University of Rochester computer scientists are gleaning a wealth of information from Twitter users to document the social impacts of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

For example, a new study by the research group of Jiebo Luo, a professor of computer science, posted to the scholarly website ArXiv, finds that the increased use of terms like “Chinese virus” and “Wuhan virus” on the social media platform correlated strongly with a rise in media reports of attacks on Chinese and other Asians.

The researchers were also able predict with more than 80 percent accuracy which Twitter users are more likely to use the terms based on their age, gender, geographic location, “social capital,” and political affiliation. The terms used to refer to the source of the pandemic has sparked controversy in some media circles between those who consider a geographic description an accurate reflection of where the virus originated while others consider the geographic terms to be pejorative. Read more here.

The Medical Center will continue to play a leading role in the largest long-term study of brain development and child health. The National Institutes of Health has renewed its support to the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study at URMC, allocating $7.5 million for the next seven years.

“We are immensely proud of the part that the University of Rochester plays in the ABCD study,” says John Foxe, director of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience. “That children here in Rochester are part of a major national study, and are contributing to our knowledge of brain development is really fantastic and gives the Rochester community a voice in how national health policy is developed over the coming decade.”

Through 2026, URMC will continue to collect data on 340 local participants. The Medical Center joined the study in 2017 and is one of 21 sites across the country. In all, the study is following 11,750 children through early adulthood looking at how biological development, behaviors, and experiences impact brain maturation and other aspects of their lives, including academic achievement, social development, and overall health.

Read more here.

“Is your pain tolerable?” A new study out from the JAMA Network finds that this simple question, used in conjunction with the traditional 0-10 rating scale posed to patients, could help doctors better understand whether treatments for pain, including opioid medications, are actually necessary.

“Because of concerns about overtreatment of pain with opioids there has been an enormous effort to rethink how we ask patients about pain,” says lead author John D. Markman, director of the Translational Pain Research Program in the Department of Neurosurgery.

The study found that almost 4 out of 5 patients in the primary care setting who rated their pain as “moderate” in intensity found it tolerable and as many as 30 and 40 percent of people who rated their pain as “severe” (a score of 7 or more)  also described the pain as “tolerable.” 

“Knowing that patients consider their pain to be tolerable, physicians wouldn’t necessarily prescribe a medication with serious risks or expose them to surgery,” Markman says. Instead, it could be an opening for a clinician to explore mood, sleep disruption, or the curtailing of certain activities to control pain.

Read more here.

Here are three important links for researchers:

• University’s COVID-19 website for important updates and guidance on working, teaching, and learning remotely
• University of Rochester Medical Center website for restrictions, resources, and news
• Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA) site on Coronavirus 2019 resources related to sponsored programs

For the most up-to-date COVID-19 funding opportunities, keep an eye on the URMC COVID-19 Guidance for Researchers site as well as the funding calendar on the UR CTSI Funding page. Here are a few new opportunities:

• TraceLink, Inc., a leader in track and trace and pharmaceutical serialization is committing $1 million to COVID-19 relief efforts for eligible organizations worldwide. Learn more. Apply now through Friday, May 15.
• The Department of Defense is offering several funding opportunities for research on emerging viral diseases and/or respiratory health with a focus on COVID-19:
  • Investigator-Initiated Research Award: Pre-applications are due Thursday, May 28.
  • Technology/Therapeutic Development Award: Pre-applications are due Thursday, May 28.
  • Clinical Trial Award: Pre-applications are due Monday, June 8.
• The African Academy of Sciences has two COVID-19-related funding opportunities currently available:
  • Research to Support COVID-19 Response in Humanitarian Settings: Apply by Monday, May 4.
  • Call for Expert Collaborators: COVID-19 Response: Apply by Sunday, May 31.
• The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has issued a notice (NOT-DK-20-018) to solicit applications for projects focusing on the direct action of the COVID-19-causing virus on kidney, gastrointestinal tract function, and the endocrine/metabolic system. Apply by Monday, June 1.
• The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering has issued a notice (NOT-EB-20-007) seeking applications to develop life-saving technologies in response to COVID-19 that can be ready for commercialization within one to two years. Apply by Friday, June 5.
• National Cancer Institute has issued a notice (NOT-CA-20-042) to highlight the urgent need for research on the effects of the COVID-19-causing virus on cancer and vice versa. Apply by Thursday, June 25.
• The COVID-19 High-Performance Computing (HPC) Consortium, a group of federal, industry and academic computational leaders, can help COVID-19 researchers execute complex computational research programs to help fight the virus. Researchers are invited to submit COVID-19-related research proposals.

River Campus librarians are coming to your home—virtually: Knowing about online resources is one thing, knowing how to use them effectively is another. Outreach librarians from the River Campus Libraries are creating how-to videos that make a variety of e-resources easier for students and faculty members to use, including tips on how to locate hard-to-find journal articles and how to use Kanopy to stream videos. You can find these videos and others on the #RCLatHOME playlist on YouTube.

Facts over fear: Experts from UR Medicine tackle questions from the community in their series, “Your Question. Our Answers.” Click on the questions below to see a short video with the answers you seek.

• How can I manage the stress and anxiety I’m feeling now?
• Can I get the virus from getting the mail or having food delivered?
• If I think I have coronavirus, can I take ibuprofen?

(In light of the University’s new guidance on Coronavirus —and to help eliminate confusion about the status of upcoming University events during this rapidly evolving situation — Research Connections will not be including any event listings, at least for the short term. The best way to stay up to date on the status of University events is to check events.rochester.edu, which will include cancellations or other changes as they are announced. Thank you for your understanding.)

COMPETITION

Every year, the Art of Science Competition explores and illuminates the aesthetic beauty that results when science, art, and technology intersect. The People’s Choice Poll is officially open for this year’s entries. When voting, be sure to click on each image to see the accompanying description. The poll closes on April 30. Winners will be announced in May.

GRANT DEADLINES

May 1: Deadline to apply for pilot project funding from five programs, through the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience. Learn more.

May 3: Deadline to apply for pilot project funding from the Center for Research on Flavored Tobacco (CRoFT) for research to inform FDA regulation of tobacco products. The application should be submitted through the REDCap portal at http://j.mp/39bC1WF. Questions?  Application contact: Jacqueline Attia, WNY_CRoFT@urmc.rochester.edu Scientific/research contacts:  Scott Steele, scott_steele@urmc.rochester.edu or Deborah Ossip, deborah_ossip@urmc.rochester.edu