News by Subject Business & Economics

A complex network of research funding, institutional ties and personal influence has allowed the Coca-Cola Company, through its connections with a nonprofit group, to exert substantial influence over obesity science and policy solutions in China, and as a result government policy aligns with the company's corporate interests.

In a paper published Jan. 2 in PLOS Biology, two scientists at the University of Washington and North Carolina State University use the economic theory of contests to illustrate how the competitive grant-application system has made the pursuit of research funding inefficient and unsustainable -- and that alternative methods, such as a partial lottery to award grants, could relieve pressure on professors and free up time for research.

In 2012, consumers paid $32 billion in overdraft fees, which represented the single largest source of revenue for banks from demand deposit accounts, while leading to significant levels of consumer dissatisfaction and attracting attention from government regulators. In a recent study, researchers have found that it may be possible to help correct this problem through the application of sophisticated data analytics.

In seeking to pinpoint why black or African-American scientists are less likely than their white counterparts to receive National Institutes of Health research funding, a group of researchers has identified early career publications as a likely contributor to the gap.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have shown that a single 'cocktail' of three pill-based anti-parasite medications is significantly more effective at killing microscopic larval worms in people diagnosed with lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, than other standard two-drug combinations previously used in the global effort to eliminate this infectious disease. A combination of all three drugs given simultaneously had never been tested until now.

A new study by researchers from the University of California, Riverside, and the Rotterdam School of Management finds that fear of missing out motivates investors to give money early to startups with a disruptive vision. However, those backers are reluctant to invest too much in unproven ideas that might not take off. In other words, disruptive startups are more likely to raise money, but they receive smaller amounts than less-threatening ventures.

A recent study assessing the relationship between nursing specialty certification rates and surgical site infections (SSI) provides an innovative option for future research exploring relationships between nursing and hospital procedures and medical and/or surgical adverse events.

The European Academy of Cancer Sciences (EACS), an independent advisory body of medical specialists and researchers, has issued a position paper encouraging the European Union and its member states to formally launch a mission to boost and streamline cancer research. Published in Molecular Oncology, a journal of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies, the goal is to increase the societal impact of research by decreasing cancer incidence, increasing cure rate, improving health-related quality of life, and developing cost-effective cancer prevention and therapeutic strategies.