A new study published in Psychological Science found that people with poor credit scores are more impatient and prefer shorter-term gains over longer-term benefits. This impulsivity can lead to strategic defaulting on loans, as individuals weigh the costs of delayed gratification against short-term benefits.
A recent study published in Science reveals that the Antarctic and Arctic ice sheets experienced simultaneous melting 19,000 years ago. This finding suggests that Antarctica was not as climatically isolated as previously thought, with the two hemispheres reacting more closely to climate change.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute discovered that plant seed cells contract their nuclei and condense chromatin to resist dehydration, enabling seeds to survive harsh conditions. This mechanism allows seeds to prepare for germination when environmental conditions improve.
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center found MK1775 effective in treating sarcoma cells, inducing apoptosis and causing cell death, regardless of p53 mutation status. The study suggests that Wee1 inhibition by MK1775 may represent a novel approach in treating sarcomas.
Four US clinical centers have begun providing access to Novocure's Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) device for treating recurrent GBM, a deadly brain tumor. The device has shown clinical efficacy comparable to active chemotherapies with better quality of life.
A new study funded by the ESRC reveals that disabled children often experience discrimination, exclusion, and even violence. Despite this, many have untapped reserves of potential and high aspirations that can be fulfilled with effective support.
A new study by Beijing Normal University cognitive psychologist Jia Liu and colleagues found that holistic processing is critical to face recognition. Individuals who perform well in tasks measuring holistic processing, such as the composite-face effect and whole-part effect, also excel at recognizing faces.
A new study shows that sound can affect visual perception at an unconscious level, enhancing performance on tasks involving moving objects. Participants performed better when sound moved in the same direction as the object's movement, even if it was irrelevant to the task.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University developed a method to engineer cartilage replacements using mesenchymal stem cells and tiny beads filled with growth factor. The new approach showed promising results in creating thicker, stiffer cartilage than previous methods.
The UCLA-developed integral projection model improves predictions for species facing climate change by analyzing multiple data sources simultaneously. The model reveals that gradual environmental changes have a greater impact on populations than fluctuating changes.
Researchers used fMRI scans to investigate moral judgments, finding that people make automatic distinctions between active and passive harms. The study suggests that allowing harm by failing to act requires more deliberate thinking, unlike actively causing harm which triggers an immediate response.
The Biophysical Society has announced the winners of its 2012 Education Committee travel awards, selected based on scientific merit and conference presentation. The awardees will receive travel grants and be recognized at a reception.
Researchers have developed a cheap material to store solar-heated energy, releasing it slowly at night to keep homes warm without fossil fuels. The phase change material blends paraffin wax and stearic acid, which can be stored in small spherical capsules.
The Biophysical Society announced the winners of its 2012 International Relations Committee travel awards, recognizing scientific merit and proposed presentations at the 56th Annual Meeting. The award fosters interaction between American biophysicists and scientists in countries experiencing financial difficulties.
Scientists have discovered that roundworms can pass on immunity to a virus through small RNA molecules, which were not dependent on the organism's genome. This finding suggests that Lamarckian inheritance may provide adaptive advantages to an animal by allowing them to hold onto beneficial genes until needed.
The Biophysical Society has announced the winners of its Minority Affairs Committee travel awards, which support participation at the Annual Meeting by minority students and early career scientists. The recipients include 12 researchers from diverse backgrounds who will present their research in San Diego.
Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno have licensed a new diagnostic test through IMMY for early detection of cryptococcosis, a fungal meningitis that causes AIDS-related deaths in developing countries. The CrAg Lateral Flow Assay is now available globally, enabling immediate treatment and saving hundreds of thousands of lives.
The Biophysical Society has announced 2012 CPOW Travel Award winners, recognizing postdoctoral female researchers presenting at the conference. The award aims to increase participation of women in biophysics.
Researchers in Canada have developed a technique to produce large quantities of endoderm cells from human pluripotent stem cells, overcoming a key hurdle in regenerative medicine. The method allows for significant increases in effective cell production, enabling the potential for regenerative treatments for diabetes and liver disease.
Rutgers University has received a $10 million grant to explore the genetic and environmental factors leading to alcoholism. The four-year study will collect saliva samples from over 46,000 individuals across the US and conduct DNA extraction and genotyping to identify risk factors.
Researchers create square arrays of highly reproductive three-dimensional silicon oxide nanodots in seconds, opening the door for biosensors and genomics applications. They used atmospheric pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition to achieve precise ordering of nanodots on an array.
Sulfomucins, secreted by intestinal goblet cells, provide critical protection to the intestinal mucosa. Inflammatory cues from microbes and host inflammatory cells modulate sulfomucin production, which is associated with both inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.
Researchers propose taxing food processing ingredients to reduce calories in sugary foods and make the tax more effective and less disruptive to consumers
Researchers have found a natural dye from lichens that reduces the abundance of small toxic protein aggregates in Alzheimer's disease, promoting their conversion into large non-toxic plaques. Further studies are needed to determine its effectiveness for therapy development and potential benefits for patients.
Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have identified a critical diagnostic marker that differentiates type 1 from type 2 diabetes in young Asian Americans, highlighting the importance of insulin resistance. The study also found physical differences in Asian patients with diabetes that should inform treatment recommendations.
A Caltech-led team of astronomers has discovered 18 new planets orbiting massive stars, with masses similar to Jupiter's. The findings provide valuable insights into planetary formation and support the theory that planets grow from seed particles accumulating gas and dust in a disk surrounding a newborn star.
The Jefferson Sciences Associates (JSA) Initiatives Fund has awarded over $380,000 of the $450,000 to support education and outreach programs at the Jefferson Lab. The fund also supports postdoc career development, user initiatives, and several topical science meetings.
A large-scale study found that a costly intervention programme designed to reduce early retirement had no measurable effect. The programme aimed to help participants adopt a healthier lifestyle and manage stress, but it did not improve perceived health outcomes.
Climate-smart agriculture encourages tree-based farming systems to reduce deforestation and promote carbon sequestration. By improving farmers' incomes, it can enhance food security and mitigate climate change through greenhouse gas emission reductions.
A study published in The American Journal of Industrial Medicine found that WTC first responders suffer from asthma at more than twice the rate of the general U.S. population, with rates doubling between 2002 and 2005. Researchers tracked 20,834 responders who received medical screenings from 2002 to 2007, comparing their results to US...
Scientists successfully transitioned fundamental research in autonomy to undersea gliders, demonstrating improved decision-making capabilities without human intervention. The new algorithm enables robots to collect more information and adjust their paths autonomously.