AMHERST, Mass. — Stopping early, failing to stop or rolling through—new research from University of Massachusetts Amherst reveals that more awareness of the rules of the road around this crosswalk design is necessary. Published in Transportation Research Record, the study looked at how Massachusetts drivers behave at pedestrian hybrid beacons, a type of crosswalk device increasingly found at mid-block crosswalks where there is not a full traffic signal.

New research shows that composite metal foam (CMF) is incredibly resilient at high temperatures, able to withstand repeated heavy loads even at temperatures of 400 and 600 degrees Celsius. Coupled with the material’s high strength-to-weight ratio, the finding suggests that CMF could be used in applications ranging from automobile engines to aerospace components to nuclear power technologies.

Work engagement is a persistent, positive state of mind that enhances productivity, creativity, and well-being. However, few practical methods exist to foster it. Addressing this gap, researchers from Japan developed WEDiary, a smartphone app that encourages daily positive reflection on work achievements. In a randomized controlled trial involving 600 Japanese workers, the app significantly improved work engagement levels in only 2 weeks, with effects lasting 3 weeks beyond the intervention.

A team led by UVA professor Evan Scott recently published a paper in Nature Communications unveiling a polymer-based system for precise, non-invasive treatment delivery that avoids immune rejection.

Social hierarchies are everywhere—think of high school dramas, where the athletes are portrayed as most popular, or large companies, where the CEO makes the important decisions. Such hierarchies aren’t just limited to humans, but span the animal kingdom, with dominant individuals getting faster food access, higher mating priority, and bigger or better territories. Whilst it’s long been thought that winning or losing can influence the position of an individual within a social hierarchy, the brain mechanisms behind these social dynamics have remained a mystery. In iScience, researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) investigate the neurological basis of social hierarchy in male mice, pinpointing the neurons they believe crucial in determining these social hierarchy dynamics.