Sea ice is a critical indicator of changes in the Earth’s climate. A new discovery by Brown University researchers, including Karen Wang, a doctoral student in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, could provide scientists a new way to reconstruct sea ice abundance and distribution information from the ancient past, which could aid in understanding human-induced climate change happening now. In a study published in Nature Communications, the researchers show that an organic molecule often found in high-latitude ocean sediments, known as tetra-unsaturated alkenone (C37:4), is produced by one or more previously unknown species of ice-dwelling algae. As sea ice concentration ebbs and flows, so do the algae associated with it, as well as the molecules they leave behind. Read more.

For people living with opioid use disorder, the path to treatment is not always clear-cut. Sometimes, there’s no path at all. The gap between those recommended for medications for opioid use disorder — with methadone, buprenorphine or other medications prescribed — and those who ultimately receive it is wide and persisting. At the epicenter, accounting for more than one third of individuals with an opioid disorder, are Medicaid recipients. In an effort to gather information that might help to close that gap, researchers at Brown, including Alexandria Macmadu, a doctoral candidate in epidemiology, analyzed Medicaid databases to identify predictors of timely enrollment in treatment for those who experienced an opioid overdose or were diagnosed with opioid use disorder. Read more.

A new study, co-led by doctoral student Asimanshu Das, examines airflow patterns inside a car's passenger cabin to offer some suggestions for potentially reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission while sharing rides with others. The study used computer models to simulate the airflow inside a compact car with various combinations of windows open or closed. The simulations showed that opening windows - the more windows the better -- created airflow patterns tha dramatically reduced the concentration of airborne particles exchanged between a driver and single passenger. Read more.