Recent Articles

  • Study: Dryer weather connected to an increase in COVID-19 cases

    Amanda Ghosh Medical & Allied Healthcare

    There is yet another reason to wear your mask. A recent study published in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases confirms that drier air is associated with an increase in COVID-19 cases. The study, entitled "Humidity is a Consistent Climatic Factor Contributing to SARS‐CoV‐2 Transmission," is the second to confirm the impact of humidity on the spread of COVID-19. Specifically, a 1% drop in relative humidity was associated with a 7-8% increase in COVID-19 cases.

  • 7 of America’s best beer gardens

    Dave G. Houser Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

    The beer garden (or biergarten to be linguistically accurate) is a traditional German outdoor pub that serves beer and eats at communal tables. American breweries and restaurants have added their own twist to this traditional and culturally significant gathering place. Most U.S. beer gardens are of Bavarian heritage or influence, but beer-loving Bohemians from the Czech Republic and Slovakia have maintained a beer garden tradition of their own. Here are seven of the best beer gardens America has to offer.

  • Building social justice apps builds STEM skills, self-worth for students

    Sheilamary Koch Education

    From paper waste to police brutality, 145 children and teens took a deep dive into the social issues that most concern them this summer. Sounds like a good social justice project, right? What took the work of students who took the recent STEM Kids NYC course outside the realm of what we'd expect from a project on social activism was their final product. No, there were no reports, posters, presentations nor a single PowerPoint or video — instead, each student (aka computer scientist) created a digital app to illuminate their issue.

  • Report: Telehealth vendors are fighting off many more cyberattacks than…

    Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied Healthcare

    As telehealth use has skyrocketed throughout COVID-19, so has the number of attacks on these systems by cyber thieves, according to a new report from cybersecurity rating firm SecurityScorecard and dark web research company DarkOwl. Attacks on similar video services, like Zoom, were headline news earlier this year, too, at the height of the economic shutdown caused by the pandemic. As organizations have moved to remote environments or offered services through telecommunications, these technologies have become honeypots to cybercriminals.

  • Report: Was there enough oversight for federal virus aid?

    Seth Sandronsky Civil & Government

    A new report on recipients of federal pandemic aid from the CARES Act asks if there was adequate congressional oversight before tax dollars went out the door as the economy closed to slow the spread of COVID-19 in March. "The revelation that tens of thousands of CARES Act recipients have records of misconduct — including some cases of a criminal nature — raises the question of whether the eligibility criteria for the grant and loan programs were strict enough," according to Philip Mattera, research director at Good Jobs First, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group.

  • Retailer survival: 4 actions to take ASAP

    Gail Short Retail

    The coronavirus pandemic forced governments around the United States and abroad to temporarily close down their economies to contain the virus, resulting in jobs losses and disruptions to global supply chains. Because of the pandemic, many U.S. retailers had to shut down their brick-and-mortar stores temporarily while other stores that sold products deemed as "essential" remained open. Since reopening, some retailers have struggled financially. Some even filed for bankruptcy this year. But others saw their sales soar.

  • You’ve closed the deal. Now what?

    Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    Negotiating is a valuable skill in any industry or role. However, one thing that separates good negotiators from great negotiators is that the latter understand that closing the deal isn't the end of the process. As the world becomes more interconnected, it’s increasingly more important to comprehend the various nuances involved in international negotiations. According to Eliane Karsaklian, author of "The After Deal: What Happens After You Close a Deal?" the success of a negotiation depends on understanding that the negotiation process is not over when a deal is signed.

  • Dental guidelines limit aerosol-generating procedures during pandemic

    R.V. Scheide Oral & Dental Healthcare

    Last month, the World Health Organization recommended delaying "routine nonessential oral health care … until there has been a sufficient reduction in COVID-19 transmission rates from community transmission to cluster cases." But the American Dental Association was quick to "respectfully yet strongly disagree" with the WHO’s call to delay "routine" care now, as many dental offices have successfully reopened. "Millions of patients have safely visited their dentists in the past few months for the full range of dental services," ADA President Chad P. Gehani said the day after the WHO’s announcement.

  • Infographic: How arts education benefits kids outside the studio

    Neve Spicer Education

    A well-rounded education is unarguably an important part of childhood development. While math, science, and reading courses get due credit for conveying important knowledge, the benefits of arts education are often overlooked — and the result is a reduction in time and funding devoted to arts education within the curriculum. It's this important knowledge that's the driving force behind National Arts in Education Week, taking place this year from Sept. 13-19.

  • Why you should incorporate props into a board meeting

    Robert C. Harris Association Management

    The chief elected officer is given a gavel. Its purpose is to convene the meeting and maintain order. What else could be on the board table to enhance the meeting? Consider props. Props are used to enhance an experience. For example, a magician has a wand to improve the effect.