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'A gift from the city to itself'

Researchers from the University of Plymouth detail a blueprint for city marine parks to connect urban areas with their people and the reciprocal benefits of the marine environment. The study highlights the potential of these parks to contribute to community wellbeing, economic prosperity, and sustainability.

SourceUniversity of Plymouth·JournalMarine Policy·DateMar 4, 2019

Study shows economic burden of dengue fever

A study of dengue fever's economic burden in Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Cambodia found high costs for patients in African countries. The average cost of inpatient care was $26 in Burkina Faso and $134 in Cambodia.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases·DateFeb 28, 2019

Long working hours linked to heightened depression risk in women

Research found that long working hours, particularly 55+ hours a week and/or weekends, are associated with increased depressive symptoms in women. Women in male-dominated occupations often work longer hours, while those in low-paid service sector jobs tend to work weekends, both linked to depression.

SourceBMJ Group·JournalJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health·DateFeb 25, 2019

India's integrated child development program increases educational attainment

The study found that men aged 15-54 years and women aged 15-49 years exposed to the ICDS program during their first three years of life completed 0.1-0.3 more grades of schooling than those not exposed. This significant long-term benefit highlights the importance of early-life interventions in improving educational outcomes.

SourceCenter for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy·JournalEconomic Development and Cultural Change·DateFeb 25, 2019

Boost for Australian grain industry

Researchers at La Trobe University and CSIRO found that early sowing of winter wheats can increase Australian wheat crop yields and global food security. The approach could add $1.8 billion to the national economy, with potential yield increases of 20%.

SourceLa Trobe University·JournalNature Climate Change·DateFeb 25, 2019

US patient advocacy groups received majority of pharma donations in multi-country study

A new study found that US-based patient advocacy organizations received 74% of total contributions from the world's 10 largest pharmaceutical companies in 2016. The study highlights inconsistent reporting and disclosure across countries, impeding transparency of pharma contributions to patient advocacy groups.

SourceJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health·JournalAmerican Journal of Public Health·DateFeb 22, 2019

How to keep stink bugs out this winter

Researchers found that sealing holes less than 3mm wide can keep out most brown marmorated stink bugs. Removing dead stink bugs can also deter new arrivals, while 'seeding' traps with corpses may improve performance but requires further testing.

SourceVirginia Tech·JournalJournal of Economic Entomology·DateFeb 21, 2019

As citizen scientists, farmers can make important contributions to climate adaptation

A new study by Bioversity International shows that crowdsourced citizen science can improve and accelerate crop variety recommendations, enabling farmers to adapt to climate change. The approach, called tricot, uses farmer-generated data to generate recommendations that are representative of local conditions.

SourceBioversity International·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 18, 2019

Companies with more financial analysts produce more and better-quality patents

Researchers from UC3M and UAB found that companies with more financial analysts are more likely to acquire innovative companies, make corporate venture capital investments, and reduce internal R&D expenses. This leads to a better allocation of R&D resources, an increase in the number of patents, and improvement in their quality.

SourceUniversidad Carlos III de Madrid·JournalJournal of Financial Economics·DateFeb 14, 2019

New research center at TU Graz

The COMET Project aims to create a low-carbon special powertrain research center at TU Graz, focusing on CO2-neutral fuels, hybrid drive technology, and electric powertrain components. The four-year project is funded by six million euros and strengthens Austria's research and production location.

Walking simulation games signal a new literary genre

Research from the University of Kent reveals that walking simulations are blurring art forms, creating a new genre with stories akin to reading a book. Games like Dear Esther engage players more than traditional video games, making it a fantastic way to tell a story.

SourceUniversity of Kent·JournalInternational Journal of Transmedia Literacy (IJTL)·DateFeb 12, 2019

Women scarce in the one percent

A new study by University of North Carolina at Charlotte researcher Jill Yavorsky and colleagues finds that men control the majority of income resources in top one percent U.S. income distributions. Women's income alone is sufficient for one percent status in only 5% of elite households, highlighting a glass ceiling that extends beyond...

SourceUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte·JournalAmerican Sociological Review·DateFeb 12, 2019

The 2008 recession associated with greater decline in mortality in Europe

A study published in Nature Communications found that the 2008 recession was associated with a greater decline in mortality rates in Europe. The researchers analyzed data from 15 European countries and found that periods of economic recession were linked to lower levels of pollution, fewer accidents, and sedentary lifestyles.

SourceBarcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)·JournalNature Communications·DateFeb 8, 2019

Achieving the Paris Climate Agreement goals

A new open-access book presents two years of research on how to best tackle climate change, funded by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. The book provides a feasible roadmap for achieving and surpassing the targets set by the Paris Climate Agreement, indicating that goals are achievable with current technology.

Do economic conditions affect pregnancy outcomes?

Researchers analyzed dataset of singleton births in Michigan from 1990-2012, finding a 3% increase in preterm birth odds with each one percentage point increase in state unemployment. This study suggests that broader socioeconomic factors, such as economic conditions, may contribute to pregnancy health disparities.

SourceWiley·JournalPaediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology·DateJan 24, 2019