• Hazardous jobs
Hazardous jobs in industries such as logging, firefighting, mining, and the military are critical to sustaining the standard of living in the U.S. But simply offering higher wages for physically dangerous jobs doesn’t absolve companies of responsibility, said business ethicist professor Robert Hughes of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Writing in a paper entitled “Paying People to Risk Life or Limb” published in the journal Business Ethics Quarterly, Hughes said, "If the only reason to take [this job] rather than a safer job is the extra money—the hazard pay—then you have something to worry about.”
• Genes & alcoholism
Scientists have discovered 18 genetic variants associated with heavy alcohol consumption or with alcohol use disorder (AUD). The VA-funded study suggests that, though heavy drinking is a prerequisite for AUD, certain variants may need to be present for people to escalate to AUD. "This study has revealed an important genetic independence of these two traits that we haven’t seen as clearly before,” said Henry R. Kranzler, MD, a psychiatrist in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and an investigator at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center. “Focusing on variants only linked to AUD may help identify people at risk and find targets for the development of medications to treat it. The same applies to alcohol consumption, as those variants could inform interventions to help reduce consumption in heavy drinkers, who face their own set of adverse effects.”
• Gender & racial biases
A voluntary survey released by the American Economic Association has revealed high levels of gender and racial bias in the field of economics. Olivia Mitchell of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania believes that one reason is that many of the anti-bias measures that are already in place still lack teeth. “It’s very depressing, actually,” she said. “I’ve been teaching for 40 years now, and, sure, 40 years ago there were very few women in the profession. You stood out. You were sometimes made to feel uncomfortable or awkward. But I had hoped that today things would be much better.”
• Empathy & cooperation
Empathy can help cooperative behavior overcome selfishness. Taking an evolutionary and game theory approach, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that a capacity for empathy fosters cooperation and that the degree to which this happens depends on a society's system for moral evaluation. “Having not just the capacity but the willingness to take into account someone else’s perspective when forming moral judgments tends to promote cooperation,” said biologist Joshua Plotkin.
• Vulnerabilities of HIV
A new imaging study that reveals the shape of HIV suggests new paths to fight this deadly disease. An international team involving researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Tufts University and the University of Melbourne have shown how molecular "can openers" can be used to expose parts of the viral envelope, which can then be targeted by antibodies. "Directly visualizing the molecules at the surface of HIV will allow us to devise strategies to cure disease, a dream comes true.” said Isabelle Rouiller of the University of Melbourne.
