Culture
COLUMBUS, Ohio - When faced with a decision, people may know which choice gives them the best chance of success, but still take the other option, a new study suggests.
People may choose based on a "gut feeling", a habit, or what worked for them last time, rather than on what they have learned will work most often, said Ian Krajbich, co-author of the study and associate professor of psychology and economics at The Ohio State University.
The results run counter to the belief that people make the less optimal choice because they just don't know any better.
For 157 years, scientists have wished they could understand the evolutionary relationships of a curious South American ground beetle that was missing a distinctive feature of the huge family of ground beetles (Carabidae). Could it be that this rare species was indeed lacking a characteristic trait known in over 40,000 species worldwide and how could that be? Was that species assigned to the wrong family from the very beginning?
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- Reconstructing how many individuals first settled the many small islands in the Pacific and when they arrived remain important scientific questions, as well as an intriguing ones for understanding human history. Human migrations into the islands of Remote Oceania -- from circa 3,000 to 1,200 years ago -- mark the last major movement into locations previously uninhabited by humans.
Physical fitness and social connection can be difficult to maintain in old age. But new research published in Frontiers in Psychology shows that Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) may promote exercise, improve quality of life and deepen familial ties between grandparents and grandchildren.
The archaeological record is littered with feces, a potential goldmine for insights into ancient health and diet, parasite evolution, and the ecology and evolution of the microbiome. The main problem for researchers is determining whose feces is under examination. A recent study published in the journal PeerJ, led by Maxime Borry and Christina Warinner of Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (MPI-SHH), presents "CoproID: a reliable method of inferring sources of paleofeces."
Machine learning enables reliable classification
New research to be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID)* shows that it is safe to give antibiotics to mothers after umbilical cord clamping in Caesarean section, rather than before, to avoid exposure of the newborn baby to these drugs. The study is by Dr Rami Sommerstein, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland, and colleagues from Swissnoso, the Swiss National Centre for Infection Control.
New research due to be presented at this year's European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID)* has revealed the presence of disease-causing E. coli in recreational waters, including from beaches rated excellent under EU criteria. The study is led by Prof. Dearbháile Morris and Dr. Louise O'Connor at the School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland.
Elderly patients who are hospitalised with pneumonia are twice as likely to die as those hospitalised with hip fractures - yet many elderly people fail to accurately assess their risk of pneumonia, concludes research due to be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID).* The study is by Dr Leslie Grammatico-Guillon, University of Tours, France, and colleagues.
The World Institute of Kimchi (hereinafter "WiKim") (Acting Director Dr. Choi, Hak-Jong) announced that it had identified the origin source of lactic acid bacteria involved in the fermentation of kimchi and the characteristics of the fermentation process depending on the strains of lactic acid bacteria.
The information of the territory provided by the laser technology from an airplane can be combined with data collected in mountain lakes with an inflatable boat and a small echo sounder to obtain three-dimensional maps. The system has been successfully tested by two geologists at the Truchillas glacial lake in Spain.
Scientists studying mountain lakes, often located in remote areas that are difficult to access, are faced with the problem of climbing with heavy and costly equipment. Helicopters are often essential.
Thousands of cancer patients in the UK have had their treatment stopped or delayed because of COVID-19, and with pressures mounting on the health service, Cancer Research UK calls for widespread testing to prevent unnecessary cancer deaths.*
The global pandemic has caused enormous disruption to cancer services across the country including delays to cancer treatment, screening and diagnosis, and profound decreases in patients being urgently referred to hospital with suspected cancer symptoms.**
The sudden stop of capital flow of a country means, according to experts, a bottleneck to its foreign finance, that is to say, the bankruptcy of the country, as it leads to the contraction of international capital flows and the purchase and sale of foreign assets.
Bryophytes, phylogenetically placed between algae and pteridophytes, are divided into three classes, mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Bryophytes are a source of traditional medicines throughout the world. Bryophyte phytochemistry is a fascinating research niche as some compounds - such as secondary metabolites - from these sources have been found to have bioactive properties. Liverworts and other bryophytes have yielded a rich array of secondary metabolites.
In 2019, the global population without access to electricity dipped below 1 billion for the first time. This progress has however been uneven, both across and within different regions. A new IIASA study shows that to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern electricity services by 2030 in sub-Saharan Africa, the pace of electrification must more than triple.
What effects do global warming and the formation of fine particles have on each other? Since the entire atmosphere cannot be heated for experimental purposes, a part of it is put in a chamber and investigated there. Now, a standard procedure has been drawn up for analysing fine particles in experimental chambers.