“Past research has focused on identifying central individuals, or leaders, in the group to accelerate behavior change or stem disease spread within groups, organizations, or communities,” says public health expert Thomas Valente. “This study shows that identifying bridging individuals who connect two otherwise disconnected subgroups is a more efficient way to achieve these same goals.” (Credit: iStockphoto)
USC (US)—Call them bridging individuals or critical connectors, but in social networks they’re the ones who drive the flow of information from one network to another. Now researchers have figured out a way to identify them. Continue…
Friday, May 7, 2010 12:05 - 3 Comments
Health & Medicine - Apr 13, 2010 10:06 - 0 Comments
In schools near traffic, A is for asthma
USC (US)—Children attending schools located in high-traffic zones have a 45 percent increased risk of developing asthma, even though time spent at school only accounts for about one-third of a child’s waking hours, according to new research. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Feb 15, 2010 13:55 - 3 Comments
Highway pollution drives up heart risk
USC (US)—Exposure to air pollution accelerates the thickening of artery walls that leads to cardiovascular disease, reports a new study—the first to link outdoor air quality and progression of atherosclerosis in humans. (more…)
