Culture
Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have teamed up with colleagues in Russia and Saudi Arabia and proposed an efficient method for obtaining fundamental data necessary for understanding chemical and physical processes involving substances in the gaseous state. The proposed numerical protocol predicts the thermal effect of gas-phase formation of silver compounds and their absolute entropy. This includes first-ever such data for over 90 compounds.
Toronto - Credit default swaps (CDS) were heavily criticized for being a major contributor to the 2008/09 financial crisis.
But a new study shows that these market-based insurance tools have also served as a stabilizing force, protecting against stock price plunges and higher borrowing costs in the event a firm receives a downgrade from a credit rating agency. CDS are typically bought by lenders to hedge against a borrowing company's potential default on its loans.
LA JOLLA--(July 30, 2019) Neurodevelopmental disorders arising from rare genetic mutations can cause atypical cognitive function, intellectual disability, and developmental delays, yet it is unclear why and how this happens. Scientists suspected a mutation in a complex of proteins could be the culprit for a group of rare genetic disorders and, now, Salk Institute researchers have identified the molecular mechanism linking this mutation with abnormal nervous system development.
Savvy business leaders understand that when companies give back, they can attract better employees and win customers. But a new study shows they're not only doing it to impress workers and consumers: they're also doing it to boost their bottom line.
If somebody asks me "are you a coffee addict?" I may say, "Yeah it seems like, but on the one condition, only in my office." I don't have that much craving for coffee at home, but just being in the office, where I used to drink coffee all the time seeking to get caffeine jitters, seems to trigger my caffeine-addicted brain. It is often said that breaking bad habits or additions is all about a person's willpower. However, as a behavior study researcher Bruce Alexander put it, "Addiction is an adaption.
The current leading method to assess the presence of viruses and other biological markers of disease is effective but large and expensive. It is prohibitively difficult for use in many situations, especially due to certain economic and geographic factors. So researchers created and tested an alternative miniaturized system that makes use of low-cost components and a smartphone. Researchers hope the system could aid those who tackle the spread of diseases.
Cigarette smoke can make MRSA bacterial strains more resistant to antibiotics, new research from the University of Bath has shown.
In addition cigarette smoke exposure can make some strains of Staphylococcus aureus - a microbe present in 30-60% of the global population and responsible for many diseases, some fatal - more invasive and persistent, although the effect is not universal across all strains tested.
Neuroscientists at the University of Sussex have revealed that complex movements, such as those that maintain our posture, can be controlled by a simple genetic system, providing a framework to better understand the molecular basis of diseases that affect motor control, like Huntington's and Parkinson's.
A new study led by the Neuropharmacology Laboratory -NeuroPhar at UPF shows that increasing endocannabinoids in the brain may cause inflammation in specific brain areas such as the cerebellum, which is associated with problems of fine motor coordination. The results of the study in mice are contrary to what had been observed to date in other areas of the brain where endocannabinoids play an anti-inflammatory role. The article has been published in Brain Behavior and Immunity.
Legal status is no guarantee that migrants will find more security in the workplace, according to a new study published in the journal Migration Letters.
Researchers interviewed around 200 migrants across Europe in a bid to find out whether regularisation - the process by which an immigrant obtains legal right to work - affects work conditions and opportunities.
People are more likely to judge the performance of a group based on member's that are labelled as first or number one than they are on any other member, according to new research led by Cass Business School academic Dr Janina Steinmetz.
Dr Steinmetz and her colleagues, Maferima Touré-Tillery of Northwestern University and Ayelet Fishbach from the University of Chicago, used seven separate studies to confirm that the performance of a group's first member can significantly influence people's decisions about the rest of the group.
With multi-resistant germs becoming more and more of a threat, we are in need of new antibiotics now more than ever. Unfortunately, antibiotics cannot distinguish between pathogens and beneficial microbes. They can destroy the delicate balance of the microbiome - resulting in permanent damages. The research team around chemist Dr Thomas Boettcher has now made a significant step towards solving these problems.
The discovery of a new target for the blood-pressure medication propranolol may lead to the development of new and safer therapies for vascular diseases, according to new findings published in eLife.
The study also helps explain how propranolol is able to shrink benign tumours in infants called hemangiomas and relieve symptoms in some individuals born with a rare condition called hypotrichosis-lymphedema-telangiectasia and renal syndrome (HLTRS), which causes an overgrowth of blood vessels.
Philadelphia, July 30, 2019 - Building on a track record of developing adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors as a groundbreaking clinical tool for gene therapy and gene editing, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) researchers report a more sensitive method for capturing the footprint of AAV vectors--a broad range of sites where the vectors transfer genetic material.
Teenagers report higher levels of stress than adults, and cite school as the highest contributing factor, according to the American Psychological Association's annual report. A summary from 2013 concluded that while stress among Americans was not new, "what's troubling is the stress outlook for teens in the United States."
In response, recently some schools have turned to mindfulness-based programs as a way to alleviate stress among their students. These programs could benefit from more research into what activities students find most useful.