A study of non-hospitalized Covid-19 survivors found that 76% developed insomnia, with those having chronic conditions and high depressive/anxious symptoms most affected. Simple actions like exercise and relaxation techniques may help alleviate insomnia symptoms.
Researchers have developed a novel virtual reality-based relaxation therapy that helps cancer patients in palliative care manage symptoms and stress better. The therapy, known as FLOW-VRT-Relaxation, combines standard-of-care relaxation techniques with immersive VR experiences to promote psychological states of flourishing.
A study found that people prefer social robots speaking the same dialect as them, and those who are comfortable with a local accent trust robots that speak it more. The researchers suggest that this is because familiarity and similarity contribute to trustworthiness and competence perceptions.
Researchers found that handwriting by hand increases brain connectivity, promoting better memory formation and encoding of new information. This discovery highlights the need for more handwriting activities in schools, potentially leading to improved learning outcomes.
Researchers studied ant communities in different bioenergy cropping systems to understand how they shape biotic communities and their functions. They found that perennial bioenergy cropping systems with more plant diversity gave rise to a different and more diverse ant community than simpler systems.
A new database of marine microbes has been created, revealing insights into the ocean's diversity and its impact on climate change. The catalog provides unprecedented information on which microbes live where and what they do.
Researchers have shown that combining poverty with chronic inflammation worsens health outcomes, increasing heart disease and cancer mortality rates. The study analyzed data from nearly 95 million adults and found a synergistic effect of poverty and inflammation on mortality.
A study found that watching others eat raw broccoli with negative facial expressions reduces adults' liking for the vegetable, but not their desire to eat it. The researchers suggest that avoiding disgusting food may be a reason for this effect.
A Japanese research team developed a four-meter-long, remotely controllable flying firehose robot called the Dragon Firefighter. It can safely and efficiently extinguish fires by directly approaching flames. The robot will be deployed in real-world firefighting scenarios after approximately 10 more years of development.
A study of 25 obese Chinese individuals reveals that intermittent energy restriction (IER) alters the gut microbiome and brain activity, leading to significant weight loss and reductions in obesity-related comorbidities. The changes are coupled over time, suggesting a complex relationship between the gut microbiome and brain.
A recent US study found that parents overestimate the value of free play in children's learning, while undervaluing guided play. Guided play is more effective for teaching skills like mathematics, language, and STEM subjects. By educating parents on this approach, they can create engaging 'learning' moments during everyday activities.
Scientists have discovered vast quantities of methane trapped beneath Svalbard's permafrost, which could migrate and escape if it thaws. This could create a cycle of warming, exacerbating the climate crisis and accelerating global warming.
The Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda has warmed by 1°C over the past 40 years, with surface temperatures increasing by 0.24°C per decade since the 1980s. The ocean's salinity and oxygen levels have also decreased, leading to increased acidity, which can affect marine life.
A new study published in Frontiers found that working night shifts is associated with a higher occurrence of disordered sleep, particularly among young adults with lower education. The study revealed that 51% of people working nights scored positive for at least one sleep disorder.
Scientists have developed a new tool to track and study polar bears using DNA analysis of skin cells shed in their footprints. This method allows for the monitoring of threatened animals without stressing or harming them.
Researchers have found that Vibrio bacteria play a role in outbreaks of mortality among dark stinging sponges weakened by warming Mediterranean. The study suggests climate change may be impacting disease dynamics in sponges and their pathogens.
Researchers in Panama have created a novel insulation material using rice husk and cellulose, reducing plastic consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The material has competitive thermal conductivity compared to natural and recycled insulation materials.
Researchers found that female Taricha newts produce higher levels of tetrodotoxin, a deadly neurotoxin, than males. This discovery suggests the toxin may serve as a signal for mate selection and survival.
Researchers found that chimpanzees extract termites from mounds most successfully when rainfall increases, until a threshold of 200mm is reached. This suggests that termite fishing is a seasonal activity for chimpanzees, with the best opportunities during the early wet season.
A new hotspot map reveals where women working in agri-food systems face the highest climate risk, with central, east, and southern Africa, as well as west and south Asia, being among the most vulnerable regions. Women's exposure to climate hazards and systemic gender inequalities converge to increase their vulnerability.
A new study maps uncertainty in current climate modeling and proposes a framework to better predict future global warming risk. International experts identify 26 distinct processes that could drive significant warming after net zero.
Researchers found that pollutants in green sea turtle eggs can feminize broods, increasing the risk of extinction due to a lack of males. The study suggests that climate change and pollution may be driving this trend, which could have severe consequences for the species' survival.
A new study found that mixed forests with four species have the highest carbon stocks relative to monocultures, increasing above ground carbon stocks by at least 70%. The results demonstrate the potential of diversification in planted forests to enhance carbon storage and support biodiversity.
Scientists have discovered that willow bark extract has a broad-spectrum antiviral effect against both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses, including coronaviruses and enteroviruses. The extract works by attacking the surface of the virus, preventing it from entering cells and reproducing.
A study found that women using oral contraceptives had a thinner ventromedial prefrontal cortex than men, which is thought to sustain emotion regulation. The effects of COCs on brain development and emotional regulation are still not well understood, highlighting the need for further research.
Scientists have developed wearable devices that vibrate to provide orientation cues, boosting the efficacy of astronaut training and making spaceflight safer. The study found that wearing these devices improved performance and reduced crashes in simulated spaceflight conditions.
Researchers found that fathers' reported symptoms of anxiety and depression were not associated with worse behavioral and cognitive outcomes in their children. In contrast, slightly higher levels of depressive symptoms among fathers during pregnancy were linked to fewer behavioral difficulties in their child at six to eight years old.
Researchers compiled personal reports and associations from 132 participants to categorize 1,001 self-portraits into 26 categories. Five clusters emerged, including 'aesthetics', 'imagination', and 'trait', which showed a close association with visual language used to communicate different aspects of oneself.
Listening to preferred music reduces pain intensity and unpleasantness, while emotional responses play a key role in predicting its effect. The study found that moving or bittersweet emotional themes are associated with lower pain ratings.
A study found that pet owners worldwide tend to be more emotionally attached to and willing to spend more on their dogs compared to their cats. However, there are significant cultural differences in attitudes towards pets across countries, with Denmark showing a notable preference for dog care.
Researchers found that humans who worked with robots were more likely to catch fewer defects later in the task, indicating a 'looking but not seeing' effect. This could lead to safety implications and negative impacts on work outcomes if not addressed in real-world environments.
A study found that wildlife exits designed for ocelots in Texas were used by 10 mammal species, including bobcats and coyotes, to exit highways. The exits function as designed, but ongoing research aims to improve their effectiveness.
A school-based cycling program improved adolescents' psychosocial well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, certain groups, such as males and students from high socio-economic status families, showed reduced improvements in mental well-being.
Scientists have found evidence that peregrine falcons deliberately exhaust their prey to improve later hunting success. By provoking the prey into early flocking, the peregrines deprive them of opportunities to forage and energy needed to continue flocking later in the day.
A study in Frontiers in Psychology found that unconscious 'crossmodal' associations with our sense of smell can distort perception of colors. Participants adjusted sliders to change the color of a square, but their choices were influenced by the odor they smelled, such as perceiving coffee as a reddish-brown color instead of neutral grey.
Researchers investigated whether marketing can influence men's perceptions of vegan food. They found that while short-term interventions may not change consumption habits, long-term approaches could lead to improved attitudes towards veganism.
A study found that a water additive containing pomegranate extract can limit the formation of plaque and tartar in dogs after professional dental cleaning. The additive was shown to reduce plaque buildup by 47% and tartar by 24%, promoting healthy gums.
Researchers from the Netherlands found that traditional swimming lessons in the country often discourage children from having fun in the pool. By adopting a teaching style based on self-determination theory, instructors can nurture autonomy, competence, and relatedness, leading to improved swimming skills and increased enjoyment. The s...
Visits to parents' countries of origin during holidays can boost heritage language fluency in bilingual children. Children who attended mainstream school and took additional Greek classes performed better in tests that targeted vocabulary and grammatical structures.
Researchers found that intermittent shading can moderate coral bleaching on shallow reefs by reducing light stress. Shading corals for four hours a day reduced bleaching in some species, while longer periods of shading showed more significant results.
A study found that captive giant pandas living in zoos outside their natural latitude exhibit reduced activity, potentially impacting their wellbeing. The researchers monitored the behavior of 11 pandas at six zoos, finding that daylight and temperature cues played a crucial role in regulating their circadian clocks.
A study found that specific proteins in breast milk correlate with the abundance of certain gut microbes in infants, potentially playing a role in early immune and metabolic development. The research suggests a regulatory function of these proteins on the immune function of the gut microbiome in humans.
Climate change is altering Italian mountain forests, with trees potentially shifting uphill and species disappearing. The study found that some species, like the European larch and Turkey oak, may thrive in a warmer future, while others, such as the silver fir and European beech, are at risk.
Scientists have developed a new finger sweat test to detect antipsychotic drugs in patients, providing a quicker and more comfortable alternative to blood draws. The test was tested on 60 patients receiving clozapine, quetiapine, or olanzapine, with promising results.
Researchers found that sinking culled fruit trees into the Wadden Sea boosted local marine life diversity and abundance. The study shows native biodiversity can be restored using trees as reefs.
A new pocket-sized device uses heat signatures and bacterial fluorescence to identify infected wounds, providing a more accurate diagnosis than traditional methods. The device achieved an overall accuracy of 74% in identifying different categories of wounds, with 100% accuracy in distinguishing between infected and non-infected wounds.
Researchers found that participants taking adult education classes had a 19% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who did not. This association held true for both Caucasian and non-Caucasian individuals, as well as those with pre-existing health conditions.
City-living male song sparrows exhibit increased parental care and reduced nest predation rates, contradicting the notion that urbanization leads to decreased parental investment. Urban males also begin feeding nestlings earlier in the day, indicating a more attentive parenting style.
Researchers identified a link between high white blood cells in saliva and compromised flow-mediated dilation, an early indicator of poor arterial health. The study suggests that low levels of oral inflammatory load may have an impact on cardiovascular health.
The study sheds light on the intricate interactions of microorganisms throughout the manufacturing process, influencing the microbiota's composition and organoleptic properties. The natural whey starter plays a significant role in shaping the microbial makeup of mozzarella, with subtle variations between traditional and modern dairies.