Marick Masters, professor at Wayne State University’s Mike Ilitch School of Business, shares insights about the types of jobs that may be most threatened by automation, fields expected to experience a high rate of job growth, and more. “The sectors in which the most growth is expected are healthcare, leisure and hospitality, advanced technology, data and information analysis, and alternative energy. Jobs that involve the provision of care and services for the elderly and infirm are like to grow considerably. Included among the specific jobs expecting growth are nurse practitioners, statisticians, health services managers, data analysts, and technicians working in alternative energy,” Masters said.  

The city of Ferndale has become the target of jokes and complaints on social media by fans of Taylor Swift because the vinyl records, CDs, sweatshirts, jewelry and other official merchandise sold on the singer's website are shipped from the Metro Detroit city by record label Universal Music Group NV through a company called Artist Endeavor LLC. And some fans who preordered her 10th studio album, "Midnights," released on Oct. 21 say they aren't coming, well, swiftly enough. Central parts of the country, like Michigan, often can be attractive to distributors for ease of access to customers nationally. Metro Detroit also is home to a major international airport, though it's still 30 minutes from Ferndale. Michigan may offer less costly real estate and labor than other states like Massachusetts, noted Hakan Yildiz, associate professor of supply chain management at Wayne State University. It also has a low risk for natural hazards like hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires. 

By Diane Cress  Diane Cress, associate professor of nutrition and food science at Wayne State University, wrote an article about the consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency, and how it is over overlooked by doctors. B12 deficiency is a common problem that affects an estimated 6% to 20% of the U.S. population. Cress outlines the symptoms of B12 deficiency, as well as the absorption process and treatment options.  “One primary symptom of B12 deficiency is fatigue – a level of tiredness or exhaustion so deep that it affects daily life activities. Other symptoms are neurological and may include tingling in the extremities, confusion, memory loss, depression and difficulty maintain balance…” Cress writes. “However, since there can be so many causes for these symptoms, health care providers may overlook the possibility of a B12 deficiency and fail to screen for it…”

By Mike Wilkinson  As Michigan and the nation are just weeks from beginning the fourth year of COVID-19, the signs are remarkably positive, according to new state data released Monday and Tuesday. For the first time since July, Michigan hospitals are treating fewer than 1,000 COVID-19 positive patients. New confirmed cases fell this week to the lowest level since April. The coronavirus positive test rate is now the lowest since May. The good news is widespread: hospitalizations have declined in every region in Michigan after hitting a recent high, state records show. But as Thanksgiving and the holidays approach, other data shows that the virus remains a threat: the state reported 223 deaths on Tuesday, the most since February. Though the deaths spanned several months, including 158 in November and 61 in October, they underscore that the virus is still taking lives daily across Michigan. Among that hardest hit: older residents and those who are unvaccinated or are not fully boosted. “It is very stark,” said Dr. Phil Levy, an emergency medicine physician at Detroit Receiving Hospital and a Wayne State University researcher. “If you’re not up-to-date (on vaccinations) you are exposing yourself to substantial risk.” 

Wayne State University Law School’s Moot Court program concluded its inaugural Peter Henning Moot Court Competition earlier this month. Of the 30 junior members who participated in the two-day competition, 2L Chloe Brueck prevailed as the Fall 2022 In-House champion.  During the competition’s Preliminary Rounds, judges evaluated oral advocates based on the substantive content of their arguments, knowledge of the record, extemporaneous abilities, and courtroom demeanor. The top eight oralists from the preliminaries advanced to the competition’s upper rounds the next day. 

By Irving Mejia-Hilario  Tens of millions of pounds of tiny pieces of plastic called ‘microplastics’ enter the Great Lakes each year. Exposure is linked to learning and memory issues in animals; researchers fear similar effects on humans. Experts say minor policy changes like banning microbeads are inadequate to combat the issue. Microplastics come from various sources, including litter like nurdles and water bottles, as well as wear-and-tear on the plastic products that seem ubiquitous in everyday life. Polyester fleece blankets and shirts release plastic into wastewater with every wash. Car tires emit a plastic dust as they wear against road surfaces. Though scientists have been tracking microplastics in the ocean since the 1970s, their 2013 discovery in the Great Lakes raised a new alarm. The lakes provide drinking water for 40 million people in the U.S. and Canada, while supporting an entire food web that sustains commercial, tribal, and recreational fishing economies. Fears of a looming crisis in the Great Lakes prompted researchers from Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University to host a roundtable discussion in May to discuss the growing threat. They fear society is disregarding a major environmental and health hazard, said Rodrigo Fernandez-Valdivia, an assistant professor in the School of Medicine at Wayne State University who spoke at the meeting. “At some point, this may overcome us, as humans,” Fernandez-Valdivia said. “We need to not finger-point at countries and regions, and recognize that this is a global problem.” 

By Kalie VanDewater and Ira Winer  During their lifetime, one in 70 women will receive a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, which is the second most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Among these, 15% to 30% will have platinum-resistant or refractory ovarian cancer, data show. Although the FDA granted fast track designation to a combination therapy for platinum-resistant disease in May, studies are still ongoing to identify other potential treatment options. Healio spoke with Ira Winer, MD, PhD, an associate professor in the division of gynecologic oncology at Wayne State University in Detroit, to learn more about what treatments show the most promise for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. “Taking a step back, ovarian cancer in general can be a difficult disease to treat. This is largely due to the fact that it is a difficult disease to recognize and diagnose because the symptoms can be vague and are often mild. Once a patient is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, they will be treated with platinum-based chemotherapies combined with surgery up front. Maintenance strategies are also utilized to prevent recurrent disease,” said Winer. “Unfortunately, still, approximately 80% of patients will recur ultimately. Once platinum resistance is identified, very few conventional agents offer significant response as the disease becomes resistant to prototypical/conventional DNA-damaging agents. 

For Amesite Inc., the beginning of the fourth quarter is an opportunity to look back on some of its exciting news as well as the momentum it has built from the third quarter. This includes some key partnerships with universities, multi-institution buyers and businesses. In August, Amesite announced it was expanding its partnership with Wayne State University’s College of Engineering to move their Amesite-powered platform — Warrior TechSource — to Amesite’s V5 eCommerce platform. This gives Warrior TechSource the added capabilities of Amesite’s scalable e-commerce ecosystem, to expand its streamlined and integrated course learning services to a 30,000-strong student and alumni network. 

By Clara G Zundel Clara G. Zundel, a postdoctoral research fellow in psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Wayne State University, wrote an article summarizing findings that people who breathe polluted air experience changes within the brain regions that control emotions, which may make them more likely to develop anxiety and depression than someone who breathes cleaner air. “In our analysis, 73% of the studies reported higher mental health symptoms and behaviors in humans and animals, such as rats, that were exposed to higher-than-average levels of pollution. Some exposures that led to negative effects occurred in air pollution ranges that are currently considered “safe” by the Environmental Protection Agency’s standards,” she writes. “In addition, we discovered that 95% of studies examining brain effects found significant physical and functional changes within the emotion-regulation brain regions in those exposed to increased levels of air pollution.”

Three energy companies, a fertilizer firm and a drug maker have all been suping super well while most of the rest of the U.S. grapples with soaring prices. There’s a silver lining to the worst inflation since the 1980s. Just ask the companies that are making bank on higher prices. Hiking prices gets easier during inflation, when everyone seems to be doing it. Sometimes charging more makes sense. Inflation raises the cost of production, and most companies pass on the cost to customers. Sometimes, however, the higher prices go above and beyond the extra expenses companies incur. Operating margin is a fair indicator because it excludes borrowing, Wayne State University finance professor Mai Iskandar-Datta said. “Essentially, you’re trying to have a broader picture of company performance. You’re trying to see how they’re doing without considering financing. It separates financing and investment decision-making.”

By Lauren Hodges Following the shooting at The University of Virginia and a Ukrainian missile that crossed into Poland, Twitter users expressed hesitation about the information they saw on the platform. At the core of the confusion was Twitter’s new – and frequently changing – policies that have been implemented since Elon Musk’s tenure as a owner and CEO began in late October. A blue check mark used to mean a user’s identity had been verified. Musk introduced a now-paused Twitter Blue in early November to offer a subscription plan for the blue check mark. Soon after, Twitter was flooded was impersonators and misinformation. Musk announced the company was taking action to address fake accounts. But the damage may have already been done. “Many will be looking for other ways to connect with people and to get information,” says Donyale Padgett, a professor of communication studies at Wayne State University. Padgett has done extensive studies on how Twitter has been used to reach the public during natural disasters, most recently focusing on Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Padgett says the platform’s usefulness in these situations is mainly about access. “Especially in a crisis situation, it’s a way to share information with the greatest number of people. The people whose lives are most affected by the situation might not have a lot of options. They need to get this information and they need to get it quickly.” She said that’s also what makes people vulnerable to misinformation, making verification – which used to be Twitter’s job - so important. “Now, it’s a free-for-all,” said Padgett. “To think that could be compromised? It doesn’t make me feel good. It definitely is a breach of confidence in the whole system.”

By Sarah Grimmer Activists in Detroit have called for a third-party mental health response team. Dr. Gerald Sheiner, a psychiatrist at Sinai-Grace Hospital and professor at Wayne State University, agrees. “Mental health care is at a crisis state in our city and across the country,” Sheiner said. Dr. Sheiner responds to mental health patients at the hospital and says when those patients are having their worst moments, the presence of weapons or intimidating personnel often makes the situation worse. “Patients who experience those type of difficulties are often frightened and think that everyone else is out to do them harm,” he said. “Mental health professionals are the best fit personnel to respond to mental health crisis, but mental health professionals are not available.” With a lack of a mental health response team, Detroit police have been responding to the uptick in mental health calls. The department is responding to an average of 64 mental health runs per day, more than three times as many as in 2020. “64 calls a day is beyond the ability of emergency services to care for in many instances,’ said Sheiner. DPD has been partnering with the Detroit Wayne Integrated Crisis Intervention Team for training and are working with activists and elected officials to create a non-police response program to address non-violent mental health calls. “I think that a straight up mental health response presents someone to intervene who is less threatening to a patient and someone who intervenes who has more experience dealing with a patient in crisis,” said Sheiner.