falls on states. This could further increase state-level disparities.

Americans Show Decreased Trust in Vaccine Policy

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently dismissed members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a committee of experts responsible for making recommendations for vaccine use that includes the pediatric vaccination schedule and appointed new members. Nearly half of people surveyed (48.5%) said this action decreases their trust in federal vaccine policy. There was a notable discrepancy in Trump and Harris voters, with fewer Trump voters (16.6%) than Harris voters (85.0%) saying their trust has declined.

Additionally, more than one in three U.S. adults surveyed (36.5%) say their trust in federal vaccine policy has decreased based on new COVID-19 vaccine requirements, which includes no longer recommending them for children.  

“Secretary Kennedy wants to rebuild Americans’ trust in vaccines, but we see that the actions taken so far around vaccine policy have failed to increase Americans’ trust. In fact, the changes around ACIP have decreased trust among nearly half of Americans,” says study author Sarah Loch, associate director of the Emory Center for Child Health Policy.

Americans’ Water Safety Concerns are Lead and Heavy Metals—Not Fluoride

While Americans are split on whether to add fluoride to drinking water, they don’t see it as a major threat to safe drinking water for children. Additionally, fewer than one in four people surveyed (22.1%) support the federal decision to remove the option for prescribed fluoride tablets and drops in areas where fluoridated water is unavailable. Two in three people (60.9%) identify lead and heavy metal contamination as the biggest risk to drinking water, with germs like bacteria, viruses, and parasites being the second biggest risk.  

Federal efforts related to fluoride would be better directed at addressing lead and heavy metals to align with what Americans prioritize.  

Americans Broadly Support SNAP Nutrition Standards  

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is a food assistance program that helps low-income households buy groceries. The USDA has started offering food restriction waivers to states allowing them to restrict the purchase of non-nutritious food items using SNAP benefits. More than half of U.S. adults surveyed (58.7%) agree with banning junk food purchases using SNAP benefits. 

---

Method of Research

Survey

 

New cooling system patent promises significant boost in solar panel efficiency

University of Sharjah

Faceboo

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

The experimental setup for the new invention is designed to enhance the power-generating capacity of solar panels.

view more 

Credit: Prof. Chaouki Ghenai

Scientists at the University of Sharjah have secured a U.S. patent (US12341471B2) for an innovative cooling system designed to enhance the performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.

The researchers claim that their invention can significantly reduce energy losses caused by high operating temperatures—an issue that plagues solar power systems, particularly in hot climates.

The patented system focuses on thermal management in solar PV modules. It is specifically engineered to utilize the hot waste air expelled by centralized air conditioning systems to cool the rear surfaces of solar panels.

The dual-purpose approach not only addresses excess heat but also repurposes waste energy that would otherwise be lost.

“This novel cooling technology will help reduce the operating temperature of solar panels, boost the power output, and improve solar PV module efficiency,” said Chaouki Ghenai, Professor of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering at Sharjah University, and the lead inventor.

“This invention not only recovers lost power output in hot and arid settings, but also extends the life of assets, and makes it possible to implement new hybrid systems, which collectively reduce the levelized cost of energy and improve overall solar plant efficiency.”

Solar panels generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect, where light striking the surface of semiconductor-based solar cells is converted into electrical energy.

 However, not all absorbed sunlight is converted—much of it becomes heat, raising the panel’s temperature and reducing its efficiency.

In their patent application, the inventors highlight that irradiance and temperature are critical environmental factors affecting solar panel performance.

They write, “The solar cell absorbs sunlight, and a partial amount of light is converted to electrical energy, while the remaining portion generates heat and increases the temperature.”

According to the researchers, current solar energy systems face two major challenges: (1) Thermal degradation, where rising temperatures reduce energy output, and (2) soiling, the accumulation of dust and debris, especially in arid and high-temperature regions.

They also cite optical and ohmic losses as additional factors that hinder solar cell efficiency.

Prof. Ghenai attributes a range of advantages to the invention, especially in hot and arid regions. “In hot, desert regions with abundant solar resources but high ambient temperatures, solar PV cooling is necessary to maximize electrical energy generation, asset health and longevity, and reduce soiling and maintenance.

“In hot and dry climates, solar PV panels can be cooled using the exhaust air from the building's Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. This reduces the temperature of the solar cells, recovers up to 10% more solar power production, and extends the life of the panels.”

However, the researchers emphasize in their application that thermal effects are the most significant, stating, “Among all system losses, the thermal effect is the most contributing factor in the deterioration of the performance of the solar system. As the temperature rises from standard testing conditions (STC), the output of SPV panels degrades accordingly.”

In some regions, solar panels operate at temperatures as high as 70°C, which can result in up to a 20% loss in energy output, they note.

The inventors maintain that even a 1°C increase in operating temperature typically causes a 0.45% drop in relative efficiency, a metric known as the temperature coefficient of power. Moreover, every 10°C rise is expected to double the degradation rate of the solar system.

To combat this, the team developed their present cooling device that directs waste air from air conditioning systems toward the back of solar panels.

Prof. Ghenai said the invention has real-world applications to enhance current solar energy systems. “ An attractive smart-building retrofit is created when owners are able to capture incremental solar revenue, reduce total building energy consumption, and lengthen asset lifetimes.

“This is accomplished by completing the thermal loop, which involves converting waste building exhaust into a free cooling source for photovoltaics (PV). This will help to boost solar yield and reduce building cooling loads.”

The patent has already attracted considerable interest from industry, according to Prof. Ghenai. He noted that several companies in HVAC, building energy management, and solar PV sectors have expressed interest in integrating waste air from HVAC systems to cool solar PV modules.

He emphasized that the invention could significantly boost solar power output to meet building electrical loads, reduce the burden on chillers, and extend the lifespan of solar modules.

The system includes an exhaust fan connected to the outlet of a central air conditioning module.

It has a supporting structure positioned at a predefined distance in front of the fan to hold one or more solar panels, as well as panels tilted at specific angles and azimuths to maximize exposure of their rear surfaces to the cooling airflow.

The fan is calibrated to deliver air at a predefined temperature, optimizing the cooling effect and improving overall system efficiency.

The inventors conclude, “An effective solar panel cooling methodology and maintenance policy are essential to improve power system efficiency and reliability.”

Prof. Ghenai and his team are currently advancing innovative research in clean energy technologies. Their work includes harvesting waste air from HVAC systems to power wind turbines for renewable electricity generation, developing hybrid solar PV/wind turbine systems, creating novel methods for dust removal and solar PV cleaning in arid regions, and designing solutions to enhance green hydrogen production

Schematic of experimental setup and Experimental prototype: (A) Standard exhaust, (B) Exhaust without fins, (C) Solar PV Panel with back cooling from exhaust air, (D) Reference Solar PV Panel without cooling.


Credit
Prof. Chaouki Ghenai







The system includes an exhaust fan connected to the outlet of a central air conditioning module.








The system has a supporting structure positioned at a predefined distance in front of the fan to hold one or more solar panels.





The fan is calibrated to deliver air at a predefined temperature


Credit
https://patents.google.com/patent/US12341471B2/en

 

New research compares effectiveness of common Atlantic sea scallop farming methods

Research from the University of Maine supports the industry growth of Atlantic scallop farming by comparing start-up costs and productivity for the two most common methods.

University of Maine

Facebook

X
BlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

Much of the scallop farming techniques used in the U.S. derive from practices in Japan, where scallops have long been a part of the country’s seafood industry. Researchers from the University of Maine are working to test and adapt those practices to help grow the industry in the Gulf of Maine, where oyster farming is currently the most well known form of aquaculture in Maine’s blue economy. 

Building off a four-year study published in the spring, which compared the effectiveness of two different Atlantic sea scallop farming techniques, UMaine researchers further analyzed the economic advantages and disadvantages of the same two methods of scallop aquaculture. Lead researcher Damian Brady, professor of marine sciences at UMaine, and co-author Chris Noren, a postdoctoral researcher, used their results to develop a user-friendly application that helps interested parties compare the different costs and possibilities associated with building their own scallop farms. 

“Now new farmers can make educated decisions on what option is going to be most viable for them, taking into account their location, timeframe, budget and all the other pieces that go into scallop farming,” Brady said. “Ultimately, our goal is to help Maine grow this industry to its fullest potential and preserve Maine’s working waterfronts — an integral part of the state’s culture and history.”

Published in the journal Aquaculture, the study looked at two of the most common options for scallop farming: lantern net and ear-hanging. Previously, lantern net methods were thought to be more cost-effective, but this study shows the ways in which the ear-hanging method can be more cost-efficient over a longer period of time. 

Researchers concluded that ear-hanging production was more advantageous if the scallops’ life cycles exceeded three years, and lantern-hanging is slightly more profitable when scallops are harvested under three years. They also found that the most optimal time for harvesting, regardless of farming method, was when scallops reached an age of 3.75-4 years.

The Two Farming Methods

Lantern net aquaculture uses tiered, circular nets that attach to a long line and hang vertically in the water column — an easier and less expensive system to set up compared to the ear-hanging method. Scallops sit in each tier of the lantern net, which can cause overcrowding and issues with food resource accessibility. However, research showed that overtime, the overcrowding can make lantern net farming productive over a four-year cycle. 

Developed from Japanese methods, ear-hanging involves drilling holes into the “ear,” or the hinge, of the scallop shells, which are then pinned and hung on vertical lines in the water column. This method allows for individual scallops to have more space and access to resources. While it is more expensive to set up, labor costs significantly drop and overall expenses level out over a four-year period. 

To combat start-up price, Japanese scallop farmers have used a number of different technologies and techniques that could be applicable in Maine. This includes specialized equipment, such as automated drilling and pinning machines, or a multi-partner ownership, in which one partner does the drilling and preparation, while the other does the farming and de-pinning. Cooperative partnerships allow each group to invest and specialize in a fraction of the machinery and equipment. 

Comparing Farming Methods

The study looked at two different scallop metrics over a four-year period: the height of the entire scallop shell in millimeters and the weight of the adductor muscle in grams. Both metrics have applications for the current U.S. market and its potential to expand. 

Generally in the U.S., the adductor muscle is the only part of the scallop that is sold or used. The bigger or heavier it is, the higher the price. The U.S. market for whole scallops, which include other parts of the bivalve along with the adductor muscle, is limited, but methods that increase the size of either part of the scallop have the potential to improve market value. 

Although ear-hanging requires more front-end labor and the equipment is more expensive than the lantern net method, the rate of production is significantly faster over a longer time period. It is also more space efficient, which requires a smaller lease and is less expensive. 

Additionally, the researchers stressed the importance of a working waterfront for doing tasks that do not require being on the water. This allows for less weather-dependent work days and for small farms to grow with less limitations. 

Ear-hanging is not only economically more effective in total labor costs and leases; it also results in ear-hanging scallops growing larger adductor muscles on average, according to the study. Researchers concluded that the long-term benefits of growth size, lease cost and total labor costs make the higher start-up costs of ear-hanging worthwhile for farmers entering the market for longer than three years. 

---

Journal

Aquaculture

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Techno-economic assessment of ear-hanging and lantern net grow-out techniques in Atlantic Sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, aquaculture in the Gulf of Maine

 Environmental, Social and Governance

Small-world networks can mitigate ESG controversies for multinationals, suggests new study

Research from Bayes Business School shows building networks of interconnected suppliers can help MNEs control crises.

City St George’s, University of London

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

Multinational enterprises (MNEs) can negate supplier-induced environmental, social and governance (ESG) controversies by setting up ‘small-world’ networks, according to new research co-authored by Bayes Business School.

Globalising supply chains has become a dominant strategy for MNEs. Benefits include lower costs of labour and distribution, and greater scope for innovation.

However, long-distance operations also carry associated risks. Contrasting ethical standards of suppliers in different areas of the world can lead to high-profile ESG issues and unwanted publicity from activists and the media. Incidents such as environmental pollution, corruption, child labour and unsatisfactory working conditions, although caused by suppliers, are often perceived by stakeholders as controversies of the MNEs themselves. This has the potential to harm both their own reputations and those of others in their network.

The research, co-authored by Dr Byung-Gak Son, Reader in Supply Chain Management at Bayes, sought to discover if global dispersion of supply chain networks increased the risk of ESG controversies for MNEs, and if so, how this could be mitigated. It was carried out with academics from Warwick Business School, King’s Business School, and Aalto University.

Using FactSet Supply Chain Relationships (FactSet), Refinitiv ESG, Refinitiv Eikon, and RepRisk, data were collected from 417 Fortune 500 companies with 3,033 firm-year observations across ESG, financial data and network information. The researchers used information on the severity, reach and novelty to calculate average scores for ESG crises between 2010 and 2019. These were measured against corresponding geographical distributions of suppliers.

Findings indicated a clear and positive link between the geographical dispersion of an MNE’s supply network and its exposure to supplier-induced ESG controversies, suggesting the negative impact that spatial complexity has on information exchange and knowledge sharing.

Despite this, the benefits of global supply chains are often difficult to relinquish. The researchers therefore examined if small-world supply networks – characterised by highly interconnected suppliers with easy global reach to other MNEs – could mitigate the risk.

The effects of small-worldness were calculated using local clustering coefficients and corresponding supply chain path lengths.

Results showed that the presence of small-world networks weakens the positive link between global dispersion of supply chains and supplier-induced ESG controversies. This suggests that MNEs can benefit from such network configurations to help them moderate ESG behaviours of their suppliers.

Taken together, the studies have implications for global businesses and how they manage behaviours of suppliers in complex and fragmented global supply chains.

Dr Son said:

“Global supply chains offer excellent access to international markets, local skills, resources, and in most cases, cost efficiencies.

“However, our research shows too much dispersion can reduce an MNE’s ability to monitor the ethical practices and conduct of suppliers.

"Controlling behaviour through traditional means, such as contracts and supplier audits, is expensive and time-consuming because today's global supply chains are vast and complicated. Small-world supply networks, on the other hand, are community governance mechanisms that often emerge naturally through interactions among suppliers.

“Examples of how MNEs can implement small-world networks include encouraging direct relationships among suppliers, or selecting supply partners with existing ties to others in their network.

“Our study has strategic implications for MNE supply chain leaders, who must consider compatibility of prospective suppliers with their existing networks. The research also advances our understanding of global supply chain dynamics and sustainability challenges in an increasingly interconnected world.”

‘Small worlds within global supply chains: implications for multinational enterprises’ environmental, social, and governance controversies’ by Dr Sangho Chae, Professor Igor Filatotchev, Dr Seongtae Kim and Dr Byung-Gak Son is published in the Journal of International Business Studies.

---

Journal

Journal of International Business Studies

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Small worlds within global supply chains: implications for multinational enterprises’ environmental, social, and governance controversies

 

Genetic rescue of endangered species may risk bad mutations slipping through

Study hints there are ecological secrets behind relocation success

Ohio State University

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The established conservation practice of relocating animals from large, genetically diverse populations to small communities of inbred endangered species may risk introducing more damaging than beneficial gene variants into the threatened group, a new study suggests.

Analysis of genomes of Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes showed that, by the numbers, more deleterious than adaptation-enabling mutations were present in the more genetically diverse donor animals selected in a hypothetical scenario to join a small, isolated population.

Because donor relocation, known as assisted gene flow, has a good track record of stabilizing recipient populations, the researchers say this finding suggests there must be more at play in rescue efforts than purely genetics that help species survive – namely, environmental characteristics that support long-term persistence.

“We have a little bit of a paradox here. The genetic analysis says genetic rescue is maybe not good, or at best, it’s a wash,” said H. Lisle Gibbs, professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology at The Ohio State University and senior author of the study. 

“But when you look at other studies of assisted gene flow activity for other rare organisms, the small population usually grows. Genetics suggests even though rescue works by increasing the numbers of individuals in the first few generations by reducing inbreeding effects, it could be risky long-term. And so, we should look more closely at other factors, especially ecological factors, that may allow the species breathing room for the evolutionary factors to work.”

Samarth Mathur, a former postdoctoral research scientist in Gibbs’ lab, was the first author of the study. The research was published recently in the journal Molecular Ecology.

Decades of previous research has linked the lack of genetic diversity and related limitation on adaptation in endangered species to population decline and extinction in plants, insects, birds and mammals.

In a 2023 study identifying about 150 species considered good candidates for assisted gene flow, the authors cited numerous studies showing the effectiveness of relocating genetically diverse species and urged wider adoption of the strategy.

“Taking a small number of individuals from a larger population and moving them to a smaller population is traditionally justified by the idea that because of low numbers, a small population has lost a lot of the good copies of many genes that led to adaptation,” Gibbs said. “Further, the idea is that you can replenish this with individuals from a larger population, which is more genetically diverse, and they bring the good copies of those genes with them.

“The point of this paper is to show our ability to identify these categories of good and bad copies for every gene, and to actually ask, are these hypothetical donors genetically good enough for long-term success?”

In other words, Gibbs and Mathur are the first to put the genetics of the practice to the test on a gene-by-gene basis.

“When you move individuals from a big population to a small population, you bring both kinds of variation – not just the good kind alone. There is bad stuff that’s also part of the package,” Gibbs said. “This is the first time anyone has put this together and asked how important the good variation is, and how to measure it against the burden of bad variation that it also brings.”

The analysis involved whole genome sequences from 152 Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes being studied in 14 sites in the United States and Canada. Zeroing in on circumstances for this species in Ohio, researchers compared possible scenarios involving two donor populations and three recipient populations to identify the best donor-recipient fit for assisted gene flow.

The analysis involved studying single-nucleotide polymorphisms (or SNPs, pronounced “snips”) in genes that carry instructions for functional proteins. Each gene contains two copies (called alleles) which could be functionally different in some cases because it carries a mutation, or SNP. These mutations can change the function or the expression of that gene, and this study compared these differences by measuring the numbers of deleterious and adaptive mutations carried by different populations.

Overall, the analysis showed minimal differences between the two donor populations’ suitability for relocation but suggested all donor groups would have substantial effects on functional genetic variation in recipient populations.

In one example scenario, donor snakes would contribute to a recipient population a 34% increase in positive variants, a 36% increase in moderately damaging mutations, and a 32% increase in the most severe loss-of-function mutations that knock out a gene.

“The numbers suggest you get a little bump in terms of good mutations and a little bump in terms of masking bad mutations which reduce inbreeding effects, but then you get a whole bunch of bad mutations, too. We’re estimating good and bad mutations using a purely computational approach to quantify the net effect, which is to introduce lots of small-effect bad mutations,” Gibbs said.

There is another school of thought when it comes to assisted gene flow – that a species’ ability to adapt to its local environment is the whole ballgame and, therefore, outsiders’ genes could disrupt that adaptability.

In this study, only 7% of the identified adaptive mutations in donor snakes were connected to their adaptation to another region of Ohio.

“So, there are a few, but not very many maladapted genes, which suggests concern about local adaptation is probably not a major risk,” Gibbs said. “So maybe the ecological effects of rescue are overwhelmingly positive, and the increase in numbers may compensate for any risk of long-term negative genetic effects.”

The statistical techniques Mathur and Gibbs developed for this study could be used for any proposed assisted gene flow strategy for which genome sequences are available.

“This isn’t just about snakes. It’s about big populations and small populations, and so we think the result is general,” Gibbs said. “Our key contribution is actually measuring the risk involved with genetic rescue in a real-world situation. It will be of interest to use our statistical techniques to see if the risk of potential increase in mutation load for Eastern massasaugas holds for other endangered species.”

This work was supported by the State Wildlife Grants Program, administered jointly by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and the Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, with which Gibbs and Mathur are affiliated.

#

Contact: H. Lisle Gibbs, Gibbs.128@osu.edu

Written by Emily Caldwell, Caldwell.151@osu.edu; 614-292-8152

---

Journal

Molecular Ecology

DOI

10.1111/mec.70014 

Article Title

Genomic Evaluation of Assisted Gene Flow Options in an Endangered Rattlesnake