One promising form of telemedicine is underutilized in the U.S., compared with countries such as England and China, according to new research from Texas McCombs: initial question-and-answer evaluations. For a fee less than the cost of a full visit, a doctor can begin the diagnosis and referral process, based on a patient’s written or recorded responses.

Ultimately, the research finds, such screenings help more patients see doctors in person and promote better health outcomes. “It turns out that it does a better match,” says Ashish Agarwal, professor of information, risk, and operations management. “You go to the right doctor, and it helps you in the long run.”

In new research from Texas McCombs, Jaime Schmidt, a professor of accounting, clarifies the benefits and risks for auditing firms. She renders a split decision, finding that dividing responsibility makes firms less likely to get sued but more likely to get fired.

“We’re trying to shed light on whether or not rule makers should allow accounting firms to disclose divided audit work, to see whether it really does change people’s perceptions and make them less accountable,” says Schmidt.

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a key reason why certain breast cancers might not respond to an important new class of therapeutics called antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). These treatments pair an antibody that targets cancer cells with a strong chemotherapy drug. For many patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancers, ADCs such as trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) have dramatically improved outcomes.

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) based on crop residues such as corn stover or perennial bioenergy crops such as miscanthus or switchgrass have the potential to mitigate carbon (C) emissions. However, SAF production scale-up is hindered by high establishment costs and yield and price riskiness, making the return profiles less appealing to risk-averse, present-biased, and credit-constrained farmers. A new study found that SAF feedstock choice, adoption levels, and spatial patterns depend on the type of C mitigation payments and farmer risk profiles, shedding light on potential policy decisions that might incentivize increased bioenergy crop cultivation.